tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18527085802534698652024-03-18T05:45:59.869-05:00Agent in the MiddleAn RT-award-winning literary agent with 20 years experience in numerous genres opens up about her experience and adventures in publishing and the world beyond it.Ravenous Romancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11671397588069818557noreply@blogger.comBlogger228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-46916644664313609892022-12-20T09:40:00.000-05:002022-12-20T09:40:01.125-05:00My Mother Passed Away Last Week<p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Obituary
for Rev. Mary Perkins</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Reverend Mary Perkins, a resident of Riverdale and
Washington Heights, passed away on Dec. 14<sup>th</sup> at 89 years old.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Reverend Perkins was one of the first female ministers in
New York City who was mentored by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a career as a director of Christian Education
at the Fort Washington Collegiate Church in Manhattan, she was ordained by the
United Church of Christ where she was placed in a yoked congregation in Ft.
Lee, NJ serving the Moresmere Community Church and the Grantwood Church for
over two decades.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Mary
was born in 1933 in Warren, Ohio the third daughter and fifth child of Greek
immigrant parents. Originating from the island of Samos in Greece, her family
immigrated to the U.S. through Ellis Island.</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">In
NYC her family found enclaves of Greek families, with Greek being the language
of their home. Mary went to the local public schools of upper Manhattan and
graduated from George Washington High School. In her young adult years she
supported her widowed father by working as an entry-level doctor’s assistant.</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">She
knew her husband from her childhood and once Charlie returned from the Korean
War they were married. They welcomed their daughter Lori Perkins a year later
and had their son Richard Perkins four years later.</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Always
pushing herself forward, Mary went back to school and graduated from Lehman
College with a teaching degree. She later pursued and graduated with three
master's degrees – a religious counseling degree from the Blanton Peale Institute,
a Masters in Theatre from NYU and a Masters of Divinity from Union Theological
Seminary.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">Mary
threw herself into community service, initially as a preschool teacher at St
George Church in Washington Heights. She worked at the Fort Washington Collegiate
Church as the Director of Christian Education for over a decade. She built a
large Sunday School and directed many plays at the Fort Washington Collegiate Church,
performing one of the early plays by fellow NYU Theatre graduate John Patrick
Shanley. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">As
a seminary student, she served as chaplain at Bellevue Hospital as one of the
first to minister to AIDS patients during the early AIDS crisis. </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">In
her retirement, Mary spent many joyous vacations with her daughter and grandson
Max in their favorite “home away from home” in Belfast, Maine, where her
husband’s mother was born. Mary also traveled to spend time in California with
her son Richard and daughter-in-law Jackie, spoiling her West Coast
grandchildren, Charlie & Caroline.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;">She
is survived by her daughter, Lori Perkins, the publisher of Riverdale Avenue
Books; her son, Richard Perkins, an L.A.-based writing teacher, and her grandchildren,
Caroline and Charlie Perkins, and grandson, Max Jimenez.</span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A Memorial/Celebration of Life will be held in February of
2023 at the Fort Washington Collegiate Church.</span></p>
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{page:WordSection1;}</style></p>Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-82337793064824379612019-04-20T00:37:00.002-05:002019-04-20T00:37:21.142-05:00Remembering Ghostbusters Ed and Lorraine Warren
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was the literary agent for Ghostbusters Ed and Lorraine Warren
in the 80’s, after they had already become famous from their work on The<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Amityville Horr</i>or. I love a good ghost
story and had been watching CNN when a Pennsylvania family got on the news
requesting the Catholic Church exorcise their home. As a journalist who had
become a literary agent, I told my husband that I couldn’t wait to read the
book, and he said, “You used to be a journalist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Go get the story,” so I found myself in their
haunted living room with the velvet paintings of Elvis within a week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ed and Lorraine Warren were advising the family,
and I convinced them to leave their William Morris agent and go with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We put together a proposal for a book that
became <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Haunted</i> which went to a
two-day auction and eventually became and Emmy-Award-winning TV movie.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was their agent for seven books, but after a while the
stories all started to sound the same, and there was only so much excitement I
could muster for demons in the attic, exploding ectoplasm in the toilets and succubae
everywhere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I have to say they
believed every word they said.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had been to their haunted museum, where they had told me
the story of Annabelle, and I said that no one would be afraid of a haunted
doll.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I should have remembered that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Twilight Zon</i>e episode.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But it was time for me to go on to represent other things
like erotica and paranormal romance<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am so glad that Ed and Lorraine’s tales of things that do
more than go bump in the night found another generation. They were a fascinating
couple, who worked side by side until Ed passed in 2006.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If my memory serves correctly, they met
because Ed loved painting haunted places and Lorraine could read auras.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Someone should write a real paranormal
romance about them!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I do hope they are continuing their investigations from beyond.</div>
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</style>Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com108tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-48398845534885871912018-08-12T00:03:00.002-05:002018-08-12T00:03:49.994-05:00Yes, Yes Nanette!
<br />
(This ran yesterday on RomanceDailyNews.com, but I wanted it to be searchable, so I'm putting it here too. You should ALL read it).<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone is talking about the Nanette comedy special by
Tasmanian lesbian comedian Hannah Gadsby, which quietly landed on Netflix about
two weeks ago and has been getting the kind of buzz I can only remember for 50
Shades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Have you seen Nanette?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you think?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now you may already be asking yourself, “What the hell does
this have to do with romance?” and you’d be surfacely justified, but in this
age of #MeToo and TimesUp, everything in the life of contemporary women has to
do with romance, or the total lack thereof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And it’s time we, as romance readers, start connecting the dots (as
Hannah Gadsby does brilliantly in this performance).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, back to Nanette. This made headlines because the
comedian said she was doing this comedy special to announce that she was
leaving comedy, and then, to her surprise, the powerful, gut-retching and
side-splitting performance she gave was so timely and honest that it literally
launched an international career that she could never have imagined. So, of
course, she is not quitting comedy (there’s your HEA).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ok, so, if you haven’t seen this special (and maybe even if
you have) let me tell you why it’s so perfectly zeitgeisty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We have grown accustomed to female comedians doing their
shticks about dating, marriage, children, shopping, their bodies, each other,
men, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We expect the humor to be
self-deprecating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If there’s any anger
at all, it is usually aimed at ourselves, or society, or the patriarchy. And
women on stage usually don’t get very angry because we have been told a
thousand times that angry women aren’t fun or funny.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So here comes Hannah, a bordering on middle-age out lesbian
who makes it clear to us that she doesn’t care what we think of how she looks
because she’s spent the whole of her life not fitting in as a girl, as a woman,
as a comedian, and even, sometimes, as a lesbian. We’ve laughed a few times
because we’re trying to get to know her, and she’s being so incredibly
forthright that we think we know where this is going… and then she just
completely takes us elsewhere…a place we weren’t even thinking we would go on a
comedy special.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And she does it so eloquently with a lesson from art history
featuring Van Gogh and Picasso (and I have an art history degree, so this
really got me where I live).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And where she takes us is to her teenage rape, but she does
not dwell there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She dares us to see her
as so many men over the centuries have seen her and most women they encounter
as objects for their pleasure telling us about 50-odd year-old Picasso’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">bon mo</i>t about how his 17 year old lover
was at her prime, as was he.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Hannah then
double dog dares us to see her for who she really is – a middle aged out
Tasmanian lesbian – who is only now in her prime.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And then she utters this line (you will quote forever), <span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"There is nothing
stronger than a broken woman who's rebuilt herself." </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Just so powerful.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There has never been another comedy performance like it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hope it sets the bar.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, go watch that special again. Grab some friends and
watch it. </div>
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</style>Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-17361166993226600422018-07-17T01:47:00.003-05:002018-07-17T01:47:31.938-05:00Romance Daily News Launches!
