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

Days When Your Brain Isn't Firing On All Cylinders

Okay, for the past two days whenever I write a post or an email or anything, I swear it seems that it comes out unintelligible. Now, could that just be because I dropped all yeast/sugar/processed sugar etc out of my diet—plus went for lowering my daily caffeine intake? But what’s up with that, really? It all seems to make perfect sense in my head, but when I read back over the communication, it’s all a mish mash.

Jud gets Men’s Fitness and there’s an article in there about how you can tell how healthy your brain is by how long you can stand on one foot with your eyes closed. Sounds easy, right? Try it. I could go like seven seconds. Now I think I must be losing my mind. Men around my age should be able to go 15-20 seconds, but they listed no findings on women. Can I not stand on one foot with my eyes closed because I’m on a yeast free diet?

I hate dietary changes. They make me feel PMS and strange. Or, wait… maybe I am just PMS and strange. That too.

I fear even attempting to write anything real right now, and yet I'm dying to be writing on my second book. It just seems pointless if my emails are hardly sensible and I can’t stand on one foot. What do you think?
Deidre

Mel attracts tiaras like some flowers attract...butterflies!

I failed to identify the *adorable* Angie Gerbing on the last post. This is Angie and Lisa (Angie on left, Lisa on right) and I think it's about 1:00 am. I was delighted to make these new friends--and to reconnect with a very good OLD friend! :)

Now, truthfully, this is one of the most hideous pictures ever taken of me. We dubbed it "the Blair Witch Picture." I kept saying, "It was all my fault. I'm so scared." But I figure if Liz Maverick can post such great, fun (and uncensored pics) on her blog, hey, so can I!

Can you tell how hard we're all laughing here?

A Grand Time Was Had By All

This past weekend I had a fabulous time with my old friend, Lisa Stone Hardt. Lisa and I worked together with Karen Marie Moning once upon a time. Lisa bought Karen's first novel from me when she was at Dell, so you could say we both discovered her! That's Lisa on the right and my new and wonderful friend, Mel Francis on the left. Notice the Accidental Tiara. More pics to follow next.

C.J. Barry's Fabulous New Release--UNMASKED

C.J. Barry's new book, UNMASKED


C.J. Barry is on tour right now with our Out of the Blogosphere, and lucky for me, I’ve been reading her latest book, UNMASKED. This woman can write. She had me hooked right from the get go, and of course since you all know I’m Nerdy Sci-fi Gal, of course the idea of a sexy intergalactic pirate had me at hello.

Honestly, I started the book before bed one night, and the next day kept seeing the book on my nightstand, which would give me this little rush of expectancy. Then, when I got to the following description of the hero and his band of pirates, you can only imagine how hooked I was:

“…the Ghost Riders of the Dead Zone. They are the most daring and elusive pirate force operating in the quadrant….very smooth, very good. And they always wear black.” Oh, la la, you’ve got a love a pirate in black.

I heartily recommend this one!

More below….
Deidre


UNMASKED by C. J. Barry
Love Spell (Dorchester Publishing), June 7 2005
To the merchants he plunders, he's the Ghost Rider of the Dead Zone. To sector law enforcement, he's a wanted pirate. To the slaves he rescues, he's the savior, laghato. To one determined female, Qaade Deter is serious trouble. Torrie Masters had heard of the legendary raider, but she'd never expected to encounter him. Nor would she have expected that beneath his black mask lurked an enticing man destined to challenge her in ways she couldn't shoot her way out of. But a great threat has emerged-one that's left no choice but for them to join forces. Entrusted with the fate of thousands, Torrie has discovered Qaade's impossible dream. Only she has the power to help him. Only she has the power to see him UNMASKED.

Excerpt:
http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/SpecialFeatures.cfm?Special_ID=1923

Cover:
http://home.twcny.rr.com/cjbarry/images/Unmasked.jpg


About C. J. Barry
Award-winning author C. J. Barry is an earthbound wife and mother of two who lives with her family and cat in a small town in Upstate New York. While her imagination wanders far into the universe to conjure up wondrous worlds and miraculous gadgets, she is foremost a storyteller whose tales chart the infinitely fascinating workings of very human emotions and relationships. She is a member of the Romance writers of America, the Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal chapter, and President of the Central New York Romance Writers.


Reviews
"Wow! What a story! Bravo!" -Best-selling Author Robin D. Owens

"Applause for this gutsy tale that steals your heart. Barry's best, simply her best!" -Deborah MacGillivray, The Best Reviews 4 1/2 STARS!!

"This awesome book roars out of the starting gates and never looks back. Along with telling social commentary, it is chock-full of danger, adventure, and romance-a terrific keeper!" -Romantic Times Magazine

Website: www.cjbarry.com

Squealadelic, Baby!

Guess what I have in my hot little hands? The new Julia Quinn book! Yes, that's right, I have Quinn. IT'S IN HIS KISS is her newest book about the Bridgerton family, and this will be Hyacinth's story. I wonder what she will do now that we have them all married off. I've loved every book in this ongoing series.

I've thought about Ms. Quinn as I've been on my recent Regency Rampage, and as I delved into her earlier books. I think what she possesses is a masterful ability to create emotional--deeply emotional--scenes. In her earlier books she's not there yet. They're fun and sweet, but it's these later books that really sing in my opinion.

So all you Quinn fans, go snag it. We can discuss amongst ourselves. I hope to start mine TONIGHT! :)
D

Is this too cool or what? I think that given my book title of PARALLEL ATTRACTION--and that I live in an old home--that this poster might fit very nicely somewhere around here!

Let's Go On Location!

Quite literally. I had a fun experiment idea come to mind. Sort of like me tagging every visitor who makes their way to this blog. And it goes like this...

Reading my stat counter, I see that I have visitors from all over the world, places like Poland (hey, friends!), Germany, Japan, Finland, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the UK, and so forth. In this country, we get hits from New York, Huntington Beach, Fredericksburg, Birmingham and the list goes on.

What if every person who visits this blog for the next week posts here on this thread, just a simple, "Hi, I'm here! My name is Blah, blah and I'm from Eureka, TX!" That kind of thing.

So we can start with me!
I'm Deidre, and I'm in Georgia!

:)
Keep it going!

Tomorrow!

And since nobody noticed I was gone... LOL! (I deserve to be ignored after ignoring you guys!) Tomorrow is my first post on romancing the blog, so be sure to check it out. I feel kind of nervous--like will it be what people want. That kind of thing. Be on the lookout! D

Another view--you can see the Lucky Strike water tower in the background

Forgot to post the picture of the pitcher! Here you go.

Negligent Blogger Returns

Yes, it’s true: I took a vacation. Not a big one, mind you, just an itty bitty trip to North Carolina to visit the mysterious Angela. (And, for the record, I still believe we can turn her into an epic figure simply by making everyone wonder about her…but that’s another story.)

Have I returned with massive revelations about the publishing industry or gossip about authors or anything whatsoever to do with why many of you anticipate my blog postings? No.

I have returned with an autographed Durham Bulls game ball. The same one that hit my six year old on the head. Oh, it was an eventful summer night, for sure. Fabulous seats on the baseline (see nice picture of Pitcher Man for field-proximity gauge), great view of the Durham Bull (nobody hit it and won a free steak. Dang.) We even had ideal weather! And so our night began.

Our first indication that things might be interesting was when we ventured to buy cotton candy and a man sprang into action, photographing my daughter. As soon as the transaction was finished, a reporter spun into action too. He was doing, of all things, a story on the cotton candy vendor. “Why did you choose to buy this cotton candy?” he asked, barely suppressing a smile as he grilled us on our purchase. Later, he even returned and took picture of Angela’s children too.

Then the night progressed, and we were treated to watching a groupie sit and chat up one of the pitchers, a la Bull Durham. That fueled some interesting speculation (none of which I can share here) and right when Groupie Gal left, a foul ball slammed into the seats at about seventy miles an hour, missing my youngest daughter’s head by about two feet. Whew. So, I wandered upstairs to buy t-shirts, horrible images playing in my head, and when I did finally return, Angela’s husband, Greg, told me it was okay, he was prepared to protect the kids at all costs if any ball came near them. I settled into my seat, reassured and at peace—until about ten minutes later when another foul ball came our way, and next thing I knew Greg was handing the ball to my oldest daughter. I watched, thinking, “Why does she get the ball? Because she’s visiting? How nice of Greg—to give us the ball.” Yep, that was what I was thinking right until the moment I saw Tyler burst into a huge fit of tears. Greg had deflected the ball from her head with a seat cushion, but then it had bounced off and dinged her on the head.

