Fall is here and it’s time for publishers to roll out the “big books” of the year – handily positioned to premiere just in time for the approaching holiday season.  We are excited to see all of TKA’s titles scheduled to roll out over the next few months, including Rachel Caine’s next Morganville Vampires installment, GHOST TOWN, and ECTASY IN DARKNESS from Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress series. Also on the holiday front lines are releases from Jessica Andersen (BLOOD SPELL), Maria Geraci (THE BOYFRIEND OF THE MONTH CLUB), and many others that we’ll be highlighting in our releases section and blog.

Already a strong contender for a place in Christmas stockings this year is UNRAVELED, Gena Showalter’s latest young adult release. The book debuted in the #6 spot on the New York Times children’s list earlier this month, and it is the first book EVER to appear on the list from the Harlequin Teen imprint. Susan  Sizemore also celebrated a bestseller milestone with PRIMAL INSTINCTS, which entered the USA Today bestseller list at #132. BIG congrats to both ladies!

After a bit of a vacation, the You Ought To Know section is back with our super cool LA agent Nephele Tempest tackling the age-old question, "Should you only write what you know?" She has some sage advice on how to let your fingers do the walking when it comes to researching...and then actually following up with your feet.

All of TKA's agents have lined up to take on one article a month well into 2011 (quite the accomplishment given their busy schedules), so you can expect to hear from each of them during the coming months about current industry issues or informative, educational articles that will help put your writing career in gear.

Last but certainly not least, we have a very special chat planned for Thursday with uber talented author Michele Lang and her agent and fellow author, Lucienne Diver. Be sure to tune into the Knight Agency chat room at 9pm ET on September 23rd for great pub convo and prizes (and a super secret surprise guest *wink*)!

Growing up, Michele Lang preferred to inhabit the worlds that the authors of her favorite books created. However, with time the demand for her attention shifted to focus on school, including the pursuit of a Harvard Law degree. As a litigator, Michele practiced successfully in Connecticut and New York, but was never able to completely ignore the love she’d always harbored for the written word.

Several years of hard work and self-discovery later, Michele is now a swiftly rising star on the fantasy scene. Her novel, LADY LAZARUS, is the first book in a trilogy that re-imagines World War II using magical elements. The novel was declared an outstanding debut by Booklist which gave the book a starred review that said, “Lang crafts a creative and tense story as all of Europe awaits the September invasion of Poland. Lang is a writer to watch and is sure to have wide appeal to fans of Jim Butcher, Kat Richardson, and other urban-fantasy A-listers."

During promotion for LADY LAZARUS, Michele teamed up with her agent and fellow author

TKA: Give us the elevator pitch. What is LADY LAZARUS about?

MICHELE: It’s a WWII historical urban fantasy with angels and demons. Set on the eve of WWII, the young and rebellious Magda, last in a long line of witches, must ally with the avenging angel Raziel to stop Hitler and his supernatural minions from unleashing total war.

TKA: How did the poem Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath inspire and inform the framework of your story?

MICHELE: As a literal-minded college student, I first read the poem “Lady Lazarus” by Sylvia Plath with a blend of awe and fascination. I had learned in class that she wrote the poem as a metaphoric description of her suicide attempts and rebellion against her father, but I liked it better as the revenge anthem of a Jewish woman who returns from the dead to kill the Nazis who murdered her.

Here’s an example from the poem. How could I read lines like these --

Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
And I eat men like air

-- and resist the urge to imagine a girl who could die and die again, and who uses her terrible gift to stop the murderers from killing anybody else?

TKA: Given the potentially polarizing subject matter, an alt-history version of the Holocaust, what were some of the hurdles you had to surmount, both personally and professionally, to write this book?

MICHELE: My parents are both Holocaust survivors, and from my earliest days I remember wishing with all my heart that none of it had happened. Writers are addicted to the “what if?” game, and for as long as I can remember I have asked myself what it would have taken to prevent the Holocaust, in what kind of world could my family have found any parity at all in fighting the Nazis. The ultimate “what-if.”

The war was a taboo in my house -- my wishes and imaginings were silent. We didn’t really talk about it, but the war was always there, an invisible, looming presence. In order to write LADY LAZARUS, I had to violate the taboo and talk about the war out loud, in public.

In the movies (for example, Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, and the terrifying Pan’s Labyrinth) people have set fantastical or alt-hist elements into the war. A number of comic books and graphic novels have also used a fantastical element to explore WWII — notably the MAUS graphic novels, which tell the story of the author’s parents but with the Jews as mice and the Nazis as cats.

