Reading With Great Interest

I still need questions for Michael and Leesie's Q&A next week. Let's see. Monday I announce the big contest, Taken by Storm goes on sale for $0.99 and Unbroken Connection and Cayman Summer will be free. Tuesday Michael chats. Wednesday is the Epic Promo 50 Blog Blitz! Don't you love the banner? Thursday, Leesie visits, and Friday is Michael's Birthday party! Who is bringing the balloons?

Now, onto the next chapter from "Storm's Story."

Reading with Great Interest
originally posted July 3, 2008, on my original website


So where were we? I was living in Lausanne, Switzerland and had requests from Lexa and another editor for Taken by Storm.

I sent my sweet novel, weighing in at 87K words, off to Lexa and the other editor and then tried not to think about it. I immersed myself in revising my historical novel, My Only Love. I figured maybe I’d hear back by early February. Razorbill had actually read this novel before when another team managed the imprint. That time it took nine months for a definitive, “not right for our list,” to get back to me.

Lexa wrote me a few days before Christmas. I saw her email in my inbox, and my stomach knotted up. It’d just been two weeks. Rejected for sure. I know the signs.

But no. Phew. She just wrote to say she and her boss were reading it “with great interest,” and could they have an exclusive until they decide. She said she’d be in touch after the holidays.

Of course. And after the holidays,  January 9th, 2008, to be exact, Lexa e-mailed me that she wanted to call me. Editors don’t call you to reject you. They don’t even call when they are willing to look at your novel again if you make changes they suggest. They only call to make an offer.

I was busy the next day, didn’t check e-mail until late in the afternoon, freaked out, wrote her right back. Waited up late (I was in Switzerland--six hours ahead of Eastern time) until I knew she’d left the office. The next day was Friday, the minutes ticked by so slowly. Finally it was 3:00 PM. She’d be in the office. I hung out by the phone. No call. Then it was time to go get the kids. I was dying. Rushed right home. No call.

Shoot. It was 6:30 PM, and I had to go with my husband to lovely evening at the home of one of the senior Swiss church members in Lausanne. I left the phone with Rachel, my daughter, and told her exactly what to say if Lexa phoned and to call me right away.

The gathering  was lovely. Lots of charming Swiss Mormons to visit with, delicious food, wonderful countryside setting--it was all lost on me. Jumpy. Nervous. Totally unable to focus.

We finished eating, and my cell phone rang.

“She called, Mom. She called. She’s going to be at her office for another two hours.”

We couldn’t just rudely walk out. We waited until nine--forty excruciating minutes, and then made our excuses and thanked our hostess and RAN!

Here's some photos of our neighborhood in Lausanne. We lived in the village of Paudex. I can't find a shot that has a photo of our actual villa jumelle (translation: duplex). These were all taken on a walk around the neighborhood! Yes, it was beautiful there.