As some of you know I went to
Swinger on Birches Writing Retreat in July. What most of you don’t realize is
that there’s a tradition at that retreat. If a writer goes to the beach below
the inn where the retreat is held, picks out a pebble and holds it while they
read a passage from their manuscript to the group, if they want it bad enough,
they will get a book deal.
So, I went down to the beach. But I couldn’t pick out just one stone. Three of them called to me. I held the
stones while I read from the young adult thriller that I had out on submission.
And, a few weeks later, the universe
smiled on me. But she decided to add a huge plot twist.
The YA thriller I read from at
retreat wasn’t the first manuscript I had go on submission. My first manuscript
went out a little over a year ago and failed to sell. Well, to be more correct,
my agent and I quickly decided to stop pitching the manuscript because it was
YA gothic with paranormal elements and the market for paranormal had waned. We
figure it was better to tuck that manuscript away and bring it back out when
editors started looking for paranormal again.
I’m guessing you know where
this is headed, so I’ll cut to the important part. Turns out an editor that we hadn’t heard back
from loved the first manuscript and was willing to buck trends for it—with a
slight change. My young adult gothic
manuscript is transforming into a new adult paranormal.
I’m thrilled to announce the
MOONHILL trilogy has sold to Selena James at Kensington Books (as in a three-book
debut deal—or three pebbles).
I am so freaking happy! Thank
you to Selena and to my agent, Pooja Menon, for loving MOONHILL and having faith
in me.
