A funny thing happened on the way to quit writing. I didn't. Yeah, I know that sounds a bit confusing but it's true. A little over two years ago, give or take a month, I was standing on that cliff all authors find themselves on at one time or another in their lives. After having not one but three defunct publishers, a case of writer's block like you wouldn't believe and a fairly large stack of internet rejections, I fully intended to slide my trusty laptop onto a shelf and go back to my first love. That would be sitting in my chair watching TV, just in case anyone is wondering.
Now, we get back to the bit about a funny bit happened… Love those dot dot dots! Where was I? Oh yeah, the funny thing. I heard that a friend from one of those aforementioned defunct publishers had plans to kick start a company of her own. Since I already had a couple books more or less finished, I figured, why not give it one last shot? It didn't hurt that I trusted this friend, and believe me, being a writer trust is a big plus when choosing a publisher. We talked for a little while and I really liked the direction she had in her head for this new company. I have never been one to write the steamy and she wasn't interested in the steamy. Stories were what she was looking for.
So, when we finally got around to talking about the above stories, I told Gail I had this manuscript that had already made the rounds. Which led to a third degree worthy of Elliot Ness. I'll be the first to admit, my style isn't exactly positioned on this side of normal. That's part of my charm.
After a short period, Gail got back to me. Always a good sign in this business. She liked the story, but where did I see it going? Honestly, I wanted to write more with the characters. In fact, before I let her look at it, the story had already been beefed up from the original length of twenty thousand words, from when I'd subbed it the first time, to a total of some forty something thousand words. So, I explained the ideas I already had for a series based on the first book. A little bit of hindsight here, but it's gone past those feeble notions and exploded into something I hadn't even seen back then. She gave me a hmm and said that she liked the idea but the first book needed more.
More! More? What exactly did she mean by that? Didn't matter. My brain had already started churning. Or, was that burning? Because, I definitely remember smelling smoke and something that vaguely smelled like bacon and cheddar. In any case, I could come up with something. There were some parts that could stand a little umphing up. I'm all about the umph. So, with my carpel tunnel whining, I jumped into the fray and pumped out another twenty thou of story. A side note before I go any further: I would still like to jump in with a fresh can of umph. After writing nearly four more books in this series, I see some room for improvement in the story that started it all. In case you haven't figured it out, the book was Love at First Stake.
From that first conversation with Gail, I got the impression that Desert Breeze would become my home. She made it quite clear as a publisher she wanted stories, not brief encounters that were more flash than substance. I'd gotten into writing to tell stories. To make pictures move inside people's minds. Here, I'd found a publisher with the same agenda I had. Not only that, but Gail and Jenifer were willing to give me a chance to explore this strange world that had been living inside my head and see where it went. Out of everything I've gained from Desert Breeze, that is what keeps me delving into the same world. Desert Breeze isn't just a business, it's a family. We care, support and help each other.
In a world where everything is dog eat dog, I couldn't think of a better place to call home. And I was honored to be one of the first authors to be released under the flowing Desert Breeze banner. It's hard to believe it's already been two years. Funny how time flies, when someone keeps you chained to a laptop and forces you to live inside your own imagination. Really, no forcing involved and Gail says the chain can come off in a year or so.
To celebrate not only Desert Breeze's anniversary, but mine with them, I would like to offer one lucky reader one of the books from the Love Bites Series. To check out this series, and the rest of my insanity, click here and feel free to check the rest of the amazing authors. So, how does one get in the running for a chance to win? Just plop a comment down and you're not only staked out for a Love Bite, but you're also tickling the fang for the grand prize at the Desert Breeze Blog to be announced at the end of the month. Mine will be on the 28th, so stay tuned.
Before I sign off and go do something authorly, like write or something, Happy Birthday Desert Breeze, and here's to many more!
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