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Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Promoting Pirate Pals - Part Deux
It’s me again. Are you sick of me yet? Since this would normally be Sin’s day (she covered for me on short notice last Friday), I’m posting an inspiration song in her honor. And not just because it reminds me of her, but I think it fits the entire crew.
My Darkest Days – Porn Star Dancing
When last we met Maria Zannini, she was fighting her way through the first round of the RT Writing With The Stars competition and kicking butt. I am happy to report, Maria made it past round one with flying colors (Pirate colors, of course) and is now chopping through the waters of round 2.
This round is for Best Hero and Heroine and even though two competitors have been tossed overboard, the waters are still rough. Ms. Zannini and her H/H, Luisa Tavares and Xander Daltry, need your votes. Head over to here and get your vote in now. We’re talking a pirate heroine and a pirate-hunting hero. Holy conflict! Throw in danger, a curse, shifting realities, and dash of werewolf and you have one heck of a recipe going.
Let's help Maria get that Kensington contract!
In other contest news, two of the Romance RoundTablers have tossed their teacups into the fray over at The Season website. ‘Tis The Season Writing Contest (for non-pubbed writers) runs through the month of November. Entries went in during October, based on specific writing prompts and a holiday theme, and the top prize is a 25 page critique from one of the editors or agent participating.
In the Suspense category we have Renee Lynn Scott with her entry, MURDER AT THE NUTCRACKER, ACT 1. I love the ballerina/tough cop combo and it sounds like these two have a sizzling past already. Click here to read and rate.
Brynna James wins the overachiever drink of the day with the max three entrees in the running. Historical CLANDESTINE here, Contemporary MCKENNA’S CHOICE here, and Suspense A MELODY OF MURDER here. Since most of us would be too lily-livered to even enter once, I think it’s safe to say Brynna deserves a toast and our votes!
This first round at The Season ends on the 12th and it’s one vote per household, so be sure to vote both from work and home when possible. Or the library. Or a friend’s house. The RT contest allows you to vote early and often so add it to your morning web stops and keep the votes coming.
I’m still working on *cough*not*cough* my synopsis for the GH. I actually have a file started and those throw away pitches I wrote this summer came in handy. Who’d a thunk?! Thankfully, I have tomorrow off for Veteran’s Day and I plan on having that synopsis at least half done before climbing into my hammock for the night.
Who did I miss? Anyone else? Know anybody who needs our support? Have a contest experience or win you want to brag about? And does it drive you crazy, as a reader, when you fall in love with these contest entries and can’t go out and buy them to read the rest?!
My Darkest Days – Porn Star Dancing
When last we met Maria Zannini, she was fighting her way through the first round of the RT Writing With The Stars competition and kicking butt. I am happy to report, Maria made it past round one with flying colors (Pirate colors, of course) and is now chopping through the waters of round 2.
This round is for Best Hero and Heroine and even though two competitors have been tossed overboard, the waters are still rough. Ms. Zannini and her H/H, Luisa Tavares and Xander Daltry, need your votes. Head over to here and get your vote in now. We’re talking a pirate heroine and a pirate-hunting hero. Holy conflict! Throw in danger, a curse, shifting realities, and dash of werewolf and you have one heck of a recipe going.
Let's help Maria get that Kensington contract!
In other contest news, two of the Romance RoundTablers have tossed their teacups into the fray over at The Season website. ‘Tis The Season Writing Contest (for non-pubbed writers) runs through the month of November. Entries went in during October, based on specific writing prompts and a holiday theme, and the top prize is a 25 page critique from one of the editors or agent participating.
In the Suspense category we have Renee Lynn Scott with her entry, MURDER AT THE NUTCRACKER, ACT 1. I love the ballerina/tough cop combo and it sounds like these two have a sizzling past already. Click here to read and rate.
Brynna James wins the overachiever drink of the day with the max three entrees in the running. Historical CLANDESTINE here, Contemporary MCKENNA’S CHOICE here, and Suspense A MELODY OF MURDER here. Since most of us would be too lily-livered to even enter once, I think it’s safe to say Brynna deserves a toast and our votes!
This first round at The Season ends on the 12th and it’s one vote per household, so be sure to vote both from work and home when possible. Or the library. Or a friend’s house. The RT contest allows you to vote early and often so add it to your morning web stops and keep the votes coming.
