Extra! Extra! Special ~2~

Well, since Rae made it so easy to find the new room, I thought I'd go ahead and post.

I'm days away from finishing my revisions, and I'm plunging headlong into my next book since it connects with the one I just sold. I was afraid to start a connecting book in case the first didn't sell, but now I'm rushing to get it done so that, hopefully, it won't come out too long after the other one.

I also receive a new title for book two. (I need to change my tagline!) It's going to be called "Once Upon a Wedding" which was my favorite of the 10 or so titles I sent to my editor.

I also have my first signing coming up next week. I don't know how well I'll do since my book was obviously a Christmas book and after Christmas is over, it's OVER for some people. But I have a friend whose book came out this month, and I'd much rather do a joint signing than sit by myself at a table.

What is everyone else up to?

I've been reading lots of SSE because I believe that's where my book might fit.

I've been reading THE BABY PLAN by Kate Little (SSE May 2008) and wonder if it's just my imagination or has she written this entire book from the heroine's POV.  I'm not finished -- maybe 2/3's through -- and it's just hit me that I don't remember being in the hero's head any time recently.

Did anyone else read this and notice the same thing?  Don't get me wrong; I'm not being critical.  I'm just curious to see if this is so or if I've just missed the other POV.

Congratulations Stacy. Good luck with the signing. it all sounds so exciting - titles changing and all

LOL. I completed an MS last April and did a spinoff (one of two planned) for the Modern
Heat competition. I honestly was worried to have the spinoff win coz I couldn’t
really tell the editor “Oh BTW this is book two. You should really see book one first.”
 I am sure I can make adjustment if that
one gets requested, but since I didn't get picked, I got to send the book one into the sluch pile. Still waiting – only been waiting
two or three months, so it’s still early days yet (sigh)

Empire--Thanks for the congrats, and I know exactly what you mean with the worry about linking books.

Rae--I hope you're right about the signing. It wouldn't bother me because I love to read no matter what! We'll see how it goes.

And I'm very happy with the title. My editor brought up the "fairytale" idea & a friend came up with the title. I had very little to do with it... other than writing the book-LOL!

Hey, it's great to stretch out and get comfy in a new list.  I've been busily angsting (is that a word?) over version 3 of my new proposal.  My editor never saw version one, had problems with version 2 and now I'm writing an entirely new version 3.  The only thing version 3 has in common with the other two is the hero and heroine.  Should this version finally be given the Harlequin stamp of approval, it will be the third book of my SSE Fostering Family mini-series.  Phew!

BTW, Hope, if you pop in here again, you won my giveaway book on the SSE blog.  Go to my website and contact me, please!

Karen S

Hey, Stacy,

The proposal that I'm working on now is for a new contract.  The book is not bought yet, so no release date.  My February and April releases are the initial two books (which I wrote last year) of my first-ever mini-series.  I'm trying to write this new book for that same mini-series.  After many false starts, I feel like I'm finally on the right path with it.  Hopefully Charles will agree!

Karen S

Laurie,

I'm still using underline for italics and my editor hasn't said a word about it.  I still think it's easier in a manuscript to read an underlined word than an italicized one, but maybe that's just because I'm old-school.  In any case, I can't imagine an editor refusing to read an otherwise wonderful ms if it had underlines rather than italic.

If I can remember, I'll e-mail my editor on Monday and ask.

Karen S

Hi Rae, and all the ladies that answered by question earlier. Thank you.

I didn't make it clear enough, I guess. I enclosed a post card within my submission, for receipt allowing me to know if it was received. It has been three months and I'm wondering if they received it or not.

I know the wait is almost a year on a proposal or three chapters, but does the postcard still stand with submissions. I have always put a postcard in my submissions to England and receive it within a few weeks, thus acknowledging they have received it. Is it different for SSE?

Thank you..

Oh, I'm also so very excited about the online pitch. What a great idea.

Scotch 

Karen--I thought your mini-series was three books from the start, but now I understand. Good luck & I hope Charles likes #3!

Marcie--The signing went well. A lot of my friends came & even more of my fellow author's friends came. Can't say that we had anyone who was simply wandering the bookstore make any purchases, but that's the way it goes! I have another signing next month with a dozen or so romance authors. Hopefully, I'll do better there. I KNOW I'll have fun either way seeing as our signing is part of a chocolate festival!

Scotch--I used to send the post cards, but many times, I didn't get them back, so I eventually stopped. I never had a ms. not arrive, although I'm sure it has happened. I do occassionally use delivery confirmation. You might want to wait a while longer and then email to check on the status.

