Happy New Year!

 Here's Wishing You and Your's A Safe and Happy 2011!

FREE eBooks Today and in January at A WRITERS WORK

FREE eBooks December 26 and in January at A WRITERS WORK

A Writers Work is a co-op run by many multi-published authors. A variety of genres are available. Most of the books are their back list books, which have not been available for years. There are also some new works.
From the December-January A Writers Work Newsletter:

On December 26, you can download ONE free eBook from A Writers Work from each of the nineteen member authors.

And in January, each author will give away one book per day. More info below, and at their website, http://awriterswork.com/. You can sign up for their newsletter at their website (on the right side).

From Authors You Love, Directly to You

Shari Anton / Fran Baker / Becky Barker / Nicole Byrd / Ken Casper / Phoebe Conn/Diane Chamberlain / Ginger Chambers /Jasmine Cresswell / Kathy Lynn Emerson/Barbara Freethy / Lori Handeland / Holly Jacobs / Elizabeth Kary / Cait London/Patricia McLinn / Patricia Rice / Leigh Riker / Karen van der Zee

Here are the details:

-- No more than 1 book per author will be free to any individual/household.
-- If you order more than 1 book by an author, the most expensive book will be free to you. (Doesn't it always bug you when the lowest priced item is the free one? Us, too. So we aren't treating you that way.) You will be charged the regular price for any additional books by that author.
-- E-xtravaganza runs from 12:01 a.m.-11:59 p.m. EST Dec. 26, as time-stamped by PayPal.
-- Initially, you will be charged for your book(s), then you will receive a refund via PayPal for the full purchase price, making it free. (But remember, if you order more than 1 book per author, only 1 will be free. The others will be charged at regular price.)
-- We will issue that refund via PayPal by Dec. 29 (earlier if technical issues, weather in the US Midwest, PayPal, weather in the US Southwest and other potential gremlins cooperate.)

E-Xtravaganza on Dec. 26 is a great opportunity to try out e-books, AWritersWork, and authors you'll love!

And there's more ...

BOOK-UP IN JANUARY!

A FREE BOOK A DAY FROM AWRITERSWORK.COM

AWritersWork.com will offer a different book for free each day of January. Thirty-one days, thirty-one books from authors you know and love.

Here are the details:

-- No more than 1 copy of the day's free book to any individual/household.
-- Each day's free book is available 12:01 a.m.-11:59 p.m. EST, as time-stamped by PayPal.
-- Initially, you will be charged for your book(s) then you will receive a refund via PayPal for the purchase price, making it free.
-- Books from Jan. 1-15 will be refunded via PayPal by Jan. 18. Books from Jan. 16-31 will be refunded via PayPal by Feb. 3.

So mark your calendar for each day of January: (Schedule also available at AWritersWork.com and www.Facebook.com/AWritersWork. And follow AWritersWork.com on Twitter for updates!)

Find more info here:
http://lindabanche.blogspot.com/2010/12/more-free-ebooks-december-26-at-writers.html

Sign up for A Writer's Work Newsletter: newsletter@awriterswork.com

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas

A Dessert Recipe - Sweet Cheese Delights

With the holidays right around the corner, I've been searching for new and different dessert recipes. Here's one I came across that is absolutely yummy. It's quick and easy (my favorite kind of recipe) and delicious, so I wanted to share.

Enjoy!

SWEET CHEESE DELIGHTS

Prep Time: 10 Min

• Total Time: 30 Min
• Makes: 15

Ingredients:

•  2  packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
•  1 cup sugar 
•  1 egg yolk
•  1 teaspoon vanilla
•  2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
•  1 cup chopped pecans
•  1/2 cup packed brown sugar 
•  2 tablespoons butter, melted
•  2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
•  Powdered sugar, if desired

Directions:

• In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg yolk and vanilla; beat on low speed until blended.

  

• Unroll 1 can of dough into 1 large rectangle; press seams and perforations to seal. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Spread with cream cheese mixture.

• In small bowl, mix pecans, brown sugar, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle half the pecan mixture over the cream cheese layer. On lightly floured surface, press or roll out remaining dough into 13x9-inch rectangle. Place over filling. Sprinkle remaining pecan mixture over top.

• Bake at 375°F 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly on cooling rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Free Workshop: Create a Personalized Author Marketing Plan

***Permission for forward and share granted and encouraged***

Free Workshop: Create a Personalized Author Marketing Plan

A marketing plan is a goal-oriented concept that describes what commercial processes you will involve in promoting, selling, or distributing a product or service. That's a broad definition and encompasses many aspects.

This forum-style workshop will share ideas, ask questions, use lists, hunt down URLs, and learn new ways to create a personalized plan. Workshop led by Kayelle Allen, fueled by participant input.

Cost: Time spent learning.
Time: Forum style class without set hours. Come/go as your schedule dictates.
Dates: M-F, Jan 3-28, 2011
Where: Marketing for Romance Authors Yahoo! Group.

Marketing for Romance Writers is a group for authors (published and unpublished), literary agents, editors, author promotion services, publishers, and artists. Its goal, as it relates to marketing books, is to seek, teach, learn, share, and succeed. We accomplish this by sharing promotional opportunities, asking and answering questions, and serving one another in a spirit of cooperation. Founder: Kayelle Allen. Group Owners: Kayelle Allen, Marty Rayne, Jeanne Barrack. Newsletter Editor: Rochelle Weber. Bulletin Editor: Marty Rayne.

Author Kayelle Allen
Marketing For Writer's Yahoo Group Page

The Knight Agency/Deidre Knight Super Big Mega Contest Announcement!

Shopping around for an agent? If so, here's a GREAT opportunity to get your work in front of Deidre Knight of The Knight Agency! Deidre is running a contest to find a fresh new voice to add to her client list.

Snipped from the website:

Knight Agency president and founder Deidre Knight is on the hunt for a fresh, unique voice to add to her personal client roster. Are you the one she's looking for? Find out by joining us here on The Knight Agency blog for "Speed Dating with Deidre." Beginning Tuesday, November 30th, Deidre will whittle down the first 125 entries to one lucky winner.* The contest opens at 8:00am ET right here on the blog, so set your alarms!

Oh, and there’s a special bonus, one randomly drawn winner will receive a first chapter critique from Deidre – drawn from all entries.**

Contest is for completed manuscripts only. For more info, rules and guidelines go to: http://knightagency.blogspot.com/
Good Luck!

Ellora's Cave Blush Line Call For Submissions

I snipped the following from the Ellora's Cave Website:

Ellora's cave will begin accepting submissions for its Blush line of non-erotic romances in January. Here's some info:

Blush ~ Mainstream Romance
Blush is our line of non-erotic romances, of any genre. (Formerly known as Cerridwen Press.) We will be accepting submissions starting in January 2011.

Story length is 7,000 to 125,000 words. Sensuality level can be anything from sweet (kisses only) to sensual-but-not-quite-erotic. We do not publish inspirational/religious romances or category-style romances. (No secret baby, Big Misunderstanding, amnesiac in the storm, ex-SEAL-turned-sheriff, billionaire's secretary/mistress, or TSTL heroines.)

Cotillion is our line of sweet Traditional Regency romances. Story length is 7,000 to 75,000 words.

We do not publish non-fiction, poetry, children's literature.

Ellora's Cave
Ellora's Cave Author Submission/Information Packet

Wild Rose Press Romantic Suspense Call For Submissions

Crimson Rose (mystery, romantic suspense), of The Wild Rose Press, has issued a call for Christmas manuscript submissions under the series title:

Red Christmas
Someone's ready to kill the holiday...

They have space for six Christmas releases for 2011 so get your story in early. The spaces will be filled in the order they are contracted.

Each story will need to contain Santa Claus - either the hero or the villain needs to be using a costume as a part of the story.

Submissions should be between 7,500 and 60,000 words.  Deadline is March 1st

For rules & guidelines see this Behind the Garden Gate blog post at:
http://behindthegardengate.blogspot.com/2010/11/submission-call.html

Wild Rose Press

Good Luck!

