Because I can do better, that's why

I've never shared this story except with my family and a couple of my writer pals, but I did something rather unusual after turning in my last contracted manuscript to my Harlequin "Love Inspired" editor: I admitted that I didn't believe what I had given her was my very best work.

I'd been laboring under a tight deadline, and I'd run out of time. So the day before it was due, I overnighted my manuscript to New York City. It wasn't perfect, but I figured that was okay because my editor was bound to ask for one or two small revisions. When I addressed those, I'd have an opportunity to tighten up the story. And then by the time I mailed in the revised manuscript, I'd have produced a novel I was as proud of as I was of my first three books.

Things didn't go according to my plan. My editor called to say that she "loved" the book and that she was sending off the paperwork so somebody would cut me a check for the "on manuscript acceptance" portion of my advance.

What followed was the most humbling experience of my career. I admitted to my editor that I wasn't satisfied with the manuscript I'd sent her. Then I asked if I could have it back for two weeks.

Not necessary, she said. I love the book you've written.

But I can do better, I insisted. Please let me have it back.

She was plainly shocked. She was very familiar with authors requesting deadline extensions, but I gathered it was the first time an author had asked for a manuscript back after she had accepted the final submission. She tried to talk me down from what she no doubt believed to be an odd case of nerves for a previously-published author, but in the end she gave me two more weeks. I worked twelve- and sixteen-hour days, but when I sent that puppy back to New York, I was happy with it.

That book, At His Command, was published in the autumn of 2008. While it's my least favorite of all my books (because it was Book Three of a six-author "continuity series", and I had to weave in subplots and minor characters that appeared in the other books), I'm still very proud of it.

Those of us who aren't kids anymore can remember the TV commercials Orson Welles did for Paul Masson wines some thirty years ago: "We will sell no wine before its time." Well, I promised you all a brand new novel this month, and the month is almost over. Until this morning, I still thought I could pull this off: I'd simply run through the manuscript one more time to check for typos, and then I'd spend the next couple of days formatting and uploading it to Amazon's Kindle Store and Barnes and Noble's Nook catalogue and so on. But I've been uneasy about this planned release for the past week or so, and my conscience is now demanding that I give the book some more time.

Look, I know I don't belong on stage with the world's best romance writers. But I like to think I'm a decent writer who has occasional flashes of brilliance, and more than a thousand of you (yes, really!) have written or e-mailed to tell me that you have enjoyed my novels. So please take me at my word when I say this new book is simply not finished yet. "Good enough" is not good enough for me, and I don't think it's good enough for you, either. So if it takes two more weeks or even a whole month of polishing to make sure this novel is the best I'm capable of offering you, then I am going to take that time.

Your understanding and patience will be very much appreciated. If you want to follow my progress, be sure to watch this blog and my Facebook page.

Going digital

This past week my publisher released a digital version of my long-out-of-print first book, Finding Hope (Love Inspired, 2003) in all of the major e-book formats. I figured that in a week or two, I'd get around to doing some low-key promotion for it. You know, make an announcement here on the blog, and so on. But to my surprise, the book has been selling itself quite well (at least at Amazon's Kindle Store, which is the only one I watch.)

I can't explain that. My 2006 release, A Family Forever, was digitized earlier this year, also without promotion, but that one hasn't taken off (again, I'm talking about the Kindle Store). In my opinion, A Family Forever is the better book. But like so much else in publishing, what sells and what doesn't and why is a mystery to me.

With this latest release, all four of my Love Inspired books have now been digitized. I'm happy about that because I'm tired of apologizing to readers for the paperbacks being out of print and unavailable except from resellers at Amazon, eBay, and the like. From here on out, I will suggest to interested readers that they simply download my e-books. After all, it's not necessary to have an e-reader as long as you have a computer. PC users, for example, can snag Amazon's free app, Kindle for PC. (It's a quick and easy download. Get that and one of my books and you can be reading in less than five minutes.)

My other two books, A Season of Forgiveness and At His Command, were released simultaneously as mass-market paperbacks and e-books in 2007 and 2008, respectively, so they've been out for a good while now. I just mention them so everyone can round out their collections. (Who, me? Humble? Not in the least.)

Perhaps you've noticed that all of these highlighted titles will take you to the books' Amazon Kindle pages. Yes, I'm an Amazon affiliate, but I make only pennies on these referrals, so that's not my motivation. It's just that I'm a longtime Amazon customer and fan, and this keeps things simple for me. Of course the novels are available at Barnes and Noble and at all kinds of other e-book stores.

Less than two months from now, I plan to release a brand-new novel as an e-book. It'll be similar in tone to my Love Inspired books, but quite a bit longer. And it'll feature a rock-star hero, which is the reason Love Inspired declined to publish it. (Don't fault my editor: market research has shown that many of the older Love Inspired readers just aren't sympathetic to famous heroes such as actors, pro-sports players... and rock stars.) But you'll be hearing more about that book here on the blog very soon, trust me.

A new beginning

Last fall, after a long dry spell during which I dealt with some health problems, I started writing again. Then in December I posted here on NRJW that I was about to submit a book proposal to my editor. I did submit, and last month I received her reply.

The story, she said, did not fit the tone of the Love Inspired line.

Okay, I knew I was taking a chance. I even told her that. But I really liked the story, so I had to give it a shot. And as it turned out, that "bad news" from my editor opened up a whole new world of possibilities.

I decided to publish this novel myself, as an e-book.

I want to say that I've enjoyed writing for Love Inspired, and that I'm deeply grateful to them for publishing my first four books. But I have often wished I could write a longer story and perhaps color outside the Love Inspired guidelines. And now I have that chance.

I plan to release my e-book in July.

At this point I don't know whether I'll submit to Love Inspired again. The door is still open; my editor invited me to send something else, and she said they were eager to have me back under contract. I'd be honored to write for them again, but right now I want to finish this e-book. After that, if a story suitable for Love Inspired pops into my head and I can get a proposal on my editor's desk before she forgets my name, I'll do that.

I can't wait to see what happens next!