Introducing New Author: Trish Milburn

I'm always interested in call stories, how someone came to being published and of course how perserverance plays a huge part in it, since I tend to be inpatient myself. '-)

And of course, I love and adore firefighters...

Rae

As Rae mentioned in the intro, I'm going to talk a bit this week about perseverance. I'm a HUGE advocate of perseverance, even though I've gone through my share of times when I wondered if I should give up my dream of getting published. It's so hard to keep going year after year after year, rejection after rejection. But, ya know, I was stubborn. I figured I wasn't going to quit with that much time, effort, tears, and money invested. It would have all been for nothing. It took me 11 years to sell from the time I really got serious about it and started submitting. I'd finaled in and won several contests, including the Golden Heart, and there were times when I was "this close" only to have the opportunity not pan out.

One of those times was in early 2005. All indications were that I was on the cusp of selling. Considering I was very burned out at my job then, I decided to quit and focus all my time on writing. Alas, a month later, the editor who was such a champion of my work left, and no sale materialized. As you can imagine, I was questioning my decision to quit my job. But my husband was supportive and told me to give the full-time writing thing a go.

Probably my worst down period was in the summer of 2006, what I call my Summer of Buffy. That's because I was so depressed about not having sold that I literally spent weeks on the couch watching all seven seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, all five seasons of Angel, and the first season of Supernatural -- none of which I'd seen before. Not only did I become a HUGE fan of all of them, something else happened. A story idea of my own started to form -- what became a paranormal YA manuscript that won the Golden Heart last year.

After that, other ideas started to flow -- YA, romance, urban fantasy. Lots of those ideas are still in my fat file folder for such things. But even when I was at my lowest, my writer's brain was still percolating ideas, preparing me for another push toward the ultimate goal. I can honestly say that when I got those two calls from my agent, all the toil and heartache had been worth it.

So, my question to you all: What are your stories of perseverance? Are you still trying to get published? If so, how long have you been at it? 

Thanks so much, bookbuff! You've made my day. :) It is so surreal to think of people reading my book, but I'm thrilled every time someone says they like it. I'm grinning ear to ear. :D

What a great call story (stories? ;-) ) I've heard snipets of it before, but never the whole thing at once.  What an inspiration.  I love hearing about your summer of Buffy and how inspiration can come from anywhere.

Congrats on all your sales.  I know you're going to have a long and happy career.  You deserve no less.

 Cheers!

Theresa, thanks so much. And you're an inspiration to me too -- your positive attutide, your go-get-'em-ness in regard to writing and submitting. Not to mention that jumping out of an airplane thing. :) Hope you like the book.

Thanks, Diane. And you know, every time I hear that Churchill quote, I think of you. :)

Hi, Trish, popping over from Romance Bandits to give a great shout-out for your debut book, which I can't wait to read.  I love stories of perserverance because it takes a special kind of courage to slug away at your dream in the face of trial and rejection.  Kudos to you!

I, too, hadn't heard your complete call stories from start to finish and you know how I love them! You're truly an inspiration for writers who wonder if the summit is worth the struggle.

Hey, Tawny. Thanks for stopping by. Yes, the dog is an important character. His name is Thor, and he's the heroine's (Randi's) partner. He's an accelerant detection canine, which means that on fire scenes he sniffs around and finds the point of ignition and evidence of accelerants (gasoline, etc.). Since Randi's mistake a few years before the story opens led to estrangement from her family, the loss of a love (Zac), and her leaving her hometown, Thor has been the constant, the friendly face in her life.

I love stories of second chances, so it's no surprise that I'm giving Randi and Zac a second chance at love in this story. But they've got some internal and external conflicts to get past first. 

Wow, congratulations on not one but *two* call stories, Trish! I don't doubt all that hard work and 'nearly theres' were worth it--as was the summer of Boreanz--er--Buffie! LOL

Speaking of heroes...tell us about yours in A FIREFIGHTER IN THE FAMILY.

LOL, Christine. You've got it right -- David Boreanaz is certainly not hard to look at. That's one of the reasons I love the show Bones too. Do you all see that in Australia?

My hero's name is Zac Parker, and he was a firefighter with Randi before she left town. After she left, he was wrongly accused of a fire. Even though he was cleared, the scars left by the accusation caused him to leave the department. Now he owns an open-air bar on the beach, and Randi encounters him again when she questions him about the fire that destroyed the high-rise condos next door. Even though they're both carrying emotional scars, there's no denying there's still something between them, no matter how hard they fight it. 

Nancy, thanks so much. I'm really glad you liked the book. Hopefully there will be lots more where that came from. :) My next American will be out next May, and it just got its new title -- Her Very Own Family. It's set in another lovely spot -- the mountains of Northeast Tennessee.

Hi, Beth. Thanks for the nice comments.

I first started off researching all the various types of service dogs out there, then narrowed it down until I came up with one who would work in the firefighting/investigation field. I did a lot of research online -- how did we ever survive without the Internet? :)

As for the setting, I'd been to several places along the Gulf Coast and love it down there. So I knew I wanted to set the story there but decided to go with a made-up town that has elements of all the places I've visited -- Gulf Shores, Alabama; Pensacola Beach, Florida; Destin, Florida; and lots of little towns we've driven through in between those places.

