I’m nearly done with copy edits for Heart of Darkness. I’ll tackle the last 30 pages this morning, do the acknowledgments, dedication and a tracklist, etc and then write the opening of the next book, Rising Darkness. And then it’s back to Captivated, which I hope to have finished by Tuesday of next week or so.

When I opened the document this morning I scrolled past the Berkley Titles by Lauren Dane page and had to pause. Because by November, when Heart of Darkness comes out, I’ll have TEN books out with Berkley.

Shew.

When my agent first started pitching my books in NY I had a dream publisher list. Then of course I got rejected a crapton. Wrote another book. Got rejected more. Sold a novella to Harlequin (one of my dream publishers) and then I sent a futuristic idea to my agent. Who said, “futuristics are a really hard sell, but I think this book might just be the one.”

And it was.

I still have the 3×5 card I wrote the details on as I cried like a baby when she called me with the offer. Berkley Heat wanted Battlefront (which you all know as Undercover). Berkley was on my dream publisher list as well. I had friends with them, authors I admire. That I would be able to write for them too was unbelievably wonderful. That was in 2007, November of 2007 as it happens, and I have watched the “Berkley Titles by Lauren Dane” page grow.

In November of 2007, everything seemed so far away. The production process seemed so long and far into the future it didn’t seem real. And here I am, four years later and I’ve got 10 titles on that page with more to come into 2013! And everything seems far more condensed, LOL.

And I still find joy and wonder in the amazing fact that I’m a working writer. That I write for my dream houses with publishing professionals who leave me amazed and impressed every single day.

Thank you, readers, for buying my books. Be they digital, mass market, trade, audio, whatever – thank you all so very much for your support over the years. For the word of mouth. For your myriad kindnesses.