Hello everyone! My name is Whitney, and I am a new intern at The Knight Agency. This will be my first season working with TKA. This is also my first time formally blogging about myself, and I would like to take this opportunity to tell you more of who I am and how I ended up at this agency.
I am a junior (one more year left!) at the University of Georgia in Athens. I am an English major, and have known I wanted to pursue a career in the publishing industry since I began college. I could tell you why this career path “called” to me, but everyone in this industry began for the same reason, a passion to read, which I no doubt possess. While growing up in Atlanta, Ga, my family called me Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) because I would walk around the house with my nose in a book. Reading is something I have always loved, but I never considered this path as a career until I started applying to colleges. I had this gut feeling that English would bring me to do something I love. I never before thought of reading as a potential career path, but English was placed on all of my applications. Looking back, I have to say I am happy I made that decision.
After a “major” crisis my freshman year I realized, regardless of career choice, I would need to gain experience and build a resume in order to gain a basic understanding of publishing since there were no classes offered at UGA to teach me about this business. As an English major you learn to read and write A LOT, which is helpful, but it doesn’t teach you what publishing industry jobs are, or what professionals within the business actually do. So I started to research and apply potential opportunities to help further my understanding of the field. I am in a sorority at the UGA, and I quickly realized what great networking opportunities it provides, and it was a great place to start my internship hunt.
Through our list serve I found a position as a blogger for an international Greek magazine. In all honesty, I was simply eager to add something to my resume, and I took the opportunity to apply. This internship was the perfect position to ease me into the world of interning. I simply wrote every few days about the sorority events that were occurring on campus and how they turned out. It was done on my own time and there was no one checking up on me. I realize now how leisurely this program was compared to my more recent internships. This internship became tedious VERY quickly. I understood that blogging was not teaching me anything about the industry I craved to learn about. There was no editor making comments and really no communication with the magazine itself. It was kind of just a volunteer status, and taught me nothing whatsoever. I didn’t even receive feed back to improve my writing. It was a start though, and this seemingly unhelpful internship opened up my next opportunity.
If I have learned one thing in the competitive field of interning, it is to take what you can get. The magazine internship seemed unhelpful in reaching my aspirations, but that simple position on my resume landed me an AMAZING internship with The Global Text Project (an organization on the UGA campus). The internship coordinator was interested in me simply because that magazine, which I had been writing for, held an international audience. It is surprising how one thing will lead you to the next. This unexpected and positive transition taught me to appreciate every opportunity I am given to improve myself because you never know how you will find the next one. I truly believe that life always leads you to where you need to be, and that simple addition to my resume allowed me to work at a much more educational program. The Global Text Project dealt with solely with college textbooks. We reformatted, edited and internationalized each individual text in order to upload those books to our website for free access across the world. It is a non for profit organization trying to give 3rd world countries equal access to education. I worked there for a year and headed acquisitions, which gave me some insight into speaking and communication with authors of the textbooks. This job title made me realize how much I enjoyed this type of work. I have always considered myself a “people person” and communicating with authors was something that naturally appealed to me. This role within GTP gave me what I needed most—practices an area I would potentially consider as a career. It made me realize all the possibilities that were available in this area, and helped me realize how much I enjoyed communicating with authors. The program was amazing, and the small group allowed us to become close quickly and work as an intimate team. I learned that I love that type of working environment because of the casual yet motivated atmosphere. As I began to understand more of what appealed to me, I decided I should immerse myself in the publishing industry itself. My desire to see the publishing process firsthand was satisfied through a short, but sweet summer internship at Peachtree Publishing, a children’s book publishing company. After a hardworking year, I finally made it inside the publishing industry. This internship really opened my eyes because it showed me how a publishing company functions. There are lots of tedious, but important, jobs that I never even thought of all wrapped up in the business.