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Romance
Daily News</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">, </span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">a New
York-based daily online magazine for romance readers, has launched today. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><span style="color: black;">Romance Daily News will
give the more than 30 million romance readers throughout the world the latest
news on their favorite genre, as well as customized bestseller lists and free eBook
downloads</span> through the site’s exclusive partnership with </span><a href="http://www.smashwords.com/"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Smashwords,</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> the world's largest distributor of
indie eBooks.</span><span lang="UZ-CYR" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Romance Daily
News</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> will give readers a daily dose of romance in media such as
books, films, TV, and theater, as well as lifestyle topics like fashion,
travel, food & drink, relationships, and romance in art, history, gaming,
sex, politics, and science.<span style="color: black;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new online magazine’s unique features
include:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 120%; margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">An exclusive Membership Program that entitles
romance readers to receive every day a free romance eBook powered by
Smashwords. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The regular annual rate of
$14.99 will be discounted through October 31<sup>st</sup> for Smashwords
members to $9.99 for the first year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
addition, the </span><span lang="UZ-CYR" style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;">first 90 free <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Book of the Day</i> giveaways include some of the biggest names in
romance including <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">NY Times</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">USA Today</i> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">bestsellers Natasha
Preston, RL Mathewson and Evangeline Anderson.</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Each eBook is accompanied
by a Q&A interview with the author.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 120%; margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="UZ-CYR" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Multiple exclusive bestseller lists from
Smashwords. Romance Daily News </span>will feature nine dynamic bestseller
lists, with a different list appearing each day and some alternating
week-to-week.<span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Romance
Daily News will </span>feature book reviews, interviews, and sample chapters of
books.<span lang="UZ-CYR" style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: 120%; margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span lang="UZ-CYR" style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">New original columns such <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This Day in Romance</i>, an editorial
cartoon by Last Kiss artist John Lustig, and articles by editors, agents,
librarians, book sellers, etc.</span><span lang="UZ-CYR" style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: 120%; margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Horoscopes by Sephera Giron, a noted
metaphysical author of the bestselling book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">House Magic</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Romance Daily News </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Publisher
and Editorial Director, Lori Perkins is a published author, book editor and
literary agent with three decades experience in publishing newspapers and
books. She was the owner and publisher of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Uptown Weekly News</i> in Manhattan’s Washington Heights and Inwood in the
80’s, as well as an adjunct professor of journalism at NYU. She has written or
edited 30 books, most of which are in the romance genre.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">“</span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">An online
magazine partnering with a book delivery platform to offer lovers of
romance a free book every day is a game changer,” said Publisher Lori
Perkins. “Our data partnership with Smashwords allows our subscribers to
enjoy curated content that matches what readers are buying and reading.”</span><span lang="UZ-CYR" style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-ansi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: UZ-CYR; mso-fareast-language: UZ-CYR;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9.5pt; line-height: 120%;"></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">”We’re thrilled to partner with Romance Daily News for this multi-faceted
partnership,” said Mark Coker, founder and CEO of Smashwords. “For Smashwords
authors and publishers, this is an exciting opportunity to reach new
readers. For romance readers, it’s an opportunity to discover and enjoy
an amazing diversity of high-quality, curated romance.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 120%;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%;">For more romance, please visit </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%;">RomanceDailyNew.com</span></a><span style="color: black; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%;">. </span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any inquiries can be directed to </span><a href="mailto:info@romancedailynews.com"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%;">info@romancedailynews.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 120%;"></span></div>
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</style>Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-48612358466414365812018-02-08T11:31:00.001-05:002018-02-08T11:32:12.118-05:0050 Shades of BlandSo I went to a press screening of <i>Fifty Shades Freed</i>, the
third installment in the Fifty Shades erotic romance saga last night
with my movie reviewer friend. It's been our pre-Valentine's Day date
for the past three years.<br />
<br />
Now maybe it's that we've had
a year of living in Trumpland and that's just dulled our reactions to
everything, or that it was a cold and rainy night, or that anything to
do with BDSM has become yesterday's thrill, but that movie was just
tepid. Sure, I got a few nice shots of Jamie Dornan's well proportioned
ass, and there were multiple visits to the red room of pain, even one
that involved glimpses of stainless steel butt plugs, but it was
spectacularly forgettable, as was the music, and the acting by so many
really amazing cast members (why did they even bother to hire Marsha Gay
Harden and Rita Ora).<br />
<br />
And they know it because before
we get to the end credits there's actually a montage of the greatest
hits form the previous movies set to a remix of the theme song from the
first movie to remind you that this was once something that anyone cared
about, or that millions of women throughout the world were obsessed
with.<br />
<br />
It was like a bad Hallmark movie, or the last
installment of one of those made-for-TV movies from the late 70's and
80's where something that should have been two hours is stretched out to
six.<br />
<br />
The one truly amusing part of the film for me was
the portrayal of Ana's publishing job. There are manuscripts piled
high on her desk (we ALL read digitally now - that is so 1990's). The <i>first</i> novel she's acquired has a print run order of 200,000 (also so 1990's). But, hey, I have to remember that this is fantasy!<br />
<br />
But I am glad I saw it. I'm a completest that way.<br />
<br />
If
you're a real sucker for the this kind of thing, I hear some of the
Alamo Draft houses are offering a Fifty Shades three-movie marathon
tonight (my local one in Yonkers starts at 6:00.) Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<br />Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-47600983592822715462017-04-17T14:55:00.001-05:002017-04-17T14:55:21.191-05:00Please Welcome New Agent, Ben Grange
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">(<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">New York, NY – April
17. 2017</b>) The L. Perkins Agency is thrilled to announce that Ben Grange,
formerly the assistant at the JABerwocky Literary Agency, has joined the Agency
where he will be representing authors of both fiction and some nonfiction.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Before joining the L. Perkins Agency, Grange had a
varied publishing experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was a
publishing intern at a small publisher in Salt Lake City, Utah, and then
completed internships at three literary agencies before his most recent
position as the assistant at JABberwocky. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: JA;">At the L. Perkins Agency, he will be representing middle
grade fiction of all types, and is particularly on the lookout for exceptional
author-illustrators who write middle grade or young adult. Grange has a
penchant for young adult science fiction and fantasy, particularly weird or
slightly dark stories (à la The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater). He loves epic
fantasy and science fiction, and although his focus is on middle grade and
young adult, he won't say no to a great fantasy or sci-fi. He is also
interested in pop culture nonfiction for authors with established platforms.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #1049bc; font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: JA;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;"> “I'm thrilled to
take this next step in my journey as an agent, and can't wait to roll up
my sleeves and get to work. There are big things happening in children's
fiction right now, and I'm glad I get to be a part of it."</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-fareast-language: JA;">Said Agency founder and President, Lori Perkins, “We
are excited to have Ben join the team, as his interests compliment those of the
existing six agents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is going to be
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wonderful expansion of the agency’s
place in the publishing industry.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: JA;">About the Agency</span></b><span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Founded
in 1987 by Lori Perkins, a former newspaper publisher and editor, the L.
Perkins Agency specializes in many different genres with seven agents
representing approximately 100 authors to the publishing industry. The agency
also has agents in many foreign territories and works with an established
film/television agency to maximize exposure for our clients. The L. Perkins
Agency’s seven acquiring agents have a diverse range of tastes and are
currently looking for material in a wide spectrum of genres and subjects.
