West Houston RWA

Rita

Vicky Dreiling
How to Marry a Duke
Best First Book
Regency Historical Romance

Vicky Dreiling
How to Seduce a Scoundrel
Regency Historical Romance

Linda Warren
The Texan’s Bride
Contemporary Series Romance

Deeanne Gist
Love on the Line
Inspirational Romance

Amanda Stevens
The Restorer
Paranormal Romance

Lara Chapman
Flawless
Young Adult Romance

Golden Heart

Jan Nash
Powerless Consent
Inspirational Romance

Kay Hudson
Bathtub Jinn
Paranormal Romance

December brought Cheryl Bolen glad tidings and joy. Half way into the month she sold her 100,000th ebook in six months of indie publishing. Then the next week her G-rated Regency Christmas novella, Christmas at Farley Manor, reached number one in the Regency category in the Kindle Store at Amazon. Alas, she came back down in January, when she had a malignant tumor removed from her foot.

Shana Galen is pleased to announce the sale of a new book, connected to Lord and Lady Spy. This one is tentatively titled True Spies, and it’s the story of a secret operative who has kept his job from his beautiful, bored housewife for years but is forced to reveal his identity when they are both kidnapped by a diabolical villain. Release is set for Fall 2013.

Brandie Nickerson is proud to announce that her short story, Locke between Loyalty and Love was picked as one of Best of The Cynic Online Magazine 2011. You can read the story at http://archive.cynicmag.com/author.asp?author=Brandie+Nickerson

Joan Reeves received her countersigned contract the day before Christmas so she feels free now to reveal that she sold world French rights, print and ebook, to Bragelonne, the largest publisher of paranormal novels in France. A French editor obtained a copy of one of Joan’s ebooks, the romantic comedy Jane (I’m Still Single) Jones, and fell in love with the book! In one day, Joan had a big contract offer and a NY agent who negotiated a fabulous deal with Bragelonne who, by the way, wanted not one book, but three of Joan’s romantic comedies!

Kerrelyn Sparks will be appearing on a panel at the American Library Association’s midwinter meeting in Dallas on January 25. She’s also scheduled to speak at the Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, VA, in March. Her next release, Wanted: Undead or Alive, goes on sale March 27th. New wallpapers featuring the covers of past Love at Stake books can now be downloaded from her website at www.kerrelynsparks.com

Joanna Wayne’s Cowboy Conspiracy debuted at #27 on Bookscan.

Vicky Dreiling signed a new 3-book contract with Grand Central.

Jo Anne Banker is proud to announce that her latest WIP, Dawn’s Light, is a finalist in the chapter’s Emily contest. Jo Anne had some other fun news this month as well. She won first place in the Grand Slam at Donna Caubarreaux’s ContestAlert Loop for 2010 with a contest first, second and third place, as well as a Golden Heart win with her manuscript, Lost and Found. This win garners her the enviable prize of one of Donna’s contest Diva’s Tiaras, which will be delivered to Jo Anne soon. Hopefully, she’ll wear it to the next chapter meeting.

Cheryl Bolen and her editor at Love Inspired Historical came up with a new title for her 2012 release: Marriage of Inconvenience. At this writing, Cheryl’s humorous Regency romantic mystery, With His Lady’s Assistance, was No. 4 in New Releases (Regency) at Amazon, and her Regency Christmas novella made it to No. 33 – on the day of its release. It’s titled Christmas at Farley Manor. All three releases are G rated!

Vicky Dreiling and her debut novel How To Marry a Duke, a Regency era version of The Bachelor, were featured in a Publisher’s Weekly article entitled Romancing the Reader about self-promotion.

Tied With a Bow, the holiday anthology containing the launch of Kimberly Frost’s paranormal romantic suspense series, debuted at #23 on the New York Times Trade Fiction Bestseller List.

Forever Mine, Donna Grant’s Indie novella became an Amazon #1 Bestseller.

Donna Grant also agreed to another contract with St. Martin’s Press to continue her Dark Warriors series with four more books, but also for three novellas being released in 2012 back to back to begin another spin off series.

Mary Lindsey’s debut young adult romance, Shattered Souls from Philomel/Penguin, releases December 8, 2011.

Joan Reeves published her 7th ebook Old Enough To Know Better, a contemporary romance. This book was designed to be Book 1 of The Good, The Bad, and The Girly, a novella series, but ended up a full length novel because even though Joan, as a writer, is old enough to know better, she just can’t write short.

Kerrelyn Sparks is thrilled and honored that RWA has asked her to be the Librarians Day luncheon speaker at the national conference this summer in Anaheim. She’ll also be speaking at ALA’s midwinter conference in Dallas this January. To find out more about her Love at Stake series, please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Colleen Thompson is delighted to announced that her first book for Harlequin Intrigue, Capturing the Commando, was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Intrigue of 2011.

Linda Warren is excited to announce she’s been nominated for a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times Magazine.

Sandra Worth is excited to be a nominee for the RT Reviewers Choice Award in Historical Fiction for her novel Pale Rose of England and honored to be in illustrious company (among them, Sharon Kay Penman, Diana Gabaldon, Philippa Gregory, Anne Easter Smith, and Karleen Koen) She wishes everyone a wonderful Holiday Season, and hopes 2012 brings good news.

The fourth book of Cheryl Bolen’s Brides of Bath series was released for the first time as an ebook on Oct. 1st , and it zoomed into Amazon’s Top 20 in the Regency romance category. Originally titled An Improper Proposal when it was published in paperback in 2004, it is now titled To Take This Lord, Cheryl’s original title. She said her publishers at Kensington/Zebra selected the former title because it sounded sexy, but it had nothing to do with the story. It was a runner up for Best Historical in 2005 in the Texas Gold competition. Cheryl’s also thrilled that during October she had eight of her historical novels in the Top 25 at Amazon, usually with four titles in the Top 10.

Sharon Forret’s manuscript, LAST TIME, is a finalist in the paranormal category of the unpublished Beacon Contest, hosted by the First Coast Romance Writers. It’s now off to final-round judges Courtney Miller-Callihan of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates and Lauren Plude, editorial assistant with Grand Central. LAST TIME is also a finalist in the Valley of the Sun Romance Writers’ Hot Prospects Contest. Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal category. Final judges for this one are Deborah Werksman, Sourcebooks, Inc., and Jenny Bent, The Bent Agency. This marks Sharon’s “return to writing” now that her son is a year old, and she is happy to get back out there!

Kay Hudson was delighted to learn that her work-in-progress, Bathtub Jinn, is a finalist in the Golden Network’s Golden Pen contest. She has sent in the revised final entry (with thanks to the low-scoring judge who caught the problems in the hastily written synopsis); now all she has to do is finish the book by the Golden Heart deadline.

Heather MacAllister has published her Golden Heart winning YA manuscript–exactly as it was entered in the contest–as an ebook. Picture Perfect, a historical contemporary, is available for Kindle, Nook, and through Smashwords. It took her nearly as long to figure out the formatting as it did to write the book in the first place.

Amber Shah (writing as Amber Skye) is excited to share that her manuscript, ASKING FOR IT, finaled in both the San Fransisco RWA Heart to Heart Contest 2011 and in the First Coast Romance Writers Unpublished Beacon Contest 2011 in the erotica categories. She also received a request for a full from one of her dream agents and so she’s currently working furiously on edits and polish.

Kerrelyn Sparks’ eleventh book in the Love at Stake series, Sexiest Vampire Alive, went into a second printing a week after release. It debuted on the New York Times list at # 12, Publishers Weekly at # 10, and USA Today at # 36. For more information, please visit her website at www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Colleen Thompson is happy to announce the publication of two Australian Reprints, Capturing the Commando and Phantom of the French Quarter, as part of the Mills & Boon Intrigue line. In addition, her novella, Lethal Lessons, was part of a recent Mills & Boon Intrigue edition of Deadlier Than the Male in the United Kingdom.

