Looking forward to a New Year!

As another year winds down, I want to stop for a moment and appreciate all that’s happened in 2012.

As many of you probably know, I took a six year hiatus from writing. I’d just gotten married and soon had three bouncing baby boys…one a year for three years! When the youngest turned two and a half, I decided I was ready to give writing another try. Over Memorial Day weekend, I dusted off some old manuscripts and got ready to send them in to publishers.

June was hectic…several revisions on The Learning Curve (my first contemporary romance that I spiffed up for a possible re-release), but it didn’t click. I set it aside to finish writing The Princes Bound, a novel I’d started after the birth of son #1, but had to put down when son #2 came right after. I submitted Bound in mid-June, crossed my fingers, and started book two. I was finishing up The Princes Determined when another set of revision requests came in…but this R&R was different. The readers at LSB truly seemed excited about my latest work. With the help of Jennifer Hassani, the aquisitions assistant, I worked tirelessly on it (even though I threatened to throw in the towel) and sent it back in. As I waited, I started book 3, The Princes Knighted.

By mid-July, I was offered a contract on The Princes Bound. Contracts for The Princes Determined and The Princes Knighted were signed, sealed, and delivered by mid-August. Quite a whirlwind of a summer!

In the fall, I wrote and contracted Stroke of Midnight with Etopia Press even as I worked on edits for The Princes. One thing about contracting works so close together is you get BOMBARDED with edits! As the stories are linked together and recommended to be read in order, it was nice having each book still fresh in my editors’ mind (and mine!) as we worked on them.

In the meantime, I was also working on a contemporary as Christy Gissendaner. After months and months of waiting, I was offered a contract from Entangled Publishing in October. Happiness ensued and I literally felt I’d finally “made it”.

As a couple of my books released in the fall, I realized I’m not going to skyrocket to the bestseller lists. I got bummed, but kept on trucking. I contracted two more works with LSB as Christy in November, A Hot Mess and A Touch of Sin. They’re coming in February and March, respectively.

So what are we up to…seven? Yep, I contracted seven books since July and I can’t be happier! Well…I suppose I could. I’m still waiting on that coveted spot on the NYT bestsellers list. AND I’m going to get there one day. I’ve learned I just have to be patient, wait my turn, and above all else…keep writing! Despite slow sales. Despite the lack of time to promote. Despite writer’s block. I just repeat my mantra, “Keep writing.”

So what’s next for me, you ask? Quite possibly Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and hopefully lots and lots of more contracts! I’m halfway through writing the fourth Princes book. I’m also finishing up another contemporary work as Christy…this one is a bit different than anything I’ve tried before, but it’s been fun so far! I have several ideas on the back burner, so expect to see more of me in 2013.

And one of these days, I will see my name on that dang list. (raising wine glass) Here’s to 2013!

Happy New Year!

Robin

http://robindanner.webs.com

It’s New Year’s Eve…what’s a fairy to do? Stroke of Midnight, a short Regency paranormal, now available at Amazon, B&N, and other fine retailers!