Lperkinsagency.com</span><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></div>
Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-40770480832784415662017-02-10T02:42:00.000-05:002017-02-10T02:42:50.929-05:0050 Shades Darker: Exactly What You Want for Valentine's DayI was lucky enough to go to screening, since I edited <i>Fifty Writers on Fifty Shades of Grey</i> (still a really good book in case you still have questions about why this novel series took the world by storm (https://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Writers-Shades-Grey-ebook/dp/B00A6D5C2C/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1486711611&sr=1-1&keywords=fifty+writers+on+fifty+shades+of+grey). I was honestly a little trepedacious about the second film, because I knew the original director had been fired, and there was talk about a distinct lack of chemistry between Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan. And all sorts of meddling by EL James.<br />
<br />
But the movie is good in the way that Lindt chocolates and Nora Roberts novels are good - consistent pleasure givers, not necessarily the best you've ever had, but delightful nonetheless.<br />
<br />
The movie holds no surprises. It follows the plot of the second novel in the series to a T, right down to the Ben Wa balls and the lemon martini thrown in Mrs. Robinson's face (one of my favorite scenes in both the book and the novel). And Kim Basinger as Mrs. Robinson is worth the price of admission alone.<br />
<br />
And because I knew what was coming and what to expect, I could focus on other things that delighted me like the fact that Christian Grey owns an Edvard Munch Vampire painting which he hangs in his bedroom (it's a female vampire) or that the publishing talk in the movie is definitely a fantasy.<br />
<br />
So if you loved or liked the books, ignore the bad reviews (because there are many of them), and go.<br />
<br />
Personally, I am looking forward to the third installment, so I can binge watch the movies together.<br />
<br />
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<br />Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-11787062464038763882016-04-13T13:24:00.000-05:002016-04-13T13:24:03.568-05:00Latoya Smith, Former Samhain and Hachette Editor, Joins the L. Perkins Agency as Literary Agent
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>New York City – April 13, 2016 </span></b><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- The L. Perkins Agency is thrilled to
announce that Latoya C. Smith, formerly the Editorial Director of Samhain
Publishing and editor at Hachette and Kensington, has joined the Agency where
she will be representing authors of both fiction and nonfiction.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">As an editor, Latoya has acquired a variety
of titles from hardcover fiction and nonfiction, to digital</span> <span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">romance and erotica titles and has worked with NYT
bestselling authors Carl Weber, Mary B. Morrison and Mimi Jean Pamfiloff to
name a few. She was also the acquiring editor of Cecilia Tan’s award-winning
Slow Seduction series. Smith was awarded the</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Smith won<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the 2012 RWA Golden Apple for Editor of the Year and has been featured
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Publishers Weekly, USA Today</i> and CSpan2.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 17.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Latoya started her editorial career as
an administrative assistant to <i>New York Times</i> bestselling
author Teri Woods at Teri Woods Publishing while pursuing her Bachelor’s
Degree at Temple University, where she graduated Cum Laude.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></div>
<span style="color: #262626; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At the L. Perkins Agency she will be representing
women's fiction, romance, erotica, erotic fiction, thriller/suspense and
advice/how-to memoir.</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">“</span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I am really
thrilled to be working with Latoya like this,” said LPA founder Lori Perkins.
“I have worked with her over the years, especially with Cecilia Tan’s erotic
romance series at<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hachette, and I am
truly looking forward to developing new authors and series with her, as well as
having her join the awesome LPA team.”</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Latoya explained, “I am super excited about this new
journey. So many fab things are happening right now in publishing. Plus, I am
thrilled to be working with the LPA team (Lori just has a thing for attracting
awesome personalities).“</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">About
the Agency</span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Founded in 1987 by Lori Perkins, a former
newspaper publisher and editor, the L. Perkins Agency specializes in many
different genres with six agents representing approximately 100 authors to the
publishing industry. The agency also has agents in many foreign territories and
works with an established film/television agency to maximize exposure for our
clients. In 2010, the agency broke new ground by being the first agency to hire
a literary agent who worked exclusively in the digital marketplace. To this
day, the L. Perkins Agency works hard to identify new publishing venues and
makes it a priority to help our authors stay ahead of the curve. The L. Perkins
Agency’s six acquiring agents have a diverse range of tastes and are currently
looking for material in a wide spectrum of genres and subjects.
Lperkinsagency.com</span><br />
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Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-43177014516407851572015-07-21T16:05:00.001-05:002015-07-21T16:05:46.575-05:00Confession of a Secret Romantic by Sandy Lu
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For the longest time, I have specifically stated that I am
not interested in representing romance. As an agent, I feel that I can only
properly represent a certain genre if I also read it for pleasure, and I have
not read a romance novel since my early teen years. </div>
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My first encounter with romance novels was when I was about
thirteen, when a Harlequin salesman came knocking on our door in Taiwan and
somehow convinced my father that getting a subscription was a good way for me
to be exposed to American literature. Not knowing any better, since the covers
of these novels usually featured classically looking, fully dressed couples in perfectly
respectable poses, I had no idea what I was getting into.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Imagine my shock and thrills when I
discovered what really happened behind closed doors between the lady and the
duke! Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, our parents never gave us the
birds and the bees talk. In fact, whenever there was kissing on screen, my mom
would tell us to cover our eyes, and I, obediently, never peeked. </div>
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Needless to say, these Harlequin novels became my sex-ed primers.
With no one else to turn to, I shared my new revelations with my best friend,
and they became our obsession. We would read them under the cover with a
flashlight way past our bedtime and sneak peek at passages under the textbook
in class. Soon the subscription was not enough, and we started finding more in
the neighborhood book rental store (that was actually a thing in Taiwan— for a
nickel each, you can binge on all the manga and “trashy” novels the library
wouldn’t carry), each one more scandalous than the last, and the lovers’
passions were appropriately reflected on the cover. </div>
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One night I didn’t turn off the flashlight fast enough when
my mom came into my room and she snatched the book out of my hand, took one
look at the cover, and almost had a heart attack. I was in serious trouble—the
kind that required my father to deal with when he came home. It took all my
wits to get out of that one: After she left, I buried the books with half-dressed
heroines on the covers under a pile of fully clothed ones, hid the ones with
the most debauched covers in bed and lay on top of them (my mom might come back
to search under the mattress, but not under my sleeping body), then proceeded
to wait. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do—lying there as
the hours went by, heart pounding, pretending to be sound asleep when my dad
finally got in and my mom showed him the evidence of the crime. He picked up
the books from the top of the pile and laughed. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">These are nothing! They’re the Harlequin books from the subscription I
got her. </i>Whew!</div>
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But my mom was not so easily fooled. After that night she
started looking at me like she knew what I was up to, like she knew I was no
longer her innocent little girl. I suspect that was another reason why she sent
me to an all-girls boarding school the next semester, as the school had a
strict policy against any extra-curriculum reading materials. That was the end
of my love affair with romance novels.</div>
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Perhaps it was the suppressed trauma caused by that sudden
breakup, or I simply grew out of the puberty curiosity, or maybe because sex is
so prevalent everywhere in America (we moved to New York when I was sixteen and
it was quite a culture shock), I never renewed my passion for romance novels.
On the contrary, as a lover of crime novels and male-center books like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">American Psycho</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Lolita</i>, I adopted the same prejudice many such readers have for
romance novels and thought them too formulaic to be satisfying reads. I
especially despised the love-at-first-sight convention, since I never believed
in it. Therefore, after I became an agent, I proudly stated on my submission
guidelines: no romance, please.</div>
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That is, until my recent conversation with Louise Fury, a
big romance lover who never stopped trying to entice me to take on romance (and
trust me, she can be very persuasive.) I don’t know how it started, but at some
point she made me realize that despite my claims, many of my favorite YA
authors—Robin LaFevers, Sherry Thomas, Laini Taylor, Morgan Rhodes, are all romance
writers. And even though their YA novels are not necessarily romance in genre,
they are romance in essence. This gave me pause. </div>
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I started to ponder why I love these authors so much. They write
in very different styles, but what they have in common is that they are all
experts at building mounting tensions between their characters with clever,
twisty plotlines and misdirection that have me biting my knuckles, breathlessly
turning the pages until the misunderstandings are elegantly resolved in the
final act and the impossible conflicts give way to a happy ending I in
principle don’t believe in but root for in secret anyway. Essentially, I love
them for the same reason I love my favorite suspense writers. In that sense, I
realize, romance is really not that different from mysteries and thrillers. In
fact, given the restrictive story arc, romance writers have to be just as smart
and innovative as suspense writers in order to come up with new and original
stories.</div>
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And who was I to look down on romance as a lesser genre?
