This Week on Star-Crossed Romance - Terry Spear

Good morning everyone, this week we have author Terry Spear guesting with us. Award-winning author of urban fantasy and medieval historical romantic suspense, Heart of the Wolf just named in Publishers Weekly's BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR, NOR Reader Choice for BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE. This week, she's talking about Sexy Shapeshifters.

You can read her article at http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2009/03/guest-terry-spear.html

Hope to see you there!



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RWA RITA & GH 2009 Finalists

Congrats to all!

2009 RITA Finalists for Best First Book
Her One Desire by Kimberly Killion
Kensington Publishing Corp., Zebra - (142010442X)
Hilary Sares, editor

No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson
Dorchester Publishing, Love Spell (ISBN: 0505527561)
Alicia Condon, editor

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Penguin Group USA, Dutton (ISBN: 9780525479420)
Sarah Shumway, editor

Passionate by Anthea Lawson
Kensington Publishing Corp., Zebra Debut (ISBN: 142010456X)
Hilary Sares, editor

Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Bantam Dell Publishing Group (ISBN: 978-0-440-24431-8)
Caitlin Alexander, editor

Strangers in the Night by Kerry Connor
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Intrigue (ISBN: 0373693346)
Sean Mackiewicz, editor

The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense (ISBN: 978-0-373-27596-0)
Natashya Wilson, editor

Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley
Grand Central Publishing, 5 Spot (ISBN: 978-0-446-17814-3)
Alex Logan, editor



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2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Series Romance
A Mother’s Wish by Karen Templeton
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Special Edition (ISBN: 9780373249169)
Gail Chasan, editor

Adopted: Outback Baby by Barbara Hannay
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Romance (ISBN: 0-373-17526-4)
Meg Lewis, editor

Antonides’ Forbidden Wife by Anne McAllister
Harlequin Enterprises, Mills and Boon Modern (ISBN: 978-0-263-86478-6)
Jenny Hutton, editor

Falling for the Lone Wolf by Crystal Green
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Special Edition (ISBN: 978-0-373-24932-9)
Susan Litman, editor

Last-Minute Proposal by Jessica Hart
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Romance (ISBN: 13-978-0-373-17544-4)
Maddie Rowe, editor

Texas Heir by Linda Warren
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin American Romance (ISBN: 978-0-373-75230-0)
Kathleen Scheibling, editor

The Children’s Doctor and the Single Mum by Lilian Darcy
Harlequin Enterprises, Medical Romance (ISBN: 0-373-71454-8)
Bryony Green, editor

The Cowboy’s Christmas Miracle by RaeAnne Thayne
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Special Edition (ISBN: 0-373-24933-0)
Gail Chasan, editor

The Right Mr. Wrong by Cindi Myers
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin American Romance (ISBN: 0373752032)
Wanda Ottewell, editor


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2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure
A Sexy Time of It by Cara Summers
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Blaze (ISBN: 0-373-79400-2)
Brenda Chin, editor

Cold Case Connection by Kathleen Long
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Intrigue (ISBN: 978-0373693276)
Allison Lyons, editor

Danger Signals by Kathleen Creighton
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense (ISBN: 0-373-27577-3)
Gail Chasan, editor

Lethal Attraction by Diana Duncan
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense (ISBN: 0-373-27580-3)
Susan Litman, editor

Strangers in the Night by Kerry Connor
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Intrigue (ISBN: 0373693346)
Sean Mackiewicz, editor

Tall, Dark and Lethal by Dana Marton
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Intrigue (ISBN: 0373693729)
Allison Lyons, editor

The Man Behind the Cop by Janice Kay Johnson
Harlequin Enterprises, Superromance (ISBN: 0-373-71489-0)
Wanda Ottewell, editor

The Secret Soldier by Jennifer Morey
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Romantic Suspense (ISBN: 978-0-373-27596-0)
Natashya Wilson, editor

Twin Targets by Jessica Anderson
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Intrigue (ISBN: 9780373693283)
Allison Lyons, editor


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2009 RITA Finalists for Contemporary Single Title Romance

No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson
Dorchester Publishing, Love Spell (ISBN: 0505527561)
Alicia Condon, editor

Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 0061178047)
Lucia Macro, editor

Out of Time by Samantha Graves
Grand Central Publishing, Forever (ISBN: 0446618373)
Frances Jalet-Miller, editor

Snowfall at Willow Lake by Susan Wiggs
Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA Books (ISBN: 9780778324935)
Margaret O'Neill Marbury, editor

