Monday, September 17, 2012

Big News

To all of my virtual friends who have followed A Bloomsbury Life these last four years, I have big news.

But first I want to tell you a little story.

* * * 
A long time ago (we won't say how long) there was a little girl who loved to read.

And when I say loved, I mean with the unbridled passion that all of you who love books will immediately recognize. 

They were her food. 
They were her water.
They were her everything.

When she was eleven and read Jane Eyre for the first time, she begged her parents to make her gruel for dinner so that she would be able to understand what Jane was going through.
(via)

And after she read Jean Plaidy's book about Anne Boleyn, she wore a piece of black ribbon about her neck for remembrance until it got so dirty her mother made her take it off.

When she needed time apart from her four younger and extremely rambunctious brothers and sisters, she would go downstairs to the sun porch and spend hours floating above a roiling sea of shag carpet. Being neither here nor there nor up nor down, it was the perfect place to dream about her future.
(Michigan, August 2012. A time capsule since 1974.)

Because she was little, she didn't put any limitations on her dreams. And so she let herself dream bigbigbig. And she dreamed that one day she would write a book of her very own. 

Lots of time passed. 
She grew up, went to college and moved a lot of different places.
And her dream was still there, but it had a lot to compete with.

She was an advertising copywriter in New York and then LA and then New York again.  
And her dream was still there, but it was on a back burner.

She got married and had a baby.
And her dream was still there, but it was on a very low low flame.

And then she started a blog.
And her readers brought her dream back to life.

*  *  * 
This past March I wrote a book proposal.

For a design book about how our favorite novels (by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Evelyn Waugh and many, many more) can help us live a more stylish and meaningful life.

I showed it to a friend who showed it to a friend who showed it to a literary agent (the über-wonderful Carrie Kania of Conville and Walsh) who was impassioned about it from the very get-go and took me on.

And the other day, I got a book deal with these fine people:


(More about the fabulous world of Clarkson Potter HERE.)

Note: A special shout-out to editor Angelin Borsics and the entire team at Clarkson Potter who I am going to get to know intimately over the next year-and-a-half. Can't wait.


*  *  *

So listen to me, you person who is reading this right now. 
I want to thank you because you -- YES, YOU -- sparked my dream back to life.

Your comments -- oh, each and every single one of your fabulous comments! 
(I can't begin to count all the things I've learned from you.)

You made me believe in the dark of the night that I could do it. 
(And there was more than one dark of the night.)

You took my little dream and fanned it and blew on it until it glowed brightly again...
and then you gave it back to me.

I promise not to let you down. 

This book is for all of us.

x/Lisa


P.S. Mark your calendars for a spring 2014 due date. :)

106 comments:

Nina said...

F A N T A S T I C !!!!!! So happy and proud for you. Warm regards and very big kiss, Nina

Anna Mavromatis said...

CONGRATULATIONS!!!
All the best for the work ahead...

Tara Dillard said...

CONGRATS !!

Books, art, gardens, pets, mentors, travel, movies......

Garden & Be Well, XO T

Tricia Rose Rough Linen said...

That is wonderful news Lisa! Some dreams simply have a looong fuse.

Amy said...

That is amazing Lisa!! Just like your blog posts, I will be eager to read your book when it is published--congrats!!

Marisa said...

Congratulations. That is fabulous.

Kim said...

Happy for you, happy for me, happy for all your readers. If I could preorder now, I would.

pve design said...

Felicitations! I feel so very honored and proud of you.
Do we really have to wait until 2014!
pve

Unknown said...

congratulations!! I cannot wait to get a copy of this.

Unknown said...

congratulations!! I cannot wait to get a copy of this.

Anonymous said...

So very exciting! I love that you were so influenced by Jane Eyre as well. My mother read it to me when I was around 7 or 8, and the entire reason I took French through high school was so that I could read all that she couldn't translate. Oh how I love that book!

Jo said...

