Meet and Greet Debut Author, Keli Gwyn!

Please help me welcome DEBUT author Keli Gwyn to the Alley! Keli just sold her first book to Barbour Publishers and it will be releasing in July of 2012. We are thrilled to have her here and asked her stop by to share her publication journey. So without further ado, heeeeeeere's Keli!

Thank you for inviting me to the Alley, Casey. I’m honored to be here.

I’ve interviewed a number of novelists over the past two and a half years at Romance Writers on the Journey. Today, I’m going to do something I’ve never done before: interview myself. Yes, Slightly Saucy Keli will grill, er, question Mild-Mannered Keli.

SSK: Casey wanted you to share a bit of your publication journey, so please do. I know you tend to be a wordy writer, though, so do us all a favor and fight the urge to write a novella. Think short and sweet. A miniature Hershey’s bar, not king-sized. Deal?

MMK: Certainly. Whatever you ask.
At the tender age of seven, I fell in love with writing and—

SSK: Ahem!

MMK: Sorry. I’ll fast forward.
I began writing with a goal of publication in 2006 and completed five inspirational historical romances in two years. To find out if they were any good, I submitted 37 contest entries. I managed to place six times and double final in the 2008 Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® contest. That success boosted my confidence, but I had a great deal to learn.

The next year I did two things: I tried my hand at a contemporary romance, quickly learning that was a poor fit, and I studied craft. At the end of that year, I mustered my courage and passed a critical eye over my five historicals. After cringing at my newbie attempts, I determined that one of the stories showed promise.

One year and two major revisions later, I felt I had a story that was ready and entered it in ten contests. To my surprise, I ended up with eight firsts, my third GH final, and five requests for fulls, including one from my Dream Agent, Rachelle Gardner, who offered me representation in December 2009.

But I still wasn't ready. I took a deep breath—as well as Rachelle's excellent advice—deleted the final 3/4ths of my story, and rewrote it. In October 2010, she sent it out on submission. Two months later she sold my debut novel to Barbour Publishing. After an initial investment of five years, 10,000+ hours, and over 1,000,000 words, I was a contracted author, proving that hard work and perseverance really do pay off.

How was that?

SSK: Not bad, although I think you could do some tightening if you tried.

Clearly you’re a wee bit OC. Forty-seven contest entries? Really, now! Sounds like overkill to me. But it worked, so I can see why you’re a firm believer in contests. What advice do you have for those entering them?

MMK: Don’t do what I did. I entered before my work was ready and employed an “anything goes” contest selection method. Those early manuscripts came back with similar comments because, while prolific, I wasn’t progressing. I could have saved myself time and money had I waited until I had a better knowledge of craft and been more selective.

The second time I entered the contest circuit, I took a more organized approach.

1) Before I entered, I polished the entry until it shone, incorporating the excellent suggestions of my longtime critique partner, Anne Barton.

2) I chose to enter the inspirational category, not historical as I’d done before in several cases. My one exception was The Emily because that contest allows for a sub-category, such as inspirational, and chooses judges accordingly.

3) I considered who the final round judges were.

4) I chose contests that allowed me to send enough of my story so that it ended on a hook

5) I had a completed manuscript, one ready to send if I received requests.

SSK: You call entering ten contests narrowing your choices? Still seems like a lot to me. Why so many? Are you an approval addict as well as OC?

MMK: It was a lot, but I had a good reason. I’d finaled 8 times out of 37 before, which was roughly one in five. I figured by entering ten contests, I might final two times. I never expected the results I got. If I had, I wouldn’t have entered two of the contests because my entry ended up in front of one editor’s eyes three times. She was really nice about it, though.

SSK: You ask your guests to answer some personal questions at the end of your interviews. Let’s see what I can throw at you. When you’re having a bad day, what’s the best thing you can do to cheer yourself up?

MMK: Go to Taco Bell. I’m seriously addicted to that place and am sure a seven-layer burrito has curative powers.

SSK: Which age, when you turned it, was the most difficult to accept?

MMK: You would ask about age, wouldn’t you? *Smirk accompanied by eye roll*

I don’t know why, but I dreaded turning 40. I was in such a blue funk the weeks beforehand that my hubby and daughter didn’t know if they should make a big deal out of that milestone birthday or ignore it. Finally, the day arrived, and I realized turning 40 wasn’t so bad. I popped into a party store, got some “over the hill” decorations, and put them up. In hindsight, the forties were fabulous and the fifties are off to a fantastic start.

SSK: One more, but it’s a doozie. What is your most embarrassing moment? And remember, I know you well, so I’ll know if you’re not telling the truth.

MMK: Oh, you would do this to me. All right, I’ll be honest but only because one of the talented Alley Cats who writes funny stories might be able to use this as fodder. *Deep breath*

Back in my twenties, I went to the bank one day to cash a check and was shocked to see a new teller, a cute young guy. I ended up at his window, reached into my little shoulder bag, and put a hand on my checkbook. Unbeknownst to me, something wrapped in white paper had lodged between the covers. I whipped out the checkbook, sending the slender item sailing. After performing a perfect arc, that tampon landed on the counter right in front of the shocked fellow. His eyes went wide, and the fire in my face reached five-alarm status in a heartbeat.

When I slunk out of the bank a few minutes later, he and another male teller huddled together in the back of the bank with their heads together. They glanced at me and shook with laughter. My flaming cheeks and I hightailed it outta there.

SSK: Well, you did it. And since you were a sport about it, I won’t ask you about the time you—

MMK: Thanks for your questions. It’s been . . . interesting.

SSK: My pleasure. Now to ask your post’s visitors a question.

MMK: After that last one, I’m not sure you can be trusted. I think I’ll handle this.

How do you cheer yourself up when you’re having “one of those days?”

Since my book, A Bride Opens Shop in El Dorado, California, won’t be out until July 2012 (tentative title and date), I’m offering a copy of my critique partner’s bestselling debut novel, The Preacher’s Bride, as a drawing prize. I’ll let Casey fill you in on the details.

Keli Gwyn is a writer of inspirational historical romance represented by Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary. Keli’s debut novel will be released by Barbour Publishing in 2012. She’s the wife of a British sports car enthusiast, the proud mother of a college student, a member of Toastmasters, and a Taco Bell addict. She has a weakness for Coach handbags, collects hedgehog figurines, and has a hard time not singing along when 70s music is playing in the Dollar Store.

Hey everyone, Casey here again!

Like Keli said, an offering of The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund is being offered, so leave a comment for Keli to be entered. :-)