After this post, I think I’m allowed to call myself a writer for real, rather than just someone who pretends to write. What do you think?
1) Always open your junk mail. I got a letter from Liguorian, which I assumed was an ad for the League of St. Gerard. Fortunately I did open it because inside were two copies of a contract for my short story “Hands That Touch Time.” This will be my second story published with Liguorian Magazine, which has a circulation of 120,000 and which has featured award-winning stories in the past. Color me thrilled!
2) Remember my Christmas novella that would have been published last Thanksgiving had the publisher not gone out of business two weeks before publication date? I’m delighted to announce that The Boys Upstairs will be released this December by MuseItUp Publishing. I’ve already received the first round of edits, and I’ve been working with the cover artist as well.
As an aside, if any readers here would like a review copy to review on your weblog or podcast or whatnot, please let me know and I’ll see about getting a copy to you.
3) I am now represented by agent Roseanne Wells of the Marianne Strong Literary Agency! She’s given me an editing assignment for Honest And For True to make it more saleable (part of my task being to reduce the word count by about 17%) and once we’re done with that, we go on submission. I’m so excited because Roseanne really “gets” the book and the characters, and because she sees what I’m doing with it, she’s able to see ways the book can be improved.
Since I work better when I have to feed a ticker, I’ve installed a “weight loss ticker” in the sidebar to monitor my “book diet.”
If you read agency weblogs, you know Roseanne Wells from her guest post at Colleen Lindsay’s, about why adding a dragon doesn’t help your broken story. If you read it (actually, do go read it) you’ll immediately notice the first sentence:
My friend Jane* has a tendency to tell really boring stories.
*sniff* I hope not. 🙁
I got some mileage out of that on the phone with her (“I know! We can add a dragon!”) although probably more than I should have.
4) There is no fourth thing. Sorry. These three are exciting enough for right now.
Congrats! So excited for you. I am personally waiting for Roseanne’s critic of my first ten pages and I can’t wait to get some insights lol!!!
Thanks! She’s really awesome and I bet you’ll be pleased. 🙂
Hey congratulations. Here’s wishing you many more published books.
Way to go Jane, God bless 🙂 This still doesn’t mean you’re clear of frying pans…
No, I think the frying pans just get bigger at this point. 🙂
Kudos!!!!!!!!!
Thank you! It’s so exciting how everything happens at once. (And then in my email, I just got notified that a poem got accepted to Ruminate Magazine. Just…wild.)
Oh wow!
What huge, huge news!
I’m so happy for you!
Thanks!
I’m so, so pleased for you, Jane. See what all those prayers wrought? (Just keep tossing mine up, s’il vous plait.)
I’d love to read for you, but I’d have to have it in my hands before the second week of October. Any chance of that happening? (Otherwise, it’s email attachment only.)
It’s ebook only, so that’s not a problem. And yes, I keep praying for your writing when I pray for mine. 🙂 (And Ivy’s and Kaci’s and another person’s who doesn’t read here.)
Congrats! Many exciting things coming your way!!! 😀
I know — I keep waiting to wake up.
Congratulations!!! So very excited for you. 🙂
Thank you! I’m excited as well. 🙂
Hooray! You’re official. Congratulations!
I like that! I’m The Official Philangelus. 🙂
Congratulations, Jane! That’s great news but doesn’t surprise me as much as it surprises you as your writing gift is quite obvious 🙂 You’re on a roll!
Wowzers, Lady! Yea for you!!!
Congratualtions. I am so happy for you
Thanks, everyone! It’s very exciting how things are moving right now.
Awesome news about “The Boys Upstairs”! How is the cover art coming along?
Pingback: The book diet continues « Seven angels, four kids, one family