Mills & Boon New Voices

I know, I know...one more contest but hey, it can't hurt, right?  Well, I entered the Mills & Boon New Voices Contest.  Now, if you don't know who Mills & Boon are I'll tell you.  M&B are the grandparents to Harlequin.  Yep, Harlequin.  They have been publishing for over a 100 years now.  Based in the UK, they have this contest every year.  You don't need to go vote for me, the editors will pick the finalists but I would like some feedback.  I would really appreciate it.  Who knows?  They might like a story about small town Oklahoma.

http://www.romanceisnotdead.com/Entries/1041-Waiting-on-Friday-Night

Update

Okay, its time for a massive update for my blog today.  I have added another watch dog, Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) from Friday Night Lights.  He just won (finally) the Emmy for Friday Night Lights.  If you haven't watched this show, I highly recommend it.  You don't even have to like football to really like the show.  I'm still in the grieving process that the show is over.

I have signed up for NaNoWriMo this year.  I plan on using the story that I'm working on for a writing class.  The writing class is with Delilah Devlin and Elle James (Myla Jackson) called Plot Bootcamp.  Great class so if you ever have a chance to take it, please do.  Wish me luck and check back in November for my updates on that.

Still waiting on whether I made the cut for the anthology.  I will found out in October whether I did or not.  I pray I did.  I'm very proud of my story but if it doesn't cut it, I do have another place for it.  Rejection is part of the process, right?

I have also entered a writing contest and I should know the outcome in October, too.  More nervous about this one because if chosen, I will get to pitch the whole book to an editor.  Yikes.  

Starting next month, I will be guest blogging on a couple of authors blogs and I will let you know when and where.  Its been fun to guest blog.  Its amazing that people actual want me to talk.  If you really know me, this isn't a problem for me.  LOL!

Anyway...please sign up for email alerts on my blog.  I would be forever grateful.  And if not, that's cool, too.  Ooo, also, I hate my progress meters.  Any help in this area would be greatly appreciated.

Clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose....the motto of Friday Night Lights and one that I will be remembering during my writing journey in the next few months. 

Three Wicked Writers Plus Two: FANGIRL ALERT and a Dedication of sorts.....

I have had the pleasure of guest posting on Three Wicked Writers. Here's the link. I'd love it if you came and commented.

Three Wicked Writers Plus Two: FANGIRL ALERT and a Dedication of sorts.....

Waiting...

I'm sure that this is nothing new for you authors but I hate waiting to see if someone likes my stuff or not.  I realize that the editor has to read all the subs, she what she likes, what to reject, and if a story deserves a shot with some polishing.

Phew...I've never waited before and the bad thing is, I'm not nervous for the rejection, if it comes.  I just want to know so I can either be excited or take my original story and expand it/polish it up and submit it somewhere else.

Thoughts?

Finished Short for Delilah

Happy Labor Day everyone.  I have finished my short for Delilah's antho.  One more read through and I'll submit it.  Whew!  I hope that she likes it and accepts it.  Thanks to anyone that read it and liked it. 

Wrote a paranormal short

Just me again....wrote a paranormal short.  It was fun and its a to be continued.  Check it out.


An Angel in the House

Published and got paid for it

Okay, he has nothing to do with getting published but I couldn't help it.  he he!!

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/yahoocontributornetwork/surviving-a-day-at-six-flags-2527414

Another story for Yahoo

I've published another story for Yahoo.  If you have time, check it out.  It might surprise you.

My Favorite Novel

Happy Sunday! 

Joined Romance Writers of America

Just a quick post to say that I finally joined Romanace Writers of America.  I have my member number now.  I'm super excited about this.  This will now allow me to join the group in Dallas that I've been dying to join.  I've had some authors say that didn't get anything out of RWA and some that say that without RWA and their chapters that they would be lost. 

We shall see with me and I'm really looking forward to the opportunities within RWA and the chapters.

Hey, its Friday!!!!

Update

I know I haven't updated in awhile.  **hangs head in shame** But let me explain why...I've actually been writing.  Yes, actual writing.  I have joined Roses Colored Glasses Critique Group and I just got my first round of critiques back and I was surprised.  No one hated it.  That said, one of the critiques came back with more comments than the other two.  I was very pleased with all three but I think I'll go with my well-marked up critique and run with it.

For those of you who have read some of my stuff the story I'm working on not that one.  My WIP right now is a western contemporary.  Its not about a true cowboy in the sense of say the Compass Brothers from Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon or Delilah and Myla sexier than they know what do cowboys.  My hero is the co-owner of the family feed store in the small town that he grew up in.  Came back from college to help his dad and realized his true calling.  Can he ride a horse?  You bet and he does often.  My heroine parents are from the small town, too but she grew up in the city.  She came for visit and fell in love with the hero in high school.  Its not a wish, I should have story.  Its about a woman that comes back to bury her uncle and ends up finding love in the process.

