It's finally here!!!

Woohoo! It's release day! I'm doing a happy dance and enjoying the fact that Dreams Do Come True is finally available from White Rose Publishing!

Can you tell I'm a little excited? This is my very first release from a royalty-paying publisher, which makes it extra special. I hope all writers one day will enjoy the great feeling of knowing all their hard work paid off and is available for anyone in the world to read.

Everyone have a wonderful day! I know mine is going to be great.

Dreams Do Come True -- Excerpt

My inspirational romance, Dreams Do Come True, will be available tomorrow from White Rose Publishing! In honor of the release, here's a sneak peek at the story for your enjoyment:

Gayle glanced at the envelope in Cassie’s hand and nodded toward the vacant end of the counter. Cassie went to the seat at the very end and laid the envelope in front of her. She needed Gayle’s moral support when she opened this one. The publisher she’d submitted to was the perfect match for her book, and she’d spent nearly a month on the submission package to make sure it was perfect.

Gayle finally finished serving the elderly man and joined Cassie. “Be brave.”

Cassie managed a weak smile and prayed for strength as she picked up the envelope. A moment later, she pulled out her submission package and what appeared to be a form letter. She got as far as “We regret…” before she dropped the stack of papers on the counter and lowered her head to her hands with a moan. “Not again!”

The strip of bells hanging on the door jangled before Gayle could reply. She gave Cassie’s arm a consoling pat, and then went to tend the new customer.

Cassie brushed her long hair from her eyes as she lifted her head and reached for the rejection letter, hoping it contained some clue as to why they didn’t want her novel. Her gaze briefly went to the new customer. His gorgeous movie cowboy appearance caught her attention and made her heart do a two-step. Dark-haired and blue-eyed, he stood at least six foot two and had wide shoulders that tapered down to a trim waist. He’d tucked his white shirt into a pair of jeans that fit oh-so-perfectly on his hips. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal tanned, well-toned forearms. He smiled as he spoke to Gayle, and Cassie decided receiving another rejection letter was almost worth it to see this amazing specimen of a man.

Two Days and Counting...

Only two more days until Dreams Do Come True is released! Here's the blurb:

Aspiring author Cassie Teague has been rejected…again. As she considers giving up her dream of getting published, a handsome editor walks into her life and makes her wonder if God has more in store for her than just writing.

Acquisitions editor David Jameson wants more than just Cassie’s book. But will office politics destroy his hope for the future?

Drop by tomorrow for an excerpt!

Dedication...

I thought long and hard about the dedication for my inspirational romance, Dreams Do Come True. After thinking about dedicating it to everyone who's ever read any of my writing, I decided to go for a dedication that also fit the story. What did I finally choose?

To all writers struggling with rejection: Never give up hope.

I've spent years receiving one rejection after another. Dreams Do Come True was rejected twice before White Rose Publishing offered me a contract. Even though there were times I thought I'd never receive a contract from a publisher, I couldn't give up my dream. That perseverance (some might call it stubbornness) is what made me keep submitting even when it seemed pointless. I'd gotten to the point where I expected a rejection from every submission I made, but I also made sure each of those submissions was as perfect as I could make it.

All the hard work of learning the craft of writing and rewriting nearly everything finally paid off. Last year, two of my short stories were accepted for publication by non-paying markets. I know that doesn't sound like much of an accomplishment, but those were my first pieces of fiction published, and one of the markets had rejected my work in the past.

With the confidence those acceptances gave me, I pulled out Dreams Do Come True (which had previously been rejected) and did a little rewriting and polishing and submitted it to White Rose Publishing (which was still the White Rose line of The Wild Rose Press at that point). I had a good feeling about it, sure this would be the publisher for my story. Then I received the email from the editor telling me it was good as far as it went, but I needed to make it longer.

Big sigh. I had absolutely no idea how to make it longer. I'd written the story until the ideas stopped coming. So, I spent a few days praying, thinking, and discussing it with my critique partners. To my surprise (and relief), the ideas started flowing. I added a few thousand words, wrote a much more satisfying ending, and sent the new and improved manuscript to the editor. Her response? She gave me a contract!

