November Novelists Contest #4 Winner Announced

I would have liked to see more entries for this one. Did people let the holiday interfere with their writing? Shame on them!

Or does everyone really hate writing sales pitches?

We'll never know.....

But, this week's winner is Jane L, with Love's Soft Surrender. Jane, email me at editorjennifer at gmail.com for your prizes!

Why did I pick Jane's? Of the two, hers does the job better - it tells me (the fictional publisher/editor you have cornered in the elevator, remember?) exactly what the book is about and sells me on it at the same time.

Let's pick these two "pitches" apart a little to see what went right and what went wrong.

Oddly enough, Jane L's first mistake comes right at the beginning.

"They say all is fair in love and war. That is until you meet a lady who lies, steals and cheats to gain her revenge."

Hmmm. Doesn't a "lady who lies, steals and cheats to get her revenge" prove that all is fair in love and war?

"Brianna is hell bent on avenging the death of her parents at the hands of Yankee soldiers. Using a clever disguise, she infiltrates a Confederate camp. Seriously injured and taken prisoner, her identity is discovered unexpectedly by, Yankee Captain Tristan Creighton."

Good, but take out "unexpectedly" and that comma. And hold on - isn't Tristan her fiance? Better put that important piece of info right here: "her identity is discovered by her fiance - Yankee Captain Tristan Creighton."

"Furious his fiancé has joined the enemy and shot his brother, Tristan soon finds his dedication to family and loyalty to country will face bitter challenges. From the trenches of West Virginia battlefields to the trenches of marriage they will contest their love for each other until the end.

No matter how much they try to deny it, their passion sizzles like liquid heat. Brianna and Tristan discover that passion will guide them to the point of… Love’s Soft Surrender, 75,000 words, 1864 historical."

Now we're back on shaky ground. I get what you're saying, but your message has become murky. How about:

"Tristan is furious his fiancee has joined the rebels and shot his brother, but it won't be the last time his loyalty to family and country will pull him in two different directions. From the battlefields of West Virginia to the drawing room of their own home in..(fill in the blank), the war that divides the country disrupts their private peace again and again.

Still, Brianna and Tristan discover the passion that sizzles between them will overcome every obstacle and ultimately lead them to Love's Soft Surrender...."



As for Linton Robinson's Mary of Angels:

Your pitch is a case of information overload. While your pitch needs to encapsulate your story in a way that the publisher/editor gets a quick idea of exactly what you've got, you can't bog them down in too many details.

You start with a list:

"Sold into marriage to drug dealer at age twelve.
Widowed by a grisly crucifixion at age fourteen.
Self-delivered to the protection of a brutal cop at fifteen.
One of the top-earning prostitutes in Tijuana at seventeen.
The only woman running illegals into California at eighteen.
Leader of a woman-centered crime ring at nineteen, and owner of a shelter for girls.
Subject of a popular radio ballad and cheap film at twenty.
Before her twenty-first birthday worshipped as secular saint."

This is all fascinating stuff - but you lose us after the fourth or fifth one. Human beings are very predictable. We like our lists in threes. We'll stand for four.

And that's it.

I would pick:

"Sold into marriage at age twelve. (We don't even need to know about the drug dealer - anyone who marries a twelve year old is BAD).
Widowed at fourteen.
Celebrated as a secular saint by twenty-one."

See? Minimal details. We get the picture - this girl is unusual. We want to know more.

Your next line is a summary statement that gives us a glimpse of the depth of this work:

"And all around Maria de Los Angeles twist the skeins of borderline lives, other frontier transformations, other deprivations turned to crimes, turned to hymns."

I would simply make this statement active:

"Maria de Los Angeles creates miracles in the borderline lives that swirl around her."

The rest of the pitch does more to confuse me than to enlighten me. For example, where are Barrio Loba and Grupo Bravo? Is one a third world neighborhood and the other first world? Or are they both a mixture. When you say governments on both sides - on both sides of what?

Your last paragraph tells me about the characters in the book, but leaves me wondering what, ultimately, the story is about:

"Creating their own culture, speaking their own language, living with only their own laws of each moment and faiths of convenience, they are converging flow of humanity with almost no allegiance to those with the duty or motivation to keep them under control."

Is this a book of short stories - vignettes of life on the border? Or is this a novel with a consistent cast of characters and a goal that is reached in the end?

It doesn't matter which one this is: what matters is that I as the fictional editor/publisher still don't know!