After all, aren’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jane Eyre</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Pride and Prejudice</i> classic literature
just like <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Crime and Punishment</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Dracula</i>? Didn’t I adore them just as
much, if not more? It’s about time I put aside my bias and open myself up to
romance. So, romance writers, send me your submissions! I am ready to be
seduced.</div>
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Please contact me at sandy@lperkinsagency.com </div>
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Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-79403802005303027052015-04-14T16:25:00.001-05:002015-04-14T16:25:58.659-05:00Guest Post by Cecilia Tan on her New Three-Book Series at TorWhew! At last I can tell you all the news! We've been working on a project for quite a while now and I can finally officially announce that my upcoming new paranormal series, THE VANISHED CHRONICLES, will published by Tor Books! <br /><br />I've long admired Tor as a publishing house. When I founded Circlet Press back in 1992, Tor founder Tom Doherty gave me some of my first and best advice about book publishing. Over the years I've only remained impressed with the quality of Tor's list and if you look on my shelves you'll see many of my favorite books bear the Tor logo, like Jacqueline Carey's <i>Kushiel's Dart</i> and Steven Brust's <i>The</i> <i>Phoenix Guards.</i> To be joining them is beyond exciting. <br /><br />THE VANISHED CHRONICLES will be a paranormal/urban fantasy series where I play with two of my favorite things: 1) BDSM, and 2) the idea that magical world co-exists with our own but non-magical folks have gotten the details wrong. In THE VANISHED CHRONICLES I'll explain where all those myths about vampires come from. "Vampires" may not be real, but an ancient cult of blood magic? Yes, please!<br /><br />If you read my Magic University books you know I like to mix ancient prophecy with modern sexuality. So there will be passion, power, eroticism, magic, love, et cetera. The first book is tentatively scheduled to come out in Spring 2017, so you've got a while to anticipate it. <br /><br />If you'd like to keep up to date on my progress, and maybe even get sneak peeks of some sexy scenes, there's always my monthly email newsletter. Sign up here: <br /><br />http://eepurl.com/TEWfvLori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com60tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-81515132917456982082015-04-14T16:16:00.000-05:002015-04-14T16:16:27.800-05:00 People are often surprised that I always close my office for Good Friday and that I go to church on Easter Sunday. Just because I am a sex positive feminist doesn't mean that I have has no spirituality.<br />
<br />
But I am a P.K. (preacher's kid). The preacher is my mom, who was a feminist minster in the United Church of Christ who was part of that group of feminists that rewrote the Bible without pronouns. She used to play Yoko Ono's <i>Woman is the Nigger of the World</i> while writing her Biblical term papers (and I will always love Yoko for that song and my mom for making it part of the soundtrack of my life).<br />
<br />
So this year, I was excited that we at Riverdale Avenue Books were finally goging to pubish Blessed Assurance, a collecito of prayers of rthe LGBT commjnity, which as a child of changing religious mores, I knew was sorely needed. I was proud to be a part of it.<br />
<br />
But the book was late again, and we would miss the Lenten season. The book had been late a number f times, and i was growing disheartened.<br />
<br />
I finally talked to the author (as the book had been acquired by another editor) and told her in no uncertain terms that I wanted this book and I wanted it NOW. She explained that the reason she was so late on the book was that she actually thought it was two books - a prayer book and a workbook - and I said, "OK, then. Let's do them both."<br />
<br />
And she said, "Are you kidding me?"<br />
<br />
And we are now pubishing two books - one for the Thanksgiving season and one for Lent next year.<br />
<br />
And she said to me, "You are my Easter. This book project was dead to me and you have resurrected it."<br />
<br />
I was almost moved to tears. <br />
<br />
I don't get the chance to save a book very often. Sure, I can sign up a book that means a lot to someone, or I can save a poorly written book from bad reviews with my super-powered editing, but breathing new life into a dead project - this was a first.<br />
<br />
And during Holy Week!<br />
<br />
She was my Easter too!<br />
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<br />Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-54015200514523376312015-03-27T12:26:00.000-05:002015-03-27T12:26:49.857-05:00The Importance of Knowing Typical Word Count Ranges by Rachel Brooks<br />
You may have heard other agents discuss the importance of knowing the word count range for your genre before. But after going through another batch of queries, I think it could stand to be said again.<br />
<br />
You need to know the typical word count range for your book’s genre and age group, or you’re hurting your chances of success by not knowing it.<br />
<br />
This includes looking at books in your genre, for the age group you’re writing for. For example, simply reading and comparing science fiction word counts because you wrote a MG sci-fi manuscript is not enough. It needs to be MG sci-fi—not adult, not YA—that you look at.<br />
<br />
When I see queries for a 180k young adult fantasy novel, I wonder if the writer realizes this is way over the typical word count for a YA fantasy, even more so for a debut author. <br />
<br />
On the other hand, when I see a query for a 30k young adult contemporary novel, I wonder if the writer realizes this is far under the typical word count for a novel and is actually novella length.<br />
<br />
An issue like word count is something these writers could have taken note of, and trimmed or added accordingly, before sending out queries.<br />
<br />
So is a word count above or below the typical range an automatic rejection? Maybe for some agents, maybe not for others. I can’t speak for all.<br />
<br />
But what it does do for most of us…signal that a LOT of revising is ahead for this project before it would be submission ready. This makes an agent seriously evaluate whether, at this point for this novel, it’s ready to be taken on with representation.<br />
<br />
So in a nutshell, doing your research will help. Check out reputable resources and articles online. Look at the date of these articles, as the information could be outdated. Compare books in your own genre and age group to the one you’re writing. <br />
<br />
It’s homework, but well worth it in the end!Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-12987788608031262722014-12-31T13:49:00.002-05:002014-12-31T13:49:27.480-05:00Happy New Year & New Dreams by Rachel Brooks2015 is officially upon us. It's a perfectly blank canvas full of exciting possibilities and unknown adventures!<br /><br />I hope we all have a better year in 2015, no matter how amazing (or not) your 2014 was. Because it can always be better, we can always have more goals and dreams. <br /><br />Part of what makes the publishing industry so exciting is that it's filled with optimists and creative minds. We're either hoping tomorrow will be a day filled with great news, that a brilliant idea will strike, or a long awaited accomplishment will be achieved.<br /><br />Writers, agents, editors, book sellers, readers, illustrators—we're a bunch of life-lovers. We love to read about, or create, or help share other people's stories and journeys, becoming sometimes as invested in them as if they were our own. If anyone can hope that every year is better than the previous one, it's us! <br /><br />We can dream it, so it CAN happen.<br /><br />Here's to a great 2015 for all!Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-88225840797413510542014-12-06T14:51:00.002-05:002014-12-06T14:51:52.481-05:00L. Perkins Agency’s Suggestion on What to Buy Readers and Writers for Christmas <br />Every year I am faced with the same dilemma – what do I buy my writing friends? I usually opt for a gift certificate to Amazon or The Strand (if they’re in NYC), but I know deep down I can do much better than that. <br /><br />So this year I asked my agency colleagues for a list of gift suggestions and I am thrilled to share it with you. <br /><br /><b>Louise Fur</b>y suggests the following:<br />
<b><i>Aqua Notes: </i></b><br />
waterproof notepads for the shower -- you never know when inspirations can strike. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003W09LTQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003W09LTQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thwrli02-20">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003W09LTQ/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003W09LTQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thwrli02-20</a> <br /><br /><b><i>Typewriter charm: </i></b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Silver-Antiqued-Typewriter-Charm/dp/B00Q1DPIUM/ref=sr_1_60?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1417713852&sr=1-60&keywords=typewriter+ring">http://www.amazon.com/Sterling-Silver-Antiqued-Typewriter-Charm/dp/B00Q1DPIUM/ref=sr_1_60?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1417713852&sr=1-60&keywords=typewriter+ring</a> <br /><br /><br /><b>Senior Agent Sandy Lu</b> has recently discovered the joy of audio books and took the time to list the favorite audio books she’s listened to this year, as well as an old book scented candle (clever gift, indeed!) <br /><br />Old Books Scented Soy Candle <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/159184877/old-books-book-lovers-scented-soy-candle?ref=shop_home_feat">https://www.etsy.com/listing/159184877/old-books-book-lovers-scented-soy-candle?ref=shop_home_feat</a> <br /><br /><b><i>Non-Fiction: </i></b><br /><br /><i>The Black Count: The Real Count of Monte Cristo</i> by Tom Reiss <br /><br /><i>The 4-Hour Work Week</i> by Timothy Ferris <br /><br /><i>Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War </i><br /><br /><i>Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking</i> by Susan Cain <br /><br /><i>The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York</i> by Deborah Blum <br /><br /><i>The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business</i> by Charles Duhigg <br /><br /><b><i>Fiction: </i></b><br /><br /><i>Between Two Fires</i> by Christopher Buehlman <br /><br /><i>A Constellation of Vital</i> Phenomenon by Anthony Marra <br /><br /><i>This Dark Road to Mercy</i> by Wiley Cash <br /><br /><i>The Cuckoo's Calling</i> by Robert Galbraith <br /><br />T<i>he Distance</i> by Helen Giltrow <br /><br /><i>F</i> by Daniel Kehlmann <br /><br /><i>The Girl with All the Gifts</i> by M. R. Carey <br /><br /><i>I Love You More</i> by Jennifer Murphy <br /><br />
