Remaking Myself in the Image of Dido

I mean, why not? Look at the similarities, her picture and mine below. If I were British, I might exclaim, "Bloody hell! She IS Dido Armstrong!" Cut! Cut! All of you in blogland are now saying, "Has Deidre gone round the bend?" (and intoning a perfect British accent, no doubt.) "Has she spent too many hours answering agency email and reading submissions and working on her book?

Perhaps.

Well, the inspiration here is multi-fold. First of all, there's no word I'm more likely to misspell than my own name. How pitiful is that? Perhaps it's the speedy flex of the fingertips, perhaps it's my familiarity with my own name, but I am MOST likely to type: Diodre (which sounds a lot like "Bad odor") or Dido. Yes, Dido. Actually, I believe it's Didor, at which point I catch myself and start backtracking to delete. But today the high irony of the Dido Typo (nice inner rhyme, huh?) hit me.

Dido is the daughter of a literary agent, and was herself a literary agent still when discovered by Arista. So, I think remaking myself in the image of Dido is a perfectly reasonable plan. In fact, to put a PARALLEL series spin on it, perhaps she's the thin, young British alter-universe of ME!

Seriously, what if I just changed my name to Dido? Why not, really? In an era of memoir ad-libbing, surely I can acquire any ole monicker I want--even someone else's.

Just something to think about. Then again, I could drop Knight and simply be...

DEIDRE

Unveiling a New Contest!

Look what's up! A fabulous ALIEN perfume giveaway over on NewAndUsedBooks.com. I can't believe how gorgeous this promo design is (I could only capture a small part of it, featured in this pic! I'm just tickled.

I discovered the Alien perfume while in Saks Fifth Avenue in NYC this past fall. I couldn't believe how perfect it was! I actually got a gift bottle for another alien nut like myself, but that birthed the idea that this perfume would be the perfect giveaway. Not to mention that the bottle is wicked cool and ideal for signing with SILVER pen.

Okay, so I hope you'll go check out the contest and register. This is a separate one from the contest on my yahoo group.
Hugs! D

QUERY FOR HIRE

I thought it was time that we bumped my silly, ridiculous laughing self. I always think I'll be a better, more frequent blogger, but then it never seems to happen. We've had a busy six weeks at TKA--we've placed 43 titles, closed a movie deal, and also had a number of foreign rights deals. BUSY. Plus, PARALLEL HEAT is due next week, so I'm putting the finishing touches on the book.

Diana Peterfreund's blog is always a source of interesting discussion and viewpoint, and the other day she had a great post about rejections, which I loved. Some of the discussion in the comments gave me an idea about a great blog post, so here we go.

Exclusives tend to daunt authors and I think it's largely because the agents or possibly editors requesting them don't give the authors any ground rules. They don't want to school the author about anything to give them more sophistication in the submission process, and this is done either as a simple act of omission or even to try to have a certain advantage (a long safe look at the material.)

So let's discuss ground rules for exclusives. First, if an agent or editor requests one, it's because they think the work has strong potential. They want time to read the full material without worrying about finding themselves scooped. It doesn't mean they intend to sign you on, but it is a signal that you've moved past the basic Query For Hire stage (Hi! I'm an author...) So keep this fact in mind: They are asking you to remove your material from the market for a period of time. Therefore--and never forget this--limit that period of time. They may ask for the time they need (great!), but more likely you may need to say, "Hey, that's awesome! I could grant you a six week exclusive. Is that enough time?" Just be sure you don't sound like a DIVA, but rather as someone who is pleased by the interest, but wanting to be sure they don't tie you up indefinitely.

Next ground rule--follow up. Send a quick email to be sure the material is officially logged in and received. Follow up again a week before exclusive ends. Then one more time the day before, then at last to say, "Thanks for looking at the material, but I now need to begin submitting this material wider. I'd still welcome your interest in discussing representation, but..."

Get the picture? You don't want to find yourself on the end of a six month waiting game or even discover that nobody ever received your materials. That's not the agent's job, i.e to track that YOU sent the material and that THEY received it--it's the author's job to follow up.

