Correct link

The correct link for the article below about Shari is:

Help Shari

Reno... and an Important Announcement

Hi, Gang:
Tomorrow morning I'm heading out! Going to Reno for the RWA annual convention, and I will post an update with lots of romance industry news once I return. But meanwhile, I saw this post on Jolie in NYC. Jolie's been in the news lately because last week she lost her job at a top beauty magazine after she was "outted" as being a well-read anonymous blogger (sort of like if Mad Max were suddenly revealed.)

Anyway, just happened to see her post tonight about this publicist in need of a new liver.

31-Year-Old Shari Kurzrok Will Die Unless She Receives Complete Liver Within Days

NEW YORK (July 20, 2005) – Shari Kurzrok is two months away from her wedding. The 31-year-old PR executive recently spearheaded the American Red Cross’ largest-ever blood donor campaign. Today, she is fighting for her life. Her doctors say she will not live if she doesn’t receive a complete liver transplant within days, and her colleagues in the PR industry are urgently mobilizing to help her.

“I just pray that what Shari has loved to do for a living comes back to help her,” says her fiancée Robby Schnall, 35, a marketing executive at Cole Haan. Their wedding is planned for October 15 at Woodbury Jewish Center in Long Island.

Shari’s sudden illness has taken her family, friends and doctors by surprise. She was admitted to New York University Medical Center last weekend, and within 24 hours she was told she needed a liver transplant to save her life. Her illness is still unexplained.

Kym White, managing director of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, says the news has shaken Shari’s colleagues and friends, as well as the extended communications industry. All are quickly rallying to spread the word through PR and advertising in order to draw attention to Shari’s plight. “Shari is a phenomenal friend and colleague, and it is hard to imagine that someone who only recently led the largest-ever blood donor initiative for the American Red Cross with such energy and enthusiasm, is now in vital need of a liver donation.”

Shari led the 345-city Save-a-Life-Tour, which featured two convoys that traveled across the country to raise awareness about the importance of regular blood donation and to attract new donors including a younger and more ethnically diverse demographic. The campaign collected more than 3.2 million pints of blood and registered more than 38,000 new potential donors. Kamenna Lee, Director, Sales & Marketing for the American Red Cross, said, "Shari poured her heart, soul and life into one of our largest initiatives and truly helped save lives."

Now Shari’s family and friends hope that just one person can help save Shari’s life. Shari is a native of Great Neck, Long Island, and the daughter of Gloria and Mort Kurzrok. Her father says, “This is a race against time. We want to draw attention not only to Shari’s cause, but also to the urgent, ongoing need that challenge families like us every day.”

Potential donors must be Type A or Type O blood. A directed donation is when a donor family opts to donate an organ directly to a specific individual. Donor families often make the decision to donate organs during times of grief and shock; however, organ donation is a chance for something positive to come out of a tragedy. Anyone wanting to help Shari with a complete liver transplant referral should call: 877-223-3386 or email: liverforalife@yahoo.com For more information go to www.helpshari.typepad.com

Romancing the Blog

FYI, gang, my July column is up over on Romancing the Blog. Be sure to check it out!
Thanks, Deidre

Back Cover Copy for PARALLEL ATTRACTION

I'm so excited! I have my back cover copy, and any day now (literally) I will have my cover art. I think they did a great job (it was written by my editor, Louisa Edwards)on the copy. What do you guys think? Is this a book that would grab you based on the back cover?? :)

Here it is, back cover copy for PARALLEL ATTRACTION:

Parallel Attraction
Deidre Knight

“A fantastic and riveting new voice in paranormal fiction.”—Karen Marie Moning, New York Times bestselling author of Spell of the Highlander

From a “fantastic and riveting new voice in paranormal fiction”* comes a thrilling debut novel of danger and passion, and a love that will cross all boundaries of time and space.

It has been years since exiled alien king Jared Bennett thought of anything other than his people’s fight for freedom. Now his rebel force has the one weapon that can turn the tide against their enemy: the key to the secrets of time. Victory has never been closer—but one woman has the power to change everything.

Kelsey Wells can’t deny that there is something unearthly about her fierce attraction to Jared Bennett. His revelations about alien wars and time travel can’t possibly be fact—yet with every seductive touch, every searing kiss, Kelsey circles closer to the truth: that although Jared is exactly what he says, he hasn’t told her everything. And when the future crashes into the present, Kelsey must decide if his deception will cost them the love that should have been their destiny.

“At times humorous, at others heart-wrenching, but always compelling, Deidre Knight offers readers a fresh, wonderfully creative glimpse at the complexity of human decisions. What a page-turner!”—Gena Showalter, Author of Awaken Me Darkly

Reading Envy! UNDEAD AND UNAPPRECIATED

Okay, so I've got serious reading envy this week. I'm promoing two books--the Julie Kenner book and then now MaryJanice Davidson's UNDEAD AND UNAPPRECIATED. Envy, you say? Yeah, because I haven't had time to read for fun in the past few weeks. I want time to pick these books up!

