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What Does Love Mean? by Kitty Bucholtz

February 9, 2013 by in category Archives tagged as , , ,

Valentine’s Day is coming up and I won’t be with my husband, I’ll be on a writing trip with friends. I’m not too worried about it though. I mostly think of Valentine’s Day as a Hallmark holiday.

That being said, I don’t think you can say “I love you” too much. You never know when it will be the last time, but more than that, expressing to someone that you love them forms and shapes and repairs the foundation of your relationship.

But what does it mean?

This year, the day before Valentine’s Day is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent in the Christian faith. Lent is a time of repentance, turning from the wrongs of the past, and pressing closer to God. It’s a reminder that God loves us so much that he’d be willing to take a bullet to keep us safe.

That’s the kind of love many romance writers weave into their stories every day. It’s most obvious in romantic suspense where one person can literally take a bullet for the other. But it’s in all the other stories where someone says, I’m sorry, I made a mistake, and the other person says, I forgive you because I love you. And then they grow closer than ever.

I love those stories!

Some people theorize that the reason people respond to stories of love and sacrifice and forgiveness and happily ever after is because we are wired that way. Our enjoyment of such stories opens our hearts to the possibility that those tales represent the Truth of why we are here. We are loved, we made mistakes, a sacrifice was made on our behalf so that we wouldn’t be lost forever, forgiveness was offered, and happily ever after is ours for eternity.

That’s a pretty amazing love story. Loved forever. I want that.

Much as I can’t wait for my writing trip, I’m going to miss my husband. I’ll miss waking up beside him every morning, trying to be the first one to say “I love you.” I’ll miss how much he makes me laugh. And as much as I’ll try to deny it, I’ll miss how much he teases me to the point of losing my mind.

Because somewhere in the layers of all of those things, I’ve found a taste of what love is all about – someone who sacrifices to make my life better, who always forgives me, who wants to be with me forever, no matter what.

Love is the answer to why I am here. It’s the answer to why I write about love.

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Calls for Submissions: Turning up the Heat!

January 31, 2013 by in category Archives tagged as , , , , ,

This month’s Calls for Submissions column features some exciting markets with cash prizes, payments and advances. As writers, we definitely like that!

The 2013 Short Story Award from Bethlehem Writers Roundtable
First prize is $200 and consideration for publication in BWG’s upcoming printed anthology titled: Once Around the Sun. The stories should be “Winter Tales” or “Spring Stories” of 2,000 words or less and unpublishedanywhere print or on the web and any fiction genre.  The author, however, can have other stories or novels published. Second and third prize are $100 and $50 respectively plus publication in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable e-zine. 
Final round judge is author, Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Again the anthology will be an actual book you can hold in your hands. The last anthology BWG published won two Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Best Anthology and Best Short Fiction. 
Deadline is February 15. Here’s the contest link  
Also, we publish short fiction each and every month on the e-zine.  We don’t pay, but it is a publication credit.   Here’s the submission guideline link http://bit.ly/IuVSls.  The zine also does author (or editors or agents) interviews each month. Here is the link to this month’s interview with Lee Lofland http://bit.ly/uvQALJ .  By clicking the Archives button authors can check out past interviews.
Writers’ Success Stories Anthology
We want to hear real success stories from writers who didn’t give up.
It’s tough to be a writer.  Most people quit.  But some people do not, or cannot, and those people change the world, whether for many people, or simply for themselves.
Whether you’ve published, are still chipping away at your magnum ops, have written the book that freed you from a demon, or have simply scratched the itch that all writers know, we would love to hear your stories of strength, hope and success in a world that is so often painted as hopeless, and foolish – the writer’s world.
Topics can include :
●     Success: professional, personal, spiritual, etc.
●     Community impact/change
●     Anything that might inspire a fellow writer whose spirit is flagging.
Editors:
Chad Carver http://chadcarver.com/
Lena Corazon http://lenacorazon.com/
Submission Guidelines:
A. Word Count: 500-1500 words (No reprints)
B. Please include a short blurb/bio, no longer that 2-3 sentences, along with links to your website and/or blog.
C. Email all submissions to weirdnessquared@gmail.comwith Anthology Submission in the subject line.  Attach submission as a Word document AND paste in the body of the e-mail.
D. Rights: Non-exclusive right to publish in print and digital. If selected, you will be contacted and asked to sign an agreement granting permission for essay to be published.
E. Deadline: May 1, 2013
F. If selected, you will receive $50.00, and two (2) free copies of the anthology.
Questions?
Direct all queries to Chad Carver or Lena Corazon, weirdnessquared@gmail.com.
http://briclarkthebelleofboise.blogspot.com/2013/01/writerstell-us-your-story.html#.UPju0aV8zFJ

