Saturday, September 24, 2005

iPod Recovery Team

Guess what? It didn't take a team at all. Turned out that Sticky Fingers, AKA my daughter, was able to lead me right to the missing iPod. :) Good news for my mental state, and good news for all my friends on this blog who were concerned right along with me!

Deidre

What I Should Be Doing...

I should be writing. Hellloooo??? I've had some breakthrough thoughts on the shape of PARALLEL HEAT, and I plan to do that next. Right now, though, have been doing a bit of blogging and blog hopping tonight. Diana Peterfreund posted her color quiz results. I thought this was a lot of fun, and took the test myself. Interestingly, discovered that "my color" is dark violet, which is my favorite color. In fact, it's the color of my website. Here are my results:

you are darkviolet
#9400D3

Your dominant hues are blue and magenta. You're the one who goes to all the parties but doesn't quite fit in at every one... you know what you want, but are afraid of what the world might think of it. You're a little different and that's okay with them, and if you're smart it's okay with you too.

Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right.

Your outlook on life is brighter than most people's. You like the idea of influencing things for the better and find hope in situations where others might give up. You're not exactly a bouncy sunshine but things in your world generally look up.
the spacefem.com html color quiz


I will add that I'm not sure how *accurate* this reading is--for one, I usually feel comfortable at any party. But it's fun and, hey, I like the color! :)

Thursday, September 22, 2005

Angela Knight featured in KICK ASS

These four women live up to the title so anyone who enjoys strong women kicking butt and hog tying their beloved will enjoy this fun often amusing but always exciting anthology
-- Harriet Klausner

“Warfem” featured in KICK ASS by Angela Knight
(Berkeley Trade, September 2005)

They're sexy. They're smart. And they aren't afraid of a little danger-not even when it comes to matters of the heart... Four of today's hottest authors present a quartet of stories about bold women who take no prisoners-either in a fight or in love. Whether it's in the bedroom, in the outer limits of the galaxy, or out on the mean streets, they kick heart-stopping action to the next level. These are women who can hold their own and aren't to be trifled with. The men in their lives know that-and they love it...

In “Warfem,” Alina Kasi reunites with her lover Baird Arvid after two decades apart. Passion instantly blazes between the two superhuman warriors, but old enemies and new lies may tear them apart. And Alina dreads what Baird will do when he finds out about the secret she’s been keeping for the past twenty years. But she soon discovers she’s not the only one keeping secrets.

EXCERPT:
http://www.angelasknights.com/warfem.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
WARFEM got 4 ½ stars from Romantic Times, which said, “Passion and intrigue are plentiful in Knight’s ‘Warfem.”
Speaking of the whole anthology, Jill Smith wrote, “It would be hard to find a more exciting way to spend a few hours. Settle in for tons of fun and enjoyment.”
In Warfem, Angela Knight gives us a fantastic story of a love that never died and another look at those yummy Warlords! – Pam L at A Romance Review. Four and a half Roses http://www.aromancereview.com/reviews/index.php?app_state=show_event&bookid=6065

WEBSITE FOR MORE INFO:
http://www.angelasknights.com/

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Bobbing for iPods

It was inevitable, really. In fact, rather than ask how it happened, I suppose I should wonder why it didn't happen sooner. Riley, the three-year-old went bobbing for iPods. MY iPod, to be exact, and now said electronic device is missing. Lost, somewhere in the Great Toy Abyss. It's pitiful when you have the urge to walk into your child's bedroom, shake them by the shoulder and demand that they wake. I want to shout Who Moved My iPod?!!? Only I know who moved it. I can picture her small, vaguely innocent hand clutched about the steely blue of my Mini. I just can't see where she has hidden away this item like prize booty. Perhaps in the Fisher Price dollhouse? Already looked through the front door, but no dice. The stroller? Nothing in it. The Barbie car? Nope, Ken and Ken are riding alone (let's not even go THERE tonight.)

It is true--my adorable, precious, angelic child is an iPod thief.

What, oh what, am I to do??

:)
Deidre (feeling much better than last night!)

Friday, September 16, 2005

Quote of the Day!

I wish to be cremated. One tenth of my ashes shall be given to my agent as written in our contract.

–Groucho Marx

Blog On, Garth!

