Our Authors - In The Spotlight

Janet Wellington
author of Bachelor For Sale

How do you feel now that you've made that first sale?

JW: I am so thrilled to be where I am right now, and I feel very fortunate. One of the nicest aspects of selling my first book has been how happy other people in my life are for me. It is very magical to achieve a dream and I think that's why others share in my joy.

Have you worked with a mentor, critique group or plotting partner?

JW: I'm not really attracted to the concept of a critique group and have never belonged to one. Having been exposed for three years to workshops and presentations twice a month through both the San Diego and Orange County chapters of Romance Writers of America (plus attending national and regional conferences), I have been able to get some feedback in small doses from others. I have also won and utilized a few professional critiques by romance authors which have been extremely helpful (Kathryn Lynn Davis, Bronwyn Wolfe, Patricia Wright).

Did you ever get discouraged about selling and what pulled you out of the pit and changed your situation?

JW: I was actually feeling quite discouraged just before I sold "Bachelor for Sale" last March. I was working on some projects that were NOT romances, to keep myself writing and to take a break from the rejection cycle. I have taken periodic breaks from writing romance and usually try to learn or do something different or creative during that time. I've investigated script writing, magazine and newspaper article writing, and children's writing as diversions during this "down time." Developing diversity is a goal for me and I think it will be critical in allowing me to someday write full time.

Reading also inspires me - I'll take a break and skim through some current romance in a line I'm interested in. I also read a lot outside the genre and gravitate towards non-fiction. And I love Anne Lamott's "Bird by Bird," and Ray Bradbury's "Zen in the Art of Writing." My writing library is getting huge - I will always buy writing books, because each one has a "gem" to offer.

Any last words?

JW: I have these words taped to my computer at home: "Don't underestimate the power of a dream." And I'm living proof!

BACHELOR FOR SALE is published by Kensington's Precious Gems Romances. It is available exclusively at Wal-Mart.

Lacey Murdock has to find a handsome single rancher fast. And he has to be willing to be auctioned off -- to charity, of course. So Lacey goes hunting in a honky-tonk and runs smack into Jared Conrad.

Tall, dark, and definitely handome, Jared certainly stands out in the crowd. He's the kind of man any woman would want to date -- and he's perfect for the auction. And Jared agrees to her scheme...

When a mystery woman drives up the bidding, Lacey knows that the date with Jared is out of reach. Then the winner donates the prize to Lacey -- and she's off for a weekend with a man she's beginning to love...