I have been invited to be a guest on THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP Wednesday, February 6, 2013 to discuss my latest novel for adults, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY.. Please join me here where I will be answering questions and discussing other things of interest to writers. I would love for you to share your comments and thoughts, as well as ask questions.
Hope to hear from you then.
Barbara
Pastors, culture-watchers, and anyone concerned about the state of the church in America will find this a fascinating and eye-opening read.
This has been an exciting year so far for the Barbara Casey Literary Agency, and I wanted to share some of my news.
BLOOD AND GOLD, the third book in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series written by my client Hawk MacKinney, was released at the beginning of 2012. The next book in the series, LADY OF CORPSEWOOD MANOR, is scheduled for release early 2013. In addition, Hawk’s science fiction series was picked up by Sage Words Publishing. The first book in that series, THE CAIRNS OF SAINCTUARIE: THE BLEIKOVAT EVENT, will be released this fall. The cover has just been finalized, and it is spectacular!
For those of you who haven’t read any of Hawk’s books yet, you are in for a treat. Raised in the coal mining Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, Welsh and Scottish blooded Hawk MacKinney served in the US Navy for over 20 years. While serving as a Navy Commander, he also had a career as a full-time faculty member at several major state medical facilities. He earned two postgraduate degrees with additional studies in foreign languages and history. He has taught postgraduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem, Israel. In addition to his science fiction and mystery series, Hawk has authored several other works of fiction, including the award-winning historical novel MOCCASIN TRACE.
Client and nonfiction author David Aikman was offered a five figure advance for his work, ONE NATION WITHOUT GOD by Baker Books, the largest religious publisher in the world. Scheduled for release in September, this thought-provoking work will be distributed internationally.
In addition, the Barbara Casey Agency placed David’s latest work of fiction with Strategic Media Books. KIDNAPPED IN GAZA, a political suspense novel, was released this spring and is already in line for a second printing.
Most recently, the Barbara Casey Agency finalized the contract offered by Tyndale Publishing and negotiated a five-figure advance for David’s memoirs.
Some of you might remember David’s much-acclaimed biography on President George W Bush, among other things. An award-winning print and broadcast journalist, a best-selling author, and a foreign affairs commentator, David is based in the Washington, DC area. His wide-ranging professional achievements include a 23-year career at TIME Magazine with reporting spanning the globe of nearly all the major historical events of the time. Since leaving TIME, he has authored over a dozen books, both fiction and nonfiction, with several publishers including Tyndale House, Baker Books, and B&H Publishing Group. With special expertise in China, Russia, the Middle East, Mongolia and religious freedom issues worldwide, David is frequently invited to deliver expert testimony at Congressional hearings and is a popular speaker at conferences, seminars, panels, as well as academic, church and professional groups all over the world. David’s broadcast career includes a two-hour documentary on the Middle East peace process that was aired worldwide on the BBC, and a six-part documentary based on his book GREAT SOULS: Six Who Changed a Century. In addition, David has been a commentator on NBC, ABC, CNN, Fox News, and the BBC and has also been a guest on C-Span, CBN and local television and radio stations around the country.
In March, the Barbara Casey Agency was thrilled to sign award-winning author p. m. terrell. Known internationally for her “Black Swamp Mystery Series,” I will be representing her new mystery/suspense series and other future works, as well as the foreign, film, and television rights for all of her works.
Finally, on a personal note, my latest adult novel, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO PRISSY, was put under contract by Strategic Media Books at the beginning of the year. It is scheduled for release in March 2013 and will be distributed nationally. The art department at Strategic Media Books is finalizing the cover now, and I must say, they have really captured the essence of my novel. It is beautiful!
Also, Gauthier Publications, the publisher of my young adult novel THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES which was published last spring, contracted two of my short stories for their anthology of horror stories which will be released next month. They also have plans to release THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES early this fall in e-book format for those of you who want to read it in Kindle, Nook, or other electronic readers.
Please visit again soon. I will be telling you about some of my other clients, pending contracts, and new projects the Barbara Casey Agency is working on.