COWBOY HEAT

Editor: Delilah Devlin 
Publisher: Cleis Press Deadline: March 1, 2013. COWBOY HEAT is open to all authors.
Editor/Author Delilah Devlin is looking for hetero cowboy stories for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled COWBOY HEAT.
Following the success of COWBOY LUST, Delilah’s ready to construct the next delectable anthology of cowboy heroes. They may ride into the sunset, but cowboys never go out of style. They embody the fiercely independent, earthy alpha male and a hero who isn’t afraid to show the gentle, nurturing side of his complex nature when he’s faced with a woman or an animal in need.
Even when he’s coated with dust from riding behind a herd of cattle, or up to his knees in mud freeing a calf from a wallow, his image doesn’t tarnish. A woman’s imagination sparks, filling in the details—the scent of horse, cow, and crisp, clean sweat; the sight of sun-leathered skin and crows feet; the feel of work-hardened thighs and arms; and the sound of a deep-voiced, drawl.
COWBOY HEAT will seek stories that satisfy the reader who craves the romantic idea of that gruff, capable man while exploring stories set in the American West with a few exotic International settings thrown in for fun! The stories will be primarily contemporary with the possibility of a few historical Westerns. While traditional themes will be featured, writers are encouraged to dream big to create tales that surprise.
Be sure to check the descriptions of stories already featured in the previous volume, COWBOY LUST (http://cowboylust.net/about/). Delilah doesn’t want repeats. She’s seeking unique stories from authors with unique voices, and above all, she’s looking to be seduced by tales filled with vivid imagery and passion.
Published authors with an established Western world may use that setting for their original short story.
This is erotic romance, so don’t hold back on the heat. Stories can be vanilla or filled with kink, but don’t miss describing the connection between two strong-willed individuals learning to trust and love one another. A deep sensuality should linger in every word. And just think about the sexy possibilities of a cowboy’s accoutrements. They have to know their wicked way around ropes, buckles and spurs. Not to mention how sexy one might look in just his chaps…
Exotic locations and scenarios are welcome. Keep in mind there must be a romantic element with a happy-for-now or happy-ever-after ending. Strong plots, engaging characters, and unique twists are the ultimate goal. Please no reprints. We are seeking original stories.
How to submit: Prepare your 1,500 to 4,500 words story in a double-spaced, Arial, 12 point, black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, NOT.docx) OR rich text format. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) is required.
In your document at the top left of the page, include your legal name (and pseudonym, if applicable), mailing address, and 50 words or less bio in the third person and send to cleiscowboyheat@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Authors may submit up to 2 stories. Delilah will respond in July 2013. The publisher has final approval over the stories included in the manuscript.
Payment will be $50.00 USD and two copies of the published book upon publication.
Direct any questions you have regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at cleiscowboyheat@gmail.com.
Magic & Mayhem
Theme:Halloween
Witches, warlocks, goblins, and ghouls. Bonfires, hayrides, and apple bobbing.
Spells whispered in the darkness. Screams heard in the still of the night. Magic sizzles in the air. Are those the screams of fear—or of ecstasy?
Submit your stories that involve the Halloween season (All Hallows’ Eve, Samhain, All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, Day of the Dead… or by any other name).
Dangerous, daring, sweet or sexy, the intensity and scare-factor are up to you. 
Must have some romantic elements and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending, but the scare factor is completely up to you.
Release: October 31
Submission close: July 15
Cover: Shared cover, individual release
Length: 5-18k words
Heat rating:  Any
Combinations:  Any
https://spsilverpublishing.com/special-submissions-ezp-24.html?zenid=8562204ef2cc89bf0f7bae00c76bcd56
Masque Books Space Opera/Planetary Romance
Spaceships. Alien planets. Strange creatures. Action-packed adventure. Does your novella have all that and an emotionally satisfying romance too? That’s what we’re looking for!
Submissions must:
â—¦.  Have a well-developed external conflict with believable world-building
â—¦.  Be more like Bujold’s Shards of Honor than Heinlein’s Friday
â—¦.  Be filled with action and romance–HEA/HFN required
â—¦.  Be 25,000 – 30,000 words
â—¦.  Original stories only, no reprints
Submission Deadline: April 15, 2013
Collection Announced: May 1, 2013
Masque Books will select up to four novellas for its first Space Opera/Planetary Romance collection [Title to be announced]. Selected stories will be released digitally as individual titles and as collection in July or August of 2013. An advance of $100 will be paid for selected stories against royalties of 50% net of all digital receipts.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HNDlXRZM-rFa5l9AwIFp3ZgASfooNXEAge0rIMk6hUg/pub

