Elisabeth Naughton writes sexy romantic adventures for Dorchester. Her debut release, STOLEN FURY, the first in a trilogy, has been compared to both Indiana Jones and Romancing the Stone, and Publisher’s Weekly calls it “A rock solid debut.” Her second book, STOLEN HEAT, is set to release in August, 2009. Learn more about Elisabeth and her books at her website: www.elisabethnaughton.com

Thanks to the girls here at the Jaunty Quills for having me as a guest today. I’m thrilled to be here.

For those of you who don’t know me, my debut romantic suspense, STOLEN FURY, released just two weeks ago. The last month has been hectic, exciting, and scary all at the same time, but an experience I wouldn’t trade for the world.

Long before I sold this first book, I used to envision publishing as a big glass skyscraper. Those of us “wannabe’s” were all stuck on the outside, peering in the through the shimmering glass at the party going on inside. Friends of ours – the ones with agents we longed to have as our own – could be seen milling around the lobby, socializing, making contacts, making progress. And though those of us toiling on the outside longed to be where they were, even they were looking elsewhere, up toward the glass enclosed elevators and each floor above where still others – our peers – could be seen having the time of their lives. In my mind, publishing was one great big party, and each floor, a level those of us below and outside longed to reach.

Silly, huh? But for someone on the outside looking in, that’s how it felt.

This past Sunday I ran my second half-marathon. I don’t know if any of you are runners, but there’s a point during a run at which your brain shuts down and all mental capacity switches over to simply focusing on telling your muscles to keep going. For me, this generally happens around mile nine, but yesterday, before I hit that point, I was remembering back to my first race and, ironically, comparing it to my publishing journey so far. And I realized something profound…publishing isn’t a glass skyscraper at all. But it is very much like the race I was running.

It’s the rare writer who one day decides, “I’ll write a book,” writes it and sells immediately. But even for those phenomenal writers who achieve that goal right out of the gate, the journey is the same. We write, we revise, we edit, we write again. We practice our craft and train, just like a runner trains for a race. And when we feel like we finally can “do it”, we start submitting. The race begins. Every request – for a partial, for a full; every contest final, every win…each one is a mile marker toward our ultimate goal of completing the race and being published. Some of us move faster through these first few miles, others of us may take months or even years, but those of us who are dedicated keep on pushing forward.

And then, when you feel you’ll never get there, something magical happens. You reach the turn. Someone wants to buy your book. You’re not yet published, but you know now you will get there. You suddenly have a burst of renewed energy. You work harder, longer, stronger. You can see the finish line in your mind’s eye. From here, every new experience is another mile marker passed: your first revision letter, your first set of line edits, your first cover! You struggle, toil slow down and speed up, and sometimes this part of the race feels longer than the first, like it will never end. Until you round the last bend, and there, just off in the distance, is the red ticker tape. Waiting for you to cross. You’ve worked so hard, gone through so much, and there, finally, the finish line.

When you cross, you feel not only excitement, but satisfaction. And something else. Something you didn’t expect. You don’t care who finished ahead of you. You don’t care what your time was or how long it took you to get here. All that matters is that you finally made it.

Yesterday, during my run, I realized the way I felt during my first half-marathon was very much akin to how I’ve felt with this first published book. There’s a high you get from the first one of each that can’t be recreated. Each subsequent finish is special, but with each one, a whole new set of concerns: Did I better my time/sales? Did I run/write better? Do I have as many people cheering for me at the end as I do now?

Like writers, every runner has different worries. Some focus on where they finish in relation to others, some are more concerned with bettering what they did the last time around. Still others are simply thrilled they were able to run and finish again at all. And also like writers, runners come in all shapes, sizes and varieties, and it’s those differences that make a race, and publishing in general, more fun to be a part of.

I’m savoring this first release, much the same way I savored my first half marathon. This book, STOLEN FURY, will always have a special place in my mind and heart, one because it’s a story I love, but also because I worked so hard to see it come to life. Will there be other races? You betcha. Will there be more books? Without a doubt. But none will ever be the same as this. Do I still see publishing as a glass skyscraper? No way. I see it as my own personal half-marathon, where how I run and reach the end is completely up to me.

How about you? Is there any one goal in your personal or professional life that you worked hard for and finally reached? And if you’ve repeated the journey, was it the same as that first time?

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In honor of my release, one lucky commenter will receive an autographed copy of STOLEN FURY in a random drawing!

Also, I’m running a fun contest on my website until the 17th of January.

Seeking Fortune & Glory? Then enter and play!
Embark on your very own quest, partner up with a sexy treasure hunting guide and enter to win a $100 VISA gift card!