Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night...

And, I shall not. But the light, or enthusiasm for Cucariva, my literary-suspense novel to which I devoted some 18 months, had been waning. Many dozens of queries unrequited. But today,  I had an agent say she was very intrigued, and request a full manuscript. She's giving me a little time(I have no time, but shall make it) to polish up. Still a longshot, but any progress affirms perseverance, and rekindles the flame. Here's a snippet from an early chapter:

He clambered up the stairwell to the street, which tilted crazily, so that he had to steady himself on the railing. Something brushed his ankle and he looked down like an oafish giant and stared as a bevy of rats scampered past. He would cut through the park. It loomed pitch and silent beyond the pale glow of the streetlights, but soon his eyes adjusted and the park’s architecture budded into resolution like a strange, post-modern birth. The benches, the walking path, the oaks looming tall and imprinted like midnight sentries.

It was a perfect night, really. Almost enough to persuade him that the ordeal now before him was as ethereal as the stars dropping away along the slope of the blue-black firmament. The city slept. He crossed in darkness through the park, which fell out before him, flat and dark and promising ahead only darkness still, a great promontory at the edge of the earth.

We'll see what happens, but either way, I need to finish final revisions so I may do justice to the effort. There's a lot of my heart in that book. Thanks as always for your support, and I'll keep you posted.

PS: Amazing, I am reminded as I dive back in tonight, how no matter how many times you edit, you always find more...

Write Around the Corner: Literary Agents

As always some great stuff percolating in the Blogosphere. The Great Debate rages on regarding Traditional v Self-Pub/Indie etc., but for all those like me who haven’t decided for sure and at any rate are querying agents, this installment focuses on that process. I found these pieces to be very insightful, and hope you do too!

*How I Got My Literary Agent by guest author Jessica Arnold, author of The Looking Glass. Part of the terrific “how I got my literary agent” series, this piece really provides a sense of the process in a very relatable way with good detail and insight. Jessica relays her story in a raw and honest way, including challenges she faced and dealing with the unexpected. A very interesting article.

*Have you checked out the Literary Ramble site? You should, really good stuff, including great agent spotlight features, and myriad tips and tidbits on all things literary, with a particular focus on children’s books.

*Gotta love Miss Snark. Here is an assortment of posts about agent protocol and they grabbed my attention with their candor and insights.

*I’m a big Rachelle Gardner fan. Here is a simple, user-friendly but very instructive piece on finding a literary agent.