Category Archives: American Title

Mucho congratulations to Helen Scott Taylor and her entry The Magic Knot, winner of the Romantic Times/Dorchester American Title IV contest!!!! Way to go, Helen!

And don’t feel too bummed that Trish Milburn didn’t win. She made her first sale after the contest started and will also be published in the very near future.

So double congratulations for the two finalists.

All ten of the American Title IV finalists deserve kudos. I hope we get to see your amazing talent out in the world real soon!

(Thanks for the info, Trish!)

Hi.

You’re probably looking for the name of the winner of the American Title IV contest run by Romantic Times and Dorchester. Is it Trish Milburn’s Out of Sight or Helen Scott Tayor’s The Magic Knot???? Unfortunately, I have no idea : ) But feel free to look around here while you wait. Pour another cup of tea or coffee, read a few of my earlier posts, browse my website. Just relax. The official word won’t be released until Monday, so you have plenty of time.

Last year at this time, we ATIII finalists had known Jenny Gardner was the winner for a while before the RT ceremony. I can only imagine how hard it was for Jenny not to explode with the news until then. I’m sure Trish and Helen have been facing a bombardment of questions from folks. Keeping mum must have been rough. Attendees at the RT convention know the results, but the rest of us will have to wait. Patience, grasshopper.

I want to extend my congratulations to all the ATIV finalists. You have a lot to be proud of.

So while I wait with the rest of you, I’m going to enjoy the sunshine while it lasts and check back in at RT later. Or maybe someone will leak the news early ; )

It’s time, once again, for the Romantic Times/Dorchester Publishing sponsored American Title contest! (insert cheery fanfare)

Can you believe it’s been a year since I posted to beg for votes as American Title III started? Well, it has, and now it’s time for a new crop of writers to show you their stuff.

This year’s theme is paranormal, a personal favorite of mine. Just from the descriptions of their work you can see a variety of sub-genres. And that’s only the tip of the sub-genre iceberg. In paranormal there’s something for everybody!

Several of the finalists are, not surprisingly, members of the Futuristic, Fantasy & Paranormal Special Interest chapter of the RWA. There are also a couple of finalists from across the Pond.

The First Line voting has begun over at Romantic Times and runs through October 28th. Go. Read. Vote. I’m going to do the same, then reminisce about the complete bundle of nerves I was a year ago over a nice cup of coffee. (Cathy channels Barbara Streisand) “Memories….light the corners of my mind…..Misty water colored memories…of the way we were……”

Go vote now or I’ll be forced to actually sing at you. And nobody wants that, believe me.

I was tweaking this post and realized I’d lost it off the blog for a bit. I’m not technologically savvy, so no big surprise. (And thanks for the comment, Lee Anne! Sorry I lost it.)

Anyhoo, last Friday, at the Romantic Times Book Lovers convention in Houston, the winner of the American Title III contest was revealed. Literally, as the cover of the Dorchester publication was shown to all who attended. Not me, sniff sniff, but several of the AT IIIers were there.

Oh, you want to know who won? Drumroll please…….Big congrats to…….

Jenny Gardiner and her entry Sleeping with Ward Cleaver! Yay!!!! Way to go, Jenny!!!

I can’t wait to see the cover and read the book. I also look forward to reading the works of the other finalists soon. I haven’t met Jenny or any of the AT IIIers in person, but from email exchanges I knew this was a group of fabulous people and fabulous writers. I wish the best for everyone.

The latest round of the American Title III ended last week. The dialogue portion of the voting was a tough one, to say the least. All of these writers are good. Better than good. But two were voted to continue while two were exiled to the Island where the rest of us sip frozen concoctions adorned with tiny umbrellas as cabana boys fan us with palm fronds. Sometimes losing is a good thing ; )

At any rate, there are two contestants left. I can’t tell you who, of course. You’ll have to wait until the final round of voting begins.

It’s hard to believe that this odessey that began last October is coming to an end in a couple of months. It’s been a wild ride, filled with highs and lows, support from a fabulous group of writers, and a chance at a dream. Who could ask for more? Well, okay, an actual sale would be nice.

So stick around, folks. The game isn’t over and I’m definitely not packing it in any time soon.

The latest round of American Title III voting is underway. Go to Romantic Times and vote for your favorite dialogue. I’ve read through the remaining four entries and have to say it’ll be a tough choice. Dang, I want all these folks to win, including those of us who have been voted off, of course : )

A couple of folks have asked what I entered for the dialogue portion. Well, here, take a look.

First, a little set-up. HAUNTED is a paranormal chick lit/womens fiction. Whatever you want to call it. It’s about two friends, Georgie (aka Peach) and Min, trying to learn the details of Min’s supposed accidental death. Had I not been exiled, had I made it to this round, this is what you would have seen for my entry:

“That’s why I’m still here, Peach. I thought it was the shock of the accident that held me back. You know, the spirit wasn’t ready to leave its earthly body, blah blah blah. But it wasn’t just the accident. I need to find out how it happened. Why it happened.”

I didn’t like where this was going. It was my turn to get up and pace. “And what happens then? What happens when you find out?”

“Then I can go on,” she said so softly, so hopefully I could have wept for both of us.

I stopped beside her chair. I could see individual hairs on her head, even the few gray ones only her stylist would’ve noticed. Threatening tears scraped my throat as I swallowed them down. “Go where, Min?”

She stared out the window as if all she’d ever wanted was in the breeze dancing through the willows. “I don’t know what to call it. Heaven. Nirvana. But I know I’m supposed to be there with Zayde Joe and Aunt Li and the others.”

My knees wobbled and I sank into a chair. “You want to go to them.”

She gave a small laugh. “Not that I have a choice.” Her eyes met mine. “But yeah, I do. It’s like there’s a knot of rope in my stomach, Peach, and on the other end are all these people from my past tugging and telling me it’s time to come home. But I can’t go. Not yet. I have to find out what really happened that night.”

“And when you find out–” My voice caught and I took a shaky breath. Tears pricked at my eyes. “When you find out I’ll lose you again.”

Round Three, Story Summaries, begins today and runs through Dec. 31.

There are six contestants left. Meretta and Lindsey joined me and Sally on Exile Isle after Round Two. So we’ll watch from afar, drinking frozen concoctions with little umbrellas in them while cabana boys wave palm fronds over us. Hey, there has to be some kind of compensation, right?

So go to Romantic Times and vote. I’ll be there in a minute.