Tears were eventually dried, the Durham Bulls Company Man reassured that we wouldn’t sue anyone, and we sank back into our seats to watch more of the game. And then the manager was ejected from the game—at the top of the ninth. And then fireworks afterward. The night seemed packed with crazy moments at every turn. But the most exciting thing, really, was just spending time with good friends.

Don’t you just love Summer?

Who's Blogging Now?

So guess who has joined the blog circus now? Shelley Bradley! Go drop in and give her a very warm welcome to the blogosphere.

Here's the link:

www.shelleybradley.com/blog

And definitely don't forget to drop in on my husband, Judson Knight, who has posted quite a few new entries in the past week.

Also, be sure to swing by the Knight Agency Blog and read the just-posted interview with Random House editor Allison Dickens.

No worries--I'll avoid trips down pop culture lane for the next few days and possibly even say something substantial. :)
Deidre

last one....

And this one....

Okay, a few of the wackies themselves. I particularly loved this one when I was little.

How about this? Trip down memory lane for anyone?

Does this look familiar??

From the People Who Brought You Partridge Family Flashbacks

Did anyone else collect Wacky Packs? These played a pretty significant role in my life about the same exact time as the Partridges did. Check out these couple of images.

Anyone else smell the bubble gum?
:)
Deidre

The Truth About Cats and Dogs...

OR—the truth about dreams and reality. How many times have we written our (unpublished) book dedications in the shower? Or given an Oscar speech in the car? Or imagined actually accepting the RITA without tripping over our high heels? We all do it. Live out our dreams within the realm of our imaginations; we wouldn’t be writers if we didn’t. I know I had countless self-conversations before selling my first books, and it always seemed so very easy to rattle off the “You love me! You really love me!” type speeches.

So then why, I must ask, is it proving so very difficult to write my one paragraph bio that my editor now needs? Is it that we’re unsure how to properly talk about ourselves in the third person without sounding like a dweeb or braggart? Or maybe it’s the pressure to be funny. Jud tells me I’m always funniest when I don’t mean to be. Well, let me tell you—when it comes to this bio thing, everyone else (Shelley!) is funnier than me. My clients all have these rip-roaring, ha ha ha’ing bios that put me to shame. For a minute the other night I actually sank into the “I must not really be a writer” malaise, wondering how such a pithy paragraph could elude me. In the midst of that pity party, I would naturally, of course, get the invitation to a humor writers conference. And why, you may ask? Because the conference chair had heard a presentation tape of mine and decided I was so funny that, in fact, I should come be a special speaker at their conference. He concluded his kind and complementary invitation by saying something like, “I know that with as funny as your presentation was that your first book will surely be very funny too.”

Head sinks into hands. Why can’t I get the shower-taking, I-want-to-thank-my-kids-husband-and-chiropractor speech back?? WHY?

Well, let me exhibit my very split personality now, and remove my driveling author hat, and replace it with my diva publishing crown. The truth is—at least my truth as an agent—that when we don’t feel watched, we perform freely. But the moment someone lets us know the spotlight’s been trained on us, we begin to sweat. We clam up. That freewheeling thing that makes our work its best sputters and coughs and we have to remind ourselves of the mantra. We are the same girl we were before.

Tonight, while taking a shower, my bio seemed to dislodge itself—simply because I quit trying to solve the problem. I let it flow, baby.

Is Ten PM Too Late for a Nap?

I'm guessing I just need to go to bed. :) I spent the day taking my oldest daughter to Six Flags, and it was a glorious, amazing, very good day. However, I'm spent.

Still, I had to buzz by here and share my major news. It's official now--I'm writing The Parallel Series! We knew book one was PARALLEL ATTRACTION, as many of you are aware. As of yesterday, my book two and three titles were approved. So, drum roll....

Book Number Two, publishing in October '06 will be PARALLEL HEAT
Book Number Three, publishing in April '07 will be PARALLEL SEDUCTION

I'm all aflutter! And couldn't wait to share.

More tomorrow.

Here it is!

Hex in the City! Agent Kristin Nelson Talks about ENCHANTED INC

My dear friend, agent Kristin Nelson was kind enough to let me interview her about her client Shanna Swendson's ENCHANTED, INC, which hit shelves in the past week. I've tracked this terrific book from before Kristin made the submission, so I thought it would be fun to ask her a few questions about the whole agent/submission process that took the work from manuscript to the final product.

Kristin, you and I have a great time sharing about our current submissions. I remember very well when you sent out ENCHANTED, INC, and also how excited editors were about it. Can you tell me what exactly seemed to have captured everyone’s eye about this book?

Deidre, you are a part of what makes agenting fun, and I love sharing agency news with you. We are two peas in a pod, and I think we were accidentally separated a birth.

As for ENCHANTED, I know exactly what caught the editors’ attention. Shanna had such a unique hook for this chick lit work. After all, the main heroine, Katie Chandler, is so ordinary, she’s immune to magic. So she’s recruited by a magic company to be their secret weapon because magic doesn’t work on her.

How cool is that? Katie’s superpower is that she is ordinary. That means we all have a bit of superpower in us because most of us would consider ourselves pretty normal.

Similarly, what was it about ENCHANTED INC that stood out to you from the rest of your submissions?

It was such a refreshing change from what seemed to be the trend at the time. Chick Lit had been getting sexier and more about dishing the dirt. There was an innocent quality to ENCHANTED that really won me over. I could also see the YA crossover potential with that work.

If you could name one single quality to Shanna’s writing that you love the most, what would it be?

Her imagination. She includes such fun details. I can’t reveal any examples because that might be a spoiler for anyone reading her work but we’ve just delivered book 2 in this series to her editor and let me tell you, Katie has a whole new adventure awaiting her in New York City.

And, if you could be a single character in ENCHANTED, INC, who would it be and why?

Kate of course! Her secret weapon is her common sense. She’s always applying it to wild and crazy situations and I love that. Not to mention that Owen, the most powerful magic man since Merlin, just might be interested and he’s such a hottie!

In terms of reviews and editor reactions was there any response that surprised you about this book? And if so, what was it and why?

We were surprised by the overwhelmingly positive reviews we’ve had for this work. You can’t please everyone so I keep waiting for that one bad review, but it hasn’t happened. ENCHANTED INC. was even reviewed by Dark Realms Magazine (not known for liking light and innocent fantasy) and they loved it. Shanna’s favorite review though was the article done by Charles De Lint. He’s a legend in the industry and he totally got it. Now that can bring an author to tears let me tell you. Tears of joy that is.

Any hints about what’s in the pipeline for Shanna (call me Joan Rivers!)??

Oh yes! Shanna has received numerous fan emails clamoring for more. Readers will be happy to know that ENCHANTED INC. is the first in a series, and Katie will be called upon again to save New York City from the deranged Phelan Idris. Now if we can just nail down a title for that book 2…
********

Doesn't that sound exciting, gang? I can't wait to read this book! Here's the press release and more info. I'll come back next with the cover art as well.

ENCHANTED, INC. by Shanna Swendson
(Ballantine Books), May 31, 2005

Shanna Swendson’s debut mainstream novel, ENCHANTED, INC. is a magical story featuring Katie Chandler, a 20something, small-town Texas girl, who finds that being average in New York City is anything but. Katie loves the energy of Manhattan, and if she finds some of the people odd, well, that's New York, right? Where else would you see a person on the subway wearing fairy wings? In fact, if Katie wasn’t completely sure those wings must be a costume, she’d think they were real, the way they flutter in the breeze. Certainly the gargoyle that perches above the door of the church she passes on the way to and from work isn’t real. Its eyes seem to follow her, and she could have sworn it winked at her once, but now that she thinks about it, it was really hot that day, and she hadn't eaten lunch....

Katie is still adjusting to life in the big city while working a for a nightmare boss, when she gets a fantastic offer to work for a mysterious company, MSI, Inc. Through her new job and the magical folk she meets, Katie comes to find out she isn't quite as average as she thought; and the fairytale life she has longed for begins to come true in surprising ways. What Katie doesn’t realize is how rare and important being ordinary can be. In fact, it is her ordinary characteristics that make her the perfect secret weapon for MSI, Inc. Suddenly the very qualities she thought made her average are what make her special! Now she has magicians and fairies meddling in her attempted romances, a secret life she needs to keep hidden from her non-magical friends, not to mention that dangerous pull she feels for Owen, an attractive but shy wizard who might be the most powerful magic man since Merlin.

