Authors' Journeys

Patricia Sargeant

As my story of perseverance begins, I was an aspiring author who'd been writing for about 14 years and had three completed manuscripts.

Things at my day job were insane, to put it mildly. I was working very long hours at the office and bringing work home. My stress had triggered a hellacious and enduring case of insomnia. Between personal and professional commitments, I thought I was going to lose my mind. And then there was my writing

One day, my youngest brother called just to see how I was doing. So I told him. "Something has to give. I can't keep up. I'm going to have to give up my writing."

Almost two years later, I still remember his response. In an appalled voice he said, "Don't give up your dream. Don't ever give up your dream. Even if you just write a little bit each day, don't ever give up your dream."

I cut our conversation short, angry that he didn't understand the pressure I felt. I paced my bedroom a bit, muttering about people on the outside not understanding what a person is going through.

Then I realized he was right. The journey to publication isn't a sprint. Exhibit A: I'd already waited 14 years. I would wait as long as it took because I wasn't going to give up my dream. I took a deep breath and started prep work on a fourth manuscript.

Over time, things at the day job finally settled back to normal. Or as normal as it ever is. And, about eight months after my brother's pep talk, I finally got The Call. Kensington offered a contract for my second completed manuscript, which had been with the editor for more than two years. LOL! My second title, On Fire, is a September 2007 release. It's the first in a trilogy. I'm working on the proposal for its sequel. And I have a wonderful agent who's shopping my mystery, the manuscript I started after my brother's call.