Rambling To Me

Since no one seems to read this blog, I'm going to write this just for me.

I got the news today that Kate Duffy, executive editor at Kinsington Books, had passed away. The news hit me harder than I'd have expected. I didn't know her well. I only knew her from Heather Graham's New Orleans workshops. I was the first winner of her Dufey Award, for best query letter. Through that I got to know her after I sent her the manuscript for the novel described in the query. We exchanged a few emails about writing, and publishing and what it takes to make it in this business. One thing about Kate, she shot from the hip, shot straight, and never let the gun smoke drift up your skirt. She had mentioned not long ago that she sometimes felt badly for having to reject so many writers' works. But as a friend of mine told her, sometimes we writers need that slap in the face to make us realize we need to get serious or move on.

Kate, I had a dream that you would be that big-time-edtor who would one day say, "Charlotte, this one is good enough." Now all I can do is try to write one good enough, and say, This one's for you, Kate."