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30 Years and Still Hexy!











The title is thanks to our awesome publicist, Danielle. Thank you Danielle!!!

Thirty years ago today I managed a personnel office where I placed executives in the accounting field. I also had written two romance novels that I hoped to find a home for.


I’d begun reading romances and tended to say, “I could write one of these!” After all, I had wanted to be a writer since the day I could pick up a crayon. They say write what you know, but I’m not entirely sure I did that since I chose a ballerina heroine and we won’t even talk about my time in ballet class. And I even based the heroine’s looks on my best friend, who was also my first beta reader.


What I thought would take a short time to write actually took close to nine months and after I finished that book, I wrote another.


Now it was time to find out if my efforts could find a home. Silhouette Books was brand spanking new, not even on the shelves yet, and looking for authors. What a great place for my books!


A month after they were submitted to the publisher, I got THE CALL. And what a day for that. It was my wedding anniversary and I had a gorgeous silk plant arrangement in my office courtesy of my husband, good boy for remembering, and I had lunch with a client who, for some reason I talked about my writing, and he was genuinely interested!


Who knew I’d return to my office and be there for barely five minutes when my agent called to say Silhouette wanted to buy both books? I’m sure the entire building heard my screams. What a beginning for me.


A month later, I was writing full time. Ironic thing about that was because my boss fired me accusing me of writing my books on company time. Considering all that I did, there was no way that happened, but that was fine. It meant I had to see if I could make it as a writer. So what do you think? I’m still writing 30 years later. And an easy way for my husband to never forget my anniversary!


Linda

Comments

  1. Great post, Linda, and people around the world love what you write, so pooh on your job and that boss who was so unenlightened! :)

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  2. Wow, talk about getting pushed out of the nest--ready to fly or not.

    Your boss was undoubtedly one of those people who believes writing isn't really work, and a book takes about as long to produce as a loaf of bread.

    Wonder why he really fired you. Had you been out-producing him?

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  3. That was a really lovely post, Linda, a nice reminder for all writers of the happy side of the writing journey. Btw, I also had a boss once suggest I was writing books at my job when I worked full-time, a false accusation.

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  4. hee - wonder if your boss is still working. LOL. LOOOOOOVE that story, though I'm sure it was scary at the time (says me who got laid off 3 months after I sold.)

    Congrats on still being Hexy after all these years. :)

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  5. Congratulations on 30 years and looking great. It must have been hard when you first starting writing considering you had to be what - only five or six. :) :)

    Bet your boss wishes he had not fired you now.

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  6. Thanks all.

    Karma worked for my ex boss as in she lost her husband, her home, custody of their child. And about ten years after she fired me my hubby ran into her at an accounting function and he said what I told him to say if he ever saw her. He told her I thanked her for firing me because I wouldn't have been where I was without her.

    Ha!

    Linda

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  7. Great story, Linda. Congrats on 30 years of sticking with it. I work in the accounting field, too, but I'm fortunate that my boss is like a proud papa about my books. After writing a PhD thesis years ago, he has a great appreciation for the process. Although, I almost freaked when i realized he'd actually read Line of Scrimmage, against my explicit orders! OY!

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  8. Oops! I should clarify that her husband divorced her and he got everything, including her mother!

    Linda

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  9. Congrats Linda! You've been writing longer than I've been alive :) I'm glad you have found a home with Sourcebooks, and I know the next 30 years are going to be great ones!

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  10. Congratulations, Linda! Still hexy after thirty years is a great accomplishment. Cheers!

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  11. Whoo hoo! That's a lot of books in thirty years, Linda! Congrats on reaching that milestone with a great series on the shelves!

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  12. Okay Danielle, I'm upping your age!!!!

    And I love the phrase you coined!

    Linda

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  13. Linda,
    What a life, what a legacy! 30 years and counting. Wow! I'm so totally impressed. Congratulations!

    Amelia

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  14. Congratulations, Linda. It's a great accomplishment but not surprising considering your talent.

    Here's to 30 more Hexy years!

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  15. Thanks Amelia and Robin!

    I also have incentive. I can work in my jammies.

    Linda

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  16. Congratulations on 30 years, Linda. I am starting this whole "writing thing" too late in life to probably be able to ever say I have done it for 30 years, but I do hope to keep at it for a long while. Authors like you inspire me. Thanks for that!

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