Recently, a writer/teacher friend of mine from another state sent me a letter in which she complained that writing is getting worse every day. She called it “the dumbing down of America” and she fears that critics of self-publishing might be right to blame this problem on writers who hit “Send” before their work is really ready and error-free. I was reminded of Anne R. Allen’s article a few years ago, titled, “Kindle no book before its time.”
Some writers are better than others when it comes to punctuation, grammar and other writing rules. In that case, however, as has been pointed out many times, those who are not proficient in the language need to hire an editor or proofreader. Whether I mostly read well-edited writing or somehow “missed” seeing the things the teacher finds appalling, I don’t know. So, I decided to pay attention for a couple of weeks and see if I find evidence of what she complains about.
And I did.
To be accurate, I didn’t find the exact problems she mentioned in her letter, but there were enough “boo-boos” that I began to think she has a point. Notice, I’m not naming any specific authors or the material I found the mistakes in. If any of my readers are guilty of similar errors, I hope they’ll use this opportunity to try to avoid them in the future. However, in a little over two weeks, my casual reading (not the two novels I was reading at the same time) turned up the following.
Like other languages in the world, English has rules we learned in school which helped us (helped me anyway) remember which word to use for present tense, past tense or past-perfect tense. One such list is “drink, drank, drunk.” In other words, the correct use is, “I drink, he drank, and they had drunk.” So the line, “...she’s already drank too much...” leaped out at me. The word “she’s” is a contraction of “she has,” which makes it past-perfect and therefore “drank” should be “drunk” instead.
A similar mistake occurs in the line, “...his cell phone chimed, and it hadn’t rang in a few days.” Again, a past tense verb was used instead of past-perfect. The word “rang” should be “rung.”
A word I often see mis-used is “loose” when the writer means “lose.” “Loose” is an adjective meaning the opposite of “tight.” “Lose” is a verb indicating someone is no longer in possession of something. Minor, perhaps, but, if an author makes that mistake often, he might be turning off agents or editors from accepting his work.
Another common error is not knowing the difference between “its” and “it’s”. One is a preposition and the other is a contraction of “it is.” In the sentence, ”Blame technology for it’s lack of popularity,” “it’s” is wrong and “its” is correct.
In the phrase “...she should have staid home...“ staid” is a perfectly good word, but not when the author meant to write “stayed.”
An even worse mistake is in “...companies that have went out of business...” Please, dear writer, replace “went” with “gone.”
To finish, I found two instances of writers apparently not knowing the difference between “affect” (a verb) and “effect” (usually a noun, although there are times it becomes a verb, which may explain some mistakes in its use). In “...so long as it didn’t effect the outcome...” Change “effect” to “affect.” The same is true in “... the knowledge of how scenes effect your book’s impact...” where “effect” should be “affect.”
As I mentioned earlier, the material in which I found these errors was not necessarily fiction or other prose the author hoped to publish, but authors do need to respect English and use it correctly. In most cases, it’s the only language we have. Thanks for listening.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
PROLOGUES
For as long as I’ve been writing, some 40 years now, authors have pondered the question, “Should I use a Prologue?” Some writing teachers approve of prologues, but others do not, often arguing against them on the theory that literary agents don’t like them, and to use one would hinder chances of your book being published.
Well, times change and publishing, especially mainstream fiction publishing, has changed dramatically. Today, very few authors care what agents think because they have no intention of trying to get agent representation. These days, many writers are self-publishing. Those authors are cutting out middle-men such as agents, and even traditional publishers.
However, even if you don’t plan to try for an agent, knowing if you should use a prologue or not can be important for the success of your book with readers. Their acceptance of your work is the ultimate goal. Besides, many authors believe that readers don’t actually read prologues, so what’s the point?
From my reading about the topic, as well as these 40 years of experience writing fiction, I believe there are few reasons to use a prologue and many more not to. For instance, don’t use a prologue if:
1. It’s only there to give your book an interesting “hook.”
If your reader won’t read your prologue, it’s wasted, and you’ll still need a “hook” for chapter one.
2. It gives information which rightfully belongs in chapter one. Try doing it both ways, and see which works best.
3. It’s there only because your book is a mystery and you’ve seen many published mysteries which have prologues. For a long time, mystery prologues were almost considered necessary (certainly they were a cliche), but aren’t used that much anymore.