At Last! A Moment For Blogging!

And if only I had all the moments I want for writing. You know, as an agent sometimes writers tell me they don’t have enough ideas, and I have to admit, that’s not the problem for me. My problem is all about that self-duplication principle. Wish I could put it into practice. Right now, I’m juggling at least two good YA ideas that I can’t possibly write—not with a clean conscience since I have a book due in March. I also have about four or five wonderful women’s fiction ideas. Again, no dice. The good news, as I was recently celebrating with my sister and agent (Pamela Harty), is that we sold a series that is just so fun for me to write, and not because it’s “simple” (as some would say of romance, and we who write—and read it—know that’s far from true.) Rather, it’s fun and easy to write because it comes, at least I think, most naturally to me.

It’s been an interesting year. Our agency is exploding, quite literally, with sales double what they were at this exact point twelve months ago—and those sales were already way up over previous years. We’ve bought office space, and are moving into the new building in about a week… a number of new employees, too, who are all doing a marvelous job, but who also require training. It’s as if this fantastic machine just gained a whole new level of power and traction. But juggling the machine’s “evolution” with my personal life, my writing life, and my sanity sometimes has its moments, and frankly? Sometimes I feel tired. This week I’ve had this horrid sinus complex, and it was the last straw. Yesterday, I’d completely lost my voice, and today—just as a “for instance” I was talking to an editor who kindly asked about my weekend and so forth, and I had to say, “Ohhh, gotta (cough, cough), probably (cough, cough) gooooo!” Nothing like being struck dumb by a dreadful cough, is there?

But back to the company growth factor. The neat thing about hiring a number of new people (TKA has added four new employees this year) is that it shakes off the predictability of your job. I mean, of course agenting isn’t predictable, by any means—that’s what I love about what I do, that ever-changing aspect. But you hire new people who are fully invested and excited, and it’s like moving to a new town: everything looks shiny and new again. The people we’ve brought into our team are all so vivacious and gung ho, it’s really a breath of fresh air… so why do I feel tired? Probably because I have come to the pitiful conclusion that I’m not capable of replicating myself, and I am only ONE person. It’s the modern woman’s dilemma, isn’t it?

On a totally unrelated note, tonight my daughters and I made popcorn (hubby is at the American Christian Writers Conference in Nashville—I’m a conference widow), and we decided that we would not eat any until the movie actually started. Well, this level of discipline is a wee bit of a challenge for my three year old daughter, and at one point I looked over and she’d shoved her entire face down into the bowl. Only the blonde curly back of her head poked out, as she apparently gobbled as much as she could get while “bobbing for popcorn.” I swear her little hands were even poised behind her back!

I’ve been sad not to have more time for blogging, and I almost feel like all of you, who have been such generous readers and posters, have had the patience of old friends. I do promise to come around more, and not always with a “why-god-why” style of whining about my time issues.
Hugs to all!

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

HEART OF THE DRAGON

"Sexy, funny and downright magical!" -- USA Today bestselling author Katie McAllister


Hi everyone:
Our beloved gal Gena is on tour today! Take a look...


HEART OF THE DRAGON by Gena Showalter
(HQN Books, September 2005)

He’ll make you burn…
He is a Dragon, a rare breed of warriors able to transform into the legendary creature at will. Though the mighty warlord breathes fear into the minds of his enemies and fire into the blood of his women, no one has ever stirred his heart -- until he encounters Grace Carlyle of modern day Earth. He burns to possess this proud, alluring beauty . . . but he has sworn to kill her.

Journey to the mythical world of Atlantis, where the gods’ hid their greatest mistakes – the vampires, demons, dragons, and other creatures of legend – and experience white-hot passion, exciting adventure, and a love that defies the boundaries of time and magic.

Excerpt:
http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/excerpt.htm

Cover:
http://members.cox.net/genashowalter/images/dragoncoversm.gif

ABOUT GENA SHOWALTER
Gena Showalter holds a Ph.D. in Quantum Physics (lie), is an expert in Krav Maga (bigger lie), and once worked as a body guard for the stars (the biggest lie of all). Actually, Gena Showalter is just your everyday, average girl who enjoys creating sizzling paranormal tales of kick ass women and the men who can't resist them.

