From the Bones of the Dead to UnHoly Mischief
by John Wolf
Elle Newmark's new book, "The Book of Unholy Mischief", was a long process of near success and finally real success when last year she and a friend created a clever approach to attract an elusive agent to represent the book by creating a monster website.
The book idea all started with a love affair with Venice coupled with her heritage from Italy and a father that inspired a knowledge and wonder of cooking. Elle's story is set in Venice in 1489 and follows the life of a street urchin named Luciano.
The mayor of the city has a chef that needs an apprentice. Chef Amato Ferrero nabs the boy as he steals a pomegranate and gives him the eye. There is something about the boy that persuades the chef to choose him.
Once in the kitchen of the house of the most powerful man in Venice, Luciano realizes this is a place he must strive to remain to survive his life on the street and his conniving friends.
The rumors of a mysterious book that contains the ultimate knowledge of immortality and information that could aid the political ambitions of its owner fuels a search. The mayor must find the book to save his frail condition.
Amato knows of the book, in fact, he owns the book, being in the line of responsibility of those known as the Guardians. Luciano begins to mischievously scheme to learn of it powers and entangles both himself and the good chef in dangerous intrigue.
The story takes us from the back alleys of Venice to the palaces of Rome to be witness to the plotting of the heads of state. There is more to the chef's intentions as he orchestrates magnificent menus that delight the opulent crowds and subtly sways their attitudes with herbal persuasion.
The secret gets out and the chef and the boy find common cause to protect the knowledge of the Guardian's book that has been left to Amato. The questions raised by the chase and the unraveling of the secrets keeps the reader gnawing on pastries in between sips of Chianti until the final page, slamming the glass down, drunk on this incredible tale.
The next column is Elle's own words leading up to the deal, the dream of every author. Read the complete story unedited on her blog. The book was released on December 30, 2008.
Elle's website is inspirational. You must read every snippet throughout the pages.
Click on this: next column
"After six houses rejected my book, the reputable agent stopped submitting it. I re-wrote it and tried to get another agent, but no luck. I spent a year writing another novel, but I couldn’t get an agent for that one either. One day, I looked in the mirror and accepted that it was too late; my books would never be published. It was crushing, and it knocked me flat out of the game.
I turned away from traditional publishing and took the humble route of self-publishing. I really wanted to hold my own book in my hands. I believed that just holding a book in my hands would be enough. So I risked money, I went through endless edits, and I risked more money. Then, one day I had a book for sale on Amazon. My baby made its debut to a shrieking silence and a riot of apathy. My friends bought a copy out of loyalty but I don’t have a lot of friends, just very good ones, and the book maintained a rank of about 400,000, which is slightly above nonexistent.
(Then came the idea)
I organized a one-day virtual party designed to generate a surge of sales on Amazon, and catapult me onto the bestseller list. The website looked colorful and festive, but we all know the most humiliating disaster is to throw a grand splash and have no one show up. Then I’d have to kill myself for sure. I needed to reach 500,000 people to make a few hundred sales and reach the bestseller list. I needed partners.
I got online and dug up e-mail addresses for 400 agents and editors. The night before the launch, I wrote personal invitations with a link to the party site and brazenly hit “send” 400 times.
By noon the next day, I’d heard from dozens of agents and editors. People were clamoring to read my book! An editor from a major house flat out offered me a hardcover deal via e-mail based solely on the reviews. Agents asked me to speed books to New York, and while I manned the computer, my husband, Frank, made multiple trips to the post office. Within 24 hours I had offers from several impressive agencies—including William Morris, with whom I made an agreement at whiplash speed, and yes the book was at the top of the Amazon sales briefly.
The auction was due to start at 11:00 a.m. EST, which was 8:00 a.m. for me on the west coast. I planned to be sitting at my phone, showered and fully caffeinated by 7:30. As I stepped out of the shower at 6:00, the phone rang, and I ran for it, dripping and clutching a towel. My agent said, “Are you sitting down?” I stood there, holding my towel, and said, “Yes.” She said, “Two book deal, Simon&Schuster.” Then I sat down. I was naked and wet—like a newborn."