Do not ever be cagey with a pitch. A pitch explains exactly what the manuscript you are selling contains. I would re-do the rest of this pitch in a way that makes the scope of your novel crystal clear. It is okay to introduce a couple of minor characters at this time, but you also need to tell us what happens to Maria. And how does the book end?

Congratulations to both of you for having the nerve to enter this contest.

And that's it, folks. I hope everyone that participated in Nanowrimo reached their goal and got their 50,000 words! I managed to finish yesterday, so I'm certainly feeling relieved.

To all of you who are wondering when I'm going to post your book reviews - they're coming right up! Stay tuned....

November Novelists Contest #4 - Last One - Win a Book and Cash!

Eight more days of Nanowrimo to go...

And one last contest for us. This week's contest is Best Novel Pitch. This one might be the trickiest - but also the most useful contest in the long run.

Pretend that you have cornered the agent of your dreams in an elevator. You have 30 seconds before you reach the next floor, the doors slide open, and the agent starts screaming for building security.

Go ahead - make your pitch!

Rules:

1. This contest has a 300 word limit.

2. Enter your pitch in the comment section below.

3. The contest is open.

4. Deadline: 11:59 pm Pacific time Nov. 27, 2009

5. Winner announced Nov. 28, 2009

Prize: Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass and $20.00 USD!


Good Luck, everyone!

How to Find a Traditional Publisher for Your Novel Without an Agent, by Michael G. Langan, Esq.

How to Find a Traditional Publisher for Your Novel Without an Agent

by Michael G. Langan, Esq.

(Author of Ready for the Defense and Dark Horse)


Step 1: Edit and proofread your novel thoroughly. Consider hiring a professional editor like Editor Jennifer.

Step 2: Identify your novel’s word length and genre.

Step 3: Compile a list of 30 traditional (royalty-paying) publishers in your genre that do not require agents and that are currently accepting submissions. Start finding publishers by using one or more up-to-date reference books, such as the following:

• 2010 Writer’s Market by Robert Lee Brewer (Writer’s Digest Books 2009) ($20 on Amazon; $32 for book and online subscription);

• Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents 2010 (Sourcebooks 2009) ($20 on Amazon); and/or

• The American Directory of Writer’s Guidelines by Stephen Blake (Linden 2006).

Then visit the websites of each of those publishers to make sure the information listed in the books (such as contact information, current needs, and submission requirements) is complete and still accurate. Finally, type up the list of all 30 publishers and their pertinent details, including addresses, names of editors, and submission requirements.

Step 4: Rank the publishers in terms of your preference using your desired criteria. For example, your criteria might include the following:

• Whether they publish in hardcover, paperback and/or electronic format;

• Ease of submission (e.g., whether they accept submissions only by mail or whether they accept submissions by email);

• Speed of submission (e.g., whether they accept only query, synopsis, sample chapters, or whole manuscript early in the process, and whether they accept simultaneous submissions);

• Quantity and quality of books published each year (including quality of cover art);

• Capacity to distribute books (e.g., whether they have relationships with Ingram and/or Baker & Taylor, and whether they have books available for sale on Amazon and/or BarnesandNoble.com); and/or

• Royalty rates (including whether they pay an advance).

Step 5: Prepare a model of the submission materials you will likely need (e.g., query letter, short synopsis, long synopsis, sample chapters, biography, marketing plan, etc). To do so, consider using one or more of the following reference books:

• Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript by Chuck Sambuchino (Writer’s Digest Books 2009) ($16 on Amazon);

• The Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters by Wendy Burt-Thomas (Writer’s Digest Books 2009) ($11 on Amazon);

• Write the Perfect Book Proposal: 10 That Sold and Why by Jeff Herman (Wiley 2001) ($11 on Amazon); and/or

• How to Write Attention-Grabbing Query & Cover Letters by John Wood (Writer’s Digest Books 2000) ($11 on Amazon).

Step 6: Using your model submission materials as a starting point, prepare submission materials for each publisher in accordance to their stated requirements. Start with the publishers you have ranked highest.

Step 7: Create a log to track your submissions. Create a table with 6 columns and 31 rows. Label the 6 columns as follows: “Publisher”; “Date Query Letter Sent”; “Date Synopsis Sent”; “Date Sample Chapters Sent”; “Date Manuscript Sent”; and “Date Response Received.” Then, in the “Publisher” column, label each of the 30 rows with the name and contact information of each different publisher.