I’m still working on *cough*not*cough* my synopsis for the GH. I actually have a file started and those throw away pitches I wrote this summer came in handy. Who’d a thunk?! Thankfully, I have tomorrow off for Veteran’s Day and I plan on having that synopsis at least half done before climbing into my hammock for the night.
Who did I miss? Anyone else? Know anybody who needs our support? Have a contest experience or win you want to brag about? And does it drive you crazy, as a reader, when you fall in love with these contest entries and can’t go out and buy them to read the rest?!
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Bo'sun's Babblings (Terri)
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38 comments:
I really like this idea...we ought to make it a regular/regular feature so we can use our powers for good!
While I totally credit the Avon FanLit contest for getting me motivated (and connected with you lovely pirates), the whole online contest idea is very tricky. As a Kensington Brava author, I think they're a great opportunity, but probably every single one of the entrants should win and get a contract, LOL. I did not volunteer to mentor anyone (I need a mentor myself)but I know how hard everyone's worked.
I can't tell you how happy I am my contest days are over. It's so hard getting judged on snippets or first few pages. Despite my reservations,I've volunteered to judge for the Golden Heart this year.:)
This was so good of you to give us a shout out, Terri. Thank you.
I normally don't enter contests, but the lure of a mentor was too great. My mentor, Terri Brisbin (hey, look, another Terri!) was absolutely awesome in giving me some brilliant suggestions not just on excerpts, but marketing.
Even if I don't win, (perish the thought) the advice she gave me was priceless. Well worth entering the contest alone.
PS Thank you, guys, for helping me reach Round 2!
Maria - You're most welcome! And I do see your point about the mentorship. That's worth any of the worry and hassle involved. It's like everyone walks away a winner no matter what.
Now here's to getting you to round 3!
Sounds good to me, Chance. And it's good for our karma!
Maggie - I do get frustrated when I hear someone comment on a first page and say things like "I don't care about that character enough to keep reading." REALLY? It's the FIRST PAGE!
So I doubt I'll be a big contest junkie. I have enough stress in my life without adding that too. LOL!
Maybe you'll get my entry for the GH! Do you know the category in which you'll be judging? Or do you just get what they send you?
Good luck everyone! I've voted. I'll try to vote from my phone at lunch.
Ter, get to work on that GH entry!
PS. Thanks for blogging for me today!
I have no recent contest wins I want to brag about, no; and nor have I entered anything lately that I need positive thoughts for.
But good luck to everyone who is entering right now...and I will go vote. I'm all about voting early and often. :)
Good luck to everyone -- I like being able to support fellow writers, and this is a great way to do it. (In fact, you pirates did your part by voting in the online contest I was in last spring, before I got gangpressed--I mean, before I was invited to join all of you! LOL)
I recently judged a contest, which I hadn't done for a while, and it was very enlightening. The entries were all well done, and well written, but they didn't seem to have that "spark" -- almost like there was too much "rule following" and not enough storytelling. It made me a little sad, because I wondered how many other contest judges had convinced them to follow the rules, to their detriment.
P.S. Good luck on the GH, Terri. I'm still debating whether to enter or not -- I think I'm leaning towards saving the entry fee for something else. LOL
Terri, thanks for your support. I know Brynna sends her thanks too. I'm sure she'll stop by after the day job.
Maria, I have to tell you that I went over to RT when someone asked me to vote. Well, I'm the kind of person that doesn't just hand out votes. I also expect the same when it comes to my own writing. Anyway, I read through all the entries, and your first round entry ROCKS!
Thanks to everyone who voted on my entry.
Terri, get that GH entry ready to go!
All right, back to the writing cave I go.
Did I say "recent" win? Nope. LOL! Brag about anything. Hell, brag about winning the spelling bee in 3rd grade. We're promoting anything we want today.
And while we're at it, I just have to say I am highly impressed by the eBooks I've been finding lately. I admit to having the silly bias that books from epubs weren't as good as NYC pubbed books. But I fully admit I was wrong. I'm loving this Meg Benjamin book, VENUS IN BLUE JEANS.
