Crossing the Lines by Sulari Gentill

Author:Sulari Gentill [Gentill, Sulari]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press, Inc.
Published: 2017-06-20T07:00:00+00:00

Negotiations

The Writers’ Bar, which served as a green room at the Final Word Writers’ Festival, was quiet at eight in the morning. It seemed writers were not early risers. Located within a refurbished wharf building, the bar was large and dimly lit. A central kitchen offered every species of coffee to the few early birds seated in the studded leather booths.

Madeleine d’Leon was having breakfast with Leith Henry before appearing on a panel called “Once Were Lawyers.” As the title suggested her fellow panellists had also come from the legal profession.

“I’m sorry, Maddie. They don’t like it.” Leith placed her hands flat on the table as she delivered the reaction to the three chapters Madeleine had submitted. “They think you risk alienating your readership.”

“My readership? Why?”

“They’ve invested a lot of money building your profile as a certain type of writer. They don’t think this new novel fits.”

“Why not?”

“They say the novel doesn’t know what it is: crime fiction, memoir, literary fiction…”

“Novels have to have a sense of identity now?” Madeleine snapped.

“Apparently this one is too much of a hybrid. They believe the voice is confused.”

“It is not!” Madeleine could hear how childish she sounded. Worse, she could feel herself tearing up.

Leith paused. “Tarquin feels that Edward McGinnity is too introspective for a crime hero, and not active enough.”

“Active? Do they want him to swing from chandeliers?”

Leith smiled. “Possibly, especially if he was shooting a gun at the same time. They don’t think the public will like him. They’d like to see another Veronica Killwilly book as soon as possible.” She paused. “They have a serious offer for the television rights for the Killwilly series.”

“From whom?”

“Grand Oak Productions. They’d like you to write the first screenplay.”

Madeleine shook her head. “I can’t right now.”

“It’s an excellent offer, Maddie.”

“Does it hinge on me writing the screenplay?”

“Maybe.”

“Could you ask? And could you ask again about Ned?”

Leith sighed. “It’s not personal, Maddie. It’s all about marketing. They’re concerned that promoting you as anything but an easy-to-read crime-writer will dilute sales and impact all your books.”

“What do you think?” Madeleine braced herself.

“There are other publishers, but it’s a little risky. Tarquin may decide to stop publishing you altogether, especially if they lose this deal with Grand Oak Productions.”

For a moment Madeleine said nothing, stunned, hurt. She blinked, scrabbling for dignity. “I meant what do you think about what I’m writing?”

“Honestly?”

“Of course.”

“I agree that this new novel doesn’t fit neatly anywhere, but that’s life. Very few things fit neatly. I still think it could be your best work. That said, Maddie, it’s not always just about writing a good book.”

“I can’t stop writing this, Leith.”

“Good. I want to see how it comes out.”

“What about—?”

“Publication? Leave that to me. As long as you’re ready to leave Tarquin Press and lose the television deal? You’ve been with them from the beginning and if things go badly you could be betting the Veronica Killwilly series on this new book.”

Madeleine hesitated. She had never seriously contemplated being published by anyone other than Tarquin Press.

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