Step 8: Start submitting! Many publishers prohibit simultaneous submissions. Obeying this rule (e.g., waiting three to six months for each publisher to get back to you before you make a submission to another publisher) would likely lead you to be old and gray before you make it through the entire list of 30 publishers. As a result, consider submitting materials in groups of five, staggered every four weeks. That way, if you have to withdraw materials, you will offend fewer publishers. Finally, be sure to keep any receipts for postage, paper and ink for tax purposes, in case you find a publisher and get paid an advance that same tax year.

November Novelists Contest #3 Winner Announced

Well, now I'm hooked.

After reading through all the entries to last week's Best Dialogue contest, I want a copy of every one of those books when they're done!

I had to pick a winner, though, so I chose A.R. Cummings. A.R.'s dialogue gives me all sorts of insight into the relationship between the two characters, their pasts and the present circumstances. It isn't overloaded with attribution tags or extra wordiness.

And I didn't see the ending coming.

Well done, A.R.! Send me a line at editorjennifer at gmail.com to claim your book.

We have one last week of Nanowrimo, and one last contest. This one is a pitch contest. I'll post the rules tomorrow. Get back to writing..

Romance Audio Books

Do you love romance novels? Do you love audio books?

You'll be thrilled to know there is a new romance audio book publisher in town - AudioLark!

Slated to open for business in March of 2010, AudioLark is taking submissions now.

Pass it on...

November Novelists Contest #3

It's week three already. Can you believe it?

That means it's time for our third contest.

These week, it's the Best Dialogue Contest.

Submit a terrific dialogue between two or more characters (750 word limit) in the comment section below.

First Prize: Plot & Structure, by James Scott Bell.

Contest Deadline: 11:59 pm Pacific Time, Nov. 20, 200.

Winner will be announced Nov. 21, 2009.

Interview with Best of the Best Ebook Contest Second Place Winner Jennifer Colgan

1. Tell me the genesis of your novel. When and why did the idea pop into your head? How long did it take to write?

The idea for The Matchmakers came to me more or less as a single scene. I had a picture in my head of a rugged, very macho guy being scolded by a faerie. I liked the idea of having a no-nonsense hero who is forced to change his entire perspective and deal with someone he’s not even sure is real. The idea evolved as I got to know Nick Garrett and he become a more complex character, but the basic premise really sprang from that one image I had in my head. I would say it took about four months to write the book and went through several rounds even before I began to submit it to publishers.

2. Was this your first novel? Your tenth?

This was…I believe my third full-length novel written. It ended up being my 35th published title.

3. Why did you choose to epublish this book? Is it also available in print?

I chose to e-publish for a couple of reasons. One, this is a lighter romance and I’d been told so often that traditional print pubs these days are looking for dark paranormals, the darker the better. I like dark too, but The Matchmakers is pure fun. After hearing ‘make it darker’ over and over again, I decided I needed to go with a publisher who would be happy to have a light, entertaining read. I chose Samhain because I knew I would get fantastic editorial input and the finished product would be something special. The Matchmakers will be available in print in April of 2010.

4. Do you write full time? If not, what is your other job. How do you manage to do both?

Currently I don’t write full time. I did for three years, which allowed me to create my backlist and have a few manuscripts in reserve. Right now I work part-time for a CPA, part time for a local town hall and part-time as a free-lance editor in addition to writing. I’m not really sure how I manage to do it all…basically if I’m awake, I’m working, but I enjoy my various jobs, so I don’t usually have time to notice that I don’t have any free time. LOL.

5. Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?

I am working on a novella at the moment. I don’t want to give too much away, but my alter ego, Bernadette Gardner, has taken over my brain and is hard at work on a steamy science-fiction romance.

6. Anything else you'd like to say?

One thing I’d like to tell aspiring authors is not to give up on a manuscript you believe in. As I mentioned above, The Matchmakers started out around number 3 in my line-up of work and didn’t hit publication until I’d sold over 30 other titles. In between, it spent a lot of time in a drawer and a lot of time on my desk being torn apart and tinkered with. I could have given up on it a lot of times, especially after each rejection I received, but just couldn’t bring myself to hide it under the bed [with the manuscripts I actually have given up on – and there are a few.] This one was special to me and I was determined to get it out there for other people to enjoy it. The story that finally made it to print was somewhat different from the original version thanks to all the wonderful help I received along the way, but ultimately I got to see a story that really mattered to me published, so it was well worth all the time and work involved.