Congratulations!!
I love your blog and never comment. For this I apologize. But I was so thrilled to read your good news that I felt it was time. This is a book only you could write and I can't wait to read it!!!
I also have to thank you for the rest of the post. As a mother of a small child who has traded a fulfilling creative career for part-time freelance work, my dreams are currently on "low flame." Some days the flame feels a lot lower than others :) Its inspiring to know that this stage is not forever, but perhaps just a season in our lives.

helen tilston said...

Dear Lisa

I am thrilled for you and want one of the first copies of your book.
Well deserved,congratulatins and I know this will be the first of many books with your signature.

Brava

Helen xx

Melissa A said...

Congratulations! That is wonderful. It's always nice to hear about dreams that don't die and because you didn't give up on it, it is coming to full fruition. Yeah! I have been reading your blog for a couple years now quietly in the google reader. Had to pop on over and congratulate you.

Marianne said...

Big FAT congratulations!!!!

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Huzzah!!!!!
xo,p

Lily said...

Lisa,
I can just see Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville West raising a glass to you, along with all the other ghosts of Bloomsbury! And so am I! It's been a magic carpet ride with you these past few years, through London and Morocco and all the other the hidden paradises you've shown us... and now your book! Congratulations!
SO thrilled for you,
xx Lily

materfamilias said...

How wonderful! Not only for you in realizing a long-nurtured dream, but also for us, your readers, who will be looking forward to the book.

aurora raby said...

So happy for you Lisa. Congratulations- you deserve it.
I hope to be able to buy a copy in England!
Hugs
Jeni

Julie said...

Congratulations! Well deserved. Can't wait to read the finished product.

ArchitectDesign™ said...

sounds like a great concept and can't wait to read the book!

P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury said...

hooray!

donna baker said...

I never read fiction anymore, but will make an exception for yours. I really believe your life's explorations and doings would be very interesting stuff.

ABG said...

WONDERFUL NEWS!!!
That is SO exciting!!
Good for you Lisa.

I can't wait to read it,
ABG

Serenknitity said...

Congratulations. I'd better start clearing a place on my coffee table, should take a year or so.

Nadia said...

Congratulations! How exciting!! Can't wait to check out your book in 2014 ;)

Kelly said...

SO excited for you, what wonderful news!! I love the idea of your book; being a fellow bookworm it's definitely right up my alley. Spring 2014 can't arrive soon enough. :-)

Jessica Thor-Miller said...

Ah, I'm having heart palpitations! FINALLY! I cannot wait to own a copy and devour every word. Cheers to the first of (I hope) many!

MT

ELS said...

WoW!!I've just started blogging again after a two-year hiatus and this is one of the first blogs by which I was inspired, what feels like many years ago now. Hearty congratulations; your writing is delicious and you always had something fresh and captivating to say or show. I can only imagine your excitement and how prod everyone must be of you. Great and lovely news
ELS xx

Miss Bibliophile said...

Calendar is marked! I'll be very excited to see the book!

Dumbwit Tellher said...

Lisa, three cheers for making your dream come true. I for one will be lining up to own your book. I love happy endings!!!

So excited for you,
x Deb

Anonymous said...

Oh Congratulations!!! It sounds a terrific book - and what fun you will have with the Bloomsberries and their houses. Well done, and I wish you good luck and energy every step of the way!

bluehydrangea said...

I love how you describe the effect reading had on you as a child, I felt the same way!! And I am so excited about your book, congrats!!

Chimmy said...

AWESOME! Congratulations and looking forward to it!

Unknown said...

Congratulations! Sounds like its going to be a great book, and even better journey. :)

Simple Good Beautiful said...

I CANNOT WAIT !!!

I will line up and get your autograph on my copy, I can promise you that!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Rowena

Unknown said...

So excited for you! I cannot wait, I know it will be fabulous!

Pigtown*Design said...

Thrilled to pieces for you!

Unknown said...

Congratulations, Lisa. Your words inspire the dormant dreamers in the quiet corners to go out into the wide world. Wonderful news - can't wait to see your thoughts on the influence of books on our lives writ large and in hard cover.

Pimm's and Lemonade said...

Splendid! Smart folks there at Clarkson Potter. It will sell like hotcakes.

