FEBRUARY CONTEST DEADLINES
Fire and Ice Contest
Chicago-North RWA
Entry cost: $25/$30 (non-RWA members)
E-Entry Deadline: Midnight of February 1, 2012
Prologue/first chapter (25 pages max)
http://www.chicagonorthrwa.org/

Willa Award (P)
Women Writing the West
Entry cost: $50
Entry Deadline is February 1, 2012
Copyright of 2011
http://www.womenwritingthewest.org/pdffiles/WILLA%20Guidelines%20and%20Application.pdf

Merritt Contest (EO – U – P/4)
San Antonio Romance Authors
Entry cost: #30/$35 (non-RWA members)
Deadline: Midnight, February 14, 2012
First twenty pages, plus up to five page synopsis.
http://sararwa.net/contest.html

The Sandy
Crested Butte Writers
Entry cost: $30/$35 (non-Crested Butte members)
Deadline: Midnight February 12, 2012
First 20 pages plus two page synopsis.
http://thesandy.org/sandy.php

PNWA Literary Contest
Received by February 17, 2012
Entry cost: $35/$50 (non-PNWA members)
Beginning and Synopsis (not to exceed 5 pages) total 28 page max.
http://www.pnwa.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=6

MARCH CONTEST DEADLINES

Fab 5 (EO – U – P/5)
WisRWA
Entry Cost: $18/$20 (non-WRWA members)
Received by March 1, 2012
Up to first 2,500 words.
http://www.wisrwa.org/

Great Beginnings
Utah Chapter RWA
Entry Cost: $10
Deadline: March 1, 2012
First five pages.
http://www.utahrwa.com/gbcontest.html

Inspirational Readers Choice (P)
Faith, Hope & Love
Entry Cost: $20/$25 (Non-FHL members)
Received by March 1, 2012
Copyright of 2011
http://www.faithhopelove-rwa.org/tbl.html

More Than Magic (P)
Romance Writers Ink
Entry Cost: $25 check, $27 Paypal
Entry Deadline: March 2, 2012
Copyright of 2011
http://rwimagiccontests.wordpress.com/

Genesis Award (EO – U – P/7)
ACFW – American Christian Fiction Writers
Entry Cost: $35/$95 (Non-NCFW members
Received by 3:00 PM CST March 2, 2012
First 15 pages plus optional one page synopsis
http://www.acfw.com/genesis/index.shtml

ACFW Book of the Year (P)
ACFW – American Christian Fiction Writers
Entry Cost: $40/$115 (Non ACFW members)
Postmark by March 10, 2012
Copyright of 2011 http://www.acfw.com/boty.shtml

CNW Contest
Postmarked by March 15, 2012
Entry Cost: $5/$10
First five thousand words.
http://www.writers-editors.com/Writers/Contests/Contest_Guidelines/contest_guidelines.htm

Daphne du Maurier Award for Published Authors
RWA Mystery/Suspense Chapter
Received by March 15, 2012
Entry Cost: $25
Copyright of 2009
http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/d_published.php

Daphne du Maurier Award for Unpublished Authors (U)
RWA Mystery/Suspense Chapter
Entry Cost: $25
Received by March 15, 2012
First five thousand words, plus synopsis of no more than 675 words.
http://www.rwamysterysuspense.org/d_unpublished.php

Touch of Magic (EO – U – P/5)
Central Florida Romance Writers
Deadline: March 20, 2012
Entry Cost: $25/$30 (Non CFRWA members)
First twenty-five pages plus up to three page synopsis (unjudged).
http://www.cfrwa.com/?page_id=28

L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Contest (U)
Received by March 31, 2012
Entry Cost: $0
Up to 17,000 words
http://www.writersofthefuture.com/rules.htm#writers

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 & Winner listings, questions, etc. Sign up now!
ContestAlert-subscribe

Announcement only list: ContestDeadlines-subscribe

For Published Authors ContestAlertPublished-subscribe

If you’re a Contest Judge, join ContestsJudges-subscribe

RWA Chapter Contests

The Washington Romance Writers 2012 Marlene Awards close January 15, 2012. Open to unpublished manuscripts. Categories and judges: Series Contemporary – Johanna Raisanen, Harlequin; Single Title – Megan Records, Kensington; Paranormal – Heather Osborn, Samhain Publishing; Historical – Esi Sogah, Avon; Romantic Elements – Latoya Smith, Grand Central; Young Adult – Holly Blanck, St. Martin’s. For more information

The Wisconsin Romance Writers of America Fabulous Five contest closes March 1, 2012. Open to writers unpublished in book-length romance fiction during the past five years. Categories and judges: Historical – Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks; Paranormal /Fantasy/ Futuristic /Time Travel – Angela James, Carina Press; Romantic Suspense – Katherine Pelz, Berkley; Series Contemporary – Megan Long, Harlequin Enterprises; Single Title – Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Associates; Women’s Fiction – Paige Wheeler, Folio Literary; Young Adult – Melissa Frain, Tor

The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, sponsored by RWA chapter Southern Magic, awards excellence in published romance fiction. Entries must be received by January 15, 2012. Categories: Contemporary Single Title, Contemporary Series. Romantic Suspense Single Title, Romantic Suspense Series, Inspirational Single Title, Inspirational Series, Paranormal/ Fantasy/ Futuristic/Time Travel, Historical, Young Adult, Novella. For more details and entry form

The 2012 Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award Contest is sponsored by the Faith Hope Love chapter of RWA. The contest is open to all published inspirational writers. Categories: Short Contemporary, Long Contemporary, Short Historical, Long Historical, Romantic Suspense, Women’s Fiction. Deadline: March 1, 2011. For more info

RWA Chapter Workshops

RWNZ presents Can This Manuscript Be Saved, taught by Susan Meier. Online Workshop – March 5-April 1, 2012 – this will be the only chance to do this workshop this year. Rejected? Can’t get an agent? Can’t sell, even though your critique partners LOVE your work? Susan Meier reviews the seven most common rejection catch phrases and explains why you and even your critique partners can’t spot them, then shows how determining whether your book’s trouble is a story, scene or word problem is the first step on the road to recovery. Participants will learn how to “skim-read” their manuscripts quickly, marking specific problems with post-its. Susan also demonstrates how to use a storyboard, a list of twenty and a one-paragraph blurb to create a plan of attack for fixing your book’s trouble. For more info

STARRWA presents Dirty Little Secrets of Character Development, February 2 – 29, 2012 – taught by Keena Lykins. An interactive online workshop that leads participants through fun, inventive exercises to help them root out their characters’ deep, dark secrets and desires, and shows them how to use these secrets to further plot, conflict, and of course the romance. For more information

CONTESTS:

The Virginia Romance Writers chapter of Romance Writers of America® is proud to announce our 17th Annual HOLT Medallion Contest for published authors.
 
