The Call

In my last post, I mentioned that the jury was still out on my 2nd novel. Well, it isn't any more!

To bring you all up to speed…

Earlier this year I entered a contest. The Search for the Next Killer Voice was a four stage contest held by the editors of Love Inspired Suspense.

Stage 1 – Submit your first page. No problem. I already had it written.

Stage 2 – Submit a synopsis. Not much of a problem. I had a synopsis written, I just needed to tweak it, re-write it, start over and try again. (A huge shout-out to Mary Denman for talking me through it at midnight!)

Stage 3 – Submit the first 3 chapters. Bit of a problem. Wasn’t exactly expecting to make it this far and had to rewrite most of what I already had to make it work for this publisher. (Never-ending gratitude to Lynette Eason for reading it and giving me hope that it might work!)

Stage 4 – Submit the full manuscript by June 9. Big problem. Way back in March when I sent in my first page, I never imagined I’d still be in it at this point. The pressure was intense. I may have sent out one, two, multiple SOS prayer requests to my writing and non-writing friends as I wrote during every spare minute and most of the rest of the minutes of my days and nights. There is no human explanation for how I was able to finish the book on time. Truly, it was a case of God expanding my time and energy.

On the evening of June 8, I hit “send” and put it out of my mind for a few weeks. I celebrated my 40^th birthday, went on vacation, and tried not to think about the fact that somewhere in New York, an editor could at any moment make THE decision about my book.

Which leads me to the stage no one warned me about.

Stage 5 – Lose your ever-lovin’ mind while you wait to hear if they want to buy your book.

I was doing fine until they started offering contracts. Then they offered three in one week, then another, and another, and then…NOTHING. 

I did not cope well. I am embarrassed to admit that I was checking my email obsessively and jumping every time the phone rang.

Because if they want to buy your book, they call.

On July 23^rd, when I checked my email for the 100^th time that day, there it was.

Except it wasn’t what I’d been prepared for at all. This was neither a rejection or a list of revisions. My editor asked if I would be willing to make a significant change to my plot. She needed my response before she could proceed.

I assumed this meant that if I was willing to make this change, she’d send me a revision letter, and I’d spend the next several months working on the novel, resubmitting, and hoping for the best.

I emailed her back and told her I’d be willing to make that change.

She emailed me and asked if this would be a good time to call.

The tweet from my editor after she called.

I may have screamed a little.

Because if they want to buy your book, they call.

I’d tell you about the call if I could remember the details. I was barely coherent. She even had to ask me if I was saying Yes to her offer. Which of course I was!

It’s been a week and I’m still trying to get my mind around it. I have a feeling there will be a part of me that doesn’t believe it until the day I hold the book in my hands. 

The announcement of the sale!

I will be continuing to blog as time allows, but the revisions required are extensive and they are due by the end of September, so most of my writing time will be diverted in that direction.

God has taught me so much through this process and I have no doubt He will continue to do so and I’m looking forward to sharing this experience with you.

I’d be so thankful if you would pray for me during this time. There is so much to learn and so much to do and I so want God to be glorified in all of it.

Grace and peace,

Lynn