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News You Need by Kitty Bucholtz

February 9, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as

As you’re working through your new goals for this year, you may find some helpful information in the following articles. It’s been one of those months where every other email I open has some great tidbit in it and I wanted to share it all with you. Some of it is news, some are warnings, some have opportunities, and some have ideas for your craft. Hopefully, some of it will help you to have a more successful year! 🙂

I saw a documentary on TV that a friend of mine produced and it was so fascinating that I went online to find more information. Here is a post from 2009 at The Book Deal about how your brain works and whether you can help it become more creative to improve your writing.

I’m excited to find out about John Maxwell’s new 1-minute word-of-the-day videos. John is an excellent motivational speaker and writer. I’ve read several of his books and they have helped me in building the kind of writing business I can be happy with. I get the daily video in my Inbox and each one helps me to focus on a characteristic that could make me a better leader, including leading myself.

There are some writing contests that are gimmicks for bad business. Agent Janet Reid tells you about one to beware of (though I think with all the bad press this last week, the contest’s web site is already down) and she gives you the warning signs for future reference. The Writer Beware blog also has a good post on agent solicitations and how to spot the red flags. And here’s an article from WritersWeekly about a company that buys 5-star book reviews and recruits writers to write them.

Paperback Writer (Lynn Viehl) posted a list on her blog of ten writing opportunities she’s found recently. Cindi Myers also posts writing opportunities every week.

The Romance Writers of America’s Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter’s blog is bursting with great articles on the craft – world building and more world building, creating a story bible, secrets of successful authors, point of view, what to do with your blog, and so much more. This is a great blog for picking up lots of useful tips!

At Inkhaven, there’s a re-post of a blog called Lessons from the Slush Pile. The author is an Assistant Editor at a magazine.

I’ve seen a few emails about Jerry Seinfeld’s Don’t Break the Chain calendar. CJ Lyons talks about it here. It’s a fun and simple way to keep working on your writing career every day. Download your own free calendar from The Writer’s Store here.

I’m linking to this 2006 interview with YA and children’s book writer Cornelia Funke because I love her work! As with so many great writers, there are lots of little encouragements and tips to be gleaned by reading the interview.

Finally, living in Australia, I must comment on the Queensland floods. A friend of a friend posted this article about the amazing generosity of strangers and included pictures of her mother’s house and the wonderful people who helped them clean up. The generosity of writers and readers around the world is helping to replace books in libraries, and give books away to people who have lost everything and need a little storytelling escape. The Romance Writers of Australia have organized ways for you to help here.

Kitty Bucholtz is a writer and speaker, and a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Writers of Australia. She co-founded Routines for Writers (http://www.routinesforwriters.com/) a web site dedicated to helping writers write more. In 2011, Kitty will receive her Master of Arts degree in Creative Writing from University of Technology, Sydney.

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The Romance of Cookbooks

February 8, 2011 by in category Archives

Okay, I confess. The five pounds I gained over Christmas and New Year are still there. Still stopping me from wearing my jeans (for some reason, my family objects when I leave my jeans even discreetly unzippered). Still making me remove my wedding ring in the hope of tipping the balance of my bathroom scales one measly ounce in my favor.

It shouldn’t be this way. Theoretically, the moment the addition of cranberry sauce to every sandwich ceases, the moment the last remnants of the Christmas pudding have been washed down with whipped cream, those five pounds should melt away. Slowly, maybe, but melt nonetheless.

Ain’t happenin’.

And I know why. Because I was given a total of five cookbooks for Christmas and my adjacent birthday – the works of Yotam Ottolenghi, Gordon Ramsay, Peter Gordon, Darina Allen and Bill Granger now grace my kitchen shelves. (No one gave me the new Nigella Lawson book, but that’s a whole ’nother grudge…are you reading this, family dearest?).

I love reading cookbooks – I can do it for hours at a time. But reading’s not enough…then I have to cook the stuff. Then I have to eat it. Yep, instead of sipping on fat-busting green tea while I eat bland chicken salads, I’m whipping up lamb curry, ricotta hotcakes with maple syrup, crème brulée. And eating them.

I’m doomed.

Oh, well, might as go out in style…maybe tonight I’ll try the pork fillet stroganoff.

When I’ve finished eating and am lying on the sofa too stuffed to move, I’ll be ready for more cookbooks to read – I’d love to know your favorites!

