EPICon(TM) Special Events for the Year!

I've already told you about the special guest speakers this year and the class tracks... What about other special events?

The Awards Banquet and Awards Ceremony is pretty much assumed to be stellar. The banquet meals alone this year are fab! We have a choice of Flat-Iron Steak, Potato Crusted Atlantic Salmon, and Vegetable and Pasta with a choice of either Potato and Corn Chowder or Garden Vegetable Soup on the side. Lisa has some great entertainment plans. I'll have to check with her to see how much I'm allowed to tell you about that.

Saturday afternoon, we are having a New Voices Celebration. We'll award any winners attending, and we'll have time to rub elbows with the kids. In addition, there will be a fun buffet snack served: chocolate-dipped apple wedges w/ carmel sauce, fresh buttered popcorn, nachos w/ guacamole and salsa, hot pretzels w/ dijon mustard and yellow mustard...soft drinks, bottled water, iced tea, and lemonade. The celebration is open to all attendees, young and old.

Speaking of which... The New Voices track on Saturday (which includes lunch, the celebration, and classes) is only $35 for attending teachers and students (middle and high school aged). If you know a school that would like to take advantage of this, they can also purchase the 3-day passes to the historic district from us for their attending teachers and students...and use the convention hotel on our con fee prices. Since we're not limited, why not?

The Friday break will be in the morning and will be the Colonial Williamsburg Signature Ice Cream Bar. My doctor is going to hate me for this one, but who doesn't like a good ice cream sundae?

The Friday keynote luncheon is a special buffet the hotel makes called the "Cascades." It includes:
Chopped garden salad

Woodlands signature ranch dressing

Ale-braised potted beef with vegetables and mushrooms

Roasted vegetable and potato casserole

Bakery-fresh rolls

Warm orchard apple pie with vanilla bean sauce

Coffee, tea, decaf, iced tea

The Saturday keynote luncheon is a plated lunch with a choice of Grilled Basalmic-Laced Vegetable Wrap, Grilled Chicken BLT Wrap, or Huzzah! Deli Sub Sandwich and a choice of vegetable soup or beef and barley soup.

The Friday dinner will be a costume optional meal. It's not something we typically do at EPICon(TM), but it sounded like WAAAYYY too much fun. If you own (or want to own) historical clothing -- from any era...let's make this fun -- and want to make this meal more fun than it will already be, come dressed to amuse yourself and amaze others!

The meal is called the "Colonial Feast" and will include:

King's Arms Tavern Peanut Soup with Sippets

Poached fillet of flouder atop a bed of herb-seasoned rice with creole sauce

Southern-style fried chicken

Roasted pork loin with pork au jus lie

Country Style Corn Fritters

Sweet Potato Pudding

Sauteed Zucchini with Snap Beans and Pecans

Salmagundi (an 18th C combination of garden greens, VA ham, roast turkey breast, aged cheddar cheese, hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, and herb dressing)

Loaves of Sally Lunn Bread

Sour Cherry Trifle

coffee, decaf, tea

The Colonial Feast is served on a Lazy Susan, and servers will be coming around with pitchers of ale during the meal. MAKE SURE to bring your ID, or you will not be served, no matter your age. House rules.

The Sunday morning Farewell Breakfast Buffet will include:

OJ

Tomato Juice

Seasonal fruit and bananas

Assortment of cold cereals with whole and skim milk

Scrambled eggs

Sweet Country ham

Skillet-fried potatoes

Buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup

Breakfast pastries

Muffins

Toast

Butter and preservatives

Coffee, decaf, tea, milk, and skim milk

Remember that a Continental Breakfast is included in the hotel and will be available for every morning of our stays, including anyone not staying late enough to enjoy the Farewell Breakfast.

Most attendees are probably aware that you can purchase a 3-day pass to Colonial Williamsburg with a con attandence...or for guests of attendees. The historic district has all sorts of demonstrations and events, some for free and some paid events. I've heard that the two ghost tours are fantastic, for instance.

If anyone is bringing children, there are costume rentals for children and a "children's tour" that includes things like helping to churn butter and learning how to make candles. Children are HIGHLY discouraged from taking the adult ghost tour and attending the witch trial. They are very intensive events and not suited to young ones.

EPICon(TM) Scheduled Classes for This Year!

Our wonderful class track coordinators, Elizabeth and Ashley, have come up with a great little collection of classes this year.

Friday classes-

The Paranormal: Reality and Myth, Investigation and Investigators, and Equipment Used
Do Your Homework
Researching and Writing Historical Fiction
Point of View- Types, Pros and Cons, Choosing a Head, Head Hopping
More Than Throwing Punches: Writing Great Action Scenes
To Be or Not to Be and Other Editing Quandaries
Angela Knight- Writing Sex Scenes
World Building in Erotic Paranormals/Fantasy/Science Fiction
Sensual/Erotic Publisher Panel
Bringing Pirates to Life
What Editors (Don't) Want to See in A Submission
Social Networking

Saturday classes-

Plotting and Pantsing- Finding Your Writing Style
Savvy Searching for Writers
Mike Woodcock- Hostage Negotiation
Publisher Forum
How hard do you have to work to make history boring?
Manuscript Corsetry: Tighten Up that Story!
Building a Character- Voice, Characteristics, Stereotypes, Archetypes
Bobbin Lace
Leveraging Electronic Publishing in the Standard Publishing World
Promoting: Before and After

EPICon(TM) Who is coming this year?

