Romance Writer Woes...

My Apologies

2011-07-28T18:45:00.000-05:00

Dear RWW's Readers,

Please accept my apology.

I'm so very sorry for neglecting you these past months, and for this VERY, VERY, VERY late post. I know there is no excuse for me to leave you hanging, that's not what I intended. I've been so busy working on a new project(s), and working a new job, that I just haven't had time to post.

Even though everything has been kind of crazy, I'm happy to say, it's slowly letting up. I will be back to posting soon.

So, please, accept my apology.

Yours Truly,

Here's Wishing All You Mother's Out There A Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T15:29:00.000-05:00

Leah Hultenschmidt of Casablanca Looking For Contempory Romance Today Only!

2011-03-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

Attention Contempoary Romance Authors! Leah Hultenschmidt, Senior Editor for Sourcebooks, Casablanca is "on a hunt-down for some contemporary romance" and wants you to leave a comment on the Casablanca Authors Blog if you have a complete manuscript.

Snipped the following from the blog:

If you’ve got a fresh complete contemporary romance with high action a la Suze Brockmann, small-town values like Robyn Carr, humor that sizzles like Robin Kaye, or just as all-round delicious as Jennifer Crusie’s BET ME, bring it on! Post a comment below with:

Your 2-4 sentence hook/pitch (not just a plot summary, but what makes me want to read)
A brief description of your hero
A one-sentence author history

I’ll accept pitches through midnight EST, ending at 12:01 a.m. 3/18. If you miss this chance for a critique, you can always email your project to me at romance[at]sourcebooks.com.

Can’t wait to hear what you’ve got, and may the luck of the Irish be with you!

Good Luck!

Casablanca Authors Blog

Scourcebooks

Aspiring Historical Authors, Wanna Pitch To Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agentcy?

2011-03-17T18:17:00.000-05:00

ATTENTION ASPIRING HISTORICAL ROMANCE AUTHORS!

As part of Ashley Marchs' month-long March Maddness Celebration, beginning today (Thursday, March 17, 2001) agent Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency is taking 3 sentence blog pitches for historical romance on Ashley's blog.

Your 3 line pitch can be a combination of any 3 sentences: 1 sentence blurb of book + 1st 2 lines of ms; a 2 sentence blurb + 1st line of ms; or you can use all 3 lines for the synopsis blurb. The winner gets a partial read.

RULES:
Beginning today (Thursday, March 17, 2001), you will have until midnight MST on Thursday, March 24th (one week) to comment on this post with no more than three sentences.

The three sentences MUST be either: 1 sentence blurb + first 2 lines; 2 sentence blurb + 1st line; or 3 sentence blurb.

Barbara will choose the pitch/excerpt she likes the best (not random) and the winner will be announced on Thursday, March 31st, the last day of March Madness. Further details on how/when to submit partial will be sent to winner. Completed manuscripts are encouraged, but not required.

Open for aspiring historical romance authors only.

Ashley March Blog
Irene Goodman Literary Agency

Have A Safe And Happy St. Patty's Day!

2011-03-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

Comments - Graphics - eCards - Photobucket

Pitch To Christine Witthohn Of The BookCents Literary Agency At Pitch University

2011-02-07T21:20:00.000-06:00

I just ran across this website, Pitch University, that host's agent pitches, and there's a pitch session going on right now (Feb. 6 - 12, 2011)! As far as I can tell, you can submit your choice of a written, audio and/or video pitch. The bad news is, last Sunday was the only day they accepted written pitches, but there is still time for the video/audio submission(s).

There is no fee to enter, so if you're interested read the info posted below, and hurry and get your pitch in!

Good Luck!

Pitch University...an Education in pitching your book or novel

Practice your pitch. Get feedback. (Maybe get a request!)

Welcome to our first "Pitch U Pitchfest Week," February 6 -12, 2011 here at Pitch University. If you're new to Pitch University, read here for an overview of how we work and here for our rules.

Read below for this week's agent, what you need to do (it's easy!), and special rules to celebrate our Pitch U launch!

Meet Christine Witthohn, BookCents Literary Agency

Christine Witthohn is the founder of Bookcents Literary Agency. She's been mentoring Pitch U writers throughout January by providing lessons and on-going help in developing pitches.

Pitch Lesson 1 - What Goes Into a Great Pitch (Basics of Pitching Your Book)

Pitch Lesson 3: Pitch Your Book's Hook

When you create your pitches for Christine, she wants to know your name, the genre/type, the word count, and your hook.

NOTE: She will assume you're aiming at a New York publisher unless you indicate otherwise.

Her Clients Include Brenda Novak, and BookCents Literary Agency represents authors who write both fiction and very specific non-fiction.

They are currently seeking:

FICTION: Romance - Contemporary, Paranormal, Romantic Comedy, Mystery/Suspense,

Children's - Young Adult, Middle Grade, Women's Lit (must have a strong hook), Mainstream Mystery/Suspense, Medical or Legal Fiction (something that hasn't been done before), Literary Fiction.

NON-FICTION: We are looking for very specific NF Women's Issues/Experiences

Fun/Quirky Topics (particularly those of interest to women), Cookbooks (fun, ethnic, etc.), Health Gardening (herbs, plants, flowers, etc.), Books with a

"Save The Planet" theme, Entertaining Reference, How-To Books.

Professional Affiliations:

AAR - Association of Authors' Representatives
RWA - Romance Writers of America
MWA - Mystery Writers of America
SinC - Sisters In Crime
KOD - Kiss Of Death Chapter

Pitching at Pitch U is easy! It all boils down to...

Creating a pitch (video, audio, or written).
Emailing it to us.
Getting great feedback throughout the week from a guest agent and editor.

There's a lot of information in our Rules area, but just remember it really boils down to 3 simple elements.

Special Rules to Celebrate Our Launch

No cap!
All fiction genres; all non-fiction types. (Must be book-length.)You may submit multiple pitches! (1 per book project, including "practice" pitches for incomplete projects.) **This is a 1-time offer.**
No Change: Deadline to be considered for (video-only) Pitch Evaluation Lab day = Tuesday. 8:00 a.m. CST.
Bonus Deadline: Extra 24 hours added for all other audio/video pitches! (Yes, a Pitch U Inaugural Celebration Deadline.) Pitch Feedback Day deadline = Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. CST.

Video and Audio Pitches: Accepted all day Sunday, all day Monday, and until SEE EXTENDED DEADLINE ABOVE.

Written Pitches: Accepted Sunday only.

Note: Written pitches are not part of PitchFest Week. They won't be posted. They won't receive any feedback other than the message, "This writer IS/IS NOT ready to create a video or audio pitch" directly from the agent or editor.

Why bother? Well, if you're truly nervous about creating an audio or video, this will give you confidence that the words you're using to pitch your book actually make sense.

An agent or editor is telling you that you're ready to take the next step.

We'll notify you Monday (approx. 6:00 p.m. CST) of the results. You have Monday night (SEE EXTENDED DEADLINE) to go ahead and create a video or audio. You must meet the submission deadline.

Questions?

Pitch University
Book Cents Literary Agency

Wow! Women On Writing Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest

2011-02-07T19:05:00.000-06:00

It's that time of year again! Time to enter the Wow! (Women on Writing) Quarterly Flash Fiction Contest!

Authors may write about anything, as long as submissions are between 250 and 750 words.

Prizes: 1st – $300; 2nd – $200; 3rd – $100. Winners, 7 runners up, and 10 honorable mentions receive Amazon gift cards, an e-book pack and possible publication.

Deadline: February 28, 2011

Fees: $10

Wow! Women on Writing

Good Luck!

Harlequin Contests & Challenges: Pitch Challenge, Patent Your Kiss Contest, Mentor Challenge

2011-02-05T15:40:00.000-06:00

Here are a few Harlequin contests I ran across. There are some awesome opportunities for those of you who are targeting the Harlequin Nocturne Bites or Kimani lines, or if you're looking for a mentor, or looking to get your work in front of an editor or just looking to have some fun.

Have Fun & Good Luck!

"Valentine Secrets": Harlequin Mentor Challenge

How would you like to win a Mentor For A Month? Well, now is your chance! Write a Titled, 1k start to a Valentine's-themed, secret-baby romance. All other details are up to you!

Take part in our Valentine Secrets Challenge and you'll have a chance to learn from Harlequin Desire author and long-time Community Member, Tessa Radley! Tessa started out just like you, right here on the message boards, learning from authors and peers before joining the ranks of our published Harlequin authors and now she wants to give back. She has generously agreed to blind-judge all the entries and select a winner to mentor for a month. All you need to do is write the best Valentine of your life!

Go here for more info, rules and guidelines.

Harlequin Mentor Challenge

Editor Pitch Challenge: Nocturne BITES

We're at it again! And this time, we've got another of your favorite lines for you to send your dark and sexy paranormal entries too! Nocturne Bites is looking for YOUR manuscript and Associate Sr. Editor, Ann Leslie Tuttle will be on hand to take your pitch!

To enter, send a two-paragraph blurb of your manuscript to Hosty Rae by February 17th

Five entries will be chosen by Ann Leslie Tuttle and those will be announced no later than February 22nd.

Pitches will happen February 24th, at 2 pm est. But read the rules below to ensure your entry can be accepted.

• 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 Nocturne Bites. 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.

Editor Pitch FAQs
Editor Pitch Challenge
eHarlequin Nocturne Bites

Editor Pitch Challenge: Kimani Romance

We're at it again! And this time, we've got another of your favorite lines for you to send your sexy, dramatic, sophisticated and entertaining love story entries too! Kimani Romance is looking for YOUR manuscript and Senior Editor, Kelli Martin will be on hand to take your pitch!

To enter, send a 1-page dbl-spaced synopsis ( not to exceed 250 words ) of your manuscript to Hosty Rae by March 1

Five entries will be chosen by Kelli Martin and those will be announced on or around March 4th.
Pitches will happen March 9th, at 11 am est. But read the rules below to ensure your entry can be accepted.
NO multiple submissions.
NO Attachments. Please include your entry in the body of the email. If your submission is sent via attachment, it will not be entered.
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 Kimani Romance. Editors have the option to request partials or full.
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.

Kimani Romance Info
Kimani Romance Editor Pitch Challenge

Patent Your Kiss Contest

So pucker up!

Next year it's not who you kiss at midnight but where

We want to hear all about your unique kiss, from romantic to downright quirky. And if yours gets the most votes, you could win a trip for two to spend New Year’s Eve 2012 in fabulous style.

3-Night, 4-Day trip for 2 to Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino + Airfare

Hurry! You have until March 30 to design and submit your kiss. The winner will be chosen from the top ten kisses with the most votes. So don’t forget to vote for your favourite kisses in the gallery too!

Contest ends 30/03/11. Click here for details.