Eligible titles are romance novels, or novels with a strong element of romance, with a copyright date within the year preceding the competition (for the 2012 contest, books must have a 2011 copyright). 
 
Entries accepted from December 1, 2011 through January 14, 2012. For rules and entry form, please visit: www.virginiaromancewriters.com.

WORKSHOPS

Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter of RWA  is offering the WORKSHOP: Killer Openings.  INSTRUCTOR: Alexa Bourne.  DATES: January 2012 (4 weeks January 3rd thru 31st).  COST:  $15.00 CHRW members; $20.00 non-members. FMI: www.celtichearts.org/workshops.html

The Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA Presents the WORKSHOP: WEAPONS, VIOLENCE AND WOUNDS. INSTRUCTOR: Rory Miller. DATES: January 2, 2012-January 29, 2012.  COST: is $20.00 for FFnP members; $30.00 for non-FFnP members. Payment is due at the time of registration. FMI: http://my.rwa.org/e/in/eid=16

The Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA presents the WORKSHOP: No Matter How Busy You Are, You Can Find Time To Write!  INSTRUCTOR: Kelly L. Stone.  DATES: January 9, 2012-February 5, 2012 .  COST: is $20.00 for FFnP members; $30.00 for non-FFnP members.  FMI: http://my.rwa.org/e/in/eid=19.

Long Island Romance Writers of RWA presents the WORKSHOP: THE “W” PLOT…OR THE OTHER WHITE MEAT FOR PLOTTERS©.  INSTRUCTOR: Karen Docter.  DATES: February 6, 2012 to March 2, 2012. 
COST: $20 for LIRW Members, $25 for non-LIRW Members.   FMI: http://www.lirw.org/class.html

CLASSES

January 2012 – Hook, Line, and Sinker: Fishing for a Publisher With Your Best Opening and Follow-up
Presented by Jeannie Eddy
Dates: January 5 – 29, 2012
Deadline: January 3, 2012
FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#JAN1

Course Description:
Want an editor or agent to want to read your book? You have to write a great hook to drag them into the story, so they want to find out what happens. Your hook should inform, inspire and interest your readers – no matter who they are. You can use the hook as your pitch, using it at pitch sessions or conferences or wherever you happen to run into your dream editor/agent.

Instructor Bio:
Jeannie Eddy is a writer and freelance editor (book doctor) who has worked with many small presses and writers to help hone manuscripts into saleable books. She donates a read of a partial every year for the Brenda Novak Diabetes Auction (in May), and spends her spare time editing court transcripts and grading English papers. She also coordinates pitch sessions at many national and regional conferences.

You can register for the following on-line class through January 3. Each class is $16. FMI: www.lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/

January 2012 – Crafting Memorable Dialogue
Presented by Joni Fisher
Dates: January 5 – 29, 2012
Deadline: January 3, 2012
FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#JAN2

Course Description:
This workshop three-week workshop is designed for fiction writers, college age or above, who have completed a first draft of a novel.
At the end of the workshop, students will be able to:
• Identify the purposes and limitations of dialogue.
• Infuse dialogue with conflict. Make each conversation matter. One acting technique and nine elements show how to enliven any dialogue ranging from polite debates to violent confrontations.
• Construct dialogue with depth of meaning that flows at two levels.
• Fine tune dialogue to create suspense and raise questions in the reader’s mind.
• Transform predictable exchanges into memorable, fresh dialogue using a simple creativity technique.
• Craft believable, dynamic conversations that cut to the chase. Apply the less-is-more adage to dialogue. Learn when to summarize and use fragment quotes.
• Talk the talk. Individualize characters through dialogue using any of eleven revealing markers. See how to conduct field research for dialogue.
• Apply the stimulus/response pattern to maintain clarity of action in a scene.
• Use dialogue tags, action tags and thought tags to show character’s goals, motivations and conflicts.
• Format and punctuate dialogue properly.

Each of the ten lessons will end with a practical exercise in which the student will apply the lesson by revising a dialogue scene from his manuscript.

*** This workshop is limited to 45 students. The first 30 students to register will get a free critique on the first 30 pages of the WIP. ***

Instructor Bio:
Joni has designed computer-based training and taught adult classes in writing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and has made a living as a writer. She minored in Theater with a concentration on playwriting. Her work has appeared in national magazines and newspapers. As a PRO member of Romance Writers of America, she belongs to the Tampa Area Romance Authors (TARA) Chapter and the online Kiss Of Death Chapter.
Read more about Joni at her website www.jonimfisher.com

You can register for the following on-line class through January 3. Each class is $16. FMI: www.lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/

January 2012 – Peeling Yourself Off the Wall: 20 Ways to Duck the Writer’s Block Bullet
Presented by Beth Daniels, aka Beth Henderson and J.B. Dane
Dates: January 5 – 29, 2012
Deadline: January 3, 2012
FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#JAN3

Course Description:
It doesn’t matter whether you prefer plotting your book entirely before writing one word of prose or whether you prefer “pantsing”, flying off onto page one with enthusiasm and only a vague idea of where you’re going. We all strike it at some time – the dreaded, seemingly impenetrable stone wall of Writer’s Block. Can’t seem to get through it or over it, or go around it or tunnel beneath it. We’re stymied and the project at hand is at a dead stop.

But where there’s a will, there’s a way…at least twenty ways, in fact, to get things rolling again. Writer’s Block can be reduced to a level where it is simply one of the normal, if pesky, elements involved when writing a book. Knowing how to demolish it, even if temporarily, can reduce your stress level when it does rear up to block progress though. And having an idea of what actions to take the moment it strikes can get you writing again much more quickly.

This workshop is for anyone interested in ways to slough past the parts where our imagination fails to go, through the times when our Muse heads for the Caribbean and leaves us to fend for ourselves. During four weeks, with two lectures and one Challenge (or Assignment) weekly, we’ll cover twenty different ways to pole-vault, tunnel, trek around, or bulldoze through writer’s block.

Some of the ways will be familiar: storyboarding, freewriting, world building, comparison. Others will be tweaks on outlining, research, even daydreaming.

This workshop requires feedback – not just from the presenter, but from those in attendance – to gather suggestions, stir ideas, kill, hack, or give birth to usable solutions. Thus it would be very handy to have a work in progress or one that stalled out and needs a jolt to get it back on the move again. For any questions or comments made by attendees throughout the week, answers will be supplied usually within 24 hours or less. Lectures will be posted on Mondays and Wednesdays with Challenge results posted by students through the weekend.

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 in the MOTHER GOOSE IS DEAD anthology slated for publication by Dragon Moon Press in 2010.

For over a dozen years Beth taught college level composition, both in the classroom and online, and a credit course on Novel Writing. Five of her former Novel class students are now published.

