Author Archive for TestingGround
All right, we have been sitting on some very huge and wonderful news for about a week. But without further ado I am delighted to post the following press release! Please join in a round of applause for our new TKA family member!!!! 
The Knight Agency is thrilled to announce that veteran literary agent Lucienne Diver has joined our team. She brings with her a dynamic, bestselling client list as well as fifteen years of experience at New York City’s Spectrum Literary Agency, one of the oldest and most respected firms in the publishing industry. Deidre Knight and the rest of TKA welcome Lucienne as a kindred spirit with her dynamic and vibrant personality and her love of books of all kinds.
Lucienne graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Potsdam with duel majors in English/writing and anthropology. She thus came well-equipped for her career in agenting, and is proud to represent many bestselling authors of fantasy, science fiction, romance, mystery and suspense. Marjorie M. Liu, Susan Krinard, Lynn Flewelling, Rachel Caine and P.N. Elrod are just a few of the terrific names on her client roster.
Regarding the move, Lucienne says, “It’s not easy to leave behind fifteen years at Spectrum, which still has so much of my love and respect. But, in many ways, it was time to leave home and I’m looking forward to all of the opportunities that joining a larger and very vibrant agency will provide.”
BREAKING NEWS! Tommy Newberry’s The 4:8 Principle debuts on New York Times at #3. TKA has three other Times bestsellers in month of September.
Perhaps a little-known fact is that within the publishing community, The New York Times sends out their upcoming list ten days before the printed one appears in the paper. This emailed list goes out to subscribed publishing companies, who hover anxiously over their authors’ performances. So every Wednesday afternoon, agents, authors and editors stew over the week’s anticipated list. Authors who are currently featured calculate the chances of rising or staying on. Authors with big new releases hope and pray that they’ll make the list at all.
Nerves can grow pretty frayed on late Wednesday for all involved. Last evening was one such time for TKA and its agents.
My family and I were having dinner—at a wonderful Madison restaurant that must have a supernatural smokescreen, one that disrupts all cell and Blackberry coverage. It’s a “Zero Bars” establishment, so to speak. (Well, apart from the bar within the restaurant.) Anyway, over the course of dinner, Jud and I would alternate taking my blackberry “above ground”—AKA upstairs—in order to check email for the week’s list. We knew from watching Bookscan that Tommy Newberry had a good shot at hitting The Times. We also realized that 90 MINUTES would likely stay on, as would Karen Marie Moning’s DARKFEVER mass market.
Finally, far later than usual, the big news came via Tommy’s agent Pamela Harty (who at one point had told me the wait was killing her.) And it was massive news indeed: Tommy’s 4:8 Principle had debuted on the NY TIMES at #3!!! A huge start for this new book. Meanwhile, 90 MINUTES had remained at #2, and Karen at #19. In short, TKA had set an all-time agency record for itself: In the month of September, we had four agency-placed titles on the NY Times list, the most we’d ever had in a single month! Heaven is Real had appeared for three weeks, topping at #13.
Four bestsellers in one month. Two titles at the very top of the list!
It’s a huge time for celebration as The Knight Agency hits a whole new level itself. Join us for a cyber toast. Here’s to making more bestsellers in the future, both with current clients and future ones!
Warmly,
Deidre Knight
Two and a half years ago I was fortunate enough to meet author Monica Burns when she queried our agency. I immediately fell in love with her passionate, romantic work, and was thrilled to sign her on as a new client. Since that time, she’s become far more than “just” a client—she is a true friend. And I’m incredibly proud of her today because she’s posting a piece that displays true courage and yet has the heart of genuine vulnerability. I hope that you’ll appreciate the post below. Please note that she discusses a subject of a very sensitive nature
Romance by Monica Burns
Romance. I’ve been reading it since I was 12 years old. The first time I “fell in love” was when I read a Harlequin Romance. I think the name of that book was Beat of a Different Drum. Others romance books followed, and I believed in love’s happily ever after with all my heart.