Nina Bangs and Gerry Bartlett are both excited to be teaching at the Low Country RWA Masterclass week in South Carolina, October 21-27. This is held at a fabulous Victorian mansion on the beach at the Isle of Palms outside of Charleston and there are only three spots left. If interested hit the Low Country RWA website.

Cheryl Bolen is thrilled to announce she has seven Regency-set romances ranked in the Top 75 Regency historicals at Amazon, including three in the Top 10. My Lord Wicked has held steady at Number 2. During August, My Lord Wicked was Number 1 in Hot New Releases, Regency.

Vicky Dreiling sold Japanese translation rights to How to Seduce a Scoundrel, and How to Marry a Duke made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances for 2011.

Delphine Dryden released her ninth novel, The Lamplighter’s Love, this month for Ellora’s Cave. She also celebrated the release of a short in the Cleis Press anthology Girls Who Bite. Del’s big news for the month is signing with Courtney Miller-Callihan of Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, a stellar literary agency whose client list includes such names as Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code).

Sophie Jordan (Sharie Kohler) is thrilled to report that she’s an international bestseller! Firelight hit the German’s bestseller list at #13!!! Firelight also made the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults list.

Joan Reeves has started a free subscription newsletter Writing Hacks. Writing Hacks will be emailed every week and will contain tips, shortcuts, tricks, how to instructions, and more with an emphasis on ebooks of course. The signup form is on her blog http://SlingWords.blogspot.com.

Kerrelyn Sparks celebrates her latest release, Sexiest Vampire Alive, with a contest and a book tour. Please check her website (http://www.kerrelynsparks.com) to enter her contest and see where she’ll be signing. To attend the Author Dinner with Kerrelyn, Beverly Jenkins, and Toni Blake on October 25th, please contact Katy Budget Books (281-578-7770) for tickets.

Lynn Lorenz’s second book in her Rougaroux Social Club, her Louisiana bayou werewolf series, Bayou’s End, comes out on Oct. 4th from Loose Id. http://www.looseid. com The first book, Bayou Dreams, was a bestseller at Loose Id and at ARe, staying in the top 10 romance books for two weeks. Also, she has a gay sci-fi novella, Duty Bound, coming out from Amber Quill Press’s Amber Allure imprint, as part of a PAX (buy all 5 novellas and get a 25% discount). Lynn is one of the organizers of the first Gay Literary Romance Retreat, held in New Orleans Oct 16-19th, and she’ll be signing books there and hosting some lucky readers to lunch, breakfast and is also hosting a Cafe Au Lait and Beignet party with several other authors. She’s really looking forward to meeting readers and spending time talking to them about gay romance. This is the month 2012 RT convention announces its panels and workshops and Lynn will be in several panels. One with Belinda McBride—Writing the Future: This Isn’t Your Brother’s Sci-Fi—will be a discussion about where the genre is headed and how to give it a fresh twist. Another panel on craft, Making the Cuts to Strengthen Your Manuscript, a panel discussion with Belinda McBride, ZA Maxfield and Catherine Snodgrass, will discuss various editing methods for producing tight, fast-paced stories. The convention will be held next year in Chicago, in April.

Gerry Bartlett was thrilled that her latest release, Real Vampires Don’t Wear Size Six, hit #5 on the Barnes & Nobles trade paperback list the week it came out and was still at #6 the following week. On the heels of that she just got a contract for a ninth Real Vampires book to be released in early 2013.

Cheryl Bolen is delighted to announce a sale to Harlequin Love Inspired Historicals. The tentatively titled Love With the Proper Earl will be published in Fall 2012. And two of Cheryl’s ebooks hit the Top 50 Regencies on Amazon.

Thanks in part to West Houston RWA, Shana Galen won the Long and Short of It Reviews Book of the Week for Lord and Lady Spy. The site nominated the book because it received a 4.5 star review.

Kerrelyn Sparks’ novella, A Very Vampy Christmas (which formerly appeared in Sugarplums and Scandal), will be available as a 100 page e-book on Sept. 6th for only $1.99! And her next full-length book, Sexiest Vampire Alive, goes on sale Sept.  27th. The launch party will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 28th at Murder by the Book. Kerrelyn would love to see you there! For more information and to read an excerpt, please visit her website at www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Colleen Thompson is happy to announce two new sales, Relentless Pursuit, to Harlequin Intrigue, and Firestorm Face-Off, to Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Both will be Fall 2012 releases.

Natalie C. Markey will put her speaking talents to use in a month long, online workshop through Write It Forward Workshops with Who Dares Wins Publishing. In October Natalie will teach Writing Moms: How to do it all without losing your mind! For more information visit www.whodareswinspublishing.com

Jo Anne Banker (who did not send this news, by the way) won the Contemporary Series Romance Golden Heart for her novel Lost and Found.

Gerry Bartlett was happy to receive a top pick and a five star review from Night Owl reviews for Real Vampires Don’t Wear Size Six. This is book seven in her vamp series and hits shelves August 2. Meanwhile she is off to England and Scotland to research for book 9, so far untitled, date to be announced.

Cheryl Bolen’s A Lady by Chance is in the Top 10 romance sellers for Amazon UK. Its best showing has been Number 5. This is an electronic reissue of her 2000 Kensington Precious Gems book, selling for 99 cents. Sadly, the book has only made the Top 100 in the larger selling U.S. market.

Also, for Cheryl’s __th birthday, No. 1 son (who treated the family to a weekend in New Orleans) read her 2002 book A Fallen Woman as a present to his mom! It was the first time he’s read one of her books. (He says he doesn’t like to think about his mom knowing about sex stuff.) Following her custom of dedicating each book to a loved one, she had dedicated that book to him. He’s now decided Lifetime TV movies are missing out by not making the book into a television movie.

And one more thing for Cheryl. . .look in the Take Note section of the August edition of The Writer magazine for Cheryl’s mini article on Moleskines.

Sophie Jordan just landed her seventeenth foreign sale for her Firelight trilogy, selling to Taiwan. And she also just learned that Firelight is in its fourth printing. Also, her August historical romance, Wicked in Your Arms, earned a 41/2 stars TOP pick from RT BookReviews and a K.I.S.S award.

Vicky Dreiling’s historical romance How To Seduce a Scoundrel debuted at #45 on Nielsen Bookscan’s Top 100 Romances.

Shana Galen’s September release, Lord and Lady Spy, is on Publisher’s Weekly’s Top 10 Romances in their Fall preview edition.

Deeanne Gist’s historical novel, Maid to Match, won Book Buyers’ Best and National Readers Choice in the Inspirational Category. She has been acquired by general market agent David Vigliano of Vigliano Associates, who is listed by Publishers Marketplace as one of the industry’s top deal makers and whose client list includes Jackie Collins, Larry King, William Shatner, Rocco DiSpirito, and more.

Lynn Lorenz’s first book with her new publisher, Etopia Press, will be released August 5th. The book, a space Regency called The Ambassador’s Daughter was described as “24 meets Jane Austin in space, with a female Jack Bauer.” She’s also thrilled that her novella, C’est La Vie, set in New Orleans and Provence, France, is also releasing in August from Amber Quill Press—Amber Allure. Currently, she’s working on several deadlines and is on a first name basis with the folks at her local Specs.

Joan Reeves is testing the nonfiction ebook waters. Last month she added an ebook that’s a “best of” compilation from SlingWords, her popular blog. Written Wisdom, Quotation-Inspired Essays, 2005-2010, is inspiration, motivation, and encouragement disguised as an ebook. If you want to know how to persist, this is the book that illustrates that allimportant skill by an author who’s been in the trenches for a long time. In the end, she’s not only survived the slings and arrows of publishing, she’s finally prospered.