Harlequin Patent Your Kiss Website
Patent Your Kiss Contest
Official Rules

From the Harlequin Office for the Preservation of the Kiss

The kiss is the cornerstone of romance. It can change lives, break hearts, start a rumor or ignite passion. The mission of this office is to preserve and celebrate the kiss and we have done so proudly for more than 60 years. So pucker up and come see the important work we do.

The Romance Junkies FREE 2011 Writing Contest is Open For Submissions

2011-02-02T11:13:00.000-06:00

Carina Press is sponsoring this years Romance Junkies Writing Contest. Entries will be accepted Feb.1st - April 1st, 2011. And guess what, there's no entry fee! Woo-hoo!

The contest is FREE!

The contest is open to all published and non-published authors, with the exception of all contracted Carina Press authors. Readers will do the voting, so they will have a chance to win, too! Awesome, isn't it?

Want to know more? Here's some info I snipped from the Romance Junkies website:

Entries should contain two scenes: the first 2500-3000 words of the book and then one scene or 2500-3000 words of the author’s choice that features a pivotal moment. This could be the meeting of two characters, a first kiss, a conflict scene, an action scene, a scene of discovery or anything else the author considers a pivotal moment in the book.

About Carina Press

Carina Press, Harlequin’s digital-first imprint, is open to submissions. Our mission is to connect readers with authors who write the stories they want to read.

Carina Press features books from talented authors in all genres of romance, erotica, science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, women’s fiction, and more. If the book of your heart fits into a niche that has very little shelf space in a traditional bookstore, Carina Press is eager to read and potentially publish your story.

The Prizes for the Writers!

The Editorial Staff of Carina Press will select winners from among the Finalists.

The Grand Prize will be a Kindle plus a critique* from a Carina editor.

Second, Third, and Fourth place critiqued* by editorial staff of Carina Press.

*Critiques will be offered for a set number of pages, not just the contest entry. Length of critique piece will be decrease from Grand Prize to Fourth place, but will not be less than 15 pages.

The Prizes for the Readers!

The voting process allows readers to provide feedback to the writers through our online form. Each week an email address will be selected at random from these posts and will receive a digital Carina title of the winner’s choice.

The Grand Prize will be 25 digital Carina titles of the winner’s choice and will be selected at random from all of those who voted.

About Writing Contest 2011

FAQs

It's free.

Contest is open to both published and unpublished authors, however authors contracted with Carina Press are not eligible to enter or win.

Categories were created for the convenience of the readers. All entries will be judged the same, we will not be breaking it up into winners by category.

Each week we post a group of entries to be voted on by readers.

The entry that receives the most votes from each week will be entered into the final round of competition..

Two Wildcard Finalists will be selected by the Romance Junkies staff from the entries that did not win their week.

Carina Press editors will review the Finalists and select a Grand prize winner and three runners-up

Contest Schedule

February 1st– April 1st-- Take in Entries

Feb 14th– through May 14th– Post entries (every week a group of entries are posted on the contest page to be voted on by readers)

May 30th– Winners Announced

For more info, eligibility, rules and guidelines, visit the Romance Junkies Contest Page.

Good Luck!

Carina Press
Romance Junkies Contest
Romance Junkies Readers Yahoo Group

Writer's Digest Annual Writing Competetion

2011-01-31T13:05:00.001-06:00

For 80 years, the Annual Writer’s Digest Competition has rewarded writers just like you for their finest work. We continue the tradition by giving away more than $30,000 in cash and prizes!

Win a trip to the Writer's Digest Conference in New York City !

GRAND PRIZE: $3,000 cash and a trip to New York City to meet with editors or agents. Writer's Digest will fly you and a guest to The Big Apple for the conference. While you're there, a Writer's Digest editor will arrange for you to meet and share your work with four editors or agents!

Deadline: May 2, 2011.
Late Deadline: May 20, 2011.

Compete and Win in 10 Categories!

•Inspirational Writing (Spiritual/Religious)
•Memoirs/Personal Essay
•Magazine Feature Article
•Genre Short Story (Mystery, Romance, etc.)
•Mainstream/Literary Short Story
•Rhyming Poetry
•Non-rhyming Poetry
•Stage Play
•Television/Movie Script
•Children's/Young Adult Fiction

Entry Fee: Poems are $15 for the first entry; $10 for each additional poem submitted in the same online session. All other entries are $25 for the first manuscript; $15 for each additional manuscript submitted in the same online session.

Add $5 per manuscript to all entries submitted after May 2, 2011. Entries submitted after May 20, 2011, will not be accepted.

PRIZES

Grand Prize: $3,000 cash and a trip to the Writer's Digest Conference in New York City to meet with editors and agents.

While you are there a Writer's Digest editor will arrange for you to meet with four editors or agents ! (Includes airfare within the U.S., meals, transportation and related expenses.)

First Place: The First Place Winner in each category receives $1,000 cash and $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.
Second Place: The Second Place Winner in each category receives $500 cash, plus $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.
Third Place: The Third Place Winner in each category receives $250 cash, plus $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books.
Fourth Place: The Fourth Place Winner in each category receives $100 cash, plus $50 worth of Writer's Digest Books..
Fifth Place: The Fifth-Place Winner in each category receives $50 cash.
Sixth through Tenth Place: The Sixth- through Tenth-Place winners in each category receive $25 cash.

First through Tenth Place Winners also receive a 1-year Writer's Digest VIP membership, which includes a one-year subscription (new or renewal) to Writer’s Digest Magazine, 1 year access to WritersMarket.com, 10% off Writer's Digest University workshops and purchases at WritersDigestShop.com and more.

11th through 100th Place: All other winners receive distinctive certificates honoring their accomplishment.
Entry Deadline: May 2, 2011

Late Entry Deadline: May 20, 2011 (Add $5 per manuscript or poem to Entry Fee(s))

80th Annual Writer's Digest WRITING COMPETITION COLLECTION

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. Purchase a copy online or use the coupon on the printable entry form. (Publication date: November 2011. You are not required to purchase the collection to enter the competition.)

Go here for more info, rules and guidelines.

Writer's Digest 80th Annual Writing Competition

DIGICON: A Free Online Conference From Savvy Authors

2011-01-30T16:17:00.001-06:00

Beginning February 14, 2011, SavvyAuthors will host DigiCon: a free, online, week-long conference dedicated to helping authors refine their strategy to incorporate and capitalize on the aggressively emerging world of e-publishing. Join SavvyAuthors and more than 80 experts through panels, chats, Q&A's, workshops, webinars, and pitching opportunities as they discuss craft, marketing, and techniques to sell your book in this growth market.

* Join editors from Samhain, Sourcebooks, and many others to learn how they successfully navigated the digital domain.
* Join agents for a view of current issues and advice in ebook sales and author career management.
* Join successful eBook authors who are in the midst of the revolution and share their expertise.
* Share your best sites and online tools in our “Best of the Web” sessions

Check out the great events, chats, workshop, prizes, and pitch opportunities below.

Events

* Workshops
* Chat sessions & webinars
* Pitch opportunities
* Contests
* Raffles for craft books, critiques from authors and editors, and more.

Topics

* Current market trends in digital publishing
* State of the art technology in digital publishing
* Online marketing opportunities and pitfalls
* Backlist management and self-publishing
* What the eRevolution means for aspiring authors
* Craft sessions about plot, character, world building and more
* Best practices for developing the perfect pitches, queries and synopses
* Self-publication strategies and successes
* Tips from an Author Success Coach
* Best of Web information and tools
* and many more.

WHEN: Feb 14, 2011 - Feb 20, 2011

COST: FREE for ALL BASIC AND PREMIUM Members!

REGISTRATION: http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/showevent.php?eventid=748

INSTRUCTORS:

Savvy Authors

Participating Publishers

* Lyrical Press
* Sourcebooks
* Samhain Publishing
* Dream Spinner Press
* Night Wolf Publications
* Carina Press
* Muse It Up Publishing
* Liquid Silver Press
* Ellora's Cave
* Draumr Publishing
* Whispers Publishing
* Noble Romance Publishing
* Loose ID
* LL Publications
* Gypsy Shadow Publishing
* Wicked Nights Publishing
* Bluewood Publishing
* Renaissance Ebooks /Sizzler Publications
* Champagne Press
* Changeling Press
* Breathless Press
* Blue Ridge Literary Agency, LLC
* Books for a Buck
* Etopia Press
* and more...

Participating Authors

* Deborah Holland
* Jodi Henley
* Margot Kinberg
* LD Madison
* Gretchen Craig
* Terry Odell
* Angie Fox
* Janie Franz
* Robin Matheson
* Sandy Lender
* Desiree Holt
* Kayelle Allen
* Lakisha Spletzer
* Beth Daniels
* Suzanne Johnson
* Deborah Magnus
* Amber Kallyn
* Marcy Weydemuller
* Nancy J. Cohen
* Dee Lloyd
* Martha Warner
* Su Halfwerk
* Lucinda Schroeder
* Eileen Cook
* Caroline Clemmons
* Paty Jager
* Jane Toombs
* Jamison Wolf
* Renee Wilde
* Christine Amsden
* Flo Fitzpatrick
* D.B. Reynolds
* Alice Osborne
* Monica Peters
* Laurie Sanders
* Alan Nayes
* Susan Hanniford Crowley
* Laura Bickles
* and more...

WHERE:

All events will be held on the Savvy Authors website. All events are free and open to Premium members as well as FREE Basic Members.

*** PERMISSION TO FORWARD GRANTED AND ENCOURAGED ***

savvyauthors.com - Writers Helping Writers
http://www.savvyauthors.com/vb/workshoplist.php

Pitch Your MS To Literary Agent Lois Winston

2011-01-20T13:59:00.000-06:00

Want to get your work in front of Literary Agent Lois Winston of the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency? Then visit the Musetracks Blog and find out how.

So it's coming up on another round of Agent Shop. This month's attending agent is:

LOIS WINSTON with the Ashley Grayson Literary Agency

Want to pitch your 200 word max pitch to agent Lois Winston?

Well then read the Agent Shop rules, refine your pitch, and be at Musetracks on Jan 23rd at 10:00 EST when I'll post the word GO.

As soon as I post, you can send your pitch to me at Candi_Agent_Shop @yahoo.com, and I'll take the first 30 VIABLE pitches. Meaning pitches that follow the specific rules.

But wait - if you want to take a chance to win the first pitch slot, or a copy of Lois Winston's new release, ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY GLUE GUN, then leave a comment on pitch day using the words AGENT and GLUE GUN! I'll randomly pick one winner from all the comments that include those words to win the top pitch slot, and you'll automatically be entered in a drawing for one of five copies of Lois's book during her blog tour.

Good luck and I hope to 'see' you there.

