One year ago today, I got the news that Dainger County was going to be shared with the world. I picked up the phone, and Love Inspired Suspense editor Elizabeth Mazer made me an offer for Dainger County Deputy. Since this was what I'd been working toward for a very long time, naturally I said, Yes!
I'd say that was just the beginning, but the beginning goes much farther back. I'll go into more detail in a future piece, but for now, let's take up what happened next.
First, Elizabeth told me details of what would happen, which I was much too excited to hear. She gave me permission to tell everyone that I was now a published author, even though the book wouldn't be out for many months. I couldn't wait to let my family and friends know the good news, especially everyone on the Harlequin Community Boards.
Leading up to this, I had started the book during National Novel Writing Month, AKA NaNoWriMo. I stared at a blank page before the first sentence appeared:
The note was unsigned.
From there, the story emerged, slowly, bit by bit, day by day, until the novel was complete.
After that, Harlequin and Mills & Boon hosted another So You Think You Can Write contest. With entries open in every category, I decided to enter. I had several author friends look over the first chapter and 100-word blurb. They generously gave me pointers on how to up the suspense. Before the deadline, I uploaded it to the contest website.
Harlequin board hosty Dream had reassured me that the editors would look at all the entries, not just the ones that scored well in the judging. Since there are so many different categories, and a Love Inspired Suspense has, to my knowledge, never won the contest, that gave me the courage to try.
Sure enough, it didn't make it past the first round of judging, but before Christmas, I received an email from Tina James, chief editor of the Love Inspired Suspense line, requesting the full manuscript and a complete synopsis.
After sending it, I continued work on another Dainger County novel and put Dainger County Deputy in the back of my thoughts until February 28th, 2013. That day changed my life!
Once Elizabeth bought the book, the real work began: making editorial changes, getting the manuscript into shape, making it better, changing the title, searching for suitable images and filling out the art fact sheet for the cover art. I'm so pleased with the Art Department at Harlequin headquarters in Toronto! Thank you for making the cover everything I could have wanted!
As you can see, Dainger County Deputy is now No Place to Run. Its official release date is June 1, 2014, but you can preorder it through Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble.com, and Books-a-Million.com.
Stay tuned for more upcoming news about Dainger County!