JUST SO YOU KNOW: interns read slush. I knew this was part of the process, but I guess I imagined there were so many books being published that the slush was not a priority. I quickly realized there was a lot more work to finding a book to publish then I initially realized. Authors do not come and place a perfectly edited piece on your desk. I was just really shocked by how much there was. I will not lie and say everything I read was interesting. There were a lot of unusual stories, and it was almost like looking for a needle in a haystack for a publishable query. Slush was not all I did while interning though! When I needed a break I would go to the warehouse and fold book jackets to put on the hardback books that needed to be shipped. You would think someone created a machine to do that, but every book with a jacket was folded by hand. Weird, huh? But before all you aspiring interns sigh in annoyance, let me tell you this: EVERYONE there was doing the same thing. No matter what your position at the company, you would fold jackets and read slush. It is just a part of the business, and I never really thought about the importance of such seemingly small jobs. You have to read queries to find books to publish, and the covers of the books have to be put on for the bookstores to sell. Just being in a publishing company helped me learn how it functions and the process in acquiring books. This introduction helped me tremendously and showed me the reality of the business I was striving to enter.
During that summer, I was talking with my uncle about my publishing internship and what I was learning. He gave me a contact of an old friend who used to work at WW & Norton and is now retired. I spoke with him about the industry and he gave me helpful advice, but one thing that caught my attention was when he mentioned his wife used to be a literary agent. A what? I had no idea what that even was. When I got back to school, I emailed one of the women I worked with at Peachtree Publishing and asked them if they worked with literary agents (at this point I was still hazy on how they exactly fit between author and publisher). She told me they did, but did not go into great of detail about how they worked together.
My curiosity, as always, was piqued and like any good researcher I Googled “literary agency”. I found many agencies through my search and began to look at their websites to try and find a better idea of what this division of publishing did. To my surprise , I stumbled upon one in my own backyard, The Knight Agency…located in Madison, GA…30 minutes from Athens. Wow. Call it fate or luck or anything else, but I immediately knew I needed to jump at this opportunity. This brings me to my current position, two months working at The Knight Agency. I am now here as an intern learning LOTS of new stuff. Each of my previous internships has helped me come closer to finding a career I love. So far, The Knight Agency has been the most educational internship in which I have participated. After taking all those internship had to offer, I realized I wanted more. The more I learned the more I realized how much more there was to know. Here I am working directly with authors and aiding in the publication of books. My two favorite things have come together through the Knight Agency. My goal is to learn as much as I can, and from there find somewhere I am successful and happy. I think that loving what you do is the most important thing, and so far I am loving it.
UPDATE: The winner of INVITATION TO RUIN by Bronwen Evans is Stephanie. Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
CLIENT NEWS: The LA Weekly covered pie blogger Beth Howard's newly signed book deal for MAKING PIECE: A MEMOIR ABOUT LOVE, LOSS AND PIE - LA Weekly
Report from Cyberspace:
Is any publicity good publicity? Well, if you're a lesser-known author, apparently you shouldn't be scared of the skeletons in your closet or tackling extremely controversial subject matter - GalleyCat
Barnes & Noble is welcoming self-pubbed authors with open arms. PubIt!, the company's self publishing program, will have it's own bestseller list and be added into the "Read In Store" feature. In its first four months, PubIt! has published more than 65,000 e-books - GalleyCat
An interview with the firm hired to oversee the closings of 200 Borders locations says more store shutdowns are likely in the future of the retail chain -- Chain Store Age via Publishers Lunch -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leave a comment to win a copy of INVITATION TO RUIN by Bronwen Evans. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning.
The 411: Anthony James Craven, the Earl of Wickham, is dubbed Lord of Wicked for good reason. He lives and breathes seduction - until he mistakenly beds the wrong woman and is forced to marry the sensible, reserved Melissa Goodly. He intends to offer Melissa security and position, nothing more. Once they marry, Melissa cannot understand why her devastatingly attractive husband does not come to her bed. The more he pushes her away, the more she is resolved to turn the tables and open her shuttered heart to love. And though Anthony tries to resist the sensual siren that his wife has become, his plans for a companionable relationship are unravelling in the most pleasurable way...
Last week we announced the iPod Nano multi-touch and signed copy of ON THE HUNT grand prize winner -- Jennifer Beyer. BIG congrats to her! The second prize winner of 10 books from Signet Eclipse was Miraim Uggs. More contests coming soon, so stay tuned! Thanks to everyone who participated!!
UPDATE: The winner of STORM OF RECKONING by Doranna Durgin is donnas! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests (AT)knightagency.net.
