Monday, December 08, 2008

Another Abingdon Contract


Yes, we have another writer to congratulate for selling to Abingdon! Richard Mabry--I call him Doc--has sold his first novel, Run Away Home, to be released in spring of 2010.

Doc says: "I was going to submit my novel to Barbara Scott at Abingdon in response to your blog announcement, only to find that my agent, Rachelle Gardner, had already done so." Waytago, Rachelle! (You can find Rachelle at WordServe Literary. Read her blog, Rants and Ramblings, here.)

Doc Mabry is a retired ear, nose, and throat specialist. After the death of his first wife in 1999, he began writing about his journey through grief. These writings evolved into a book, The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse, which was released in 2006 by Kregel.

I first met Doc and his second wife at Mt. Hermon a couple years ago. What a great couple. Doc is just one of the nicest guys--always makes me smile. I wrote him once, asking him about some medical issue I had (nosebleeds). He wrote back a long letter, giving me all sorts of advice on how to stop nosebleeds, then asked where I lived--maybe he knew a doc in the area who could help me. I told him. Next thing I know, he's forwarding an email from the department head of a huge nearby hospital. This physician is telling Doc, hey no problem even though his practice is closed to new patients, I can call anytime. Any friend of Richard Mabry's is a friend of his, after all Dr. Mabry did to help him way back when...

Sheesh. I hadn't known the powerhouse I was dealing with. This Mabry man makes things happen.

Congrats, Doc, for landing a contract with Barbara Scott! Congrats, Rachelle, for selling it!

7 comments:

Kim Vogel Sawyer said...

I love it when good things happen to nice people. Congrats, Richard! And thanks, Brandilyn, for being the "good news bearer."

Lena Nelson Dooley said...

Brandilyn, Richard was one of the founding members of DFW Ready Writers, the local Dallas/Fort Worth chapter of ACFW. He's become a friend of mine, too. He told me how to poison someone without killing him for my romantic suspense, and because of him the medical information in Snowbound Colorado Christmas is authentic to practice in 1913.

I'm glad God blessed me by having him in my life. He's an enjoyable person to be around. And I'm very proud of his contract with Abingdon.

Anonymous said...

Many of us among the writers' community were delighted to hear about Dr. Richard's contract with Abington. Sometimes good things really *do* happen to good people. This is one of those times!

Myra Johnson said...

Brandilyn, Doc Mabry was MY doc for many years, way before either of us had a glimmer we were destined for the writing profession! He truly is one great guy, and I am so thrilled to have him join me in the family of soon-to-be-published Abingdon authors.

Richard Mabry said...

Brandilyn,
Thanks for being such an encourager. Everyone needs a Barnabas in their writing life, and you've been one of mine.

Rob Roush said...

Congratulations Richard! It is great to hear the news.

Rita Gerlach said...

Warm congratulations to Dr. Mabry. Abingdon is going to do well with their new fiction line. My novel, Surrender the Wind, will be released through them in August 09. If it hadn't been for Brandilyn's post, my manuscript would still be sitting on my desk. And Barbara Scott...all I can say is God has blessed me with a wonderful, wise, and savvy editor. She's a great editor.