Thanks for the encouragement on the GH. I have high hopes my brain will cooperate tomorrow. At least I know I'm feeling better than I was yesterday.
Good for you for entering the contest, Renee, and I really do like your entry. As someone else mentioned, a lot of these entries are really good. It's almost hard to say they all don't deserve the contract or critique.
Fine, then when I was 17, I won an essay contest and won a free trip to Washington D.C. where I was perfectly behaved but did tend to wander off alone to look at museum stuff (mainly because my peers were more interested in meeting boys and making out with them). I had a great time.
Sin also won this contest--and Pixy--it seemed EVERYONE won that year they went, where they did make out with boys and basically were people I would have avoided on MY trip.
The real thing to brag about is that I was SO BAD at delivering the "non-essay" speech portion of the program that afterwards Ms. Yount FINALLY allowed students to have notecards because she didn't want another HELLION INCIDENT.
I also won a contest--the Silver Quill award--for a manuscript I never finished and got an editor request for it. Of course, by then I wasn't remotely interested in finishing the story (still not) and I have learned not to enter contests until I'm actually finished with the story. Good press can ruin a story just as much as bad press.
I really need to get an e-Reader.
Unless you count the pageants I won when I was much younger (50 trophies *buffs nails*), I never won anything on my own in school. Sports championships and band competitions, but that's all team stuff. Now I'm irritated I never won anything. LOL!
You won FIFTY PAGEANTS--you'll excuse us if we don't weep for you. *LOL*
It took three years (ages 5 to 8) and they aren't all first place trophies. But it's not good to PEAK at age 8, ya know?
I voted for Maria. I've already given Renee five stars, and I'll check Brynna's later today. Go, FOPs (Friends of Pirates)!
Good luck with the synopsis, Terri. I hate writing them.
I won prizes for my writing pretty routinely from elementary through grad school. The win I'm proudest of is probably the grad school win in an American Academy of Poets competition. But writing romance has decimated my winner's record and my ego. Now I'd be elated if I could just win the approval of a full from one of the agents on my list.
FOPs--that's going to be my new favorite word. Janga should have her own pirate drink for coining the phrase, don't you think? The Witty Whistler or something...
Well, some people peak young. John Keats peaked at like age 20--wrote all those great poems, then died. Better to have peaked early than never at all, right?
How about Wet Your Witty Whistler? Too much?
I'm not sure about that peaking thing. I never wanted to be one of those people who spend their adult life longing for their glory days of youth.
Your writing is exquisite, Janga. Be it poetry, articles, or romance. The right agent will see that. Just don't give up!
Sin also won this contest–and Pixy–it seemed EVERYONE won that year they went, where they did make out with boys and basically were people I would have avoided on MY trip.
Yount browbeat me into doing this contest. I didn't want to, then I was informed that there would be boys from other states there.. then I was one it like white on rice.
There were tons of great parts about the win. I had a great roomie who helped me sneak out and covered for me. I saw a ton of things I'd never have the opportunity to see otherwise. I got to see a production of Les Miserables, which was stellar. And I got stuck on the elevator with a guy from Georgia who had the most adorable accent and gave me his peach sticker after much convincing.
It was an awesome trip.
That's about the extending of my winning streak. But I made it count.
I love that the winning factor for you was the presence of boys. Especially out of state boys. LOL!
Every sophomore class at my HS took a trip to DC. I'm assuming they still do. All I remember is losing a lot of sleep. Unless you count that nap at the planetarium.
Then there was the cruise. HS band took a cruise and ours was the only room with four students and no chaperone. Also the only room with pot. Man, that was a fun trip.
Just think, Janga, it took a while before Manda was snatched up--and I love her writing as much as I love yours. I think sometimes it takes awhile to appreciate greatness. At least that's what I tell myself when judges crap all over my Lucifer stories. *LOL*
Hellion:
Ref: The HELLION INCIDENT
And from this day forward I will never give another speech or reading without thinking about this first.
ROTFL!
Ref: Renee
Thanks, hon. I appreciate you.
Maria, it was bad. In order to win the essay contest, you had to give a speech--first read your essay aloud to a group of judges, and then give a 2 minute speech about why you should be picked to represent Boone County. Ms. Yount was ADAMANT that her contestants not cheat and use cards. We were supposed to memorize our speeches but not sound like we had memorized them. (Mind you, I wouldn't take the SPEECH class until the following year, which would have been helpful here.)