You can purchase a copy of The Matchmakers here.

November Novelists Contest #2 Winners Announced

Yep. That's right; winners.

We have a tie this week between Bobbi and Grayson Moran. Both of you can email me at editorjennifer @ gmail.com with your addresses, and I'll get your copies of Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Brown and Dave King off to you.

Why did these two contestants win? For different reasons.

Bobbi's introduction of Mallory is a great example of how dwelling on the details can give us all kinds of insight into a person's character. Mallory's scarf hints that fashion is important to her, that she comes from a certain economic bracket, that she is a detail person herself, and that she takes good care of her possessions. Her inability to wait for the "help" to clean up the kitchen shows us how important order is to her. Kate knows that Mallory will try to impose that order on her illness, but Mallory surprises her by asking how she can help - a terrific insight into the depths of this character. She is not just a predictable cardboard cutout.

Grayson Moran took his contest entry in an entirely different direction. There are fewer descriptive elements to our introduction to the "Suttie," but the action in the scene tells us a lot about her back story, even though we have to make all kinds of mental leaps to understand the brand new vocabulary Grayson uses in his steam punk story.

We end up with a terrific sense of this slight, fragile, yet determined woman. We know her clothing is exotic and cumbersome, we know she has a baby and shouldn't, although we don't know why. We know the main character wants to leave her behind and get on with his own business, but we are grateful when he turns around to help her negotiate the steps. We want this interesting character to be part of the story.

Congratulations to our winners! And congratulations to all the entrants! This contest was hard to judge because there were a number of terrific entries.

Stay tuned for the third contest: Best dialogue between two or more characters (750 word limit). I will post the contest tomorrow morning!

Interview with Best of the Best Ebook Contest First Place Winner Bodie Parkhurst

1. Tell me the genesis of your novel. When and why did the idea pop into your head? How long did it take to write?

This novel actually started in an Instant Messenger conversation. I had just sent my son off for his first overnight visit with his dad, and, because the world looked pretty bleak, I was bending my good friend Gene's ear about some of the less admirable passages in my years with my ex. As often happens in those conversations (Gene is still my good friend) we got silly, and I started inventing outrageous characters with funny names, writing little scenes and snippets of dialog, and then I thought, "Hey, I should write a book about this."

And that was the beginning. Since my son was gone for the weekend, I had a lot of time on my hands. Redeeming Stanley was well along by the time my son came running in the door and life went back to normal.

As I say in the book, many of the scenes are real, but it's pointless to try to guess which they are, because for me, writing a book is a little like that old saying about God creating man in his image--and man returning the favor. It wasn't long before the characters had taken on lives of their own. They have likes, dislikes, pet peeves, and favorite expressions. They have things they will and will not do. And I found that I had to honor that. For instance, when Weldon Frame is zooming around up in the mountains and runs afoul of the Justice of the Peace and her poodle, Baby, it would have been nice to have Weldon say something really awful to her. But that's just not what he would do. "You need therapy--and so does Baby," is all he can manage. He's a man of limited imagination; truly creative flights of viciousness are just not in him.

I wrote the first draft of this novel in a couple months. I've been editing it for six years. For me, writing a novel is 60% thinking, and 10% frantically typing, and 30% polishing. The real challenge--and what's taken so long--is really getting to know my characters, and forcing myself to allow them to be themselves. There's a temptation to make everybody talk like me. It takes a lot of discipline (and the help of a good editor) to really tease apart what makes each character unique, and let that shine through in their words and actions.

The ending eluded me for a while, but it finally came together when I sat down with the book, lined up my characters, so to speak, and just let them do what came naturally, based on what I had come to know about them through writing. It wasn't the ending I was expecting. I had actually hoped that Weldon would make a short trip to the Infernal Regions, only to be returned because of inadequacy. But it didn't work out that way. and this is better.

2. Was this your first novel? Your tenth?

It's my third. My first novel is still unfinished. It's been through three computer crashes, about four rebuilds, and too many rewrites to count. I still don't have an ending. I don't even have a really convincing middle. It's been my "learning book," and I love it. It has some of the most amazing scenes, dialog, and characters in it. Someday I'll get it done, but not for a long time, I hope. Working on that book is like taking a short vacation to another world. When the book is finished, the vacation will be over.

