CAN YOU imagine my excitement? Trepidation?
First, a little history. I’ve always been somewhat of a wordsmith and wrote short stories from around the time I was twelve. I took a Creative Writing course with Mrs. Murray at James Madison Junior High. She inspired me to continue writing. My first credits were a poem for PEACE Magazine and a short memoir for THEMA Literary Journal. I was over the moon.
In 1991, I saw Kevin Costner’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and loved it. A former drama student, I envisioned what it would be like to be cast into such a romantic, adventurous film. I started a draft of what I thought would be a short story about a starlet getting her big break.
Years later, while waiting in an airport for a flight, I picked up a copy of Nicholas Sparks’ MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE. I’d been reading historical bodice-rippers and decided I’d try a contemporary romance. I read it in a day. I liked the story but was disappointed in the writing. Repetitive word choices, poor sentence structure, a few mis-edits. Like many other authors, I immediately decided I could do much better and dug out my pirate movie manuscript.
I wrote STARCROSSED HEARTS in nineteen-ninety-something. It was a laborious, aimless, soap opera that wouldn’t end. I just kept writing and coming up with more and more scenes but no climax. No end in sight. It was close to a half-million words. I found a small press that liked the book, but explained I’d have to cut it down to a reasonable length and shape the story. The editor, the late Lorraine Stephens, fell in love with my characters and helped me immensely. I split the book into two novels and reworked the plot with extensive edits. STARCROSSED HEARTS was published in September 2001. About a week before the Twin Towers fell.
I knew less than nothing about marketing, but it would have had to have been a massive blockbuster to get the attention of anyone that fall/winter. I didn’t care, I was published! In 2003, A HERO’S PROMISE (the second half of that original manuscript) was released. The publisher eventually folded, and I took back my rights. I re-published the books in 2012 under my Beacon Street Books imprint. I had half a manuscript written for a third installment, but it hid in the cobwebbed shadows of my computer.
After many years and six subsequent published novels, I returned to that unfinished book during the pandemic and got newly motivated. I finished THE GYPSY IN ME in late 2020. More deliberation resulted in the decision to reedit, update and acquire new cover art for the first two books. I found a fabulous editor (J.R. Turner) and two wonderful cover artists (Linda Boulanger and Monica Dubinsky). I invested in a new book formatting software and have spent the last few months pulling it all together. Here, I must add that without the encouragement, help (and nagging) of my sister Tina, none of this would have happened. 🙂
So… can you imagine my excitement? I am awaiting my proof copies of these books and cannot wait to pull the trigger on PUBLISH in the coming weeks. I have stressed about marketing (I’m not much better at it now than I was 20 years ago) and decided I’m not going to worry. Not in it for the money, clearly. I’m in it because Dane, Jessica and Mac have stories to be told. I hope you’ll enjoy them.
(And don’t you just love those hot covers?!?!)
Stay tuned for an excerpt! Release date soon….