Joan Reeves is loving the ebook life and buying way too many bottles of champagne! The most recent bottle was opened in mid-July to celebrate the sale of more than 80,000 ebooks in less than 4 months. This month she publishes her fifth romance, the second book in her Texas One Night Stands series: Romeo and Judy Anne. Of course that means,more champagne!

Linda Warren’s book Skylar’s Outlaw won The National Reader’s Choice Award for Long Contemporary in New York at the national conference. A weekly online read by Linda Warren, The Cowboy Next Door, is available at www.eharlequin.com. http://tiny.cc/8hpo6

Joanna Wayne just signed a 3-book contract for books to be released in 2012. The series is Big D Dads, and the titles are: Son of a Gun, Live Ammo, and Big Shot.

Linda Barrett is delighted to report that Quarterback Daddy took FIRST PLACE in the Long Series Contemporary category of the 2011 Write Touch Readers’ Award contest. The Write Touch is sponsored by the Wisconsin Chapter of RWA and is a great way to get feedback directly from readers. Thanks, Wisconsin RWA!

TJ Bennett reports that the memoir she co-authored, At the End of the Day: How One Man Learned to Live Like He Was Dying, is a finalist in the Pacific Northwest Writers Association contest in their Non-fiction/Memoir category (winners to be announced in August). In addition, she’s received news of another foreign sale of her historical romance, The Legacy, to Spain.

As announced at the June meeting, Cheryl Bolen has gotten the rights back to her Brides of Bath series of sensual historicals set in the Regency and has put them up at Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. The middle book, With His Ring, was a runner-up for Best Historical novel in 2003 by Texas Gold. Also, her Precious Gems Regency historical that was only available in Wal-Marts, is now available digitally. It’s a fun read titled A Lady by Chance and sells for 99 cents. You can visit her website at www.CherylBolen.com.

Vicky Dreiling (How to Seduce a Scoundrel) and Sophie Jordan (Wicked in Your Arms) will be signing and discussing their newest historical romances at Katy Budget Books on July 30th 3:30-5:30. http://www.katybooks.com/event/sophie-jordan-vicky-dreiling-event Shana Galen has a new Facebook fan page. She really wants you to LIKE her. http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Shana-Galen/211315085575366

Kristi Gold is thrilled to announce that her first Superromance, His Best Mistake, is a finalist for the National Reader’s Choice Award. Winners will be announced at the RWA conference in New York on July 29th.

Alison Kent sold her contemporary westerns to Berkley Heat on an unofficial exclusive May 31st. The tentative release schedule is 11/12 and 02/13.

Joan Reeves had her most exciting day ever on Amazon this month. All four of her romances zoomed onto the Top 100 Paid list. Her first ebook Just One Look had been on that list for more than a month, and all 4 had been on the various romance bestseller lists. In one 24 hour period, she sold almost 3,000 books. When the dust settled, one book had slid off the Top 100, but three remain on.

Kerrelyn Sparks survived her first keynote speech at the Heart of Dixie Romance Readers’ Luncheon in Huntsville, Alabama. She’s also done workshops at the Comicpalooza event in Houston and the NOLA summer conference in Shreveport, Louisiana. Meanwhile, both her 2010 books, Eat Prey Love and The Vampire and the
Virgin finaled in the Colorado’s Award of Excellence contest. Eat Prey Love went on to win! And The Vampire and the Virgin won an Award of Merit from the Virginia Romance Writers HOLT Medallion contest. For more information please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com or find her on Facebook.

Linda Warren is proud to announce her Book, Skylar’s Outlaw, has won the Holt Medallion in long contemporary given by the Virginia Romance Writer’s. Also, the book has won The Bookbuyer’s Best in category series.

Sandra Worth is just back from a book signing in La Jolla with Margaret George. From La Jolla she went to San Diego to attend the Historical Novel Conference. She was particularly delighted to meet old friend Karleen Koen, and to get to know Persia Woolley (The Guinevere Trilogy) and Donna Cross (Pope Joan).

Natalie C. Markey launched her author website and appreciates feedback. www.NatalieCMarkey.com

Cheryl Bolen has sold another article to The Writer magazine. This short piece will appear in the August issue, which comes out at the beginning of July.

Brandie Nickerson’s short story, “Locke between Loyalty and Love” was published in the June 1st edition of Cynic Online Magazine

Linda Warren’s Skylar’s Outlaw is a finalist for National Reader’s Choice Award and The Reader’s Crown Award.

Jessica Trapp has updated both of her websites–the one for the medieval books and the one for the ladybug picture books. www.jessicatrapp.com and www.jessiefern.com

Jo Anne Banker’s Golden Heart finalist, Lost and Found, was requested by one of the three final editor judges. Jo Anne won’t find out who requested it until after the conference, but she sent it off to RWA® to be forwarded
along.

Cheryl Bolen is once again participating in Brenda Novak’s annual online auction to raise money for diabetes. Cheryl will auction a synopsis critique. Brenda’s auctions, which run the whole month of May, have raised over $1 million for diabetes research.

Lara Chapman, Tera Lynn Childs, and Sophie Jordan will join a group of Texas YA Authors for statewide book signings this month. Check their schedule and stop by for some great reads! www.chillsandthrillsteenbooktour.wordpress.com.

Linda Barrett is delighted to announce that her book, QUARTERBACK DADDY, is a finalist in the Write Touch Readers’ Award contest – Long Series Contemporary category. The Wisconsin RWA chapter sponsors the contest.

Kerrelyn Sparks is thrilled that her latest release, VAMPIRE MINE, has survived three weeks on the USAToday and New York Times bestseller lists. Kerrelyn is the keynote speaker at the Heart of Dixie Romance Readers’ Luncheon in Huntsville, Alabama, and she’s also scheduled to appear at Comicpalooza at the George R Brown convention center in May.

Linda Warren reports that Skylar’s Outlaw is a finalist in Long Contemporary Romance for the BookBuyers Best Award, the Oklahoma Reader’s Choice Award and the Colorado Award of Excellence.

Sarah Andre finaled in the 2011 Golden Heart- Romantic Suspense for LOCKED, LOADED and LYING. She double-finaled in the Sheila LOCKED, LOADED and LYING – RS (Leis Pederson, Berkley); WINDBURN -ST (Emilia Pisani, S&S), and she finaled in the Wisconsin FAB 5 LOCKED, LOADED and LYING- ST (Latoya Smith, Grand Central).

Colleen Thompson is happy to announce that her June release, CAPTURING THE COMMANDO (her first book for Harlequin Intrigue) has received 4 1/2 stars and a Top Pick from Romantic Times.

Joan Reeves has taken the ebook challenge. At times she feels as if she’s suffered a TKO due to the technical aspects of formatting, which differ from platform to platform, but she’s weathering the storm with 2 ebooks, JUST ONE LOOK and THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE, published and a third to be published before the end of April. Just One Look has proved to be immensely popular on Kindle, and has landed her on the Fiction Bestseller list on the English platform of XinXii, European Digital Publishing.

Natalie Cook Clark, writing as Natalie C. Markey’s book, “Caring for Your Special Needs Dog” comes out in May from Who Dares Wins Publishing.

Vicky Dreiling sold translation rights for her historical romance HOW TO MARRY A DUKE to Turkey.

Lynn Lorenz has a new publisher – EtopiaPress http://www.etopia-press.net/ who has contracted two books from her. One is a space regency, due out in June and the other a romantic suspense, due out in Aug, both traditional romance. She’ll also have her first gay romance ghost story, Cemeteries, out with Amber Quill Press – Amber Allure this summer, along with another novella. Both are set in New Orleans.

Sandra Worth is excited to report Lady of the Roses and The King’s Daughter: A novel of the First Tudor Queen have sold foreign rights to Germany.

