So I got my first peice of Harlequin letterhead the other day and it's really pretty. A good weight, expensive paper, matching envelope. I held it in my hands thinking 'this is really very light, a single piece. It has to be a rejection'.
It wasn't!
Back in November I sent two query letters and they've asked to see a partial! I can't tell you how stupid I looked dancing around the living room, trying to avoid killing myself and cutting short a prospective career in romance on the kids toys. Doug's constant threat of a hidden camera didn't even occur to me as I jumped up and down and squealed like an idiot.
So now the real hard work begins. The letter didn't actually specify which of the two queries they requested so I'm going to send them both. Yay! So I'm busy polishing and getting the advice of my crit group and driving myself mad with worry that they won't be up to scratch. In the meantime, I sent my historical off to Dorchester, full MS, so I'm going to be balanced on a knife's edge for the next few months. I just keep thinking how awesome it would be to get a contract or an offer before my birthday this year. It would make up for the totally crappy and eventless 2009. Not that I'm saying it will definitely happen. I know how fickle this business is but I'm a few steps closer than I was a few steps back and it makes me soooo excited, I can barely sleep.
On the competition front, I have two in the Chicago North, Fire and Ice, a chicklit and my historical. Also two in the RWA, Little Gems comp too. At least with all the other bruhaha, I haven't had to stress about the Emerald, which I'm thinking I didn't final because I probably would have heard by now. But it's okay. With all the other news, the disappointment will barely register.

Now I can't wait for the new year to go away and February to arrive. I miss the monthly meetings with SARA (South Australian Romance Authors) and I can't wait for May when the Roadshow comes back to Adelaide with the talented Miss Anna Campbell one of the presenters. Then there's the conference in Coogee Beach as well. It's going to be a cracker of a year and I'm looking forward to every second of it!
 

Well, another week is nearly over and what a bugger it was. With school still out, a visit to the dentist, hot weather and all the other bits of daily life to deal with, I haven't got much done in the way of words on the page. What I have done is get some competition entries ready. After a lot of deliberation, I've decided not to enter the Clendon unless I can get one of my categories polished. For the $50 fee and the postage, it isn't an easy one.
I have two entries for the Chicago Fire and Ice competition and have been sending in my weekly entries for Chase The Dreams contest.
My biggest day maker this week has been all the awesome comments I am starting to get for my Chick lit. People are loving it and that in itself is motivating me to get Immelda's story finished and rockin! I have about seven chapters up on the Harper Collin's site - Authonomy. If you are a member, check it out and back me please... It's called Seven Days of Rejection. I won't post chapters here because of the competitions.

Anyway, with toilet training of the two year old in full swing, I have to go and wash my carpets :( Maybe then I can relax and get something done besides getting a kick-ass score on Bejewelled...

Okay. So by now many of you are thinking I am quite possibly the laziest person in the world and for the most part, you’d be right. But this time I have actually been busy. I’m going to start my new year off with RWA’s Little Gems contest and then dive straight into the New Zealand Clendon with maybe a Chicago, Fire and Ice slotted in the middle somewhere.

This year I am absolutely determined to final in a contest. Getting published is the only thing that will change my goal. So I have two entries for the Gem. One, maybe two for the Clendon and at least one for Fire and Ice.

I am having a huge amount of trouble deciding what to write and then sticking with it but I think all of that will get better when I have my dedicated writing day. Wednesdays I will now be dragging my laptop to a nice quiet, comfy chair and spending the entire day (well, between school hours anyway) tapping at the keys and turning out something awesome! But that means Tuesdays are going to have to be cleaning days L Not really wrapped about that but anything that gives me a writing day is well worth the hell.

So this post is two weeks late and not very exciting but the next one will be! It’s going to be funny and insightful and everything else most of you have come to expect from me =) I might even throw a rant in there somewhere. I’m sure before this Friday, I can come up with something.

Until then, good luck and stay safe.