“This is a really good book and reading experience, especially for those of us who are writers, for those of us who have attended this kind of conference or workshop... So true and accurate…” S.Rak
The world of traditional publishing has secrets…
Laura Belmont has finished writing her first novel. She enrolls in the Clymer Workshop, one of the oldest writers' conferences in the country. Her plan is to make a connection with one of the famous staff authors or a literary agent who will help her get a publishing contract.
Over two hundred people are attending the conference for the same reason Laura is there. The male writers on the staff are more interested in her body than in her manuscript. She goes to creative writing workshops unaware of the literary politics being played in the shadows by the famous authors teaching her—the favors made, the courtesies given, the grudges held. Even an author’s wife becomes fair game.
The only offer Laura gets comes with a veiled threat. Then something extraordinary happens...
“The twists of the plot are unexpected; there is so much information about the realities of the publishing world; and her characters' dark sides and hope breathe life into a well-constructed novel. A great read.” Lillian Bloom
“I enjoyed every minute that I spent reading this excellent novel, and I was pleased to read so many reviews from writers who confirm that the description of the conference is quite accurate.” A. Rees
Keywords: literary fiction, Story about writers, creative writing workshops, getting a literary agent, writers’ conferences, novels about writers, literary success, writers at work, writers on writing, inside publishing, aspiring writers
About the author
Marian D. Schwartz was born in Buffalo, New York. Books were her escape from the legendary Buffalo winters and probably contributed to her becoming a writer. Now she lives in Central Virginia near the Blue Ridge Mountains, where she enjoys gardening with the exception of fighting deer, who also enjoy her garden by browsing there regularly. Her books include The Last Season, The Story of a Marriage, Harry Danced Divinely, War on Giffort Street, The Writers’ Conference, and Realities, which was a selection of the Swedish Book-of-the-Month Club.
