Cindi Myers Market News's Blog

“Detail makes the difference between boring and terrific writing. It’s the difference between a pencil sketch and a lush oil painting. As a writer, words are your paint. Use all the colors.”  Rhys Alexander

I’m in the final week of my month long blog tour. All week long I’m posting at Long and Short Reviews on the subject of writing resolutions. Stop by the see what my resolutions are this year and register for a chance to win free books.

I also had a great time during my visit to Coffee With a Canine. Check out the “interview” with my pets, who spill all the dirt on my writing habits.

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My latest release, The Father For Her Son has earned some good reviews this week. From Long and Short Reviews: ” Ms. Myers writing style is fantastic and tugs at your heart. The material is carefully constructed, ensuring you lose yourself in the work. I loved the characters, the conflicts, and the obstacles along the way. This is the kind of book your curl up with in the bed and enjoy without interruption, savoring both the good and the bad right along with characters who seem to breathe life into the pages. Readers who enjoy a solid romance with oodles of heart don’t want to miss The Father for Her Son.”

And from Fresh Fiction: “A fast read with an emotional storyline of accepting love in all its guises.”

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The 30th annual Lorien Hemingway Short Story contest  is underway. First prize in this contest in $1000 and publication of the winning story in The Saturday Evening Post. Second and third places will win $500 each.  Writers whose writing has not been published in a magazine with a circulation of more than 5000 may enter a short story of up to 3000 words on any theme, in any genre. The deadline to enter is May 15, 2010. Entry fee is $12 – $17, with discounts for early entry.  Check out all the details here.

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As always, feel free to pass along information from this blog. I only ask that you give me credit and provide a link to the blog.

If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.  ~Toni Morrison

My blog tour continues this weeks at stops at Manic Readers on Monday, where I’ll be answering that favorite question of authors everywhere — “Where do you get your ideas” I’ll specifically be talking about where I got the idea for my January release, The Father For Her Son. Tuesday will find me at CataRomance, where I’m asking “What do readers want?” Please stop by and weigh in on these questions.

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Clarkesworld Magazine is a good market for science fiction and fantasy stories of up to 8000 words. This online publication pays 10 cents a word for the first 4000 words and 5 cents a word thereafter. Tha magazine recently re-opened to submissions after a short hiatus for the holidays. In addition to print stories, Clarkesworld also offers audio versions of some of its stories. Clarkesworld accepts all kinds of speculative fiction, from hard sci-fi to fantasy to horror. If you’d like to send a story to them, please read the detailed submission guidelines first.

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Girl’s Life publishes fiction for young girls (age 12 and under) up to 3000 words. Focus on stories told from the point of view of the girl that deal with situations girls can relate to: family stories, school and friends, crushes and cliques. Check out their submission guidelines.  Girl’s Life is also interested in stories by girls under age 18.

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If you’re in the Denver area Wednesday, January 20, I’m signing at the Tattered Cover in LoDo at 7:30 with fellow authors in the anthology Broken Links, Mended Hearts.  Stop by and say hello.

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As always feel free to pass on information from this blog. All I ask if you provide a link and give me credit. Thanks!

“It circulated for five years, through the halls of fifteen publishers, and finally ended up with Vanguard Press, which, as you can see, is rather deep into the alphabet.”  Patrick Dennis, commenting on Auntie Mame

Lots of editor shuffling to report this week.

Alicia Condon, formerly with Leisure, has left that house to take over the late Kate Duffy’s position at Kensington Books, as editorial director of Brava.

At Simon and Schuster Children’s Jim Gifford has been promoted to Executive Editor and Annette Pollert has been promoted to associate editor at the YA imprint, Simon Pulse.

Tracy Martin and Latoya Smith have been promoted to assistant editors at Grand Central Publishing.

