Susan DiPlacido's Mutual Holdings

My buddy Susan DiPlacido has yet another novel hitting the bookshelves this week. This one is called Mutual Holdings and it is another sexy, funny, romantic blast! I had the pleasure of reading a near-final draft and I have to say, now that Susan is a big successful author, living the high life and dating celebrities, drinking expensive wine and driving fancy cars (occasionally at the same time) she still hasn’t lost her edge. She might even be getting edgier! Get on board the DiPlacido wagon before the inevitable burnout and self-imposed seclusion. Here is the synopsis for Mutual Holdings:

A successful New York accountant, Lisa Russo is happily single. At thirty she has a growing career, a nice home, and her nights are rarely lonely. It doesn't hurt that her business partner and ex-flame, Tony Mancuso, is always nearby to offer advice, and more, whenever she desires it.

But Lisa's pleasantly structured life gets thrown into chaos when handsome and sophisticated businessman Gianni Loren hires her to reconcile some of his foreign holdings. Gianni, however, is quickly smitten with much more than just Lisa's business sense. As the vibes between them progress from savvy to sultry, he asks her to join him back in Italy as a permanent member of his company, and his life.

But Lisa is not sure she's willing to give up her thriving career at home to risk it all on this one enigmatic foreigner, especially now that Tony, suddenly faced with the possibility of a life without her, is turning up the heat to keep her in the business, and with him.

Order it now!
I should add, this is published by Magic Carpet Books, an imprint of B&N. So go to Barnes & Noble or their website to purchase Mutual Holdings!

Fingers Crossed Again

An agent asked for the FULL manuscript of my novel Into the Sunset. I mailed it out on Thurdsday. I'm allowing myself to be excited now for two reasons: 1) I met this agent in person (and she still asked for the MS!) and 2) I subbed the first chapter and a synopsis when I queried her, and she liked the writing enough to ask for more. (This is opposed to the prior agent who claimed to not like the writing.)

More soon...

Finding an agent is like...

...getting a new job. It’s all in who you know. I got my current job because someone I knew got me in. Then a year later I got another one of my friends into the company. That’s how it works. Sending a resume out to a job posting or classified ad will get you nowhere except into a big pile with other job seekers that have no chance because they don’t know anyone on the inside.

Same with finding an agent.

I mean, I’m not sending query letters out to every agent in the book. I’m actually still doing my research, trying to find the agents that would be a good fit for the novel I’m shopping. I spend a lot of time researching, finding out who the agents represent, what books they’ve sold, etc.

It’s getting me nowhere, fast.

Some assistant, or intern, is screening out these queries, deleting them before the agent can even lay eyes on it. Or just firing off the standard “not for us” rejection. There’s got to be a better way.

And just like with a job hunt, you need someone on the inside. Somebody to say “Take a look at this author.” Someone to get your email query out of the trash and onto the agent’s browser window.

I need a referral. Anyone?

Back to Business

I've posted another excerpt from my novel Into the Sunset on my PublishersMarketplace page. Check it out:
Donald Capone

Meanwhile, I'm continuing to work on the latest draft of my second novel, the Lennon one, Like I've Never Been Born.

Plagiarism or Coincidence?

I'm pissed and ready to puke. Seriously. The idea of my second book has been stolen. I sent out 13 query letters between 6/11/05 and 7/29/05 and mentioned the plot briefly on my Publishers Marketplace page since then. I am looking for a lawyer now and trying to determine if the writer of the film is in anyway connected to any of the agents I queried:

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Lohan Imagines Lennon Flick

Thu Nov 03, 7:05 PM ET

Lindsay Lohan is eyeing some killer roles these days.

Just days after signing on to Bobby, Emilio Estevez's low-budget ensemble drama about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, the erstwhile Mean Girl is now set to star opposite Jared Leto in Chapter 27, an indie film centering on the 1980 murder of John Lennon.

Lohan will play a devoted fan of the former Beatle who befriends Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman (Leto), shortly before the murder in New York 25 years ago.
________________________________
If you just change the word "befriends" in that last sentence to "encounters" it could be the tagline for my novel. I swear my idea was stolen. Last spring I sent out query letters for the book, and I summarize it on my Publishers Marketplace page. My idea has been out there to steal. The only difference is in my book she doesn't befriend the killer as much as try to avoid him because she thinks he's creepy. I have another great book with a funny plot that would be perfect for a book/movie if you want to steal it. It's called "Into the Sunset," but you can just use the idea and call it anything you want.

[EDIT-MORE RANTING]
I know there is a good possibility it is a coincidence.
But on the other hand, in 25 yrs nothing has been done on the subject, and it happens to be done the same time my query letters were floating around out there? WITH A 19-YR OLD DEVOTED LENNON FAN FEMALE CHARACTER WHO ENCOUNTERS CHAPMAN?!

[EDIT-YET MORE RANTING]
One more thing—my novel also gets into the head of Chapman (as the movie supposedly does), with 3 or 4 chapters from his POV as he prepares for the murder. But I never use that scumbag's name; I don't want to give him the satisfaction. My book is a loving tribute to Lennon, and how his loss effects my characters.

[I FOUND OUT MORE INFO]
From aintitcool.com:
"Variety reports that Lindsay Lohan (hoo-wwwhaaaaa???) and Jared Leto have been cast in the film. Leto will be playing Chapman, even though in real life Chapman was kind of a heavy geeky looking guy. Lohan is a Beatle fan that Chapman befriends the weekend he kills John Lennon. Newcomer Jarrett Schaeffer will write and direct the pic."

Random Excerpts

I've decided to post random excerpts from my novel Into the Sunset on my PublishersMarketplace page. I will update on a somewhat consistent basis. Check it out:
Donald Capone