Here's more on MaryJanice's release:

UNDEAD AND UNAPPRECIATED by MaryJanice Davidson
(Berkley, July 2005)

Most women would love to live as royalty, but Betsy Taylor has found that being vampire queen has more problems than perks, except for always being awake for Midnight Madness sales. It may be easy to find blood (yuck) in the dark of night, but try finding a strawberry smoothie. And employees at her nightclub Scratch have been giving her nothing but grief since she killed their former boss. Some people...

But Betsy's "life" takes an interesting turn at a baby shower for her wicked stepmother, who lets it slip that Betsy has a long-last half sister. Now twenty years old, this woman just so happens to be the devil's daughter...and destined to rule the world.

Here's an excerpt.



ABOUT MARYJANICE DAVIDSON
MaryJanice Davidson has written in a variety of different genres, including contemporary romance, paranormal romance, erotica, and nonfiction.

MJ is the best-selling author of several romance novels, including UNDEAD AND UNWED and HELLO GORGEOUS. Her first hardcover, UNDEAD AND UNAPPRECIATED, will be out in July. Her books have been on the USA Today best seller list, as well as the New York Times list. Starting in July, she has a release every month through February. She lives in Minnesota with her husband, two children, and dog, and is secretly addicted to Peanut Buster Parfaits.


REVIEWS
An amusing vampiric chick lit amateur sleuth tale worth sinking your teeth into. – Midwest Book Review

Davidson's witty dialogue, fast pacing, smart plotting, laugh-out-loud humor, and sexy relationships make this a joy to read. – Booklist

A hilarious rompful of goofy twists and turns, great fun for fans of humorous vampire romance. – Locus

MaryJanice Davidson is at her humorous biting best with this devilish tale of our favorite vampiress since Vampirella started seeking a blood relation. -- Harriet Klausner, BarnesandNoble.com

Entertaining, wicked and delightful -- Romance Reviews Today

Chick lit meets vampire action in this creative, sophisticated, sexy and wonderfully witty book. -- Catherine Spangler


Website: http://www.maryjanicedavidson.net

Technology Crash Test Dummy

That would be me. My server was down today, and so it appears that only *some* of the emails sent to me today from 9 am until 3 pm were received. So, if you contacted me--at any of my addresses, submissions or otherwise, please send the correpondence again. The last thing we need is more lost email around here! :)

Deidre (posting this on both blogs!)

My Vote For a VERY Clever Title: CARPE DEMON by Julie Kenner

From the moment I heard about this book and its title, I was curious. And envious (in a good, agently way) because it's one heck of a fantastic title!! :) Julie is a wonderful writer, and I actually had the pleasure to judge her work in a contest years ago, before she had published. That original manuscript immediately caught my eye because her work had a wonderful sparkle and humor to it that is a rare find among unpublished authors.

I haven't yet read her latest masterpiece, but I have no doubt that I will absolutely love it when I do. I plan to order my own copy pronto, and would encourage all of you to do the same. Once I have the chance to read more, will give further reporting here.

CARPE DEMON: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner
(Berkley, July 2005)

Carpools. Crabgrass. Creatures from the depths of hell. Suburbia has its problems too...
Lots of women put their careers aside once the kids come along. Kate Connor, for instance, hasn't hunted a demon in ages...
That must be why she missed the one wandering through the pet food aisle of the San Diablo Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, he managed to catch her attention an hour later-when he crashed into the Connor house, intent on killing her.
Now Kate has to clean up the mess in her kitchen, dispose of a dead demon, and pull together a dinner party that will get her husband elected to County Attorney-all without arousing her family's suspicion. Worse yet, it seems the dead demon didn't come alone. He was accompanied by a High Demon named Goramesh who, for some unknown reason, intends to kill off the entire population of San Diablo.
It's time for Kate Connor to go back to work.

CARPE DEMON: ADVENTURES OF A DEMON-HUNTING SOCCER MOM has been optioned for film by Warner Brothers & 1492 Pictures, and is scheduled for release as an audiobook from BBC America Audiobooks.

In addition, CARPE DEMON was recently honored by being selected by BOOKSENSE as a Summer 2005 Paperback Pick.


ABOUT JULIE KENNER
Julie Kenner is a USA Today bestselling author. She is also a former attorney who lives with her husband and daughter.


