Friday Agent Tips

Music I'm listening to: "Freedom" by Erasure

Several good agent blog posts recently, so check 'em out:

Rachel Vater gives some questions to ask an agent prior to signing, plus how to know if you have an agent who's right for you.

Jessica Faust has three recent posts about whether you should choose a Big Name Agent, fielding multiple agent offers, and things to check in an agency contract before you sign (read the useful comments, too). (Also, she had a wee slip of the fingers on that one—the AAR is the Association of Authors' Representatives.)

Finally, Kristin Nelson has a little insight on what an agent can do for you before the sale.

Happy Friday, y'all.

The Good News Express!

Music on iTunes: The Beloved's Sweet Harmony

What a great spring, dear readers! (And after nearly dying from a misdiagnosed kidney stone in January, I appreciate great times even more.)

My latest fantasy romance, THE KISS OF FATE, has been named a finalist in Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart contest for unpublished manuscripts. For those of you who don't know RWA, suffice it to say this is a big deal. Woohoo! The winners are announced in July at the RWA National Conference. (And now I have a great excuse to go gown shopping!) I've had my head down working on revisions, since I've rearranged plot lines and two of my original subplots would happily take over the book if I'd let them. (As in, they were weighing in at a good 100 pages, yow.) The changes are taking a lot longer than I'd hoped (ugh ugh ugh), but I'm delighted with the ones I've made so far. In a few weeks, I'll be shipping the whole thing off to my wonderful agent.

The fabu Linda Formichelli and Diana Burrell of The Renegade Writer have asked me to be the expert book coach for the third winner of their Renegade Writer Makeover Contest, Ginny Williams. And it one of those little life oddities, Ginny and I share the hideous experience of having a home ravaged by a fire. Ginny, I look forward to talking to you and helping you write the book of your heart. (And three cheers for resilient women!)

By the way, folks, if you're thinking about freelance writing and haven't bought The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success, jump-start your career by reading it. It rocks.

The ski season's finally over, alas. (All right, technically some of the Tahoe resorts are still open, rocks and all--but I live up here, so I'm picky.) Still, despite the season having a serious dearth of snow (plus my additional frustration during the recovery period from that whole nearly-dying thing), I had a great Last Day on the Slopes. Can't wait for next year. I hope we get freshies in October!

The gist: Life's good over here. May yours be just as wonderful!