Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Surprises in the Mail...

Yesterday, my UK hardcover copies of RESCUED BY MR. RIGHT arrived yesterday. They were absolutely gorgeous. [FYI, the UK version isn't up on Amazon UK yet but here's a link to the US version]

RBMR is the book I wrote during my mother's illness and later, when she died. It was, without a doubt, the hardest book I ever wrote. Not only did the plot ironically center around a woman who had just lost her own parents, but it was set in the city where my parents grew up, and seemed to be God's way of making me work through this awful loss.

My mother died Oct. 9th and the book was due at the end of October. The first version I turned in was a mess. For the first time, I couldn't re-read what I had written (I normally do at least three complete read-throughs and revisions) because it was just too hard. My editor in London, bless her heart, was patient with me and helped me through the extensive revision. She was right on with everything she had me change, and I found that doing the revision was almost cathartic. It became the book I had envisioned and also became the book I am most proud of.

I opened the book yesterday and cried when I read the Dear Reader, which tells the story of this book, and the dedication, which is dedicated to my mother. Then I read the story--the first of my books I have ever read after they were published--and was so proud of the finished product. It was a nice epitaph, I think, to my mother and I can only hope she is smiling down on me from heaven.

Shirley

5 comments:

  1. Oh, Shirley, I can see why this book means so much to you. It must have been so hard for you to get on with it when you went through your loss.

    I'm sure your mother knows about the book somehow and is so proud of you.

    When is it available in the U.K.? And is it a NEXT book?

    Hugs,

    Lynette

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  2. Thanks so much, Lynette.

    It should be available in the UK in August in hardcover and October in paperback. This one is a Silhouette Romance (I think it's called a Tender in the UK), not a Next. My Next comes out in November.

    Shirley

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  3. I'll look forward to reading it! :)

    Lynette

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  4. That's wonderful Shirley... I pre-ordered your next two books on Chapters.ca already... just incase I missed it in the store since I am trying very hard to stay out of bookstores! Too many impulsive buys for preggo here! And until DH learns how to block the online bookstores from my internet fingers... that's how I'm shoppin'! I look forward to reading RBMR.

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  5. LOL! I'm thrilled you pre-ordered them and LMAO at your impulsive buys. My whole life is about impulsive buys :-)

    My shoe closet is proof enough ;-)

    Shirley

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