May 08, 2006

OKRWA May 2006 Newsletter


From the Prez, Deborah Behrens:

We all know that the life of a writer is not an easy one. Well, mine has been rather hectic lately. Starting a new job, dealing with the kid’s extra curricular activities and just plain taking care of the house almost put me under this week. I’m going to have to get myself back into the writing groove. When I wasn’t working I wrote primarily in the mornings, now I work mornings, so that’s going to change. The afternoons will have to be my creative time slot. Sometimes that’s not easy with a houseful of teenagers running around. Can anyone recommend a good set of ear plugs? Thankfully, I have all of you to keep me on track. Keeping in touch with all my writing pals on the internet keeps me in line and our monthly meetings provide an infusion of creative energy. I always come home exhilarated and ready to write. Thank you all for that!

May is the month for the annual Oklahoma Centennial Book Festival. Last year we had Susan Grimshaw as our guest. That was such a treat. We didn’t bring anyone in this year, but I know it will still be a great event. Spending time with our published authors is always a delight, and meeting various authors from other genres is a perk you don’t usually get all in one place. For those of us who mix mystery and suspense with romance, it’s always nice to meet authors who streamline in those areas. I remember my first year helping out in the OKRWA booth. It was so much fun. I got to know some of our published authors better, and I also mingled with some authors that I would’ve never met before. So if you’ve got the day free, you’d be wise to drop in and spend it surrounded by people who share your passion.

Deb

May 2006 Program:

The 2006 Oklahoma Centennial Book Festival will take place on Saturday, 20 May, featuring lectures, seminars and workshops by Oklahoma's premier authors.

Join mega-bestselling writers such as Carolyn Hart, William Bernhardt, Marcia Preston, Judith Wall, Bob Burke, Dayna Dunbar, and our own Christine Rimmer, Elle James, and Merline Lovelace as they explore topics ranging from POV to finding your voice. There will also be a focus on script writing for those of you with that bent. This is a FREE event and a great way to pick up some tips from those in the know.

There will also be an accompanying Children's Festival, with storytellers, face painting, puppets, and DOGS, DOGS, DOGS. Working dogs, trick dogs, dog clothing shows, vets, dog celebrity look-a- likes, you name it!

These events are FREE and open to the public. For more details, check the website at okbookfest.com!

SHAMELESS
(opportunities Not To Be Missed)
By Myla Jackson/Elle James

Note: This article is dedicated to Hilary Sares of Kensington Books for her words about being SHAMELESS.

A small contingent of my friends attended the Dreamin’ in Dallas conference on April Fool’s Day. That’s right, and who got the last laugh? If you’re wondering whether or not to attend smaller conferences let us tell you, DO IT! They may not have the selection of workshops as RWA Nationals, but they might buy you more face time with the editors and agents attending. As it did for us at the Dreamin’ in Dallas Conference.

My sister Delilah and I decided to go in as our co-author team to her appointment with Hilary Sares of Kensington. We have a couple comedies we thought would be good for Kensington’s Brava line. We took the opportunity to ask Hilary questions about Kensington’s new line called Aphrodisia. It just happens Aphrodisia is Hilary’s baby. She’s the editor instrumental in the launch of this new sexy line. She was excited to hear we both wrote for Ellora’s Cave and invited us to send ideas her way. She was so excited about talking to us, she skipped her break and spent 25 minutes with us!

Afterward we spoke with our friend Layla who’d had an appointment with Hilary where she’d asked for a partial of her novella CONNING THE WEST. Hilary had judged it in the erotica category of the Wallflower contest and awarded it first place.

Delilah and I, during a moment of brain explosions, thought what a great idea it would be to pitch an entire anthology of western erotic stories called WILD WILD WOMEN OF THE WEST. Layla, Delilah and I put our heads together and came up with two more ideas and attended Hilary’s workshop later that afternoon to see if we could get some of her time afterward.

That afternoon, Hilary spoke to the conference attendees and told us you should be SHAMELESS in plotting and writing then selling your books to editors and agents. If you don’t believe in them, the editor and agent won’t! Get out there and sell it! Be SHAMELESS!

After Hilary spoke, we waited patiently at the front of the room for others to ask questions and SHAMELESSLY pitched our idea! And we were soooooo shameless. She said send a partial of CONNING and synopses of the other two. She'd be interested in looking at the idea. Two weeks went by and we were slowly putting together our ideas. Delilah got an email from Hilary saying SEND IT! What was this? An editor emailing us? Yikes! We scrambled and threw the rest together overnight.