Last night, we had quite the memorable chat with ON THE HUNT authors Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Jessica Andersen and Deidre Knight. Thanks to everyone who made it a great event! Next month, author Katherine Garbera, author of the Miami Nights series, will be our featured guest on March 24th @ 9pm ET. Set your calendar reminders now!
CLIENT NEWS: ON THE HUNT remained on the New York Times extended list for a second week at #35.
Report from Cyberspace:
To the surprise of no one inside the industry, Borders filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week and will undergo significant restructuring. Two hundred stores will close, with "Going Out of Business" signs posting today across the country.
Though it's hopeful that the company is not go completely out of business, our thoughts are definitely with those amazing booksellers who will now find themselves jobless during this already tough economic time. Borders has created website to inform everyone about the filing and future plans - Borders Reorganization Website
So what does the Borders filing mean for authors? Well mid-listers, especially, have an uphill battle ahead fighting less exposure, smaller advances and just plan falling through the cracks - Pimp My Novel
The Tools of Change conference, which examines the swiftly changing digital front in the publishing industry, took place in NYC this week. Here's a rundown of their most popular topics, including whether or not your e-books would survive an elecromagnetic pulse (who knew we needed to worry about THAT) - Galley Cat
Agent Lucienne Diver wrote an super informative wrap up of an Authors' Guild/AAR panel, "Selling Book-to-Multimedia Rights: A Walk Through Process" that she recently attended - Varkat
Are you a Knight Agency newsletter member? If not, what's the hold up? Check out Pamela Harty's inspirational February article about how to effectively set and attain your writing goals - The Knight Agency Newsletter
Leave a comment to win a signed copy of STORM OF RECKONING by Doranna Durgin. The winner will be announced on Monday.
The 411: Lisa "Garrie" McGarrity is young woman once mentored by a ghost who now leads a ghostbuster team--all of whom are recently entangled with Trevarr, a fiercely driven demon-hunter from a different dimension. After tumultuous adventures in San Jose, the team finds themselves much changed and struggling to adjust, while Trevarr returns to this world--and to Garrie--a battered exile.
But Garrie and her team don't head for home; Quinn Rossiter has a lady friend in Sedona who needs their help. There, in that area of power convergence, Garrie is astonished to find the ethereal breezes quiet, the earth's activity so diminished as to be nonexistent...if you don't count those oddball surges that don't taste like our world at all. Soon enough, Quinn's skeptical friend soon goes missing...soon enough, their efforts to contain the situation go amazingly awry. With Trevarr wary and alert, his opinionated not-cat bond partner dropping dire hints of trouble on their trail, Sedona ghosts rising to act out against Garrie wherever she goes, and one living Keharian ethereal breeze detector gone completely amuck and on the loose, she has only just so much time to figure out what's going on before the power plays are too much even for this one-of-a-kind reckoner and her otherworldly partner.
Valentine's Day Afterglow Chat with the ON THE HUNT Authors
Don't forget to join Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Jessica Andersen and Deidre Knight for the Valentine's Day Afterglow chat tomorrow TONIGHT @ 9pm ET. The authors of the New York Times bestselling ON THE HUNT anthology will be on hand to dish about their books, share insight on the publishing experience, and give away tons of prizes -- including annoncing the winner of an iPod Nano and 10 hot releases from Signet Eclipse. The iPod Nano contest is a part of our ten-day scavenger hunt and ends at 3pm on Feb. 17th, more details on how to enter here.
WHAT: Valentine's Afterglow Chat with Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Jessica Andersen and Deidre Knight
UPDATE: The winner of TAMING THE WOLF by Lydia Dare is host! Congrats! Please email your addy to Contests(AT)KnightAgency.net. :-)
Doing a quickie link driveby today... Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!
