UPDATE: The winner of LIVING ON THE EDGE by Shannon K. Butcher is mromero! Congrats! Please send your physical addy to Contests(AT)KnightAgency.net.
Last night we had an awesome chat with Chloe Neill, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Chicagoland Vampires series. Thanks to everyone who came out. The room was PACKED! For those that weren't able to make it we have a consolation prize -- Chat Transcript.
Before we jump into today's freebie, we here at TKA want to wish everyone a safe and relaxing holiday weekend. We hope your summer gets off to a rollicking great start!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Leave your name in the comments to win a copy of LIVING ON THE EDGE by Shannon K. Butcher. The winner will be announced on Tuesday, May 31st.
The 411 on LIVING ON THE EDGE: After a devastating injury, Lucas Ramsay knows he's finished as a soldier.But when the general who saved his life asks him for a favor, he says yes. All Lucas has to do is keep the general's daughter from getting on a plane to Colombia -- which is easier said than done...
Independent to the core, Sloane Gideon is a member of the Edge-a group of mercenaries for hire. But she's not on the clock for this mission. Her best friend is being held by a vicious drug lord, and Sloane must rescue her -- no matter how many handsome ex-soldiers her father sends to dissuade her.
With little choice, Lucas tracks Sloane to Colombia-where she reluctantly allows him to aid her in her search. But as they grow closer to the target, they grow closer to each other. And before the battle is over, both will have to decide just what they are willing to fight for.
You're Invited -- Online Pajama Party with NYT Bestselling Author Chloe Neill Tonight @ 9pm ET!
Tonight is the night! Chat online with New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Chloe Neill at 9pm ET. This is no ordinary chat because Chloe will be throwing a pajama party to celebrate the recent release of HARD BITTEN, book four in the Chicagoland Vampires series. Expect games, prizes (hint: brush up on your teen heartthrob trivia) and pub convo.
WHAT:Pajama Party with Chloe Neill! WHEN:Thursday, May 26th @ 9pm ET WHERE:The Knight Agency Chat Room HOW TO CHAT:Enter any combination of username and password. Login. Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.
Chat with Chloe Neill THIS Thursday + Win a Copy of her latest release NOW!
UPDATE: The winner of HARD BITTEN is Crystal GB! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to Contests@Knightagency.net.
This coming Thursday, May 26th at 9pm ET, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Chloe Neill will be taking over our chat room for a Chicagoland Vampires-styled pajama party! Expect slumber party themed games, giveaways, book convo and more.
To win a copy of Chloe's latest Chicagoland Vampires book, HARD BITTEN, leave a comment with your name and your all-time favorite slumber party game in the comments. The winner will be announced tomorrow afternoon in this post.
WHAT:Pajama Party with Chloe Neill! WHEN:Thursday, May 26th @ 9pm ET WHERE:The Knight Agency Chat Room HOW TO CHAT:Enter any combination of username and password. Login. Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.
The 411 on HARD BITTEN:Chicago is beset by supernatural tensions, and Merit-vampire protector of a safe haven called Cadogan house-is worried that the humans will be reaching for their pitchforks any minute. It doesn't help that yet another vampire rave is broken up by the mayor, and a new inhibition- reducing drug is circulating through the community.
It's up to Merit to put her house in order-literally. And if that takes getting a little blood on her hands, so be it.
Check out Chloe's website, www.ChloeNeill.com for info on the other books in her Chicagoland series:
UPDATE: The winner of DEMONS PREFER BLONDES by Sidney Ayers is Kaya H! Congrats! Please send your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net.
CLIENT NEWS: Congrats to Chloe Neill who hit the New York Times and USA Today lists for the first time with the fourth book in her Chicagoland Vampires series, HARD BITTEN. The release debuted at #16 on NYT and #66 on USA Today. Join us on Thursday, May 26th for an online Pajama Party with Chloe in The Knight Agency chat room at 9pm ET!
Report from Cyberspace:
Agencies pursuing digital ventures was definitely the hot topic this week, spurred by the news that UK agent Ed Victor will launch Bedford Square Books, an entity that will publish his clients’ backlist in digital form. Confirmation also came from Curtis Brown that their agency is “well down the path of formulating their own strategy for republishing their clients' out-of-print works.” - The Bookseller
Authors rely on a variety of methods to get the word out about their books, including adminstration of contests via social media sites. Facebook released new rules this week strictly forbidding many of the practices used to facilitate promotions, such as “Liking” a comment, picture or fan page to capture contest entries. Nor can you use any of Facebooks interfaces (i.e. wall posts, direct messages) to inform someone about any part of the contest. This lockdown is sure to put a crimp in many a DIY promo plan - GalleyCat ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Leave a comment to win a copy of DEMONS PREFER BLONDES by Sidney Ayers. The winner will be announced Monday afternoon.