Sweet Talk by Susan Mallery
Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (ISBN: 978-0-373-77297-1)
Tara Parsons, editors

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves
Grand Central Publishing, Forever (ISBN: 978-0-446-61787-1)
Michele Bidelspach, editor

Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber
Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA Books (ISBN: 978-0-7783-2550-5)
Paula Eykelhof, editor

Your Roots Are Showing by Elise Chidley
Grand Central Publishing, 5 Spot (ISBN: 978-0-446-17814-3)
Alex Logan, editor


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2009 RITA Finalists for Historical Romance
Duchess by Night by Eloisa James
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 9780061245572)
Carrie Feron, editor

In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 978-0-06-135557-8)
Lucia Macro and May Chen, editors

Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Bantam Dell Publishing Group (ISBN: 978-0-440-24431-8)
Caitlin Alexander, editor

Seduce Me at Sunrise by Lisa Kleypas
St. Martin's Press (ISBN: 0312949812)
Jennifer Enderlin, editor

The Edge of Impropriety by Pam Rosenthal
Penguin Group USA, NAL, Signet Eclipse (ISBN: 0-451-22230-X)
Laura Cifelli, editor

The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne
Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation (ISBN: 9780425219607)
Wendy McCurdy, editor

To Seduce a Sinner by Elizabeth Hoyt
Grand Central Publishing, Forever (ISBN: 0446406929)
Amy Pierpont, editor

Where the Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens
HarperCollins Publishers, Morrow Books (ISBN: 978-0-06-124339-4)
Lucia Macro, editor




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2009 RITA Finalists for Inspirational Romance

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist
Bethany House Publishers (ISBN: 1590529286)
David Long and Julie Klasseneditor, editors

Faking Grace by Tamara Leigh
Random House Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah (ISBN: 978-1-59052-929-4)
Julee Schwarzburg, editor

Finding Stefanie by Susan May Warren
Tyndale House Publishers (ISBN: 1-4143-1019-6)
Karen Watson, editor

Love Starts with Elle by Rachel Hauck
Thomas Nelson Inc. (ISBN: 1595543384)
Ami McConnell, editor

Mulberry Park by Judy Duarte
Kensington Publishing Corp. (ISBN: 978-0-7582-2015-8)
John Scognamiglio, editor

The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter
Thomas Nelson Inc. (ISBN: 9781595542588)
Amanda Bostic and Leslie Peterson, editors

The Perfect Life by Robin Lee Hatcher
Thomas Nelson Inc., Women of Faith Fiction (ISBN: 978-1-59554-148-2)
Ami McConnell and Leslie Peterson, editors

Where Love Abides by Irene Hannon
Harlequin Enterprises, Steeple Hill Love Inspired (ISBN: 9780373874798)
Melissa Endlich, editor


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2009 RITA Finalists for Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge by Pamela Morsi
Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA Books (ISBN: 978-0-7783-2519-2)
Valerie Gray, editor

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
Penguin Group USA, NAL (ISBN: 978-0-451-22509-2)
Cindy Hwang, editor

The Paper Marriage by Susan Kay Law
Penguin Group USA, Berkley (ISBN: 978-0-425-21935-5)
Jackie Cantor, editor

The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner
Random House Publishing, WaterBrook Multnomah (ISBN: 978-1-4000-7456-3)
Shannon Marchese, editor

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley
Allison & Busby (ISBN: 978-0-7490-7985-7)
Lara Crisp, editor


Tribute by Nora Roberts
Penguin Group USA, Putnam (ISBN: 978-0-399-15491-1)
Leslie Gelbman, editor

Where Serpents Sleep by C.S. Harris
Penguin Group USA, NAL Obsidian (ISBN: 9780451225122)
Ellen Edwards, editor



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2009 RITA Finalists for Paranormal Romance
Dragon Wytch by Yasmine Galenorn
Penguin Group USA, Berkley (ISBN: 9780425222393)
Kate Seaver, editor

Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh
Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation (ISBN: 978-0-425-22016-0)
Cindy Hwang, editor

Moonstruck by Susan Grant
Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (ISBN: 0373772599)
Tara Parsons, editor

Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwen Cready
Simon & Schuster, Pocket (ISBN: 978-1416541165)

The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter
Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (ISBN: 0373772467)
Tracy Farrell and Margo Lipschultz, editors

The Healer by Sharon Sala
Harlequin Enterprises, HQN (ISBN: 978-0-778-2544-4)
Leslie Wainger, editor

The Undead Next Door by Kerrelyn Sparks
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 978-0-06-111845-6)
Erika Tsang, editor

