Dear Author: Romance Book Reviews, Author Interviews, and Commentary

Harlequin Presents is moving up its production schedule to 12 books a month. Mind boggling, no? In order to meet the apparently increased demand, HP is looking for new authors. Presents is inviting unpublished authors to submit a first chapter. The submissions must be made on-line from January 1st to February 14 2008. The grand prize is the services of an editor for one year.

Entries should comprise of the first chapter and a synopsis of a previously unpublished/unsubmitted novel aimed at Harlequin Presents.

Address for entries: instantseduction@hmb.co.uk

Gather.com has announced the winners of its First Chapters Romance Writing Competition (a contest sponsored by Simon & Schuster, Borders and Gather.com) and we are thrilled that the winner of the grand prize is a Dear Author regular. Meredith McGuire, a 28-year-old PhD University of Chicago student also known on Dear Author’s comment threads as “Emma,” has won a publishing contract from Simon and Schuster and a $5000 advance.

Meredith’s historical romance, currently titled The Shadow’s Kiss, set in India during the Mutiny of 1857 and in England in 1860, and featuring an English heroine and a part-English, part-Indian hero, will be published by Pocket Books in the spring of 2008.

The runner-up in the contest, Starr Toth, a 56-year-old Michigan horse farmer, has also been awarded a publishing contract from Simon and Schuster, along with a $3500 advance. Starr’s contemporary romance, currently titled Trust Me will be published by Pocket Books in the fall of 2008.

Congratulations to both Starr and Meredith!

Borders and Gathers have narrowed down the thousands of aspiring romance writers to five entries. The manuscripts of the five hopefuls are in the hands of the judging panel. The winner will be announced on October 30, 2007, and then one more author will join the ranks of the swollen genre.

I think there should be a reality tv contest in which romance novel contestants have to not only write, but do it surrounded by rats and snakes with the prize to be rescued by a Michael Douglas, in his thirties, look alike and a Kathleen Turner makeover.

Gather.Com’s romance writing contest sponsored by Simon & Schuster, Borders and Gather.com has whittled 500 manuscript submissions down to twenty-five semi-finalists. You can read the second (and the first) chapters of the semi-finalists and rate which one you like the best until October 8, 2007.

Some of these books are going to need serious title overhaul because “Bear Country” doesn’t inspire me to even click to read the chapter but neither do the standard romance landia titles grab me either like “Enchanting the Earl“. I’m interested in reading General Counsel (although I am sure that is a very dull title to most others) and The Wolf Huntress. Safe Sex and Home Repair by poster laughsing makes me hope that it is really, really funny.