Twenty-six of Beth’s manuscripts have appeared in print or e-book format. These have been historical romantic adventures (6), romantic comedies (10), romantic-suspense (3), and young adult romantic comedy (7). Her titles have appeared in 12 different languages in over 20 countries. At the moment she is working on various manuscripts and attempting a collaboration with another RWA member on a contemporary/fantasy/romantic adventure. She also ventured into self-publishing to keep her out-of-print backlist in print, but previous e-books in print, and in frustration, to move beyond a manuscript she’d been reworking for editors for a decade with no bites, released a previously unpublished historical romantic adventure set in the American West.

She is a member of Romance Writers of America, and an active member and volunteer with the Kiss of Death Online romantic suspense chapter.

You can find more about Beth Daniels at www.RomanceAndMystery.com

You can register for the following on-line class through January 3. Each class is $16. FMI: www.lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/

January 2012 – WriteSEX: Defining Erotica
Presented by Sascha Illyvich
Dates: January 5 – 29, 2012
Deadline: January 3, 2012
FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#JAN4

Course Description:
Sascha Illyvich, with the help of M Christian, Oceania, Jean Marie Stine, Ralph Greco, Deborah Riley Magnus and Thomas Roche, are going to explore the daunting aspects of erotica in all its forms. Once a week we’ll discuss every aspect of writing sexy fiction from what makes a story erotic even if there is little to no sex involved. Writers of all genres will come away with writing tips that will benefit their careers. We’ll cover author marketing, what defines a story as erotic, things new writers need to consider and the business angle of writing erotica.

Every week we focus on a different aspect of writing erotica. Our other authors will do own introductions. Some of them have a rather unique way of letting you know who they are! I’ll be covering writing style in general for starters. For this class, we’re going to take our lessons deeper in plot, audio and marketing so that the author comes away with a more comprehensive understanding of the erotic business, be it romance or more adult oriented.

Instructor Bio:
Sascha started writing ten years ago, releasing poetry and an occasional short erotica story before focusing on kinky erotic romance in various subgenres. His books have been listed under the Road to Romance’s Recommended read list, as well nominated for the CAPA.

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

He is also part of the WriteSex Panel, a blog group that’s defining erotica for writers in any genre! Find us at http://www.writesex.net

You can register for the following on-line class through January 3. Each class is $16. FMI: www.lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/

January 2012 – Examining Online Media: How to Build Your Audience Before Your Book is Sold!
Presented by Pat Hauldren
Dates: January 5 – 29, 2012
Deadline: January 3, 2012
FMI: http://lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/#JAN5

Course Description:
This class will examine how to write for online media such as Examiner, Demand Studios, Suite 101, eHow, etc., to build a writer’s platform to help the author get published. We will examine the benefits for writers, especially for those who write fiction, what skills are needed, where to find the media, and how to get started.

Class outline:
• Benefits of writing for online media
• Skills needed for online media
• What’s out there?
• How to start
• Article writing
• Writing venues
• Business $ense

Instructor Bio:
Pat Hauldren is a book editor for Cyberwizard Productions and a freelance writer and editor whose articles have appeared in over 600 print newspapers nation-wide and millions online. Pat has published articles, short stories, poetry, and Japanese Noh Drama. She’s working on her 3rd novel (with 5 agents vying for first submission already before it’s finished) and teaching writers workshops locally, online, and overseas.

Pat is a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA®), DFW Writers’ Workshop (DFWWW), North Texas Speculative Fiction Workshop (NTSFW), Writers’ Guild of America, Frisco Writers’ Group, and more online writing groups than can be mentioned here.

Find out more about Pat Hauldren at www.pathauldren.com

You can register for the following on-line class through January 3. Each class is $16. FMI: www.lowcountryrwa.com/online-workshops/

The Word Loss Diet
Presented by: Rayne Hall
Date: January 1 – 31, 2012
Deadline: December 29, 2011
Fee: OIRW Member $20
Fee: Non-Member $25

Course Description:
Tighten and tone your writing style. Slim your manuscript in four weeks with simple revision tricks. Shed thousands of words without changing the plot!

Instructor Bio:
Rayne Hall has published 22 books (under several pen names), seventy short stories (mostly fantasy, paranormal and horror) and thousands of articles. She has a college degree in Publishing and a masters degree in Creative Writing & Personal Development.

A member of the Society of Authors (the British organization for professional writers), she worked many years as magazine editor and creative writing teacher. Many of her horror stories have won contest prizes, and two were selected for honorable mentions in Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror. Rayne is an experienced teacher who enjoys helping students to create sparkling scenes.

All workshops are open to everyone. You do not have to be a RWA member. You can register for the following on-line class through December 29. FMI: http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#JAN

Or, contact Campus Coordinator, Maria Connor, http://www.oirwa.com/officers-volunteers/contact-campus-coordinator/.

To find out more about our chapter, please visit us at http://www.oirwa.com/

Creating a Web Presence
Presented by: Casey Dawes
Date: January 1 – 31, 2012
Deadline: December 29, 2011
Fee: OIRW Member $20
Fee: Non-Member $25

Course Description:
This 4-week workshop demonstrates the three steps necessary to creating a web presence: People, Persona and Platform. It covers these topics:

• Week One: Identifying your audience (Your People)
• Week Two: Defining your brand (Your Persona)
• Weeks Three and Four: How to let your people know about your persona (Your Platform)
• Going in-depth on the following platforms:
Your website/blog
Facebook
Twitter

At the end of this workshop the attendees will have a well-rounded picture of their readers, an idea of the brand they want to project, including what aspects of their personal life they are willing to share and what they won’t, and a plan to join the conversation on the world wide web using website/blog, Facebook, Twitter and more. The workbook will include specific instructions about what’s needed to set up and use these three platforms.

Assignments will be given on Mondays and due on Wednesdays. Answers to comments and questions will be given throughout the course. All attendees will get a free copy of “Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Basics.”

Instructor Bio:
Casey Dawes is a member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA). She’s published four non-fiction books and had numerous articles appear in magazines ranging from Spider to Hispanic Outlook for Higher Education. She wrote a well-used article for her local RWA Newsletter: “Marketing for Writers: What’s Your Brand?” and presented a well-received workshop on marketing to her local group. In her spare time, she is hard at work on a contemporary romance novel.
You can find out more about Casey at her website: www.WiseWomanShining.com

All workshops are open to everyone. You do not have to be a RWA member. You can register for the following on-line class through December 29. FMI: http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#JAN

Or, contact Campus Coordinator, Maria Connor, http://www.oirwa.com/officers-volunteers/contact-campus-coordinator/.

To find out more about our chapter, please visit us at http://www.oirwa.com/


Going Deep: Creating an Unbreakable Connection Between Your Characters and Readers
Presented by Toni Andrews
Date: January 1 – 15, 2012
Deadline: December 29, 2011
Fee: OIRW Member $10
Fee: Non-Member $15

Course Description:
Have you ever gotten so caught up in a book that you stayed up all night to finish it? Did you ever fail to hear the phone ringing because you were so absorbed in your reading? Chances are, it was because you had made a connection with the characters, and you couldn’t stop turning the pages until you found out what happened to them.

