Making plans

Well, I finally put the agent posts in the mail that I've been trying to get out since after Reno Nationals. My manuscript Dreamweaver is winging (or grounding, in this case) its way to Elaine English (who requested a full) at Graybill and English, and Lois Winston, who is reading for the Greyson Agency and is a fellow GH finalist, even as we speak (or read, in this case). Wish me luck--I've pretty much done what I can for the manuscript in terms of agents. I've done some revisions that I hope will address the comments I've received so far, and I have rewritten my synopsis to hopefully reflect more of my "voice" that wasn't coming through, so maybe I'll get lucky. All is not over, of course; I've still got three requests for partials to submit from Reno to editors, but I thought I'd hold onto those a bit until I hear from the agents. Then, after that, if there is no more interest, the thing is going under the bed with the other two books already there. I debated resubmitting it to the Golden Heart, but finally decided that I had achieved everything I set out to do when I submitted it the first time, so what would be the point? I wanted to get the attention of agents and editors, and that's what I did.

Speaking of my first two books...those of you who know me know I wrote two historical romances before I came to my senses and moved to contemporary. Don't get me wrong, I love to read them still, just too painful to spend tons of time doing that research! Well, I pulled out Alonsa's Choice the other day with an eye towards making this book I absolutely love a bit more sellable, and realized that if I can get it together in time, I might submit it to the Golden Heart in the "mainstream with romantic elements" category. Many of you who read chapters of it have lamented the death of the book, and wanted to see me finish the last couple of chapters. So wish me luck--I've revised the end a bit in the synopsis, and I'm going for a shorter length. I've flipped some of the chapters around, starting with the scene where Alonsa is cursed (duh, why didn't I think of that before) and taken out some of the more "researchy" research sections that were slowing down the pace. Now, I just have to find the time to write fifty more pages on it before the deadline in November. Plus, I have to find my two critical research books, which, in accordance with Murphy's Law, have disappeared in my move. Every other book made it here but those two, but if I have to, I'll buy them again. Oh, please turn up, research books.

Hopefully, I'll get it all done in time; if not, I guess there is always next year, right?

TJB