Turns out my first Novel's On Submission...How Cool is That?

Dear Folks,
I learned this past two weeks that Careful What You Wish for... is on submission with eight more major publishing houses in New York City.
I say eight more because Two Houses have rejected it so far -  one gave feedback that "while they liked the premise of this suspense story they craved a livelier narrative to spark the twists".
So, I thought, that's fantastick! 
And let me tell you why.  Writing is all about re-writing.  You come up with this first draft, and then you think, well, what if this happens here?  What if that happened there?  And then you sit your butt down in the chair and you compose this thing called a second draft.  And so on, and so on...
Now, Careful literally "Jumped" out of my subconscience after doing some research on my first novel Tourist Trade last year.  I was researching some scary facts on the INTERPOL website about the white slave trade, and while Careful doesn't cover that specific topic, I got this scary idea I couldn't shake...
And, low and behold this Novel shows up.
I literally just followed these characters around taking dictation as fast as I could.
It was exhausting, and I'm certain that Carl, my beloved, believes deep down in his soul that I have taken leave of my senses!  Poor thing.  And to think, he married into this family.
So, yes, I wrote it.  And I let some folks read it.  And what do you know, they liked it!
Then, I thought, well...let's pick some choosier folks.  Other writers.  Choosy, discriminate readers, who aren't afraid to tell you the truth...not just someone who will blow air up my skirt because they like me, or want to stay on my good side. 
Real readers.
And, what do you know - damn, those folks liked the story too.  Sure, they pointed out my mistakes and asked all these crazy questions I hadn't thought of yet, but that made sense, you know, in retrospect...
So then, I started looking into this whole publishing gig...
Researching the territory.
Not for the faint of heart.
Did you know that it is alleged that J.K. Rowlings gathered 60-something rejections before Harry Potter got picked up?
Rejection is part of an author's life. 
Mostly you don't get feedback with a rejection, but the folks at the latest publishing house did throw in a sentence or two for consideration.  Crumbs for consideration. 
But rejection is so much more than most people understand.  It's an opportunity to revise, to collaborate, to look at things with a fresh eye and come up to the batter's plate again with a new plan.
Just like the dark night of the soul in most movie blockbusters, you know the one, at the end of Act II, where the hero gets a chance to see what they've done wrong, and how they can formulate a new plan to conquer the bad guy...
That's where I'm at today.
I sat my butt down in the chair and I added another 1800 words to the story to spark the narrative!
And I've never been happier in my entire life.
Remember, conflict comes to you for a reason. 
Rejection is merely an opportunity for collaboration.
Collaboration on a project just may be the most important thing you will ever participate in.
Listen.
Pay attention.
Do the work you need to do with what you learn everyday.
And rejoice when you see a rejection.  It just may be the greatest gift you're ever allowed on this journey we all share. 
It's a chance to start anew and improve.
Please post your comments and let me know what you think!
Best,
Paula