Excerpt:
http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=0345481259&view=excerpt

Cover:
http://www.shannaswendson.com/Resources/cover.jpeg


ABOUT SHANNA SWENDSONWith ENCHANTED, INC. Shanna Swendson offers a new twist on chick lit for the-now-grown-up fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. In addition to writing fiction, Shanna is a freelance marketing consultant and writer specializing in technology and telecommunications. She is single and lives in Irving, Texas, with her many pet plants, including a vicious attack bougainvillea and a Christmas cactus that has outlasted three homes, three jobs and three boyfriends, yet still faithfully blooms every Christmas and Easter. She’s looking for a man that reliable.


REVIEWS“A totally captivating, hilarious and clever look on the magical kingdom of Manhattan, where kissing frogs has never been this fun.” -- Melissa de la Cruz, author of The Au Pairs and The Fashionista Files

“With its clever premise and utterly engaging heroine, Shanna Swendson has penned a real treat! Enchanted, Inc. is loads of fun!” -- Julie Kenner, author of Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom and The Givenchy Code

"I am giddy! I found an enchanting (pardon the reference) book and therefore, have a new author to read. Bridget Jones, move over. Shanna Swendson is offering up fantasy for the Buffy, Sabrina and Bewitched crowd. This is a delightful romp through the world of magic with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. There are characters you¹ll love and remember. If you want to escape the stress and busyness of life, join Katie for an enjoyable frolic into the world of make believe.” -- armchairinterviews.com


Website: http://www.shannaswendson.com/

Last shot. This is my back driveway with a view of the 200 year old stage coach inn. It's the oldest house in my town.

Closer look! I'm all excited about the variety of color this year!

Okay, here is the hydrangea bush in the driveway--former home of the tree that came down during the hurricane. The bushes remain and seem even fuller this year!

In a Garden Da Vida, baby....

Hi, Gang!
Sorry I didn't get a chance to swing by yesterday. It's been a crazy week or so here. Lots going on in the agency, and it's summer with kids home and computer woes again. Does anyone else have Outlook freeze up with certain kinds of spam? Pamela and I both keep getting hit with blank email address spam that locks up Outlook. SO freaking frustrating.

I did promise a few pics of my hygrangeas and the garden. Hygrangeas were my wedding flower (anniversary is June 15th.) Jud and I were *young* and it was a low budget kind of "homespun" wedding. So for the reception, we held it at Pamela's condo and cut hydrangeas from my grandmother's backyard and they were *everywhere* at the reception. So each year when I see them, I have all these happy fuzzies. That's probably why the giant bushes in my yard here mean so much.

I'll post those next, and then... drum roll... hosting a BRAND NEW SPECIAL BOOK on our tour!

Keep reading! D

The Once and Future Queen... of a Brand New Genre!

Most people know I’m a huge fan of time travel stories. In fact, that’s what I will be writing myself (in a sense) for NAL. It’s certainly an appealing notion that we can reach into the unwavering thread of our lives and somehow change destiny—all the more so when we get to play out that fantasy through a sexy, fun, romping read (like Karen Marie Moning’s books.) Or a tender love story (like THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE.) Or a suspenseful sci-fi tale like THE TERMINATOR.

The problem, though, is that too often a time travel story can feel like a retread. You read the first few pages and immediately the “been there, done that” warning buzzer sounds in your head. That’s why I have an immense amount of appreciation for someone who can take this classic setup and give it a new and unique twist. That’s what caught my eye about Marianne Mancusi’s A CONNECTICUT FASHIONISTA IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT. Marianne’s brand of time travel is fresh. It feels now—only, it’s set waaaaay back in the past (the mythical past, at that!) Honestly, have you ever seen a book with a concept similar to this one?

Once upon a time there lived an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who certainly was not your typical damsel in distress. But when a gypsy curse sent her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she found she'd need every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!

Luckily, she's got her very own knight in shining armor, Lancelot du Lac, on her side. The honorable-to-a-fault and devastatingly handsome champion insists on helping her out, even though she's not quite sure she wants him to. After all, shouldn't he be off romancing Queen Guenevere or something? Will Kat manage to stay out of trouble long enough to get back to her beloved café lattes, cosmopolitans and cashmere? And what will Lancelot's forbidden love mean for the kingdom of Camelot?

I’m just hazarding a guess here, but I imagine that when Marianne came up with this concept, she thought it would be great fun to try something totally different—a chick lit time travel. And what she gave us in this charming tale is the classic thrill of the genre: the opportunity to step far back into the past and yet do it with a perfectly modern voice.

Since so many readers of this blog love time travel and paranormal stories, I encourage you to check out Marianne’s book by clicking here:

Excerpt:
http://www.mariannemancusi.com/Excerpt.html

Website:
http://www.mariannemancusi.com/

And just to whet your appetite a bit more, here’s the official press release!


MOVE OVER BRIDGET JONES! DORCHESTER PUBLISHING RELEASES FIRST EVER CHICK LIT TIME TRAVEL NOVEL

Imagine a Bridget Jones like character spiraling back in time to the days of Camelot. That’s the unique premise behind the latest chick lit offering from Dorchester Publishing. "A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur’s Court" (May 2005) combines, for the first time ever, chick lit attitude with a time travel plot. Debut author Marianne Mancusi, an Emmy Award winning television news producer for the NBC affiliate in Boston, pens a sexy, magical, laugh-out-loud romp through the legend you only thought you knew.

"I love the voice of Chick Lit," says Mancusi. "But I felt the same old plotlines about a girl in the city with a bad boss and good shoes were getting old. I wanted to do something a little different."
Connecticut Fashionista features an outspoken fashion editor named Kat, who’s certainly not your typical damsel in distress. But when a gypsy curse sends her back in time to the days of King Arthur, she’ll need every ounce of her 21st century wits (and pop culture references) to navigate the legend. After all, surviving a magical plot, an evil prince, and a case of mistaken identity--all without changing history or scuffing your Manolos--takes some doing!
So slip on your stilettos and clutch your Cosmos tight, as Dorchester Publishing and Marianne Mancusi send you on a wild, wacky, and oh-so-fashionable trip back in time.

About Marianne Mancusi
Marianne Mancusi is a multiple Emmy Award winning television news producer for WHDH-TV in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked for news stations in Orlando and San Diego. A Massachusetts native, she currently lives in Massachusetts with her British husband Aaron and their dog Molly. She has six other adult and teen chick lit novels under contract with Dorchester and Berkley.

REVIEWS:
"Sparkling debut...A nice twist on the modern girl's search for prince charming."
Publisher's Weekly

"Talented author Mancusi clearly knows her Arthurian lore. She vividly depicts the customs of a bygone era, and the wry, witty ending is perfectly Kat."
Romantic Times Magazine - 4 Star Review

"It might sound like a strange premise for a chick lit novel, but once you pick it up, you won't be able to put A Connecticut Fashionista in King Arthur's Court down."
Kristin Harmel, The Daily Buzz, WB Morning Show

"Excellent writing, biting wit, and a slew of familiar characters will have readers of chick lit laughing and wanting more."
Jani Brooks - Romance Reviews Today

Come On Get Happy!

My hubby has been blogging about Shaun Cassidy recently, and what he didn't share (at least I don't think so) was that our recent surge in Cassidy interest resulted after I TIVO'ed the movie COME ON GET HAPPY recently off ABC Family. Our daughters absolutely adore this movie (despite some inappropriate elements that we have to shield them from during the viewing.) They seem to love it almost as much because of their fascination with their parents' childhoods, which featured watching the PARTRIDGE FAMILY on Friday nights.

I'm almost embarassed to admit that one of my first childhood crushes was on Danny Bonaduce, but, well since I did wind up normal in the end, I guess there's no harm done in fessing up.

So without further ado, I would like to unveil my latest discovery, one which put a silly grin on my face while I listened to the opening "movie."

CHECK IT OUT:
http://www.cmongethappy.com/

And then for those of you in my age group, get back to me. Did it give you a sloppy grin too? :)
Deidre

A Shoegasmic Delight

It’s interesting that so many of my fair readers keyed in on the shoe moment. And I will share all about it, as a matter of fact. First, however, I feel the need to clarify that I did not eat for seven hours straight. Grin. My husband had the perfect reply on that matter after reading Jaci’s question. He said, “No, you did something you enjoy far more. You talked for seven hours straight.”

Basically the dining table or drinks table or coffee table is the “office” for most of our meetings in New York. It just makes for a great way to discuss business, but in the end you do wind up “posing” over food more than anything else. That’s how Selena James put it while we had “breakfast” yesterday immediately after all three of us had already eaten breakfast (hence second breakfast.)

