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| Pat Simmons |
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In late 2006, I was about to give up on ever becoming a
published author. I had exhausted all leads on agents and editors for my debut
Christian romance novel Guilty of Love.
I could recite the opening lines of rejection letters with my eyes closed. As a
matter-of-fact, when I got the email from Editor Joylynn Jossel, I was already
rehearsing the greeting: Thanks Pat for
submitting Guilty of Love for our review. Although I enjoyed the story, I...
However, instead of a rejection, I got an offer. Rewind and
re-read. Yes, Joylynn saw the beauty of my Christian inspirational novel filled
with colorful characters like Grandma BB, a challenging storyline and
African-American genealogy. Yes, she became the Right Editor. It was the right
manuscript at the right time, seen by the right person. But wait, there’s more.
In September of 2007, I received another rejection letter.
It came on the same day Guilty of Love
hit the store shelves. Another editor
finally got back to me, concerning Guilty
of Love. This time, my heart didn’t drop. Instead, my lips curled into a
smile. What God had for me wasn’t that editor. Guilty of Love broke sales records with that publisher and sparked
a series with nine books and counting.
Timing is everything. I was ready to move from that small
publisher and expand my readership with a bigger publisher. Before electronic
submissions, a writer had to print out full, partial or sample chapters to
publisher. I had mistakenly printed one too many manuscripts and I refused to
discard it (think cost of paper and ink), so I submitted it to a publisher who
had already rejected Guilty of Love
years earlier by default just because. Mind you, the proposal was to continue
the Guilty series. At the time,
publishers were hesitant about picking up a series rather than starting a new
one, but the editor LOVED the proposal, the storyline, characters, etc. She
offered me a three book deal. My timing with her years earlier was wrong.
The Right Editor is waiting for that right manuscript to
cross her desk and when it does…well, the rest is history.
When do
you know the most important decision of your life is the right one?
Reaping
the seeds from what she's sown; Cheney Reynolds moves into a historic
neighborhood in Ferguson, Missouri, and becomes a reclusive.
Her
first neighbor, the incomparable Mrs. Beatrice Tilley Beacon aka Grandma BB, is
an opinionated childless widow. Grandma BB is a self-proclaimed expert on
topics Cheney isn’t seeking advice.
Then
there is Parke Kokumuo Jamison IV, a direct descendant of a royal African
tribe. He learned his family ancestry, African history, and lineage
preservation before he could count.
Unwittingly,
they are drawn to each other, but it takes Christ to weave their lives into a
spiritual bliss while He exonerates their past indiscretions.
Pat is the
multi-published author of several single titles and eBook novellas, and is a
two-time recipient of the Emma Rodgers Award for Best Inspirational Romance.
She has been a featured speaker and workshop presenter at various venues across
the country. As a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth, Pat is passionate about
researching her ancestors and then casting them in starring roles in her
novels. Pat is currently overseeing the media publicity for the annual RT
Booklovers Conventions and has a B.S. in mass communications from Emerson
College in Boston, Massachusetts.
Read more about Pat and her books by visiting www.patsimmons.net or on social media.
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