Copyedit Complete

The copyediting process is finally done and St Martins will be FedExing it out to me on Monday. Be here on Tuesday. I then have only 15 days to look it over and get it back to them. I actually will be sending it off for a pitstop to my agent, Nancy, who wants to look it over also. She will then messenger it over to St Martins. I will post what it looks like after I read it over. Also, I have just passed the 46,000 word plateau on the sequel to Luck of the Draw. It is going smoothly so far and I figure on adding another 30,000-40,000 words to the novel before I am through. Hopefully it will be as well received as it's predecessor. Now, IF I COULD JUST THINK OF A TITLE!!!!!!!!!

Contracts signed

Finally got the contracts from Nancy today. Pretty straightforward stuff. They are signed and sealed and will be in tomorrow's mail. The sequel to Luck is going well so far. Took into account the changes Nancy suggested and have implemented a few. The book is really starting to tighten up. Now, if I could only come up with a title. Any suggestions?

Good news

Just heard from Nancy Coffey herself and she said that she would LOVE to represent me and my writing. She said she thought Luck of the Draw was fantastic and what I have written so far on the sequel is excellent. Her words were very encouraging. The contracts are on their way and then we can begin what I hope will be a very long working relationship. It's also a BIG plus to know that Nancy also does movie rights. LOTW has very strong movie appeal. This all just might lead to something really, really big. ANT

Agent Interest

I heard from Nancy Coffey of N.C. Literary & Media Representation the other day. She wants to read the manuscript for Luck of the Draw and it's untitled sequel. I mailed them off Thursday and they got there yesterday. I will hear back from her in a few days if she wants to represent. She would be a good pick up for me as she does film rights as well as books. Plus she is an editor with excellent credentials as well as a top-notch agent. Her answer, yay or nay will be here when I get it. Later, ANT

Power Meeting

Hi. I had a brief yet informative meeting with Lisa Healy, a senior production editor at Simon & Schuster yesterday. She was giving me some advice on picking up an agent and some words of encouragement for the upcoming book. She is a very good and high-level contact to have and she requested that I update her from time to time. I will now see if anything we discussed will come to fruition. I have set my sights on one particular agent and wrote out a letter today. Hopefully I will have an answer in a week or so. Fingers crossed. If not, I have a couple of other names to submit to. I'll blog it when it happens.

Cover Art

Hello Marti & whoever else checks in. This is the cover that the St. Martin's Press art dept came up with for my book. I actually like it. From knowing the content of the book, I think it definitely reflects what's inside. Let me know what you think. Thanks, ANT

Luck of the Draw

Hello to all. My name is Anthony J Cardieri and I was hoping that you'd like to take a ride with me on the road to publication of my novel Luck of the Draw. It comes out through St. Martin's Press in December of this year, 2009. My road so far has been quite an interesting one, one that is filled with fantastic breaks and the kind of dumb luck not usually found with authors of majorly-published novels. Let me tell you a little about Luck of the Draw. It is a crafty murder-mystery/crime novel that should please all kinds of readers. It takes place solely in the city of New York, where I was born, raised, and still call home. I was careful to write the book in such a way that it would appeal to the everyday reader as well as the most astute reader. I don't waste the reader's time with nonsensical filler that would add pages to the book. I tell the story with much prose yet keep it suspensful enough that the reader will stay enticed until the end. After all, you're going to want to know who did it, right? Well, try to guess. I don't think you'll figure it out before I tell you. You won't figure out how the killer is choosing his victims either. But when I do let you know, you'll be like, "Oh yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I can see that happening." The story is straight up, right in your face stuff. There is nothing outlandish that would detract from the story. I hate when other authors waste my time with nonsense that would NEVER happen in the real world just to end a story on his own terms. It is way unsatisfying to have that happen. I won't do that to you. When it comes out, grab a copy. And email me as you go along. I will be happy to have regular conversations or answer any questions for anyone who has them. I am not one of those world-famous authors who believes he is above a relationship with his readers. I am an everyday guy who APPRECIATES talking to his readers. So, how about it? Feel like taking a ride? My addy is anthonyjcardieri@aol.com. Thanks for spending some time with me today. Hope to hear from you. Anthony J Cardieri