My New Blog Award

I opened my inbox yesterday to find the following message from Polka Dot Banner:

Congratulations Carol Burge!

You have just been awarded the "2010 Web Supporter" at http://www.polkadotbanner.com/

Best regards,

PolkaDotBanner.com Staff

And this was posted on my profile page, along with the award graphic:

Thanks for spreading good words about the PDB out on the web. Links you posted have been reported in our site analytics. (Cool!) This icon award on your profile is the PDB's way of thanking you for support of PolkaDotBanner.com. Huzzah!

Nice, huh? I've proudly added the award to my side bar.

Thanks PDB!

Polka Dot Banner
An Author's Gathering Place

The History Channel Magazine American Hero Contest

Here's a fun little contest for all of you history buffs out there.

The folks at the History Channel are currently putting together the next issue of The History Channel Magazine and they need your help! They're looking for one of their Living History readers to write a 500 to 800 word article about their favorite American history hero and why he/she's important to you. This can be anyone: Abe Lincoln, Ben Franklin, Rosa Parks, Mickey Mantle ... anyone. It's up to you. The most well-written submission will be published in the History Alive section of an upcoming issue under the Heroes department. This contest is open to anyone interested in American history, so let your friends and family know.

Please e-mail all submissions—along with a digital image of yourself to: editorial@thehistorychannelclub.com

Good Luck!

*NOTE: For the record, I got this info from the History Channel's Living History Newsletter. I tried to verify the guidelines and the deadline, etc., but I couldn't find anything about the contest on the website. If you want to try and check it out yourself, links to the website are below. Hopefully you'll have better luck then I did. :)

History Channel
History Channel Magazine

Call For Submissions For Aspen Mountain Press New Regency Romance Line

-----------------------------------
On October 15, 2010, Aspen Mountain Press launched its new Aurora Regency imprint, a line devoted to Regency romance.

Traditional Regency romances, as exemplified by Georgette Heyer's work, is historical fiction that takes place during a very specific (and short) era (1811-1820).

Aurora is looking for well-researched Regency romances between 35,000 and 70,000 words, although they will bend on the upper word limit if the story merits it.

Aspen Mountain Press is a royalty-paying e-publishing company, and they do not charge set-up or editing fees. Their contract requests rights to the contracted work, including digital and print formats, as they will provide some titles in print later this year. 

For complete guidelines visit the Aspen Mountain Press Submission Page:  http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/submissions/info_6.html

Aspen Mountain Press: http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/

Cleopatra Literary Contest for Young Women

This literary contest is named after the inspirational Cleopatra VII of Egypt, who was an author of works about cosmetics, pharmacology and weights & measures. Established and sponsored by author Stephanie Dray, the competition is aimed at discovering and mentoring aspiring young female writers. In particular, the award seeks to foster new voices with an appreciation for women’s history. Deadline March 1, 2011. Entries are limited in length to 2,000 words. Short stories, essays, poems, and excerpts from novels and novellas are welcome, in any genre, as long as they focus on one of the themes.

Teen Category Winner: Choice of $100 cash or a brand new E-reader, in addition to an award certificate, a month-long writing mentorship with Ms. Dray, a feature article in her blog and newsletter, and a critique from NY literary agent, Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates.

Young Women Category Winner: Choice of $100 cash or a brand new E-reader, in addition to an award certificate, a month-long writing mentorship with Ms. Dray, a feature article in her blog and newsletter, and a critique from NY literary agent, Jennifer Schober of Spencerhill Associates.

Finalists: Constructive feedback from publishing professionals, mention on Ms. Dray’s blog and newsletter, an award certificate, and a free book courtesy of contest sponsors.

Females ages 13-18 for the teen category.

Females ages 19-22 for the young women’s category.

This is an international contest, so writers outside of the US are eligible.

Before she wrote novels, Stephanie Dray was a lawyer, a game designer, and a teacher. Now she uses the transformative power of magic realism to illuminate the stories of women in history and inspire the young women of today. She remains fascinated by all things Roman or Egyptian. Her book Lily of the Nile, comes out in January 2011, about the daughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

Read more at Stephanie’s website.

NOTE: I snipped this contest info from Hope Clark’s blog. C. Hope Clark is editor and founder of FundsforWriters.com . Her newsletters reach over 37,000 writers. Writer's Digest selected FundsforWriters one of its 101 Best Websites for Writers every year since 2001. www.fundsforwriters.com

You can sign up for Hope’s newsletter(s) on her blog. I recommend you subscribe to at least one of them, if you haven’t already. They’re chock FULL of information.

NEWSFLASH! - Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks is Taking Pitches & Answering Questions on the Casablanca Authors Blog!

Deb Werksman, Editorial Manager of Sourcebooks Casablanca is taking pitches and answering any questions on the Casablanca Authors Blog right now!

Deb from the blog:

What do YOU want to know? You can ask me about:

*the book marketplace
*the publishing or editorial process
*your specific project (yes! I'm taking pitches today too!)
*anything else you want to know!

Stop by, pitch, and ask away!

Casablanca Aurthors Blog

The Marshall Plan Contest For Aspiring Authors

Get a Fiction Makeover for National Novel Writing Month!

A Contest Sponsored by The Marshall Plan®

In celebration of National Novel Writing Month (November 2010), Evan Marshall and Martha Jewett, leading literary agents and authors of The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software and The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing ebook, are sponsoring a contest for aspiring novelists. Send them a proposal for your novel for a chance at winning a free copy of the software and a free Fiction Makeover—professional advice on revising your material for better chances of a sale!

Contest rules:

Entrants must not have published a novel with a major commercial publisher. Submit the first 25 (no more!) double-spaced pages of your novel, any genre, along with a synopsis no longer than 1 single-spaced page. Send your material in one .doc file as an email attachment to: evanmarshall@optonline.net.

Submission deadline:

November 15, 2010. Winners will be announced on November 30, 2010, on writeanovelfast.com as well as Facebook and Twitter. Entrants who do not follow rules exactly will be disqualified.

Become a fan on Facebook and follow on Twitter for contest updates and writing tips.

Prizes:

2 Grand Prizes:

•The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software ($149 value)
• A copy of The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing Ebook ($10 value)
• A Free Fiction Makeover for your novel proposal: top literary agents Evan Marshall and Martha Jewett will tell you what you need to do to get your novel published faster in today’s competitive publishing climate. 3 Runner-Ups:
•A copy of The Marshall Plan® for Novel Writing Ebook ($10 value)

About Evan Marshall & Martha Jewett

Evan Marshall is an internationally recognized expert on fiction writing and author of the “Hidden Manhattan” and “Jane Stuart and Winky” mystery series. A former book editor, for 27 years he has been a leading literary agent specializing in fiction. His Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software, written with Martha Jewett, is an adaptation of his bestselling Marshall Plan® series.

Martha Jewett is an internationally recognized expert on business books. A former award-winning business book editor at McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, and HarperBusiness, she is currently a literary agent and editorial consultant specializing in business books. An avid memoirist, she blogs at http://www.writeyourmemoir.com/. She co-created with Evan Marshall The Marshall Plan® Novel Writing Software, an adaptation of the bestselling Marshall Plan® series.

QueryTracker Contest for Writer's of Children's/YA Fiction

Do you write Children's books? If so, here's a great oppourtunity at QueryTracker to get your work in front of Agent Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Literary Agency. This is a ONE DAY ONLY contest that begins today, Wednesday, October 27th at 9:00am Eastern time and ends on Thursday, October 28th at 9:00am Eastern time.

Ms. Paquette wants to see a one-line pitch and the FIRST 100 words (plus or minus 1/2 sentence--don't just cut it off mid sentence) of completed children's picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, or young adult novels. More details on this contest will be posted as the opening date for submissions nears!

