A Good Month

In my opinion, October is the best month of the year.
In Southern California, October is the goodbye kiss of summer that leads into the  warm embrace of autumn. It is high school football games with friends and family and hearing the marching band practice from the front porch. It is also the wonderful juxtaposition of wearing jeans with sweaters and flip-flops, while drinking pumpkin spice anything on the beach.
What can I say, it’s still So Cal.
October is also a time to celebrate. Halloween is this month and with it comes spooky tales and pumpkin carving. My birthday is also this month and it’s always nice to be reminded of how much friends and family mean to me. This year I get to celebrate extra, and for good reason.
Back in early September I entered a contest called Heart to Heart, sponsored by the San Francisco chapter of RWA. It was a ten page submission of the moment my Hero and Heroine first meet. I entered my Regency novel, THE SEDUCTION OF THE DUKE. For those who have been following my Sunday Snippets, you are familiar with Graeme and Delaney, though I haven’t given much away as to how they meet. I’m saving that for when the book is published. ;)
Well, I submitted their first meeting (it’s a doozy!), and the first round judges seemed to like it. It turns out I scored high enough to be one of three finalists in the Historical category. I finaled in my first contest! 
It’s rather funny, actually. I was at the Day Job when I got the email. Thank goodness I wasn’t on the phone, because I squeaked – loud! Four of my coworker’s turned around and asked if I was okay and if I needed paramedics to come check me out.
No, no. I’m fine. Just excited. 
I went down the hall to jump up and down. One of the computer techs came out of his office, saw me, turned around and walked back into his office.
That was on Monday. The following Saturday was the OCC Birthday Bash. Kind of like a mini-conference, there was a write in, keynote speakers, pitch appointments, raffles, and pajama party workshops. One of the keynote speakers was an editor at my target publishing house. I didn’t sign up for a pitch appointment for some reason, I don’t know why. I mean, this was the publisher I wanted to submit to; the one I had researched and decided was the best fit for my stories.
But listening to her talk on their house, and the myriad things they can do for an author, my decision not to pitch didn’t sit right with me. Then she said the magic words: We are looking for series and longevity.
So I did what any self-promoting author would do. I went and pitched as a walk-up. I pitched my Reluctant  Lords series, not as individual books but as a whole, emphasising the four main novels and two associated novellas.
What do you know, she seemed intrigued by my Lords and their Ladies. So much so that she would like me to submit them as soon as I’m done with the Golden Heart submission.
I can’t believe the week I just had! It makes this October one of the most epic…EVER! So many good things happening, I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.