 Meet Bev Irwin aka Kendra James Posted by KJ Howe Feb 24 2012, 6:51 am Please welcome debut author Bev Irwin to the Lair. I had the pleasure of meeting Bev through the Toronto Romance Writers, and I’m thrilled that she has been successful in her dream. Bev will share with us her journey and how she survived the bumps along the way. One lucky commenter will win a copy of Bev’s book!!!
Hello to all from Bev in London, Ontario! Today, I thought I’d like to talk about first contracts, and the dreaded rejection letter. My story is pretty much the same as every other author. I have that undeniable need to put my words to paper. I started with poetry, poetry that for years I kept to myself, not wanting to share my inner soul that poetry can often reveal. Then an accident getting a horse onto a trailer resulted in a broken hand that gave me time off my nursing job. Time I feel God gave me to finally indulge my writing dreams. I started with a romance, City Slicker, that I still may finish. I paused during writing that book to work on several children’s books. Some that I still may do something with. So, after working at my writing for several years, going to writing workshops (Great ones with Margie Lawson and Deborah Dixon), conferences, and joining a writer’s group, I started sending my stuff out there. It took a while. I had to return to my twelve hours shift work nursing job to support myself and family. But I kept at it and eventually started getting better and better rejection letters. Yes, there some rejection letters that are better than others. The bottom is where they don’t even bother sending a reply by letter or email. They just leave you hanging. You think, I’ll just give them more time. Months go by and you still don’t hear. I’ll just give them a little more time, you think. Meanwhile they have your baby in limbo. You wonder if you should send out multiple queries. Agencies say they don’t like them but what do you do, send to one agency and wait for months to get that rejection letter? After you get that R letter, what do you do? You shed a few tears, punch a few walls, then you gather your courage, and send it out again. Then you wait, again. Being that the market is very tough, and agents rarely take a chance, even with a great book, you’ll be getting a few of those lovely R letters before you get the call. At least with email queries, the rejections come quicker and when they do come, you can take out some of your frustration by annihilating their response with one swift squashing of the delete button. There, gone for good. You can even pretend you never sent it. But it is a good idea to keep some record so you don’t resend it to the same agency. They frown on that. Now you’re ready to send it off again. Email queries make it easy. You can just copy the old email and paste it into a new one. Caution! Make sure you delete any previous salutations before you input the new one. Remember the frowning. They like to see their name and see it spelled correctly. Don’t get discouraged. I know a bestselling author who sent out ninety-three queries. You would think as a journalist he would get a lot of responses. He got a total of three positive responses. He took the first one. But that one was all he needed. He now has six books out there that have all been bestsellers. So write that book, edit it, re-edit it, join a critique group, have them read it. Get honest feedback from people in the writing community, re-edit it, send it out. And while it’s out there in that vast void, write the next one. Cause if you get that call, and they ask, “Do you have anything else?” you can say, “Oh, yes.” That’s when you have the pitch ready for the next book even if its not finished. When I finally got that first contract, I was ecstatic. That was in September. It was for my Contemporary romance, WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE. (Don’t you love the cover?) I was thrilled with it. Jimmy Thomas, I am one of your fans. My contract has the book coming out in ebook first and then later in print version. The great thing about epublishing is how quickly a book can get out there. WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE was contracted in September and epublished with Soul Mate Publishing on December 7th, 2011. Within days it was available on Amazon US, Amazon international and Barnes and Noble. Last year was an amazing year. On October 30th, I was offered another contract, this time for my youth paranormal, GHOSTLY JUSTICE.Then, in December, I got two early Christmas presents. One was WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE being published. The second was the offer of a third contract for a women’s suspense, MISSING CLAYTON. Some advice on getting your work out there. Enter contests. You get great feedback and if you final in a contest, it gives a wonderful sense of accomplishment. Plus, it sounds good when you send out those queries and work to build a platform. Go to conferences, meet other writers, meet agents. When you are ready and your book is in great shape, you might be able to request a pre-pub blurb from one of the authors you have met. Below are some of my credits that have helped to open some doors. WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE came second in the Heart of the Rockies contest last fall in the Contemporary category. FAMILY SECRETS, a romantic suspense also took second place. A mainstream mystery, MISSING CLAYTON, came third in the suspense category for Gateway to the Best, and second in the TARA for women’s fiction a couple of years ago. The first chapter of TAKEN, a YA in progress placed first in a short story contest with Aurora Press and was also published in the Quick Brown Fox. WITHOUT CONSENT, a medical/police thriller, has a blurb from Lee Child as a ‘fine medical thriller’. I am also trying the self-publish route with a youth adventure novel. It should be up in a few days. That is, as soon as I learn to format for Kindle. How do you like the cover? My young neighbor is the cover model.
