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Store displays sporting pumpkins, fairy wings and Harry Potter robes signals the imminent approach of Halloween. In publishing, though, we are hardly content with one day of dress up to satisfy our thirst for things that go bump in the night. The love affair with glittery-skinned vampires and were-folk is year-round.
In October, we interviewed three very special (read: spooky) writers. Co-authors of THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN’S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL (Hougton Mifflin, October 2009), Marley Gibson, Patrick Burns and Dave Schrader, all have intimate ties to the paranormal world. Marley is the author of the hot young adult series, GHOST HUNTRESS, published by Houghton Mifflin; Patrick is a renowned paranormal researcher who co-starred in the television series |
Haunting Evidence; and Dave is the host of Darkness Radio, a weekly broadcast that investigates unexplainable phenomena.
Also in this issue, don't miss an awesome article by Maureen Wood, celebrated medium and first-time author of THE GHOST CHRONICLES: A MEDIUM AND A PARANORMAL SCIENTIST INVESTIGATE 17 TRUE HAUNTINGS (Sourcebooks, October 2009). She sheds some light on how important having a platform is for non-fiction authors and gives us a humorous look inside her writing partnership with New England Ghost Project founder and lead investigator Ron Kolek. |
| Before we dive into the newsletter, The Knight Agency would like to acknowledge the recent passing of two extraordinary ladies. Kate Duffy was instrumental in the success of countless romance authors from the late 70s to present day. A champion of the genre, most recently she served as an editorial director at Kensington Publishing. Her unmatched joy and enthusiasm for romance will be sorely missed by everyone in the publishing community. Also, we were greatly saddened to learn that one of our newest clients, Florence Case, a veteran Harlequin author, succumbed to cancer. Florence was an immensely talented author and a tenacious spirit. Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of both Kate and Florence during this difficult time. |
Left to Right: Kate Duffy, Florence Case |
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The authors of THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN'S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANOMAL took turns answering questions about their new project. Marley Gibson kicked off the group interview with an insider's look at the co-writing experience and her take on the teen paranormal craze.
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Marley is the author of the GHOST HUNTRESS series featuring Kendall, a budding teenage medium. The second book in the series, THE GUIDANCE, released this September. A paranormal enthusiast, Marley has been on several ghost hunts with the New England Ghost Project and was featured on the Biography Channel show, My Ghost Story: Hauntings Revealed.
TKA: Up until the recent release of THE OTHER SIDE: A TEEN’S GUIDE TO GHOST HUNTING AND THE PARANORMAL, you primarily
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Left to Right: Dave Schrader, Marley Gibson and Patrick Burns |
wrote young adult fiction. What were some of the similarities and differences in your approach to a non-fiction versus a fiction project?
MARLEY: The similarities with THE OTHER SIDE and my adult fiction(GHOST HUNTRESS series) was primarily keeping the project moving on time and meeting the publisher’s deadlines. Since I was collaborating with two other people, I felt that it was up to me to be the “project manager” so to speak because I had written to deadline before. While I do a tremendous amount of research in my fiction work, there was a lot more to do with the non-fiction project.
TKA: How did you and your partners divvy up writing responsibilities? What were some of the pluses and minuses of working in a group?
MARLEY: As I said, I was sort of the project manager, harping on Dave and Patrick to get their stuff to me. LOL!! We actually plotted and planned a lot before we ever started writing. We knew what information we wanted to get across to our audience and then we split things up so that each person wrote chapters that were toward their strength. Patrick took the tech stuff, as well as working with psychics, since that was his role on Haunting Evidence. Dave does a presentation at conferences that’s geared to “do’s” and “don’ts” and he really ran with that. I did a lot of the history and how to set up your team and where to go on investigations. I loved working with Dave and Patrick, and, as you can see from the book, we really present a unified voice. Our writing blended well together and the guys trusted me, as a previously published author, to smooth out any passages that didn’t click immediately and to make sure that while we were speaking to a teen audience, we weren’t talking down at them. It really worked well.
TKA: Why do you think teens, especially, are so enthralled by the paranormal world?
MARLEY: Well…take a look at the channel guide on your television. You can’t go two scrolls without a paranormal show popping up. Because of the upsurge in programming, I think teens see it as the next cool thing to do. That’s what it was so important to the three of us to approach this book with a responsible mind set and to educate the next generation of ghost hunters to understand that while it looks hip on the TV shows, that’s an edited down version of what investigations are like. You’re not always going to get evidence. And the investigations don’t last 22 minutes with commercials. We just really wanted to stress the realism to teens and hope that they act responsibly when starting investigative teams of their own. As Dave likes to say, “Just because you own all seasons of Paranormal State on DVD, it doesn’t make you an expert.” LOL! |
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Patrick Burns is one of the most well-known paranormal researchers today, thanks, in part, to his role on TruTV's Haunting Evidence for three seasons. In addition to his research, Patrick is also the founder and director of Ghost Hounds, one of the largest paranormal communities in the country and is the organizer and host of GhoStock, an annual convention held at notoriously haunted locations.