Susan in TX said...

Yay! I'll be looking forward to reading it when you're done.

Bonnie said...

A very big congratulations. I adore the subject and can't wait for it's birth.

noreen said...

wonderful news! and it all started years ago when you loved to read as a child. HOORAY!

Marian Quanbeck Dahlberg said...

What a GREAT day!! You must have done a little dance of glee when you found out! Just thinking of your delightful news makes me take in an inordinate amount of oxygen, and causes me to grin! So, so wonderful!! Dreams are our misty goals, and when they come to life it is JOY!!

Jacqueline said...

I love your blog and read it faithfully. I seldom comment, only because of time constraints (I work and have a family, it's nuts). This is FABULOUS news. I find your blog posts where you connect literature and design to have been fascinating, as I too am a book addict who loves design. You are a kindred spirit! I cannot wait to see your book, it will be so unique and wonderful! Enjoy the project, it will be so terrific for you!

Jane said...

Lisa

You are brilliant and I am proud.

I know the book will be perfection.

I have the same dream.

xo

KSL said...

So many congratulations. It's sure to be an amazing book, and one I can't wait to have.

Jane the Booklady said...

I'm reading this in the middle of the night, because I can't sleep and I'm so, so pleased for you! Even writing my little blog gives me so much pleasure but to be writing a book is just brilliant. Congratulations!

quintessence said...

HUGE congrats and may I add, as someone who worked in the publishing industry for a very long time, I am not in the least surprised!!

carol : @perennial said...

Congratulations - this is overwhelmingly lovely news.
Carol

En Toute Sérénité said...

Congratulation from France !!! writing a book is a huge work, be prepared and never lose your joy in creating a piece of dream com true.... With a book you can change somone's life, you leave a trace, you create happiness for the eyes and for the mind. It's one of the greatest thing you can do in your life ! enjoy the process !

Moonboots said...

Fantastic and congratulations. From one bookworm to another - can't wait to read your new book. Enjoy the journey. How exciting.

Reggie Darling said...

How wonderful! I loved the build up to your announcement, and I can't wait to get a copy of the finished product! Congratulations!!! (Now you really have your workcut out for you...) Fondly -- Reggie

Emily said...

You have such an amazing writing gift and I cannot wait to see it in book form. You deserve this so, so very much!

Sharron said...

If your heart-felt writing here is any indication, it will be one special book! Congratulations!

A Super Dilettante said...

Congratulations Lisa. I know it will be a fabulous and inspirational book. I'm going to take my sleeping bag and start to queue outside the local bookshop! I want to be the first to get hold of your copy!! Do tell us more! I'm so excited for you.

columnist said...

Well done! Head down, now!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, Lisa! What wonderful news. Sounds like a book I'd want to read (LOL). So great that you will have a much bigger stage to showcase your talents. I'm sure I will enjoy reading it as much as I do your blog. It also makes me think that I, too, one day can return to a creative life. M.

nancysbaldwin said...

Fabulous news, for all of us! Can't wait to pre-order.

Angeli said...

Congrats!!! All the best on your journey into book publishing. So many of the things you say and do have inspired me and have woken my flame for being crative. Cannot wait to read and devour your book.

All the Best,

Angeli

Anonymous said...

This brings tears to my eyes as I've been following your blog an looking up to you for so long now. I cannot fully express how happy I am for you. You continue to inspire me and who I want to be. Thank you and congratulations!

xoxo-Luce

www.houseofhemingway.com

Anonymous said...

YES!!

I realized that I should probably first write "Congratulations!" but I'm so excited for all of US who will soon be READERS of YOUR BOOK, that I first had to shout "yippeee!"

...and also, Congratulations. For your persistence and energy, for your creativity and your Jane-Austen-imbued insights.

I cannot wait until 2014.

Steph said...

The first time I met you Lisa, I told you that your presentation is a book!! So happy for you. So inspired for me. Congratulations! xo Stephanie

Luisa Millicent said...

Lisa - how wonderful! - Your words and pictures always inspire my creative side! - You make the world a beautiful place....

