Jacqueline C. Thomas - Romance Novelist

Self Publishing

McKinley Park is Coming Back!

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I think each writer holds a special place in their heart for the characters they write. When you are a romance writer, you also hold a special place for the relationship you write. Out of all of the romance novels I’ve written up to this point, I hold Ben and Rachel’s story nearest to my heart. I am continually touched by Ben’s gentleness towards Rachel. I get swept away everytime I go back to reference something in it, and realize three chapters later that I am still reading it.

The other day as I was sitting in traffic I was thinking about this story and how much I love it. I know for many who read it, the ending left a sour note. It was the first time as a writer where I took some real heat for the original ending. I’ve often imagined what their lives would’ve looked like if the book had ended differently. As I sat parked in traffic, and my imagination running wild I had a moment of clarity. Why not release McKinley Park as an actual book, fully edited and ….. WITH A TRUE HAPPY ENDING?

I bounced this idea off of my husband. He is my most honest critic and can be absolutely ruthless in his feedback, which is why I value it so highly. He asked me why I had not done it yet. It was one of those simple things that was sitting right in front of me, that I had not recognized. Even if I am the only who ever enjoys this story of true love and triumph in a book form, it will have been so worth it.

I have spent the past few weeks combing through the manuscript, changing and tweaking small things based on all of the amazing feedback I received as I published it back in 2019. I cannot adequately express my gratitude to all of you who read it each week and were honest in your feedback. While I may not have agreed with all of the feedback, I certainly did listen. In addition to taking in the comments, I have went through and given it the copy edit it deserves. I want to thank my fellow writing community member from Twitter, Joe Garland, for all of the early help with editing, thank you Joe!

Aside from getting to live in the book again, my MOST favorite part of writing, where I am completely engrossed in the world and characters, I got to write Rachel and Ben’s HAPPY ENDING!!! Yep, you read that right. While I may not agree completely that romance must have a happily ever after to be considered romance (we can argue about that later) I did recognize the need for one here. I think a lot of the readers really felt cheated by the ending and for that I am sorry. The happy ending will appear in the book format only.

It is my hope that by self publishing Rachel and Ben’s story more people will have the opportunity to fall in love with their love story too. I’ll keep you all posted on the progress of self-publishing this novel, my first published novel. I plan to launch it on Amazon where Quarantine Stories was published as well.

Again, thank you to all of you who read it back in 2019 and I hope you’ll all stay tuned for the launch!

Shit.. this hurts!

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The full-manuscript rejection pothole!

Writing is a process, and everyone’s process is different. Just like writing, the road to traditional publishing is a process as well. Today I passed another milestone on my journey to being traditionally published- a full manuscript rejection. I started the querying process a little over two years ago for a different book, than the one that was rejected today. For those of you who aren’t familiar, the querying process is grueling and you truly are putting your work and a piece of yourself out there for the world. I remember when I started querying I wondered to myself if I would get a “bite,” on my first letter… LOL! I wondered this not in a vain way, but in the way that sometimes people get lucky. Oh, how naive sweet Jackie.

That first query letter was a train-wreck. The book I was querying was far from ready, even though I thought it was. It took time to perfect query letter and grow as a writer. And again if you haven’t queries before let me just say that the query letter is so much harder than actually writing a novel. I learned a lot when I started, and I remember the first rejection that came in. That hurt. I knew there was a good chance that my work wasn’t ready, and it clearly wasn’t. At the same time, I was blessed enough to be surrounded by cheerleaders telling me to go for my dream, try to get an agent. While that first rejection stung, it did not deter me. In fact it had the opposite reaction, it propelled me. I dug into researching query letters, agents, the querying process all while, writing, rewriting and editing.

Fast forward two years and lots of rejection letters later. I have to tell you that rejection, time and time again builds some pretty thick skin, and certainly puts one’s ego in check. With each rejection, I said to myself, this means you have more work to do, keep writing, keep writing, keep writing. I have followed my own advice and I’ve continued to keep writing.

This past January 6th as I sat and watched the insurrection unfold in real-time on my television, I got an email that I thought would change my life. It was a full manuscript request. I thought there was a good chance this was it, my chance to advance on my dream. I shot up from my chair screaming and jumping up and down. My poor husband didn’t know what to do. I sent my manuscript off to an agent who I’d always admired and crossed my fingers.

