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AGENT JOSH ADAMS AND KIM LIGGETT GUEST POST & QUERY CRITIQUE & BLOOD AND SALT GIVEAWAY

Happy Wednesday Everyone! I have a treat for you. Debut author Kim Liggett and her agent Josh Adams have a guest post where they interview each other to help celebrate Kim's debut YA sinister romance BLOOD AND SALT. It sounds really mysterious and a great read for this time of year.

Here's a blurb from Goodreads:

Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn in this one-of-a-kind romantic horror.

“When you fall in love, you will carve out your heart and throw it into the deepest ocean. You will be all in—blood and salt.”

These are the last words Ash Larkin hears before her mother returns to the spiritual commune she escaped long ago. But when Ash follows her to Quivira, Kansas, something sinister and ancient waits among the rustling cornstalks of this village lost to time.

Ash is plagued by memories of her ancestor, Katia, which harken back to the town’s history of unrequited love and murder, alchemy and immortality. Charming traditions soon give way to a string of gruesome deaths, and Ash feels drawn to Dane, a forbidden boy with secrets of his own.

As the community prepares for a ceremony five hundred years in the making, Ash must fight not only to save her mother, but herself—and discover the truth about Quivira before it’s too late. Before she’s all in—blood and salt.

Now here's Kim and Josh!

Kim's Questions for Josh:

You're a fancy Columbia business school graduate. What drew you to publishing?

My wife, Tracey, drew me to children’s/YA publishing. I actually started out my career in magazine publishing before going to business school and then consulting on marketing and brand strategy for companies all around the world. Despite how interesting my work was, it was always Tracey’s work as a literary agent that fascinated me the most, and all my experience came together when I was able to help her launch Adams Literary in 2004. It remains the most professionally rewarding thing either one of us has done, and all the better that we get to do it together.

You have an eclectic list-- horror, fantasy, sci-fi, literary. I love that you're such a risk taker. Is there a common thread in the writing you like to represent or is it more of a 'I know it when I see it' kind of thing?

While I do have varied tastes, I look for authors—like you—who aren’t afraid to take risks with their
work. I am always looking for something new and different than what I’ve read before, even if it’s within the same genre. There’s nothing more exciting than discovering an author—and a novel—that has a fresh twist, or that completely turns a reader’s expectations on their head.

Describe your ideal client:

Can I just say you?! : ) My ideal client is someone who is as committed to their work as Tracey and I
are to ours, yet who—like us—doesn’t take themselves too seriously. When deciding to take on a new author, we look first for talent, then for fit. Talent alone isn’t enough; I need to know that I have a clear vision for what the author hopes to achieve with his or her career, and really feel that we can work together well as a team over the course of that career.

Adams Literary is a family run boutique agency. What do you feel are some of the advantages/disadvantages with this business model?

From an author’s perspective, I think there are only advantages to working with a boutique agency such as Adams Literary. We are able to provide our authors with a more personal, tailored and streamlined approach to their needs, and there’s really nothing that we can’t match or surpass compared to a large agency. From a personal perspective, it can be hard to find the “off” switch.

Where do you see the agency in five years?

I wish I had a crystal ball! Seriously, though, I don’t see much changing in terms of our strategy or approach. We are very fortunate to work with some extremely talented authors and artists, and I truly believe that some of their—and our—best work is yet to come.

Is there anything on your wish list that you're dying to find right now?

I am always on the lookout for mind-blowing, life-changing books. I don’t typically like to give specifics, because I worry that it will discourage authors whose type of work I don’t mention, and as you suggested before, it really is an “I’ll know it when I see it” type of thing. Because it’s you asking, I’ll say that I’ve always longed for a really cool samurai book, and I’m still searching….

Josh's Questions for Kim:

I was so incredibly intrigued by your pitch—Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn— and then fell in love at the very first line. Tell me about your inspiration for BLOOD AND SALT.

This was the perfect storm of two influences merging together. I started writing BLOOD AND SALT as a love letter to my daughter. She had her first crushing love and I wanted to show her how strong, interesting and amazing I thought she was. I combined this with my love of the history of the place I grew up, a tiny town in Kansas. I only intended on writing a few chapters, but I just couldn’t stop.

