I met Kay McCauley at the World Science Fiction Convention in Toronto back in 2003. I was in desperate need of a new literary agent, and George offered to introduce me to his agent. Kay was there to support George who was the GoH, but wasn’t much into the convention scene so I took a taxi and met her for lunch at her hotel.

The woman I met was a bit taller than me with elegantly coifed brunette hair, elegant gold jewelry, a chic pantsuit and a perfect manicure. Kay alternated between being charming, brusque, funny, judgmental, demanding. She pushed me — what are your goals? Why do you do this? What do you want to write? I could tell she was sizing me up in every way possible. I guess I managed to do something right because she became my agent a few months later.

She worked tirelessly for me for nearly twenty years. But this wasn’t just a professional relationship. Kay became my dear friend and confidant and it was a two way street. I could call her when I was sad or upset and she knew she could lean on me whenever life dealt her a blow. We always kept each other’s confidences. We had each other’s backs.

We lost Kay on Sunday night, and the world has gotten a degree darker as a result. She was an extraordinary agent. One of my friends who met her said it was like having cocktails with Auntie Mame, to which I added, “if Auntie Mame could also turn into Hecate at the drop of a hat.”

She agented the old fashioned way. She cultivated relationships with editors and publishers. She wined and dined them. She charmed them, and then turned tough as nails when the negotiation would start. It’s entirely due to Kay that I have back the rights to all of my novels.

But she kept also up with new markets and new media. She taught herself all about the gaming industry and she sent my spec Wild Cards script to EA who them hired me to write a game for them. Turned out the bosses cancelled the game, but it was Kay who led me into my firsts foray into that fascinating new world. She learned about the comics industry and set up numerous deals for her clients. She knew her way around Hollywood too, and she could out chic the most elegant actress. It was through Kay I got my current Hollywood manager.

Her clients were everything to her. If someone fell on hard times she would “loan” them money, never expecting or demanding to be repaid.

One of her clients was one of the Queen’s Chaplains so she was invited to one of the Queen’s Garden Parties at Buckingham Palace. She adored France and spent a lot of time there. My suspicion is that all of her Louis Vuitton was purchased in Paris.
She was born in the midwest, Minneapolis, but fled to New York City for college when she was 16 and she never looked back. She was a New York sophisticate. Well into her seventies and even her eighties she was flying to London it seemed like every two weeks. Frankly her schedule would have killed me. What I always loved about Kay was that she lived life on her own terms. And whatever the consequence she never whinged or whined if things didn’t work out. She would toss back that bobbed hair, straighten her shoulders, and go on to the next adventure.

She loved Prosecco, I never really saw her finish a meal, but she made sure her guests were always very well fed. There was only one time I managed to pick up the check for a dinner (And I thought she was going to kill me for it.) I accomplished this by sneaking own to the hotel restaurant in the afternoon, giving them my credit card and telling them to run it as soon as we had ordered.

She loved books and she loved writers. The literary world, particularly the science fiction literary world, has lost a luminary. Her like will not be seen again.

I lost my agent on Sunday. But more than that I lost a friend.

Dear Kay, “May the winds of fortune sail you, may you sail a gentle sea…. “