CLIENT NEWS: Congrats to the co-authors of the ON THE HUNT -- Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Gena Showalter and Deidre Knight! The anthology reached #34 on the New York Times extended list. :-)
New York Times debuts ebook bestseller list - Library Journal
Self-pubbed e-book author Amanda Hocking has three titles listed on USA Today's bestseller list - USA Today
Sugar, spice and everything nice? Or snails and puppy dog tails? Find out what e-books are made of - Pimp My Novel
Tech savvy kids are jumping on the e-book train - New York Times
I'm sensing a theme for today's news... ;-) -------------------------------------------------------------
Leave a comment to win a copy of THE TAMING OF THE WOLF by Lydia Dare. The winner will be announced on Monday.The 411: Lord Dashiel Thorpe has fought his true nature his entire life, but whenever the moonlight proves too powerful, Dashiel is unable to control the werewolf within him. It is on one such moonlit night that Dashiel accidentally bites the beautiful Scottish witch, Caitrin McLeod. Though now bound to him irrevocably, Cait decides that she wants nothing to do with him. When she flees to her native Scotland, Dashiel has no choice but to follow her and convince her that it was nothing short of destiny that has bound them together body and soul.
Win an iPod Nano Multi-touch from the ON THE HUNT Authors!!
Want to chase the winter blues away? Join the hunt. Four authors. Five hidden images. One red-hot anthology. Hunt down the contest images hidden on Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Jessica Andersen and Deidre Knight's online homes to win a newly-redesigned iPod Nano multi-touch and a signed copy of ON THE HUNT. A second prize winner will add 10 sizzling Signet Eclipse releases to their bookshelf!
The winners will be announced during our Valentine's Day Afterglow chat event on Thursday, February 17th @ 9pm ET. All of the ON THE HUNT authors will be on hand. Plus, there will be a few surprise giveaways for those that attend. Bookmark our chat room - TKA Chats!
Click here to find out how to join the hunt and take our exclusive "Hunter or Prey?" quiz. Come back and tell us which one you are!
**Contest begins on Monday, Feb. 7th @ 9:00am ET and ends on Thursday, Feb 17th @ 3pm ET. U.S. residents only**
UPDATE: The winner of ON THE HUNT is Heather. Congrats! Please email your physical addy to Contests(AT)KnightAgency.net.
CLIENT NEWS: Majorie M. Liu was quoted in a USA Today article about rap artist, Eminem, entitled, "Eminem is becoming a force in the literary world." - USA Today
CLIENT NEWS: Nalini Singh's latest release ARCHANGEL'S CONSORT, Book 3 in the Guild Hunter series, debuted on the New York Times list in the #8 spot in the mass market category. It was also #19 on the ebook only list. This marks the first time ebooks have been noted on the Times list - Publishers Weekly
A surprise to, well everybody, Canada's largest distributor, H.B. Fenn and Co. declared bankruptcy this week - National Post
Do you start scratching your head and thinking England when the royalty structure of ebooks is being discussed? Well fear no more. The Authors Guild has produced an easy to understand article on hardcover versus ebook royalties -- The Authors Guild
Online coupon giants are the latest craze, and Amazon's recent success selling a $20 coupon for $10 to LivingSocial customers seems to have turned on a light bulb in the Barnes & Noble marketing office. Today, BN is offering a Groupon with the same incentive -- $10 for a $20 coupon. MediaBistro reports 47,000+ have been sold --MediaBistro
On Monday, we're revealing an exciting new contest from the ON THE HUNT authors Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Jessica Andersen and Deidre Knight. To see a preview of the contest, you can visit the website here. The event will conclude with a chat featuring all of the ON THE HUNT authors where the grand prize winner of an iPod Nano multi-touch will be announced on February 17th @ 9pm ET. In the meantime, we're giving away a copy of the book to one lucky winner for Freebie Friday. Leave a comment to enter, and don't forget to check out the iPod contest on Monday!
The 411: With shadowy creatures, intoxicating magic, vividly imagined worlds, and sizzling passion, this is an anthology no fan of paranormal romance will want to miss.
