Orlando Update: What if there really is a Magic Kingdom?

Posted on August 9, 2010 by gjillian

First, some of you may or may not know that THE YARD MAN won the Golden Heart RS category––but what you don’t know is the whirlwind of other things that happened last week, before and after the awards banquet.

All I can say is, when it happens, it happens fast and I don’t care how long you have waited, YOU ARE NOT PREPARED.

A little over ten days ago, I was sitting in the Dallas airport waiting for my connecting flight to Orlando. I was hoping to meet another GH finalist there, as we both were both on the same flight, so I checked my cell phone. There was a message with a 212 area code. NYC. My heart raced a little. I returned the call and to make a long story short, when I got off the phone I had an offer on my newest manuscript, a historical paranormal, THE SEDUCTION OF PHAETON BLACK. (Based on a contest final, for those of you who enter RWA chapter contests.)

Great. I had an offer and no agent.

When I arrived at the hotel my crit partner, a.c. Mason, was already in the room. I sat her down and told her what had happened. After the screaming died down, she and I set about e-mailing messages to every reputable agent we could think of (I had all their addresses stored in my iPhone as I had been querying for months) I sent a very brief message stating that I had received a three book offer and would they be interested in representing me? Well, you may or may not believe the response, but I was overwhelmed by sudden interest, and from HUGE agents.

Needless to say, the next events might read like a fairy story, but, let’s face it, we write them, why can’t they come true? While stalking Steven Axelrod around the Dolphin fountain in the lobby, I managed to run into another agent, Richard Curtis.

That afternoon Mr. Curtis bought me a diet coke and we talked. In the hotel bar, après the Golden Heart Rita Awards, Richard, my crit partner and I celebrated with a glass of champagne. Several days later, after reading both manuscripts, he proposed representation and I am thrilled to announce that I have signed with Richard Curtis Associates. Since the GH win, several publishers have also expressed interest in the THE YARD MAN. Last week, Richard and I worked on series proposals for both books and I hope to be able to report more good news in the weeks to come.

Here are my best insights for those of us who write and are as yet, unpublished (which still includes me). Never give up. Take BOLD RISKS with your writing and SHOOT HIGH, especially when it comes to agents and publishers.

So, what do you think? Was it the Tinkerbell pixie dust that did it?

G. Jillian Stone

There are fields in time that burn with desire. Meet me there.

RWA Golden Heart Finalist: Getting the Call.

I collected my jacket, my purse, my iPhone, and was just about to leave for my dental appointment. In fact, I had joked extensively with the Contest Divas the day before about the fact that I didn't want to think about the RWA Golden Heart. And I wasn't going to get any call.

My Eeyore-ish kind of mood came from a weekend of contest disappointments. The worst one of which was the lowest score I have ever received in a contest from a judge who hated my dark hero as well as my writing. She said I overwrote every sentence. Boing!

Besides, I wasn't going to final in this impossibly huge national contest, anyway.

In the days proceeding call day, I wrote several posts about sitting in the dentist's chair and having crown work done. I remember references to novacaine and laughing gas and being too busy to think about the GH.

Then, at approximately 8:45 in morning, I got the call.

Your brain goes kind of fuzzy during the call. But not so muddled that you miss the awesomeness of the moment. And the second you stop screaming the RWA PR machine kicks in. Vaguely, you hear dates about getting a photo taken and sent in for press releases. Then there is this large packet of materials you will be required to read fill out and send back. A special e-chat loop is set up for finalists to ask questions and get to know one another before the conference. And, as a Golden Heart finalist I will get priority for appointments with agents and editors. And, and, and...

When the call ended, it took me about an hour to write a simple text because my hands were–you guessed it, shaking. The best thing about the call for me was that I wasn't ready for it. It truly came as a huge, wonderful gift and it took most of the day to sink in.

And remember, I still had to go to the dentist. It's an odd feeling sitting in the waiting room thinking about the $960.00 I was about to spend on a crown. Money I could use to go to the RWA Nationals in Nashville; where I would be able to network with industry professionals, published authors and lots of other writers. Then an idea struck. To hell with the crown. I'll keep the temporary in for a few more months and get the permanent crown done in August, after I get back from the nationals. Brilliant! Immediately I had half the expenses for the trip already saved.

From here on out, I will keep you posted. This is going to be an amazing ride, and I'm ready to be extraordinary!