Registration hasn't closed yet, of course. We still have three weeks to go, and we always get a spate of last-minute registrations, as we announce the schedule...coming up next!

Julia Rachel Barrett

Marci Baun

Sean Brennan

Lisa Brennan-Webb

Leslie Roy Carter

Margaret L. Carter

Ashley M. Christman

Larry K. Collins

Lorna Collins

Marie Davies

P. June Diehl

Lucinda M. Dugger

Brianna Gainer

Zena Gainer

Treva Harte

Kathleen Heady

Toby Fesler Heathcotte

Sara Hermann

Norma Huss

Ilena Holder

Pamela K. Kinney, aka Sapphire Phelan

Honey Jans

Angela Knight

April L'Orange

Michelle Levigne

Brenna Lyons

Kagami Kat Lyons

Anne Manning

Darlene Marshall

Cate Masters

Linda McLaughlin

Karen Morris

Kathy Overton

Hank Quense

Janet Quinn

Mona Risk

Debra Webb Rogers

J.M. Snyder

Ellen Spain

Debi Sullivan

Kathryn Sullivan

Cindy Vallar

Tom Vallar

Lt. Michael Woodcock

Pamela Woods-Jackson

EPICon(TM) Special Guests!

We have several special guests this year, and I'm proud to announce them.

FRIDAY KEYNOTE SPEAKER-

Our main keynote will be Lucinda Dugger, Outreach Coordinator of the Copyright Alliance. Since EPIC has shown a marked interest in copyright issues of late, we arranged for Lucinda to join us and talk about copyright with us.

Lucinda is the director of outreach and field initiatives for the Copyright Alliance where she is leading a grassroots movement of creators. Previously she was the research associate for education at the National League of Cities' Institute for Youth, Education, and Families. While there, she encouraged mayors and councilmembers to create partnerships with their school districts in order to improve public schools.

Before moving to Washington, DC, Lucinda worked at the Research Center for Arts and Culture in New York City where she sought funding for and engaged in research on current artistic practices surrounding aging artists. As a visual artist, Lucinda has taught art to both children and adults in numerous settings, including the Kalamazoo Public Schools, the Michigan Commission for the Blind Training Center, and Casa Hogar Juan Pablo II in Peru. She has also exhibited her own paintings in galleries within the United States and abroad.

Lucinda is currently chair of the Takoma Park Arts and Humanities Commission in Takoma Park, Maryland. While serving on the Commission, she visualized and coordinated the city's successful annual community-wide Open Studio Tour.

Lucinda holds a master of arts in arts administration from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a bachelor of fine arts in painting and a bachelor of business administration in advertising and promotions from Western Michigan University.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SATURDAY KEYNOTE SPEAKER-

The New Voices track keynote will be Debra Dixon. Attendees from last year will already know that Debra is part owner of Belle Books and an accomplished author. Her Goals, Motivation, Conflict class is renowned. This year, Debra will be talking about Developing the Writers' Voice.

Why does everyone harp on voice? Voice is a writer's most valuable asset and can be the difference in editorial support versus just "filling a slot" in the list. Discover how to develop your voice and use that unique "you" to connect with readers. Learn how to value the experiences of your life and let them shine through your writing. Every author should bring something special to the page. Competent just won't cut it. You need voice to find and hold audiences in this ever crowded marketplace of competent writers. You need command of your voice so that you can bring something new and authentic to each genre you write. Explore the secrets of the writer's voice with Debra.

Debra Dixon knows her way around publishing. She's written ten books, contributed to twelve anthologies, served as Vice-President of Romance Writers of America, and developed novel writing courses for a local university. Debra's popular GMC:Goal, Motivation, and Conflict workshop spawned a book now in its ninth printing.

She's also President of BelleBooks and its imprint Bell Bridge Books. In the ten years since opening their doors, they've released over eighty titles, had an author on Oprah, and seen their titles picked up by major New York publishers in subrights deals for mass market paperback, foreign editions, book club and large print. In the last year, their titles have repeatedly claimed Top Ten slots on the Amazon Kindle Paid Bestseller List and been featured in the Apple iBookstore. Their authors include NYT Bestsellers Sarah Addison Allen, Jill Barnett, Sharon Sala, Sabrina Jefferies, and Deborah Smith.

In 2010, Debra began working with NYT Bestseller Jill Barnett to publish her incredible backlist of romance novels in ebook formats for the first time. In addition to working with some of the company's reprint titles, Debra is the Acquiring Editor for Bell Bridge Books science fiction, fantasy and young adult lists.

Debra believes that sleep is completely overrated.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GUEST SPEAKERS-

* Angela Knight will be joining us this year and giving a class on writing sex scenes! For anyone unfamiliar with Angela...

Angela Knight is the New York Times bestselling author of books for Berkley, Red Sage, Changeling Press, and Loose Id. Her first book was written in pencil and illustrated in crayon; she was nine years old at the time. A few years later, she read The Wolf and the Dove and fell in love with romance. Besides her fiction work, Angela's publishing career includes a stint as a comic book writer and ten years as a newspaper reporter. Several of her stories won South Carolina Press Association awards under her real name.

