Category: Editors & Agents

Tell Me Tuesday

It’s very rainy in my part of the world. No big surprise, because yesterday was our May long weekend (Victoria Day). It seems it always rains on the two big camping weekends of the summer, the other being the July 1st (Canada Day) long weekend (if it falls on a weekend). What’s Memorial Day like in the States? Is it the start of camping season like it is for those of us up north foolish enough to enjoy camping (I can take it or leave it…usually leave it, but I know people who adore camping). Do you have plans for the upcoming Memorial Day long weekend?

Because it was Eldest Son’s birthday on Friday and then a long weekend, my writing ground to a halt. However, a lot of overdue cleaning was accomplished. So, my only bit of writing-related news this week is that I received my first ever scores back from the RITA contest. I’m pleased to report that BORROWING ALEX received one 9 (the top score possible for those not in the know) and also an 8. However, it also received one upper-middling score and two “lower-middling enough that there’s no way this entry will make it into the finals” scores. However, that the book received such differing scores didn’t bother me. This was the first year that an author with a book published by a micro-press (I picked up that description from Natalie Damschroder) like Amber Quill could even enter the RITA, and, frankly, there wasn’t really an appropriate category for my entry. I did the best I could with my choices, which were to either enter a short book in Single Title, where it would have competed against books twice its length, or to enter it in Series Contemporary, which is really for category romance novels published in a series (Harlequin/Silhouette). However, the definition for this category is loose enough (employing words like “usually” quite frequently) that I felt it was the best place for my story. So, in actuality, I was very pleased that BORROWING ALEX snagged that 9!

Lastly, the managing editor of the Casablanca line for Sourcebooks, Deb Werksman, is taking questions today on the new Casablanca Authors blog. I’ve spoken to Deb on the phone, and she is very enthusiastic. This is an excellent opportunity to pick her brain, so don’t miss it. And, yep, I asked a question myself.

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?

Editor Interviews Up the Whazoo

I hadn’t visited Isabel Swift’s blog in ages, so yesterday, while waiting for my latest pages to print out, I hopped on over there. She’s started a series of interviews of Harlequin and Silhouette editors. I confess I only skimmed the interviews for content (very, very quickly–my printer is fast), but I counted at least five recent Q&As. The latest interview features Silhouette Executive Editor Mary-Theresa Hussey. Editors Emily Rodmell, Elizabeth Mazer, Joan Marlow Golan, and Natashya Wilson round out the others. So far, three of the five interviewed edit for Steeple Hill. However, hopefully soon Isabel will move on to other departments (not that I have anything against Steeple Hill, mind you). What an excellent resource! If you’re interested in writing for Harlequin/Silhouette, check them out.