Am I ready to jump into the past? My first historical by Jennifer Conner

Am I ready to jump into the past? My first historical by Jennifer Conner

Sandra Sookoo shows us how to create romance in a paranormal world

Most of us like to mix-it-up when it comes to writing. I caught up with author Sandra Sookoo and asked her to tell us a little about the trouble she put  her characters in for her new book, Vegetarian at Midnight:
"Let’s talk romance but not just any kind of romance. I like to drop a poor, unsuspecting couple into a paranormal setting, give ‘em a few problems and watch the sparks (and the fangs and fur as the case may be) fly.
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Look at Pitching as a Job Interview Part II

Pitching is part of the writers life. But, how do we learn the best way to go about it? Personally, I have heard hundreds of different tips!
Jennifer Bray-Weber thinks one way is to look at it like a job interview:
"Scott Eagan of the Greyhaus Literary Agency came to my “home” Romance Writers of America chapter, Northwest Houston RWA, gave us an eye-opening quirky presentation on submitting and pitching.
This week, I’ll share with you the scoop on pitching pointers à la Scott.
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Jennifer Bray-Weber speaks on pitching: Tell them what they want to hear

Most writers have pitched. It's part of the process to find that perfect person to buy our masterpiece! With the National RWA conference this week, some will hone their skills. But what is the best way to go about it?
Jennifer Bray-Weber says, Tell them they want to hear!
This is what you’ve been waiting for. The nugget of information that will make pitching to an editor or agent a piece of cake. The magical words of wisdom that will surely chase away the butterflies and all but guarantee you a four book deal.
Okay, maybe not that last part. You’re stomach will still flip-flop and you’ll probably not get signed before your ten minutes is up. But you’ll be armed with knowledge to get you that much closer to fulfilling your publishing dreams.
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Turning up the summer heat!

It's summertime! That is everywhere but in Seattle. I've heard rumors that the rest of the world is having the hottest summer on record. Here it feels like Fall. But, for erotic writers the heat is always turned up.
I caught up with Delilah Dawson and asked:
What do you like best about summer?

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Love and Death: Would you like a little romance with your action?

Many times we are told to not cross genres, but is this rule written in stone? Can our writing be stronger if we add a little of this and a little of that? I heard local author, Jayne Ann Krentz aka. Jayne Castle, aka Amanda Quick speak. She wanted write across genres and now publishes under all three names. A little of this and a little of that.
Author, Deborah J. Ross tells us to put a little romance in our action:
"Crossing genres is hot business these days: science fiction mysteries, paranormal romance, romantic thrillers, Jane Austen with horror, steampunk love stories, you name it. A certain amount of this mixing-and-matching is marketing. Publishers are always looking for something that is both new and "just like the last bestseller." An easy way to do this is to take standard elements from successful genres and combine them.
As a reader, I've always enjoyed a little tenderness and a tantalizing hint of erotic attraction in even the most technologically-based space fiction. For me, fantasy cries out for a love story, a meeting of hearts as well as passion. As a writer, however, it behooves me to understand why romance enhances the overall story so that I can use it to its best advantage.
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Finishing up and some thoughts on publishing by Timothy Hallinan Part 5

Now, we've finally finished our masterpiece novel. What's the next step?
Timothy Hallinan shares his final thoughts in Part 5 on Finish your Novel:

Part 5: Finishing up and some thoughts on publishing
1. Finishing Up
As many people have said, writing a book is like having a child. You give birth to it, nurture it through its infancy, nurse it when it's sick. You pour yourself into it without robbing it of its individuality. You let it delight you. You let it break your heart. You give it every single thing you have, and then you go find something more to give it.
Then comes the hard part. You have to release it, let it go wander the world among strangers. Strangers who might not understand it. Who might not like it. Who might even think it's ugly.
In a word: Eeeeeeeeeeeeek.
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