Musetracks Cafe
Ashley Grayson Literary Agency Blog
Publishers Marketplace

Free Creativity Coaching Opportunity

2011-01-18T15:19:00.000-06:00

A few times a year, Author Eric Maisel offers FREE Creativity Coaching sessions. The session runs for sisteen weeks, but the catch is, you will be coached by a coach-in-training. That shouldn't scare you, though. I've been coached a couple of times throughout the years and have had very positive experiences.

So, if you need a little help with motivitation, goal setting or if you just need someone to account to or give you a little push with you writing, I recommend you take advantage of this FREE offer.

*Permission to forward*

The next creativity coaching training starts in a few weeks. It’s your golden opportunity to receive some free email-based creativity coaching.

If you want to work on any issue related to creativity or the creative life—creating more regularly, moving your career forward, dealing with procrastination or resistance, and so on—this is your chance.

Send me an email with a few sentences about you and a few sentences about what you want to work on with a creativity coach and I’ll put you in the client pool for the next training. That’s all there is to it.

Send your information to me at ericmaisel@hotmail.com

*NOTE: I snipped the following info from Eric's CC web page:

BECOMING A FREE CLIENT

If you would like to participate in the Introduction to Creativity Coaching training as a free client and receive sixteen weeks of free email creativity coaching, please provide me with the following information: one paragraph about you (your name, where you live, the art discipline you work in, etc.) and one paragraph about what you would like to work on with a creativity coach. Send that information along to me in the body of an email. When I receive your information I will put you in the client pool for the next training. If a coach selects you, you will hear from your coach during the first week of the training. More than two thousand artists have availed themselves of this opportunity over the past several years.

NOTE: This free client opportunity is offered for the Introduction to Creativity Coaching training only. For the advanced training, coaches who intend to work with clients recruit their own clients and free clients are not provided.

Make sure to check out Eric Maisels website and books. I have a few of them, they're great for helping us creative types. :)

Eric Maisel Website
Creativity Coach Training

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T14:30:00.000-06:00

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

FREE eBooks Today and in January at A WRITERS WORK

2010-12-26T20:03:00.003-06:00

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

2010-12-25T21:25:00.000-06:00

A Dessert Recipe - Sweet Cheese Delights

2010-12-14T20:34:00.002-06:00

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

2010-12-04T14:36:00.001-06:00

***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!

2010-11-24T17:41:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-19T01:30:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-19T01:00:00.001-06:00

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

2010-11-18T14:29:00.001-06:00

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

2010-11-18T13:24:00.000-06:00

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

2010-11-15T20:10:00.001-06:00

-----------------------------------
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

2010-11-11T15:10:00.001-06:00

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.

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

2010-10-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-28T05:41:00.011-05:00

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

2010-10-27T09:07:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-27T09:02:00.000-05:00

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

2010-10-20T13:33:00.001-05:00

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

2010-09-19T17:48:00.001-05:00

*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

2010-09-17T17:14:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-14T21:24:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-12T17:25:00.000-05:00

*** 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

2010-08-26T16:43:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-12T14:25:00.005-05:00

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

2010-07-08T15:15:00.001-05:00

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

2010-07-07T05:30:00.002-05:00

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

2010-07-06T17:14:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-07-04T14:47:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-24T15:28:00.001-05:00

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

2010-06-24T12:00:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-22T11:36:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-18T02:31:00.001-05:00

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

2010-06-17T14:27:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-16T17:54:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-15T16:48:00.001-05:00

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

2010-06-14T21:45:00.002-05:00

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

2010-06-07T21:29:00.000-05:00

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

2010-06-07T20:18:00.001-05:00

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!

2010-05-31T13:53:00.000-05:00

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

Myspace Comments

A Couple of Free Writing Courses

2010-05-29T01:38:00.000-05:00

**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!

2010-05-09T13:47:00.001-05:00

Myspace Comments

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

2010-04-27T15:45:00.001-05:00

(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!

2010-04-19T19:39:00.002-05:00

(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

2010-04-02T04:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-04-01T15:10:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-30T13:14:00.002-05:00

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

Copyright © F+W Media, Inc.
All rights reserved.
4700 East Galbraith Road
Cincinnati, OH 45236

Forwarded w/ permission.

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

2010-03-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

(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

2010-03-08T01:00:00.002-06:00

*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 â€“ 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 prÃ©cis, 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 â€“ 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.Â Proposals are due by April 1, 2010.Â 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

March 7 - 13 Is Read An eBook Week

2010-03-07T15:38:00.001-06:00

Hey Everyone, Did You Know From March 7th Through March13th is Read An E-Book Week? What exactly is Read An E-Book Week, you ask?

(Snipped from the website)
Read an E-Book Week was first registered with Chase's Calendar of Events in 2004. Chase's is a day by day directory of special days, weeks and months used by event planners or anyone looking for a reason to celebrate. By having the week officially recognized, e-book authors and publishers acquired a certain extra "legitimacy" during that week to promote the new technology of e-books. The public and media were initially wary of e-books and many doors were closed to promotion. With the week officially recognized by Chase's, authors reported they now had access to television morning chat shows and were allowed to set up library displays during the week-long event.

Read an E-Book Week educates and informs the public about the pleasures and advantages of reading electronically. Authors, publishers, vendors, the media and readers world-wide are welcome to join in the effort. We encourage you to promote electronic reading with any event. These could include: public readings, library displays, reading challenges, school visits, newspaper and blog articles, chat show appearances, internet radio interviews, e-book give-ways, and banners on your website.

E-book information and free e-books define Read an E-Book Week. From March 7-13th major e-book retailers and authors offer free, or deeply discounted e-books for the event. These e-books will be available in the E-Book Store. Many of the participants offer free, or discounted e-books throughout the year, so please return often to see what is available.

The Read an E-Book Website is there to provide the latest information on e-books and to act as a collection point where you can list your event or give-away.

For more information, visit the website and download a banner, go to: http://ebookweek.com/index.html

Classic Romance Revival's First Flight Contest For Aspiring Romance Authors

2010-03-07T13:38:00.002-06:00

From

Classic Romance Revival & CRR Publishing

"Giving Wings to Classic Romance"

If you write sweet, sensual or sophisticated romance in all genres, and are an unpublished and un-contracted author, this is the contest for you!

As part of our commitment to "growing" the "classic" romance genre, Classic Romance Revival is now hosting the First Flight Contest for aspiring authors, and the stakes just got higher - you could win a publishing contract plus three month's promo! Along with this is a copy of Barri Bryan's "A Core Curriculum for Creative Writing", a must-have for every writer...

Over the next few months you will have the opportunity to showcase your writing skills and your works in progress, and stand in line to win the Classic Romance Revival "First Flight" award. Not only that, the top stories from our Short Story category will be published in CRR's "First Flight" anthology.

We hope to make this an ongoing contest, a regular opportunity for aspiring authors to reach readers and, hopefully, other publishers as well.

For rules & guidelines, visit: http://www.classicromancerevival.com/first-flight-contest.html

The Wild Rose Press AND Pocket Books/Juno Imprint Call For Submissions

2010-02-26T23:07:00.001-06:00

Hey guys, I have a couple calls for submissions for you.

Good Luck!

(Snipped from an email)

The Wild Rose Press is actively recruiting short stories across all lines immediately. If you have a short story in mind, now is the golden time to get that submission in. If you've never written anything short - try it. Sometimes trying to do something with less can be very satisfying. As always, please review our guidelines and remember we only publish romance.

According to the email I received, WRP considers anything under 65K a short and anything over full.

For more info, visit The Wild Rose Website or email Rhonda at: rpenders@thewildrosepress.com

The Wild Rose Press Website
The Wild Rose Press Submissions Page.

Also, Pocket Books/Juno Editor/Paula Guran is currently accepting submissions for the Juno line. For more information, visit the Juno Books Blog or the Juno submission guidelines Page.

Juno Books Blog
Juno Submission Guidelines

TKA's Nephele Tempest I'M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Submissions Festival

2010-02-13T19:49:00.000-06:00

I'M IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Submissions Festival

In honor of Valentine's Day, Agent Nephele Tempest of The Knight Agency is accepting pitches on her blog from now until Sunday, February 14th, at 11:59pm, Pacific Time.

Accepted genres: Literary fiction, contemporary/mainstream fiction, women's fiction, historical fiction, romance (including contemporary, historical, paranormal, and romantic suspense), young adult fiction (no children's or middle grade please), steampunk, and urban fantasy.

Attn: Your book needs to be completed and ready to be sent out. This means revised and edited and in a state that makes you proud.

Visit Nephele's blog for for rules and giudelines.

Good Luck!

Nephele Tempest Blog
TKA Blog

Avon Romance Contest

2010-02-03T15:27:00.001-06:00

*reposted with permission from Cindi Myers Market News Blog:

Avon Books is giving away $1000 to the person who comes up with the best idea for a collection of Regency-set historical novellas. The novella collection will be titled It Happened One Season and the novellas will be written by best-selling authors Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D’Alessandro and Candice Hern. You job is to come up with the theme of the stories and three major plot points.

The deadline is Valentines Day, February 14th, 2010. Go here for rules and guidelines. .

Avon Blog
It Happened One Season Contest Page
Cindi Myers Market News Blog

This N' That

2010-02-02T22:51:00.000-06:00

Below are a few things you might be interested in.

Have fun!

~Carol

* Over at the Happy Ending Blog, Jeannie Ruesch is giving a book video/book trailer workshop. You can follow her lessons by reading them on the blog, or you can sign up to have them emailed to your inbox. The choice is yours. And make sure you check out all the other posts on the blog, too. There's a goldmine of info.

*Need a boost to get going on your writing each morning? Check out Author C.M. Mayo's Daily 5 Minute Writing Exercises. There's an exercise for every day of the year, all 365 of them. Sign up to have them delivered to your inbox , or read them off her website. Whichever way you choose, they'll definitely give you a daily kick start.

*Visit The Bookshelf Muse and check out the EMOTION THESAURUS that Author Angela Ackerman has put together. Is your character disappointed, and you can't think of a way to describe it? Maybe her chin dipped to her chest, or her shoulder's slumped, sagged or drooped. Can't think of a way to show that your character's exhausted? How about if her eyes were red, or she/he yawned uncontrollably? With the Emotion Thesaurus , you'll find these descriptions and more. There are ton's of jump off/starting points to help if you get stuck.This is a blog you really should add to your bookmarks. Go here and see for yourself.

*Looking to take a Creative Writing course? If so, sign up for Writer's Village University's Y2K course. It starts April 7th, and it's FREE!

WVU offers ton's of other writing workshops for a fee, but they're worth it. I signed up for the free course(s) about ten years ago when I first started writing, and I was so impressed that I ended up buying a membership. The price is reasonable, and the courses are great. Go here and see for yourself.

Miss Snark's February Secret Agent Contest Is A Go!

2010-02-01T13:23:00.000-06:00

I apologize for posting twice today, but I just ran across this and it's VERY time sensitive.