I think that's what I am right now! Just to confuse you all I changed my name (finally!) as I signed up as my pen name originally, then it has taken me all these months to figure out how to change my account over to my real name, and it was driving me crazy . . . I was previously Scarlett Lane. I lurk here constantly but rarely post. 

 Anyway, I cannot stop obsessing over a requested full I have in with SSE (with Susan Litman). I'm so used to subbing to London and they always acknowledge receipt, so I'm constantly worrying that it was never received in the US. I'm from New Zealand, so I had no way of doing a confirmation receipt thingy with the postal company. Would it be improper to write a brief letter asking for confirmation? It has been 3 months, and I'd hate to think it was never received! Agghhh, who would choose to be a writer, huh?!?

Any one else facing this dilemma, or waiting to hear back??  

Thank you so very much for your replies, I really appreciate it.

I'm in Australia. I was thinking of registering my submission, so I would get a delivery confirmation. But I was unaware one could do this with submissions. I'll give it a while, like Rae says.

Thanks once again,

Scotch :) 

I believe they don't like registered mail, or those they have to sign for (like DHL, FedEx etc). I know for sure agents specifically mention not to send registered mail.

But I am sure Rae can help once you've emailed her. 

Rae, it would be great to give clarification on the registered mail question too just so we are all sure what not to do. We wouldn't want it to be our fault we got R'ed  

Hi everyone,

It's me scotch, deceided it is too confusing to use that name. So Im using Suzanne/Suz.

I have emailed you Rae.

Yes, I will ask Susan about registering submsssions.

Thank you,

Suz 

Hi Kendra, have you listened to the Eidtor podcasts for SSE? You probably shhould. While they do not mention age, I think SSE is inclined to accept a really good story. in Brenda Harlen's THE PRINCE'S COWGIRL BRIDE, the heroine is eight years older than the hero. While eight years isn't a huge deal, I thought it was daring for the author to have the heroine be older by more than a year or two.

I think if the age difference is acceptable within the parameters of your story, it will probably work.

Tha't my two cents. 

Just popping in briefly, to invite all the author's who are reading books for the RITA's to post them for the Book Challenge .....

"Egads!" you say ... "but we can't do that, our reviews are privileged ... highly confidential!"

well, we've come up with a fix   ... you may maintain your confidentiality in the most James Bondish way   .... check out Lynne's review   ....  

if all authors posted at least their RITA reads, that's eight books per author all adding to the tally for the Book Challenge  ... and did you know you can also post the books you read for research? ... yep, you can  

okay, announcement completed  .... thank you for your attention

Come and join us ~~  Sign Up for the 2009 Book Challenge

Just to quickly add my two cents on the age difference topic . . . I am 26 years old, and my husband is 40. Sounds dreadful written down, but to meet us you wouldn't really guess there was an age difference at all. I'm an old head on young shoulders, and he still thinks he's 30. I think plenty more people are open to the idea of age gaps now, so long as it doesn't sound indecent!

Enjoy writing your story.

Soraya

I'm enjoying the new Fortunes continuity, but one thing: it desperately needs a family tree. I had to go back to the Fortunes of Texas Reunion to figure out whose parents this bunch of heroes/heroines are.

Suz - I agree! Rae followed up my submission for me and I'm so pleased to know it was at least received. It was very kind of her to help us both out there. The hard part for me is that they've already sent a reply to me in the mail, so now I'm stalking the mail man . . . a tiny part of me hopes it's an encouraging letter and not a form R!

Soraya 

I'm playing catch up on reading this month. I got Brenda Harlen's THE PRINCE'S HOLIDAY BABY. I read THE PRINCE'S COWGIRL BRIDE last year and wanted to read the others. Sadly, Book 1 is no longer listed on eHQ.

Since I LOVE series, I got all three available Fortune's of Texas: Return to Red Rock. This should be fun (happy grin; rubbing hands together)

I also got a Harlequin Superromance (my first ever) to see for myself the difference between the two.

Karen, you'll not believe this. I picked your book (love that little girl on the cover, BTW),  but had to drop it when my order was more than the amount I needed to the 'bill me' option.(drat)

I'll defintely add it to my next cart.

I placed my order the other day of February and March books (I love that you can order a month ahead on line), and your book was one of the ones I ordered!

Well, blush, blush to all of you saying such nice things about my new series.  I am so-o-o excited about it.

Those of you who are working toward publication, I wanted to let you know that I'm teaching an online class on writing query letters through Hearts Through History, the historical romance chapter of RWA.  The class runs on February 16 through March 15.  You can get more information at http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/query.htm  I believe the deadline for signing up is February 14th.

Karen S