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Realms of Fantasy has scheduled a special “Women in Fantasy” issue for August 2011 and the editors are looking for contributions now. If you are a woman who writes short fantasy fiction, this issue is for you. Stories should be no longer than 10,000 words. Payment is 6 cents a word for the first 7500 words and 4 cents a words thereafter. The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2010. Check our their writer’s guidelines.

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I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by British Radio Station Demon FM. You can listen to a podcast of the interview here. The DJ who interviewed me, Matt Horn, is such a fan of my book, Rock My World, that he started this facebook group: Rock My World — Help Turn This Book Into a Movie. So help him out and join up!

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Juno Books editor Paula Guran says: “I’m still looking primarily for completed or near-completed novels.  I’d like to see more novels that could stand alone. This doesn’t  rule out that there might not be more books for a series, but I’d like  to see some novels that you must read in one-two-three-etc. order and  that don’t need at least two sequels for the reader to “get” the
story arc.  The heroine doesn’t always need to have a destiny to fulfill or
 even have supernatural powers herself.  Fantasy is reality viewed through a prism.”   (Reported in Cynthia Ward’s Market Maven.) Find Juno Books complete guidelines here.

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As always, feel free to pass on the information in this blog, reprint it in your newsletters, etc. All I ask is that you include a link and give me credit. 

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The Father For Her Son and Baby, It’s Cold Outside! are in stores now. Get your copy before they’re all gone. Thanks.

I wanted to give everyone a heads up on some Guest Blogs I’m doing this week.  Starting Monday, January 11th, I’m at Love, Romances and More, talking about choosing the right names for our characters.

Beginning Tuesday, January 12, I’m the featured author at Coffee Time Romance, sharing my journey to becoming a writer.

I hope you’ll stop by and say hello and post a comment. I’m giving away copies of my new books, The Father For Her Son and Baby, It’s Cold Outside! on each blog.

“It’s nervous work. The state that you need to write in is the state that others are paying large sums to get rid of.” Shirley Hazzard

I’m blogging today at We Write Romance. My topic is Revisiting Old Ideas. Stop by and say hello and share your thoughts. Thanks.

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Agent Contest

Agent Nathan Bransford is hosting a contest to promote the release of The Secret Year, a YA novel by Jennifer Hubbard, one of his clients. Write your best teen diary entry for a chance at your choice of a “query critique, partial critique, or 10 minute phone conversation/consultation/dish session” with agent Nathan Bransford. Hurry — the deadline is 4 p.m Pacific time Today, Wednesday Jan. 6. Go to Nathan’s website for all the details.

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My new releases, The Father For Her Son and Baby, It’s Cold Outside! are beginning to show up in stores. I’ve been getting some nice reviews:

From CataRomance:

“Talented romance writer Cindi Myers introduces intriguing characters in her beautiful story, THE FATHER FOR HER SON. Troy and Marlee want what is best for their son, which is a loving family to nurture him. Their struggles to achieve this mutual goal, when trust is an issue, hooks the reader and has us rooting for a happily ever after ending.”

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Grants for Writers

In these tough economic time, money for the arts is drying up along with everyone else. But there are still organizations that award grants for writers. One listing of possibilities is at the Poets and Writers site.  Many of them award money for specific fellowships or research projects, for both poets and writers. Some apply to writers of certain ethnic backgrounds or who write on particular topics.  Others are for writers in particular areas of the country. A search through the list might reveal some grants which may apply to you.

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Check back here in the coming week for more updates on my blog tour. Feel free to reprint information from this blog. All I ask is that you give me credit and provide the link. Thanks.

This week begins a month-long blog tour to promote by two new releases: The Father For Her Son and Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Here is this week’s schedule:

Tuesday, January 5 Jaunty Quills. My topic is Bad Boy Heros.

Also in Tuesday, I’m blogging at Romance Junkies, about Single Mom heroines.

Thursday, January 7: Novel Thoughts My topic is “Writing Short Stuff”

I hope you’ll stop by if you get a chance and say hi and comment.

Thanks