Brava's Writing with the stars contest!

Around this time last year, I heard about Brava's Writing with the stars contest, and I'm pleased to share that it's back!

Here's the skinny...

This year, we’re looking for original romance novellas of 15,000 – 20,000 words rather than full-length books. Submissions in any sub- genre will be accepted, providing they’ve never been published in print or ebook form and have a sensuality level suitable for our Brava imprint. (You know just how hot that is, because you’re our most loyal readers.) So that means historical romance, contemporary, paranormal or romantic suspense. We need your submission by midnight of August 15, 2011 – plenty of time for you to write the winning novella or polish up one you’ve already begun.



Once again, Brava authors and editors will narrow down the entries to our top eight contestants, and each of the writers selected will be given a Brava mentor to help her navigate the four challenges ahead. Romantic Times readers will be voting each month to narrow the field, and the winner will be announced at the awards ceremony of the RT convention in April, 2012. Here’s your chance to work with professional writers, publicize your story and win a contract with a New York publisher.

Sounds exciting, doesn't it? I'm not sure if its open to all, last years contest was open to only unpublished or those published by e-book, so check back to see. (I sure will be!) The link is here and there will be updates, apparently.
Fingers on keyboards.....

Update just in - contest for unpublished authors only : this is what the organiser said:

After a lot of hard thought, we’ve decided to limit entries to authors who have not published in either ebook or print form. We’d be happy to consider your project as a regular Brava submission though.

Check out the minxes on Friday, where I'll be doing a post rounding up some competitions!

Back to life, back to reality...

I had a great time last week at the RNA summer party - and the Joan Hessayon Awards. I didn't win, the trophy went to lovely Charlotte Betts, and I look forward to reading her book when it comes out later this year. But I had a fab time nonetheless, meeting for the first time Minx Lorraine, who took great photos of the event which you can see here, and Heidi Rice, writer fabuloso!, and a whole host of others who were all lovely and encouraging to both me, and my sister Fiona who came along for moral support.

I flew back on Thursday, and have been driving family here and there, supermarket shopping and catching up with the pile of washing ever since - ah, the glamour of it!

I also have edits in for the final third of Marrying Cade, which look completely do-able, although I need to rewrite one chapter....

So it's back to reality, and to work asap! Thanks for all the support and lovely comments through last week's excitement, everyone!

Houseswapping with The Queen

Well, I'm getting packed and ready to fly over to England for the RNA summer party tomorrow. And the timing is quite good actually, because Her Majesty needed someone to mind her house for the two days that she's visiting Ireland, and so we're doing a house-swap.
It's not quite what she's used to...but her house is near to the party venue, and I'm very near to where she wants to be while in Dublin, so it seemed only sense.
I'm very excited, and dying to meet lots of blog friends finally, most especially lovely minx Lorraine.

I'll blog about it all when I get back.

In the meantime, there's an interview with me here, at To read, perchance to dream. Something I'll be doing a lot of tomorrow!

I have a cover!

I just received my new cover, for Marrying Cade. What do you think?

Who knows anything about audio books?

I don't listen to audio books. I guess I never really thought much about them, but today I've been listening to excerpts of romances read by a variety of people as teasers, and I noticed how different they can be.
I've also discovered that audio books can be unabridged or abridged. If they're unabridged, they are just as written, and if abridged sometimes 60% or as low as 30% of the story can be left after elements are tightened up, and in some cases, entire plot threads stripped away.
I'd love to know more from authors who've had experience in going through this process - I'm sure there are plus and minuses on both sides, and I find the whole thing rather interesting!  If anyone's got anything to share, do comment!
On another note, I've had another lovely review just in for Bound to Love, this one from To Read, Perchance to Dream. You can read the entire here, or as usual, click on my reviews tab to read it.

Less than a week to go - and a lovely review from Novelicious

Well I haven't go as far as packing my bag yet, but I have my party dress ready and my blue and gold kitten heels out.... Next Wednesday is Catch Me A Catch's spotlight at the RNA Summer Party, and I'm getting excited!

To cap it all, I have a lovely review over at Novelicious today. Thanks, Debs!

The review says, among other things:

This book starts with Jack battling through a storm in his boat and continues to keep the attention right though to the satisfying ending.

Do pop over and check it out!

Pink Fizzy time...

I've just sold another book to Wild Rose, this time a story set on a Tuscan island, Isola dei Fiori.
Marrying Cade has been mentioned here before, (with pics of hero and heroine inspiration), and I'm delighted that it's found a home. It looks as though I'm in for a busy time - I'm just about to start edits on the book I sold a different editor in WR a month ago, and now here's a new one that I'll be working on with my first editor, Cindy Davis.
Woo-hoo!

A new blog award!

I received a new blog award, from a brand, squeaky new blog friend a couple of posts back.
The award was the Versatile Blogger award, here are the rules:

The rules for this award are:


Thank and link to the person who nominated me.
Share seven random facts about myself.
Pass the award along to 10 new-found blogging buddies.
Contact those buddies to congratulate them.

Okay, so here goes! First up, thank you Diane! Here's a link to Diane's blog.

7 random facts about myself? Gosh it'll be difficult to think of ones I haven't revealed already...
1. I used to have 2 pairs of glasses, one to wear, and one to go around neck for reading. But I kept getting the neck ones squashed when getting hugged, so upgraded to varifocals. They're fab!
2. I absolutely hate the word 'moist'. (Please don't abuse this knowledge!)
3. I'm 5'2" and many of my heroines are similarly 'vertically challenged.'
4. I love pink champagne.
5. I'm suffering from a strange crush on McSteamy at the moment. Yes, I know it's wrong.
6. I find sleeping very useful for moving the plot of my story along, and always want to write when I wake up.
7. Last year I did a chilling voice-over in a radio play. Mwaaahaaa!

Next, 10 new found, blogging buddies.... hmm .... I've decided to link to resources rather than bloggers, so I haven't contact them. And I couldn't find ten, so I'm doing 5. Sorry!
1. WriteExpress - for help with rhyming, its addictive!
2. Cliche Finder - because you need to find them, to get rid of them!
3. ConfusingWords - because confusing trips me up sometimes.
4. National Punctuation Day - Why not?
5. BrainyQuote - Because it tells you stuff like: A loving heart is the beginning of all knowledge.(Thomas Carlyle).

So, because I haven't passed the Versatile Blogger on, if you're new to my blog, and follow, consider yourself 'gifted' and do pass it on! Or, heck, if you're a regular follower, and you want to be versatile, help yourself!

Out and about...

I'm off visiting a lovely site today, Bookingly Yours.  

Thanks for having me, Jenai!

Here's a picture of my bright pink peony, which has just come out.

In other important news, May is Birthday Month for the Minxes Blog! Yes, we've been bloggin for a whole year, doesn't time fly? To celebrate, we're offering a month full of prizes and fun over on the Minxes of Romance Blog. This week's Monday Prize is a minxy meerkat (its unbearably cute, pop in to see the pic!)

On Wednesdays we'll be offering book giveaways too, so do pop in, and hopefully bag yourself something nice!