TKA: How has public fervor for paranormal fiction, some of which has found its way to big and small screen success in the cases of Twilight and True Blood, affected your work as a paranormal researcher?
PATRICK: Its said that art imitates life. The explosion of paranormal fiction I think is no accident - I think its directly related to the increased interest in paranormal non-fiction, and vice versa. As a researcher, I have noticed a definite upswing in not only the number of requests to conduct investigations, but also an increase in the number of people from all walks of life and all age groups wanting to learn how to conduct and participate on investigations.
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TKA: What special precautions, if any, did you and your co-authors have to consider in the development of a ghost hunting book marketed to teens?
PATRICK: An entire chapter is dedicated to instructing would-be investigators to utilize various methods and items to protect themselves in a spiritual sense from possible attachments of negative energies. However there are many real world dangers that investigators need to be aware of. For example, abandoned buildings are usually condemned from occupancy for a very good reason. Many times they are structurally unsound and pose dangers that might not be immediately obvious. We urge teens (and anyone else) to resist the temptation to investigate abandoned structures. We also note that a police blotter is not the sort of press coverage an investigative team wants associated with its name, so don't trespass on private property and always seek permission first from a locations owners.
TKA: What is one of the most remarkable things you’ve witnessed while investigating paranormal activity?
PATRICK: I've experienced pretty much the whole gambit of paranormal activity - from extreme temperature fluctuations, to disembodied voices. On a hand full of occurrences, I've witnessed what I believe were full-bodied apparitions or FBA's of real ghosts. Seeing a ghost is an uncanny experience and something you can't really prepare yourself for, since they seem to happen at moments when you least expect it. Yes - it scares me when I witness an FBA! |
Dave Schrader started Darkness Radio to appease his growing interest in the world of the unknown. The weekly broadcast interviews mediums, victims of malevolent spirits and sometimes, otherworldly guests. He is also a contributing writer to TAPS Paramagazine.
TKA: As a first-time author, what were some things that surprised you about the publishing process?
DAVE: How interactive the editor and publisher was with us and open to ideas and marketing strategies for the book -- all while supporting our vision for the book.
TKA: What do you think are the top three most important characteristics of a successful ghost hunter?
DAVE: They should be bald and have a goatee. Ok, maybe that’s not all that important. I think a real desire to help others and bring understanding and answers to people that are dealing with what they believe to be a haunting. Most times it is something simple that can be explained away by natural causes like drafty houses, banging water pipes and animals scurrying over the roof. I like to bring relief to families or people in need of answers.
TKA: In your profession, as the host of Darkness Radio, you’ve heard a lot of ghost stories. Which one, by far, scared you the most? Or do you even get scared at all anymore?
DAVE: I am amazed on a weekly basis on the personal stories people share with me, if they happen to be about creepy ghost children, those always get to me. I am not “afraid” in the classic sense of ghosts, like anyone I can be surprised and spooked but I don’t believe that they are here to hurt us. A good friend of mine and someone I respect, Jeff Belanger says it best. “Perhaps ghosts are histories way reminding us of what happened and where we came from.” That thought gives me comfort. |
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Halloween is just around the corner, and we've got the perfect event to get you in the spirit of the holiday. Join us for a chat with Marley, Patrick and Dave on Wednesday, October 21st at 9pm ET. These authors have a wealth of information to share about writing, publishing and the paranormal -- so don't miss out. Of course, there will be trivia and prizes galore!
When: Wednesday, October 21st @ 9pm ET
Where: TKA's chat room*: http://client1.sigmachat.com/sc.php?id=115545
How To Chat: Enter any combination of username and password. Login.
*Your computer must be Java enabled to chat. |
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October, the spookiest month of the year. . . the perfect time to introduce my non-fiction book, THE GHOST CHRONICLES: A MEDIUM AND A PARANORMAL SCIENTIST INVESTIGATE 17 TRUE HAUNTINGS. This book, written by myself and co author / founder of the New England Ghost Project, Ron Kolek, provides the reader with a unique look into the ghostly happenings that can and do take place during a paranormal investigation. Truth is stranger than fiction!