— Louisa Bacio
http://louisabacio.blogspot.com/louisabacio
http://www.facebook.com/louisabacio
http://www.twitter.com/louisabacio 

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February Online Class: Plot Fixer

January 26, 2013 by in category Archives tagged as , , ,

OCCRWA Proudly Presents: header

February 11 – March 10, 2013

Plot Fixer: Fixing Your Story Problems

with Kara Lennox
About the Class:
Do you create wonderful, three-dimensional characters who then stumble around blindly in your book, trying to find a story?  As a frequent critiquer, contest judge, and the recipient of many, many rejection and revision letters over the years, Kara Lennox has witnessed and personally experienced just about every way your plot can veer into a ditch. 
In this workshop she’ll cover the fifteen most common problems, how to spot them and how to fix them.  Some common problems covered include :
  • A premise that isn’t compelling enough (includes discussion of “high concept”)
  • the cute meet that goes nowhere
  • starting in the wrong place
  • lack of clear-cut goals for your characters
  • weak conflict
  • too many conflicts
  • stakes are too low
  • the plot moves too slowly
  • the dreaded saggy middle
  • plot moves too fast;
  • plot is too predictable
  • episodic plots
  • plots that rely on convenience, coincidence and contrivance
  • the drama doesn’t build
  • loss of focus
  • weak black moment
  • unsatisfying ending
The workshop includes illustrative examples from well-known movies, books, the author’s own supply of failed plots, and samples made up just for this workshop.  If time permits, the author will take questions and make suggestions for solving plot problems on the spot.

About the Instructor:
Kara LennoxKara Lennox, a.k.a. Karen Leabo, is the award- winning, bestselling author of more than sixty novels of romance and romantic suspense for Harlequin and Bantam/ Random House. Currently she is working on the next installment of her romantic suspense series, Project Justice, published by Harlequin Superromance. Also, several of her classic Bantam Loveswept novels (writing as Karen Leabo) have been re-released in e-book form by Random House, with more scheduled for next year.
Enrollment Information
This is a 4-week online course that uses email and Yahoo Groups. The class is open to anyone wishing to participate. The cost is $30.00 per person or, if you are a member of OCCRWA, $20.00 per person.
For more information on enrollment, please follow the link.
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New Language

January 24, 2013 by in category Archives tagged as

I was thinking I should learn a new language.

You know what they say, keep the mind active, learning, getting exercised.  Maybe Spanish?  My year of Spanish in 8th grade was a hazy memory, and learning Spanish through the advertisements on the New York Subway had not been a successful foray in effective communication….

Cucarachas? Mandelos a un Motel!

Not the best way to win friends and influence people (unless, of course, they are Spanish speaking cockroaches).