Good Luck!

*permission granted to forward*
It's that time again! Submissions for our next Secret Agent contest will post on Monday, February 8, at noon EST.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

* Submissions will be open for 24 hours or until 50 eligible entries have been received, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.

* Submissions received before the contest opens will be disqualified.

* Submissions are for COMPLETED MANUSCRIPTS ONLY. If you wouldn't want an agent to read the entire thing, DON'T SEND IT. If an "entire thing" doesn't exist, you shouldn't even be reading these rules.

* Manuscripts THAT HAVE BEEN IN A SECRET AGENT CONTEST DURING THE PAST SIX MONTHS (August-January) will not be accepted.

* You may submit A DIFFERENT MANUSCRIPT if you've participated in any of the 2009 Secret Agent contests.

* Only ONE ENTRY per person per contest. If you send more than one, your subsequent entry(ies) will be deleted.

* If you are PAST WINNER, please DO NOT ENTER THIS CONTEST. (Unless it's a different manuscript.)

* Submissions are for THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript. Please do not stop in the middle of a

Your submission for this contest should be formatted as follows:

SCREEN NAME
TITLE
GENRE

(Followed by the excerpt here.)

* No "chapter one," chapter titles, etc.

* You will receive a confirmation email with your post number. I don't always get through quickly. Don't resend.

* Submissions go to facelesswords(at)gmail.com. They DO NOT GO to my authoressmail address. Those of you who are subscribed to this blog via email will note the latter address as the "from." If you use this address for the contest, I WILL NOT SEE YOUR SUBMISSION.

This month's contest will include the following genres:

literary fiction
young adult fiction
science fiction
mystery and suspense
historical fiction

(Please note: No middle grade this time.)

As always, post your questions in the comment box.

Miss Snark's First Victim Blog

Eric Maisel FREE Creativity Coach

2010-02-01T11:00:00.000-06:00

Once again Dr. Eric Maisel is offering 16 weeks of FREE Creativity Coaching to interested persons. The next round begins the week of February 8th. Coaches-in-training will be working with clients for free via email.

For more information visit: http://www.ericmaisel.com/creativity_trainings.html

Agent Pitch At Musetracks Coming up SOON!

2010-01-31T22:54:00.000-06:00

Want a opportunity to pitch your ms to an agent? On Sunday Feb. 7th.at 10:00 a.m. E.S.T. you'll have your chance, and you won't even have to leave your house!

Once a month Musetracks blog hosts an "Agent Shop" where the first 30 people to submit their pitch will have the opportunity to get their ms in front of an agent. This month (February) Stan Soper from the Soper Literary Agency will be the featured agent.

Pitches accepted in: Romance – All genres, subgenres, elements and Women’s fiction. (At this time we are not offering any other areas of writing, but you can always check back. If more agents become interested – we might expand.)

The following is from the site:

Agent Shop will only be ‘open’ one day, per month, and I’m only taking the first thirty pitches that I receive. But don’t worry, if you don’t get in the top thirty this time, you can try again the next month. Hopefully, enough great pitches come in to keep these agents coming back for more.

After the pitches go up, the agent(s) have one week to read and decide. They will then contact me and I will forward on information to the author(s) who received requests. I will also be posting results after the week is up. Just the total number of requests made – no specifics or names.

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? For rules, guidelines and more info, visit MUSETRACKS.

MUSETRACKS
Soper Literary Agency

Nathan Bransford YA Writing Prompt Contest

2010-01-05T16:50:00.000-06:00

In celebration of Jennifer Hubbard's YA debut novel,THE SECRET YEAR, Nathan Bransford is having a writing prompt contest. To enter, write the most compelling (fictional) teen diary entry. It may be a diary entry or an unsent letter, but it should be in a teen's voice.

Prizes:
The GRAND PRIZE ULTIMATE WINNER of the THE SECRET YEAR Teen Diary Writing Contest Extravaganza will win:

- A signed copy of THE SECRET YEAR (pending winner's proximity to the US of A)

- Their choice of a query critique, partial critique, or 10 minute phone conversation/consultation/dish session

- The pride of knowing OMG you are like the greatest writer for teens ever.

Runners up will receive a signed THE SECRET YEAR bookmark (pending finalists' proximity to USA), plus a query critique and/or other agreed-upon prize.

The contest deadline is 4:00 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday January 6th.

Visit Nathan's Blog for rules & guldelines.

Good Luck!

Secret Agent Contest For Middle Grade and YA

2010-01-05T00:05:00.007-06:00

Every so often (I think every month) over at the Miss Snark blog, there is a Secret Agent Contest for certain genres. This month's contest is for:

Middle Grade fiction, all genres

Young Adult fiction, all genres

Submissions will open on Monday, January 11 at 12:00 PM EST

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Submissions will be open for 24 hours or until 50 eligible entries have been received, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST.
Submissions received before the contest opens will be disqualified.
Submissions are for COMPLETED MANUSCRIPTS ONLY. If you wouldn't want an agent to read the entire thing, DON'T SEND IT. If an "entire thing" doesn't exist, you shouldn't even be reading these rules.
Manuscripts THAT HAVE BEEN IN A SECRET AGENT CONTEST DURING THE PAST SIX MONTHS (June-November) will not be accepted.
You may submit A DIFFERENT MANUSCRIPT if you've participated in any of the 2009 Secret Agent contests.
Only ONE ENTRY per person per contest. If you send more than one, your subsequent entry(ies) will be deleted.
If you are PAST WINNER, please DO NOT ENTER THIS CONTEST. (Unless it's a different manuscript.)
Submissions are for THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript. Please do not stop in the middle of a

Your submission for this contest should be formatted as follows:

SCREEN NAME

TITLE
GENRE

(Followed by the excerpt here.)

No "chapter one," chapter titles, etc.
You will receive a confirmation email with your post number. I don't always get through quickly. Don't resend.
Submissions go to facelesswords(at)gmail.com. They DO NOT GO to my authoressmail address. Those of you who are subscribed to this blog via email will note the latter address as the "from." If you use this address for the contest, I WILL NOT SEE YOUR SUBMISSION.

For more information, visit Miss Snark Blog

FREE Query Letter Critique

2010-01-04T17:12:00.001-06:00

I received the info below today and thought I'd pass it on.
~Carol

FREE Query Letter Critique

At Romance University, CJ Redwine picks one reader's query letter each month for a detailed critique that she then posts on our site for educational purposes. If you've ever taken CJ's query letter critique class, you'll understand how valuable her recommendations are.

We're seeking more query letters for 2010. This is a FREE service. CJ can block out any personal identification information at your request.

If interested, please send your query letter in the body of an email to: QueryWriting101@RomanceUniversity.org. Query critiques are posted on the first Monday of each month.

Romance University

Here's Wishing You and Yours A Safe And Happy 2010!

2009-12-31T21:35:00.000-06:00

Leah Michaels and Rochelle Chases' Chase The Dream Contest

2009-12-31T12:38:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow, January 1st, is the official start date for the fourth annual 2010 Chase The Dream Contest presented by Romance Author's Leah Michaels and Rochelle Chase.

This is an awesome contest and a great opportunity to get your work in front of Agents and Editors, and the best thing about it is, it's FREE!

This year (and every year) they have a great panel of agents and editors. Just look at the lineup!

Alex Logan of Grand Central Publishing
Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks
Theresa Stevens of Red Sage
Susan Swinwood of Harlequin/Mira/Spice
Esi Sogah of Avon Books,
Kelli Martin of Kumani
Christine Witthohn of Book Cents Literary Agency
Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency
Elizabeth Pomada of Larsen-Pomada Literary Agency

and more yet to be announced.

Also, they've added a new feature to the contest website, which I think is pretty cool. Videos from each of the agents and editors on the panel, telling what makes them request more after reading a contest entry.

To enter, submit the first 1,000 words or less of an unpublished romance, chick lit, or mainstream fiction with romantic elements novel/novella. Each Wednesday, from January 13, 2010 to March 3, 2010, Rachelle Chase will select a finalist from that week’s entries and post it on the Finalists page. Visitors are invited to post comments.

So, even though the official date to enter your submission begins tomorrow, you can submit your entry every week until March 2, 2010 (as long as it doesn't get chosen).

I entered Dangerous Desire in the 2007 contest, and although I didn't win, I was the Week 6 Mini Critique Winner and I received some great critiques from Leah and Rochelle.

So, if you're interested in entering, go here for rules and guidelines.

Best of Luck, and Happy New Year!

Chase The Dream Contest
Rochelle Chase
Leah Michaels

A Few Contests

2009-12-29T20:01:00.000-06:00

Need something to get your mind off the holidays? How about entering a contest? Below are a few I recently ran accross and thought were interesting.

Good Luck!

~Carol
(Note: I'm not familiar with any of these contests. Please do your research before entering.)

Announcing the 2010 FlashFiction Contest Of the Pikes Peak Branch of National League of American Pen Women

Deadline: March 1, 2010 (postmarked)

Entry fee: $10 per manuscript

Theme: “The Power of Three”. Prizes: 1st -$75; 2nd - $40; Judge’s Merit Award - $20. A complete but very short story of 100 words or fewer (titles not included in word count). Multiple entries may besubmitted, $10 entry fee for each entry, check or money order payable to PikesPeak Branch NLAPW (a non-profit organization). Entries must pertain to the theme, should benarrative in form, that is, should “tell a story.” All genres welcome, no poetry. Submitters need not live in Colorado orbe a member of Pen Women to enter; male writers are welcome to participate. Obtain an EntryForm, with rules for submission, by accessingon-line at: www.ppb-NLAPW.org Click on “Contests,” then on “Click Here”for Entry Form and submission rules. Forquestions or further information, e-mail dodeq@msn.com(inquiries only/no submissions). Winners will be notified byApril 15, 2010.