We all want to write stories that pull readers in, bond them to characters, and forge relationships that will last to the end of the book. To do that, you must master three basic elements:

1. Point of View,
2. Character Voice, and
3. Showing vs. Telling.

In this workshop, you’ll learn how, handled properly, these three elements can be combined to make your writing more powerful and emotionally rich.

You’ll master simple, easy to understand techniques to identify the issues that are pull the readers out of the story and sever their connection to the characters, and easy ways to eliminate those issues.

When you’re done, you’ll be astonished to see how your characters—and their scenes—come to life!

Special Workshop Bonus: In addition to being a multi-published author, Toni Andrews is also a professional book doctor. For the first twenty participants to sign up only, Toni will perform a manuscript analysis of their first five pages, a service which normally costs $25 through www.toniandrews.com/BookRx.htm

The course will be broken down into six lessons, each with a corresponding exercise.

Introduction & Overview, followed by Point of View Part 1
• Omniscient POV vs. Character POV
• Perception: Using the POV character’s five senses

Point of View Part 2
• Thinking: Getting into the POV character’s head
• Proper use of POV to avoid Backstory/Information Dumping

Point of View Part 3
• Choosing a POV character for each scene
• Eliminating the dreaded Head Hop

Showing vs. Telling Part 1
• (Don’t) Name that Emotion
• Using the five senses to Show rather than Tell what a character is feeling

Showing vs. Telling Part 2
• Bringing settings and situations to life.
• And how does that make you feel?

Character Voice
• Dialogue
• Internal Dialogue
• Point of View Narrative

Instructor Bio:
Toni Andrews likes to say it’s easier to list the jobs she hasn’t tried. From lifeguard to lounge singer, bartender to bill collector, door-to-door salesperson to corporate business analyst–Toni has been there and done that. Then, she decided that what she really wanted to be was a writer. After fifteen years in Southern California and seven in Miami, Toni returned to the lakeside cottage in Connecticut where she spent her childhood summers, where she writes full time. Toni also writes romance novels under the pen name Virginia Reede.

Toni is the President of the Connecticut Chapter of Romance Writers of America.

Read more about Toni at her website: www.toniandrews.com

All workshops are open to everyone. You do not have to be a RWA member. You can register for the following on-line class through December 29. FMI: http://www.oirwa.com/forum/campus/#JAN

Or, contact Campus Coordinator, Maria Connor, http://www.oirwa.com/officers-volunteers/contact-campus-coordinator/.

To find out more about our chapter, please visit us at http://www.oirwa.com/

The Young Adult RWA chapter is proud to announce its first online class for 2012!

Editing Dialogue for Snap, Crackle and Punch!
Instructor: Christine Fairchild
Dates: January 9-20
Cost: $10 for YARWA members (non-member fee is $20)

About the Class: In this workshop adapted ESPECIALLY for YA Writers, you’ll learn how to make your words pop on the page! Discover how to make the story move through speech, build tension on every page using dialogue, throw curve balls in conversations, and reveal your characters’ hopes, needs, and fears through what they say and don’t say. This class is geared toward fiction writers who want to use interesting, compelling dialogue to reveal their characters and their story.

About the Instructor: Christine M. Fairchild has over 20 years of experience as a writer and editor. Though trained as a journalist, she spent the last two decades working for publications (XFiles, SciFiMall.com), technical giants (Microsoft, AT&T), and consumer product companies (DHL, Hitachi). She now helps fiction writers improve their use of language, timing, and perspective to deepen their work. Christine has written two historical fiction women’s fiction books as well as a romantic suspense.

For any questions, please contact YARWA’s workshop coordinator, Shelley Coriell, at workshops at yarwa dot com.

Please pay on our website (http://yarwa.com/programs), then email workshops at yarwa dot com with your name and email address where you want your Yahoo! Groups invitation sent.

If you’re one of those people who dreads writing a synopsis, this is the workshop for you!!!

Workshop: I used to hate writing a synopsis, but not anymore
Presented by Susan Palmquist
Dates: January 2-27, 2012
Fee: $20 FRW member & $25 non FRW member

Learn why a good synopsis is similar to a great job interview
Learn why it’s a must have skill for every writer
Learn what makes a good synopsis
Learn what should always be included
Learn what tense a synopsis should be written in and how it should be formatted
Learn to write both a short and long synopsis

About Susan
Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author of six novels, including four romances. She’s also a published short story writer who’s been published in both the US and UK and two of her stories have recently appeared in anthologies. Under her pen name, Vanessa Devereaux she writes erotic romances and erotica and has published six novels/novellas. Her next book One Night With You will be a June 2011 release. She also writes a weekly money saving blog at called The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to the Universe. Susan is also a writing tutor for Writers’ News School in the UK.

In her work as a tutor she sees synopses that while formatted right lack the “I want to read this story” quality necessary to make a sale. In this class she’ll show you how to add the `wow’ factor.

For more information about Susan, visit www.susanpalmquist.com, www.vanessadevereaux.com, and www.budgetsmartgirl.com

To sign up for the class, go to http://www.frwriters.org/workshops.html

Northwest Houston RWA is pleased to announced Break Into Fiction® Power Writing Day with Mary Buckham on January 7, 2012.

An entire day is dedicated to teaching powerful openings, scene survival, active settings, and building hooks, all to help writers craft a compelling story.
This is a hands-on workshop and Mary encourages participants to bring their WIPs.
Northwest Houston offers this amazing class at $20 for NWHRWA members and $25 for non-NWHRWA members. What a STEAL!

Location: Cypress Creek Community Center
6823 Cypresswood Dr.
Spring, TX 77379
Room 30-33 (upstairs Annex Bldg)

Doors open at 8:30. Northwest Houston’s business meeting begins at 9:00, the program with Mary begins at 10:30. Everyone is welcome to attend the business meeting. Lunch, included in the cost of admission, will be approximately at 12:30.

For more information and/or to register, please visit Northwest Houston’s website. http://www.nwhrwa.com/events.htm

SLEUTH FACTS: REAL PI PROCEDURES FOR YOUR PLOT
INSTRUCTOR: Linnea Sinclair
WHEN: January 2 to January 22

WORKSHOP:
Slink down any interesting back alleys lately? Retired Florida Private Investigator and award winning sci fi author, Linnea Sinclair, invites you to step into the world of private detective work and learn the basic procedures — and some not so well known tricks of the trade — that will add a touch of realism to your stories as well as provide plot twists and conflicts. How quickly can a PI locate someone? How easily can things go wrong on surveillance? What happens when a mundane case becomes a murder case? A former news reporter, Sinclair was a licensed private investigator in Florida for ten years and is featured in the nationally distributed instructional video, “PIs”. She has also taught investigative methodology for writers at COFFIN (College OF Felony and INtrigue online) and at various RWA and MWA conferences nationwide.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
RITA® award-winning SF Romance author, Linnea Sinclair, isn’t always spacey. Sometimes she slinks down back alleys with her trusty camera ballpoint pen and miniature wristwatch tape recorder. For ten years Sinclair worked as a licensed private investigator and was owner of a detective agency based in St. Petersburg, Florida. She opened the doors in early 1990 and by 1993 was named one of the top ten private investigators in the US by the National Association of Investigative Specialists. Though she retired from active investigations in 2000, she continues to teach mystery writers how to craft believable PI characters—that is, when she isn’t defending the galaxy from evil alien energy sources and penning high action science fiction novels for Bantam or adventure novellas for Simon & Schuster. Her current releases include REBELS & LOVERS (Dock Five book #4) and “Courting Trouble” in SONGS OF LOVE & DEATH.