Some might say I am trivializing the events of the pre-war period by imagining how it could have been different. Almost as if my wishes to change what had happened were a form of Holocaust denial.

There’s criticism of Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds along these lines, too — that some topics are too serious for a fantastical or alt-hist exploration. I just can’t agree with that, or that imagining a different outcome somehow dishonors the people who lived in that time.

LADY LAZARUS owes its inspiration to the heroism of the people who outlasted the Nazis, who outwitted Hitler and his henchmen, who insisted on their humanity and their spirit even if they could not survive.

In a way, I am reclaiming and celebrating the family I never got to know in this story. My grandparents, who saved my parents’ lives, are the true-life heroes who inspired LADY LAZARUS.

TKA: What advice would you give to an aspiring author that wants to tackle controversial subject matter?

MICHELE: If something terrifies you and your first instinct is to say, “I can’t write about that,” it may be a sign of what you need to be writing about. I believe that we all have stories inside of us that nobody else can write. This is where your originality resides, where you will stand out.

That said, the story, not the controversy, is the boss. As Sam Goldwyn famously said, “If you want to send a message, call Western Union.” Nothing wrong with exploring difficult situations, just make sure you don’t forget you are writing a story, not a political tract or journalistic expose.

TKA: You’ve said LADY LAZARUS, at its core, is about the, “power of our individual choices to change our lives, and consequently the world.” Did you start out with the intention to impart such a strong message to your readers? How does the main character, Magda Lazarus, embody this theme?

MICHELE: More than a message, I think this book is full of hard questions. Why do our choices matter so much? Such random decisions like getting in the car to buy a refrigerator, going on a date with your sister’s best friend’s cousin, taking an anthro class when you are a history major, all can have profound effects on the rest of your life. You could get hit by a drunk driver, find your soulmate, discover a secret family history, and those events in turn lead to other choices, other forks in the road.

Because Magda has both a prophecy (the war is coming) and the means to avert it (her power to summon souls and command a demon army) her choices have a more obvious impact on world events. So the mistakes she makes have huge, unintended consequences.

TKA: Who are some of the top fantasy authors, particularly those that specialize in the alternate history genre, that you admire?

MICHELE: I admire a tremendous number of fantasy authors, so I’ll stick with a short list of some of the writers who have directly influenced my work and inspired me to go for writing LADY LAZARUS.

Quickie Q&A with Lucienne

TKA: What have been some of the benefits of teaming up with Michele on promoting LADY LAZARUS and your book, REVAMPED?

LUCIENNE: Well, for one, shared costs (and troubles) are lessened, so when we held our joint launch party in New York, it cost us less together than it would have separately and we got to feed off each other’s ideas and audience. I contributed little skulls to scatter about and goblets that read “Poison” and “Venom.” Her nephew played wonderful musical accompaniment and her husband took fabulous pictures. My sister ran out regularly for ice. (Recruiting family for fun and profit is a whole article right there.) In addition, I think that having two of us with such unique and divergent storylines increased the interest-level for press and other media and helped increase our visibility. We both did video interviews, along with Rachel Caine, who flew in for the party, with Romantic Times on-line and generally had a really wonderful time. Also, as an outgrowth of the party, Michele was invited to be the featured reader at a Victorian Tea put together by the

Soho Host Club and made a lot of new contacts that are contributing to the success of her amazing historical fantasy, LADY LAZARUS.

TKA: How do you balance when to put on the author hat versus the agent hat?

LUCIENNE: I mostly wear my author “hat” at about six a.m. (because it covers up my bed head). That’s when I write for an hour or until my muse deserts me. During business hours, I have an agent who'’s not me to focus on my career so that I can dedicate myself to my authors'’ careers. Occasionally, of course, I’ll take a call from my editor, etc., during a business day, but for the most part, the author-me is a morning person, while the agent-me decidedly is not, and never the twain shall meet.

To learn more about Michele, visit www.MicheleLang.com To read the prologue of LADY LAZARUS, click here.

To learn more about Lucienne's books, visit www.LucienneDiver.com

We know you feel the lure to watch the season premieres of some of your fave dramas, but TKA has something MUCH better to fill your Thursday evening. Michele Lang and her agent and fellow author Lucienne Diver will be talking about their latest releases, LADY LAZARUS and REVAMPED, as well as sharing their vast knowledge about the business of getting published. This is a one-time only event. So, DVR Grey's Anatomy or watch it online the next day. That's what we're doing. ;-) Prizes will be handed out throughout the chat, including tote bags and fun swag items from Lucienne. Also, don't forget there will be a special surprise guest!