Barbara
Once again the Harris Arts Center in Calhoun, Georgia will play host to the NWGA Valley Writers Conference, a three-day event that starts Friday March 30 and ends Sunday April 1st. I will present the key note speech, and participate in panel discussions and writer’s workshops throughout the event. Authors will also have an opportunity for a one on one consultation of their written work with me for an additional fee.
Schedule:
Friday: Workshop and dinner at a local venue TBA.
Saturday: Main Conference; Hour and a half workshop with our keynote speaker, 2 book signing times, a panel discussion and your choice of three of six other 50 minute workshops.
Sunday Breakfast and “Open Mike” at Fork In The Road Diner.
Additional information can be found at:
http://www.harrisartscenter.com/
I will read from my latest novel, THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES, on Saturday, February 25, starting at 1 pm, at the Chatooga County Library in Summerville, Georgia. The public is invited.
CADENCE OF GYPSIES Summary:
On her 18th birthday Carolina Lovel learned that she was adopted and was given a letter written in an unknown language left to her by her birth mother. After years of research she travels to Italy on a mission to find the truth about her past. Carolina is accompanied by three extremely gifted but mischievous students—the FIGs—from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women. In an effort to help their favorite teacher, the FIGs will have to use their special abilities to decipher the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world and the one thing that is strangely similar to what Carolina was given as a child. Their search will take them into the mystical world of gypsy tradition and magic, more exciting and dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
I have just returned from speaking at the Scribblers’ Retreat Writers’ Conference on Saint Simons Island, and I wanted to share some of the things I brought back with me.
The conference was held at the beautiful Lodge at Sea Island Resort , and some of the amenities included “butlers” (several), a rose petal bubble bath, and cookies with milk at bedtime. As if that weren’t enough to make me glad I had been invited to be a guest speaker, the people who were responsible for organizing the conference couldn’t have made me feel more welcomed. Without doubt, this was one of the better conferences I have attended.
Partial View Of Lobby, The Lodge at Sea Isle, St Simons, GA
I have discovered over the past sixteen or so years that I have been giving talks on writing, or being an agent, or on the publishing industry in general, the make-up of each audience is different, and because of that, the questions following my talks seem to take on different patterns. At the Scribblers’ Conference, the room was booked full, so I had the opportunity to answer several excellent questions that fell primarily into the category of how to find an agent. I will briefly summarize some of my comments here.
There is no question that if you have a manuscript ready to submit, you are much better off if you have a good agent to represent you. Most publishers now only consider manuscripts that are agented. Another big advantage is that an agent takes on the responsibility of keeping track of submissions thereby freeing up your time to write. With the right background and experience, a good agent will know which editors in which publishing houses to approach with your work. If you are fortunate enough to receive an offer of a contract, your agent will know what to negotiate in that contract and can advise you on the things you should accept. Once the contract is executed, a good agent will follow your manuscript through the publishing process and offer advice on such things as cover design and marketing. When the book is released, an agent will continue to work with you on marketing ideas, keep track of royalty payments, investigate subsidiary and foreign rights as well as film and television opportunities, and be the go-between for you and the publisher should any problems or disputes arise. I have overly simplified the work of an agent here, but this gives you a general idea of what an agent does.
If you decide that you want an agent to represent you, it is often just as difficult to find the right agent as it is to find a publisher. Do your homework and work up a list of agencies that work with the type of material you have written. Writers’ Market and Literary Marketplace are two excellent resources that list agencies, what they represent, and how they wish to be contacted. Once you have a list of potential agents, look at their web sites. What books have they placed? Do they charge fees? How long have they been in
Colonnade, Golf and the Sea at The Lodge
business? Do they give the appearance of professionalism? Do they look like a company you want representing you? Once those questions are answered, you should have a good feel for which agencies you want to contact. Each agency has its own submissions policies, and you will need to follow those guidelines. Response time can vary from one week to three or four months, so be patient. If you are contacting several agents at once, mention it in your cover letter. (I will talk more about what makes a good cover letter in another blog.) If you receive an offer of representation, is that agent someone you feel comfortable with? Do you feel that person shares your passion for your writing and will work hard to find a publisher? If so, you are on your way toward getting published. Keep in mind, though, that having an agent doesn’t mean you will automatically receive a book contract and a huge advance. It is only a tool to help you get published.
