CataUniversity Novella in a Nonth Challenge

25,000 words in 31 days. Are you in? Beginning May 1st, CataUniversity will host a 31 day "Novella in a Month" challenge. You'll have the whole month of May to gear up and write 25, 000 words. To help you along, there will be weekly check-ins and daily inspirational posts from one of five author's who will host the challenge. If you want to be on the official Challenger list, go here and leave a post with your email and/or blog address. You'll be linked on the CataU site, and fellow challengers and Co-Hosts can drop by and give encouragement. Check-Ins will be on Monday and Friday and progress reports will be posted on the CataU sign-up page for all to see. :) Sound like fun? If so, go the the CataU Challenge page and sign up. Below is a little info I snipped from the site:

We are counting down to the Novella in a Month Writing Challenge at CataUniversity. You'll have 31 days to write 25,000 words. Are you up to the challenge?

Join a supportive (and challenging) environment with Co-Hosts, weekly check-ins and daily Inspirational posts. Official Co-Hosts include:

• Gail Barrett
• Leila Brown
• Nicola Marsh
• Isabel Sharpe
• Linda Wisdom

To Sign Up: http://catauniversity.com/?p=126

Get ready to write!

EREC First Line Contest

The EREC Blog (Erotic Romance E-Publisher Comparison Site) is having a first line contest for published and unpublished authors! To enter, email the first line from your published book or manuscript to: ERECMAIL AT GMAIL.COM with FIRST LINE ENTRY in the subject line. In the body of the email paste the first sentence only of your book (if published) or manuscript (if unpublished) along with the title and your pen name. Entries will remain open for at least a week and until at least 10 entries have been received in each category. The entries will be posted anonymously for visitors to the blog to vote on. The winner in each category will win a $20 Barnes & Noble gift certificate. There is a 50 entry limit in each category. As of Friday, April 25th there were only two (2) published entries, and two (2) unpublished entries, so hurry and get your first line in! Good Luck! EREC Blog EREC Website

Want A FREE Query Critique?

Agent Janet Reid is critiquing query letters over at Query Shark. I snipped the following from the QS blog: How Query Shark Works You can send a query letter to the Shark. It might get posted and critiqued. It might not. You'll know either way. You can send a revised query letter after the critique. It will be posted and critiqued as well. To send work to the shark: email your query letter to janet at fineprintlit dot com You MUST put Query Shark in the subject line to have it be considered for the blog. Not all queries will be critiqued. Visit Janet Reid's official blog to learn more about agent's, query letters and other interesting stuff. Happy Writing! Janet Reid's blog http://jetreidliterary.blogspot.com/ Janet Reid's Query Shark http://queryshark.blogspot.com/

My Apologies...

It's been quite a while since I posted, and I want to apologize. I've been so busy, I just haven't had the time. Before I signed on with LPI, I posted once, twice a week, sometimes more. Now I'm down do zilch. I just can't keep up with all the groups and blogs like I did before. And that's where I got most of my information. When I do take the time to play catch up, the posts are old news. I'm not complaining, mind you. The reason for my slacking off is a good one. :) It's just that I feel so guilty, like I'm letting someone down. And I don't like that feeling. So, I decided to make the time to post at lease once a week. If you can just bare with me, I'd appreciate it. Phew, I feel much better now that I've got that off my chest! Happy writing, everyone!

Lyrical Press: Call For Submissions

LYRICAL PRESS GOES GHOST HUNTING… Scare us. We dare you. We’re planning two anthologies featuring classic ghost story themes. Be they dark, steamy, humorous, sentimental or downright creepy, we want your ghost stories. Tip Sheet:

• Suggested submission length: 20-25k
• Romantic elements preferred, but not required for either holiday-themed anthology.
• Holiday (Halloween or Christmas) theme preferred, but not necessarily required. If the story’s compelling enough, we won’t discriminate.
• Meta data: Straight-up, good old-fashioned “tales told ‘round the campfire”; folklore and ghost stories; Haunted houses, visitations, Dickens; Legends (but not necessarily myths); Rather more “Things that go bump in the night” than “Things that hump in the night”.
• Be sure you edit very carefully before submitting. (I'm not horribly forgiving, I'm finding) All submissions should be sent to: submissions AT lyricalpress DOT com, SUBJECT: Ghost Story
• See below for submission deadlines:

TALES FROM THE SHADOWS Release Date: October 20, 2008 Submission Deadline: June 1, 2008 Genre: Paranormal Sensuality Level: Any ONCE UPON A MIDNIGHT CLEAR Release Date: December 15, 2008 Submission Deadline: June 15, 2008 Genre: Paranormal Sensuality Level: Any Lyrical Press Questions? Send them to: editor AT lyricalpress DOT com Visit Lyrical's Anthology Submission page for more details Lyrical Press has a Yahoo Group! The Lyrical Press Yahhoo group is a place were you can interact with readers and all of the Lyrical authors and editors. To join, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lyricalpress/

Characterization Workshop on Erotic Romance Workshop This Week

Erotic Romance Workshop eloop is once again presenting writer's workshops. They stopped for a while, but they're back at it. Which is great. Right now author Tambra Kendall is presenting a Characterization Workshop: Writing strong characters and viewpoint Plot: Stimulus and Response. Tambra teaches workshops for Earthly Charms as well as various RWA chapters, and is an author with Whiskey Creek Press. This workshop began on March 31st, but continues through April 11th. All workshop lessons are archived in the files section on the group website, so if you join late you still won't miss out. You can always backtrack and read the group messages, too. That's what great about online workshops. The workshop schedule and info is posted on the group website, links are below. Lots of useful information to be had, you don't want to miss this class. Here's a brief overview: Celtic Knotwork: Weaving Together Characterization and Plot Copyright 2008 Pollyanna Williamson. Not to be used without permission. Blurb Learn how characterization and plotting weave together to make your story come alive. Course level This course is for intermediate level writers on up. OVERVIEW Outline of lessons and discussion topics: Characterization Lessons 1. Character profile questions and interviewing your characters 2. Creating backstory: when and to use it 3. Character is Action 4. GMC: Goal, motivation and conflict. This will also be discussed in the plot section. 5. Writing strong characters and viewpoint 6. Three Dimensional Characters 7. Writing sexual tension Plot Lessons 1. What is Plot? What does it do? 2. Plot is Action 3. GMC: Goal, motivation and conflict 4. Stimulus and Response 5. No Sagging Middles 6. Scene and sequel 7. Plotting Methods 8. How character and plot work together. Examples will be given throughout the course and a list of resources will also be given. To join EroticRomanceWorkshop go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EroticRomanceWorkshop/ Tambra's Website www.tambrakendall.com Tambra's MySpace www.myspace.com/tambrakendal Author Marie Roy is the Erotic Romance Workshop list mom. Check out her website at: http://www.freewebs.com/mariearoy

Author BookMarker Contest

I ran across this contest, which is hosted by Author and Editor of Stepping Stones Magazine, Rita Gerlach, and thought I'd share. I thought this contest was kind of cute and different. I can't remember ever running across a contest for Author bookmarks before. Here's the info from the site:

Each month on Stepping Stones Magazine for Writers, an author's bookmarker will be chosen as the marker of the month'. The author's marker, if available as a jpg, and website will be included in that month's issue of SSMW. Enter by sending an email to Rita Gerlach at rpkg at comcast.net She will provide instructions. Bookmarkers will be judged by: Content Beauty Layout Information Professionalism Quality All bookmarkers mailed in will be judged by a group of avid readers, and then given to a local bookstore in the judges' area, either Waldenbooks or Borders.

Stepping Stone Magazine Rita Gerlach

Personal request from The Wild Rose Press

This was posted by Debby from Romance ebooks in a MySpace bulletin earlier today. I thought some of you may be interested.

If you have written an unpublished story set in the 1900's, editor Nancy Swanson from the Vintage Rose line at The Wild Rose Press, is looking for authors, aspiring and established, and would very much welcome you to submit to her.

Her very words to me were -

'...as long as it has a romance in it, is set back a ways, some mystery or time travel, clean or spicy - whatever. So much happened then...all the wars, all the music and dance changes, the Hippies and Free Love, etc. And of course almost any romance is timeless and can be set then, with a few details thrown in for flavor...'

Nancy is a fab editor who worked with me on 'Hibiscus Bay' now published by The Wild Rose Press. She has sinced moved from Champagne Rose line and now edits for the Vintage Rose line.So go check out the website and submission details at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ - she's waiting to hear from you.

Please mention that you heard this information from Debby at the 'Romance ebooks' myspace profile as recomendation for yourself.

Debby http://debbyallen.blogspot.com/