Contests, courses and conferences

Welcome to this month’s Writers’ Corner!

We’ve collected a list of five great contests, a whopping ten courses and workshops, and a conference. Enjoy!

 

CONTESTS

Hurry, hurry! The Laurel Wreath contest deadline is almost here. You
only have 26 more days to send your books! All of our categories still
have slots available:

Young Adult
Romantic Suspense
Inspirational
Erotic
Contemporary
Historical
Paranormal/Fantasy/Futuristic

Entry fee is $20 per title.

A Laurel Wreath pendant and certificates will be awarded in each category.

For more information, contact Laura Kirkland at laura_lita1,
or visit http://www.vcrw.net/index.php/contests for complete contest
rules and entry form.

The deadline for receipt of entries is August 31.

Next!

Is your manuscript ready to submit? Are you looking for a contest with a track record of success? Or are you wondering how to get your work in front of prestigious agents and editors?

Wonder no longer. The Unpublished Beacon Contest can help!

In the past five years, nine of our finalists have gone on to become Golden Heart Finalists and three of them have sold the finaling manuscript!

Judges: First round will be judged by two trained judges, at least one is a published author.

Final round will be judged by an editor and an agent in each category.

Finalists will have an opportunity to revise based on judges’ comments before the final round.

Final round judges are subject to change when unavoidable.

THE BEACON—Unpublished Division Contest for 2011—accepting entries August 1-31, 2011

All finalists notified the week of October 22, 2011

Feedback will be sent to all entrants by Oct. 31st, in time to prep for the Golden Heart®!

Winners announced the week of December 15

Eligibility: Open to all authors of romantic fiction, not contracted/published in book length fiction (40,000 words and over) in the last 3 years.

RWA membership is not required for entry. Contest is limited to the first 125 entries.

Fee: $25 FCRW members, $30 RWA member (not FCRW), $35 non-RWA member Top of Form

Our Beacon_Scoresheet_Sample is designed to provide detailed critique and feedback.

*For a complete list of rules and to register for the contest visit http://www.firstcoastromancewriters.com/

FINAL ROUND JUDGES

Historical/Regency

Agent: Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Editor: Holly Blanck of St. Martin’s Press

Single Title Contemporary

Agent: Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency
Editor: Leah Hultenschmidt, Senior Editor, Sourcebooks

Contemporary Series
Agent: Weronika Janczuk, Lynn C. Franklin Associates
Editor: Laura Barth, Assistant Editor, Harlequin

Fantasy, Futuristic, or Paranormal
Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates
Editor: Lauren Plude, Editorial Assistant, Grand Central

Romantic Suspense
Agent: Nalini Akolekar of Spencerhill Associates, Ltd.
Editor: Leis Pederson, Associate Editor, Berkley

Young Adult
Agent: Beth Miller, Writers House, LLC
Editor: Susan Litman, Editor, Harlequin

Erotic
Agent: Laura Bradford of the Bradford Literary Agency
Editor: Ralene Gorlinsky, Publisher, Ellora’s Cave

Inspirational
Agent: Mary Sue Seymour, The Seymour Agency
Editor: Rachel Burkot, Harlequin Love Inspired, Editorial Assist

Chick Lit, Women’s Fiction, or Mainstream
Agent: Lauren Ruth of Bookends, LLC
Editor: Tessa Woodward, Associate Editor, Avon/Avon Impulse

Next!

2011 Hot Prospects Contest

Looking to sign your first book contract, switch from a small press to a large publisher or simply explore another genre of romantic fiction? Turn up the heat on your writing career with the Hot Prospects Contest.

Valley of the Sun Romance Writers are proud to announce that last year’s Grand Prize winner, Indian Princess by Sarah M Anderson, will be a December 2011 release by Harlequin Desire, retitled A Man of His Word.
Fee: $25 for Valley of the Sun RW chapter members
$30 for non-chapter members
Chapter website has PayPal capability… www.valleyofthesunrw.com

Postmark Deadline: September 1st, 2011
E-Submit Deadline: September 1st, 2011

Eligibility: Any uncontracted work by an RWA member in good standing, who is able to enter RWA National Golden Heart or Rita contests may enter any category. This includes both published and unpublished authors.