I believed it right up until the night I was raped by the man who’d taken me out for the evening and then decided he was entitled to something he wasn’t. Right now you’re probably gasping in shock. Me—I’m sitting here teary eyed, wondering how to frame my words in way that make sense and yet don’t sound maudlin. I sit here wondering if sharing my experience is the right thing to do. Wondering if I really have the courage to post this. It’s a direct confrontation with all the emotional ugliness that still lingers inside me. I also have no doubts that there will be sympathetic people and those who will be cruel.
So why tell my story? I’ve considered doing so for some time now. I would read something about forced seduction or hear about the blurred line between erotic romance and erotica. I’d express my belief that while love and hope are constant themes running through romance, there is still a strong “fantasy” component in romance books. In all of those instances, I knew my experience had played a major role in shaping my opinions, but fear kept me from speaking out. I knew I’d be vulnerable, and I don’t particularly like people seeing the chinks in my armor.
But little things prodded me closer toward this moment. Things like a friend reading one of my novellas then telling me afterward, that while reading my book she felt sexy for the first time in her life. I’d already begun to acknowledge that my writing was helping me overcome some of my sexuality issues, but here was a new twist. My writing had helped another woman feel sexy and beautiful. I found it to be a damn powerful statement. It made me wonder what sharing my experience might do to help more women feel better about themselves.
Women like me who have great difficulty trusting anyone, who resist physical intimacy and who question their self-worth. I wanted to share the message that it’s possible to survive rape or domestic abuse and eventually develop a healthy romantic relationship with someone who loves you. I wanted to help other women understand that sex can be beautiful, fun, playful, loving and wonderful despite the past.
Was my “sex isn’t bad” revelation easy to come by? Hell no! I’ve been married 21 years, and my biggest challenges throughout my marriage have been trust and intimacy. I struggle with those demons on a daily basis, and on occasion my husband has paid a high price because of my struggle. Even when you’re with someone who loves you a lot, trust still doesn’t come easily. And physical intimacy is based in deep emotional trust. The fact that my husband and I are still together is a testament to how much he loves me. I would have left me a hell of a long time ago.
I’ve had family comment that they don’t understand how I can write explicit sex considering my past. Trust me; no one’s been more surprised by that than me. I didn’t expect writing erotic romance to be therapeutic, but it has been. It’s helped me reclaim some of my self-worth. As an erotic romance writer, I believe that love and hope are integral themes in romance books. I can believe in those themes and yet remain true to my belief that strong fantasy elements are always prevalent in romance books. There’s always the happy ever after, there’s the hot, hunky hero and the lovely, sexy heroine. They both have issues, but they manage to work them out in the span of a book. They ride off into the sunset, leaving the reader with that feel good sensation. In real life, it doesn’t always work that way, but that’s why I think romance books are so important. They give us hope. The make us feel good. They make us either believe in love or they give us hope that love might actually exist somewhere out there.
With erotic romance in particular, there is an even more powerful message. Erotic romance gives a woman a choice. She’s empowered to read on or put a book down. She’s able to explore her feelings about sex in a safe environment. In other words, she’s in charge. If a book’s content becomes too intense, walking away is perfectly fine. Erotic romance gives women permission to be vulnerable and explore subject matter that may be difficult for them. It’s a safety net for the reader who’s making a choice, not having something forced on her. When it comes to writing erotic romance, it’s safe because I simply delete anything I find frightening or uncomfortable.
Has writing erotic romance washed away all my pain, all of the darkness? No. It’s not some magical elixir. I’ll always carry the pain and darkness of the rape inside me. What my writing has done is empowered me. I’m able to take back some of what was stolen from me. I find it easier to believe my husband when he tells me I’m a beautiful, sexy woman. Five years ago, I didn’t believe a word of it. Does that mean I believe those words all the time? No, but with every page I write, it gets easier to believe I’m sexy, I’m beautiful and I’m worthy of being adored.
