Dani Collins is an aspiring author who was a runner-up in the Instant Seduction Writing Contest in 2008. Dani asked if she could blog about what’s she’s been up to and leave a message for all her fellow aspiring authors out there…so here she is! To learn more about Dani, you can visit her website or blog. Take it away, Dani! 
~Amy
by Dani Collins
I’m an herbal tea enthusiast and one of my favorite brands has a fortune-cookie like statement attached to the tea bag that always makes me pause a minute and be the person I would like to be: reflective, calm, at peace with the way things are rather than frantically trying to shift the world into the shape I think it ought to be.
My favorite flavor is Licorice, but for three to five days a month, I drink Woman’s Moon Cycle Tea. I don’t know if it really helps with water retention or depression, but it certainly lifts my mood by making me snicker. Woman’s Moon Cycle Tea. Hee hee.
Since I go through boxes and boxes, I wind up reading the same messages again and again, but it’s surprising how apropos the one that comes to hand will often be to my life and needs of the moment. Like tonight, when I was trying to craft the central message for this blog. I knew what I wanted to say, but I’ve been struggling to get it right, then, ta da, the gurus at my tea company came to my rescue with “Let your heart speak to other’s hearts.”
See, it’s not just a blog entry I’ve been struggling with. Since placing as a runner up in the Instant Seduction contest a couple of years ago, I’ve been submitting and working with the editors at M&B, but “still haven’t quite hit the mark.” I’ve had moments of discouragement. No doubt many writers on this list–unpublished and published–have received similar feedback and heaved similar sighs of disappointment. Perhaps many also entered RWA‘s Golden Heart or Rita this year and didn’t finish the way they’d hoped. Sometimes we wind up asking ourselves, Why am I still doing this?
Me and this particular mulberry bush are old friends. I go round it every few years, and my latest grumble to myself was, “I’ll probably never sell a book so why should I bother with the whole website nonsense? And blog?!? It’s not like I could ever say anything original. It’s all been said before.” We’ve heard that said about romance novels about a billion times, haven’t we? “They’re all the same.” Yet we keep going back. Why?
Because each story is new in its own special way. Maybe it’s a tried and true storyline, but the way it unfolds hits in a way that’s fresh and allows the reader to take away what they look for when the pick up a romance novel–discovery, happiness, optimism.
It’s why I read romance and why I write it. I love feeling optimistic and do my best to be contagious with it. It’s like cheerleading without the standing in the rain.
So it’s okay if I blog and my concepts ring of something we’ve all heard before. Sometimes people need to hear the same ol’ message in a new way. Maybe you’re one of those writers who recently missed the mark on whatever goal you’ve set yourself and you’re sitting there thinking, “Yeah, I’d love to let my heart speak to other’s hearts, but that door just closed. Again.”
Knock again. Keep trying. Let your heart keep speaking. Which sounds like a statement that ought to be surrounded by scrolls and sparkles on a Thinking of You card, (or attached to a soothing cup of Women’s Moon Cycle) but maybe you need to hear it right now. I know I did.
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Dani Collins is all about finding the life lessons wherever they show up, even in a cup of tea. Learn more about her favorites lessons and teas at: www.danicollins.com.
Hi Dani,
Great to hear what you’ve been up to since winning the contest & working with the eds. Good luck & keep on truckin’!
~Amy
As someone who was in your shoes not so long ago, I just wanted to say chin up and keep persevering! Fortune smiles upon people who work as hard as you do so do get discouraged. Eventually you’ll hit the mark with your editor and when that happens, everything will fall into place.
Great post and best of luck.
Barbara Wallace
Thanks for the encouragement, Dani; it’s always good to hear. It’s hard to let go of the tangible signs of achievement and just let your heart tell the story. Good luck!!
Hi Dani,
I remember when you placed in the Instant Seduction Contest – I had just joined RWA-GVC and found out that I had NOT placed in the contest – but hearing you had was, well…inspiring. It made it somehow more likely that I could win someday when someone in my own chapter had come so close. And I have come closer every time, so I take to heart your message of keep trying.
Here’s a famous quote by Calvin Coolidge I love: “Nothing in the world can take the place of perseverance. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
So yes… as you say, I will let my heart keep speaking.
Hi Dani,
As a published author (elsewhere) I too aspire to write for HM&B, but believe me it’s no easier to gain entry to the hallowed halls of HM&B as one of their wrters, than it is for unpublished novelists’. Neither is it easier to write for HM&B as opposed to mainsream romance/erotica, where the guidelines are less tight and no set formula for conflict etc., of which HM&B novels are renowned!
Just keep hammering on the HM&B door and one day, maybe, it’ll burst open and you’ll be asked inside!! You got this far: a place on the blog! How good does that feel?
best
Francine
Hey Dani, I was a Feel the Heat runner up and haven’t sold yet either. Had a ms that was ‘nearly there’ but didn’t quite make it. Another partial bit the dust too. I’ve got another one in that I’m awaiting news on and I’m hoping I’m rather closer than I was last year. But you never know. It’s hard not to be discouraged but I’m not giving up yet!
As you say, keep trying. Keep writing. No retreat. No surrender.
Hey Dani – I’m FEELING YOUR POST IMMENSELY!! Like you and JAckie I’m also an M&B contest runner up. I’m also still working actively with an ed but not quite making the cut. I’m also wondering if I ever will… but I’m also not giving up! Don’t know if I could! Just hope one day all our persistence pays off.
xox
Rach!
