Career Milestones

April 6, 2012 by marianne h donley in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Berkley Prime Crime, Harlequin Nocturne, Linda O. Johnston, writing milestones with 4 and 0

Home > Columns > Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston > Career Milestones

By Linda O Johnston

Every authorâ€™s writing career is different. We all share one thing in common, though. We remember our milestones.

Maybe we donâ€™t recall exactly when each occurred, but we think about the time that we stopped telling ourselves we would like to write and instead actually began writing. We think about the first time we finished a chapter. And then a whole manuscript.

If weâ€™re lucky enough to pursue our careers and succeed, we also recall our first publications. Our first agent. Whatever other things were meaningful to who and what we are as writers.

Iâ€™m bringing this up because I have just reached a couple of milestones. First, my new release HOUNDS ABOUND, my third Pet Rescue Mystery for Berkley Prime Crime, is my thirtieth published novel.

I also was recognized in a Harlequin newsletter for having published my fifteenth Harlequin story. They count novellas in that, so my Nocturne Bites were included, although I hadnâ€™t added them to my novel count. Iâ€™m delighted about that, too!

I do recall some of those earlier milestones as well. Iâ€™d tried my hand at writing before but had stopped while going to law school. Even so, I kept telling my husband I wanted to write again. He finally said, â€œWell, write, then,â€ and I did–and kept going.

Of course I recall my first published fiction–a short story in Ellery Queenâ€™s Mystery Magazine. Iâ€™d have remembered it anyway, but it was especially exciting since it also won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for best first mystery short story of the year. Plus, it was published again in an anthology.

Then there was my first published novel, A GLIMPSE OF FOREVER–a time travel romance published by Dorchester. Iâ€™ve been really sorry to hear of that companyâ€™s recent struggles.

I remember signing with my first agent, and then with the one Iâ€™ve been with for many years and adore. I recall my first Harlequin sale, my first mystery sale, and more. Itâ€™s always so much fun to revisit those times!

How about you? What are your favorite writing milestones?

Linda O Johnstonâ€™s Pet Rescue Mysteries, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mystery series for Berkley Prime Crime, feature Lauren Vancouver, a determined pet rescuer who runs a no-kill shelter. Of course, in this cozy mystery series, â€œno-killâ€ refers to the animals, not people! Her most recent Pet Rescue Mystery is HOUNDS ABOUND , an April 2012 release.

Visit Linda at www.LindaOJohnston.com or KillerHobbies.blogspot.com

Author Details

Linda O. Johnston

Author Details

Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published 52 books so far, including mysteries and romantic novels. More than twenty-five of them are romances for Harlequin, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense and Harlequin Nocturne. Her latest release is Colton 911: Caught in the Crossfire, for Harlequin Romantic Suspense. She has also written several mystery series including the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries and Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries and Pet Rescue Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Nearly all Linda’s current stories involve dogs! Linda enjoys hearing from readers.

http://www.LindaOJohnston.com

Linda O. Johnston

Year Progressing Fast

March 6, 2023

And March? It’s a good month for me. The third Shelter of Secrets story for Harlequin Romantic Suspense was just published: UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER. Two more books coming this year too.
Still Groundhog Day?

February 6, 2023

It’s now the second month of 2023. Do things keep recurring to you, as they do with me—kind of an ongoing Groundhog Day, even though that was four days ago this year.
What’s With the New Year?

January 6, 2023

Happy 2023, everyone! Should it be happy for a writer? Well, that depends on what you’re writing and what you want to accomplish in the new year.
The Year is Ending, but Publicity is On The Rise!

December 6, 2022

It’s December. The year is coming to a close. But it appears that book promotion is ramping up even more!
Is the World Reopening?

October 4, 2022

I think it is! At least, I’ve attended more in-person events recently than I had in ages, and more to come.

BEAR WITNESS

UNLUCKY CHARMS

TO CATCH A TREAT

COVERT ALLIANCE

BAD TO THE BONE

PROTECTOR WOLF

SECOND CHANCE SOLDIER

PICK AND CHEWS

TRAINED TO PROTECT

VISIONARY WOLF (Alpha Force)

FOR A GOOD PAWS

COLTON 911: CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE

COLTON FIRST RESPONDER (The Coltons of Mustang Valley)

HER UNDERCOVER REFUGE

UNDERCOVERING COLTON’S FAMILY SECRETS

GUARDIAN K-9 ON CALL

BEAGLEMANIA

THE MORE THE TERRIER

HOUNDS ABOUND

SHIELDING COLTON’S WITNESS

UNDERCOVER COWBOY DEFENDER

< Newer Article

Older Article >

Anonymous says:

April 11, 2012 at 9:42 PM

Another informative blogâ€¦ Thank you for sharing itâ€¦ Best of luck for further endeavor too.

Real Estate for Sale in PA

Anonymous says:

April 9, 2012 at 8:00 AM

That sounds like quite a special day, Ger. Glad that OCC came through for you–although I'm not surprised! And thanks for the congrats.

Anonymous says:

April 7, 2012 at 11:46 PM

And congratulations, Linda, on all your hard-won success!

-Ger

Anonymous says:

April 6, 2012 at 11:31 PM

Linda,
I will never forget my first OCC meeting! I was so nervous! I walked in, and Desiree Gonzales and Nancy MacFarlane, complete strangers to me, called me over to sit at their table – they could see how nervous and out of place I felt. Then I went over to the Ask an Author table, where authors Crystal Green and Judy Duarte were just talking to people! Then, president Marianne Donley introduced me to Jackie Diamond! Then I won the first chapter critique by Susan Squires! Then I met Sue Phillips and she said she could just tell I was going to get published. It was such an awesome day!!!!! That was one hell of a milestone!!!

-Ger