Jo Anne Banker had a pretty exciting month. As so often, it happened one-two-three. Jo Anne is proud to announce that as of March 24th, she’s agented, with Robert Brown of Brown Literary Agency. The next morning, Jo Anne got a call, her manuscript, Lost and Found, finaled in the GOLDEN HEART. The very next afternoon, Jo Anne found out that she’d won the contemporary series category of Southern Magic’s Linda Howard Award of Excellence contest. The editor, Susan Litman, who gave her the first place would have requested the
manuscript- but she already has it from another contest final. So for Jo Anne, life is pretty good right now

Kay Hudson was thrilled–and stunned–to learn that her historical manuscript, PAPER HEARTS, is a finalist in the Golden Heart contest. She started Paper Hearts ten or twelve years ago, and the manuscript has passed through three or four computers, at least two word processing programs, several openings and numerous contests (with wildly varying results). Set in 1870s Texas, a little upriver from the Gulf Coast, Paper Hearts may be the only manuscript in its category to feature a javelina pelt, a baby alligator, and a (taxidermied) flying pig in the opening chapters.

In the published author category, Jessica Trapp’s DEFIANT is a finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence contest.

Another finalist in the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence contest is Christie Craig, whose Shut Up and Kiss Me is a finalist in the Single Title Category. In release news, the first book in the Shadow Falls series, Christie’s new YA series, Born at Midnight, written under the pen name C.C. Hunter, released March 29th.

Georgia Ward, aka Georgia Tribell reports that her Harlequin Nocturne Bites story, Demon Love, will be released May 2011.

Also in release news, Joan Reeves just published her first ebook, JUST ONE LOOK, which was a formerly print published romantic comedy to the Kindle. She’s blogging about the process so others can learn from her adventures — and misadventures. Look for Kindle Progress Report posts on her blog: SlingWords.blogspot.com. On the personal side, she’s thrilled to report that her daughter Adina is able to walk normally, unaided, for the first time since the surgeries began two years ago. Now, that’s even better news than any book sale or publication!

Kerrelyn Sparks’s latest release, Vampire Mine, is # 10 in the Love at Stake series, which is currently contracted for 12 books.!HarperCollins has asked for four more books,!so negotiations are under way to bring!the total to 16!

In additional sale news, Vicky Dreiling sold translation rights for HOW TO MARRY A DUKE to Russia.

Deeanne Gist’s MAID TO MATCH is a RITA final for Inspirational Romance. In personal news, Cheryl Bolen was thrilled to be selected in the first class of inductees for the South Houston High School Hall of Honor. A plaque with her photo and the field in which she made her accomplishments appears on the wall at the school, which opened in 1959. In other news, she just received Japanese copies of her book A DUKE DECEIVED. This is the THIRD time that same title has been published in Japan. (And she was just ready to get her rights back on it.
Now she’s got to wait 10 more years!)

In other personal news, Michele Dunaway received a Gold Key from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, March 18, at a very moving luncheon ceremony in the Lowe Library rotunda at Columbia University in New York City. This month she’s off to Anaheim, and excited that gets a chance to catch up on reading during the flight. Sometimes being a teacher is a glamorous job.

Congrats to Cheryl Bolen who was thrilled to get her third book for which she has provided a cover blurb. All three of her quotes have actually been selected for the covers. The latest is for Laurie Alice Eakes’ Lady in the Mist. Here’s what Cheryl wrote: “Secrets, suspense, and a sweetly told love story make this a highly rewarding read.” Another of her quotes about the book—the one Cheryl thought would make the cover— appears instead on the first inside page. It reads: “Lady in the Mist is not to be missed.” Laurie Alice writes inspirational historical romances for Revell.

Also, Starting February 22nd and for a limited time, Kerrelyn Sparks’ How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire will be available for FREE as an e-book with bonus material– an excerpt from Vampire Mine! Vampire Mine goes on sale March 29th! For more information, please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com.

PJ Mellor’s news is her March release, ISLAND NIGHTS, will be excerpted in the Hot Reads section of the May 2011 issue of Cosmopolitan magazine.

First up in our news is Vicky Dreiling! She is thrilled to announce that her debut historical romance HOW TO MARRY A DUKE made Bookscan’s Top 100 Romance list at #46 the first week on the shelves and went on to make #39 and #37, the second and third weeks. Booklist gave HOW TO MARRY A DUKE a starred review: “Dreiling’s Regency romance debut is, in a word, enchanting.” There’s more good news. Translation rights for HOW TO MARRY A DUKE were sold to Japan. Audio rights were sold for both HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL, coming in July 2011.

Kim Lenox is excited to share news that her three-book SHADOW GUARD series has sold to a German publisher.

Jo Ann Robisheaux (writing as Claire Sanders) has signed two contracts with Barbour Publishing. “Equally Yoked” will appear in the September, 2011 release “A Quaker Christmas” and “New Garden’s Inspiration” will be out in 2012.

Jo Anne Banker has had a run of good luck with contests lately. Her manuscript, LOST AND FOUND, won The Golden Rose. Jo Anne also found out that it finaled in the Southern Magic’s Linda Howard Award of Excellence. Susan Litman, Special Editions editor, requested the full from a previous contest (Launching A Star). Jo Anne submitted it in January. Also, Roberta Brown of the Brown Agency, who had requested a partial
from the same contest, also requested the full.

In non-writing related news, long-distance member Michele Dunaway awaits the Emily results (she’s a finalist) and gets ready to end her yearlong, self-imposed sabbatical. On the “day job” level, Michele just found out she’s been named a Special Recognition Adviser in the Journalism Education Association’s Yearbook Adviser of the Year competition. Life is good.

Téa Trelawny (aka Teri Thackston) is thrilled to announce that FILL ‘ER UP? is now available in print. In this paranormal erotic romance, readers will discover that passion sparks romance in three couples at different stages of life — and death — and reveals that love has no limits. The book is available at www.jasminejade.com, as well as Amazon and Barnes & Noble online bookstores.

Jessica Trapp is on the cover of the RT Bookreviews magazine this month. Her fourth medieval romance, DEFIANT, will be on shelves in early December. Her Get Trapped in a Book Writing Gang meets Mon-Thurs from 9:30 to 1pm at Starbucks across from Bay Brook Mall. All writers welcome.

Gerry Bartlett is happy to know there will be an eighth book in the Real Vampires series. No definite title yet but the Berkley trade paperback will be a February, 2011 release.

Jane Myers Perrine accepted a contract for a three-book deal from Christina Boys at FaithWords/Center Street. The series deals with a young, inexperienced minister who is called to a small church in Central Texas. The first, THE WELCOME COMMITTE OF BUTTERNUT CREEK will be published February, 2012.

Lara Chapman very excited to be checking in with the news that Bloomsbury UK will be publishing FLAWLESS! They are planning a paperback original edition to publish just about simultaneously with the US edition in May 2011.

Patricia Kay is pleased to announce the sale of her 51st book to Silhouette. DESIGNING WOMAN will be a part of the Hunt for Cinderella III series, The Fairy Godmothers, and is slated for publication in November 2011. MEET MR. PRINCE, the last book of the Hunt for Cinderella II series, Seeking Prince Charming, will be published in February. The Hunt series books are a continuing collaboration between Pat and authors Lois Faye Dyer, Christine Flynn, and Allison Leigh.

Armand from Shana Galen’s THE MAKING OF A GENTLEMAN has been nominated for the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice “Best Historical Knight in Shining Silver” (Best Historical Hero).

Colleen Thompson is thrilled to announce that DEADLIER THAN THE MALE, a Silhouette Romantic Suspense 2-in-1 edition written with Sharon Sala, hit the Borders/ Waldenbook series bestseller list in its first week out.

And Michele Dunaway is thrilled that BABY IN THE BOARDROOM got an RT nod for Best Harlequin American Romance.

