My First Time

Okay pervoids, I'm not talking about that first time...though...no, no. I'm not talking about that.

My first published novel weirdos!

Let's set the scene, shall we? (Drop the lights, raise the curtain and all the other goofy mental imagery stuff.)

It's August 2010. I've been touting my most beloved SFR manuscript, Duty and Devotion, for what felt like forever. I'd been steadily published in the short story and flash fiction realm but damn it, I wanted - no needed - to be a published novelist.

When I decide I want something, I get it. Just ask my husband.

But it's a rough world out there in the publishing industry folks. Rejection after rejection. But we writers are perverse creatures. We take that rejection and keep coming back for more. Sick, I know, but there it is.

So, here we are back in August 2010, I got an email from Gail Delaney of Desert Breeze Publishing. As you see in the link HERE when I blogged about the moment, I almost didn't open it. After having a good day, I didn't want to ruin it with another rejection. But I threw caution to the wind and went for it. (Perverse creatures, remember?)

"Good afternoon, Amber

Thank you for submitting Duty and Devotion, and thank you for your patience as we work through our lengthy submissions queue."

Ugh, I thought, here we go again. I prepared to read another form rejection...

"Upon reviewing your submission, I would like to extend an offer for publication. "

Wait. What?


I read through the rest of the letter as Gail extended an offer to publish my manuscript. Still in disbelief, I reread it. (Who knew, I could've read it wrong.)


 "I would like to extend an offer for publication. "

No, not wrong.


Holy crap!


I read through it yet another time and then finally, after THAT time, the excitement slammed into me and I did freak out a little bit. If I recollect right, there was booty wiggling, screeching like a silly girl, possibly some Vanilla Ice dance moves.


Desert Breeze wanted my manuscript! MY manuscript!

*sigh*

Good times. Good times.

(See, here's my proof. My cover for Duty and Devotion by the most awesome over artist, Jenifer Ranieri.)

Even now my heart races with giddy excitement at that memory. I'd wanted to be a published author for forever. The world didn't bend to my will and the path was a bit winding, ninjas were in hiding ready to jump out along the way, and evil warlords sent a fleet of vampire chickens and wereducks I had to defeat, but I eventually got there.

...Huh...wait a minute...I think maybe some of that previous paragraph was actually in my head and not real.

Well, no matter, I'm sure you all can figure out fact from fiction. *Eyes wereduck head mounted on the wall.*

Now, that was August 2010...let's fast forward to June 2011, specifically the week before Duty and Devotion released. You want to know the truth about those moments? Are we authors suave? Are we cool beans sitting in the boiling pot treating it like it's a suana?

No, no we're not. HERE is the post where I share the truth. The reality of what a wreck we are coming up to the release day. Just remember, don't judge me after you've read it. As it falls into one of my top 10 viewed blog posts, I'm pretty sure it's an accurate description for other author's experiences to.