Do You Read Harlequin? Part Two

'ouk imae idenai, ah mae oido' (Translation: "The more I know, the less I know") ~Socrates

Well, I have to say a big Thank You to everyone who chimed in with their opinions yesterday. I really am unfamiliar with most of Harlequin's lines, but it does seem as though probably some authors are simply better (or more appealing) than others, even within a line. And Diane you're right: Harlequin authors definitely enjoy more widespread exposure than those from smaller and lesser-known presses.

And Rita, thanks for the link to the Silhouette Special Edition Editor Pitch -- there might be a blog reader here who'd like to find out more too.

Finally, I do want to mention that the Harlequin website has podcasts for almost every line, where you can listen to the editors talk about what they're looking for -- and what they're not. I spent some time last night and gained a couple of tips.

PS: Christina Phillips is interviewing me today on her blog. Would you drop by and leave a comment so I don't feel so lonely there???

Do You Read Harlequin?

"The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along." ~Jalal ad-Din Rumi

The other day, I was perusing the boards at Absolute Write (if you're a writer and don't visit occasionally, well, you should). And one author in the Romance/Women's Fiction section was writing about the fact that she's a category romance author for the Harlequin Superromance Line. She cited sales numbers of $16-20K on each book she's written for them...which naturally made me hop over to the Harlequin Writers' Guidelines page to find out more.

Turns out the Superromance line runs 60 - 65K words and is pretty similar to contemporary romance, which made me think maybe I could pitch Summer's Song to them. (Hey, those numbers aren't small ones.) I even went to Borders and bought 2 so I could do a little research.

And there's the problem.

No offense to anyone, and someone or something is probably going to strike me down for saying this, but -- I didn't think the quality of writing was good. At all. Maybe I just picked 2 mediocre authors.

But that leaves me thinking, if it's a line that holds potential for something I write, for that kind of money, should I explore more? Should I query them? Should I change the story structure of SS so it fits what seems to be their formula?

Hmm...don't know...still trying to figure it out. Has anyone read a certain Harlequin line they really liked?

Two Contests for Writers

"At the touch of love everyone become a poet." ~ Plato

No Writers' Wednesday today - but instead, an announcement of two upcoming writing contests that might interest some of you:

The Sandy Contest (I think it's for unpublished authors only) - Deadline is Feb 17th and word of mouth has it that they're light on romance entries. Final judge in that category is an assistant editor at MIRA - no small potatoes!

Share Your Romantic Story Valentine's Contest - open to anyone, and the prize is a $250 gift certificate to the restaurant of your choice! Deadline is February 6th, though, so get writing (or dig out those romantic stories if you have them lying around).

Good luck, if you decide to enter!!

Agent or Not?

"Don't tell my mother I work in an advertising agency - she thinks I play piano in a whorehouse." ~Jacques Seguela

The conversation about romance writers having an agent is an interesting one. Some want one without question, so they can snag that publishing contract with a big NY house. Others are much more hesitant, because romance is one of the only genres in which you can still get contracts without having to go through an agent (with some, not all, bigger publishing houses). If you don't have an agent, you might miss out on rights opportunities and get sucked into contracts that don't benefit you the way they should. But if you don't have an agent, you also keep all your sales profits yourself.

A new author recently introduced herself on the Samhain Yahoo Author group -- her agent just sold her first book to Samhain. Here's the thing: if I ever have an agent, I want him/her to submit my books to publishers where I can't break in myself. An agent takes 15% of the money you make, right off the top. I love Samhain -- you know I do -- but I'm not sure the profits there warrant an agent. It's still considered a small press, even though it may be up and coming. On the other hand, I guess I'm glad that it has such a great reputation that agents are submitting to it.

What do you think?

A Great Blog Post

"Publication - is the auction of the Mind of Man." ~Emily Dickinson

Just a quickie, 'cause it's Monday:

Read this blog post by Lauren Dane (she's a fellow Samhain author, so I feel especially proud) - she discusses what it means to be a "published author" as defined in a few different ways.