Thank you, everyone for coming to visit today and thank you, KJ for the opportunity to be here. Keep that pen moving and fill those blank pages!
Here is my book blurb:
Web sites www.kendrajames.net www.bevirwin.com www.soulmatepublishing.com www.blackopalbooks.com/ Comments96 thoughts on “Meet Bev Irwin aka Kendra James” |
  
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is he coming here …just in time for bed so he had better be quiet lol
Hey Barb! You caught the GR! WOOT!!! What kind of work are you putting him to, today?
Barbara
He didn’t have far to go and I am sure the Ladies at sewing to day will enjoy his company as long as he doesn’t get too close to the sewing machines LOL
Have Fun
Helen
well done on perservering and not giving up Bev aka Kendra
Congratulations on your books
Thanks, Barb.
Yes, I am persistent, I just wish I had more time to write all the ideas of have but sometimes its hard to get butt to chair.
Barb, congrats on the Golden Rooster! I hope you have fun with him today.
Congrats, Bev, on your new release! Sticking with it always pays off! Hope you see all the success in the world.
Thanks, Susan.
I have the persistence, now need all the luck I can get.
We’ll send you lots of luck, Bev. We keep a stash at the Lair!
Congratulations! How exciting to have so many projects. The diversity should mean you’ll be busy writing for a very long time.
The cover for “When Hearts Collide” is very striking.
Oh, I liked that cover too, Gillian! :>
Hi, Gillian.
Yes, so many projects, so little time.
I admire how you can write in more than one genre…do you have a favorite?
I love to do mystery, and especially mystery with a medical touch. Doing ghost stories is fun too.
Welcome to the Lair, Bev/Kendra. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us – very inspirational and some great advice.
What do you think was the difference between the books you had rejected and the ones that finally sold? What was the last thing that helped push you over the edge to published author?
Great question, Anna!!!
Hi Anna
, it became a better book and I pitched it too a smaller publishing house.
Not sure if you saw my reply farther down (before I found the reply button). I think working on the novel and getting revision suggestions from M&B, even though they rejected it,
Soul Mate Publishing is a newer house but Debby Gilbert and all the Soul Mate Sister writers are great and we are sure that the company will grow and all our names will become known. One of our authors, BJ Scott, whose book HIGHLAND LEGACY,came out in Nov 2011, is on the kindle bestseller list and has been for a bit now. Yeah Barb! It can happen.
awe thanks Kendra
Bev, I really enjoyed reading your post. Your determination and your persistence certainly paid off. Congratulations! You have many books that sound great and I look forward to your youth adventure story (cover) looks intriguing!
Hi Deb,
I hope adventure stories increase in popularity…I love them~!
I hope so too. This book is in the view of the Brian series by Gary Paulsen. I could even see it being a kids movie. Me dreaming again.
Ooh, that’s great. HATCHET is one of the novels I have my 5th graders read. Some students then read the other Brian books.
I work part-time at Vanier Children’s services as the nurse, (retired from peadiatric emergency), and one of the youth workers read the book to the kids in her class and they really enjoyed it and picked up a few mistakes. They felt important reading it and did enjoy it. You could be one of my reviewers.
Thank you, Ladies
The cover is gorgeous and hope it helps sell the book. I thank that will be easier when it comes out in print and hopefully if they pick it up and read it they will like my voice and want more of me. LOL
Determination and persistence do pay off, Deb
Anna, as to your question. For a long time I was trying to get an agent and was sending out to the higher end ones, hey why not, you never know, but most of them want a sure thing, with a platform. Knowing someone in the business to get you looked at is wonderful, but how many of us know someone who wants to take the risk of ticking off their agent by pushing people on them.
WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE was written as I knew Mills and Boon was looking for medical writers. I sent 3 chapters, they liked it wanted revisions, liked that, asked for a full. They liked that but wanted some revisions. Did them but at the end they decided they didn’t think the hero was ‘heroic’ enough as his broken leg incapacitated him too long. I joined Savvy Authors (great place, great courses, ++). I did a few of their pitching sessions to editors and voila, I now have 3 contracts.
Your story with M&B speaks to me, Bev, as I’ve been through that saga twice now with two different lines at Harlequin! The good thing is got me a great agent – so I’m hoping that it’ll also get me sale elsewhere!
It will Anna, ’cause you ROCK!! Grins.
Saying prayers for you, Anna.
It’s nice to have this book out but I would still love to get in with Harlequin either in the medial or suspense line.
Hey Bev! Welcom to the Lair! And isn’t that the most frustrating thing w/ Harlequin and Mills and Boon, that they’ll get you hooked in by asking for more and more, then in the end…so sorry, not “X” enough for us.
Urg. Can you tell I recently went through this? Hahahah!
Oh, well! It gave me some GREAT stories that I’m going to take elsewhere, so all’s well that ends well for you and for me. Ha!
Congrats on your debut and all the good stuff you have going on!
Thanks, Jeanne.
The good thing is that there suggestions for revision made a better book and now it is mine (Well mine and my wonderful publisher, Debby Gilbert at Soul Mate Publishing) and will have a longer shelf life than if Mills and Boon had accepted it.
What line do you write for?
Jeanne is a multi-genre star as well! She has several romantic suspense books by Kensington.
I like the cover for your YA book.
Hi, Sandy.
Jimmy Thomas is a hunk! My daughter thought he was too buff. Now really how can a man be too buff?
Ha, definitely no such thing in my book!
Isn’t that a cool cover, SandyG? I liked it too.
Your tenacity and discipline are impressive, and your story is more evidence that talent alone is never enough. Were you ever discouraged enough to think about quitting?
The writing bug is pretty well imbedded in me so after rejections i would limit myself to one box of Kleenex and then get back at it.
Brian Henry (a previous Harlequin editor and now a writing teacher in Toronto) says it takes three things to get published. Talent, luck and persistence and if you have any two of those, you will be published.
Brian Henry’s course was my very first writing workshop. He’s so great, very encouraging. He also worked with Kelley Armstrong back in the day.
Yes, Brian is great. He has a blog, The Quick Brown Fox, with lots of info about writers, and agents looking for clients.
And what can I say, Kelley Armstong is awesome. She’s in my writer’s group and was the one to push me to write 3 chapters of a medical romance and send it to M&B. And that is where WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE was born. Plus she gave me an acknowledgement in her second book, STOLEN, for help with the medical segments. Great crit partner.
Well, I can’t do much about the luck, but I will draw inspiration from your story and keep persisting. Thanks.
Don’t count yourself out on the luck department. Visualize your book finished and out there. I’m seeing mine in Walmart and Shopper’s Drugmart.
I love your book covers. Do you have a series or plan to write one? I can’t wait to read your books:)
Thanks, Gail.
I would like to do a series with my YA character Daria who has discovered she is psychic (like her crazy aunt) and now can see ghosts. And I thought about doing another book about Jason in the book IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS. I liked doing the surviving in the wilderness and have lots of research on that subject.
I also find survival stories intriguing. I read non-fiction ones all the time. I’m currently reading Crazy for the Storm about an 11-year old boy who survives a plane crash.
Bev/Kendra, welcome to the Lair! Congratulations on your success and your perseverance. Seeing the books out there after all those hassles must be especially sweet.
Honoured to be welcomed into the lair.
Now that I have smartened up, or put my glasses on, I see the reply button so I can reply to each of you lovely ladies.
I love this new website, very easy to write people directly back…we’re lucky!
