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Deidre Knight | It’s a Crazy, Small, Connected World!
May 7, 2009
Recently Samhain Publishing released a true book of my heart, BUTTERFLY TATTOO. This
edgy and genre-bending contemporary romance is my seventh published book
although it was the very first one that my agent shopped on my behalf. The
winding path this novel took before becoming published is a true study in how
important relationships are, not only in publishing, but in all walks of life. I thought it might be interesting for my friends and readers to learn the crazy
relationship connections that are involved in my road to publication. The story
begins with Louisa
Edwards, the editor who ultimately bought my first book, PARALLEL ATTRACTION. Louisa
is literally one of my favorite people in all of publishing. We’ve worn a lot
of hats together, and it’s almost amusing as time goes on to see just how many
caps and beanies we can swap. While Louisa was still an editor at Penguin Putnam, I placed three authors with
her, and we always felt that our tastes overlapped and blended almost
mystically. So when my agent Pamela Harty—a super goddess among agents, by the
way—shared BUTTERFLY
TATTOO with her, Louisa fell in love. I mean, head-tripping-over-heels,
crazy in love. She fought hard to acquire the novel, but ultimately the book
was just too edgy and ahead of its time. Still, Louisa’s love for BUTTERFLY
opened a critical door for me and just a few months later, it led to her
snapping up my paranormal series that debuted with PARALLEL ATTRACTION. But that was just the beginning of an interweaving set of relationships that
would be crucial to me in the publishing world. Because soon my dear editor
married and moved to Ohio, leaving the business and I was given to a new
editor, Rose Hilliard. Loved Rose! Loved, loved, loved that woman. A very
talented editor who really "got" me. Then, about the time I settled into
working with Rose, guess what? She left NAL and moved to St. Martin’s. By then
I was already starting to figure out that change was inevitable, and that NAL
had a bevy of great, talented editors and I’d always be in good hands. It’s also about the time when Louisa and I saw each other at RWA and talked
about a novel she’d been writing. Ooh, I wanted to see that! Let me tell you.
And as it turned out, it was wonderful. As you might guess, soon after that I
wound up signing on Louisa, Editor #1, as an agency client, and not much longer
after that, I sold Louisa’s debut novel, CAN’T STAND THE HEAT to
wonderful Editor #2, Rose Hilliard over at St. Martin’s for publication
September 1, 2009! See what I mean about relationships and connections and how
crazy life can be? And now? I’m writing for Rose again myself because I’m going to be in an
upcoming anthology called DARK AND STORMY KNIGHTS, along with some
awesome writers like Jim
Butcher, Shannon K.
Butcher, P. N.
Elrod, Rachel
Caine, Lilith
Saintcrow, to name only a few. What about BUTTERFLY
TATTOO you might ask, seeing as how I mentioned that it did go on to
ultimately sell after I had five books on the shelf. Yet another twisting,
winding moment in my publishing career. I wrote a PARALLEL novella called PARALLEL FIRE that began
as a secondary plotline in PARALLEL DESIRE. When I realized that these fab characters, Nevin
and Anna, were overtaking the story like alien kudzu, I pulled out the thread
and turned it into a novella. One that Samhain wound up publishing…which led me
to submitting BUTTERFLY
TATTOO to my super, talented, visionary editor Angela James. And that was
the magic moment every author dreams about: the book of my heart had found its
home, and with an editor who understood what I was doing, with a publisher who
got it, too. So, to bring the story full circle, although BUTTERFLY didn’t sell back in
2004, it ultimately led to me being published by NAL—and to meeting the editor
at Samhain who would publish my first novel. Small, crazy-small world, my
friends. And it seems to get smaller every day!  I love to hear from my readers, and hope you’ll drop me a
note if you
take a chance on BUTTERFLY
TATTOO. Meanwhile, for fans of my immortal Spartan warriors, RED KISS (River’s story)
will publish in just a few more weeks! Go Spartans!
Read an excerpt of BUTTERFLY TATTOO! Read an excerpt of RED KISS!
Leave a comment and Fresh Fiction will randomly select one person to win a
copy of the e-book BUTTERFLY TATTOO!
Comments
27 comments posted.
Re: Deidre Knight | It’s a Crazy, Small, Connected World!
Deidre, I went and read the excerpt of BUTTERFLY TATTOO and I am hooked! WOW! I want to read it ASAP! By the way, I do have a butterfly tattoo, has a very special meaning to me.
