Agent Appreciation Day: An ode to Michael Bourret

I heard through twitter that it's Agent Appreciation Day today, and I can't pass up the opportunity to love on my agent, Michael Bourret of Dystel & Goderich Literary Management.

When I first started agent hunting in 2006, I ran across Michael and read his bio on the DGLM website. It was short, simple, and funny, and he liked all the same books I liked as a kid. I took an instant liking to him. I was told at the time (by people who had agents) that there is no such thing as a "dream agent" but I kept coming back to Michael. I sent him a query for my first manuscript. Sadly, I never heard back. (We discovered later that he remembered that query, asked to see pages, but his email to me bounced because my server was messed up. Proof that email fails, people -- never let an unanswered query sour you on your dream agent!)

That first manuscript never made it, but a few months later I had WAKE ready to query. Michael was in my first batch of emails for that query, and the first to respond requesting the full manuscript. Five days later, amidst other agent interest, we became a team, and I can't imagine a better fit for me.

Michael is savvy and smart, he's on the cutting edge of technology, and he has incredible passion for books. He's also extremely personable, yet doesn't hesitate to fight on my behalf when necessary. He's an incredible agent, born for this job. But he's so much more than an agent. He is a confidant and friend. I am the luckiest author in the world to have him on my side.

In case I didn't say it today yet, you rock, Michael!