Rekindled by Tamera Alexander
Spying in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
Revealed by Tamera Alexander
Rekindled by Tamera Alexander
2007 RITA for Best Romantic Novella Finalists
“Her Mad Grace” in Bad Boys Ahoy! by Sylvia Day
2007 RITA for Best Short Contemporary Romance Finalists
Spying in High Heels by Gemma Halliday
Touch of Danger by Susan Paytas
2007 Golden Heart for Best Paranormal Romance Manuscript Finalists
All Fired Up by Kristen Painter
2007 Golden Heart for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements Manuscript Finalists
The Miseducation of April Hillson by Maureen McGowan
To all of our lovely ladies, I speak for the entire team in offering the biggest round of appluase you can imagine. We couldn’t be any prouder! Way to go and we will all have our fingers crossed until the Award’s ceremony at RWA’s 27th Annual Conference held July 11-14, 2007 in Dallas, TX.
I AM amazed, forget Paul McCartney!
I’m amazed at what the power of a team can do–although, given the wonderful women I work with every day at TKA, that shouldn’t surprise me. Still. Look at what TEAM PARALLEL HEAT has raised for our Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk. Just eight women, working together to make something amazing and positive happen have managed to raise more than $14,000.
Huge KUDOS must go out to my client Cecil Murphey who has sponsored three of us very generously. Many of you will recognize Cec as the co-author of the million-plus bestseller, 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN, as well as more than one hundred other books. A few years ago Cec’s wife Shirley was diagnosed with breast cancer and fought a valiant—and victorious—battle with the disease. I hope you will support Cec’s books as he’s been so kind and supportive of this cause and of our walk for a cure.
If you study these stats, you’ll notice something. Several of us are within mere inches of reaching the necessary $2200 required to walk in October. Others of us are much farther away from that requisite amount. We don’t need huge donations—they can be as little as five dollars. But without raising our funds, we can’t participate. Please consider picking a walker of choice and sponsoring that person. Lolita Love needs some big time love. Others need love, but not as much. No matter what you might be able to contribute, it will allow us to participate for our 3 day in October–and our deadline for sponsorships is quickly approaching.
So let me remind you about the mondo grand prize being offered here by TKA: A Day With the Knight Agency. So far? No takers on this one very special opportunity. Here are some tidbits to think about:
–your airfare is included. You get a fabulous trip to a major destination spot, Madison, Georgia, which has been named one of the Top Ten Small Towns in America. We will personally take you on a driving or walking tour (your choice) through the Antebellum and Victorian homes that line the streets of historic Madison. Our cemetery boasts the graves of Revolutionary and Civil War veterans, and many of the local houses (including my own) are even haunted.
–We will pick you up at Atlanta Hartsfield, drive you into Madison, and your special day will begin, seeing firsthand how a mid-size literary agency operates. We will take you to a fabulous lunch at one of our local establishments, “wining and dining” you Southern style. Perhaps if you even twist our arms, we will take you to the Blue Willow, inspiration for GONE WITH THE WIND. There you can eat fried green tomatoes and get a glimpse of why Margaret Mitchell used the house as a basis for Tara.
–You’ll have critique from every Madison-based member of TKA (Nephele won’t be present since she mans our LA office, but otherwise, each of us will have read your work and be ready to offer hands-on critique.)
–We will outline a career strategy for you whether you’re an unpublished writer or a multi-published author. Imagine a full working day with TKA!
–In the process, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve supported a vitally important cause, something that touches our mothers, sisters, daughters… and ourselves every year. With your help, we can work toward finding a permanent cure.
–There is only one of these days available to a single bidder. The price? $1500. You don’t pay airfare, you don’t pay for lunch, probably not for dinner, and you come away with the writerly experience of a lifetime.
–How do you place your bid? Email me at Deidre.Knight@knightagency.net. I will arrange the details.
Don’t miss this rare chance to direct—or redirect—your career, all the while having a wonderful vacation to Madison, Georgia. I can’t wait to see who we will be spending our day with!