As always, I think a healthy dose of remembering agents are humans is a good thing. We're not sitting around dying to screw authors over by losing material or by generally bungling the submission process. But we ARE overworked, overstressed people who have dozens of people pulling on us each day (I usually get about 200 or more emails a day, just as a for instance.) So anything that makes our life pleasant and positive--a nice note letting us know that material is on the way, or a quick thank you for unsolicited critique comments, well these things are always appreciated.

So in short, remember that you drive your career. Don't hang back and wait for agents to wake up and notice things--be proactive. We all respond to a good nudge now and again so long as it isn't a daily nudge (at which point we become convinced we can't pass fast enough!) Carpe authorship Dieum!

Deidre

A Big Day for Deidre

So, it's a big day for me (hence the happy pic)! An exciting day, one that I've been anticipating for a longtime--and no, it's not just that I'm heading to KFC for a chicken liver snack (Southern, anyone??) The fried snack is a reward because I'm in the midst of a mega writing weekend. Jud's away and the girls are at their grandparents' house, so I've been hammering on completion of PARALLEL HEAT, due in ten days. Yikes! End of book fear!

So, it's actually not any of that stuff. Not the Olympics, not the return of dreary weather (not that it would excite anyone after 70 degrees and football playing in the yard on Thursday evening!)

I'm beside myself because finally I'm able to unveil a small portion of my first novel for all of you! At last, the first excerpt has gone live and you can read the opening pages of PARALLEL ATTRACTION. Big day for me. Huge. Feels like a tiny promise of what the book's publication will be!

So I hope you'll go check out the excerpt, which is the first section of the prologue, and then post your reaction on my message board. I'm dying to know what readers think!

Now, I'm off to KFC and then back to the keyboard (of course, I'm ON the keyboard now, but you know what I mean...) Also, there is GREAT CONTEST STUFF on the website now. We're doing a fabulous Alien perfume giveaway, plus there's a pic of the ultra cool black iPod nano.
hugs!
Deidre

GODDESS OF THE ROSE

GODDESS OF THE ROSE by PC Cast
(Berkeley, February 7, 2006)

GODDESS OF THE ROSE is a magical, sensuous retelling of Beauty and the Beast – with a modern slant. Our Beauty, Micki (named after the Mikado Rose), and all the women in her family have a special affinity for roses – their blood, diluted in water and applied during the night of a new moon, makes roses grow spectacularly. What the women don’t know is that they have this ability because they are descendants of a High Priestess of the Goddess Hecate. Hecate is Goddess of Night, Magick, the Crossroads of Man, and of Beasts. She is also the proctrectess of The Realm of the Rose – the place wherein all dreams and magick originate. This realm is guarded diligently by The Guardian, a creature on which the myth of the Minotaur was based. The Guardian swore himself into Hecate’s service for eternity, and in return the Goddess gifted him with the heart and soul of a man, even though he has the body of a beast. But all is not well in The Realm of the Rose. The Guardian made a terrible mistake, arousing the Goddess’s wrath to such an extent that she bespelled him and the realm, and Hecate swore that they would sleep eternally unless the Beast was awakened by a woman who carried the magickal blood of Hecate’s priestess, and was wise enough to see the truth, and compassionate enough to act upon it.Micki does awaken the Guardian and he abducts her to The Realm of the Rose, thinking that she would automatically break the curse placed on the realm and set things to right, but modern woman Micki is a very unexpected kind of High Priestess, and there are forces at work within the realm, both of love and of hatred that might change the shape of dreams and magick for all of eternity unless Micki is brave enough to make the ultimate sacrifice…


ABOUT PC CAST
Award-winning author PC Cast is a dynamic, entertaining orator and an extraordinary teacher. Currently, her realm is in Oklahoma, where she resides with her daughter and spoiled cat.


REVIEWS
Join Mikki on an adventure to outshine them all -- P.C. Cast’s own version of Beauty and the Beast. Fourth in the author’s Goddess Summoning series, it’s very easy to see Ms. Cast’s love and respect for mythology, and it’s even easier to fall in love with characters that I believe may be her best yet. Romance, fantasy, mystery, and adventure are all threads woven together in this beautiful account of a woman who is clearly fated for greater things. An enchanting tale from beginning to end, GODDESS OF THE ROSE truly deserves RRT’s Perfect 10, an award that is exemplified with each word and every page in P.C. Cast’s latest.

