Golden Heart Finalist

We haven't been updating regularly, but this news is too exciting to forget to share. THE SOLDIER, my paranormal Viking warrior romance, is a 2011 Golden Heart [tm] finalist in the paranormal category. I've had a wild ride buying makeup (I truly had nothing but a couple lipsticks and ten-year old mascara in the drawer), getting a PR photo, and working on my first website. So, introducing the made-up, airbrushed, dressed-up me:

You can read an excerpt from THE SOLDIER at the first version of my website, annarichland.com. Pretty soon it will have a cool customized background showing a bunch of my heroine Theresa's desk junk. I'm also active on Facebook as Anna Richland - please join me there for more frequent updates and lots of pictures.

Winners of the Golden Heart will be announced Friday night, July 1, 2011 at Romance Writers of America's national conference in New York City. I'm looking forward to sharing the excitement with Mr. Richland. I don't think he can imagine what a ballroom filled with almost 3,000 romance writers is like. Even Stars on Ice had more men in the audience. Win or not, being a finalist has certainly bumped me up to the next level of career excitement (not to mention forced me to revise the middle of my manuscript!).

Writer, Promote Thyself!

I hate trying to sell people things. Especially when the things I'm trying to sell are me and my books. I am not a natural born salesman. Asking people to buy things gives me hives. Why can't people just magically find out about me and my awesomeness? Why do I feel like a little beggar girl or a door-to-door missionary? Am I doing this whole promotion thing wrong?

I heard some Big Deal Authors lately talking about book signings and the way people tend to shy away from the person behind the table, refusing to meet your eyes. The theory (quite a good one, I think) was that they don't want to have to reject you in front of you. In a bookstore, they can wander through the aisles picking up and putting down dozens of books before they find one that interests them, but they never feel guilty for putting one down. With you sitting there, the author adds the guilt factor.

I get that, but how do you counter it? With chocolate? (Bribes!) With excerpts? That way, you can hand them a chapter, they can wander over to grab a latte and a scone, read your chapter in line, decide they love you, and come back to get a signed copy to take the register. I like that approach.

But what about online promo? Why are people skittish to participate there? I'm having a blog party all this month with daily prizes. (http://viviandrews.blogspot.com) Looking at my website tracking info, I'm getting a lot more hits than I am comments - but only the commenters can win. So are my lurkers shy? Are they not interested in the prizes? (A free book? Who turns down a free book?!) They are under no obligation to buy my books or the books of my guest bloggers. All they have to do is comment, possibly win, possibly discover a new author they love or win a book they can give to a reader-friend who loves that genre if they don't.

I feel weird because I'm running around trying to drum up traffic for this blog party and I feel like it should be easier than this. These are awesome prizes! There is virtually no effort involved in winning them! The big prize this month is a brand new ereader! All you have to do to enter is sleuth around my website to answer five questions (one about each of my books) and send me an email with your answers. Is an ereader not worth a few clicks?

I'm puzzled. And I feel like a realtor. See, I went to the parade of homes with my family a few weeks ago. There were a lot of realtors with a lot of different styles. Some gave away goodie bags or cookies or donuts. One actually followed us through every room of the house commenting on our comments to one another (so irritating!). But the one thing they had in common was that they were representing gorgeous homes. These houses were gems, that's why they were included in the parade of homes. But there were still gimmicks and raffles and staging to make them attractive to buyers.

So even if you write a great book (see, I really was going somewhere with the metaphor!), you still have to make it attractive to readers. (Without stalking them through every room telling them why they should buy it.)

And that is the part where I feel completely out of my depth. Oh, to be famous and rich and hire someone to be my book realtor!

Am I looking at this the wrong way? What makes you buy a book? Word of mouth? An ad you saw? A review?

Tomorrow at my blog I'm giving away a signed copy of my new book Shifting Dreams. All this month I'm giving away an ereader. No purchase necessary. Just a little fun. Come on by and play... or come on by and lurk if you want to feed my neurosis. ;)

Saucy versus Serious

Amanda Forester, a friend from our Seattle chapter of Romance Writers of America, has two fun book trailers for The Highlander's Sword on her website. She made both (with help from two real life heroes - her husband and his bagpiping buddy). One's saucy, one's serious. Vote for your favorite and you could win a FREE BOOK.