<i>Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell</i> by Susanna Clarke <br /><br /><i>Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore</i> by Robin Sloan <br /><br /><i>The Quick</i> by Lauren Owen <br /><br /><i>The Rise & Fall of Great Powers</i> by Tom Rachman <br /><br /><i>The Weight of Blood</i> by Laura McHugh <br /><br /><b><i>YA: </i></b><br /><br /><i>The Burning Sky</i> by Sherry Thomas <br /><br /><i>Cinder </i>by Marissa Meyer <br /><br /><i>The Coldest Girl in Coldtown </i>by Holly Black <br /><br /><i>Daughter of Smoke & Bone</i> by Laini Taylor <br /><br /><i>Defy</i> by Sara B. Larson <br /><br /><i>Etiquette & Espionage</i> by Gail Carriger <br />
<br /><i>Falling Kingdoms</i> by Morgan Rhodes <br /><br /><i>Gated</i> by Amy Christine Parker <br /><br /><i>The Madman's Daughter</i> by Megan Shepherd <br /><br /><i>Not a Drop to Drink</i> by Mindy McGinnis <br /><br /><i>The Paladin Prophecy</i> by Mark Frost <br /><br /><i>Prisoner of Night and Fog</i> by Anne Blankman<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Tish Beaty</b>, our resident romance expert, suggests you curl up with the following titles: <br /><br /><b><i>Erotic Romance:</i></b> <br /><br />Rosalie Stanton - Sinners and Saints Series - <a href="https://www.totallybound.com/series/sinners-and-saints">https://www.totallybound.com/series/sinners-and-saints</a> <br /><br />Candice Gilmer - Various Works - <a href="http://candicegilmer.com/">http://candicegilmer.com/</a> <br /><br />Chloe Stowe - M/M Various Works - <a href="http://www.chloestowe.com/published-works.html">http://www.chloestowe.com/published-works.html</a> <br /><br />Louisa Bacio - Various Works - <a href="http://louisabacio.com/books">http://louisabacio.com/books</a> <br /><br />Rachell Nichole - Various Works - <a href="http://www.rachellnichole.com/Holiday-Books.html">http://www.rachellnichole.com/Holiday-Books.html</a> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><b>Leon Husock</b>, our resident man, gave us the following gift suggesitons: <br /><br /><br />Well, there’s <i>Tequila Mockingbird</i>, that book of literary-inspired cocktails. <br /><br />There are also these: <a href="http://www.litographs.com/">http://www.litographs.com</a> which are shirts and tote bags with the text of classic books on them in small type arranged to make pictures, which I think are super cool. <br /><br /> <br /><b>Rachel Brooks</b>, our romance and YA/New Adult agent, also shared a thoughtful list: <br /><br />1) Book themed jewelry, handmade on Etsy, is a great gift idea for bibliophiles. Whether it's a quote from a classic, book-shaped earrings, or a necklace featuring weathered pages, Etsy has tons of jewelry items for book lovers and writers. Plus, you're supporting an indie artist by purchasing their items! <br /><br />Buy link: <br /><br /><a href="https://www.etsy.com/market/book_jewelry">https://www.etsy.com/market/book_jewelry</a> <br /><br /><br />2) What reader or writer doesn't need an artsy mug for their tea, coffee, or cocoa? The quirky store The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild has a great selection of unique mugs. One features first lines from literary classics, while another is decorated with titles of banned books. They also sell a Shakespearean insult mug if some snark is needed for your holiday season! <br /><br />Buy Link: <br /><br /><a href="http://www.philosophersguild.com/Mugs-and-Glass/">http://www.philosophersguild.com/Mugs-and-Glass/</a> <br /><br /> <br />3) A book idea for readers who love contemporary or women's fiction novels, especially ones with a charming heroine: <br /><br /><i>Independently Wealthy</i> by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal, St. Martin's 2014 <br />-Chosen as one of "The Best New Books" in <i>People</i> Magazine's Dec 8th print issue <br />-“Soapy, fast-paced fun with a murder thrown in for good measure.” —<i>Kirkus Reviews </i><br /><br />
<i>The Duke's Guide
to Correct Behavior</i> by Megan Frampton<style>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"> </span><span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">-Starred review,
Publishers Weekly</span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Buy Links:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Amazon: <a href="http://amzn.to/15NShfC"><span style="color: #386eff;">http://amzn.to/15NShfC</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">B&N: <a href="http://bit.ly/1w0QzDc"><span style="color: #386eff;">http://bit.ly/1w0QzDc</span></a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">And me?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">I think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Strunck and White’s Elements of Style</i> and
the <i>Chicago Manuel of Style</i> always make great gifts for writers, as well as the
parodies (<i>Alice Threw the Looking Glass, The Elements of F*cking</i> <i>Style, Spunk
& Bite</i>). As well as all those grammar humor books (<i>Woe is I, Eats, Shites
& Leaves</i>)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Also get a kick our
of Bookopoly,</span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Late-for-the-Sky-5514870/dp/B000HET4YC">http://www.amazon.com/Late-for-the-Sky-5514870/dp/B000HET4YC</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">And think every
romance writer on the planet should have a copy of Slash, Romance without Boundaries,
a sort of Cards against Humanity game for readers and writers.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;"><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gamesbyplaydate/slash-romance-without-boundaries">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gamesbyplaydate/slash-romance-without-boundaries</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-language: JA;">Happy Holidays!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-25376774670094918342014-11-29T02:24:00.003-05:002014-11-29T02:24:55.306-05:00When to Send an Agent Your NaNoWriMo Novel by Rachel Brooks<br /><br />With November and NaNoWriMo coming to a close, first drafts of new novels are being finished worldwide. This is exciting! The community and support system of participating in NaNoWriMo is fantastic, and if it’s a system that works for you, then great.<br /><br />But some writers forget the FIRST DRAFT aspect and query too soon.<br /><br />This first draft version of your novel is NOT what agents want to see in their inbox. Some important steps that still need to be accomplished include:<br /><br />-Letting your manuscript rest before you come back to it with fresh eyes<br /><br />-Revisions<br /><br />-Feedback from critique partners and/or beta readers<br /><br />-More revisions<br /><br />-Potential repeat rounds of resting, feedback, etc. <br /><br />-Final read-through, polishing up<br /><br />While every writer’s process is different, and every story’s journey unique, it is universally true that these steps above take time. This means even if you and your CPs work quickly, by nature of letting something rest, getting feedback, making changes, and incorporating them so they feel organic, it cannot be done in a few weeks.<br /><br />I hesitate to give a blanket statement of “Agents don’t want to see your NaNoWriMo until X months later." I do think it can be rather safely assumed that most would say not in the same year you wrote it. This is because that would mean you accomplished all of the next steps above in one month—December—then researched agents and began querying all within thirty days. And this probably means you didn’t let the manuscript “rest” either.<br /><br />It’s hard not to rush, especially coming off the excitement high of NaNoWriMo. But in the long run, patience is such a huge part of the writing and publishing process anyway, taking your time will benefit both you and your project. Self-publishing, indie publishing, and traditional publishing will all still be there when your novel is truly ready.<br /><br />Happy revising!Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-46273891105286468892014-11-14T13:41:00.003-05:002014-11-14T13:41:54.704-05:00An Agent's Suggestion for Basic Promotion Every Author Should HaveWhen we sign a new author to the agency, they often write in and ask what they should do regarding promotion/PR/social media.<br />
<br />
This was my response to such a question, and I thought I would share it with all of you. Please feel free to add and suggest (and tell us what your agents have suggested).<br />
<br />
