HINT:
It is not a penchant for leopard fashion.
No, it is that our artistic creations have both been sold at auction.
His for $106 million, aka the most money ever paid for a piece of art in an auction.
Mine, for a very nice advance for a first-time novelist, aka somewhat less than $106 million.
Q: What do Queen Elizabeth II, Her Royal Highness, and MacaroniManciac have in common?
DOUBLE HINT:
Once again, not about the leopard.
No, it is that Lizzie Deuce and I are both worthy of a pre-empt in the U.K.
She, pre-empting whatever happens to be scheduled-pronounced-sheduled on British telly, with coverage of anything newsworthy the palace does, such as going to war over the Falkland Islands or bidding farewell to her ex-daughter-in-law or bidding a fonder farewell to her corgies.
And I, for my novel, which yes dears, not only sold North American rights at auction this week but also UK rights in a pre-empt.
Which means that while some readers will be devouring the story of Mary Bowser's journey from slavery to being a free woman of color, others will get Mary Bowser's journey from slavery to being a free woman of colour.
This is VERY VERY VERY VERY exciting news.
Needless to say, the Cheez and I are celebrating.
By installing a new dual-flush, low-flo toilet!!!!
Only kidding.
Really our neighbor Don installed it.
Of course, going greener (regardless of whether you are going number 1 or number 2) is only one of the Portlandish ways we celebrated.
We began by paying a visit to Mecca.
NOTE: that is a Union kepi, not a Confederate kepi.My slogan being not the South will rise again but rather the Mac will read again.
We dressed up from the kepi down, and had friends over for an impromptu cocktail party.
But mostly, we've run around the house screaming.
Still, just in case we hadn't screamed it loud enough for you to hear wherever you may be:
MY NOVEL GOT SOLD THIS WEEK AND I AM GOING TO BE PUBLISHED ON TWO CONTINENTS AND MORE MAYBE WHEN THE REST OF THE FOREIGN RIGHTS GET HASHED OUT (PLEASE MENTION TO ANY CIVIL WAR-OBSESSED JAPANESE PUBLISHERS YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW) AND YAY YAY YAY, etc.
The novel will be out in early 2012. Between now and then, I need to do final edits based on my editor's comments.
And, according to my friend Sue, practice saying things like, Thanks, Terry, it's great to be here.
And figure out what leopard print goes best with blue kepi.
And of course start writing my next book.
I'm not 100% sure what it will be. The footnote from history angle was clearly the big hook for the first novel. But for the next one, I'm thinking maybe something Cubist. And trading in that kepi for a beret.
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