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June 6, 2013 by in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as , , ,

I’m back! Or, rather, I’ll be back at OCC this Saturday after a two-month absence. Both of those were the result of family, or at least partially so. I had a visit from family in April, and then was in the east in May both for some writing events and to visit family.

 I will be running the PAW meeting on Saturday, delighted to do so although it will also feel bittersweet. Despite being listed on the OCC website as a co-liaison at PAW, I’m more of an assistant this year. But I previously served as a co-liaison with Charlotte Lobb. As you probably know by now, Charlotte has passed away. She was always funny and charming while running PAW meetings, as she was even when not running a meeting, and I know she will be missed by all of us at PAW as well as everywhere else. Charlotte was excellent at all she did, including promotion, and that’s a segue into our PAW topic this month: promotion tips. I’ll be eager to hear everyone’s ideas, since I’m always looking for more to try.

I’ll also be looking for published author volunteers to help out by hearing pitches and staffing tables at our July meeting to discuss writing issues. See you on Saturday!

Linda O. Johnston
http://www.lindaojohnston.com/
http://www.killerhobbies.blogspot.com/

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Summer Sinsperation!

May 31, 2013 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , ,

OCC/RWA’s own Nikki Prince heads up her first anthology, Sinsperationally Yours with Hot Ink Press. It’s been a few months since this column has run – blame it on my new additional duties as president – but with summer’s arrival, and all that “free” time (cough: wait for my president’s message in a few days), I wanted to bring out some calls. If you’re short on time, maybe you should consider working on a short story!
Sinsperationally Yours: Erotic Tales from the Dark Side of Love
Genres: Erotic Romance: Horror, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Historical
Theme: General
Pairings: Any

Ghosts and Vampires and Werebears oh my!

Bring us your immortal heroes and/or heroines who strike fear in those they meet but also ignite passion and lust.

We want your tales of lust flavored with a happily ever after for—Sinsperationally Yours. This anthology is all about the world of immortals and nocturnal creatures of the night. We want the creatures that can incite our fear and our lust. Bring us those magical creatures we all love to read about. It can be the usual mainstays vampires and werewolves or something newly created. Whatever worlds you build make it believable. We’re looking for stories filled with lore and eroticism but most of all they are stories that must have a happy ending.

For this anthology, at least one of the main characters must be a supernatural or immortal creature (werewolf, werecats, werebears, vampire, gargoyle, fairy…well you get our drift). The setting can be historical, contemporary horror/paranormal or urban fantasy. We are looking for dark stories but ultimately your story must give the reader an ending that will satisfy their need for a HEA.

Guidelines:
  • Word count from 6-15k
  • Please edit your work and make sure it is as clean as possible. It will be edited but we want your best work not your first draft.
  • Plot required. Don’t just give us sex. Give us characters we believe in and a premise that flows from one chapter to the next.
  • No previously published work, we want new stories.
  • We aren’t accepting poems, this anthology calls for fiction stories.
  • Submissions must be sent in Word doc or docx, 12 pt Times New Roman with 1.5 line spacing, aligned right with 0.5 indents on the first line of each new paragraph (Don’t use the tab), no extra spacing between paragraphs and no headers/footers/page numbers, on space after end of sentence- not two.
  • Send us a query, with a simple synopsis, your author bio max 100 words in the third person with your finished manuscript that has been edited.
  • Heat level: Hot to scorching (this is after all an erotic romance anthology).
  • Submission deadline: August 8, 2013 for a September/October publication.

 Please send your questions and submissions to Nikki@hotinkbooks.com

One Night In …
Imagine the scenario.  One night of passion in an exotic locale, a quick read with a lasting romance, and the promise of a happily ever after.  Could there be anything better?

We don’t think so.  One Night In… is a new line of stories with Entangled Publishing that will take readers on a romantic journey.   Read on for details!

Have a great idea for short, sexy romance on the road?  Entangled Novellas wants to see it! Whether one or both characters have embarked on a road trip, business trip, foreign port visit, planned vacay, spontaneous getaway, or any other short jaunt, characters should step outside of their comfortable worlds and into a fling or one night stand that changes everything. Whether Stateside or foreign, they are two modern adults who won’t back down from a hook up…and won’t want to let go when it’s time to go home.

