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

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

Good Luck!

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

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

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

But it doesn’t end there!

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

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

Contest Deadline: July 15, 2010

Sponsor: SavvyAuthors.com

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

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

Finalists Announced: August 1, 2010

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

Enter: Query letter AND first 10 double-spaced pages of unpublished manuscript (See Official Rules)

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

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

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

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

Payment via PayPal is preferred.

2010 Categories and Final Judges: 

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

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

PLEASE READ RULES CAREFULLY!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NOR Under The Mistletoe First Kiss Contest

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

First Paragraph Writing Contest For Unpublished Writers

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!

EREC First Line Contest

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

Check Out the Contest(s) at Lyrical Press!

Renee Lyons, my publisher (I love saying that!) blogged over at Title Magic a couple of days ago. Renee talked about what a Lyrical Press author can expect when contracted with Lyrical Press, what LP is looking for, and about their upcoming contests. If you're interested, you can read Renee's blog post here. I blogged about Lyrical's American Title contest a couple of weeks ago. For those of you who missed it, here's a brief re-cap:

Lyrical Press is hosting a Best First Kiss Contest, and the winner will receive a contract with Lyrical Press, Inc! Visit the Lyrical Idol page to read the official contest rules.

Sound good? If that's not enough to get your creative juices flowing, Lyrical Press is putting together another contest! I don't know all the details, but I do know that Renee designed a Gothic/Medieval book cover, and I believe the contestants are to send in a story to go with the cover. As I mentioned, the official rules aren't posted on the website yet, so this info may change, but you can read about the contest in Renee's Title Magic blog post. If you'd like to see the book cover and get a head-start on your entry, here it is. :)

Happy Contesting!

Lyrical Press

Lyrical Idol Contest

Title Magic Blog

Lyrical Press Accepting Submissions & Best First Kiss Contest

Lyrical Press Grand Opening May 5, 2008 Lyrical Press, Inc. is now accepting submissions in all romance genres except Poetry and Young Adult. Although their main focus will be on books with a darker and more Gothic tone, all romance genres are welcome. All submissions must be sent via e-mail, as all of our work is done electronically. We are accepting submissions in all romance genres and heat levels, except for Poetry and Young Adult. We are also accepting previously published works if the author holds the exclusive rights. Should we accept your manuscript for publication, we will ask you to provide proof of rights and the book will go through the standard editing process. Our preferred word count is 30,000 or longer, but will publish shorter works with a word count of no less than 12,000. Your query should be sent in the body of your email, with a 2-5 page synopsis and completed manuscript as attachments. Send all submissions to: submissions@lyricalpress.com Warm Summer Myth - Summer Anthology We are now accepting submissions for our summer anthology, Warm Summer Myth. All submissions must be 20,000 - 30,000 words and have a summer setting with the theme being the Hero/Heroine as mythical creature - any mythical creature, so let your imagination fly. All submissions must state in the subject line of the email that it for the Warm Summer Myth Anthology. The deadline for submissions is March 1st 2008 Lyrical Idol - Season One Lyrical Press is hosting a Best First Kiss Contest! The winner will receive a contract with Lyrical Press, Inc! Visit the Lyrical Idol page site for official contest rules. Lyrical Press is offering both an electronic and printed monthly newsletter, Once Upon a Newsletter! Email your preference to publisher@lyricalpress.com. Please include your name along with your email or snail-mail address. Lyrical Press, Inc http://lyricalpress.com/index.html First Kiss Contest Rules http://lyricalpress.com/lyricalidol.html

