Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she’s a RITA^® nominated New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of historical romances, paranormal romances, young adult (with a movie deal in the works) and new adult fiction. She now lives in Houston with her family. When she’s not writing, she spends her time overloading on caffeine (lattes and Diet cherry Coke preferred), talking plotlines with anyone who will listen (including her kids), and cramming her DVR with true-crime and reality-TV shows.

June 8th Schedule

8:30 – Open doors – sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 – Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 – Break
10:30 to 12:00 – “New Adult”
12:00 to 12:30 – Book signing and Book Sale

New York Times bestselling author Lorraine Heath will share various techniques that help create believable characters, characters that will touch the readers’ emotions and become memorable.

Lorraine Heath wrote her first story at seven, and it involved a fisherman who fell in love with a mermaid. She has since moved on to writing about sexy cowboys and dashing English lords (and sometimes, cleverly, in the same book!). Publishers Weekly says she is a “master of her craft.” Along with being a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, she has won the RITA® Award, four Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Awards, and a Career Achievement Award.

May 11th Schedule

8:30 – Open doors – sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 – Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 – Break
10:30 to 12:00 – “Weaving Characterization to Create a Tapestry of Emotion”
12:00 to 12:30 – Book signing and Book Sale

RITA-nominated romantic suspense author Colleen Thompson shares tips to get–and keep–your story moving, escalating tension from the opening pages to the last, satisfying page. If you’ve ever struggled with a manuscript’s slow pace or sagging middle, this is the workshop will give you helpful ideas for revising your story or plotting a new one.

A former teacher and prolific speaker and blogger, Colleen Thompson is the RITA-nominated author of 25 published or contracted books, from the fast-paced romantic thrillers she has written for Harlequin, Silhouette, and Dorchester Publishing to the action-packed historicals she wrote under her Gwyneth Atlee pseudonym for Kensington. Other honors include multiple Romantic Times’ Top Picks, KISS Awards and nominations for Reviewer’s Choice Awards, Publisher’s Weekly starred reviews, numerous foreign sales, and stints on the Waldenbooks, Barnes & Noble, Bookscan and Amazon bestseller lists.

Colleen’s most recent releases are Relentless Pursuit(Harlequin Intrigue, Sept. 2012) and Passion to Protect (Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Nov. 2012). Look for The Return of Cole Colton in the fall of 2013, or visit her online at www.colleen-thompson.com.

April 13th Schedule

8:30 – Open doors – sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 – Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 – Break
10:30 to 12:00 – “Adrenaline Shots for Plots”
12:00 to 12:30 – Book signing and Book Sale

Instead this is when we have a Holiday party.  Party information is posted on the Yahoo loop.

Stay tuned for information on the January meeting.

Cheryl Bolen was all smiles in October. Her October release, Marriage of Inconvenience, popped up to number one on Amazon’s inspirational historical romance sales rank, briefly helping to boost Cheryl’s ranking to number 7 in historical romance authors. Her other October release, Christmas Brides: 3 Regency Novellas, has made the Top 100 Regency list on Amazon. Also, she accepted a contract from Montlake, Amazon’s romance publishing house. She will be the launch romance author for their new serials. Hers will begin in mid-December. To entice her to write fast, they asked her to name her advance. (She did not ask for the moon.)

Deeanne Gist’s Love on the Line placed second in the Inspirational/Traditional category for the Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award sponsored by the Ancient City Romance Authors.

Donna Grant is thrilled to announce Dawn’s Desire, a novella to spin off her new series, hit both the New York Times and USA Today lists.

Gay N. Lewis received news on October 24, 2012 from her publisher, Prism Book Group that Sarah: A Mission of Love, was #1 in three categories on Amazon.

Janice Martin is pleased to announce that her entry The Blessing took Third Place in the Inspirational Category of the 2012 TARA Contest sponsored by the Tampa Area Romance Authors. The final judge in the inspirational category was Natalie Hanemann with Thomas Nelson, who gave Janice some excellent suggestions.

P.J. Mellor ‘s latest single title, Island Nights, won the Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award.

Joan Reeves is celebrating the release of her third book in France. At the time she wrote this, Un seul regard (The French title given to her novel Just One Look ) was #1 in Kindle Littérature sentimentale. The paperback edition which came out last month is holding steady in the Top 100 of the same category. Viva les ventes en France! Joan thinks that means, “Hurray for French sales!”

Colleen Thompson is delighted to announce the sale of two more books to Harlequin Romantic Suspense. Lone Star Legacy and Return to Rusted Spur (working titles) will be 2014 releases. Colleen’s first full length Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Passion to Protect, is in stores now.

