Just got an email back from the contest coordinator. My entry is somewhere on the way back to me--the historicals were mailed "sometime last week".

Could this week BE any more discouraging?

Probably not without projectile vomiting, Susan, sorry.

Oh, and Annabel could provide that at any moment. Well, OK, projectile is rare, but she's all about the copious and slimy spit-up.

erika, Susan has an infant in the house. Don't tempt fate.

Susan, you can write. And you have completed a book, something most of us do a lot of talking and thinkin about. And you've started a second, and are reworking the first. You not only can write, you do write, and I suspect you have to write. I am so sorry for the rejections and the delays. I think the writer of that second letter must have been pretty impressed with your work, to take the time to write it. Encouragement to you.

Of course we'd Xpost about projectile vomiting. Help! I've been typecast in aisle two.

Reading between the lines of the second one, it's clear that the agent believes your book is worthwhile, but doesn't think it will sell in a bad market -- it's not you who is failing, the market isn't there at this time. Which may or may not be true.

Susan, insent to your profile addy.

Beverly, would you mind resending to my gmail address? My profile addy seems to have gone wonky today--no sign of your message, and I didn't get one deb sent last night either.

I thought about that after I hit post...um, without a rain of toads? Hang in there, Susan.

Ok, just got back online. Will resend as soon as I re-find the sent message. Heh. May have to reconstruct. Working.

Okay, it's disappeared into the ether. Basically, it was just a keep your chin up-don't let the bastards get you down sort of thing. Which I entirely mean, but I can't accurately reconstruct, the moment's passed. But yeah. I believe in you, and I take a sort of sisterly pride in your perserverance.