*Knock again. Keep trying. Let your heart keep speaking.*
Wise words, Dani–and exactly what I needed to read today. Thanks!
Hey Everyone!
Great to hear from all of you and thanks to those of you who also dropped by my site and said hello.
Francine, it feels awesome that Amy let me blog here–I already knew HM&B were a great bunch of people to work with, but this is more evidence. More reason to keep trying
Jackie, Rachel… Of course you’re getting closer and going to eventually make the cut. I know I learn a huge amount with each new story. As long as all of us aspiring writers keep taking what we learned into the next story, an irresistible manuscript has to emerge.
I think we drive ourselves crazy thinking “I should be achieving this faster” but patience is a virtue. (Or so I’m told–I’ve never been all that virtuous.)
Thanks also to Caitlin, Kate and Amy. Great to know I hit a chord.
First, can I just say that your blog absolutely touched my heart, Dani?
You see, I write to connect to readers’ hearts and that’s why, no matter how many rejections I got (and I got A LOT), I simply couldn’t give up.
I’m sure you’ve all heard that the average published author pursued publication with all dilligence for an *average* of 5 years before selling the first time? I wrote for 9 years before selling my 13th completed manuscript. The good news for me was that I sold all the others afterward (to 4 different publishers overall). Cherry Adair? Wrote for 20 years before finally publishing, though it was not the first novel she sold – senior editors changed and her novel was rejected *after* selling several years prior to that!
The doubt days come and the rejections pile up and you wonder if you can ever write a publishable book…and you just have to believe that time *will* come, that the stories you have to tell will connect to readers’ hearts and make all the angst, all the pain, all the wondering if you could do it worth it.
I can’t tell you what joy it gave me to read your blog, Dani, and to read the replies to it. This business is not for wimps, but it’s lovely to see the “Steel Magnolia” strength running so clearly through each of your backbones!
You all rock and have my utmost best wishes and hopes your dreams will soon see reality.
Hugs,
Lucy
Thanks for a great post Dani. Reading it and all the replies highlights that we are not alone. Its hard, not for whimps (as Lucy pointed out) and I think if we were men, we’d probably given up already…
With regards to Lucy Monroe’s “Steel Magnolia” running through backbones!
I have found blogging as a way of meeting readers as well as fellow writers. My blog provided a huge boost to my moral when readers of HM&B books have come there and posted complimentary compliments on snippets from ongoing HM&B writing projects, and have sounded really keen to see them in print.
That said, I was surprised to learn from one reader (not author of HM&B novels) that she thought this blog (IHearts) too author orientated and no longer a place for readers to place comments about listed items. Meaning I presume: authors commenting on authors rather than readers commenting on authors and their books.
I suppose it begs the question “How much is reader’s input worth on what is essentially a publisher’s blog?
Dani, I enjoyed reading your blog this morning. I love to hear what happens on the journey to publication for other writers and no I’m not alone with all those doubt demons. Best of luck.
@Francine — We definitely want to have readers commenting and being involved in the blog. I was thrilled when Dani emailed asking if she could post.
If any more readers are out there (and I know there are a lot of you lurking
) who are also interesting in posting, my email address is in the FAQ section under the question “Q: I’m a Presents author/reader — how can I get something posted to the blog?” (to which I also made it more clear that readers can email me about posting, too). Just drop me a line with what you’d like to post about to get the ball rolling!
~Amy
Dani, how wonderful to hear from you! And great to know you’re still working with an ed.
Keep writing, because I want to read all the wonderful stories you have to tell. Romance might have common themes, but every author has a different perspective, different characters, and you have to share yours with us!
Dani – thanks for yor blog post, I really enjoyed it esp I too am an aspiring writer (but with less mss under my belt
).
The last paragraph of your post was brilliant – it really resonated with me.
I enjoyed reading all the replies esp Lucy’s
thanks Lucy for sharing 
Whew! Just got home from work then golf lessons–beautiful day here so it was awesome, but I’m wiped! And that’s why I’m so late responding.
Alison, I didn’t see your comment yesterday. Hello fellow GVCer!
Love the Coolidge quote. Please say hullo to everyone at the next meeting. I live too far away to attend anymore, but I miss everyone.
Lucy! You do touch your readers hearts–with your novels and in so many other ways. I gave you a shout out on my blog a week ago and you don’t even know it
Goal setting. You changed my life!
Janette, Anne, Joanne…no we’re definitely not wimps. I like to think we’re romance heroines–persevering until that happy ending comes along. Typical me, I always write long so that’s why it’s taking an epic journey to find mine.
Francine, you bring up an interesting point. I hope I’m not scaring any readers away! I’ll pipe down really quick here. Just a quick note to Maisey that I’ll keep at it because I tried to quit and it didn’t stick!
cheers all,
d
Thank you for your post, Dani. It’s really important for the rest of us aspiring authors to hear what happens to winners/runners up after the M&B contests. After the hype of congratulating you, and then reading your amazing submissions, your progress dies down to an inaudible level! So thank you for the update, the encouragement and the words of wisdom. Truly appreciated. I’ve been plodding away for three years, with nine rejections. I think I’ve still got a while to go – but at least I’ve finally been asked to submit a full ms. It’s still sitting in there, and so I’m still sitting here, waiting, waiting
All the best with your current submission, I have crossed my fingers that you have finally hit the mark. I look forward to reading your work in print one day soon!
Madeline