It’s been 30 years since my first book, Cherish the Gift: A Congregational Guide to Earthy Stewardship, was published in 1996. I was 44. (Quick! Do the math! How old am I? LOL, my age is the worst-kept secret ever.)
It was immediately after that tectonic shift in the history of literature that I began writing romance, starting with disastrous historical romance (or so said Diana Gabaldon) and shifting with NASCAR speed to contemporary romance.
Sadly, my early works were met with a lukewarm response. And there were plenty of them as I chased the Harlequin trend du jour: Baby in the Bunkhouse (cowboys and babies), Daddy Next Door (police and babies), Key to Her Heart (woman in jeopardy–yes, we called it that). Ten full or partial manuscripts in all. The common thread was the push-pull of romance, the payoff of sex, the black moment of despair, and the happily-ever-after ending.
None of them went past the dazzling contest wins followed by the disappointing rejection letters. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.
Then I quit chasing the trends. I jettisoned the shape-shifters and K-9 heroes, and wrote the stories that excited me. And I searched for other publishers. Luckily, digital publishing was on the rise, and I stumbled upon The Wild Rose Press, shiny and new, run by two women who talked about a garden of writers and named their imprints after roses. They didn’t sell in stores, but they would contract my book, edit it, and sell it online through Amazon and other avenues. And I wouldn’t pay for any of it.
And so, they bought my book, A Different Drum. It was released in June of 2009, a mere 13 years after my non-fiction was published. Meanwhile, I sent another finished manuscript, A Hot Time in Texas, and they bought that one too. It came out in August of the same year. An embarrassment of riches!
My lack of funds for marketing, Wild Rose Press’s lack of funds for marketing, and the Internet’s lack of social media (which was in its fledgling state) led to–hello, deja vu–a lukewarm response. (We won’t blame the truly terrible covers.) But I had TWO books in my hand! I was a multi-published author! (That’s me above at a library in Bonham, Texas in 2009.)
And so, I didn’t write for another 12 years.
My husband, Scott, and I opened our multimedia storefront, and that consumed my time for 9 years until he died, which (along with COVID) consumed my time for another three.
In 2022, I started writing my blog, The Widow Woman, reviving my old journaling practice. Then I dusted off a nearly finished women’s fiction, Sensible Shoes, a complete departure from romance, but the “book of my heart.” And to shortcut the publishing process, I took a chance and sent it to The Wild Rose Press. They bought it immediately.
It came out in January of last year, a mere16 years after the last one. (Do you see a trend here?)
And because I am nothing but a creature of habit, I dusted off the old manuscript, Key to Her Heart, renamed it Saving Samantha, to fit with the series it would become a part of, and sent it along as well.
It came out in July, but I kept it on the downlow until October.
Two in one year, again, but this time I have social media working hard for me, an incredible network of friends and family who support me, promote my books, and invite me to their book clubs. It’s a tectonic shift in the history of literature.
And, of course, you all know about Windshadow, the Ireland book, and the Widow Women Mysteries series. The next book, Blood & Oil, is set in Corfu, Greece. After that, it will be Morocco and then Alaska. Stay tuned for more on those.
What’s the moral of this story?
How many do you want?
- If you love it keep doing it–for me that was writing romance
- Don’t let rejection get you down–find other avenues for your work
- Get an editor–let others read your work and advise you–proofread
- Don’t let pride keep you from getting what you want–I gave up on the top publishers in my genre and went to a smaller, lesser-known, online publisher–and got my books printed
- Use social media and ask for help from everyone you know to spread the word about your books
- You’re never too old to start again. I’m 74 (did you get it right?) I plan to write a book a year as long as I can.
I have a few decades to make up for.