Kerrelyn Sparks’s latest Eat Prey Love has survived three weeks on the Borders Romance, USAToday, and New York Times bestseller lists. Polish publisher Amber has just bought rights to produce the sixth book in the series, Secret Life of a Vampire. For more information about Kerrelyn’s Love at Stake series, please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com or her page on Facebook.

Teri Thackston will be signing Deadly Climb, her 2001 Lone Star winner in the romantic suspense category, on Saturday, Nov. 6, at the Vintiga Park Harvest Festival.The festival is a free community event that celebrates food, wine and art, and is a daylong event for the whole family. There will be a children’s area with lots of fun activities as well as an artist alley showcasing local and regional artists and craftsmen. Vintage Park is located at 10805 Louetta Road (the southeast corner of Louette Road and Highway 249).

Just as she reaching that familiar plateau involving banging her head against the wall, Kay Hudson received two pieces of encouraging news. PAPER HEARTS placed first in the historical category of the Toronto Gold contest and has gone with the other category winners to the Golden Ticket round, and JINN & TONIC is a finalist in the paranormal category of the Golden Pen contest. Jinn & Tonic is also a finalist in the general paranormal category of the On the Far Side Contest, sponsored by the online Fantasy, Futuristic and & Paranormal Chapter of RWA.

Linda Warren is happy to announce her December book, Her Christmas Hero, received a 4 1/2 Top Pick from RT.

Gerry Bartlett is still popular in Germany with her second Glory St. Clair book, REAL VAMPIRES LIVE LARGE, chosen as a book club “Cheeky Vampires” selection for March, 2011. Love those euros!

TJ Bennett’s book, THE PROM I SE, is a finalist in the historical category for Heart of Denver’s Aspen Gold Published Authors contest.

Jo Anne Banker is happy to announce that she received a request from Wanda Ottewell with Superromance on her current WIP, Lost and Found, from her final in the TARA contest. Jo Anne recently found out the same manuscript finaled in the Golden Rose. The editor judge in that contest is Susan Litman with Special Editions.

Donna Grant’ s is thrilled that Books 7 – 10 have been contracted in her historical/ paranormal Dark Sword series from St. Martin’s Press. Also, WICKED HIGHLANDER, book 3, releasing November 2 got 4.5 Stars Top Pick from RT Book Reviews!

Registration is now closed.

NY Times bestselling author Bob Mayer has 40 books published. He has over three million books in print and is in demand as a team-building, life-change, and leadership speaker and consultant. Bob graduated from West Point and served in the military as a Special Forces A-Team leader and a teacher at the JFK Special Warfare Center & School. His latest book is Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way to Conquer Fear & Succeed. He teaches novel writing and improving the author via his Warrior-Writer program. He lives on an island off Seattle. For more information see www.bobmayer.org

Saturday, November 13th – Bob Mayer’s One of a Kind Warrior Writer Workshop:

I have created a unique and innovative workshop called Warrior Writer that focuses on educating writers how to be successful authors in all aspects of publishing. I have run this workshop through various writing groups and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The basic concept is for me to present the Warrior Writer Workshop for your group on a Saturday as your normal meeting, or as a special presentation. No limit on participants. Run completely through your group. Then on Sunday, I run a smaller A-Team Writers Workshop.

WHAT IS WARRIOR WRITER?

Warrior Writer is a holistic approach that gives the writer a road map to become a successful author. Warrior Writer integrates the artist’s creativity with the business savvy needed to succeed in publishing. This is the only workshop that covers all aspects of an author’s role from creator of the book to being an integral part of the business end of seeing that book in a reader’s hands. The world of publishing is changing at an incredible rate. New technologies have required authors to adjust to a different mindset. Today’s authors have to not only write the better book, but create a platform for themselves. Social media is also changing the face of marketing. Formal author training does not exist in traditional publishing. Warrior Writer fills this gap by giving authors the tools they need to be successful in today’s new face of publishing.

WHAT WARRIOR WILL ADDRESS:

It is a nine-step plan that will give writers a flow to becoming the most successful author they can be. This includes finding personal blind spots that are hurting the writing and their career. Warrior Writer will help writers develop a plan to enrich their writing, and overcome hurdles.

Integral to the program is how to develop a career path with agents and editors that includes author goals in terms of books, theme, unifying concept, all the way down to organizing one’s day-to-day writing. The ins-and-outs of running a business as a self-employed author, and become an integral part of the publishing world including doing an ‘author’ dissection of a successful author whose career can serve as a template for yours. Of particular focus in creativity are finding true fears, developing courage to conquer them, and uncovering each person’s unique creative tactics & strategies.

November 13th Schedule (8am to 6pm):

8:00-8:30 AM Sign in
8:30-9:00 Quick business meeting/elections.

Schedule Warrior Writer Presentation

9:00-9:50: Introduction to overall Warrior Writer concept.
10:00-10:50: WINS: Setting a strategic writing goal; subordinate tactical goals and aligning them
11:00-11:50: WHY & WHERE: Understanding your goal intents; and your writing environment and interaction in the publishing world.
11:50-1:00: Catered lunch
1:00-1:50: CHARACTER: Understand your character, blind spots, and character traits of successful writers.
2:00-2:50: CHANGE: The three steps of change and the five stages.
3:00-3:50: COURAGE: What do you really fear, how to build courage, build a plan to expand your comfort zone by venturing into your courage zone.
4:00-4:50: COMMUNICATE & COMMAND: Evoke the responses you want with your communication; take charge of your writing career.
5:00-5:50: COMPLETE the Circle of Success and integrate all the Special Forces.

Saturday, November 13^th Registration Fee

WHRWA Members: $10
Other RWA Members: $45
All Others: $60

Registration capped at 75 participants. First come, first served.

Optional Sunday, November 14^th A-Team Writer’s Workshop

To learn more and sign up for this extra, for-fee workshop (not a WHRWA event) please visit – http://www.eventbrite.com/org/205142012?s=1229204

Use code RWA75 to receive a special discount!

WHAT IS THE A-TEAM WRITER’S WORKSHOP?

This workshop is limited to 12 participants to ensure excellent feedback to participants. This workshop will utilize the principles of Warrior Writer and The Novel Writers Toolkit and will be focused on both the participants writing as well as their business model. We will cover aspects of writing such as the original idea, locking down core conflict, query and synopsis writing as well as developing career goals that are in-line with each individual author and uncovering blind spots.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

All participants will receive a copy of The Novel Writers Toolkit, Who Dares Wins, a copy of Who Dares Wins outline, a submission critique of cover letter, one page synopsis and the first ten pages of manuscript. This is over a $100 dollar value in material and work even before the day-long workshop.

Testimonials for WARRIOR WRITER WORKSHOP

Susan Wiggs (#1 NY Times best-seller): “Bob Mayer is a gifted writer and a generous teacher.”

Terry Brooks (#1 NY Times best-seller): “An invaluable resource for beginning & seasoned writers. Don’t miss out.”

Elizabeth George (NY Times best-seller): “Something for every writer. My hat is off to Bob.”

John Tulliius (Director Maui Writers Conference): “Fiction writers everywhere will have the advantage of Bob Mayer’s teaching wisdom.”

Chicken Soup Creator Jack Canfield (#1 NY Times best-seller): “Your Warrior-Writer focus is a great one. I always loved at the Maui Writers Conference how your programs delved deeply into the psychological models you need to develop characters. Now you are using that same knowledge to develop people. As we say in California– way cool! Much love to you my friend, and congratulations on the new book, it looks great!”

In the news, WHRWA celebrates P. J. Mellor, whose DRIVE ME WILD took first place in the Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Awards. There is even a trophy–woo-hoo!

Cheryl Bolen has just done her third “blurb” for Revell inspirational books. She was blown away when the first one she did was prominently displayed in an RT ad earlier this year. No, she doesn’t get paid for this but says the books have been a joy to read and blurb.