I don't write childrens' or YA, but apparently Ms. Paquette does not accept queries outside of referrals or personal contact (conferences), so this is a GREAT opportunity, so hurry and get pitch and submissions in!

Go here for more info.

Good Luck!

QueryTracker Blog

Author Tawny Taylor's SOME LIKE IT HOT Writing Contest

Starting October 25th, 2010, Romance Author Tawny Taylor will be hosting a FREE writing contest!

The final judge is an editor from Ellora’s Cave.

All SubGenres of erotic romance accepted.

This contest is open to both unpublished and published authors of erotic romance fiction. All entries shall be the author's original work and not contracted for publication prior to the entry deadline. (Authors currently published with Ellora's Cave are not eligible to enter.)

How the contest works:

* You may submit one chapter--not to exceed 5000 words. Stories must be complete. (A one-page synopsis may be included.)

* Each Monday, two stories will be selected by Ellora's Cave editor Grace Bradley. At the end, six weekly winning authors will submit a partial (first three chapters, last chapter and synopsis) to the final judge for ranking.

The first place winner will receive ...

A critique of the full winning manuscript by EC editor Grace Bradley!

The second place winner will receive...A critique of the partial manuscript by EC editor Grace Bradley (first three chapters, last and synop).

The third place winner will receive...

A critique of the first chapter by EC editor Grace Bradley.

Additional Prizes:

One entry will be selected each week by random drawing to received a detailed critique by an author published with Ellora's Cave.
THE DETAILS:

* Starting Date: October 25th 2010. Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm November 12, 2010.

* Three rounds

Submissions received between 12:00 am October 25th and 11:59 pm October 29th will be considered for round one. Submissions received between 12:00am Oct. 30 and 11:59 pm November 5th will be considered for round two. And submissions received between 12:00am November 6th and 11:59 November 12th will be considered for round three.

* Weekly Finalists Announced on November 1, 2010, November 8, 2010 and November 15, 2010.

* NO Entry Fee or purchase necessary to win.

* Send entries to writingcontest@tawnytaylor.com. Include genre, word count, and your name and contact information. A one-page synopsis may be included.

Before entering, please see all the details at: http://www.tawnytaylor.com/WritingContest.html

For any questions, email Tawny (tawny@tawnytaylor.com)

Tawny Taylor Writing Contest
Tawny Taylor Website

Harlequin's "So You Think You Can Write" Editorial Week

So you think you can write? Here's your chance to show us!"

Join Harlequin editors November 1st-5th for a week of insights on writing romance. They invite writers to, "come by to hone your skills and get started on the path to publication."  There will be podcasts, chats, critiques, challenges and more!

*Snipped from the Harlequin blog:

Does your imagination run wild with vivid characters? Have you ever dreamed of becoming a USA TODAY bestselling author? Well, our editors want to make those dreams come true. We are hungry to find talented new writers for Harlequin Books. Through podcasts, blogs, and discussions with our expert editors and current authors, we’re going to help you understand the appeal of the romance genre. And there’s a special daily challenge with feedback that will give some great insights into crafting the perfect story. So for the next week, come by to hone your skills and get started on the path to publication. So you think you can write? Here’s your chance to show us!

To learn more, visit the Harlequin So You Think You Can Write site.

Call For Submissions At Desert Breeze Publishing

*Permission to forward and share granted and encouraged*

Submissions are open at Desert Breeze Publishing! We are seeking manuscripts to fill our 2011 release schedule. At Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc., we are seeking manuscripts from novella length (between 30,000 and 35,000 words approximately) to super novel length (exceeding 100,000 words), with a preference for novels between 65,000 and 90,000 words. We are more than willing to accept queries on book series, and will consider a series concept when at least one book is completed and the series has been thoroughly formulated. We are also willing to look at rereleases as long as proof of release can be provided and the author can submit new work as well.

We are looking for submissions in all of the following romance sub-genres:

• Contemporary Romance
• Romantic Suspense 
• Romantic Comedy/Humorous Romance 
• Inspirational/Christian Romance -Both Traditional Christian Romance and
• Edgier Christian Romance 
• Fantasy Romance 
• Paranormal Romance
• Time Travel Romance
• Science Fiction Romance/Futuristic Romance/Speculative Fiction Romance
• Steampunk Romance 
• Urban Fantasy Romance
• Modern Cowboy Romance
• 20th Century Historical Romance (1901 through the Viet Nam War)
• Historical Romance (Prior to the 1900's)
• YA Romance in all sub genres

We love romance, and we love happy endings. Now, a happy ending doesn't have to be wedding bells and proposals -- but leave us no doubt that your hero and heroine could easily ride off into the sunset together.

Desert Breeze Publishing is a royalty paying publisher of romance in electronic novel format. We publish from the sweet to the heated, with the exclusion of erotica or erotic romance. Our books are currently distributed through Amazon and Amazon UK for Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Books on Board, All Romance eBooks, Kobo, and the Apple iBookstore for distribution in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. Coming soon, all our Inspirational/Christian Romances will be available at Christianbooks.com.

Full submission guidelines, along with instructions for submitting, can  be found at our website: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/ under Submissions. We strongly encourage authors who are interested in submitting to also review our FAQ page, so you can understand more about DBP as a whole.

We anticipate a 4-6 week response time to all queries.

Thanks!

Gail R. Delaney

Editor-In-Chief
Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc

Win a Contract for Christmas with Pink Petal Books

I received the following contest info in my inbox this morning. I'm posting it for those of you who are interested.

Good Luck!

*permission to forward*

Pink Petal Books is spreading the holiday cheer with a Contract For Christmas contest! We're looking for erotic romance novellas between 25,000 and 40,000 words long. Give us any pairing (or multiples), any orientation, and any sub-genre of romance as long as it is hot! We want erotic romance where the sexual tension starts from the first page and maintains its intensity throughout the entire story.

Submissions accepted through December 1. We will announce the winners on December 24, and yes, we'll be offering a contract for at least one lucky author's Christmas (or other winter holiday).

Want to find out how to enter? Visit our Contract for Christmas page for more information!

Pink Petal Books...because love is a beautiful thing!

http://www.pinkpetalbooks.com/

* Pink Petal Book is listed with the RWA as a non-vanity, non-subsidy publisher *

BLOGMANIA 2010

BLOGMANIA 2010 is here! Today (Wednesday) & Tomorrow (Thursday) 170 blogs are having contests, huge giveaways & lot's and lot's of prizes.

What is BLOGMANIA, you ask? Welll, a bit of a description is below:

Snipped from the Blogmania site: 

Each blog will have published a post describing their giveaway theme and prizes and clearly letting you know how to enter their giveaway. At that end of that post, you will find a link list containing all BLOGMANIA giveaways. Read each post carefully , as how to enter will vary blog to blog. Each blog is responsible for drawing and notifying their own winners and handling the prize distribution, in partnership with their sponsors. BLOGMANIA and Parker PR Online are not responsible for any claims, opinions, or prizes offered by any participating blog/blogger. We do expect blogs to have announced their winners on their blogs by or around September 20, 2010 and for the prizes to be distributed within a timely manner upon receipt of shipping information.

You can start here – http://www.parkerpronline.com/ – or on any participating blog.


Bitten by Books is a participating blog, and they're giving away an Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, and man would I LOVE to win it! I've been wanting one for a long time, but being unemployed the past two years just doesn't allow for it. I have a ton of ebook's on my computer, but I haven't read any of them because I have a hard time reading on my desktop. A Kindle would certainly remedy the situation, don't ya think?  :)

I couldn't resit, and I entered the Bitten by Books contest. If you'd like to enter, too, just click on the bbb badge below, and take it from there.

Wish Me Luck!

Angela James Taking Pitches At Carina Press/eHarlequin.com Community

Here's an opportunity for those of you who would like to pitch to eHarlequin/Carina Press Editor Angela James!

