In keeping with my Thomas Edison path, I thought I'd try writing a Blaze (fits my young voice - BTW, isn't it nice to age and find your voice getting younger?).  I suppose the question becomes can I successfully pull off the line's younger hooks and 5 sex scenes (gasp).

The way the story rolled out of me brought back last year's muse rediscovery - awesome fun!

What is it Thomas Edison said after it took him over 300 times to make a light bulb?  I didn't fail 300+ times.  I found 300 ways NOT to make a light bulb. (Obviously, I didn't study Tom's quotes as much as modern day singers.)

This evolved voice I have doesn't fit Harlequin American - a bit young (well, duh - my bad) and my heroes are too Alpha.  We could have called that one, but it's so much more fun to check all the boxes/possibilities.  I'm discovering I have rather thick skin.

No. Superromance does not want the stories I pitched.  Nine books later the line and I are parting ways.

Time to regroup with my agent and decide what to do.  Am I sad? A little.  But I'm not bitter.  Success is part luck, part skill, part determination.  This is just another fork in the road.  I'm on to different challenges.

Call me crazy.  I'm submitting three totally new stories to my editor at Supers.

One of the stories is totally awesome (ok, the h/h are still in their late 20s, but they're both coming back from tragedy - the perfect time to find true love, right?).  It was fun getting back to writing.  Reading felt more like I'd given up.

It's time for a New Year's Resolution - figure out where my writing style/voice fits, where I'll be happy writing and jump start this stall.  On my to-do list for 2009:

Read-read-read:  everything from different Harlequin lines to single title.  If I can't get past the first chapter, the line isn't right for me.