First, I have Follower News and my IWSG post to share.
FOLLOWER NEWS
Hayden Matthews would rather be alone than be a couple in misery. She decides to leave, but leaving a husband who carries a badge and a gun could be dangerous. Especially once her heart is ready to move on.
Free downloads on Kobo and Smashwords. 99 cents on Amazon
Kobo: (free)
Smashwords (free)
Amazon (99 cents)
https://www.amazon.com/About-
Jemi Fraser has a new release, DANCING WITH DEMENTIA. Here's a blurb: Dementia slammed
into our family a few
years ago. It took us by surprise and we missed a lot of clues. The book
Dancing With Dementia is the story of our journey through the early stages of
the disease.
Jemi Fraser has a new release, DANCING WITH DEMENTIA. Here's a blurb: Dementia slammed
Throughout the book, we share tips of
what worked to help our Mom combat the disease. We share what didn’t work. What
made us laugh and what made us cry. And here's a few links:
IWSG POST
Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!
I'm excited to be a co-host this month. The co-hosts this month are Jacqui Murray, Lisa Buie-Collard, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, (me) and Shannon Lawrence!
critical aspects of my job revolve around career advice, marketplace knowledge,
and contracts. I do like jumping on
phone calls with my clients for brainstorming sessions (those are always a lot
of fun and very productive), but I specifically choose to work with authors who
are already strong revisers, so that when I give them big-picture feedback,
they can run off and do amazing things with it without much hand-holding…like
you, Eve!
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The book giveaway is U.S. and the query critique giveaway is International.
Monday, March 9 I have an interview with debut author Tanya Guerrero and a giveaway of her MG contemporary HOW TO MAKE FRIENDS WITH THE SEA
Saturday, March 14 I am participating in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop
Monday, March 16 I have an interview with author Beverly McClure and a giveaway of her YA contemporary GABE'S GUARDIAN ANGEL
Monday, March 18 I have an agent spotlight interview with Ann Rose and a query critique giveaway
Monday, March 25 I have an interview with debut author Alechia Dow and giveaway of her YA sci-fi THE SOUND OF STARS
Hope to see you on Monday!
Posting: The first Wednesday is officially Insecure Writer's Support Group Day.
I'm excited to be a co-host this month. The co-hosts this month are Jacqui Murray, Lisa Buie-Collard, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, (me) and Shannon Lawrence!
Optional Question: Other than the obvious holiday traditions, have you ever included any personal or family traditions/customs in your stories?
My latest story, which I talked about last month, is about a 15-year-old Mexican-American teen who finds a strange button that turns out to be a magical implement. I have been a part of my late husband's Mexican-American family for over 30 years, and I did include her cooking some of the Mexican dishes that I learned from my mother-in-law in a few scenes. That's all I've included so far of my own traditions.
What traditions/customs have you included?
E.M. and CARRIE'S GUEST POST
Here's a blurb of IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN from Goodreads:
It’s 1661 in Paris, and magicians thrill nobles with enchanting illusions. Exiled in France, 17-year-old Henriette of England wishes she could use her magic to gain entry at court. Instead, her plan is to hide her magical talents, and accept an arranged marriage to the French king’s younger brother.
Henriette soon realizes her fiancé prefers the company of young men to hers, and court magicians turn up killed by a mysterious sorcerer who uses forbidden magic. When an accident forces Henriette to reveal her uniquely powerful gift for enchantments to Louis, he asks for her help: she alone can defeat the dark magician threatening his authority and aid his own plans to build the new, enchanted seat of his power - the Palace of Versailles.
Henriette soon realizes her fiancé prefers the company of young men to hers, and court magicians turn up killed by a mysterious sorcerer who uses forbidden magic. When an accident forces Henriette to reveal her uniquely powerful gift for enchantments to Louis, he asks for her help: she alone can defeat the dark magician threatening his authority and aid his own plans to build the new, enchanted seat of his power - the Palace of Versailles.
Now here's E.M. and Carrie!
EM Castellan to Carrie Pestritto:
- What
was it about IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN that made you offer representation?
The writing and
the story absolutely captivated me. You created a really fun world that felt
decadent and lush, not to mention your characters’ voices were fantastic.
Normally when I read requested manuscripts, I take notes as I go on
areas/elements to revise, but with IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN, I was so caught up
that I just sat back and read straight through!
- Being
a literary agent requires an incredible range of skills. How do you manage
to juggle everything in the course of a day? And what do you enjoy most
about your job?
I think the key
thing to note is that I definitely don’t get everything done in the course of a
day that I want to! There is always more to do. I am very organized, though,
and that helps a lot.
While I’m in the
office, I mostly work on administrative tasks (looking through contracts,
rights lists, submissions, royalties, emails, etc.) and audio-related duties
(since I am also LDLA’s audio rights director).
Actual reading is usually done at night and during my daily commutes!
What I enjoy most
about being an agent are the achievement highs.
