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The Latest News from Blydyn Square Books
We’ve got a lot going on here at Blydyn Square Books: We have two brand-new titles just hitting the market (Christine C. Heuner’s Fifty-four Holly Lane and James Brian Kerr’s The Long Walk Home). We have, oh, about a dozen books in the works for upcoming seasons. And later this year, the movie being made from our novel Thirty-three Cecils will finally begin filming!
Things seem to be coming together, but it hasn’t always been this easy or successful for Blydyn Square or for our authors. That’s why this month, I thought we should turn things over to Thirty-three Cecils author Everett De Morier, who is finally starting to see all his hard work writing and promoting his books pay off. We thought he might inspire anybody out there who isn’t seeing the light at the end of the tunnel . . . yet.
Take it away, Everett!
I posted something on Facebook a few weeks ago that Tara asked me to send to her for this newsletter. She thought it made a solid argument about what a writer—or anyone trying to achieve something out of the ordinary—goes through while trying to make their dreams come true.
So here is the post:
I’m in a little bit of shock over some of the cool things that are happening this week. For example, I have a Zoom call on Thursday with a very prominent literary agent that I have been taking to and she wants to discuss representing the new book Finding Madagascar (I have never had a literary agent in my life). Then I have a Zoom call on Friday with Ross Anthony, the co-writer with me on the screenplay Pushing the Piano Down the Stairs, along with Kelly Fancher, to discuss the second teaser-trailer he is shooting and getting the project ready for our discussions with the few producers that have read the screenplay. Then, I have a second Zoom call later that afternoon with Brian Esquivel, the producer of the Thirty-three Cecils film, the literary agent, her boss, and myself to discuss tying in the Cecils film release with the new book. Then—if it’s not crazy enough—this literary agent wants to talk to Tara Tomczyk regarding the possibility of purchasing the foreign book rights to Thirty-three Cecils, before the film comes out.
So here are the points of all of this: The first is that this is all happening—after thirty years. After thirty years of failing, embarrassing myself, and getting rejected. In fact, when I sent out the queries for Madagascar, they went to hundreds of literary agents, got rejected (some of them in a very mean way), and I tweaked the proposals, changed some things, and sent them all out again. And again. And again.
So, the point? Well, here it is. Anyone that says that “It’s not what you know; it’s who you know” is what we call . . . a liar. Because it is what you know—no, it’s what you learn along the way.
Because that’s the key. To try, to fail, to get your teeth kicked in, to learn from it—that’s the key point here, to learn from it—to adjust, and then to try again.
Thanks, Everett! And now back to our regularly scheduled newsletter.
Blydyn Square Book Club
Be sure to join us on June 23 at 6:00 p.m. (ET) for a very special meeting of the Blydyn Square Book Club. We’ll be chatting with author James Brian Kerr about his new book, The Long Walk Home. It’s the very first time in the history of the book club that we’re reading a book we published, but we thought the time was right.
Lost your job in the craziness of COVID? Just graduated from school and not sure what to do next? Thinking about retiring, changing jobs, or pursuing a lifelong dream? Whatever your circumstances, you’ll find inspiration in The Long Walk Home.
The Zoom link is: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89481868463. Hope to see you there!
Blydyn Square Happy Hour
Don’t forget to join us on Thursday, May 26 at 5:00 p.m. (ET), for Happy Hour. We’ll chat about books, writing, working with a small press, and whatever else comes up. Join us on Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88058696448
Quote of the Month
“I’ve always thought that a good book should be either the entry point inward, to learn about yourself, or a door outward, to open you up to new worlds.”
—Taylor Jenkins Reid
Brain Teaser of the Month
Congratulations to Alex Phuong, who won an Amazon gift card. The question was:
What is the origin of the word April?
The answer: April takes its name from the Latin word aperire, meaning “to open” (which is what the flowers do in the spring!).
Now answer this:
We’re going with an open-ended question this time. Instead of giving us a specific answer, tell us how to say “May” in a language other than English.
Send us your answer (info@blydynsquarebooks.com) and you’ll be entered in our prize drawing.
That’s it for this month. See you next time!
Tara Tomczyk
Editor in Chief
Blydyn Square Books