Enter: 3-5-page synopsis and up to 25 pages of story (30 pages max). Entry or synopsis may be shorter, but neither may be longer than specified.

Categories/Judges: Trained judges for preliminary round,
Editors and Agents for final round.

1) Historical/Regency
Editor – Katherine N. Pelz, The Berkley Publishing Group

Agent – Jennifer Schober, Spencerhill Associates
2) Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal
Editor – Deborah Werksman, Sourcebooks, Inc.
Agent – Jenny Bent, The Bent Agency
3) Romantic Suspense
Editor – Amy Pierpont, Editorial Director, Grand Central Publishing
Agent – Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary Management
4) Contemporary Long/Single Title
Editor – Jennifer Enderlin, St. Martins
Agent – Michelle Grajkowski, 3 Seas Literary Agency
5) Series Contemporary
Editor – Johanna Raisanen, Associate Editor, Harlequin
Editor – Leanne Morgena, Senior Editor, Sweetheart Rose, The Wild Rose Press

GRAND PRIZE: The winner can choose between a book trailer, static banner and active banner from Firebird Entertainment for the book of their choice (a $300.00 value) or $100.00 USD.

For More Information, entry form, and rules, see website at www.valleyofthesunrw.com.

Next!

Missouri Romance Writers of America (MORWA) is proud to announce the opening of their annual contest – Gateway to the Best.  With six categories, there’s sure to be one for your manuscript.

No synopsis?  No problem.  Entry is the first 7000 words of your manuscript.

Finalists in the Gateway have continued their winning ways, placing in other contests including the Golden Heart.  One category winner had this to say:

“I received great feedback from the Gateway to the Best judges, and after The Jacks of her Heart took first place in the Single Title category, it went on to win the same category San Diego’s 2011 Spring into Romance Contest and place second in NEORWA’s 2011 Cleveland Rocks Contest. ‘Gateway’ is an all-around great contest.”

                                                            ***Virginia McCullough

Costs: $20 for MORWA Members for 1st entry & $10 for additional entries, $30 for Non-MORWA Members for 1st entry & $15 for additional entries

Deadline: September 9, 2011

Eligibility: Open to unpublished authors and authors who have not been contracted in novel-length fiction (40,000+) in last 3 years.

Entry: Electronic entry only. Entry length limited to first 7,000 words (25-28 pages). No synopsis.

Categories: Contemporary Series, Historical, Young Adult, Romantic Suspense, Single Title & Paranormal

Final Judges:

Laura Barth – Harlequin: Contemporary Series

Esi Sogah – Harper Collins: Historical

Adam Wilson – Harlequin Teen: YA

Margo Lipschultz - Harlequin: Romantic Suspense

Katherine Pelz – Berkley: Single Title

Latoya Smith – Grand Central Publishing: Paranormal

Grand Prize: $100 & entire manuscript critiqued by published author.

For more information go to  http://www.morwa.org/gateway.htm

Next!

Six finalists.
Six final round judges who read ALL the finalists.
One Suzannah Winner.

NOLA STARs Suzannah Contest is coming! Get your entry ready! The contest opens September 1, 2011

Published and Unpublished all compete against each other to claim one of six finalist spots to go before our all star final judges:

Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary
Johanana Raisanen, Harlequin
Leah Hultenschmidt, Source Books
Megan Records, Kensington
Weronika Janczuk, DEO4 Literary
Helen Breitweizer, Cornerstone Literary

All electronic! Entries are 7,200 words max, including at least a one page synopsis. We only take 120 entries, so be ready. First prize is $300.00 provided by the Suzannah Nelson family.

More details can be found here: http://www.nolastars.com/node/84

So be getting that entry ready! We’re looking forward to getting our ’11 contest started! Especially since our 2010 Suzannah winner SOLD her finaling manuscript.

Note: entries must be uncontracted at time of judging.

COURSES

Creating Better Heros: Male POV for the Romance Writer with Sascha Illyvich

August 15 – August 28, 2011

Note: this is a two week class
Enrollment Information at http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassAug11.html
COST: $10 for OCC members, $15 for non-members
Enrollment deadline: August 13, 2011
If you have specific questions, email occrwaonlineclass

About the Class:
In this workshop, learn the ins and outs of character creation from a side of
romance we rarely hear from, the male romance reader/writer! Erotic Romance
author Sascha Illyvich shares with us tips on how to create more memorable
heroes, avoid some common pitfalls and have more fun with our writing!