Hey, friends:
I’m chatting momentarily over at Romance Junkies. Come join us! It’s the usual agent chat drill, so it’s a great time to come ask questions. Deidre
The very interesting thing about getting out among writers—not just sitting behind my desk (a hazard with this profession)—is that I always have revelations. This particular conference was extremely satisfying, with a great level of talent, and some of my favorite clients—Robin Owens, Cassie Miles—attending. I really enjoyed this group; everyone was extremely friendly, savvy about publishing, and respectful. Every writers’ conference has its own mood, and I would rate the RMFW at the very top of the scale.
One great experience at the conference was that I participated in a “workshop” with six writers, where we all gave input and feedback–and of course I gave the agent’s opinion. I had two and a half hours with this small, intimate groups of writers, and it was very satisfying to have that kind of hands-on time with writers who truly want to improve. Normally at writers’ conferences, we get pitches or the “speed date”, but I’ve never once had this kind of time to just brainstorm and feedback—I loved it. I may also have discovered a new client out of this small group, but of course the final truth remains to be seen once I read this writer’s full manuscript. But I do have that great sense of expectation of this woman’s partial. I’ll keep you posted.
Another great moment was that Kristin Nelson and I presented a query workshop. Now let me just tell you: I was color commentary. Kristin had put the hard work in, prepping an amazing power point presentation, but again, what made this particular two hour workshop so satisfying was the “hands on” element. We spent time helping various writers hone their high concept pitches, and there is just something amazing—having spent months behind your desk—about digging into the trenches and having personal face-time with writers. This pitch work also caused me to think about my own pitching: Even when we teach, we are not immune to examining ourselves. I thought about my clients’ books, my own series. It was a great exercise in delving into what makes a pitch truly work. Some thoughts? In creating your one sentence high-concept statement:
–Go for simple and hard-hitting.
–avoid vague words, like “pain” or “emotion”
–Less detail, more core plot
–be as specific as possible
–focus on your main character, not “extraneous” elements like setting or time period (unless they impact the core story.)
I think writers try too much to summarize the plot, not come up with the basic concept of a book. Kristin used some amazing examples from recently published books, such as THE LOVELY BONES (“A dead girl describes her view from heaven to her family and loved ones who are left behind.”) She even made me want to read books that I haven’t, such as THE DOGS OF BABEL (“a man decides to teach his dog how to talk so he can unravel the details of his wife’s murder.”)
Kristin is an amazing teacher, and she definitely challenged me.
I think it’s good for all of us—agents and writers, alike—to spend time thinking about the most basic concept of stories, whether we’re shopping or writing them. It’s easy to fall into the rambling description. The challenge is coming up with a compelling, exciting core concept, one that makes the reader or listener hungry to hear more.
It was a wonderful conference, and as always it was fabulous to get out among writers, as always.
Deidre
Much is made in the writing community about the power of rejection—whether by agents or editors or even critique partners. Once published, of course, the rejection continues in the form of bad or seemingly cruel reviews, and if one spends long enough immersed in the publishing world, it’s easy to see that the whole landscape is pock-marked with rejection.
So I thought it might be helpful if an agent stepped out and was totally honest. Even on this side of the desk, publishing can be an incredibly disheartening business. We take on books or projects that we’re passionate about only to discover that the market isn’t quite right, or that publishers don’t share our vision. It leads us to question our supposedly terrific taste… it makes us wonder if we’re even good at this agenting gig at all. The deals we think will make us often let us down; the ones we’re not anticipating turn out to mark our grandest days.
None of us in this business is immune to the discouragement of rejection. Whether it’s a project we love, or our own work, or a book we were sure would hit all the lists, if the stars don’t align like we anticipated, it can take the wind right out of our sails. In fact, by using that turn of phrase, I’m quoting one of my favorite fellow agents.
It IS a tough business, kid, so why do we do it? Why do agents stay in the trenches, fighting it out, day after day? Because of the thrill of seeing authors find their way into print. Because discovering a wonderful project and seeing it make a home at a publishing house is the biggest rush we can ever know. And because we love to see our clients rise like superstars—even when they don’t, we’re still banking—totally cheering them on—for that expected day when they will.