Stories should be contemporary romances with a moderate to high heat level, 10k-40k words, focused on a one night stand or fling with a ticking clock (e.g. a non-refundable plane ticket home) and complicated by a fun, light-hearted romance trope (e.g. fake marriage, enemies to lovers, boardroom romance) that pulls the characters into bed even as it threatens to tear them apart. Stories should end positively with at least the promise of a HFN or a HEA obvious on the distant horizon. Submit stories at http://entangledpublishing.submittable.com, attention ONE NIGHT IN. If you would prefer to work with a particular editor, address your query letter to that person. Stories of 10k-15k words should be submitted as Flirts, and stories of 20k-40k should be submitted as Ever Afters. We’re open to characters of any ethnicity, race, or nationality and to stories with multi-cultural pairings and f/f, m/m, or m/f pairings.
Visit http://www.entangledinromance.com/2013/04/06/call-for-submissions-one-night-in/
Blissemass Tales – Sexy Seasonal Stories
SexyReads is looking for sexy seasonal stories to spice up the festive season.
Blissemas tales must have a Christmas, holidays or wintery theme, feel free to use all three. We encourage people to think outside the chocolate box and attempt something different. Maybe you could try Christmas in hot places or sexy encounters on snow-capped mountains. Presents for Scrooges, trimming the tree and getting distracted or racing away from loved ones on Christmas Eve.
We want all heat levels from sweetly sexy to log fire and snow meltingly hot. Word count 10,000 to 15,000 words. Submission deadline: Oct. 1, 2013.
For more information, http://sexyreads.co.uk/blissemas-tales/
UBUNTU-STORIES OF AFRICAN ROMANCE
Africa… Land of the Serengeti, of wide savannas, where exotic wild animals like giraffes stroll through your backyard— *sound of a screeching turn-disk*
If this is your idea of modern Africa, you’d be way off the mark! Ubuntu (“I am what I am because of who we all are.”) embraces the notion of community, of roots, of spreading your arms open in welcome. Our stories from the Ubuntu line will reflect this philosophy, and take you to Africa to meet the people from that far-away, unknown-to-many land.
Take a peek at modern Africa. This is a world where, on the backdrop of the famine crisis in Darfur and Somalia, of political unrest in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Egypt, millions step into the global village and embrace the fast-paced life offered by technology and the Internet. Multinational companies have offices in many African capitals, opening the way for a slew of expatriates to settle in those countries, where the world’s biggest brand names like Hugo Boss and Lacoste are opening outlets.
Don’t also forget that Africa is not only the black continent – a handful of islands make up the African territory, as well. From minerals-rich Madagascar (and the land of Black Magic, still practiced to this day!) to tourist hot-spots like Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the Maldives – islander culture opens up another world to exploit in your writing. And in the top, northern parts of Africa, meet the Arab world in the countries of the Maghreb (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, among others).
With its rich history, Africa has native African clans and tribes, colonist white populations – British, French, and Afrikaners –Indian-origin people who emigrated as traders and/or indentured labor, Chinese people who came in as traders.
We want to see your stories set in any of these locations. Whether your characters are expats, foreigners on a visit, native Africans (of black, white, Indian, Chinese, Arab, etc, descent!), show us the true face of Africa as people experience it every day. Think The Joy Luck Club meets Out Of Africa – the former a story of generational conflict between immigrant mothers and their daughters brought up in their adopted country’s culture; the latter a sweeping saga on the backdrop of the African landscape, setting, and context. Give us both; give us either or; but give us something in and/or from Africa.
LENGTH: 7-50k
HEAT LEVEL: 1-5
SUB-GENRES ACCEPTED: Interracial, contemporary, multicultural, sweet romance, suspense, LGBT, ménage
TO SUBMIT: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.comto request a submissions form. Please note that it is for the UBUNTU line when submitting.
QUESTIONS: Email zeemonodee@gmail.com

For more Decadent Publishing calls, visit http://www.decadentpublishing.com/index.php?osCsid=85e6uagt18k4p9dfifqkdehmo3&content=submissions


Compiled by Louisa Bacio
http://louisabacio.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/louisabacio
http://www.twitter.com/louisabacio

