My personal Sally Fields' moment

Sunday, February 27, 2011

I experienced my own Sally Fields' "You like me, you really like me" moment on Wednesday.  I got the call from my agent that I had another sale to Carina Press.  Not only was it book sale #7 but the news marked my second decade of publishing contracts.  Whatever my writing career is, a fluke it's not.

Over the ten years I've learned the most I can write is two books a year because of the day job.  However, I've made every deadline, come hell or hurricanes.  While my house may look like a hurricane hit it and I will never, ever win a clean house award, I religiously get up every morning to get my 1-2 pages in before I head into work. 

As an attorney one has to have a tough hide and I've needed it during rejections.  After all, each book idea is my 'baby' that I've spent countless hours researching and putting together.  I care about my characters; they live and breathe for me.  At times they'll even whack me over the head if I''ve gone down the wrong path with them.

My book COURTING DEATH releasing on 5/2/11 contains two such characters, Nicole and Sam.  They first came to life for me at the start of my career.  While I scrapped the initial book they were in, I finally came up a story that worked for them.  I'm glad they stuck it out with me.

If I had to cite my main qualities as a writer, I would say I am stubborn, determined and persistant.  You have to be in this business to survive.  However, all the perseverance in the world wouldn't matter, if people didn't like my voice, my stories, my characters.

So thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be a storyteller.  You really, really like me.  :) Carol