Thunder Moon by Lori Handeland
St. Martin’s Press (ISBN: 0-312-94918-9)
Jennifer Enderlin, editor



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2009 RITA Finalists for Regency Historical Romance

Duke Most Wanted by Celeste Bradley
St. Martin’s Press (ISBN: 0-312-93970-1)
Monique Patterson, editor

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 0060876115)
Lyssa Keusch, editor

My Lord and Spymaster by Joanna Bourne
Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation (ISBN: 9780425222461)
Wendy McCurdy, editor

The Dangerous Duke by Christine Wells
Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation (ISBN: 978-0-06-123492-7)
Leis Pederson, editor

The Edge of Desire by Stephanie Laurens
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 978-0-06-124339-4)
Lucia Macro, editor

Three Nights of Sin by Anne Mallory
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 978-0061242410)
May Chen, editor


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2009 RITA Finalists for Romance Novella

“All He Wants for Christmas” by Jill Shalvis in Heating Up the Holidays
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Blaze (ISBN: 0373794398)
Brenda Chin, editor

“Blame It on the Mistletoe” by Terri Brisbin in One Candlelit Christmas
Harlequin Enterprises, Harlequin Historical (ISBN: 978-0373295197)
Joanne Carr Grant, editor

“Only You” by Jacquie D’Alessandro in It Happened One Night
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 978-0-06-135416-8)
Lucia Macro, editor

“Our Day” by Jean Brashear in The Valentine Gift
Harlequin Enterprises, Superromance, Everlasting Love (ISBN: 9780373714650)
Beverley Sotolov, editor

“Penance” by Sharon Sala in Aftershock
Harlequin Enterprises, Silhouette Nocturne (ISBN: 978-0-373-61796-8)
Leslie Wainger, editor

“Snowy Night with a Highlander” by Julia London in Snowy Night with a Stranger
Simon & Schuster, Pocket Books (ISBN: 1-4165-7822-6)
Maggie Crawford, editor

“The Fall of Rogue Gerard” by Stephanie Laurens in It Happened One Night
HarperCollins Publishers, Avon Books (ISBN: 978-0-06-135416-8)
Lucia Macro, editor

“Thicker Than Blood” by Meljean Brook in First Blood
Penguin Group USA, Berkley (ISBN: 978-0-425-22400-7)
Cindy Hwang, editor



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2009 RITA Finalists for Romantic Suspense

Killing Fear by Allison Brennan
Random House Group, Ballantine (ISBN: 9780373881352)
Charlotte Herscher, editor

Night Secrets by Cherry Adair
Random House Group, Ballantine (ISBN: 9780345499912)
Charlotte Herscher, editor

Now You Die by Roxanne St. Claire
Simon & Schuster, Pocket Books (ISBN: 9781416552448)
Micki Nuding, editor

Scream for Me by Karen Rose
Grand Central Publishing, Vision (ISBN: 0446509205)
Karen Kosztolnyik, editor

Stop Me by Brenda Novak
Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA Books (ISBN: 0778324607)
Paula Eykelhof, editor

Take No Prisoners by Cindy Gerard
Simon & Schuster, Pocket Books (ISBN: 978-1-4165-6674-8)
Maggie Crawford, editor

The Angel by Carla Neggers
Harlequin Enterprises, MIRA Books (ISBN: 0778324834)
Margaret Marbury, editor

Triple Exposure by Colleen Thompson
Dorchester Publishing, Leisure Romantic Suspense (ISBN: 0843961430)
Alicia Condon, editor



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2009 RITA Finalists for Young Adult Romance

Hell Week by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Random House Group, Delacorte Press (ISBN: 978-0385734141)
Krista Marino, editor

How to Hook a Hottie by Tina Ferraro
Random House Group, Delacorte Press (ISBN: 978-0-385-73438-7)
Krista Marino, editor

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Penguin Group USA, Dutton (ISBN: 978-0525479420)
Sarah Shumway, editor




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2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Contemporary Series Romance
Angel in Training by Lindsey Brookes
Beneath the Surface by Katherine Danniele Worsham
For Love or Ravioli by Laurie D. DeSalvo
Into the Night by Melissa Jackson Brister
Meet Your Mate by Jacqueline M. Floyd
Second Chance for a Family by Kim Law
The Great Bedroom War by Laurie Kellogg
The Greek’s Mistress Revenge by Anastasia Huff



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2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Contemporary Series Romance Suspense/Adventure

Breathless by Kimberley Ann Howe
His Witness by Dianne M. Gerber
Romance or Retribution by Jamie T. Holland


