Dekker, Healy and Deveraux: Published in the Gazette on July 5, 2009

Most of the books I recommend in this column are old; they were published years, sometimes even decades, before I ever write about them. I choose these old books on purpose. I want readers to have good books inexpensively available, either through the used-book market or new-paperback market.

Of course, the Pikes Peak Library District also offers a great deal on books (it doesn't get any better than free), but even through the PPLD, new books are often hard to come by.

The wait list for sought-after new books can be so long that the "new" books don't feel new when you get them.

And even books that weren't published in this year, but are just plain popular, can take awhile to get. That's why I love the library's Rapid Read program.

The Rapid Read program is a hodgepodge of popular books, many of them newly published, that are available for a seven-day checkout. There are special shelves housing the Rapid Reads in each library branch and you never know what's going to be on them.

There's a two-book limit on Rapid Reads, and I recently maxed out my limit with "Kiss" by the writing team of Ted Dekker and Erin Healy, and "Lavender Morning" by Jude Deveraux.

"Kiss" should inspire a new library program called "Very, Very Rapid Reads." This is one of those books that can make you forget to eat and sleep. The story begins with Shauna McAllister, the daughter of a United States presidential candidate, waking up from a six-week coma.

Shauna was injured in an automobile accident, but readers quickly suspect Shauna's roll into a river was carefully planned. Shauna doesn't know whom or what to trust, including the strange flashback images she receives almost any time she's touched. The story is fast and gripping. I read it in under three hours.

Deveraux's "Lavender Morning" took me a bit longer, but still within my seven-day limit. The story wasn't as fast-paced, but it was intriguing.

Thirty-something Jocelyn Minton inherits a historic house from an old friend, Edilean Harcourt. Jocelyn thinks she knows everything about Edi's past, but when she moves into Edi's old home, Jocelyn discovers her friend was keeping secrets. Unraveling the secrets leads Jocelyn closer to her own family and a brand-new love.

Both of these books are back at the library now, just waiting to be rapidly read.

Lots of Late Nights

This is one of those weeks in which I've got lots of good books I'm hauling through. The circles under my eyes are showing it...no sleep, only reading.

I'm finishing up ALMOST FRENCH. It became the book I've kept in the pool bag, so it's taking longer than the others. But I like it. It's a memoir about an Aussie who moves to France.

Finished RIGHT OF THIRST in one day (and night). Very good book about a cardiologist who goes to work in a relief camp. The author's agent or mktg person sent it to me along with a couple emails. Yay for her. I'll be recommending it in my column soon.

THE LOST OF ART OF KEEPING SECRETS is a fun, sweet story of love after WWII. When I started it, I thought, "There's no way this author (Eva Rice) can keep up this pace through the whole book." But she did.

SKINNY DIP by Carl Hiaasen (known for his fab MG books, but this one is surely for adults) is a riot. I had to force myself to turn out the lights and go to sleep last night.

I love reading.

Interview with Agent Alex Field

Hey, All!

A few weeks ago I mentioned that one of my followers, Alex Field, was declaring himself a literary agent. I am thrilled by this news, because as evidenced by Alex's blog, he is pretty much everything I want in a literary agent; he's savvy about the publishing world, professional, knowledgeable, and an all-around good dude (loves his family, is not squeamish about killing vermin and appreciates a good laugh).

Below is a short Q&A with Alex, but, first, let me tell you what he's looking for and how to contact him.

In FICTION, Alex is looking for well-written Fantasy, Sci Fi, Thrillers, Mystery, Urban Fantasy, Noir, Historical Fiction and Literary Fiction.

In NONFICTION, Alex has a particular interest in representing titles in Health & Wellness, Business, Self-Help, Biography, Autobiography and Memoir. NONFICTION should demonstrate a unique and fresh concept, written by an author who brings expertise or experience to the topic.

E-mail your query (with "QUERY" in the subject line) to alexfield1 at gmail dot com. Make sure your 3-5 paragraphs-long query includes the following:

-Short synopsis of your book
-Word Count of your manuscript (Fiction should be complete; Nonfiction should have 2 sample chapters ready to review)
-Genre
-Working Title
-Pertinent Author Information (Writing credits, Professional information etc.)

If Alex is interested, he'll request a writing sample within about four weeks.

And now for the Q&A:

ALM: How is reading queries like driving through traffic in southern
California?