Amanda's videos rock like Canadian curlers. I watched them and thought ... when I sell a book I'm going to have to learn how to do that? And my mother thought romances would rot my mind!

Getting Better All the Time

There are times when being a writer can feel a bit like being Sisyphus. No matter how many times you roll that rock up that mountain, there is always another mountain. At least that's what it feels like to me when I'm staring down revisions on an old book I've already revised a dozen times over.

The good news is I'm getting better at this. Every revision brings something new that I've learned as a writer to the manuscript and so every revision is a little better than the last.

The same can also be said of my new projects. Not that each one is better than the last, necessarily (such a subjective question!), but rather that with each new manuscript I bring something new as a writer.

Tomorrow I have a new ebook release. Serengeti Storm is the second in my lion-shifter series and when I sat down to write it, I was simultaneously trying to please those who had loved the first story and bring something new to the table. The newness turned out to be a new understanding I had of writing deeper emotions - the conflicts based in our family lives and long-term lovers. There is a power in those emotions that the love-at-first-sight affairs in most romances can't compete with. I found the act of writing this story helped me grow profoundly as a writer.

Those leaps as a writer can happen when you least expect them. Sometimes it's a class or a book about writing that triggers a shift in your writing. Sometimes it's a critique or a compliment. And sometimes, it's just slogging through another draft, trying to see what you've seen a million times with new eyes, pushing that rock up that mountain one more time.

What has helped you grow the most as a writer?

This week, to celebrate Serengeti Storm's release, I would like to give away a copy of Janet Evanovich's How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author. Just comment on this post by Friday at noon (Pacific) and you are automatically entered to win.

Insider Tips on the Golden Heart!

The 2010 RWA® Golden Heart Contest opens for entries TODAY! Are you unpublished with a completed romance manuscript just itching for industry recognition? This is the contest of contests in the romance writing world. Are you one of next year's big winners? Get ready for Nashville, y'all. GH2010 is here! Click here for contest details.

And if you're interested in getting a jump on the competition with some insider info from those who've been there before, the 2009 Golden Heart class, The Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood, is launching a blog today at http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/. All during this month there will be daily giveaways - from mugs to manuscript critiques. Join the Ruby Sisters as we navigate the lions and tigers and bears of the romance writing industry and its biggest contest.

Heroines & Life Lessons

First off, I’d really like to thank the Damned Scribbling Women for having me today. I love stopping by this blog for a laugh or a thoughtful blog post and am thrilled to be here today.

When I was getting my MFA in creative writing, my fiction professors always told me that a good short story or novel must make its readers think. It must have a message and characters that transcend time and race and culture and creed. It must be real. These are, of course, many of the same professors who scoffed at me when I told them I wanted to write romances. The same ones who told me writing genre fiction was a waste of my talent—little did they know how little their advice was going to end up meaning to me.

Well, here I am a number of years later, writing romance novels and loving every second of it. And while their advice about romance novels was complete idiocy (I’ve been reading love stories since I was in fifth grade and I certainly have no plans to stop anytime soon) a lot of what they taught me has stuck with me—including the fact that a reader should be able to learn something about the human condition from the books she reads.

Now, I write two very different types of books—erotic suspense and family oriented contemporaries, both of which will soon be joined by paranormals when my first novel of dragon shapeshifters hits the shelves next year. And though my books lend themselves to very different plotlines, language and heat levels, one of the things I’ve found has remained the same between my NAL Heats and my Harlequin Superromances, is my characters—and what I (and hopefully my readers) learn from them. Whether I’m writing a kick-butt police detective (my September 2009 release Tie Me Down) or a surrogate mother on the brink of emotional collapse (my June 2009 release From Friend to Father) I tend to gravitate to the same kind of heroines—strong, smart and self-assured. Heroines I can respect and heroines I can learn something from. So, with no further ado, here’s a quick look at some of the life lessons I’ve learned from the women I’ve written in the last year.

Genevieve Delacroix (Tie Me Down—September 2009) A tough-as-nails homicide detective, Genevieve survives the violence of New Orleans’s streets by staying in control at all times. But when she meets her hero, Cole Adams, she learns that some of the most important things in life—friendship, passion, love—can’t be controlled. Genevieve has taught me the value of spontaneity and that coloring outside of the lines is often more rewarding than doing the same old thing.


