Author: Cindy

I'm irritated because my posts won't publish.

Agent Lucienne Diver Moves to TKA

I was all set to publish a post about my latest Susan Elizabeth Phillips read when I found some big news in my in-box. Yes, folks, it pays to subscribe to agency newsletters. Today The Knight Agency newsletter reports that agent Lucienne Diver, who worked at Spectrum for fifteen years, has joined TKA. Very exciting news. Congratulations to Ms. Diver and everyone at TKA.

I had the pleasure of accidentally meeting Ms. Diver during the Death by Chocolate party at RWA National in Reno in 2005. I say “accidentally,” because I entered the party late and needed to scramble to find a seat for the Daphne Awards. I sat at the first table with empty chairs that I could see. As it turned out, the two women seated to my right were both writers, but Ms. Diver and agent Sha-Shana Chrichton were sitting to my left. Both were gracious, but once I realized who they were I didn’t want to bug them, so we didn’t speak much that I can recall, and I’m sure neither remembers I was even there. Then along came a friendly woman who asked me if she could take the chair between me and Ms. Diver. I said yes, because Elle Muse is invisible, after all, and therefore doesn’t mind if people sit on her. She just slides under the table and melts into the floor. Very accommodating, that Elle (sometimes). So the aforesaid friendly woman sat down and began conversing with Ms. Diver. Then I read AFW’s name tag. She was agent Kristin Nelson. Nice person that she is (see how good I am at sucking up?), she asked me a question or two about my writing. My mind went blank, and I said something ridiculous and she pretended not to notice. Thereafter Ms. Nelson and Ms. Diver engaged in spatterings of conversation between the presentation of the Daphne awards.

Moral of story? Well, there isn’t one, I guess. Can you come up with one for me?

Here’s another interesting tidbit about Ms. Diver. Like her new colleague, Deidre Knight, Lucienne Diver is a published author as well as an agent. I accidentally found this out while surfing the web a couple of weeks ago (as you get to know me, you’ll realize most of my life is a series of accidents). Ms. Diver has published a couple of short stories and a novel with Five Star under the name, Kit Daniels. Her first novel under her own name, VAMPED, releases in 2009. And guess who her agent is?

I mean it. Guess.

First commenter who answers right wins…well, nothing. But I will congratulate you on your brilliance. Isn’t that enough?

More than Magic

The good news I hinted at yesterday? BORROWING ALEX is a finalist in the Romantic Comedy category of the More than Magic writing contest! The finalist names aren’t announced on the More than Magic website yet, however I noticed that the Romantic Comedy winner from last year was none than other than Vicki Lewis Thompson. Am I thrilled that my book is even sharing “former finalist slot space” with a writer of Vicki’s caliber? You bet!

Of course the coordinator needed the 2 books for the final rounds delivered in two days—a difficult task when shipping from Canada unless you want to pay mega, mega-bucks. But the coordinator came up with the great idea for me to order my 2 copies off Amazon and have them shipped to her house. I hadn’t thought of this option, because neither BORROWING ALEX nor HEAD OVER HEELS are available on Canadian Amazon (although Canadians can order them from U.S. Amazon—hint, hint). What a wise and helpful contest coordinator, huh?

What made the news about my final even more wonderful is that I logged on to one of my email loops yesterday morning to learn that my good friend, the talented Diana Cosby, is also a More than Magic finalist with her November historical romance, HIS CAPTIVE. I’ve read HIS CAPTIVE, and it’s a fantastic debut from Kensington. Congratulations, Diana, my friend.

Tell Me Tuesday

How’s everyone doing? Any news to report?

I can’t believe I’ve finally made it past page 100 in my WIP. Yay, yay, sis-boom-bah. I still have a fair bit of new writing to wade through before I get to revise scenes I fast-drafted during my never-to-be-repeated NaNoWriMo experiment. I’m sure I’ll appreciate NaNoWriMo once I revise those scenes, but right now the whole idea of knowing where the story is going just aggravates me. Someone please remind me why I did this? Oh, yeah, to prove I couldn’t.

I also signed up for my RWA National editor/agent appointments yesterday. The PAN/PRO appointment schedule doesn’t open up until next Monday, May 5th. However, as a Golden Heart ’07 finalist, I was allowed one week’s head-start. For anyone interested, after the GH and RITA ’08 finalists finished chewing through the appointment schedule this past week, I’m happy to report that as of this morning when I logged onto the RWA website, there was only one agent not showing any available appointments left. A couple of other agents look like they won’t have appointments left in a matter of days (including the agent I booked—sorry!), but still others remain wide open. So I nabbed my agent appointment, and then I grabbity-quick headed to book an editor slot (oops, no, actually, it was the other way around—I booked the editor appointment first). An editor at a major single title publishing house requested one of my full manuscripts in the fall and looked at it rather quickly, then gave an encouraging rejection letter asking to see more of my work. So I felt it wise to get some face-to-face time with her.