But what about those shoes. On Day One after our meeting with a couple of fine ladies from Tor, Pamela and I stumbled upon an amazing shoe shop. Wandering in, it was a feast for my shoe-hungry eyes. I was in serious need of some good heels, and boy did this shop have them in abundance. By the time I was ready to emerge, uh, four pairs richer (now, there was a two-for-one deal going on!) I finally learned the name of the shop. The sales manager handed me their business card, and I read the name of the store. Shoegasm.
“Oh, wow,” I said with a smile, “and I already had one!”

He smiled too and said, “Now that’s what I like to hear.”

Hmm… did he mean what I thought he meant? Or did he think I meant that I already had his business card? I’m not entirely sure, but it sure was amusing.

The Shoe Moment yesterday was only a pale imitation of the True and Original Shoe Moment. Nothing fit or worked.

So, in the end, was I in the city to pose over food for seven hours and talk? Or was I there to have multiple shoegasms? I’ll let you decide.
Hugs,
Deidre

the lord of Blackberry Reigns in NYC

Well if it can be done surely I must try it! I'm blogging from my blackberry at LaGuardia while waiting on my (ahem) delayed flight. Great trip here and I even took a few digital pics to upload once home. We had a breakfast today with a group of fellow agents, then on to "second breakfast" (to put a Tolkien twist on it) with an editor from Pocket, and then to lunch with BET team (but with 5 minute shoe moment on the way)

I determined that I spent 7 hours total dining with editors. Out of room.

Start Spreading the News....

I’m leaving (though not today--tomorrow). Off to the Big Apple for some meetings with editors, and so it’s going to be quiet around this blog. I have Gena Showalter guesting on the agency blog for the rest of the week with some very good articles about various aspects of publishing and writing. Here? Well, I think it’s probably just going to be quiet unless I choose to log on from the city and post something—which is quite possible!

Not much to report today except the usual pre-New York drill: packing, confirming meetings, juggling last minute appointments, and figuring out what to wear! I better check the weather. If anyone from the city happens by here, what’s the weather like through the end of the week?

Deidre

Random Flyby Chatty Post

It's Saturday. And in the immortal words of my six-year-old--it's summer!! Summer break, that is. She woke this morning with a long list of things she wanted to do, and when she agonized over the possiblity of achieving them all (well, it wasn't exactly agony), I reminded her, "Don't forget, you have the whole weekend."

"NO, Mommy!" she cried gleefully. "We have the whole summer!"

It's funny, isn't it, but a change like school ending creates a change in the atmosphere. Things around the Knight household feel more carefree today. There's Hillary Duff playing off in the next room (obviously not MY choice) and the little people just seem more at ease somehow. They know it's summer. And it brings back a whole raft of memories and associations from my own childhood, a kind of preverbal feeling that I can't quite touch in my mind. That's one of the perfect joys of parenthood, the healing of our pasts and then the reliving of them in a more perfect way.

And while we're talking about my kids, I just have to share this. The other night Tyler (six) was in bed beside me while I was proofing my chapter in my novel, and she asked me, "How did you think up these people?" So I told her I got the idea for the hero in PARALLEL ATTRACTION about four years ago. I then said, "Well, and he's an alien."

She cried, "For REAL?"
"Yeah, for real."
"Mo-mmy," she snorted, "there's no such thing as aliens!"
"I know," I said. "But that's why it's a book."

So she snuggles down next to me, my little reader she does, and then out of the blue asks, "How come the word 'sexy' is in your book?" :) Uh, oh. I'm thinking my reader is a MUCH better reader than I thought she was. "Where did you hear the word 'sexy'?" I almost shouted. Her father the rock snob wanders in and tells me: "She heard Sexy Sadie by the Beatles."

Oh goodness.

Changing gears completely, Gena Showalter has her really cool ad for AWAKEN ME and the other Downtown Books that are part of the summer promo up on her blog. Check it out!
www.genashowalter.blogspot.com

And changing gears even MORE completely I had a big celebrity spotting yesterday. I was at the spa and salon getting my hair and nails done for NYC this coming week, and guess who I ran into? Well, you'd guess if you knew this place because this person is a known guest there. Whitney Houston! In her spa robe standing three feet from me, no less. Rather interesting! And there I was staggering under the blistering pain of a bikini wax. So color me doubly speechless.

I'm sure I'll be around this holiday weekend. More to come!
Deidre

It's a Thursday

I posted one of my more ruminative posts over on TKA blog today. Take a peek if you're interested. :)
D

http://knightagency.blogspot.com/2005/05/sorting-through-all-advice.html

I just finished judging a query contest over at www.romancedivas.com. As part of the prize, I offered to post an article about the contest as well as the winning query. Have a look!


HOOK, LINE & SINKER
By Gina Welborn

“Hey, babe, why don’t you and me make like trees and leave?
“I lost my phone number. Can I have yours?”
“If you were a new hamburger at McDonald’s, you’d be a McSexy!”

Did you think your days of pick-up lines were over? Girlfriend, if you want to be published, then they’ve just begun. Time to pick up your ink-filled pole. Writing a great pick-up query is a matter of using the right bait so you can catch the right fish at the right spot in the right pond.

Over at RomanceDivas.com (divas and diva-dudes both welcome), we love sharing bait and tips of where the biting is best. While RWA chapters offer some fantastic contests, many of our members have never entered any. Thus began our series of WE ALL WIN contests, where no gill plucking is allowed. It’s all about learning what entering a contest is like.

Entries are normally limited to five per member and are posted “anonymously” by the contest coordinator. Over a two week period, divas can judge their fellow members work. Some judges just score; some do a lineXline crit. The five top scoring entrants are then allowed a day to revise their entries before they are forwarded to our final round judge. I’d like to give a shout out to author Deborah Hale and Deidre Knight for sliding into our Diva Judge stilettos. And a special thanks to Deidre for inviting us to post our results after her final round query judging.

Free feedback on our writing is great, yet I can’t help but love the prizes. For our Short Synopsis winner, a copy of FICTION FIRST AID by Raymond Obstfeld. For our Query Winner, a Moroccan bracelet. Yes, the lure of the prize is leading me down the path of the dark side of contest obsession. Who know what our divalicious K-mart (Kristen Painter) will tempt us with next.

Later this fall, in preparation for the Golden Heart, we’ll begin another round of free-to-enter contests. The world is your oyster so...okay, that’s not the right saying. We’re all in this boat together so we might as well take turns rowing. Eh, a little better. Wait, I know.

“More big fish have been caught with words than with hook, line, and sinker.” ~Anonymous

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to fishing I go…

But first, I just gotta announce our Query Contest winner.

Babe King
123 Divalicious Lane
Divaville, RD 12345111-222-3333
romancediva@romancedivas.com

May 23, 2005

Deidre Knight

The Knight Literary Agency
PO Box 550648Atlanta, GA 30355
Dear Ms. Knight,

If love is blind, Sebastian Jansky and Tess Talbot have an advantage.

Pulling up the Blind, my second full-length manuscript, aims at the heart and the funny bone. This completed, single title, 100,000 word, contemporary romantic romp is set in the land where kangaroos race Land Rovers and everyone’s your mate. Everyone except Sebastian.
His beastly self-loathing and reclusive social habits render him more blind than the genetic defect which has stolen his sight, his fiancée, and his self-esteem. He’s fighting to prove he’s still a powerful man by strictly controlling his considerable wealth and image, but that control is about to be challenged by a baby and his mom.

Blind from birth, Tess sees beauty as independent inner strength. She's overcome her childhood "poor blind girl" title, and gained professional peer respect, also managing to provide a warm, safe life for her infant son. Sebastian hires her company to build his conservatory, and she can't resist tweaking the tail of the beast, challenging his attitudes, to wake up the heart he's anaesthetized. When her son and business are threatened by her ex-boyfriend, Sebastian sees his priorities changing away from protecting his image, for love uses a different kind of sight.

I have published numerous shorts and non-fiction articles, the most recent being in "A Cup of Comfort" coming out in XXXX. I have a degree in creative arts, with English literature as a second major. I belong to RWA, several online romance writing and critique groups, including the award-winning Romance Divas where I am a moderator. I am looking to build a career in romance writing and seek representation for future books as well.

Pulling Up the Blind—let a little sunshine in.
I look forward to your response. Thank you for your time and consideration.Yours sincerely,
Babe King

Message In A Bottle

I've been really swamped this week, so I'm not quite as blog-intensive as I might like to be. I'm all aflutter about the Lost finale tomorrow night. Anyone want to put speculations in a cyber bottle here? But before you do, I've uploaded a few more tips on queries and how *not* to get lost in the masses. Lost. See, I can be thematic when I choose to be.

