It’s time for the annual readers poll at Preditors and Editors and Romance Divas is nominated in three categories: writers’ forum, writers’ workshops, and writers’ resources. In addition, many Divas have also been nominated in various writing categories. If you’ve not yet done so, click on over now and vote for Romance Divas!

Writers’ Discussion Forum:
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/writerforum.shtml

Writers’ Resources/Information/News Source:
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/writerinfo.shtml

Writers’ Workshops:
http://www.critters.org/predpoll/writerws.shtml

I’d like to welcome Trace Edward Zaber of Amber Quill Press to Romance Divas!

To help us start off 2006 with a bang, Trace has graciously accepted to run a special column as our resident e-publisher guru to help our members out in their quest for publication. With our growing community, we thought it would be helpful to provide straight answers from an industry professional’s standpoint. For first time writers, he’ll go over the proper way to submit and will cover topics ranging from queries to formatting to first time “boo-boo’s”. He’ll provide insightful articles and initiate topics that will help us in our preparation for submitting to publishers.

We are excited and delighted that he is able to give up some of his time to help shape the future writers of the world. I’m confident his contribution will assist us as we move forward as on our road to publication!

Let’s welcome him to our family!

:: Jax

By Lacey Sue

I love the Incredible Shrinking Divas forum! I signed right up for the Body Challenge. That should be very interesting! I urge any diva who wants to lose weight to look into the Body Challenge. If you decide not to participate, I suggest this: make at least one change per day in what you eat (like having 10 chips instead of 20, or one cup of ice cream if you’re used to having two – you get the idea) and drink more water. That will be a great start!

There are three things I’m going to suggest for this month to get us on our way to glam.

The first thing I’m going to suggest, divas, is taking a good look at your cuticles and nails. Set aside some quiet time to get them in shape. Gently rubbing some Vaseline-type product into your cuticles before you go to bed might help – I know it will help mine!

The second thing is to find a few minutes to tweeze any stray eyebrows if you’ve been faithfully tweezing, or take longer to do the whole job if it’s been a while.

The third thing is to feel your feet. Go ahead – they won’t bite LOL! Are they rough? How about soaking them in the tub or a container of warm water? Then smooth on some lotion and tuck them into a pair of socks overnight. If you can do this a couple of times a week, your feet will be smoother by month’s end.

Now to jot these things down so I don’t forget!

Happy Glammin’!

Join the discussion

by Josie A. Okuly

My first review for Trimagon Hall came out yesterday, and let’s just say it’s a great one! Great, as in, “we don’t hate you!” Great, as in, “we might really, really like you!” Sorry…I was channeling Sally Field’s Oscar speech for a moment. As I read the Great Review, I couldn’t help but remember a conversation with another writer when I brought up the subject of writing a Gothic romance. Let me set the scene for you. She’s in her early twenties. Barely. I’m…a little older. Okay, much older. She didn’t grow up reading Victoria Holt, Phyllis A. Whitney, Dorothy Eden…well, you get the picture. If you happened to be a fly on the wall, this is the conversation you might have heard:

Me: I’m thinking of writing a Gothic romance.

Her: Gothic, don’t you mean Goth?

Me: No, no. Gothic, you know, like Victoria Holt?

Her: Who?
Me: (raising an eyebrow): Phyllis A. Whitney?

Her: (looking confused and very young): Doesn’t ring a bell.

Me: (eyebrow in danger of disappearing into hairline): Dorothy Eden?

Her: (shaking head): Will the book be about vampires?

Me: (shaking head vehemently): No, Gothic in the Victoria Holt tradition of creepy, old castles, brooding, scowling men, innocent heroines, dark family secrets which must be revealed, untamed waves crashing into craggy cliffs…

Her: (eyes shining): Are you sure it won’t have a vampire? That sounds like a vampire story. Or maybe one about werewolves.

Me: (through clenched teeth): You’re thinking of a different genre.

Her: (looking offended and very young): Well what is this Gothic stuff anyway? The only word that even resembles it is Goth, and Goth won’t sell in the romance world. Are you sure you didn’t just make up that word?

Me: It’s Gothic…ick…ick…ick. Why do you keep forgetting the ick?

Her: (under her breath): Ick is right. Listen,if you want to write a vampire story, you should have it take place in the here and now. The main character should love designer shoes and act like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That’s what selling these days.

Me: (teeth so clenched air can’t escape): My Gothic won’t have vampires! It will have atmosphere. There was a time when atmosphere was everything.

Her: What’s atmosphere? Is that anything like voice? You have to have a chick lit voice if you’re gonna write chick lit.

Me: (in danger of self-implosion): This is not chick lit. I don’t even know how to write chick lit.

Her: Then what are we talking about?

Me; I’m writing a Gothic romance.

Her: (under her breath): I still think you made up that word.

Disclaimer: Conversation might never have occurred.

