Friday Feature: Journeys Toward Publication and Beyond: Terry Lynn Johnson is PUBLISHED

Okay, seriously, this is my favorite kind of Friday Feature. An update of the most impressive kind!  Terry Lynn Johnson's book, Dogsled Dreams, is out! Published, and awesome!

I've invited Terry back to tell us about how things are going for her, in her writing world. And, remember to leave her a question or comment here--not only will she be back to answer, but the best commenter will WIN A COPY OF DOGSLED DREAMS.  You know me--there's no such thing as a free lunch. You've got to do something to win something at Edited.

If you want to catch up on Terry's journey, here is her first Journeys Toward Publication interview, where she talks about getting her publishing deal, and here is an update, revealing that she snagged an agent. Click through--we'll wait.

Buy Dogsled Dreams

Welcome Terry! You have had a long and interesting journey to get to this point in publication. Why don't we pick up where we left off. You had landed your wonderful agent, and was in the publishing mix with Dogsled Dreams.

Tell us.  How is the process different for you, now that you have an agent?

So far, the process is a lot less stressful. My agent has ICE DOGS out right now. I can relax in the knowledge that she sends it to the best places for that story. And she knows the best TIME to send it, which I think is key. She is the advocate for the book, so I can let a professional worry about what to say about it. Also, if I have any questions, I have someone who knows the industry at my finger tips. It is very, very nice. What hasn't changed is the waiting. Well, the first couple of responses were quick. But now, we wait. And if we do get an offer, I can trust her to help with that. Really, the best part is not feeling alone in my journey.

That's the most convincing argument for having an agent that I've ever heard. Terry--what surprised you about the publication process?

I've learned from the debut group, The Elevensies, that this is true for most everyone - the fact that I'm the last to know about anything. I never knew what was going on behind the scenes. I learned some things through google alerts. It was a mysterious and murky industry before I got my book deal. And it still is. Even with an agent! Even trying to figure out Amazon sales ranking is beyond my comprehension!

Urgh. Frustrating. And great tip about google alerts. Now--about the BOOK. How much of Dogsled Dreams comes from your experiences with your own team?

Pretty much all of the adventures in the story actually happened to me. At family gatherings, I was usually the entertainment - acting out my latest misadventures with the dogs. My mother kept saying, "you should write this down!" And I finally did. The dogs in the book are all the same dogs that I owned, with the same names and personality quirks. They were very easy to write about!

It sounds inspiring. I was so exhilarated by the dogsledding passages in Dogsled Dreams, that I would love to try dogsledding. What a wonderful job you did painting that picture for your audience! Great job, Terry. What's next? What are you working on now?

I'm writng a YA canoe adventure, working title, WOLF RIDGE, that's a little slow going with all the excitement during the release of Dogsled Dreams. But I'm starting to really love it. It's just been brought to my attention - I hadn't even noticed this - that all three of my novels have beavers in them! The first one was a beaver attack (and a true story).The second one had a little about beaver trapping. The third has a few young beavers that are being cared for by a wildlife rehabilitator. I guess that's my Canadian signature.

Yay, inside scoop!  Now we know what secret stuff to watch for in your upcoming books. Terry--congrats on the wonderful book, and I can't wait to see Ice Dogs in print. I'm crossing my fingers for a quick offer!

Now, I would love it if everyone would take a moment to pop over to these three reviews of Terry's book, Dogsled Dreams, and here are some places to buy the book: in Canada, and in the U.S.

And, please make sure to leave a wonderful comment or question for Terry in the comment section, she'll be by to answer them, and the BEST comment or question will win a copy of Dogsled Dreams. Woo-hoo!! And let Terry's journey inspire you to FINISH that draft/those revisions/that query letter.  Thanks Terry, for the awesome interview, and wonderful book!