Barbara
I find that most of my clients who have written multiple books usually have a common element that can be found in each of their books. This is true of my writing as well. The one common thread that runs through each of my books is a theme that focuses on something that cannot be explained. I am not talking about fantasy, but rather those happerstances in life that occur without any logical or rational explanation.
I first got the idea for my novel, Shyla’s Initiative, when I read a news report about a little-known offshoot from the ancient religion, Santeria. The story explained how even today it is practiced throughout the country, especially in South Florida. I immediately began visiting all of the Botanicas I could locate and interviewing Santeria priests. Eventually I got invited to attend a ritualistic service. This background paved the way for my novel—a story with an underlying, mysterious thread that completely alters the personality of Shyla, my protagonist, and her purpose in life through the mystical practices of Santeria.
I decided to take a more direct approach when I wrote The Coach’s Wife. Set around the NCAA Division 1 Basketball Tournament, it is a story that reveals what takes place behind the scenes of a major university when a national championship is at stake. I was married to the late Willis Casey, Athletics Director at NC State University, when Head Coach Jim Valvano took the Wolfpack team to Albuquerque in l983 and won the NCAA National Basketball Championship. ESPN and other national television networks still show the video of Coach Valvano rushing around the basketball court after winning the final game looking for someone to hug. The first person he found was Willis. I was the second. The Coach’s Wife is a mystery full of suspense, but even here I introduce a theme of the “unexplained.”
The House of Kane once again reveals an unexplained mystery of life. The story is set around a major publishing house in New York where a homeless man, eccentric and somewhat haunted, has a skewed perception of reality that reveals truths others are unable to see. It is his perception, however, that Aislinn Marchánt, a writer and editorial consultant hired by the publisher, accepts, eventually revealing a crime of plagiarism and theft inside the world of publishing.
In Just like Family one of my characters, an elderly Vietnamese woman, keeps a psychomanteum in her bedroom that she visits regularly in order to see visions in a reflective surface and communicate with her deceased husband. Suong’s three housemates, Cora, Vince, and Charlie, each from different backgrounds and also elderly, don’t share or even understand her ability, but they love her because of it—or maybe in spite of it—as they go about fixing up an old mansion that they can live in.
In my latest novel, The Cadence of Gypsies, once again I delve into the unknown and unexplained. Three of my primary characters are orphans who happen to have IQs in the genius range. Each girl was born with a gift she excels in. Dara is gifted in foreign languages, Mackenzie has exceptional abilities in math and problem solving, and Jennifer is talented in music and art. The girls, or FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius) as they call themselves, use their special gifts to help their teacher discover the connection between her own birth and the most mysterious document in the world—the Voynich Manuscript.
For me, writing about the unexplained keeps my interest alive and my stories fresh. It makes the whole process fun. Do you have a common thread that runs through your stories? If so, let me know about them. I would enjoy hearing from you.
Barbara
Next Saturday, August 13, I will be speaking at the Scribblers’ Retreat Writers’ Conference at The Lodge at Sea Island on St. Simons Island, Georgia. I am making time between the hours of 11 and 2 on that day to meet one-on-one with those who wish to discuss their writing projects. If you are in the area, please stop by and say hello. I would love to meet you. The conference itself runs from Thursday, August 11 through Saturday, August 13. Complete information about the conference is available at scribblersretreatwritersconference.com.
Barbara
Surrounded by beautiful mountains and the spectacular views brought on by the ever-changing seasons, I am inspired every day to accomplish all that I can for my clients, as well as bring to life my own writing through the characters and settings I create. Please bookmark this blog as I am sure you will find useful information in my posts….
Barbara