The Generosity of Writers

First, thank you for all of your good wishes. I had a lovely birthday without any major catastrophes. Hubby got me an iPod. Pink of course.

I met my friend Linda at a bookstore where Susan Squires was signing THE COMPANION. Her husband Harry was also signing his new book, WHAT ROUGH BEAST which he writes under the name H.R. Knight. What I didn't realize was how many other authors would be signing as well. Mary Castillo and Jennifer Apodaca were also there signing plus several more I can't remember. Just as I was checking out, one more author arrived, Rebecca Forster. So I had to stop and get her books. While she was signing, I mentioned how I saw her at my chapter meeting and liked her presentation. She started asking me about my writing, what I wrote, where I was at. As I told her about my rejections, she totally jumped on it and said I needed to be more aggressive. She outlined some ideas on what I should be doing and how to go about it. She turned to my friend Linda and told her she needs to keep tabs on me and to email her if I am not doing as I should. And I need to spend some money on some lucky shoes.

I was impressed she would take the time out to really be interested in my career as an unpubbed and to share her experience and knowledge. Her enthusiasm and exuberance was definitely contagious.

I am always humbled at the generosity of writers in the romance genre. We as a group tend to be the biggest supporters of one another, the loudest cheerleaders. And those who have succeeded are eager to help struggling writers achieve their dreams.

Hopefully Linda absorbed more than I did. I was a bit overwhelmed (I'm easily starstruck). Linda is the only non-writer friend of mine who reads my stuff and is probably a better judge of my writing than anyone else. I have no doubt she will keep me on the crooked yet narrow path to publication.