(snipped from the blog)

We're at it again! And this time, we're giving you an oppurtunity to pitch anything! Well, almost! Send us your: Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Futuristic, Erotica, Mystery, Thrillers, Horror, Family Saga, Women's Fiction, Interactive Fiction with Multiple/Alternate Endings, because Carina Press is looking for YOUR manuscript and Executive Editor, Angela James will be on hand to take your pitch!

Deadline is October 12, 2010. For more information, rules and guidelines, visit Carina Press/eHarlequin.com Community

Good Luck!

Carina Press/eHarlequin
Carina Press Submission Guidelines

D. Renee Bagby First Chapters Blog Halloween Contest/Promo Opportunity

*** Permission to Forward Granted *** 



D. Renee Bagby Presents First Chapters' is looking for Halloween romance titles (and/or titles featuring vampires, shape-shifters, demons, or witches) and Inspirational romance titles (and/or titles featuring angels) for two separate events.

-- First Event --

48 Hours of Halloween

Halloween is on a Sunday this year, which means most people will be partying on Saturday. DRB 1st Chapters is partying on both days. Every hour, one minute past the hour, a new first chapter post will drop. That's 48 chapters in all starting 12:01AM EST 30 October.


WHAT I NEED

48 first chapters that are either...

*** Halloween-themed romance

OR

*** Romance featuring (ie - one of the main characters is) either vampires, shape-shifters, demons, or witches.

DEADLINE

*** 15 October

HOW TO SUBMIT

*** http://dreneebagbypresentsfirstchapters.blogspot.com/p/submissions.html

Follow the guidelines at the above link and you can read more about the event there as well.


WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

*** Promotion, of course. Also, the post with the most people commenting (counting individual people, not the comments themselves and comments from me and the author of the title don't count) will win a two week spot in "Blatant Plug" box AND the author will have their blog link added to the blog roll.

*** Bonus - Winning also means your book becomes the prize for the lottery. Me, myself, and I will purchase FOUR copies of your title (ebook through All Romance eBooks, though other arrangements will be made if your title is not available in ebook and/or via ARe) to be given to the lottery winners. That's right. The tab is on me.

-- Second Event --

All Saints' Day Event

Time for the flip side of the coin. 01 November is All Saints' Day and DRB 1st Chapters will host inspirational romance and romance titles featuring angels (good or bad). Every hour, one minute past the hour, a new first chapter post will drop. That's 24 chapters in all starting 12:01AM EST 01 November.

WHAT I NEED

Like I said above, I need 24 first chapters that are either...

*** Inspirational romance

OR

*** Romance first chapters featuring angels (good or bad)

DEADLINE

*** 15 October

HOW TO SUBMIT

*** http://dreneebagbypresentsfirstchapters.blogspot.com/p/submissions.html

Follow the guidelines at the above link and you can read more about the event there as well.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU?

*** Promotion, of course. Also, the post with the most people commenting (counting individual people, not the comments themselves and comments from me and the author of the title don't count) will win a two week spot in "Blatant Plug" box AND the author will have their blog link added to the blog roll.

*** Bonus - Winning also means your book becomes the prize for the lottery. Me, myself, and I will purchase TWO copies of your title (ebook through All Romance eBooks, though other arrangements will be made if your title is not available in ebook and/or via ARe) to be given to the lottery winners. That's right. The tab is on me.

Email me with questions or comments, but be sure to read the FAQ located at the link above first.

D. Reneé Bagby Presents First Chapters

D. Reneé Bagby
Building New Realms of Passion...
http://dreneebagby.com/

Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks Taking Pitches Tomorrow

Sourcebooks editor Deb Werksman will be taking pitches at the Casablanca Authors blog tomorrow (Friday August 26, 2010). This is a one day opportunity, so get your pitch ready!

According to the blog post, Deb is looking for the "pitch of your hook". Also, find out what she's looking for in submissions.

For more info, rules and guidelines, visit Deb's post at the Casablanca Authors blog.

Good Luck!

Sourcebooks, Inc
Casablanca Authors Blog
Sourcebooks Romance Submission Guidelines

Harlequin Medical Romance Line Seeking Submissions

Do you write Medical Romance? If so, here’s a GREAT opportunity for you. Harlequin/Mills & Boon Medical Romance is seeking submissions!

Yes, you heard (read) right. Apparently,  Harlequin/Mills & Boon editor’s are not receiving as many submissions as they’d like for their Medical Romance line, so they have put out a call for submissions.  Medical Romance’s are popular worldwide, especially in France.

From Editor Sheila Hogson posted on the Harlequin blog:

Are you an aspiring romance writer who also:

♥ Loves medical heroes – can’t get enough of Hugh Laurie’s brilliant but guarded hearted doctor, Gregory House; the irresistible charm of Grey’s Anatomy McDreamy (also known as Dr Derek Shepherd), or George Clooney’s warm-hearted but maverick pediatrician Dr Doug Ross in ER?

♥ Has longed for an opportunity to write contemporary romances set amidst the excitement, warmth and passion of today’s medical world?

♥ Is a fan of the Medical Romance series and would love to be published in this unique, globally distributed series?

If your answer to any of the above is YES, then here is a great opportunity to get your fabulous work in front of a Medical Romance editor – fast!

Harlequin®/Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™ is looking for new authors – and if you send us a first chapter, three chapters, or even a full manuscript of a romance in a medical setting, then we will give it a fast-track read…and get you a fast-tracked response this summer!

Click here to read more…

Here's what to do to get fast-tracked with your MEDICAL romance:

• Send us a cover letter with a synopsis of your story and characters (no more than two pages) along with anything from the first chapter of the story to the complete manuscript.
• In order to be eligible for fast-tracking, submissions must be received between 1st and 24th August (12.00 Midnight BST, British Summer Time) 2010.
• You must email your submission (as a Word document attachment) to mailto:medicalfasttrack%40hmb.co.uk and make sure you include your current email address in you covering letter as you will receive your response by email.

Good Luck!

Mid-Summer Madness: Fast-Tracking Har. Medical Submissions
Harlequin/Mill & Boon Medical Romance Guidelines

Glamour Magazine Seventh Essay Writing Contest

Have an Amazing Real Life Story to Tell?

Then enter Glamour’s Seventh Essay Writing Contest! If you have an inspiring story about a life changing event, an obstacle overcome, a relationship or passion that’s defined you—then we want to read it!

You may see your essay appear in an upcoming issue of Glamour (check out the winner of our 6th annual contest here), and you could win $5000 and a meeting with a top literary agent.

Promotion begins May 10, 2010 12:01PM EST and ends September 15, 2010 11:59 EST (“Promotion Period”). Online entries must be received by 9/15/2010. See complete rules for details.

PRIZE DESCRIPTION. There will be one (1) winner. The prize is a $5,000 cash prize, possible publication of the winning manuscript in an upcoming issue of Glamour (winner understands that Sponsor does not guarantee publication), and the opportunity to speak with a literary agent. The approximate retail value of the prize is $5,000.00

Glamour Magazine

WriteOnCon Free Online Conference For YA and Children's Writer's

Here's a free online conference I ran across for those of you who write children's (and YA, too?) books.

From the website:

WriteOnCon is an Online Children’s Writers Conference (rated MC-18, for Main Characters under 18 only) created by writers, for writers.

When: Tuesday – Thursday, August 10 – 12, 2010

Where: http://www.writeoncon.com/

Cost: Free!

Who: That’s the best part—it’s for EVERYONE!

WriteOnCon is an online writer's conference for kidlit writers. Registration started on July1st, 2010, and runs from August 10th through August 12th.

Here's a link to the FAQ page, and here you'll find a list of this years presenters (including Editors and Agents).

Visit WriteOnCon website for more info and to register.

Happy Conferencing!

WriteOnCon Childrens and YA Writer's Conference

Historical Romance Call For Submissions At Liquid Silver Books

Call for Submissions: Historical Romances 2010!

DEADLINE: September 30th, 2010

We're always looking for Historical Romances! Romances can be set in the Regency era, Elizabethan, Gothic, Victorian, French Revolution, European historical, Canadian Frontier...to name a few. If you have a story in the works or already finished that is looking for a home, send them our way!

