****2013 LINDA HOWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FINALISTS****

****Permission to Forward Granted & Appreciated****

Announcing the 2013 LINDA HOWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FINALISTS

PARANORMAL/URBAN FANTASY

*Key to the Lair by Heather Leonard

Sanctuary by Jennifer Hover

Watchtower by Jennifer Hover

Dangerous Dreams by Abbie Roads

Hidden Magic by Shelly Chalmers

Final Round Judge: Latoya Smith, Editor, Grand Central Publishing

HISTORICAL

Wicked Things by Laura Huskins

*The Seduction In His Smile by Louisa Cornell

The Devil to Pay by Kate Larkins

*The Curious Proposal of Lord Fitzalan by Julie Hinz

Since Their Affair by Marnee Bailey

Final Round Judge: Chelsey Emmelhainz, Editor, Harper Collins/Avon Impulse

SINGLE TITLE

Mesmerized by Madagascar by Amani D'Shan

Someone Like You by Sandra Tilley

Wicked Dante Quinn by Lisa McKinney

*The Agreement by Angela N. Blount

The Inner Fire by Jackie Delecki

Final Round Judge: Lisa Dunick, Editor, Samhain

CONTEMPORARY SERIES ROMANCE

Chasing Damn by Denny Brice

*Against All Odds by Marie Campbell

Unbuttoned by Ella Audrey

Homecoming by Jo Anne Banker

Return to Love by Kerri Carpenter

Final Round Judge: Alethea Spiridon Hopson, Editorial Director, Entangled Publishing

THE WRITE MAGIC FOR SOUTHERN MAGIC FINALISTS

Key to the Lair by Heather Leonard

The Seduction In His Smile by Louisa Cornell

The Curious Proposal of Lord Daniel Fitzalan by Julie Hinz

The Agreement by Angela N. Blount

Against All Odds by Marie Campbell

Final Round Judge: Beth Miller, Agent, Writers House

*denotes Southern Magic Members

Great Expectations

On Monday I wrote about my tools to battle back the world pressing in and battling the demons of doubt and despair. Part of the reason I'm so tough on myself right now is I have set the bar very high this year. And another large part of the reason I am driving myself so hard is I've redirected the focus of my writing energy.

This is the first year I have taken a sabbatical from entering contests. I love contests. They give me deadlines. They validate me as a writer. They provide useful feedback. Last year I was a Triple Finalist and winner of the Linda Howard Award of Excellence. I've experience lots of high moments with other contests as well. I love contests so much I decided to help my Southern Magic Romance Writers out by coordinating the Linda Howard Award of Excellence this year.

So why have I sworn off contests? Easy answer: they focus my energy only on the first three chapters of the book and, in some cases, the synopsis. And I have a different goal this year. I want to polish and hone three full manuscripts to the best of my abilities at this point.

I want to take what I've learned during the last two years and implement that knowledge. I want to revise my full manuscripts with my new writing eyes. Eyes that see things differently. Eyes that understand what is expected of the manuscript's promise. And eyes that are HONEST about the quality of the writing.

I also want to take two monthlong online courses that will require me to expend my energy in learning more about the business side of the publication industry and more about the craft of writing a complex novel.

My critique partner says I'm harder on myself than anyone else. She's right. I wouldn't be where I am as a writer and as a person if I didn't push myself to succeed. But I also strive to have a balanced life. A life that includes hanging out with people who aren't writers, spending time with the Physicist on the Veranda, and building my relationship with the College Kid as she transitions from home to the world.

So if I want that balance and I want to achieve all of my goals, I must say no to something that isn't necessary to my life as a writer. And as much as I crave the validation of a contest final, I know in my heart that my time is better spent shaping my novels into amazing stories and generating new stories and building strong bonds with my family.

Have your personal and professional goals changed? Why?

Writing Life & Tidbits & Sneak Peek Interview: Latoya Smith, Editor, Grand Central Publishing

I've been working on a new story that's challenging me as a writer. I want to write it fast, but the characters and the emotional journeys they are on toward deserving each other are taking a long time to unravel. In addition to the characters's journeys being very crucial to the development of my WIP,  I've had to deal with making the core emotional development occur in a very short amount of time.

Time is compressed. That means I have to figure out how to compress time in more pages without being BORING. I want to engage the readers's senses and emotions and raise the stakes at the deeper level during the compressed time. It's not easy. But I'm having fun figuring it out. And that just brings a smile to my face even now.

Another thing that brings a smile to my face is the interview I had with Latoya Smith, editor at Grand Central Publishing. She's the final judge for the Linda Howard Award of Excellence's  Paranormal/Urban Fantasy. I'm very excited about what she had to say about her life as an editor. As part of her interview, I asked her the following question:

If you were to give an aspiring author one piece of advice, what would it be? 

Promote, promote, promote and remember to stay humble.

  

Remember to stay humble. No matter who you are or where you are in your writing journey, that is a most excellent thing to carry forth into your publishing career. To find out more about what Latoya Smith thinks about the "slush pile" and read the rest of her interview, go to www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com tomorrow, February 21st. Polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Happy Writing!

Writing Life & Tidbits & Sneak Interview Preview : Beth Miller, Agent, Writers House

I've been teasing you about my current WIP. And it's been fun. I think part of the reason I'm being coy is that my characters are behaving exactly the same way. This hero and heroine are driving me batty. He's a stoic, only child who buries his emotions. She's the youngest of five and was neglected so she's learned to be a spark of light.

They're perfect for each other, right? But they aren't making it easy for me. I'm working hard to figure out what's driving them together and pushing them apart. At heart they are more alike, than they are different. It is in the differences that the conflict occurs. The EMOTIONAL conflict. And that's why this story is a little different for me. Instead of external devices and turning points being used to drive the story forward, internal revelations and emotional responses are driving the story. THE CHARACTERS are in charge.

And whenever I try to put them somewhere to make the story move a bit more, they fight me. But then she's a rebel and he's an alpha male who wants to control everything. Trust me, there's a lot of hair washing going on at my house just to shake loose what they want to say.

Agent Beth Miller at Writers House took the time to speak with me about her writing background and how she ended up becoming an editor with a very unique skill set. You'll have to tune in tomorrow, February 19th at www.romancemagians.blogspot.com to learn them. But I do want to share who we both go fan-girl over in the Romance Writing world. Here's what she said when I asked her this question:

Have you ever become star-struck when meeting an author? If so, who?

Nora Roberts.  I may have drooled.  J

I still can't stop dropping my chin to the ground and gaping at Nora Roberts whenever I see her at the RWA National Conference. She's just amazing to me. And so is Linda Howard. She supports our writing chapters at the local and national level. How awesome is that? So polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Writing Life, Tidbits, & Sneak Interview Peek: Chelsey Emmelhainz, Avon Impulse

Ah, this week is good. Love is in the air. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and I'm a romance writer. What could be better than writing about my favorite subject? Love. The possibility of attaining a Happily-Ever-After with someone who is made for you. I've been working on a first draft of a new story, but revising is where the meat of the story falls into place. This is why I love to bang out my first drafts fast.

However, my current WIP's first draft process has been slightly slower for me. I think this is because I am on a learning curve regarding the line I am targeting. This is a different animal for me. I used to write fast, furious, high paced all the time. Whew, you'd be exhausted reading my first drafts. Stay tuned for how I'm changing my approach with this new WIP.

Right now I've got a King, a commoner, a secret baby scandal, and a forced marriage of convenience story between two reunited lovers who have to learn how to forgive each other and themselves. A story of second chances. I believe in them. Do you?

Another thing I believe in is opportunity. AVON Impulse offers authors a place to send their work whether it is single title, historical, romantic suspense, or contemporary series romance with a high concept. This year the Linda Howard Award of Excellences final judge for the Historical Category is Editor Chelsey Emmelhainz with Avon Impulse. She's Southern Magic's Carla Swafford's editor and very fun to interview. As part of our time together, I asked her this question:

While reading a manuscript, how long does it usually take before you know whether or not you want to request the full? Why?

For me, I can usually tell within the first ten pages. While we may not want to judge a book by its cover, I can generally tell fairly quickly whether or not the writing is clicking. My advice to authors? Grab ‘em early and really showcase your writing!

To find out what grabs Chelsey's editorial eye visit the Romance Magicians Blog at www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com on Thursday, February 14th. And polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Writing Life & Tidbits & Sneak Interview Peek: Alethea Spiridon-Hopson, Entangled Editor

Wow, I've been a busy bee these past few weeks. The Physicist has been gearing up for a very long trip overseas to parts unknown, and the College Kid has had some health issues I've had to wrangle long distance so my free time to blog has been minimized.

I love blogging and connecting with my cyber world. It's another water cooler for me, but if I have less time in my day it means setting the blog aside. Why? Oh, that writing thing I do? The stories I need to generate? They always come first. I've put myself on a series romance schedule of 3 books a year. I'd like to add to that schedule, but quality is important as well. I'm dedicated to mastering my craft and becoming even more adept at revising. More about that on Wednesday as I tease you about my current WIP.

In addition to real world interferences and my writing taking on a life of its own, I've been coordinating the 2013 Linda Howard of Excellence Contest. The deadline is approaching fast! February 22nd is just around the corner. I'm excited about the final judges and who will win this prestigious award. I won it last year and my interview about the Linda Howard Contest is running concurrently with today's blog. I've never been interviewed about my writing experiences before. It was fun. So check out www.magiccitywriting.blogspot.com for that interview.

Though I've only given one interview, I have interviewed so many of my wonderful friends who have had debut novels and achieved their dream of publication. I love their stories because they give me hope that the dream is attainable. And now, in another new thing for me to do, I have interviewed four delightful people on the other side of the publishing fence: 3 editors and 1 agent. All this for the Linda Howard Award of Excellence.

I learned a lot from these wonderful women. The main thing was that they care about writing and the stories and the craft as much as I do. And they're also very generous with their time and energy even though they have real lives and work demands, too.