So, your asking yourself where is the conflict?  Let's just say the conflict is actually with the hero.  Does he ask her to stay and take a chance with him and small town life or does he let her go to her life in the city?

I want to thank everyone that has encouraged me at this point.  I'm actually shooting to submit this in September.  I realize that I'll have to have someone critique it/beta read it or maybe send it to someone to line edit the story before I submit.  I'm sure what I'll do when I get to that point, so any help would be appreciated it.

Well I'm off the revise what I've written so far...By the way, Riggins was waiting for me today with a whip and a smile.  :)

My new Yahoo Story

This is my new contribution to Yahoo.  Check it out.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/8197743/julia_garwood_my_favorite_novelist.html

Information on one of my WIPs

nday, June 13, 2011

Call For Submissions: New Writers

Call for Submissions

I want newbies, youngbloods, fresh meat, green around the gills

I am looking to put together another mini anthology. But this time, I want the writers that no one has had a taste of yet. Virgin blood. So you may submit to this anthology only IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN PAID FOR YOUR WORK.

What does that mean? Money! Have you ever received money for your work? If yes, then no matter how laughably tiny the amount, that means you may not submit. And PLEASE no fake pen names pretending to be newbies. I'm holding the established writers on their honor.

(Update: due to a flood of quesitons, here is the update~ money equals money. If you've won a contest, does not count. If you've been paid to insert a link into your blog, does not count. Has someone paid you X amount of dollars or cents for your words? Then that DOES count. As for "What if I have not been paid when I sub but get paid while you have my work?" Well...if you have not been paid when you send your submission to me, then you can go ahead and hit send. No one can control the future, not even me. No matter how hard I try...so if you fit in that niche, send away.)

So what next?

Dirty stories from 2,500 and up (nothing over say 5K please) are eligible. Topics are open except the standard no-no's. Which I will spell out since you are new.

~~~~>No sex with the underaged (under 18), animals (shifters don't count), dead things or people (barring undead supernatural creatures). No scat. No snuff.

FORMAT: double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point, set at .5 indentation for first line of the paragraph only. PLEASE DO NOT USE HARD TABS.
*If you do not format correctly, I will skip reading your entry no matter how good it is. Why? Because I'm super busy and if you sub to a publication, you need to follow the rules. Capiche?

Here's the most important part: PLEASE POLISH YOUR WORK. Read it, put it away. Read it again and put it away. Then read it out loud to yourself. Seriously. Your ear will hear your errors. Do I expect it to be perfect? No, said the woman who once put "He stroked her cheese" instead of "He stroked her cheek." I do not. But I do expect you to make it as close to perfect as you can.

DEADLINE: August 31, 2011. Release date is up in the air. If that bothers you, don't sub. This (as of right now) will be an ebook put out by my little press December Ink.

THE FINE PRINT:

I'll be using 10 stories max. December Ink takes 25% of the cut, the remaining 75% is split evenly among the ten contributors and each will receive an ebook copy (print too if it ever goes to that). You could make a bunch of money. You could make hardly a thing. I ask for 3 months exclusivity and then you are free to go ahead and sell your work elsewhere.

Your work stays in the book as long as it's for sale, and that means you receive royalties as long as it's for sale.

Submissions should be sent to decemberink@gmail.com marked SUBMISSION: [YOUR TITLE] BY [YOUR AUTHOR NAME]
In your email please put:
Your name
Your pen name
Your mailing address
your contact email
A short bio

Good luck! Any questions can be sent to the same email addy. :)

What do you think about this?  I might not even get picked.  Its from Sommer Marsden.  I love her stuff.  I highly recommend Schooling.  In fact, I reviewed it for Night Owl Reviews.  My inspiration for this one is Jon Bon Jovi.  Just saying...

Introduction

Okay guys, I've started a writing only blog in hopes that one day I'll be published.  I've added a word counter, thank you Valerie Tibbs, so I can be accountable for my wordage.  I'm looking forward to the challenges that I have presented myself and I hope that you follow newbies, friends and authors that I love and respect will check on me and make me accountable, too.

BTW, my other blog is still active and will continue in the manner that it is for now.  Feel free to comment on that, too.  More to come on that blog in the weeks to come.

This is Taylor Kitsch or "Riggins" from one of all time favorite TV shows, Friday Night Lights.  He will be keeping watch over me, too.