4. It’s long. The most successful prologues are only one or two pages. Certainly, the shorter they are, the more likely they’ll get read.
5. It’s an information dump. Authors who use prologues to insert lots of backstory instead of weaving that information into the text gradually - when the reader needs to know it - can sabotage their work.
But, guess what? Backstory introduced via a prologue can actually work and is one of the few reasons to use one. However, the operative word here is “relevant.” Make sure it fits and is really necessary. Another reason to use a prologue is if there’s a significant time difference between that and the main story.
With my own work, I didn’t use one in COLD APRIL, but the author of DANGEROUS AFFAIRS, another book about the Titanic, started with the iceberg developing off the coast of Greenland and eventually coming into contact with the ship. THE GREEN BOUGH, my memoir about Aunt Gladys, has, not a prologue, but a Foreword, a short letter from Gladys to me when I was writing the book. My mainstream novel, CHOICES, has a prologue because I needed to start the story in the cockpit of the airplane before it crashes into the Pacific. And that’s all. If I can publish sixteen other books and four novellas without one, perhaps they’re not needed.
Well, times change and publishing, especially mainstream fiction publishing, has changed dramatically. Today, very few authors care what agents think because they have no intention of trying to get agent representation. These days, many writers are self-publishing. Those authors are cutting out middle-men such as agents, and even traditional publishers.
However, even if you don’t plan to try for an agent, knowing if you should use a prologue or not can be important for the success of your book with readers. Their acceptance of your work is the ultimate goal. Besides, many authors believe that readers don’t actually read prologues, so what’s the point?
From my reading about the topic, as well as these 40 years of experience writing fiction, I believe there are few reasons to use a prologue and many more not to. For instance, don’t use a prologue if:
1. It’s only there to give your book an interesting “hook.”
If your reader won’t read your prologue, it’s wasted, and you’ll still need a “hook” for chapter one.
2. It gives information which rightfully belongs in chapter one. Try doing it both ways, and see which works best.
3. It’s there only because your book is a mystery and you’ve seen many published mysteries which have prologues. For a long time, mystery prologues were almost considered necessary (certainly they were a cliche), but aren’t used that much anymore.
4. It’s long. The most successful prologues are only one or two pages. Certainly, the shorter they are, the more likely they’ll get read.
5. It’s an information dump. Authors who use prologues to insert lots of backstory instead of weaving that information into the text gradually - when the reader needs to know it - can sabotage their work.
But, guess what? Backstory introduced via a prologue can actually work and is one of the few reasons to use one. However, the operative word here is “relevant.” Make sure it fits and is really necessary. Another reason to use a prologue is if there’s a significant time difference between that and the main story.
With my own work, I didn’t use one in COLD APRIL, but the author of DANGEROUS AFFAIRS, another book about the Titanic, started with the iceberg developing off the coast of Greenland and eventually coming into contact with the ship. THE GREEN BOUGH, my memoir about Aunt Gladys, has, not a prologue, but a Foreword, a short letter from Gladys to me when I was writing the book. My mainstream novel, CHOICES, has a prologue because I needed to start the story in the cockpit of the airplane before it crashes into the Pacific. And that’s all. If I can publish sixteen other books and four novellas without one, perhaps they’re not needed.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
RESEARCH
Writing Fiction, especially historical fiction, requires research. Even contemporary fiction requires a certain amount, especially if the setting of your book is unusual or far away. This is the part many writers dislike, but I find it fascinating and rewarding. Yet, only two of my books are historical.
Of course, I was lucky, in that my husband and I traveled to different countries, and I took notes in order to describe those places accurately. At the same time, I didn’t want my book to sound like a travelogue, so I tried to limit descriptions to actual sights my characters would encounter or interact with.
Our most recent trip was to Italy, where we had the opportunity to visit Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa and Lake Como. Naturally my character did the same thing (I made my female protagonist a travel writer so I had a good excuse, but I hope I didn’t overdo it. See THE ITALIAN JOB.) In addition to actually seeing the sights, I purchased a book on Rome, Florence and Venice beforehand, and bought one about Lake Como while there.