The 411: A BAD DAY FOR A DEMON
Rafe Deleon is a senior demon and he resents like hell his assignment to Earth to retrieve the Chest of the Damned before it falls into the wrong hands. But then he meets beautiful, intriguing succubus Lucy Gregory and she's just unleashed a whole load of trouble...
REALLY SUCKS FOR A SUCCUBUS
Lucy's chic suburban beauty salon has suddenly become the Underworld's center of mass chaos and destruction. The only good thing in a day going rapidly down the tubes is the arrival of a gorgeous demon who's adamant that he can help her...
But Lucy has quite a few deeply unpleasant--not to mention deadly and hateful--surprises ahead of her, and surely there's never been a worse time to try out a new boyfriend...
UPDATE: The winner of a signed copy of GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY by Marley Gibson is Amber Skyze! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to Contests@KnightAgency.net.
We have lots of great stuff going on this week client-wise! First off, tons of TKA peeps are participating in Brenda Novak's online auction for Diabetes Research, and The Knight Agency is offering a mega gift basket, filled with 45 autographed books. Also, Deidre Knight has a critique up for grabs. More deets on who's participating below.
So have all of you gotten your Mother's Day gifts bought and cards sent? Well, not me. I know. So bad. I'm thinking a gift certificate of generous proportions might make up for it... Ideas are welcome. What are some of you doing for Mother's Day gifts in a pinch? Especially when they don't live nearby. *le sigh*
Before we jump into the news, don't forget to check out Marley Gibson's awesome giveaway for Freebie Friday. The latest book in her young adult series, GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY, released this week, and she's giving away an autographed copy to one lucky commenter.
CLIENT NEWS: The Knight Agency is giving away a 45-book gift basket including signed titles from Cecil Murphey, Cherie Calbom, Dakota Cassidy, Janet Mullany, Joey W. Hill, Louisa Edwards, Shannon K. Butcher, Monica Burns, Nalini Singh, Shirley Jump, and many more!
Also, several clients are personally donating critiques, signed ARCS and books, items include; RAMPANT by Diana Peterfreund, Outcast Season novels and Morganville Vampire titles from NYT bestseller Rachel Caine, a partial crit from Robin Owens, a signed copy of DON'T TEMPT ME by Julie Ortolon, an autographed copy ARC of BLOOD RIGHTS and a first chapter crit from Kristen Painter, and oodles of other great stuff! This is a wonderful cause, and we hope you'll stop by the auction website and do a search for some of these awesome items.
CLIENT NEWS: Beth Howard, author of the upcoming memoir MAKING PIECE: A MEMOIR ABOUT LOVE, LOSS AND PIE was featured in a Midwest Living article.
CLIENT NEWS: RomCon nominations are in, and several TKA authors are in the running for an award:
Long Paranormal Romance: Melissa Mayhue - A HIGHLANDER'S DESTINY Patti O'Shea - IN THE DARKEST NIGHT Shannon K. Butcher - LIVING NIGHTMARE
Romantic Novella:
Abby Gaines - No Ordinary Man (in ONE IN A MILLION)
Abby Gaines - Chasing the Dream (in THE MEMORY OF A KISS)
Sci-fi/Futuristic/Time-Travel Romance:
Melissa Mayhue - A HIGHLANDER'S HOMECOMING
Short Contemporary Romance:
Abby Gaines - HER SURPRISE HERO
Congrats to the nominees!!!
Report from Cyberspace:
Apparently, Amazon wants to add a little romance to its life. The retail giant is launching a romance imprint, Montlake Romance, that will debut with a title by NYT author Connie Brockway - Publishers Weekly
Another book community is being hatched. Hachette Book Group, Penguin Group and Simon & Schuster will partner with AOL Huffington Post Media Group to launch Bookish, a reader-focused site that will offer, "original editorial features, unique tools and more." - MediaBistro
In social media news, the rumor mill reports that Facebook is making moves to purchase Skype. For those of you unfamiliar with Skype, it allows you to make "video calls." Hmmmm... Sounds like it might be a cool new feature with a variety of promo applications, but I will continue to hide my "online" status from old high school crushes and cousins twelve times removed. Thankyouverymuch - PRnewser -----------------------------------------------------------------
Today's freebie is sponsored by Marley Gibson. Leave a comment to win a copy of her book, GHOST HUNTRESS: THE DISCOVERY. This contest will be open through Tuesday, May 24th. Winner announced on Wednesday, May 25th.