>>>>Registration is now open.  Please Click here to fill out the form.<<<<

Program 1: Subtext: Not just another buzzword

The word subtext is often heard nowadays. But what does it mean to a romance writer? How do you use it to create a layered narrative and nuanced interactions between your characters?

The goal of this workshop is breakdown this mysterious catch-all word for subtle writing into concrete techniques you can apply to your own writing, from the dynamics of dialogue to the creation and expression of themes and motifs.

Program 2: Evoking Emotions

The success of a romance rests upon its ability to evoke emotions: The reader must care about the characters. Ever pondered how to give broad appeal to an otherwise deeply flawed character? Or how to make a two-dimensional character full-fledged? This workshop teaches the tools that convey a character’s humanity and vulnerability with maximum efficiency and minimum maudlinness.

About the Speaker 

Sherry Thomas is one of the most acclaimed romance authors working today. Her books regularly receive starred reviews from trade publications and are frequently found on best-of-the-year lists. She is also a two-time winner of Romance Writers of America’s prestigious RITA® Award.

English is Sherry’s second language—she has come a long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger’s SWEET SAVAGE LOVE with an English-Chinese dictionary. She enjoys digging down to the emotional core of stories. And when she is not writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find.

Sherry’s next book, The Burning Sky, volume one of her young adult fantasy trilogy, will be available fall 2013.

Website: http://www.sherrythomas.com

Registration Fee:

$10 for WHRWA members
$25 for other RWA chapter members
$40 for everyone else

Lunch:

The chapter will provide lunch with vegetarian options.

Schedule for November 10th

8:30 AM – Doors open – Check In/Coffee
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM – Business meeting and elections
10:00 AM to 10:30 AM – Social break
10:30 AM to 12:00 PM – “Subtext: Not just another buzzword”
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM – Lunch, Book Fair, Signing with Sherry and WHRWA authors
1:30 PM to 3:00 PM – “Evoking Emotions”

Cheryl Bolen’s good news is that her 2011 Christmas novella, Christmas at Farley Manor , won Best Historical Novella of 2011 in the Romance Through the Ages competition for published authors. The bad news was they listed her name as Cheryl Manor. That may explain why she was never notified of the win. In other good news, Cheryl’s With His Lady’s Assistance (Book 1 of her lighthearted, romantic Regent Mysteries) was one of four featured indie books in Romantic Times magazine’s blog.

Vicky Dreiling sold translation rights to Russia again, this time for How to Ravish a Rake . In other news, she’ll sign books at the Buns & Roses Literacy tea in Richardson with fellow West Houston authors Sophie Jordan and Kerrelyn Sparks in October. In December, Vicky will present marketing workshops at the Orange County RWA chapter.

Shana Galen sold a novella featuring the secondary character Blue from her Lord and Lady Spy series. It will be published as an original digital short by Sourcebooks in fall 2013.

Rachel Harris’ young adult debut, My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century, about a twenty-first century girl sent to Renaissance Firenze via gypsy magic hit bookshelves and e-readers September 18th.

Gay N. Lewis’s Sarah: A Mission of Love was published by Prism Book Group on September 18. A wealthy businessman… a widow and her five-year old daughter. A dyslexic angel arrives with a love for red stiletto and a cupid assignment. Escape reality with this fun read.

Kerrelyn Sparks will be at the Buns & Roses event in Plano October 14th, signing The Forbidden Lady . Afterward, she’ll assist Sharie in the kidnapping of Sarah MacLean. Oct. 15th, Sarah and Kerrelyn will sign at the B&N in Pasadena and on Oct. 16, they’ll be at Katy Budget Books. Kerrelyn will also appear at the Ringer Library in College Station on Oct. 27th. Good news for All I Want for Christmas is a Vampire ! Walmart will feature it once again for the holiday season, so it has gone into its 12th printing for an additional 32,500 copies! For more info on appearances and to enter the contest, please visit www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Sandra Worth’s Rose of York trilogy on King Richard III has been experiencing a nice resurgence since the news out of England this month that his body may have been found and a state funeral could be in the offing, as well as a movie! You can read about the find on her blog historyworthreading.blogspot.com

Vicky Dreiling sold Italian translation rights for How to Marry a Duke, How to Seduce a Scoundrel and How to Ravish a Rake.

Vicky Dreiling’s e-novella A Season for Sin releases September 4th, 2012.  The e-novella is the prelude to her new series The Sinful Scoundrels coming Spring 2013.

