What I did on My Summer Vacationby Margie Carroll GDRWA Member Margie Carroll shares her story of touring the offices of Avalon, the publishing house of her first novel! Since I was planning to visit Manhattan anyway, I rang up my new editor (I just love the sound of that!), Orly Trieber, at Avalon Books in Manhattan and asked if I could drop by. She said of course I could. So I brought a big jar of Sander's Fudge Sauce with me all the way from Detroit and on a hot steamy afternoon last month I found myself in a yellow taxicab and directed the driver to take me to Avalon's midtown offices. I don't know about you, but there's nothing better for me than telling a cabbie to take me someplace on Madison Avenue! The offices were just like what I pictured a publisher's office would look like. Quiet, tastefully furnished and every available bit of wall space lined with books! Orly was a great host. She introduced me to everyone from the Publisher to the Editor and even the Summer Intern. She gave me the cook's tour, showing me their historic library and even the mountain of manuscripts. Yes, they are stacked higher than your shoulder. And yep, they read them all in the order in which they arrive. Several conferences tables lined a back room that had manuscripts in various stages of development, and above that was a big board showing all the titles in the upcoming cycles. I got to see mine, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, right up there, slated for Cycle Two of 2006. It will be their lead romance for that cycle. I was thrilled. Orly showed me her office, her bulletin board hung with sketches of artwork from the illustrator we both hope will do my cover. We even discovered my first walkup apartment after college was just across the street in Astoria from the one Orly just left - for a trendy neighborhood in Brooklyn. Avalon likes to work with new authors and is actively seeking chick-lit manuscripts in addition to the sweet romance and mysteries they publish. These are wholesome stories for family reading, so there is no sex, drinking, cussing or preaching allowed. What they're after are sweet stories about people falling in love and following their dreams. In short, these novels never go out of style! Check out their web site for more information, or GDRWA's library for the CD from their presentation to RWA's 2004 conference in Dallas. See you in September. Margie Carroll
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