linda collison's Sea of Words
charting a course from imagination to publication
I find my own bitter words about literary agents are being served up cold for me to eat — could someone please pass the honey?
Forget what I said on an earlier post, I love agents! Especially mine. I am pleased to announce that I’ve signed with James Schiavone of Schiavone Literary Agency to represent Looking for Redfeather, a contemporary young adult novel about three runaway teens on a road trip in a stolen Cadillac, in search of an Apache musician named Redfeather.
Professor Schiavone is just what I was looking for in an agent. I am all a-blush, it was literary love at first sight. We met via the internet, through a sort of on-line dating service called Publisher’s Marketplace. (Don’t take me literally! I like to compare the ego-bashing process of looking for an agent to the hapless process of looking for your soul mate on match.com or by trolling the singles bars. What finding a reputable literary agent actually requires is studying agent websites and blogs and sites like Publisher’s Marketplace and to find possible fits, then writing a crack query letter (an irresitable pick-up line), then sitting by the phone waiting for the call, or the email, saying they’re interested in reading a “full” or “partial”. This feels kind of like letting your date get to first or second base. If he or she asks for the full manuscript and synopsis you eagerly send it off, heart a-flutter, only to wait for days, weeks, or months while they consider it.
During the coy waiting game it’s best to be monogamous or at least let him/her know up front that you are dating other agents. Most don’t like that, unless you are a hot commodity, a celebrity author, say. If he never calls back it means he just wasn’t that into you. If he’s attracted, if your manuscript has that certain something, that je ne sait quoi he can’t resist, he will propose. In writing. And while the marriage between author and agent is only for one manuscript (you are free to date others to represent other works) both parties sign the nupital agreement in hopes they will live happily ever after in a relationship that makes them both rich. Or at least comfortable.)
James Schiavone, I do!
View of the Lahaina roadstead
Bob and I enjoyed a quick stop on Maui on our way to Oahu…
On the west side of Maui, tucked in at the base of the emerald green West Maui Mountains is Lahaina — one of the few anchorages in Hawaii that is sheltered from the strong trade winds. Lahaina became a favorite resort of Hawaiian royalty and a favorite roadstead for European adventurers and explorers, missionaries, merchantmen and whalers. Tradewinds are great for powering a sailing vessel across and ocean but strong winds can cause a ship at anchor to drag and ground tackle to break.
Today Lahaina is a tourist town with snorkel, whale-watching and sunset cruise boats in the harbor and a few lone sailboats moored in the roadstead. You can walk Front Street and get the feel of how it felt to finally get off the ship after months or years at sea, working four-hour watches in horrible weather eating salt pork and peas. Lahaina must have seemed like paradise, and all those lovely, willing women to welcome you! It’s no wonder so many sailors decided to jump ship here.
Bob and I spent the day walking old Lahaina, gathering the bits and pieces of maritime history and quenching our thirst at the Lahaina Yacht Club. Lahaina was where Kamehameha I landed with hundreds of canoes of his warriors from the “Big Island” of Hawaii, to conquer Maui by a show of force. Next came the European explorers and adventurers, the most famous being Captain James Cook, who charted the Islands and introduced cattle. The Hawaiians got on well with the British and incorporated the Union Jack into their own Hawaiian flag.
Soon came the merchant ships for sandalwood, which was very prized in China. The earliest Chinese to arrive on Maui came on trading or whaling ships. Later, thousands of Chinese men were brought to Hawai’i to work on sugar plantations and build tunnels and irrigation systems.
Ships brought the first missionaries all the way from New England, around Cape Horn, a journey that took about six months. The oldest house still standing on the island of Maui is the home of Dr. and Mrs. Baldwin, who were newlyweds when they left Massachusetts. After ministering on Hawai’i Island they were assigned to Maui, arriving at Lahaina in 1835. Dr. Baldwin was a graduate of Yale University and studied medicine at Harvard. He is credited with saving the people of Maui from the smallpox epidemic of 1853, by vaccinating them.
Here is a photo of the Baldwin House in Lahaina, and inside is a display of 19th century medical instruments, similar to what Dr. Baldwin used. (In Surgeon’s Mate, Patricia innoculates Andromeda‘s crew against smallpox. Innoculation was a technique that was used before the safer method known as vaccination was discovered by British physician Edward Jenner in 1796, using the benign cowpox virus.)
A retired nurse, I’m always curious about old medical instruments. Here in Dr. Baldwin’s dispensary I found 19th century urinary catheters, tenaculums, toothkeys, scarificators, enema syringes and other cool stuff.
19th century urinary catheters (made of metal)
I’ve always loved a good road trip. My newly completed manuscript, “Looking for Redfeather” is a contemporary American road trip story about three runaway teens who meet up serendipitously and take off in a stolen Cadillac looking for an Apache blues singer named Redfeather. (YA 56,000 words)
Part of the story takes place in Denver, on the Sixteenth Street Mall, Tom’s Diner, and at Ziggie’s Saloon. Other featured locations are Dulce, New Mexico, Tucson, Arizona and Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso, New Mexico,
Sponsored by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, the Incite Denver awards ceremony was held at Denver’s Mercury Cafe on February 20, 2012. The first pitch, by author Terry Kroenung, was for a witty and literary sci-fi titled “Paragon of the Eccentric.”
“Looking for Redfeather” is the second presentation. I began by reading the first 100 words of the novel, then followed with a brief synopsis, acted out behind me by Emilie (playing the parts of the three teens) and Matt Campbell as Redfeather.
Stephanie Carter’s “The bookshop at Whistlestop”, an intriguing historical novel for middle graders, is the third pitch.
“Bee Candy” by Sullamuth Smith is the fourth, and David Kelley’s “The Killer Wore Clown Shoes” provides a fantastic slap-stick finale to the short pitches.
Thanks to the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for sponsoring the contest that incited me to finish the story I started in 2007! And thanks to the many friends, fans and family who supported me in my efforts.
Redfeather was fun to write and fun to pitch. Watch all five short pitches on YouTube!
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