I had spent most of December getting another book ready to self-publish but everything paused while my manuscript was being read. I stopped querying but kept writing. Each day, I’d check the agent’s portal in Query Manager for an update. Eventually, I just had to stop checking, knowing that if the agent wanted it, they’d be sure to let me know. I also tempered my enthusiasm as best as I could as I saw other authors in Twitter’s writing community get full manuscript rejections. I knew I could very well be one of them in time.

Today my answer came as I was doing laundry. My Apple Watch buzzed on my wrist and I saw the agent’s name pop up. I gave a shout to my husband (who works from home) that I had an answer in my inbox. We ran to my office where I opened the email and we both read…. the word, “unfortunately.” Ugh, I am really beginning to hate that word. The agent said that they had failed to connect with the story but encouraged me to keep writing. I simultaneously had the desire to puke and cry at the same time. Yet, the biggest feeling was a sense that an answer, albeit the one I didn’t want, was what I needed to move forward. The rejection meant that I now knew what direction to head in- you guessed it, more querying, more writing, more editing! I was thankful that the limbo was over.

So with all of that being said, onward I go. I know this journey to being traditionally published is difficult, and a long process. I know that I have to work for it, and that there are no shortcuts. Yet my personal motto continues to rattle around in my head, be relentless. I’m made of tough stuff and so although it stings, I mean stings intensely, it just means keep going. I now have passed another milestone in my journey to becoming a published author-the, full manuscript reject. Yep, that one stings, but onward I go!

A Writer’s Year in Review: 2020

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My husband snuck this shot on the morning of December’s #PitMad Competition as I sent my first tweet out.

I like many am so ready to see the end of 2020. It has been a terrifying, heartbreaking, and odd year. It has also been a year of new opportunities for me as well. I started the year professionally, with a massive promotion to run the marketing department for a national company, and was chosen to represent the company at the largest national conference in the country in February in L.A. At the same time I was head-hunted by another company and given the opportunity to grow further professionally and work at the global level. I started the new job that is in the business events industry on March 4, 2020- talk about timing. I stayed with the company until I was furloughed and then recalled, then furloughed indefinitely in the fall. It was a wild, sad, and soul crushing experience.

While I tried to hold onto my professional career, I finished my Master’s degree this past May. That was an enormous accomplishment, and I am proud of myself that I did it. While there was no party, or even a graduation ceremony, it did not diminish my joy that my degree was finally finished.

Writing wise, 2020 has been a productive year. I started the year writing a novel, about two love interests with tragedies in their lives. The two characters have to rescue each other- thus turning the trope of knight on horseback upside down. I am planning to self-publish this book in the first quarter of 2021. It will be my first published novel.

As the pandemic gripped the U.S. and much of the globe in the spring of 2020 I published Quarantine Stories on the blog. I came up with the idea walking down the beach in Malibu, CA. on the earlier mention work trip. I wondered what romance would look like in a time of quarantine and lockdown. I wrote 20 short stories and published them here on the blog. The short story format was a new one for me, and I enjoyed the challenge.

As summer started, I found more and more people asking me if I was going to make Quarantine Stories into a book. I thought about it and decided to give it a shot. I wrote five additional stories that are exclusive to the book, and went through the process of self-publishing. My husband and I have put out a magazine for our business for years, but self-publishing a story collection was entirely different. I walked all of the way through the process and I sold more copies than I thought I would but it was far from a bestseller. In full disclosure I didn’t ever expect it to be a bestseller. I had two things against me, I’m an unknown author and it’s a short story collection.

In September my professional life crashed and burnt as my time with the job that I’d started in March became a different type of Covid victim. My children were also starting remote learning at the same time. Rather than look for another job right away, I wanted to take some time to take stock and possibly change directions. I also became a full-time mom again, just when my family needed me most. This time off also gave me the time I had so desperately wanted to really focus on my writing.

In the fall, out of nowhere a truly unique story idea came to me, and I completed my second novel of the year. It’s working title is Willow, after the main female character. The story is set in the future where marriages are not made via love matches but breeding compatibility. This was different from my normal romance writing in setting and time. It was a fun novel to write and I am so grateful to my husband for bringing me my laptop and coffee each morning, encouraging me to keep writing. I have yet to reread through it for the first time, and I only hope it is as good as I think it might be.

I also did A LOT of querying this year. I put out two books to query and had what I would call great success in Twitter’s #PitMad contests. I was able to snag agent “likes” with each round. This past December was my greatest interest yet, and I am continuing to wait for news as I write this. I pitched the two books I’ve queried this year, Sailing in Silicon Valley, and The Lake Michigan Affair.