More tomorrow. I promise to be a good little blogger.

Angela, if you read this, tell me you've been here. I'm considering turning you into an Internet phenom just by talking about you all the time. You could be my equivalent of Counting Crows' Anna or Elizabeth. Just show up in my blog posts in passing all the time. Everyone can speculate about you, in fact. Forget lost: speculate about Angela (except those who know her--that's no fun.)

Ah, the joys of creating an air of mystery about one's self.
Deidre

Something Funny

All in good humor, had to share this one!


http://www.annarae.com/eznovel/madlib1.html

Enjoy the fun.
D

Stunned Into Silence

Either the weekend blanket of quiet has settled over my corner of the Net, or my pictures of hurricane destruction were decidedly uninteresting. I found them while trying to locate a good picture of hubby since Shannon and Gena asked. And Shannon? There are no good pictures of me. Not many. I am the taker of all pictures since I'm the mother. Maybe I'll get some decent ones soon.

I have the Wyoming snowmobile pics of Jud and me, but we look like Michelin people. I might post them anyway.

Meanwhile, had to share THIS. Apparently my general rejection letter is now featured on a site of rejection letters. Not just publishing rejections, mind you, but a sort of Hall of Fame of Rejection.

Funny. Should I submit the many letters I've received from editors on behalf of my clients?

Ah, but in the end, all is well. We're still here, and after 100 years, this house is still here...

And you won't be leaving by THAT door either...

No, not in Kansas anymore. You don't think you're *leaving* in that six week old SUV, do you?

Wait, Dorothy, where are the ruby slippers? This is the KNIGHT agency, where we believe in dreams and fairy godmothers and pretty back yards!

The Knight Agency! I will post it first and last. I'm sure many of you are curious, so here is our 100 year old agency headquarters at 577 South Main. My haven! And now, next, see The Knight Agency Headquarters after our hurricane last summer....

It's Knight Time

Ho, ho, ho, look who *I* talked into joining the fun... and is he ever someone with loads of interesting things to say!

Check it out! I love him.
:)
Deidre

Brainstorm Had a Blogstorm

Diana Peterfreund guested on my agency blog this afternoon with a brilliant discussion about HIGH CONCEPT ideas. Go check it out!

www.knightagency.blogspot.com

I have huge news--I just signed on a wonderful new author, Jaci Burton!! She's a friend to many of you around these blog parts, and also a member of our new network, Out of the Blogosphere, and so I thought I'd spill the beans HERE. :) Jaci has written twenty books for Ellora's Cave and we're going to be working together to move her into publication with New York publishers. You can visit her blog here:

www.jaciburton.blogspot.com.

Jaci, I'm so excited to have you join our agency team!
Deidre

Just received a copy of this cover art for Michael Brewer's upcoming book. I think it's a magnificent cover and just had to share it! I'm posting this on both my blogs.

The Girl With the Retro Pink Blog

You know, I love Shannon McKelden. Not only is she a wonderful client and talented writer, she's a fabulous *person*. And this fellow blogger got some great news today. Great (and I won't even ask how she managed to get a retro pink blog that I covet...at least not today.)

Go check out her news and then congratulate her!

Gena Showalter's AWAKEN ME DARKLY is shipping as we speak!! Woo hoo! That book is getting some killer reviews. She blogs all about it today and this week here. Gena blows my mind because at least once a week she comes to me with some brand new book idea--and almost always a really terrific one. I want to clone her creativity and cyber-fit it into my brain. Like a net of book ideas over my head. Wait, that sounds like a hair net not a cyber-brain.

Okay, you can tell I'm punch tonight. And sorry that I neglected my blog. I know you guys go away when I don't post, so that wasn't very well done of me, to put the Brit-speak to it. And speaking of Anglo-angling...I am still on my Julia Quinn marathon reading venture. I'm re-reading THE DUKE AND I, absolutely my favorite of all of hers. Any Julia Quinn fans reading this blog? Does anyone else agree that Simon and Daphne are their favorite couple in any of her books? I think it's that stammer. The beautiful, cool-eyed duke who hides such secret pain from the world, and of course Daphne both heals his soul and exacerbates his problem. Love that book! The emotion is wonderful too.

I have concluded that if a JQ book starts with a male prologue, i.e. the problem will be hero-driven, I'm much more in love with it than those of the heroine-driven variety. I read for the boys and their conflicts, what can I say?

I ordered about four Jo Beverly books today and she's next on my book list of reading for me. By nine pm I do think I should be able to do that, don't you all agree? Although of course I feel horribly guilty, as if I don't deserve pleasure reading, which begs the question--what am I a pack animal? Geez, the work ethic can actually be out of control sometimes, I think.

Rant and ramble over. Remind me to post some other time when I'm beyond tired...(like the line in THE BIG CHILL: "Remind me to get you some more cocaine in the morning.")

Deidre

The Uncontrollable Urge to Blog

Just wanted to pop in. Mondays in publishing are always hectic for me so naturally I have to drop off the continental blog shelf at the beginning of each work week. I have some exciting news, however, which is that a group of paranormal romance writers and I are launching a new cyber-circuit (or web ring, if you prefer that terminology.) Some amazing women are participating: Robin Owens, Gena Showalter, Angela Knight, Julie Kenner, MaryJanice Davidson, and many other Cyber Super Women. You can read about it on Out of the Blogosphere or on Gena Showalter's blog or over at Catherine Spangler’s. This should be a very fun way to bring together lots of great news from the paranormal realm. We're still organizing it, and bringing in all the authors who want to participate, so stay tuned for a lot more!

Otherwise, we should all rise from our seats and salute TANYA W who wrote:

“That album is All Mod Cons, by the Jam. A truly awesome one, though I prefer The Gift.The meaning? Why, "All Modern Conveniences," as in kitchen appliances, etc, of course!Came to your blog by way of your agency blog. Hope to see you in Reno this summer! All the appointments are booked up, so maybe a giant sandstorm will appear, and we'll be blown away to South Africa, were we'll bump into Dave Chapelle. I'll ask him how the whole "mental health" thing is going, and you can wax rhapsodic over the good old crazy-free days of "Con Air."Free Rick James!"

All right, Tanya! You not only won the triple point score, but you made me laugh about Reno so I think that’s a quadruple score.

Kristin P, thanks for the head’s up on the link to Cathy’s page. All fixed!

So this is, I suppose, just a round up post, but you’ll be happy to know that I shall undoubtedly paper the blogosphere with my thoughts as the week progresses.
Cheers!
Deidre

All Mod Cons

I chose that title just for the 80’s title brigade. Name that album! Triple point if you can explain the meaning of the phrase.

Okay, so I’m watching Con Air. I really do love this premise—one airplane transporting a super troop of criminals. It’s like an Amway convention of twisted baddies. Diamonds, Emeralds, Rubies of badness. (Of one guy it is said, “Makes the Manson Family look like the Partridge Family.”) But you know, did all these people really belong grouped together? If I were the convention organizer I would have suspected that one-at-a-time transport would have been best. Why, after all, did we need to create the Lollapalooza of crime?

Early on as the plane takes off, an agent ponders the wisdom of their plan and putting such a too-live-crew together. “All these monsters? All on one plane?” she voices uncertainly.

Good question there, marshals. We have by my estimation at least two dozen prisoners, including three criminals in individual cages. So what, these are like Hannibal Lechter? Three on one airplane? Wouldn’t they have thought to separate this cabal of air terror? I mean, they could have sent each on their merry way with an air marshall, and in a worst possible scenario they’d have landed on a desert island like Kate in Lost.

Of course in a post 9/11 world the idea of criminals taking over a plane—while executing people on board—just doesn’t play the same way as it once would have. But perhaps it's watching it knowing that the movie was made a good seven years ago that allows me to set aside that thought. I can watch this as just Hollywood, and as the criminals seize the plane, and we watch much of the action play out through the eyes of Cameron Poe (Nicholas Cage, showing up in fine drawling form) I can enjoy the ride. Plus the early career appearance of Dave Chapelle is pretty satisfying. But does Nicholas Cage think we buy that Alabama accent? Love the attitude, Nickie, but the accent’s gotta go.

So they land and there’s a sand storm in Carson City. Okay, is this Iraq? Or am I missing something about Nevada. Maybe we’ll even get a sand storm out in Reno this summer. That would certainly stir things up for RWA. Bring on the sheik romances!

And can I just say that I still love John Cusack after all these years. When he finds the schematics of the plane layout in one of the prison’s cell he’s like the welcomed voice of reason. Plus he’s cute!

D (who, having written 14 pages today, felt she could eat lunch and watch CON AIR.)

