It goes like this:

Two years ago, (to the day!), I write my first review for Jessa at Bookslut about Antoine de St Exupery

A month later, I forward a link to that review to Eclectica Magazine and begin reviewing young adult books for them

Last summer I run a piece in Eclectica on Girl Detective Books and as usual, contact all the authors to let them know. This time I hear back from an author's agent thanking me for the review. We start sending occasional emails about YA books and I let Rebecca know about my new YA column at Bookslut also.

Last fall, after reading my reviews and interviews for a while, Rebecca asks me if I've ever thought of writing a YA book. I tell her yes indeed and run my idea past her - which she likes. I start writing the YA book (still woefully untitled but buzzing right along).

Last November I contact several folks in publicity with different publishers and also some writers I've met through Bookslut interviews and tell them my book on AK flying is completed. I'm asking for advice and everyone is great. I end up sending a query letter to several agents based on recommendations and all of them read at least the first 50 pages of the book. Several of them ask me to make it nonfiction (as I've mentioned before) but no one falls in love with it enough to ask to represent me. Rebecca suggests I send it to her so she can see if any of her colleagues are interested. One of them asks to read the whole book and I send it along right before Christmas.

In March that agent sends me an email and says she loved the book. I officially stop breathing for several minutes.

After sending along the book again (because I made changes since the version she received in December) and also a CV and book summary and other stuff about my background which explains how and why I wrote the book, she promises to reread and get back to me.

Today we have another conversation and some editorial comments on the manuscript are to follow. We also talk about another book and how excited she is about my writing. We go over a couple of aspects of the Author's Contract as well, clearing up some questions.

Tonight I sign the contract.

I have an agent. Her name is Michele Rubin. She works at Writers House. She loves my book.

How do you get an agent? Honestly, I have no idea. I only know how I got mine and it would not have happened without Bookslut or Eclectica. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to happily freak out for awhile. I"ll be sure to let you know what happens next.