Debut Book: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

Finally, here's a paranormal romance I've been dying to get my hands on all year! I've already scooped up my copy and now you should, too.

Title: Gentlemen Like it Hot (click title to Buy at Amazon.com)
Author: Jill Myles
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release Date: December 29, 2009
Format: Mass-Market Paperback

Book 1 of the Succubus Diaries

Once upon a time, Jackie Brighton was a completely forgettable museum docent.

But then she had a one-night stand with a fallen angel and was bitten by a vampire…and now she’s a succubus. Now, she’s turned into a babe, needs sex to survive, and can put people to sleep with a touch of her fingertips.

Sounds great, right? Except for the fact that she’s caught between both the Heavenly and Infernal Host in an ancient turf-war, and now both sides want a piece of her…

Look for Book 2, Succubi Like it Hot on January 10, 2010!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

May your holidays be filled with life, laughter, and love!

Agents, Holidays & Stats

All was quiet on the agent front last week. Everyone must be enjoying the hustle & bustle of the season.

Some agents are still working, though, but that may change this coming week. Last week I received a PARTIAL rejection, but then received a FULL request, so AgentLand hasn't shut down completely. However, there are many agents who shut down completely and post on the web about it, some take the time to catch up, others continue business as usual (excluding the actual holiday). So why stop querying unless you're super busy yourself? If you query now, and the agent is out of the office until after the New Year, one can argue that your query beats those who waited and queried after you. But then I've heard that some agents don't necessarily work from the oldest to the newest query. There are really no hard & fast rules. Just do what your head & heart tell you to do.

For whatever it's worth, I thought I'd provide an update on my slow agent quest: currently, I have 4 partials and 4 fulls being read by agents, which is a high ratio for me and just one short of my highest of a couple weeks ago. I'm hoping 2010 brings me an offer.

Happy Procrastination Shopping!!!

Agent News - 12/13/09

**New Agent** Natalie Fischer is a new agent at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency. She is seeking: "historical and narrative nonfiction (including memoir, biography, and popular science/culture) and literary and creative fiction in these areas: historical, young adult/teen, women’s, romance (contemporary and historical), cross-cultural, and select paranormal. She is looking for hard-working, talented new authors with a fresh, unique voice and hook." (Source: Guide to Literary Agents)

**New Agent** Adriann Ranta has joined Wolf Literary Services LLC. Formerly of Anderson Literary Management, she is seeking fiction and limited nonfiction, with an emphasis on children’s, middle grade, and young adult books. She is most interested in realistic, true-to-life stories with conflicts based in the real world. She likes edgy, dark, challenging voices, unique settings, and everyman stories told with a new spin. She does not want academic nonfiction, self-help, spiritualism, religion, or sci-fi. (Source: Guide to Literary Agents)

Paul Fedorko has left Trident Media Group and joined N.S. Bienstock as a literary agent. (Source: Publishers Marketplace)

Rappaport Agency to Close. Owner Jenny Rappaport writes: "It is with a great deal of sadness that I announce that The Rappaport Agency will be closing for business at the end of the year, due to economic reasons. I have been privileged to get the chance to work with amazing people over the last four and a half years, many of who I am proud to call my friends. In the coming weeks, I will be wrapping up outstanding submissions and putting things in order." (Source: Jenny's Blog)

Debut Book: Three Days to Dead

Here's a fantastic urban fantasy from debut author Kelly Meding I've been wanting to read since I first saw her query letter posted online during her agent hunt! Add this one to your must read list. Don't forget, books make wonderful holiday gifts for the book lover on your shopping list!

Title: Three Days to Dead (click to Buy at Amazon.com)
Author: Kelly Meding
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: November 24, 2009
Format: Mass-Market Paperback

They’ll never see her coming. . . .

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue—in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there—her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city’s star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor—and she can’t even remember what it was.

Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice—and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again—but this time there’s no second chance. . . .

Agent News - 12/6/09

Through these busy holidays, I'm restricting my blog to Agent updates and new book releases. I barely have enough time to write a few pages each day!

**New Agent** Susan Hawk has joined The Bent Agency as an agent. Hawk, who was most recently marketing director at Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, will be representing young adult and middle grade authors and is actively acquiring nonfiction and fiction (especially literary fiction), as well as fantasy, science-fiction, historical fiction and mystery. (Source: Publishers Weekly)

**New Agent** Kathleen Ortiz of Lowenstein Associates is looking for YA fiction and non-fiction only. Ms. Ortiz was kind enough to provide me with her interests and submission requirements as follows:

"Looking for any and all types of YA, both fiction and non-fiction, only. No adult stuff. For YA fiction I’m open to everything from contemporary to fantasy, though I’d absolutely love to find an amazing steampunk manuscript or a manuscript that tackles really edgy or taboo issues. I don’t mind taking a risk if the writing is good. While I’m open to all sorts of points of view and male or female protagonists, I’d love to find a romance from the guy’s point of view. For non-fiction I’m looking for something that appeals to teen guys, though I’m open to various topics (see below for what I’m NOT looking for).

Not looking for picture books, chapter books or middle grade. In YA non-fiction, I’m not interested in fashion or dating guides.

Best way to get in touch with me: go to http://www.lowensteinassociates.com/ and fill out the form that’s on Barbara Lowenstein’s page (this will change once our web person gets back, but for now – that’s how to query). Just be sure to indicate somewhere in the form that it’s YA so I know it’s for me. Please don’t query me directly through email, as those get deleted. We take form submissions, only. Please do not e-mail me directly – use the form, only."

Agent Don Congdon, 91, died Monday at his home in Brooklyn. As the NYT notes in their obituary, he "spotted the talent of Ray Bradbury early in both their careers [and Bradbury remained his client from 1947 on] and whose long list of celebrated authors also included William Styron, Jack Finney, Evan S. Connell, William Shirer."