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.
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…
UPDATE: The winner of BURNING ALIVE is CatsMeow! Congrats! Please send your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net. Hope to see everyone at Shannon's chat tonight! 9pm ET! She's giving away autographed copies of BURNING ALIVE and FINDING THE LOST and a special set of earrings she made herself!
Leave your name in the comment section to win a copy of BURNING ALIVE by Shannon K. Butcher. This contest will be open for entries until Thursday, November 18th @ 8am ET. The winner will be announced Thursday morning.
Shannon will be TKA's featured online guest author this Thursday @ 9pm ET, so make sure to bookmark our chat room! Any combination of username and password will allow you to login.
The 411: They are the Sentinels. Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity against their eternal foes--the Synestryn. Now, one warrior must fight his own desire if he is to discover the power that lies within his one true love... For too long, Helen Day has been haunted by visions of her own death, surrounded by flames as a dark-haired man watches her burn. So when she sees the man of her nightmares staring at her across a diner, she attempts to flee--and ends up in the man's arms. There, she awakens a force more powerful and enticing than she could ever imagine.
The instant the Theronai warrior Drake touches Helen, the anguish he has borne for years fades away. He is determined to know why this beautiful, fearful woman has such power over him. The answer lies in his very blood--and in Helen's as well. For together, they may become more than lovers--they may become a weapon of light that could tip the balance of the war--and save Drake's people...
'Til death...Helen shivered and heard a small moan lift from her mouth. Every cell in her body stood at attention from that one little touch. Her skin grew warm and her abdomen tightened against a jolt of heat. She wanted something she couldn't name. Needed it. It wasn't just desire. It went deeper than that. Bone deep. Soul deep. He had something that belonged to her and she wanted it. Even if it killed her.
His lips slid over her cheek, barely touching. Maybe not even touching, just stirring the fine hairs along her skin. Whatever he was doing, it was wonderful, fear or not. She felt like she was being filled up with energy. She felt more alive than she ever had before.
All from a barely-there touch from the man who would watch her die...
UPDATE: The winner of LOVE YOU TO DEATH by Shannon K. Butcher is whateverfor! Congrats! Please email your physical addy to contests(AT)knightagency.net. Thanks to all the participants.
Leave your name in the comment section to win an ARC (advanced reading copy) of LOVE YOU TO DEATH by Shannon K. Butcher. The winner will be announced tomorrow morning. Remember, Shannon will be our featured guest author in TKA's chat room on Thursday, November 19th. 9pm ET. Mark it down on your calendars!
The 411: Delicate, expressive hands...long, graceful legs...One man is looking for his perfect woman--and he'll stop at nothing until he finds her.
It's been days since reporter Elise McBride has heard from her sister, Ashley. She's convinced Ashley has met with some kind of foul play, especially when she learns that bodies of other missing women have surfaced in and around Chicago--all victims of a brutal serial killer. Convinced her sister is still alive, Elise vows to risk everything to save her...The last thing ex-cop Trent Brady needs is more blood on his hands. Yet when he catches Elise breaking into her sister's house, full of reckless determination and fear, he knows she needs his help. But just as desire ignites between them, a twisted madman sets his sights on Elise. Hell-bent on possessing her for himself, this psychopath won't rest until he has his perfect woman.
Halloween Week Grand Prize Winner & Upcoming Chat with Shannon K. Butcher!
The winner of our Halloween Week Scavenger Hunt is Missy Brooks!! Her grand prize win is a $50.00 Visa gift card. Thanks to all of our participants!
We've got some great contests, chats and other events planned for the end of the year -- so keep checking the blog and newsletter for updates! In fact, the next event where you'll be able to win some fab books is a chat with Shannon K. Butcher, author of the THE SENTINEL WARS series on Thursday, November 19th @ 9pm ET. Bookmark our chat room!
Guestblogger Maria Geraci: How To Get Published - TKA Style
UPDATE: The winner of five signed books by TKA authors is Sherry Ficklin! Please email your physical address to contests @ knightagency.net (remove spaces). Congrats!!!
This past weekend 5 TKA authors, Jennifer St. Giles, Shannon K. Butcher, Debby Giutsi, Deidre Knightand myself, Maria Geraci, had the opportunity to go on a little road trip. We hit 4 different book stores in less than 3 days and met some of the nicest people in the Atlanta area! At three of the signings we did a Q & A session on how to get published.
Left to Right: Jennifer St. Giles, Deidre Knight, Debby Giusti, Shannon K. Butcher, Maria Geraci
Here’s a sample of our more frequently asked questions and how we answered them.
