Monday, December 3, 2012

A Scary and Exciting Time

Patricia Rosemoor

This is both a scary and an exciting time to be an author. In little more than a year, publishing has been turned on its head. Authors can now be their own publishers with little to no investment, and that has brought a huge change as to how traditional houses -- or legacy houses as they are now called -- and how agents are reinventing themselves. As someone who has lasted in the industry for a squeak away from thirty years, I have reinvented myself multiple times. And now, with all the opportunities available to authors, I am keeping my fingers in every pie I can.

I’m really happy to be able to make my backlist available to readers, who might not have caught those stories the first time around. I can't tell you how many times I've had readers ask me how to get titles they missed. I have a large backlist both of my Patricia Rosemoor titles, but also novels written with a co-author as Lynn Patrick, Jeanne Rose and Roslynn Griffith. Samhain is publishing most of the Lynn Patrick backlist, and Lynn Patrick is once more appearing at Harlequin for their new Heartwarming line. Backlist Jeanne Rose titles are available again at Amazon, BN and Smashwords.

My first novel was a young adult romance. It won the 1983 Golden Heart for Best Young Adult Romance. Unfortunately, I wasn’t at the RWA National Conference that year. A chapter mate called me to tell me I'd won and that the editor of Silhouette Young Love was saying that I was her new author. I had submitted the book to her and had done a rewrite to lengthen it, but the editor hadn’t called or written to say she wanted the book. So I waited for the call. And waited. And waited. And then gave up.

Three weeks after the conference, the editor finally called and asked if she’d made me an offer. I said no. She said she wanted to buy the book and hoped that I would accept her offer...because she’d already put it in production. A CHANGE OF HEART (by “RoseAnne McKenna”) was the only young adult book I ever wrote. Books that followed were romantic comedies, long contemporary romances, paranormal romances, paranormal historical romances. I was determined to continue to be published, no matter the changing market. As I said, I keep reinventing myself.

My favorite subgenre, the type of novel that composes more than half of my backlist, is romantic suspense. I’ve written 93 published novels, sold over seven million copies worldwide. Fifty-three of those novels were Harlequin Intrigues. RT BookReviews has honored me with two awards for Best Intrigue and two Career Achievement Awards recognizing my career as a romantic suspense author.

Currently, I am writing for Entangled Publishing's Dead Sexy line. I had a little fun writing Christmas romantic mysteries -- HOLIDAY IN CRIMSON and NIGHTMARE IN CRIMSON -- by killing Santa Claus. Twice.
So far, I’ve gone indie with several of my Patricia Rosemoor backlist titles, including SEE ME IN YOUR DREAMS, TELL ME NO LIES and TOUCH ME IN THE DARK, the first three novels in my bestselling series, The McKenna Legacy. (The most requested books by my new readers.) And I’ve written one original indie romantic thriller, SKIN.


Pushed to the Limit
HAUNTED
Drop Dead Gorgeous
We Ink Jockeys are all traditionally published authors who also are producing indie work, whether backlist or original titles. We've banded together, hoping to entertain you endlessly!

Watch this space for our exciting Book Derby on Wednesday and Thursday, December 5-6. We'll offer readers Kindle books ON SALE at 99¢ ... and some will even be FREE! So come back and scoop up the bargains.



11 comments:

  1. Hi, Patricia!
    I don't remember seeing HAUNTED before. Have I been asleep? Man, is that a cool cover! The story sounds intriguing, too. Haunted house-y. :) I had to click over to Amazon and buy it! Only 99 cents, people.

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  2. Like you, I've been writing for a long time--and published since forever. If you can't think on your feet and change w/ the times, you will not survive as an author. This is a fun time to be writing and selling--and also a challenging time. Can you teach an old writer new tricks?

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  3. Ann -- Haunted was the first paranormal Harlequin Intrigue :) They had a no paranormal policy at the time, but my editor liked the idea so much, she said go ahead, but keep it light paranormal.

    Rebecca -- We'd better be able to learn new tricks to survive changes in the industry! I'm betting on you, anyway. :)

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  4. 93 novels. Wow. You're my hero, Patricia! That's just amazing. What's your secret?

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  5. Dana -- I'm an android. I never sleep :)

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  6. Well-wow!Such an amazing story. And of course you're right about authors reinventing themselves. It's a concept I've only recently embraced, but I intend to jump in with both feet. Fingers crossed we'll all land on them. You are an inspiration, Patricia.

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  7. Wow, Patricia, I'm beginning to feel like I know you. Ninety-three novels and still ticking. I'm amazed. I like how quickly you responded to the shift in the market and how you so clearly understand changing times. Glad I dropped in.It was enlightening.

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  8. Jenna & Connie -- Most people wear out. I couldn't afford to -- I was making a living writing and couldn't go back to my old career -- television production -- because it had changed from analog to digital. Not that I couldn't do it. But potential employers would look at me as being out of date and I couldn't afford to take that chance. So I had to reinvent to stay in the business.

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  9. What an impressive career, Patricia. I feel like Dana, I am so in awe of you. Congratulations.

    Reinvention seems to be your strong suit. Keep it going!

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  10. Energizer Bunny is more the way I think of you, Patricia. You have so much energy. I love your covers!

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  11. Thanks, Mallory & Ginger. Energizer Bunny? That's Rebecca's husband Norman. Believe me, right now I need a major recharge :)

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