Wild Rose Press Contest

*Reposted with permission For all you paranormal/Warewolf authors - Wild Rose Press is holding a writing contest. Below are the guidelines and info. Just a note (as per the WRP website). Wild Rose Press is currently accepting submissions in all romance sub-genres in all lengths. Good Luck! Got Wolf? Black Rose Writing Contest If you've got a hot hero/heroine that also happens to turn furry at least once a month, then Black Rose is looking for your story. We are interested in werewolf stories with tight, well-written storylines and plots. If the hero is female make sure the male is equally impressive. All stories must have at least one HOT consummated love scene and, of course, the traditional story requirements still stand. Please take a moment to look at our submission requirements (www.thewildrosepress.com and click on the tab for "Submissions") before sending in your stories. Stories that do not follow traditional guidelines will be disqualified. Submissions are now open! Please place "Got Wolf? Contest Entry" in your subject line along with the traditional subject line matter, also found on the Submissions Guide. Contest deadline: August 30, 2008 Winners to be announced: October 31, 2008 Contest details: 4 shorts -- 15-25,000 word maximum and2 full shorts -- 25-45,000 word maximum will be chosen from the entries. All six winners will be included in a Black Rose anthology and will also receive a special Black Rose contest T-shirt. In addition, one winner will be chosen from those six to receive an author's survival basket full of goodies. Anthology Publication (estimated release) date June 2009 Judges: Ami Russell, Callie Lynn Wolfe, Jade Alexander, Amanda Barnett, Joan Archer, and Rene Stephens Please feel free to copy the following and spread it to all your loops and groups. Thanks. Rhonda Penders www.thewildrosepress.com

New and Aspiring Authors - Do You Need A Website Template?

Romance authors Maura Anderson and Celia Kyle of LS Designs believe in authors paying it forward. And to help do that, Maura and Celia have put together a contest and are donating a writers website template for the prize. Rules are below, or visit Celia's website to learn more.

Rules, etc., are below:

*Reposted With Permission

Some of you may know me and know I' m a huge believer in paying forward all the help that' s been given to me. Toward that end, my friend and fellow author Celia Kyle and I have banded together in an effort to start paying forward in a way we hope will make a difference to some new and aspiring authors.

One of the hardest things seems to be that many new and aspiring authors are constantly told how very important it is for them to have some sort of web presence and a website. It 's true – a nice web presence that speaks to your style and writing is a huge advantage. But how many times is it nearly impossible to do if you aren 't technically savvy or have extra money to spend on the effort?

To help someone with this, I am donating a free, customized WordPress website template to a new or aspiring author. This is the design and installation but not web hosting and the design will be done by LS Designs ( http://lsdesigns.net/ ).

The rules are: · The entrant must have 3 or fewer published books at the time of entry. Please be honest J This includes self-published books. I made this rule because I really want to focus the contest. · Only one entry per individual. · The winner will be randomly drawn from all entries using random.org and sequential entry numbers assigned in the order I receive entries. · The drawing is open until midnight on 3/31/2008, Pacific Time. Winner will be announced on 4/1/2008 and the winner will me emailed directly and have 90 days to redeem their prize. · No names or email addresses will be used for ANY other purpose, ever.

Celia has set up an entry form at http://authorspayitforward.blogspot.com/ . Note that the question on the form about why you feel a web presence is merely for me to read and digest . It doesn' t affect your chances of winning as this is a drawing, not an essay contest.

Maura Anderson http://www.realmsoftheraven.com/ Celia Kyle http://www.celiakyle.com/ LS Designs http://www.lsdesigns.net/

Click here to enter Celia donated and designed the Write.Read.Romance website. I think she's doing a great job in paying it forward, don't you?