Sarah Martin (Heroine of From Friend to Father—June 2009): Mother of twin boys and surrogate mother for her best friend’s baby, Sarah has taught me the importance of hanging on to my sense of humor. No matter what life throws at her—from overflowing toilets to a deadbeat husband to falling in love for a second, scarier time, Sarah never forgets to laugh.

Serena Macafee (Full Exposure—January 2009) Serena’s been through the emotional wringer—when she was seventeen, she survived the brutal attack that ended up killing her twin sister. Ten years later, her sister’s murderer—and her own assailant—is being released early from prison and Serena must deal with the emotional and actual fall-out. With her past, she is scared to death of being vulnerable—to anyone, including her lover, Kevin Riley. But as the book unfolds, Serena realizes that being strong doesn’t mean doing everything alone. So from her, I’ve learned the importance of standing on my own two feet—and of asking for help when I need it.

Vivian Wentworth (A Christmas Present—December 2009) Vivian reminded me of the importance of keeping an open mind. An attorney who’s spent her career fighting for women who can’t fight for themselves, Vivian is shocked and upset when she ends up defending a seventeen-year-old boy accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend. But things aren’t what they seem in the case and Vivian must work with her client’s mentor and guardian to keep an innocent boy out of jail, even after he’s given up on justice and himself.

So, have you learned anything from a romance heroine—one you’ve written or one you’ve just liked reading about? Leave a comment and be entered to win a copy of my June release, From Friend to Father.

The winner will be announced on Friday, September 18th, so be sure to check back!

Squeee!

Our own Kate Diamond is a DOUBLE FINALIST in the Emerald City Opener Contest!!! Congratulations, Kate, and loads of luck in the final round for both fantastic manuscripts!

Here's to your success!

Savor a Rake, Win Some Cash

The second book in Delilah Marvelle's School of Gallantry series comes out on August 4th! To celebrate, the author is running a very cool contest over at her website.

You can wander over there for contest details, but we have them here. Email Ms. Marvelle (Delilah at DelilahMarvelle dot com). Send her the School's quote from Lesson 27, and you will be entered to win one of three $50 Visa Cards. Winners will be contacted via e-mail by September 10th.

And don't forget to buy Lord of Pleasure, on sale August 4th!

Shelli's Great Contest

Since I hope most of our readers believe in HEAs (it took me six months to realize that stood for Happily Ever After on blogs), please humor my announcement that today is my eighth wedding anniversary. I forgot to buy a card for my Favorite Canadian, but that's okay. At least this year I know how many years it is. Hey, I'm a romance writer, not a romantic. I did make him a fancy dessert one night last week when it wasn't raging hot and suggested he count it as an early deposit on today.

It's over 90 here in Seattle and no one has A/C, so I can't possibly think of anything witty or interesting and I have to get moving with the kids to the Mariners' game. Luckily Shelli Stevens, the amazing chapter president of Greater Seattle Romance Writers of America, is running a fabulous contest to celebrate her new Aphrodisia book. Go to her website and do it. In the heat.

Opposite Love

When it comes to the hero and heroine in a romance novel, I have a thing for opposites. It could be because hubby and I are opposites – I’m an organized math geek and he’s one of those disorganized, creative music types. The ones who can pick up virtually any instrument and figure out how to play it well, whereas I am completely tone deaf. Seriously. I tried to play the violin a while back. One year later and I still sounded like screeching mice. Absolutely dreadful. Yep, I’ve since given up the violin.

But even though we’re opposites in so many ways, I adore hubby completely…because he isn’t like me. He’s him. If I had married another me, we would have driven each other nuts in no time at all. I like me, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t like me enough to marry another me. My own little quirks keep life interesting for hubby (God forbid he ever think me dull *g*). But in someone else, they’d be more annoying than one of those people who wait until the all their groceries are bagged and in their cart before pulling out their checkbook (which is a process wholly unto itself) to s-l-o-w-l-y write out a check. That’s about when I stop trying to keep my daughter in check and let her run amuck. Five-year-olds can be wonderfully handy little people to have around. Simply expressing a sudden and pressing desire to go pee can really get a line moving.

