Friday, April 26, 2013

Catching The Dream by Lindsay J. Pryor

It’s coming up to three years ago since I first entered Harlequin Mills and Boon's online New Voices competition. A somewhat anxious author with zero confidence, I’d always been reclusive about my writing. My finger inevitably hovered over that ‘send’ button right up until about fifteen minutes before the deadline.

It’s a tough competition to enter – anyone who took part in New Voices or SYTYCW will know that. I don’t just mean in terms of the amazing standard of work that gets uploaded, I mean emotionally too.

I had a lot invested in my entry. At that time, almost fourteen years of work. That’s how long I’d been creating the world of Blackthorn – producing stories, world building and pulling together overarching plotlines. I entered New Voices for one simple reason – to find out if I had what it took to write romance. It was a potential make or break situation in terms of my future writing plans. 

Blood Roses, my 2010 entry, made it into the final. I was thrilled when the same thing happened again in 2011. This time it was with Blood Shadows (previously known as Beguiling The Enemy) – another book in the Blackthorn series.


Despite a positive response from editors at HQN, my dark paranormal romances weren’t right for Nocturne. In some ways it almost felt inevitable. ‘Fitting in’ has never been my forte. I tried not to let it set me back – and the amazing support I got from fans that I generated from that competition kept my self-belief sufficient enough to keep trying.

As the dust settled, I mused over what to do. Everywhere I looked, nowhere felt quite ‘right’ for Blackthorn. Then a bizarre twist of fate struck befitting of a work of fiction. I was contacted by Oliver Rhodes, founder of Bookouture. He knew of me and my stories – afterall, as the ex head of Marketing at M&B UK, New Voices was his brainchild.


And now here I am today. Following the critically acclaimed Blood Shadows that launched last November, today is the release of book 2 in the Blackthorn series, Blood Roses. Blood Torn will be out in the Autumn.


If you’re in the position I was once in – still chasing that publishing dream – hold on as tight as you can. You never know what is waiting beyond tomorrow. 

20 comments:

  1. Happy release day Lindsay. So pleased for all of us your dream came true.:-)

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    1. Thank you so much, Jane! It's amazing to finally be sharing the series with so much wonderful support. :-)

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  2. I am so with you, Lindsay. I entered NV both years too and I remember what a wild and emotional ride it was. Even for those of us who never made it past the first round, the comments and the camaraderie were amazing.

    Yay to finding a home for your stories, and an even bigger yay that we get the chance to read more than those teaser first chapters posted on the NV site!

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  3. Hi, Romy. I'm still super excited about YOUR news today. Awesome!

    Gosh, it was a wild and emotional ride, wasn't it? I just remember being so taken aback by how, despite it being a competition, everyone was so supportive of each other. The romance community is amazing.

    Thanks so much for coming to comment. :-)

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  4. So awesome! And love your cover!
    CONGRATS!

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  5. Huge thanks, Jennifer. And stoked you love the cover. :-)

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  6. It was a long wait, Linds, but as the old adage says, 'good things come to those who wait.' You're time has come. Yes!

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    1. Hi Tima! Thank you! And not long until Bloodgifted - your time will come too. :-)

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  7. Congratulations, so happy for you. Blood Roses is amazing. I've read it. Love it. It's brave and original (a hard thing to accomplish with any book these days.) I found it clever, bright, exceptionally well written, simply a joy to read. So thank you, for a wonderful story.

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    1. HUGE thanks, Amity. I'm so thrilled you enjoyed it. And thank YOU for the wonderful comments. :-)

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  8. Huge Congrats, Lindsay! And I love that cover!

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  9. Thanks, Victoria! I love the cover too, but then I'm totally biased. ;-) Thanks so much for reading and commenting.

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  10. Congrats Linds! New Voices was an amazing time, I came out of it with new friends and had such a brilliant time reading all the entries. Am so thrilled at how far you've come, so absolutely well deserved. And I LOVE your covers too! Xxx

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  11. Hi Charlotte! I'm totally thrilled how far you've come too - and so excited about your latest news. Thanks for coming to say hello. Xxx

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  12. Congrats on your new release, Lindsay! Love the cover! I've downloaded Blood Roses and can't wait to get stuck into it. x

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  13. Thanks so much, Rae! Here's hoping you love it as much as Blood Shadows. *fingers crossed* X

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  14. Aw, Linds, it's so exciting to see you at this point! I was blown away by your entry in NV, even before you finalled. You are such a talent, and you're the perfect example of how important it is for writers to find the right home in which to thrive. Congratulations! xx

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  15. Thank you so much, Natalie. It was so exciting being a part of NV with you, and now to be part of this blog with you too! Hugs xx

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  16. Gorgeous artwork. Just stunning. It matches your writing. Congrats on your release! I can't wait to dive in. :)

    NV and SYTYCW were both incredible rides. And they took many of us to places we could only dream about. Just goes to show, taking a calculated risk can pay off in a huge way. :)

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  17. Thanks so much, Ami. (*blushes*)

    Absolutely - sometimes you have to take that leap before you can start your journey. :) Thanks so much for reading and commenting - I appreciate it!

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