Home Sweet Anywhere

by Lynne Martin

  Bob Yehling, a California writing, surfing, coaching, marathon-running dynamo, worked his editing magic with my first attempts, and not only piloted me through the task, but also gave me a private writing education. His patience, kindness, expertise, and counsel were the unwritten part of our contract and were just as valuable to me as his extraordinary editing job!

  Dana Newman, my excellent literary agent/attorney, appeared on the scene at exactly the right moment with just the qualities we needed: experience, tenacity, guidance, and the right connections. She smoothed our trajectory from concept to reality and continues leading us through the mysteries of the publishing business.

  Which leads me directly to Stephanie Bowen, senior editor at Sourcebooks, who championed our story with her publisher, and whose editorial sensitivity, talent, taste, and enthusiasm shaped my manuscript into Home Sweet Anywhere. My affection and appreciation are boundless. Nicole Villeneuve, assistant publicity manager at Sourcebooks, invested her considerable talent and energy into seeing that Home Sweet Anywhere was given every opportunity to be discovered by its readers. Thanks to Heather Hall, Sourcebooks production editor, who made my words look luscious and inviting, and the cover design team, which created a charming, engaging book that thrills me each time I look at it!

  And then there’s the cheering section: Rick Riccobono, whose deep basso voice was always so welcome, and whose warm, positive personality piloted us through more than one moment of terror and panic as the project found its legs; Sarah McMullen, our extraordinary friend, who scooped us up and dusted us off when brushes with the big boys overwhelmed us; Maureen and Alan Grainger, whose warmth and wine gave us stability and comfort when we needed “family” abroad; Mark Chimsky, editor of 65 Things to Do When You Retire: Travel, who gave me Colette’s writing mantra when I was shredded with exhaustion and self-doubt; and Andie and Georges, who began as landlords and became friends forever. They handed us Paris on a plate garnished with pâté and love.

  And, of course, thanks to our daughters, Robin Cloward, Alexandra Chamberlain, Alwyn Pinnow, and Amandah Goldsmith, and their families for their boundless enthusiasm, encouragement, and love. We cherish all of you, and perhaps one of these days we’ll surprise you and make a Home Sweet Somewhere!

  About the Author

  Photo credit: Kevin White Studios, Surbiton, Surrey, UK

  In 2010, Lynne and Tim Martin decided to sell their home, disburse most of their belongings, and travel the world for the rest of their lives. Lynne’s popular blog, www.homefreeadventures.com, chronicles their nomadic life, which was the cover article of the Wall Street Journal’s “Next” section in October 2012. It was the most commented-upon WSJ article of the month, was featured on the front page of Yahoo.com, and was picked up by the Huffington Post, Fodor’s Travel Intelligence, Hacker News, and others. Her work has also appeared in Mark Chimsky’s book, 65 Things to Do When You Retire, International Living, the Huffington Post, and others.

  Born in Texas and raised in Chicago, Lynne studied journalism in college and worked in radio and television for a number of years. She founded Maynor and Associates, a public relations firm in Hollywood, specializing in publicity for actors, television, and movies. Her firm’s efforts resulted in The Man Who Skied Down Everest winning the 1976 Academy Award for best feature documentary. Later, she formed a gourmet cheese company whose products were distributed in upscale markets throughout the United States, and was co-owner of an equipment-leasing brokerage firm. She is the mother/stepmother of four daughters and grandmother of seven.

  Lynne and her husband, Tim, a novelist, have lived in Mexico, Argentina, Turkey, France, Italy, Great Britain, Ireland, Morocco, Portugal, and Germany since they became home free. She now has no permanent address and intends to keep it that way until the wheels fall off sometime in the next thirty years.