In Gena Showalter’s “Ever Night,” Rose Pascal is swept into a dark, haunting world every year on her birthday—a world ruled by a warrior king who hunts her kind. Neither of them can deny the passion that soon consumes them both…
In Shannon K. Butcher’s “The Collector,” demon hunter Neal Etan sets out to acquire a powerful artifact, but find much more in beautiful Viviana Rowan. The antique dealer’s touch strengthens his magic—and her life may be in Neal’s hands if they don’t recover the artifact in time…
In Jessica Andersen’s “Crystal Skull,” archaeologist Natalie Albright’s dig gets shut down amid rumors she has awakened the local demons. But when the terrifying underworld creatures attack, Natalie must team up with her ex to survive. As they fight the ancient menace, they discover a destiny that binds them together---and threatens to tear them apart…
And in Deidre Knight’s “Red Angel,” Jamie Angel, leader of the deadly Nightshades, has tracked every kind of monster and demon that roams the darkness, but none of his experiences can prepare him for falling in love with one of the creatures he’s trained to destroy…
In our 20 Questions feature various Knight Agency authors answer the same set of questions you see below. Learn their go-to sources for information on writing and publishing, how they like their coffee, what they did when they got "The Call," and much more.
Today were spotlighting the talented Doranna Durgin, author of STORM OF RECKONING (Tor, Feb 2011), the second book in The Reckoners series.
1. Where are you at this exact moment? I'm in my office with dogs arrayed around me, Blackmore's Night coming out of the speakers, and everyone else in the neighborhood gone to bed. The horse is waiting to be fed and I expect to hear some snorting soon.
2. Are you a “seat of your pants” writer or do map out the story like a meticulous cartographer? In between. I map things out with a lot of hand-waving, and then I see how it goes. I have the big picture of what I want to accomplish, and sometimes I have really specific landmarks along the way, but mostly I discover a lot as I go.
3. What one item is a must have or what ritual do you absolutely have to perform in order to get your writing mojo going? My brain? Otherwise, it's all fair game. I have preferences--the music, the office, the time of day--but I've written on paper towels in ER (6 pages) and I've written on restaurant placemats. I'm opportunistic!
4. If you were stranded on a deserted island with only one book to entertain you, what would you want it to be? A dictionary. A really, really big one.
5. What is the first thing you did after receiving “The Call” from your agent? I came from the slush pile, so I didn't actually get That Call. I had a message on an answering machine from the publisher. I went "!!!!!!" and told my family!
6. Do you have an old manuscripts gathering dust that you think should still be published, or, in retrospect, did they turn out to just be a practice run? I have manuscripts that are still very much stories I want to tell, though I think I'd do it differently today than I did then. I still believe in those books, and want the chance to do something with them.
Now, if you're going to count the books I wrote while in junior high and high school, then yeah...definitely practice! But I'm thinking of the books I wrote after I decided I'd like to really Do This Thing Out Loud, which started in college.
7. Are you a member of a critique group? Nope. Have been at varying times, but not for ages. For me, their value was in in the camaraderie and moral support; I also learned a whole lot about looking at a book critically. I never found it to be excitingly useful for the pieces I was actually having critiqued.
8. If you were a literary character, who would you be? The Black Stallion. (Am I allowed a gender change?)
9. Do you prefer reading a physical book or downloading it on your Kindle/Nook/Sony Reader/insert name of any of the other myriad e-readers? I love reading both ways, and split my attentions pretty evenly.
10. What is your favorite go-to blog or website for writing advice? Hmm, I think that would have to be the Query Shark. But I wouldn't call that writing advice, really. It lends a certain insight, and persistent reading has trickled into applying that insight to my own endeavors.
11. What is your favorite go-to blog or website for industry happenings? Tie: MediaBistro (for a constant flow of tidbits) and The Shatzkin Files for deeper ponderings that are usually over my head. By the way, if you search on "Shatzkin," and accidentally hit "images," you get a photo of a show alpaca.
12. What’s the strangest place or incident that’s inspired one of your characters or storylines? Aurgh! I have no clue, and this would be because once inspired by this or that, I integrate it into the storyline where it belongs, and then it's part of the story itself as far as I'm concerned.
I've gotten a lot of pieces from dreams (DUN LADY'S JESS came from a dream), and a few interesting personal incidents have shown up in books, but more like cameo pieces--nothing that can take credit for inspiring a whole story or character. There was the "my blood is sprayed all over the walls" incident while I was grooming (A FERAL DARKNESS), the "my horse was spooked off a cliff" incident while I was living in the Appalachians (WOLF JUSTICE), and the accumulation of training/handling experience that sifts through all my shapeshifter stuff as well as the mysteries. But I'm really not sure that's what you asked...
