Back from Dallas

Back from Dallas. Back to reality. It was great to see everyone and hang out and cheer Barb on her RITA win. I am so happy for her!!

I was thinking back to the last time the conference was held in Dallas, three years ago. I was an unpublished writer who had her first book sitting on the desk of Kate Seaver, then at Dorchester. I met Kate at the conference and she said, "I read the first chapter of your book and I like it so far." I couldn't sleep all night! At the same time, I was very discouraged at that conference cause I saw all these incredibly successful people who wanted the same thing as me (publication) and I said to myself - Am I crazy to think it'll be ME?

Three years later I've sold 11 novels and 1 novella to three different publishers. Dreams do come true. And for any of you who were at Dallas, feeling overwhelmed, just remember, the only secret to publication is perseverence. So don't give up!!

Next up is Comic Con, less than two weeks from now. That should be fun. Totally different than the typical romance conference I'm used to. Gotta start picking out my costumes! :)

BTW Moongazer got a top pick from Romance Reader at Heart. Woot!!

What if everything you know about your life isn’t real? That’s the dilemma facing Skye Brown. She thinks she has a normal life with a great job and loving boyfriend, but keeps having strange dreams that seem almost more real than her life. Then, she’s pulled into her dream to discover an alternate post-apocalyptic world, where New York has been rebuilt underground and the popular recreational activity is “moongazing.” In this alternate world, she becomes embroiled in a revolutionary war where the lines between real life and dreams are blurred.

MOONGAZER is reminiscent of such popular SF movies as Bladerunner and The Matrix. (In fact, there are several pop culture references to both.) Part of the Shomi line, it’s geared for the fans of anime/manga, and will definitely appeal there. It gives you a taste of the action-adventure so often seen in the manga genre, but with an overtly romantic focus.

MOONGAZER is an amazingly innovative novel for the romance genre, and one that will have lots of allure for a broad range of readers. Even if you don’t normally read SF/fantasy romance books, you will want to pick up this one. I found it a thrilling, page-turning yarn, and I highly recommend it.

Kendra Patterson

That's all for now! :)
Marianne