Feb 23, 2009

Thinking Woman's Romance Novel

Believe it or not, I finished the book and now I'm shopping for an agent. I know. It seems crazy. I only started writing it like four weeks ago. I have been, quite literally, possessed. You know how all us dollmakers say that the personality of our creations come through? Well, try writing a novel. My protagonist, a 200-year-old vampire named Robert Hamilton, visited me every morning at 4 a.m. Robert turned out to be a very strong force with an interesting story to tell. Unlike Edward Cullen in Twilight, Robert flashes back to moments in history (and he gets to have hot sex with his human girlfriend -- this book ain't for teenagers ... well, not specifically). Plus you get all these narrative treatises on the nature of good and evil in the world. It's got romance, sex, revenge, action, history, philosophy and even a little spirituality! What more could you ask for? Ha!

The next step after drafting the book is shopping for an agent. No publisher will look at an unrepresented manuscript these days. And the first step in shopping for an agent is writing a brief "query." I did my homework, wrote my query and sent it out on Friday night to the first ten agents on my list. All the advice I've read said it will take two to four weeks to hear back from an agent, if you hear back at all. Guess what? I've already heard from two who want to read the book. How cool is that? I'll keep you guys posted. Just for giggles, here's the query I wrote to describe the book:

How can you have a soul mate it you don't have a soul?

In 1809, after a vengeful count makes him a vampire, Robert Hamilton—a dashing young nobleman with everything to live for—locks himself in the tower of his Scottish castle and stages his own death. Left with nothing but self-revulsion, Robert is tormented by the paralyzing grief and isolation of a self-imposed emotional exile for two centuries before a deeper part of himself is irresistibly drawn to a young woman he unwittingly offends one night at a society ball. Robert flees to protect them both but returns when he receives a message in a dream from his long-dead first love. Can Kat Bentley be the reincarnation of Caitlin McAllister? How can she be his soul mate if he doesn't have a soul?

Set in modern and historic London, Shadow & Light tells the story of the troubled, tender, and torrid romance that develops between the vampire and the "anti-socialite," Kat Bentley, a bright, bold college student who openly despises her blue-blood family's elitist values. A thinking woman's romance novel, Shadow & Light offers more than relationship obstacles, sex, and revenge. Through alternating first-person points of view, the novel explores shifting social mores, the shades of good and evil in every human heart, and the power of fearless love to redeem even the most forsaken of souls. The main plot, loosely based on Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, is intertwined with literary and archetypal references, philosophical theories, and historical flashbacks in which Robert encounters actual figures and events that throw greater light on his character and the deeper themes of the book. All were painstakingly researched for accuracy.

1 comment:

The Burlap Owl said...

Nina,

That sounds great...I love historical novels and the story sounds captivating. I would definitely pick that book off the shelf!

Take Care,
Tina