We visited England several times because we had both relatives and friends there. Bits of that area can be found in FINDING AMY and DEAD IN THE WATER (A cozy, humorous mystery to be released October 6th). Because we owned condos on Maui, we traveled to Hawaii many times, and those books include STRANGER IN PARADISE and CHOICES. A train trip from New Orleans to Washington D.C. sparked the plot of NORTH BY NORTHEAST, and two weeks on a friend’s yacht resulted in SOUTHERN STAR. Aunt Gladys told me all about being a schoolteacher in a logging camp in Oregon in 1913, (THE GREEN BOUGH) and the many books I accumulated about the Titanic told me much of what I needed to know for COLD APRIL.
I was born and grew up in Illinois (very flat and dull), but I also lived in Phoenix briefly. However, most of the last fifty years I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, and that helped me to write ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, FREE FALL, DEAD MEN’S TALES (coming in 2016) and the novella, THE WEDDING GUEST. Also, three other novellas, under the name P.J. Humphrey, A STUDY IN AMBER, THE SIGN OF FIVE, and THE RED HERRING, are set in the “city by the bay.” A fourth in the HOLMES AND HOLMES Series is THE MISSING MAN, of which I’ve written two chapters so far.
The woman-in-jeopardy mystery, EYEWITNESS, set in New York, is due October 15, my mystery novel set in Phoenix is written but not yet published, as is BEATING THE ODDS (about horse racing in Kentucky) and a YA novel, A YEAR IN PARNEL.
Wait! I still haven’t written stories about Mexico, Germany, Canada or Africa. Hold your breath about Africa: I need to go there first. Isn’t writing the best occupation for travelers and we who wish to travel?
Of course, I was lucky, in that my husband and I traveled to different countries, and I took notes in order to describe those places accurately. At the same time, I didn’t want my book to sound like a travelogue, so I tried to limit descriptions to actual sights my characters would encounter or interact with.
Our most recent trip was to Italy, where we had the opportunity to visit Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa and Lake Como. Naturally my character did the same thing (I made my female protagonist a travel writer so I had a good excuse, but I hope I didn’t overdo it. See THE ITALIAN JOB.) In addition to actually seeing the sights, I purchased a book on Rome, Florence and Venice beforehand, and bought one about Lake Como while there.
We visited England several times because we had both relatives and friends there. Bits of that area can be found in FINDING AMY and DEAD IN THE WATER (A cozy, humorous mystery to be released October 6th). Because we owned condos on Maui, we traveled to Hawaii many times, and those books include STRANGER IN PARADISE and CHOICES. A train trip from New Orleans to Washington D.C. sparked the plot of NORTH BY NORTHEAST, and two weeks on a friend’s yacht resulted in SOUTHERN STAR. Aunt Gladys told me all about being a schoolteacher in a logging camp in Oregon in 1913, (THE GREEN BOUGH) and the many books I accumulated about the Titanic told me much of what I needed to know for COLD APRIL.
I was born and grew up in Illinois (very flat and dull), but I also lived in Phoenix briefly. However, most of the last fifty years I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, and that helped me to write ONCE MORE WITH FEELING, FREE FALL, DEAD MEN’S TALES (coming in 2016) and the novella, THE WEDDING GUEST. Also, three other novellas, under the name P.J. Humphrey, A STUDY IN AMBER, THE SIGN OF FIVE, and THE RED HERRING, are set in the “city by the bay.” A fourth in the HOLMES AND HOLMES Series is THE MISSING MAN, of which I’ve written two chapters so far.
The woman-in-jeopardy mystery, EYEWITNESS, set in New York, is due October 15, my mystery novel set in Phoenix is written but not yet published, as is BEATING THE ODDS (about horse racing in Kentucky) and a YA novel, A YEAR IN PARNEL.
Wait! I still haven’t written stories about Mexico, Germany, Canada or Africa. Hold your breath about Africa: I need to go there first. Isn’t writing the best occupation for travelers and we who wish to travel?
Wednesday, September 9, 2015
NEW MARKETS
Like most writers, I get far too much e-mail these days. About once a week, I delete a bunch, but sometimes, before deleting, I make a note about a new market I’ve heard of through those messages.
That’s especially true of one e-mail I get regularly and really like. It’s CINDI MYERS MARKET NEWS, and I just can’t say enough about how valuable that has been. This week alone, she gave out information about a publisher I will probably submit to, plus a short story site that will pay a substantial amount for stories of 1000 to 4000 words.