As always we ask that the stories end with a HEA (Happily Ever After) or HFN (Happy For Now) but the key piece being plot-driven, historically developed and hot and sexy romance.

This call is open to any heat level. All stories will be published as single titles.

* Submissions are open to all authors currently published with Liquid Silver books and those wishing to be published with Liquid Silver Books.
* All works can be new material. Previously published works or works currently part of a series will not be considered.
* All submissions must be exclusive to Liquid Silver Books; if we decline your submission; you are free to submit elsewhere.

Submission requirements:

* Full manuscript in Arial, 12pt saved as RTF.
* Length: 20k – 80K
* Genre: Historical Romance

Heat Level:

* Open to all our current heat levels – Sterling, Liquid and Molten. Please refer to our submission guidelines for further information.

To submit, please send manuscript via email to submissions@liquidsilverbooks.com with CALL FOR SUBMISSION: Historical Romances 2010 in the subject line.

Include your author bio on the first page of your manuscript, attach the MS and a one page snapshot synopsis with your email.

I look forward to reading your submissions!

Liquid Silver Books Website

*permission to forward*

Have A Wonderful 4th of July!

Another One Day Pitch Contest With Agent Irene Goodman At Classic Romance Revival Blog

Wow, this must be pitch day! Such GREAT opportunities! We have another one day pitch contest going on today at Classic Romance Revival.

Submit your pitch for a chance to win a 3-chapter critique from a New York literary agent Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

To enter, leave a comment on the CRR blog with the following information:

1. Your Name
2. Title of Book
3. Genre of book (for example historical romance)
4. Your one paragraph pitch (yes, please keep it to one paragraph!)
5. Your e-mail

Good luck!

Classic Romance Revival Blog
Irene Goodman Literary Agency

Casablanca Editor Deb Werksman Is Having Another Pitch Contest Today

Casablanca Editor Deb Werksman is doing another pitch session. This is a one day only contest (today), so hurry and get your entry in!

The winning pitch gets a synopsis and 3 chapter critique from Deb. You have until midnight tonight (Thursday, 6/24/10) to submit. The winner will be announced by midnight tomorrow night (Friday).

For more information (including what Deb is looking for in a pitch), visit the Casablanca Authors Blog.


Casablanca Authors Blog
Sourcebooks

Good Luck!

Logo Design Contest

Here's something a little different. Class Act Books is having a logo design contest. It's open to all who want to enter. The winner will receive a pink Sony e-reader.


Check out their site at: http://classactbooks.com/

Submission Call: Desert Breeze Publishing

Submissions are once again open at Desert Breeze Publishing! We are seeking manuscripts to fill our 2011 release schedule. At Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc., we are seeking manuscripts from novella length (between 25,000 and 35,000 words approximately) to super novel length (exceeding 100,000 words), with a preference for novels between 65,000 and 90,000 words. We are more than willing to accept queries on book series, and will consider a series concept when at least one book is completed and the series has been thoroughly formulated.

We are looking for submissions in all of the following romance sub-genres:

• Contemporary Romance
• Romantic Suspense
• Romantic Comedy/Humorous Romance
• Inspirational/ Christian Romance
• Fantasy Romance
• Paranormal Romance
• Science Fiction Romance/Futuristic Romance
• Steampunk Romance
• Modern Cowboy Romance
• 20th Century Historical Romance
• Historical Romance (Prior to the 1900's)

And while we're actively seeking all genres, there are a few types of submissions that would really excite us!

Do you have a historical romance set within the first half of the 20th Century? Perhaps during The Great Depression or World War I/World War II?

The setting does not have to be limited to the United States, but anywhere in the globe affected by these world-altering timeframes. Do you have a romance set around the Korean or Vietnam Wars? These are largely untapped timeframes with a growing market.

Have you written an epic science fiction or futuristic book series? A Space Opera? Or even a single title novel of the genre? Steampunk is a new and upcoming genre that we're definitely interested in exploring.

We would like to see both single title -- as well as series -- romantic suspense novels, especially with characters who serve in law enforcement, civil service, or the military. And that's not just limited to the heroes.

We'd love to see books where the heroine is the one doing the saving and protecting, or works beside the hero in an equal position.

Have you written an intricate fantasy series with a cast of characters fighting for the greater good, and falling in love along the way?

We are actively seeking inspirational novels with a bit more real world flair. It's not always easy being a Christian, and we would like to see novels that express that.

And cowboys... we love modern-day cowboys. Sometimes they're on the ranch and sometimes they're outside their element... but they always say 'ma'am' and they know how to look darn sexy in cowboy boots.

Full submission guidelines can be read, along with instructions for submitting, can be found at our website: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/ under Submissions. Any questions regarding submissions can be directed to EditorInChief@DesertBreezePublishing.com

We anticipate a 4-6 week response time after July 1st.

Thanks!

Gail R. Delaney
Editor-In-Chief
Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc

3 Line Pitch Contest With Joanna Stampfel-Volpe Of The Coffery Lit Agency At Savvy Authors

3 line pitch contest with Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of the Nancy Coffey Literary Agency.

Get those pitches ready! Joanna Stampfel-Volpe will be dropping by our blog on Friday June 25th. The contest will run from 9 a.m. EST to midnight EST. Joanna will pick AT LEAST ONE pitch and the winners will be posted on the Savvy blog.

This contest is open to ALL members of Savvy. (Basic membership is free!)

Joanna's specific interests are: non-fiction for kids and teens, chapter books to YA novels, adult romance (historical, paranormal), fantasy (urban fantasy, steampunk), up-market fiction (dark, literary, horror, women's fic, commercial thrillers, historical, magical realism, speculative fic), and commercial non-fiction (pop culture, environmental, foodie). *She is also interested in graphic novels for kids/teens, or novels with a high graphic element.

Joanna Stampfel-Volpe has been with the Nancy Coffey Literary Agency for two years. She represents children's and adult books, fiction and non-fiction.

Register here!

Nancy Coffey Literary Agency
Savvy Authors

NY Times Bestselling Romance Author Lori Wilde’s Drive 'Em Wilde Contest

Here's an AWESOME contest. I just might enter if I can come up with the extra money. :)

Good Luck!

* * * * * PERMISSION TO FORWARD * * * * * 

Does your query can make editors and agents pant, moan and beg for more? Have you written a story that will keep editors up at night, thinking of you and your prose? If you think you have what it takes to drive editors and agents wild with anticipation, Lori Wilde’s Drive 'Em Wilde Contest is your chance to prove it.

Our first-round is judged by published authors who will act like slush pile readers, pulling only the best three in each genre to pass along to the final round editors who will select the winners.

But it doesn’t end there!

Lori Wilde, USA Today bestselling author, will choose an Overall Grand Prize Winner from each genre's first place winner to receive free tuition for her year-long mentoring track at Savvy University—a value of $1800! This individual will be mentored by Lori to improve his or her writing and edit a market-ready manuscript that really will drive an agent or editor wild!

**NEW: Enter contest today to reserve your spot, but you can upload your file any time until contest deadline!

Contest Deadline: July 15, 2010

Sponsor: SavvyAuthors.com

Fee: $20 Premium Savvy members / $25 Basic & non-members

Judging: Each entry will be judged by three published authors and scored using the contest’s scoresheet. Judges will provide comments and feedback for each score given. All scores will be combined and averaged. Three highest scoring entries for each genre will advance to the final round. All judged copies will be returned via email to non-finalist entrants following finalist announcement. Finalists entries will be returned after winners are announced. Final Judges will rank finalists one through three, with the First place winners sent to Lori Wilde who will choose an Overall Grand Prize Winner.

