Chapter 5 The Beginning of Something New
Toronto 2010
The woman on the telephone was quite abrupt, but nonetheless had Cam's undivided attention. Marjean Atkins was an editor for Houndstooth Publishing, and was calling him from New York.
"I'm intrigued by your manuscript, Mister Stuart. We don't get stories like this very often. It appears to be well researched. Of course, it would need quite a bit of work before it could be published, but nothing that would take from what is a very good story. Is it possible for you to come to New York so that we can discuss what I think needs to be done?"
"Uh ... well ... yes ... I guess so. When do you want to meet?" Cam asked, still in shock that he had finally had a response to the dozens of mailings of the manuscript.
"I think there's a good chance we can work up an advance for you to help defray your costs. Will that encourage you?" she asked with a hint of humour.
"Yes ... well, I'm not short of funds for a visit, but I have to arrange the time off from my current job at Hunter Publishing."
"I wondered if you might be in the business. Your vocabulary and style suggest that. I'll make time for you, Mister Stuart. Why don't you check with your employer and see when you can arrange a few days. I suggest you and I will need two, possibly three days, to go over the manuscript."
Cam called the woman back two days later.
"I've arranged to be in New York on Monday morning, April 3rd, Ms. Atkins. I've booked a room at a nearby hotel for Monday and Tuesday night. I hope that will be enough. I've got an open-ended flight ticket, so if I have to stay a day or two longer, I'm able to. I'm taking a week of my vacation, so I won't be pressured for time."
"Excellent. I'm very pleased to hear that," she said enthusiastically. "I hope this is the beginning of a very profitable alliance, Mister Stuart."
"Yes ... that would be great. Well, I'll see you Monday morning at eight am, then."
"Make it nine, I don't get here before then. I live in New Jersey and commute by train."
"Okay, I get to sleep in then," Cam chuckled. "Nine it is. I'm looking forward to it."
Cam hung up the phone wondering just what might come of this. At worst, he would spend some vacation time and money on a wild goose chase. At best, he might have a chance to get his book published. It was a risk, but then, what great venture wasn't? He thought he had written a pretty good novel, but the professionals had rejected it over and over again. Only Houndstooth had shown any interest. Well, he checked them out on the Internet, and they were legitimate and had published a few best-sellers. At least it wasn't some vanity press outfit.
~*~
"I'm exhausted," Cam groaned as he leaned back in the big leather chair. "My brain is full."
Marjean Atkins laughed. "I'm not surprised. You've been a terrific contributor to this process, Cam. In three days we have got this book assembled into something close to being ready for final editing. You've made enough notes to know what we want to change, expand, or contract in the story. I wish all my authors were as good to work with as you," she beamed.
"Thank you, Marjean. I feel the same way about your input and help. I feel the guts of the story are still there and what we've been doing is refining the rough edges. We didn't have to change any of the actual history surrounding the tale, so that's very satisfying too. I really want this book to be based on the facts, and let the fiction sit on top of it."
"You surprised me with how well you handled the dialogue," she said. "That's usually a stumbling block for new authors."
"I worked hard to get the vocabulary and speech patterns of the time right. I think that's what makes it seem more true-to-life."
"Absolutely! So now that you're well along with your first book, how about we talk about the financial arrangements. Let me take you to dinner this evening and we can discuss that. You've suggested you have some ideas of other books of a similar style and I would like to talk about that as well. But, let's do it away from the office. I think we've worn ourselves out for the time being, so no serious negotiations will take place until tomorrow. But I want you to know what we have in mind for you."
Marjean Atkins was a stout, no-nonsense woman in her late fifties. But Cam had taken a liking to her almost immediately. She didn't waltz around her opinions, good or bad, of what he had written. After three days of going through the manuscript page by page, she was crystal clear about what she liked as well as the areas she was concerned about. When she gave him her thinking, he understood why she liked or disliked a particular segment. In short, she was easy to work with and Cam related well to her advice.
When he unlocked the door to his apartment at noon on Friday, he had a proposed contract in his pocket along with a hefty cheque as an advance on the book. They were still discussing a possible title for it, but that and the final editing would be the only remaining undecided elements of Cameron Stuart's first published novel. Before that however, he needed an agent.
Chapter 6 A Moment of Danger
Frigate Cove 2013
The summer proved to be warm and sunny and, as each day passed, Glynnis thanked her lucky stars that her car had died here in Frigate Cove and that she had knocked on Cam Stuart's door for help. She felt alive and happy again for the first time in years. She was safe here and rid of Brad forever. She had a wonderful house to live in, and had difficulty bringing herself to think of Cam as her landlord.
Jamie had found some nearby friends to play with, and often disappeared for hours on end as they explored the rocky shores of the cove. They played pirates, he told her, and spent a lot of their time looking for buried treasure. Cam assured her that he was safe and while she was at work, he and the neighbours would look out for him and his buddies. The only rule he made sure Jamie obeyed was crossing the road.
For Cam, it was a productive summer. While his magazine responsibilities were dwindling, the new novel was coming along very well. Actually, it was novel number three, but the second in the "Gascoigne" series. Interestingly, Glynnis had contributed some ideas about where the plot might go, and added some touches to the personality of some of the characters, including Lt. Louis St. John Gascoigne and the ship's Master, Ben Drummond. She didn't do it with suggestions, but merely asked questions that opened up possibilities for Cam. If it was a conscious effort on her part, it was so subtle that he wasn't sure it was intentional. No matter, it was welcomed.
He had to defer working on the outline of the third Gascoigne novel when the new edits for the second novel were returned to him. That was going to take almost the rest of the summer to get the work into its final shape. Marjean Atkins was delighted with his effort so far, assuring him it would be another best seller. That encouraged Cam to dedicate his time to the editing suggestions. With Glynnis looking after his meals and housekeeping duties, he was free to concentrate on finishing up the novel.
He made time for meals with Glynnis and Jamie. He owed them that much and, in truth, he enjoyed their company and hearing about their day. It felt like a real family now, with all three of them a part of it. Glynnis was pleased with her job at Albright's Hardware, offering to upgrade their simplified computer system to be more helpful and efficient.
Cam had stopped in to have a new key for the house cut as a spare, now that Glynnis carried one on her keychain. Howard Albright was pleased to see him.
"How's the town's most famous author doing these days, Cam?"