AF: I used to face LA traffic every morning when I commuted in to the Los Angeles Times (where I worked as an assistant right after college) and it was an awful 2 hours every morning and another couple hours in the evening. These days, I see traffic when I head to the airport and typically I go one of two ways. One: I go straight down the 101 freeway into the snarling mess that is the 405 freeway and then grind into the airport terminal bumper to bumper. Two: I take picturesque Highway 1 past Malibu and Santa Monica with the ocean swells crashing next to me on the right as I glide into the airport terminal on the sea breeze.

I was avalanched with queries in the first couple weeks after I announced my new part-time venture, and sorting through the barrage of e-mail was much like the bumper to bumper traffic on the 405. However, I was also blown away by how many creative and talented people there are out there, and so for me, reading the queries themselves and discovering several interesting and truly enjoyable projects in the mix has been like gliding along Highway 1. How's that for an overlong answer?

ALM: Approximately what percentage of queries prompts a writing sample request
from you?

AF: I'm sure that my writing sample request percentage began higher than it is now (only a month later), but I discovered that some of those manuscripts for which I had lower expectations came in surprisingly good, while fantastic query letters sometimes resulted in shockingly poor manuscripts. So as you would expect, it's difficult to judge an author purely on the strength or weakness of his or her query letter. As you would expect, with such strange results I read every query letter closely.

Anyway, with all that as prelude, I think I request to see a sample from 1 out of every 8 letters. But it's changing. Ask me again in a couple months.

ALM: Have you found an author you'd love to represent, yet?

AF: When I began this process I represented three authors, and I just landed my first sale to a NY house for one of them. Since I began accepting queries, I have officially signed ONE author, though I am making plans to sign 2-3 more. The one author I just signed wrote a brilliant manuscript that simply knocked me back in my seat when I read it, and left me totally breathless. I tore through the entire novel in a couple days and immediately offered him representation. I will post more information about each author when I put up a web site someday (perhaps in a couple months).

ALM: Any last words/words of wisdom for the writing community?

AF: Keep writing. It takes hard work and a lot of elbow grease to write a great book (as most of you already know), and eventually, sell a great book. You, as the writer, should focus entirely on writing a great book until you truly feel that you've done all you can to achieve that goal. If you have a nagging doubt in the back of your mind about your manuscript - wait! Polish and reread. If you see an error strike it and reprint! Take your time and get it right. Once you've done the very best that you can, shop your work to agents or publishers and be proud of the work you've put into your book.

When you send your book idea or manuscript to an agent, in essence, you are seeking a champion. You are seeking someone who is as passionate about your book as you are; someone who can be persistent and find an editor at a publishing company to become another champion. So this is a very personal thing that happens between writer, agent and editor, but also, between a writer and his or her readers. Don't be afraid to pour yourself into your writing and be vulnerable. Get to that personal place in your story. You need your reader to relate to your characters (or your ideas for nonfiction) on every page, with every metaphor and turn of phrase.

Good luck!

Too Much Planning

There's much talk in the writing blogosphere about how much planning to do when getting started on your novel. This topic always makes me think about my children.

CHILD #1 Baby was due late August/early Sept. Husband was flying the C-5 back then. He was planning one last trip leaving July 23, and it was only four days long. The C-5 breaks down everywhere (meaning all over the freaking world and YOU try to find a spare C-5 engine in the middle of Africa, Japan, etc.) But even with possible engine failures, we thought a four day trip would probably only amount to a two-week trip...plenty of time before Baby is due. Anyway, we go to bed on the 21st and I wake up in the middle of the night to a huge wet spot on my side of the bed. Later that day, after much pain (because I'm one of those crazies who doesn't take pain meds), Baby is born. So much for our planning.

CHILD #2 Baby isn't due for weeks, but we are not to be fooled. We put together a "Birth Plan" noting Baby will probably arrive early. The Plan also includes a loooong list of other important things, like which soothing music to play during labor. But, hah! With almost zero pain, Baby is delivered quite out of the blue by a firefighter on my bedroom floor.

CHILD #3 We didn't even know I was pregnant for several weeks after conception. I think I said, "I wish I had a mustard sandwich." And then Husband and I looked at each other and went and bought a test. CHILD #3 has continued to surprise us in various ways ever since her birth.

CHILD #4 After the first three were girls, I planned on using all the girl stuff AGAIN. I was very surprised to hear, "It's a boy!" from my husband's mouth.

So....I plan my books a bit, but not too much. I think some good stuff can come out of surprises. How much planning do you do?

REVOLUTIONARY ROAD: Published in the Gazette June 28, 2009

Recently, my family was offered the opportunity to move to France. In addition to providing a great chance to overdose on crepes and good cheese, we think the adventure would help us recharge lost dreams; we could travel the world, expose our children to multiple histories and cultures, and avoid stagnation in our overly-comfortable lives. But moving to Europe is expensive and risky in these poor economic times, and if we don’t move, money is the reason why.

