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A Proposal in the Desert Botanical Gardens


It all started with a tweet.

 Well, that's not true. It started several years ago, when I first heard about a one-page contest for Harlequin Heartwarming books. I sent in the first page of my current WIP, and it was good enough to move to the second stage: three chapters and a synopsis. That was AFTER THE FIREWEED, which is now up for nomination on Kindle Scout. Turns out the mystery/romance ratio was a little high for Harlequin, but the encouragement I received got me excited about the possibility of writing for Harlequin Heartwarming.

 Several rejections later, I felt like I was honing in on what they wanted. My agent was highly encouraging after reading my latest stories. She submitted them to Harlequin. I knew Victoria had my manuscripts, and that's where the tweet comes in. 

When I saw it Friday, my heart started racing. My daughter and mother-in-law were here for the weekend, and I read it aloud, assuring them it probably wasn't me she was talking about. Still, I emailed my agent to let her know we'd be out sightseeing for the next few days, but she could reach me on my cell phone, just in case.

 Thank goodness we had guests to keep me distracted or it would have been a really long weekend. Monday morning, my husband and I put his mother on the plane in Phoenix and decided to take the opportunity to tour the Desert Botanical Gardens. We were admiring the prickly pears when the call came through. My knees were shaking, and it wasn't because of the heat.

 A two-book deal. Both are set in Anchorage. One takes place in summer, the other at Christmas. 

 Now I get to discover what takes place behind the curtain. Editing, cover selection, scheduling, marketing -- I can hardly wait.

 I'm so appreciative of all the people who've helped and encouraged me to keep trying. The writing community is made up of some of the most generous people I've ever met. Also, my family never lost faith, even when I did.  

 Thank you. 
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Comments

  1. Diana WilderSeptember 23, 2016 at 5:39 AM

    I just knew it! I just KNEW it!!!! So very happy!
    ...now on to the next step, and the next...and then some very luck readers at the end!

    Diana

    ReplyDelete
  2. abnormalalienSeptember 23, 2016 at 7:03 AM

    Yay, congrats! Keep us informed about the progress. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beth CarpenterSeptember 23, 2016 at 7:36 AM

    Thank you, Jamie. I will.

    ReplyDelete
  4. LizSeptember 27, 2016 at 10:33 AM

    Congratulations, Beth! So so happy for you! And I LOVE that heart-shaped cactus!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beth CarpenterSeptember 27, 2016 at 1:37 PM

    Thank you. It's appropriate, don't you think?

    Good luck on your pre-order for All She Ever Wanted. It's such a great story.

    ReplyDelete

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