Kerry4567 won the free ebook from the contest last week. She gets her choice of one of my historical novels published by Musa.
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Entangled Publishing is launching a new category romance imprint and is actively looking for authors. The line, Lori Wilde Presents: Indulgence will be under the editorial direction of New York Times bestselling novelist Lori Wilde. These stories should be 50,000 to 60,000 words and feature “rapid-fire dialogue, fast moving plot lines, sizzling sex, and realistic characters.” While these stories may feature many of the beloved conventions of category romance (brides, babies, cowboys) they’ll present these elements in fresh, hip ways. “They’re quick paced, exciting contemporary stories, whether funny, sexy, mysterious, edgy, or emotional, that showcase what it’s really like to fall in love in the twenty-first century.” says Wilde. Entangled plans to release Indulgence titles as digital editions, paying a 40% royalty. Check out the detailed submission guidelines here.
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Berkley/NAL will launch a new digital imprint in 2012. Dubbed Intermix, the line will release a mix of reprints from popular authors such as Nora Roberts and Jayne Anne Krentz, to new releases. Intermix will publish women’s fiction, romance, mystery/thriller and science fiction/fantasy titles. For now it looks like the same editors who handle Berkley and NAL’s print lists will be acquiring for Intermix as well.
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West With the Wind got a great review over at Historical Romance Reviews. “Filled with danger, suspense and romance this book is one fast paced read you will not want to put down! ” Read the whole review here.
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For a limited time, you can buy Nobility Ranch, the first book in my Titled Texans series set in 1880s Texas, for 99 cents, from Musa or on Amazon for Kindle. It’s a great way to try one of my books for a bargain price.
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As always, feel free to pass along information from this blog to others. All I ask is that you give me credit and include a link to the blog. Thanks!
A year ago this month I decided to republish the western historical romances I originally wrote for Berkley and Kensington. I released these books more than 10 years ago, writing under the name Cynthia Sterling. The books came out under the Aurora Regency Historical Imprint, originally with Aspen Mountain Press, but now part of Musa Publishing.
I also wrote two new books, also western historicals. This is an era I love writing about, and writing these books has been a joy. I hope to write more of them in the future.
My historical romances are:
Patchwork Hearts: In Texas right after the Civil War, an independent young woman must choose between love and the life she had planned. Quilts help bring the lovers together in this quilting romance, my first published book.
A Willing Spirit: A young widow’s dearly departed refuses to depart, even when a new man arrives in her life.
Great Caesar’s Ghost: A matchmaking ghosts unites a traveling showman and a doctor’s daughter at a hot springs resort in turn-of-the-century Texas.
San Antonio Rogue: A rogue officer and an English lady unite in a Marriage of Convenience in the midst of the U.S. war with Mexico. But the wild young officer finds more adventure than he bargained for when he falls in love with his new wife.
Nobility Ranch: Book One of the Titled Texans Series; A Lord and Lady relocate to Texas to find their freedom…and each other.
This just in! For a limited time only, you can buy Nobility Ranch for only 99 cents!
Educating Abbie: Book Two of the Titled Texans series; An English nobleman and a lady rancher strike a bargain with unexpected results.
The Runaway: Book Three of the Titled Texans series; Two strangers joined in a shotgun marriage find salvation in each other.
A Long, Sweet Ride: Two lovers run from the past in a Wild West Show and discover love may require the greatest command performance of their lives. This was my first new historical in ten years.
West With the Wind: More than gold awaits two lovers at the end of the trail. Mariah Tate and her dog, Worthy, persuade veteran guide Campbell Jefferson to let them join his expedition headed to California. Camp can’t say no to the beautiful widow, but his need to protect her soon clashes with her need to keep secrets. My newest book, this went on sale October 1.
You can read more about all these books, see the covers and read excerpts at Romance of the West.
As part of the Aurora Anniversary Celebration, I’m participating in their Blog Hop. Post a comment here and at the other blogs on the Hop to win free books and other prizes. If you post a comment here, I’ll be giving away a copy of one of my historicals — your choice.
TOUR RULES:
1) TOUR STARTS: Saturday October 15th
THIS TOUR ENDS: October 22nd, at Midnight (PST)
***Individual Winners from Authors contests will be drawn and posted October 23rd on their individual sites***
1) Prizes at individual Blogs are completely at the discretion of the individual authors and are not in association with Musa Publishing and its prize system. To enter the Contest on any given blog you must follow their contest rules and objectives.
2) By commenting on any blog on the tour the participant is agreeing to these rules and policies.
3) All prize winners will be chosen randomly using Random Line Picker.
