Guest Post By Charlotte Blackwell Author Of The Embrace Series

Hello to all the ‘After the Book’ readers and followers. I just want to take a second to thank you all for joining in on the Embrace Experience and a huge thanks to Lenmeo for welcoming me to her blog. She has given me some great ideas in regards to what I can talk about today. So I thought I would just talk about me and what being published has meant to me.

Immortal Embrace is not only the first novel in my Embrace series, but it is also the first novel I ever wrote. I never really expected to get it published; I mean who actually gets their first novel published. I began writing the Embrace Series for fun, just for something to do and share with my daughter. After a while I began meeting other authors and allowed them to read my work. Some gave me some valuable lessons and my writing improved. That is when I realized maybe I did have a chance to get it published.

In case you are not familiar with the publishing process, after the manuscript is complete and done to the best of the author’s ability, we query agents. This is almost harder than writing the actual novel. I sent out my first query on November 5, 2010. I knew this would take a long time, as the agent was very open via her Facebook page about her back log or slush pile as they call it. So what was a girl to do? I sent out more queries. It wasn’t long before I began to get the classic form rejection. Now this wasn’t an issue, because I was fully aware that nearly every writer has their own slush pile of rejection notices. Even Dr. Seuss had some 70 odd rejections.

A few month later in early spring of 2011 I decided to try some smaller publishing houses. This was a much better idea, although I still didn’t get offered a contract. I did get some amazing feedback, so I sent my manuscript off to another publisher. This time the e-mail can in and I thought, okay here is my newest rejection. When I opened the e-mail on my blackberry it was offering me a contract.

I ran down the stairs, literally squealing and jumping. My daughters and their friends were like “What the heck is wrong?” I threw my blackberry at them and one by one they all read it and joined in the squealing and jumping extravaganza. I immediately began working closely with my new publisher, but hadn’t signed the contract yet. Something told me to wait. I sent out one more query to World Castle Publications, just to see and make sure I was making the right choice. Within 5 hours of my submission I was offered a contract. At that point I decided to make the switch and go with World Castle Publications.

I immediately signed a 3 book contract for Immortal Embrace, Forbidden Embrace and Mystic Embrace. We began making the push and found covers and started editing, After the editing was completed for book 2 Forbidden Embrace, I was asked to do at least one more book in the series. Depending on where the story takes me there could be many more to follow.

Something that I have learned from this entire process and that I hope my children as well as many others learn is BELIEVE! Follow your dreams and never let anyone tell you that you can’t do it. I had so many people laugh at me when I began this journey and now it is me that is laughing, because I have accomplished so much more than I ever thought possible.

Thank you so much for allowing me to share my story with you and I would love to hear your comments and what your dreams are. BELIEVE and anything is possible.

Much love,

Charlotte






Thank you so very much Charlotte for being here and sharing a little bit about yourself and your experience with getting published.  It is great to see how your determination and hard work have paid off.  I think that Believing is definitely good advice.  I know that I for one am grateful that you are published. I would never have gotten the pleasure of reading your books if you were not (-:

On that note, who would like to read Charlotte's first two books? Charlotte has been more than sweet and offered a pdf copy of both of her books to be given away here on the blog!  The giveaway will be super simple. All you have to do is leave a comment here on this post for Charlotte and then I will use random.org to pick a winner. The Giveaway will end on 9/7/2011 when we post an interview with Charlotte.  The winner will be announced at the end of the interview.  Good luck everyone! Happy Commenting!