Thanks for the words of encouragement to beginning writers, Bev, and congratulations on your success.
Thanks, Jo for the congrats.
It is so important for writers to stick together as it can be a lonely profession. I hope my words can be a big hug for writers struggling and wondering if they are wasting their time writing. If its your dream, you have to go after it.
You’re inspiring, Bev! Thanks for joining us today.
Hi Bev -
I recently attended a small conference that had invited two NY publishing house editors to speak and take pitches. They had a workshop where the editors would give immediate response to read-aloud queries. Both editors said that they normally don’t respond to email queries if they aren’t interested – they just hit the delete key. I was floored. “How’s the author to know you’re not interested?” I asked. “What’s to stop them from resubmitting as they probably thought you just never received the original email.” The reply – we’ll just delete them again. It’s a tough world out there!
Donna, wow, that is rather harsh. Even a quick “this is not for us” would be kinder.
KJ – I agree – very harsh – especially as one of the editors was my dearly loved own! But I guess this is fairly common these days. It’s one of the benefits I suppose of having an agent. At least they persist until they have an answer one way or the other.
Hi Donna
You are right about that delete button! Too easy. You wonder if some days agents or editors are busy or in a bad mood and just press delete, delete, just like spam mail.
Taking about pitching to agents face to face, it is great to go to conferences and get to do this. Practice your two or three line pitch, memorize it, take a big breath and go for it.
One of the most anxiety rising one was pitching to Meg Ruley of the Jane Rotrosen Agency. She would be my dream agent as I want to do medical thrillers and she is the agent for Michael Palmer (great guy) and Tess Gerrison. At Sleuthfest last year, I got to pitch to her. Despite Michael and his son Daniel, also now with Meg, reassuring me that she was lovely, my anxiety was very high. But she was lovely. I had a couple of books I wanted to pitch and had them on cue cards. I stared to give it but she must have noticed the cue cards clutched in my hand and said she’d rather read it. Relief. I handed her 3 of them. She didn’t want my serial killer one but told me what she did want. She had me send the 2 YA’s to her junior associates. But remember that delete button? Yup. Well they did send back and email to say no, then they deleted me.
Welcome, Bev/Kendra! Thanks so much for being with us today and sharing your great advice with us. Congrats on all your success
Thank you, Beth.
I am so grateful for all the wishes and hoping that someday I can retire and just write.
Fingers crossed that will happen soon!
Thanks Kim, I’ve got more than just my fingers crossed.
Not an author myself, but I am heartened
by your story, so I know your words are a
great help to those embarking on a writing career. Congratulations and continued
success!
Pat Cochran
Thanks, Pat.
I’m glad my words will encourage others to catch their dream.
I love success stories in any field. Perseverance is key.
Hi Kendra/Bev! Congratulations! I wish you a ton of success with all your books!
Thanks, Casey. And the same is sent back to you!
Great interview. Have read When Hearts Collide and really enjoyed it. Looking forward to your next works.
Good luch with this and future projects, Kendra.
BJ, thanks for stopping by today!
Hello, my Soul Mate Sister. Thanks for stopping by.
This is the author, who with her debut novel, HIGLAND LEGACY, (also an awesome cover) has hit the kindle bestseller list and has been on it for weeks.
Dreams do come true and she loves blogging.
Hi Bev/ Kendra
Well done the books sound really great and will give lots of readers hours of reading pleasure.
It must be hard sometimes with all those characters talking to you do you have a few books going at once or do you do one at a time.
Love that cover as well
Thanks KJ for inviting Bev/Kendra a long today to meet us
Have Fun
Helen
Hi Helen, it’s a pleasure to have Bev/Kendra at the lair today…everyone is always so warm and welcoming. Thanks for stopping in!
Hi Helen
It is hard but keeps up the interest. If I don’t feel like writing on one story I can go to another. It would probably be better to just work on one and get it finished.
Thank you for sharing your “story”. I am always interested to know how authors began their writing careers
You are welcome, Stacey. I also love to hear how other authors have made it.
