Blog Archive
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Happy #PubDay to Peg Cochran and Another Cranberry Cove Mystery
May 03, 2016
We love this wonderful new series by Peg Cochran and are thrilled that book #2 releases today–Berry the Hatchet by Peg Cochran. Cranberry farm owner Monica Albertson is once again bogged down in murder in the second Cranberry Cove mystery from national bestselling author Peg Cochran. The entire town of Cranberry Cove is popping with […]
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Gone with the Witch by Heather Blake
May 02, 2016
Is there anything cuter than a tagline that says… All spell breaks loose… We are ridiculously excited for the release of the newest in Heather Blake’s Wishcraft Mystery series.
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Reasons for Rejection are Sometimes Simple
May 02, 2016
I recently had a long series of email exchanges with an author who wanted to send material for my consideration. It started with a query, then another, then another, then another. I requested the material once, then twice. Then the queries got a little harsher. I couldn’t figure out what was happening. Then the material […]
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The Universal Query Designed to Guarantee Success Does Not Exist
Apr 29, 2016
This came through in the comments on the post Simple Ways to Get Comments on Your Queries and since I know not everyone reads comments I thought it was worth sharing. The author wrote a tongue-in-cheek query that she feels guarantees requests from most agents anywhere. I disagree. Dear Jessica and Staff, I had so […]
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Happy Belated #PubDay to Sally MacKenzie
Apr 28, 2016
In every book by Sally MacKenzie you can expect fun, sexy and at least one good laugh. How to Manage a Marquess is no different. In USA Today bestselling author Sally MacKenzie’s charming Spinster House series, love is always a welcome guest… Two possible futures loom before Miss Anne Davenport. The first option: sharing an […]
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Why I Don’t Do Twitter Contests
Apr 28, 2016
Every year it seems like new Twitter pitch contests pop up and, while I know a lot of people love them (Beth and Moe, included), I just can’t. Part of it, I admit, is I don’t have the patience to sort through all the tweets to find what I’m looking for. But another part of […]
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What Writers Should be Working on Next
Apr 27, 2016
I have completed the first book of a mystery series and am early in the search for an agent. Meanwhile the next book is in progress and I’ve got the next few roughly outlined. Should I pitch the series or focus on the completed manuscript? Each book can stand on its own but also builds […]
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At What Point Can Authors Cross Over to Write Another Genre?
Apr 26, 2016
Hi Jessica, I had a quick question. Would you recommend an author stick to a specific genre (and get established in that genre) before even considering crossing over? I’m asking because, while I like reading (and writing) YA thrillers / mysteries, I’m also fond of YA contemporaries, especially those with romance in them. My WIP […]
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The Definition of a Series
Apr 25, 2016
Quite a while ago a reader asked me what the term series really meant and how I would define it. It was something I never really thought about, because I always just knew, but the truth is series means different things to different genres. In general a series is any group of books that are […]
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Apologies for My Absence: Evaluating Your Daily Activities
Apr 22, 2016
Back in the early days of the blog, before I took my hiatus, I was vigilant about posting every day, five days a week. One of the things I promised myself upon my return was that I wouldn’t be required to post every day. Most agent bloggers don’t. That being said, I still feel like […]
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Before Starting Your Next Project Talk to Your Agent
Apr 21, 2016
I’ve been talking a lot to authors lately about what’s next for them. What book should they be writing while we’re out on submission? How much do I want to know about a project before they start writing? If they have time between books should we talk before starting something new? My answer to each […]
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Congratulations to Sharon Cullen, USA Today bestseller!
Apr 21, 2016
A huge congratulations goes out to Sharon Cullen for hitting the USA Today bestseller list this week with The Reluctant Duchess! We’re so proud of her for this phenomenal accomplishment!
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