My first interview will be up tomorrow on www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com with Entangled Editor Alethea Spiridon-Hopson who is judging our Contemporary Series finalists this year. Here's a sneak peak at what she has to say when I asked Alethea this question:

What do you consider the most important qualities of an author?

Flexibility, professionalism, cooperation, patience, and kindness in how they deal with you. Sounds simple and what should be, but you have no idea... it's often not the case.

Wow. Kindness. The Golden Rule. Let's hope we all apply it regardless of where we are in our publishing and writing journeys.

To find out what Alethea's looking for and more, visit the Romance Magicians Blog at www.romancemagicians.blogspot.com on Tuesday, February 12th. Polish your entries now. The 2013 Linda Howard Award of Excellence is still open for your diamond waiting to be discovered. Check out www.southernmagic.org for details.

Happy Writing!

LINDA HOWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: DEADLINES, EDITORS, INTERVIEWS OH MY

The 2013 LINDA HOWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

OPEN for Contest Entries.

No Synopsis? No Problem! 

Enter first 25 manuscript pages in the Linda Howard Award of Excellence Contest

No Synopsis required in first round of judging. Finalists given a week to revise entries and add synopsis before sending to final judges.

First Round Judges are PRO, published, unpublished & trained.

SIGN UP TO JUDGE IN ANOTHER CATEGORY AND SAVE $5!!!!

FIND OUT WHAT THE FINAL JUDGES ARE LOOKING FOR IN ROMANCE MAGICIANS BLOG STARTING THIS WEEK:

Tuesday, February 12: Alethea Spiridon Hopson, Editor, ENTANGLED for Contemporary Series.

Thursday, February 14: Chelsey Emmelhainz, Editor, HarperCollins/AVON IMPULSE for Historical Romance.

Tuesday, February 19: Beth Miller, Agent, Writers House for THE WRITE MAGIC/Southern Magic Category

Thursday, February 21: Latoya Smith, Editor, Grand Central Publishing for Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Category.

Teasers on this blog from the interviews on February 11/13/18/20 along with a special link to an interview with Christine Glover, 2012 Linda Howard Award of Excellence Triple Finalist and Winner in Contemporary Series category. 

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY: February 22, 2013 

Finalists Announced: Friday, May 3, 2013

Deadline for entry and synopsis to be returned to coordinators: Friday, May 10, 2013

FINALISTS Announced at a restaurant TBD on July 16, 2013 a day before the RWA National Conference. Pitch with confidence all who make it to the finalist's circles.

Categories:

HISTORICAL

Final Judge: Chelsey Emmelhainz, Editor, Harper Collins/AVON IMPULSE

PARANORMAL/URBAN FANTASY

Final Judge: Latoya Smith, Editor, Grand Central Publishing

CONTEMPORARY SERIES ROMANCE

Final Judge: Alethea Spiridon Hopson, Editor, ENTANGLED Publishing

SINGLE TITLE

Final Judge: Eleni Caminis, Editor, MONTLAKE Publishing

And for Southern Magic Members who Final and/or receive an average score of 90 out of 100 in their respective categories:

THE WRITE MAGIC

Final Judge: Beth Miller, Agent, WRITERS HOUSE

DON'T DELAY. THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSION OF DEADLINES. ENTER TODAY!!!!

For score sheet, registration information, and more information visit the Southern Magic Website at http://www.southernmagic.org/

LINDA HOWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE: Spread the Word!!

****LINDA HOWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE CONTEST****

Permission to Forward Granted & Appreciated

The 2013 LINDA HOWARD AWARD OF EXCELLENCE is OPEN for Contest Entries.

No Synopsis? No Problem! 

Enter first 25 manuscript pages in the Linda Howard Award of Excellence Contest

No Synopsis required in first round of judging. Finalists given a week to revise entries and add synopsis before sending to final judges.

First Round Judges are PRO, published, unpublished & trained.

DEADLINE FOR ENTRY: February 22, 2013 

Finalists Announced: Friday, May 3, 2013

Deadline for entry and synopsis to be returned to coordinators: Friday, May 10, 2013

FINALISTS Announced at a restaurant TBD on July 16, 2013 a day before the RWA National Conference. Pitch with confidence all who make it to the finalist's circles.

Categories:

HISTORICAL

Final Judge: Chelsey Emmelhainze, Editor, Harper Collins

PARANORMAL/URBAN FANTASY

Final Judge: Latoya Smith, Editor, Grand Central Publishing

CONTEMPORARY SERIES ROMANCE

Final Judge: Alethea Spiridon Hopson, Editor, Entangled Publishing

SINGLE TITLE

Final Judge: Eleni Caminis, Editor, Montlake Publishing

And for Southern Magic Members who Final and/or receive an average score of 90 out of 100 in their respective categories:

THE WRITE MAGIC

Final Judge: Beth Miller, Agent, Writers House

For score sheet, registration information, and more information visit the Southern Magic Website at http://www.southernmagic.org/

Christine Glover

Linda Howard Award of Excellence Coordinator

2012 Linda Howard Award of Excellence Winner and Triple Finalist 

www.CHRISTINEGLOVERSITE.com