You certainly had an interesting and successful life before deciding to become an author. What made you take this chance?

I really didn’t feel like I had a choice. I was completely obsessed. I learned how to write so I could tell this story. I remember sitting my kids down and telling them that I was going to sell my business and become a writer. I told them we’d be eating a lot of pasta and there was no guarantee of success. They both shrugged and told me to go for it. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith.

So, you’re pretty normal. How do you come up with such dark, dramatic subject matter?

I think I’m just secretly creepy. Even when I try to write something sunny, someone always ends up in a body bag. I’m dyslexic, so they let me read anything I wanted when I was a kid—anything to get me to finish a book. I was drawn to Stephen King, VC Andrews and romance novels. A style was born!

Given all the choices out there today, how did you approach your agent search? What were the most important factors in your decision, and what made you say “Yes” to me and Adams Literary?

I felt like I needed a boutique agency. I wanted to find a home where I could grow as an author and work closely with an agent who would help me carve out a career path. Long term planning was a big deal for me. You were really passionate about my writing. I had a weird book that didn’t quite fit into any one genre and I knew I needed a fierce advocate to find the right editor and publishing house.

You’ve seen many friends do it, and now you’ve gone through the process of querying, getting an agent, getting a deal and having your first book published. What has been the best part, and what advice would you give to aspiring authors?

The best part of this whole journey is the writing friends I’ve made along the way. Get involved in the writing community. Join debut groups. Go to conferences. Interact with other writers on social media. It might feel weird at first, but those friends you come up with will be your greatest reward.

Thanks for all your advice, Kim and Josh. You can find Kim at: kimliggett.com

And you can find Josh at: adamsliterary.com

Kim has generously offered a copy of BLOOD AND SALT for a giveaway and Josh is offering a query critique. To enter,  all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through October 17th. If you do not want to be included in the query critique giveaway, please let me know in the comments. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter either contest.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. The book giveaway is for U.S. and the query critique giveaway is international.

Here's what's coming up:

Next Monday I have a guest post by long-time follower and debut author Carol Riggs and a giveaway of her YA science fiction THE BODY INSTITUTE.

Next Wednesday I'll be participating in the Spooktacular Book Giveaway Hop.

The following Monday I have a guest post by Gayle Rosengren and a giveaway of her middle grade historical COLD WAR ON MAPLEWOOD STREET.

Hope to see you on Monday!




68 comments:

  1. This book sounds great! And I'd love to get a query critique from Josh! Such a great giveaway! Amanda- aungleich@gmail.com

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  2. I've heard such great things about BLOOD AND SALT and I would love to read it! I would also appreciate a query critique as I'm eyeball deep in the query trenches now and could use some input :)
    Thanks so much for the giveaway!
    EllieMoreton(at)gmail(dot)com

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  3. This book sounds intense, can't wait to read it. Fingers crossed on the giveaways!

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  4. I love that you began writing this novel for your daughter and it grew from there. I'm very intrigued, but also scared! Even seeing the reference to "Children of the Corn" makes me shiver.

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  5. I'm thrilled to see a horror novel get pubbed by one of the larger publishers! Yay for Josh and Kim! Wishing them both much success. :)

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  6. Haha Secretly creepy? Not secretly anymore, I guess. Congrats to Kim.

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  7. Wonderful interview(s)! Kim's book sounds like a haunting read and Josh is one of the best agents around. This is a powerhouse duo!
    Congratulations to Kim on the release of Blood and Salt!

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  8. This was a great interview! Blood and Salt sounds wonderfully creepy! I live outside the US, but I'd love a query critique!
    laura.rueckert (at) onlinehome (dot) de

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    1. Forgot to mention I tweeted about it too! :)
      Thanks for this opportunity!
      laura.rueckert (at) onlinehome (dot) de

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  9. How awesome! Thanks for the fantastic giveaways!
    sarahjperry9 (at) gmail (dot) com

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  10. This book sounds amazing!

    I'd love to get a query critique from Josh! Such great giveaways!

    ~Nicole

    Nicole.Zoltack@gmail.com

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  11. Great interview! I'd love to have the query critique from Josh and read the book, Blood and Salt. Thank you!