Spam Retaliation

Well, although I wanted to search online for an icon of a fist slamming down on a Toshiba laptop, I decided instead to go read the recent Smart Bitches entry, which made me laugh when I wanted to scream.

So, I woke this morning and had a--get this! Spam hung in my inbox that kept forcing outlook to load and load and load and load and load and load the same emails repeatedly. It appears that I will have to deinstall my Outlook when, my blog readers will recall, this is my writing weekend. I'm going to force my OCD tendencies out of the way, however, and get at least seven good pages written first. Anyone ever noticed that seven pages are, relatively speaking, easy enough to write, but that in hitting eight or beyond you're truly climbing past base camp? At least for me.

Now I shall go begin those seven, dare I hope eight? Pages.
d

Cyber-Spooky

In the realm of the equally weird... After my remarks this morning about weekends being slow blog traffic days, would you believe that today I had my highest day of traffic to date? And not only that, my site hits were almost double my previous highest date? I can only wonder what is up with that. Plus, I have a question for all you bloggers who use statcounter. What does it mean when weirdo sites or just sites that make no sense have directed someone to the site? Is this a spammer trying to fish for email addresses (which is my assumption.) Just curious.

So the writing day has been quite good, though a tad short of what I’d hoped. I wound up spending time on another project today and, yes Jeanne, Distraction Man came and had his way with me, that evil fellow. Still, I am happy to report that I accomplished a great deal and now plan to have one more look at the latest chapter before heading to bed. Tomorrow we will begin anew with



Hopefully the brew will not be overly strong, but just right. My family returns tomorrow, so I must work hard before they’re back.
D

Blogshares

In the realm of how bizarre is this? Comes Blogshares. I’ve been meaning to post this for a few days after discovering that my blog—as well as many of the others represented around here—has been indexed for mock trading. Anyone seen this yet? Apparently my share value has gone up even since I discovered this little piece of cyber-real estate the other day.

Maybe we should form a cyber investment club and do some insider trading, what do you say? Would they have to throw us in cyber prison where in Martha-style penance we’d be forced to tutor inmates on good writing? I can visualize it now…

Deidre Knight escorted into prison with a desperate, forced smile, Chicago Manual of Style tucked in one hand, blackberry in the other. Things turn brutal when, unexpectedly, the blackberry is seized. “No! Not my Internet! I won’t leave the matrix!” she shouts. Guards circle like wolves, “We submitted our Idiots Guide to the Penal System last year,” they hiss. “You rejected us! Rejected!”

Echoing into the howling prison yard is just one word, over and over like her worst nightmare: rejected. Rejected. Rejected….

It was going to be an eternal six months in cyber prison.
:)
D

Another Cyber Super Gal on Board!

I am absolutely delighted to say that my dear client, Robin Owens, is now on the blog bandwagon. You will all love her--and her fabulous futuristics and women's fantasy novels (she writes for Berkley and Luna!)

Here's a link to her brand new blog. One of the things I really love about Robin is her directness and openness. I think both those qualities will undoubtedly make her a superior blogger. Please go shower her with cyber affection!

(I'm at seven pages now--seven pages that I am very happy with--so I thought I could come floating by...)
Grin,
Deidre

Truly Made for This Age

The Allure of THIS is just too strong. I am going to make a new pot for my writing day. Diet Coke will only take you so far.

Made For This Age

I just went to great effort to make a full pot of coffee and it’s horrible. Why is it that some days are good coffee-making days and some days just plain aren’t? Depleted of all my early morning energy, I promptly snagged a 16 ounce diet coke. Yesterday carrot juice, today diet coke. I am a picture of multi-faceted health, my friends.

Ah, where to begin? Since it is Saturday, I have decided I’m fairly due the opportunity to ramble in a disorganized fashion. I’ve noticed that weekend traffic drops tremendously in blogland, just as it does with emails. Normal people (ahem) are probably outside enjoying the balmy late spring weather, and in winter they’re probably off seeing movies or playing sports of shopping. I think I’m one of the only people I personally know who stays well tuned into the Net on many weekends. Someone this week, and I’m sorry I don’t recall who it was, posted on their blog about their gratitude for living in the age of the Net. I’m right there with you. (And before anyone decides my memory is impaired, please take note of the tremendous volume of details that I must keep track of in my daily life. I have repeatedly wowed authors by recalling vivid specifics of their submissions, even many years later. I am not slipping—I promise!) Ahem. Back to the Net revelry.

I was made for the Internet age. It was no accident, for instance, that I launched our agency in 1996, the year that the Net suddenly reached its massive tipping point. A few years earlier, and the space between Atlanta and New York would have been a much broader gulf. These days, editors and I email all day long, making deals, sending submissions, looking at contracts. It’s endless. I’m also Agency Internet Gal with my clients (just ask any of the fine ladies who visit this blog—smooch, love you guys.) It is the single most effective way to keep regular contact with my clients. Nobody has to wait in a phone queue. I can actually send emails while on the phone by the way—done it. Plenty of times. But I can’t talk to two people at the same time. I can, however, have multiple emails in play.

The research factor is priceless to me. In my earlier days of committed writing (visualize black screen and white-lettered crawl: Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away….)I used to go to the Georgia State Library in downtown Atlanta and actually sort through microfiche and the like. Good grief. You could spend a whole day and come away with almost nothing. Now if I decide I want to just look up the phrase “global awareness” or a toy with time travel theory or download Baker Street because my hero loves it, I’m only one second away. In fact, I’d argue that the Net is almost a form of time travel, i.e. the immediacy of information dissolves traditional and long-held boundaries that once limited our human possibility. Just a thought.

And it brings me to The Matrix (and I did promise I’d be self-indulgent here, no?) I caught part of one of my all-time favorite shows last night, Six Feet Under. This series has some of the most brilliant writing I’ve ever encountered on television. If you’ve never watched it, I would totally encourage you to order season one and season two, which were amazing. But we’ll save SFU for another day except this. I absolutely snorted out loud watching it last night; Nate, a new dad, is trying to find someone—anyone—to watch his baby. His little sister Claire tells him in a huff, “This isn’t The Matrix, Nate. Those of us without babies are real.” What a howler! I always prayed I wouldn’t be one of those self-absorbed new moms, the kind who acted like anyone without a baby just didn’t know the meaning of life or obligation.

Ah, and here’s the thing of it with this mini-ramble. I’ve talked and talked and never even come to the idea I started with for this post. I’ve discovered that I often have no idea what I’m going to write here until it begins to come together. It’s a very refreshing format, isn’t it? It draws on a different part of our novelist brains, and probably is a good exercise in creatively unwinding.

So, since I never got to dreams and the power of the subconscious, I shall return with that, most likely tomorrow. I do thank you for listening and reading, my friends.
Happy Weekending!
Deidre

A Town Called Alice

There’s a town somewhere in Northeastern Georgia, tucked away at the end of a winding summer two-lane. It's overgrown with kudzu, overrun with smalltown corruption. And it’s not called Alice (with all apologies to Nevil Shute.) It’s my town. It lives in my imagination, and in a novel—as yet unwritten—of my creation. There’s industry and dusty Georgia backgrounds and subterfuge. There’s even one very atmospheric title that I’ve been toting around in my brainspace, for nobody but me right now. And, there is this town, a town of epic proportions and a name so evocative, that I tucked into a very important place until I was ready to use it: my mind.

Only, my mind has a mind of its own. And today I no longer know the name of my dusty-backroaded-industry-driven-something-right-outta-Faulkner-town. Kaput. Out of my head.

I’m heartsick. Not because I can’t produce another equally fabulous town name, but because somehow with this small slip, the fabric of my created worlds unraveled a little. The illusion fractured ever-so-slightly. Beyond that, I also realize that in not writing down the copious ideas that were in my mind a year ago (I swear there’s a notebook somewhere! There is!) on my laptop, I made a big mistake. Chalk that up to lesson number 509 that this agent didn’t follow for herself.

It was a symbolic name. A powerful name. A name worthy of a moody, atmospheric southern novel.

