It came out of my love of a certain kind of fiction (see above) but it also came from a childhood fear of mine — the closet door. My older brothers used to tease me about this, but I was convinced that my bedroom closet hid all sorts of monsters and baddies. (It didn’t help that my closet also led to the attic. Double-threat, there!) After finishing Powerless, I was looking around for my next project and talking with my editor about several possible things I wanted to work on — a historical fiction, a steampunk adventure — but none of them really grabbed me (or my editor!). But then I got to thinking about that closet door again, the closed closet door at night, and how universal that image was and I knew I needed to do something with it. In the end that idea kind of pollinated the steampunk book I was toying around with and The Dead Gentleman was born.

Check out the full interview!

But what about since then? A search of my query mailbox shows 2,130 queries received and responded to since July, with another hundred or so that went right to my spam folder. I requested 41 partials, which is a better average than the first half of the year, but does include material from a conference, as well as just emails. And I asked for three full manuscripts.

So who did I say yes to? Well, I signed Erin Danehy in July, with a YA urban fantasy. And I may have more news to share next week, on something I’ve been asking for all year. We’ll see.

But roughly, you’re looking at .04% odds. And… wow. That’s tough. It’s stark, seeing those numbers. But you know what? I’m still looking. Ok, not right now — any queries received after midnight tonight will be deleted unread. But I have no doubt that next spring, when I reopen to queries, I will be starving for something great to read, and I have no doubt you guys can bring it.

What other stats can I share that may be of interest? I closed new domestic deals for Josie Bloss, Matthew Cody, Trish Doller, Stephanie Perkins, and Ransom Riggs, plus several more that I’m excited to officially announce soon. I finalized foreign deals for rights in Chinese (both simplified and complex characters), Croatian, Germany, Hungarian, Indonesian, Portuguese (in Brazil), and Australia and the UK, and closed on a film option for Matthew Cody’s Powerless.

We got some great reviews, including several stars, and a lot of love from the internets for for our books and our authors — I couldn’t be prouder. Tom Sniegoski’s Fallen series hit the New York Times bestseller list, and over a million nerdfighters heard John Green praise Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.

What else? Sara Beitia’s debut The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon came out to much praise, Kater Cheek’s weekly webcomic brought chicken-related laughs, S. Terrell French’s Operation Redwood continued to win awards, Sara Raasch got a tattoo and finished college, Susan Steward went to the Kennedy Space Center as part of NASA’s TweetUp program, Daniel Blau Rogge moved back to NYC, and Amy Spalding rocked the improv stage at LA’s Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre.

And what can we look forward to? LOTS!!

January brings the release of XVI by Julia Karr, Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem, and the US release of Pink by Lili Wilkinson. Looking beyond that, Spring sees the long-awaited release of The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson, the sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes, and Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs, while Summer brings us Carrie Harris‘ debut Bad Taste in Boys. Fall takes us to London for The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton and The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, the first in her new series, and gives us Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins, Faking Faith by Josie Bloss, and The Dead Gentleman by Matthew Cody.

Plus, my own long-expected debut of BabyUn.

I can’t wait to have even more things to celebrate! In the meantime, I hope you all have a very happy, healthy, and book-filled holiday season. I’ll check in here occasionally with more news as I have it to share. Merry merry!!!

• Teens Read Too posted a great review of Albatross by Josie Bloss. In part:

ALBATROSS is a powerful, insightful novel that centers on a problem in relationships that has unfortunately become all too common. Readers will feel like the people who witness those being emotionally abused in a relationship, and want to try so hard to tell that person to get away from the abuser, but are unable to fully control the situation. Josie Bloss constructs a realistic portrayal of such frightening yet truthful experiences of abuse that will exert a passion in readers to take action when they witness or are themselves in an abusive relationship.

• Cynthia Leitich Smith of Cynsations posted an interview with Sara Beitia (who has a blog and didn’t tell her agent — bad author!)
• Matthew Cody was at NY Comic Con last weekend to moderate a panel and sign copies of Powerless. Suvudu got a video interview. And hey, speaking of Powerless, wouldn’t it make an AWESOME Cybils nominee? This blogger thinks so, and I agree!
• Finally, Ransom Riggs has a cool post up at Mental Floss about his “found snapshots” collection, and the things people write on the back of pictures. Some things never change.

Have you found anything cool on the internet lately I might have missed? Link ‘em in the comments!

This is one of those great debates in children’s literature: should the bad guy be really and truly bad? After all, kids know there is good and evil in the world. Matthew Cody seems to side with C.S. Lewis:

“Let there be wicked kings and beheadings, battles and dungeons, giants and dragons, and let villains be soundly killed at the end of the book. Nothing will persuade me that this causes an ordinary child any kind or degree of fear beyond what it wants, and needs, to feel. For, of course, it wants to be a little frightened.”

Myself, I sometimes believe this, and other times want fairy stories where no harm is permanent and it’s all a good trick in the end.

I can confirm that Matt definitely believes this — I’ve read his next novel, and the bad guy is one you’ll not soon forget.

For myself, I come down firmly on the side of C.S. Lewis in this. And, in fact, if we’re truly talking about the original fairy tales that the watered down versions of Cinderella and Hansel & Gretel, to name a few, are based on, those tales were all about being frightened.

What do you think? I believe this debate really centers around middle grade fiction, as by the time we reach YA, our eyes have lost whatever shutters society might have put on us, and anything “evil” is pretty much evil, as in reality. And honestly, we don’t have to look any further than Harry Potter for another example of a series where the author doesn’t shield her young readers from the reality of fear and death.

To the comments! I look forward to reading your thoughts.

From the February issue of the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (which I’m pasting in its entirety since I can’t find it online elsewhere):

When his family moves to Noble’s Green, “The Safest Town on Earth,” to care for Daniel’s ailing grandmother, twelve-year-old Daniel is quite certain it is also the lamest town on Earth. That is, until he starts seeing the neighborhood kids perform some strange feats and he himself is saved from certain death by bully by his new friends’ superhuman speed and strength. Taken into the group’s confidence, Daniel learns that while the kids have seemingly unending talent now, they’ll all lose their abilities and any memory of their skills when they turn thirteen. Although as just a common dweeb he lacks any extraordinary powers, Daniel is convinced that he can save his friends from the horrific fate of normalcy, and he employs some serious detective skills to uncover the shadowy menace that robs the preteens of their abilities. Cody’s debut novel pays homage to the great Golden Age comics at every turn, from the kids’ various super skills to the maniacal bad guy driven by envy and greed. High-flying action aside, however, the heart of this story lies with Daniel, an Everykid faced with the very real obstacles offitting in, negotiating friendships with the opposite sex, and losing a loved one. His relationship with his dying grandmother is particularly poignant, and fortunately the author respects young readers enough to not provide a superhero fix but to realistically portray Daniel’s grief with both tenderness and restraint. The mystery surrounding the origins of the superpowers adds a bit of intrigue, giving this satisfjring and genre-blending read a broad appeal.

Also, Betsy Bird of Fuse #8 has posted a fantastic review — up now on Amazon, and I’ll add the link to her page when it’s updated. Here’s an excerpt:

[T]here’s a lot of room out there for good middle grade chapter books about kids with super duper abilities. “Powerless” by Matthew Cody definitely fills that void, and ends up being a fun and original story about a kid who has to keep others from ending up like himself. You know. Normal.[...]

The best thing about the book is that it doesn’t settle on being one kind of story. Sure, it’s about superheroes, but it’s also a mystery. Daniel’s hero isn’t the mysterious Johnny Noble who started all this superheroism, but Sherlock Holmes. So kids with a thing for flying and invisibility will like the book, and so will kids who just want a good whodunit. “Powerless” ends up being one of those unassuming little chapter books that may find itself getting a strong fanbase all thanks to having something for everyone. A hoot.

I hope to have even more good news to share about Matt and Powerless in the near future. Stay tuned!

Full disclosure: By my nature as a literary agent, I get a commission on sales of books by my clients, through any eventual royalties. My links to the Amazon pages of their titles also earns me a small fee, if you click through and buy a copy.

Bookshelves of Doom has a few words for Maureen Johnson. Namely:

ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE ME INTO A CRAZY PERSON? How could you leave me hanging like that? Seriously? The only thing that stopped my agonized “GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!” from actually being verbalized was the fact that I was reading under the blankets with a flashlight, trying desperately not to wake my snoring husband. You, madame, are a monster. Also, I am way tired this morning. So thanks for that, too.