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Contest Deadlines

February 5, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as ,

February Contest Deadlines

Updated and all sites tested…Compiled by Donna Caubarreaux….May be forwarded with credits.
..
EA = Electronic Format Available
EA/Non US = Electronic for Foreign Entries
EO = Electronic Only
MO = Members Only
U = Unpublished
P = Published
P/3 = Not published in three years
Pnr = Published, but not by RWA standards
PC = Not published in category selected

..
Stroke of Midnight Contest (U – PC – EO)
Passionate Ink
Received by February 7, 2011 (Extended)
First thirty-five pages. (at least 10K words)
http://www.passionateink.org/contests/#unpublished
..
The Shelia (EO – U – P/5)
Valley Forge Romance Writers
Deadline: February 11, 2011
Total of 35 pages, includes synopsis (not to exceed five pages)
http://www.vfrw.com/

..
The Sandy (U – EO)
Crested Butte Writers
Deadline: Midnight – February 13, 2011
First twenty pages and up to two page synopsis.
http://thesandy.org/sandy.php
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Between the Sheets
Greater Detroit RWA
Deadline: February 14, 2011
Entries shall include a ten-page love scene (sweet to erotic) and a one-page
unjudged set-up.
http://www.gdrwa.org/contests…html
..
2011 Manuscript Contest
Writers’ League of Texas
Deadline: February 15, 2011 (Postmarked or Delivered by 6:00 PM)
One page synopsis (250 words) and first ten pages (2500 words).
http://www..writersleague.org/contests/manuscript.html
..
Fire and Ice (U – P/5)
Chicago-North RWA
Received by February 16, 2011
First twenty-five pages.
http://www.chicagonorthrwa.org/contest.shtml
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Jeannie Gray Golden Frendship Award (U – Golden Heart Entrants)
GH99er Loop
Received by Midnight EST on February 18, 2011
250-300 word essay. Topic is on website.
http://jeannieaward.wordpress.com/
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PNWA Literary Contest (U – EO for romance entries)
Pacific Northwest Writers Association
Received by February 18, 2011
Twenty-eight page limit which includes synopsis.
http://www.pnwa.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=6
….

Check out Contests and Contest Winners on: http://contestdivas.blogspot.com/
Check out the Award Winning Romance Books on:
http://awardwinningromances.blogspot.com/
….
Contest Alert-All the news on upcoming contests, plus Finalist and Winner
listings, questions, etc. Sign up now!
ContestAlert-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
….
Announcement only list:
ContestDeadlines-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
….
For Published Authors
ContestAlertPublished-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
….
If you’re a Contest Judge, join
ContestsJudges-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
….
Donna Caubarreaux is a member of Coeur de Louisiane, Scriptscene Chapter, NOLA Stars, Heart of Louisiana, and Kiss of Death. She received a RWA Service Award in 1997

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Calls for Submissions

January 30, 2011 by in category Archives

Every month the Orange Blossom features the latest Calls for Submissions. Starting this month, we’ll also post the calls to “A Slice of Orange.” If you hear of a hot call, please pass it along.

Decadent Publishing is accepting submissions in Sci-Fi Rom, Erotica, m/m and multi, Historical Rom, and Steampunk or Cyberpunk. Publishers also “adore” a wonderful Contemporary romp and Paranormal is fabulous. Cross-genre is welcomed. 

Decadent Publishing also is building a YA catalog with some 5-star reviewed books. They would like to see some shorts (5k+) to novella-length subs. I would never turn down a fantastic full-length, however.

Our focus at Decadent Publishing is quality storytelling. “We employ some really WONDERFUL editors, and they really care about developing a story and an author to give everyone the best.”


For more information, visit http://www.decadentpublishing.com and click on “Submissions.”

Master of Mine:
Sometimes men and women need to be taught a lesson, and what better way to make a body burn with desire, than sexual submission?

Evernight Publishing wants your hot, sophisticated BDSM Romance. Stories must be 5 – 10K, in any sub-genre (historical, contemporary, paranormal, etc.). Think kink, pain for pleasure, increased sexual tension and limitations. We want a HFN or HEA for one woman with one or more men. Use frank language typical of the genre, and make sure your manuscript is polished and engaging. 

Deadline for submissions is March 15, 2011 to be published on or around May 15, 2011.
Send submissions to evernightsubmissions@gmail.com, and add “BDSM Anthology” in the subject field.

