A GLIMPSE AT MICHAEL'S WORLD

Now you've seen Leesie's world. How about Michael's? Here are shots of the Florida Keys--where Michael had his condo. We love the Keys. When we lived in freezing cold Canada, we bought a condo down there. This is where we learned to dive. No wonder it ended up playing a pivotal role in the novel.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy a trip to Duck Key, FL! This is the drive down through the Keys. Tomorrow I'll post pictures of the actual resort. Including Mandy's dolphins!

Nichole, Agents, and a Side Trip to France!

Nichole hosts me today on both of her blogs. Cool idea. Double the fun. And exposure. Thanks so much, Nichole. You'll find a review of TAKEN BY STORM and my answers to her interview questions at Ramdom-ish. Then for her enthusiastic discussion of UNBROKEN CONNECTION and CAYMAN SUMMER check out Star Crossed Book Reviews.

Nichole is a gutsy writer whose agent search has taken on award-winning proportions. She's intrepid. Hang in there, Nichole. I couldn't get an agent for TAKEN BY STORM, but I got a two-book contract with Penguin without one. Agents are sweet--don't get me wrong, but they aren't the only way to get through the front door. My editor encouraged me to get an agent once I'd signed with Razorbill, my imprint at Penguin. She recommended me to some of her favorites--and even they rejected me. I finally signed with one, and he was a disaster. I'm lucky he never sold anything for me so when we broke up it was clean.

Dealing with a gargantuan publishing house is almost impossible without an agent to help you. Oh, the stories I could tell. But, remember, an agent does more than sell your novel. He or she also manages the proceeds from the sale--your money. Publishers send checks and statements to the agent. The agent deducts her 15% and sends you the rest. Yup, that's how it works--for the life of the book. Most books don't realize any funds beyond the initial advance, so its usually not an issue. Writers need to be aware of that, though. I worry about writers willing to sign with just any old agent they find online who offers them representation. Nightmare waiting to happen. Make sure the agent is legit. If you have any doubts, have the publisher cut two checks--one for you and 15% sent to the agent.

My new agent, Erzsi Deak at Hen & Ink, is fantastic. Erzsi was one of the SCBWI fairy godmothers that put on the retreat north of Paris where I met my editor. I should be paying her a percentage on that deal! As soon as I heard she'd started her own agency, I jumped up and down with glee and queried her. I love, love, love working with her. She's keeping me hopping, though. And that's a good thing.

So, in honor of agents and Erzsi and Nichole's intrepid search, let's venture to the Abbaye Royaumont, north of Paris, where I met my Razorbill editor and TAKEN BY STORM found a home--thanks to Erzsi and Ann, and SCBWI Paris. More Michael and Leesie pictures tomorrow.

Welcome to the Royal Abbaye! The perfect place for a writing retreat. If you are SCBWI you should try to go to a Sequester there. It was the best event I'd ever been to.

Here's some interior shots. I love the architectural detail.

Yes, this is an organ.

If I remember right, this was the dining hall.

 

And now, let's wander around the grounds. 

 

Now, my favorite. Out the gate, wander down the road alongside the stream to the woods nearby for a contemplative stroll. 

Sweet memories. I hope you enjoyed wandering down them with me. And now, back to Arizona sunshine and loads of work. Read my interview with Nichole to find out what I'm doing today.

Downtown Tekoa!

I've got pictures of downtown Tekoa for you. This is Main Street. I think it has another name, but we always called it that.  

This is the hardware store. It's one of the nicest buildings. I didn't set anything here. I hardly ever went inside it.

Here's the drug store. Michael goes in here to buy condoms. The only person there to buy them from is an old lady--most likely Gram's friend. He bolts.

This is a great shot of the street. My brother bought the two small building's in the middle on the left side. He's restoring them. He uncovered original wood and bricks. Really cool. Notice the Variety Store on the right?

This gives you a longer view of the street. Notice the Variety Store again? After bolting from the drug store, Michael went in there. He melted down in the shampoo aisle searching for Leesie's shampoo.

Isn't this cute? It wasn't there when I lived in Tekoa.

 One more wheat shot, for good measure! I can't resist posting them.

Bloggin Bout Books and Wheatfields!

Today, the tour stops by Susan's Bloggin Bout Books review blog. She's a tough reviewer, and I love her style. Blunt, open, always great writing. Check out the interview and join the conversation on her reviews of UNBROKEN CONNECTION and CAYMAN SUMMER . Susan was one of the first to review TAKEN BY STORM. Huge, thanks, Susan. I appreciate all your support.

Several bloggers have joined the tour. Check out the updated calendar. Some time has opened up the last week of June, and there is still room in July. I'm enjoying the relaxed pace of this tour.

To really get a feel for the farm setting, you must see more than houses and barns. It's all about wheat fields. David's photos give you a rare look at what I think is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. Rolling fields waving with golden wheat. He even got shots of combines harvesting. Who needs alps and oceans? Give me the rolling Palouse country in Eastern Washington.

Here's the farm at it's best--right before harvest.

If you looks close, you can see Michael and Leesie jumping these hills!

Wheat as far as your eye can see. Whitman County is the largest wheat producing county in the world.

Okay. I confess. I'm crazy about wheat fields. Especially if they don't just lie flat. My original title for TAKEN BY STORM was LIV2DIV, but my editor didn't think that sounded like a love story. I agreed, so we started trying to come up with a new title. She brainstormed with her colleagues at Razorbill and sent me lists of horrible titles. I brainstormed and sent more awful suggestions. The very worst of my suggestions--but oh so telling--was "Wetsuit in my Wheatfield"! True story. I actually suggested that. Phew! What a relief it was when my editor was inspired by the way Michael talked about Isadore "taking" him. Voila! TAKEN BY STORM. We jumped up and down in unison--even though she was in New York and I was in Lausanne. I talked to another editor who'd wanted to buy TAKEN BY STORM after it came out. She'd loved the original title--I could have kept LIV2DIV. What do you think? Which do you like better?

This gives you a sense of how hilly the whole country is. There's the railroad trestle and Tekoa in the distance.

This grain elevator is right across from the farmhouse. The poem I wrote in UNBROKEN CONNECTION about Phil and Leesie riding bikes in the rain was inspired by a rainy ride my step-brother and I took on the dirt road that leads to this elevator.

Okay, I promised you combine harvesters. You can almost sense their motion in these pictures. I used to love to sit and watch them cut the steep fields in front of our house. It's an ungainly ballet. Somehow majestic. The Palouse Empire is one of the most fertile places in the world. Our topsoil goes 30 feet deep. Most farmers only have inches to work with.

And last but not least, this beautiful photo. Dave's an artist. I love this one. I featured it in TAKEN BY STORM's original trailer.