But then as I struggled with vocabulary words, grammar and syntax, I realized I was already in the middle of learning a new language: Tech.

When people (of a certain age) say they find technology confusing, daunting, that they’re not good at it, I don’t think they’ve taken on board that Tech is a new language.  Would you expect to be able to speak a new language fluently after an hour’s class?

I didn’t think so.

If anyone complained that even after many hours of learning French they were unable to read a novel, watch TV, or that they were unable to speak quickly and fluently, articulating their every nuanced point, most people would think: Huh? It takes more than a few hours to become fluent in a new language!

This point is not to discourage non techfluent types, but just a request that everyone realign their self expectations to a more reasonable level. To stop beating up on themselves because they are harboring absurdly high expectations of fluency, and appreciate learning tech, like learning a new language, is a process.

And the language metaphor doesn’t stop there.  As countless childhood development research statistics have indicated, when we are young, our ability to acquire new languages is remarkable.  Thus everyone that has grown up learning the language of Tech has internalized it fairly effortlessly.

I can recall my horror and distress when I came across my first French child, a six year old, and I could not fathom how it could have learned French so well at the age of six, when I was still struggling at the age of 21 after years of classes.

Thus many of those that have grown up speaking Tech and are now explaining it to you may find your struggles incomprehensible.  It’s easy.  It’s natural.  It’s intuitive.  It’s obvious.  Sure different dialects (games, new programs, operating systems, upgrades) can present a challenge, but for many, the challenge is fun to overcome.  Just like people enjoy learning new languages, or new vocabularies, or new accents and idioms.  But it’s often not so easy for a non-native speaker.

And as it’s a new language, it is constantly changing, adding new words, sprouting new dialects right and left, even the basics changing and morphing to fit this brave new world.  It is going to take all my efforts to build my vocabulary and figure out how to effectively communicate and make myself understood.

Parlez-vous tech?

Oui! Un petit peu….

Isabel Swift

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IF WE WRITE THEM, WILL THEY READ

January 19, 2013 by in category Archives tagged as , , , ,

Monica Stoner, Member at Large

 
Does romance end after a certain age? Is there some preordained cutoff for intimacy? I’m sure many young people might want to believe their parents only did the deed often enough to produce children because thinking about the alternative might give them nightmares.

Fact is, romance doesn’t die at any one specific age though to peruse the Romance section of a book store one might draw the conclusion a heroine over thirty is also over that proverbial hill. At a time when publishing decisions were based on advice from people barely out of college, that might be understandable. But in this very brave and shiny new world of small presses and self publishing, why don’t we see more heroines, well, our age?

Could the lack of mature heroines be caused by habits and standards established in those earlier days of publishing (all of five or so years ago?) Or do we write what we believe people want to read? Do we worry if we were to write about people falling in love at the same time their arches are falling, we won’t find enough of an audience?

Remember the phrase “Love, like youth, is wasted on the young” from that lovely 1960 song “The Second Time Around?”
 

“Love is lovelier the second time around

Just as wonderful with both feet on the ground

It’s that second time you hear your love song sung

Makes you think, perhaps, that love like youth

Is wasted on the young…”

Words by Sammy Cahn and Music by Jimmy Van Heusen

-Performed by Bing Crosby in the 1960 film “High Time”,

This is considered a classic love song, well at least by the people I knew in high school. A lot of those people read books, and some of those readers peruse the Romance shelves. How many of your friends read Romance? And how many of those readers do you think might be just a bit tired of flawless skin, perky body parts, and an air of wide eyed innocence?

It’s an intriguing question. Right now the hot age group seems to be teens into twenties, and some of those books are extremely well written. Does this mean we should all be pounding out our own YA or MG books? I admire these authors but teens live in another universe with their very own language from me, and I sincerely doubt I could ever create a book in that genre. Having survived my teens, twenties, thirties, and beyond, I believe I could create a story about those young people many decades later.

What do you think? Is there a need for books about people whose libido didn’t dry up and blow away the day they bought their first pair of support hose?

Monica Stoner writes as Mona Karel in multiple sub genres.

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