Twenty Days and Counting

Just a quick note to say that it's now only 20 days till the release of RESCUE ME!

I'm having some blogger problems, so no long post today. Hopefully it'll be fixed soon and I'll be back for the countdown.

Twenty-one Days and Counting...

Exactly three weeks from today I will be a published author. Sometimes it's still so hard to believe that it will happen. I've seen the book; I've held it in my hand. I even looked in the back to see my picture just to make sure it was really me. Yep, my smiling mug. Wow!
So it brings to mind what happened when I got the call. I'll admit that I had fantasized about that day many times. Even though I really never thought it would happen to me, that certainly didn't keep me from fantasizing about it. After all, I am a dreamer.
Here's the gist of how it happened:
My agent had sent the manuscript out a few weeks before and I was on pins and needles. Couldn't sit still, couldn't think properly, certainly couldn't write. I mean, there were editors out there reading my stuff. How on earth was I supposed to concentrate on other things?
RWA nationals had been the week before and I was in serious regret for not having gone. I kept thinking if I had gone, something wondrous would have happened. I might have been in this huge tug-of-war with editors screaming and pulling at me, insisting they just had to buy my manuscript. See, I told you I was a dreamer! But seriously, I did wonder if it would have made a difference if I had gone.
My agent called me out of the blue to encourage me. She said she could tell I was getting a bit anxious and she wanted to reassure me. A bit anxious? Uh, yes, I calmly admitted, perhaps I was getting a bit concerned. She explained again--my poor agent had to explain a lot to me--that summer time was a slow time for publishing. I knew that. She'd told me that. Others had told me that. Knowing that didn't necessarily keep me from worrying, just made me aware that worrying was even more fruitless. She also told me she felt sure I would get an offer soon. My heart kicked up a beat. Okay, that was good news. Very good news.
Thursday morning, July 19, 2007 around 10:00.
I hate that I don't know the exact time because, well, I don't know, just because. I was in my office trying my best to be a grown-up writer and write. And then my agent called again. This time it was THE CALL.

'Ballantine has offered a three book contact. They want to do a back-to-back trilogy of your Last Chance Rescue series. How do you feel about that?'
How did I feel? Words cannot begin to describe how I felt. Ecstatic. Stunned. Terrified. Humbled. Every emotion you can imagine, and maybe some that haven't been invented, soared through me.
My dreams had come true.

Twenty-two Days and Counting...

It's a gloomy, rather chilly Monday here in Bama. What on earth happened to Spring? It's supposed to go down in the thirties tonight. Shudder....

I have a furkid on each side of my chair, blocking me in. They just devoured their midday snack and are enjoying an afternoon snooze. They look so peaceful and sweet, I'm tempted to join them, but I can't. When I take a nap, even a short one, I'm groggy for three hours after, so it's best for me to keep plugging away.

I did promise to share with you an excerpt of the first review of RETURN TO ME, which comes from Romantic Times Magazine. Needless to say I am totally thrilled!

RETURN TO ME - 4 1/2 Stars

The dramatic adventures continue in the second book of hot new talent Reece's trilogy. Book two sets its sights on the founder of Last Chance Rescue, Noah McCall. Emotionally damaged by his horrendous upbringing, this hero has his heart locked down, but heroine Samara Lyons is no shrinking violet. Together, these protagonists play with life-and-death stakes, and danger emanates from every page. Take a walk on the perilous side ... you won't be disappointed!

Woohoo! How awesome is that?

Tomorrow I'll blog about what happened when I received THE CALL!

Twenty-three Days and Counting...

I was going to post about the day I received my incredible offer from Ballantine but couldn't resist interrupting the regularly scheduled post to share this wonderful news. My first reviews for RESCUE ME are here and I'm thrilled!

Here's an excerpt of the review from Romantic Times Magazine:

4 stars HOT

A sizzling new suspense trilogy burst onto the scene as Reece invites readers to join the adventures of Last Chance Rescue Enterprises. Plenty of danger and intrigue make this a promising series launch!