How did you get an agent? (this was asked a lot!) Of course, the answer to this question was different for everyone, but one common theme was that networking was very important. Organizations like Romance Writers of America and other writing organizations are good venues for meeting other writers and professionals in the business. Meeting agents at conferences and attending workshop panels featuring agents, is one way you can gauge if an agent might be the right one for you. Once you’ve established a list of agents that you’d like to work with, a killer query, and of course, a good book are essential elements. One point that Deidre made was that as a new writer, you should have a completed manuscript to query. As an agent, there’s nothing more frustrating than to get excited over a good query and a promising partial, only to request the full and find out that the book isn’t written yet. Also, be sure to check the submission guidelines for each agency and stick to the rules. For instance, if the guidelines for an agency say only email queries accepted, don’t send a copy of your manuscript via snail mail. A simple thing like following directions (or not following directions) can make a good (or not so good) first impression.
Where do you get your ideas from? Most everyone on the panel said that dreams, day dreams, and vivid imaginations all play major roles in formulating ideas. As writers, we tend to be big “what if?” people. We see a curious headline or hear about a new scientific discovery and immediately the “what if?” gene kicks in. People watching is a big idea stimulator too. Personally, I love to observe people when they think I’m not looking. So maybe a little voyeurism plays into it as well!
What’s your writing schedule like and how long does it take you write a book? Our answers to this varied from 6 weeks to almost a year (depending on the size of the book). Some of us (like Shannon ) can sit at the computer for hours ( 8-10 hours at a time!) and keep pounding at the keyboard, while Debby writes at intervals during the day, interspersing chores like cooking dinner, and promotion time with her writing. One thing we all agreed was that while writing a book, daily writing (if possible) is the key to to staying on schedule. The longer you’re away from a project, the longer it takes to catch up.
Is the current economic climate keeping publishers from buying? (this one was answered by Deidre, I’m paraphrasing here, but this is her basic response). A few months ago it seemed that Publishers Weekly was beginning each day with a similar headline, “Black Monday- Big layoff at xyz publishers!” For a while, publishing was in a tailspin and there’s no doubt that people were getting laid off and restructuring took place in a lot of publishing houses. However, as seen by recent news coverage, romance book sales are actually on the rise! In tough economic times, people are finding that escapism is a good way to deal with their stress, so right now, there’s a lot to be optimistic about and book deals are happening.
After all was said and done, a good time was had by all. Books were signed and sold, new friendships were made, and maybe we inspired a few writers out there!
I’m offering an autographed copy of each of our newest releases to one random lucky winner. Just leave a comment and you might find the following books in your beach bag this summer!
It’s a regular smorgasbord of reading! Leave a comment to enter Maria's AMAGING giveaway for ALL five of these signed books! The contest is open from Friday, June 12th to midnight Sunday, June 14th. The winner will be announced Monday morning. Good luck!
Atlanta Listen Up! The Knight Agency is on the road this weekend, and we're coming to a bookstore near you!!
If you are going to be in the Atlanta area THIS WEEKEND, you don't want to miss the fabulous signing events that we are planning beginning June 5th!! The tour line-up includes Deidre Knight, an award-winning paranormal romance author who is also president of The Knight Agency, along with USA Today bestselling author Jennifer St. Giles, Debby Giusti, Shannon K. Butcher and debut author Maria Geraci!
This is not your ordinary book signing. Three of the events will feature a "How To Get Published Q&A," followed by a one-on-one meet and greet with the authors during the signing portion. See details below!
1--Borders at Stonecrest Mall in Lithonia – June 5th, 5pm ET 8000 Mall Parkway, Lithonia, GA 30038
2--Books For Less in Buford – June 6th, 1pm ET* 2815 Buford Dr, Buford, GA 30519
3--Dog Ear Bookstore in Madison – June 6th, 5pm ET** 142 Academy Street; Madison, GA 30650
4--Borders in Athens – June 7th, 2pm ET 196 Alps Road, Athens, GA 30606
If you have any questions, please direct them to info @ knightagency.net (remove spaces).
*Debby Giusti will not appear at the Books For Less event. **The Madison signing will not include a Q&A session.
Shannon K. Butcher is celebrating the release of the first book in her new SENTINEL WARS series, BURNING ALIVE, today! If you are in sunny San Diego this Saturday, May 9th, check out her joint signing at 1pm with husband Jim Butcher at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore.
Here's the 411 on BURNING ALIVE: They are the Sentinels...Three races descended from ancient guardians of mankind, each possessing unique abilities in their battle to protect humanity against their eternal foes--the Synestryn. Now, one warrior must fight his own desire if he is to discover the power that lies within his one true loe...Helen Day is haunted by visions of herself surrounded by flames, as a dark-haired man watches her burn. So when she sees the man of her nightmares staring at her from across a diner, she attempts to flee--but instead ends up in the man?s arms. There, she awakens a force more powerful and enticing than she could ever imagine. For the man is actually Theronai warrior Drake, whose own pain is driven away by Helen?s presence.Together, they may become more than lovers--they may become a weapon of light that could tip the balance of the war and save Drake's people...
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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...
