Only one publisher—Berkley—was willing to offer me a contract. But only if I abandoned my Shelly Thacker name (and the stinky sell-through numbers attached to it) and took a pseudonym. Oh, and since I would be starting all over as a brand-new author, I would also have to accept beginner’s wages. They were offering me a 72% pay cut from what I had been earning at Dell.
I could literally earn more working at McDonald’s.
My new agent urged me to sign it.
When I said no, my new agent dumped me.
And that was the end of my New York publishing career. Ten years, two major publishers, two agents, nine books, national bestseller lists, two-time RITA finalist... and it was all gone.
The truly scary part is that none of the players in this nightmare set out to be purposely incompetent or malicious. This is just how things go at the traditional New York publishers. The bigger the company, the more frequently books and authors “just slip through the cracks.” Business as usual. Just another day at the office.
Exhausted and heartbroken, I walked away from the industry. I went back to work in the PR/marketing field. My husband and I had two beautiful babies, after struggling with infertility for years. (Maybe all that stress had something to do with it?) And I dreamed that someday, I might be able to return to writing novels.
Someday.
In 2011, after a perfect storm named Kindle hit the New York publishing industry like a tsunami, someday finally arrived.
As one of my favorite sayings goes, “If you haven’t reached Happily Ever After yet, you’re just not at the end of the story.”
The story of my New York publishing career ended in disaster—but the story of my indie publishing career is just getting started.
And I still believe in Happily Ever After.
Joys & Changes
After the way Dell blamed me for the epic sales fail, it was a special moment of joy when Into the Sunset became an RWA RITA Award Finalist for Best Historical Romance of the Year. That made me feel just a little bit vindicated.
To this day, I love this book. Despite everything I endured when it was first published, it’s always been one of my personal favorites. I know every plot twist and line of dialogue, yet the emotional impact of Lucas and Annie’s story still has the power to move me to tears.
When I started revising After Sundown for this new digital edition, I approached it with kid gloves because I didn’t want to tarnish any of its magic. I mainly focused on making the love scenes more satisfying, tinkering with some secondary characters—and thoroughly revising the final chapters, which had been dashed off and faxed in the first time around.
Another fix: because of the way Dell “crash published” the 1999 paperback, it was littered with typographical errors. My formatter and I fixed them all for this new edition.
Future Sequels
Sequels! Sequels!! Yes, I am planning sequels. I always intended this to be Book 1 of a series, and I have at least half a dozen Lawless Nights books in mind. Let’s see, we’ve got Dr. Daniel Holt. Mrs. Owens (What is that woman’s first name, anyway? I never did say. I’ll have to have a contest.) Deputy Travis Ballard and his sweetheart Valentina. Some (all?) of Lucas’s sisters. Gambler/rake/scoundrel Morgan O’Donnell. Annie’s long-lost brother Raphael Sutton. And Lucas’s team of deputy marshals.
Guess I’d better knock off all this chattering. I’ve got books to write!
Follow Me
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little trip behind the scenes of After Sundown. Be sure to subscribe to my e-mail newsletter at http://www.shellythacker.com/contact.html to get the latest behind-the-scenes news and sneak previews. Each issue also features 99c bargain romance novels, plus an exclusive free-book giveaway from one of my bestselling author friends. And there are contests and fab goodies and cocktails! Okay, not cocktails, but seriously, you want to subscribe. And follow me on all your favorite social-networking sites:
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Thanks so much for your support of my books.
Until next time, warmest wishes & happy reading,
Shelly
About the Author
Reviewers use words like “exquisite” and “stunning” to describe Shelly Thacker’s unique blend of powerful emotion, edge-of-your-seat adventure and sizzling sensuality. Shelly’s historical romances have earned her a place on national bestseller lists and lavish praise from Publishers Weekly, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and The Oakland Press, who have called her books “innovative,” “addictive,” and “powerful.”
A two-time RWA RITA Finalist, Shelly has won numerous other honors for her novels, including a National Readers’ Choice Award, several Romantic Times Certificates of Excellence, and five straight KISS Awards for her outstanding heroes. The Detroit Free Press has twice placed her books on their annual list of the year’s best romances.
When she’s not at the computer, you’ll find Shelly reading with her kids, knitting in local cafes, or kickboxing at the gym. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and two daughters. To learn more, visit www.shellythacker.com
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