And have a great day!

Super Sunday!

"Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that." ~Bill Shankly

Well, it's Super Bowl Sunday - do you have any plans?

We'll be heading to a friend's house for what has turned into an annual party - quite a nice tradition, I must admit. Most of us who will be there work together as well, and we all buy squares in the workplace pool, so whether or not the game or the teams excite us, we're always having a good time. Sometimes we even win some money!

What are your plans? Do you watch the game? Get together with friends? Spend any money on pools and hope for the best?

Romance and Chocolate!

"All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." - Charles M. Schulz

I know I mentioned this event before, but since it's so close now, only 1 little week away, I thought I'd mention it again: I'll be one of a bunch of authors at a "Romance and Chocolate" book signing event at the Borders in Farmington, Connecticut next weekend.

It's going to be held Saturday, February 7th, from 2 - 6 in the afternoon, and we'll be reading excerpts, giving away gift baskets, and offering corny games and prizes to any suspecting book browser who wanders our way!

Check out the finalized list of authors (in no particular order):

Denise Eagan

Kristan Higgins

Kathryn Smith

Stella Price

Jessica Andersen

Marie Force

Cat Johnson

Tilly Greene

Allie Boniface

Annette Blair

Isabelle Santiago

Emily Bryan

Donna Michaels

Leigh Ellwood

The Borders is located at 1600 South East Rd, Farmington, CT, and the phone # is 860-674-8110, so if you're anywhere close by, stop by! We'd love to see you :)

Finished...For Now

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him." ~Abraham Lincoln

Well, the print galleys for One Night in Memphis are proofread, the first round of edits for One Night in Napa are done, the blurb form is tweaked, and for right now...I'm finished.

Next week, I'll get another round of edits for Napa, and then I'm hoping for my cover sometime in the next month or so after that (can't wait to see what the artist does this time!). Then some of my promo events start up (check out the sidebar...will I see you at any of them?)

I suppose I should really start thinking about what project is next. I want to submit Summer's Song to my Samhain editor, so I need to do another read-through of that. And actually, I should decide which One Night... book I want to start drafting. I have One Night in Savannah outlined, and I'm pretty happy with it, so we'll see. I should probably pull out a map and see what cute/attractive/jazzy/sinful city in the midwest I can set a novel in. So far I've done both coasts and the south.

Any suggestions?

Two Opportunities

"If you're not actively involved in getting what you want, you don't really want it." ~Peter McWilliams

An opportunity for readers: The Long and the Short of It is, in their words, "desperate" for new reviewers. If you like to read romance, you enjoy discovering new authors, and you'd to get like free ebooks (and print books too!), consider joining their team. They also run an incentive program, so you earn points that go toward cool prizes with every review you do. Interested in finding out more? Click here.


And an opportunity for writers: NYT best-selling romance author Brenda Novak runs a hugely popular and successful online auction each May to raise money for diabetes research. She's looking for donations for her 2009 auction right now, so consider giving away a signed copy of your book(s), or a critique of an unpublished author's first three chapters, or a gift pack, or... This is a GREAT opportunity to promote yourself, so click here if you want to know more!

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Donna Bolk

Welcome to a wintry edition of Writers' Wednesday (here in the northeast, anyway). Welcome to Wild Rose Press best-selling author Donna Bolk. Sit back and enjoy!

Good morning, Donna, and welcome to my blog! Can you tell us a little about your background?

I've held a variety of jobs over the years, to name a few; gas station attendant, prison courier, instructor, waitress, role player, army sergeant, and dog groomer.

I will celebrate my 30th wedding anniversary this year. My husband and I, have had the pleasure of raising three incredible sons, who are now in their twenties. Our oldest son is and artist, our middle son is a songwriter and bass player in a punk band, and our youngest is pursuing a career in writing.

