Today I'm thrilled to welcome Christy McKellen to my blog.
Christy recently sold to Harlequin Kiss...after pitching on my blog contest right here!
Congrats Christy, now over to you...
The
Naked Call
It’s been a long time coming, this Call.
I’ve been writing all my life, but only seriously started trying to write for
publication about six years ago after having my second child (I have a grand
total of three now – I know, I know, crazy right?)
Like many aspiring authors at the very
beginning of their journey, I wrote a lot of drivel and every now and again I’d
sent it off to Harlequin Mills & Boon headquarters and receive a very
polite – and not altogether surprising - form rejection back each time. I feel
so sorry for those poor editors now, wading through my purple prose, weak
characterisation and complete lack of conflict.
I didn’t give up though; I’m stubborn like
that. I kept writing. I kept reading. I read everything I could get my hands on
about the publishing industry as well as the craft of writing. There’s a
plethora of fabulous blogs, books and websites out there – too many to keep up
with – but after a while I honed down a list of the ones that spoke to me and
kept reading and learning.
I entered the competitions that HM&B
offered up every year (and didn’t win, or even get a request) but met some
fabulous people though on-line forums and Facebook pages, some of whom became
my fabulous – and essential – critique partners. Finally I wasn’t writing in
the dark any more, I had feedback!
About a year ago, I had a break-through. A
new American e-first publisher offered me a contract for a book I’d written
that wasn’t quite right for the Mills & Boon line I wanted to write for –
KISS, soon to be Modern Tempted in the UK – and I was away. I began to build my
web presence: Twitter, Facebook, blog and immersed myself in the heady world of
marketing. Exciting times. But I still yearned to have something accepted by
HM&B; they were my mecca.
There’s a romance writers’ festival in the
UK called the Festival of Romance that will be in its third year this November,
which I went to last year. It was brilliant! Not just because I got to meet and
grill some of my favourite published romance writers, but because there were
opportunities to meet Mills & Boon editors face to face, including the
fantastic Flo Nicoll who edits the line I wanted to write for. Gold dust. I
pitched a couple of ideas there, but I knew deep down at the time they still weren’t
quite right for the line. But I’d met Flo – who was so friendly and encouraging
- and now I was even more determined to get it right. The challenge was on.
I had a manuscript I’d been working on for
a couple of years, but the characters hadn’t clicked with me – or I hadn’t
clicked with them – and I’d given them a bit of time to stew in my head.
Finally, FINALLY they let me in and I was away. This story was much better
suited to the KISS/Tempted line and I was so excited about it. I managed to
mostly complete it before the next stage in the ‘Saga of Christy’s Long and
Twisting Route to Publication’.
And that’s where the lovely Nicola Marsh comes
in. As you know, this fabulously talented lady has now been published for ten
years – ten years, man! She very kindly organised an online pitch session on
this blog where writers had to sum up their story in three sentences in the
hope that it would capture Flo Nicoll’s interest. If it did, she might pick it
to be one of two lucky winners who would have the first three chapters of their
manuscript read and critiqued in one week. I know, more gold dust, right.
Anyway, there were some absolutely fantastic pitches and I didn’t win one of
the coveted prizes. “Oh well,” I thought, “never mind, I had a go and there are
other ways to get your story seen.” Then I received an email from Flo saying I
was one of a few lucky writers whose pitch had stood out and even though it
hadn’t won, she was still interested in seeing the full manuscript. Happy? I
nearly passed out with excitement.
So I polished the manuscript up, sent it to
my wonderful critique partners, polished it some more after their feedback,
then pressed send. Gulp!
Five weeks later, my husband and I were in
the South of France celebrating his birthday. My kind parents were looking
after the children for the week so we could have some much needed hubs and wife
time so I was in total holiday mode. I didn’t check my email for long periods,
(I’m talking hours here – I’m sure anyone who’s ever submitted a story will
understand why that’s a big deal though). I woke up on the morning of Friday 5th
July, logged on to the very dodgy Internet connection in our hotel and waited
for my mail to download onto my phone. I had one email. Expecting it to be a
regular mail from one of the blogs I subscribe to, I was amazed to see Flo
Nicoll’s name. I opened it with shaking fingers. It was a lovely email saying
she’d hadn’t finished reading the story, but what she’d read she really liked
and she hoped to have some feedback for me by early the next week. Excited?
Moi? Feedback from a Mills & Boon editor is what I’d been dreaming about for
all those years. Checking the time of the mail, I noticed it had been sent some
time the previous day, so I sent one back saying sorry for not replying sooner
(I know, twelve hours is not a long time to wait for a reply, but I was
excited, okay!) and that I was in France with a dodgy Internet connection and I
was really pleased she liked what she’d read and I looked forward to reading
her feedback the following week. Great. One happy bunny. I woke up the hubs,
squee’d for a bit, then went for a shower.
When I came out my phone was ringing. I got
to it just as it rang off and saw it was a London number. Assuming it was my
brother ringing from work, I waited for the answerphone message to beep then
listened to it. It was Flo. She wanted to call me and was asking whether there
was a landline number she could get me on. My brain went into overdrive. In the
back of my head a little voice whispered, “The editors at Mills & Boon only
call to offer you a book contract”, but the sensible, more cautious side of my
brain said, “Don’t be silly, she’s probably just missing the end of the
document and needs you to resend it or something.” I was shaking. I had to
know, IMMEDIATELY. I found Flo’s direct line number from her email and called
it. I must point out at this stage I was still fresh out of the shower and…
completely naked. A lady picked up the phone at the other end and I explained
who I was and was hugely excited to find I was talking directly with Flo
herself. She asked if there was a landline, but I explained there wasn’t one in
my room (I didn’t mention I was too naked to leave the room and find one) so we
continued the conversation on my mobile. (So yes, I made my own Call).
Basically, she told me they really liked the story and they wanted to offer me
a two-book contract. I stood there, still dripping water from the shower, my whole
body shaking now and muttered something like, “Oh my god, I’ve wanted this for
so long, thank you so much, yes, yes, I would love a two book contract,” while
my husband stood there with tears in his eyes. He knew how much this meant to
me, he’d been there with me on the journey through all its ups and downs, so he
KNEW. I somehow managed to finish the phone call with Flo without sounding like
a complete loon and just started at my husband in shock. It took a celebratory
gin and tonic by the hotel pool and a LOT of talking and pinching of skin for
it to finally sink in that I’d SOLD MY MANUSCRIPT TO MILLS AND BOON. The rest
of the day – and the rest of the week to be honest – was spent celebrating. The
photo is of me, the day of The Call, dancing for joy on the beach. A good day.
The best.
Anyway, thank you for sticking with me this
long. It’s been quite a ride, I can tell you.
And the moral of the story? Keep writing, keep
reading and never, NEVER give up.
Holiday with a Stranger will be published
in March 2014 within the KISS/Modern Tempted line by Harlequin Mills &
Boon.
B.K. (Before
Kids) Christy worked as a Video and Radio Producer in London and Nottingham. After
a decade of dealing with nappies, tantrums and endless questions from toddlers,
she has come out the other side and moved into the wonderful world of literature.
She now spends her time writing flirty, sexy romance with a kick (her dream
job!).
In her downtime
she can be found drinking the odd glass of champagne, ambling around the
beautiful South West of England or escaping from real life by dashing off to
foreign lands with her fabulous family.
Christy loves to
hear from readers. You can contact her at:
