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Our Interview with Kresley Cole and Angela Knight (July 2004):

Q. What do you write? What publisher(s) do you write or have you written for?

Kresley Cole: I write sensual historical romance for Pocket Books.
Angela Knight: Mostly erotic paranormal romance – vampires, guys from the future, werewolves – anything out of the ordinary. Red Sage first, of course.  Berkley – they’re publishing four of my novels in the next two years.  And three e-pubs – Ellora’s Cave, Changeling and Loose-Id, the last two under a pseudonym, Victoria Michaels.  (I’m using a pen name because I’m pushing the envelop pretty hard with them.)

Q. Tell us a bit about your current/upcoming release(s).

KC: My July ‘04 release is The Price of Pleasure, the sequel to The Captain of All Pleasures, and a Romantic Times Top Pick.  

A bit of blurbage: In 1858, British captain Grant Sutherland journeys to Oceania to rescue a young girl lost at sea a decade before, but Victoria Dearbourne is now a woman—and an exquisite beauty—with ideas of her own. Though he’s given his word to protect her, the upstanding captain can’t seem to resist the desire between them. But is the free-spirited castaway willing to pay... The Price of Pleasure 

I also have a new trilogy coming out with Pocket Books called the Dark Hearts Series. The first book, If You Dare, will be released in May 2005, with If You Desire and If You Deceive to follow in 2006. 

AK: In The Forever Kiss, Valerie Chase has been haunted by deliciously erotic dreams about Cowboy, the fantasy Texas Ranger who rescues her from the vampires who populate her nightmares.  Little does she know that not only does Cowboy exist, he's a vampire too. Now Cowboy, AKA Cade McKinnon, needs her help to destroy a much more powerful vampire, Edward Ridgemont. 

But Valerie has no desire to be a vampire. Cade must use every bit of his erotic skill to convince her to help him.  His meddling sister – a 13-year-old ghost – is equally intent on persuading Val to do whatever she can to help Cade. 

FK is the book of my heart, and I am honored that Alexandria Kendall chose it as Red Sage’s first full-length novel release.

Q: What year did you get "The Call"? 

KC: I got the call in 2002, which remains a prized year for me. Of course, you know all about that! (Congratulations on all your new sales!!) 

AK: 1996, from Alex. J

Q: How many years had you written before you got "The Call"?

KC: I started writing non-fiction (articles, papers, my hateful thesis) for my masters degree in 1998. After graduation, I began penning fiction. The call came about a about a year and a half later. 

AK: Weelll…I’d wanted to be a novelist since I was nine …

Q: Describe your first sale experience.

KC: I was at home, catching up on sleep when the phone rang. Three weeks before, I had an editor appointment with Lauren McKenna from Pocket Books, at the Duel on the Delta Conference, and she requested my manuscript. My goal was to send her the book before my husband and I left for the Dreaming in Dallas Conference. I enjoyed numerous late-nighters until that Thursday when we screeched into the post office, shot the ms in the mail, then sped to the airport for our flight. Sunday night on the way out, our plane was weather-delayed indefinitely, so we spent the night on benches. When we got home Monday afternoon, I was cross-eyed. The phone rang Wednesday around eleven, and I answered in a scratchy, peeved voice.  

Worse, I didn't believe it was Lauren. The caller said, "This is Lauren McKenna and I'd like to offer you a two-book deal." I laughed. Said ohhh-kay, with a strong "whatever" undertone. This was five days after I'd submitted, so I knew it had to be one of my juvenile friends (who had previously sent me fake winning lottery tickets and signed me up for the SPCJ “Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Jewel” (the singer). When I finally realized she was the real deal, I was mortified and babbling in a thick Alabama accent. 

I write about this, and the immediate weeks after, in my updates section on my website. 

AK: It was incredible.  And Alex was so encouraging that I proceeded to write four more novellas for her.  Good thing, too, because Berkely editor Cindy Hwang discovered me through those books and asked me if I could write romantic erotica for her! So I owe it all to Alex.

Q. Is there anything you wish you had known/done before you made that first sale or subsequent sales?

KC: I wish I’d known that it doesn’t get any easier—that I wouldn’t have “made it” just because I’d sold two books. The only time that would count as making it would be if my ultimate goal was just to sell two books.  

I still would’ve rolled the dice, but as a rule, when I make a major life decision (hey, I will not pursue another career—I Will Write!), I have a lot more information to go on. Of course, I’m still making major decisions concerning my writing, and yet in four years I’ll look back and chuckle at how clueless I am now. 

AK: I wish I’d summoned the courage to start submitting sooner.  But I think it’s all worked out for the best, because erotic romance didn’t become big until the last couple of years.

Q. What is the best piece of craft advice you can give an aspiring author?

KC: Before I sold, I used to write with a certain image in the back of my mind. I pictured an over-worked, under-paid editor having to wear a hard-hat in her office because of all the looming piles of submitted manuscripts threatening to topple at any moment. I imagined what I would be like in that situation and concluded that I’d look at each and every submission—that I HAD to read that day—with loathing. The submissions would be evil, keeping me from my family and friends. I would give them two seconds of read time, searching for a reason to chuck them back from whence they came. 

This trick kept my writing tight. It made me more aware of aspects that could pull the reader from the story. I became conscious of off-phrases, long-winded descriptions, “maid and butler” dialog, and just plain boring prose. I assumed that if an editor was pulled from my story, I’d never be able to yank her back in. 

AK: You have to feel it before the reader does.  So really get into your scene – try to feel the same emotions your characters do.  Act it out in your mind.

Q.  What is the best piece of industry advice you can give an aspiring author?  

KC: When I was working toward publication, I went to every conference I could physically get to and read all the craft books and industry magazines. I networked and strategized.  

I think it’s imperative to do all these activities, BUT you can never let them crowd out the writing. The unfortunate truth is that you have to do all of the above and still be prolific in today’s tight market. 

And after you sell, watch the time you spend promoting. Take it from THE self-proclaimed promo-ho, it can get away from you. Sometimes you just have to ask yourself, “Could I be writing right now?”

AK: Rewrite your book at least twice.  Get it as clean as you can before you send it out, and follow proper formatting. You want to look like a professional.

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