Exciting News from This Writer's Desk

Thursday afternoon, I arrived home after we had lunch with my mother, went upstairs to my desk and checked my email. My agent, Diana, had sent me several, one asking if I had heard from Barbara Scott at Abingdon Press. I knew that day the fiction staff were getting together to discuss offers. Then in another email, I saw the acceptance. My palms were sweating, and my heart was pounding.

Abingdon Press has offered me a contract for a historical romance series set along the Potomac River and the Hope Valley in Derbyshire, England. The series consists of three novels, with female characters in the lead roles. 

I will be journaling here about the evolution of these novels and the production of the books. I pretty much did the same thing with Surrender the Wind, except I did not have a blog up at the time I was writing that book. But now, I have the opportunity to take my readers on the journey with me. 


For so many aspiring writers, the work that goes into writing a novel, polishing it, and going through production, as well as the marketing of a book, is a mystery. I know it was for me. And believe me when I say the road to publication was not an easy one. It took many years before I was offered a legitimate publishing contract. More to find an agent. Don't let that discourage you. It is all in God's timing. It will come when it is best for you, whether that is a month from now or a year or more. 

Be patient, dear writer. Be persistent in your writing. Do not give up or give in. Learn the craft both in the creative side and the business side.
If there is one word I can give to you about getting published I would put my hands on your shoulders, look you kindly in the eyes, and say, 'Patience.'