Sinclair resides in Naples, Florida with her husband, Robert Bernadino, and their thoroughly spoiled cats. Readers can find her perched on the third bar-stool from the left in her Intergalactic Bar and Grille at www.linneasinclair.com.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:
Cost for the workshop is $15 for NEORWA members, $20 for all others. You do not have to be an RWA member to take our workshops!

REGISTRATION CUT-OFF IS THE DAY BEFORE THE WORKSHOP STARTS
Once registered, you will be subscribed to the workshop loop prior to and for the duration of the class.

For more information, please email Cathy Matuszak If you are using a web email and the link doesn’t work for you, send the email to neorwaonline at gmail dot com

ABOUT NEORWA’S ONLINE WORKSHOPS:
Admission to the workshop depends on receipt of this form and payment fee before the cut-off date for the workshop chosen. If the fee is received after the cut-off date, the fee can be applied to another workshop of your choosing.
Note: You will receive an invitation to join the group from Yahoo! Groups. You must reply to it in order to take the course. The invitation is good for seven (7) days only. PLEASE check your spam filter for the invitation so you don’t miss anything in the workshop! There are no refunds if you fail to enroll yourself once being offered the invitation.

Upon receipt of your payment and registration form, you will receive an email confirming you have been registered for the workshop. If you do not receive a confirmation email, contact the NEORWA Workshops Coordinator Cathy Matuszak before the workshop begins.

NEORWA REFUND POLICY
Registration fees will be refunded only in the event the workshop is canceled. All payments for a workshop must be received by the registration cut-off date. No refund will be given for withdrawing from a workshop. In the event the instructor cancels a workshop or there are technical difficulties with the list provider (Yahoo!), NEORWA will offer the participant the option of receiving a refund or enrollment in another workshop of the participant’s choice.

If a workshop does not have 10 students enrolled by the cut-off date, the workshop may be canceled, and the participant can either receive a refund or be enrolled in another workshop of the participant’s choice.

OPEN REGISTRATION FOR STAR’S JANUARY 2012 ON-LINE EDUCATIONAL CLASS:
TOPIC: To the West . . . and Beyond: Women in the American West–1865 to 1900
INSTRUCTOR: Bella Steele
DATES: January 3 – 27, 2012:
DEADLINE TO REGISTER: December 30, 2011
COST: $20 for RWA members, and $25 for non-members.

CLASS DESCRIPTION: If your heroine lives in the Old West you will need to know about life amidst the horses, cows and cowboys, whether she be a pioneer woman, a frontier woman, or born and raised in the West. Find out why and how your heroine got to scene of the action (meeting the heroine and winning his heart) and what she did each day. Life as pioneer was different from a frontier woman living on a farm or ranch. In the later part of the period towns were flourishing and women were leading the way. In eight lessons I will introduce you to methods of transportation, daily life, fashion, economics, and social life in the context of the Victorian period. Those stuffy old rules didn’t apply to women in the west, who were some of the first to obtain the right to vote and run their own businesses. Each lesson will be accompanied by file (in the file section or sent to your mailbox) containing maps, pictures, and charts. Workshop lasts four (4) weeks, consist of a mix of lectures, exercises, and discussions, and are conducted via a private Yahoo Groups listserv.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Bella Steele has a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Louisville, concentration in American history. She has written seven short stories and novellas for Highland Press under the name of Billie Warren Chai. Visit her website at: www.billiewarrenchai.com.

HOW TO REGISTER:
To register for the class, please and include a check or Money Order in US Dollars, made out to STAR On-Line Workshop, and mail the check to: Carol A. Henry, STAR On-line Workshop Coordinator, PO Box 6, Willseyville, NY 13864. Alternatively, if you have a PayPal account, you can pay by going to http://www.PayPal.com. Select the “send money” button, and then enter the amount due, and STAR’s email address for payment: starpay at gmail dot com. Then send your registration information to Carol at: carolhenry at frontiernet dot net).

All writers are welcome. If you know how to send e-mail, then you’ve mastered all of the technical skills you need to participate in our workshops. You will be automatically enrolled in the workshop’s listserv just before the class beings. All of the messages posted by the instructor and other students will be delivered directly to your inbox, although you may also view them from the Yahoo website.

CONTESTS

2012 Award of Excellence Open now!
NEW! 2012 Winners will be featured in an ad in the RWR!

Sponsor: Colorado Romance Writers
Fee: $20.00
Receipt Deadline: January 13, 2012

Eligibility: Books published in 2011. Bound hard copies of e-books also eligible.
Categories: Short Contemporary (60,000 words or less), Long Contemporary (over 60,000 words), Historical, Romantic Suspense, Single Title, P/TT/F/F, Inspirational, Mainstream w/Romantic Elements, Erotic Romance.
Judges: Readers, booksellers, published authors
Top Prize: Award of Excellence Trophy and certificate; letter congratulating the editor.
FMI: For more information contact: Jessica Aspen (aoecoordinator1 at yahoo dot com). For entry forms and rules see: www.coloradoromancewriters.com

Today marks the opening of the 14th Annual Fire and Ice contest sponsored by the Chicago North chapter of RWA

The Fire and Ice contest is all electronic and limited to the first 120 entries. The contest closes on Feb 1, 2012 or earlier if we reach capacity. First Round judging is based upon two experienced critiques, at least one by a published author. Chicago North is a critique chapter; all judges have received training in providing productive feedback. The top three entries in each category move to the final round and go before the following judges:

Historical Romance: Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks
Paranormal Romance: Cindy Davis, Wild Rose Press
Series Romance: Megan Long, Harlequin
Single Title: TBA
Women’s Fiction with Romantic Elements: Cori Deyoe, 3 Seas Literary Agency
Young Adult: Nadia Cornier, Story Complex and Firebrand Literacy LLC

Winners will be announced at the Chicago North’s biennial conference, Spring Fling on April 28, 2012. First place winners in each category receive $30. All finalists will be listed in the RWR magazine.