Writing process...hmm. I don't really think mine has changed that much other than I have firm deadlines coming from my editor now rather than ones I created for myself. I do focus a lot more up-front effort on the synopsis now before writing the stories.

Okay, you all keep me talking. I'm dying for a Dairy Queen Blizzard, and I'm not supposed to be eating sweets. I have an enormous sweet tooth, but I haven't eaten any desserts in 18 days. I don't think I've ever done that before. 

Hey, Joanie. Thanks for stopping by. Actually, no, I don't have a firefighter in my family. But one of my oldest (as in we've known each other since 7th grade) friend's husband is a firefighter. As for the inspiration for that type of hero, it's a romance classic and they are true heroes. I admire anyone who puts their own life in danger to run into a burning building to save others.

Plus, who doesn't like a guy in uniform? :)

I love stories where persistence pays off.

Congrats on your debut book with HAR. May it be the first of many.

Michelle S

Michelle S., thanks so much for your comments.

Annie, LOL on the Trishalicious! Y'all (yes, I'm from the South), Annie is the RITA-winning author of some fantastic romantic suspense stories. 

Thanks, Rae! I'm hoping to have at least one more firefighter book out. Randi's younger brother, Eric, who is also a firefighter, plays a role in this first book, and I have plans for him. Actually, I've been working on the synopsis for his story, plus another for Adam, who is Zac's best friend in this book, over the past few days, trying to get them just right. Hopefully, the powers-that-be (waving to those two lovely editors :) ) will like these stories and they'll see bookstore shelves.

And that's awesome that your brother is a firefighter.

I haven't seen Fool's Gold yet. It's on my rather extensive Netflix queue. 

Hey, Anna. Yay, international posters. :)

You know, you're one of those people who I just expect every day to hear that you've sold. And trust me, I know how people saying that gets old when it seems like it's never going to happen. But I honestly believe that if writers continue to work hard, submit, hone their craft, always be willing to learn more, and persevere (yep, there's that word again), that sale WILL come.

As for why firefighters -- they're just such a classic, true, down-to-earth, everyday hero. Plus, uniforms. Uniforms are good. :) There's actually a reference in this book to how firefighters even look good when they're sweaty and swooty in turnout gear (the full, heavy gear they wear when they go into fires).

Hey, maybe it all started back when I watched Backdraft. :) 

LOL, Joanie, on the cookies.

No, I don't think I have any scenes of either Zac or Randi cooking. There is one restaurant scene where the restaurant is based on a seafood place my husband and I went to in Destin. And there's a big family cookout that showcases the distance between Randi and her family.

It's the other Trish M! Now all we need is for Trish Morey to stop by, and it'll be a trifecta. :)

My book doesn't come out until second cycle, so it should be out around the 9th. 

Hey, Ellie aka Jody aka gnome girl :) Thanks for stopping by. You'll have to bring the e-book to a meeting so I can see what it looks like, if you have a mobile reader. Don't want you to have to haul your entire computer. :)

Dang it all, Trish, I'm still on the old thread!  Hearing you talk about the accelerant detection dog and researching Firefighter made me think about the research we have to do for our books.  Do you find yourself leery of online sources, wondering how accurate the info is?  What are your favorite sites (Wikipedia is a favorite of mine.)?  Do you ever do library trips instead?  Or state archives (which is where I need to go for a lot of my historical stuff)?

The gulf beaches are the only ones I've been too, and they are gorgeous!!  But I want to try the Outer Banks sometime and see the black sand beaches in Hawaii.  Since I have friends in NC, I think the Outer Banks will be more in my price range (they have a place there) in the near future. 

I hadn't thought of an e-book.  And Jodi, I always use Mobi (on my Palm Treo), if that helps any. 

trish 

Jo, when doing online research, I like using "official" sources best. Like if I'm researching a setting, I'll explore tourist bureau and local government Web sites, ones for businesses in that locale, etc. Sometimes I'll e-mail someone with one of these agencies to make more specific inquiries. Like now, I'm waiting to hear from someone with the Florida foster care system because one of the proposals I'm workin on has a thread about a child in foster care and I needed to know if some things I'd planned were realistic. If using things like Wikipedia (which I do like for basic info), I'll search until I have two or three or more sites corroborating the information.

I, of course, love to do on-site research, especially for atmospheric things -- what it smells, tastes, sounds, looks like when you're there at a certain time. I just had to do a lot of online and book research to get that type of information for the Alaska setting of my second YA book because I haven't, unfortunately, been able to visit Alaska yet. I've found blogs, Google Images, e-mailing people from a certain area, and Google Earth (satellite images) good for research as well.

Hi, Cady. Lakeshores are really nice too, but different. Instead of the roar of the waves, it's quiet, peaceful. Though I've only seen it from the interstate, one of the most beautiful lakes I've ever seen is Lake Coeur d'Alene in Idaho. Tahoe is gorgeous too as is Lake Yellowstone in Yellowstone National Park, but I also love the lakes that aren't so well known.

Hope you enjoy the book. :) 

Also forgot to mention the Myrtle Beach area. Yes, it's touristy, but its where I went on my honeymoon. I've been back to the area once, and I much prefer North Myrtle to the main Myrtle Beach.