What happened, Deb?

Back and forthing; basically, nothing I didn't know already, but it's still driving me batshit.

From Ruth to Jenn, this morning (keeping in mind that Ruth and I spent Thursday and a chunk of Friday morning brainstorming on a teaser blurb for the jacket because, and I quote, we can't use 'The Ringan and Penny Mysteries' because this is the first of a series and the reader doesn't know who Ringan and Penny are, yet:)

As far as a decision about the second one -- I've read the secondone and like it very much. I'm not holding off because of the book itself, I'm waiting until we see at least some indication of how the series will be received, because it's so very offbeat. We should have galleys next month, and I will send them around; we should get some worthwhile reactions from certain people to whom I will send the book for blurbs or just for their reaction, and that will tell me whether the book is too far out for most mystery readers or whether they embrace it with joy, or something in between. I just need more readings before committing to a series.

And Jenn says, she suspects some of the email is just agent-editor double-talk:

They're not ready to make an offer, which was what the subtext of my message was about. Until then, they're going to continue to have such reasons, regardless of their intentions.

Good news is that she's got the list of people she wants to send Still Life With Devils off to, and it's a damned good list. I added Linda Marrow, the woman to whom one of my books is dedicated because she suggested it when she was an editor at Pocket, and who loved my stuff; she's now Ruth's equivalent at Random House, an executive publisher. She may not be acquiring, though.

And I'm grieving for the loss of a brilliant man. Warren Zevon's ride finally showed up.

This week already sucks.

Deb, you'll hurt yourself if you don't stop doing that.

Ugh. Limbo sucks.

Very good list for initial sendout of Still Life. Slightly happier.

Susan, Are you there? I have an agent who wants to see your book,

Susan, Are you there? I have an agent who wants to see your book,

Is it wrong for me to be excited about this? Go deb and Susan!

Really? Wow!

Due to this whole pregnant and exhausted thing, I'm still about three chapters shy of finishing the rough draft, and I want to give it a good consistency read and tighten up the first fifty pages before I show it to agents or editors. Will she still want to see it in, oh, mid-October?

Susan, she says to tell you that they don't need the whole thing, what you have is fine, they're very laid back about it and understand. She's a friend for thirty plus years, and before she was an agent, she was a romance writer, and co-wrote a fun one ("Hidden Assets").

Important: use my full name in the subject email - Deb Grabien's friend or something along those lines - or it will get lost. She says she sees that, she knows to give it priority.

I told her it was a Regency, think Georgette Heyer by way of Jane Austen, and that I'd helped beta a small bit and loved it. So, go to:

[link]

and click on Marlene Stringer's email, and send from there. I told her your name.

They only handle a few romance writers but Marlene knows every human being in the romance sector, and belongs to RWA herself. If they don't end up repping you, she'll be able to hook you up, assuming she likes the book, and she will. I know her tastes, believe you me.

Oh, and the cover teaser for "Waver" (just heard from Ruth) is "Murder, Music and Ghosts from the Past." Which I suggested. So, yay me.

And Jenn wants me to really power up on TET (The Eden Tree), so it can get done and sent out.

Wonderful--I really, really appreciate this!

Do you think it would make a difference if I don't send it to her until Friday? That'll give me time to:

1. Get caught up getting the parts I've written in longhand into the manuscript.
2. Put in chapter breaks.
3. Do a quick read-through to make sure I've caught all the places where I changed my mind about a name, time frame, etc. halfway through, and cull any duplications caused by writing this thing out of order.

All of which, IMO, would make my preciousssss, my manusssscrippppt, a lot more complete, polished, and sellable.

Susan, take your time. She knows the situation.