Wednesday, February 13, 2008

I’m back and chasing my dream.

I appreciate all the writers and readers who have supported me during the past year and half while I’ve been off-line in the CBA writing world. There is a time for every season and while I don’t think my life’s much different than anyone else’s, it’s been almost impossible for me to write full-time. Were it not for my love affair with Jesus Christ, my loving husband, family and friends, I wouldn’t be writing this blog today. Amen!

Yes, life’s thrown my family a lot of crap this past year, but through God’s grace we’re dealing, and are better than ever, especially spiritually. I’ve managed to complete a novel, start two more, write a book proposal and keep up with my Stargate SG-1 fanfiction. All this with my daughter and two grandsons in the same house. Unfortunately, my daughter is going through a divorce and with two small boys, ages 4 and 8 months, she has her hands full, and Gary and I are helping out the best we can.

So, before life pitches another curve ball, like a partial knee replacement surgery next month, I’m blogging come Netu or high water. For those who don’t watch Stargate SG-1 (I can’t believe such individuals exist!) Netu is a hot, sulfuric moon with major gastric problems. Think bowels of hell. Yeah, not a pretty picture.

So let’s discuss cooler things like Romantic Suspense.

When anyone talks romantic suspense, classic novels and movies seductively come to mind. From the dark and brooding gothic Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier to Alfred Hitchock’s Rear Window, North by Northwest, To Catch a Thief and Stanley Donen’s Charade. That three of those movies star my favorite actor, Cary Grant, is pure coincidence—really!

Sadly, when I ponder today’s romantic suspense movies I come up empty-handed, thankfully book-wise that’s not the case.

In the general market J.D. Robb, Jayne Ann. Krentz, Nora Roberts and Shanna McKenna are fan adored writers.

Meanwhile, authors Dee Henderson, Hannah Alexandra, Terri Blackstock, Brandilyn Collins, Colleen Coble, Jill Elizabeth Nelson and Mark Andrew Olsen hold the Christian readership.

Yes, I know Olsen doesn’t write romance, but I love his out of the box plots and superb characters, the same goes for Ted DeKker. What’s there to say about Ted other than he rocks! What I love about Ted is that like myself, he enjoys weaving the supernatural of Almighty God into many of his stories and better yet, he pulls it off.

Oh, I must shamelessly plug the success of my girlfriend and critique partner, Jill Elizabeth Nelson. If you haven’t read Jill’s ‘To Catch a Thief’ series by Multnomah you’re missing a page-turning suspense joy ride.

I just love heart-pounding romantic suspense that has a sprig of humor tossed in to brighten up the bleakness as that’s how I write.

Mind you, my first love will always be historical romance and Sci-Fi fantasy. Sadly, both genres are lagging in the CBA. Yeah, here I sit with a five book proposal for the Emerald Rose series, and not one interested publisher. Sigh.

So what do working authors who’ve yet to establish themselves in a genre do? They write what the market dictates. Of course it helps if you write just about anything, excluding erotica of course. True, there are a few genres I don’t foresee myself writing. Never say never. More important, don’t verbalize said genres names or that too will come back to haunt you.

Upon the wise advice of my wonderful agent, and the burning desire to acquire another publishing contract, I penned a one line blurb that snagged an editor’s attention.

Working title: Chasing Sandra Dee

Pitch: Sandra Dee is running for her life—One tiny glitch she’s legally dead!

From that one-liner came a three book proposal for a romantic suspense series ‘Lost Now Found’ based on an agency that specializes in finding missing folks the authorities have failed to locate, and that includes the very dead.

The other books of the series include: ‘Framing Elvis’ and ‘Lucy I’m Home!’

Making the transition from historical to contemporary has proven far simpler than I imagined. Wish I could say the same about the research which has proven more exhaustive. Unlike history the present world is ever changing, especially the technology and crime solving methods. But I hooked up with a great Yahoo group called 'Crime Scene Writers ' and doubt I'd be able to write suspense without their expertise.

Well, I must return to 'Chasing Sandra Dee.'

Now to all writers going through a testing period that's caused you to put your pursuit of publication on the back burner, I encourage you to never give up, and above all, chase your dream! Yeah sure yabetcha!


5 comments:

Missy Tippens said...

Congratulations on getting back to blogging, Linda! You sound a bit like me. Sometimes I go to post and it's been a month!

Your new books sound wonderful!

Missy

Deb said...

Hey, girlfriend! Nice to have your cyber-presence back with us. I agree, SF/fantasy is sadly underserved in our niche market. But let's try to change that, one book at a time (G).

Please feel free to link to me at www.justtellthestory.blogspot.com

Terry Odell said...

Crimescenewriters is a fantastic group - I know you'll learn more than you ever thought possible. They've seen me through 5 books and a short story. Couldn't have done it (at least not close to accurately) without them.

Anonymous said...

Good to see you back, Linda. Movie: I stumbled onto The Lake House with Sandra Bullock. Keanu Reeves comes out of his comatose line delivery a little bit, too.

Tell us all when you get that proposal done!
Lisa

Anonymous said...

Sandra Dee sounds exciting. I can't wait to read it.