What you’ll learn from this class
· Male Archetypes and how they affect our characters
· How (il)logical men think and why they act the way they do
· How to take any male character from any movie/story and modify him to
fit your story
· How to get your man to express his true “self”
· What men REALLY care about and how to work with that for your
characters*
· A man’s self view*
· The GAY MALE Viewpoint*
· The Male Cycle of Emotions and how it compares to the female cycle of
emotions
· A man’s journey in life
· What men really think

A few extras
Using character creations sheets (don’t groan!) that have all the relevant
information you’ll need, you’ll be able to craft male characters that are just
as deep as your female characters. Getting inside the heads of your male
characters is the most important aspect of “how to write” them.

Cross gender writing can make or break an author’s career if they cannot portray
the opposite gender clearly and accurately. With the growing popularity of M/M
romances, it’s becoming increasingly important for males to be portrayed in the
proper light! We’ll cover all that here and a lot more over the next week.

About the Instructor:
Sascha Illyvich started writing eleven years ago. His erotic romances have been
listed under the Night Owl Romance and Road to Romance’s Recommended Read list,
as well as nominated for the CAPA.

He is the host of the Unnamed Romance Show on Radio Dentata and continues to
write for Renaissance E-books, and Total E-bound. Readers can find his work,
plus free reads at http://saschaillyvichauthor.com

He edits for Renaissance E-books Intoxication Erotic Romance line and is also
part of the WriteSex Panel, a blog group defining erotica for writers in any
genre! Find them at http://www.writesex.net

Coming in September is Show and Tell: An Interactive Workshop with Shannon
Donnelly Both showing and telling are valuable tools for any writer–writers
need both narrative passages as well as dramatic scenes, so each has its own
place within any writer’s skill set. Learn when to show and when to tell.
Enrollment information: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassSept11.html

Check out our full 2011 list of workshops: 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

 

Next!

The Heart of Dixie chapter of RWA presents the online workshop: Fat Free Writing or How to Avoid Wordiness in the Editing Stage

by The Grammar Divas

When: August 17-31, 2011

Where: www.heartofdixie.org

Cost: $20

Do ever-shrinking word counts and dwindling editor reading time have you thinking you need to put your prose on a diet? Wordy sentences and unnecessary phrases clutter writing, turning an otherwise good manuscript into an overweight tome. Cut the fat and enhance your chances of garnering an editor’s attention. The Grammar Divas demonstrate techniques to identify and correct common author mistakes. Discover how to identify which words add meaning to a sentence and which just take up space. Learn alternatives to wordy, verbose, overstated, or pompous phrases. Devise strategies to help you write precisely what you mean every time.

Bio:

Annie Oortman… Grammar wasn’t Annie Oortman’s first love (actually, it was a cute boy in her second-grade class named Henry Talley) or even her second (avoiding barn work). However, after getting an A for content but an F for readability on a third-grade book report, she learned having great ideas was one thing, communicating them well on paper another.

Annie became a disciple of the church of Proper Grammar and card-carrying member of The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (www.spogg.org). Nowadays, she diagrams sentences for fun (yes, for fun), corrects her children when they say “I did good on the test” (I did well.), and argues with fellow grammar devotees on the acceptability of ending a sentence with a preposition (don’t do it).

BTW, Annie is hoping to see her name on the cover of a fiction novel soon… very soon. (And, if you’re wondering, Henry Talley never even noticed Annie as he had a mad crush on blonde-haired, blue-eyed Libby Boxler.)

Darlene Buchholz… Darlene fell in love in the first grade with a boy named Neil. He shared his crackers and milk at recess after someone took her snack and never got caught. She’s loved romance and intrigue ever since. By the third grade, she discovered Nancy Drew mysteries and developed a great passion for perky heroines who drove convertibles (proof they were in charge of their own lives). She wrote her own one-hundred-page mysteries, giving the heroine a much better hero than wimpy Ned Nickerson, who seemed more fashion accessory than hero. What woman wouldn’t prefer a cowboy or a cop named…well, Neil, of course? Darlene never thought of grammar as a challenge. It was, instead, a tool to help her express the ideas she felt passionate about. She served as a peer mentor in junior high and high school. Becoming a high school English teacher was a natural for Darlene. She loved sharing ideas expressed in great literature and exposition. Now, family raised, Darlene has decided to write stories again. She writes romantic suspense, and sometimes her heroines drive trucks rather than convertibles. Her heroes are still cowboys and cops. She hopes to publish soon.

