So, I am in serious query mode. I call it the Inferno et Paradiso because it's not quite hell--there's some good stuff here, too. Last night, I sent out query #48. I've received 9 rejections (all of them save 1 quite professional and polite; that one was just, hmmm, quirky). Lots of silence, which more or less means rejection. And...ONE FULL MANUSCRIPT REQUEST from a bona-fide agent. We all screamed. I know this is not the same as signing a contract, much less selling a book, but it was a good feeling. It meant that polishing that query letter 100 times, the paid professional edit, and my blessed beta readers had paid off.

So, I'm back to refreshing and updating my query list. One interesting thing is that since my book sort of squats between two genres, it gives me some flexibility in looking for representation. Being clear about what agents want is the critical thing.

I also find myself longing to get back to the historical mystery. I have the professional edit notes, and now that I've completed a second novel (a better one, let's be frank), I think I can whip that historical into shape with time and energy.

So, I'm looking forward to a fruitful summer. As Roden says in Silence of the Lambs, "Somebody grew this guy, fed him honey and nightshade, kept him warm. Somebody loved him." That's me and my books. They long to be fed.