Pretty cool – I used to get these updates and drool over the deals while I worked on my stuff.

“Jeremy Brown’s SUCKERPUNCH, pitched as Elmore Leonard meets Fight Club, featuring a wise-cracking, southpaw heavyweight, a modern-day cage fighter trying to shake his criminal past as he works his way toward the title, to Helen Rosburg at Medallion Press, in a nice deal, by Margaret O’Connor at Renaissance (World English).”

What is Publishers Lunch?

From their website:

Publishers Lunch is the industry’s “daily essential read,” now shared with more than 40,000 publishing people every day. Each report gathers together stories from all over the web and print of interest to the professional trade book community, along with original reporting, plus a little perspective and the occasional wisecrack added in.

Scratch one item off the lifetime wish list: Last Thursday I went with Ellen to Schuler Books in Lansing for a book talk and signing by Elmore Leonard and his son Peter.

Peter and Elmore Leonard

It was an honor to meet the man who created Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Stick, 52 Pickup, Killshot, and so many more. He and Peter told stories about the craft and some of the characters and situations they’ve come across, and it was great to watch them convey information and answer potential questions just like they do in their novels: through action and dialogue.

And even in person, Mr. Leonard left out the parts people skip.