Currently, my sister and I own and operator a dog grooming salon. I have the good fortune to be able to go to work each day and collect more than my share of doggy kisses, and unconditional love. And at the end of the day, I get to slip into my furry pink slippers and write. Life is good.

What an interesting and exciting life so far! So when did you first begin writing? Was there an event or moment in your life that triggered your desire to write?

I don't remember a time when I wasn't writing. Growing up I went through the daily - I want to be when I grow up stages. I discovered through writing I can do just that - from detective to showgirl, I can be them all.

Tell us about your latest writing project or published title.

I'm in the editing stages of Package Deal. It will be released through The Wild Rose Press in 2009. It's a romantic comedy that centers on a foster mom, and her five kids.

Saving Cinderella was released in 2008. It's a Cinderella in reverse story, about a young woman who goes from riches to rags. It's a romance so you know there's a happy ending for my heroine.

Wow, sounds intriguing. How do you go about developing your characters?

I start with a story idea, and two main characters, the other characters flow from the story line. For example in Saving Cinderella, by the time my hero a Adam (a country doctor) arrives at his ranch, his twin brother Josh is waiting on his porch. Now, Mallory my heroine is already out of element, going from rich to poor and city to country life. But she has the added surprise of her husband's twin bother, and to make things even more interesting, Josh is preacher. And because I so enjoyed his character, I had to give him a love interest. Enter Harley, a lady with a shady past. So, as you can see one character just rolled into another.

What advice would you give to new writers just starting out?

Write for the pure joy of it. Getting published is great, but if you don't love what you're doing it will get old and heart breaking. And of course the standard read, read, read, and write, write, write.

What kinds of books do you like to read? Who is your favorite author?

I read everything, but my favorite genre is woman's fiction, closely followed by romance. As for favorite author there are just too many to choose just one. However, I will put Donna L. Bolk at the top of my list as favorite author. I am a firm believer that you have to be your own biggest fan, if you don't believe in yourself, you can't expect a reader to believe in you. I give one hundred percent plus to my writing. The reader deserves no less.

Your own cheerleader - I like that theory! What do you find most difficult about writing? What do you find most exciting or rewarding?

Most difficult - that's easy. Where do I put that dang comma! The most rewarding is also easy. Hands-down it's hearing from my readers.

Great interview, Donna. Anything else you’d like to mention?

Thank you for letting me share a little about my books and myself . And thank you to the readers who took time out of their busy schedules to read it. Warm regards to all!

Today, Just a Picture

"Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle." ~Amy Bloom

I know, there were a lot of great photos from the inuaguration a week ago. But this one I love: the Obamas between balls, in a freight elevator (who said being President was glamorous??). And she's wearing his coat, because, you know, it was about 20 degrees in Washington that night. I just love the intimacy between them here.

What's in a Warning?

“Why haven't women got labels on their foreheads saying, "Danger: Government Health Warning: Women can be dangerous to your brains, genitals, current account, confidence, razor blades and good standing among your friends” ~Anonymous

Two parts of writing blurbs I'm not crazy about: (1) The Warning and (2) The Comparison Titles. For marketing purposes, Samhain likes authors to add a warning to any titles that have explicit language, sex, situations, etc. But they also like it when authors come up with "creative" warnings that are humorous or sarcastic or somehow tease the reader into buying the book. Since my books are more sweet/sensual than anything else, and PG-13 rated, I don't have any necessary warnings. But my editor wants a cute, clever warning, so I spent yesterday wracking my brain trying to come up with something.

Here are three possibilities for One Night in Napa I have so far. Which one jumps out at you the most?

#1: Warning: This title contains a ticking clock, family secrets, and enough sexual tension to heat every corner of an enormous mansion…especially when the power goes out.

#2: Warning: This title contains a hunky hero who thinks he knows it all, an unconventional heroine who’s gonna show him how wrong he is, twisted family secrets, obscure references to Greek mythology, and fireworks galore.

