You see, twenty-eight years ago this month, October 10th, I sold my first book…an historical romance novel. My working title had been “Born To Be Loved.” The publisher…Zebra Books…evidently thought that was too lame and/or tame because they decided that “Tides of Ecstasy” more aptly reflected the amorous tenor of the book.
I never started out to be a writer. I was going to be a history teacher until student teaching made me realize that I possessed very little…none whatsoever, actually…patience for mouthy, disrespectful, ill-mannered teenagers. I mean writing was never an all-consuming passion or burning desire…I just sort of “fell” into it.
It’s not very “romantic,” historical or otherwise, the story of how I came to be a writer. In fact, it’s downright uninspiring. I was recovering from a back injury…that still plagues me to this day on occasion…and had been confined to complete bed rest for a week and half by my chiropractor. I had also just broken up with Pete, he of the Valentine’s Day post earlier this year, and was in a pretty fragile state…physically, emotionally, mentally…well, you get the picture.
I was still living at home with Mom and Dad at the time and was holed-up in my bedroom with nothing to do…until— One of the girls I worked with, who was an avid reader, brought me a big grocery bag full of paperbacks. Now, as a kid, I was wont to read everything I could get my hands on, but college…with all its fun-sucking mandatory reading requirements…put the kibosh on that. I had not read anything for pleasure in months.
But when one is stuck in bed…alone…with a bum back and a broken heart…well one finds diversion where one can. So, I plucked the first book from that bag and started to read. As I recall, in addition to historical romances by the likes of Kathleen Woodiwiss, Valerie Sherwood, and Rosemary Rogers, with titles like “The Flame and The Flower," and “This Loving Torment,” and “Sweet Savage Love,” there was also a series of books by John Jakes; i.e., “The Bastard,” “The Rebels,” “The Seekers,” etc. These books incorporated real historical figures and settings within the fictional story he was weaving. It was great storytelling, and I was hooked.
I read nonstop for days on end. I would read one book, put it away, pick up the next and start reading. I stayed up until all hours of the night until my eyes were burning and tearing because they were so tired. I used to kid my friends and tell them I read until my eyes bled.
Anyway, I cannot recall the exact moment, but somewhere in the midst of all this marathon reading, it dawned on me. “I could write something like this,” I remember thinking to myself. Hell, I probably said it out loud. My objective at the time was two-fold. It would be a good way to put my love of history and historical research to work and…more importantly…if I was constantly working out the intricacies of a plot in my head…I wouldn’t have time to think about Pete. The thought of actually getting something published was never the goal...in the beginning.
So, that’s how it all started. Like I said…not particularly inspiring.
The actual writing, the trials and tribulations of finding a New York publishing house willing to even read...let alone publish...my manuscript, deciding on the spelling of my name for the book cover, that first book dedication, and the reaction of family (especially my mother) and friends when it came out is a story I believe I’ll save for another time.
Meanwhile, this is the book cover from my first book…I had a total of five published before I gave it up. I was so excited when I received a copy of the cover…until I read the “teaser” on the back. To quote, “…she was soon to become the bride of Lord Thomas Beauchamp.” One problem with that…the characters were Thomas Bainbridge and Charles Beauchamp. Thomas was my heroine’s father, and I certainly didn’t write anything like that. Oh, well…at least they published the book.
Every now and then, I go back and reread certain scenes or passages from my books, but whenever I pick up “TOE,” I cannot help but think I could have written it so much “better” later on because my writing…in my opinion…improved with each successive book. I have two friends…Terri and Audelene…who would most likely disagree with me, however. They thoroughly loved this book. In fact, the reason Terri wrote me was because she had read her copy so many times it had fallen apart.
They both wrote me “fan letters” as a result of reading this book, and through the course of events, we have become life long friends. So, I suppose something worthwhile eventually came out of my bum back and broken heart.