Therefore, when deciding whom to cast as the h/h in a novel, I can’t possibly go with two similar people. I want them to have a happily ever after that lasts, and not wake up one day and discover marriage to oneself isn’t all that fun. But there’s a bit of a science to casting opposites. The trick is to find two people who appear totally different on the surface but actually go together perfectly. Finding that mix of complementary strengths and weaknesses that make the individuals stronger when together. It may take the characters some time to realize they are meant to be together (and that smacking into each other, bouncing off what makes them different can lead to a lot of fun on its own). But by the time the HEA has rolled around, the characters have snapped together like puzzle pieces, and in more ways than just physical. Don’t get me wrong, I love the physical part (must have that, and it has to be…sigh…amazing), but it’s also that moment when the characters just click. When they realize they have found their soul mate.

Given all that, I bet you can guess that the h/h of my new sensual regency-set romance from Berkley, Her Ladyship’s Companion, are a tad opposite. Well, more than a tad. *g* When I was mulling over a hero for Bella, a married aristocratic woman who looks like an ice princess but has a heart of a tart, I couldn’t resist giving her a man like Gideon - a baseborn male prostitute. He’s an utter gentleman, of course, with a brain in his gorgeous head. Couldn’t match my heroine up with an overly-slick idiot whose idea of seduction involved asking where the bedroom was located. That would have been downright cruel. And I will admit that it was a bit of a challenge, one wrought with sex and angst (my two favorite parts of a book) to get these two to their HEA, but rest assured, they are truly perfect for each other, so of course they end up happily ever after.

So what do you think? Do you prefer opposite love in your romance novels, or do you have a different type of favorite h/h pair? And if you want, you can always tell me your cutest quirk, the one that would drive you nuts if it was your significant other’s quirk and not your own. *g*

To celebrate the release of Her Ladyship’s Companion, I’m giving away a copy of the book to one lucky commenter. Just leave a comment and on Tuesday night, around 10pm EST or so, I’ll pick a winner at random and post the name.

****UPDATE*****

I entered the names of those who commented into the list randomizer at random.org, and the name that came out on top is:

JEANMARIE HAMILTON!!!

Congrats, Jeanmarie! Send me an e-mail at evangeline @ evangelinecollins (dot) com with your snail mail address, and I'll have the book sent to you.

Thanks again to all who stopped by the blog!

******************

And my thanks goes out to Damned Scribbling Women for having me as a guest on their awesome blog. :D

********

His job was to please her. Not to steal her heart.

In the Scottish countryside of Selkirk, Isabella, Lady Stirling resides at Bowhill Park, serving penance for a sin that nearly ruined her family. For five years she has been condemned to a loveless marriage and confined to the estate where she does little more than tend her rose garden. With her husband absent for months at a time and few visitors, Bella lives a lonely existence, denying the passions that burn within her very soul.

Then her cousin comes for a visit and makes an outrageous suggestion: what Bella needs is a lover. A hired lover. Despite her need, Bella says no. But soon Mr. Gideon Rosedale arrives – and he is at her service for two weeks. Indulging in what she intends to be a harmless flirtation, Bella is overcome by Gideon’s intoxicating presence. And when she at last permits him to satisfy her desires, she discovers she’s done the unthinkable – she’s fallen in love.

Interested in an excerpt? If so, hop on over to my website - Excerpt

Available now in bookstores near you, or through Amazon


Thanks again!!
-Evangeline
Her Ladyship’s Companion/Berkley Sensation
http://www.evangelinecollins.com/
Lush. Elegant. Sensual Historical Romance.

I'd date anybody but...

Hello all, I'm Shelli Stevens. Thank you to the Damned Scribbling Women for having me guest blog today! I enjoy visiting this blog, think the ladies who run it are pretty fabulous, plus the blog itself is pretty sweet on the eyes.

Well, yesterday my book Anybody but Justin released. This novella is the first in three in a series that follows three friends with life, friendship, and finding love. My heroine, Gabby, in Anybody but Justin is pretty liberal with her dating life. She's always enjoyed dating. But there's one guy she dares not fall for, and that's her roommate Justin. Even though he's her best friend and she's totally hot for him, she has her reasons for keeping it platonic. But of course Justin has other plans. *Grin*

So now we know that Gabby would rather date anyone but her roommate. Now I'm going to get us all to confess to the guys (or girls) we've all avoided.

