Hard work gets results!
Writing and ultimately publishing takes determination and tenacity. Time. Brainstorming. Editing. More time. Problem solving. Pulling your hair out. Walking away. Fine tuning. Asking fellow writers for help and ideas. Hiring help. In the end, you get what you put into it.
So after all my sweat and hard work, I’m thrilled to announce that Regal House Publishing, an independent traditional press from North Carolina, purchased my novel, Love and Other Incurable Ailments, for publication as part of their Fall 2026 Frontlist season.
My path included asking for help
After I’d written the rough draft for this book, I lacked confidence, wondering if I really had a story worth shaping. So I handed it to a developmental editor, author Jacquelyn Mitchard, whom I’d met at a conference when working on my first novel. She gave me needed encouragement and great ideas of where to take it. Jacquelyn believes if you want to finish the damn book, it pays to plan. E.L. Doctorow says, “Writing is like driving a car at night. You never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” However, Jacquelyn counters that with: “You wouldn’t drive cross country without a map or GPS, so screw that. Make a plan!”
And so I went forth. I put in the hard work: writing, editing, researching, more editing, and still more editing. When I began querying agents, I discovered that maybe I needed more help.
Agent feedback matters
Typically agents don’t take the time explain why they reject you. If they do, take note. After I received praise and feedback from one agent on what she felt was lacking, I felt stuck. So I hired an editor, author and fellow Michigander Lynne Golodner, for thoughts on shaping the narrator’s voice and story. Her insights helped me push the manuscript over the finish line.
At that point, I took my query directly to publishers. What a difference. Right away, three small presses and a large hybrid press showed interest. Then Regal House Publishing requested the entire manuscript. At that point, I put everything on hold until I heard back from their editor-in-chief.
Happy news: she loved it and wanted to present it at their acquisition meeting. I filled out their questionnaire. She and I met via zoom.
Hooray!
Then I finally got the email I’d hoped for: “After discussion with the acquisitions team today, we all agreed that we would love to work with you to bring Love and Other Incurable Ailments into the world!”
Stay tuned
I’ll be sharing more information as time goes on! 2026 seems like a long wait, but I have a feeling it will go fast.
In the meantime, here’s the story:
Serenity isn’t always as calm as her name implies. In fact, you might call her obsessive with a little hypochondria thrown in for good measure. She fills her days with retail work, group therapy, doting on a male ragdoll cat named Margaret Thatcher, and grousing over being dumped by her fiancé. Her outlook changes when she finds a box of discarded love letters. Enamored with the passionate penman, she upends her secure but boring routine in Michigan to search for him on remote Ocracoke Island, NC. When her happily-ever-after scheme goes awry, she fears she must flee her new life and the handful of friends she’s grown to love because the pain is too great.
It’s a rich narrative exploring anxiety, love, healing and community.
If you’d like to know more, take a peek at my Love and Other Incurable Ailments Pinterest board to get a feel for the characters and the rustic setting of Ocracoke Island. I use Pinterest throughout my writing process for inspiration and to keep track of pertinent articles and images.
And I have a lovely official author page on Regal House’s website!
Thanks to all my followers for your support. Those who’ve read and enjoyed In the Context of Love have been waiting a long time for book #2, and I so appreciate all of you. Cheers!
Thank you for visiting.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is a writer, poet, and artist
BUY BOOKS: In the Context of Love | Gordy and the Ghost Crab | Sleepwalker
New novel for fall 2026 Love and Other Incurable Ailments, from Regal House Publishing
Connect with Linda on social media: LinkTree