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2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Contemporary Single Title

Easy Money by Vivi Andrews
For Love or Money by Robin W. Lanier
Island Healing by Virginia E. McCullough
Lights...Camera...Marriage! by Elizabeth Bemis
Love & Oreos by Elizabeth Bemis
Operation: Date Escape by Lindsey Brookes
Summer in Austin by Kathryn Anne Graykowski
Texas Hold’er by June L. Love



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2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Historical Romance

Butterfly Swords by Jeannie Lin
Forfeit’s Lady by Patricia Jean Detweiler
Highland Honor by Jenna Stuart
Lily’s Outlaw by Tatia Talbot
My Lady Knight by Carol Lisa Hayes
The Art of a Lady by Kate Parker
The Devil's Virtue by Xenia Navarre
The Other Brother by Cynthia J. Eernisse Chase
Upon a Moonlit Sea by Jennifer Whitney Bray-Weber



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2009 Golden Heart Finalists for Inspirational Romance
Kasey’s Secret by Kayla Lynn Westra
Kitty’s Fire by Kelly Ann Riley
Love On A Dime by Cara Slaughter
Montana Rainbow by Yvonne L. Harris





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2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Novel with Strong Romantic Elements

Call Sign Scarlett by Julia Whitby
Color My Horse by Bev A. Patterson
Dark Secrets by Sherri Buerkle
Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure by Diane O’Brien Kelly
Home Waters by Elizabeth Devlin
One Shot, Two Kills by Kimberly Ann Howe
Pleasant Lake P.D. by Kelly Fitzpatrick
Until Midnight by L.A. Mitchell


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2009 Golden Heart Finalists for Paranormal Romance

First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones
Ghost Planet by Sharon Lynn Fisher
Heart of the Dragon by Morgan R. Karpiel
Just in Time by Nancy J. Litzau
Kismet’s Kiss by Katey Coffing
Magic Man by Jacqui Jacoby
Magick by Heather Dawn McCollum
Underbelly by Tammy L Hoganson

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2009 Golden Heart Finalist for Regency Historical Romance

An Inconvenient Marriage by Sara Wampler
Defiant by Elizabeth Robinson Baldwin
The Raven’s Heart by Pamela Lynn Bolton-Holifield
Midnight Promises by Anne Barton
Shameless by Elisa Griffith Beatty
No Shrinking Violet by Amy Talley


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2009 Golden Heart Finalists for Romantic Suspense

Guardian Angel by Rita O. Henuber
Intrusion by Cynthia Noel Mealer
Only Fear by Anne Marie Becker
Safe in Enemy Arms by Joan M. Swan
The Broken by Shelley S. Coriell
The Surrogate by Tina Joyce Butts
Trust Fall by Sally Randel Eggert
Trust No One by Diane Elaine Della Maggiora



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2009 Golden Heart Finalists for Young Adult Romance

Call Me Crazy by Vanessa Barneveld
Codename: Dancer by Amanda Brice
I Wished by Elizabeth C. Langston
My Big Fat Rockin' Reality by Addison Fox
Stage Fright by Shoshana Dawn Brown

From Publishers Lunch

Even with this economy, we can see that fiction (particularly romantic fiction) is still selling. - Lynda

***********************************************************************************

FICTION

Debut
Actor, television/film writer, and author of the NYT bestseller BOOTLEG, Damon Wayans's RED HATS, about a recently widowed woman who reclaims her life, to Malaika Adero at Atria, by Lydia Wills at Paradigm (World).

Adrienne McDonnell's debut THE DOCTOR AND THE DIVA, about a young, Harvard-educated obstetrician in Boston who imperils his promising career when he becomes attracted to one of his patients, a beautiful opera singer who has struggled for years to get pregnant -- inspired by the author's ancestor and based on family letters and memories of elderly relatives who have long been haunted by the secret, to Pamela Dorman at Pamela Dorman Books, in a pre-empt, for publication in summer 2010, by Lisa Bankoff at ICM (NA).

Women's/Romance
NYT bestselling author Beverly Barton next four romantic suspense novels, to John Scognamiglio of Kensington, by Richard Curtis of Richard Curtis Associatesiates.
rcurtis@curtisagency.com

Tessa Dare's next three historical romances (tentatively titled the Stud Club trilogy), in which a duke, a warrior, and a scoundrel are united by chance, divided by suspicion, and brought to their knees by love, to Kate Collins at Ballantine, for publication in 2010, by Helen Breitwieser at Cornerstone Literary (world).