While pondering this long-term trip to Europe, I picked up a copy of Richard Yates’ 1961 classic “Revolutionary Road.” I’d heard a lot about the beautiful craft in the novel, and I knew that Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are stars in the film adaptation, but I didn’t know much about the novel’s subject matter. Imagine my surprise, when I discovered the two main characters, April and Frank Wheeler, are considering a move to France.

Like my husband and I, April and Frank want to give their lives a kick in the rear. They feel life slipping away and want to catch a bit of it. And like us, April and Frank tell their children about the probable move, acquire French books for the children, and begin studying the language. Our two families even consider the same Paris suburb as the place to make our homes.

Fortunately, that’s where the similarities end. Readers learn that a one-way trip to Paris is not going to solve April and Frank’s problems. The characters are too busy alternately blaming themselves and each other for life’s disappointments. They engage in extra-marital affairs and drink heavily. Plus, they have no real support system; their family members are distant or non-existent, and their so-called friends secretly rejoice at the couples’ failings.

Only one of the Wheeler’s acquaintances--John, the insane son of a neighbor--supports the couple and the move. John’s approval would seem inconsequential, except nothing Yates writes is. In fact, Yates is begging his readers to consider whether John really is crazy. The author wants us to ask ourselves whether it’s the people around John who are truly delusional.

When Frank informs John that the Paris move is cancelled because of money concerns, John says, “Money’s always a good reason. But it’s hardly ever the real reason.” These are wise words from a “crazy” man--words I’ll consider thoroughly while making my own revolutionary decisions.

Almost French

So about Paris...Husband (and all the other pilots he works with) are being offered the opportunity to be based at a new hub in Paris. On July 31, the pilots will bid on whether they want to go, and of the pilots wanting to go to Paris, the ones with the most senority will win the bid and (after much training), move to Paris.

The move package is not full of a bunch of hoopla (also known as moola). We will be spending a lot of our own cash if we make this move. And the kids will pretty much be forced to learn French (the first semester will be a mix of French and English and then the kids will be taught mostly in French). But how could we pass up Paris? Right?

So if all goes as planned, Husband will put in his bid on July 31. On August 1, I will begin boring you with stories of the upcoming move. But here is a sneak peek:

Years ago, I put a Fruit Roll-up in my daughter's lunch. She was in second grade at the time. The thing about this is we don't eat Fruit Roll-ups in our family. We eat carrot sticks, pretzels, sandwiches with whole grain bread...you get the idea. But I wanted to give my daughter something fun, so I stuck the roll-up in her bag. Only, when she saw it, she figured it must not really be hers. She asked around the lunch table (she is nauseatingly good, this kid), trying to find out who might've lost a roll-up. One kid claimed it. Of course. And when I asked my daughter about the roll-up after school, she said, "I didn't think it was mine. We're not the kind of family who eats Fruit Roll-ups."

Well...when Husband and I were considering the France thing, we thought back to the roll-up incident. Daughter is right. We're not the kind of family who buys Fruit-Roll-ups and we're not the kind of family who rents their house out, packs up all their possessions, and moves to a foreign country without even knowing the language. Or are we? Yes, dammit! We are! (but, honestly, those roll-ups are not good for little teeth)

Oh. ALMOST FRENCH is a really great memoir about an Aussie who moves to Paris. Good stuff.

Why didn't anybody tell me?!

So you know how we're thinking of moving to Paris (it looks like this will happen, BTW...more on that later) and I was reading REVOLUTIONARY ROAD? Well...RR is about this screwed up couple thinking about moving to Paris! Yeah, just like us. And they have kids and they buy the kids the same book we got our kids (except I got mine from the library, because it would just be one more book to move to Paris) and they even considered the same suburb for their future home. BUT at the end of the book (and all sorts of extra-marital affairs that we didn't have), the woman gets pregnant and their plan gets very messed up. So...I was very late for my period and one night (the night after I finished RR), I woke up feeling pukey. It was about 2 AM. I woke up Husband and convinced him I was pregnant (and on my way to being really fat, ugly and an old mom). Husband got in the car and rushed to the nearest Wal-Mart (which is not close) for a Fact Plus. I took the test about 3 AM. It was negative. I started at about 9 AM. This is all way more than you probably want to know about me, so let me finish by saying REVOLUTIONARY ROAD is sooo beautifully written. If I ignored my kids for the rest of their lives and did nothing but write, I still wouldn't write anything that great.