Next!

Juggling Genres

September 5th – 18th, 2011

Cost: $15 BDRWA members/ $20 non-members

Instructor: Beth Henderson

Class Info:

Some writers settle into one niche and stay there, comfy, and content to write only one type of story. Others do the opposite and write in more than one genre, or niche within a genre. They tend to be more prolific. And prolific equals one very golden result: success.

If you have been tempted to write in a different category or genre or niche lately, this is your chance to see which one – or more – is a good fit for you.

There are the sort of moves one can make sideways…writing much the same thing for a different audience, such as writing romantic comedy for adults and also for the YA audience. Perhaps the move should be one that incorporates another element or subtracts one, such as romantic-suspense-adventure leading to the non-romantic mystery field or even urban fantasy. Or the leap should be daring and unlike anything you ever thought you’d write before.

This workshop looks at all the possible junctions you can find as you stroll along your familiar lane. It also points out how many other authors have diversified, have expanded their writing repertoire, and in what ways

INSTRUCTOR BIO

Beth Daniels currently writes as Beth Henderson and J.B. Dane, though she answered to Lisa Dane and Beth Cruise in the past as well. She has worked with editors at Berkley, Zebra, Leisure, Harlequin/Silhouette, and Simon and Schuster’s Aladdin Paperbacks, done e-books for a now defunct company (not her fault, she says), and began her writing life with hardcover books slated for library use with a publisher that got out of the romance business (again, not her fault). More recently she’s had a number of articles about writing picked up by e-zines, saw a short story published in a mystery and suspense magazine that turned up its toes the next year (really, really not her fault), and has a story (“The Dragon’s Tale”) in the MOTHER GOOSE IS DEAD anthology slated for publication by Damnation Books in December 2011.

For over a dozen years Beth taught college level composition, both in the classroom and online, and a credit course on Novel Writing.

Twenty-six of Beth’s novels have appeared in print or e-book format, and in 12 different languages in over 20 countries. In April WRITING STEAMPUNK by Beth Daniels was her first non-fiction book length release. At the moment she is working on various manuscripts, some fiction, some non-fiction but related to writing.

Website: www.RomanceAndMystery.com

For more info: www.bdrwa.com click on online classes

Or contact mrsgodiva

The Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA Presents

Next!

Character Flaws Presented by Sue Viders and Becky Martinez

http://www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=310

WHEN: September 5, 2011 through October 2, 2011

 WHAT: Who is your favorite fictional character? Scarlet O’Hara? Elizabeth Bennet? Mr. Rochester? Stephanie Plum? Han Solo? These are all great characters and you don’t even need to know the name of the book, you remember the person. Why? Well, they all have their special attributes… and they all have their faults!

A perfect character is a boring character. No one wants to read about someone who gets everything right all the time. Even Superman had his weakness. But how do you get just the right flaws for your characters? This class can help you build flaws into your characters that not only make readers respond but move your plot along. Learn now to develop your characters into real people by giving them flaws that touch the reader and yet propel the action and provide plenty of conflict.

From two of the co-authors of Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters, get the basics on further character development that takes your characters from wooden to real… with a flaw that makes the story more compelling. This four-week class will include lectures with exercises plus plenty of time for questions. Both Sue and Becky will respond to your assignments and provide critiques of your work as well as suggestions.

WHERE: This workshop will be conducted via a Yahoo! email loop.  Email invitations will be sent 48 hours prior to the beginning of the workshop.

HOW:  Just register for the workshop and complete the payment process via PayPal.  The cost is $15.00 for FFnP members and $25.00 for non-FFnP members.  Payment is due at the time of registration.

REGISTRATION: http://www.romance-ffp.com/nonMemberWorkshopRegistration.cfm?EventID=310

If you are a current member of FF&P, please log into the website before registering for this workshop.