Finalists Announced: August 1, 2010

Eligibility: Must not have been published in the last 2 years by any of the major publishers (or its imprints) listed by Agent Query here: http://agentquery.com/publishing_mp.aspx

Enter: Query letter AND first 10 double-spaced pages of unpublished manuscript (See Official Rules)

First Place Winners: All first place winners for each category will receive $25 credit towards a workshop of their choice at Savvy Authors.

Overall Grand Prize Winner: Lori Wilde will read each of the first place winners and rank them 1 thru 7, with the first place winner receiving a free year’s tuition in her upcoming Mentoring course at Savvy University (details here: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/content.php?318-Lori-Wilde-s-Book-in-a-Year-for-Authors-of-Commercial-Fiction). This prize is non-transferrable.

To enter or view Official Rules, go to the website:

http://www.savvyauthors.com/event.cfm?EventID=510

Payment via PayPal is preferred.

2010 Categories and Final Judges: 

• Historical: Deb Werksman, Editor, Sourcebooks
• Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Fantasy: TBA
• Science Fiction/Futuristic: TBA
• Contemporary: Angela James, Editor, Carina Press
• Suspense: Kristin Sevick, Editor, Tor/Forge Books.
• Young Adult: Danielle Rose Poiesz, Editor, Gallery/Pocket Books Editorial
• Erotic Romance or Erotica: Lindsey Faber, Managing Editor, Samhain Publishing

**NOTE: Each entrant will have an opportunity to further designate whether their entry is most like commercial fiction, commercial fiction with romantic elements, literary fiction or romantic fiction for the sole purpose of managing judges’ expectations.

PLEASE READ RULES CAREFULLY!

Entries shall consist of a one (1) page query letter plus first ten (10) pages of manuscript, combined as one file. Query letter should be page 1, and the first 10 pages of your manuscript should be pages 2 through 11. No additional pages will be accepted.

Do not include illustrations, author bio/photos, vocabulary lists, or footnotes.

Entries shall be in standard manuscript format, 12 inch Courier or Courier New font or 12 inch Times New Roman font, 1" margins, and double spaced (single-spaced is optional for query letter) formatting on 8.5" x 11" standard paper. Query letter and chapter headings should begin 1/3rd down the page.

Query letter and chapter headings should begin 1/3rd down the page.

The title and category should be on top left of the page, page number on top right.

The author's name or any personal information should not appear anywhere on the manuscript or query letter. Entries bearing the author's name shall be disqualified.

Entries must be submitted by midnight PST July 15, 2010. If requirement is not met, entries will be unopened. (Late entries will not be opened.)

NEW!! Entry forms may be submitted in advance of file upload. Entrants will receive an email with instructions for how to edit their entry form and/or upload or re-upload their files. No changes may be made after the contest deadline.

Entries will be received in RTF (Rich Text Format) files only. (To convert your file to RTF, open the document, go into File, click on Save As and choose RTF format. This will create a new document with the same title in RTF format.)

Questions: Please contact the Contest Coordinator at wildecontest@savvyauthors.com

********************
Lori Wilde
savvyauthors.com - Writers Helping Writers
http://www.savvyauthors.com/workshops.cfm

Opportunity For Zombie Romance Writers

I snipped the following info from an email this morning. This is the first time I've heard this publishers name, so make sure you do your research before submitting.

Good Luck!

(permission to forward granted)


Zombie Romance Submissions

Ain't no lovin' like undead lovin'—and it applies to more than vampires.

Night Wolf Publications is ahead of the newest paranormal romance trend coming out of New York: Zombies. That's right. Share with us your take on a zombie romance. Light, dark, humorous, serious, gory & greasy, or carefully exfoliated; give us your best polished 50,000- to 100,000-word MS on or before Oct. 1, 2010, for a Valentine's Day 2011 sales season release. We're only accepting the best.

Follow the Directions!

Here's how to submit a zombie-specific, 50,000- to 100,000-word paranormal romance to Night Wolf Publications.

1. Send a query letter AND a two- to three-page synopsis of your completed story to nightwolfpublications@gmail.com by SEPTEMBER 14, 2010. (there's a great summary of how to write a romance synopsis at http://brendacoulter.com/BrendaCoulterTips.htm). Include "NWP Zombie Romance" in the subject line of your e-mail.

2. An editor for NWP will contact you before Oct. 1, 2010, requesting the full MS if he or she is interested in your story. At that time, you will be expected to follow the simple instructions to send the full MS to NWP by Oct. 1.

3. Authors are never expected to pay for their submissions at NWP. There are no submission fees, no reading fees, no editing fees, no processing fees, no printing fees, etc. Authors are not required to purchase copies of their books upon printing. Contracts will be offered when full MS are selected.

Night Wolf Publications

My New Blog Design

Well, guess what? Blogger has a brand new background designer with new templates and all. Woo-Hoo! I was playing around with them/it, and this is the result I got. LOL 

I think I'm really going to like (playing) around with this, so I doubt this background will stay up long (I do like the way it matches my Dangerous Desires book cover though).

I want to play some more, but it's late and I'm tired, so this is it for now.

So, do you use Blogger, and if so, have you discovered the new template designer? What do you think about it? Inquiring minds want to know. :)

Candy Havens Writng Game Challenge

Wanna play a game? Wanna boost those page and word counts? Then play the Writing Game!

I'm sure most of you are familiar with Candy Havens Fast Draft Challenge. If not, I blogged about it here a few years ago. Well, in addition to Fast Draft, Candy host's another challenge called The Writing Game.

The rules are simple. Here's is how it works...

Each day (beginning today June7, 2010) for about a week, Candy will draw a number out of a hat and you write that many words that day. It could range from 250 words, which is one page, to 5000 words, which is 20 pages. The good thing is, you can bank pages. So, say you write 500 words on a 250 page day, you can bank those extra 250 words/extra pages for another day. Simple, huh?

And for those of you who are stuck in revisions, Candy does a daily page count (instead of word count), only these pages can range from two pages a day to 30. If you revise more than the required pages, you can bank those pages for another day as well.

It really is easier than it sounds.

Candy's Rules

1. No whining (This is one rule that you should take very seriously.)
2. Post your word count each day, including any banked numbers, on Write_WorkshopChat@yahoogroups.com

This is a separate loop from the main group (Write_Workshop@yahoogroups.com), so you'll need to join if you aren't already a member. This is also the place you can ask questions.

Revising
If you are revising, it's a slightly different process. You won't get a word count number, you'll get a page count number. Anywhere from 5 to 30 pages. You do the same thing. You can bank pages and you'll post your counts on the Write_WorkshopChat@yahoogroups.com. The same rules as above apply to you.

So each day you will see something that looks like this:

New Words: 450
Revised Pages: 12

If you play the game (which started today June 7th, 2010), you'll have a significant amount of pages done by the time we are finished.

So, do you wanna play?

If so, join the main loop at mailto:Write_Workshop@yahoogroups.com and go here to join the challenge loop  Write_WorkshopChat@yahoogroups.com

Happy Writing!

Candy Havens Website

Write_Workshop Yahoo Group home page:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Write_Workshop

Cobblestone Press Forward Motion Free Online Conference

Over the weekend, Cobblestone Press presented Words in Motion, a Free online conference held in their forum. The conf. ran June 4th, 5th, and 6th, but you can still register (at the forum) and browse around.

Words in Motion (WIM) is an annual online conference developed to offer support, marketing, and networking within the romance and erotic romance industries. Our goal is to provide affordable and convenient opportunities for authors, publishers, and other professional individuals.

If you're not familiar with Cobblestone Press, they're an electronic, full service publisher of erotic romance and short story erotica, releasing two to three digital books a week in a variety of downloadable formats.

Below is a list of the workshops presented: 

Friday June 4th

• Cover Art Workshop for Aspiring artists hosted by Sable Grey June 4th-6th
• Sex & History presented by Dorothy McFalls
• Kaye’s Presentation: Promoting Yourself out of Writer's Block
• Brandi Loyd: Submissions Dos & Dont's 6p.m.
• On Wirting with Bertrice Small at 7:00p.m.
• Bring Your Own Cowboy (BYOC) chat with Kaye Spencer 8:00p.m.