General/Other
NYT bestselling author of THE 19TH WIFE, David Ebershoff's new novel, again to Kate Medina at Random House, by Elaine Koster of the Elaine Koster Agency (world English, Germany, Spain, Korea, Japan).

Masha Hamilton's 31 HOURS, counting the hours preceding a terrorist attack in the New York City subway from the perspectives of characters who are connected to the looming tragedy including a Saudi graduate student, a highly idealistic, American student whom the student has recruited, the American's girlfriend, and his divorced parents who are brought back together in their search for their missing son, to Fred Ramey at Unbridled Books, by Marly Rusoff of Marly Rusoff & Associates (NA).

Adam Langer's THE THIEVES OF MANHATTAN, about a fake memoir that reveals the theft of a priceless ancient manuscript from a most unusual library and the down-on-his-luck writer who becomes embroiled in what turns out to be an elaborate confidence game designed to scam the publishing world, to Cindy Spiegel at Spiegel & Grau, by Marly Rusoff of Marly Rusoff & Associates (NA).

THE OUTCAST author Sadie Jones's SMALL WARS, to Terry Karten at Harper, in a very nice deal, for publication in January 2010, by Stephanie Cabot at The Gernert Company (US).

Tish Cohen's third novel, THE SATURDAY DAUGHTER, in which a sister and brother discover that the mother they thought abandoned them as children has actually been searching for them, and that their father, whose memory is decaying from Alzheimer's, had kidnapped them away years ago, to Jeanette Perez at Harper Perennial and Jennifer Lambert at Harper Canada, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (NA).

Author of MISTRESS SHAKESPEARE and THE LAST BOLEYN, Karen Harper's Kat Ashley novel, a novel in the form of a memoir by Katharine Ashley, Queen Elizabeth I's faithful governess and lady-in-waiting, to Rachel Kahan at Putnam, for publication in 2010, by Meg Ruley at Jane Rotrosen Agency (NA.)

Children's: Middle grade
Jon Voelkel and Pamela Voelkel's JAGUAR STONES trilogy, beginning with MIDDLEWORLD, about a 14-year-old who follows his parents down to South America after they disappear on an archaeological dig, and begins a wild adventure through the Mayan underworld against a background of haunted temples, zombie armies and human sacrifice (a previously published edition already sold 10,000 copies), to Elizabeth Law at Egmont, for three books, at auction, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House.

Children's: Young Adult
Rachel Hartman's SERAPHINA, pitched "in the vein of Gail Carson Levine and Tamora Pierce," about a teenage girl coming of age in a world where dragons can take human form, set against a series of magical secrets, royal scandals, family loyalties, moving to Jim Thomas at Random House (originally sold to Atheneum), for two books, at auction, by Daniel Lazar at Writers House (world English).


You can get Publisher's Lunch at this link
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/lunch/subscribe.html

This Week on Star-Crossed Romance - Cynthia Eden

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend and that you're having lovely spring weather -- we're still a bit chilly but, hey, it's not snowing! Anyway, today's guest is author Cynthia Eden as she discusses her love of vampires and shifters. Cynthia is offering a free book from her back list so read all the way down to the "Lynda again" section to find out how you might win.

http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2009/03/guest-cynthia-eden.html

See you there!

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Love...The Greatest Adventure March 2009 Extra

Congratulations to Norma C, a member of my newsletter group, who won the copy of Highland Rogue by Tess Mallory!

Remember, you could win one of the special prizes, no purchase necessary :L, by becoming a member of my news group. All you need do is send a blank email to:
LyndaKScott-Newsgroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Then when I announce a contest, follow the instruction to have your name placed in the drawing.

Happy Spring!

Lynda

Medieval Scotland Links

One of my writer resources came up with these sites for info on Medieval Scotland. They look great.

This one is great because it features a collection of articles for costumers, and it includes information about hair and hats: http://www.virtue.to/articles/

Wikipedia, of course, has a nice page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1200-1300_in_fashion

Medieval Scotland is worth poking around on for a whole host of info: http://medievalscotland.org/

The Costumer’s Manifesto has a ton of links that might prove useful: http://www.costumes.org/History/100pages/medievalinks.htm

Clothing of the Medieval Scottish Highlands is good too: http://www.marariley.net/celtic/SentToKass/Scotland.htm

Save The Words

Save the Words is an online Ouija board that brings dead nouns, verbs, and
adjectives to life.