REVIEWS

This romantic fantasy is a magical work where dragons take on human form and have different values than the surface dwellers. Atlantis is an exotic city populated by dragons, vampires, centaurs, and other beings of myth and legend. There is plenty of action as well as romance in the storyline as the book will appeal to a wide range of readers. Gena Showalter has the magic touch to make readers believe in what she writes. -- Harriet Klausner

(In Heart of the Dragon) Showalter pens a bold and exciting new vision of both Atlantis and dragons. Lots of danger and sexy passion give lucky readers a spicy taste of adventure and romance. – RT

Bold and witty, sexy and provocative, Gena Showalter's star is rising fast!
-- Carly Phillips, New York Times Bestselling Author

Heart of the Dragon is a bang-up twist to the old fairy tail with its dragon hero. Grace's character brings a refreshing change to the damsel in distress with her full steam ahead attitude and persistence. Ms. Showalter leads the reader on a thrilling adventure that even the coldest heart will acknowledge and love. – The Romance Reader’s Connection

Website: http://www.genashowalter.com/

Sunday, September 11, 2005

I'm Baaaack!

Hi, Gang:
Just posted my longest blog entry EVER about my trip to NYC. Be sure to go check it out on TKA's blog:
http://www.knightagency.blogspot.com

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Garden of Eden

“Jaci Burton does it again! What an amazingly hot and steamy story!” -- Fallen Angel Reviews

As you may have heard (those of you who keep up with the blog) TKA has just placed Jaci Burton’s new series with Bantam Dell (WOOHOO!). But if you just can’t wait, may I highly recommend that you pick up Jaci’s latest story, “Garden of Eden” featured in ELLORA’S CAVEMEN: LEGENDARY TAILS II. Not only one of our fine agency clients, Jaci's being a member of the OOTB you KNOW her stuff is awesome! Here’s the scoop:

“Garden of Eden” featured in ELLORA’S CAVEMEN: LEGENDARY TAILS II by Jaci Burton
(Ellora’s Cave, June 2005)

Dr. Eden Mason has spent the past hundred years orbiting the Earth in stasis. Since a nuclear war destroyed everything, she and the other inhabitants of the space pods are the only survivors of the global meltdown.

One special passenger has joined them-Adam-an alien sent to recreate what was once a thriving, beautiful planet. But Adam needs Eden to fulfill his goal, in a way she never expected.

Adam has loved Eden since he first came to Earth, but her father refused to allow him to meet her. Instead, the brilliant scientist kept Adam secluded while they engineered a way to save some of Earth's inhabitants before the inevitable destruction. Now Adam can touch Eden, taste her, love her like he's always wanted to, at the same time fulfilling his duty to revitalize the planet.

His love for her is energizing and Eden begins to hope that life on new Earth will be a lush garden of sensual pleasures. But Adam's not telling her everything that will happen, and his secret may end up destroying them both.

Excerpt:
http://www.jaciburton.com/newrelease.html#Excerpt

REVIEWS (as if you need any more convincing?!)

“Garden of Eden by Jaci Burton is a yummy little taste of fantastic science-fiction romance with beautiful balance. – eCataRomance

“Garden of Eden has a very interesting plotline. Ms. Burton gives us a very imaginative not to mention fun way for Adam to get his energy to re-create a new world. Adam and Eden are well developed characters even for a short story, and the emotional bond that develops between them is very moving and believable. With steamy sex scenes a plotline with twists and turns this one was an enjoyable read." – Cupids Library Reviews

Hooked? Then check out her website: http://www.jaciburton.com/

A little more about JACI BURTON…
Jaci Burton was born and raised in Missouri but now lives on an acre-and-a-half in Oklahoma with her husband Charlie. Jaci loves to write about passionate relationships with sometimes stormy outcomes but always a happily ever after. She’s a sucker for romance and a happy ending!

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Off to NYC!

Yes, it's that time again. I had hoped to swing by here and produce some witty reflection on the nature of agently life. Alas, not enough time. I will, however, be making a stop at Shoegasm just for my friends on this blog.

Also, btw, we posted a link on TKA blog about a great fundraiser that's being mounted by romance designs. Be sure to check it out!

Hugs to all,
Deidre