The decisions of all judges are final.
All contest entrants must be 18 years of age by the contest entry deadline date and sign an electronic entry and waiver form. The Fire & Ice Contest is open to all authors not published or contracted in novel length fiction of 20,000 words or more, within five years of the contest deadline. The entry must have a projected minimum length of 50,000 words.

Chicago North members are NOT eligible to enter the Fire and Ice Contest. Previous winners and finalists may not re-enter the same manuscript, even in edited format. They may enter another manuscript. A non-refundable fee of $25 for RWA members and $30 for non-RWA members is required for each entry. Payment must be made via PayPal.

For more information visit www.chicagonorthrwa.org Questions? Email Vivienne Courtoise, contest coordinator: contest at chicagonorthrwa dot org

CONTEST RESULTS

The Golden Network is pleased to announce the final rankings of the Golden Pen contest:

PARANORMAL (Leis Pederson, editor, Berkeley Publishing Group)
Tattoo of Your Name Across My Soul by Abigail Schmidt
Bound by Blood by Dawn Groszek
Bathtub Jinn by Kay Hudson

SINGLE TITLE (Katherine Pelz, editor, Berkeley Publishing Group)
Legally Mastered by Sarah Castille *
It’s Not You by Kimberly Kincaid
Better than Pasta by Kate Meader

SERIES CONTEMPORARY (Susan Litman, editor, Harlequin Enterprises [Special Edition])
The Scandalous Seduction of Miss Spencer by Jane O’Reilly
Mistress By Blackmail by Caro LaFever
Going the Distance by Althea West

HISTORICAL (Deb Werksman, editor, Sourcebooks)
Silverhawk by Barbara Bettis
Notorious Match by Angelyn Schmid
A Whisper to the Wild by Eileen Emerson

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE (Holly Blanck, editor, St. Martin’s Press)
Guardian’s Promise by Sharon Wray
The Shadow Hour by Jacqui Nelson
Chance Encounter by Tracy Poole

YOUNG ADULT (Regina Griffin, editor, Egmont USA)
Camp Awakening by Bonnie Staring
Forget Tomorrow by P.H. Dunn
Kisses and Curses by Shoshana Brown

INSPIRATIONAL (Melissa Endlich, editor, Harlequin Enterprises [Steeple Hill])
Left to Chance by Jessica Keller *
All the Blue of Heaven by Virginia Carmichael
Jerusalem’s Harlot by Wanda Thomas

NSRE (Valerie Gray, editor, Harlequin Enterprises [MIRA and SPICE])
Sweet Spot by Laura Drake *
The Hourglass by Sharon Struth
Strange Bedfellows by Nancy Holland

* indicates a manuscript that was requested by the final-round judge.

Please join us in congratulating all of our finalists on their achievement!

If you have any questions about the Golden Pen, please contact Jamie Michele at goldenpencontest at gmail dot com.

The East Valley Authors chapter is proud to announce the winners of our 2011 Query Contest! Congratulations to all finalists!

All entries were given a preliminary score, and the top three finalists were reviewed and ranked by Sue Grimshaw, Editor-at-Large and Category Specialist for Random House.

1. HEX MARKS THE SPOT by Kristy Price (received a request for partial)
2. SHE LIKES IT ROUGH by Geralyn Ruane
3. WHEN ANGELS SOARED by Lana Douglas

Thank you to all our participants! Scored entries will be returned within the next few days.

CONFERENCES

Time’s slipping away and space is limited! Register today for the PASIC Power Conference:

2012 PASIC Conference
March 8-10, 2012
Millennium Broadway Hotel
145 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

Join PASIC for three days of mingling, information and networking. Hear the State of the Industry from Steven Axelrod, Karen Solem, and other industry professionals, including Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Smashwords. Meet with editors and agents on panels and in appointments. Learn effective promotion, how to make online communities work for you, and how to get readers more involved. Thinking of self-publishing? Come learn the ins and outs from those who have successfully navigated the waters, and more!

Registration opens October 17, 2011 and runs until Feb. 7, 2012, when our discounted room rate ends. Reserve your spot today! http://www.pasic.net/

Industry Reception: Thursday, March 8, 5:30-7:30 PM at Sardi’s
Opening Speaker: Wendy Corsi Staub, Thursday, March 8, at 3 pm

CONTESTS

Want More Book Sales? Then enter the Greater Detroit RWA Booksellers’ Best Award. And, yes, they take ebooks. Cost: $27. Deadline:  Jan.15, 2012.

FMI: http://gdrwa.org/bba entryform2011.html . If you have additional questions contact pattishenberger

2012 Write Touch Readers’ Award Contest. All published works are eligible to enter the Wisconsin Romance Writers (WisRWA) contest, but must be submitted in print or bound galleys.

FMI, entry form and rules: go to www.wisrwa.org  or contact committee member Donna Kowalczyk, paulck1225. Fee: $25. Deadline: Jan. 13, 2012

WORKSHOPS

Killer Openings Workshop. Celtic Hearts Romance Writers own  Alexa Bourne, teacher and romantic suspence author, will clue you in on how to make that all important first page(s) sell your book. When? January 3rd thru 31st in 2012.

To register: go to http://www.celtichearts.org/register.html

Death and Taxes. Online workshop presented by the Carolina Romance Writers Chapter of RWA reveals the essentials of federal income tax reporting and audit survival. Date: Jan. 9 – Feb. 3, 2012. Cost: to non-CRW and HCRW members: $25. Instructors: Diane Kelly(CPA and tax attorney and author of “Death and Taxes” romantic mystery seeries) and Becke Turner (a tax audit survivor who writes romantic comedy and medical educational articles).

Registration deadline: Jan. 9. Register at http://www.carolinaromancewriters.com/january12.htm    

FMI: email Carole St.-Laurent at http://www.carolinaromancewriters.com/january12.htm

CONFERENCES

Texas Two Step Conference – March30 – April 1,2012. Sponsor: North Texas Roamnce Writers of America. Place: Hilton Garden Inn, Las Colinas, Texas. Fee: $105 -$130. Featured Speakers: Mari Mancusi and Kristen Lamb. Agents/Editors: Sara Megibow, Louise Fury, Lindsey Faber, Sue Grimshaw

FMI and to register: http://www.ntrwa.org/texastwostepconference.aspx

2012 NECRWA Conference

Blasting Through the Blah by Donna Alward
December 12 – 19th, 2011. $15 for Members. $20 for Non-Members.
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Most authors have written a scene that just doesn’t feel quite right, or lacks that certain spark. Saggy middles? Stilted dialogue? Can’t seem to see what’s wrong? This one-week workshop will introduce some fun techniques to blast through the blahs of your manuscript! Come prepared with a work in progress, as each day attendees will try their hand at employing the day’s technique. This is a five part (one week) workshop with assignments for participants. Assignments will not be graded. FMI: Contact Passionate Ink

The Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA Presents
Shattering the Mirror of Your Character – How to Use Backstory Effectively  Presented by Theresa Meyers
WHEN: December 12, 2011 through December 19, 2011
WHAT: We work so hard to make our characters three dimensional, but what without giving in to the temptation to do huge amounts of backstory dumping into our stories, how do we get it across? Find out the basics every writer should know to using backstory effectively. Click To Register  If you are a current member of FF&P, please log into the website before registering for this workshop.

