It's another beautiful day in Connecticut. I'm still very pumped up after yesterday's Unicorn Writers Conference at the spectacular St. Clemens Castle in Portland, CT.  Favorite workshop - Query letters with Irene Goodman.

The agent and editor panel discussions were interesting, but I didn't hear much that I hadn't heard before. The biggest surprise to me? How difficult it is, even after you have an agent and have found an editor that likes your manuscript, to then get a contract from the publishers.

The big houses are terrified of this market and clearly have no idea how to transform themselves in a digital age. One editor said that sales dropped by 30% after Borders closed.

So with a dose of reality mixed into the euphoria of talking to agents about my book, I'm still optimistic.