Local author hits national market

Valley Life editor

Palmer's Jackie Ivie still can't believe it when she sits at her computer and cruises through the online megastore Amazon.com. She's not amazed at the low costs, or the products offered -- instead, she says it is almost surreal to see glowing reviews of "Lady of the Knight," which Ivie wrote, on the Web site.

"It is really kind of cool to see that," she said. "It's getting 4.7s, 4.8s, and I still can't believe it's my book there."

Ivie has been writing for years, although this is her first that has been published -- and she has made a heck of a debut. The historical romance was purchased by Zebra, a national publishing house, and is being published as part of the Zebra debut series.

"I've been trying for years to get published, figuring sooner or later, one would hit," Ivie said. "Each Dec. 31, I'd pick up one of those big books of book agents, and send out query letters. When I finished Lady of the Knight, I knew it was too good for those do-nothing agents, so I sent out 10 query letters to San Francisco, New York, those kind of places.

"Four days later, I got my first 'yes,' response. And then the rest of them came back, and they all were yesses," Ivie said.

Ultimately, Ivie chose her agent, who is based in San Francisco, after the agent expressed some interest and said she wanted to read the entire book, on an exclusive basis.

"Lady of the Knight" is set in 1310 Scotland, a setting similar to Braveheart, Ivie said. All of her writings are historical in nature.

"It sounds weird, but when I'm writing it, it feels like I'm there," Ivie said.

Ivie first got serious about writing in the mid 1990s she said, and is essentially self-taught as a writer. She has a stressful full-time job in Anchorage, and uses her time on the weekends and evenings to write.

"I was really proud of my first two books, but now I look at them and realize they were so bad," Ivie said with a laugh. "I've come a long way."

"Lady of the Knight" was actually her ninth book Ivie completed. Her next book, "Tender is the Knight" is already being typeset and the cover is being designed. Books three and four are already in her agent's hands. In all, she has completed 13 books.

"Zebra books usually take about 18 to 19 months from when they see it to publication -- mine is coming out in six months," Ivie said. "That's pretty remarkable."

At a recent conference, Ivie bumped into famed author Catherine Coulter. There, Coulter told her it takes four things to get published by a national publisher.

"First, it obviously takes talent. Two, you have to have a storytelling ability. Three, it definitely takes persistence, and fourth, it takes a little bit of luck. That's what Catherine Coulter told me," Ivie said. "You can't give up."

"Lady of the Knight" debuted yesterday, and already, the whirlwind is beginning. It's available locally at all book stores, including Fireside and Waldenbooks, she said, as well as at Fred Meyer and Carrs. It's also available at Amazon.com. It is receiving positive reviews from readers at Amazon.com, and on the book's cover, national author Heather Graham writes that the book is, "Wonderful … with a heroine every woman will admire."