-- Amy Cunningham, Romance Reviews Today


WEBSITE

http://www.pccast.net

Writing with the Weather Channel Droning On

It makes lovely white noise, quite literally, as the lovely folks at TWC talk about the NorEaster that’s about to hit the north. I sit here, typing along on my novel, wishing that I lived somewhere like, um WYOMING! Someplace with dramatic, interesting weather, where I might live a whole other kind of life. I could be a skier or a snowboard queen, or perhaps spend Saturdays ice skating. Not that I can’t learn those things on my occasional trips to colder climes, but the chances of coming a killer ski bunny are pretty slim at this stage in my life.

What if I’d been like this (not my child, but quite probably the youngest little person I saw skiing out in Wyoming—the instructor has her on a leash so she won’t slide away!)














Today I might be like this:













Anyway, white noise. It’s a good thing when writing all weekend because it keeps the slightly weird, antisocial vibe from taking over too completely. So I find that listening to the bland, processed jazz of TWC has a kind of appeal. The local on the 8’s keeps you vaguely aware of time passing. You can pause and study the map of various US quadrants. All good.

The other day I was studying this favorite channel of mine, hoping against absolute hope for some snow and Jud walked through the kitchen and announced, “You can stare at that thing as long as you want, but they’re still not going to give you snow.”

He knows me just too well.

Processed jazz. Local on the 8’s. And maybe someday…oh, a little snow.

Just Released last week!

Woo! This is wonderful to showoff two outstanding TKA clients in a row! Check it out (to buy the book, click the cover)...

JEWEL OF ATLANTIS by Gena Showalter
(HQN Books, February 1, 2006)

Enter a mythical world populated with vampires, dragons, demons and Nymphs…enter a world of dark seduction and powerful magic…enter Atlantis…..

All Atlantis seeks the Jewel of Dunamis, which legend claims can overcome any enemy. Grayson James, human agent for the ultra-secret Otherworld Bureau of Investigation, has orders to keep it from the wrong hands – or destroy it. What he doesn’t know is that Jewel is a woman, not a stone! But once he meets this precious gem, destroying her is the last thing on his mind…Jewel, part goddess, part prophet, is a pawn in Atlantis’s constant power struggles. She needs Gray’s help to win freedom and uncover the secrets of her mysterious origins. Gray needs her wisdom to navigate monster-ridden Atlantis. But need blossoms into passionate love as they fight demons, dragons, vampires – and a prophecy that says the bond between them could destroy them both.

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

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
Showalter has created a ripe mythological world populated with fascinating creatures and dark lore. . . , for extraordinary escapism, read this book. -- Romantic Times

Showalter's fans will enjoy her breezy tone, fast-paced plotting, and sexy humor, set against a backdrop of malevolent demons, vampires, and dragons. -- Ginger Curwen, Barnes and Noble review

JEWEL OF ATLANTIS is clever, witty, sexy, exciting and just plain fun to read. Full of lots of "other world" goodness, it's a paranormal romance lovers delight. With characters that are rich in personality, scenery that is lush and enchanting, and dialogue that is snappy, fresh, and fun, you just couldn't ask for a better story. – Susan at Singletitles.com


WEBSITE: http://www.genashowalter.com/

Pardon My Squeal!

Okay, I'm becoming silly author girl with every passing day. It's less than two months until PARALLEL ATTRACTION comes out now, and so all these really thrilling "firsts" are happening. Lovely Jax at Romance Divas gave me my first review, which kept me floating for weeks. I kept meaning to post it here, but it came in when I was getting ready to leave town. I do have it on my author message board attached to my site.

Now this! A five blue ribbon review from Romance Junkies! Dorine gave me a fabulous review!

ROMANCE JUNKIES REVIEW:
Catchy Snippet: Do aliens exist among us? After reading this debut paranormal futuristic novel, you may believe it’s true. For a sensual journey between two people meant for one another, I highly suggest you try this one. It left me yearning for more and the paranormal elements were mesmerizing.