Me, there's a few. I've always been pretty turned off by a guy who was just too hot. I mean, eek, I'm no Halle Berry. I'd rather not have to worry about my hottie guy running off with a hotter chick. The other big turn off for me? Well, not so much about the guy, but more of his driving habits. I cannot dig a guy who drives a sports car. Not sure why...they just are so small and feminine to me. LOL.

I tend to like average guys. The ones that have flaws, but are protective, and maybe on the burly side. Oh, and if you drive a truck that's a plus! (Though not for the environment, maybe I should rethink this!) But then again, I'm still single...so right now....hmm all guys are looking pretty sexy. :D

But, how about you? Even if you're married or taken now, tell me how it used to be. Come on and reply, filling in the blanks here: I'd date anybody but ____

One commenter will win a copy of my ebook Anybody but Justin (info below!), which I'm excited to say just received a Recommended Read from Joyfully Reviewed! Or if you already have it, you can pick another ebook off my Samhain backlist!

* * * * * * * * * * *

The line between friends and lovers can get a little blurry…especially when you add tequila.

A Chances Are story.

Gabby is serious about her search for Mr. Right, but no one can say she hasn’t had a good time looking. She enjoys her numerous dates and the sex that comes with them. Until she finds herself falling for the one man she vows to never love. Her best friend and roommate, Justin. A player in every sense of the word—and a reminder of her awful past.

One night, with the help of a bottle of tequila, things get a little too hot for comfort. She moves out, intent on removing him from the line of temptation.

Justin has different plans. The tequila did more than just change how he sees his good friend. It made him realize he doesn’t want to be just friends any more. He’s ready for something more intimate, and he’ll do whatever it takes to find out why she’s running. And convince her to stay.

Available for purchase here.

Contestosaurus

Thanks for the great welcome yesterday!


As I wrote my first post, I noticed an archaeologist and a paleontologist among my favorites, and I started thinking people dig up exciting stuff in fiction more often than they do in real life. The only things buried in my yard are abandoned toys and squirrel treasures.


I can name a half-dozen fictional archaeologists, including Amelia Peabody and her grumpy Emerson from Elizabeth Peters' series, Daphne and Anthony in Guilty Pleasures, and Dr. Lisa Maxwell, the spelunking archaeology professor in Stolen Fury. Leslie Howard played a pre-Indy Nazi-fighting archaeology professor in the 1941 film Pimpernel Smith. The plot parallels Scarlet Pimpernel, but the film supposedly inspired Raoul Wallenberg to emulate the fictional hero and save thousands of Jews.


Much as I love Harriet Pomeroy, there aren't many fictional paleontologists out there aside from Ross.


Why not?


Is it because dinosaur bones are found places like the Gobi Desert and North Dakota, whereas ancient human habitations can be anywhere, permitting a plot set in Italy or featuring Roman ruins in England? Archaeological treasures can be small, valuable and easily stolen - everyone loves a heist - but imagine stealing Sue the T-Rex from the Field Museum. Maybe authors feel that a hero or heroine who studies ancient culture or history has more appeal than one who studies bones.


Whatever the reason, I want to give all those dashing treasure-hunting archaeologists some competition, so I'm offering my first contest. Three people who post a dino-licious hero or heroine not mentioned above (and not part of the Michael Crichton/Jurassic Park empire) will win a squishy expandable dinosaur in the mail. The prize is a tiny little creature - until you get it wet. I'll make it easier: even a secondary character, if it's a bona fide paleontologist, is a valid entry. Movies count too. Especially if they have Leslie Howard in them.


I'll pick winners Sunday, May 10, random number fashion, not based on how much I like the character, so keep entering until then.

Meet Anna

Hello everyone. I'm thrilled to blog with Kate and Anneliese at DSW. I met Kate through Greater Seattle RWA, where we are usually roommates at the Emerald City Writer's Conference. This week I'll tell you about myself, hold a contest tomorrow and blog about the musical inspirations for my two novels at the end of the week.

Day Job: Never ends. I'm home with two silly preschoolers. We'll call them Big Boy and Boots. I'm also a non-practicing lawyer and former U.S. Army officer.

Hails from: Seattle, Washington (since 1995).