In 1996, she discovered the small press publisher Red Sage, and realized her dream of romance publication in the company's Secrets 2 anthology. She went on to publish several more novellas in Secrets before editor Cindy Hwang discovered her work there and asked her if she'd be interested in writing for Berkley. Not being an idiot, Angela said yes.

Angela lives in South Carolina with her husband, Michael, a polygraph examiner and hostage negotiator for the county's Sheriff's Office. The couple have a grown son, Anthony.

* Lt. Michael Woodcock, Angela's husband, will also be joining us. On Saturday, Mike will be teaching a two-hour class on hostage negotiation for us. Like the fabulous forensic archeology class we had last year, this class has wide-ranging appeal for all sorts of writers.

* Barbara Satow of the LoC will be joining us on Saturday morning to talk about savvy researching for writers! Sounds like a stellar class.

EPIC eBook Finalists announced!

Announcing the 2011 EPIC eBook Award Finalists

The Electronically Published Internet Coalition (EPIC) is proud to present the 12th annual EPIC Awards. These awards, which honor the finest electronically published books of the year, will be presented at the EPIC Award Banquet during EPICon 2011. And the 2011 EPIC Award goes to...

ANTHOLOGY DIVISION

A1 - Anthology Non-Fiction/Fiction

Bad-Ass Faeries 3: In All Their Glory by Danielle Ackley-McPhail (editor) with Lee C. Hillman, Jeffrey Lyman, D.C. Wilson, Hildy Silverman, Chris Pisano, Brian Koscienski, Trisha Wooldridge, Christy Tohara, Robert E Waters, Bernard Mojzes, CJ Henderson, James Daniel Ross, Darren W. Pearce, Neal Levin, Kelly A. Harmon, Jason Franks, Patrick Thomas, David Lee Summers, David Sherman, Elaine Corvidae, James Chambers—Mundania Press, LLC
Tales From Gundarland by Hank Quense—Smashwords, Inc.
Tales From The Treasure Trove Volume VI by Janet Lane Walters, Karen Wiesner, Jane Toombs, Dee Lloyd, Nancy Pirri, Liz Hunter, Carrie S—Whiskey Creek Press

The Mystery of the Green Mist by Linda Houle, Pauline Baird Jones, Sally Love, Jo A. Hiestand, Morgan St. James, D. Nathan Hilliard, Cherri Galbiati, Jacqueline Seewald, Sylvia Nickels, Randy Rohn—L & L Dreamspell

A2 - Anthology Romance

Directions Of Love by Luanna Rugh, Lorna Collins, Sherry Derr-Wille, Christie Shary—Whiskey Creek Press

Northern Roses and Southern Belles by Susan Macatee, Mary Ann Webber, Isobel Roman, Jennifer Ross, Jeanmarie Hamilton, Caroline Clemmons—The Wild Rose Press

A3 - Anthology Erotic Romance/ Erotica

Bound With a Bow by Beth Wylde, Lee Benoit, Mychael Black, Sascha Illyvich, E.M. Lynley, Will Belegon—Phaze Books

Broadly Bound by Beth Wylde, Syd McGinley, Kathleen Bradean, D. L. King, Cassandra Gold, Will Belegon—Phaze Books

Coming Together: Into the Light by Alessia Brio (editor) with Candida Royalle Saskia Walker, Celia Kyle, Jenna Byrnes, Brenna Lyons, C. Sanchez-Garcia, Jeremy Edwards, Alessia Brio, Heidi Champa, Gregory L. Norris, Shanna Germain, Allison Wonderland, Michelle Houston, Nobilis Reed, Will Belegon, Jean Roberta—Coming Together

Doms of Dark Haven by G. G. Royale (editor) with Jana J. Hanson, Sandra Rychel, Sierra Cartwright, Belinda McBride, Cherise Sinclair—Loose Id, LLC

The Cougar Book by Jolie du Pre (editor) with Jeremy Edwards, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Sascha Illyvich, Heidi Champa, Tara S. Nichols, Craig J. Sorensen, Donna George Storey, J. C. Wesner, Randall Lang, Madeline Moore, Bill Brent, Adriana Kraft, Keeb Knight, Jolene Hui, Dona Lee, D. L. King, Doug Harrison, Brenna Lyons, Emerald, Trish DeVene, Julia Barrett, Blue Canyon, Shanna Germain—Logical-Lust Publications

POETRY DIVISION

P - Poetry Non Fiction/Fiction

Nuclear Soul by L.K. Ellwood—DLP Books

The Window Into One's Soul by Shawn Blackhawk, T.Q. Sutton, D.K., Rrrose Carbinela—L-Book ePublisher, LLC

Trash by David Halliday—Self-published

CHILDREN’S DIVISION

C - Children's Non Fiction/ Fiction—

Humberto, the Bookworm Hamster by Mayra Calvani—Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc.

Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr—Leap Books

The Villa Dog by Ruth G. Zavitsanos—Wild Child Publishing

EROTIC ROMANCE DIVISION

E1 - Contemporary Erotic Romance

A Proper Seduction by HelenKay Dimon—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Adored by Tina Donahue—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

Allegro Vivace by Cat Grant—Amber Quill Press, LLC

Beauty and the Feast by Julia Barrett—Resplendence Publishing, LLC

Conquest by S.J. Frost—ManLoveRomance Press, LLC

Cowboy Blues by Jamie Craig—Amber Quill Press, LLC

Deep, Dark, Delicious by Tina Donahue—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

Don't Wait by Elaine Lowe—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

Good Cop, Bad Girl by Paige Tyler—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

Heart of Submission by Claire Thompson—Romance Unbound Publishing

Heidi and the Kaiser by Selena Kitt—eXcessica Publishing

Hot For Teacher by Liza James—Publisher:Red Sage Publishing

Insolence by Lex Valentine—Publisher:Cobblestone Press, LLC

Lush Velvet Nights by Tina Donahue—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

Out of Her Dreams by Fran Lee—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

Rescuing Amanda by Honey Jans—Whiskey Creek Press Torrid

Ring Around the Sun by Gemini Judson—Eirelander Publishing

Safe Harbor by Tymber Dalton—Siren Publishing, Inc.

Sexing up the Spy by Tina Holland—Publisher:Resplendence Publishing, LLC

Song of the Sirens 3: The Beauty by Morgan Ashbury—Siren-BookStrand Publishing

Sunset Knight by Sami Lee—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Taurus: All That You Do by Jamie Craig—Amber Quill Press, LLC

Triad by Cat Grant—Lyrical Press, Inc.

E2 - Fantasy Erotic Romance

Bride Ball by Brenna Lyons—Phaze Books

Mad, Bad & Dangerous by Cat Marsters—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

The Master's Lover by Brenna Lyons—Phaze Books

The Road To Avea by Lynn Lorenz—Amber Quill Press, LLC

The Sex, Vitrus Saga Book 1 by Laura Tolomei—eXtasy Books

E3 - Historical Erotic Romance

The Bad and the Beautiful by Jamie Craig—Amber Quill Press, LLC

The Haunting of Maggie Grey by Lynn Crain—eXtasy Books

E4 - Horror Erotic Romance

Graveyard Games by Sheri Leigh—Fido Publishing, LLC

The Blue Moon Café by Rick R. Reed—Amber Quill Press, LLC

E5 - Mystery, Suspense, and/or Adventure Erotic Romance

Den of Desire by Shauna Hart—Whiskey Creek Press Torrid

More by Sloan Parker—Loose Id, LLC

Pas de Deux by Jamie Craig—Amber Quill Press, LLC

Rust Belt by Jessica Freely—Loose Id, LLC

Secrets We Keep by Caitlyn Willows—Amber Quill Press, LLC

E6 - Paranormal Erotic Romance

Damned And Desired by Kathy Kulig—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

Desire to Die For by Jessica Lee—Loose Id, LLC

Faith Revisited by Madelyn Ford—Loose Id, LLC

Foxfire by Margaret L. Carter—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

Healer's Garden by Nina Pierce—Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publishing

I The First: Eden's Hell by Dawne' Dominique—Purple Sword Publications, LLC

Into The Wild by Caitlyn Willows—Loose Id, LLC

Iron by PG Forte—Liquid Silver Books

McCallan's Blood by Lynn Lorenz—Liquid Silver Books

Mysterious Gift by Carlene Rae Dater—Cobblestone Press, LLC

On the Ragged Edge of the World by Jamie Craig—Amber Quill Press, LLC

Ride the Lightning by Lex Valentine—Pink Petal Books

The Midnight Hunt by L.L. Raand—Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

Wolf Games by Vivian Arend—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

E7 - Science Fiction Erotic Romance

An Uncommon Whore by Belinda McBride—Loose Id, LLC

Captured by Julia Rachel Barrett—Siren Publishing, Inc.

Fierce Radiance: Space Confederation 1 by Tymber Dalton—Siren Publishing, Inc.

Lord Of Thunder Thunder Series Book 1 by Linda Mooney—Whiskey Creek Press

Scouts by Nobilis Reed—Logical Lust Publications

E8 - Western Erotic Romance

Rocky Mountain Haven by Vivian Arend—Liquid Silver Books

Texas Surrender by Claire Thompson—Romance Unbound Publishing

Unforgiven by Delilah Devlin—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

FICTION DIVISION

F1 - Adventure Fiction

A Human Reaction by Peter Ashley—LL-Publications

A Lever Long Enough by Amy Deardon—Taegais Publishing, LLC

Effigy by Theresa Danley—Whiskey Creek Press

F2 - Erotica

Between Brothers by Lauren Gallagher—Champagne Books (Carnal Passions Imprint)

Second Chance by Selena Kitt—eXcessica Publishing

F3 - Fantasy and/or Paranormal Fiction

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare—Eternal Press

Frost Moon by Anthony Francis—BelleBooks

Ghosts: Author's Revised Edition by Noel Hynd—Damnation Books, LLC

One Soul for Sale by Cate Masters—Eternal Press

Soul Catcher by Leigh Bridger—BelleBooks

Talon of the Raptor Clan by J R Tomlin & C R Daems—ePress-online, Inc.

