Writer Spotlight Success Story - Michael Gettel-Gilmartin

Michael Gettel-Gilmartin

In April of 2011 Michael Gettel-Gilmartin was featured in my Writer Spotlight series where he discussed his manuscript, SHAKESPEARE ON THE LAM, that he was submitting to agents at the time.

Guess what?

Ya, waaay!!

You guessed it. 

I am so excited, thrilled, beyond happy to announce:

Michael signed with an agent!!!

CONGRATS MICHAEL!!!!

Look at the crowd that came by his place to celebrate : )
I'm the fourth from the left in the second, no third, well, one of the rows.

And . . . Michael signed with none other than:

 Stephen Fraser of The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency!!!!

(Who you can read more about on Literary Rambles - Agent Spotlight here)

The same agent who handles Matthew Kirby's books: ICEFALL, INFINITY RING, THE CLOCKWORK THREE. All of which are awesome MG reads.

Cool, right? No, AWESOME!!!! Or, as my eleven-year-old son would say, "Beast!"

No doubt the next contract Michael signs will be for the sale of his manuscript.

Here is Michael's pitch for SHAKESPEARE ON THE LAM when I interviewed him last April:

Twelve-year-old Jared Hearne, and his theater-loving older sister Athena, discover a magic orb and travel through time to rescue an imprisoned teenage Shakespeare. But Shakespeare hijacks the orb back to modern times with Jared, leaving Athena stranded in the sixteenth century. While Shakespeare dashes about, exploring his brave new world, the orb is stolen. Jared has to catch the thief or else Shakespeare will be enrolling in high school next semester. And Athena’s history.

When Michael isn't writing awesome MG tales he's blogging here The Year of Writing Dangerously, and here Project Mayhem, oh and also here Middle Gradde Mafioso.

Michael we are so excited for you - congrats - enjoy.

Eveyone be sure to stop by his blog(s) and give him a whoohoo!

'

Research

For my YA paranormal, UNTIL DEATH, one of the main characters (Jake) has a near-death-experience (NDE), while my other main character, Emma, desperately searches for answers to what, if anything, comes after-death. 

While reading and researching NDEs I discovered that right here in my own state of Connecticut there’s a support group for NDEers at UCONN’s Medical Center. Really? I mean, there are that many just in my state? I couldn’t believe it, even though I’d read many accounts of NDEs I’d never spoken to or heard anyone speak about their experience live.

So after clearing it with the person who runs the group – and after trying (unsuccessfully) to get my hubby or my sister-in-law to join me - I set out for the meeting alone.

I get there. And I admit it, I’m nervous.  I turn the corner and find twenty-five plus men and woman of all ages sitting around a long rectangular table taking turns talking about why they came. Uh, crumb cake! I have to talk? Kidding (sort of), but seriously, they were the nicest and most interesting, unique group of individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. And when I told them I was a writer and had an interest in NDEs they welcomed me with open minds and hearts.

They talked. I scribbled. They told stories of Tibetan Singing Bowls, sound healing, meditation, medium readings they’ve done, Reiki, their inner eye, NDEs, dreams that came true, auto-writing to the dead (seriously), out-of-body-experiences (OBD) and how to have one without having to almost die, galaxies within galaxies, tunnels of light, love and forgiveness, past life regression . . . I learned things I had no idea about, which got those writer-ideas churning.

Research – it’s not just in libraries.