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OCCRWA June Online Class

May 27, 2013 by in category Archives

OCCRWA Proudly Presents: header
June 10 – July 7, 2013

FEARLESS PITCHING

with Laura Drake

About the Class:
Pitching, it has the power to strike fear in the heart of the most intrepid writer. It also has the power to launch your career, whether you’re pitching on paper, or in person.  This workshop will give you the tools you need to feel confident, and present yourself and your writing in a professional manner. We will cover:
  • Pitching on paper
  • Creating a logline for your novel
  • The all important query – and how to use it as a building block for your pitch
  • Researching agents/editors
  • Etiquette and procedures
  • Pitching in person
  • Different types of pitches, and how to prepare for each
  • Attitude is everything – how to make it work for you
  • Tips and tricks, how to be memorable in a good way
  • Make the most of your opportunities
  • How to manage your fear
Debra HollandAbout the Instructor:
Laura Drake decided to write a novel.  Three years later she completed it, and decided what she really wanted was to hold a book in her hand with her name on the cover. 500 queries, three novels, and ten years later, Laura achieved her dream, signing a three book deal with Grand Central for her romances, set in the world of professional bull riding. The Sweet Spot, released in May of 2013. She also sold her ‘Biker-chick’ romance to Harlequin’s Superromance line.
She’s a member of the Orange County Chapter, as well as a former President of RWA’s Women’s Fiction Chapter.

http://LauraDrakeBooks.com
http://WritersintheStorm@Wordpress.com
Twitter: @PBRWriter

Please click here for enrollment information.


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Families and business and family business

May 24, 2013 by in category Archives tagged as ,

You see it on organic foods and on the advertising that is trying to attract an environmentally sympathetic, locally grown, “healthy” type audience.

And for sure it’s a code word for not being big business or a large conglomerate.

But has anyone actually thought this through?

Can you imagine working efficiently and successfully with your family members?  Isn’t it hard enough to get together for special events—a shared meal during holidays, a birthday or anniversary, wedding or funeral?  Can you imagine actually having not only to put up with everyone day after day, but know your livelihood is in their hands—and firing them may not be an option?

Instead of going to HR or your supervisor about a performance concern as a professional and colleague, you end up feeling nine years old and tattling to Daddy about a sibling.  “Johnny just picked his nose! Make him stop!” “Did not!” “Did so!”

Well, you get the drift.

And what about the opportunity for personal retaliation on the home front for a real or imagined issue at the workplace.  “I’m sorry, but you’re not getting invited to Thanksgiving because you didn’t get those reports in on time.  Now do your homework or you can’t go out and play…”

Work relationships are challenging.  Family relationships are complex.  Imagine combining them! The mind boggles.  OK, yes, I’m sure family owned businesses can work–indeed do work.  But it certainly doesn’t seem easy!  And to present it proudly, as if it were an asset, simply boggles my mind.  All I can think of is ‘imagine if Thanksgiving dinner were a Board Meeting!  OMFG!’

What is the deal?
It seems like the words “family owned” reads that it’s small and everyone has some kind of emotional commitment to the business beyond profit.  And those things in turn are supposed to mean that it’s a superior product compared to a business focused on efficiencies and profit  And that, in turn, means it’s likely worth a premium price (for questionable value add).

But I have to say I am very fond of profit.  The profit motive is clean, clear and lacks hypocrisy.  Its consistent, and perhaps most importantly, focused on the customer.  For profit companies have to create something that people actually want to spend money on to get.   Profit is a demanding proof-of-concept!

Family migrates you away from a focus on profit and efficiency, and adds an emotional component that may certainly have some upsides, but certainly has some significant downsides.

Why is nepotism not a good thing, but a family business is something to celebrate.  Doesn’t that strike anyone as…odd?

It’s all about relationships. And how they relate.

Sign me:

Love my family–but wouldn’t want to work for ’em….

Isabel Swift

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emaginings: Had To Write Today

May 17, 2013 by in category The Romance Journey by Linda Mclaughlin tagged as , ,

As usual, I had trouble coming up with a topic for today’s blog. You’d think I could plan ahead, but no. Couldn’t think of anything yesterday so I procrastinated. Then today it hit me. I HAD TO WRITE!

I’ve launched two reissues in the last couple of months, ROGUE’S HOSTAGE and LADY ELINOR’S ESCAPE. There’s a lot of work involved in self-publishing, revisions, edits, cover art, etc. And more work involved in a book launch. It seems like all I’ve been writing lately is blog posts and I just couldn’t stand it any more. Today I had to write.

I’ve been half-heartedly working on two projects, trying to fit them in in between blogs and tweets and what not. One is a sexy novella as Lyndi Lamont, and the other is a Western historical romance set after the Civil War that I started and abandoned years ago when conventional wisdom said Westerns wouldn’t sell. That’s no longer true, if it ever was, so…

Today I delved back into the Western, and it felt good to get reacquainted with my characters. I’m doing some revisions, but the story seems sound, at least so far. The main thing was, it felt good to write again, even if it is just revising. Promo can suck up so much time, esp. when you don’t have a big publishing house behind you. It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae and forget to write.

So my apologies for this rambling, possibly incoherent blog post. But you see, I had to write today.

Linda McLaughlin

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