Twice Dead by Kalayna Price—BelleBooks

F4 - Historical Fiction

A Welcome War by Kev Richardson—Wings ePress, Inc.

Mephisto Aria by Justine Saracen—Bold Strokes Books

No Darkness So Great by Susan McGeown—Self-published

Sunset on Ramree by Robert Appleton—Eternal Press

F5 - Horror Fiction

The Hollows - Book 1: The Ticking by Ben Larken—LL-Publications

The Sand Dragon by Michael F Stewart—Publisher:Double Dragon Publishing, Inc.

F6 - Mystery and/or Suspense Fiction

An Axe to Grind by F. M. Meredith—Oak Tree Press

Harry by Tim Wohlforth—Whiskey Creek Press

Mute Witness by Rick R. Reed—ManLoveRomance Press, LLC

Shattered Lens: Catherine Private Investigator by Linda Pendleton—Pendleton Artists/Self-published

The Blue Man Dreams the End of Time by Michael McIrvin—BeWrite Books

The Cart Before the Corpse by Carolyn McSparren—Bell Bridge Books

The Gate House by Kathleen Heady—Virtual Tales

The Pot Thief Who Studied Ptolemy by J. Michael Ordenduff—Oak Tree Press

Yesterday's Body by Norma Huss—Wings ePress, Inc.

F7 - Science Fiction

A Star Curiously Singing by Kerry Nietz—Marcher Lord Press

Charlie Runs Rings Around the Earth by Robert Appleton—Lyrical Press, Inc.

Massively Multiplayer by P. Aaron Potter—Double Dragon Publishing, Inc.

Red Dust and Bones by Sandy Samson—Purple Sword Publications, LLC

Rogue Dancer by K M Tolan—Champagne Books

Second Nature by Jae—L-Book ePublisher, LLC

The Azted Eagle by Catherine Wells—ePress-online, Inc.

The Superlative Stream by Kerry Nietz—Marcher Lord Press

Unnatural States by Nicola Furlong—Self-Published

F8 - Spiritual and/or Metaphysical Fiction

The Comet's Return: Alma Chronicles V by Toby Fesler Heathcotte—Self-published

The Rogue Pirates Bible Heretical by John Klawitter—Double Dragon Publishing, Inc.

F10 - Mainstream

A Strange Little Band by Judith B. Glad—Uncial Press

CurvyKathy31: Confessions of a Chat-aholic by Karyn Lyndon—Wings ePress, Inc.

Next Time I'm Gonna Dance by Linda Rettstatt—Champagne Books

Sister Blackberry by Melissa Newman—Whiskey Creek Press

Symmetry by Joyce Scarbrough—L & L Dreamspell

The Goddess of Fried Okra by Jean Brashear—Bell Bridge Books

This Train by Rachel Smith—Whiskey Creek Press

NON-FICTION DIVISION

NF - Non Fiction

A Dog Named Slugger by Leigh Brill—Bell Bridge Books

From Jesus to Heaven with Love: A Parable Pilgrimage by Barbara Garro—Write Words, Inc.

How To Get Off the Merry-Go-Round: Stories o Women Who Broke the Cycle of Abusive Relationships by Milton Trachtenburg—ePress-online, Inc.

Out of the Psychic Closet: The Quest to Trust My True Nature by Toby Fesler Heathcotte—Twilight Times Books

The Cosmic Breath, Metaphysical Essays of Don Pendleton, Introduction by Linda Pendleton by Don & Linda Pendleton—Self-published

ROMANCE DIVISION

R1 - Contemporary Romance

Be My Baby by Meg Benjamin—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Divine Turmoil by Rebecca Rose—Lyrical Press, Inc.

Facing Forward by Robyn Sheridan—Wings ePress, Inc.

Going with Gravity by Cate Masters—The Wild Rose Press

Hooked On You by Anne Whitfield—The Wild Rose Press

Intimate Flames by Annette Snyder—Whiskey Creek Press

Just Right by Erin Nicholas—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Meant To Be by Donna Marie Rogers—The Wild Rose Press

No Matter What by Erin Nicholas—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Picture This by Cate Masters—Eternal Press

Roman Circus by Carlene Rae Dater—Noble Romance

Rx For Trust by Mona Risk—The Wild Rose Press

Sold To The Highest Bidder by Donna Alward—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Something Better by Gail R. Delaney—Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc

Stolen Treasures by Laurie Ryan—Siren Publishing, Inc.

The Groom Wore Leather by Taylor Manning—Uncial Press

Wedding Bell Blues by Meg Benjamin—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

R2 - Fantasy Romance

Everlong by Hailey Edwards—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Love is My Sin by Julia Knight—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Lycan Tides by Renee Wildes—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Myla by Moonlight by Inez Kelley—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Ruling Eden by Michelle Picard—Crescent Moon Press

The Prince of Val-Feyridge by Helen C. Johannes—The Wild Rose Press

R3 - Historical Romance

Notorious Eliza by Barbara Monajem—Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.