This just in from Galleycat:

Folio: the newest Superagency
Well that revolving door’s getting a whole lot of use today, as word trickles in about the formation of a new agency, Folio Literary Management.

The new agency will be comprised of three agents with serious pedigrees: Scott Hoffman, formerly of PMA Lit & Film; Jeff Kleinman, formerly of Graybill & English, and Paige Wheeler, who founded the Creative Media Agency. We’re still waiting for further word from the principals (and once that comes in, it’ll appear in this post), but for the moment, Hoffman is set up with the foliolit.com domain, and presumably Kleinman and Wheeler will get their contact information changed later today or early next week.

It also remains to be seen which clients will jump ship to Folio. Hoffman repped David Maine, Mario Acevedo, David Klinger, and the guys behind COMMON SENSE ECONOMICS; Wheeler’s list included Marianne Mancusi, Connie Lane and Roberta Isleib; and Kleinman’s best known for representing Ron McLarty and Robert Hicks (of THE MEMORY OF RUNNING and THE WIDOW OF THE SOUTH fame, respectively.)

By Pepper Espinoza

Thanks for inviting me to write something!

I think it was around December 3, 2005 when despair set in. I hit a major slump. I won’t say I got “writer’s block”—I wouldn’t know. I never tried to write anything. For the entire month. Meanwhile, I collected three rejection slips on projects that really meant a lot to me, and one of the contests I entered pushed back the announcement by a full six weeks. At one point, I even convinced myself that I should withdraw my submissions, or at the very least, never submit anything again. You see, I believed that I had American Idol Syndrome—I wasn’t self-aware enough to realize I sucked, so chances were, I probably sucked.

But a few things happened to change my thinking. First, two of my short stories were accepted by Whiskey Creek Press Torrid (http://www.whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com) for their Torrid Teasers Line. That was a healthy boost to the ol’ ego! Healthy enough that I could at least consider submitting again.

Then my second full-length novel, “The Zebra Wore Fishnets,” was released on Jan 2. ( http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/the…refishnets.htm) It’s a good novel. I like that novel. So I thought to myself, “Self, you have another novel that’s finished. Why sit on it? That novel deserves a chance!”

So the next day, January 3, I prepared a submission for Samhain Publishing (http://www.samhainpublishing.com/). I targeted Samhain because I am really impressed with their website and their other releases, and it seemed like a company I’d like to be a part of. Meanwhile, I emailed Raven at Liquid Silver (http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com) and asked for an update on a revision I had sent her in October.

Of course, the stage was now set for horrible heartbreak. If they both turned me down, would my confidence be able to take the blow? I figured I had some time to prepare myself.

Except that I didn’t.

Two days after I emailed Raven, she replied that she liked the revisions and she would accept “California Stars.” Oh, Happy Day! I have been trying to sell that novel for over a year now!

Three hours after that email, I received one from Samhain Publishing. As soon as I saw the mail alert, my heart sank. You get rejections back in two days, not acceptance letters. With a trembling hand and a faint heart, I opened the email…to find an acceptance! She loved “Be Thou My God” and wanted to offer a contract! Now, this acceptance was gratifying for a couple of reasons—namely this particular novel has caused me nothing but grief from day one. I liked the idea and I liked the characters, but they didn’t like me, and it was a struggle to make them behave. I didn’t believe I’d ever finish it, much less get it to the point that it’s publishable!

But here we are. Three years since I started “California Stars” and two years since I started “Be Thou My God.” The point of this story? Just don’t give up. Don’t give up on yourself and don’t give up on your work.

Yes, U.S. Divas, the dreaded day is here. Please remember that, effective today, postage rates increase another two cents. Let’s make sure the proper postage goes on those manuscripts, queries, and SASEs this day forward.

Following are selected rate and fee changes:

Domestic:

First-Class Mail Letter (1 oz.) 39¢

First-Class Mail Letter (2 oz.) 63¢

Postcard 24¢

Priority Mail (1 lb.) and Flat Rate Envelope $4.05

Priority Mail Flat Rate Box $8.10

Express Mail (1/2 lb.) and Flat Rate Envelope $14.40

Express Mail (over 1/2 lb., up to 2 lb.) $18.80

Certified Mail $2.40

Return Receipt (Original Signature) $1.85

Return Receipt (Electronic) $1.35

International

POSTCARDS

Canada & Mexico 55¢
Other Countries 75¢

LETTERS TO CANADA & MEXICO (1 oz): 63¢

LETTERS OVERSEAS (1 oz): 84¢

For more rate changes, click here.

By Jennifer Colgan, AKA JAC

As writers, we learn all too quickly about the down side of our chosen profession. We’re warned at every turn to fortify ourselves against rejection, writer’s block, isolation and the often humbling reality of our earnings-to-effort ratio.