I also have one other piece of good news to report, but I received it right before I wrote this post, and now I want to hoard it, rub its belly, and kiss its nose. Return Wednesday, though, and I’ll share.

Miss Potter

potter.jpg“Stories don’t always end where their authors intended. But there is joy in following them, wherever they take us.” Beatrix Potter in MISS POTTER.

Isn’t that the truth?

(There’s also aggravation in following them, but I’m trying to remain upbeat.)

I had the very great pleasure of watching MISS POTTER over the weekend. Has anyone seen this movie? Were you lucky enough to catch it in a theater? What did you think of it? I totally adored it. I’m not a raving Beatrix Potter fan (as a preschooler, Dr. Seuss was more my speed), but I am a raving fan of this movie. It’s a true writer’s movie. I think that’s why I loved it so much. Starring Renee Zellweger as Beatrix Potter and Ewan McGregor as her publisher and suitor, not only does MISS POTTER have excellent characterization and breathtakingly beautiful cinematography, but the way it portrays the writer’s imagination—down to the details of her stories coming to life before her eyes—well, to me it was bang on.

I watched this movie alone, which, in my opinion, is how it deserves to be watched. Especially if you live in a testosterone-driven household and are usually subjected to hockey games and super hero films. Well, I wasn’t totally alone. Allie McBeagle was sleeping on my lap (being a “yump,” as she puts it)(translation = “lump.”) My dog, um, figures predominantly in my imagination. I won’t go into exactly how (although I may have already…), because then I’ll have made public several reasons to have me carted off to the loony bin, which my children are already threatening to accomplish when I’m eighty. However, let’s just say I totally identified with Miss Potter’s feelings of affection for her creations, and the romance and tragedy of the story also swept me completely away.

Rent. Or Buy. This Movie.

Watch it with your favorite beagle—uh, bunny.

No Regrets. I promise.

(Fine Print: Promises made on this blog are not legally binding. If you buy or rent this movie and don’t love it as much as I did, no, I won’t reimburse you, and, honestly, you should think about developing better taste).

On-Line Auction for Diabetes Research

Okay, one of these days I really have to get into my style sheet and change my blog posts and titles to default to left align, because I’m constantly having to shorten the titles so they don’t s p a   c   e out with the default justification. You see, the title of this post is really supposed to be, BRENDA NOVAK’S 2008 ON-LINE AUCTION FOR DIABETES RESEARCH, but because it’s too long, it str e  tc  hes out with a  ll the  se spa  ces. Isn’t that annoying?

Now that we have that out of the way, yes, Brenda Novak’s annual on-line auction for diabetes research has begun! Talk about a lot of coolio thing-a-ma-jigs to bid on! How about a Weekend in Paradise in Susan Wiggs’ guest house? Here’s the blippy:

NYTimes Bestselling author Susan Wiggs invites you for a relaxing weekend (or any two nights) in her private garden guest cottage on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Enjoy spectacular views, walks on the beach, woodland hikes, a nearby day spa, shops and restaurants, all just a ferry ride from downtown Seattle. Susan loves to bake, so expect treats in the morning. This beautiful cottage sleeps six.

Here’s another item that catches my eye: Editor for a Day at Kensington Publishing. Blippy on the horizon…

Hang out with Editor Kate Duffy at Kensington Publishing for an entire day and see what goes on in a New York publishing house. Attend art meetings, discuss how she acquires what she acquires, walk through the process of having a book published, and meet all the folks that make Kensington the fabulous publishing house that it is. Talk about an opportunity to see how it all works first-hand. Don’t miss this amazing opportunity! (Airfare and hotel accommodations are not included.)

Having had “interactions” with Ms. Duffy, I can attest that while she tries to pretend she’s intimidating, she’s actually charming, generous, and funny. If I lived closer to New York, I’d be all over this baby.

Several editors and agents are offering evaluations of proposals (three chapters and a synopsis), and Ms. Duffy is offering an evaluation of a complete manuscript. Honestly, there are too many items to go into. But have fun browsing. And visit the Auction website often. Because some items are only listed for a day or two, while others will remain listed for the entire month.

Ready…Set…Bid!

Another Bond Girl Sells!

My fellow 2007 Golden Heart “Licensed to Sell” finalist sister, Marilyn Brant, just sold her first two books to Kensington! Marilyn won the Golden Heart for Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements in Dallas last summer with her manuscript, ACCORDING TO JANE. Way to go, Marilyn! To check out Marilyn’s first sale story (and who wouldn’t want to?), please visit her blog.

Why do I keep mentioning when another Bond Girl sells? To rub salt into the wounds of non-finalists? Uh, no. To give unpublished writers hope. And to show that finaling and/or winning the Golden Heart can help propel a writer on her way to that first sale. Sure, there are of those of us (not looking at anyone in particular…) who haven’t sold our GH finalist manuscripts. Finaling and/or winning the Golden Heart does not mean you will without-a-doubt, 100% sell that manuscript. But your finalist status definitely gets you a foot in the door in terms of marketing or re-marketing that manuscript. And who wouldn’t want some of that?