Saturday June 5th 

• Keeping it Real: The Reality of Police Officer Shootings by Loribelle Hunt
• Cover Art Workshop for Aspiring artists hosted by Sable Grey June 4th-6th
• E-book conversions for self publishing authors and publishers presented by Jim Brown
• Male Male Relationships by Jamieson Wolf

Sunday June 6th

• Anna Leigh Keaton and Madison Layle Presentation: World Building for a Series by Anna Leigh Keaton & Madison Layle
• Beyond MS Word: Techinology tools for Writers presented by Tina Marie
• Cover Art Workshop for Aspiring artists hosted by Sable Grey June 4th-6th
• Finding Free Sources for Book Trailers presented by Kayelle Allen
• Cobblestone Press Birthday Bash hosted by Sable Grey and Deanna Lee

If you'd like to browse the workshops and/or register for the forum (you don't have to register to look around, but you do have to register if you want to comment), go here.

Cobblestone Press, LLC
Cobblestone Mainstreet Forum

Happy Memorial Day!

Here's Wishing You And Yours A Happy Memorial Day!

Myspace Comments

A Couple of Free Writing Courses

**Permission to forward granted**

Marketing For Romance Writer's is hosting a class titled Muse Therapy from 5/31 - 6/30. There is no charge for the course.

The info will be posted on the group and you can access it at your leisure. There will also be specific times when you can interact with the instructor, D. D. Scott. More details later.

The 4-week class includes 6 full lectures and approx 10 mini-lectures which will post at a rate of 3 to 5 per week. D. D. Scott will participate and lead discussion every day for the entire month. Her lectures are full of pics which will be uploaded to the File Sections of our Yahoo Group for each class. Students simply download them as they wish.

Teacher info:

D. D. Scott writes romantic comedies w/a chick-lit, gone-country twist, and she is a Writer's Go-to-Gal for Muse Therapy. Her brand is "Sexy, Sassy, Smart". You can learn more about her at http://www.ddscott.com and follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ddscottromcom

Classes start Mon 5/31/10 and go thru 6/30/10. That we are getting this material at no cost is a true bargain. You don't have to sign up - just show up! Please mark this on your calendar.

To join MFRW, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/

Also, award winning romance author Lucy Monroe host's a Yahoo group where she  teaches FREE online writing courses. In fact, right now she's teaching an eleven week workshop called  “11 Senses, Who Knew?” based on the book by historical romance author Marilyn Kelly.  Even though the course is in the 2nd week, it's not too late to sign up. New lesson's are posted on Friday's, and every week a "mentoring" prize is awarded.

To learn more about this course, check out Lucy's blog. If you'd like to sign up for Lucy's FREE writing classes, go here.
 
Lucy's Website
Lucy's Blog
Marilyn Kelly Website
 
Happy Writing!

Happy Mother's Day!

Myspace Comments

Coyote Con FREE Writer's Conference 5/1-5/31

(Snipped from the website)

Those of us who read and write speculative fiction have a passion for seeing beyond the every day or around the corner. We dream of alien worlds, peoples, sciences, magic, and miracles. We imagine ghosts, monsters, and consummate lovers. We’re geeks, outsiders—strangers in a strange land. We have fun playing with possibilities. We are the home of mythic fiction in all its forms.

Coyote Con is a 31 day digital author conference. Our topics are geared toward the author, but if you have an interest—whether you write or not—you are welcome to attend. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required as space is limited.

You must register for the conference to attend any session. You must also obtain a ticket for each Special Session you wish to attend. General sessions do not require a ticket. Look at the schedule, here, to choose your sessions.

Go here to learn more and register.

Happy Conferencing!

Coyote Con Home
Coyote Con Courses

Harlequin Historicals Editor Pitch!

(Snipped from the eHarlequin Write Stuff forum board)

"We're at it again! And this time, we've got another of your favorite lines for you to send your roguish rakes, rugged cowboys, impetuous heiresses and spirited frontierswomen too! Harlequin Historical is looking for YOUR manuscript and Assistant Editor, Sally Williamson will be on hand to take your pitch!

To enter, send a two-paragraph blurb of your manuscript to Hosty Rae by June 3rd  

Five entries will be chosen by Sally Williamson and those will be announced no later than June 7th. 

Pitches will happen June 15th, at 11 am edt. But read the rules below to ensure your entry can be accepted.

•NO currently published works to include self-publishing. Original, non-published works ONLY please!

• You MUST be able to enter and post inside the eHarlequin.com chat room. If you are unable to use the chat room and your submission is chosen, we will be unable to offer you another venue option and it will be unfair to an entrant who is able.

• You MUST have a completed manuscript that is targeted to Harlequin Historical. Editors have the option to request partials or fulls.

• You MUST be available at the given chat time. As stated above, we will be unable to offer another venue or time option.

• Please include your member name, your full name along with your submission."

Harlequin Historical Guidelines
Editor Pitch FAQs

  For more information, visit: http://community.eharlequin.com/forums/write-stuff/editor-pitch-harlequin-historical

TWRP - New Series Call For Submissions

The following is a new series TWRP is kicking off for LROS (Last Rose Of Summer) line. There is a yahoo loop devoted to the details. If interested, please follow the appropriate submission guidelines or ask questions through the same to queryus@thewildrosepress.com. Please feel free to spread this to your writing loops, etc.

Did you ever wonder what happened to . . .

The Prom Queen? The guy most likely to serve time in a federal prison? The couple voted most likely to succeed?

If intrigued with the opportunity to rewrite a bit of history . . . or exact a little revenge. . . .

The Last Rose of Summer invites you to a reunion of The Class of '85

Dear fellow alumna,

Hard to believe it's been 25 years since we last walked the halls of Summerville High. Wouldn't you like to know what's going on with former classmates?

The Reunion Committee has worked hard to plan a fabulous, fun-filled three day celebration on the last weekend in June at the historic Summerville Inn.

Come for one day or all three—but register early for the SHS package discount. Bring your spouse or come stag. You won't believe the surprises waiting for you!

RSVP to KathyCottrell@thewildrosepress.com

Details which must be included in every submission:

• Summerville is a medium size city on the shores of Lake Ontario in Western New York State.
• Some students may still live in Summerville, others might be returning for the first time since graduation. They might make it back for the celebration; they might not.
• The above invitation will kick off the story but it is the concept of "whatever happened to . . ." which is the key element.
• The reunion might be one feature of the story, only a side-note as in a 'regrets-only' RSVP phone call. The common thread among all Class of '85 stories will be the invitation above. It is up to the author to take it from there.
• The Hero or Heroine [or both] must be a member of the Class of '85.

* Story length: 7,500—40,000 computer word count
* Sensuality level: sweet to sensual [no erotica]
* As always, it MUST be a romance with protagonists who have realistic goals, motivation and conflict—along with a HEA ending.

Submit to: queryus@thewildrosepress.com with "Class of '85" in the subject line.

The Wild Rose Press
LROS New Series Submission Guidelines

*Note*
Several of TWRP lines have a call out for submissions for a specific series such as Scarlet Rose with Cowboy Kink, and Crimson Rose with Jewel of the Night.  Cactus Rose has EarthSongs and Sweetheart Rose has the Flower Basket.  Please review the individual guidelines on each of the pages on TWRP website for more information.

Writer's Village University's FREE 7-Week Creative Writing Course

Writer's Village University is once again offering their Free F2K Creative Writing Course.  Class begins April 7, 2010 and runs for 7-weeks.  Registration closes April 5th, so hurry and sign up!

I took this class years ago, when I was just learning to write and loved it. I also purchased a paid membership (and loved that, too). It's an awesome place to learn the craft of writing, or to brush up on your skills. These days they offer tons more courses to choose from than they did back when I was a member. It's well worth spending the $69 for a year membership  (or $14 monthly).