Cindi attends the Romance Writers of America annual conference and, while there, goes to all the Publisher Spotlights meetings. For weeks afterward, she publishes lengthy articles on these publishers, one at a time. She includes who spoke, how long the company has been in business, what they publish (as well as material they DON’T WANT to see), and full details on how to submit to them.
I also follow certain blogs because they, too, offer industry news, marketing information and insights from their many readers. The comments section alone is often worth hours of my time. The blog posts don’t come to my Inbox - I have to find them - but there are some I never want to be without: The Passive Voice, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Dean Wesley Smith, Hugh Howey, J. A. Konrath’s “A Newbie’s guide,” and (a new one for me) The Insecure Writers Support Group.
Do you, my readers, have favorite sites or blogs to recommend? Passing on worthwhile information is one of the ways I “Pay it Forward” to writers who may come after me, in thanks for all the writers before me whose help I appreciate more than I can say.
That’s especially true of one e-mail I get regularly and really like. It’s CINDI MYERS MARKET NEWS, and I just can’t say enough about how valuable that has been. This week alone, she gave out information about a publisher I will probably submit to, plus a short story site that will pay a substantial amount for stories of 1000 to 4000 words.
Cindi attends the Romance Writers of America annual conference and, while there, goes to all the Publisher Spotlights meetings. For weeks afterward, she publishes lengthy articles on these publishers, one at a time. She includes who spoke, how long the company has been in business, what they publish (as well as material they DON’T WANT to see), and full details on how to submit to them.
I also follow certain blogs because they, too, offer industry news, marketing information and insights from their many readers. The comments section alone is often worth hours of my time. The blog posts don’t come to my Inbox - I have to find them - but there are some I never want to be without: The Passive Voice, Kristine Kathryn Rusch, Dean Wesley Smith, Hugh Howey, J. A. Konrath’s “A Newbie’s guide,” and (a new one for me) The Insecure Writers Support Group.
Do you, my readers, have favorite sites or blogs to recommend? Passing on worthwhile information is one of the ways I “Pay it Forward” to writers who may come after me, in thanks for all the writers before me whose help I appreciate more than I can say.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
DESPERATE AGENTS
I’m waiting for the next report from AUTHOREARNINGS.COM (September?) And hoping to see even more progress by Indies versus Big-5 Publishers. Those reports don’t indicate what’s happening to literary agents’ earnings, but it stands to reason that the more Indie authors there are, the less money flows to agents. Signs that it is happening are definitely in the air. Examples:
1. WRITERS DIGEST MAGAZINE. The October 2015 issue arrived last week, with a cover story boldly announcing: “38 Agents Seeking New Writers Now!” Inside the magazine, eleven whole pages are devoted to “What They Want and How to Submit.” That’s in addition to their monthly “Meet the Agent” page, which features one agent, and their usual ”Breaking In” article in which four writers discuss their debut novel and “Enter the agent” gives credit to an agent every time.
WD also has a book, “Guide to Literary Agents 2016,” available for sale. I didn’t read the article because I’m no longer interested in having an agent. In fact, the only reason I’m still subscribing to WD is because, many years ago, I learned that, for a mere $10, I could get a lifetime subscription. And I’m still alive.
That was a good deal at the time, but long before Amazon and self-publishing, I gave up on agents because (1) 39 agents didn’t even have the courtesy to reply to my query (even with my SASE enclosed), despite my already having five novels published by romance publishers. (2) The agents I did work with often ignored my wishes and followed their own agenda, and (3) they all colluded to raise their “standard” commission from 10% to 15% - a 50% raise for themselves - at about the same time.
2. THE WRITER MAGAZINE. Their October issue carries not one but two lengthy articles touting agents, plus recommending readers download the digital edition of the magazine in order to get “agents’ exclusive tips.”
3. A WD writer, who edits the “WD Guide to Literary Agents” contacted the president of the Los Angeles Chapter of Mystery Writers of America offering to give talks at chapter meetings.
4. The recent RWA Conference (July, NYC) offered two workshops (Thursday and Friday) featuring agents. I believe they always offer at least one such, so this year wasn’t unusual. However, I can’t help wondering how many other agent-centric workshops they didn’t include.
