Rejection but no Dejection

Last night I finally received an email from the editor with my full - they're passing on the book. Both the ed and the senior ed love my voice and writing style but unfortunately they felt the hero wasn't fully fleshed out and the heroine had a tendency to come across on occasion  as immature. The good news is, they want to work with me on a new story putting into practise everything I have learnt. And, through the three rounds of revisions, I have learnt so much - when I wrote this book (well over two years ago!) my focus was very much on the heroine - in a way, the hero was merely a foil. Since I started the revision process, I have learnt that the hero deserves as much care and attention as the heroine, and right from the very beginning of the story. I can't just plonk a big alpha male in the story and expect him to bring himself to life - that's my job! Luckily, I have written a further two and a half books with heroes that, at least in my own head, are fully formed. I know them as intimately as I know the heroines.
The editor wants to call me after Easter to discuss ideas and deadlines and has asked if I have any material she can look at in the meantime. I have duly emailed back with a brief synopsis of the two and a half books, so hopefully she will tell me which she likes the idea of the most and we can take it from there.
At some point over the next week I'll get a synopsis of the rejected book done and start subbing it elsewhere. I also have a full with Entangled (I won a pitch competition in February and they requested the full) which I am waiting to hear back from so it's by no means all doom and gloom. If anything, I feel surprisingly cheerful (was a bit down last night but hey ho, you have to take the knocks).
Thanks for all the wonderful support you have given me during this - it really is appreciated.

Take care all xxx