Red Sage Writing Contest

Red Sage Publishing is holding their first writing contest.There will be two prizes awarded for the best stories. First prize will be publication in the Secrets anthology! Second prize will be publication as an e-book! Here are the basic rules: 1. All entries must be original, unpublished erotic romance novellas of 25,000 to 35,000 words in English featuring an alpha male hero. 2. To enter, send a completed manuscript as an rtf file to Submissions@eredsage.com with “Alpha Male Contest” in the subject line. Only rtf formats will be accepted. All other formats will be automatically disqualified and deleted unopened. Include your full name, contact information, and credentials (if any) in your cover e-mail. 3. Entries must be received by March 31, 2008, at midnight eastern time. You may enter as many times as you wish. By entering, you are certifying that your entry is your original unplagiarized work, that you own all rights in this work, that this work has never been published, and that you are willing and able to publish it with Red Sage. Any entry not meeting these requirements will be automatically disqualified. 4. In the event that none of the contest entries are deemed publishable, no winners will be declared. All entries will be reviewed by Red Sage editorial staff. All decisions are final. Non-winning manuscripts will be deleted at the conclusion of the contest. 5. For further tips on what Red Sage looks for in a manuscript, check our submissions guidelines at http://www.eredsage.com/Writers_Guidelines-sp8.html and our blog at http://redsagerevealed.blogspot.com/ 6. There is no fee for entering. Winners will receive a standard Red Sage publishing contract offer with standard Red Sage advance, royalties, and other terms. 7. This contest is void where prohibited by law. Good Luck! Red Sage Publishing Contest Rules

The End

...of the line for me. I didn't make it to the next round of Karin Tabke's First Line Contest. I did make it all the way to round eight, so, that's pretty good, isn't it? It's just so disappointing to get dropped. Guess I'll just keep on, keepin' on! :) Karin Tabke did leave a comment for me. She said, "Carol, for what it's worth, my judge really struggled this week." That was nice, wasn't it? It was a fun contest, and I had a great time. Guess it's back to the drawing board! Happy Writing!

New Contest For Aspiring Harlequin Presents (M&B) Writers

If you're an aspiring writer who plans to target the Harlequin Presents line, this is a great opportunity for you. I write single title, so this contest won't help me, but the writing tutorials on the site will! For those of you who write category - you don't want to miss this! This comes from Executive Editor Tessa Shapcott and it's all about the special contest that Presents (M&B Modern) is running for not yet published writers. Here's what Tessa has to say: INSTANT SEDUCTION A brand new writing competition from the world’s best-selling romance series is about to hit the blogosphere! It’s an exciting time for Harlequin Presents: from January 2008, there will be 12 of our intensely passionate romances available every month. And with this increase of titles comes a great opportunity for aspiring authors – we will be looking to buy more books for publication! The old saying goes that first impressions are lasting impressions – and when it comes to reading a Harlequin Presents, that certainly holds true. If the first chapter doesn’t immediately grip the reader with its pace, passion and intensity, then she won’t continue to turn the pages. So Presents is inviting unpublished writers to show us how they can grab the attention of our readership with first chapters that really sizzle. The INSTANT SEDUCTION competition offers prizes that are chances of a lifetime for the lucky winner and runners-up:

• *First prize – win yourself an editor for a year!
• *Two runners-up will be given editorial critiques of their first chapter entries and also a personal telephone consultation about their writing!

Visit the Iheartpresents.com blogsite for full details of the competition – and the chance to prepare for publication with an exclusive series of writing tutorials prepared by the editorial team at Harlequin Presents, including advice on First Chapters, How to Write a Synopsis, Loving the Alpha Male and Generating Emotional Conflict. Entries for the competition will be accepted as on-line submissions only from 1st January until 14th February 2008. Entries should comprise of the first chapter and a synopsis of a previously unpublished/unsubmitted novel aimed at Harlequin Presents. Address for entries: instantseduction@hmb.co.uk Any further details, and lots of helpful hints on how to write for Harlequin Presents, M&B Modern can be found over on the I heart Presents blog. I wish the best of luck to those of you who enter!

