During the entire month of May I’m hosting a reverse blog tour. Rather than send y’all to other people’s blogs to read about me, which you already do if you’re a regular here, I’m introducing you to some amazing and talented authors from all walks of life and genres.
Today I have the brilliant and creative Tara Quan, and she’s got a unique post. I know a lot of my readers are authors, and we’re all going through this publishing journey in one way or another. So Tara’s post about her first sale is a great read if you’re looking for a first-person perspective.

My First Sale
Disclaimer: The title is not an original one. Dear Author runs a series on first sales. The articles are mostly about traditionally published authors, and they are worth perusing for inspiration. Allyson and I don’t quite fall into said category, but we’ve been celebrating our first sales just the same.

I wish publishers would put “accepted” or “rejected” in the subject lines of emails. Whenever I get an email from a publisher about a submission, my heart races, I break into a cold sweat, and my finger hovers over the track pad as I try to decide if I want to break the spell. The moment I open the email, reality comes crashing. My gaze inevitably lands on euphemisms for rejection: pass, not for us, not a good fit. The list goes on.

And then the impossible happens. On October 21, 2012, I clicked on an email from Liquid Silver Books. I knew something was off. There were more than two lines in the email. You don’t need that many words to reject a manuscript.

My brain froze. The words appeared as an indecipherable garble. I took a deep breath and focused. My suspicions were confirmed when I reached the fourth line: “We loved your story, and I’m delighted to offer you a contract for publication.” Trust me, those words never get old.

Tower in the Woods is a post-apocalyptic erotic romance based on the fairy tale Rapunzel. It comes with zombies, snipers, a fateful snowstorm and a hot alpha male. It’s my first sale–no matter how many more books I write, this one will always have a special place in my heart.

I love this story, I’ve read it a few times since Tara sent it to me. And because you want to know what this first sale book is about

Tower in the Woods Blurb

Raised by the Women’s Independent Territory Church (WITCH), Nel Zapur is a skilled sniper tasked to eliminate zombies. Never having once laid eyes on a man, she has been a prisoner in her tower for eleven long years. A fateful snowstorm leads a mysterious stranger to her window, and saving him may prove to be the best and worst decision of her life.

Special Agent Dane Prince was sent to gather intelligence on the WITCH, and his journey leads him to a mysterious tower in the woods. Snowed in with a virginal member of the feminist cult, Dane is determined to use the situation to his advantage. Not only will Nel provide him with the information he needs, she will also learn to submit to his every desire.

Looking for Tara and her Books, including an excerpt from Tower in the Woods?
http://taraquan.com/undead-fairy-tales/
You can also find her on Twitter: www.twitter.com/LaylaTarar

And who is this talented Tara Quan individual?
Tara Quan wasted four years of college daydreaming about the fantasy and paranormal romances she wanted to write. After graduating with two degrees she never uses, she spent three more years trying to be happy with a traditional career.

Luckily, her husband’s work took that option away, and Tara now has the license to pursue her dreams of becoming a romance author. While she still has a day-job, she spends all her free time writing. Her first novella, Tower in the Woods, was released on January 14, 2013.

Today is the two-month anniversary of her most recent release. Warlock’s Pawn is a fantasy erotic romance replete with warlocks, fae, magic and political intrigue. More information on this title can be found at http://taraquan.com/captive-fates/