There are nasty phone calls in this business, discouraging emails, and many downturns that you thought might point upward. The book that goes out of print a year after it published, the cover that totally trashes an author’s hopes of breaking out. We see it all on this side of the publishing fence. But we also see days like these: A book that launches with 6,000 copies crosses the one million mark just two years later. The author who begins with 38,000 copies reprints eighteen times to the tune of several hundred thousand. The mid-list, barely noticed nonfiction title that began with 7,000 copies earns roughly $25,000 every single royalty period. The smallish book that never quite hit a homerun is optioned for a blockbuster movie.
“Mama told me there’d be days like this…”
So for every writer reading this, the one who just got a rejection letter—maybe even from us—just know that the trick is holding out for the days when it’s not all a downpour. As surely as someone will pass on you, someone else will see something beautiful in what you’re doing.
Well, to quote from Pamela’s race day song, “Let’s get it started!” Summer is over, and I for one am eager to reactivate this blog into something more dynamic. We’ve got big plans around here, too, with ongoing articles and interviews.
I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. I spoke and signed books at the Decatur Book Festival which was sponsored by the Atlanta Journal and Constitution. They had an expected turn out (not at MY event) of 50,000. I’d never actually attended a book festival before, as hard as that may be to believe, and it was especially interesting to attend my first in my hometown of Atlanta (Decatur is a very artsy part of Atlanta.)
Anyway, Jud and I drove into town, and left WAY too late for the event, and the drive and subsequent parking scenario bore all the hallmarks of my worst dreams: The bottom fell out, torrents of rain making navigation almost impossible. We were down to fifteen minutes, had to still check in, and like I said–it was like every bad dream I ever have where I just. Can’t. Move.
Thankfully, a nice man let us park right by where I was speaking, and I was right on time. Nice turn out, and it was interesting to read from my own novel–something I’ve not yet done in public. I think I need to learn to breathe better. LOL.
BIG CHANCES TO WIN AND BID!
All right, so we’ve had an amazing response to our Breast Cancer 3-Day. As many of you have already read, we’re driving ahead, each raising our 2200 dollars so we can participate. Some of us have hit our goals, but others still have a distance remaining. To that end, let me point out the fabulous list of prizes that you can receive for donating to this important cause of breast cancer research.
1. A THIRTY MINUTE PHONE CONSULTATION WITH DEIDRE KNIGHT–AND ACCOMPANYING THREE CHAPTER CRITIQUE
–we offered up two of these, and one remains. For the first person to donate $750 to either Julie Ramsey or Elaine Spencer, you’ll receive this fabulous prize!
2. A DAY WITH THE KNIGHT AGENCY!!!!!
This is our big grand prize, gang. You will be flown into Atlanta, picked up by the TKA crew, and brought to our offices to spend a day with us. See how an agency works, from the inside out. Receive careeer counseling and critique, and also spend time with our fabulous marketing guru, Julie Ramsey, plotting out the best way to market yourself online. Whether published, unpublished, or just interested in the publishing world, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
How to bid? Here are the rules:
–You must send an email to Deidre.Knight@knightagency.net
–You must be the first to tell us you plan to donate, and we will contact you to give instructions about the donation. DO NOT DONATE FIRST WITHOUT CONTACTING US OR HEARING FROM US–this opportunity will go to only one walk supporter, so to keep this fair, follow instructions!!! CONTACT US FIRST. (Wow, you get it?)
–You must be flying from within the Continental US in order to participate. Sorry, we love our readers in Shanghai and Sydney, but we just can’t fly you in!!
–The donation amount is $1500.00
–You must be eighteen
3. Lunch with Deidre Knight at ROMANTIC TIMES convention 2007, April 23-25!
If you’re going to be in Houston, this is a great chance to get personal career guidance and consultation.
Donate $300 to Julie Ramsey, and we’ll be chowing down together in fine style!
For now, these are our very exciting donation items, but we’ve got some other goodies potentially planned. Come on out and support us while we actually contemplate walking SIXTY MILES IN THREE DAYS TIME. Oh my. Public showers, tents… feel our pain, but all for an amazing and very important cause.
Hugs!
Deidre
Copyright © 2012 All Rights Reserved