How did we sell it, well, it was lucky for us, that our agent Deidre |
Knight shared our vision and persisted in querying publishing houses, looking for that right fit.
As for the process itself. . . A crucial aspect of our non-fiction book proposal was to provide a prospective editor with marketability and an already established fan base. Ghost Chronicles, our weekly radio show on TOGInet.com, along with a podcast on iTunes with a proven record of over 70,000 downloads per month was a good start. And although writing a non-fiction can at first appear easier because of recounting actual experiences, it provided both Ron and I with various challenges. The first and foremost challenge: learning to write with one another. So how do two strong willed individuals write a book together?
First off you need to get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Each of us has a unique way of writing and if you plan on co-authoring a book, you need to be willing to spend months upon months attached to your co-authors hip. Doesn’t sound glamorous? Good. Because it isn’t.
How did Ron and I handle the challenge, then? Since sitting at a blank screen was beginning to feel like pulling melted taffy off of wool, we decided we needed to formulate a plan -- fast. We divvied up the episodes and wrote the first drafts on our own. This still posed a challenge. If each episode needed to be in both Ron and my P.O.V’s, how was this going to happen if we didn’t each write our portion of the episode? Well, we decided to shelf our concerns, plunge ahead and move on.
After further experimentation it worked! We had found that by having words to work with, rather than a blank screen, the merging and revising we were doing, breathed life into each episode. Together we would decide whose P.O.V it needed to be in. For instance, on a per scene basis, was it more important for the reader to relive what it felt like to channel a spirit? Or, would they learn more through Ron’s P.O.V., the eyes of a paranormal scientist?
We’d finally found our writing rhythm. Suddenly we were faced with additional challenges: how much emotion was too much, or not enough. Description, was it adding to the scene or slowing it down? There were times when we’d argue over a single word, as if were that last breath of oxygen that each of us needed to survive. It was then we finally realized we had to let go. It wasn’t about who was right and who was wrong. Collectively we agreed to put aside our differences and focus on the ultimate goal. Through patience and perseverance, we completed our book.
Long story short, if you are in the market to co author a fiction or, non-fiction book, go for it! Because even through all of the turmoil, laughter, and yes, sometimes tears, I can say that the end result was totally worth it! |
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Taking it to the Next Level
Writers are always asking me how they can get noticed, what they can do to make their submissions really stand out of the pile, and I generally give them the same answer: Polish your writing to within an inch of your life. By that I mean, take it to the next level, another phrase that gets thrown around a lot in this business, but that can seem equally vague. However, the writing that really jumps off the page does more than tell a good story in an understandable way; it goes beyond creating realistic characters and a sense of suspense. Yes, it is important to have a terrific, attention-grabbing story, but I cannot emphasize enough the need to hone your craft and really understand what makes not just your story move forward, but the reader's eye as well.
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It's easy for me to tell you to line edit, to read your work out loud, to eliminate adverbs and unnecessary adjectives, and to watch out for word repetition. But I think that showing, not telling, is the way to go, not just in your own writing but in learning the craft. So naturally, I'll send you out to read. But what does it mean to read when you're a writer? What are you looking for when you read a book or a short story? Are you hoping to learn by osmosis, or do you really take the time to figure out what a writer was doing--why they made the choices they did?
A good writing class could be the answer, but in this time of economic difficulties, I'm sending you all to the library. There are a number of fabulous writing books out there, each of which offers information on different aspects of the writing business, from craft to submissions to dealing with life after you sign the contract. These are the books I recommend when people ask, or when I'm giving a workshop at a conference. They offer good solid advice, no matter what type of books you write. (Please note, none of these writers are TKA clients--just people I feel have hit the nail on the proverbial head.) Happy writing!
BIRD BY BIRD by Anne Lamott
ON WRITING by Stephen King
WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL by Donald Maass
READING LIKE A WRITER by Francine Prose
MAKING A LITERARY LIFE by Carolyn See |
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| Don Piper, co-author of 90 MINUTES IN HEAVEN, was interviewed for a segment featuring near-death experiences on MSNBC's Today Show. The news program took him back to revisit the site of the accident that led to his life-altering car crash in 1989. Click here to check out the video. |
| Chloe Neill’s FRIDAY NITE BITES debuted at #2 on Barnes and Noble's trade fantasy bestseller list. |
| Nalini Singh's MINE TO POSSESS hit #33 on the German bestseller list. |
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The agents are taking a little vacay from the roundtable this month, so a few of their clients have kindly agreed fill-in. Our agents will be back in force for November, so if you've been scratching your head over a pressing publishing question, why not send it to us for an upcoming issue? Email info@knightagency.net, and it could show up in this newsletter sooner than you think!
