While disappointing, I am grateful for what I learned during their considerations and feedback and move forward. I'm still optimistic about the book's potential and hopefully I'll find an agent who wants to work with me. It's a process and this is all part of the journey.
In the meantime, the muse is still active and I'm happy about that.
And a new review on Goodreads for FALLEN TREES made me smile: "I honestly had to read more than once, it was that suspenseful."