NEW MILLENNIUM WRITINGS semi-annual writing awards

Deadline: January 31, 2009

Entry Fee: $17.00
Categories: fiction, poetry, short-short fiction, & creative non-fiction
Prizes: $4,000 ($1,000 for first prize in each category) plus print & online publication
For Contest Rules & Online Submissions: http://www.newmillenniumwritings.com/

William Saroyan International Prize for Writing

Submission deadline: January 31, 2010

Nominations for the 2010 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing will be accepted through January 31, 2010. This award, given by Stanford University Libraries in partnership with the William Saroyan Foundation, recognizes newly published works of fiction and non-fiction with a $5,000 award for the winner in each category. The prize is designed to encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan literary legacy of originality, vitality and stylistic innovation. For more information, including official entry forms, contest rules, a press release, and other information on the prize, visit the Saroyan Prize website: http://library.stanford.edu/saroyan/

SUMMERFIELD G ROBERTS AWARD

DEADLINE: January 15, 2010
GENRE: Poetry, short stories, nonfiction and books
DETAILS: Literary manuscripts or published books that "best portrays the spirit, character, strength, and deeds of those who lived in the Republic of Texas" (1836-46). Entries may be fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays, plays, short stories, novels, or biographies (all genres compete together).
PRIZE: $2500

http://www.srttexas.org/sumfield.html

HIGLIGHTS FOR CHILDREN FICTION CONTEST

DEADLINE: January 31, 2010
GENRE: Short Stories
OPEN TO: Anyone 16+
DETAILS: Write a children's story based on your family. Stories may be any length up to 750 words. Stories for beginning readers should not exceed 475 words.
PRIZE: 3 prizes of $1000 or tuition for the Highlights Foundation
Writers Workshop at Chautauqua. http://www.highlights.com/highlights-fiction-contest

Postcard contest with cash prizes

Deadline: January 15, 2010
Entry Fee: $20
Deadline extended. Geist (Vancouver, BC) invites entries for their 6th Annual Geist Literal Literary Postcard Story Contest. First prize: $250. Submit a postcard along with a story that relates to the image. 500 words max. Entry Fee: $20 (includes subscription), $5 for each additional entry.

http://www.geist.com/contest/6th-annual-geist-literal-literary-postcard-story-contest

Here's Wishing You and Yours A Very Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T14:36:00.001-06:00

Myspace Comments

An Early Christmas Present

2009-12-06T14:01:00.000-06:00

Woo-hoo, I'm soooo excited! I'm getting a FREE Dell Mini Netbook and it's on its way to my house right now! Woo-hoo!

Let me explain. Back in the summer I was having IP problems so I decided to switch (back) to Comcast. Well, at the time (which I didn't even know until a customer rep told me when I signed up) Comcast was running an awesome promotional special. New customers who signed up within a certain time frame would get a Free Dell Netbook 10v! Awesome, right?

But (you knew there was going to be a ~~butt~~ but, didn't you?) the stipulation was, after signing the contract you had to be a customer in good standing for 90 days before you were eligible to receive the Netbook. It is a great deal, however, I couldn't help but think it was probably too good to be true. I figured Comcast would somehow find a way to re-nig.

Well, long story short, I signed at the end of August, which was within the promotional time frame, so when my 90 days were up last month, I began wondering when/if I'd receive my "gift", so to avoid calling them and being switched from one person to another and holding forever, I decided to check online first.

I went to Comcast's website and without much luck, looked for something, anything about the Netbook promotion, but I could find nothing, nada. I was just about to give up and call the Comcast office when I accidentally discovered a forum that was discussing... you guessed it, the Netbook promotion!

At first, it didn't look good. All the post's were negative. People bad mouthing the company, complaining about the service, etc., etc., etc., but then, all of a sudden it started to actually look ... promising.There, near the very bottom of the page was a post by someone who actually gave some positive and helpful feedback. They even posted a link to a website you could go to and check the status of your promotion and everything (I wonder why Comcast just couldn't have put that information somewhere on the website where you could actually find it?).

Then, just when I was making a bit of progress, on Friday I got a letter from Comcast confirming that my Netbook was scheduled to ship on 12/04/2009. The delivery date is Tuesday, 12/08/09, and guess what? They even had the tracking number! Woo-hoo! Well, you better believe I went straight to the UPS site and I've been tracking that baby ever since.

It appears that my Netbook is in transit. It shipped from LAWNSIDE, NJ on the 4th and right now it's in NEW STANTON, PA, where it has been since yesterday. Slowly but surely it's making its way to my front door step in Michigan. What a relief. *sigh*

I can't help but wonder what color it will be. On the Dell Netbook 10v web page I saw that you could choose from some really pretty colors and designs, but they never asked what color we wanted (yeah, right). I bet they'll send them in basic black or maybe white. If I had my choice I'd pick red, it's just so pretty. But, beggars can't be choosers. I'm just thankful I'm actually getting a Netbook. And just in time for Christmas, too. What a great Christmas present!

I've heard a LOT of good things about Netbooks. It seems everyone who owns one just loves them. What about you? Do you have a Netbook, and if so, how do you like it?

AudioLark Romance Audio Book Publisher Open To Submissions

2009-11-30T17:41:00.001-06:00

AudioLark* is open to submissions for romance shorts (10,000 – 20,000 words), novellas (20 – 40,000 words) and novels (40,000 words and up) in a multitude of genres and heat levels. Your story is the key to being published by *AudioLark*. Ask yourself; if every sex scene was cut out of my novel, would my story still be compelling to readers? If so, we want to take a look.

*AudioLark* ONLY publishes audio books. We only contract audio rights. We match your manuscript with the perfect narrator and create a seamless, professional audio book to sell on our site and through our distributors.

*AudioLark *offers authors 15% of gross sales on our site, and 25% of net sales through distributor sites. Royalties are paid quarterly within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which the sales were made.

We prefer manuscripts that have already been published as ebooks or in print. At this time, we do not have the capability to edit novels. We will make an exception for unpublished works by previously published authors (for example, we'll gladly take a short story if you've published novels and novellas before). Authors should realize that publishing with us first may make it hard to find an electronic or print publisher afterwards for their manuscript. Most ebook publishers, however, do not mind if you retain your audio rights.

Authors MUST have audio rights to their work or we will not consider it. Do NOT approach us if you haven't yet secured audio rights to a published manuscript.

We are interested in all sorts of romance genres, from contemporary to historical, chick lit to paranormal, suspense to science fiction to novels with romantic elements. We are not accepting young adult at this time.

Check back to see if this changes.

We are accepting all heat levels, as well, and would like to offer our readers a full range of story options, from ultra sweet to scorching hot.

Our guidelines mirror most other romance publishers. Erotica is fine, pornography is not. We reserve the right to draw the line where we will. We will not accept stories that include rape, bestiality, sex with anyone under18, incest, necrophilia, racism, sexism, intolerance of others' religion or sexual preference.

Please submit all manuscripts to support@audiolark.com. *Include in your email your name, pen name, manuscript length, genre and steaminess level.*

Manuscripts may be submitted as a pdf if published (preferred), or as a MicroSoft Word 2003 doc file. If we encounter any errors, we will ask for another format. Please send the entire manuscript as we make decisions quite quickly. Our response time is generally one – two weeks.

AudioLark
Submissions Guidelines

Do You Tweet?

2009-11-28T15:15:00.003-06:00

Okay, you guys, I did it. I joined Twitter. I'd been hesitant to do so, because really, I belong to way too many social networks as it is and I didn't want to add another to my already way too big list of social sites, but, I've heard SO much about Twitter, I just had to check it out.

Now that I joined, the thing is, I really don't know what to Tweet. I've been watching and reading the people I follow so as to get an idea what it's all about, and what I've discovered is that you basically just Tweet about anything.

Some Tweet about personal stuff, like what they're doing or what they've done, where they're going or what they ate. Some market their books, some post links to blogs, websites, contests and such, and some Tweet about nothing in particular. In other words, you can Tweet about whatever floats your boat. :)

I'll admit I really like the short and to the point info. Love it. You don't have to read through tons of stuff just to get to the meat of the subject like you sometimes do on email groups. That's a HUGE plus.

I'm a little shy about Tweeting. Don't know why. I've been blogging for over a year, and I belong to tons of writers eloops (where I lurk a LOT). So far I Tweeted once and I did one retweet (Woo-hoo. You go girl!). Guess it's going to take me a little while to get used to it.

So, do you Tweet? If so, feel free to follow me. And please bear with me, as I'm new to this and am just learning the ropes. :)

Happy Tweeting!
http://twitter.com/CarolBurge

P.S. FYI, I ran across some good blog posts about tweeting. I've listed them below if you're interested.

Twitter Articles
How To Use Twitter - Tips For Bloggers
Rajesh Raina [dot] net

Fiction Flyer e-Magizine Submission Call

2009-11-27T17:27:00.000-06:00

For those of you who are interested...

Call to Writers: The Fiction Flyer, a quarterly free ezine is seeking qualified articles and fiction stories, including articles on the craft of writing, short fiction stories and flash fiction, poems and/or artwork (the last for our Other Author Art feature) for the first issue of 2010.

The ezine is provided as a free service to writers, and in this spirit, we can offer you what we get from it: exposure. Currently, we have about 1,000 subscribers, so your work will be read. We welcome reprints as well, and you retain all copyright to your work. New subscribers get a free ad featuring your book or book event.

Submission Guidelines:

A. Contest submission guidelines are listed individually for each contest. If we are sponsoring a contest, you will find it in the Table of Contents.

B. Flash Fiction submission guidelines Email submissions. In the Subject Heading: Flash Fiction Submission. In the body of the email include: Your name, story title, email address, word count, bio (up to 50 words), purchasing link to your book(s), blog or website (optional) and your story. Please use size 10 arial font. Send to Raymond Grant at raygogo@sbcglobal.net.

C. Short Fiction Stories Same as Flash Fiction above, but word count is up to 1,000 words and email submissions to kgogolewski@sbcglobal.net. Write Short Story Submission in the subject heading.

D. Advertising Submission Guidelines

1. A short blurb under 100 words about your book or event
2. A jpeg or gif of your book cover as an attachment.
3. A link to your publisher.
4. A short bio under 50 words.

D. Article Submission Guidelines:

Each issue of The Fiction Flyer is packed with information for readers and writers of fiction. We welcome article submissions that will stimulate, motivate, persuade, entertain or inform our readers on topics pertaining to the craft of writing.

We are accepting original work as well as reprints for articles. Please advise us if your article is a reprint and provide the particulars for the first publication so we can credit the publisher. The author retains all other rights. Up to 2,000 words.

E. General

1. No obscene language, pornography or excessive violence.
2. Length: 500 to 2,000 words.
4. Use Arial 10 point font
5. Electronic submissions only -- include in the body of your
email. No attachments
6. We reserve to right to edit work (don't worry – it's light if we
do it at all)
7. Simultaneous submissions accepted
8. All articles/stories are archived at http://www.tri-studio.com/ezine.html

Fiction Flyer Website

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T05:14:00.000-06:00

Submission Call From Wild Rose Press Crimson Rose Jewels of the Night

2009-11-03T20:18:00.000-06:00

*snipped from the Behind the Garden Gate blog*

The Wild Rose Press Introduces a Special Submission Call from Crimson Rose Jewels of the Night…

WHAT MAKES THIS SUBMISSION CALL SPECIAL?

One submission will be chosen at random to launch the series. The selected contract will be given a premium publishing slot during Crimson month (November, 2010) as well as a featured review and interview with the review site Once Upon a Romance. The selected story will be showcased on the Crimson Rose Page of The Wild Rose Press website and the Behind the Garden Gate blog. The Wild Rose Press will provide an advertising book banner to the author. Once Upon a Romance will also display this book banner without charge for a thirty day period beginning with the day of book release.