WHEN: Thursday, September 23d @ 9pm ET

Writing What You Know and Knowing What You Write

One of the most contested pieces of advice in the writing world is “write what you know.” It suggests that only first-hand experience gives a sufficient grounding in a topic for you to do it justice on the page. Naysayers will point to research as a fine solution to any blanks in a writer’s knowledge, or will wave volumes of fantasy or science fiction and claim no one has experienced the worlds they depict. So, what’s the answer?

Research is an invaluable tool. I would never suggest that a writer should not do research for a book, regardless of their previous level of knowledge or experience with a subject. However, I do believe there are cases where no amount of reading can replace a real-life encounter. Who is more likely to produce a magical depiction of the Chicago? A talented writer who has researched

But what else might you add to that tool box to draw upon later when you want to create a vivid experience for your reader?

Think about your skills, your hobbies. What clubs did you participate in during high school and college? What have you witnessed over the course of your life? Where have you been? Michael Crichton took his medical background and understanding of science and created THE ANDROMEDA STRAIN. Scott Turow and John Grisham write legal thrillers. Even fantasy writers have aspects of their lives infiltrating their work and making it fresh and authentic; J.R.R. Tolkien, an expert in linguistics, wrote THE LORD OF THE RINGS as a setting for the elvish language he had created.

A little detail, however, can go a long way. No one ever said you have to know everything about everything; in a full-length novel, there are bound to be plenty of areas where you need to rely on research or your imagination. But if you infuse your story with things that you do know well, those are the touches that will make the rest of your story sing. A heroine who shares your passion for cooking, a hero who makes a career of your photographic hobby—these details help pull your reader into the story. So fill your tool box, try new things, see what sparks your imagination. Do you write fantasy? Visit a Renaissance fair, take a horseback riding lesson, or maybe try your hand at fencing. Thrillers or mysteries more your thing? Visit the local firing range and learn how to shoot. Or see if you can get a tour of the morgue in the closest city; law enforcement and medical facilities often allow visits of that sort if you inquire ahead. Revisit activities from your childhood or teen years if you want to write for a younger audience; take in a traveling carnival, attend a high school sporting event that’s open to the community, spend half an hour at the local playground. You might be surprised what sorts of memories emerge.

Knowledge is never stagnant. Writing what you know is a challenge, not a limitation. Research is just another word for living your life with curiosity and an open mind. By all means, write what you know. And then go learn something new.

UNRAVELED by Gena Showalter, the follow up to her 2009 young adult release, INTERTWINED, debuted at the #6 spot on the New York Times bestseller list (children’s chapter books).

Susan Sizemore's PRIMAL INSTINCTS entered the USA Today bestseller list at #132.

Marjorie M. Liu was interviewed by Global Times, China's English language newspaper.

Deidre Knight will be a speaker at the Pocono LeHigh Romance Writers' Retreat at Sea event next year, from August 8th to August 13th. Retreat at Sea takes place on a Carnival cruise ship scheduled to set sail to the northeast Canadian coast. The retreat is open to RWA and non-RWA members. For more info, visit: http://www.plrw.org/plrw-retreat-at-sea/

Also, here's a quick list of where you can find our agents this fall:

Lucienne Diver: Moonlight & Magnolias Conference, Decatur, Ga., September 30 - October 3.; World Fantasy Convention, Columbus, Ohio, October 28 - 31

Nephele Tempest: Surrey International Writers Conference, Surrey, B.C., Canada, October 22 - 24

Saranna DeWylde - www.Sarannadewylde.com

QUESTION: How many agents should an author query at a time? And how do you recommend they handle multiple offers of representation without stepping on any toes?

MELISSA JEGLINSKI : I suggest a writer concentrate on their top five agents/agencies when sending out their initial queries. Of course, they've done research first to make sure those agents represent their genre and are legitimate and have made recent sales. Their query letter should also state they are querying mulitple agents.

As soon as a writer receives a request for more of their project--whether that be a partial or the complete--they should let the other agents who have their query know. This gives the other agents

The entire Knight Agency team danced the night away during Elaine Spencer's wedding at a gorgeous antebellum home in historic Athens, Georgia.

Quintessential southern dishes such as fried green tomatoes and shrimp & grits were served, along with made-to-order pralines. Peach bellinis helped cool off the hot August night. After the festivities, the couple jetted off to a week-long honeymoon in Belize.