And here's an excerpt of Harriet Klausner's review:

Mindful of the quality expected of Cherry Adair and Mariah Stewart, Christy Reece's first novel is a terrific romantic suspense thriller.

Also, if you get Romantic Times magazine, you'll see a beautiful ad on page 21. Check it out if you can. I almost passed out when I saw it...it's so pretty!

Tomorrow, I'll share with you the fabulous review Romantic Times gave RETURN TO ME.

Then on Tuesday, I'll tell you about that most wondrous day when I received THE CALL!

The Countdown Continues...

Twenty-four days until the release of RESCUE ME!

So far, I'm three for three on my blogging. If you read the blog from a couple of days ago, you'll see that I promised to try to blog everyday until the April 28 release date. Wow, three days in a row-- a record for me!

Today I'm talking about how I met my amazing agent. I think there's a lot of truth to the right place, right time, right project theory. I met my agent at a conference. I had watched and admired her for a long while as she represents some of my favorite authors. And while I would have loved to have her represent me, I honestly never thought she would. See, I'm a terrible, and I mean terrible, pitcher. I can love a story, believe in it with all my heart, but when it comes to telling others about it, I'm horrendous. I used to think it was because my stories meant so much to me, but that can't be true. There are plenty of authors who love their books just as much as I love mine and they are able to coherently and brilliantly pitch their stories in a concise and exciting way. Me? I stumble, stutter, stall and then finally stop.

It was March 31, 2007 at the Southern Magic conference. I had two stories to pitch and couldn't decide which one I should go with. One was Golden Girl, the one I felt the most secure with and RESCUE ME, the one I'd finished just a few months before. Though I'd already started on RETURN TO ME, I still wasn't sure I was ready for anyone to hear about RESCUE ME. Fortunately a couple of my chapter mates convinced me otherwise. When I practiced my pitches with them, they thought Golden Girl was okay, but pointed out some flaws I hadn't recognized. However, they loved RESCUE ME. So, thanks to them, I chose the right one to pitch.

I was nervous but she instantly put me at ease. Of course I had to read the pitch to her. No way could I even begin to recite the story from memory. She listened and she said a word...something I'll never forget. She said, "Cool." LOL. Yeah, I know. But you would've had to have been there to really understand. This agent...my dream agent...said cool about my story line. And then she asked me questions: About the book, whether I planned to write a series and about my writing habits. Then she asked for the full manuscript. I left the meeting walking on air.

I took about a month to polish it up before sending it to her. On May 2, my birthday, I mailed it to her. My gift to myself. On May 14, I received an email from her. And what did I do when I saw it in my in-basket? Nothing. I couldn't open it up. I just couldn't. If I didn't read it...see that it was a rejection, then there was still hope. But, four hours later, after dinner and the house was quiet again, I crept up to my office. Taking a breath, I clicked on the email and prepared myself to read a rejection. Instead, she said she'd read RESCUE ME, really liked it and wanted to know what else I had. I cried. Told you earlier that I was a crybaby. And then, of course, I ran and told my husband that this amazing agent was actually interested in my work. He was suitably impressed...once I woke him up, that is.

We emailed back and forth for a couple of weeks or so. I sent her a synopsis of RETURN TO ME. Then, on June 5, 2007, she called me and offered representation. There are some moments that will live in my memory forever. That was one of them.

Okay, tomorrow, if you're still here, I'll blog about what it was like to get the amazing offer from Ballantine.

Continuing the Countdown...

Twenty-five days and counting till the release of RESCUE ME!

Today I was going to talk about how I met my amazing agent. However, my plans were interrupted by a wonderful event and I got sidetracked. I was sitting in my office writing when the Fed Ex truck passed by my house. And of course, I got excited. Sure it often passes by and doesn't stop, but that never keeps me from thinking it might just stop and drop off something wonderful...and it did!