THE STORY:

Must involve a blue diamond. It could be a treasure hunt or a midnight thief or… Let your imagination take flight!

Must involve a high level of danger
Can be in any region of the world
Can be any timeframe as long as the most prevalent elements are romance and intrigue

Guidelines:

Stories must be complete. With a word-length between 20,000 and 60,000 words (miniature rose or rosebud length)
Must be an original, never-before published work and you must own the rights to it.
To qualify for the launch, submission must arrive on or before March 31, 2010
Manuscripts must be formatted per standard formatting rules (Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced, 1 in. margins, numbered pages)
Submission call is open to both published and unpublished writers
Story content must adhere to posted Crimson Rose guidelines as posted on the submissions page of www.thewildrosepress.com

HOW TO SUBMIT:

Email your manuscript as a single Word .rtf attachment to Lori (at) thewildrosepress.com

Put: “Jewel of the Night Series: Manuscript Title: YOUR NAME” in the subject line In the body of the email, include:

The synopsis
Your Real name
Pseudonym, if applicable
Your contact email
Word-count

Submissions received that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded without notice. The Wild Rose Press is not responsible for submissions lost in cyberspace and not received.

Upon receipt, you will receive a confirmation email. If you have not received a confirmation email within five working days of emailing your submission, please send us an email.

Direct questions regarding this submission call to: Lori (at) thewildrosepress.com.

If you have received receipt of your submission, please do not inquire about status until after standard response wait time. All entrants will be reviewed per our normal submission guidelines which are available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ .

The Wild Rose Press
WRP CR Submission Page

Blog Pitch Contest With Kensington Assistant Editor Peter Senftleben & Marcel Lyon Literary Agent Kevan Lyon

2009-11-01T20:20:00.006-06:00

Here's an AWESOME contest for those of you who are UNPUBLISHED and have a COMPLETED manuscript(s). On November 30th, Historical Romance Author Beverly Kendall will host a pitch contest on The Season blog. Judging will be by Beverly's own editor and agent, Peter Senftleben at Kensington and Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Lit Agency.

THE SEASON PITCH CONTEST rules are as follows (snipped from the site):

1. Accepting only pitches for novel length manuscripts that are complete. And I mean complete as in polished and ready to go within a week of any possible requests.

2. The winner or winners will receive a critique of the first 25 pages of your manuscript. If Kevan and Peter pick the same manuscript as the winner, then the winner will receive a critique from both.

3. The pitches will be posted on this blog (on The Season Blog NOT here on RWW) in the comment section on November 30th. Posting will be open at 7:00 am (for active forum members, it will open 6:00 am). The max number of pitches being accepted is 200 or 6:00 pm, which ever comes first.

4. The top 10 pitches will be chosen by both Kevan and Peter. The finalists will be asked to furnish the first 3 pages of their manuscript and proof that the manuscript is complete. There is no wiggle room here. The manuscript MUST BE COMPLETE. If you cannot furnish proof of a complete novel length manuscript, you will be disqualified.

5. The pitch cannot be more than 150 words in length. Again, there will be no wiggle room on this word count. Your pitch will be disqualified if it goes over.

6. Only one pitch per person. If it’s discovered that you entered two using different names, you will be automatically disqualified. The only exception is that if we are shy of 100 entries by 6:00 pm, you will be eligible to post another pitch until 100 pitches is met.

7. The winner will be asked to furnish the first 25 pages of their manuscipt or 5000 words, whichever comes first. Please end at the end of a chapter. There is some wiggle room in page and word count in order to achieve this.

8. I’ve linked Peter and Kevan’s name to their respective websites where they list the genres they are accepting. Please check to make sure they are acquiring your genre or sub-genre.

9. This contest is for unpublished authors and by unpublished I mean has never been published by a traditional print publisher. If you have been published by an e-publisher and your book has a print edition, you are still eligible to enter.

10. The finalists will be notified the week of November 30th. The winner will be announced December 7th.

If you have any additional questions regarding this contest, you can either leave a comment on the blog post, or email Bev at historicals at historicalromancereleases.com.

See the blog for rules and guidelines.

Good Luck!

The Season Blog
Beverly Kendall
Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Kevan Lyon
Kensington Publishing
Peter Senftleben, Kensington Assistant Editor

Candy Haven's Writing Game Starts Tomorrow

2009-11-01T13:23:00.002-06:00

I know everyone is busy doing NaNo, but for those of you who aren't, here's something you can do to boost those pages and words.

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

What is The Writing Game, you ask? Okay, I'll tell you. The rules are simple. Here's is how it works...

Each day 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 the
Write_WorkshopChat@yahoogroups.com This is a separate loop from the main group we post to (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, you'll have a significant amount of pages done by the time we are finished.

We'll begin tomorrow (Monday Nov. 2nd).

Come play with us, and you'll be a winner!

Candace Havens
Go here to join the main loop - Write_Workshop@yahoogroups.com
Go here to join the challenge - Write_WorkshopChat@yahoogroups.com

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T19:29:00.001-05:00

NOR Under The Mistletoe First Kiss Contest

2009-10-30T17:55:00.001-05:00

NOR (Night Owl Romance) Under the Mistletoe - Kiss Scene - Writing Contest

Please Carefully Read The Entry Information

* Free To Enter - 400 Word Max - Romance Novel Kiss Scene - those submissions that are over 400 words will be cut down to meet our requirements

* There Is Only Space For Up To 50 Entries. 1 Entry Only Per Person.

* Published and Aspiring Authors Can Enter

* Entrants Need To Promote The Contest To Readers & We Will Promote The Contest As Well

* First Round Voting Will Start 11/12/2009 and end 11/30/2009 (The top 10 Entries will go onto the finals)- Readers Will Vote.

* The Finals will start 12/3/2009 and end 12/20/2009- Readers Will Vote.

There will be 3 Main Prizes!!!

* First Place - ($50 Cash or $70 in NOR Promotion Credit)

* Second Place - ($30 Cash or $50 in NOR Promotion Credit)

* Third Place - ($20 Cash or $30 in NOR Promotion Credit)

* Cash paid out by check* You need to be 18 or older to enter.

* Entries Must Be In By 11/08/2009. When we hit 50 no more will be added.

Go here to learn more and to enter.

Night Owl Romance
NOR Blog

Contests

2009-10-28T04:55:00.001-05:00

Below is a list of contests I've run across that I thought looked interesting. If you decide to enter any, please make sure you check them out throughly. I haven't entered any so I can't vouch for them. The reason I've listed them here is because they are contests I might consider entering if I were going the contest route.

Good Luck!

~Carol

VIEW HOUSE PUBLISHING SHORT STORY CONTEST

$8 ENTRY FEE

The theme is open to short stories from all genres. We are looking for original, creative, and poignant pieces featuring convincing characters and great plots. Each story can be no longer than 2,500 words and must be written in English. Deadline November 17, 2009. First place $250.Second place $150. Third place $50.
http://www.viewhousepublishing.com/contest.html

FAILBETTER NOVELLA CONTEST

NO ENTRY FEE

Deadline May 15, 2010. Prize $500. One entry allowed per person. Stories must be at least 8,000 words but less than a novel. Send only the first 5,000 words. All entries will be considered for publication.
http://www.failbetter.com/Novella.php

WRITING CONTEST FOR STUDY ABROAD

$25 ENTRY FEE

The University of New Orleans, the pioneer in writing programs abroad, is pleased to announce the sixth annual writing contest for study-abroad, Summer, 2010. This year the contest is co-sponsored by The Pinch Journal, who will judge the entries and publish the winners in Fall, 2010. Full fee waivers, including housing allowance, will be granted to one writer each in the genres of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction. Partial awards and honorable mentions may also be granted. Winners may attend any of UNO’s 2010 study-abroad writing programs:

Writing Workshops in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
The Ezra Pound Center for Literature, Dorf Tirol, Italy

Deadline: January 31, 2010. Open to anyone writing in English who has not yet published a book of 45 pages or more in the genre of application. Prose submissions should not exceed 4,500 words (about 15 pages double spaced). Poetry submissions should not exceed 5 pages and may include a maximum of 3 poems.The submitted work must be unpublished at the time of submission.

http://lowres.uno.edu/contest.cfm

WAG'S REVUE - FICTION, POETRY, NONFICTION

$20 ENTRY FEE

Wag's Revue invites you to enter its second round of biannual contests in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Submissions of electronic writing are also encouraged in any of the above genres. First prize in each category receives $500 and publication in Wag's Revue, and all submissions are considered for publication. The contest deadline is November 30, and winners will be announced December 21. Submissions of poetry may include multiple poems but should not exceed 10 pages. Fiction and nonfiction submissions should not exceed 8,000 words.
http://www.wagsrevue.com/submit.php

WINTER 2010 24-HOUR SHORT STORY CONTEST

The WritersWeekly.com Winter 2010 24-Hour Short Story Contest is now open for entrants! Each contest is limited to 500 entrants so don't delay if you want to participate.

1st Place: $300
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $200

Start time is January 23rd , 2010 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) central time. Held quarterly and limited to 500 entrants. Don't miss out on the ultimate source for creative stress...and tons of fun!

Entry fee is $5. You can see the complete list of 85 prizes and sign up here:

http://www.writersweekly.com/misc/contest.php

WOW-WOMENONWRITING FLASH FICTION CONTEST

$10 ENTRY FEE

We are limiting the amount of entries to a maximum of 300 stories. Deadline November 30, 2009. Maximum: 750 words. Minimum: 250 words. The title is not to be counted in your word count. The contest is open globally; age is of no matter; and entries must be in English.
http://wow-womenonwriting.com/contest.php

First Paragraph Writing Contest For Unpublished Writers

2009-10-24T23:25:00.001-05:00

PERMISSION TO FORWARD:

Are you an unpublished writer with a complete romance manuscript?

October 28th Kensington Romance Author Lori Brighton will be accepting first paragraphs from unpublished writers for her contest, The First Paragraph Writing Contest. Participants will be allowed to enter the first paragraph of their romance manuscript. From these first paragraphs, twenty finalists will be picked to send in their first page. Those finalists will be narrowed down to five who will send their first chapter to KENSINGTON EDITOR MEGAN RECORDS. Megan will pick one winner from these five.

Completed manuscripts only. Author's who are presently contracted with a NY print publisher are not eligible.

Visit Lori's blog for complete contest rules!

http://www.loribrighton.blogspot.com/

Good Luck!

Just The Facts, Please

2009-10-24T15:32:00.002-05:00

A friend sent me this list of goofy "facts" and I thought I'd share. I haven't checked to see if any of these things are ture or not, so you're guess is as good as mine. If by chance you happen to know if something on this list is actually true, please leave a comment and let me know.

~Carol

1.) A shrimp's heart is in its head.

2.) The "sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.

3.) Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.