With a writing history like that, and since the heroine of Dreams Do Come True is a writer struggling to find a publisher, I had to dedicate it to all the writers going through their own struggles on the road to publication.

All I can say is this: If I can do it, so can you. All it takes is willingness to work hard, learn everything you can about writing and storytelling, and accept constructive criticism. I have yet to hear of anyone who writes a perfect first draft. Even the most well-written manuscript will come back from an editor with a few markings.

One more week...

I woke up happy, scared, excited, and nervous this morning. Why, you ask? Because as soon as I opened my eyes, I realized it's exactly one week until the release of my first e-book. Dreams Do Come True is also my first inspirational romance and my first publishing contract with a royalty-paying publisher.

That's a lot of firsts. It's also a lot of pressure. I want to see this e-book sell well, get great reviews, and have an impact on people. So while I'm ecstatic that my release date is so close, it's also a little scary. I keep having to silence those what ifs that are so common to authors, especially new ones. You know: What if no one likes it? What if the only people who buy it are my relatives? What if--?

You get the idea. I keep reminding myself that an editor liked it well enough to offer me a contract, my crit partners enjoyed it when they helped me with it, and I like it. I'm sure there will be people who don't like Dreams Do Come True, but there are also people who don't like the romance genre.

As for my other dreams for this story (that it will sell well and have an impact on people), I'll do what I can to reach them, although impacting people with a story that's already written is kind of out of my hands. All I can do for that one is to pray and leave it in God's hands...which is the best place for it to be.

About the book

Dreams Do Come True by E.A. West, available April 24, 2009 from White Rose Publishing

Blurb:

Aspiring author Cassie Teague has been rejected…again. As she considers giving up her dream of getting published, a handsome editor walks into her life and makes her wonder if God has more in store for her than just writing.

Acquisitions editor David Jameson wants more than just Cassie’s book. But will office politics destroy his hope for the future?

Ugh, taxes...and an update

I survived filling out my taxes! Woohoo!

Have I ever mentioned how much of a pain a tax form can be? I'm sure many of you already know how exasperating filling out those forms can be. The important thing is that I survived it and don't have to worry about it for another year.

Now that the taxing (pun intended) part of this post is out of the way, it's time for an update to my last post. My big orange kitty, the one who was seventeen and a half, passed away Sunday afternoon. I'm sure all of you pet owners can sympathize with what I'm going through, like expecting him to yowl and beg for treats when I'm trying to cook, thinking I'll walk into a room and see him lying there only to realize that will never happen again, etc. I miss my cat, and it's probably going to take me a long time to quit wishing he could curl up in my lap while I'm on the computer.

But there is a good side to this. I do have another cat, a pretty little gray tabby, who's been friendly and sweet since I got her. Last weekend, however, she became more cuddly than she's ever been. She's a pacer, meaning she doesn't hold still (usually); she paces and rubs her head against people when she's feeling affectionate. But last weekend, she started curling up beside me while I'm on the computer and she's giving me a lot more attention. It's almost like she's letting me know we both miss her kitty brother, but she's here to be my loving writing buddy.

The little shih tzu I took in last year is also being a total sweetheart, and so is my big brown mutt of a dog. I've realized in the last few days that the one of the best ways to survive losing a pet who's become a member of the family is to have other pets to love and be loved by. Can you tell I'm an animal lover?

On a completely unrelated note, the first of the Easter Lilies stories was released by White Rose Publishing today. Last year, White Rose held a short story contest called Easter Lilies. The three winners were guaranteed a contract for publication, with release dates on the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Easter.

Now that the background is out of the way, here's the important info: titles and where to buy them.

Thursday's release is Under the 5th Street Bridge by Carla Rossi

Friday's release is Wildflower in Bloom by Janelle Ashley

And Saturday's release is By Another Name by Ashley Elizabeth Ludwig

Have a happy Easter everyone!