RESCUE ME hot off the press. My very first copies! They're beautiful. And I did exactly what I knew I would do...I cried. Yep, I'm a crybaby. Definitely tears of joy though. I just never thought this day would happen.

I called my husband to share the joy. Then, I sent my editor and agent a thank you note. Without them, none of this would have been possible. And then, I signed one with a personal note and mailed it to my mom. She doesn't know it's coming and I hope it makes her smile.

Also I went to a book signing for my friend Jennifer Echols, an absolutely fabulous author. Her new book, GOING TOO FAR, a YA romance, looks fantastic. I can't wait to read it!

Tomorrow I'll check in and talk about how I met my wonderful agent.

And the Countdown Begins...

Twenty-seven days until the release of RESCUE ME! It seems like I've been waiting for this day forever.

Starting with today's post up to the release date, APRIL 28, I'm going to share bits and pieces of my writing life. I'll try to post every day, but don't hold me to it. If I get excited about a story idea, I may forget to post. But, for right now, that's my plan.

Here's the start:

I always think of my writing career as a journey. I've seen peaks and valleys, traversed over rough terrain, dodged and fell into plenty of potholes and thankfully experienced the occasional level and smooth road. Fortunately I've had wonderful mentors and friends who have taken the journey with me and made it not only bearable but incredibly enriching. I've learned so much in the seven years I've been writing. And still have so much more to learn. But even as I consider my career a journey, each book I've written has had it's own journey too. And of all the books I've written, RESCUE ME probably has the longest one.

Here's the beginning journey for RESCUE ME:

I started writing the story in the summer of 2006. I had gotten some disappointing scores in a contest and some even more disappointing rejections of what I considered my best work to date, a contemporary semi-romantic suspense called GOLDEN GIRL. Yeah, I know it doesn't sound very suspenseful, does it? But I loved it and believed in it. Others didn't. So I came to a place in my writing journey where I began to question not only what kind of story I should write, but should I be writing in the first place.

For weeks I didn't write as I considered what I should do. Then, because I've learned that even when a writer doesn't write, stories continue in their head, I began to think of a story line. It was about a naive young woman who makes an incredibly bad decision and ends up paying a terrible price for her mistake. I started writing it, having no idea where I was going. Two chapters into the story, I stopped. Why? Well, because the author writing this story wasn't the same person who'd written the previous stories. The voice, complexity, seriousness and direction were completely different. And I have to be honest with you, it scared me. So what did I do? I put it away, of course. I had no idea where this new, darker voice was coming from and really didn't know if I wanted to continue.

For months, I didn't write but couldn't stop thinking about that story. Then, in January 2007, I took two online classes that changed my writing life. One was taught by the wonderful author and teacher, Laurie Schnebly Campbell, and it was about putting the joy back into your writing. It helped me to explore something I had forgotten, which was: why did I want to write in the first place?

The other online class was taught by the amazing Candace Havens and it was entitled Dream Big. It helped me to see that not only was my dream still there, it was evolving, gaining solidity and substance.

Both of those classes made me realize something monumental. In the three books I'd written before, my main focus had been on what I thought a publisher might buy. Oh, I knew I should write what I would enjoy reading, but that had never been my primary goal when writing. I realized that previously I wanted to sell a book more than I wanted to tell a story. And it showed in my work.

So after I made this amazing discovery, I signed up for another of Candace Havens' classes, Fast Draft. I took the chapters I had written the year before and in two weeks, wrote RESCUE ME. I was most definitely inspired and motivated. I wrote this book for the sheer joy and exhilaration of telling a story. Selling it didn't enter my mind. Of course, that changed after I finished it.

And in writing about this young girl who'd made this terrible mistake, I found not only my voice, but the story took on a completely different slant. The Last Chance Rescue organization she worked for became a character on its own. And then the founder of that organization came into my head. From there, all sorts of story lines and ideas began to fly.

Tune in tomorrow (hopefully) and I'll tell you how I met my amazing agent and what happened after that...