PNWA Literary Contest

I ran across this contest at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association website today and thought I'd share. This looks like a great contest, and I plan to enter. PNWA LITERARY CONTEST Featuring $12,000 in prize money Every qualified entry receives two critiques Finalists critiqued by and Agent or Editor First-place winners are invited to attend the Agents & Editors Reception 12 Categories: 1. Mainstream 2. Inspiration 3. Romance 4. Mystery/Thriller/Horror 5. Science Fiction/Fantasy 6. Young Adult Novel 7. Non-Fiction Book/Memoir 8. Screen Writing 9. Poetry 10. Adult Short Story 11. Children's Picture Book/Short Story or Chapter Book 12. Adult Short Topics (Article/Essay/Short Memoir) Awards and Benefits Finalists (eight in each category) will be notified prior to the PNWA Annual Summer Conference, July 17 - 20, 2008. Award Winners will be announced at the conference. Awards will be given for: First Place: $600 and the Zola Award. The Zola Award honors founding member Zola Helen Ross for her vision in creating a writing community over 50 years ago. Second Place: $300 Third Place: $150 Every entry accepted in the contest will receive two critiques, a valuable tool for any writer. Finalists who attend the PNWA Summer Conference will receive a Finalist ribbon for their name tag, giving them high visibility to the agents and editors at the conference. In addition, their manuscripts will be made available to these agents and editors. First-Place winners will have the opportunity to attend the Agents and Editors Reception at the PNWA Summer Conference. $35.00 entry fee for PNWA members and $50.00 for non-members and you don't have to have a completed manuscript to enter. Entries must be postmarked no later than FEBRUARY 22, 2008. Go here for the submission guidelines and rules. Visit http://www.pnwa.org/ for details, or send an email to: staff@pnwa.org or you can call: 425.673.2665 The deadline is February 22, 2008 Zola Helen Ross article

I Made It To Round Five!

Woo-hoo! I made it to round #5 in Karin Tabke's First Line Contest! Yes! Here's my week 5 entry: “Betrothed…you can’t be serious!” Calvin O’Donnell watched his daughter jump to her feet, knocking the chair to the floor. He knew this would be difficult and she would be unhappy, to say the least, but even so, he was shocked by her outburst of anger. “Now, Mairin, lass, calm down.” He had to be firm or else he’d never go through with it. Whaddya think? Will it make it to round #6? Wish me luck!

I Made It To Round Four!

Woo-hoo! I did it again - I made it to round #4 in Karin Tabke's First Line Contest! Yes!

Another week of waiting to look forward to. I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm just amazed!

My entry is #6 if you want to check it out.

http://www.karintabke.com/blog/index.php

Wish me luck - again!

I Made It To Round Three!

Woo-hoo! I made it to round 3 in Karin Tabke's First Line Contest! I've been doing the Snoopy Dance all afternoon. Another whole week of waiting to look forward to.

My entry is #5 if you want to take a look.

Wish me luck - again!

Rachelle Chase's Mini-Critique

Today Rachelle Chase posted her mini-critique of Dangerous Desires on the Chase the Dream Contest site. Like Leah Michaels did yesterday, Rachelle Chase made my day. She gave me a treasure trove of advice, as did Leah, and I absolutely appreciate every bit. Here are some of the very nice things she said:

"You’re very welcome, Carol. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your entry - the writing is smooth, with a nice balance of narrative and action, which gave it just the right pacing. And, I love forced marriage stories. In fact, in my first class with Leigh, I wrote a modern day forced marriage story, and she pointed out the many ways it was not believable. (She was correct). LOL Well, you obviously do not have this problem, as yours is believable."

I loved this. Rachelle went on to explain the reason she'd have my opening scene in the heroines POV and WHY. And that's the best part. She explained why and how it would make the reader more sympathetic with my heroine. The biggest problem (and ONLY problem) both Leah and Rachelle had with my entry was the opening character POV. Needless to say, I took their suggestions to heart and I will absolutely apply them to my WIP. Here's what else Rachelle had to say in addition to the very nice comment below: "this was a well written scene":

"At any rate, much success to you with this story. You’re a talented writer with a great story idea and I’d love to find out what happens to Mairin at Don Garcia’s house. "

I've been doing the Snoopy Dance since yesterday. My DH is beginning to think I'm going crazy. Do you blame me? If you'd like to see Rachelle's (and Leah's) critique, click here. I'm off to apply my changes. Wish me luck!