Pumpkinnapper by Linda Banche—The Wild Rose Press

The Harmless Deception by Lesley-Anne McLeod—Uncial Press

Wild Oats by Margaret Tanner—The Wild Rose Press

R5 - Mystery, Suspense, and/or Adventure Romance

All For A Fist Full Of Ashes by R. Ann Siracusa—Sapphire Blue Publishing, LLC

Breaking Daylight by MJ Fredrick—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Common Grounds by Michelle L. Levigne—Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

Cover of Darkness by Kaylea Cross—The Wild Rose Press

Eye of the Storm, Security Specialists International Book One by Monette Michaels—Liquid Silver Books

Mac's Man by Elaine Charton—Swimming Kangaroo Press

No Turning Back by Kaylea Cross—The Wild Rose Press

PhDs, Pornography, and Premeditated Murder by J L Wilson—The Wild Rose Press

The Bodyguard and the Snitch by Christy Tillery French—L & L Dreamspell

The Curse of the Carnaval by Anastasia Amor—Whiskey Creek Press

The Midnight Effect by Pamela Fryer—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

R6 - Paranormal Romance

A Spiral of Echoes by Barbara M Hodges and Maggie Pucillo—Chalet Publishing LLC

Alexandra's Legacy by N.J. Walters—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Blood, Smoke and Mirrors by Robyn Bachar—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Da Vinci's Lost Years by Sylvia Rochester—Whiskey Creek Press

Dancing in Time by Violet Rightmire—The Wild Rose Press

Deals with Demons by Victoria Davies—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Dyad Quest by Ann Hinnenkamp—Cerridwen Press

Eternally His by Carol North—Class Act Books

Feral Passion by Stephanie Bedwell-Grime—Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

His to Possess by Su Halfwerk—Devine Destinies

In Franklin's House by Beverly Lauderdale—Oak Tree Press

Jade Dreams; Sons of Earth and Wind, Book VI by Barbara Clark—Amber Quill Press, LLC

Mind Echoes by Carlene Rae Dater—Whiskey Creek Press

My-Wolf by Linda Palmer—Wild Horse Press

Quest for Love by Jean Hart Stewart—Cerridwen Press

Storm Shadows by Caitlyn Hunter—L & L Dreamspell

Tanaquill by Akalle—Self-published

Ties That Bind by Keena Kincaid—The Wild Rose Press

R7 - Science Fiction Romance

Girl Gone Nova by Pauline Baird Jones—L & L Dreamspell

Temperance by J L Wilson—Cerridwen Press

R8 - Spiritual and/or Metaphysical Romance

A Quiet Place by Michelle L. Levigne—Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

Cup of Joe by Teri Wilson—White Rose Publishing

The Family Way by Michelle L. Levigne—Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.

R9 - Western Romance

A Turn of the Cards by Emma McKee—The Wild Rose Press

Promise Me by Deborah Schneider—The Wild Rose Press

Texas Hearts by Rachel Smith—Awe-Struck Publishing

Whisper of Gold by Meg Hennessy—The Wild Rose Press

YOUNG ADULT (Fiction and/or Non-Fiction) DIVISION

YA - Young Adult Non Fiction/ Fiction

Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson—The Wild Rose Press

Moon Rise by Marilee Brothers—Bell Bridge Books

Spirals of Destiny Book One: Rider by Jim Bernheimer—Gryphonwood Press

Starfire Angels by Melanie Nilles—Self-published

The Cinderella Swap by Linda Palmer—Sugar and Spice Press

The Defenders by Ed Sutter—Whiskey Creek Press

The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage—The Wild Rose Press

Answer to a pirate post

There's a discussion going on on a certain pirate site right now that just raised my blood pressure this morning. In said discussion, the pirates have decided a few things about authors protecting their copyrights. Among those...

1. It has nothing to do with copyright and everything to do with the money.

2. None of them are profiting from our work, and none of them are claiming our work, so copyright has nothing to do with it.

3. There's nothing wrong with them wanting to have "what everyone else can have."

4. We're just selfish people that want paid for every copy when the recognition of people loving our work should be more than enough for us.

5. They should just not talk about us and not share us, because that would teach us a lesson.

My first thought is that sometimes it IS about someone else claiming our work, and sometimes it's about someone else SELLING our work, which offends me because it's cheating my readers, something these people should appreciate and not attack. And sometimes it's even about them taking money out of a charity's pocket instead of mine, which offends me on so many levels, I can't begin to quantify them.

There are many reasons we fight infringement, and not all of them have to do directly with the money involved. Some have to do with the "defend it or lose it" part of copyright. If I don't call it where I see it, I weaken my standpoint when I do defend it. Because, clue arriving for the pirates, you don’t have to profit monetarily from infringement or fail the attribution test to infringe and be on the wrong side of the law. Copyright covers all manner of infringement, including what these pirates admit to doing.

But yes...sometimes along the way, it's about the money. That money pays for bills in my house. Want to know where my royalties went to this month? Buying GROCERIES. Paying for my son's SURGERY. Getting CLOTHING for my children and husband. Buying myself a new pair of shoes, since the old pair had holes in them...the only money I spent on myself. How selfish of me, right? Hardly sounds like I'm buying yachts over here. When my husband was out of work, I paid the MORTGAGE one month with my royalties.

No, there's nothing wrong with people wanting to have what others have...if... If you aren't infringing or stealing to get it. Then, yes, it's very wrong. Because, let's face it, this isn't about the lesser of two evils. No one's child is going to starve to death for lack of a loaf of bread if a pirate doesn't get the ebook he/she wants to read. The only "tragedy" involved is that the pirate doesn't get to read a particular book. Hardly life and death stuff.