The 411: After some time off, Kendall’s ready to begin ghost hunting again. But her life is still in flux. She misses Patrick, her new love. She needs to find a photographer to replace Taylor. Plus, she may have discovered who her real father is, but to be sure, she has to convince his family she’s not a fake.
And then there’s a certain doll that seems to be out to get her and her friends. A doll? How could that be? Unless, perhaps, it’s not just a doll. Maybe it’s a vessel containing the soul of a man so evil in life, not even death could stop his reign of terror. This could be Kendall’s most terrifying and deadliest encounter yet.
Join us in giving a BIG congrats to Jason Franklin for winning Elle Jasper and Deidre Knight's contest for a romantic getaway to Tybee Island, Ga.! He and his wife will enjoy two nights at The Lighthouse Inn on Tybee Island, dinner for 2 at Wiley's Championship BBQ in Savannah, and receive a $500 travel voucher.
The second prize winner was Candace Payne. She will receive the entire set of Gods of Midnight books by Deidre Knight and Elle's Dark Ink Chronicles series -- signed.
Thanks to all who came out to the chat last night. We had a blast!
If you couldn't make it, click here for the chat transcript.
This past weekend here in the UK was a wonderful time for celebrations, and my family and I had an absolute blast. As an American who now lives in England, I thoroughly enjoyed being caught up in all the excitement surrounding the Royal Wedding. But the fun for us didn’t stop there, because we also took part in the Shakespeare Birthday Celebration on Saturday in the beautiful town of Stratford-upon-Avon.
Like the rest of the country, we were all up early on Friday to watch Wills and Kate get married. In light of the special occasion, the day was declared a bank holiday, which meant we could all stay home and enjoy the party! All over our town, families were celebrating with street parties, but since my youngest wasn’t feeling well, we had a family celebration at home. My husband had us all out of bed bright and early for coffee and brioche as we settled in front of the telly to view the preparations for the big day. And there we stayed, glued to our sofas as we watched everything that was happening in London. As my husband knows better than to let me anywhere near a kitchen, he kept us well supplied with scrumptious treats and after the beautiful ceremony we had a lovely cream tea, complete with royal wedding decorations. LOL. We were definitely in the spirit of the occasion, and I love that my children were able to experience the atmosphere of joy and excitement that surrounded the wedding. My daughter’s favorite part was seeing Prince Harry in his uniform, while my son loved the Aston Martin that the newlyweds drove from Buckingham Palace to Clarence House. I thought the way Prince Harry had decorated the car was a riot, but my favorite part of the day was when the bride reached the altar and William looked at her and told her she was beautiful. The romantic in me just melted and I’m sure a lot of you felt the same.
Saturday turned out to be warm and sunny, which was perfect weather for the Shakespeare Birthday Celebration Parade that my son and daughter were taking part in. Stratford-upon-Avon is the birthplace of Shakespeare, as well as the home of the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and the newly renovated Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST), which sits right on the river Avon. Each year there are government officials from all over the world who take part in the festivities, and this year the American Ambassador was among those who participated. There are always acting troupes dressed in elaborate Elizabethan costumes, along with the very smartly dressed military bands that march from the center of town, near Shakespeare’s birthplace, to Holy Trinity Church, where he’s buried alongside several members of his family. But my favorite part of the parade is always the school children who carry colorful posies of flowers that they take into the church and lay on Shakespeare’s grave. This year my son was among those who carried flowers, while my daughter marched with her music group. My husband and I had very carefully planned out how we would take photographs and videos of them both taking part in the parade, only to be drafted in at the last minute as banner holders, which turned out to be a hilarious comedy of errors. We about died when we found ourselves leading the school section of the parade, which takes a different route through the town so that the kids don’t have as far to walk. Unfortunately, no one had told us what route they were meant to take and after embarrassingly turning down the wrong road, we then had to turn around and lead the long procession of schools back onto the right path again! We couldn’t stop laughing, but the newspaper photographers who were walking along with us and the police who were lining the streets thought it was funny too, so it all turned out okay. But I doubt they’ll be asking us to take part again anytime soon. ;)
Though I wasn’t able to take many pictures of the parade, since it was all I could do to keep the wind from ripping the banner out of my hands, I did walk around afterwards and snap some shots of the town for you. Stratford-upon-Avon is a truly beautiful place and if you ever have the chance to visit, I know you’ll enjoy it. The Queen visited the RST in March and Prince Charles is coming to see the RSC production of Macbeth later this month, so maybe Wills and Kate will come along soon for a visit. If they do, I’m sure the newlyweds will have a warm welcome and a wonderful time.
