Ever wonder what writers do when they’re not writing? Well, I can tell you. They dream about writing a big hit. Well, at least some of them do. Mostly we wonder what we can turn into another story.
The very first idea I had for a book was about a damaged Vietnam Veteran coming home to find a woman who actually loved him so much she stuck with him through all the problems involved. I was so interested in the subject I spent years researching, writing, writing, editing and rewriting that book. It was actually the first book I wrote. It was 1985 and the news was filled with the troubles of warriors and PTSD.
It is said the popularity of ideas comes and goes. No one wanted that book. What had come was gone.
I went on to other things. Wrote some historical western romances, sold same to big New York publishers. Guess what? That idea came and went, as did New York publishing and its interest in authors other than Stephen King, etc.
Writers are resilient though. We just don’t quit, or most of us don’t. This one didn’t. History. Hmm, now that’s something I was interested in. So Six published historical books later I tired of the heavy lifting of research for nonfiction books and went back to my love of historical romances. Wrote some more. Found publishers interested.
Wait a minute. Where had I put that manuscript for that Vietnam love story? This topic was enjoying a comeback. I didn’t even have a computer for that manuscript and I found it stowed away in a plastic storage container. Out it came. Maybe it was time to get serious about publication.
It was and I did and I found a fella attending our writer’s workshop who wanted to start a publishing house. Did I have any old manuscripts lying around he could publish? He rounded up a few more authors, published our books and we were all off and running. Turns out he’s pretty brilliant in a lot of ways that apply to book publishing. Thus came about Oghma Creative Media.
You know something. I really sort of enjoyed the love scenes in those romances, but had been reading mysteries. Not cozy or sweet, but dark, gritty, sexy stories. So I wrote a series called The Twist of Poe Series. He liked it.
Today he’s publishing all my books. But guess what the first one was? Remember that Vietnam vet’s love story? Yeah, that one I put away so long ago. Goes by the name of Beyond the Moon, it’s getting mostly five star reviews and I hear from vet’s wives a lot about how I wrote their story, or how much they enjoyed reading it. Sure taught me one thing. Never throw a manuscript away and never give up on the book of your heart, which Beyond the Moon was. Because readers asked for it, I’ve written a sequel called Immortal Hero, and if this virus lets up enough we can seriously begin putting books out there again, it will be published. You can read Beyond the Moon as an ebook though I understand there are some paper copies available at your favorite book store. Or get it at Amazon for Kindle or Barnes & Noble.
Sure am happy I didn’t throw that dusty old manuscript away.
Velda Brotherton 