If I were an agent, I’d probably do the same thing, trying desperately to save my profession when, in today’s climate, agents are no longer needed or wanted. Many are already changing the services they offer to writers including helping them to self-publish. I predict we’ll know for sure they’ve seen the handwriting on the wall when a few begin to offer to cut their commission back down to 10%.
1. WRITERS DIGEST MAGAZINE. The October 2015 issue arrived last week, with a cover story boldly announcing: “38 Agents Seeking New Writers Now!” Inside the magazine, eleven whole pages are devoted to “What They Want and How to Submit.” That’s in addition to their monthly “Meet the Agent” page, which features one agent, and their usual ”Breaking In” article in which four writers discuss their debut novel and “Enter the agent” gives credit to an agent every time.
WD also has a book, “Guide to Literary Agents 2016,” available for sale. I didn’t read the article because I’m no longer interested in having an agent. In fact, the only reason I’m still subscribing to WD is because, many years ago, I learned that, for a mere $10, I could get a lifetime subscription. And I’m still alive.
That was a good deal at the time, but long before Amazon and self-publishing, I gave up on agents because (1) 39 agents didn’t even have the courtesy to reply to my query (even with my SASE enclosed), despite my already having five novels published by romance publishers. (2) The agents I did work with often ignored my wishes and followed their own agenda, and (3) they all colluded to raise their “standard” commission from 10% to 15% - a 50% raise for themselves - at about the same time.
2. THE WRITER MAGAZINE. Their October issue carries not one but two lengthy articles touting agents, plus recommending readers download the digital edition of the magazine in order to get “agents’ exclusive tips.”
3. A WD writer, who edits the “WD Guide to Literary Agents” contacted the president of the Los Angeles Chapter of Mystery Writers of America offering to give talks at chapter meetings.
4. The recent RWA Conference (July, NYC) offered two workshops (Thursday and Friday) featuring agents. I believe they always offer at least one such, so this year wasn’t unusual. However, I can’t help wondering how many other agent-centric workshops they didn’t include.
If I were an agent, I’d probably do the same thing, trying desperately to save my profession when, in today’s climate, agents are no longer needed or wanted. Many are already changing the services they offer to writers including helping them to self-publish. I predict we’ll know for sure they’ve seen the handwriting on the wall when a few begin to offer to cut their commission back down to 10%.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
MOVIES IN 2015
I know I’m not the only one, because I’ve talked to, written or e-mailed to my friends and relatives, and we all agree that movies are not as good as they used to be. News reports confirms it too, reporting that movie ticket sales are down. Of course, they don’t mention the reason for that, but stupid, boring and cringe-worthy fare, in my humble opinion, is the reason.
One thing they got right was knowing who was actually watching what the movie studios have produced recently: teenagers. So most films released in recent years have been aimed at them. On Friday evening, when school is out and homework can be put off until Sunday night, teens flock to the cineplex to see action and adventure movies, heavy with murder, mayhem and special effects. And because those same young people fill the seats, and sometimes watch the same film more than once, studios give them what they want and thereby drive certain films to record highs for attendance.
Sounds like I’ve contradicted myself, doesn’t it? What I’m saying is that, by producing films teenagers like, they’re killing the market for thoughtful, even beautiful, films that would appeal to a more mature audience. So we adults stay home, try to find something on television or watch Netflix movies, preferably those made two or three decades earlier.
Yes, WOMAN IN GOLD was a good film that anyone twenty-one years or older, could appreciate. But it was the only one worth watching in the last three months. Ever since he played Darcy in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, like most women, I’ve been a fan of Colin Firth. I even rent his movies on Netflix. However, except for THE KING’S SPEECH (for which he won the Academy Award), there are no good Colin Firth films. And that is really surprising when you learn, as I did recently, that, although the man is only 54 years old, he’s made 42 films. One could argue that some percentage of the total are bound to be stinkers, but why so many? Is he just really bad at picking out scripts? Is he desperate for money and will accept acting roles in anything they shove at him?
Although I’m tempted to, at least to spare my readers, I’m not going to list the clunkers. I must also admit that many of the actors we could once count on to do a good job in A-list-type movies are too old to be todays’ heroes, or dead. Paul Newman, James Garner, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Steve McQueen, Burt Lancaster, William Holden, or Glenn Ford.