JOIN TODAY to take this workshop for only $15!

http://www.romance-ffp.com/join.htm

WHO: Sue Viders is the author of more than 20 books, numerous articles and columns for both artists and writers.  Her writing book Heroes and Heroines, Sixteen Master Archetypes, is used in many college and university writing courses. Her latest book, 10 Steps to Creating Memorable Characters is gaining use as a practical workbook for writers who want to develop their characters.

She is a practicing artist, seminar leader, and educator with on-line classes both for writers and artists. Her latest product for writers is Deal a Story; an interactive card game consisting of 101 cards and six sections and is based on her Heroes and Heroines book.

Becky Martinez is an award-winning former broadcast journalist and published author. Her latest book, Deadly Messages was published by The Wild Rose Press in February 2010. Her first romance novel, Love on Deck, was an Aspen Gold finalist.  She has had several short stories published and contributed a short story to The Trouble with Romance, an anthology that was a 2007 New Mexico Book Award finalist.

She was also one of the co-authors of Ten Steps to Creating Memorable Characters, a workbook for writers

The Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA Presents

Next!

Cracking the Whip: BDSM for Writers — Presented by LD Madison

http://www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=348

WHEN: September 5, 2011 through October 2, 2011

 WHAT: Want to create a world rich with masters and submissive, whips and chains, leather and ropes? BDSM for Writers is the perfect place to start your trip into mysterious dungeons and fetish clubs.

In this month long workshop, participants will get an overview of BDSM, and should glean sufficient details to use when adding BDSM to their own writing. The workshop will consist of lectures and assignments as well as a day of Q&A.

The content to be presented will be appropriate for authors at all levels of writing experience. And, while there are no specific ‘prerequisites’, an open mind and the desire to learn the ins and outs of weaving believable BDSM into fiction is essential.

Sample Schedule

1.  What is BDSM?

2.  Playing It Safe: Rules and Safety

3.  What’s in a Theme?

4.  Tie Me Up (Bondage)

5.  You’ve Been Naughty (Discipline)

6.  Hurt Me, Hurt Me! (Sadism and Masochism)

7.  Playing with Toys

8.  Getting to Know BDSM Equipment

9.  Role Playing / Setting up a Scene

10. Dungeons and Fetish Clubs

11. BDSM as a Lifestyle

Lessons and Assignments

Lessons will be posted on a schedule, assignments will ask students to have to write a short scene – 500 words or less – using information learned in the ‘lesson’. For example, during “Tie Me Up”, participants will have to write a scene using bondage, and for “Dungeons and Fetish Clubs”, authors will describe the ‘first time’ their Dom or sub entered a dungeon or club.

WHERE: This workshop will be conducted via a Yahoo! email loop.  Email invitations will be sent 48 hours prior to the beginning of the workshop.

HOW: Just register for the workshop and complete the payment process via PayPal.  The cost is $15.00 for FFnP members and $25.00 for non-FFnP members.  Payment is due at the time of registration.

Refunds / credits are determined on a case by case basis.  If a class should be canceled, then participants have a choice of a credit to be applied to a future workshop or a refund.

REGISTRATION: http://www.romance-ffp.com/nonMemberWorkshopRegistration.cfm?EventID=348  If you are a current member of FF&P, please log into the website before registering for this workshop.

JOIN TODAY to take this workshop for only $15!

http://www.romance-ffp.com/join.htm

WHO: LD has been writing and researching BDSM and sexual subcultures for the past ten years. Her interest began with a deep fascination in human sexuality that evolved into an exploration of pleasure in all its forms.

In addition to publishing erotic romances, LD has a degree in organizational behavior/psychology, and is currently working on a graduate degree in criminology.

Next!

It’s Showtime! Show, Don’t Tell Presented by Flo Fitzpatrick

http://www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=316

WHEN: September 5, 2011 through October 2, 2011

 WHAT: You may have heard it from judges or from critique partners or agents or editors.

“Show! Don’t tell.”

Maybe you’re a bit confused. You haven’t been using reams of paper to describe rooms, or forests, or the heroine’s jade necklace or even the dimples in the hero’s chin.

So – what is this “tell” thing and why is everyone so upset?