#3: Warning: This title contains lots and lots of sexual tension, innuendos galore, and twenty-four short hours in which family secrets turn out to be more dangerous and damning than you’d ever imagine…

I also have to come up with book titles that are similar to mine, so Samhain can market appropriately to booksellers. But I always struggle with those too. That's next on the agenda...

Inspiration and Motivation

"I asked Ring Lardner the other day how he writes his short stories, and he said he wrote a few widely separated words or phrases on a piece of paper and then went back and filled in the spaces." ~Harold Ross

Hey writers, one of my favorite ezines just published their January 2009 issue, and it's a great one for jump-starting your writing.

WOW-Women on Writing's "It's About Time" issue features all kinds of articles on how to get more writing done, how to set goals and deadlines, why blogging is such a great tool, and more. They also have contests to enter...so hop on over and check it out!

A Day of Quiet

"We cannot see Beyond...But this I know: I loved you so - 'twas heaven here with you!"

No blog today, in honor of my father's memorial service.

The Trials of Switching Editors

“You can be a little ungrammatical if you come from the right part of the country.” ~Robert Frost

Some of you may know that my original editor at Samhain left last year, and now I'm working with a new one. I do really like my new editor -- she seems very on the ball, quick to return emails, and very, very specific in her comments and requests.

And as expected, I got my first round of edits for One Night in Napa yesterday. (I'm hoping this means a mid-2009 release!). Let me tell you right now: editors are totally different. I've had 4 now, between Samhain, The Wild Rose Press, and the My Mom is my Hero anthology, and each one works in her own style. My first one with Samhain would send me all comments (which were more grammar than content based) in the track changes text of the manuscript itself.

This editor, though, sent me a very long email with most of the content concerns/changes enumerated by page (which makes me think she's mainly focused on grammar in the ms.) Her comments are great, even if they do ask me to rewrite a significant part of the opening chapters (sigh), but also made me laugh because I never had a beta reader look at the whole thing. So she caught some content errors which are so obvious they're funny, like...how can the hero be making coffee if the power has gone out?

Ah, well. Thank goodness for editors. Now I'm off to work on that darn blurb...

It Always Pours

Well, it's true in the world of publishing, I think: you can go months with very little to do, besides your own writing and marketing, and then all of a sudden you have all these deadlines at one time. That's how it seems to be for me, anyway. I just finished the cover art form for One Night in Napa -- am still working on the print galleys for One Night in Memphis -- and just received my blurb form for One Night in Napa, with a promise from my editor that my first round of edits are close behind. Yikes.

So the blurb...

I don't really like writing them. Sometimes the words come easily, but usually they don't. In 1000 words or less, I'm supposed to write something so exciting, and so revealing about my book and the style in which it's written, that readers will run to buy it.

While I was chewing over how to start this one, I pulled out my original query letter (well, one of them, anyway) for some help. And I realized that most of my regular blog readers don't have much idea what this story is about. So until the official blurb is written and posted, I thought I'd share part of the query today...

ONE NIGHT IN NAPA

Grant Walker wants nothing more than to get out from under his domineering father’s thumb. But as the editor in chief for the most successful San Francisco newspaper, dad pretty much calls the shots, since he pays Grant’s salary. A series of interviews with the reclusive fading film star Francesca Morelli might be Grant’s ticket out, though, if he proves himself worthy. When Francesca’s adopted son ends up kidnapped by terrorists, Grant is there to get the first interview with a grieving mother. Just when he thinks his situation can’t get any better, Francesca’s illegitimate granddaughter arrives on the scene – and she hasn’t been heard from in seven long years. It’s the story of a lifetime, and all Grant has to do is deliver.

Kira March, a.k.a. Isabella Morelli, left her childhood home seven years earlier, vowing never to return after she discovered a terrible secret about her own birth. But when her father vanishes and her adoptive grandmother cracks under media pressure, it’s up to Kira to find and destroy all evidence of that secret. The only problem? A reporter has weaseled his way into the Morelli mansion looking for answers – and he isn’t leaving until he gets them.