    Isabel ohaginib@gmail.com

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  12. I enjoyed this interview very much. I love the passion both have for their work. I would love to be entered to win the book only please. I think when I read this, I will need my family home, my teddy bear, and all the lights on! I tweeted: https://twitter.com/dhammelef/status/651791193311805440

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  13. Kim,
    I admire the uniqueness of your word associations--blood & salt and children of the corn & Romeo + Juliet. Your readers will be drawn in by their curiosity to experience these connections, especially because they know there is depth behind them. I look forward to reading your tale!

    Josh, thanks for this critique opportunity!

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  14. I can't wait to read Blood and Salt. Thanks Kim, Josh and everyone at Literary Rambles. I tweeted this great contest too!

    e: ladybug10960@gmail.com
    -Lisa

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  15. Blood and Salt sounds great and I have heard lots of good things about Josh Adams and his wife.

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  16. Hahaha I laughed hard when she said she's just secretly creepy! Thanks for sharing this :D

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  17. Ooh! The book sounds fabulous, and I love risk takers. I mean, we wouldn't have Disney World without one HUGE risk taker, and who doesn't love Disney World?

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  18. Taking risks is always exciting because you never know what the results might be.

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  19. Congratulations to Kim on her new book!

    It was nice hearing more about what a boutique agency is all about.

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  20. Can't wait to read Blood and Salt. Query critique would be great, too! meghanstigge (at) gmail (dot) com

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  21. Many congrats, Kim! I had the privilege to meet Adam once. Awesome guy. :)

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  22. I love a good creepy read! And an extra set of eyes is always great for the query. mfaszold (at) hotmail (dot) com. Thanks!

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  23. "Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn" - Yes, please. That just sounds awesome and very creepy. I enjoyed the interview!

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  24. Congrats to Kim! What an intriguing mashup. I'll have to check it out.

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  25. Intriguing book! The interview was great; Adams Literary sounds like a nice agency. The whole "family run" aspect makes it sound more approachable. :)

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  26. Congratulations to Kim on her new release. And now I need to go look up the first line so I know what hooked Josh.

    Hi Natalie! *waves*

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  27. Great interview. Awesome sounding book with a cool genre mashup. I'll definitely be picking up my own copy of BLOOD AND SALT if I don't win one for free. And thanks for the opportunity for a query critique. (email: eric.g.steinberg(AT)gmail(dot)com. Tweet: https://twitter.com/ericgsteinberg/status/651899551452921858)

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  28. Fabulous interview. I love the sound of Blood and Salt too.

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  29. Such a wonderful interview. Congrats to Kim!

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  30. That's a great philosophy. Be committed but not too serious. People who are too serious often struggle to make changes when necessary, or they struggle during challenging times.

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  31. Can I like this interview extra! I will vouch for Josh being a wonderful agent (also, if by some extremely long shot I manage to win this, maybe the query critique can go to someone else? Josh doesn't need to see any more of my queries ;) . . . )

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  32. Wow! Cool interview. That blurb sent chills down my arms - sounds incredibly good.

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  33. Love the blurb and the cover. I like that you're creepy, Kim. Makes for great stories. Very interesting to hear from your dedicated agent, too.

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  34. Love the blurb and the cover. I like that you're creepy, Kim. Makes for great stories. Very interesting to hear from your dedicated agent, too.

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  35. "Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn" - so this sounds awesome...

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  36. Interesting interview. I would love to be entered into the critique giveaway. Shared on Twitter.

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  37. This is a great interview. I love learning the ins and outs of both authors and agents, particularly how a book is born. I would love a hard copy of this book! I already bought the kindle version, but there's nothing like a real book. I'm going to pass on the query critique. I sent my MS to Josh over a year ago. Still waiting for a response ;)

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  38. Thanks so much for the interview! I love learning more about agents and their clients--what brought them together, etc. Congrats to Kim on BLOOD AND SALT!

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  39. thanks for such a fun post!!! I've had my eye on this book and I'm thrilled by the giveaway :) I'm not a writer, so only entering for the book. Thanks again!