Most often, the term “telling” refers to describing emotions, thoughts, moods – or even characters – through use of “inactive” words. Sounds simple, right? And easy to avoid? It’s not.

Join Flo Fitzpatrick for a fun workshop that will rev up your writing by emphasizing action, body language and dialogue as techniques for portraying your characters’ thoughts and feelings. It’s “SHOWTime!”

WHERE: This workshop will be conducted via a Yahoo! email loop.  Email invitations will be sent 48 hours prior to the beginning of the workshop.

HOW: Just register for the workshop and complete the payment process via PayPal.  The cost is $15.00 for FFnP members and $25.00 for non-FFnP members.  Payment is due at the time of registration.

Refunds / credits are determined on a case by case basis.  If a class should be canceled, then participants have a choice of a credit to be applied to a future workshop or a refund.

REGISTRATION: http://www.romance-ffp.com/nonMemberWorkshopRegistration.cfm?EventID=316  If you are a current member of FF&P, please log into the website before registering for this workshop.

JOIN TODAY to take this workshop for only $15!

http://www.romance-ffp.com/join.htm

WHO: Flo Fitzpatrick is a multi-published author of romantic suspense, paranormal romance and mystery, plus numerous short stories and non-fiction articles. Her 2005 release, “Sweet Dreams” is now available as a reprint through World Wide Mystery. Kensington release, “Hot Stuff”, was nominated by RTBookReviews for Best Romantic Suspense and is under option for film. Flo worked for a Literary/Talent Agency in New York as a “first reader” and has judged contests for various RWA and Sisters in Crime chapters, as well as the RITAS. With two other authors, she helped found Athena Critique Services in 2007 and has given workshops and evaluated manuscripts through Athena since that time. Flo’s background is in Theatre and Dance – which may account for her love of “showing!”

Next!

The Heart of Dixie chapter of RWA presents the online workshop Designed to Sell: How to Enhance Your Writing’s Curb Appeal

Instructors: The Grammar Divas

September 6-20, 2011

Cost: $20

FMI: www.heartofdixie.org

Description: In today’s buyer’s market, anything you can do to enhance your manuscript’s appeal puts you one step ahead of everyone else trying to sell. By taking a look at your writing with a fresh eye, you’ll discover ways to make the most of your writing’s appearance, readability, and impact. The Grammar Divas share episodes of popular writing improvement shows such as Dream Words, This Old Sentence, Extreme Makeover: Paragraph Edition, Trading Spaces, Fun Shui, and Designed to Sell. You leave the workshop with decorating ideas, remodeling projects, and prose improvements that can make your manuscript appealing to a potential buyer… an editor!

Bio:

Annie Oortman… Grammar wasn’t Annie Oortman’s first love (actually, it was a cute boy in her second-grade class named Henry Talley) or even her second (avoiding barn work). However, after getting an A for content but an F for readability on a third-grade book report, she learned having great ideas was one thing, communicating them well on paper another.

Annie became a disciple of the church of Proper Grammar and card-carrying member of The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar (www.spogg.org). Nowadays, she diagrams sentences for fun (yes, for fun), corrects her children when they say “I did good on the test” (I did well.), and argues with fellow grammar devotees on the acceptability of ending a sentence with a preposition (don’t do it).

BTW, Annie is hoping to see her name on the cover of a fiction novel soon… very soon. (And, if you’re wondering, Henry Talley never even noticed Annie as he had a mad crush on blonde-haired, blue-eyed Libby Boxler.)

Darlene Buchholz… Darlene fell in love in the first grade with a boy named Neil. He shared his crackers and milk at recess after someone took her snack and never got caught. She’s loved romance and intrigue ever since. By the third grade, she discovered Nancy Drew mysteries and developed a great passion for perky heroines who drove convertibles (proof they were in charge of their own lives). She wrote her own one-hundred-page mysteries, giving the heroine a much better hero than wimpy Ned Nickerson, who seemed more fashion accessory than hero. What woman wouldn’t prefer a cowboy or a cop named…well, Neil, of course? Darlene never thought of grammar as a challenge. It was, instead, a tool to help her express the ideas she felt passionate about. She served as a peer mentor in junior high and high school. Becoming a high school English teacher was a natural for Darlene. She loved sharing ideas expressed in great literature and exposition. Now, family raised, Darlene has decided to write stories again. She writes romantic suspense, and sometimes her heroines drive trucks rather than convertibles. Her heroes are still cowboys and cops. She hopes to publish soon.

