Writing SHADOW POINT: The Chronology

Pre-Spring 2006: I had been working on another novel for many years, but got stuck. Arrrgh.

Spring 2006: Went on vacation in my hometown of San Diego, where I (among other things) rented a condo at the beach, hung out with a friend and her five year old daughter, and drove out to the old lighthouse on the end of Point Loma, passing along the way the top secret Navy labs and Fort Rosecrans national cemetery. On the plane ride home, I read Henry James's The Turn of the Screw. (which is a ghost story in case you're not familiar with it) (and not about a hardware store, although coincidentally (?) the new novel I am working on now does feature a hardware store... hmmm...) Anyhow, all of these things were burbling away in my subconscious and not long afterwards, I found myself absolutely compelled to write a story about a ghost, a little girl, a lighthouse, and a place very much like Point Loma. I called it Shadow Point. I was still committed to finishing my first novel, but still stuck as to how to proceed with that one. So, I decided I would set aside One Month to work on the ghost story which had me in its grip and then determinedly return to the first novel.

Fall 2008: Two and a half years later, I finished SHADOW POINT. That was late 2008. (I have since finished the first novel, too, for any Fans O' Perseverance out there!)

2009: Searched (in vain) for a literary agent and learned A LOT about the publishing industry. (an ongoing process)

Late 2009: Finally (!) got a clue, bagged the whole agent thing, and submitted SHADOW POINT myself directly to Bella Books.

Early 2010: Accepted by Bella. Thank you, Bella!!!

December 2010: SHADOW POINT is now scheduled to be released in December of this year. Woo hoo! This chronology is not necessarily typical, as I think every book will have its own "life story." But it's the best one I've got so far!

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