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  41. This agent/client interview is a fun idea and was genuinely informative. Please enter me in the query critique giveaway. I will Tweet and post this to Facebook now. Thank you.

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  42. Great premise! And I definitely would love a query critique....

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  43. I love this blog, there is so much information provided on the agents and such a great way to publicize an author's novel! I'd love to read this book and I'm dying for a query critique!

    I'll be tweeting this on twitter!

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  44. Romeo and Juliet and Children of the Corn? How could anyone not want to read that - what a combo!

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  45. this book sounds great I too am a Stephen King fan bought the books and passed them on to my kids no query critique

    tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

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  46. Great interview! I would love to read Blood and Salt and/or get a query critique. Thanks!

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  47. Fun interview! Since I love Romeo and Juliet and the movie, Children of the Corn, Blood and Salt sounds like a book for me. I would also love a query critique.

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  48. Not sure if I could read this book, sounds scary! I would love to win the query critique with Josh, though! I'm also going to post on Twitter.

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  49. She's secretly creepy - funny!
    That's cool Josh and his wife get to work together at their own agency. And he likes science fiction - that's good to know.

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  50. This book's been on my TBR for a while! Thanks for the great giveaway.

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  51. Great interview! I'd love a query critique. I live in Canada, though, so I don't qualify for the book giveaway :(

    tiffaniereginalynn (at) gmail.com

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  52. Sounds so great! Would be so excited to win either of these this week! Reposted on Facebook and Twitter. I need query critiquing! wendylawrencemorgan at gmail

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  53. Query critique? Yes please! noralestermurad@gmail.com

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  54. The premise for this novel is sort of blowing my mind. You hear all manner of "It's like this meets that" but wow. I want to read this thing. The summary sounds amazing. Fresh and unique and pretty terrifying. I'd love to win a book or a query critique! I love to read and I'm terrible and query letters. LOL. No matter, I wish you success with this and future books!

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  55. What a great opportunity. Posted on Twitter. God I hope I get it. I hope I get it! ram.z.rach (at) live (dot) come

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  56. fantastic interview! it was cool to hear both sides of the business!

    and natalie, thanks for stopping by my simulation blog tour stop at Lee's a few weeks ago - i'm just now catching up!

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  57. Really enjoyed the interview, Natalie! Congrats to Kim... her books sounds like a very intriguing read!

    Thanks for the query critique, Josh.. I hope to be sending you one soon for my edgy YA contemporary novel.

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  58. Romeo and Juliet meets Children of the Corn. LOVE that! Fantastic interview.

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  59. Great interview! Blood & Salt sounds like a fascinating book, and I'd love the chance for a query critique. Thanks for the giveaway!
    alanna.m.peterson (at) gmail (dot) com

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  60. Oh goodness, I've been drooling over this book ever since I first heard about it. And I love how it had such a personal, mother-daughter start.

    Thanks for the giveaways! I tweeted about it.

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  61. Great interview, thanks for this Natalie. Thanks for the giveaway, too!

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  62. Fun and informative interview! Thanks! And I'd love to be entered in the giveaway. Congrats to fellow Fearless 15er Kim on her debut, WOO!

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  63. What a creative blurb! Just thinking about Children of the Corn gives me chills! Wasn't Billy Mumy from Lost in Space in the movie? I know he played a child on The Twilight Zone that had the ability to wish anyone that got on his bad side into the cornfields. This sounds like the right mix of creepy and fun Kim, and it was great learning more from your agent too! Thanks Natalie!

    Julie

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  64. I saw this novel in Chuck Sambuchino's BREAKING IN feature in this month's Writer's Digest! Now it's on Literary Rambles too, which means the Universe definitely wants me to read it.

    I'd love to be entered in both the giveaway and the query critique, Natalie. And I am tweeting all about this: https://twitter.com/MGMafioso/status/653625108162998272

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  65. Great interview!
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    I would love to be entered to win the book but not the query.
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

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  66. Blood and Salt sounds like the perfect creepy read for October! Can't wait to check it out.
    I'd like to enter the contest! My email is aubcann (at)yahoo (dot) com. Also, I tweeted about it: https://twitter.com/AubreyCann/status/653988669364178944

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