With both hero and heroine fighting time, their attraction to one another, and their own inner paternal struggles, this novel invokes the classic tale of Oedipus Rex and forces us to examine the ways in which fathers can both shape and destroy us – and the lengths we’ll go to protect the family name...

Writers' Wednesday: An Interview with Linore Rose Burkard

Welcome to another edition of Writers' Wednesday! Today I'm featuring Christian/historial romance author Linore Rose Burkard, talking about her latest release, ...enjoy!

England, 1813: Romantic woes at home send Ariana Forsythe to her Aunt Bentley's town house in the fashionable Mayfair district of London. There she finds worse troubles than those that prompted her flight from home. Under her aunt's watchful eye, Ariana is soon steeped in high society--and at odds with Mr. Phillip Mornay, London's current darling rogue.

Then, unexpectedly, rumour of a scandal changes Ariana forever. Her faith and her future are at stake in an unexpected adventure that gains even the Prince Regent's attention.

Will Ariana's faith survive this test? And what about her heart? For it is Ariana's heart that most threatens to betray the truths she has always believed in. When she finds herself backed against a wall, betrothed to a man who cannot share her faith, how can it ever turn out right?

Linore, Before the Season Ends sounds like a fascinating book! What drew you to writing Regency Romance novels?

Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen books gave me a love for the period, and there weren't any Christian regencies to be found. I wanted to change that.

Where did you find your inspiration for Ariana and Phillip?

I'm not sure. I think they're both amalgamations of people I've read about and known.

What do you think we could learn today from how society operated in the Regency period?

England in the 1800s is a world away from the 21st century. Times have changed, but people haven't. Men and women of the time were concerned with their appearances, their finances, their futures, finding the right spouse, and so on, just as we are, today. How they went about pursuing these ends is where all the difference lies, however, and this is precisely where the interest and adventure opens up for writers. Bringing to life the means and methods of everyday life and timeless concerns from the regency. It is fun and enlightening as a glimpse into the past, but readers can also identify with the basic human need to be genuinely loved for oneself, no matter the setting or time period, and to be certain of one's convictions concerning life, eternity, and faith. Having said that, it is good to remind modern readers that valuing one's purity can be mainstream, as it was then; or that the struggle to find a true love and a sense that one's life has value, has always been a human issue.

What do you hope readers will take away from your books?

I hope my readers will feel as though they've been transported to the Regency for a good, satisfying visit; While they're visiting, they'll be reminded that God is involved in their life, and that happy endings are possible for everyone.

Any Regency romance is going to be compared to Jane Austen's novels ~ how are your books similar / different?

I don't think most regencies are written with this comparison in mind at all. However, other people say my book is "Austen-like." That is a huge compliment, and one I would love to live up to.T he sequel, The House in Grosvenor Square, is releasing in 2009.

Do you have more Regency novels planned?

My editor and I are tossing around ideas right now. I do have a few more regencies in mind.

What are you working on at the moment? A sneak peek, please.

I'm exploring whether to do a third book in the Regency Series, which at present is comprised of Before the Season Ends, and The House in Grosvenor Square. Book three would begin about five years later (about 1818) and follow the lives of a number of people who were introduced in the first two books. I would also probably introduce one new couple.

Do you ever bang your head against the wall from the dreaded writer's block? If so, how do you overcome it?

I do something else. If I can't write a scene for a book, I can always write an article. I can update my blog. I can't really force a scene when it isn't coming; I find that getting busy and doing something else is the best thing I can do for the book and for me (rather than beat myself up). One thing about having an online presence today is that there is never a shortage of tasks to be done, including a great many writing tasks. Since I write historical (regency) romance, there are always tons of subjects I can research and write about, putting them into articles for my ezine, or out there on the web.

Novelists sometimes dig themselves into a hole over implausible plots, flat characters, or a host of other problems. What's the most difficult part of writing for you (or was when you first started on your novel journey)?