With so much stacked against us, you’d wonder why we keep at it. Aside from the greatest, and often only, reward of getting the story down on paper before it drives us bonkers, there are those moments that make the writing life infinitely worthwhile.

Signing a contract is of course, the big one, but winning or placing in a writing contest, hearing from a satisfied [and mentally stable] fan, or placing on a best sellers list can reaffirm our commitment to worship the muse.

I was fortunate enough to experience the last one recently and Diva Jenna asked me to write about how it made me feel to see one of my stories on a best sellers list.

In a word: Shocked.

Seeing my spicy sci-fi novella HUNTER’S MOON listed at #1 on the New Concepts Best Sellers List at Fictionwise [back on October 17, 2005] and now on the Fictionwise Best Selling E-books list for the past six months [currently at #14] is a surreal experience.

I’ve read the list over and over, focusing on the letters of my pen name, Bernadette Gardner, and wondering if there’s someone else by the same name who wrote a story called HUNTER’S MOON. It wouldn’t be that much of a stretch, considering C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp also have a book called HUNTER’S MOON, as does Lori Hadelund. Theirs were released around the same time mine was. O.R. Melling, Michael Friedman, Chuck Logan, Dana Stabenow, Bobbi Smith, and Karen Robards also have published books called HUNTER’S MOON. Surely Fictionwise must have meant one of those novels to go on that list along with Dan Brown’s THE DA VINCI CODE and Christopher Paolini’s ELDEST.

How the heck did something I wrote largely while sitting on a park bench watching my son at soccer practice, end up on a list that also includes Lisa Kleypas, Stephen King, Christine Carlisle and Michelle Pillow? Beats me.

I printed out the list and stuck it up on my bulletin board so I can admire it and tell myself, even if someone crunched the wrong numbers at Fictionwise, they still made my day and reminded me that the grueling job of writing does have its perks.

www.bernadettegardner.com
www.bernadettegardner2.blogspot.com

by Nancy aka njh0021

Having decided to make a serious effort at writing, I’d been looking online for romance writing resources. Not finding anything that I really liked, I had given up when I found the Writer’s Digest article “101 Best Websites”. I flipped though and wrote some down. The one name that caught my eye was the Romance Divas site. I tried it out and registered so that I could log in to the forum.

Immediately I noticed the warmth and caring of the online Divas. I had found what I needed…a place where writers could share not only their work but their lives. So far I’ve seen the Divas support each other through the success of publication or the heartbreak of personal realities.

The website is very diverse in that inspirational writers intermingle with YA authors and erotic romance divas. It’s almost like one stop shopping! As an aspiring romance writer, the ability to brainstorm love scenes or seek helpful criticism is priceless.

I’m really hoping to learn to create characters that draw in the reader…the kind that make you mad when the book is over because you never want to leave their world or the kind that make you have to keep the tissues handy. Eventually, I want to seek publication, and the experience and advice of the Divas will be invaluable. I see that already in the success stories of so many of the online members. This isn’t learning about publishing from a book – this is hands on experience at the touch of a button.

The Romance Divas are supportive friends, great teachers and gentle but firm critics who stand by each other in order to make a writer’s dreams a reality. I’ve only been on less than a week, and already I feel the Diva in me getting ready to break free!!

by Jolinn Henley aka cup o’noodles

I want to hone my craft and get published. When I first logged on to Romance Divas, I spent a lot of time looking around. Posts in the forum tackling this elusive topic always grab my attention.

Round Robin was a revelation, sparking my interest. A Diva starts a topic by writing a great opening sentence, and then other Diva’s add a sentence or a paragraph as the story ravels. I loved the idea of people helping people through input and feedback. It put a box around my problem and defined the answers. The problem was… input had died off.

Ownership is a soggy term, but it usually means someone has to take responsibility and say, “I’m going to do this.” You lead by example, and invite others to join, creating the kind of teams that built the space shuttle. Round Robin is all about teamwork. Each member inputs and each takes away. Grammar, flashbacks, introspection and backstory. By reading each hit you can learn what works and what doesn’t, how other people think and see logical progression.

Romance Diva’s Round Robin is always looking for new ideas and members. Bring a story, bring yourself, hey, bring free food. But come and contribute, learn a little something. Add a topic or two, futuristic, paranormal, historcial and snippets you have hiding in your drawers dearly wanted. This thread might just surprise you.

Try the newest Round Robin, Open Grave:

I’d never been a fan of vampires. Honest, no matter how much cologne they wear, they can’t get rid of the smell. A mixture of charnel house and mildewed polyester.

Like cats and string, most vamps I knew were into double-knits. Must be something to do with the Change. It turned the most Armani loving guy into a blue polyester cumberbund fiend. Like some whacked out version of nerds gone wild. Only these nerds would rip your head off for looking at them wrong.

Which made my current situation a mega-ten on the richter scale–