Hallelujah!

I didn’t think I could get nearly as excited about good news from an agent or publisher as when I got my contract offer, but I was wrong. When my friend Jenny called and told me she got a request from not one, but two great agents for her manuscript, I seriously almost cried. She’s worked so long and persevered against so much rejection, and now finally, she has some good news to celebrate. Can I have a hallelujah? Hallelujah! I hope there’s an all-out bidding war and she lands an advance in the six figures. No, it’s not about the money—it’s about the validation. This girl can write! (Hang on; I just have to eat a mini-Hershey’s bar to celebrate even though I’ve sworn off chocolate. I’ll swear off again tomorrow.) I’m anticipating her nervous jitters when she hits the send button, when her stomach drops to her toes, and she wonders what will happen next—and when. Ah, the waiting game begins. I’m pleased also that I met one of the agents. She critiqued my manuscript at the SCBWI conference back in September. She said it was perfect, except for the plot. She said this in very short clipped sentences, as if she wasn’t just flushing my dreams down the toilet. BUT, I trust her intuition—she’s looked at hundreds of manuscripts and had some best sellers and Jenny and I had a blast plot-hashing that night into the wee hours. Meanwhile, hooray for The Perilous Journey of the Not So Innocuous Girl! It’s started on its own journey now with lots of good wishes to send it on its way.