Of course, I’m showing my age here, but most of the movies starring those actors were worth watching. Today’s male stars should be taking their place, but I haven’t seen any of them in a major film this year. Which leads me to the obvious conclusion that Hollywood isn’t making those kinds of movies anymore. Why? Are screen writers not writing good stories? Darn. I didn’t want the reason to be the fault of writers because I’m a writer. However, I don’t write for films and don’t want to. From what I’ve read, writers in Hollywood are the least respected part of the industry. There’s even a joke that the “starlet was so stupid she was sleeping with the writer.”
There are always others who are ranked higher and are free to rewrite anything, leaving the original writer with a plot he doesn’t even recognize or with no final credit for his hours or weeks of work. On the other hand, I’m told they’re very well paid. I guess some find that a seven-figure salary is worth the aggravation. Oh, never mind.
One thing they got right was knowing who was actually watching what the movie studios have produced recently: teenagers. So most films released in recent years have been aimed at them. On Friday evening, when school is out and homework can be put off until Sunday night, teens flock to the cineplex to see action and adventure movies, heavy with murder, mayhem and special effects. And because those same young people fill the seats, and sometimes watch the same film more than once, studios give them what they want and thereby drive certain films to record highs for attendance.
Sounds like I’ve contradicted myself, doesn’t it? What I’m saying is that, by producing films teenagers like, they’re killing the market for thoughtful, even beautiful, films that would appeal to a more mature audience. So we adults stay home, try to find something on television or watch Netflix movies, preferably those made two or three decades earlier.
Yes, WOMAN IN GOLD was a good film that anyone twenty-one years or older, could appreciate. But it was the only one worth watching in the last three months. Ever since he played Darcy in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, like most women, I’ve been a fan of Colin Firth. I even rent his movies on Netflix. However, except for THE KING’S SPEECH (for which he won the Academy Award), there are no good Colin Firth films. And that is really surprising when you learn, as I did recently, that, although the man is only 54 years old, he’s made 42 films. One could argue that some percentage of the total are bound to be stinkers, but why so many? Is he just really bad at picking out scripts? Is he desperate for money and will accept acting roles in anything they shove at him?
Although I’m tempted to, at least to spare my readers, I’m not going to list the clunkers. I must also admit that many of the actors we could once count on to do a good job in A-list-type movies are too old to be todays’ heroes, or dead. Paul Newman, James Garner, Gregory Peck, James Stewart, Cary Grant, Marlon Brando, Richard Burton, Steve McQueen, Burt Lancaster, William Holden, or Glenn Ford.
Of course, I’m showing my age here, but most of the movies starring those actors were worth watching. Today’s male stars should be taking their place, but I haven’t seen any of them in a major film this year. Which leads me to the obvious conclusion that Hollywood isn’t making those kinds of movies anymore. Why? Are screen writers not writing good stories? Darn. I didn’t want the reason to be the fault of writers because I’m a writer. However, I don’t write for films and don’t want to. From what I’ve read, writers in Hollywood are the least respected part of the industry. There’s even a joke that the “starlet was so stupid she was sleeping with the writer.”
There are always others who are ranked higher and are free to rewrite anything, leaving the original writer with a plot he doesn’t even recognize or with no final credit for his hours or weeks of work. On the other hand, I’m told they’re very well paid. I guess some find that a seven-figure salary is worth the aggravation. Oh, never mind.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
2015 RWA RITA AWARDS
I didn’t bother with the Golden Heart Awards because they’re for unpublished writers. Besides, with 90 novels entered in the Ritas, there’s no room. Yes, 90 books. Contemporary Romance has 31, divided into three categories depending on book length. Plus, there are ten Romance Novellas (call them “extra short?). Historical Romance has eleven entries, divided into Long or Short. When I was a judge for the Ritas a few years ago, there weren’t as many. Even so, I was given seven books to read in a short length of time. More on that later.