Good Luck - Luisa Millicent

The Buzz Blog @ Diane James Home said...

Congratulations, Lisa! So excited for you and can't wait to read your book. Hopefully, your editor will spring for a fabulous book tour which will include New York and the girls at Diane James Home can treat you to dinner! XO, Cynthia

Anonymous said...

Congratulations Lisa ! I love how you've held on to your dream and finally it has come true ! Waiting for the right time and the right opportunity. Did you think your blog would lead you here ? Or did it all unfold before you over time ?

I'm sure it's going to be a fabulous book. Just like you ! Love M

cynthia said...

i love love love your blog...i always save it for when i have a wee bit of time to devote to it.....congrats on your dream coming true..its a beautiful thing to dream BIG....
brava bella!...cynthia dale...(stratford ontario)

Vava (aka Virginia) said...

Hate to be pretentious...but I could have told you when I first read ABL, that a book is in the wings. OH, Lisa....how utterly delightful to see a childhood dream come true. Please allow me to read it first. :)

Unknown said...

Dear Lisa

This is wonderful news. My sincere congratulations. This will not, though, be the end of your dark nights. But you are a seeker, and you know that. Here is what Agent X says on "Men with Pens" :

if you’re taking ideas out of your head and turning them into words – then you’re sure as hell brave. Don’t forget that. Never let anyone convince you that what you do is easy or not a real job or even safe

http://menwithpens.ca/writing-bravery/

I wish you the full experience that publishing is - triumph, doubt, frustration and joy - the true Bloomsbury Life.

Kind regards
Susan

Unknown said...

Congratulations! I love the premise of your book, very original and no doubt the reason you are getting published. Happy writing! You inspire me. Barbara

Jemimagold said...

I am so happy for you! Congratulations!! This is one of my favorite blogs and you have an amazing talent. I can't wait to buy your book! Shari

Kristin Nicholas said...

Many congratulations to you. I have been a lurker for awhile. I look forward to the book and the stories about making it. It is a journey for sure!

My best,
Kristin Nicholas

Unknown said...

A huge congratulations to you! How wonderful! I'm so happy you kept the dream alive ever since you were a little book loving girl! I'll definitely mark my calendar!!!!!

Reyes said...

So,so happy for you! I am always inspired by your blog, but today, even more so, work, children, life in general sometines make us forget our dreams but we must not do that because who knows... they may come true!!!
Oh, and in a year and a half, can I please order a signed copy of your book? ;-)

Mystica said...

Congratulations and such a lovely post!

Unknown said...

Hurrah for a dream come true! You will write a book to remember, I am sure, since I know you must have files full of inspirations sitting all around you!
Such lovely news...

Veronica Roth said...

That's wonderful and fantastic news. Maybe one day my dreams will come true too. A couple of weeks ago I was at Sudeley Castle, home of Katherine Parr...number 6. I so feel what you feel thru books and, especially when I'm in England. Now am back in Vancouver for a couple of months missing England very much.

Lily said...

As a prelude to your book, I have been reading all of these lovely comments... Many of us have never had the pleasure to shake your hand but somehow you've reached through the virtual ether and kindled a sort of camaraderie through your words, turning the universal into the personal. And because of that, I'd say you already are a successful author! Bravo!
xx Lily

Kwana said...

Huge congrats to you! What wonderful news!

maria s. said...

Congratulations. Clarkson Potter is a perfect match for you! You continue to inspire

Anonymous said...

Oh, my! I am on pins and needles as to who the authors included will be! I thrilled for you! I just cannot use too many exclamation points!!!!!

You have a way of making everyone, even those who have not met you in person (and I have had the pleasure!) feel like a best friend. So I expect the book will give everyone the warm fuzzy's just like you are able to do.

Megan said...

Good. On. You. That's really something. (And who doesn't owe their extensive knowledge of all things Tudor to a pubescent exposure to Jean Plaidy?)

WendyMcLeodMacKnight said...

So happy for you and well deserved! We all love you and your blog! What a fabulous book idea!

Unknown said...

