Nikki Loftin

Archive for November 10th, 2009

Cinderella in New York

I just got back from NYC, from attending the wonderful Backspace conference, meeting my (darling, smart, funny, ambitious) agent, Suzie Townsend, and painting the town my own particular shade of red. (It’s more a fuchsia, really.) The whole experience was so fairy-tale-ish, I couldn’t believe it was me living my life there. It was like being Cinderella for a long weekend. Honestly, all I needed was a glass slipper, and a really nice dress. Come to think of it, maybe I should hit the mall… back to the story.

On Wednesday night, we had drinks, conversation, and amazing steaks at Angelo and Maxie’s with Anuj Singh, a friend from high school. (Thanks, Anuj!) Then Dave disappeared for two days to take pictures of NYC (got the ticker-tape parade for the Yankees World Series win!) while I went to the Backspace Ball. (Um, did I mention I booked the family vacation to Walt Disney World today? I’ll stop with the Cinderella references now. I’m more an Ariel or Mulan type, anyway.)

So… I got to wear my name tag that said Scholarship Winner, and feel all special and fancy and feted (not fetid), and hang out with the fun and funny Lori Walker and Lisa Iriarte (who got more fun/relaxed after she was asked to sign by Colleen Lindsay of Fineprint — yay, Lisa!). We read our queries on Thursday morning, whereupon I learned that one simply does not choose a title for one’s middle-grade humorous novel that evokes the Holocaust for the reader… yeah, I’m changing the title. LOL

I read a different query in the afternoon, for a WIP I had set down for a while, and got a huge response (The Holy Toast, for those of you playing at home). Makes me want to finish it! One novel at a time, grasshopper…. Most of the other MG queries were for MG fantasies, which did not make me want to run home and dust off that finished draft of Perfect Mischief (Boy/Fairy Story) and show it to anyone. The field is just TOO thick for my taste. I’ll wait a while.

The “pages day” was super fun. I LOVE hearing authors read their own work, and I had the  chance to hear a dozen or so take their (nervous, trembling) turns in front of four agents. My heart got big and proud of all of them for having so much courage! Yay Writers! You are brave, and strong, and worthy! Long Live Writers! Now let’s get something to drink!

Of course, I missed a couple of hours of the conference having lunch with Suzie at a great Thai restaurant – YUM! — and checking out the Fineprint offices. You know that scene in Willy Wonka where the contest winners go into the factory? The office is like that, but with books. Suzie smuggled me out two for the airplane ride home that I have (of course) finished — and they are fabulous! If you like Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse series, or anything Katie MacAlister writes, RUN to a bookstore to check out Molly Harper‘s new “Nice Girls” series. Seriously, Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs had me laughing so hard on the plane, I woke up the guy in front of me at least twice.

There’s so much more to tell, but this post is getting long. I’ll try to post some pics tomorrow, if Dave doesn’t beat me to it.

Thanks to all who made Cinderella’s Ball possible: Dad, Katherine, Mom and John (The Babysitters Back Home). You rock!