Why I Wrote A DANGEROUS DANCE

My sixth novel, A Dangerous Dance came about as the result of a personal perfect storm, though I did not know it at the time. My career in the “little time” was ticking along at what was a normal rate for back then. It might have been a bit “fast” (i.e. writing a book a year). Now that’s slow. LOL!

At the time I wrote for Hard Shell Word Factory (digital, trade paper) and Five Star (hard cover library). Working with Hard Shell was great. Five Star, well, it was good and painful. We almost parted ways over Missing You, but I got a new editor. After Missing You released, he asked me when I was going to submit a new novel.

That was a first for me. A request for a novel I hadn’t submitted. Looking back, I can see how needy I was. LOL! But then it was like, well score!

Then reality set in. I didn’t have a new novel. I had a vague idea that I knew wasn’t suitable for their line and an incoming move. I recalled a synopsis I’d worked on while taking a synopsis writing class. (I plot from the seat-of-my-pants, so this was a first. And a last.) and I had ONE chapter. It had a different name, that I can’t remember at the moment. It was one page. Sort of. Okay, it was part of a page. I sent it to him thinking he’d ask for more or say no.

He said yes.

Gulp.

Then my personal perfect storm hit. From all directions. When the storm cleared, I had THREE weeks to finish A Dangerous Dance.

Gulp.

I checked with my editor and he said it was scheduled and they needed it by the due date.

Gulp.

So I put my head down and started writing. Okay, when you write a book, you make it up as you go along, but I MADE IT UP AS I WENT ALONG. My daughter calls it “pulling it out of your butt.”

And yes, it is as painful as it sounds.

Three weeks later, bleary-eyed and with numb fingers and brain, I sent it to my editor.

And then I collapsed in a heap. I couldn’t even cough out a word for about six months. I was word-dry. And I’d lost my sense of humor!

And I vowed I’d never get myself in that situation ever again. It was like being late for a test on steroids!

But I did it. 🙂

Some other mildly interesting things about A Dangerous Dance:

• It was my last book with Five Star.
• It was my highest advance from a traditional publisher. Or any publisher.
• I actually went to a Zoo-to-Do. It’s all real except the dead body. (Grin)
• It’s my darkest book, though my current editor assures me that it does have hints of my signature sense of humor.
• The original cover art for A Dangerous Dance was done by one of my daughters.
• The re-release was edited by my other daughter.
• I have very talented daughters. 🙂 (Okay, not about the book, but truth is truth.)

As always, there is a Behind the Book interview you can pop over and read if you’re curious to hear more. 🙂

So the answer to the question is: I wrote it because I had to, because I said I would. And I did. When I look at A Dangerous Dance, I think, “Dang girl, you did it.”

Have you ever done something you didn’t think you could? Because you had to? Because you wanted to? You know comments are entered into my monthly drawing for an AnaBanana gift basket ($25 value). Winner is announced the first blog post of the new month.

Perilously yours,
Pauline

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