Next!

Heart of Dixie presents…
Putting On Your Game Face: How to Play Well With The Media

Have you ever wondered how to approach a reviewer about your upcoming release? How to set up a blog tour? How to promote your work and your name without appearing unprofessional?

At Putting on Your Game Face: How to Play Well With the Media on September 10, 2011, Romantic Times Magazine Review Coordinator Stephanie Klose and RT Magazine Web Editor Morgan Doremus will discuss the ins and outs of media promotion. They will give us a behind the scenes glimpse of the workings of RT Magazine, how their reviews are created, and the importance of the non-review content of the magazine. They’ll also discuss pitching your books for review to various review avenues, how to establish professional contacts, how to handle interviews, and how to present yourself to all manner of media.

This all-day workshop will be held on September 10 at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library in Huntsville, AL. Cost is $10 for HOD members and $15 for non-HOD members, which includes lunch and an afternoon snack. Seating is limited. Registration is required. Please make all checks payable to Heart of Dixie RWA. Deadline for registration is September 3, 2011. www.heartofdixie.org

Where: Huntsville-Madison County Public Library, 915 Monroe Street, Huntsville, AL 35801

When: September 10, 2011, 9:30am to 3:30pm

Registration Deadline: September 3, 2011

More Information: www.heartofdixie.org , Danniele Worsham 256-527-1092

Mail registration form and payment to: HOD Media Workshop, c/o Danniele Worsham, 119 Arrow Lands Trail, Meridianville, AL, 35759

Next!

Secrets To Writing (And Pitching) The Big Book, High Concept, Same But Different Novel Presented by Virna DePaul

http://www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=268

WHEN: September 12, 2011 through October 3, 2011

 WHAT: Learn the difference between a hook, tagline, logline, blurb, premise, high concept, and high concept pitch. In addition, master the five essential ingredients for crafting a big book, high concept, same but different story. These five ingredients insure your story will appeal to the widest audience possible, plus give publishers what they ultimately want–authors with staying power. Finally, learn how showcasing these five ingredients in a story, story description, and pitch results in greater interest by agents and editors.

 WHERE: This workshop will be conducted via a Yahoo! email loop.  Email invitations will be sent 48 hours prior to the beginning of the workshop.

 HOW: Just register for the workshop and complete the payment process via PayPal.  The cost is $15.00 for FFnP members and $25.00 for non-FFnP members.  Payment is due at the time of registration.

Refunds / credits are determined on a case by case basis.  If a class should be canceled, then participants have a choice of a credit to be applied to a future workshop or a refund.

REGISTRATION: http://www.romance-ffp.com/nonMemberWorkshopRegistration.cfm?EventID=268   If you are a current member of FF&P, please log into the website before registering for this workshop.

JOIN TODAY to take this workshop for only $15!

http://www.romance-ffp.com/join.htm

WHO: Virna DePaul was an English Lit major who practiced law as a criminal prosecutor for over ten years.  In November of 2009, she was offered a contract by Berkley Press for the first two books in a paranormal romantic suspense series.  The series, which features a unique special ops team whose members include a werebeast, a wraith, a mage, and a vampire and the human female he’s forbidden to love, launches in May of 2011 with book 1, Chosen By Blood.

In addition, Virna’s first romantic suspense with Silhouette comes out in Fall 2011.  In that story, an undercover cop poses as a bailiff while investigating a judge and is reunited with an old love.  Virna, along with Blaze author Tawny Weber, has released a craft book titled: “Love Writing: A Guide To Writing And Getting Your Romance Published Without Losing Your Perspective, Passion, Or Sanity.”  In this book, Virna identifies the ten writing concepts that, in her opinion, are the most important in a writer’s arsenal.  Find her on the web at www.virnadepaul.com and www.lovewritingbook.com.

Next!

What’s in a Name? Instant Character Development Presented by Theresa Meyers

http://www.romance-ffp.com/event.cfm?EventID=264

WHAT: Time to add tools to your writer’s toolbox! Characterization drives great fiction. What about yours? Wish you knew how to get into your characters quickly to know who they are, what they want and how they are perceived by others so you could get moving in the story? Never fear! Learn the tricks and techniques for Instant Character Development that all starts with your character’s name.