I think for me the biggest challenge was to believe that I could write a novel in small increments. As a mom of five, four of whom are still home year-round (one is in college), having frequent interruptions is a fact of life. Writing takes a concentration so deep so that when I first started doing scenes, I would find myself getting woozy after standing up. I was shocked at the level of exertion it took to use my brain that hard, I guess! It happens less now--I guess I've grown accustomed to it. And I've learned to appreciate those small blocks of time. Ten minutes in a waiting room can yield a part of a scene I couldn't get done at home. Every little bit counts. I don't despise small beginnings. There are times when I'm in a deep level of involvement with a story or a character, and then getting interrupted can break the mood; but I'm getting better all the time at picking up where I left off, no matter how deeply I've got to dive to get back into the character or situation. For people like me with busy households, this is a must-have ability. I believe it can be the difference between making that deadline or not.

Some authors report writing 5-10 thousand words a day. Do scenes flow freely from your veins, or do you have to tweeze each word out?

In general, I write more than I need and later have to cut back. I don't use a word count, but I may set a goal of one chapter a day or two chapters for a busy week. Other times, I don't think in terms of chapters at all, just events. I may break an event down into four scenes, say, and so my goal for that day will be to get the whole event on paper. In other words, finish the four scenes. Life changes so rapidly with the children, that for me, a hard and fast writing goal just wouldn't work. And, I focus on results, not time spent. Instead of, "Now I'll write for three hours," I say, "Now I'll have this or that happen to a character, or, 'I'll show a different side to this person." When I have accomplished that goal, no matter how long it took, I feel satisfied, and only then.

Readers, would you like a sneak peek at Before the Season Ends? Check out the trailer:

I've Been Tagged

HAPPY INAUGURATION DAY!!!

Looks as though fellow authors Amber and Dayana both tagged me for 6 Happy Thoughts (thanks, guys!), so here goes:

Rules: link back to the person who tagged you, name six things that make you happy then tag six more bloggers and let them know, then notify the person who tagged you when your list is complete.

6 Things That Make Me Happy

1. Sunshine

2. Support from my friends, family and colleague during a very difficult time

3. Love from my kitties

4. Reading a sentence I wrote that absolutely nails it

5. Teaching

6. Waking up next to hubby on a cold winter morning and snuggling in


I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, but if you'd like to play along and post, let me know!

My First Conference Presentation!

"I only drink to steady my nerves. Sometimes I'm so steady I don't move for months." ~W.C. Fields

Exciting news: I'll be presenting a workshop at the Connecticut Romance Writers "Ignite your Muse" Conference on May 2, 2009! I hadn't officially sent in a proposal, but the VP of that chapter is doing the same book signing I am at Borders in February, and she asked any of us if we wanted to present. If you know my history as a writer, you know I usually jump at any promotional opportunity, no matter how scary, so I said "Of course!"

Of course, now that she accepted my offer, I have to actually think about getting up in front of people and talking about writing. Um...okay...

My workshop is going to be something along the lines of "Tighten and Trim," talking about how to eliminate unnecessary words, phrases, and scenes from a novel. Hope I can put together enough info to make it sound like I know what I'm talking about! Of course, I'm a teacher in my other life, so I get up and talk in front of people every day. This might be a little different, though.

I think I'm already nervous.

Anyway, the link with more info is here, so if you're in the CT area and thinking about a writers' conference in the spring, give it some thought. Maybe I'll see you there!

Thanks from the Sunshine State

Thanks for all the cyber-hugs yesterday ~ as I said, they really do mean a lot and make a difference. It's been amazing to me, as I do say every now and again, how a community of people can grow and communicate online. My Facebook page, the last week, has turned into a wonderful source of solace as well.

And now I'm off to enjoy some Florida sunshine, since hubby and I are down visiting with my mom for a few days. Since we left minus-ten degrees yesterday and stepped off a plane into 60 degrees less than 4 hours later, I'm pretty happy, all things considered!

Have a wonderful weekend...