When thinking about what to write for my guest post, I thought about how I ended up on tour with Key of Solomon and decided I would share my journey with you. I hope you enjoy the look back.
The path to publication with Relic Defender: Key of Solomon was a long and, at times, a frustrating path. More often than not, it was an exercise in perseverance. In growing thick skin and not taking every rejection to heart. Certainly, it was a path that taught me patience (and was mostly successful). But the most important lesson I learned from this experience was in learning to believe in myself as a writer.
Key of Solomon is not the first book I’ve ever written or published. My first book is buried in the deep reaches of my computer and I do believe I have half of it printed and in spiral bound so I can always remember how far I’ve come. Um. I actually forgot. I did write another book when I was in my teens. Remember, Heather and Brandon’s story in The Flame and the Flower? Well, I loved that story and thought I could do a historical that was disturbingly similar. Luckily, I lost that one although it would have been fun to read just how clueless I was back then.
Key of Solomon is actually my third completed manuscript and second published. In 2007, New Concepts Publishing published a post-apocalypse romance called Hit Me with Your Best Shot that I’m releasing with a new cover and updated story through Lyrical Press in February 2012.
But back to Key of Solomon. The fact it’s a third book doesn’t mean it holds any less of an important place in my heart. In many ways, it means more. You see, in early 2010, I actually gave up on this story. For two years, I’d shopped it and garnered a lot of rejections on this story alone. I won’t tell you how many – trust me when I say it was a lot and well past 100. The rejections came in with a common theme – interesting premise, obviously a good writer, “I just didn’t love it enough.” Six words that still cause shudders to run up my spine. I get why this is used, honestly, I do. Doesn’t make it any easier to read because there has to be something the agent/editor didn’t like.
Finally, I’d had enough. I was done. I never wanted to see that story again or any of its many versions. By this time, my decision should have been easy. But it wasn’t. So, I made a very painful decision to put this book aside. I didn’t know what I needed to do to fix whatever was wrong. I’d redone the beginning to death to no avail.
Now, when I say, I put this book aside, I mean ASIDE. Gone, Kaput. You see, I yanked everything related to this story off my hard-drive, purged my desk file folders and more. Why? Because it hurt too much to keep seeing this story every time I opened a drawer or my work-in-progress folder. Still, it wasn’t enough for me to move the online files and tuck them in another folder. No, I had to get them completely off my system so I couldn’t even accidentally see the documents. It was a dark time for me. It was around this time that I even thought about giving up writing completely. And no one knows this – but you do. Now. I didn’t tell anyone about how low I’d gotten.
Still, even with all that, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t let go of Lexi and Mikos. I believed in them, their story and most of all, I believed in myself as a writer. This story was good. I knew it was. Maybe not great, but certainly worth being published and I would have put it up against so many of the others that were being published.
Besides, I convinced myself, I had two full manuscripts out there and even though I hadn’t heard from the agent or editor for over six months, they still hadn’t said no. That was enough for me for one last shot. One last hurrah.
With a tiny piece of hope still burning in my heart and the strong conviction that THIS story was worth publishing, I contacted the editor and agent.
One of them, the editor, Bethany Morgan of Samhain, replied that she hadn’t received it, but still wanted to see it. I’d gotten an opportunity to do an online chat/pitch with her and she seemed to really love the story. She hadn’t rejected it; she simply never received it. Imagine the feeling of relief. I immediately sent it off. Shortly about the same time, I heard from the agent who had it, but hadn’t read it. Not long after I resent to Bethany, the agent gave me a lovely rejection.
A couple of months later, I got an email from Bethany. I swear, I must have stared at that thing, afraid to open it because I was so terrified it would be another rejection. The last rejection I’d ever get on this story. Instead, she told me loved it and asked if it was still available.
After I got my heart beating again, I replied, of course, it was! The rest, as they say is history and this past March, Key of Solomon was released. The book I had all but given up on it had found a home.
I shared my story because it isn’t as much a tale of publishing since the same lessons can be used in everyday life, as it is a tale of not giving up. And of believing in yourself. All that time, I kept hearing from others who said some books should never be published and maybe that’s true. However, the one thing I can say with certainty is to trust your heart. But be honest. You’ll know.
Even though I was ready, and actually did, pack up Key of Solomon, I still had enough hope, determination and belief to see this book published that I gave it one more shot. That I didn’t just dismiss the lack of response and move on. And guess what? It paid off. It can pay off for you too. Have faith, trust your gut and keep believing in yourself. It can happen for you too. And I’ll be there to cheer you on.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR…I don’t like biographies because it’s hard to talk about myself, but I realize they are important. I think. For those of you interested in these things, here’s mine. I’ve been a writer ever since I can remember. Which, I’m afraid, isn’t as far back as most writers seem to remember. The first time I put pen to paper to write fiction was after reading The Flame and The Flower by Rosemary Rogers. At the time, I was in high school and thought being able to write such a terrific story must be the most amazing thing in the world. Turned out it was; however, I wasn’t the writer. I kept that attempt for years and it finally got tossed when my family moved from Pennsylvania to Florida and my Mom cleaned house.
After that, I still wrote. But not fiction. I wrote for newsletters, drafted publications in the military, training outlines, business letters and more. Everything but fiction. It wasn’t until AOL came along that I found fiction again. Actually, it was a combination of AOL, Moondust and Madness by Janelle Taylor (futuristic romance) and a dream.
After I read Moondust, I fell in love with futuristic romance and started telling myself a story in my head until I went to asleep at night. I “wrote” the whole first chapter in my mind and then one night, while my husband was stationed in Guam, I didn’t stop writing the story after I feel asleep. I remember the next morning waking up and knowing I had a story.
At the same time, I discovered the romance section of AOL and knew this was my dream. So, I put fingers to computer and wrote my first book, Written in the Stars which I still have and no, not sure I plan on publishing. It didn’t matter though. I was hooked on writing romance and have been hooked ever since. – FROM AMAZON
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Trust no one…except the one who walks in the dark.
Relic Defender, Book 1
Anthropology PhD candidate Lexi Harrison never bares it all when she belly dances for a strip club crowd. She doesn’t have to—she’s that good. Every performance earns money toward her degree, and restores the sense of power that her painful childhood ripped away.
Something is different about tonight. A man whose silver gaze seems to touch her skin beneath her veils. When a rowdy customer crosses the line, he comes to her rescue with the speed of a falcon—complete with wings.
Mikos Tyomni has never seen anyone dance the raqs sharqi like Lexi. Trust his tormentor, Archangel Michael, to put him in close contact with the cause of his downfall: a mortal woman. Particularly this mortal woman. The Defender. He has only thirty days to win her trust before Hell’s deadliest demons attempt the mother of all prison breaks.
No matter how sexy the messenger is, Lexi’s career plans don’t include some crazy idea that she’s the last line of defense against the forces of evil. Until her university mentor’s murder leaves her holding the key to Hell. And fighting a losing battle against a passion with the unholy power to bring down Heaven…
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