November 7, 2003

Amanda’s Excellent Adventure

It started with an innocent scan of the Sunday Citizen.  A while back I read something about a ‘soon to be published’ novelist/author, Amanda Stern.  As a struggling writer myself ( aspiring novelist sounds better doesn’t it?), this story peaked my interest. The article focused on the fact that Amanda was looking for a Tour Companion to accompany her on her book tour. I applied for the job and while I didn’t make the final cut, I continue to follow Amanda’s excellent adventure.  We have built a cyber friendship with emails here and there and I feel like I know her personally and I want to see her succeed both for herself and for those that come after her. There is also a tiny side of me that wants to ride on her coattails and experience what she is experiencing, up until now that is.

The tour has started and after many glitches, mix-ups, mess-ups and other numerous setbacks, Amanda and her posse (her words not mine) have hit the road less traveled, by Amanda that is. Amanda is a new driver, having just earned her driver’s license after many lessons and a few road tests. Remember, you don’t really need a license in New York City until you go on a low budget book tour. This is where Jenn enters. Jenn is the winner of the Tour Companion contest and she plays the role of head driver. Also along for the ride is a foreign independent filmmaker who will remain anonymous to add some mystery and exotic feel to this story.

After almost not being able to get their car out of the parking lot because it was blocked by another unmanned car, having nowhere to stay for a few nights on tour and not having enough of her debut novel, The Long Haul packed, this tour was beginning to sound like an old Seinfeld episode minus the laugh track. But as I read in her online diary, Amanda refused to let these setbacks tap into her insecurities and fears, rather she forged ahead with her posse in a gently used Volvo and drove off into the sunset or at least out of New York. Things seemed to finally be coming together, at least from this reader’s perspective. Amanda was refusing to let unprepared bookstores get her down. Heck, she corralled her own audience at one bookstore and successfully filled the chairs for a reading. After a few more readings, some cheap meals and the kindness of almost strangers for a roof and a shower, this group finally seemed on their way.

So on their way they went, talking, filming and bonding, not knowing that the biggest bonding moment was about to take place. It was quick and from what I read about it, seemed surreal or like slow motion. Anyone who has ever been in an accident knows what I am talking about. That’s right, Amanda and company hit a patch of ice and about twelve guardrails later they sat in the middle of the road in what was left of their vehicle, dazed and confused and a little shocked. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt although the head driver does have quite a welt on her arm and unnamed foreign film guy did go to the hospital for a quick check of a goose egg on his head. All in all everyone is okay physically but emotionally, I don’t know. Will the road trip continue or will this latest mishap provide a final roadblock? Will this adventure for a new novelist continue or will it end here? I’m not sure, except to say that all of a sudden, Amanda has a lot more to write about. To read more about Amanda’s excellent adventure and other going’s on, go to Amanda's website at www.amandastern.com To order her book, go to www.chapters.indigo.ca


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