How I Got Published.

HeartMate won the Wisconsin Fabulous Five contest, paranormal category in 2000 judged by Cindy Hwang of Berkley/Jove. I was pleased and excited because the contest had been advertised heavily on RWA's Futuristic, Fantasy and Paranormal Chapter Loop and I knew the competition was stiff. Also, I'd gotten used to my futuristic doing erratically because of (my rationalization) competing with time travel, ghosts and other paranormal stories that seem more accessible to the standard reader/writer

Due to the market at that time I'd been rejected by several agents. I revised HeartMate and sent the ms. off to Berkley in a Priority Mail envelope written with permanent marker in LARGE letters: "Awarded First Place in Wisconsin's Fabulous Five Contest by Cindy Hwang.". A few months later I sent a follow-up letter. It was returned. Berkley Publishing Group had moved (merged into Penguin Putnam). I invested in an Express Mail letter that I could track. It was forwarded. About a month later Cindy Hwang left a message on my answering machine (which is unusual for her) that she wanted to make an offer for HeartMate (I'm sure the telepathic cat with an attitude sold the book). That was a Friday in January, and I picked up the message on Superbowl Sunday. HeartMate came out in December of 2001 as part of Berkley's Magical Love Line (now defunct), the first futuristic fantasy romance published by Berkley.

May all your writing dreams come true.
Love,
Robin