13. Rollercoaster rides: Let’s get in line or I’d rather keep my feet on the ground while eating a delicious corn dog? (I know, random right?) Oh, I'm a hermit. My amusement park is riding my Lipizzan gelding bareback through the arroyos around here. Pretty close to a rollercoaster at times, though.
14. What was the hardest lesson that you had to learn about publishing as a newbie? To value myself.
15. Coffee: keep it simple (black); liven it up a little (at least cream and/or sugar); everything but the kitchen sink (caramel, raspberry, mocha java latte with extra whip and a few of those dark chocolate curls on top...); I’ll pass (yuck, coffee tastes like cigarettes). Run away!
16. Animal lover or is keeping a goldfish alive too much to ask? Animal lover--trainer, handler, performance competition. Stop by my blog and see if Connery Beagle earned his Tracking Dog title in late January to become the first breed champion MACH Beagle to earn a versatility title, or how wild irrepressible young Dart Beagle did in his agility trial debut in early February, or whether Connery and Belle Cardigan are in the running for AKC Agility Nationals again. I've trained horses, taught agility and rally classes (dogs), and plan to be doing these things for as long as I can toddle around.
I do have trouble with goldfish, though.
Doranna's beagle Connery
17. Which one of your characters would you most like to meet in person? Jess from DUN LADY'S JESS, without hesitation. I hope we would get along just fine.
18. What is your current release about? " Lisa McGarrity exists to hunt ghosts--but lately, it seems as if the ghosts exist to hunt her. And while fierce, mostly human Trevarr exists to hunt demons, lately he's looking over his own shoulder... and hers. It's time to figure out what's going on in the Southwest-- and fast!"
Although to me it's about people learning who they are all over again after a big change. Also, irreverent characters who say what they mean and two people with more feeling between them than they know what to do with, trying to figure out each other's worlds. And oh--ghosts. And woo-woo. Definitely that.
19. What projects do you have on the horizon? Another chapter in the Reckoners, though I'm not sure what format it'll take Nocturnes Backlist eBooks Fantasy/paranormal projects in development
Hello and Happy Groundhog Day! If you're currently getting blasted with snow, I'm so sorry. And might I add how happy I am to be living in Georgia these days (although we've gotten our share of ice and snow storms here as well.)
We've got a new First Impression page to read and critique. For those of you who might be new around here, this is something I do the first Wednseday of the month. You're invited to submit your first page for a chance to be critiqued by myself and fellow TKA blog readers (see below for guidelines.) Everyone should feel free to post your constructive criticism in the comment section.
Title: DOUBT
Genre: Suspense
Author: Stephanie St.Clair
“We had a deal,” Tom Dubium said (We're in his point-of-view. People don't think of themselves this way. "Tom Dubium" should be "he" instead.) as he turned his attention back to the blonde across the table. Without waiting for an answer, he lifted the cold bottle of Heineken to his lips. The bitter liquid flowed down his throat, but couldn’t wash away the distaste of doing business with Alessandra LaFave. (Really nice and solid first paragraph. I get a strong sense of this protagonist.)
Alessandra tapped her long red fingernails, one by one, on the table as she silently stared at him.
Clack…clack...clack. (I'm personally against sound effects. But if used, italicize them. It's also a bit redundant.)
The impact of acrylic against Formica echoed like deliberate shots of distant gunfire. She took a long drag off the slim cigarette, tilted her head back and blew gray smoke toward the yellow stained ceiling. (Over use of descriptives; every noun doesn't need an adjective.)
“Deals are made to be broken. Aren't they?” she asked.
He could see the gears turning behind those icy blues. It was now a waiting game. Tom glanced out of the large glass window behind her as he waited for her reply. (But he just had her reply, so why is he waiting? Perhaps this sentence is in the wrong place.)
The small Italian seaport in which he (currently) found himself was an ocean away from home. Fishing trawlers docked alongside freighters from around the world in Gaeta Harbor. From where he sat, Tom could just make out the NATO base in the distance.