QUESTION: What is one of the most surprising things you’ve learned about the author-agent relationship, and what is the most important piece of advice you would give to a newly signed author as to what to expect about the way the author and agent interact? |
MARIA GERACI, author of BUNCO BABES GONE WILD (Berkely Trade, November 2009): I was surprised to learn just how vulnerable agents are! They stress over whether or not an editor will like a manuscipt in much the same way the author does. But in hindsight, it makes perfect sense. An agent offers representation to an author whose work they've connected with and they want others to connect to that work too. Basically, it boils down to the fact that we're all just human and we want to be liked!
As an author, don't expect that now that you've written this brilliant novel, your job is done and it's time to sit back and let your agent do all the work. In a lot of ways, your work is just beginining. While it's the agent's job to market your manuscript to the editors he/she feels are the best fit, as an author, you have to participate in your own marketing. When your agent asks you to write up a blurb or fine-tune that synopsis, get it done pronto. Be professional, and remember, your agent isn't just selling your manuscript, they're also selling you as an author. Be a product that they'll be proud to represent. -- Agented by Deidre Knight
CHRIS MARIE GREEN, author of THE PATH OF RAZORS (Ace Trade, August 2009): I feel lucky to be a part of the Knight Agency because even though Pamela works hard for me, so does every single person on the staff. I have a *team* behind me, and everyone is much more than business associates--they're true advocates for me and my work. As for advice...I'd tell a newer client not to be afraid to contact your agent if you need anything. You're not bothering them. Really. -- Agented by Pamela Harty
CHLOE NEILL, author of FRIDAY NIGHT BITES (NAL, October 2009): The most surprising thing I've learned is that there's no such thing as a stupid question. My agent is a fabulous "answerer"--whether it's about a new manuscript idea or a question about the payment of royalties. There's so much about the publication process I didn't know, and an agent can be so much more than just a sounding board or a contact to publishing houses. She's a resource about contracts, market trends, royalties and even author-agent-editor etiquette.
Because of that, the most important piece of advice I'd offer is to ASK QUESTIONS. If you aren't familiar with the publishing process, don't make assumptions about the way things work. There could be legal and financial implications to the decisions you make, and it's completely fair, I think, to ask questions about issues that could affect you (and your rights) down the road. So take a minute and ask the question. And good luck! -- Agented by Lucienne Diver
MARILYN BRANT, author of ACCORDING TO JANE (Kensington, October 2009): The single most surprising thing I've learned about the publishing world in general is just how insanely busy agents, editors and contracted authors really are. There isn't a lot of down time for chitchat because SO much has to get done, often by a strict deadline. It's difficult for everyone to juggle their professional responsibilities with the demands of their life outside of publishing, so respecting each other's time is really important. Because of this, newly signed authors shouldn't be surprised if an agent needs a day or two to respond to a question that isn't pressing, or if the agent's reply is very brief and to the point. I know how much I appreciate it when I DO have an urgent question and my agent can give me a short, quick response! -- Agented by Nephele Tempest
DAKOTA CASSIDY, author of KISS AND HELL (Berkely Sensation, June 2009): I think the most surprising thing is that I actually have an agent. LOL. All kidding aside, I've learned they're not just people who slap your baby in front of some editors. They're therapists (you know, for the whiner in you). They're mathematicians (you try and figure out a NY contract without a degree in like Calculus). They're your biggest advocate. They didn't sign you because they want you to fail. Your success, no matter how big or small, is theirs, too!
OMG--I learned this the hard way--your agent doesn't just sign you and walk away. You really are allowed to email them, call etc, and be as proactive in your career as they are. However, as awesome as they are, they don't have Amazing Creskin properties. They can't read your mind. If you have concerns, questions, pathetic insecurities (see me!), you have to communicate. As in any other relationship, it's crucial to you both. Don't sit at home in the dark in the fetal position, worrying about something that could be totally unnecessary and wasted time you could have spent watching Glee. Call your agent! -- Agented by Elaine Spencer
MICHELLE CELMER, author of CHRISTMAS WITH THE PRINCE (Harlequin, October 2009): What has surprised me most is how different each experience is when dealing with different agents. It has as much to do with personality as professional expectations. I totally believe having the right agent helps you learn alot about yourself as a writer, and also helps you discover what you really need from the author-agent relationship. For me, I need to be with an agent who can help me to reach my professional goals, and has the experience to help me adjust those goals to benefit my career.