Hugs,
Rhy
The Shakespeare Monument (top) and The River Avon with the RST on the right and Holy Trinity Church in the distance (bottom)
Rhyannon is the author of the Primal Instincts series, and recently released book seven, RUSH OF DARKNESS, in March. To learn more about Rhyannon, visit www.RhyannonByrd.com.
May You Always Make a Good First Impression by Melissa Jeglinski
It's time for May's First Impressions post. I take one of our first page entries and offer a constructive critique. (My notes/edits are marked in red.) Then I ask all of you to make your thoughts known in the comments section. Remember, this is meant as a learning experience so please be honest and kind. And, if you would like to have your first page randomly chosen to be critiqued by moi, please see our rules at the bottom of this post.
STRAPPED
Horror
by Sean Thomas Fisher
“Can they get in here?” Carla whispered,with wide eyes and a face that changed expressions in the flickering candlelight. (Awkward. How about: ...Carla whispered, her eyes wide and her face seeming to change expression in the flickering candlelight.)
“I hope not,” Dan replied, hitting the joint and offering it around the circle, catching a disapproving glare from Carla in the process. No one accepted, too paranoid already.
“They can’t,” Paul lied, chewing the partially frozen apple pie. He had tried to thaw it out by the fireplace, which, to avoid being spotted by outsiders, washad been extinguished just before dark.ness took hold. He watched Carla nervously glance to the farmhouse’s living room windows again while she clung to her two young boys. Looking to the large windows again himself,He wished they were boarded up as much as Carla did. Or at least had thicker curtains than the dirty white ones hanging there now.
The small amount of light the three candles were giving off made him nervous as well. They should put those out too, he concluded. But he worried about Sophia the most.(You mention Sophia, then have Carla speak next so it's confusing; you should go right to a description of Sophia or her line of dialogue or perhaps expand upon why he's worried about her. As it is that sentence is just hanging there and seems out of context. I'd just delete it.)
“I don’t know,” Carla surmised, still inspecting the premises, her breath floating out in white, ghost-like waves. (It's a long time between dialogue so I had to go back and reread what Carla is responding to.)
“Mom, they have guns,” Mike contended.
“I know, sweetie,” she patronized said patronizingly. “We’re gonna be just fine.”
“Your mom’s right,” Sophia lobbied said, (Simplify your dialogue tags. Why is she lobbying?) discreetly brushing a gloved hand against her pink gun, just to make sure it was still there. Like one would have subconsciously done with their cell phone or wallet at the mall or the fair before all of this began. (Again, we're in Paul's POV so how does he know she's doing this discreetly? He's got to "catch her discreetly brush a gloved hand against her pink gun as if to make sure it was still there.) “We’ll be playing volleyball on the beach soon.”
Both Mike and Matt nearly cracked a smile at this. (How can he tell they "nearly" cracked a smile? He's not in their minds. Be careful to maintain a consistent point-of-view.)
Paul shook his head, knowing he would never get used to hiding out in a different house like this every night with their rotating smells and furniture and pictures of the people who used to live there. (I get what you're going for in this last line but it reads awkwardly.)
My overall first impressions:
I'm guessing that Paul is the main protagonist; I read this twice before I knew for sure. The first line should be from his eyes
Not every line of dialogue needs to have an action immediate follow it. The writer tends to do that a good deal in the opening page. Sometimes that can make the piece read like a screenplay.
From not a lot of set up I definitely get that this group of individuals has banded together to keep safe. And I get the sense of danger with which they are living. So a very good job on getting the atmosphere right. Really work on establishing character development right from the start and confirming who your main protagonist is. I'd read on.
_____ 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.
Agent & Author Chat with Deidre Knight & Elle Jasper -- TONIGHT (Thursday, May 5th) @ 9pm ET
Get some one-on-one time with Deidre Knight and her client, Elle Jasper, during an online chat tomorrow night at 9pm ET. Besides fielding your pub questions, Elle will share info on the second book in her Dark Chronicles series, EVERDARK (June 2011, Signet Eclipse) set in steamy Savannah, Georgia, plus give you details on her upcoming projects. We'll also announce the winner of the Island Dreams Giveaway, which includes a trip to Tybee Island, Ga., a two-night stay at The Lighthouse Inn and dinner at Wiley's Championship BBQ. There'll be a few more prizes thrown in for attendees, of course. :-)
HOW TO CHAT: Enter any combination of username and password. Login. Your computer must be Java enabled to chat.