My second novel, Good on Paper, actually started out when I was still in college, many years ago. I noodled around writing scenes, characters, and dialog, and then one day I started just started writing. I had planned to write a murder mystery, and there's certainly a little of that in there, but again, it wasn't long before the characters began to dictate the action. This book is not funny, though there are funny parts in it. It's taken a lot longer to write because the situations and characters are difficult, complex, and sometimes unreliable. One of the principal narrators has such a skewed reality that she's actually quite frightening. I've thought I was done writing this book a couple of times, but each time a reader responded with some pretty good questions (or pretty deep anger) at unexpected places. I realized that I hadn't done my job properly. At one point I actually wrote five different versions of this book, from the point of view of each of the five narrators. In the end, I wound up where I had started--letting each of the speakers tell part of the story. But I knew them all much, much better as a result of having lived behind their eyes for an extended period of time.

By contrast, Redeeming Stanley positively flew together--so much so that it leapfrogged Good on Paper sometime in 2005. It's in the final editing process now, and should be available on Amazon by Christmas.

3. Why did you choose to epublish this book? Is it also available in print?

I chose epublishing because it provided me with the tools I need to meet the three biggest hurdles that I face as a new, unknown author. It provides me with a cost-effective means of quality production, an easy, cost-effective means of distribution, and the flexibility and control that authors using traditional printing methods only dream of.

I actually started out planning on publishing in print, and then added the epublication because it was so very inexpensive, and so very easy. Since I'm actually a book designer by trade, I was very interested in the various sites that offer the opportunity to self-publish for print on demand. I work with conventional printers on a regular basis, and while I think there's no substitute for a real, paper-and-cover book in terms of traditional distribution channels and bookstore sales, I believe that ebooks and print on demand options have opened up a whole world of opportunities to people like me--people who have one or more books inside them, but don't have a lot of money to self-publish and distribute through traditional channels. Also, the publishing industry as a whole is increasingly geared toward established, big-name writers, and/or books on crisis-of-the-moment topics. Given the intense competition both for a publication slot and for whatever marketing dollars are available, publishing a book by conventional means is no longer necessarily the better option in some cases.

The self-publication sites (at least the ones I use, CreateSpace and BookSurge) offer a range of book sizes, shapes, color, and binding options. They provide the EAN-13 barcodes necessary to market and sell the books commercially. They place the books on Amazon, as well as on other online outlets, in some cases. When people ask about my book, I simply route them to Amazon. The last reason I chose epublishing and print on demand online is the most important to me, though perhaps not to most. As I said, I'm a book designer by trade. I'm also an illustrator (I did my own cover for Redeeming Stanley, and I've done several picture books for both adults and children). I'm very concerned about how my book reads. That's why, even though I edit for others, I never send a book anywhere without hiring an editor to review my manuscript. A good editor is worth her weight in gold. I have a good editor. I'm equally concerned with how my books look. I want the design of the book to reflect and enhance the tone, theme, and subject matter of the story. I want it to be beautiful. Most of all, I want it to be readable. I want the design to make a good first impression--and then I want it to disappear as my readers become lost in the story. Those are things that authors simply don't get to influence much in traditional publishing (I know--I design books for publishers). Maybe I'm a control freak--all I know is that for me, writing, designing, and typesetting my books is all part of telling the story--and epublishing, CreateSpace, and BookSurge offer me the tools I need to do that.


4. Do you write full time? If not, what is your other job. How do you manage to do both?

I have a business doing design, illustration, and copywriting for a variety of clients. Since my work is pretty much all contract work, I have times when I'm very busy, and times when I'm not. I write in my "down" time, and except for the very busiest times, I try to keep one hour a day for working my own books, or painting, or both. Because of the nature of my work, it's very important that I keep some design and writing that's "mine." It makes it much easier to maintain a professional attitude and approach to client work. When you're in a creative field like design, it's very easy to fall in love with a beautiful project. When that happens, it can be difficult to remember that in the end, client satisfaction--not mine--is what's central to the process. Having projects that are mine makes it easier to remember that everything isn't. Short answer--it isn't a matter of "managing to do both," but of "having to do both." I couldn't remain a designer if I didn't keep a part of my life for feeding my own creativity.

