Greetings, all!
First, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has followed this blog and posted comments– I apologize for being in absentia for so long! Suffice to say, it’s been a very welcome whirlwind since the top three finalists in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel contest were announced, and I found myself among them! There was a flood of support from friends and family (You rock!!), many inquiries from literary agents, and a mobilization to get out the vote, which included radio announcements and newpaper articles in my local Napa Valley Register and in my hometown of Sonora, CA. This is scan of their first article (when I made the top 100). What fun to do the follow-up!
Some Hometown Support!
And LOTS of valuable grassroots efforts from just about everyone around me.
While we weren’t given the vote totals, we were told it was “very close.” In the end, James King took the day with his wonderful novel, Bill Warrington’s Last Chance. A hearty congratulations to Jim!!! It was such a pleasure to get to know both of my fellow finalists, (Ian Gibson rounded out the trio, with his charming epic: Stuff of Legends), as well as their lovely wives. Let me just say that the public could not have gotten this wrong. The editors at Penguin picked three fine novels, and we were only three from among a great many rich voices in the semifinals. I know we’ll be seeing many of their books in print in the future…
For all of you who rooted for me and In Malice, Quite Close, you have my heartfelt thanks!! And I’m happy to say your votes weren’t in vain! My new agent, Elyse Cheney, is in the final stages of negotiation with Viking/Penguin now to publish it. Words (for once) can’t express how thrilled I am… It’s been a long and winding road (cue music) but this is it! Since I was 3 years old and learned to read, this has been my dream. Thanks to the fine folks at Amazon and Penguin and to all of you, it has come true.
Okay, so enough gushing for one post, huh? Want to tag along with me on my trip to NYC?!? I’m terrible when it comes to taking pictures, but fortunately I find myself married to a fabulous photographer, Eric Zachary Ryder, who documented our trip from start to finish… Naturally, I’ve added a few words of embellishment. 
Just click on the photo below to go the slideshow. For the best viewing experience, please follow the instructions at the top of the page. (It’s best to use the “Fullscreen” option and pause, then use the arrows manually so you can catch the captions.) Enjoy!!
Oh, and be sure to check out some of Eric’s beautiful fine art photos while you’re there!
En route! (JFK)
Oh Brandi, this is so thrilling! Congratulations on your agent, and your “understanding” with Viking (heh), and a fabulous time in NYC. So exciting, and well deserved!
Thank you, Julie! How good to see you here! I have high hopes for you in 2010– is your WIP the Norwegian folk song one? That sounds lovely– and I do hope to be able to read the rest of The Pilgrim Glass one day soon!
That’s the one! And you’re so funny – focus on your fabulous, exciting ride. The Pilgrim Glass ain’t going anywhere
Brandi -
CONGRATULATIONS on your literary agent and your contract with Viking/Penguin.
Everyone who read your excerpt knew it wouldn’t be long before you were snatched up by an agent and publisher. And see? They didn’t even let you out of New York before signing you!
All the best,
Jim King
Dear Jim,
Thanks so much for the kind words and for taking the time to visit my blog!! I hope the photos triggered some happy memories for you… What a magical week, huh? Contract-wise, it’s not official quite yet– I haven’t signed on the dotted line… but I don’t think we could ask for a better publishing home! I thought all the people from Penguin (and Amazon!) were wonderful. Be sure to keep me in the loop as thing progress with “Bill Warrington’s Last Chance.” It’s so exciting to go through this together!
In fact, any chance I can talk you into blogging about it?
Warm wishes,
Brandi
Congratulations on your contract. Just a prissy little nit here: in your excerpt you have Tristan refering to (if my memory serves) The Sun Also Rises as Hemingway’s first novel. That honor goes to Torrents of Spring, a minor work (indeed, intended to be minor–there’s an interesting story to this book) that was published just months before SAR. Tristan, I believe, would know this.
Hi Randy,
Prissy nits are a writer’s bread and butter– thank you for pointing this out! Undoubtedly, Tristan is aware of this, but failed to tell me! I should have known better than to trust him… Truth is, while I typically fact-check everything I think I “know,” I relied in this case on memory and an American Lit Prof who said we were reading Hemingway’s first novel my Freshman year. Perhaps, she meant “first major novel?” Anyway, proof you should never pay attention in school! I mean, er… rely on memory. I’d love to hear the story behind Torrents of Spring.
The congratulations are a tiny bit premature, (see my reply to Jim’s post), but in any case, they are appreciated. Thanks for dropping by the blog!
Hemingway had a three book deal with a publisher — the first was his first collection of short stories. His contract stated that if the publisher rejected his second book Hemingway could break the contract. Which he wanted to do, to move over to Scribner and work with Max Perkins (also, Scribner was offering Hemingway more money). So Hemingway wrote, and offered to his publisher, Torrents of Spring, which parodied Sherwood Anderson’s latest novel as well as other novelists of the time (James Joyce among others). The publisher was sure to reject Torrents, because Anderson was their premier novelist. They did, Hemingway took Torrents (and The Sun Also Rises) to Scribner, and Anderson’s and Hemingway’s friendship tanked. Hemingway was my first literary hero, but I’ve never bothered to read Torrents of Spring — IMHO it’s publication was only a matter of form to make Hemingway’s move look legitimate.
The moral? Never mentor a genius, like Anderson did Hemingway — they’ll always throw you under the bus!
Ha! Great story, Randy. He was something else. (I’ve always wondered about that expression… anyone happen to know the derivation? Perhaps I’ll google it.) I’m in the unhappy position of loving Hemingway stories more than Hemingway’s stories… but he is iconic, no matter how you slice it.