The 9/16 episode of JEOPARDY! featured a question about Kerrelyn Sparks! The category was Bestsellers, and the $1200 Question: A vampire series by Kerrelyn Sparks is punningly titled “Love at” this. Book 9 in the Love at Stake series, EAT PREY LOVE, went on sale September 28. To read the excerpt or enter the contest, please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Colleen Thompson is excited to announced that her RITA-nominated romantic suspense, TRIPLE EXPOSURE, hit #1 on both the free and paid sides of Amazon’s Kindle Bestseller List.

Wow, August was busy. Here’s the news that dropped into my inbox:

Colleen Thompson is happy to announce her second sale to Harlequin Intrigue, Capturing the Commando, which is slated for release in June 2011.

Joan Reeves has been asked to write for TheCelebrityCafe.com, which is, according to Wikipedia “the Internet’s longest tenured entertainment publication, having been in existence since 1995.” While the editors are setting up her page, she’s working with them on what kind of editorial content she’ll provide. Since TheCelebrityCafe.com receives about 4.9 million readers each month, she’s rather excited about this opportunity

Kay Hudson’s Paper Hearts is a finalist in the Historical category of the Toronto Gold contest. It also placed third in the Colonial/Western/Civil War category of the Romance Through the Ages contest, although it is a humorous romance set in
coastal Texas in the late 1870s. About ten years passed between starting and finishing the manuscript, but it spent a lot of that time as eighty pages in a file moving from computer to computer but rarely opened. Kay finally finished it with
the push of her “one hundred words a day for one hundred days” loop.

Writer Magazine has purchased Cheryl Bolen’s article titled “Making the Time to Write.” It will appear in the December issue, which comes out in early November.  Cheryl says this article was adapted and expanded from a workshop she gave
first to the Bay Area RWA and, later, to the San Antonio Romance Writers.

She’s urging everybody to hit their local B&N (or other bricks and mortar book store) to get it for all the timesaving writing tips she’s garnered over the years.The article also includes lots of examples about how other published writers “made” the time to write.

In July, Leslie Marshman got home from the West Houston meeting to find a contract from True Romance for a story I’d submitted five days earlier. She says, “My first submission, my first sale. It’s scheduled for the October issue, focusing on breast cancer awareness.” The story is tentatively titled Blind Date Redemption.

Linda Warren is happy to announce that her book, Caitlyn’s Prize, won the Booksellers’ Best Award.

Second Chance Bride, Jane Myers Perrine!s Love Inspired Historical, won second place in the Published Beacon Contest.

Kerrelyn Sparks is thrilled that the sixth book in the Love at Stake series, Secret Life of a Vampire, has won the Colorado Award of Excellence and the PRISM award. The ninth book in the series, Eat Prey Love, releases at the end of September. For more information, please visit Kerrelyn on Facebook or her website at www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Publisher’s Weekly reviewed Shana Galen’s October release, The Making of a Gentleman, saying, “plenty of mystery, intrigue, passionate romance, and a knack for bringing the historical setting to life.”

Joanna Wayne will be teaching the week long Master Class at the Low Country RWA Beach Retreat on Oct. 22. And she!ll be speaking at the North Louisiana chapter’s Boot Camp for Writers in Shreveport, LA on October 9. And best of all, Cowboy Swagger, the first book in her 5-book series, The Sons of Troy Ledger, will be out in September.

P.J. Mellor was thrilled to learn her 2009 release, Drive Me Wild, is a finalist in the Heart of Excellence Readers! Choice Award. Drive Me Wild also won Best Erotic Anthology 2009 from the reviewers at Romance Reviews Today (RRT).

Jessica Trapp got Trapped in a Book Sydney where she was sponsor for the Romance Writers of Australia conference this year. She says, “What an awesome time! Excellent workshops, friendly people and a beautiful beach to walk on. So grateful to for the opportunity to go.”

Michele Dunaway is excited and bittersweet over her final Harlequin American Romance release, The Doctor!s Little Miracle, which is out this month. However she’s enjoying the time off from writing romance to do family stuff that she!s put off for the last 11 years while she churned out those 23 contracted books. Also, in mid-August she became a contributor to VisualThesaurus.com, meaning she!s just shifting gears. She reports it!s rather fun to have college professors and literary types agreeing and commenting on her “Teachers at Work” columns.

Teri Thackston, writing as Tea Trelawny, wants to announce the release of her newest book Wood-Lovin’ Nymph. This erotic romance is written in the fantasy vein, and is a ‘quickie’ from Ellora’s Cave. Wood Nymph Ariana loves the Central Park Oak tree in which she lives–but she craves Rick Ballentine’s hard body more. Unfortunately the sexy NYPD detective believes she’s working with a couple of muggers in the park. To avoid arrest, she must convince him of her innocence and she’s willing to use her body to do it. Wood-Lovin’ Nymph is available at www.jasminejade.com beginning Sept. 9.

As I write this, it’s the end of July and many are off to Orlando.

Congrats go to Leslie Marshman who sold a short story to True Romance for the October issue that’s focusing on Breast Cancer Awareness. She got home from the West Houston meeting Saturday to find the contract in the mail. Her story is tentatively titled BLIND DATE REDEMPTION and it’s her first sale.  (Squee!).

In other exciting news, Sophie Jordan’s debut YA, FIRELIGHT, has been optioned for film! In addition, HarperTeen has also decided to send Sophie on a 5-city book tour in September, the month of FIRELIGHT’S release. She’ll be visiting Chicago, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas and Austin. In related news, FIRELIGHT has more foreign sales to report. Turkey and Brazil can be added to the growing list.

Next, Tera Lynn Childs is thrilled to announce that her June 1st release, FORGIVE MY FINS, has already gone back for a third printing!

Last but not least, Kathleen Y’Barbo is pleased to announce that her Rita nominated book THE CONFIDENTIAL LIFE OF EUGENIA COOPER was just named a finalist in Historical Romance in the American Christian Fiction Writers’ CAROL contest. Congrats!

Happy July. We have some sizzling hot news this month. Congrats go first to Jo Anne Banker, who is happy to announce that her new work in progress, LOST AND FOUND, finaled in the series contemporary category of the Tampa Area Romance Author’s 2010 TARA contest. This is the first time Jo Anne!s entered this manuscript in any contest, making the news even sweeter. Wanda Ottewell of Superromance is the final editor judge.

Kerrelyn Sparks continues to have a super hot year. She is thrilled that the sixth book from the Love at Stake series, SECRET LIFE OF A VAMPIRE, has won the Award of Excellence contest, paranormal category, sponsored by the Colorado Romance Writers.  The same book has finaled in the PRISM contest. Her September release, EAT PREY LOVE, will be a featured alternate in the Rhapsody/Doubleday Book Club. For more information, please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com.

After a disagreement between editors at her publishing house, Michele Dunaway’s Complete Idiot’s Guide will not be released. Thus, Michele is trying the Kindle route and the renamed book, INSIDE THE WORLD OF VAMPIRES, is available
for download at Amazon.com and through Smashwords.com. While she waits for the pennies to trickle in, she!s delighted to announce that she sold her eighth educational article to VisualThesaurus.com. The day job continues to be a delight.

Summer is officially here and we have a few items of news to share.

First up, Jane Myers Perrine’s Love Inspired historical, Second Chance Bride, is a finalist in both the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellent Contest and the Golden Quill.  Congratulations Jane.

This year has been fabulous for Kerrelyn Sparks, and her good run continues.  Kerrelyn is creeping out of deadline hell to announce!that Secret Life of a Vampire has!finaled in the Light Paranormal category of the PRISM contest. She’s also happy to report another sale in the Love at Stake series to Germany and the sale of three books to Turkey. Her next book (in English) is Eat Prey Love, releasing Sept. 28. For more information, please visit Kerrelyn on Facebook or at www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Happy May! Let’s get started. We have tons of news this month, starting with tons of finalist announcements and awards!