Also, is it gross that I’m kind of in love with Spencer?

For the record, no, not gross at all. Click through for the rest of the review.

Over on the Flux blog, they’ve got a great interview up with Josie Bloss about Albatross, and it’s similarities and differences with her previous Band Geek books. An excerpt:

FLUX: The tone in Albatross is more serious than your previous two books. Here, you’ve chosen a far darker story and style. What inspired this change?

JB: Though the story is darker, I think the themes of a girl finding her voice and her inner strength are quite similar to the Band Geek books. Honestly, this is a story that called to me and demanded to be written. I was going through a tough time in my personal life and when my world is upside down, it can be difficult to think or write about anything else. I borrowed significant parts of my own experiences for this book. In some ways, Albatross was my therapy and my method of productively processing these difficult experiences . . . and it’s a fist-bump to other people dealing with similar situations. Sometimes you just need to hear that you’re not alone.

Also included on the Flux blog is a excerpt — check it out!

But wait, there’s more! Author Elana Johnson on Ellen Booraem’s The Unnameables: “Holy blazes, the woman knows how to use the right words to tell the story.”

And the pun-derfully titled Prose and Kahn says Powerless by Matthew Cody, “is an awesome debut novel and will not be a shelf sitter.” Woot!

And finally, the winner of a book of their choice on Tuesday’s entry is… *drumroll*… Comment #8 (thanks to Random.org). Jean, I’ll email you for your address and book preference!

Full disclosure: By my nature as a literary agent, I get a commission on sales of books by my clients, through any eventual royalties. My links to the Amazon pages of their titles also earns me a small fee, if you click through and buy a copy.

Matthew Cody’s characters made me care about what happens to them. His descriptions of the characters show that they are more than one-dimensional – that they are more then they appear to be.

Matthew Cody’s book is now high on my list of favorite books. Not only did the plot make me want to keep reading with its twists and turns, it made me want to want more after the book was over! This novel made me feel that not only did the characters have powers, but I did too! Powerless? No, powerful!

Hooray! Also check out this blog review, which calls Powerless, “a book with fast-paced action, rapidly shifting plot, and focus on superheroes and detectives. The book will appeal to both girls and boys, and is a great choice for comic book fans. With the lessons taught I think that it would be great it teachers taught the book in the classroom.”

An interview with S. Terrell French is up on Cynthia Leitich Smith’s blog Cynsations, in her New Voices Series celebrationg 2009 debut authors.

I shared this on Twitter earlier, but here’s an article from the Arizona Daily Wildcat in which I’m quoted talking about publishing.

Finally, I’m delighted to share what I hinted about the other day:

Don’t miss the end, which reveals a secret about author Matthew Cody.

I did also want to mention that I’m heading to NYC tomorrow, and so will be posting on the fly a bit. I’m hoping to set up some scheduled posts before I go, so you’ll have something substantial to read, but otherwise, I can almost guarantee I’ll be tweeting like mad at @DaphneUn. If you’re not already following me, please do! I may even have some hot gossip from NY editors to share.

Also, a note on queries: Intern Jenny and I are a little behind, but have responded to all queries sent before October 14th. If you sent your query prior to that date and have not yet received a response, please feel free to resent your email with a note that it is a resubmission as per this post. All queries should be sent to queries@ktliterary.com.

Cheers!

In a wholly satisfying debut, Cody tackles themes of heroism, sacrifice and coming-of-age, as played out in a comic book–inspired good vs. evil scenario. Soon after arriving in the small town of Noble’s Green, Pa., where his family has moved to take care of his ailing grandmother, 12-year-old Daniel Corrigan discovers the existence of real-life superheroes. In this town, certain kids develop superpowers, which they use in secret to perform good deeds (for the most part). One catch: as soon as they turn 13, their powers and all related memories vanish. As Daniel forges a friendship with these extraordinary youths, he uses good old-fashioned investigative skills rather than superhuman abilities to uncover the secret of their powers’ origins and the dark force that has been preying on the town’s children for decades. What do comic books from the 1940s, a pulp hero, a burned-down orphanage and a pair of superhuman bullies have to do with the mystery? It all comes together in a tightly woven narrative characterized by a persuasive premise, memorable characters, a bit of intrigue and a sense of wonder.

Have you got your copy yet?