Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind

BFFs Reunite

Longstanding readers of Confessions may have noted my tongue-in-cheek reporting of every deal between Scott Miller of Trident Media and editor Ben Sevier, then with St. Martin's Minotaur. After all, if you're an agent who knows an editor's tastes and has clients who fit those tastes, why not keep selling to that person? But the BFF-ness of Scott & Ben's relationship was derailed slightly when Sevier exited SMP for Touchstone/Fireside, a stint that lasted but a few weeks before Sevier settled into his current digs at Dutton.

And that's where our story continues, for rejoice! The boys have gotten together again, and this time it's for a more mainstream novel for seriously major money:

Former private school headmaster Selden Edwards's debut FIN DE SIECLE, about a 1970s rock star dislocated in time back to turn-of-the-century Vienna, where he encounters some of notable people of the time and meets his ancestors (including the young father he never knew), to Ben Sevier at Dutton, in a major deal, in a pre-empt, for publication in spring 2008, by Scott Miller at Trident Media Group (world).

Edwards, who spent 25 years as a headmaster and a total of 40 years working in independent schools, is also the secretary for Princeton's Class of '63 - a year most notable for the Great Train Robbery, which Edwards wrote about for the school's alumni newsletter. And he's about to be launched into some serious spotlight early next year....

Back on American Soil

The blogger has landed, a little later than expected. London was excellent, and the National Portrait Gallery is a must-see (while the "Americans in Paris" exhibit at the National Gallery is somewhat underwhelming, or maybe I expected there to be more, I'm not sure.) Mystery Women's party for various overseas authors was also great fun, espec as I got to talk to some folks I'd completely whiffed on saying hello to at LCC.

Full posting will probably resume tomorrow, jetlag permitting, but in the meantime, LCC reports are to be had by Ray, Russel, Charlie, Stuart (1,2), Kevin, Donna Andrews, and more from John, who has other news to celebrate.

Did somebody say LCC?

Greetings from London, where I'm about to get some much-needed rest after several days of, ah, serious socializing. (That's what you get for going to bed at 4 AM pretty much every night.) Which is to say that LCC was pretty damn brilliant and Adrian Muller & Myles Allfrey and their team of volunteers should get some kind of medals.

If you want to know who the ITW nominated for various categories, go here. Peter Guttridge won the Lefty and Tony Broadbent the Bruce Alexander (and so, congrats to the winners and those who tied for second place.) But something tells me what most of you are really after is some sort of report, which shall be handled in bite sized increments. (For more details, go ask John.)

Coming soon to a theater or bookstore near you: NIGHT BUS TO DUNDEE, THE CHOMPING DIVAS OF ABERDEEN, THE MAMMAROLOGIST, and Penguin's Ragtag Group of Contortionists.

Russel's passport photo looks more like Barry Eisler.

Don't share an elevator with Sam Neill.

My short story panel (and thank you to the kind souls who showed up at 9 AM) was going quite all right until the fire alarm. Which would be the first of many.

Stuart spends far too much time working.

Ray and Donna should stop worrying about their moderating skills because they were both ridiculously excellent. As is SATURDAY'S CHILD, which in a bit of a coincidence John and I both were reading at the same time on the way into London.

Bistro Three, Severnshed and The Mud Dock are great places to eat. Good thing because I was averaging about a meal a day.

I should seriously stop drinking Stella.

I want Alex Barclay's fashion sense (and the Clowns Scare Me t-shirt.)

Having complimentary free wireless in the room rocked. So did the free breakfast but oddly, the one time I partook was the one day it cost me money.

Murder By the Book's David Thompson and McKenna Jordan are awesome, though it was slightly ironic to meet them in Bristol.

I was somewhat embarrassed not to recognize Kevin straight off until the pattern continued all Friday night. So save this for next time, after the Switzerland visit.

Man, I had a great time. Thanks to everyone I met, old friends and new ones, for making it so.