Jessica Trapp’s THE PLEASURES OF SIN was a finalist in the Write Touch contest!

Nina Bangs was honored to have ETERNAL CRAVING, the second book in her Gods of the Night series, win the Romantic Times award as Best Shape Shifter Romance of 2009. She just turned in ETERNAL PREY, book 3 in that same series, due out later this year from Avon!

Kim Lenox shares that her book, SO STILL THE NIGHT, won the 2009 Romantic Times Best Vampire/Shapeshifter/Werewolf Romance award!

Linda Barrett’s SUMMER AT THE LAKE is a contest finalist in the WRITE TOUCH READERS’ AWARD sponsored by WisRWA as well as for the AWARD OF EXCELLENCE sponsored by Colorado Romance Writers!

P.J. Mellor’s February 2009 release, DRIVE ME WILD, was named Best Erotic Anthology 2009 by RRT (Romance Reviews Today)!

TJ Bennett’s sophomore novel, THE PROMISE finaled in the OCC RWA Book Buyers Best historical category. She also signed with Lucienne Diver of The Knight Agency. And the foreign rights to her debut novel, THE LEGACY, sold to France!

Kay Hudson’s PAPER HEARTS, set in coastal Texas in 1878, made the finals of the Hearts Through History online chapter’s Romance Through the Ages contest, in the Colonial/Western/Civil War category. This manuscript has followed Kay around for a number of years, through several life changes (and computers), until she finally finished it last year. Unless someone waving a contract asks for revisions, of course!

Kimberly Frost was awarded the 2010 PEARL award for Best New Author. Kimberly was also delighted to learn that Book 1 in the Southern Witch series, WOULD-BE WITCH, is being turned into an audio book!

If you are in a charitable mood, Cheryl Bolen is once again participating in Brenda Novak’s online auction to raise money for juvenile diabetes research. Cheryl is donating a critique of a synopsis.

The auction runs the entire month of May. Many other chapter PAN members are participating. Check it out at www.BrendaNovak.com.!

In sale news, Colleen Thompson and Joanna Wayne have new sales to report, of two connected books for Harlequin Intrigue’s new “Shiver” books, described as eerie, horroresque romantic suspense geared toward a somewhat younger reader. Colleen’s story, tentatively titled SHADOWED DAWN, is the first in a New Orleans series, to be followed by Joanna Wayne’s conclusion, GOSSAMER MOON. The books are currently scheduled for Sept. and Oct. 2011.!

Christie Craig signed a three-book contract with Grand Central Publishing for her new series, Don’t Mess With Texas. Her young adult, BORN AT MIDNIGHT, to be released by St. Martins Press in 2011, is already garnering interest in foreign markets. Also Christie’s latest release, DIVORCED, DESPERATE AND DECEIVED finaled in the Book Buyers Best Contest, and her June release, SHUT UP AND KISS ME received a wonderful review from Publishers Weekly!

Congratulations everyone!

We start off April with fabulous news from WHRWA members.

First up, sales. Gerry Bartlett is happy to know that the REAL VAMPIRES series will go on. She just got a contract from Berkley for book 7 to be released the summer of 2011.

Shane Bolks Axcell reports that Sourcebooks sold Turkish and Spanish rights for Shana Galen’s June 2010 release THE MAKING OF A DUCHESS.

In award news, Linda Barrett is delighted that her book, SUMMER AT THE LAKE, is a finalist in the CRW’s Award of Excellence contest.

Linda Warren’s MADISON’S CHILDREN is a finalist in Category Contemporary for The Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence. Also, Madison’s Children is a finalist in Long Contemporary for The Colorado Award of Excellence.

In release news, we couldn’t be more thrilled for Kerrelyn Sparks, whose latest release, THE VAMPIRE AND THE VIRGIN, zoomed out of the bat cave and landed at # 5 on the New York Times and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. It also hit # 25 on the USAToday list and # 1 on  Border’s bestselling romance list.

Teri Thackston’s latest book HIDDEN TREASURE is an erotic paranormal romance written under her Téa Trelawny pseudonym. Can “intimacy” give a spirit the energy to manifest? This short book is available at  http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8182-138-hidden-treasure.aspx.

Sophie Jordan’s (aka Sharie Kohler) newest historical romance, IN SCANDAL THEY WED, received a TOP PICK from Romantic Times Book Reviews. She also recently returned from NYC where she filmed two videos — one about her debut YA series for HarperTeen and the other for her adult paranormal romance series for Pocket. Sophie has been selected to speak on the YA Buzz panel this May at Book Expo of America in NYC (and sign arcs while she’s there). Her editor, Farrin Jacobs, will also attend and feature Sophie’s YA debut, FIRELIGHT, on an editor YA buzz panel (Publisher Weekly link: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/453492- March_18_In_Brief.php)

In addition, Sophie Jordan and Tera Lynn Childs will be attending the TLA conference in San Antonio this April where they will be signing ARCs of their upcoming YAs.

Congrats to Pat Rosen and Kathleen Y’barbo!

The Confidential Life of Eugenia Cooper by Kathleen Y’Barbo
2010 RITA for Inspirational Romance Finalists

A Place at the Table by Patricia O’Dea Rosen
2010 Golden Heart Finalists — Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

I must admit, I like March. March brings the official start of spring and a sense of renewal, which is what we all need after a long, cold winter. It’s like the energy returns in full along with longer days and bright sunshine. We also get to think green and go green as St. Patrick’s Day rolls around!

Our news for the month starts with author book signings!

On Saturday, March 13, TERRI THACKSTON will join Missy Jane, Kimberly Ivey and Tambra Kendall at Once Read Twice Sold Books in Spring for a book signing event. Once Read Twice Sold Books is a new bookstore that offers new and used books. The physical address is 250 Cypresswood Suite E in Spring, TX 77388 (281-355-1300). Check their website at http://www.oncereadtwicesoldbooks.com!

COLLEEN THOMPSON will also be signing. Colleen will be signing copies of her new romantic thriller, TOUCH OF EVIL at the meeting and March. 20 at 4:30 PM at Murder by the Book. April signings include Katy Budget Books April 3 (time TBA) and April 10! from 2-PM (following our meeting) at Good Books in the Woods in The Woodlands. TOUCH OF EVIL is a Night Owl Romance Top Pick!

In numbers news, GERRY BARTLETT was thrilled that her February release from Berkley, REAL VAMPIRES HATE THEIR THIGHS, hit #7 on the Barnes & Noble romance trade paperback bestseller list and # 10 on the Borders bestseller list the week it came out. It also was one of the top 100 paperbacks on Bookscan that week. This is number five in her Glory St. Clair series!

We all want those milestone sales, and thus we give a huge, special shout out to PATRICIA KAY, who is proud to announce the sale of her 50th book.! OH, BABY (working title) will be a 2011 release from Silhouette Special Edition! In a happy coincidence, the sale came almost exactly 20 years after the date of her very first sale. Congrats Pat!

KRISTI GOLD also hit a sales milestone. Kristi is thrilled to announce a three-book sale to Harlequin Superromance, for a series set in the Mississippi Delta. The first book in the trilogy will be her 30th release since her publishing debut in 2000. She’s hoping for at least 30 more and so are we! Congrats Kristi!
In other news, VICKI DREILING is beyond excited to announce her debut historial romance HOW TO MARRY A DUKE is slated for publication in January 2011!

SUSAN BREEDEN’S literary short story “Gift of Flight” (published in Zone 3, Spring 2008) has been listed as a “Notable Western Story of the Year” in the Best of the West 2009 anthology (University of Texas Press) !

LINDA WARREN’s THE SHERIFF OF HORSESHOE, TEXAS won the CataRomance Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Harlequin American of 2009!

Long distance member MICHELE DUNAWAY made two more sales to Visualthesaurus.com, a website that focuses on words and word usage. Michele’s articles appear in the Teachers at Work section.