4.) Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

5.) If the government has no knowledge of aliens, then why does Title 14, Section 1211 of the Code of Federal Regulations, implemented on July 16, 1969 make it illegal for U. S. citizens to have any contact with extraterrestrials or their vehicles?

6.) In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.

7.) A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.

8.) 23% of all photocopier faults world-wide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.

9.) Most lipstick contains fish scales

10.) Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.

11.) If you sneeze too hard you can fracture a rib. If you try to suppress a sneeze you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die. If you keep your eyes open by force they can pop out.

12.) In a study of 200,000 ostriches over a period of 80 years, no one reported a single ca se where an ostrich buried its head in the sand.

13.) It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

14.) A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.

15.) More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.

16.) Horses can't vomit.

17.) Butterflies taste with their feet.

18.) In 10 minutes, a category three hurricane releases more energy than all of the world's nuclear weapons combined.

19.) On average 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.

20.) On average people fear spiders more than they do death.

21.) Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.

22.) Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.

23.) Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.

24.) Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.

25.) It's possible to lead a cow upstairs... but not downstairs.

26.) Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

27.) It is physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.

28.) The Main Library at Indiana University sinks ov er an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.

29.) A snail can sleep for three years.

30.) No word in the English language rhymes with "MONTH."

31.) Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.

32.) The electric chair was invented by a dentist.

33.) All polar bears are left handed.

34.) In ancient Egypt , priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.

35.) An ostrich' s eye is bigger than its brain.

36.) TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters on only one row of the keyboard.

37.) "Go," is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.

38.) If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand 7 feet, 2 inches tall.

39.) A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

40.) The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.

41.) Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.

42.) Almost everyone who reads this email will try to lick their elbow.

CJ Lyons Query Contest

2009-10-09T15:01:00.009-05:00

In honor of her upcoming release URGENT CARE, Author CJ Lyons is hosting a contest where one lucky person will WIN a critique of your query package by Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Agency!

PRIZE: one lucky commenter will win a critique of your query letter, two page synopsis, and first three chapters from Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Agency.

HOW TO ENTER: leave a comment on this post, including your name, email address, and a short blurb of your project. If you want to say something nice about CJ's books, that’s fine as well, but the winner will be determined by a random drawing.

RULES: Odds of winning depend on the number of entries. Entries must be posted prior to midnight EST on November 8. The winner will be announced on November 9 and contacted via email by CJ and Barbara Poelle.

Good Luck!

CJ Lyrons
Irene Goodman Agency

Comment SPAMer's - Grrrrr!

2009-10-09T14:42:00.001-05:00

It seems I've been spammed on several posts in the comments section(s) here on my blog, therefore, I've been forced to change my comment settings to moderation. It's a darn shame people do this, but I guess it comes with the cyber-territory.

This particular ~~idiot~~ SPAMer happens to have a "Website Design" site and a Blogger account, but their blog is set to private so I couldn't find out any information on them. Ironic, isn't it? :) But, I went to their so called design site and found their contact information and sent an email instructing them to STOP SPAMMING MY BLOG! We'll see what happens.

In the meantime, I went through the spam comments (I know which ones they are because I have my account set to send me an email every time someone comments), and I manually deleted the ~~idiot's~~ SPAMer's posts. What a bunch of aggravation. Grrrrr!

Since they have a Blogger account, I'll notify the Power's That Be about the ~~idiot~~ SPAMer as well. I could alert the domain site their page is located through, too. I believe that's just about all I can do.

Below is a link to a brief and awesome blog post on the blog Lorelle on Wordpress entittled What is Comment Spam? The post explains what Comment Spam is, and the different types.

According to the post, there are Pittiful Time Wasters, Link Needers, Comment Spam Robots and Sneaky Comment Spammers. It seems my ~~idiot~~ SPAMer falls somewhere between the category of a Sneaky Comment Spammer and a Link Needer.

*snipped from the post:

The sneaky comment spammers are the ones you really have to look for. They require more work to determine if they are legitimate. These are the nice comment spammers. They say things like:

“I really like your site, keep up the good work.”

“This is a beautiful site.”

“It looks like you worked hard to create this site. Good work.”

“I like what you have to say. I’m going to tell my friends.”

“This is really good information. I’m going to mark it as a favorite.”

These are the kinds of spam comments are usually get here on the blog (and I immediately delete).

I will say, I don't get a lot of spam (knock on wood). Email or comment-wise, but when I do get them, I get angry!

So, any suggestions? Anyone else getting spammed on their blog?

What is Comment Spam?
Wiki Article: Spam in Blogs
Six Part Guide to Comment Spam

WOW! Fall Flash Fiction Contest W/ Judge Noah Lukeman

2009-10-07T13:33:00.001-05:00

WOW! (Women On Writing) Fall 2009 Flash Fiction Contest

DEADLINE: November 30, 2009 Midnight, Pacific Time.

GUEST JUDGE: Literary Agent, Noah Lukeman

About Noah: Noah Lukeman is President of Lukeman Literary Management Ltd, which he founded in 1996. His clients include winners of the Pulitzer Prize, American Book Award, Pushcart Prize and O. Henry Award, finalists for the National Book Award, Edgar Award, and Pacific Rim prize, multiple New York Times bestsellers, national journalists, major celebrities, and faculty of universities ranging from Harvard to Stanford.

Mr. Lukeman is also an accomplished and bestselling author. His books for writers include: The First Five Pages: A Writer's Guide to Staying out of the Rejection Pile (Simon & Schuster, 1999); The Plot Thickens: 8 Ways to Bring Fiction to Life (St. Martins Press, 2002); A Dash of Style: The Art and Mastery of Punctuation (W.W. Norton, 2006 and Oxford University Press in the UK, 2007); How to Write a Great Query Letter (free e-book); How to Land (and Keep) a Literary Agent.

We're thrilled to have him as our honorable guest judge this season!

PROMPT: Open Prompt

WORD COUNT: 750 Max; 250 Min

LIMIT: 300 Entries

Don't wait until the last minute! Enter Today. Visit our Contest Page and download our terms & conditions ebook.

Good luck!

WOW!
Contest Page
Noah Lukeman

New Young Adult Line At Sourcebooks, Inc

2009-10-01T19:59:00.032-05:00

Good news for those of you who write YA. Sourcebooks will launch Sourcebooks Fire, a new young adult imprint this spring 2010.

SOURCEBOOKS FIRE will officially launch with seven titles, including a bestselling paranormal romance series from the UK, a novel based on the true life story of teenage sisters who invented the séance in 1848, a romantic mystery set against the backdrop of the civil war, and a YA supernatural thriller set in New York City, among others.

Three years ago they launched their children's imprint, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. The line has since had three New York Times Bestsellers.

FYI, the following was posted on their Casablanca Submissions (Romance Line) page:

We are actively acquiring single-title and single-title series Romance fiction (90,000 to 120,000 actual digital words) for our Casablanca imprint. We are looking for strong writers who are excited about marketing their books and building their community of readers, and whose books have something fresh to offer in the genre of Romance.

To learn more about Sourcebooks and their new line(s) and/or guidelines see the links below.

Sourcebooks Home
Sourcebooks Blog
Sourcebooks Fire (YA Line Info)
Sourcebooks Casablanca (Romance)
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (Childrens Line)

Happy Writing!

Free Catholic Online Writer's Conference 02/26/2010 - 03/05/2010

2009-09-30T14:51:00.008-05:00

**Permission to forward ** Please pass this along to your friends or include in any applicable newsletter. (Non-Catholics: You do not need to be Catholic to attend, but you do need to respect our beliefs.) Writers, editors, agents, and other publishing professionals from around the world are gearing up for the third annual Catholic Writers’ Conference Online, which will be held February 26-March 5, 2010. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild, the online conference is free of charge and open to writers of all levels who register between October 1, 2009 and February 15, 2010. Develop your skills with forum-based workshops, or tap experienced writers and editors for their knowledge in live chats. Do you have a Catholic book to pitch? Prominent Catholic publishers will be holding pitch sessions! (Limited attendance.) To register or get more information, go to www.catholicwritersconference.com. Catholic Writer's Guild

10 FREE Ebook Downloads From Mills and Boon

2009-09-23T14:38:00.007-05:00

To celebrate the first anniversary of Mills & Boon’s eBook program, M&B is offering a Free download of one book from each of their series. There are10 titles to choose from. While you're there, sign-up for their monthly newsletter and enter a contest to win a new Sony eReader. Visit their site Everyones Reading for more info. And for those of you who haven't heard, Harlequin is offering total of 16 free downloads in celebration of their 60 year anniversary. Go here to get your Free download. Harlequin.com Happy Reading!

Call for Submissions

2009-09-22T15:48:00.002-05:00

Shades of Romance Magazine

PAY: $10 - $25 Shades of Romance is published bi-monthly. We are a magazine that caters to the readers and writers of multi-cultural literature. This is a great vehicle for getting exposure for your name, your web site and your books. New writers are especially encouraged to submit their work. We also welcome submissions and inquiries from published authors. http://www.sormag.com/guide.html

Short Stories Wanted

PAY: $50 Page Forty-Seven online anthology has been created for the new or not-yet-published writer. The purpose of this anthology is to help you establish yourself as a writer by providing an early publication credit, possibly your first.

Length: Short story submissions up to 10,000 characters (approx. 8.5 pages)

Payment: $50 flat fee on acceptance.

View website for details. http://www.writergazette.com/sendstudio/users/link.php?UserID=21484&Newsletter=189&List=1&LinkType=Send&LinkID=9005

Writer’s Digest

We are actively looking for authors on the following topics:

Please e-mail Executive Editor Kelly Nickell (Kelly.Nickell@fwmedia.com) if interested, or if you have further questions about any of these book concepts.

Writing the Paranormal Novel This comprehensive how-to book should feature step-by-step instruction, a look at some bestsellers in the genre and what makes them work, a discussion of clichés to avoid, unique exercises writers can do to practice the discussed techniques, etc. This book should cover character, plot, setting, tone and mood, and so on. Estimated word count: 80,000 to 100,000. Author should be a published paranormal novelist.

The First 50 Pages This book should talk readers through the development of the first 50 pages of a novel, covering such topics as the opening page, the inciting incident, character introduction and development, rising action, and so on. Estimated word count: 70,000 to 80,000. Author should be a published novelist and/or writing instructor.

Outlining Your Novel This book should offer a comprehensive yet easy-to-follow approach to outlining a novel. Also acceptable: a book that focuses on several different outlining approaches (in this case, each part of the book could focus on a different method, explaining the pros and cons of the given method and how it works). Estimated word count: 80,000 to 100,000. Author should be a published novelist and/or writing instructor. Ideally, the author also will be an outliner him/herself.

