Ever hear the expression, ‘catch a wave’ or ‘got a tiger by the tail’? That kind of over-the-top wild excitement is what happens when a writer finally finds herself in the right place at the right time with the right story.
I write for Kensington’s Aphrodisia line of erotic romance. And boy! Did I catch a wave! It’s been wildly exciting and feverishly creative this past year. Not to mention stressful.
I have to admit, it took a looonnnnggg time to finally catch this particular wave. I’ve had my surf board ready for years, but alas, I kept missing the big ones. So, when it happened and I got the call that I was in the launch anthology, THE HARD STUFF, I thought I was prepared.
I’d been writing for oh, about 20 years (a couple small sales sprinkled in, some articles, non fiction stuff) and I’d been a member of RWA since 1986. I knew what I was in for.
ACK. Nope, not even close. No sooner do I sign in screaming excitement, than I begin to worry about the next story. The big “O” (and not the good kind of O) The option. This is where those doubts creep in. If I did it once, do I have it in me again?
Then I discovered I did! (This is when I realized my surf board just lifted) I’m now waiting with bated breath for my next novella to appear in July. I’m in PURE SEX (mine’s called Slow Hand) with Lucinda Betts and Sasha White.
But wait, should I be satisfied with novellas? Dare I pitch an idea for a single title, maybe two connected stories? I’m up on my board now, feet solidly planted, perfectly balanced and TERRIFIED.
Ring my bell! Yes, my editor loves the idea and suddenly I’ve got MIDNIGHT CONFESSIONS slated for March 2007 with the sequel set for June 2007. Wow, I think my stomach’s churning…never been seasick before, but now I see a heck of a lot of other surf boards out here. We maneuver close, ride the wave together, cheer each other on.
A blog is born, websites are created, I learn how to do small updates! YAY! Cover art is to die for, promo opportunities appear on shore. Newspaper stories abound, even Geraldo At Large on FOX NEWS does a piece on erotic romance. Oh, baby, will this ride ever end?
I don’t know. I’m still out here, paddling and watching the horizon. With my own anthology of novellas due in the Fall, life is good, the sun is shining and the waves keep rolling in!
So if you find yourself at the crest of a wave, grab onto the other writers you see out there, (because there will be others), plant your feet firmly, learn to balance your ambition, creativity, and life and hang on for the ride of your life. Sometimes you only catch ‘the big one’ once, so enjoy the ride!