REVIEWS
"I loved CARPE DEMON! It was great fun; wonderfully clever... ninety-nine percent of the wives and moms in the country will identify with this heroine. I mean, like who hasn't had to battle demons between car-pools and play-dates?" -- Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author of Falling Awake
"As if having a teenager and a toddler weren't challenge enough, Kate Connor has other problems, too. Take kids to best friend's house, check. Clean house for budding politician husband's party, check. Kill the demon coming in through the window, check. Then hide the body and put on a little black dress...This book, as crammed with events as any suburban mom's calendar, shows you what would happen if Buffy got married and kept her past a secret. It's a hoot." --Charlaine Harris, USA Today bestselling author of Dead to the World
"Smart, fast-paced, unique--a blend of sophistication and wit that has you laughing outloud!" --Christine Feehan, New York Times bestselling author of Oceans of Fire

"[A] sprightly, fast-paced ode to kick-ass housewives..." – Publishers Weekly

Website: http://www.juliekenner.com

I'm Back and an Important Warning

Hi, Gang!
I'm back from my vacation, and staying up late trying to answer my, uh, over 900 emails. Much more tomorrow, but I just wanted to link to an important warning post on my agency blog.
Hugs! Deidre

http://knightagency.blogspot.com/2005/07/extremely-important-warning-regarding.html

The Determined Face of the Writer

That is, determined to finish her revisions. I don’t have a snapshot for this one, but picture me here, in my t-shirt and shorts and wearing what my honey lovingly calls my “birth control glasses.” I am rationing out my visits to the Net and e-mail like little chocolates to a prisoner. You wrote two pages? Here, little writer prisoner girl, you may see what’s happening in cyberspace—come to the cyber window! Oh, you are approaching the end of that scene? Then, for being a very good girl, you may check your agency queries. What? No progress? Then log off of Outlook, naughty lady.

That, my friends, is how I’m spending my Saturday. How about you guys?
Deidre

Some of My Author Headshot Pictures

I'm tempted to save my final, final picture I chose, but I have no will. Actually, since I'm still picking, here are the major contenders at this point, and then a few fun ones just for good measure. Let me know what you think!! I am bouncing, bouncing, of course. Call me Girl of No Will.

Choice #1--the leading favorite






Choice #2--Another close favorite, but too serious for this kind of book (I think)





Choice #3--What everyone keeps calling Deidre's "I've got a secret" picture. This is a close tie with number one.



For Website--these two will be great on the site, especially the dying laughing one, which--if you know me at all--isn't a surprising picture. I personally love this one to the left, which I keep calling the "Sarah Maclachlan" shot. It's all atmospheric and poetic, like I'm a Great Woman o' Mystery. (rolls voice: yeaaaah, right)





So let me know what you think. I am almost certain I will use the first shot, but the "I've got a secret" shot is still tempting. Perhaps that should be my agent conference headshot.

Anyway, had to share! Deidre

Angela's cover didn't show up big enough. I wanted to show it with a larger view. Let's see if THIS works!

Angela Knight's MASTER OF THE MOON

Hi, Gang:
As part of our fabulous Out of the Blogosphere promo circuit, I'm hosting Angela Knight's MASTER OF THE MOON for the next few days. I love this cover! And although I've yet to dive into this terrific sounding book, it sounds great too. Here's a little bit about it below:


MASTER OF THE MOON by Angela Knight
(Berkley Sensation, May 2005)

Diana London works hard in her day job as the city manager of a small South Carolina town. Yet she still finds time to moonlight for the Verdaville Police Department.

As a werewolf.

But while helping the police investigate a brutal murder, Diana discovers she’s not the only magical creature in town. A female vampire has also decided to make Verdaville her murderous playground. What’s worse, she has powers even Diana can’t match.

Fortunately, Diana is not the only one determined to stop her. Llyr Galatyn is the king of the Cachamwri Sidhe – a seductive otherworldly warrior with fantastic abilities. He’s sworn to hunt down the murderer, and he’s more than willing to give Diana any help she needs.

And not just with the case. Diana is in her Burning Moon, a time of sexual heat, when need rides her hard. Llyr is delighted to be the answer to her erotic prayers.

But as they hunt the vampire while desire runs hot between them, a deadly enemy urges the killer to turn her sights on Llyr. It seems Llyr isn’t the only king of the Sidhe – and his brother wants him dead.

Excerpt:
http://www.angelasknights.com/masterofthemoon.htm


ABOUT ANGELA KNIGHT
Angela Knight's first book was written in pencil and illustrated in crayon; she was nine years old at the time. But her mother was enthralled, and Angela was hooked.
In the years that followed, Angela managed to figure out a way to make a living -- more or less -- at what she loved best: writing. After a short career as a comic book writer, she became a newspaper reporter, covering everything from school board meetings to murders. Several of her stories won South Carolina Press Association awards under her real name. For more of Angela’s interesting bio, visit her website: http://angelasknights.com/bio.htm

REVIEWS

MASTER OF THE MOON, a Berkley Sensation novel, got a 4 ½ stars and a Top Pick from RT. It also spent three weeks on the USA Today bestseller list, and was #1 on the Waldens Romance List for three weeks.

Another Angela Knight novel, THE FOREVER KISS, won the 2004 RT’s Critic’s Choice award for Best Erotic Romance.

Romantic Times Review:

“Picking up the storyline where MASTER OF THE NIGHT left off, Knight’s latest packs in tons more passion, danger and sizzling sensuality. While her novels are scorchingly hot, knight also manages to keep the stories intriguing and balanced.” – Jim M Smith, Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine.

Website: http://www.angelasknights.com