Every author should have a twitter account, a Facebook account and a Goodreads account, as well as either a website or a blog (and write a blog post twice a week). You can put your blog post up on your Goodreads page.<br /><br />Take some time and fill out the Goodreads page, which means writing about the books you have read that you loved. Look at my page. Join any Goodreads group that you think will like your work and comment occasionally. Same things goes for Facebook books/writing groups.<br /><br />On Twitter, use hashtags. #amwriting is an opportunity to find and follow other writers who usually pay it forward. You are allowed 2000 Twitter followers, but I think only 100 a day, so every day find 100 writing-related people to follow from the famous, like Nora Roberts, Anne Rice, Laurel K. Hamilton and Stephen King, to unknown moms who write and and women who love romance. You get the idea. Retweet at least 5 times a day.<br /><br />If you can find a writers’ community, that would be awesome. Sometimes your local Romance Writers of America chapter is a good source. Other times there’s a local writers group. Or you can find one online. Ask. Tweet questions. Find like minded-souls.<br /><br />Reddit also has a very good writer community, if you can navigate those waters.<br /><br />Wattpad is a good writer platform, but DO NOT join with your Facebook or Twitter account. They are collecting addresses. If you post writing, only put up a short amount and take it down and put something else up in 30 days. Never put the whole thing up. One of our writers put up a fantasy novel and someone else published it on iUniverse.Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-43320227359791633802014-10-31T13:10:00.002-05:002014-10-31T13:10:34.829-05:00Why it’s Okay to be Afraid of Failure or Success by Rachel Brooks<br /><br />With Halloween this week, “being afraid” is a theme that’s at the front of my mind. While creepy movies, haunted houses, and more can certainly scare us, this feeling makes me think about writers’ fears. Two big ones are being afraid of failure, and on the flip side, success.<br /><br />1) It’s okay to be afraid of failure, so long as you don’t let it prevent you from trying.<br /><br />Every person (and not only writers) worries they won’t have what it takes. What if I’m not good enough? What if I haven’t prepared, researched, and practiced to be at the level I need to make it?<br /><br />It’s normal to feel this way, but if you never try, then the fear has become more than a feeling—it takes control. YOU should hold the reins.<br /><br />An important point to remember is that everyone’s definition of “good enough” is different. Your personal journey is unique, as is your success. Only you can determine if you have “failed,” and if you do, then next time you’ll be better equipped to succeed.<br /><br />2) It’s okay to be afraid of success, so long as you don’t let it prevent you from trying. <br /><br />This is certainly a valid fear as well. Writers can become overwhelmed by getting an agent, signing a book contract, suddenly feeling like they have readers and followers who are counting on them. What if my sequel disappoints fans? What if other writers turn to me for advice? <br /><br />Nobody is perfect, and nobody expects you to be (or they shouldn’t!). Being afraid of success is understandable—it can be daunting to take big leaps, stepping out of comfort zones and familiar territory.<br /><br />But others have juggled success in their careers, and so can you—whether introvert, extrovert, or somewhere in between. You’ll find your own personal balance of how to handle the transition from unpublished to published, unagented to agented, few followers to many. Whatever you find “scary” or “successful,” there’s a way to manage it.<br /><br />Thankfully the writing community is a supportive one, and there is someone that’s been in your shoes too. Whether worrying about failure, success, or both, they are somewhat arbitrary terms that should not define your life, or your writing.<br />Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-21596456598995444332014-10-24T10:53:00.003-05:002014-10-24T10:53:37.680-05:00Please, Do Not Sign That Contract….by Tish Beaty<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Segoe Print";">Writing is hard
work. You pour your heart and soul into a manuscript. You spend hours reading,
editing, and rereading it. You debate the pros and cons of self-pubbing,
finding an agent, or approaching editors on your own. You have beta readers go
through the manuscript with a fine-tooth comb before deciding to submit to a
few select editors. Twelve weeks later, you have a contract in your hands…a
real publishing contract! You read through said contract, and thinking
everything is on the up and up, you sign and return it. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Segoe Print";">YOU DID IT! YOU ARE
GETTING PUBLISHED!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Segoe Print";">A year later, you
find yourself in a situation you never expected. Sales aren’t great, your
relationship with your editor is strained, you aren’t getting emails returned,
and you’ve signed a contract that requires you to submit future works to the
publisher for first right of refusal. You want out, but now you’re stuck!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Segoe Print";">I have had many
authors contact me recently, including authors I currently represent, regarding
contracts they signed prior to representation. As an agent, I can help navigate
the murky waters of rights reversal, however, there is no guarantee that an
author will get their rights back once they’ve signed a legal and binding
publishing contract. And it stinks when I have a talented author who is stuck
in an unsavory publishing situation. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Segoe Print";">Self-pub, find an
agent, or approach editors on your own? A debate for the ages. My
recommendation? Should you decide to approach editors on your own or respond to
an open manuscript call and get a contract offer…seek out a knowledgeable agent
to help you negotiate the contract. You’ve put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears
into your manuscript! Please, do not sign that contract before ensuring you’ve
protected your rights and received the best publishing deal possible. </span></div>
Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-63723611206414185232014-10-17T12:03:00.002-05:002014-10-17T12:03:54.941-05:00My First Sale by Leon Husock
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<i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT";"> From Publisher's Lunch</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Calisto MT";"><b>Sci-Fi/Fantasy</b><br />Holly Jennings's VIRTUAL REBEL, a New Adult science-fiction about a near future where virtual reality gladiatorial combat is the new popular pro sport and a 20-year-old is the first female captain in the league, to Anne Sowards at Ace, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, by Leon Husock at L. Perkins Agency (World).</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calisto MT";">Selling
my first book didn’t really play out the way I had imagined it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my head I would get a call from an editor
with an offer, we’d haggle a bit and agree on an advance and terms on that
first phone call (hah!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d hang up, do
a little victory dance and call all my friends and family to tell them about
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It would be a moment of sheer
triumph and exultation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, despite
the fact that not one of my authors lives in the tri-state area, we’d somehow
all end up in a room at a publisher signing the contract together, in
person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Afterwards I would go out for
drinks with my friends and celebrate.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<span style="font-family: "Calisto MT";">I
did get the phone call from the editor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Admittedly, I got it while I was at the gym and had a brief conversation
in the gym lobby, covered in sweat, before telling her I’d have to call her
back later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That was the beginning, and
while it was certainly exciting, it wasn’t quite final enough for that moment I
was looking forward to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The negotiations
were conducted alternately over phone and by email, and all told they took
about two weeks and, though the haggling is done, the contract has yet to be
signed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There wasn’t really a single
moment where it felt done, and so I have yet to get those drinks with my friends.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Calisto MT";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It wasn’t the big first sale I was hoping
for, but it wasn’t insignificant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
realized afterwards that you read about authors selling first books for
hundreds of thousands of dollars often enough that it’s sort of what you
expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Of course, when I thought about
it I realized that the reason you read about it is because when it happens <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">it’s newsworthy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>So I didn’t quite get that moment I was
hoping for, but having sold that book gives me a quiet confidence about the
future which is, perhaps, just as valuable to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any career you have yet to succeed in
inevitably fills you with a certain unease about your prospects; now that that
first book is sold all the others I might sell in the future have become
infinitely more tangible and concrete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Plus, I think I’ve finally convinced my parents I have a real job.</span></div>
Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-59606246852806245392014-10-03T16:26:00.003-05:002014-10-03T16:26:59.153-05:00Mentoring My New Agents<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>
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I do hope you’ve been following our Agency blog now and can
see that we have started writing weekly posts here. I wanted to use this as an
opportunity for you to get to know the taste and style of the agents who work
here, since there are now six of us! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Three of my agents are fairly new – Tish Beaty, Rachel Brooks
and Leon Huscock.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rachel and Leon did internships
with others agents and Tish worked as an editor before she joined the Agency,
but by and large they are fresh clay for me to mold. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have been having a wonderful time teaching
them about the business and how it has changed over the years, as well as how it
is changing right now as I type this.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I love to teach, almost as much as I love to write (I am
actually teaching a class through Writer’s Digest University right now on epublishing).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I began teaching at NYU in 1987 as a 24
year-old journalism grad because I had started a neighborhood newspaper in Manhattan
and complained to my Dean that there were no women teaching in the newspaper part