5. Are you working on a new project? Can you tell us about it?

Sure am. Sure can. I'm editing Good on Paper, and will be starting typesetting, probably this week sometime. I'm working on a book about a girl who thinks she can fly. And of course there's the eternal First Novel, as well as the series of ghost stories I've been writing. I'm also working on a series of three memoirs. The bulk of the writing's done; now I have to sort, hone, and pare in order to tell the three stories I've settled upon. I've got two more picture books to adapt for online publication, and a third that I'm in the process of illustrating. Most of all, I'm beginning to develop a program for children that will provide them with the time, space, tools, and support to write, illustrate, publish, and market their own books. I'm still in the early, early stages of the plan, but I'd like to develop it as both an in-school and a summer daycamp program. Over time, I'd like to expand it to the adult audience, but for now, I'd like to do it with kids.

6. Anything else you`d like to say?

When I write, I think a lot about two things my College Writing teacher used to say. "Show, don't tell," was his first favorite saying. He talked a lot about showing a character in action, rather than just telling a story. "Write truly," was his second favorite saying. He explained that one could write fiction and still "write truly," that doing so meant being true to one's self, to one's characters, and to the story. Sometimes a happy ending is a cheat. I write a lot of books that dip their toes into fantasy, and sometimes even take the plunge. But even when I write fantasy, there's an inner logic, the reality of the book, the integrity of the characters. Writing truly is giving emotions, reactions, and situations their full due. It means making the consequences of an event seem to follow inevitably from the event itself. It means being honest with myself, and with my readers. Writing truly is an act of self-exposure, and it can be terrifying. If I write truly, if I pluck up my courage to put aside all my shields and defenses and just tell the story, I wind up with a strong, believable narrative. Writing truly is writing well.

You can purchase a copy of Redeeming Stanley here.

November Novelists Contest #2!

Editor Jennifer's Second November Novelists' Contest is now open:

Best Character Intro Contest - send me the (up to) three paragraphs during which a character first appears in your novel (750 word limit).

Prize: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Brown and Dave King.

Contest opens: Nov. 8, 2009.

Deadline: 11:59 pm Pacific time Nov. 13, 2009.

Winner announced: Nov. 14, 2009.

Post your entries in the comments section below! Good luck, everyone!

Book Review - Anybody Out There? by Marion Keyes

I tend to get wrapped up in the novels I read, and Anybody Out There? by Marion Keyes was no exception.

Not many books get me to break down in tears in the middle of my kitchen, though. This one did. (My poor, long-suffering husband).

Anna loves life in New York City. She has "the best job in the world", a terrific circle of friends, and a relationship that's too good to be true. So when she wakes up back home in Ireland with scars but no memory of what has happened to her, she bounces between past memories and present experiences to piece it all together.

This novel packs an emotional punch. It will suck you in, make you laugh...and, yes - possibly leave you in tears. I commend Marion Keyes for making us care so much about her characters and their stories.

November Novelists Contest #1 Winner Announced!

There was some confusion with this first contest as to where entries should land, so I want to point out to people that some contestants entered in the comments here. And others here. (And some in both.)

My editor fingers are itching right now. So many good opening lines that just need the tiniest tweak to make them great.

And several that are pretty wonderful already.

It was a tough choice, but I went with the "less is more" feeling of this contestant's opening line. It grabbed my attention the first time I read it and every subsequent time I looked through the lists of entries, it grabbed my attention again.

The winner of Contest #1 is:

wicked1991

"The tracker placed his hand, fingers splayed, within the bloody paw print on the ground."

Why did I choose this entry?

It uses no gimmick, tells no back story, and doesn't cram more than one sentence into the sentence. It is sleek, elegant, and very evocative. Its fifteen words plunk me right down into the action. I'm immediately hooked; I want to know more.

On the other hand, it leaves me guessing. The story could take place anywhere from the plains of Africa to some frontier region of a planet in a galaxy far, far away. My curiosity is piqued and I'm willing to read on.

Congratulations, wicked1991! Email me at editorjennifer at gmail.com and give me your name and address. Your book will be off to you shortly!

Next contest: Best Character Intro Contest - send me the three paragraphs during which a character first appears in your novel (750 word limit). Prize: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Brown and Dave King. Contest opens Nov. 8, 2009, Deadline 11:59 pm Pacific time Nov. 13, 2009, Winner announced Nov. 14, 2009.

Please wait until tomorrow and post in the comments of the official Contest 2 post.

Editor Jennifer's November Novelists Contest #1: Best First Sentence

And...they're off!

Did you make your word count today for Nanowrimo? I did! And in the spirit of mutual support and encouragement for writers, I'm offering four fun contests this month.