STAR Online Educationl Class for January 2012:
To the West . . . and Beyond: Women in the American West–1865 to 1900
INSTRUCTOR: Bella Steele. DATES: January 3 – 27, 2012: DEADLINE TO REGISTER: December 30, 2011. COST: $20 for RWA members, and $25 for non-members.  Contact: Carol Henry

Dunes & Dreams RWA invites you to register for our January 2012 online workshop!
Topic: Basics Bootcamp
Instructor: Gina Ardito
Deciding to write is the easy part. But without the proper training, a new recruit can soon find him/herself in the weeds. “Ten-hut! Fall in, cadets, for Basics Bootcamp!”
Included in this workshop: The strategies of GMC, POV, and characterization. Flexing your grammar, spelling, and punctuation muscles. Plotting, research, and backstory. Shopping around your manuscript. Register now at http://dunesanddreams.org/WorkshopsRegistration.html

Phoenix Desert Rose’s Golden Quill Contest for Published Authors
Fee: $30.00 Deadline: Received by Friday, January 13, 2012
Eligibility: Romance novels authored by RWA members in good standing. Titles must have a copyright date, first North American
printing/release date, OR electronic print release date between January and December 2011. FMI: visit www.desertroserwa.org

2012 Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence
The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, sponsored by RWA chapter Southern Magic.
Eligibility: Entries must be received by January 15, 2012.  Novels and novellas must have a copyright of first printing date of 2011, no matter the format. Books are eligible to enter as long as they are published by a non-vanity, non-subsidy publisher. No self-published. Entries may be entered in electronic format only if they have not been released in print format.
Entry fee:  $30 first book; $25 subsequent books. FMI: http://southernmagic.org/gaylewilsoncontest.html

Edit Your Book in a Month with Eliza Knight. It begins on Monday and is only $10 for HHRW members! Sign up here today! If you just finished a NaNo manuscript, this is your chance to polish it up for submission!

Due to the fact many–if not all–chapters have members who are interested in the topic of self-publishing, I wanted to send out a quick reminder that RWA recently opened a forum specifically dedicated to the discussion of self-publishing.  Here’s a direct link to the forum.

Northeast Ohio RWA December Online Workshop BECOMING A BRAND: USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO BECOME A HOUSEHOLD NAME with Kristen Lamb. December 5 to December 12. For more information, please email Cathy Matuszak If you are using a web email and the link doesn’t work for you, send the email to neorwaonline at gmail dot com

Florida Romance Writers presents: Make It Last – How to add Sexual Tension to Your Manuscript No Matter What Romance Genre You Write
with 
 Linda Conrad
Date: Dec. 5 – 19

 

Sign up here.

Registration is open and runs through February 7, 2012 for the PASIC Power Conference. Speakers include: Steven Axelrod, Karen Solem, Wendy Corsi Staub, representatives from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, agent and editor panels and appointments: confirmed are Selina McLemore, Grand Central; Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks; Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency; Alicia Condon, Kensington; Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management; Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency; Jennifer Schober, Spencerhill Associates; Jenny Bent, The Bent Agency; Industry Reception, hands-on workshops and more!

Check the website: www.PASIC.net for more information.

The Culinary World of Regency England with Delilah Marvelle: Step into the Culinary World of Regency England. From Garden to Table, position to responsibilities, if you ever wondered about the Regency Culinary World, this is your chance to explore it!

To register: http://main.thebeaumonde.com/resources/academe

Blasting Through the Blah by Donna Alward. December 12 – 19th, 2011. $15 for Members. $20 for Non-Members.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION: Most authors have written a scene that just doesn’t feel quite right, or lacks that certain spark. Saggy middles? Stilted dialogue? Can’t seem to see what’s wrong? This one-week workshop will introduce some fun techniques to blast through the blahs of your manuscript! Come prepared with a work in progress, as each day attendees will try their hand at employing the day’s technique. This is a five part (one week) workshop with assignments for participants. Assignments will not be graded.
Contact: workshops for more information.

Jane Porter Workshop: The Craft and Business of Writing. January 21, 2012. Holiday Inn Worthington Columbus, OH. Presented by Central Ohio Fiction Writers (RWA)

Registration and info at www.COFW.org/workshop.html

Romance Writers Ink congratulates the 2011 Where the Magic Begins Winners!

HISTORICAL

1st Place – Lady Catherine’s Secret by Sheridan Edmondson
2nd Place – The Madonna of Pisano by MaryAnn Diorio
3rd Place – Wherever You Roam by Kimberly Keys

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

1st Place – Don’t Look by Susanne Frost
2nd Place – Deception by Jennifer Beane
3rd Place – Legally Mastered by Sarah Rose Ahmad

DARK PARANORMAL

1st Place – The Hunt for Home by Lorenda Christensen **
2nd Place – Silk by Louise Cusack
3rd Place – Dark Bringer by Brenda Nelson-Davis

LIGHT PARANORMAL

1st Place – Precious Jewels by Mary Behre (Full Requested)
2nd Place – Medusa, A Love Story by Sasha Summers
3rd Place – Tears of the Sun by Jackie Kramer **

SENSUAL SERIES

1st Place – The Last Refuge by Kathy Hix ** (Full Requested)
2nd Place – The Slipper Fits by Sandra Wagner **
3rd Place – Sex, Lies and Apple Pie by Lynn Somerville **

SINGLE TITLE

1st Place – Captivating Ella by Jennie Jones
2nd Place – Balancing Act by Pamela Gibson
3rd Place – A Little Bit Crazy by Faye Hughes

SWEET SERIES

1st Place – Love in Bitterroot Valley by Jessica Keller (Full Requested)
2nd Place – Built to Last by Sherri G. Early
3rd Place – Dragonfly by Susan Shay **

**Denotes RWI Member**

*ENTER THE 2011 JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER CONTEST NOW FOR THE LOW LOW PRICE OF $15 AND YOU TOO CAN HAVE YOUR BOOKS SEEN, ORDERED AND REORDERED BY BOOKSELLERS AROUND THE WORLD!! AND WINNING MEANS YOUR COVER WILL BE FEATURED IN A FULL-PAGE AD ON THE INSIDE FRONT COVER OF ROMANCE WRITERS REPORT!

Entry Deadline: Entries must be received by January 15, 2012. Entry Fee: $15. Eligibility: Published in 2011. FMI, entry form and rules, visit our contest website at: https://jabbic.hbarwa.com/

The Gulf Coast Chapter of Romance Writers of America is pleased to announce that the 2012 Silken Sands Self-Published Star Award is open for entries! The Star contest is a reader’s choice award, judged by
readers of romantic fiction.