We had a madame, a thief and a con artist. Then Hilary emailed she didn’t want any madames. Delilah had to rework her idea before we could submit. The next day we sent the proposal. Holy smokes! Hilary didn't like the con artist or the thief! And CONNING THE WEST was the one she originally requested! NOT to be put off, I sent her a list of occupations for our women and had her choose! She indicated her preferences and I built two new synopses she was ultimately happy with. We ended up with a riverboat gambler, magician and snake oil saleswoman.

A day went by, another and the weekend hit. We still hadn’t had word from Hilary whether or not a contract would be offered for the package she liked. Monday rolled around and by the end of the day I’d quit holding my breath and went back to work on my work-in-progress. Late that afternoon, our agent emailed to congratulate us. Hilary bought the idea! WILD WILD WOMEN OF THE WEST will be released with Aphrodisia in late 2007.

I know this was a long story, but I wanted to stress two things:
1. Be SHAMELESS!!!! We were and it worked!
2. Small conferences can pay big dividends

No go out there and be SHAMELESS!

New Releases:

Hearts On The Line by Margaret Daley

Boss, I’m finishing up all my articles before Alessandro and I get married later this month. He’s thrilled his uncle Max is out of the hospital and can attend the wedding. If only Baltasar Escalante weren’t still out there—Alessandro believes he’s plotting against the Vance and Montgomery families. My cousin Quinn has been busy restoring detective Becca Hilliard’s house, but he’s also on alert following the explosion at the hospital. I’d be thrilled if Quinn and Becca became a couple but I wonder how safe it is to fall in love when there’s a madman on the loose....

Can faith and love sustain two families against a diabolical enemy?

Animal Instincts by Gena Showalter

Unleashing your inner tigress isn't easy when you're a doormat by nature! Still, after escaping a wretched marriage to a cheating SOB, Dallas party planner Naomi Delacroix isn't about to let another man sweet-talk her into sheathing her protective claws. Not even hunky millionaire Royce Powell, who's hired her to arrange his mother's surprise party. Even if he does make her purr like a kitten with one heated glance . . .

Royce claims he's been in love with her ever since she threw a party for one of his friends six months ago. But if that's true, why is this incredibly eligible CEO currently taking applications for a wife? Despite herself, Naomi is tempted to fill one out. But can her inner tigress believe a man might change his stripes?
Devlin And The Deep Blue Sea by Merline Lovelace

Former USAF helo pilot Liz Moore has just been jilted and vows to get up close and personal with the next semi-attractive male who crosses her path on the deserted Mexican beach. Enter Joe Devlin, the perfect specimen. His slow drawl pegged him as an American...and his six-foot-plus frame of hard muscle begged Liz to keep her vow. Then bullets start flying, Devlin throws her face down in the sand, and she suddenly finds herself on the wrong side of the Mexican mafia.


Member News:

Gena Showalter will have an excerpt of Animal Instincts in the June addition of Cosmopolitan Magazine. Her book, The Pleasure Slave , is a finalist in the NRCA! OKRWA's National Readers' Choice Awards 2004 Finalists

Elle James is pleased to announce the sale of two more stories to Harlequin Intrigue to be released in 2007. BLOWN AWAY and TRAIL OF TERROR.

Myla Jackson is tickled pink to announce the sale of a story in the anthology WILD WILD WOMEN OF THE WEST to Hilary Sares of Kensington's Aphrodisia to be released in late 2007.

Rinda Elliott 's urban fantasy novel, Dweller on the Threshold, took 2nd place in OWFI's annual contest.

Maggie Price's book, Most Wanted Woman: Line of Duty , is a NRCA finalist in the Long Contemporary Category.

Cyn Marolt 's manuscript, Lifeless in Seattle, is a finalist in the 2006 Best BiteContest hosted by The Grand Rapids Region Romance Writers of America. Her manuscript, No One Heard Her Scream, took 1st place in the Heart of theWest in the Mystery/Suspense Category in Feb 2006. No One Heard Her Scream is also a finalist in The 2006 Daphne Du Maurier Award hosted bythe Kiss of Death Mystery/Suspense Chapter in the Mainstream Category.

Light In The Storm by Margaret Daley finaled in the inspirational category in the Golden Quill Contest.

Editor's Note:

If you'd like to submit an article, new releases, contest placements or any other writing related news, make sure to email all the pertinent info to your friendly editor, Rinda Elliott at RElliott4@aol.com.
Posted by Rinda Elliott :: 10:21 PM :: ---------------oOo---------------