of the program.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She said I was right and
offered me an adjunct position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And when
I left journalism and went into publishing, I taught at the Center for
Publishing for many years.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mentoring is also important to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was poorly mentored as a young journalism
student at NYU.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was lucky enough to be
assigned to intern at one of the leading feminist magazines of the day under
the tutelage of a number of women who were legendary in the field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I imagined I would learn new and fabulous
things, but when I sat in on my first editorial meeting and tried to
contribute, I was told that I had nothing to offer because I hadn’t even
marched on Washington yet. So I sorted through mountains of slush and was told
to just reject everything because the editors already knew everybody worth
knowing, but I pulled an essay by Candice Bushnell and kept it for a few years
because I found her voice so compelling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>If they had paid any attention to me, they could’ve launched her career.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I digress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I promised that when my turn came, I would take the time to
truly mentor and try to match the interests and talents of my protégés with
what we could both offer each other.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So I am thrilled to report that mentoring Tish, Rachel and
Leon has been really exciting and interesting for me too.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each of them has enough of my taste to excite
me when they take on a new project.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
even wish I was repping some of their books, which makes it even more fun. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tish is just the queen of erotic romance and erotica and she
loves a good dirty story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is so much
fun to hear her discover new authors and send out their work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rachel has a passion for young adult, new adult and
historicals that is daunting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is
discovering new writers every day and I am loving watching her find her
clients.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leon has a terrific passion for sci-fi and fantasy paired
with the young adult and new adult wave of books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hope he will find this generations’ new
voices in two of my favorite genres.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Can you tell how much I am enjoying the teaching process
with them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am learning things about
their style and books through their experiences. And learning things about
myself as both an agent and a reader.</div>
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<br /></div>
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If you want to learn about being an agent, please feel free
to email me! We have an extensive internship program.</div>
</div>
Ravenous Romancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11671397588069818557noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-82520022606798764982014-09-27T09:39:00.002-05:002014-09-27T09:39:19.989-05:005 Reasons Why an R&R Isn't Bad News By Rachel Brooks<br /> An R&R (revise & resubmit) request from an agent can at first seem disappointing to writers. But even though it’s not an offer of representation, it is still taking a big step toward one. Embracing an R&R, rather than getting bogged down that it wasn’t an outright offer, can shed new light on your story. <br /><br />Here are five good reasons why an R&R isn’t bad news:<br /><br />1) You receive valuable feedback from an agent, for free, about how to make your manuscript better. Strong points, weak areas, and overall issues could be highlighted (depending on how detailed the notes you receive are) to help take your writing to the next level.<br /><br />2) You get to do a “test run” of what the agent’s style is with feedback and email communication (although it will probably not be as detailed, or identical, to if you were a client). But it can give you a general idea of whether you click with the agent’s vision or not.<br /><br />3) You are not committed to become the agent’s client if you’re not seeing eye to eye with the R&R. If you, or the agent, don’t feel you have the same idea for revisions, you can part ways.<br /><br />4) You get a chance to show off your revision skills, commitment to honing your craft, ability to take constructive critiques and more. This can impress a potential agent, since agents like writers who want to improve and aren’t against revising.<br /><br />5) You know an agent saw enough potential in your manuscript to look at a revised version of it once you finished the next version, which should be encouraging! You should feel proud your manuscript stood out and that you might still get an offer from the agent requesting the R&R.<br /><br />I hope these 5 points help the “R&R glass” to appear half full, rather than half emptyLori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-16278140298899916162014-09-19T09:09:00.003-05:002014-09-19T11:36:46.727-05:00Sandy Lu Loves Murder, Mystery & Mayhem<style>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Murder, Mystery and Mayhem—Why I love Suspense and Thriller</span></b></div>
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It all started when I was in fifth grade. A publisher in
Taiwan, where I grew up, released a new translation of the complete Sherlock
Holmes stories for young readers. I begged my parents for the whole set for my
birthday and devoured them all within the month. Next came the entire
collection of Maurice LeBlanc’s Arsene Lupin mysteries, which I bought with my own
savings. I was hooked for good.</div>
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I consumed every mystery and suspense novel I could get my
hands on after that: anything by Agatha Christie, G. K. Chesterton, Georges
Simenon, Erle Stanley Gardner, Philip MacDonald, Ross MacDonald, and John
Dickson Carr, all before I turned fourteen. </div>
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For years I knew Edgar Allan Poe only as the creator of the
world’s first detective, C. Auguste Dupin, Gaston Leroux as the author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Mystery of the Yellow Room</i> (until I
discovered he also wrote <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Phantom of the
Opera</i> after seeing the musical fifteen years later), and my ideal man was a
composite of the charming gentleman thief Arsene Lupin, Leslie Charteris’ suave
adventurer Simon Templar (a.k.a The Saint), the hyper-intellectual professor
Ellery Queen, and S. S. Van Dine’s bon vivant sleuth, Philo Vance. </div>
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Come to think of it, this explains my youthful attraction to
mild-mannered guys with glasses (Johnny Depp), sophisticated older men in
tailored suits (Pierce Brosnan), and wise-cracking bad boys with a dry sense of
humor (Robert Downy Jr.). </div>
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My parents started to worry when I began to talk about how
death by carbon monoxide would leave one with rosy cheeks, how pure nicotine
was colorless and could kill in an instant with no trace, and how movies never
portrayed death by hanging realistically since the dead man’s tongue should
have been sticking out of his mouth in reality. They decided to send me to a
boarding school so I could learn to socialize with other girls and live in “the
real world” for a change. </div>
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As I grew older, my reading list expanded to include horror,
science fiction and fantasy, historical fiction, literary fiction, and
non-fiction, but mystery/thriller/suspense is still my first love and favorite
genre. Reading about murders is a great escape from my otherwise very ordinary
life. No matter how gruesome they are—whether the victims are stabbed, shot,
poisoned, bludgeoned, drowned, hung, burned, frozen, gassed, buried alive, or mawed
by an animal—they are as comforting to me as lullabies. </div>
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The violence and blood do not bother me because I know they
are not real (I can never read true crimes unless they’re about events far
removed from recent history.) I see them as great intellectual exercises, separating
clues from red herrings and solving the intricate puzzles before the truth is
revealed by the author the ultimate satisfaction. Many of my clients tell me I
have a very analytical brain, which helps them see the holes and flaws in their
books. They have my mystery novels to thank.</div>
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Another reason why I love suspense fiction is that the best
of them are all about character and motivation. What makes people kill? Do
certain situations people find themselves in force them to take drastic
measures, no matter who they are? Given the same circumstances, why are some
people driven to destruction and not others? </div>
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Character and motivation are the foundations of any good
novel, but they are especially important in mystery and thriller. Not only must
the plot make sense, the motive behind the crime also has to be convincing. No matter
how tangled the plot, if the motive is weak, the whole thing will fall apart. More
than any other genre, a good crime novel must lay each building block just
right to achieve the domino effect, and one misplaced tile will be the premature
end of the game.</div>
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After I became an agent, I realized that this fascination
with understanding what makes us tick must have been the reason why I majored
in psychology and sociology in college and later went on to pursue a Ph.D. in
social and personality psychology. While I never discovered the answers in grad
school, I found them once and again in every good crime fiction I’ve ever read.