In your next life? I'll have perfect eyesight and be 5'7" - tall enough to never shorten pants again.

Preferred writing snack: A double tall nonfat latte at Herkimer Coffee, something intriguing from the pastry case and two uninterrupted writing hours.

Favorite romantic movie: The Mummy. Isn't Brendan Fraser wonderful when his hair flops over his eyes? Don't all librarians deserve him?

Who are your favorite heroines from romantic fiction?

The paleontologist Harriet Pomeroy in Amanda Quick's Ravished (1992). She is the first Regency heroine I remember having an interest outside marriage, really a profession, that I wanted to share. These days many historical heroines have careers - Laura Lee Guhrke's "girl bachelors" for instance - but Harriet and her dinosaur fetish are still my first favorite.

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again" is my favorite first line, but Lady Dona St. Columb of Frenchman's Creek is my favorite Daphne du Maurier heroine. She has so much more steel than the heroine of Rebecca. Lady St. Columb stares down the conflict between self-fulfillment and responsibility, adventure versus hearth. All with a pirate by her side.

Who are your favorite heroes from romantic fiction?

Sink me, if I don't require a tonic of Sir Percy Blakeney when I grow tired of alpha heroes. I adore Leslie Howard, that long-faced master of disguise, in the 1935 movie. Finding out that Howard's plane was shot down by Nazis shades the Pimpernel mystique into real life.

Who's your favorite Canadian? My sweet husband of almost eight years. He supports my writing, has never once complained about a messy house or eating curried leftovers, and was properly sympathetic last week after I left our new car's sunroof open, overnight, in the rain.

My first contest! Now that you know a bit about me, I hope you'll visit Tuesday afternoon (Pacific time) for my first contest.

Thanks for welcoming me!

Anna Richland

"Name That Navy Book" Contest: WINNER!

It took us a day to deliberate over your wonderful posts, but we've finally selected a winner for our "Name That Navy Book" Contest!

The lucky recipient of a Debbie Macomber novel is...

JAIME
(who's certainly had a string of luck recently!)

Congratulations! We will be contacting you and passing along the prize.

Thanks to everyone who participated! So many of the entries were hilarious, and we encourage you to go back and read them. Here's Jaime's entry:

Title: Navy Doc

Tagline: It was not just her arm that needed healing, it was her heart...

Blurb: Marybeth has survived med school, but basic training is even tougher. The injury that might threaten her career in surgery is less threatening than the injury that Dr. Mike, the senior resident, might inflict on her heart. Is this officer a man of honor, or an open wound? She may be a Navy doc now, but how will she know if her ship has come in?

Contest: Name that Navy Book!

How's this for inspiring cover art?

Did you ever read any of Debbie Macomber's "Navy" books? She wrote them for Silhouette Special Edition, and they had names like Navy Husband and Navy Woman. Theresa and I discovered these books while she was pondering whether or not to join--you guessed it--the navy. Not only did we greatly enjoy all of the "Navy" books we picked up at the used bookstore, but we took great pleasure in annotating them with our comments and sending them off to China, where our good friend Riley was working for the Peace Corps.

It was lighthearted reading for a transitional time in all of our lives. We were fresh out of college, starting to pursue our own career paths... all of us agonizing over what the future might hold, and all of us making dating choices that definitely do NOT belong in a romance novel.

Fast forward six years later: Riley, Theresa, and I are all happily married. Theresa is a full-fledged Navy doc, married to someone from her program! That's right, her man is an officer and a doctor. Be still, my heart.

Theresa's other half has been in Iraq for the past few months, but he's scheduled to come home soon. April also the month of their anniversary! So many reasons to celebrate...

Post your best wishes for the happy couple here, or join us in a contest in their honor! We think this doctor duo deserve their own book in the "Navy" series. Post a title, a tag line, and a blurb that does justice to this double-Navy-doc romance. Contest closes on Thursday, April 30th @ 11:59pm (PDT). Multiple entries allowed.

Winner gets one of the Macomber Navy books!

Here's an example from one of Macomber's books:

Title: Navy Blues

Tagline: She needed just one night with him . . .

