C is for Courtney Rice Gager

I know I've already announced this on Twitter, but I'm excited to now announce it here on my blog. Author, Courtney Rice Gager has joined #TeamKara and Anaiah Press for her contemporary romance, TESS IN BOOTS. Let me just say, I love this book! It is adorable and the hero.... Wow! I really cannot wait for y'all to read this book. Anyway, enough of my rambling. Courtney is here today to share her experiences with Anaiah Press, me, and even a hint about her book.

Courtney, take it away...

I had been querying my manuscript, Tess in Boots, for about four months
when I entered the #adpit contest on February 5, 2014. I say I entered the
contest, and that sounds so purposeful and official, but I should divulge
that it was actually a very clumsy and last-minute decision on my part.

With my toddler pulling on my leg and asking (okay, more like screaming) for
Cheerios, I tweeted my pitch and didn't give it another thought. I had
entered pitch contests before, and usually I would spend hours agonizing
over responses. This particular day was different. Suffice it to say,
my house was a zoo (no, more like an airport... actually, more like a
zoo *at* the airport), and I just wasn't able to obsessively refresh
Twitter like I'd hoped.

I can only assume that fate took over when Kara Leigh Miller of Anaiah
Press happened to see my pitch, requesting my query and first ten pages.
Anaiah Press was already on my list of publishers to query, so I happily
sent the partial. Kara responded later that day with a request for the full
manuscript.

On February 28th, I received notification from Kara that Anaiah Press was
offering me a contract for publication! I took my time, prayed, did my
research, had a conference call with Kara and Eden, and on March 11, 2014,
I officially signed with Anaiah Press.

Kara's enthusiasm for my manuscript was the biggest deciding factor in
signing. She has really come alongside me in the editing process, and her
ideas for fine-tuning my story have absolutely blown me away. I can't wait
to reveal Tess in Boots to the world, but for now it's just me and Kara,
plugging away to make this book the best it can possibly be. I continually
get the sense that she cares about my characters as much as I do. (Ladies,
wait till you meet my leading man. He's definitely, as Kara puts it,
book-crush worthy.) She is also impeccably organized and on the ball. At
least, that's how I see her!

I am thrilled to have Kara in my corner, and I feel that way about everyone
I have encountered at Anaiah Press. Their publicity ideas are awesome,
their personal approach is unprecedented, and I am proud to be part of
their family.