You gotta love Susan Boyle on Britain’s got talent. I just needed to say that.

So one of the agents (names aren’t necessary or appropriate) got back to me. The manuscript was rejected. The reason given was that it seemed to have a religious message and it was “definitely not Canadian.” He was very nice about it and recommended that I try contacting American agents.

I can’t tell you much more. The agent that I talked to didn’t actually read the manuscript his assistant did. So if you're having difficulty getting an agent to look at your work, don’t be disheartened! ‘Just J’ received a positive review from ‘The Globe and Mail’(Canada's national newspaper), made it onto an Ontario Library Association top ten list, was starred as a Best Bet by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, translated into Norwegian and Swedish, and I can’t get past the assistant. Sometimes I can't even get that far.

But there is hope.

I’m waiting to hear back from two other Canadian agencies and a publisher. And, taking the agent’s advice, I contacted two New York agencies that got back to me the next day. One passed, the other asked me to send a synopsis and the first 30 - 40 pages of the manuscript; which I did 2 hours ago.

In the meantime I keep reminding myself that Jonathon Livingston Seagull, by Richard Bach, was rejected 140 times and it went onto sell millions. George Orwell was told, regarding Animal Farm, that it was impossible to sell animal stories in the U.S. Beatrix Potter was turned down so many times she went onto self-publish ‘The Tale of Peter Rabbit'. Dr. Seuss got a rejection letters that said: "too different from other juveniles on the market to warrant its selling." And "The girl doesn't, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the 'curiosity' level." was said about THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK.

So my betters, have heard worse.

There’s more at: http://www.debbieohi.com/personal/rejections.html

While everybody wants to be original, nobody wants to do it first.

On the upside I found out that ‘Chill’ was sold to Hegas in Sweden. Orca Book Publishers have sold them a few from their Orca Soundings series, which ‘Chill’ is a part of.

And I should be meeting with a director sometime in the next couple of weeks, about a screenplay that I wrote. I've been trying to get it made for nearly ten years.

It’s a battle and there’s a lot of rejection. After my annulment and the events that lead up to, and surrounded it, I was terrified of more rejection, both professional and personal. I didn't know how I would handle it. But now having received it, on both fronts, I actually feel much better. I faced my fear, what I was afraid would happen, happened, and I’m still standing, God is still in his heaven, and the world is still spinning around. I still love writing and my love of words and stories (hearing them and telling them) has only deepened. Though I am, for the first time in my life, blocked. But it'll come.

I am thankful that God gave me friends, family and Guinness: to lift me up when I'm down and for me to raise when I'm up. And Susan Boyle is definitely heaven sent.

As Sir Winston Churchill said, “For myself I am optimist – does not seem to be much use being anything else.”