I'm A Chase the Dream Contest Mini-Critique Winner!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I entered Leah Michaels CHASE THE DREAM CONTEST. In this contest, if your entry isn't chosen, you can re-submit as long as you haven't been picked as a finalist or mini-critique winner. I've entered every week since they began accepting submissions six weeks ago and I've finally been chosen! Not as a finalist, but as a mini-critique winner! Yes, Yes, Yes! I'm so excited! Leah Michaels gave a great critique of Dangerous Desires. She said, "And this is a delightful piece of writing – it’s well-constructed, and it gives us a wonderful portrait of a character." How nice is that? What a great boost to the ego, ay? I'm a very happy camper, to say the least. The comments and suggestions she provided were a HUGE help and what's even better is she answered some questions I've been struggling with. I just wish I'd have been picked a week earlier, before I entered Karin Table's First Line Contest, then I could have made changes to my entry before I submitted. Oh well, it's done and I made it to the second round in that contest, so my entry can't be all that bad. :) If you'd like to see Leah's critique of my 1,000 word entry (actually, it's more like around 750 words), click here. And if you'd like to add any suggestions of your own, please don't hesitate to leave me a comment. :) Now, I'm off to read Leah's writers guide CREATING ROMANTIC CHARACTERS and WRITING THE ROMANCE NOVEL (maybe I should have done that before entering her contest) and apply her suggestions to my WIP. Happy Writing!

I Made It To Round Two!

I made it to round two in Karin Tabke's First Line Contest. Now I have to post the second line in my opening paragraph and wait until Monday to see if my second line make's it through this round. My entry is #34 on her blog. Below is my first line: "Bethrothed...you can't be serious!" Here is the second line I will post to see if it will get me through the next round: Calvin O'Donnell watched his daughter jump to her feet, knocking the chair to the floor. So, here' is the whole entry:

"Bethrothed...you can't be serious!" Calvin O' Donnell watched his daughter jump to her feet, knocking the chair to the floor.

The final judge for Karin Tabke's contest is Hilary Teeman of St. Martin's Press. What makes this contest so exciting is, I read on the Bookends, LLC blog that an editor from St. Martin's would "love to find a really great Western Historical romance".

So, if you write Historical Romance like me, that's a good thing. And, Hilary Teeman is an editor at St. Martins...see where I'm going with this?

Here's a link to the Bookends post:

http://www.karintabke.com/blog/index.php

Now all I have to do is check Leah Michaels Chase the Dream Contest tomorrow to see if I made it as a finalist or mini-critique finalist on that contest! Wish me Luck!

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest

Amazon.com is running a pretty decent contest for those of you who have a completed manuscript. Information below. Good Luck! Are you a writer longing to be discovered? Submit your manuscript for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. It’s the perfect opportunity to become the next great novelist: the winning author will receive a publishing contract from Penguin Group, including promotional support for their book on Amazon.com, and a media suite from Hewlett-Packard. All entrants are eligible to self-publish their novel with CreateSpace and sell it on Amazon.com. Enter your manuscript for consideration by November 5, 2007! Contest Process and Timeline Amazon.com is accepting unpublished English language works of fiction for entry in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award through November 5, 2007. Once the submission period ends, Amazon editors and top Amazon customer reviewers will read submissions and select authors for the semi-final round, beginning January 15, 2008. Each semi-finalist will receive a full review of their manuscript by Publishers Weekly and a book page on Amazon.com featuring a short excerpt from their novel that customers can download, read, and review. Penguin will select manuscripts to read from the semi-final round based on customer feedback and Publishers Weekly reviews and announce the Top Ten finalists on March 3, 2008. Amazon.com customers will then select the winner of the Amazon Breakthrough Award, to be announced on April 7, 2008. Register now and break through! Only the first 5,000 submissions will be accepted. The registration deadline is November 5, 2007.