Eligibility: This is an all-electronic contest. Entries must be received by January 5, 2012. All works must have an original publication date between January 1 and December 31, 2011. Re-released works with an original publication date before January 1, 2011, are not eligible.

Entry fee: $20 for Gulf Coast RWA members, $25 for all others. For more information check out: http://www.gccrwa.com/starcontest/

Amy Sue Nathan’s debut novel, THE GLASS WIVES, sold to Brenda Copeland at St. Martin’s Press for publication in Spring 2013 by Jason Yarn of Paradigm.

Kimberly Swaak’s manuscript, TRUST ME, is a finalist in Chick Lit Writers of the World 7th Annual Get Your Stiletto in the Door Contest and the Spacecoast Authors of Romance, Launching a Star Contest.

Workshops/Classes:

The Washington Romance Writers is hosting Story Mastery with Michael Hague, a two-day event November 5 – 6 at the Bethesda Marriott in Bethesda, MD. Saturday’s events are $130 for RWA members, $75 for WRW members. For more details see: http://www.wrwdc.com/ee/index.php/meetings.

The Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter of RWA presents Writing Steampunk: From Aether to Zeppelin by Suzanne Lazear on-line from October 31 through November 30, 2011. Cost is $15 for FFnP members, $25 for all others. To learn more and register, see:  http://www.romance-ffp.com/nonMemberWorkshopRegistration.cfm?EventID=349

The Heart of Carolina Romance Writers presents their November Online Workshop: The Next Book by Beth Henderson. November 1-30, 2011. Cost:  $20 for HCRW and Carolina Romance Writers Members, $25 for All Others. For details see: http://www.heartofcarolina.org/online_classes/class_reg.html

The RWA Special Interest Chapter, the Beau Monde Acedemy is holding a workshop on increasing emotional depth via POV with Melissa James from November 7 through 20. Cost is $10 for members, $15 for non-members. For more details, see: http://main.thebeaumonde.com/resources/academe

The Orange County Chapter is offering a Talking Back to Your Brain: The Art of Asking Questions workshop with Susan and Harry Squires from November 14 – December 11. Cost: OCC/RWA members $20.00 Non-OCC/RWA members $30.00. For enrollment information, see: http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassNov11.html

The Passionate Ink Chapter presents Blasting Through the Blah by Donna Alward from December 12 – 19th, 2011. Fes are $15 for Members and $20 for Non-Members. For details see: www.passionateink.org.

The Hearts Through History Romance Writers is holding an Edit Your Book in a Month workshop by Eliza Knight from 11/28 to 12/23. Cost is $10 for HTH members and $20 for non-members. For more information see: http://www.heartsthroughhistory.com/edit-your-book-in-a-month/

Conferences:

The Chicago-North Romance Writers of America will be holding their 2012 Spring Fling Writer’s Conference from April 27 – 28, 2012 in Hoffman Estates, IL. Registration is now open. For more details, see: http://www.chicagospringfling.com

Contests:

The Colorado Romance Writers chapter is now accepting entries for their 2012 Award of Excellence contest for books published in 2011.  Deadline is January 13, 2012. Entry fee is $20.00. For forms and rules see: www.coloradoromancewriters.com

The Houston Bay Area RWA is accepting submissions for its Judge a Book by Its Cover Contest through January 15, 2012. Entry fee is $15. For details see: https://jabbic.hbarwa.com

The Greater Detroit RWA’s Booksellers’ Best Award is accepting entries until January 15, 2012. Fee to enter is $27, plus an additional $6.00 for the Best First Book. For details see: www.gdrwa.org/contests.html.

Contest Finalists:

Chick Lit Writers of the World announces the finalists of their 2011 Stiletto Contest. Single Title : A LIFE OF PRIVILEGE by Kristy Harvey, DANCING NAKED IN DIXIE by Laura Reese, THE EX-LOTTERY by Kimberly Sanders. Women’s Fiction: TRUST ME by Kimberly Swaak, LIVING ON AIR by Lucy Taylor, CLASS REUNION by Sandra Tilley. Mystery/Suspense: SMALL TOWN STORM by Elise K. Ackers, SHADES OF GRAY by Kimberly Sanders, HIGH TIMES AND LOW TIPS by Terri Snethen. Paranormal: HEXED: DEAD VAMPIRES DON’T DATE by Meredith Allen Conner, HARBINGER by Peta Crake , CHERUP’S PLAY by Steven Moores. Young Adult: THE PICTURE OF DULCE GARCIA by Alana Albertson, BOIS CAN’T HAVE BABIES by M-E Girard, MY FAIR ZOMBIE by Amy Jones.

The New Jersey Romance Writers announces the winners of their 2011 Golden Leaf contest. Novella: The Naked Prince by Sally MacKenzie. Best First Book: Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella. Romantic Suspense: Deadly Little Secrets by Jeanne Adams. Historical: The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig. Short Contemporary: Cindy’s Prince by Christine Bush. Long Contemporary: Moonlight & Violet by M. Kate Quinn. Paranormal: Forever Freed by Laura Kaye. Single-Title: The Proper Care and Maintenance of Friendship by Lisa Verge Higgins.

The New Jersey Romance Writers announces the winners of the 2011 Put Your Heart In A Book Contest. Short Contemporary: Judith Wherett – Running For Her Life. Single Title Contemporary: Jeanell Bolton – Passion. Historical: Diana Quincy – Tempting Bella. Paranormal: Dawn Groszek – Rose of Hope. Romantic Elements: D. B. Shuster – Breach of Contract.

The Valley of the Sun Romance Writers announces the finalists of their 2011 Hot Prospects Contest. Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal: Last Time by Sharon Forret, Return to Celio by Polly Cain, Edge Walkers by Shannon Donnelly. Historical: Tempting Bella by Dora Mekouar (w/a Diana Quincy), The Caged Heart by Carla Swafford, Paths of Desire by Shannon Donnelly. Romantic Suspense: Redemption by Diane Garner, Night Hush by Leslie Jones, The Cell by Diane Garner, Forever by Alicia Lienhart. Contemporary Single Title: Man Overboard by Carrie C Spencer, How to Say No and Mean It by Abby Gaines, Legally Mastered by Sarah Castille, Perfect Summer Katie Graykowski. Contemporary Series: His Forgotten Wife by Susanna Rogers, Hitting the High Note by Karen Rock, Snow Job Kelly Fitzpatrick

The Heart of Denver Romance Writers is proud to announce the winners of the 2011 Aspen Gold Reader’s Choice Awards for Published Authors. Romantic Suspense: No Turning Back  by Kaylea Cross. Erotic Romance: Make A Wish And Blow by Christina James. Contemporary Romance: Hot-Blooded by Karen Foley. Single Title Romance: On Folly Beach by Karen White. Paranormal Romance: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready. Historical Romance:My Reckless Surrender by Anna Campbell