I have an author friend who lives in Arvada, CO, and we try to go to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writer's conference in Aurora every year. I just got back from an amazing weekend spent with my people, and I'm still riding that high - lol.

I attended dozens of insightful sessions hosted by independent and traditional authors, visited with authors I only see once a year, maybe, and met several new authors from other parts of the country that I hope to maintain a friendship with.

Something exciting also happened - but I have to start at the beginning.

Several years ago, when I was vacationing in Colorado with my husband, we visited the cutest town called Golden that I just fell in love with. I've been back a couple of times since then just to return to the calm, beautiful surroundings. 

During one of my visits, my husband and I were sitting out on the sidewalk on a beautiful day eating ice cream when I looked up at the second floor of the ice cream shop we had just left. The building was so unique and vintage that a story popped in my head and practically wrote itself while I was sitting there.

Now, stories popping into my head is nothing new, there are so many swirling around up there that I have two dozen unfinished manuscripts in a folder titled "in the works". 

Anyhoo, when we got back to our hotel, I started to type up my ideas for this story and before I knew it I had written over half the book. I told my author friend in Arvada about it and she encouraged me to follow through even though it diverged from my typical romance themes - I usually stick to small-town, spicy, romantic suspense with an alpha male.

The difference in this book is the paranormal element in it. I've never written paranormal.

So, back to my visit to Denver this weekend. My friend pitched a story to an agent, something I have never had an interest in for several reasons that I won't go into here, and she was excited about being asked for her first fifty pages. We got to talking about her story, which is a sci fi/fantasy, and she asked me whatever happened to the paranormal story I started.

Long story short, she has convinced me to query with this particular story because paranormal romance is increasing in popularity. There is also a gorgeous sheriff, a single mom starting a new life and opening her own business, and an abusive ex husband. 

For the first time, I'm going to query an agent(s) and see what happens. Also for the first time, I'm kind of excited about it. I don't want to give too much away right now, but keep your fingers crossed for me and I'll keep you updated.

XOXO 

Anne