Years back, yours was one of my first blog loves. Still is and will always be a world apart from many others... Many, many congrats to you on this exciting enevour! (I'm not surprised in he least:-)

24 Corners said...

Lisa, this is beyond thrilling...I'm so happy for you!The wonderful and very exciting reality of your dream coming true is also a wonderful (and yes, very exciting) dream come true for all of us as well...the anticipation is going to rival the wait for the next installment of Downton Abbey!!
Many, many congratulations, and happy writing...enjoy the ride!
xoxo J~

holly aka golly said...

Congratulations! Oh, how the Janes have influenced us all. Looking forward to this fabulous book. What an adventure!

Jeane M. said...

Cheers for that wonderful achievement. Well definitely be looking forward for that. Got my eye on your next posts.

Hausfrau said...

I'm so delighted for you! But how in the world can we all stand to wait a year and a half?!

Suzanne said...

That is super-fantastic news! Congratulations! I've been following your blog for about two years now, and just love your taste in literature and your appreciation of the "domestic arts". I can hardly wait to delve into an entire book that marries these loves together!

Helen James said...

I am so excited for you and for US your fans, cannot wait and biggest congratulations x x x x

StuckInABook said...

Unbelievably exciting! Wow, big congratulations!

Susan S said...

Wowee!! This book could be written by NO ONE ELSE BUT YOU!! You will be immersed in the very world that gives you sustenance!

All the best, Lisa. Will look forward to immersing myself in the pages of your book!

P.S. I used to read in the attic or in the back seat of the car where no one could find me!

kim at northerncalstyle. said...

I just adore your blog. The book can only be more joy! You have a unique perspective on the world and I love it.
Congratulations! We are never too old to make our dreams come true. :)

Kim

Sunday Taylor said...

Lisa, this is so exciting. Congratulations! I cannot wait to read it!
xx Sunday

Imen McDonnell said...

Congratulations Lisa, really looking forward to this! Hurrah! x

Lisa Borgnes Giramonti said...

To Everyone:

Thank you sooo much for all of your kind wishes!

I'm working on Chapter One now and thinking of you all every step of the way!

x/Lisa

Nicole Scott said...

Congratulations Lisa! I don't often write to you, but I follow and wish you all the very best. You're going to kill it!!

LeeAnn at Mrs Black's said...

A REAL fairytale ending at last! Big fan of your blog and had to say many congratulations to you, it's a super idea and you will create a wonderful book. Good luck, can't wait to read it. Minerva x

Maureen said...

Congratulations Lisa! Cheers to dreams! Thanks for showing us a way....warmly, Maureen

Rocio said...

Congratulation Lisa!!
What wonderful news. You are going to be the new sensation of the literary world. Cannot wait to read it.

Miriana said...

Lisa,

this is simply wonderful news! I've followed and admired your blog ever since I stumbled upon it via a mention on Stuck in a Book a loooong time ago. I am not one of the regular commenters (I am inexplicably shy that way), but I have enjoyed all of your posts and admired your knowledge, verve, style and generosity in sharing all of it with us. I'm sure your book will be simply wonderful and I'm looking forward to holding it into my hands! It's wonderful to read how your dream came to life, and it brings me hope to think that big dreams like this can come to life. WELL DONE! Love, Miriana

Unknown said...

Brilliant news, Lisa! So happy for you. No doubt it will be extraordinary. Wishing you inspiration to fill the libraries of a dozen gothic manors.

Meghan

Share my Garden said...

Wow, how fabulously exciting! And what a terrific idea, no wonder that they leapt at your proposal.

Jennifer said...

What an exciting time for you! Thank you for your sweet acknowledgement of your readers... You make it easy for us to love all you do!

notes from dove cottage said...

Lisa,
I'm looking forward to reading that book. And in the meantime and for even more inspiration for you I beg you to read "Mrs. Woolf and The Servants''by Alison Light; about VW's housemaids. All sorts of lovely tidbits re how houses looked.
Thanks for your words, your ideas.

Zane Wooder said...

I love the long red socks. I want them to come back in style.

-Ontario honey

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