It was getting late and hurried workers anxious to get home for dinner yelled to each other as they offloaded boxes and fish. The salty air merged with the acrid taste of burning tobacco as diners left the small cafe with their arms full of boxes stuffed with a local specialty, Tiella, a combination of a pizza and calzone.
Tom's dinner sat untouched on his plate.
My thoughts: The story sets out with a certain intensity. And then it wanes while Tom contemplates the view and thinks about local cuisine. The impact of the opening paragraph needs to be sustained. The descriptives of where these characters are isn't important right off the bat. Their conflict is what needs to be established right from the start.
A little less descriptive phrasing should help the pacing.
This is intended as a suspense novel and so I urge the writer to really build up the suspense aspect from page one.
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To enter First Impressions, email your first page (300 words or less) to Contests(AT)KnightAgency.net with “First Impressions” in the subject line. Include the title and genre in the email, as well as the name you wish us to use when referring to you publicly. All genres are welcome. Do not send your entry as an attachment; it must be within the body of the email. Winners are randomly selected using http://www.random.org/.
**Disclaimers, Rules, Stipulations, What Not, and All That Jazz: By emailing your entry to Contests(AT)KnightAgency.net, you agree to have your first page posted on our blog for critique. Entrants will remain in the selection queue indefinitely, so your number could come up tomorrow or two years from now. Such is life. We will drop you a line if your email is pulled out of the hat. Maybe. It’s best to just swing by our blog often and check things out, no? Winning a first page critique does not in any way indicate an interest or offer of representation by The Knight Agency, and we reserve the right to delete any material that we find improper or offensive. Though we encourage blog readers to offer positive, thoughtful feedback, we cannot control their opinions with Imperius Curses. However, we will promptly banish nasty, mean-spirited comments to the outer limits of cyberspace. Dontcha wish you could do that with people in real life? Addendum (11/03/2010): In order to give everyone a fair chance, only one entry is allowed per person. If you've submitted more than one first page, your initial email will be added to the queue; however, subsequent emails have been deleted.**
Happy Release Day & Contest Preview for ON THE HUNT!
Today is the big day for four Knight Agency authors! The steamy ON THE HUNT anthology is due in stores today and it features New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Jessica Andersen and Deidre Knight.
To help celebrate the release, we we are kicking off a fabulous contest next Monday, February 7th. The grand prize is an iPod Nano multi-touch and a copy of ON THE HUNT signed by all four authors. Entrants will have to hunt down 5 images hidden on the authors' various blogs and websites to enter. Check back for more details on the blog next week. The contest will conclude with a giant party in our chat room on Thursday, February 17th @ 9pm ET where all four authors will be on hand to answer questions about the antho and their upcomong releases. Plus we'll give away several copies of ON THE HUNT during the festivities. Sounds like something you might want to put on your calendar... ;-) You can bookmark our chat room here: TKA Chats.
The 411:New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter, Shannon K. Butcher, Jessica Anderson, and Deidre Knight present a steamy collection of all-new novellas featuring sexy paranormal hunters.
With shadowy creatures, intoxicating magic, vividly imagined worlds, and sizzling passion, this is an anthology no fan of paranormal romance will want to miss.
In Gena Showalter’s “Ever Night,” Rose Pascal is swept into a dark, haunting world every year on her birthday—a world ruled by a warrior king who hunts her kind. Neither of them can deny the passion that soon consumes them both…
In Shannon K. Butcher’s “The Collector,” demon hunter Neal Etan sets out to acquire a powerful artifact, but find much more in beautiful Viviana Rowan. The antique dealer’s touch strengthens his magic—and her life may be in Neal’s hands if they don’t recover the artifact in time…
In Jessica Andersen’s “Crystal Skull,” archaeologist Natalie Albright’s dig gets shut down amid rumors she has awakened the local demons. But when the terrifying underworld creatures attack, Natalie must team up with her ex to survive. As they fight the ancient menace, they discover a destiny that binds them together---and threatens to tear them apart…
And in Deidre Knight’s “Red Angel,” Jamie Angel, leader of the deadly Nightshades, has tracked every kind of monster and demon that roams the darkness, but none of his experiences can prepare him for falling in love with one of the creatures he’s trained to destroy…
