Mysterylover1138 wrote:
Hallie
Just a quick question: If give one piece of knowledge that you learned since you began that you didn't know when you first started out to an aspiring author what would it be?
Hi, L!
Tough question - I've learned so many things, and I guess that a writer's best virtue is patience and perseverance... I'm sure you've heard that.
On Jungle Red Laura Alden, whose debut novel MURDER AT THE PTA is nominated for an Agatha Award, just guest blogged. She says it eloquently.
She'd written for 10 years straight, had 6 unpublished novels and "was heartily sick of rejection after rejection after rejection. Maybe I really couldn’t write. Maybe I’d been wasting my time all those years. Maybe I should take up something less painful, like learning to swallow fire.
"Then came the last straw. In January 2009, in the middle of querying Novel #6, I was laid off from my job. I stopped querying, stopped writing, stopped everything but hunting for work. That’s when Lorraine Bartlett nudged me about talking to her agent.
"Well, what the heck, I figured. If someone’s looking for a writer to write a series, why not me?
"Six months later, I had a signed contract for three books. Six months after that, I was lucky enough to find a wonderful new job. Six months after that, Murder at the PTA was published, and now I’m an Agatha nominee. And to think I was almost ready to quit writing altogether. It’s a weird, weird world."
It took me 5 years and 2 unpublished books to finally get published, but it doesn't get easier and it certainly doesn't get faster. Go figure.
becke_davis wrote:
Hallie - Thank you so much for visiting with us this week! This is "your" thread now, so you're welcome to come back and post updates any time you like. I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!
Oh, Becke! LOVE the bouquet -- Thanks so much for having me!
A great friend Ellen Crosby, author of The Viognier Vendetta (Wine Country Mystery Series #5) sent me this photo of the B&N front table (!) in Reston VA - how cool is that?
Hallie_Ephron wrote:
becke_davis wrote:
Hallie - Thank you so much for visiting with us this week! This is "your" thread now, so you're welcome to come back and post updates any time you like. I hope you'll come back and visit again soon!
Oh, Becke! LOVE the bouquet -- Thanks so much for having me!
A great friend Ellen Crosby, author of The Viognier Vendetta (Wine Country Mystery Series #5) sent me this photo of the B&N front table (!) in Reston VA - how cool is that?
I love it! Just looking at that display has me reaching for my credit card...
Sorry that I missed Ms. Ephron when she was guest-blogging here 
I hadn't joined the Mystery Forum yet, though I have sampled a wee bit of her writing on my Nook and was going to be ordering her last two novels soon (really, honestly, I was, and now I will!)
The style of her writing is right up my alley. I read all her entries though here and will also be checking out the Jungle Red Writers blog to make the acquaintance of the other authors there.
And thanks Becke, for organizing such an interesting forum for lovers of suspense such as myself!
Bestobooks wrote:
Sorry that I missed Ms. Ephron when she was guest-blogging here
I hadn't joined the Mystery Forum yet, though I have sampled a wee bit of her writing on my Nook and was going to be ordering her last two novels soon (really, honestly, I was, and now I will!)
The style of her writing is right up my alley. I read all her entries though here and will also be checking out the Jungle Red Writers blog to make the acquaintance of the other authors there.
And thanks Becke, for organizing such an interesting forum for lovers of suspense such as myself!
You know, a lot of our guest authors sign up to get automatic notifications when new comments are posted. If you ever come across a thread for an author who has visited with us, go ahead and post a comment. That will "reactivate" the thread and the author may come back and respond to you.
Bestobooks wrote:Sorry that I missed Ms. Ephron when she was guest-blogging here
I hadn't joined the Mystery Forum yet, though I have sampled a wee bit of her writing on my Nook and was going to be ordering her last two novels soon (really, honestly, I was, and now I will!)
The style of her writing is right up my alley. I read all her entries though here and will also be checking out the Jungle Red Writers blog to make the acquaintance of the other authors there.
And thanks Becke, for organizing such an interesting forum for lovers of suspense such as myself!
Add my apologies to the mix! I don't know what happened to last week; it's all a blur!
Some interesting stories here; love the questions about family. I don't have sisters, only brothers.
I'll add my thanks to Becke and Ms. Ephron as well!!!
Bestobooks wrote:
Sorry that I missed Ms. Ephron when she was guest-blogging here
I hadn't joined the Mystery Forum yet, though I have sampled a wee bit of her writing on my Nook and was going to be ordering her last two novels soon (really, honestly, I was, and now I will!)
The style of her writing is right up my alley. I read all her entries though here and will also be checking out the Jungle Red Writers blog to make the acquaintance of the other authors there.
And thanks Becke, for organizing such an interesting forum for lovers of suspense such as myself!
Thanks, Rae! Hoping you like them...
Bestobooks wrote:
Sorry that I missed Ms. Ephron when she was guest-blogging here
I hadn't joined the Mystery Forum yet, though I have sampled a wee bit of her writing on my Nook and was going to be ordering her last two novels soon (really, honestly, I was, and now I will!)
The style of her writing is right up my alley. I read all her entries though here and will also be checking out the Jungle Red Writers blog to make the acquaintance of the other authors there.
And thanks Becke, for organizing such an interesting forum for lovers of suspense such as myself!
I don't know how I missed this earlier - thanks so much for joining us!
