How does it feel to have a book published?

My book, Stranger on the Shore was released from MuseItUp Publishing today. It’s hard to describe the excitement at seeing your work offered for sale. When my book was first accepted, I was thrilled. Okay, maybe that’s putting it mildly. Keyed-up, doing a happy dance and telling everyone and anyone who would listen. I emailed, face booked, and posted in every writing group I belong to. I just couldn’t tell enough people.

One would think it was the first book I sold, but it wasn’t. My first book came out in 2006, and I’ve had several books published since then with other publishers. And I’ve had other books accepted by Muse. So why the excitement?

I don’t think it makes any difference how many books you’ve sold. Each book is like your child. Seriously, writers spend hours, months, and sometimes years writing their stories. The characters become a part of our lives. We live with them 24/7 for as long as it takes to write the story. Then we start submitting. We never totally let go.

So, when Muse accepted Stranger on the Shore, I was excited. The first thing I received was my cover art. Delilah Stephens, our cover artist, designed an amazing cover. Then we began the editing process. My editor, Lea Schizas was brilliant. She pointed out areas where I told instead of showed the story, became repetitive-I tend to do that when I want to emphasize something-and asked me to change sentences or remove them entirely – all to make the story better. Fortunately, there weren’t a lot of edits, and we completed the process fairly quick. Then it went off to line edits. My line editor, Penny Ehrenkranz inserted commas when necessary and fine-tuned the manuscript to get it ready for publishing. Sometimes, she suggested a word change or asked for clarification on a sentence.  Once that process was finished it went back to the publisher for formatting and walla, my book was born. Then the galleys came.I went over those and fine tuned the book further.  Each step brought it closer to publication.Seeing it put together thrilled me beyond comprehension. It was like a child opening a gift at Christmas and discovering he got exactly what he asked for.

The whole procedure from beginning to end actually took several years, so you can see how involved and complex the whole process was and why the release date is so exhilarating. I couldn't wait to tell my friends and family it was here. Finally everyone could read it. If I could have, I would have shouted it from the housetops. But blogging, emailing, facebooking and writing to my groups will have to suffice.

Stranger on the Shore is about author, Jordan Blake when she rescues an unconscious stranger on her shore during a Lake Effect Snowstorm. After pushing, pulling, and rolling the man from the shore, Jordan gets him into her house. Soaked, freezing and exhausted, she manages to undress the man and stuffs him into her ex-husband’s too short robe.

For all Jordan knows he might be a serial killer. Finding herself strangely attracted to the man, Jordan locks herself in her office to avoid him. After all she has a book to finish and a deadline to meet. Not that she gets any work done. The stranger keeps intruding on her thoughts.

Stranger on the Shore is available from Muse It Up Publishing at: http://tinyurl.com/4q96vtn
http://tinyurl.com/4zbzgtk

If you want to learn more about me and my books, check out my website: http://www.roseannedowell.com/
For a chance to win a copy of Stranger on the Shore, email me with Contest in the subject line at rodow62@yahoo.com


Excerpt from Stranger on the Shore

 “Come on.” Jordan grabbed his hand and tried to pull him to his feet. He fell back and passed out again. “Oh great, just what I need.”

She lifted his head and tried to bring him around. Raindrops fell and quickly turned into a torrential downpour. She flinched as lightning streaked across the sky. Thunder boomed. God, she hated storms.

“Come on, wake up. Darn it all, why me? Why’d you wash up on my shoreline?” Jordan rolled his limp form over and over, stopping often to catch her breath. Unsure where the strength came from, she pushed his large body across the sand toward her house.

“Okay now.” With her hands under his arms, Jordan took a deep breath, and pulled with all her might. Somehow she managed to drag him up the step onto the deck. The wind whipped long strands of blond hair into her face. Freezing rain pellets pounded her, stinging her  arms even through her shirt. Just a little more. Fighting the wind and gasping for breath, she pushed him through the door into the great room and fell into a heap on top of him.

After catching her breath, she sighed and rolled him across the floor toward the fireplace.

“That’s as far as you go, Bud.” Exhausted, cold, and soaked, Jordan couldn’t believe she had moved this large hunk all the way from the rocks into her house. Sitting down next to him, she shivered and brushed the water from his face and looked at him. No blood, thank goodness. A few bruises on his face, nothing serious. Where had he come from, how long had he been in the cold water... She hadn’t seen a boat, but the familiar brown vest and boots told her he had been on a fishing trip. Pretty dumb if you asked her.

Probably a tourist. At least she hoped so. Shoot, for all she knew he could be a killer. She shuddered at the thought, got up and hurried to get towels and blankets.  Jordan removed his clothes and dried him off, avoiding the sight of his naked body. For a moment she stared at his long muscular legs and tanned burly chest. She swallowed hard. Heat flared deep within and stirred a yearning in her.

Pushing her feelings aside, she dressed him in a robe left over from Derek, pushing and pulling his body to get his arms into the sleeves, and couldn’t resist smiling at the too short robe. Derek was only five foot-ten, this guy was well over six feet. After covering him with blankets and putting a pillow under his head, Jordan went to change into dry clothes of her own.