I Got The Blues

And not the kind from the Kraft macaroni box. Though that sounds like a great idea for lunch, now that I think about it...

Nope, these blues are the icky kind. I have been informed that 1. Luna will not be publishing the 3rd book in the One Rose trilogy, and 2. they don't want to buy New Blood, the option book I sent them. My agent and I are discussing possibilities to find a place where Eternal Rose could see light of day, and places to send New Blood. And lots of other things I have ideas for.

This is part of the publishing world. The part that really sucks. Just like television shows that get yanked after only 3 or 4 episodes, without being given a chance to find an audience, books and authors now have the privilege of having that happen to them too. We might get six months, since it takes at least that long to gather book numbers, but the booksellers are just as ruthless. If the 1st book by a particular author doesn't do spectacularly, they won't order so many of the next one--and if the bookstores don't order the books, the "suits" will pull the plug.

I think I had decent sales--sales that another fantasy publisher would consider solid--but I think Harlequin's expectations might have been greater than they should have been. Who knows.

It's disappointing, but it's not the end of the world. I may have to take another name to publish more fantasy or fantasy romance. But Dayton isn't my real name to start with, so yet another one is no big deal to me.

I've taken this week off to think about directions, new or otherwise, and to walk and read and clean myself through the suckage. (I NEVER clean when I'm upset--but I'm trying really hard not to eat my way through it--I'm about 8 pounds lighter than I was in Atlanta!) I cleaned about 20 years of grease off my venthood. (I've only been in the house 2 years, okay!) Who knew it wasn't supposed to have a matte finish? It's shiny now!

Next week, it's back to the WWII book. And the week after, the fella and I are going to Colorado to do nothing but look at golden aspens, work puzzles of various kinds, read, and maybe shop. Or hike. He's more into hiking than I am. I may take the book--whichever one I'm working on--and if I do, I may or may not open it up.

As Woody Allen said, Ninety-eight percent of success is just showing up. And you have to KEEP showing up even when things go bad. What else can you do?

Last read: DECEIVED by Nicola Cornick
Rate: Good