The Call by Jennifer Anderson

Author Jennifer Anderson
(No relation!)

Authorial Mom Sarah here. Please help me welcome Honorary Authorial Mom Jennifer Anderson back to the blog! Today she tells us how she got "The Call." Take it away, Jennifer!

About two to three weeks before the Lori Foster Author Reader Get Together in Ohio in June of 2011 (which is a totally awesome get together--I recommend!), I had decided to attend and meet some friends whom I'd actually never met before.  We'd connected on Twitter and hit it off immediately. Julie Lindsey was actually the one to tell me about Honey Creek and Turquoise Morning Press (TMP).

So I drove 5 1/2 hours by myself to Ohio. I've never driven anywhere that long alone. I got there and meet Lindsy and her fiery cousin, Nikki Brandyberry, who has a book review blog and we hit it off. (I actually wrote a blog about us meeting called "It all started with 2 Long Island Iced Teas, a Rum and Diet Coke, and a glass of wine."). 

I wasn't able to schedule any appointments since I'd waited to confirm I was attending. Instead, I decided to attend an open meeting/class that TMP was putting on where they talked about the company, their mission, and what new product lines they were working on.  

During the meeting, I raised my hand and asked how long should someone wait after they've submitted to them and was told they hadn't yet decided and were meeting soon. Kim Jacobs, the TMP President, asked my name. I sheepishly told her and she said "See me after this meeting." Around the room everyones eyes were big and round with smiles plastered across my face. Yeah, me too!  

So when I found her she said that she was 99% sure they were offering me a contract this week but the person who was in charge had been on vacation the prior week. Without thinking, I leaned into her and hugged her. Yes, I hugged a complete stranger. And she was like, "Oh, my God, is this your first time!" and I bit back tears and shook my head.  But I didn't want to get my hopes up because what if there was another Jennifer Anderson or a Jennifer Menderson?

I still made my calls home and jumped up and down and basically cried myself silly in a corner while I told my husband. Needless to say, two days later after I'd safely returned home I received a contract for Ice Princess. 

Before Ice Princess comes out, I'll have a story in Men in Uniform, a TMP anthology that will be available on November 21st. You can read more about it on my blog, Jen's Peanut Gallery Musings.