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Here are a few of my favorites--some are richly atmospheric,
some dazzle with evocative prose, some inject new life into a tired set-up, and
some might not even be considered crime fiction in its strictest sense—but all
of them introduced vividly complicated and damaged characters who haunted me
long after I turned the last page.</div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Max Barry<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Lexicon </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dan Brown<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Angels & Demons</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Caleb Carr<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>The Alienist<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Lee Child<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>The Killing Floor</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Michael
Connelly<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Poet </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Jeffrey Deaver<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>The Bone Collector</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Bret Easton
Ellis<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>American Psycho</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Gillian Flynn<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Gone Girl</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Frederick
Forsyth<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Avenger</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Tana French<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>In the Woods</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Robert Galbraith<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The Cuckoo’s Calling </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Robert Harris<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>The Ghost </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Mo Hayder<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Birdman</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Rupert Holmes<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Where the Truth Lies<span style="mso-tab-count: 3;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Dennis Lehane<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Shutter Island</span><br />
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Laura Lippman<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What the Dead Know</span></div>
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Jussi Adler-Olsen <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
Absent One</div>
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Marisha Pessl<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Night
Film<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Jed Rubenfeld<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>The Interpretation of Murder<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Scott Smith<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>A Simple Plan<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Tom Rob Smith<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Child 44</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Donna Tartt<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>The Secret History</span></div>
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<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">S. J. Watson<span style="mso-tab-count: 2;"> </span>Before I Go to Sleep </span></div>
Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-75969082720001465352014-09-12T17:39:00.001-05:002014-09-12T17:39:58.487-05:00Agent Tish Beaty on What Kinky Means to HerI was born and raised in the Bible Belt of America. I'm talking - pick any corner of any town in a hundred mile radius - and you will find a church of most any denomination. And we're not talking small country churches, we're talking HUGE churches. I also happen to be the granddaughter of a Southern Baptist pastor.<br /><br />As you can imagine, I lived a slightly sheltered life (not as sheltered as some...but sheltered all the same). We weren't the "go-to-church-three-times-or-more-a-week" family, but we did go on Sunday mornings. I also participated in youth group as a teen. I was not one for partying in high school or college for that matter. I guess you could say that I was an average American girl, living a very VANILLA life - with little knowledge of what KINK was.<br />Vanilla: Lacking adornments or special features; basic or ordinary.<br />Kink (as in the sexual kink): Peculiarity or deviation in sexual behavior or taste.<br /><br />More often than not, when those who practice vanilla sex hear the term kink, they connect it with BDSM (sadism/masochism first) because, just like anything - there are those who have tainted the term with their uneducated, risky, and sometimes horrific behaviors. But not all of those who participate in kink/BDSM enjoy or take part in sadism/masochism. For my purposes, I am not including sadism or masochism in my definition of kink (because this girl does not do the extreme pain thing). I'm talking about sex...with a twist of lime and a cherry on top.<br />BDSM: bondage/discipline dominance/submission sadism/masochism - for more information, go HERE.<br />Sadism: Sexual pleasure obtained by inflicting harm (physical or psychological) on others.<br />Masochism: Sexual pleasure obtained from receiving punishment (physical or psychological).<br />Sex...with a twist of lime and a cherry on top - defined by me.<br /><br />
Did you know that fur-lined cuffs aren't scary...they're furry and fun? Restricting touch is considered a form of sensory deprivation - as is the reduction or removal of a any other of a person's five senses. In the bedroom, this could be something as simple as blindfolding or as complex as binding. Blindfolding can be made sensuous by adding feathers, ice, wax, flavored oils, etc. Be a little adventurous by using those furry cuffs mentioned earlier and/or ropes to immobilize your partner along with blindfolding him or her.* With each sense that is "taken," the others become heightened - this can lead to an amazing experience for both partners.<br /><br />Pleasure enhancers are another easy way to add that twist of lime, aka - kink, to your relationship. There is a huge array on the market - from floggers to nipple clamps to a variety of "stimulators." And in this day and age, you can research and order them from the comfort of your own home - HERE is an example. Passion parties can be a fabulous way to do some hands on toy research for those women with like-minded friends and have become very common over the past few years. Or perhaps you and your partner are bold? A trip to the local adult store is probably one of the best ways to shop for a pleasure enhancer. <br /><br />Finally, the cherry on top - role play and positions. Role playing is a fabulous way to act out your fantasies in the safety of your home, with someone you trust. And switching up positions allows for the body to be stimulated in more than one manner. Not sure where to start with regard to role playing and/or positions? Books people...read some books and look at the diagrams - then TRY IT*! <br /><br />Kink doesn't have to be dirty or painful or deviant (unless that's the way you and your partner roll). It should be a means to an end - exploring your likes and dislikes in the name of intimacy and pleasure. Don't settle for plain ol' vanilla sex...have sex with a twist of lime and a cherry on top.<br /><br /> ~A word about AFTERCARE - aftercare can be anything from a cuddle to a massage with some arnica cream and/or any other pain relieving type cream, depending on the fun you've had and what your partner requires. Arnica cream can help prevent bruising.~ <br /><br />*Warning and Disclaimer: the things you do in the privacy of your home are your business, however, you should always maintain open communication with your partner before trying anything new. Open communication is the key. It is recommended that partners who partake in more adventurous activities have a "safe word." A safe word is a word that is decided on prior to engaging in said activities. It is the STOP sign of the bedroom (or kitchen or bathroom or well, you get the point). Keeping a key and/or scissors close by when using any sort of restraint that would require quick removal is always a good idea. Finally, my posting stories, commentaries, links -embedded or not, and/or any other fun stuff does not, implied or not, necessarily express or endorse support of such posted material or parts therein. Read at your own risk ;)<br />Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-15289209922549996282014-09-06T16:14:00.002-05:002014-09-06T16:14:18.173-05:00Fantasy Fan by Leon Husock<br />People always group science fiction and fantasy together like they’re one genre, and while I understand it (there’s a lot of overlap in audience appeal), for me it’s always been fantasy and fantasy alone at the top of my list. I wrote my college thesis on fairies in English literature, and I’ll probably be talking about it a lot more and in more depth in my future posts, but suffice to say my mother read me the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy when I was five and I’ve been hooked ever since. Fantasy offers a purity of story and of imagination that you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, and to that end I’ll give you a list of some of my favorite authors and books by them, both new and old, in no particular order.<br /><br /><br /><br />-J.R.R. Tolkien (The Silmarillion is an underrated gem, but not for the fair-weather fan)<br /><br />-Garth Nix (Abhorsen Trilogy, Keys to the Kingdom series)<br /><br />-Susanna Clarke (Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell)<br /><br />-Patrick Rothfuss (Kingkiller Chronicles)<br /><br />-Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising)<br /><br />-Nancy Bond (A String in the Harp)<br /><br />-Tamora Pierce (The Circle of Magic quartet)<br /><br />-E. Nesbit (Five Children & It, The Phoenix & The Carpet)<br /><br />-Edward Eager (Half-Magic, The Time Garden)<br /><br />-Roger Zelazny (The Chronicles of Amber)<br /><br /><br /><br />Next time I’ll be talking about the progressive de-ghettoization of fantasy, and what it means for the future of the genre.<br /><br />Lori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1852708580253469865.post-64946917663414224102014-08-29T10:48:00.002-05:002014-08-29T10:48:54.795-05:00I LOVE Romance by Rachel BrooksHook up with Romance!<br /><br />This may not come as a surprise, since I’m currently open to romance queries …<br /><br />But I love romance novels! From erotic romances to NA contemporaries, plus all sorts of fabulous categories and authors in between, this genre is one that will keep you seduced.<br /><br />With the recent romance-mania of RWA 2014 San Antonio last month keeping romance on my mind, I thought it would be nice to share some great romance websites. Reviews, pre-release buzz, author interviews, forums, conference info—these sites will hook you up! <br /><br />The list below is perfect for both new and veteran romance readers and writers to peruse. While this is not an all inclusive list of the fabulous sites out there, it’s a good start for those wanting to learn more about everything romance. (Plus, did I mention all the gorgeous, sexy covers featured throughout them?)<br /><br />Heroes and Heartbreakers http://www.heroesandheartbreakers.com/<br />Romance Beat http://romancebeat.com/<br />RT Magazine http://www.rtbookreviews.com/<br />Smart Bitches, Trashy Books http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/<br />All About Romance http://www.likesbooks.com/<br />Happily Ever After USA Today http://www.usatoday.com/blog/happyeverafter/<br />Night Owl Romance http://romance.nightowlreviews.com/v5<br /><br />Have a romantic weekend!<br />~Rachel Brooks<br />Junior AgentLori Perkinshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11062583225899288730noreply@blogger.com1