I’m thinking that perhaps if I tell myself at bedtime tonight that I must remember this name, that I will wake with it in my mental grasp. What do you fellow dreaming writers think?
Deidre

An Invitation to Those in the Bay Area

The NorCal Women's Surf Club
and authors Mary Osborne and Kia Afcari
cordially invite you to the
NorCal Women's Surf Fest 2005 Fundraiser Party


The El Rio Club
3158 Mission St (at Cesar Chavez)
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 282-3325
Saturday, August 6, 2005
3:00-8:00 P.M.
$8-$20 donation at the door


Events at the party:
• Sister Surfer book signing by pro surfer and
MTV star Mary Osborne and surfer Kia Afcari
• Killer raffle! Win surfboards, wetsuits, sailing
cruise, and more!
• FREE outdoor BBQ by Niman Ranch
• Surf photo expo and film premiere
• Live bands and DJs
• Dancing on the back patio and tons more!
www.ncwsc.com

Sister Surfer: A Woman's Guide to Surfing
with Bliss and Courage is the inspirational
how-to guide for women with that seedling desire
to surf. With over 100 full-color photographs it
covers everything from how to conquer your fear
to how to wax your board.
www.sistersurfer.com

Published by The Lyons Press
www.LyonsPress.com

The NorCal Women's Surf Club was founded in 2001 and has 500 members dedicated to celebrating women's surfing in Northern California. Net proceeds from the club's annual El Rio Fundraiser Party & NorCal Women's Surf Fest go to the Surfrider Foundation, Surf AID, local beach protection projects, and others. The club regularly hosts other events ranging from local surf days and BBQs to beach clean-ups, surf trips, and more.

Lord of the Blogberry?

It seems that my blackberry and blogging habits can form a nexus--an evil alliance, if you will. Check this out:


http://www.blogger.com/mobile-start.g

I can see it now. When I'm in New York next month, I'll be taking meetings, doing publisher lunches, and meanwhile blogging reports of all that happens. Since I'm seeing Diana, perhaps we can blogberry together?!?
D

The Breakfast Blog

I also noticed on Marianne's blog that Liz Maverick has launched a blog, and the title of this post will make more sense once you visit hers. From what I could see, it's hysterical. I need to bone up on being funny. The competition is way too fierce out here. Yes, romance author Deidre Knight needs to bone up on her humor--and no comments on my word choice ladies. Maybe I'm accidentally funny. New novel! THE ACCIDENTAL HUMORIST.

Here's a link to Liz's new blog.

Deidre

It's Way Better Than the League of Nations!

THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEWOMEN

I’m in the company of some outrageously funny women. Diana Peterfreund on THE LEAGUE:


"The League of Extraordinary Gentlewomen is solidifying before my very eyes.

Novelique, our fearless leader, whose super-speed and red-leather-clad cleavage scares away the evil Blank Page

Chaptera, in stark black and white, who keeps up the pace with her no-nonsense approach to procrastination (as put forth by venomous "Not Enough Hours in the Day" or Nehitd).

Fun loving Comedia, with a cape and a giant C, too busy downing shots at her book launch part to watch the league's formation.

The tireless Agent Negotiateur, ever our Knight in shining armor, and always the hero to call in a jam.

And of course, yours truly, BrainStorm, in dazzling midnight blue and ultraviolet leather, the ahem, brains of the organization, capable of all manner of rumination, musing, problem-solving, consideration, lucubration, preoccupation and extraordinary feats of lateral thinking.

Applications accepted on Novelique's page. "

I take no credit whatsoever for this brilliance. I'm a background superhero until the finish job is necessary. Kind of like that Harvey Keitel movie. I'm "the cleaner." But hey, I'm all about the outfit. After all, I've seen THE INCREDIBLES. I want something very cool designed for me by that little tiny woman in the big house. Something that can trigger auctions with the touch of a single button on my chest. Can deflect irate editors with the lowering of my metallic visor. Design away, ladies!

And as a side note, I LOVED the dreaming feedback yesterday. More to come on THAT later today.
Deidre

The Heroine of My Dreams

Written yesterday—but not posted

I’m dreaming in fiction. Maybe it’s like dreaming in Technicolor, one of those supposed great marks of a creative brain. Last night, for a full hour before I drifted into deep sleep, I was a heroine in a Regency romance. And you think I’m joking, don’t you? The thing is, I read 1.3 Julia Quinn novels this weekend—a treat just for me because it was Mother’s Day weekend. In fact, I had so Quinned myself that by the time I drifted into slumber last night it was no wonder that I dreamed about Regency London. For at least an hour, I was being forced to marry someone after some sort of “incident.” You know that damnable dreaded ton, always rushing to judgment. I dare say I was guiltless.

Fast forward until it was almost daybreak. Forget historic London, my friends—we’d gone all contemporary by then. I was Kate in THE CUTTING EDGE. I had to skate at the Nationals and Doug was my partner—only wait! Doug wasn’t nervous like in the movie! I was nervous, and that plot switch left me wondering if this little time traveling device of mine (back to the beginning of a story I already knew) didn’t signify other, deeper problems in the world of fiction I’d entered.

These dreamscapes are all too familiar; in fact for some time now I’ve been becoming a story character during sleep. And I’ve noticed that this “story traveling” first began as my writing hit a deeper level. It’s more than just the “heroine head hopping” in my sleep, though. My nighttime writing has become deeper and more exhausting at times. I’ve always written songs in my sleep—and edited on stories. Lately, though, this is happening more and more often, until these kinds of dreams dominate my nighttime landscape.

I’d like to hear from my fellow writers—does any of this sound familiar? I know a lot of writers who do create in their sleep. But…?? I’d love your own stories on this topic.

Fireflies in the Georgia Heat

While we’re cataloging aspects of blogging culture, let’s talk about another one. A kind of group discourse often takes place across the blogosphere, even unacknowledged at times. A call will ring out from one blog, and then echo in ten other places. Like fireflies in a summer field the spark is passed from one writer to another to another, rippling across cyberspace. One discussion currently in play relates to reviewers and criticism. I’ve obviously not experienced this yet as a writer (the reviews part, I mean—I’ve had my share of criticism already.) But both as a writer and agent I think Alison Kent’s comments yesterday were dead-on. Here’s a quote:

“See, that’s the thing. If I hear criticism of my work, the first thought that comes to mind is: Does the criticism register? I have never written a perfect book. I send them out into the world in the best shape possible given my skills at the time. But I can point to every book I’ve written and find things I wish I’d done differently. And if those things are ringing a reader’s or critic’s bells, then I listen. I learn. I take to heart the input and do what I can to better my craft. Isn’t that the point of constructive criticism? Whether given by readers, reviewers, or peers? It is for me!”

Let me cheer you on, Alison! Thank you. First of all, every bit of feedback I receive as a writer I welcome, even if it’s not comfortable. How else can I grow? How else can my clients grow if they don’t hear critique from me, editors, and ultimately their readers? And yet you’d be surprised how often, when I actually take the time to send an intensive personal critique on a submission, I’m met not with gratitude that I took the time, that I tried to give them thoughtful analysis of how to make the manuscript better, but rather with argument. I’ve had writers call me to debate me. I’ve had nasty emails that claim, “Well my critique group likes it!” After a while of this as an agent it almost makes you not want to bother. But you hang in because then there are the others. Writers with an outlook like that expressed by Allison above. They want to be the best they can be, and only with reader reaction and thought can their work ultimately be shaped—whether that critique come from editors, agents, fellow authors, or readers.

Let’s face it, writing is a solitary endeavor. Which makes the moment any reader takes up an author’s book a transcendent one—and that kind of mystical cooperation between reader and author shouldn’t be cheapened by the idea that we can drum the readers into lockstep reaction. We can’t make them march the way we ordain. We can only create the work, hope someone will enter the author-reader partnership, and then honor their reading by taking the comments to heart. We don’t have to agree with everything—nor do I expect everyone to agree with me when I give my agently commentary. But I do think respect is the key. Self-respect, respect for craft, and respect for one another.

The Internet age has ushered in the era of anonymous cruelty. Where opinions can turn nasty and abusive, and when you combine that with the age of correctness, dissenting voices (although dissenting from which opinion is the key here) are hammered into silence. At least in theory. Some of the best “voices” on the Net today don’t give a whit about the Netstapo types, and thank GOD for that. In an impersonal and faceless medium, it’s important to remember to hold onto our humanity.
Deidre

Perfect Skin and Imperfect Snark

When you trawl blog culture a bit, it’s obvious that the sublime snarkers make the most prized bloggers. This revelation has led me to contemplate my own Net value, as in: what do I have to offer? I’m not all that snarky, I’ll admit it…well, maybe a little. Grin. I do have firm opinions about the state of publishing at large and certain publishers in general, but unless I choose to blog anonymously as do others in publishing, I’m not exactly in a position to snark at will. Or even to be honest at will. And I’m not sure I like that fact.