Each of the words you’ll find here was once a living, breathing part of our
language. Roll your cursor over it, and it’ll cry out: “Over here!” or “Yo!
Pick me!” Click, and you’ll see a succinct definition, an example sentence,
and an invitation to use the word you’ve picked in your everyday
conversation and correspondence. Some words are especially challenging: Good
luck to anyone who chooses urette (it means “dried animal urine absorbed
into chalky soil”). Others, like boreism (“behavior of a boring person”),
are so utible (“useful”) you’ll wonder why they went away in the first
place.

http://link.veryshortlist.com/r/0UHVOD/GP4G/S0NC/9ME52/GYNEL/JY/h

Happy St Patrick's Day!

7TRUE.COM

St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was not actually Irish. He was born on March 17 around AD 385, somewhere in Roman Britain, possibly near Dumbarton, Scotland. At 16, he was captured by Irish raiders looking for slaves and he was taken there to tend sheep. After six years of slavery, he ran away and ended up wandering through southern Gaul (France) and Italy. There, he had a vision from God which told him to return to Ireland and convert the pagans to Christianity. Returning to Ireland around 432, St. Patrick did missionary work until he died in 464. The country of Ireland went into mourning. The first St. Patrick's Day celebration in the United States was in 1737 in Boston.

St. Patrick's Day, commemorating his death on this day c 461-492 AD.

You all have a great day and remember to party hard but be safe! We don't want to lose you!


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

News Briefs from Publishers Lunch

Informa Cuts Final Dividend To Reduce Net Debts
The publishing and events group is targeting debts of below £1bn but insisted there was no danger of banking covenants being breached. The final dividend, down at 3.9p from 11.3p, will be paid on 3 July.
Telegraph

People
Rebecca Gradinger has left Janklow & Nesbit Associates and launched Finchley Road Literary, a boutique agency specializing in literary fiction, up-market commercial fiction, narrative non-fiction, memoir, humor and pop culture. (She has also worked as a scout at Mary Anne Thompson Associates and a lawyer practicing media and intellectual property law at Frankfurt Garbus Kurnit Klein & Selz).

Kevin Howell has been named associate marketing manager for Tarcher/Penguin, reporting to Brianna Yashimita. He was previously bookselling and audiobook review editor at Publishers Weekly.

James Purdy, author of "wayward and unclassifiable novels" such as MALCOLM and THE NEPHEW, died Friday in Brooklyn Heights at the age of 94.
NYT obit

Shelf Awareness reports on Saturday's memorial service for Baker & Taylor senior VP of merchandising Jean Smercz, who was killed in a plane crash in Buffalo last month.

Announcements
Gary Young has won the Shelley Memorial Award, given annually by the Poetry Society of America to a living American poet "selected with reference to genius and need."

The 2009 Iowa Short Fiction Award was given to Kathryn Ma for her collection, "All That Work and Still No Boys," which will be published this fall by the University of Iowa Press.

IndieBound has been named by ReBrand as one of its 100 Global Winning Brands.

News Briefs from PW Daily

Sale of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Trade Moving Ahead
by Jim Milliot & Judith Rosen
The sale of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s trade and reference group is steadily moving forward with the one remaining stumbling block price. HMH had no comment on the report, but sources said there are four serious bidders for the group, including Hachette--widely thought to have been the early favorite--Random House, a group led by a former HM executive Wendy Strothman who has the backing of private equity firm, and an independent publishing house.

Drummound Talks Google Settlement at AAP Meeting
by Jim Milliot
When the authors and publishers filed their lawsuits against Google more than three years ago, “not in my wildest dreams did I think we’d end up where we did,” said Google senior v-p for corporate development & chief legal officer David Drummound, who was invited to talk about the settlement between the parties at Wednesday’s AAP annual meeting. Drummound said Google resisted the idea of “pushing a legal point to a conclusion,” and rather than see fair use vindicated in court, decided it was more important to take advantage of the opportunity to find an agreement that could benefit the world. According to Drummound, Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin had always thought it would be necessary to scan books if the search engine they were creating was to be truly world class, and said that the agreement moves Google toward that goal quickly.

Filkins, Bolaño Among 2009 National Book Critics Circle Award Winners
By Craig Morgan Teicher
The National Book Critics Circle gave out its annual awards at a well-attended ceremony at The New School in New York City on March 12. Despite much commentary from the presenters and winners about folding stand-alone book reviews and the uncertain shift from print to digital for both books and book reviews, the NBCC celebrated books, reading and the art of book criticism.