1. BEST FIRST BOOK
Finalists:
Sonali Dev, A BOLLYWOOD AFFAIR, Kensington
Natalie Meg Evans, THE DRESS THIEF, Quercus Publishing
Beck Nicolas, FAKE, Harlequin Teen
Kate Breslin, FOR SUCH A TIME, Baker publishing - Bethany House
A. E. Jones, MIND SWEEPER, Self-published
Elia Winters, PURELY PROFESSIONAL, Harlequin-Carina
Alyssa Alexander, THE SMUGGLER WORE SILK, Penguin-Berkley
Patience Griffin, TO SCOTLAND WITH LOVE, Penguin-Signet
Winner: Clara Kensie, RUN TO YOU, Harlequin Teen
2. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE - LONG
Finalists:
Tracy Brogan, THE BEST MEDICINE, Montlake Romance
Heidi Cullinan, FEVER PITCH, Samhain Publishing
Jill Shalvis, IT’S IN HIS KISS, Grand Cental Pub.
Nancy Harkness, THE PLACE I BELONG, Montlake Romance
Nicole Burnham, SLOW TANGO WITH A PRINCE, Self-published
Beth Vogt, SOMEBODY LIKE YOU, Simon & Schuster - Howard
Liz Talley, THE SWEETEST SEPTEMBER, Harlequin Superromance
Patience Griffin, TO SCOTLAND WITH LOVE, Penguin - Signet
Katy Regnery, THE VIXEN AND THE VET, Self-published
Winner: Jane Graves, BABY IT’S YOU, Grand Central - Forever
3. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE - MID-LENGTH
Finalists:
Virginia Kantra, CAROLINA MAN, Penguin - Berkley
Tanya Michaels, HER COWBOY HERO, Harlequin - American
Sarah Mayberry, HER KIND OF TROUBLE, Harlequin - Superromance
Jennifer Apodaca, HER TEMPORARY HERO, Entangled Publishing
Lori Wilde, LOVE WITH A PERFECT COWBOY, Harper-Collins - Avon
Tara Taylor Quinn, ONCE A FAMILY, Harlequin - Superromance
Inara Scott, REFORMING THE PLAYBOY, Entangled Publishing
Emilie Rose, STARTING WITH JUNE, Harlequin - Superromance
Caitie Quinn, WORTH THE FALL, Self-published
Winner: Jill Shalvis, ONE IN A MILLION, Grand Central Publishing
4. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE - SHORT
Finalists:
Caro Carson, THE BACHELOR DOCTOR’S BRIDE, Harlequin - Special
Julie Miller, BAD GIRL, Harlequin Intrigue
Nancy Warren, BLUEPRINT FOR A KISS, Self-published
Emily McKay, BRIDE FOR THE BLACKSHEEP BROTHER, Harlequin Desire
Louisa George, ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS, Harlequin - Mills & Boon
Tiffany Reisz, THE HEADMASTER, Harlequin - e-Shivers
Merline Lovelace, HER UNFORGETTABLE ROYAL, Harlequin Desire
Farrah Rochon, YOURS FOREVER, Harlequin - Kimani
Winner: Caro Carson, A TEXAS RESCUE CHRISTMAS, Harlequin Special
5. EROTIC ROMANCE
Finalists:
Lynda Aicher, BONDS OF DENIAL, Harlequin - Carina
Talia Surova, CALL ME SAFFRON, Self-published
Elia Winters, PURELY PROFESSIONAL, Harlequin - Carina
J. Kenner, WANTED, Random House - Ballantine
Winner: Tiffany Reisz, THE SAINT, Harlequin - Mira
6. HISTORICAL ROMANCE - LONG
Finalists:
Grace Burrowes, DOUGLAS, LORD OF HEARTACHE, Sourcebooks
Jodi Thomas, A PLACE CALLED HARMONY, Penguin - Berkley
Kaki Warner, WHERE THE HORSES RUN, Penguin - Berkley
Grace Burrowes, WORTH, LORD OF RECKONING, Self-published
Winner: Meredith Duran, Simon & Schuster - Pocket Books
7. HISTORICAL ROMANCE - SHORT
Finalists:
Amy Lane, THE BELLS OF TIMES SQUARE, Riptide Publishing
Debra Cowan, THE COWBOY’S RELUCTANT BRIDE, Harlequin Historical
Elizabeth Hoyt, DARLING BEAST, Grand Central Publishing
Margaret McPhee, THE GENTLEMAN ROGUE, Harlequin - Mills & Boon
Samantha Grace, IN BED WITH A ROGUE, Sourcebooks
Winner: Tessa Dare, ROMANCING THE DUKE, Harper-Collins - Avon
8. INSPIRATIONAL ROMANCE
Finalists:
Kate Breslin, FOR SUCH A TIME, Baker Publishing - Revell
Stacy Henrie, HOPE AT DAWN, Grand Central - Forever
Jennifer Beckstrand, HUCKLEBERRY SUMMER, Kensington
Rose Ross Zediker, THE WIDOW’S SUITOR, Harlequin - Heartsong
Winner: Irene Hannon, DECEIVED, Baker Publishing - Revell
9. PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Finalists:
Jane Lynne Daniels, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU KISS FOR, Boroughs
Jenn Bennett, BLITHE SPIRITS, Penguin - Berkley
Cynthia Eden, BURN FOR ME, Kensington
Gena Showalter, THE DARKEST TOUCH, Harlequin - HQN
Bec McMaster, FORGED BY DESIRE, Sourcebooks
A. E. Jones, MINESWEEPER, Self-published
Katharine Ashe, MY LADY, MY LORD, Self-published
Winner: Kristen Callihan, Grand Central - Forever
10. ROMANCE NOVELLA
Finalists:
Heidi Rice, 10 RULES TO SEX UP A BLIND DATE, Harlequin - Cosmo
Megan Crane, A GAME OF BRIDES, Tule Publishing Group
Cara McKenna, HER BEST LAID PLANS, Harlequin - Cosmo
Grace Burrowes, KISS AND TELL, Self-published
Lorraine Heath, THE LAST WICKED SCOUNDREL, Harper-Collins - Avon
Robin Lee Hatcher, A LOVE LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Thomas Nelson
Kimberly Kincaid, PUSHING THE LINE, Self-published
Caroline Linden, WILL YOU BE MY WI-FI, Self-published
Kate Hewitt, A YORKSHIRE CHRISTMAS, Tule Publishing Group
Winner: Anna Richland, Harlequin - Carina
11. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
Finalists:
Trish McCallan, FORGED IN ASH, Montlake Romance
Katy Lee, GRAVE DANGER, Harlequin - Love Inspired
Tonya Burrows, HONOR RECLAIMED, Entangled Publishing
Carolyn Crane, INTO THE SHADOWS, Self-published
Kimberley Troutte, LOCK AND LOAD, Self-published
Elle Kennedy, MIDNIGHT ACTION, Penguin - Signet
Mary Burton, YOU’RE NOT SAFE, Kensington
Winner: J. D. Robb, CONCEALED IN DEATH, Penguin - Putnam
12. YOUNG ADULT ROMANCE
Finalists:
Elizbeth Fama, PLUS ONE, MacMillan - Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Clara Kensie, RUN TO YOU, Harlequin - Teen
Patty Blount, SOME BOYS, Sourcebooks
Winner: Juliana Stone, BOYS LIKE YOU, Sourcebooks
Having just listed finalists and winners of the Daphne Awards last week, I noticed some familiar names. Apparently some authors submitted to both contests. I‘d have done the same thing, and it paid off for Irene Hannon, whose DECEIVED finaled in the Daphne, but won first place in the Rita. If RWA wanted - or needed - to cut down on the number of books entered, I’d suggest not allowing authors to submit books in more than one category, because there were a lot of those.
I’m not familiar with the rules, so I suppose it was legal for the six authors who did so to submit the same book in both “Best First Book” as well as in another category. RWA could also have disallowed authors to submit more than one book in the same category, which was done by three authors, or submit a book in each of several different categories. Personally, I think it’s great that our authors write so many books every year, but, having been a judge, I’m thinking of those poor souls swamped with so many to read. Maybe I’m pessimistic, but could some judges NOT READ some of the books and just vote for the one from a big publishing house, “assuming” it must be better than those from small publishers or self-published? After all, I’m told some people still think self-published books are a “tsunami of crap.”
But I’m not one of them and I’m thrilled that 13 self-published books finaled. Add to that the 21 books from small presses, and it seems those titles make up more than a third of the grand total. Very impressive. What surprised me most, however, was the large number of books from Harlequin. Yes, they used to be the “premiere” romance publisher, but they’re in a class action lawsuit filed by authors who accused them of massive cheating on royalties. Not my cup of tea.
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