Write Great Fiction: Theme, Premise, Mood & Tone This book would be part of the well-respected Write Great Fiction series, which includes the following five titles: Plot & Structure; Dialogue; Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint; Description & Setting; and Revision & Self-Editing. This book would need to follow the series structure with sidebars throughout and chapter-closing exercises, while offering readers a thorough understanding how to work with theme, premise, mood, and tone. Estimated word count: 75,000. Author should be a published novelist and/or writing instructor. Please review series before querying.

The Plotter’s Guide to Novel Writing This book should offer a fun and interactive approach (or multiple approaches) to plotting a novel from start to finish. The book should cover such points as story concepting, the inciting incident, key plot points, climax, denouement, etc. The ideal book will feature how-to instruction and engaging exercises or worksheets. Estimated word count: 75,000. Author should be a published novelist and/or writing instructor.

The Perfect Protagonist This book should provide comprehensive instruction on character development from the protagonist on out to the rest of the cast, including how to create a strong and original protagonist, how to create supporting characters who complement or in some way accentuate an aspect of the protagonist, how to create an appropriate antagonist, etc. The book should include solid step-by-step instruction, exercises, and discussions of successful characters from best-selling and classic works. Estimated word count: 75,000 to 80,000. Author should be a published novelist and/or writing instructor.

Writing the Memoir This comprehensive how-to book should feature step-by-step memoir writing techniques, a look at some bestsellers in the genre and what makes them work, a discussion of clichés to avoid, unique exercises writers can do to practice the discussed techniques, a discussion of what makes a memoir salable, etc. Author should be a published memoirist. Also willing to consider a co-authored structure similar to Your First Novel, where a published memoirist would write Part I: Writing Your Memoir, and an agent specializing in memoirs would write Part II: Selling Your Memoir. Estimated word count: 80,000 to 100,000.

4700 E. Galbraith Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45236 http://blog.writersdigest.com/norules twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JaneFriedman

I DO TWO!

After the huge success of I DO, an anthology in support of Marriage Equality, we’re delighted to announce that there’ll be a second volume, I DO TWO, with a planned publication date of 14th February 2010.

The project has an editorial team – Alex Beecroft, Charlie Cochrane, Sophia Deri-Bowen, Lee Rowan – and not forgetting Kris Jacen at MLR who have kindly agreed to be the publishers again.What we now need are stories; heart warming, thought provoking, life affirming, most importantly top quality stories.

The deadline for submissions is December 1st 2009, with decisions announced on 1st January 2010. (Please adhere to the submissions guidelines given below.)

Feel free to pass this on.

The I DO TWO Team.

Submissions guidelines:

The anthology, titled "I DO, TWO", is a sequel to *the January 2009* charity anthology "I DO!" *All authors donate their stories* to benefit the Lambda Legal Fund. The *collection *cover*s* a range of times, places and people, and illustrate*s *the universality of love *and commitment**.*

To date, I DO has raised over $1500 for the cause of equal *rights* in marriage.

I DO TWO *will *be a similar, companion volume, published by MLR Press . (Contracts will be in line with their standard contract.)

We're looking for stories between 1,000 words and 10,000 words long. M/M, F/F, Bi and transgender stories are welcome. There is no strict theme, but we have certain things we do *not* want to see, for example stories which undermine the purpose of the anthology – that is, no stories which are about how gay people do not want to get married or do not deserve to get married. We do not want anything that reinforces negative stereotypes – no snuff fiction, scat, golden showers, necrophilia or underage sex.* *Because of the potential copyright issues, we *cannot accept* fanfiction, either.

If you possess the copyright for your story and it isn’t currently under exclusive contract to anyone else, we are happy to consider stories which have been published before. Please make a note in the covering e-mail.

As long as your story follows these guidelines and comes within the word-count, please send it to Lee_Rowan@localnet.com <mailto:Lee_Rowan@localnet.com>*. * Your story does not need to have an explicit marriage-related plot *or even a happy ending**!* Any story that celebrates the theme of love as valid, no matter the genders of the players, is welcome.

This is for a charity anthology, so you will not get paid. All profits will go straight to the Lamdba Legal fund. Through education, litigation and public policy work, Lambda Legal works to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people, and persons with HIV. Since their founding in 1973, Lambda Legal has become an active and vital part of the GLBT civil rights movement instrumental in the fight for same-sex marriage rights both nationally and, most notably, in the fight to strike down California's Proposition 8.

Deadline for submissions is 1st December 2009

Writer's Digest Popular Fiction Awards

A Short Story Competition from Writer's Digest

Compete and Win in All 5 Categories!

Romance
Mystery/Crime Fiction
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Thriller/Suspense
Horror

The Grand Prize-Winner will receive $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books and the 2010 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.

Entry Deadline: Monday, November 02, 2009.

For entrants paying with a credit card, we will accept manuscripts submitted online.

Entry Fee: All entries are $15.00 each

Prizes

Grand Prize: $2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books and the 2010 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.

First Prize: The First Place-Winner in each of the five categories receives $500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books and the 2010 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.

Honorable Mention: Honorable Mentions will receive promotion in Writer's Digest and the 2010 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.

Entry Deadline: Monday, November 02, 2009

http://www.writersdigest.com/popularfictionawards

Until The Day Is Done

2009-09-01T13:43:00.027-05:00

I have a new favorite song. UNTIL THE DAY IS DONE by R.E.M. I've always liked R.E.M., they are one of my fav bands. Losing My Religion and The One I Love are my favorite songs by them... until I heard this one. I believe Until the Day is Done came out a few years ago, but I'm not sure. I don't keep up with music like I used to. Oh, I have my fav's I listen to once in a while, but honestly I don't listen to the radio that much anymore, unless I'm in my car, so I can see how I missed this song. Truly, my loss. Anyway, I saw R.E.M. preform this on Austin City Limits Sunday night, and was just blown away. I think you will be, too. Enjoy! Until the Day is DonebyR.E.M. The battle's been lost, the war is not won An addled republic, a bitter refund The business first flat earthers licking their wounds The verdict is dire, the country's in ruins Providence blinked, facing the sun Where are we left to carry on Until the day is done Until the day is done As we've written our stories to entertain These notions of glory and bull market gain The teleprompt flutters, the power surge brings An easy speed message falls into routine Providence blinked, facing the sun Where are we left to carry on Until the day is done Until the day is done A voice whispers "Son,The blessed vision comes." What have I done What have I doneSo hold tight your babies and your guns Forgive us our trespasses, father and son Providence blinked, facing the sun Where are we left to carry on Until the day is done Until the day is done Until the day is done Until the day is done Until the day is done Until the day is done

Want to Write A Novel Together?

2009-09-01T12:45:00.001-05:00

I ran across a new blog the other day called Let’s Write A Novel … Together. The point of the blog is just as the title says. To write a novel, together.

Starting today, September 1st, Jean Lauzier, the blog owner, will (snipped the following from the blog):

… be posting about creating characters, writing dialogue, setting scenes, hooking the reader, tension, conflict, pacing, taming the inner editor and so much more.

In Oct., we'll start an intensive month long novel planning session. It'll include more indepth posts on topics such as story arc, structure and scene development along with some brainstorming and possibly real time chats.

Then, starting Nov. 1st, we'll make daily progress posts, along with weekly encouragement and who know what else. Plus, you'll be able to have a progress meter just like mine on the right. I'll explain more about that later.

If you've always wanted to write a novel or if this is your second or third or even sixth novel, join us on this wonderful journey. I can't promise you it'll all be fun but it'll be worth it.

This is great if you need a push, or encouragement, or if you’re having difficulty beginning on a new project, if you want to start a new project, or if you just need moral support. It’s also a great head start on NaNoWriMo, which, by the way is right around the corner (November 1st).

But that’s not all of the great resources Jean has to offer. She has another blog, StoryCrafters, and a writer’s forum (also entitled StoryCrafters) where she runs challenges, offers craft articles, writing tips and much, much more. Oh, and there’s also a StoryCrafters private critique group, too (it’s a Yahoo group, it’s not on the public forum).

Lot’s of wonderful resources to check out, that’s for sure. If you’d like to learn more about Jean Lauzier, join in on the novel writing project, check out her blogs and/or the forum, links are below.

Happy Writing!

Secret Agent Contest At Miss. Snark's First Victim Blog

2009-08-31T17:59:00.026-05:00

Miss Snark's First Victim blog is running a Secret Agent: Are You Hooked? Contest for the following genres:

Young adult fiction (all genres)
Middle grade fiction (all genres)
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Paranormal Romance (NO other romance; only paranormal)

The contest is for completed manuscripts only. See below for rules and guidelines or visit Miss. Snark's First Victim blog.

*(snipped the following from the blog) Submissions for the next Secret Agent contest will open at noon EDT on Monday, September 7. Submissions WILL NOT OPEN until NOON, EDT on Monday, September 7. Early submissions WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Submissions are for COMPLETED MANUSCRIPTS ONLY. If you wouldn't want an agent to read the entire thing, DON'T SEND IT. If an "entire thing" doesn't exist, you shouldn't even be reading these rules. Manuscripts THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN ANY SECRET AGENT CONTEST THIS YEAR will not be accepted. You may submit A DIFFERENT MANUSCRIPT if you've participated in any of the 2009 Secret Agent contests. If you are PAST WINNER, please DO NOT ENTER THIS CONTEST. Submissions are for THE FIRST 250 WORDS of your manuscript. Your submission for this contest should be formatted as follows: SCREEN NAME TITLE GENRE (Followed by the excerpt here.)

No "chapter one," chapter titles, etc.
You will receive a confirmation email with your post number. I don't always get through quickly. Don't resend.
Submissions go to facelesswords(at)gmail.com. They DO NOT GO to my authoressmail address. Those of you who are subscribed to this blog via email will note the latter address as the "from." If you use this address for the contest, I WILL NOT SEE YOUR SUBMISSION.
Erm, I think that's everything.

This month's contest will include the following genres:

Young adult fiction (all genres)
Middle grade fiction (all genres)
Science Fiction/Fantasy
Paranormal Romance (NO other romance; only paranormal)

Questions? Leave them in the comment box of this post. For those of you who have never heard of this contest, basically this is how it works. (Snipped from the blog)

There will be a call for submissions. When the call comes, follow the guidelines carefully and submit your excerpt before the deadline. All submissions will then be posted (anonymously) on the blog, and all readers are invited to leave critiques/feedback. Everyone who has entered the contest is expected to crit a minimum of five entries -- it's the mutual backscratch thing.
Our Secret Agent will join the panel of critters (that is, you) and will leave feedback for every entry. When the contest has ended, the Secret Agent will choose a winner or winners. That's it in a nutshell!

Check the side bar on the blog for a list of Agents who have participated in the past. One of the good things about this contest is, it's a great way to get your MS in front of an Agent. Even if you don't win you could receive a request for your ms. So get that manuscript polished! To learn more about this contest, visit the Secret Agent Contest Info Page. Happy Writing!