As 2020 draws to a close, I have put my efforts into editing the book that I started the year writing, the one about the two lovers who rescue each other. I plan to self-publish it in the new year, if I have not signed with an agent yet. I am excited to put out an actual novel in story and length. I also feel that this novel is much more of my style of storytelling.

Looking to the positives of a new year, and the opportunities it brings, I’ve started to look for a new job to put my career back on track. Once I hear back from the #PitMad agents, (hopefully sign with one) I can move forward querying or finally start down the traditional publishing path. I also hope to compete 2 or 3 new novels in 2021. I can feel the muse starting to come to life again, and the spark of an idea is there…

So to all of my readers, I wish you a very happy, safe, healthy and productive New Year!

Being a Full-Time-ish Writer One Month On

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My nightstand reading pile.

Hello all. Boy time flies when you’re having fun, doesn’t it? A little over a month ago I stepped away from my job in the corporate world to devote my time writing full time AND to assist my kids with their elearning. As the school year for my grade school aged children began, it was apparent that something was going to give, and I made the choice to step away. That being said, I recognized that there was an opportunity to fully lean into putting my efforts towards writing full time. My husband who is also an author, fully supported and encouraged this course of action.

So one month in, I have a lot to show for this past month. I self-published my first book! This was a huge deal for me. It’s the first time I’ve ever done this and boy is there a learning curve here. I was lucky enough to know how to use Adobe to layout my print edition, and cover design. I also had to learn Amazon’s KDP for the ebook. Page numbers, author accounts, and royalty structures, there was and still is so much to learn. BUT… It’s been fun so far. I am grateful to have had the time to dedicate towards, instead of having to sneak it in after work or on lunch breaks.

I’ve also continued to query for another completed novel that I wrote a few years back. My dream is still to go the traditional publishing route. I sent out my first round of queries in early September, and I am surprised to say I’ve heard back from most agents, granted it was a pass, but that’s okay. I will say the more I query, the thicker my skin gets, and that is a good thing. I queried last year for a different novel, and almost hit the 100 query letters sent mark. So querying continues and I’ll keep you all updated on any developments. I just keep reminding myself it only takes one yes, to change your life. Keep going!

All of this being said, while all of these endeavors are relevant to writing, they’re not actually writing. So I am happy to report that I’ve started writing a new project. I’m about 20K words in, and while it’s still a romance, it’s different than anything I’ve ever written before. Set about a hundred years in the future, in a new America, how will Willow find safety and love? So far the writing is going very well. That is in part to my husband who has shoved my computer, headphones, and coffee at me each morning to write in the seclusion of my bedroom while he readies our children for their day of elearning. When the school bell rings, I stop writing and am plugged into their needs.

I’ve been lucky enough to be able to write here and there during the day, between math lessons, and snacks, but overall it’s not a productive time for writing. So I’ve learned to use this time for other writing endeavors, such as marketing Quarantine Stories, learn KDP, or read. I’m reading an excellent book right now, Conjure Women by Afia Atakora. This story is so enveloping that it completely sweeps me away. I try to sneak in a chapter here and there, but I find that when I pick this book up, I am unable to put it down.

In addition to all of these things, I am also settling in at home, which historically has always been the death nail for being able to be home full time for me. I have found that clearing closets, gardening and learning how to quilt have been great cures for writer’s block. I am enjoying this time to be home with my family, and being able to be truly “plugged-in” to family life. When I think back to this time last year, working full time, finishing grad school and still writing, I wonder how I managed, but somehow I did. This thought spurs me on to continue writing, and pushing myself. If I could do it then when life was busier, I can surely do it now, and do it better.

Quarantine Stories is now In-Print!

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Dreams do come true, when you work for them. Today, Quarantine Stories launched in print edition for sale. I would imagine that any time that any author put out a book, self-published or otherwise, it’s a big deal. To me, today means so much more than simply putting my work out into the world, which is a big deal in it’s own right.

I am reminded of the first chapter book I ever read, it was the book Sox by Beverly Cleary. I was in third grade, and had struggled to learn how to read. I wasn’t diagnosed with dyslexia until I repeated the second grade. I simply could not read. I remember walking out of school that day, and I can still see the goldenrod color of the book, and feel its cotton weave texture under my little fingers. The reason that this memory jogs today, is because it was the first time I ever read an entire chapter book. It was also the first time I read for entertainment, and enjoyed reading.

Fast forward to today, and I have published a book of my very own. Typing the words, I still cannot believe it. I had an entire marketing plan set in place and a series of blog posts about how to go about the process from a first-timer. Amazon, jumped the shark this morning and set the book for sale. Immediately upon receiving the email that the book was live, the marketer in me panicked. What about the marketing plan? Wait, not yet!