My advice would be to consider how you interact with the agent BEFORE you sign with them. Prior to signing with my first agent, I had two agents I was considering. One was a newer agent, just starting out, who was really cool, and very hungry--someone I could relate to. The other was a "big" name agent, who frankly, scared the crap out of me! Considering her impressive client list, and my status as a relative nobody, I couldn't help wondering if I might be at the very bottom of the priority totem pole. I went with the newer agent because I knew I wouldn't be afraid to call and ask questions, to interact, and it was an awesome experience. It's all about what you as an author "need" at that particular time to reach your career goals. -- Agented by Melissa Jeglinski
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WINNING IT ALL
by Liz Allison & Wendy Etherington | Harlequin
After an accident destroys his dreams of defending his championship title, NASCAR driver Bryan Steel Garrison becomes president of Garrison Racing. He doesn't have time for the physical therapist his family has hired. Darcy Butler is too much of a reminder of all he's lost. |
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LOVE YOU TO DEATH
by Shannon K. Butcher | Grand Central Publishing
Elise McBride is convinced that her sister has met with foul play, especially after learning a serial killer is on the loose. The last thing former cop Trent Brady needs is more blood on his hands. Yet when he catches Elise breaking into her sister's house, he knows she needs his help. |
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CHRISTMAS WITH THE PRINCE
by Michelle Celmer | Harlequin
She was just there to do a job; not fall in love with a prince! But Olivia Montgomery was having a difficult time remembering that when sexy Prince Aaron kept pursuing her. How could an ordinary woman hope to resist such a seduction? And so Olivia found herself sleeping with royalty. She knew their affair had to end with the new year-Aaron was destined to marry someone of royal blood. Still, that couldn't stop her from wishing she'd find an engagement ring under the Christmas tree. |
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THE CHRISTMAS STRANGER
by Beth Cornelison | Harlequin
After her husband's death, Holly Bancroft Cole knows Christmas won't be the same this year. Still grieving, she decides to complete the renovations on her North Carolina farmhouse and hires a construction worker. Drawn to his piercing eyes and gentle manners, Holly can't shake the feeling that secrets lie behind the handsome stranger's warm smile.
Haunted by memories, Matt Rankin can't remember the joy that simple pleasures bring until he meets Holly. When a harrowing attempt is made on her life, Matt realizes he can't live without this beautiful angel. Now he must protect the woman he loves at all costs--even if it means risking his own life. |
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UNDER THE COVERS
by Crystal Jordan, et. al. | Kensington
"Naughty or Nice?" by Crystal Jordan - Dayna Sharp has the perfect job, the perfect man...the perfect life. So why is the prospect of marrying Mr. Wonderful so perfectly boring? It's a question Dayna can't shake when she brings her fiancé home to meet her spectacularly un-boring family—and finds herself pursued by a bad-boy bearing gifts that could burn a hole in more than her Christmas stocking... |
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FRIDAY NIGHT BITES
by Chloe Neill | Penguin
The story of a young heiress's initiation into the dark society of the Chicagoland Vampires continues... Ten months after vampires revealed their existence to the mortals of Chicago, they're enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the Hollywood elite. But should people learn about the Raves-mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle-the citizens will start sharpening their stakes. So now it's up to the new vampire Merit to reconnect with her upper class family and act as liaison between humans and bloodsuckers, and keep the more unsavory aspects of the vampire lifestyle out of the media. But someone doesn't want peace between them-someone with an ancient grudge... |
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BITTER NIGHT
by Diana Pharoah Francis | Simon & Schuster
SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU... Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom...and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle's personal magic weapon -- a Shadowblade -- and she's lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before....The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances -- including one with a rival witch's Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him -- and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right -- if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is..... |
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DEEP KISS OF WINTER
by Gena Showalter (TKA) & Kresley Cole | Harlequin
KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time...and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.
Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden -- the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?
GENA SHOWALTER puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted...and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.
Aleaha Love can be anyone -- literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only "she" becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself.... |
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A MEASURE OF MERCY
by Lauraine Snelling | Bethany House Publishers
Eighteen-year-old Astrid Bjorklund has always dreamed of becoming a doctor. She had intended to study medicine in Chicago or Grand Forks, but when a disaster wiped out a major portion of her family's income, Astrid stayed home instead, receiving hands-on training from Dr. Elizabeth. Joshua Landsverk left Blessing two years ago, but he's never forgotten Astrid. Returning to town, he seeks to court her. Astrid is attracted to him, and when the opportunity unexpectedly opens for her to go to Chicago for medical training, she finds it difficult to leave. Love blossoms through their letters, but upon arriving back home, she makes a heartbreaking discovery. Will she have to give up love to pursue her dream? |
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