First Submission Series – Misa Buckley
For those following along, for the month of February, I've asked a few authors to come share their experience the first time they submitted a manuscript to a publisher and/or agent–regardless of what the outcome was. We've seen some fantastic and very inspiring stories. We're drawing to a close of the month and the last few authors. Now it's the very fantastic speculative romance author, Misa Buckley's turn.
First Submission Series:
February 1: Emily Cale
February 7: Gina Gordon w/ Giveaway
February 10: Stacey Kennedy
February 14 = Laurie Witt
February 17 = Liia Ann White
February 21 = Cristal Ryder
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Envy is a powerful motivator.
I started writing in 2007, failing my first NaNoWriMo but loving every second of craziness. Wanting to get better at writing I joined Absolute Write. Of the friends I made there, I got on well with one in particular. Her name is Lauren Gallagher (or LA Witt, if you're reading her M/M fiction).
Now anyone that knows of Lori knows that her output is beyond ridiculous. The woman is a novel-writing machine. I watched her release story after story, then looked at my own folder of incomplete novels and gnawed on my liver in jealousy. I wanted to be published. I was determined to get published.
Early 2011 and after several failed attempts to finish a damn story, I was even more fired up to get a book Out There. Envy made me frustrated, and that made me fight. I also came across an interview and six words that slapped me upside the head.
As inspirations go, I suppose an actor uttering the words "Without an audience, we're not actors" is probably a little odd, but then I'm pretty odd, so it's all good. With those words ringing in my ears, I signed up to Write 1 Sub 1 and also caught a call for submissions on Absolute Write for an anthology.
Due the end of the month, I had to be crazy right? Yeah, well, I tried all the same. I outlined a story and sent it to Lori. "Does this even make sense?" I asked. She said "Yes."
I wrote the story. 22,000 words of a romance set against the end of the world, because that's what the anthology wanted. In twenty days I'd done something that I had never done before – I'd finished a story. High on that, I sent it to beta, made the changes and, after much nail-biting, submitted it.
Three weeks later, there was a rejection in my inbox.
Well, now what did I do? I had a completed story, but it had been written for a specific call. I got on Twitter and wailed, begging anyone with an idea to reply. Sara responded with several suggestions, including Decadent Publishing. I read their guidelines, changed the manuscript to fit, and sent it off. Not even twelve hours after the rejection had arrived.
Eight days later, I got an email. Ugh. Rejection. Um, wait… why is there an attachment?
Not a rejection. A contract. I'd done it. I'd actually gone and sold a story. In July, IRONHAVEN was released and I was a published author. Seven months after I'd decided to stop being a derp, get something written and get myself Out There.
Every writer's path is different. Mine included a healthy dose of envy and an unintentional shove from the actor I was crushing on (still am, but that's by-the-by). So yeah, very different 
~*~
Ironhaven
Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Ironhaven-ebook/dp/B005F0KHU8/
Earth is dying, and Lucian Hoyt is going to die with it thanks to his parents cancelling his pass aboard the last shuttle off the planet.
There is hope, though; a brilliant inventor has come up with a plan to build a ship to evacuate those who've been left behind.
That inventor turns out to be Genevieve Scott, Lucian's bitter ex-fiancee. If they're going to work together to get off this planet, they need to put their past aside, but even melting the ice between them can't erase all the scars.
~*~
For as long as I can remember, I've loved science fiction and fantasy. I grew up watching Doctor Who and Star Trek. School lunch hours were spent in the library devouring books by Anne McCaffrey, David Eddings and Terry Pratchett. I was fascinated by space and its possibilities. So it's probably not all that surprising that when I discovered the writing bug, it was sci fi that I wrote.
It was sci fi that I fell back on for what became my first published novella, IRONHAVEN. Now my other worlds include those in urban fantasy and the much-loved Steampunk genres as well as. I have aliens, humans, angels, zombie-killing cowboys and even a vampire among my repertoire of characters.
When I'm not writing I indulge in one of my other four loves – either attending the local area Steampunk group (the bio photo was taken at MOSI in Manchester on such an outing), knitting nutty creations, watching my beloved Stargate SG1 (okay, being honest I watch Ba'al, but he's gorgeous and really, who wouldn't?) or fiddling with my 1972 VW Beetle. Yes, I'm a girl and I like cars.