(Kay Martinez 12:00pm May 7, 2009)
When is/was it released? Can't wait to read it!! ;)
(Kelli Jo Calvert 1:28pm May 7, 2009)
I'm really looking forward to reading Red Kiss
(Anne Jones 1:36pm May 7, 2009)
Thank you for the insight into the business and creative side of things.
(Shannon Scott 2:16pm May 7, 2009)
I havent had a chance to read Red Kiss but the excerpts for both Butterfly Tattoo and Red Kiss blew me away.
(Tabatha Basham 2:30pm May 7, 2009)
I enjoyed the excerpt from Butterfly Tattoo, just the summary of the book sounds heart wrenching, but I’m sure there’s a happy ending! Looking forward to the release of Red Kiss, I’ve been waiting for this book (I’m so glad it’s about River…such a cliffhanger at the end of the first book!)
(Susan Galley 2:54pm May 7, 2009)
You're definitely in good company with that anthology! Congrats.
(LuAnn Morgan 3:29pm May 7, 2009)
Ohhhhh, that story just gives me happy chills! Just goes to show that dreams don't always come to us in the way we'd hoped, but if we keep at it, they do eventually come home to roost in their own unique way that's often more satisfying than the original version. :)
(Liane Gentry Skye 3:43pm May 7, 2009)
I love the excerpt to Tatooed Butterfly.
sounds great.
(Phyllis Lamken 3:58pm May 7, 2009)
WOW! publishing is complicated! I would love to read 'Butterfly Tattoo',sounds very interesting
(Dawn Raymer 4:52pm May 7, 2009)
I had a feeling you ladies had a lot to go through to get published I just didn't realize just how much bull you had to go through!
(Gail Hurt 6:36pm May 7, 2009)
I cannot wait to read Red Kiss! I love the intertwining in your world...it is so funny how things work like that!
(Sharla Long 6:54pm May 7, 2009)
Hi Deidre! I said hi at the RT Bookfair and I'm hoping to see my picture with you soon! LOL. Sounds like I need to get Butterfly Tattoo. And you know I am waiting for Red Kiss!! Glad you pushed through to get the books published!!
(Martha Eskuchen 7:14pm May 7, 2009)
Looking forward to reading Butterfly Tattoo. Love your books!
(Teresa Ward 8:08pm May 7, 2009)
What a wonderful excerpt -- great last
line -- I will read it! HOT cover, too!
(Lisa K. 8:46pm May 7, 2009)
I've been to several blogs giving Butterfly Tattoo praises. Would love to win a copy. Have a great day.
(Roberta Harwell 10:40pm May 7, 2009)
Wonderful excerpt. Am sure the rest of
the book will be the same. Have a
feeling it will go in a direction I don't
expect.
(Patricia Barraclough 11:11pm May 7, 2009)
Can't wait for Red Kiss & the anthology sounds like it's going to be a great one as well. What a Small World & thanks for telling us your story.
(Joann Lord 7:05am May 8, 2009)
It's been a long, strange, wonderful journey--and it's not over yet! I can't wait for RED KISS to be unleashed on the world...
(Louisa Edwards 9:53am May 8, 2009)
Wow!! These posts have really made my whole day! I'm so thrilled that all of you are gunning for River's story. I adore that man. :) And as Susan Galley said, poor guy was left with such a cliffhanger at the end of RED FIRE!! And, btw, RED KISS comes out on June 2! Email me when you read it and let me know what you think: [email protected].
Thanks for the amazing feedback here! Deidre
(Deidre Knight 12:16pm May 8, 2009)
To all the Mothers out there have a wonderful Mother's Day. We celebrate this occasion on this side of the world on 10th May!
Warm Regards - Rita from South Africa
(Rita De Canha 2:17pm May 8, 2009)
After reading the excerpt - I'm hooked. Want to read the whole thing.
(Josie Roetemeyer 4:55pm May 8, 2009)
Wow, I can't wait to read it! I'll be keeping an eye out for it. Have a beautiful day.
(Teresa Balderas 5:17pm May 8, 2009)
Looks like my TBB list is growing again, your books have been added. Maybe I need to get a lottery ticket to pay for everything I want.
(Nancy Gilliland 7:57pm May 8, 2009)
The muscles and tatoo on the cover make it irresistable.
(MaryEllen Hanneman 10:08pm May 8, 2009)
Ilove the title Butterfly Tatoo! and the excert, oh my!
Now I can't wait to read it!!
(Chris Jones 4:38am May 13, 2009)
I can't wait to read your books...the covers are great!
(Patsy Hagen 2:40pm May 19, 2009)
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