Ron Charles, of the Washington Post (which recently announced the closure of its stand-alone book review), winner of the NBCC’s Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing, made particularly pointed comments in his alternately hilarious and earnest acceptance speech. He noted that the New York Times Book Review is the last stand-alone review left, though, he said, its editors "won't return my calls." Giving shrinking space for book review, Charles also urged reviewers to pick the books they review carefully and to pick books they can celebrate. There were no major upsets among the winners, though there was an unprecedented tie for the poetry award, which NBCC board member Rigoberto Gonzales said "has never happened before and will never happen again."

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This week on Star-Crossed Romance - Promo Items

Good morning everyone.

Today's subject is promotional items. Pens, flyers, books, magnets, candy? Our first born children? LOL What do readers want in the way of promo items? What do they find most useful or intriguing? What do authors like to give away? What fits their budgets the best? Be sure to stop by and voice your opinion.

Join the discussion at http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2009/03/promo-items-what-would-you-like.html

"Do-It-Yourself Media Kits"

April 6-17, 2009
MASTER CLASS: "Do-It-Yourself Media Kits"
by Theresa Meyers
www.WriterUniv.com

Prerequisite: Published book or upcoming release date

Working on your own promotion, but not sure what you should or shouldn’t include when you send material out to the media? Look no further. Public Relations guru Theresa Meyers takes you through the ins and outs of media kits, both print and electronic, and demystifies what you need to have on hand. In this course you’ll get:

* The elements every media kit needs
* How to create them yourself
* Templates for making instant bios, press releases, and more!
* What to include and omit based on the media contact
* Fresh ideas for packaging your media kit
* Knowledge of why print and electronic media kits are different
* How to make each kind

Best known for getting her clients chosen as two out of the total seven picks for the Kelly Ripa Book Club, Theresa Meyers spent over ten years working in public relations, garnering millions of dollars in media coverage for her clients, before she launched Blue Moon Communications. A former journalist and magazine columnist, she now focuses on strategic planning for her clients, media training and author branded media campaigns. Find her online at www.bluemooncommunications.com

Class: Power Openings: How to Grab and Hold 'Em From Page One

Class: Power Openings: How to Grab and Hold 'Em From Page One
Instructor: Kris Kennedy
Dates: March 16-30, 2009
Registration Deadline: March 15, 2009
Fee: $10/HHRW members, $20/others
To Registration: http://heartsthroughhistory.com/class.htm
FMI: HHRW Campus Coordinator: classes@heartsthroughhistory.com
Powerful Openings: How to Grab and Hold ‘Em From Page One
This workshop covers key components in crafting compelling and riveting openings. We’ll look at the first page as ‘opener,’ the first 2-3 pages as ‘opener,’ and the first 50 pages as ‘opener, and will discuss overarching concepts as well as specific strategies for engaging the reader.
From doing the unexpected to engaging the reader’s emotions to raising questions, we’ll cover a variety of techniques that can help you craft powerful, readable openings, the kind that make readers want to keep turning pages.
Active participation is encouraged in this 2 week course, and we plan to have a lot of fun. We’ll practice the strategies we're learning on our own works, and use real-life examples from published books to explore what works, what doesn’t and why.
Instructor Bio
Kris Kennedy is a wife, mom, psychotherapist and romance author, is a double Golden Heart finalist in 2008. Both of those manuscripts have sold—the first, THE CONQUEROR a hot, sweeping medieval romance, is due out May, 2009. The winning Golden Heart manuscript, WANTING FINIAN, will be out Spring, 2010. Come visit her website at http://kriskennedy.net or email her at kris@kriskennedy.net.

MASTER CLASS: DEEP EDITING POWER

VIRGINIA ROMANCE WRITERS is pleased to present:

MASTER CLASS: DEEP EDITING POWER
with nationally known speaker, Margie Lawson (http://www.margielawson.com/)

Saturday, April 11, 2009
8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Featherstone Professional Center
1807 Huguenot Road, Suite 108
Midlothian, VA

DEEP EDITING is for the writer who wants to psychologically impact the
unconscious of the reader. For the writer who wants to learn fresh editing
techniques. For the writer who wants to edit for power.

Participants will:
1. Analyze Scenes with the EDITS System
2. Explore Rhetorical Devices:
--Learn 30 Rhetorical Devices for Fiction Writers
--Learn Why, How, and Where to use which Rhetorical Devices to Increase
Power
--Use Worksheets for each Rhetorical Device
--Analyze Examples of Rhetorical Devices from Best-selling Authors
3. Learn Margie’s One-Sentence Analysis
4. Learn Margie’s Five-Question Scene Checklist
5. Learn Deep Editing Techniques
6. Learn Margin Tracking Codes and Systems
7. Develop a personal editing checklist from the Master Editing Checklist
8. Learn how to make a FINAL EDITING PASS be your last pass

Seating limited to 60 participants - register early to guarantee a space.
Registrations accepted through TUESDAY, APRIL 7.
No cancellations/refunds after April 10.