As Red Sage’s first authors created erotic romance, this is where our heart is, so we want romance stories, which are erotic. Therefore a majority of what we publish will be romance and erotica. We also feel readers want variety. Sometimes you like erotic and sometimes you just want a great mystery or science fiction story or even something else. Surprise us and come up with something completely different!

Genre and sub-genre is unimportant, as long as the writing quality is strong and both the romantic and sensual elements are appropriate for what we publish.

Story length is 25,000 to 55,000 and 55,000 to 100,000 words. For more information, visit http://www.eredsage.com/store/Submission_Guidelines.html
Liquid Silver Books is currently accepting all erotic romance genres. Romance is the key to our stories. Stories must have well developed characters, with depth and explosive chemistry that entice the reader to like and/or identify with them. Mix in an imaginative and fully realized plot, vivid settings, and clear dialog and you’ve got the ingredients for a story we’d be interested in publishing.

We do not accept literary Erotica submissions. Manuscripts with obvious grammar, formatting and editing issues will not be considered. Make sure your work is critiqued and polished prior to submitting.

Heat levels go from “sweet” to “molten.” For more information, visit http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/guidelines.htm

Complied by Louisa Bacio

__________________
Louisa Bacio’s debut erotic thriller Sex University: Physical Education is now available through Ravenous Romance and other Online retailers.

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“OMG I ♥ It: Writing the YA Teens Want to Read ” with Suzanne Lazear

January 26, 2011 by in category Archives tagged as

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Hi everyone! Check out the exciting online classes offered by the Orange County Chapter of RWA!

“OMG I ♥ It: Writing the YA Teens Want to Read”
with Suzanne Lazear
February 14 to March 12, 2011

Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassFeb11.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members
If you have specific questions, email occrwaonlineclass@yahoo.com

ABOUT THE CLASS:
The Young Adult market seems the place to be, but how to you not only make your story stand out in the crowd, but write a story teens want to read?

Teens are smart, savvy, and the books they read today are not your mother’s teen fiction.

Come join us and find out what teens expect out of a YA novel and how to write the YA story you want to tell in a way that appeals to today’s teens. Learn about the different genres from paranormal to contemporary and from clean teen to racy reads.

This hands-on class will work on the mechanics of writing YA and how it differs from writing for adults. Topics include creating realistic dialogue, characters, worlds, and plots teens can relate to, tone and pacing, and other differences and avoiding common YA pitfalls as well as what teens expect from today’s YA authors.

All YA manuscripts in all genres are welcome from “I have an idea” to polished and ready.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:

Suzanne Lazear writes for teens because her dancers made her and she never looked back. Sometimes known as “Lolita Suzanne,” she’s a regular blogger at the Steampunk group blog Steamed! www.ageofsteam.wordpress.com/ and a member of the Los Angeles Romance Writers. She’s never had trouble standing out in the crowd, but wearing a tiara will do that.

Her Steampunk Dark Fairytale for teens, “Innocent Darkness” will be released by Flux in August, 2012. She occupies a small corner of the West Coast where she lives with the hubby, the tot, a hermit crab, and two chickens, and is currently trying to make a ray gun to match her ball gown.

Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassFeb11.html
COST: $20 for OCC members, $30 for non-members

Coming in March 2011
“Mauled Men, Drowned Dames and Crispy Critters; a Body Disposal Primer for Writers”
with Jeanne Adams

You’ve axed, shot or otherwise knocked off a key character in your latest book, now what? You have to do SOMETHING with the body! Find out everything you ever wanted to know about the pernicious particulars of body disposal and how to use minutiae of death to throw your characters together or drive them apart.

Jeanne P. Adams knows a thing or two about getting rid of a body, in reality as well as in books…her third book, Deadly Little Secrets (Zebra, Sept. 2010) is already being hailed as “One of the best Suspense Books of the Year!” by Romantic Times. She also is a multi-published non-fiction writer and consultant with twelve years of funeral business experience working both for a cemetery and several funeral homes. In her reading, she’s winced over a variety of mistakes dealing with the story’s dead guy (or gal), which led to this class!

Check out our full list of workshop at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html

Want to be notified personally two weeks before each class? Be sure you’re signed up for our Online Class Notices Yahoo Group! Sign up at the bottom of http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclasses.html or send a blank email to OCCRWAOnlineClassNotices-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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