Monday, December 12, 2011

The deal with the deal

byunge
I’m sorry about the conspicuous silence. For the longest time I’ve been dying to tell you, and then, when I could, I just clamped up.

I could blame it on deadlines and kid with a nasty cold and press (Yikes! So strange being on the other end!) and Christmas preparations and all sorts of things, big and small. But honestly, I’m a little bit overwhelmed. I took the weekend off(ish), did some Christmas shopping, did some mental de-cluttering, watched Cars and wiped noses with Magnus, oh, some three hundred times. And still I feel a little off-kilter. In fact, I feel a little like Fuller in Home Alone, squished up behind that chair. Only happy.

Because… dear me. I can’t even claim that this is a dream come true. I may have said with some confidence that I was going to be a fantasy writer when I grew up, I may have quit my job, even, to get there, but I never imagined something like this.

I know it’s been inching nearer for quite a while, first with the suggestion that I should try to write a summary in English and translate a few chapters, just to see how it went. The suggestion came from my childhood friend Thomas, who’s quite new in the publishing business, but who turns out to have a fine nose for such things. He does things like pick up the Norwegian rights for Game of Thrones and American Gods before anyone else has realized they're going to be TV-series and connected the dots. All Thomas knew about Twistrose was what I’d told him, rather clumsily and very briefly, at a dinner party. But he knew at once (or so he claims). I really didn’t.

Then I signed with Jane Putch, the most amazing agent in the universe, again through the suggestion of good friends. I knew she accomplishes spectacular things. But when the deal with Dial happened, I was floored.

And yet, with the Publisher’s Weekly note, everything sort of hit me like a frying pan. A nice frying pan, mind you, one that has been frying bacon and brussels sprouts. (What? You don’t like brussels sprouts? Not even with hot bacon, butter and brandy? Huh.)But still quite hard. Like I said: I’m Fuller (but without the soda concerns, promise).

So now I have to shake off the dizzyness and get back to my routine, quickly. Twistrose may already be out this time next year, which means that I should promptly develop serious multitasking abilities, or give up sleeping or, you know, quit procrastinating. Ha.

What, now? Okay. Now.

alloo

Photos by Line Almhjell.