One
Open your romance novel with a character who isin medias res—in the midst of things.
—Romance Writing 101
Sadie Goodwin’s literary dreams came to a shuddering halt in the middle of her favorite SoHo coffee shop. She blocked out the honking traffic and the May sun streaming through the plate-glass window. Blocked out the lively chatter and cheerful tinkling of a spoon inside a coffee mug and leaned toward her agent. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”
The corners of Gillian’s eyes tightened in a wince. “Rosewood House is canceling your contract.”
“But...” Sadie’s tongue froze for a long second, all the ramifications kicking in.
No more books. And she’d already turned in book three. Was halfway finished writing book four.
No more Lonesome Ridge stories.
To say nothing of more practical matters like rent andutilities and chocolate chip cookies. Then there was that hefty book advance she’d already spent. She pushed away thoughts of money. “But I’m getting such great reviews, andSundown at Lonesome Ridgewas a finalist in the—”
“Those things don’t matter. It’s all about sales—and yours are dismal.”
Gillian had never been one to soften a blow, butyikes.That was brutal.
“But it’s a four-book series...”
“I know how much you love these characters. It’s a terrific series—it really is. I knew it was special the moment I read book one. But your novels aren’t selling and the publisher wants to cut their losses.”
Sadie’s lungs emptied. She couldn’t go back to writing obituaries. She just couldn’t. It would be the death of her. (Yes, she’d heard all the puns.) Sure, she had her job teaching art at the elementary school, but that hardly kept her in the black. She had to share a tiny Queens apartment with a roommate just to make ends meet.
And what of her family’s legacy?
“I know you’re disappointed.”
Understatement of the century. Her friends and family were so proud of her, especially her dad’s family. To them she was a star, rising from the ashes of her grandfather’s literary career. Maybe she didn’t see herself in quite that light, but she’d thought she was headed toward a promising career, a steady income... basically her dream. Now the aforementioned star seemed to fizzle across the sky as it plummeted to planet earth.
She had to regroup. There had to be something she could do. “Can you sell the rest of the series to another publisher?”
“You know it’s already been rejected by everyone else.Westerns are a tough sell in this market. Rosewood thought the granddaughter of Rex Goodwin might stand a chance. And they liked your writing so much they were willing to take a risk—but it didn’t pay off.”
Sadie suspected the publisher, especially the marketing team, liked her connection to Rex Goodwin the most. She took an unsteady sip of coffee, gathering the courage to ask the money question. She’d read her contract, after all. Albeit three years ago and with stars in her eyes, every sentence of legalese a pure thrill. But maybe they’d have a heart. After all, she’d done nothing wrong.
She swallowed hard. “What about the advance?”
“Unfortunately, you’ll have to pay it back.”
Sadie squeezed her eyes shut. Talk about adding insult to injury. Her series was discontinued and her readers (all twelve, apparently) would never know the end of the Lonesome Ridge story. And she was now up to her eyeballs in debt. Harsh. Her advance had amounted to ten thousand per book.
“But not on the last book, right, since I turned in a perfectly good—?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Twenty thousand dollars.A veritable fortune.
Sadie rubbed the back of her neck where sweat had broken out. She visualized her bank statement and the $311 balance. “I don’t have that kind of money, Gillian.”
Her agent patted her hand. “I know you must be overwhelmed. But the good news is they offered what I feel is a fair solution and a wonderful opportunity as well.”
“Okay...” She’d take anything at this point. What did she have to lose?
“You know Erin and the entire team love your writing. You bring such emotional depth to your stories. Your characters are nuanced and authentic, and your plot twists are compelling. You truly do have a special gift.”