Now, I will state firmly here that I do NOT appreciate the way NY Conglomerate works. They allow this discontent, because of the way their bundled foreign rights work. Some countries, like Oz, cause more discontent with their laws about book selling. If they just did what indie press did and made books available in ebook from day one worldwide, a lot of these people wouldn't be so damned hostile. I'm on THEIR side about changing things. Same as I was on their side about access to books they personally purchased. Thank goodness the courts agreed with that point!

But there's no excuse for infringing on those that already bend over backward to accommodate them. My books are available worldwide on day one, in a variety of formats and most without DRM. My books are priced reasonably. My books are available on several legal sharing platforms. All of the things they complain conglomerate doesn't do for them, I do. Which leads me to...

I never said I wanted to get paid for every copy. If I did, how could I support the LEGAL sharing systems out there? I do, which means these people are clueless, at best, and self-centered creeps probably. Hey, I call them like I see them.

Let's see them work a job and not get paid for it, because someone else thinks the recognition should be enough for them. Let's see their kids go without, and then we'd see how they'd like someone calling them names for wanting a little remuneration along the way for their hard work. Because, believe me, this is work.

They don't know me. They know nothing about me. I have nothing against one person sharing a copy or two with friends or with Amazon's built in sharing...or Nook's... What I DO have a problem with is them sharing hundreds or thousands of copies at a shot. That's not friendly sharing. That's piracy, and that's what [this pirate system...I won't give them the benefit of me advertising for them] does. If they can't see the difference, they don't want to see the difference, and that's just says they aren't people I really want to associate with, in the first place.

Personally, I would be very happy if they decided to stop sharing my work. It would save me a lot of time I could be writing new stories to be enjoyed by those that I do want to associate with.

Bad Writing Advice...

A friend on a Yahoogroup came on with what he felt was the worst piece of writing advice he'd ever heard, but it didn't sound bad to me...just incomplete.

The advice he thought was bad advice? “Don't worry about your audience, just write for you. It sounded good at first, but it really isn’t good advice at all!"

My answer? "Actually, that's NOT bad advice, IF you take the following into account with it. There is a market for everything. Those markets are larger or smaller, but they exist. You can write what you want to write and then seek out the correct market for it and sell it there. That means making the conscious choice to make less money on some works, but it is your choice as author...be happy with what you write and seek the audience for it OR write to the market and shoot for the bucks, even if you are personally less satisfied with what you write."

So...topic for discussion? What other "bad writing advice" have you looked at and said, "That's not bad advice. It's just incomplete or badly framed?"

Brenna

Censorship, Banning, and Burning

It's September, which means it's Banned Book Week. It's a month that avid readers and authors often get riled up, and we have a lot to get riled up about this year, I suppose.

In current events, there's the whole Humble, TX fiasco. For those unfamiliar with the timeline, I invite you to Maya Reynolds' blog, where she talks about the controversy and the ultimate cancellation of the event. So, you have a librarian with her panties in a wad about books she's "heard" contain sex and drugs (apparently doesn't care that they are cautionary tales about the bad that comes from them) getting a bunch of parents that have never READ the books upset, and a weak school district that rolls over and plays dead to DISinvite the author already invited to the event. When the other authors rise up and protest, instead of admitting they are a bunch of idiots/bigots and eating crow, they cancel the kids' event, punishing the kids for their parents' own bias. Typical...and upsetting to me, as both an author and a parent.

But, does it mean anything outside of Humble, TX? Not really, besides everyone pointing, shaking their heads, and making comments...on both sides of the issue. I know my way isn’t the only way to look at it.

Well, it does make ONE difference. I'll bet sales of Ellen's books jump for a while during the controversy.

I've talked about this before. Banning and burning really only worked well before mass production of books and the internet. These days, if a locality bans something, people go on the internet and purchase it anyway. In fact, banning/burning gives the book and author publicity (here's my five minutes' worth for the lovely Ellen!), and it fuels interest and tempers. Some people will purchase the book to see if it's really that bad. Some will purchase it just because someone else banned it or burned it, to show their protest of banning or burning (even if they don't intend to read the book). Oh, and to burn the book, you have to BUY the copies you burn, which certainly isn't hurting the author, publisher, or agent either. Unless you want to create a mob to break in and steal them to burn, in which case, you're breaking a lot of laws along the way...and will probably still have to pay for the books after the court case...as well as damages to the shops you stole from and people you hurt. And insurance companies might have to pick up a bit of the bill, which raises everyone's rates a bit... I could go into more detail, but you get the idea.

So, what is my opinion of censorship, book banning, and book burning? I'd be glad to share it.

I live in the US. When the Constitution was drafted, the Bill of Rights (which are really privileges we bestowed upon ourselves and not really "inalienable rights" like we talked about in the Declaration of Independence...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...I'd add the right to think as you will to that)... Little side note? The ORIGINAL drafts of the Declaration had "the right to own land" instead of "pursuit of happiness," but the idea of people clamoring to own land currently held by others was a little too scary for them.

Back to the subject... The Bill of Rights includes freedom of speech. Not everyone reading this blog will have this privilege in their laws, and I won’t pretend it’s so, but it does color MY perceptions of the issue before us.

