Tea & Sympathy for Jim Cypher, My Literary Agent

By Cal Orey,

The Writing Gourmet

Last night via an eye-opening e-mail I discovered my literary agent Jim Cypher has passed onto the other side. When I first read the note the news didn't register. I thought he was sharing the information about his father. In other words, it was an earthshaking shock. Gosh, about a month ago, upon his request, I confirmed him on my Facebook wall. And today, as I sip chamomile tea--it's calming--I'm still trying to accept the fact that Jim is gone.

Several years ago, he scooped me up (it's a challenge to find a good agent) and accepted me as one of his clients. Together we worked liked dedicated working dogs. He did find me a publisher for the book The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes: Jim Berkland, How His Quake Warnings Can Save Lives (Sentient, 2006). In the Acknowledgments, I wrote: "I praised Jim Cypher, my dedicated literay agent, who kept the faith. He sent out my book proposal to numerous publishers and posted the project on http://www.publishersmarkeplace.com/ , where we did find an interested publisher. Not only did Cypher persever in the beginning of the this project, but he also went beyond the call of duty from start to finish of this book. In The Writer Magazine, I once tagged him as being my "fairy godfather."

The revolutionary book, thanks to Cypher, did change the course of my life in many ways. Not only did I fine-tune my intuitive skills but I ended up being a regular guest on countless radio programs to dish out my own quake and weather predictions. What's more, I created a website for earthquake sensitives, landed a monthly Earth Changes column in a national magazine, and am a working intuitive for an international phone psychic network.

While I do pen health-related cookbooks (this wasn't his cup of tea), I still follow my passion of helping others get and stay connected to Mother Nature. And for all of these endeavors, I have Jim Cypher to thank. I remember he told me more than once that his plan was to work till the end. Yes, he loved his career as an agent and he was loved by hardworking authors, like me, around the nation.

So, as a devout Catholic, I truly believe he is in heaven--a serene place that is full of good people, pleasure and without earthling worries and woes. A toast to Jim Cypher. Goodbye my dear friend.