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Today's Friday Friend, Jody Vitek
Jody will give a $10 Amazon gift card to one lucky commenter today. Leave your email address with your comment.
Thank you for having me today at
Heroines with Hearts. Bear with me today as my responses could be a little
slow. I am traveling to a writer's retreat that I’m partaking in this weekend.
I’d like to share my brief journey to publication and then about my newest
release Rescue Me.
The first book I ever wrote is
on a back shelf waiting to see the light of day. About 11 years into my writing
career, I started researching agents and built a list of those I would like to
represent me. Once I felt confident my book was ready for representation, I
submitted queries to the agents on my list. The rejections flowed into my email
inbox. After multiple times multiple rejections from agents, I decided to
submit to electronic publishers and made forward progress. Two steps forward
and then the rejection arrived.
About to give up, I was given a
lead to two more electronic publishers. I was firmly told to submit to them.
So, I sent my submissions to the two publishers and waited for a response. On
an early October day I received feedback from both publishers. The first email
came in the morning and it was a rejection. Later that afternoon, my family was
gathered in the living room and I checked my phone for messages. There was the
e-mail from the other publisher. After hemming and hawing over whether to open it
on my phone or go downstairs and sit in my office at my computer to cry over
the rejection, I decided read it on my phone. Opening the e-mail my mouth
dropped open, closed as I continued to read, and with tears in my eyes I
screamed, “I sold my book.”
Florida Heat was released in July 2012 and Rescue Me was in the process of being written and edited. I
decided to submit Rescue Me to my
publisher when it was ready for submission. I wasn’t interested in trying to
get an agent and that’s why I went back to my publisher. I thought it would be
easier the second time around. After having gotten all those rejections and
having a publisher but it wasn’t. I still worried that they would reject me.
That they would reject my story. To my delight, they offered me a contract.
Are you wondering how I came up
with the idea for this book? Well, if you ask any writer how they come up with
ideas for their stories you will get a variety of answers. But in general,
every writer will have similar answers. A line in a song stuck out in their
head, something overheard in a conversation in a crowded elevator, something
they see on the side of the street and the list goes on.
For me, Rescue Me stems from a visit to a family member’s old farm
house. Although the city I named in the book is fictitious, I based it very
loosely on the city where the family farm is location. It was after I started
writing the beginning of the story that I shared the basis of this book with my
second cousin, who grew up on the farm, and he told me a little history that
shocked me. What I wrote, actually happened to my distant relatives! What am I
talking about? The real farm was won on a poker bet.
It only takes a sliver of
information or to see a miniscule detail on the side of the road to spark an
idea. To make you wonder, what is the story behind that? So, be careful of what
you say and do because it may end up in a book someday.
What tidbit of your life would
you be willing to put in a book? Are there any taboo parts of your life to be
written about? If yes, you don’t have to explain but it would be interesting to
see how many of us have taboo parts in our life.
Ana's Review of Rescue Me:
In additional to her Twin Cities veterinary practice,
Catherine Mornelli takes in stray animals as Four
Hooves and Paws Rescue. The land where she houses her rescue horses has been
put up for sale. Pragmatically, she decides to see her favorite great-aunt
Elaine’s barn is serviceable.
Up north, Aunt Elaine’s 200
acres abuts Catherine’s old boyfriend’s farm. Josef has become a successful
farmer and rents Elaine’s fields. Josef dotes on Aunt Elaine, but he is
secretly hoping the sweet old lady will bequeath her land back to him. You see,
his great-grandfather lost the land to Catherine’s great-grandfather in a poker
game.
And dear Aunt Elaine has a
scheme of her own: to get Catherine and Josef to marry.
With this setup, Jody Vitek
creates an enthralling story with a host of supporting characters and perfectly
timed plot twists. The priest who tries to block Josef’s and Catherine’s
“shotgun” wedding so Aunt Elaine’s trust money will go to the church. The
tornado that destroys Aunt Elaine’s barn along with Catherine’s dream for her
rescue service. The dilemma after one night of passion.
Ms. Vitek writes with vivid imagery and graceful phrasing. I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Her website: www.jodyvitek.com
Her books are available at Melange Books, Amazon, and B&N
She can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jody-Vitek-Author/142820225824162
Twitter: @JodyVitek
Email: info@jodyvitek.com