I tried and tried to memorize it, not look up at the ceiling, not roll my eyes or get flustered, never worked. And I couldn't even read the damned essay and sound interesting. It was completely demoralizing doing this.
The only thing that saved me was my high school crush walked up to me after class before I went home and said, "You've got this. You're going to win this contest because your essay is the best one. I know it." (J.J. totally gets kudos for me winning this thing, even as much as Ms. Yount helped me polish.)
So I go to give my speech, I'm feeling a little buoyed by J.J. and I nail that essay speech. The judges are in the PALM OF MY HAND. And then it's time for me to tell them why I should represent Boone County. I'm still looking at the judges; I start the speech and then I look up (remember that not looking at the ceiling thing?)--and I see the REST OF THE AUDIENCE and I stop. I'm startled by how many people are WATCHING ME. I lose my train of thought; I have no cards; I don't even know what I just said.
But I do remember what I said next. I looked at Ms. Yount who was staring at me as if her nightmare had come to life.
"I forgot," I said, and everyone tittered. Ms. Yount looked like she was going to crawl under her table. "My teacher is going to kill me." Outright laughter.
I shake my head and the leader lady asks me if I want to wind up my speech and I say, "Well, I've never been on an airplane and I've never gotten to see the sights in Washington D.C. And that's why I think you should send me to represent Boone County."
And for some reason the Judges thought this was funny and sent me. And I had a really great time seeing all the monuments.
They also published my essay in the local flier, which was the first time they said they'd ever done that, but they wanted to publish mine.
Yount had winning nailed down to a T. I need to ask Kelsey if they still do this.
Oh, that is hilarious, Hellie! Suddenly realizing that people are actually listening and watching is really intimidating. I'm going to pretend that my readers are invisible...if you think about it, just crippling.
Unless the evil genius in my brain takes over, then it's all about the numbers and taking over the world!
You're entry rocked, Maria! Good luck!
The Wet Your Whistle...what? I got lost...but it sounds good! This drink must be served with a coach's whistle dangling about the handle... but if it works, it will annoy everyone... Hmmmmm!
I'm trying to think if I've ever won anything... Well, I was MVP on my high school volleyball team my junior year... Most Mysterious my senior year...
I'm late today, but I'm loving this discussion, and I voted for Maria (definitely the best!). I'll read the Season entries tonight - thanks for the links Ter!
I was on the Speech and Debate team in college (laugh away, I know, I'm a dork). I was national champion in debate, two years running. At the time, it was the coolest thing ever. Now I don't even know which box in the attic all those trophies are in :)
Well, Hal...at least you'll have an offspring to dump it all on. I think of my niece and nephews and imagine a lit match. Something I consider when contemplating all the stuff two people can manage to haul around with them.
Sorry I went AWOL, I was stuffing party invitations all afternoon. But they are done and now I just have to label them and settle on the menu and talk to the dj and deal with the managers dinner and I'm going to stop listing things now.
Thank heaven I have tomorrow off!
Hal - Somehow that debate thing doesn't surprise me. Oddly enough, I was not on debate team. It required research and even back then, I wasn't willing to do that. :)
lol - the research was my favorite part :)
Holy cow, y'all! Thanks for the support. I love it that we all have each other's backs in contests, in critiques, on this journey, in life.
I entered three because I had so much fun writing one I couldn't stop. (I am not anywhere near an "overachiever" lol).
You guys rock! Thanks for including me in this list, Terri, and thank you EVERYONE who's stopped by and voted. :)
And I voted for your entry, Maria. Your book sounds FANTASTIC, definitely the best of the bunch!
I wish you super loads of luck! :)
I FINISHED MY FIRST ROUND OF REVISIONS!!!! I WANT TO GET VERY DRUNK! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
Hal - You're weird. ;)
Brynna! Happy you could stop by. You may not think so, but you are definitely an overachiever around here. LOL! Heck, I had to write two blogs in two days and it nearly killed me. LOL!
Chance - That rum barrel is all yours! Whoohooo!!!!
woohoo chanceroo!
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