About EVERDARK: Tattoo artist Riley Poe thought she knew the shady side of Savannah—until her brother was taken by a cult of vampires. Allying herself with hot-blooded vampire Eli Dupré, she got her brother back. But her courage—and her one-of-a-kind blood type—made her an irresistible temptation for some very bad bloodsuckers.
After barely surviving an ambush by enemy undead, she has inherited certain traits of her attackers: heightened senses, lightning reflexes, unreal strength. Eli trains Riley to use her new vampiric tendencies, teaching her control and skills she’s never imagined needing. But when a new trait—a telepathic link with a rampaging vampire—manifests itself, Riley knows she has to put her new skills to the test to stop the killer before he strikes again.
Long used to taking care of herself, Riley has trouble asking for help, even from the powerful vampire she loves....
Speed Date Winner Leigh Evans Finds a Home for Hedi at St. Martin's Press
During the recent RT BookLovers Convention in Los Angeles, I just so happened to be staying in the hotel room next door to one of our newest clients and first-ever speed date winner Leigh Evans. One night coming back from a party in the Hollywood Hills, I discovered that I’d lost my cell phone. As anyone knows, a missing phone leaves you feeling like it’s the end of the world, but I swallowed the panic and pretended it was no big deal. Long story short, after my fellow party goers, including Leigh, had done all they could and adjourned to their rooms, I crawled around the dangling legs of RT attendees stationed at the bar in one last desperate attempt and found it lodged between two seats. But here’s the part that really warmed my heart. When I rounded the hallway to my room, there was Leigh leaning up against her door jamb—with a knowing smile and arms crossed—waiting to make sure I was truly all right.
That gives you an idea of what kind of spirit Leigh is, both thoughtful and wise. Besides those attributes, she’s also pretty freaking funny – the kind of person who sends you an email that makes you laugh out loud in the middle of a pin-drop quiet office. It’s no wonder that our president and senior agent Deidre Knight felt so fortunate to find her during our speed dating event last December. The once-aspiring author, who’s also a member of RWA’s Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter and the Toronto Romance Writers group, beat out hundreds of would-be entrants in an early morning blog traffic jam to be one of 175 competitors in the “She’s Just That Into You” speed date contest. It only took a few lines from her HEDI’S BOOK OF RULES manuscript to reel Deidre in for the long haul. “From day one, I knew Leigh's work was something special,” Deidre says, “Her prologue brought tears to my eyes in just those few opening pages. Each round, I kept advancing her, knowing I couldn't wait to settle in and read a big chunk.”
Deidre was certain she’d stumbled upon what literary agent dreams are made of – that elusive talent whose voice strikes the perfect note at just the right time. So, suffice to say, when Deidre finally shopped Leigh’s urban fantasy series last week, it was no shock to her that several houses expressed intense interest. “You don't find an author like that very often,” Deidre says, “[and] I wasn't surprised when editors loved her as much as I did.” In a pre-empt, Holly Blanck at St. Martin’s cemented the six-figure deal that would make Leigh’s dreams of being a published author reality. “I began reading Leigh’s manuscript on the train home one night, and read it straight through,” Holly remembers, “I took my reader on the treadmill at the gym, completely abandoned cooking dinner, and refused to shut off the bedroom light until about 4am, despite disgruntled protests from the boyfriend. As soon as I finished reading, I knew I was in love with this project, and that I wanted nothing more than to work with this fabulous author on this amazing series.”
Asked what her immediate feeling was after finding out that the deal with St. Martin’s was done, Leigh says that besides being utterly relieved after a day of constant emails and phone calls she thought to herself, “How’d this happen to me? ME?” On her blog, she elaborates about the experience with her standard wit, “My life had changed dramatically in the space of one afternoon, and ‘I’ had been the one to turn it around... Who knew? Oprah was right. You can change your life if you follow your passion.”
Well, we here at TKA are glad Leigh listened to Oprah, and can’t wait to see all of the extraordinary things that are surely coming her way. As for what she’s doing to celebrate her big accomplishment, Leigh says, “Normally, I'd pull the cork out of a bottle of merlot with my teeth, but I'm on a diet from hell, so I settled with beaming and allowing myself to be hugged repeatedly. Though, there is a very pretty and shiny bracelet that I've had my eye on...”
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The 411 on LIVING ON THE EDGE: After a devastating injury, Lucas Ramsay knows he's finished as a soldier.But when the general who saved his life asks him for a favor, he says yes. All Lucas has to do is keep the general's daughter from getting on a plane to Colombia -- which is easier said than done...