VRW Members: $15
All others: $25

"In & Out: Writing Believable Conflict"

April 3-30, 2009
"In & Out: Writing Believable Conflict"
by Sherry Lewis
www.WriterUniv.com

This workshop focuses on the art and craft of creating realistic, believable conflict for your character, both internal and external, and on weaving those conflict together in ways that are fresh, exciting, and powerful enough to catch an editor's eye. Topics include:

* Understanding how a character's core beliefs crate conflict
* How internal and external conflicts work together
* When to hang on to / let go of a character's past
* Keeping conflicts realistic
* Creating layers of conflict
* Why urgency matters in conflict
* Applying conflict to each scene you write
* Avoiding anticipated conflict

Sherry Lewis is a career writer with more than 30 published mystery, contemporary romance, and time travel romance novels to her credit. She loves sharing what she has learned since selling her first book fifteen years ago, and has given workshops all over the country. Sherry has also taught online workshops for several years.

Deep Point of View: Why It's Important For You and Your Readers

FTHRW April Online Workshop

http://fthrw.com/workshops/

Deep Point of View: Why It's Important For You and Your Readers

Dates: April 6-19, 2009
Instructor: Laurie Sanders, Editor, Black Velvet Seductions
Cost: FREE to FTHRW members; $15.00 for all others
Registration Deadline: April 1, 2009

Course Description:

If you've received a rejection letter or your entries have scored low in writing contests or reviewers are not taken with your published books there is a strong likelihood that the culprit is a shallow point of view.

Join Black Velvet Seductions founder and Editor-in-Chief Laurie Sanders for an in depth look at deep point of view. Laurie will share insights about what readers (and editors) really want when they buy fiction and will show you through examples, exercises and feedback how to incorporate this important element into your work. In this workshop we will look beyond the basics of viewpoint and examine why it is such an important tool and how to use the deeper nuances of viewpoint to add emotion, texture, motivation, conflict, and drama to a manuscript.

At the end of this hands on workshop you will know what deep point of view is, why it is important to editors and readers. You will be able to spot shallow point of view in your own manuscript and will have the knowledge and skills necessary to deepen the point of view in your own work. This knowledge and skill will inoculate you against one of the most common reasons editors reject manuscripts and readers abandon authors.

About the Instructor:

Laurie Sanders is the founder and Editor-in-Chief at Black Velvet Seductions Publishing. She writes and lectures frequently on the use of deep point of view as the lack of deep point of view in the manuscripts she receives is the most common reason for rejections at her firm.



Carolyn Hughey ~ President

From the Heart Romance Writers

www.fthrw.com

This 'n That

Did you know...

Spilling salt is considered bad luck, probably because
it was once so valuable. Superstition has it a person is
doomed to shed as many tears as it takes to dissolve the
spilled salt.

Evil spirits can't harm you when you stand inside a circle.

Suspend a wedding band over the palm of the pregnant girl.
If the ring swings in a circular motion it will be a girl.
If the ring swings in a straight line the baby will be a
boy.

A knife as a gift from a lover means that the love will
soon end.

If you use the same pencil to take a test that you used
for studying for the test, the pencil will remember the
answers.

The number of Xs in the palm of your right hand is the
number of children you will have.

You must hold your breath while going past a cemetery or
you will breathe in the spirit of someone who has recently
died.



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This Week on Star-Crossed Romance - Karin Shah

Good morning, everyone! Grab your coffee and sit back to enjoy this week's guest, Karin Shah, as she talks about World-Building.

From childhood, Karin Shah wrote herself into her favorite TV shows before falling asleep every night. She adores Paranormal Romance, Romantic Fantasy, and Science Fiction Romance/Futuristics, but will read anything with great characters and a satisfying, happy ending.

You can read her article now at http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2009/03/guest-karin-shah.html

If you are a member of my newsletter group, you will be eligible to win a copy of a book I recently reviewed - Highland Rogue by Tess Mallory. Learn how in my next newsletter.

To join my newsletter, send a blank email to:
LyndaKScott-Newsgroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com


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This week on Star-Crossed Romance - Review: Kiss of Fury

I just posted a review of Kiss of Fury, Book2 in the Dragonfire Series by Deborah Cooke. Stop by and see it at

http://star-crossedromance.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-kiss-of-fury-by-deborah.html