The story I am writing exists, written in absolutely perfect fashion, some place, in the air. All I must do is find it, and copy it. ~Jules Renard, “Diary,” February 1895
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Are you looking for an agent? Would you like agents to fight over the chance to represent you and your work? Okay, maybe not fight, but how about agents bidding to be the one to represent you? Your dream could come true in the second annual Baker’s Dozen Agent Auction, sponsored by the blog Miss Snark’s First Victim. Here’s how it works. You pay $8 and submit your log line and the first 250 words of a completed manuscript. Editors and agents critique the work and agents can bid on how many pages they’d like to read. Submissions for adult fiction open October 18. Be sure you follow all the rules.
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Amazon is adding a science fiction/fantasy/horror imprint to its publishing program. Called 47 North, the imprint is launching with 15 titles — a mix of new and reprint material from previously publishe and new authors. All titles will be published in Kindle, print and audio formats.
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If you like western historical romance, check out my new website, Romance of the West. There you can read articles about western history and check out all my historical romance releases. All of the books are now available in Kindle format, as well as Adobe, ePub and other ebook formats. And they have new, lower prices. Check out the excerpts of each book as well.
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This week I’m reporting on the final spotlight from the Romance Writers of America conference in New York City, the Spotlight on Harlequin Series.
Diane Moggy started the session by welcoming everyone to the Spotlight that covered Harlequin, Love Inspired and Kimani Books. She emphasized the importance of an element of unpredictability in your work for Harlequin. You must deliver a romantic story that takes your reader on an unpredictable, cliche-free, compelling emotional journey.
Kathleen Scheibling, Senior Editor, talked about why authors should write for Harlequin:
1. Harlequin is the global leader in romance publishing. “When you sell a book to Harlequin, you sell a book to the world.” Harlequin publishes in 111 countries in 31 languages.
2. Harlequin does extensive author training on using social media such as Facebook and Twitter, blogging, building web sites, developing author brands, etc.
3. Harlequin editors have a personal commitment to your books and to you. Editors work closely with authors to develop craft and writing skills.
Harlequin is always looking for new authors for all their series lines. Last year they signed 44 new authors.
Harlequin publishes all their books simultaneously in paper and digital formats.
Melissa Endlich, Sr. editor of Love Inspired talked about what Harlequin wants to see in submissions. Series romance has 17 lines. But all have 6 things in common:
- Emotion — Stories and characters should evoke strong emotion from readers, whether laughter or tears.
- Relevance – Stories are for today’s women and address the concerns of modern women.
- Variety – each series offers a variety of stories within that series. It’s not all cowboys and babies. Read the lines to see what they’re publishing.
- Happy Ending – each and every book promises a happily-ever-after.
- Unique Voice – every author has a unique voice. Be aware which series is best for your voice. Know your voice and where it fits best.
- Unpredictability – This was a word they repeated over and over during the presentation. Despite what some people think, the books are not all the same or written to a formula.
Several editors talked about recently published books in different lines that contain the unpredictable elements they love. The editors gave examples for various lines.
For Desire — am amnesiac hero who appears vulnerable but is the classic Alpha male. For Superromance – a co-workers to lovers story where the characters make unexpected choices and take the reader on a very emotional journey.
For Love Inspired Historical – a story that takes place in Colonial America where the heroine turns out to be a spy. The story also deals with slavery, which is an unexpected plot element.
For Romantic Suspense the editor had two examples. The first was a story where the hero starts the book as a homeless man and another where the hero is a man the heroine thought was dead, but she doesn’t know who he is right away. The story also deals with child abuse, an unexpected element.
For Harlequin Presents – a continuity series that deals with a dark family scandal with a deeply conflicted hero.
For Kimani Press – a man who was formerly portrayed in another book as a womanizing cheater was made the hero of a follow-up book. Also, the book features unpredictable timing when it comes to revealing information, such as revealing a big secret in the beginning of the book instead of later in the story.
For Nocturne – the line by its nature is very broad and unpredictable with everything from vampire sheiks to gargoyles. But even then authors find ways to add twists, such as a story with a werewolf who can make herself invisible. This heroine is also on the run with two children, which is different for Nocturne.
For Special Edition — A secret baby book where the heroine doesn’t know she’s had a child. She’s been in a coma and the hero is taking care of the baby and she doesn’t know right away that it’s her baby.
You can find all the guidelines for the various series lines at Harlequin.com
Beginning November 7 Harlequin will be hosting a week-long “So You Think You Can Write” online conference in North America. Participation is free. I will keep you posted about this.
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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog. All I ask is that you give me credit as the source and include a link to this blog. Thank you. Cindi Myers
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