Finding an awesome manuscript; signing a new client I’m excited about;
selling something to a great publisher; getting starred reviews—all those
moments are what make it worthwhile and leave me feeling on top of the world!
- You’re
an editorial agent. Would you say that working with your clients on their
manuscripts is the most important part of your job?
It definitely is
an important part of what I do, but not the MOST important. I think the more
- In a
submission, what is it that makes you want to request the full manuscript?
The concept? The query? The pages?
I know it sounds
basic, but the writing. More than the concept, more than the characters, more
than the plot, whenever something has a really fantastic voice that blows me
out of the water, I’m hooked. For
instance, when I first read the query for Mara Fitzgerald’s BEYOND THE RUBY
VEIL, I was on the fence—the plot seemed kind of out-there and I didn’t know if
I wanted something that was that wacky and dark—but then I read her opening
pages and fell head-over-heels in love.
Her writing was just out-of-this-world and immediately made me a super
fan.
- What
are you looking for at the moment?
I'm a little full
on YA right now, so on the children’s side, definitely more upper MG. For adult, I’m looking for rom-coms and
romance, cozy mysteries, domestic suspense, thrillers, commercial fiction, and
narrative nonfiction. Diversity is a big
priority for me, as well as finding projects that are fresh and
high-concept.
To get a more
in-depth idea of what I'm interested in, people can always check out my #MSWL.
- What
upcoming releases from clients are you most excited about now?
Well, I’m
obviously soooo excited for IN THE
SHADOW OF THE SUN! I’m also looking
forward to Shauna Holyoak’s KAZU JONES AND THE COMIC BOOK CRIMINAL, Robyn Gigl’s BY WAY OF SORROW, Mara Fitzgerald’s BEYOND THE RUBY VEIL, and Kalyn Josephson’s THE CROW RIDER!
Carrie Pestritto to EM Castellan:
- What
about my background and/or our interactions made you decide to sign with
me?
I knew from my
research that you had experience in the publishing industry. When I signed with
you, you had already been working for a literary agency for more than 5 years,
and you had sold books in my genre and category, which was really important to
me. Additionally, your enthusiasm for my book, as well as your willingness to
answer all my questions, was very reassuring to me.
- By
the time you send me something to look at, it’s usually pretty
polished. What are some
behind-the-scenes things you do when writing or revising that I don’t know
about?
Before writing a
first draft, I spend a lot of time planning, doing research, and generally
thinking about the story. I need to have a clear vision of what the characters
and plot are going to be before I even sit down to write. I also don’t like
having anyone read my manuscript before it’s quite polished. As a result, the
story will go through several rounds of revisions before I even ask critique
partners, beta readers, and you, to read a draft.
- What
have you found most helpful about having an agent, outside of editorial
help and contract negotiation?
Publishing is a
complex world, and I have found that having someone to guide me through it is
invaluable. As a debut author, it’s hard to know what expectations to have, and
having an agent saying ‘this is normal’, or ‘I know who to ask to answer your
question’ is incredibly useful.
- How
do you decide which books to pursue?
How much do your own interests factor in as opposed to marketplace
trends?
I have a lot of
ideas for potential books. When it’s time to focus on a new project, I try to
see which ideas I’m most fond of, and which ones are easier to pitch. From
there I narrow my list down to 3-4 pitches, which I send to you – and you can
then tell me which one has the most potential. I have to love a project to be
able to write it, but I’m also mindful of marketplace trends.
- What
are you working on next?
When I’m not
working on the last edits of the sequel to IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN, I’m
getting ready to draft a secret new project. It’s another YA Historical
Fantasy, set in a time period I love, and with what I hope is a fun magic
system!
- What
is the most important writing craft or tool you’ve learned to use, e.g.
sparkling dialogue, making sure to show instead of tell, etc.?
Learning to show instead of tell was definitely an important step in my
writing journey. Historical Fantasy requires descriptions, and I’m always keen
to bring a world to life rather than just describe it. I also find subtly
weaving backstory into the story very important, in order to avoid the infamous
‘info-dumping’. Lastly, I’m always mindful of pace when writing a YA book. I
find it’s important to grab the reader’s attention – and to keep it for as long
as possible!
Carrie’s links:
EM’s links:
Thanks for sharing all your advice, E.M. and Carrie!
E.M. and her publisher have generously offered a hardback of IN THE SHADOW OF THE SUN and Carrie has offered a query critique for a giveaway. 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 March 21st. If you do not want to be included in the 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 or follow me on Twitter, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The book giveaway is U.S. and the query critique giveaway is International.
Here's what's coming up:
Saturday, March 14 I am participating in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop
Monday, March 16 I have an interview with author Beverly McClure and a giveaway of her YA contemporary GABE'S GUARDIAN ANGEL
Monday, March 18 I have an agent spotlight interview with Ann Rose and a query critique giveaway
Monday, March 25 I have an interview with debut author Alechia Dow and giveaway of her YA sci-fi THE SOUND OF STARS
Hope to see you on Monday!
