My first sale was THE THIRD CHRISTMAS, which Paula Eykelhof bought for Harlequin Superromance in February of 1994. It was released that November/December, which is very fast. While searching for an image of the cover online, I reflected that if I couldn't find one I would just look for a photo of the Uncompahgre River. That would symbolize my first experience with rewrites, my first affirmation that a rewrite ALWAYS improves the book, that two heads are better than one.
Paula wanted to get rid of things I felt were essential (but which weren't). In order to accomplish the rewrite, I had to physically throw the manuscript into the Uncompahgre River, immediately pulling it out again, so as not to litter. Then I did what I'd been asked to do, learning in the process that, "This doesn't work," doesn't mean there are only one or two ways to do something. There are so many options for change when something in the first draft doesn't work; it needn't be this way or that. How about door number 3 or 4? Also, I found in retrospect that what I might think is genius at one minute might make me blush in another; this is where editors save us.
THE THIRD CHRISTMAS won a regional romance award and was a finalist for a RITA Award for Best First Book.
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