My inner Dude (Big Lebowski Reference) was like, it’s live so roll with it. So here we are. Quarantine Stories as a book is live and for sale…. holy shit!

The print edition has 5 additional stories that were not published along with juicy and sweet tidbits added to the original 20 stories. There is a print edition and an ebook edition (the ebook edition should be live within the next 24 hours) for sale on Amazon. This morning when I got the email and clicked on the link, and my book popped up I literally screamed and then began to cry. My kids who are doing elearning were in the room when this happened. Concerned, they rushed over to my desk and I explained to them that they were witnessing a dream come true, a dream I’ve worked hard for, and one I will continue to put all of my efforts behind.

I am a published author. Those words are powerful to me, and perhaps my biggest accomplishment to date.

If you’d like to purchase a copy of Quarantine Stories in print or in an eBook format, you can do so here.

In closing I would like to recognize a few people along the way who helped me get here. Success does not happen in a vacuum, so I share this momentous day with each of these individuals. To my amazing husband, who is my biggest cheerleader, bullshit detector, and excuse eliminator- Thank you for shoving me into self publishing. To my little sister who is an amazing writer as well, and an old-salt when it comes to self-publishing thank you for your continued support, and feedback from the first story until 10 pm. cover design conversations. I could not have done this without you. To my adopted mother Linda Dickey, thank you for giving me that first piece of feedback I ever had, “Describe the feeling of the shag rug under back.” That advice still makes me chuckle and I remember it every time I write. Linda, thank you for being an amazing editor and making sense of my word vomit. Lastly, to the Writing Community on Twitter, thank you for pushing me to self-publish Quarantine Stories. You all are always there to give honest feedback, and share in the journey.

How to Write a Book Blurb & An Author Bio: The Journey to Publishing Continues

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Last week, I shared some exciting news, that Quarantine Stories is going to be my first self-published book. This week the journey continues as I work my way towards publishing what I hope will be the first of many successful books. Last Thursday, I sent my manuscript off to my copyeditor, all 96K words of it! Holy moly that might be my longest manuscript to date. (I tend to stay between 80-90K.) Just prior to sending it off, I reread through each story, adding little things that I wanted to, that enhance the stories. It seemed that after I published each one originally, I’d have this great idea or little piece to put into each work to make it more special, but the story was already published live. For the book version, I actually put these fun details into the stories, and it made my romantic heart swoon.

Once the manuscript was off, I took a dig deep breath and relaxed for half a second before I set onto my next task, starting to envision what the cover will look like. As someone who works in marketing and PR this sets my creative mind into overdrive. I’d been thinking about what a cover would look like for months, and then one afternoon it came to me. I sketched it as quickly as possible. I mean when you think about it, how to you convey twenty-five unique love stories on one cover without using something generic, like a face mask, or graphics of germs in this case? Well, I think I have figured it out, but you will all have to wait, as I work on getting the concept into reality. Super cool and exciting though!

I’ve also worked on the dreaded author bio, and book blurb for the book. I have known so many incredibly talented authors who are amazing, prolific writers, but when you ask them to write about themselves they clam-up. Isn’t it funny how life works? Thankfully, I didn’t find this task too difficult but I found a great resource online that helped me demystify it all. This great post from the ReedsyBlog gave me great guidance, and I actually ended up with a bio that I like.

I also had to write the dust jacket description of the book in this past week. As a marketer this should be relatively easy, ha! I’ve never written a blurb for a story collection before. I also don’t ready many short story collections so I didn’t know what a good bio would look like for one. So I set off to Google and did some research. I found a really fun blurb generator, but it didn’t really suit my needs, so I kept looking. I’ll go back and play with the blurb generator later, it looks like a lot of fun.

I actually did find a useful guide on the website Writer’s Write. What a great name for a website for writers! They gave this guidance on how to construct a book blurb for a collection of short stories, and it was easy. In full disclosure, I wrote a blurb and then I went looking for advice to spice up what I already had. Upon reading this article I scratched what I originally had and started from scratch using their method, and it came out really well!

I also started the marketing plan for the book. So far this has been pretty easy, as it is my profession. I’ve also had developments in that regard as well. As of this Friday, I will technically be unemployed. However, this is not a sad or bad thing. My kids are home e-learning, and in between math lessons, and spelling tests I’ll be writing and marketing my upcoming book. I look forward to seeing where this time will take me creatively as well.