To learn more (and check out the AWESOME course they offer), visit the Writer's Village University home page. To register for the Free F2K Creative Writing Course, go to: http://writersvillage.com/amember/signup.php .


Happy Writing!

The 79th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition

Enter the 79th Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition

GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents

Submit your manuscript for a chance to win a trip for you and a guest to New York, where you'll spend three days and two nights in the publishing capital of the world. While you're there, a Writer's Digest editor will escort you to share your work with four editors or agents.

The Grand Prize manuscript, the First Place manuscript in each category, and the names of the top 100 winners in each category will be printed in a special competition collection.

Reserve your copy of the 79th Annual
Writer's Digest Writing Competition Collection.

Compete to Win in 10 Categories:

1. Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
2. Memoirs/Personal Essay
3. Magazine Feature Article
4. Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
5. Mainstream/Literary Short Story
6. Rhyming Poetry
7. Non-Rhyming Poetry
8. Stage Play
9. Television/Movie Script
10. Children's/Young Adult Fiction

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NEWSFLASH! - Kensington/Brava Writing With The Stars Contest For Unpublished Writers

(Snipped from The Brava Authors blog)

In conjunction with RT Book Reviews, Brava is sending out a call to unpublished writers of paranormal, historical and contemporary romance , as well as romantic suspense: We’re looking for a hot debut novel to be published in 2012 under the Brava imprint at Kensington.

If you’ve written a sensual full-length romance novel, this is a great opportunity to submit to the editors at Brava, who will be reading the entries and selecting the top ten finalists. Starting in September, each of our top ten will be paired with one of Brava’s star authors for the next stage of the competition – creating one-of-a kind opening hooks, to-die-for heroes, sizzling love scenes and more.

For more info, vist The Brava Authors blog.

Workshop Proposals/Instructors Wanted At Savvy Authors

*Permission to Forward Granted and Gratefully Encouraged*

Savvy Authors, a website for writers, is accepting proposals from interested instructors and presenters for the remainder of our 2010 education program and also for our 2011 schedule. We are seeking in-depth, well-structured workshops that are NOT already scheduled more than twice during the 2010 or 2011 calendar year.

We are open to a range of teaching styles including forum and chat based mixtures, and also podcasts and workshops that include an audio or video component. Our workshops are conducted via a bulletin board based forum that can function like an email loop or list.

At this time we are accepting proposals for workshops of all lengths including 1, 2, 3 or 4 weeks of all types (Craft, Topics, Promotion, Business, and Life Issues.)Â All workshops are open to anyone regardless of membership in Savvy Authors. Our stipend structure accommodates a flat fee structure as well as a split of the class fees.

Savvy Authors is committed to supporting published and aspiring authors by providing excellence in educational resources targeted to the specific needs of our membership. Hence, while interested in proposals on any craft, promotion or publishing topic, Savvy Authors is specifically soliciting proposals in the areas described below.

Of particular interest are craft workshops that address the following subjects:

• Character Driven Plotting
• Weaving Together Plot and Character Arcs in a Romance Novel
• Three Act Structure
• Writing in the Active Voice
• Scenes and Sequels
• Revision and Editing, optionally including Grammar and Punctuati
• Subplots and Plot Layers
• World Building
• Deep POV
• Dialogue
• Bad Boys, Wicked Women, Villains, and Antagonists
• Writing Dark Heroines and Heroes
• Planning and Writing a Series or Sequels
• Showing vs Telling
• Crafting a Mystery
• Using Folklore, Religion and Myth to Worldbuild
• The Dark Paranormal
• Urban Fantasy
• Writing Novellas and Short Stories
• Writing a Modern Western
• Writing a Historical Western

Proposals for Preparing Submittal Packages and Responding to Requests, Life as an Author, and the Business Side of Writing are also of interest.

Examples of topics include, but are NOT limited to:

• Researching and Working with Agents
• Query Letters
• The Synopsis
• Contests
• Critiquing
• Professional Behavior for the Author
• What to expect as a Debut Author
• Contracts
• Record Keeping and Taxes
• Writers Block
• The Muse
• Writing on a Shoestring
• Organization for the Writer

Proposals for workshops targeted towards promotion that think outside the box and include innovative strategies will be warmly welcomed. Emphasis will be given to short, intensively focused workshops that address one subject.

Examples of topics include but are NOT limited to:

• Podcasting
• Creating and Maintaining a Blog
• Making a Book Trailer
• Guest Blogging
• Developing a Blog Tour
• Developing a Promotion Campaign for the Debut Author
• Setting Up Book Signings
• Developing a Relationship with Your Local Bookstores
• What Happens After Your Rights Revert to You – Keeping Your Backlist Available
• Designing a Website
• Using a Template for Your Website
• HTML
• Networking for the Introvert
• Promotion for Beginners
• Interacting with Readers and Fans
• Finding Book Reviewers
• Using Social Media
• Second Life as an Avenue for Promotion

Genre specific workshops such as (but not limited to) crafting a mystery or creating an alien are also sought.

In addition we are actively seeking workshops on topics of interests to writers of all genres, including historicals, mysteries, thrillers, novels in a medical setting (or any other specific setting with a requirement for technical accuracy), PI and/or police procedurals, regencies, steam punk, and science fiction.

Examples of topics include but is NOT limited to:

• Medieval Castles 
• Medieval Life 
• Victorian England/Victoriana 
• Weapons and Weapons Use 
• Martial Arts 
• Police Procedures 
• Life in a Hospital, ER or ICU 
• The Napoleonic Wars 
• Regency Society 
• Sleuthing
• Computer Hacking 
• Espionage 
• Life in the Army, Navy or Air Force  
• Special Forces 
• Non Traditional Healing and Medicine  
• Witchcraft 
• Vampire Lore 
• Werewolf Lore 
• Celtic Legends and Folklore 
• Life on the Western Frontier
• Colonial America 
• The Revolutionary War 
• The Civil War 
• The Home Front During WWI or WWII 
• WWI 
• WWII 
• Prohibition  
• The Roaring Twenties 
• Ranching 
• Small Town Sheriff 
• The Old Time Cattle Drive 
• Rodeos
• Cowboys

Instructors and presenters selected for the 2010 calendar year will be asked to provide a complete course promotion package, including a finished course précis, syllabus, bio, book blurb and either a cover graphic or picture of themselves, within five days of notification of selection.

Your proposal MUST specifically include:

1.Class Title and Length
2.Target Audience (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced or Mixed)
3.Prerequisites
4.Description and Syllabus
5. Presenter Bio (including relevant experience and education – first time presenters of topics welcomes and encouraged to apply.)
6.Availability to Present
7. Degree of Instructor Involvement (e.g., will there be assignments and will they be reviewed individually or only as examples)
8. Is this workshop is currently scheduled for anytime in 2010 or 2011? If so provide the dates and sponsor.
9. Email Address

We recognize in order to achieve our goals and best serve our membership it is sometimes necessary a workshop be developed or tailored to our specifications. We also recognize that some instructors or workshop topics in and of themselves may provide a degree of added value not found in other instances. Hence we are willing to negotiate a stipend that reflects that understanding. If you feel that your workshop falls into the latter category please include that information in your proposal.

We make every effort to promote the workshops as widely as possible and ask our instructors to do the same. Therefore we also ask our instructors to guest blog 2-4 weeks prior to the workshop as a part of the promotion for same.

Selected instructors will be asked to agree to not present a workshop on our schedule six months prior to or six months after the date agreed to with us.

Prospective and interested instructors and presenters are STRONGLY encouraged to visit Savvy Authors and its sister site, Savvy Readers , and to ask all questions before submitting a proposal.

Send a complete proposal for all workshops. Incomplete proposal packages will not be considered. Proposals are due by April 1, 2010. All proposals should be addressed to:

Sharon L. Pickrel
Savvy Authors Workshop Coordinator

workshops@savvyauthors.com

savvyauthors.com - Writers Helping Writers
http://www.savvyauthors.com/workshops.cfm