4/2009 Chapter News
As we enter April, we’ve finally turned the corner. Spring is officially here and with it comes a sense of rebirth as the earth sheds its brown winter coat and blooms into full color.
Cheryl Bolen was trolling the web, and she came across this fantastic tidbit. Five West Houston PAN members have made the cut for Kimberly Eiland’s amazon.com list of the Top 22 Best Romances of All Time, two of them—Jessica Trapp and Cheryl Bolen—for two books. Here are the West Houston authors, their placement and the books: Shana Galen (Shane Bolks) No. 2 for PRIDE AND PETTICOATS; Jolie Mathis (Kimberly Ungar) No. 6 for SEA KING; Colleen Thompson, No. 11 for FADE THE HEAT; Jessica Trapp, Nos. 19 and 20 for MASTER OF PLEASURE and MASTER OF DESIRE; and Cheryl Bolen rounds out the list with Nos. 21 and 22 for ONE GOLDEN RING and THE COUNTERFEIT COUNTESS. Congrats to all. It is well deserved.
In contest news, TJ Bennett is a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence published authors contest. Winners will be announced this month so we have our fingers crossed for good news for TJ.
Deeanne Gist’s bestseller, COURTING TROUBLE, won the Anne Bonney Readers Choice award for BEST COVER and is a finalist for BEST HEROINE (the winners for the latter have not yet been announced). Sam’s Club has also placed an order for four different titles by Deeanne. They are to be in stores nationwide beginning this June!
Congratulations also go to Teri Thackston, whose ebook FINAL WORDS recently won the Eppie award for Best Fantasy/Paranormal Romance. This award is given by EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Internet Connection. Also one of Teri’s romantic suspense novels, TO THE RESCUE, is now available in print from Cerridwen Press.
In release news, Gerry Bartlett finally got a decision from Berkley on the title for book number five in her REAL VAMPIRES series. After a contest on Myspace for title suggestions, the editor picked Gerry’s original title which she thought was too long. REAL VAMPIRES HATE THEIR THIGHS will be a February 2010 trade paperback release.
If you are out and about in the Houston area, Jo Ann Robisheaux (who writes as Claire Sanders) will be participating in the Houston Bay Area Chapter’s Bookseller’s Reception at the Chocolate Bar, April 16. A few days later, she’ll be signing FRESH START at Read it Again and Again, April 18 from 1:00-3:00. Stop by and see her. Jo Ann is also excited to announce that her book has been chosen for the Katy Budget Books Romance Book Club. She’ll be speaking to the club members April 28. Congrats Jo Ann!
Long distance member Michele Dunaway is proof that press releases work. She received an article the March 20 Washington Missourian and a mention the Webster-Kirkwood Times newspapers announcing the publication of TWINS FOR THE TEACHER, Michele’s 20th book. For those of you who twitter, Michele is at www.twitter.com/micheledunaway and her July cover for BACHELOR CEO is up at www.micheledunaway.blogspot.com.
