Off the Beaten Path

Sometimes the most direct way isn’t always the best. This is true for road trips, writing, and life. By changing one thing, taking one detour, or making one decision over another can impact the outcome. Most of the time for the better.

On our recent Texas family vacation, we traveled from Austin to San Antonio. Taking the highway would have gotten us to our destination sooner but straying off the beaten path led us to sample some of the best BBQ in Texas. We also got to experience the small-town atmosphere we would have never seen had the allure of trying a Texas staple not tugged at our taste buds.

We weren’t the only ones because the four places where we stopped had long lines of people spilling out the door. The experience of brisket, ribs, sausage and turkey right out of the smoker tantalized our vision. The aroma of cooking meat mingling with the pecan smoke teased our taste buds. We ordered our treats and saw the meat puled from the smoker and sliced right in front of us. Then we sampled our purchases, critiqued the flavors and spices used, and decided for ourselves which place had the best BBQ in Texas. Hands down the prize went to Smitty’s Market in Lockhart, Texas.

In my writing life, I’d always focused on Harlequin. I grew up reading their books and knew they were the publishing house for me. Or so I thought until I attended a national writing conference. My conference roommate convinced me to go the Spotlight on Avalon Books. (1950-2012) They became my first publisher, thanks to my editor Erin, who got my stories.

After taking five years off to spend more time with my two children, I plunged back in the publishing world by selling short stories and a romantic suspense to an e-book press.

I fulfilled my dream by publishing four books with Harlequin. Along the way, I sold manuscripts to different publishers, worked with amazing editorial staff and found lifelong friends I would have never met if I’d only focused on Harlequin. Currently, I’m submitting to a different publisher that I never would have considered in my earlier writing life.

So, if I’d never strayed from the highway or from my career path, I would have never known what places I’d missed or what opportunities were available for the taking. Try it sometime, you never know what’s out there for you.