It’s the month of love, romance, Emily awards and fabulous news. Let’s get started with the good news, which this month is in no particular order.

Gerry Bartlett’s second book in her Glory St. Clair series, REAL VAMPIRES LIVE LARGE, will be translated and released in Germany in April. Along with that, the German magazine “The Love Letter” asked her to write her own love story. How she met her husband on a blind date more than thirty years ago will be in the April issue of the magazine with her original wedding picture.

Sharie Kohler (aka Sophie Jordan) is happy to report the foreign sale of her historical romance, ONE NIGHT WITH YOU, to Japan.

Colleen Thompson just learned that BENEATH BONE LAKE has been named a finalist for Best Paperback Original in the 2010 Thriller Award of the International Thriller Writers. She’s really excited since so many of what she likeS to think of as the rock stars of the thriller genre have finalled in or won one of these awards.

After six years, Judythe Hixson writing as Judythe Morgan has finaled in the Emily again. Her entry, CLAIMING ANNIE’S HEART, was a revised, edited and tweaked manuscript based on previous Emily contest judges’ suggestion and comments from Pat Kay’s wonderful novel writing classes.

Lynn Lorenz reports that in January, BAYMORE’S HEIR, the third book in The Company of Men series, came out from Loose Id, and will be followed by the February 14th release of her novella Breakfast At Tiffany’s, from Amber Quill Press. The Silent Lodge, a menage novella in The Company of Men series, was accepted by Loose Id and is scheduled to be published this April. And Lynn made the 2009 Liquid Silver Books Top 20 Books in sales with Second Moon, a werewolf novella, published in 2008. She’s also made the top sales lists at Loose Id, with Best Vacation That Never Was, and top sales at Amber Allure, with My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys.

Lara Chapman’s FLAWLESS, a modern retelling of the Cyrano story in which a seniorclass salutatorian with a notable nose agrees to help her perfectly gorgeous best friend catch the eye of the new hottie at school, only to discover he’s actually the perfect guy for her, sold to Caroline Abbey at Bloomsbury Children’s, by Holly Root at Waxman Literary Agency (world).

Jessica Trapp is excited to announce that she started a newsletter, which is available at www.jessicatrapp.com

And last but not least, Joanna Wayne reports that BRAVO, TANGO, COWBOY was nominated by RT as Best Intrigue of 2009.

Happy New Year everyone. As we get ready to tackle 2010 and all those writing resolutions we’ve made, let’s take a moment to reflect on some 2009 successes and some early 2010 release news.

Congrats to Susan Breeden, whose manuscript, A DIFFERENT BEAT, came in second in East Texas RWA’s “Southern Heat” contest (Contemporary Single Title), and first place in Valley of the Sun “Hot Prospects” contest (Contemporary Single Title).

Additional congrats to Bonnie Johnston, who, writing as Daria Drake, had her WIP, RITES OF CLAY, place first in the Fantasy category of the 2009 On The Far Side contest.

We continue to be thrilled for Kay Hudson, whose light paranormal, JINN & TONIC, placed first in its category in the Southern Heat Contest and third in the Hot Prospects Contest. Kay took the month of December off after sending two entries to the Golden Heart (we’ll keep our fingers crossed for you Kay), and she plans to get back to work on a new computer in early January. Meanwhile, on the day after Christmas, she adopted a cat named Nutmeg, a Siamese/Burmese mix (as far as anyone can tell, since Nutmeg was rescued from a storm drain in August) through Second Chance Pets.

Sometimes fans can be fantastic, and Gerry Bartlett has a “fan”atic who is determined to see her Real Vampire books made into a TV series. This fan has started a petition and vows to take it to all the networks as soon as she has a thousand signatures. She’s even offering prizes out of her own pocket as incentive. Here’s the link if you want to help her along. Gerry’s dreaming. www.petitiononline.com/realvamp/petition

In release news, Jessica Trapp found out her next book, which is still untitled, will be out in December 2010. Watch this column for the title!

Lynn Lorenz has two upcoming releases, BAYMORE’S HEIR, from Loose Id, Jan. 5, and BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S, from Amber Quill Press, Feb.14. Way to start the year off, Lynn!

Linda Jacobs celebrates the New Year with an audio books contract. She has contracted with Books in Motion for the three titles in The Yellowstone Series: SUMMER OF FIRE, RAIN OF FIRE, and LAKE OF FIRE, originally published in book form by Medallion Press. They will be recorded and released in audio format in the Spring of 2010. Sweet.

And Michele Dunaway finished off 2009 by writing her second article on teaching for Visual Thesaurus.com entitled “Why Literary Analysis is Subjective” and also by learning that her February 2010 Harlequin American release, BABY IN THE BOARDROOM was a 4.5 star RT Top Pick. She’s currently at work on revisions for a September release, and then who knows as she’s currently out of contract. But the teaching job is going well and keeping her busy: Michele received one of four prestigious Journalism Education Association Medal of Merit awards at the national convention in Washington, D.C., which are awarded for outstanding contributions to scholastic journalism.

Single Title Finalists

• UNOPENED DREAMS by Jan Aldridge
• GETTING LUCKY by Katie Graykowski
• DEAR PRUDENCE by Ann James
• MURDER, CURLERS, AND CANES by Arlene McFarlane
• CLAIMING ANNIE’S HEART by Judythe Morgan**
• ODIN’S END by Dawna Rand

Paranormal Finalists

• DARKNESS DAWNS by Leslie D. Duvall
• TIGER PRINCESS by Higley Browne
• WARRIOR by Allison Leake
• INNER EYE by Gwen Mitchell
• BLOOD BORN by Kylie Griffin

Historical Finalists

• THE DEVIL MAY CARE by Elisa Beatty
• VIOLETS AND VIOLINS by Keli Gwyn
• GUARDIAN by Patricia Patton
• SECRET by Patricia Patton
• THE LAST WOMAN by Karen Stuyck

Contemporary Series Finalists

• REDEMPTION by Nancy Evertz
• HIS DARK PAST by Rebecca Sampson
• GRAVE SECRETS by Linda Trout

**Member of WHRWA

Announcing our Romantic Times Award Nominees!

Harlequin Intrigue
BRAVO, TANGO, COWBOY
Joanna Wayne
(Nov.)

Innovative Historical Romance
SINS OF A WICKED DUKE
Sophie Jordan
Avon (Apr.)

Historical Vampire/Werewolf/Shapeshifter Romance
SO STILL THE NIGHT
Kim Lenox
Signet Eclipse (May)

Shapeshifter Romance
ETERNAL CRAVING
Nina Bangs
Leisure (May)

Best Inspirational Novel
A BRIDE IN THE BARGAIN
Deeanne Gist
Bethany House (Jun.)

Patricia Kay is pleased to announce the sale of book #49 to Silhouette Special Edition. WRONG GROOM, RIGHT BRIDE will be a June 2010 release in a special “bride’s month” promotion. Pat is also taking part in a Hunt for Cinderella II: Finding Prince Charming series with three other Special Edition authors. Pat’s book (still untitled) will be the last of the four stories and is scheduled for publication in February 2011. Congrats Pat!

Kay Hudson’s humorous paranormal, JINN & TONIC, is a finalist in the Valley of the Sun Romance Writers’ Hot Prospects contest. After a series of near misses and spilt decisions (“I love this story!” and “What the heck is this pile supposed to be?” applied to the same entry–Kay likes to think this represents the infamous “strong voice” reaction), she is delighted to be a finalist again. Hot Prospects uses two final judges, an editor and an agent. Here’s crossing our fingers for Kay!

And with a win, we are thrilled for Pat O’Dea Rosen, whose contest entry, A PLACE AT THE TABLE, won the single-title category of the TARA contest. The final judge was Deb Werksman of Sourcebooks.