Hi KJ! Hi Bev/Kendra! Bev, congratulations on your releases and that’s great advice about girding your loins and resubmitting. I also recommend revisiting your query letter each time and seeing if maybe something there is what’s causing the problem. Sometimes a bit of a polish can get you to “yes, I’ll look at material” compared to “No, go away and never darken my door again.”
How true, Anna
I’ve changed the blurb for WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE that I thought was fine before. Having some distance and then going back lets us look at it with new eyes. I guess that is why they call it revision.
I find time is the best thing for any revisions–enough time where it feels fresh or I ask myself, did I really write that?
Your story was fascinating and lovely. Congratulations and best wishes on future success.
Thank you for coming, Ellie. I t has been fun.
Thanks for giving us an insight into your journey!
Kari
Hi Kari
Glad you could come and hear my story.
Hey Bev! Welcome to the Lair! Thanks KJ for inviting her.
As a fellow nurse, I know how difficult it is to find the time to get the words on paper some weeks. Do you find you have any sort of schecule or rhythm to it? I’ve gone with a self-imposed word count for the week. (This week I’ve nearly doubled it.) Since I don’t get contracted until each book is finished, self motivation is very important to me.
Hi Suznne
Thank’s for the welcome. I feel like right now I’m getting very little writing done as I’ve been promoting WHEN HEARTS COLLIDE, and doing edits for the other two. I just finished first round edits on MISSING CLAYTON (my favourite book) and am awaiting the second round edits on GHOSTLY JUSTICE. I seem to get more writing done in the evening and stay up late. I think all those evening and night shifts. I’m not a morning person.
Do you add any medical to your writing?
Bev, I’m a night shift nurse, too. And I think knowing anatomy and physiology actually helps in writing. I know how to injure someone without it killing them, how to describe things acurately and still keep the story going. I’d say there’s always some sort of medical scene in a book, but not a clinical one. If that makes sense?
It does make sense, Suzanne. In my YA adventure story a bit of my medical come into the book when he cares for an injured dog and when he finds his father.
I really respect you guys. If I had to work at night, it would be a serious struggle. Kudos to you both!
Inspriring story! Funny how sometimes something that seems bad (breaking your hand) turns out to be good. I’ve had that same experience several times in my writing career, too!
I still think I was given that time to get more than poetry and short stories done and I feel God had a part in me finding the property I live on. I lived out in the country for a few years, loved the farm, not the man, escaped alive but wanted land and trees. I found a wonderful big property right in London on a ravine lot. I call it my writer’s retreat. In the summer I sit on the deck and write.
It sounds like your real life is quite a story as well, Bev!
Lovely post, I know how you feel about work, as I’m also a nurse, some weeks I don’t accomplish my wordcount goals, but I do try lol. Congrats on your release!
Hey Mandi, another nurse. I really feel at home with you guys. Do you add any medical to your writing?
It’s always interesting to see what kind of journey a new author has to take to get into being published. Congratulations on your success and I too think it’s a lovely cover.
Thank you, cats lady. I can’t wait until the book is out in print and I can hold it in my hot little hands.
Can I assume you have cats?
Lol, oh yes. I’ve had up to 7 at a time but only 5 at the moment. I also care for ferals/strays.
I can’t image seven. But then I have three cats and had three dogs. None of the cats did I solicit. One hid in my car when I moved from the farm 15 years ago. My daughter has given me 2 cats, one years ago that is now 20 years old and one 2 years.
Hi, Bev/Kendra! Congrats on your books, and thanks for posting today–it’s a treat to hear more about your journey as a writer! Glad you kept on, and glad we readers can read your work now!
Thank you, Fedora
I hope if you read anything of mine you enjoy it. My favourite is MISSING CLAYTON which will be out later this year in ebook and print.
I sure am looking forward to it and will definitely keep an eye out for Missing Clayton, Bev/Kendra! Keep on writing! I’m sure you’ve no lack of ideas for new stories
Reading the post I am reminded of just how long a road it can be for writers. As a reader I appreciate & admire he perseverance.
Thank you, Mary
Remember,
Talent
Luck
Perseverance
Any two of those, and you should reach your dream.