2/2007 Chapter News
Author News
Here’s some more terrific sales news. Linda Jacobs is pleased to announce a new two book sale to Medallion Press, the same wonderful folks who’ve already published three of her books. Lake of Fire by Linda Jacobs will be the third in her Yellowstone Series after the WILLA Award winning Summer of Fire and Rain of Fire. Lake of Fire will be released in August 2007 and is a historical set in 1900 at the Yellowstone Lake Hotel. The Senator’s Daughter, writing as Christine Carroll will be a winter book next year. It’s the second in the San Francisco Bay Area Series of contemporary single title romances, this new one will be set in the Napa Valley. That’s terrific, Linda! Keep ‘em coming!
Jane Meyers Perrine will be teaching an online class, “What Earl and Mary Teach Us about Humor” for the Outreach International Chapter of RWA in August 2007. Colleen Thompson will also be teaching an online class for the Outreach chapter. “Emotionally Engage from the Very First Page.” The workshops are open to all, and more details can be found at http://www.oirw.net/campus.htm.
We have some good news on the foreign sales front to report this month. Kimberly Ungar, w/a Jolie Mathis received word that Portuguese rights were sold to The Sea King. Colleen Thompson reports that Fatal Error and Heat Lightning will be translated into Estonian and Polish, respectively.
The cover of Patricia Kay’s novel, Come October, is the winner of the 2005 Annual Cover Café Contest in the Series category. It’s a wonderful cover, as many voters agreed. Congratulations, Pat!
Congratulations to Shane Bolks, a.k.a. Shana Galen, whose hero, Stephen Doubleday, of her February historical release, Good Groom Hunting, was awarded a KISS from Romantic Times BookClub. Also, Shana has a title for the third book in her Misadventures in Matrimony series. The December release will be titled Blackthorne’s Bride.
Pam Mellor, a.k.a. P.J. Mellor, is celebrating a four-star review of her new release, Give Me More, from Romantic Times BookClub. Pam was also the featured Kensington author of the month. Nice work, ladies!
Judy Duarte is pleased to announce the sale of a 3-book series to Silhouette Special Edition. The first story in the Texas Homecoming series is tentatively entitled The Cowboy Takes a Wife and will be released in early 2008.
Robin T. Popp’s Tempted in the Night – the third in her Night Slayer series debuted Jan.1, 2007 at #47 on Bookscan’s Top 100 romances, at #22 on Barnes & Noble’s Top 50 romances, was a recommended read in a Border’s flyer and, like the other two books in the series, is offered in hardback by Doubeday Book Club. The fourth book in the series, Lord of the Night, is complete and due for release in December. And the last book that’s kept her hidden away from the world, Immortals: The Darkening, which she’s doing for Dorchester’s Immortals series, is complete and due out in June. Check out all her books at: www.robintpopp.com and www.immortals-series.com
Shane Bolks, writing as Shana Galen, will appear on the Fox 26 morning show Monday, February 6 in the 7 a.m. hour to discuss what men can learn from romance novels and give tips for a romantic Valentine’s Day. We’ll be watching for you, Shane!
Also, Shana Galen, Sophie Jordan, and Robin T. Popp will be presenting “So You Want to Write a Romance Novel” at the Barnes and Noble Copperfield at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, February 13, with a book-signing to follow.
Linda Warren has some excellent news to report. All Roads Lead to Texas and Son of Texas are finalists for the Readers and Bookbuyers Best Laurie for published authors. Congratulations, Linda!
First Sales
New member TJ Bittick, writing as TJ Bennett, has a first sale to report! Her outside-the-box historical romance, The Legacy, has been bought by Medallion Press, a royalty and advance paying print publisher recognized by RWA. Though TJ’s book won’t be out until April 2008, she should be proudly wearing a first sale pink ribbon in Dallas this coming July. Look for her behind the big smile! Welcome and congratulations!
We have another first sale to report this month! Christy Janisse has sold her romantic suspense manuscript, Mistaken, to The Wild Rose Press. She has chosen the pen name of Brandy Jordan for this one, since it’s an e-book (though it will be available in print as a trade paperback a few weeks after its digital release). This manuscript has also finaled in West Houston’s Emily contest, in the Contemporary Series category. Her website (still under construction) is www.brandyjordanbooks.com. For more information on the publisher, please visit www.thewildrosepress.com. We’re delighted for you, Christy!
Contest Divas
Sara Andre and Fleury Sommers have recently received agent requests for full manuscripts. Good luck to both of you with your submissions!
Though Christie Craig recently sold four (count ‘em!) books in one week, she still has great contest news pouring in. A Promise Is a Promise has finaled in the 2006 Gateway to the Rest contest in Contemporary Category. She is a triple finalist in the Connections Contest, with To Remember Jenny and Murder, Mayhem & Mama in Single Title and A Desperate Woman in historical. In the Romancing the Novel Contest, To Remember Jenny is a finalist in Single Title, and in the Beacon, Tough Love is a finalist in Single Title. Way to go, Christie!
Lark Howard reports that her paranormal entry, Deyrolle, is a finalist in the Gateway to the Rest contest. Congratulations to you!
Terri Richison also has some contest news. Her entry, Storm Clouds, is a finalist in the Heart of the West contest, in the Mystery/Suspense Category. Best of luck in the finals!
In addition to Christy Janisse, Member Jerre Ferns is thrilled to be a finalist in West Houston’s own Emily contest, in the Single Title category with Dead in the Heart of Texas. JoAnn Robisheaux’s entry, A Fresh Start, is also in contention for an Emily in Single Title Contemporary, along with Christie Craig’s Fatal Promise in Short Contemporary and Sharon Forret’s Phantom Spirit in Paranormal. Nice work, ladies. This is an incredible showing from our chapter, and we’ll all be rooting for you in the final round!
Results are in for the Finally a Bride contest, which is limited to entries which finaled in other contests. Jerre Ferns took second place in the Romantic Suspense/Single Title category, while Kay Hudson was fifth in the Paranormal/Time Travel/Futuristic division. Congratulations, ladies!
Member News
Several members participated in National Novel Writing Month with fabulous results! NaNoWriMo asks participants to clear their schedules, put off editing, and blast through 50,000 to 60,000 words in only a month. William Simon completed 59,980 words in 30 days! Becky Gotthardt succeeded in meeting the goal as well, with 50,068 words. Anna Phegley was derailed by a health issue after 19 days, but she still gamely managed 34,321 words. Not only does NaNoWriMo help writers meet their goals, the organization also raised money to build and fund six children’s libraries in Vietnam. Something tells me that we’ll have many more members going for broke next November! Way to go!
Romantic suspense author Colleen Thompson, a past RITA-finalist whose latest release is Heat Lightning (Love Spell Romantic Suspense, Nov. 2006), announces WHRWA’s glad tidings in each month’s “Who’s in the News” column, wherein she shatters her self-imposed moratorium on exclamation points. Please send Colleen your news at whosinthenews@whrwa.com by the 15th of each month