People claim that southerners tend to euphemize everything, glossing over difficulties with a superficial smile and a proffered glass of sweet tea—but I tend to disagree. We may put the warm and friendly spin on even the darkest times, having learned that humor makes a great chaser for the bitter dregs, but I think southerners, as a lot, tend to be pretty much “lay it on you” kind of folks. Which means I have quite the line to walk in this blogging endeavor. I must balance the urge to share insider thoughts, while mitigating that with wisdom. After all, it’s not just my reputation on the line, but that of my clients as well. Several times already in posts I’ve found myself biting back some observation I might have wanted to share. But I think, all in all, that given the anonymous alternative, it’s still worth the compromise. You’ll know who is chatting with you, gain some more direct insights into the life of an agent and author. And in exchange, over time, I may decide to delve deeper into my analysis of The State of The Market. Who knows. It’s a journey of discovery here—for all of us.

If only we could all be three years old; everything would be so much clearer to us then. I sat today with my young daughter on my lap, studying her. Tiny spaghetti arms, the skin unblemished and unfreckled. Her small, blameless hands. I thought of how much she resembled a picture of me at the same age—and then I looked at where my own adult legs were crossed. At the calloused bottoms of my feet. I thought of how life changes the body of a woman as she lives, has children, and lives some more; and then I looked back at my precious girl’s three year old skin. Perfect, smooth, undamaged skin. Skin you can’t keep once you live a little. The state of our body is, in a way, the state of our selfhood. Our scars are a measure of how we’ve lived—or not.

Irony of all ironies, too, while I was writing this post, a lancome offer came through my email advertising Microlift Flash Lifting—in case we missed it, this product lifts, ladies!
Fountain of Youth

As if we could get back that perfect, unblemished skin of childhood. If only it came in a bottle.

Well, look what I found! The Boardwalk does still exist in Daytona! I guess because it was generally so dilapidated when I was a child, I expected it to be gone. Obviously that was a duh moment extraordinaire!

Start Your Engines!

So, every year attendees return from RT with interesting tales; I’ve already heard my share this week. But perhaps of greatest interest to me is the fact that next year’s convention will be held in Daytona! Daytona Beach, Florida. Now, see, I’m a native to the VERY deep south, my friends, so I can make a little joke here (plus our agency represents NASCAR insider, Liz Allison.) What will this be? NASCAR RT? Or, as an editor and I were just brainstorming about the themed vampire ball, how about NASCAR Vampire. Or would that be NASCAR vampar?

Ah, yes, let’s call it the Vampar Ball, shall we? And that just lends whole new meaning to the pit crew (pits of hell crew?)

But seriously, a trip to Daytona Beach will be interesting for me. Just the words conjure up a certain sense of strange childhood nostalgia, of a time when you could still drive on the beach (in my father’s convertible Cadillac Eldorado, no less, burgundy red with all white interior leather!) When the boardwalk still existed (does it now? I doubt it!) and the biggest thrill of my six year-old life was riding the chair lift out over those nighttime waves that seemed so fathomless and black. Those were the days when my father, who was later ill for so many years, still seemed vital and healthy. When he’d actually walk on the beach with us, or take us on the ocean drive with the top down and Aretha Franklin blasting from his 8 Track.

The thing about visiting lost places, though, is until you go back, they still exist. If you leave them alone in your memory, then their misty lack of substance is never disproved. I’ll go back to Daytona next year, I suspect. But I just might keep my eyes closed outside the hotel.
Deidre

Author Author Everywhere

Since authors abound on this site as well as my agency blog, I thought I'd direct your attention to a helpful link to a query letter Q & A in case you missed it:
Query Question and Answer

Oh, La La, Lady N.!

By now readers of this blog are familiar with my rapturous love of Audrey Niffenegger’s THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE. So you can imagine my excitement when I read the following post in deal lunch today:

FICTION: GENERAL/OTHER
Author of THE TIME-TRAVELER'S WIFE Audrey Niffenegger's novel in pictures THE THREE INCESTUOUS SISTERS, a tale of love, revenge, and transcendence, to Tamar Brazis at Abrams, for publication as an oversize art book in September 2005, by Joe Regal of Regal Literary.

The book was originally hand printed in a very limited edition, several years before the success of THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE.

Now, I’ll admit it: I gave a little squeal when I saw her name, and then as I read the posting in “real time” to hubby, my excitement waned somewhat. Naturally I’d hoped for another “regular” novel, something to engage my imagination like TTTW. However, I’m intrigued about this format, especially given that Lady N. is also an artist, so this "novel in pictures" seems a natural fit for her diverse talents.

I’m curious what to expect. And I’ll be going to Amazon searching this out as soon as it’s up and for sale (but, my goodness—September 05?? Did they post that correctly? In publishing that’s an extremely fast turn-around—perhaps because they want to capitalize on her current momentum with TTW? That doesn’t make much sense given that this book doesn’t seem to be experiencing any slowdown. Not that I’m complaining, mind you.

Oh, but Lady N, please-oh-please set hand to writing tablet again soon, if you’ve not already.
Deidre

A Child's Dream

Since I am wont to share strange tidbits from my real life here, I thought I’d let you in on my six year old daughter’s nightmare last night. She woke me about three a.m., whimpering, and said, “Mommy, I had a bad dream.”
“Really?” I asked, all a-grog.
“Yes, Mommy. I dreamed you cut off Riley’s bottom (Riley is three.)”
I sat bolt upright in bed. “What???” I said, now wide awake.
“Uh, huh, you cut off Riley's bottom, and then you told her, ‘I’m sorry, Riley, but you’ll just have to be bottomless.’”

So if you ever wondered if I was ruthless—in negotiation, as a mother, as a human—you now know to protect your beloved backside in my presence.
Deidre

Publishing Lunch--Part One

PUBLISHING LUNCH, PART ONE: AN ONGOING LOOK AT THIS TIME-HONORED TRADITION


90 Minutes In Heaven (Inventory!)

It’s a stereotype by now, the concept of publishing professionals gathering to break bread together. Editors and agents do it. Writers and their publicists do it. Authors and their agents sure do—as in, “I’d meet you at Starbucks, but I have to lunch with my agent.” (Intone proper nonchalant-yet-lordy tone.) The “lunch” may assume many different incarnations, but it’s always the same basic concept.

I’m very fortunate in that lunching with my clients always means I’m in for a treat, just as I was today with Don Piper and Cecil Murphey, who together authored 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN, a book that has sold so feverishly that its been dubbed by Baker Books as “90 Minutes in Inventory!” Don is an amazing man who has lived to tell his own phenomenal tale. Here’s the snippet of biography I just pulled from his website:

Following a tragic automobile accident in 1989 in which Rev. Piper was declared “dead on the scene”, he was miraculously revived twice and has been in recovery since that time. Already 32 surgical procedures have taken place and he walks only as a result of miraculous and in some cases medically unexplainable circumstances. During the time he was “dead”, Rev. Piper was granted the extreme privilege of glimpsing Heaven itself.

Needless to say, it’s a bit intense to spend an hour or two with this client of mine, hearing him describe ways in which his book has touched lives. A soldier in Iraq who had been mortally wounded by a car bomb was read the first few chapters of his book by his fellow soldiers before he died—the chapters that describe Don’s vision of heaven. Almost every time he speaks, someone comes forward, someone needing a message of hope, and says, “You were sent to me today.” Don is a man whose every breath seems touched by purpose.

As I drove away from my time with these two clients, I was reminded yet again that we’re placed here on Earth for a very specific purpose. There’s a reason we are to do the things we do. I encourage you to order Don’s book; not only do I believe you’ll feel more inspired about your own purpose in life, but I believe you’ll respond to his epic message.

Don’s website is http://donpiperministries.com

Just had to share. Deidre

You Can Definitely Judge a Book

And Speaking of Covers…

I have been very impressed with recent NAL covers, both for our own clients, and also for other authors. For instance, check out the beautiful Amanda McCabe cover for LADY MIDNIGHT:

Not the best resolution, but I love this cover!

Or that of Cheryl Sawyer’s SIREN (repped by my agent buddy Kristin Nelson)

This is one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in a while.


I also particularly like these two right here—so much so, that I’m tempted to purchase the book, aren’t you? In fact, I'm sure that I will!



A gorgeous NAL cover that makes me want to buy this book!


Another lovely cover from NAL

In general, I feel that hats should go off to the Penguin Putnam art department, who for some time have been coming up with terrific covers for a number of our clients. Next, I will share some of the Berkley covers they’ve done for us that I think are beautiful. But these few covers are real evidence--at least I think--that I will most likely love my cover for PARALLEL ATTRACTION! If I had a better mastery of posting pics, I'd have a lot more to share. If you want to see more covers and books published by NAL, go to:
http://www.nalauthors.com
More soon!