In this course you’ll:

* Discover resources that will give you a quick sketch of your entire character just from the name.

* Learn how to deepen characters with a few simple tools.

* Locate your character’s Goal, Motivation and Conflict with a set of simple questions.

* Discover how to create a more powerful plot from your character.

* Discover subplots hidden in your character’s background

 WHEN: August 15, 2011 through September 14, 2011

WHERE: This workshop will be conducted via a Yahoo! email loop.  Email invitations will be sent 48 hours prior to the beginning of the workshop.

HOW: Just register for the workshop and complete the payment process via PayPal.  The cost is $15.00 for FFnP members and $25.00 for non-FFnP members.

REGISTRATION: Click here to Register for $25 (Non-FF&P Member Rate.)   http://www.romance-ffp.com/nonMemberWorkshopRegistration.cfm?EventID=264

If you are a current member of FF&P, please log into the website before registering for this workshop.

JOIN TODAY http://www.romance-ffp.com/join.htm  to take this workshop for only $15!

WHO:  Once upon a time there was a professional publicist who was a closet romance writer. She joined RWA in 1993, wrote several books, amassed a rejection file more than half a foot thick and eventually became published with Harlequin. Along the journey Theresa Meyers has seen multiple facets of the book publishing industry, first as a professional book publicists for multiple NYT Bestsellers and some of the biggest publishers in New York, then as one of 11 people in the nation to final in the American Title II contest, and now a full-time multi-published romance writer. She currently writes paranormals for Harlequin’s Nocturne line, steampunk romances for Kensington and historicals for Diversion Books and teaches writing and publicity classes online. Her most current releases include her Nocturne Bite titled The Vampire’s Mistress and her historical, which was in the American Title contest now titled The Spellbound Bride. You can keep up with her online at www.theresameyers.com or via Twitter @Theresa_Meyers or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TheresaMeyers,author

CONFERENCE

Join us at the 2011 NJRW Put Your Heart in a Book Conference

Empower Your Muse

October 21-22, 2011 (registration ends Sept 15!)

Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel

Iselin, NJ

Suzanne Brockmann: Keynote Speaker

Rachel Gibson: Luncheon Speaker

Victoria Alexander: Special Presentation*

Brenda Novak: Pre-Conference Workshop

45+ Workshops for writers of all levels

Editor/Agent Appointments

Literacy Book Fair/Author Signings

Opportunities for Networking

Published Author Retreat

Don ft miss this opportunity to take your writing to the next level. This year fs Put Your Heart in a Book Conference is shaping up to be the best ever. We will be adding to the list of agents and editors, so please check our web site

www.njromancewriters.org frequently for updates!

Here is a partial list of agents and editors scheduled to attend:

Agents -

Jessica Alvarez, BookEnds, LLC

Claudia Cross, Sterling Lord Literistic, Inc. (panel only)

Jennifer Didik, Loretta Barrett Books, Inc.

Stephany Evans, FinePrint Literary Management

Anne Hawkins, John Hawkins & Associates, Inc.

Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency

Miriam Kriss, Irene Goodman Literary Agency

Denise Little, The Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency

Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

Beth Miller, Writers House

Lauren Ruth, BookEnds, LLC

Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group

Carlie Webber, Jane Rotrosen Agency

Editors -

Lia Brown, Avalon Books

Karen Chaplin, HarperCollins Publishers

Kelli Collins, Ellora fs Cave

Wendy McCurdy, Berkley Books

Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing

Aubrey Poole, Sourcebooks

Latoya Smith, Grand Central Publishing

And 6 editors from Harlequin!

NJRW Member: $190.00

Non-NJRW Member: $210.00

Pre-conference Workshop

Emotion: The Heart of the Novel, with Brenda Novak (Friday, Oct. 21, from 9 AM to 12 PM) – $30.00

If you have questions, please contact: Marlo Berliner, NJRW fs 2011 Conference Chair, at

msallenson or, Ruth Seitelman, Assistant Chair, at ruth.seitelman.

For registration questions, please contact: LoriMarie LaSpada, Registrar, at registrar.