Fido and Friend in Five: agent Jennifer Laughran and Moxie!

Moxie's Mom

Often, behind every good (and great, and sometimes, not-so-good) author is a literary agent. Like editors, copy editors, jacket artists, production editors, and proof readers, agents are the unsung heros of books. As many authors know, it can be every bit as hard to get an agent for your work as it is to get an editor! Agents have to be passionate about your work and you as a writer. They also need to have editorial skills, marketing savvy, and lots of connections in "the biz." I thank the gods of publishing all the time for my agent! So I'm super happy today to spotlight one of the hardest working agents out there. Jennifer Laughran has been with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency since 2007, where she's had the great good pleasure of representing such authors as Daniel Pinkwater, L.K. Madigan, and Kate Messner, just to name a few. She also has a wonderful blog about the wild and wacky world of publishing and agenting www.literaticat.blogspot.com. Here, Jennifer takes a break from all her work to talk with me about her relationship with Moxie:

Moxie!

1.  How did you and Moxie find each other?  I never had a dog of my own before, only cats. I was even a little scared of dogs. But still, I always wanted one. When I lived in San Francisco my lease didn't allow me to have a dog, plus I had zero outdoor space. But then when I moved to the Hudson Valley, I had a huge yard just begging for a pup! I decided, since I wasn't even sure I could handle a dog, that I'd try fostering. The rescue organization (Perfect Pets Rescue in Red Hook, NY) matched me up with a little part corgi-part lab named Macadamia. That was sort of a mouthful, so I renamed her Moxie. And every time someone came who wanted to adopt her, I would find some flaw in them (too active! not active enough!)...so obviously it was meant to be, and I adopted her myself!

2. What makes Moxie's tail wag?  Moxie loves bacon, marrow bones, and going on nice long walks. Come to think of it, so do I!

Moxie window shopping

3.  What's your all-time favorite dog story?  I never actually read dog books growing up. I have a fear of animal-death in books, and also, I was much more of a "cattish" sort of kid. Then my friend (your editor) Molly O'Neill said I should read Tam's story. But I didn't want to because I thought it would be too sad and maybe the dog would die. Molly very gently said, "Hey Jennifer, it's in the title: he gets home!" So...I read it and I loved it. YAY FOR A DOG'S WAY HOME! (blush blush)

4.  If Moxie could change just one thing about you, what would it be?  She would probably make me work less and play more.

Moxie Kisses

5.  In five words, tell us what Moxie means to you:  Bed warmer, comedian, best friend!