Two months before I sold I’d HAD it with writing for publication. I was tired of struggling in the evenings after work and spending the weekends crafting my stories. I knew I’d keep writing, and HeartMate was at HardShell and Berkley (manuscript once thought lost as Penguin Putnam munched Berkley Jove), but writing was NOT going to dominate all my free time.
I don’t remember to check my voice mail every day, so it was Superbowl Sunday and I was washing my comforter and doing other things, sighing in relief at the freedom to accomplish tasks in my own time instead of cramming them in between work, writing, critique…Well, the air vent suckers were supposed to call me and set up an appointment to come on Monday (thus the cleaning of the house, you know how particular those air vent suckers are), I’d been vacuuming, then taking out several sacks of garbage and decided to check my messages in case the guy called.
It was THE CALL. “I don’t usually leave messages like this on answering machines, but I really enjoyed HeartMate and want to make you an offer for it.” NO! Listen again. And again. In between pants, start calling my critique buddies, first Sharon Mignerey, “Sharon,” gasp, “Sharon….” I don’t recall what I said but it went something like “gobble, pant, gobble, spit, gobble, spit, spit, hyperventilated breathing.”
“Robin, has something happened to your Mom?” asks a concerned Sharon.
“Berkley!” I shriek. We talk. I get on-line and INSIST everyone in my on-line crit croup come to the chat room. There I yell, faint, and generally carry on. At the end of the day, I put away the brass-rubbing that I’d knocked from the stairwell wall as I’d staggered up, breaking the frame. I notice that my cat Maddox (now insisting on being called “The Cover Cat”) has groomed himself on my nice, clean, beige comforter and left little tufts of black hair all over it.
My world has shifted, but basically, life goes on.

This post was submitted by Robin D. Owens.

You might also be interested in:

1. The Call – Cynthia Owens July 15, 2006 – a date I’ll always remember. The day I got The Call – or in my case, The E-mail – about my first novel, IN SUNSHINE OR IN SHADOW. A habitual early riser, I arose earlier than usual. The day promised to be a busy one. I...
2. The Call: Sasha White “Call” stories are some of the most inspirational things a struggling writer can hear. However, mine is a bit different. You see, I’ve never received a call from an editor I’d submitted to where they say. “Hi, this is___ with ___ and I’d like to buy your book.” I have...
3. Lynne Marshall’s call story I’ve recently celebrated my three-year anniversary first book sale, and I still can’t believe it! After ten months of waiting to hear about my submitted manuscript in 2004-2005, I received revision suggestions on my medical romance, HER BABY’S SECRET FATHER. I quickly made the suggested changes, and returned the manuscript...