Blurb: Despite her ex-husband's bullheadedness, Carol Kyle knew he'd be the perfect man to father the child she so desperately wanted. Yet she also realized that the strong, honorable man would never allow his child to be raised without a father. So Carol needed to plot, to plan, to maneuver, to seduce Steve into her bed for one last time . . . And then once more. Still, the passion when they were together was never the problem - it was the absences that tore them apart. Had they grown enough to chance trying again - especially when Carol's plan seemed about to work?

(For our long-time fans: yes, this is a re-post with slight tweaking.)

Are you ready for the ECO?

Does your first scene compel editors to ask for more?

Your opener is the hook that attracts an editor or makes a potential reader decide to purchase your book.

Polish the first seven pages of your manuscript and send them to the Emerald City Opener Contest. You will receive feedback in the form of detailed score sheets. Your judges (published writers or Golden Heart finalists and winners) are encouraged to include comments on your entry.

Contest Timeline

• June 1 - Entries must be e-received by midnight (PDT), June 1, 2009
• September 1 - Finalists notified by telephone
• October 10 - Winners announced at the Emerald City Writers' Conference
• October 16 - Score sheets and entries returned to all participants
  

* * * * *

Confession: this has got to be my favorite writing contest. Not only is it sponsored by my local RWA chapter, but it has such great benefits. Every contestant gets extensive feedback on her (or his!) entry. Even better: the finalists all get a private appointment with an agent or editor during the Emerald City Writers' Conference.

Folks, I'm the agent/editor chair for this year's conference. And let me tell you: we've got some great industry guests coming. I'll be blogging about them later. For now, just trust me: you want ten minutes alone with these people!

If you're so inclined, feel free to copy the pertinent details of this post onto your own blog. We'd love to have as many entries (and conference attendees) as possible!

Also, are you planning on entering the contest? What about attending the conference?

Welcome Back Contest: WINNER!

We've selected a winner for our Welcome Back Contest!

The lucky recipient of the Pin-Up Lip Balm is...

JAIME

Congratulations! We will be contacting you and passing along the prize.

Welcome Back Contest

To kick off the grand re-opening of our website, we're having a giveaway!

One of our lucky blog followers will receive a tin of Pin-Up Lip Balm. Come on. You know you want this sexy lip balm made of 100% natural ingredients.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Our lucky winner will be randomly drawn next week. The contest will run through Monday, April 13th @ 11:59pm (PDT).

Good luck!

Why I Hate Rewrites

I'm in the midst of rewriting my opening seven pages for the Emerald City Opener Contest. I've now, officially, spent half an hour staring at potential first sentences and agonizing that I might not pick the perfect one. So now I'm soliciting opinions from others. Which one do you like better? HELP ME!

Option A: "In the midst of her boyfriend’s achingly appropriate birthday party, Jessica Jo Carter began to think seriously about leaving him."

OR

Option B: "If it hadn’t been for the Gouda cheese, Jessica Carter’s whole life would have been entirely different."

I modeled that second sentence off of my favorite opening line of all time. Bonus points for anyone who can identify the original! (And if you are one of my friends that regularly visits this website but doesn't leave comments... please make an exception just this once!)

Judgment Day-- This Time It's Personal

I just got the scores from RWA for my Golden Heart submission. I was bummed when I didn't get "the call" announcing my status as a finalist (which, somehow, I'd convinced myself would happen). I'm even more bummed at receiving these scores.

First of all, my overall score places me in the bottom half of entries. Not too far down into the bottom half, but still there. That sucks. I've seen some of the crap that actually get published by the industry and had flattered myself that my book was better than a lot of it. To find out I'm not even in the top 50% of hopeful authors really stinks.

Second, the scores are kind of all over the place. Three of the five judges rank me pretty consistently in the mid level (5, 5.5, and--my new sworn enemy-- 4.2). Then two other judges rate it pretty highly, a 7 and a 9, the highest score possible.

I get that opinion's subjective, but how in an at least somewhat merit- rather than personal opinion-based competition can one judge rate my book a 4.2 (a D) and another a 9 (A+)? Of course, the Golden Heart gives no editorial feedback, so I have no idea what was so appalling to Judge 5 and delightful to Judge 2.

At least I didn't get any 1s. I guess I should take from this that I'm not a terrible writer, my book appealed to someone, and that I've got a long way left to go. A few more weeks left of the semester and then I'll throw myself into shopping Then Comes Marriage and writing Secrets and Spies.