***Review***

Jared Bennet, exiled alien king, tests his protectors’ patience once again. Independent and strong willed, Jared refuses to be revered as a king, and risks everything against his advisors’ mentoring. Focused on leading a secret rebel force on Earth, he is fighting for his people’s survival. Jared has no time in his life for a family. However, his people need their king to choose a lifemate and produce an heir. Even Jared doesn’t know the true reason for his resistance to their wishes.
The scope of what it all means begins when he meets human Kelsey Wells.

Kelsey Wells’ scientific mind can’t completely wrap around the events that transpire when she returns to her beloved homeland in Wyoming. Her geological research has brought her back to Mirror Lake in the mountains and the scene before her can’t be real. A fiery energy lands before her and then takes the shape of a man. His searing touch fills Kelsey’s body with the most unbelievable sensations. Then he’s gone.

Can Kelsey’s investigative nature reveal the truth? Once she knows what really happened between her and the mysterious entity, will she be capable of facing the greatest challenge of her life?

Jared and Kelsey’s lives are intertwined in an intriguing plot and they can’t comprehend it at first. Each chapter reveals another piece of the puzzle and I bet you can’t read just one! PARALLEL ATTRACTION brings a completely new meaning to what goes bump in the night and what it could be. Talk about shivers! This alien can invade my world any time!

Debut author, Deidre Knight, immerses the reader in a world that’s believable, fascinating, and extremely sensual between two people who meld into one as their love escalates. The sensuality builds to a crescendo, the plot plummets your emotion then brings you back, while bating your wishes for more at the end. Completely mesmerizing, PARALLEL ATTRACTION leaves you hoping for more.

Watch for PARALLEL HEAT in October 2006 and PARALLEL SEDUCTION in April 2007.

*****

Now, in non-book related stuff, I've just got to share that for the past week I've had a double ear infection. Um, am I like three? Four? I haven't had an ear infection since childhood, and the really great part is that my antibiotics are gone and I STILL have the infections. Got to talk to the doctor (also my next door neighbor) tomorrow. Was sorely tempted to walk down the end of my driveway today and ask if she could look into my ears. That's smalltown life for you!

Meanwhile, now my seven year old has a temperature of 103. Sigh. I just want us all to be WELL!

I posted some Wyoming pics on the TKA site (waves at Lisa! I didn't forget you, dahling!)
hugs, D

Releases TODAY: SORCERESS OF FAITH by Robin D. Owens

So, have to brag and boast that Robin is a star TKA client. What a pretty cover, too! Have several of her covers framed here at the office. Go out and get your copy today (click on the cover to buy the book)!

SORCERESS OF FAITH by Robin D. Owens

(Luna, February 1, 2006)

With the world of Llandrana threatened by encroaching evil, the Sorcerers must do the unthinkable—Summon an outsider to stop the insidious Darkness slowly taking control of their land and poisoning the Sorcerers themselves.

Arriving in Lladrana, grad student Marian Harasta is stunned to find herself the center of a dispute among Sorcerers who want to augment their Power with her own. She must quickly learn her new magical Powers – and decide who she can trust in this strange land. She has prayed for a miracle to save her brother – could Lladrana offer that knowledge, and can she somehow return to Earth with it?

She knows she must offer the Sorcerers something in exchange, and ridding them of the Evil Sorcerer is what they want, but how will she fare in her first magical duel?
With unexpected help – and unexpected betrayal – Marian must determine where her true fate lies.

EXCERPT
http://www.robindowens.com/reads/sorceress_of_faith.htm

ABOUT ROBIN D. OWENS
Robin D. Owens has been seriously writing longer than she cares to recall, but is very happy with how her writing career is proceeding. She was named the Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers in 2004, and 2003 Writer of the Year by the Denver Area Science Fiction Association. Robin has been the librarian, contest co-chair, and President of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She has given seminars at Pikes Peak Writers Conference, the Colorado Gold Writers Conference, and Romance Writers of America as well as other groups.

REVIEWS
Marian is a fantastic heroine, both fiercely intelligent and independent, as well as willing and able to stand up for herself and what she wants. This book will enchant readers who enjoy strong heroines.
– Romantic Times

WEBSITE
http://www.robindowens.com