Dear Author: Romance Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Commentary

Welcome to the My First Sale series. Each Friday, Dear Author posts the first sale letter of bestselling authors, debut authors, and authors in between. New York Times Bestselling Author, Marie Bostwick, writes stories about women for women. Her latest release, A Single Thread, is in stores now.
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When my agent, Jill Grosjean, called to tell me that Kensington Publishing had indicated an interest in buying my first novel, I was elated. But as weeks and eventually months passed without an offer, my confidence began to waver.

“If they really wanted it,” I moaned to Jill, “they’d have said so by now. They hate it. Not the editor, she’s great, but somebody else. Someone in accounting. Or the mailroom. Or…I don’t know who, but someone read it, hated it, and put the brakes on the deal! Probably the editor hasn’t called because she doesn’t want hurt my feelings!”

Jill made that growling sound she emits when she thinks I’m being overly dramatic, a sound I hear pretty often. “Don’t be ridiculous. Editors have no problem telling authors a book has been rejected. It’s their …

Dear Ms Bostwick,

I’m so glad that your publisher offered us a chance to review your latest novel. “On Wings of the Morning” took me back to a simpler time in American history but one in which people loved as much, still made mistakes but had a common purpose. So much of it reflected what those interviewed for Ken Burns’ latest film, “The War” said about the era. It had to be done, it might not be what people wanted to do but they were in it until it was finished and willing to make any sacrifice to see it through.

The book has a great period feel and I can see you’ve done your homework. From Morgan’s childhood on a farm in rural Oklahoma to Georgia’s uprooted existence moving from backwater Florida to big city Chicago, I could see them and the people around them. I could feel living through a summer with only an oscillating fan, driving to see Charles Lindbergh — to actually see the Lone Eagle, the man who changed aviation history! — wanting to learn to fly so badly and sensing that it was your destiny that …

We have a review of Without a Sound coming up next week.
Carla Bracale writing as Carla Cassidy’s BROKEN PIECES, about a victim of a brutal attack in her youth who returns home, hoping the depths of her memory might hold a clue to a murderer’s identity, to Laura Cifelli at Signet, in a three-book deal, by Laura Blake Peterson at Curtis Brown (NA).

Not an inspy reader but I know that there are many who love this line. Like my mother, who didn’t allow me to read regular romances but I was allowed to read inspy romances as a kid.
Irene Brand’s A MAN TO LEAN ON, to Harlequin Love Inspired, in a nice deal, by Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency.

Read about this over at mediacat today. Sarva promises to not stop picking on his now fellow authors.
Blogger Mark Sarvas’s HARRY, REVISED, about a guilt-ridden, down-on-his-luck widower, who tries to reinvent himself following his wife’s untimely death, to Colin Dickerman at Bloomsbury, for publication in winter 2008, by Simon Lipskar at Writers House (world English and German).

Don’t know what house Barbour is but this sounds like a WESTERN!!!
Paige Winship Dooly’s TREASURE IN THE HILLS, a story about …