Shana Galen and Katy Budget Books are having a launch party for her new Jewels of the Ton series and the first book in the series, When You Give a Duke a Diamond.  The vent is Monday September 10 from 6-8 at Katy Budget books. There will be food, jewelery, swag and fun!  Everyone is invited.

Deeanne Gist’s Love on the Line is a finalist in the Inspirational/Traditional category for the Heart of Excellence Readers’ Choice Award sponsored by the Ancient City Romance Authors. Winners will be announced in early October at their annual writers’ bootcamp in St. Augustine, Florida.

Lark Howard’s manuscript, Shadows of the Past, finaled in the single title category of Northwest Houston RWA’s Lone Star contest. Winners will be announced at the chapter’s conference in October.

Janice Martin is pleased to announce that her entry The Blessing took Third Place in the Long Contemporary Category of the Touched By Love Contest sponsored by the Faith, Hope & Love Chapter. The awards were announced at the Wednesday meeting ofthe FH&L Chapter during the RWA National Conference in Anaheim.

Joan Reeves is celebrating. The French edition of her book Jane {I’m Still Single) Jones is #1 in Romance Contemporary in France on Kobobooks.fr.

Mullholland Books, the mystery publishing arm of Houghton and Stodder, UK, is re-printing The Saint series by Leslie Charteris. Long out of print, the books served as the basis for the longrunning television series starring Roger Moore, two revival series, and a 1997 movie. Member William Simon, author of Spider’s Dance, and Sometimes, There Really ARE Monsters Under the Bed, has been invited to write the introduction to Alias the Saint, due in January of 2013.

Kerrelyn Sparks will be appearing at the Buns & Roses event in Plano, TX, on October 14. Afterward, she has plans with Vicky and Sharie to kidnap Sarah Maclean and bring her back to Houston. Kerrelyn will be signing with Sarah at the B&N in Pasadena on Monday, Oct. 15 and at KBB on Tuesday, Oct. 16 from 6-8 pm. Katy Budget Books will have print copies of Kerrelyn’s historical romance, The Forbidden Lady. As an Avon Impulse book, The Forbidden Lady will release first in e-book form on Sept. 25th for only $4.99. It is a revised version of her debut book, For Love or Country, which released in 2002. After being trapped in a closet for ten years, the sequel will also be published by Avon Impulse. To read an excerpt from The Forbidden Lady, please visit Kerrelyn’s website, www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Colleen Thompson was happy to receive an Icelandic translation of her Harlequin Intrigue, Capturing the Commando. Her next Intrigue, Relentless Protector, will be in stores on September 4th.

Linda Warren is happy to announce The Texan’s Bride won the Booksellers Best Award in Long Contemporary in Anaheim at the RWA conference. The Texan’s Bride is also a finalist for The Maggie given by the Georgia RWA. And, The Texan’s Secret won the Lorie in Contemporary Series.

Sandra Worth is delighted to announce that audio rights to her Rose of York trilogy have been sold, and that the German translation of her novel Lady of the Roses is due out in October.

Patricia (Pat) Kay began writing in 1986 and sold her first book in 1990. She will talk about her experiences as a writer — the four different publishers she’s worked for, including 20+ years with Harlequin/Silhouette, as well as the three different agents she’s worked with over the years — what it was like when she began, the changes along the way, whether it’s possible to support yourself writing, the various problems and pitfalls she’s encountered and/or how to avoid them, how to “write smart”, some of the mistakes she and others have made, etc. She will take any and all questions and answer everything you ever wanted to know about being a writer as honestly as possible, including questions about money and other possibly controversial subjects. Nothing is off limits. This will be a “let down your hair and let’s talk turkey” program.

Pat sold her first book to Silhouette Special Edition in February of 1990. CINDERELLA GIRL made the top ten Walden list the month it debuted (December 1990), something that even made Debbie Macomber ask about it. (Remind Pat to tell you that story!) Since that fateful day, she’s sold 50 more novels of both romance and women’s fiction and worked with four different publishing houses and six different imprints. Her first contemporary single title, THE WRONG CHILD, (Berkley 12/2000), was a Rita nominee and a bestseller. Her books have made the USA Today list as well as other bestseller lists. An acclaimed teacher, she taught creative writing and novel writing courses at the University of Houston and now teaches exclusively online. She has been a member of the West Houston chapter since May, 1986 and was its first newsletter editor. WHRWA honored her upon the sale of her 50th book with a beautiful award. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at www.patriciakay.com.

September 8th Schedule

8:30 – Open doors – sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 – Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 – Break
10:30 to 12:00 – “Twenty Six Years and Counting”
12:00 to 12:30 – Book signing and Book Sale