My life had been generally uneventful since I'd begun writing full-time in 2005. I finished my first uncontracted work this past February and did that inexplicable thing that unpublished authors do--I put it in a drawer and went on with my life. After nine published books, I can't imagine why I was so afraid to send it out. I convinced myself that now that I had a new book completed, I should get right to work on the next one. Once I had three chapters of the next book, only then would I send it out.

Well, that was dumb. And not just because it took me a while, and a few false starts, to pick a new project. Thanks to my wonderful critique partners who insisted I send my book out, I finally took the book out of the drawer and sent it to my agent in June.

Just a month later, I was offered a two-book contract from Harlequin's Kimani line. So, from what I've been told, my next book should be out in April 2007.