This week's contest is the Best First Sentence Contest.

What are the rules? There are no stinkin' rules. Write a sentence and post it in the comments below. Short. Long. Serious. Ridiculous.

Okay, I lied. There are two rules:

1. One entry per person, please.

2. It cannot be pornographic or violent to the point that I get nauseous. And Editor Jennifer has a bit of a tricky stomach, so be forewarned. If I am shocked and appalled, I will delete your comment.

Okay - that's it! The contest is open now. It closes at 11:59 PM on Friday, November 6th. I'll announce the winner on Saturday.

The prize is a copy of Getting Into Character, by Brandilyn Collins.

Good luck everyone!

(P.S. My comments work now - sorry to anyone who tried to post and couldn't. To anyone who posted on the other contest announcement, don't worry - I see them and will include them in the contest!)

Book Review - Wish for the Moon, by Sandra Jones

Do you love time travel books? I do.

Wish for the Moon is a great example of time travel romance done right. Interesting characters, a solid plot and enough steamy sex scenes to pull you through to the end of the story.

I haven't come across a romance heroine with epilepsy before, but Jones never makes a victim out of her main character, Carrie Greer. Instead, she's a well-rounded, modern-day woman who takes her search for a cure into her own hands. An expert herbalist, she travels to England in search of an herb rumored to help bring epilepsy under control. There she meet Matthias Thorne, a history professor with a past...a long, long past.

Banished from his 13th century home after committing a crime he can't remember, Matthias stumbles through a portal into the 21st century. Now he's not sure if he can ever get back.

When Carrie and Matthias go hurtling back into the past, they must solve a mystery and learn to love each other, if either of them are to ever find happiness.

Check it out here.

Best of the Best Contest Winners!

I am thrilled to announce the winners of Editor Jennifer’s first annual Best of the Best Ebook Contest!


First Place - $250 USD: Redeeming Stanley, by Bodie Parkhurst

Second Place – Audio book by AudioLark: The Matchmakers, by Jennifer Colgan

Third Place – NovelPlanner Software: Ready for the Defense, by Michael Langan

Congratulations to all winners. I will be in touch shortly about your prizes!




First Place Winner – Redeeming Stanley, by Bodie Parkhurst

I asked for original....I got original. Redeeming Stanley is like no other book I’ve ever read, and that’s saying a lot. Hilarious at every turn, Redeeming Stanley is a fast, fun page-turner of a novel.

I’m loath to summarize it because I don’t want to give anything away, but if you’ve ever woken up and realized you were sleeping with someone way below you in the cosmic gene pool, this book is for you. If you’ve ever sought to redeem someone who is unredeemable , this book is for you. If you’ve ever wondered where the old gods hang out now, this book is for you. And if you’ve ever thirsted for revenge – good, old fashioned, hell-raising revenge, this book is for you.

If you’re uptight, for God’s sake, do not read this book. But if you’re a grown-up with a sense of humor, you’re going to love it. To purchase a copy, click here.



Second Place Winner – The Matchmakers, by Jennifer Colgan

Faeries? Romance? I’m in! The Matchmakers, by Jennifer Colgan, is the perfect book to snuggle up with in bed with when you know your husband’s on his way home.

Nick thinks he’s satisfied with his short, serial relationships until Calliope shows up and takes over his life. Calliope has been kicked out of the faery realm and can’t return until she and Nick pair up three perfect couples.

Can a stubborn carpenter and an even more stubborn faery learn to work together before time runs out?

Sweet, sexy, satisfying; a terrific read. To purchase a copy, click here.




Third Place Winner – Ready for the Defense, by Michael Langon

What happens when your boss’s death thrusts you center stage in a court case rapidly spinning out of control? Hank Fisher is about to find out. His client, Senator Victoria Serling, is the victim of a hit-and-run accident on her way to testify in an IRS investigation, but she’s not a target because she failed to file her 1040.

Fisher soon realizes he’s over his head when he uncovers connections to al-Qaeda and bioterrorism. Deeply suspenseful, action-packed, with a dash of romance to spice things up, Ready for the Defense will hold your attention to the last page.

To purchase a copy, click here.


Again, thanks to all who entered. There were so many terrific novels to choose from.

Next year's contest opens on May 1st. Put it on your calendar now!

Editor Jennifer is also proud to announce a contest for our unpublished friends. Details to follow very soon - check back often!