Now, every privilege comes with a responsibility to use it wisely. I wouldn't argue that. Yelling fire in the theater is not a responsible use of speech and should be punished. Going on someone else's property to exercise your "free speech" is not legal. Using it to threaten someone is not legal. Using it to hurt someone is not legal. Nor should any of this be legal, IMO.

Beyond that, speech is only free if that freedom is applied to everyone. Anyone else here see An American President? The movie had it right. Free speech means standing there and listening to someone advocate, at the top of his lungs, what I have spent a lifetime fighting at the top of mine. If he doesn't have the right to express his opinion on the matter, I am not truly free. For that reason, censorship should always be avoided.

In the same way, just because I find a book offensive does not mean someone else will not see benefit in it. Therefore, my ability to read what I want to read comes with the reality that others have the same ability to write and read what they find useful to them.

Mind you, censorship is not always the same thing as banning books. I don't believe books should EVER be banned from public libraries. My two cents on the matter. Companies have the right to decide what they will sell. I don't argue it. While I personally think Wal-Mart are complete idiots when it comes to books they choose to ban sometimes, they are allowed to do it to the comfort level of owners/stockholders. But public libraries are not companies owned by stockholders. We all support them with our tax money. To anyone that says a town library should ban a book because it offends them, I say, “Only if I can ban the ones of yours that offend me.” Turnabout and all. If they want their books, they put up with mine being shelved in the next aisle over. That’s true freedom.

School libraries should employ some common sense. If a book would be something beyond the emotional and intellectual level of most of the children in the school, by all means don't carry it on the shelves of that school. If it's not appropriate for a 2nd grader but is appropriate for 5th, have sections of the library that each age group is allowed to use.

But don't tell me that my advanced readers cannot check out a book they are more than capable of reading, because some other parent/s complained that they found the book offensive and didn't want their children "exposed" to it. It is up to each individual parent to make decisions about what their children should read and can manage to read and understand. It is up to parents to prepare their children for the world. Beyond the fact that it does no good to try and keep children blind and deaf to the world at large, how is doing that preparing children for the world they must work in and live in? It's not.

I'm not telling anyone else how to raise their children, and I certainly don't want them telling me how to raise mine. That's the core of this issue. I'm taking responsibility, as a parent, for guiding my children, teaching them my values, using books as both good and bad examples for them... I'm taking responsibility, as a parent, for knowing what my children are reading, watching, surfing on the internet, answering their questions, engaging them in conversation... I signed on to be a parent by having children. That's my job.

I've gone head to head with a UBS owner that tried to tell my (then) 12 y/o that Gregory McGuire's books were too adult for her. I've gone head to head with school librarians that wanted to limit my (then) advanced reader 3rd grader (reading at a 7th grade level) to books for her age level, because a couple of other parents had complained about their children reading "inappropriate material." I went head to head with my (then) 6th grader's "advanced" English teacher and the administration and told them: "She's teaching Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH. At home, he's reading The Moon is a Harsh Mistress and discussing the sociological implications of a prison planet. If she thinks he's not following along, it's because he's BORED."

I am something of Auntie Mame. I believe (within reason) in letting the child read anything within his/her ability to emotionally and intellectually understand and to discuss it with him/her. Not every parent is prepared to take that active an interest in their children. Beyond that, my husband and I "assign" our children to read books that will broaden their horizons. In addition to the books they read for pleasure, our children are handed books like 1984, Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, Watership Down, and A Clockwork Orange and discuss the books with us after reading them. As a result, my 8th grader's first book report of the year was on V for Vendetta. He enjoys the book and wanted to do the report on it. My 10th grader is currently reading Sherrilyn Kenyon's newest, but the next up on her desk is A Handmaid's Tale. When she entered high school, she had already read some of the advanced reading books for the 11th and 12th grade classes.

Parents that want to ban books are doing one of a few things...or more than one. They are abdicating responsibility for policing their children by trying to narrow what the children have available to them. They are trying to push their belief systems onto other families by saying: "It offends me, so it SHOULD offend everyone. Take it away, so none of us will have to be offended." They are judging other parents as less than them for not being offended or even encouraging their children to learn as much as possible and be well-rounded individuals with (gasp) tolerance for the beliefs of others.

I completely understand the age levels and maturity levels of individual children and groups of children (in general) being taken into account when stocking a school library. But I do not believe in banning books, as a general rule.

Moreso with adults. If a particular book offends you or is not to your tastes, don't buy it to read it and don't take it out of the library to read. But don't try to take away someone else's reading material. Along with the free speech to write the books is the inherent privilege to access those books and enjoy or learn from them. Enough said.

Burning books is abhorrent to me, personally. I wouldn't do it, but I respect the fact that, with a burn permit, anyone can burn anything they darned well choose to and that they own, on a small scale. I'll get back to that. Burning or burning in effigy (which would actually let people "burn" what they don't approve of without purchasing the product and supporting the industry they claim to hate) is a long and established manner of protest. Who am I to say it's not effective? It has a galvanizing effect.

But, I would never support the government doing it. The government engaging in banning and burning makes it synonymous with censorship. I never support censorship.

Why being paid in the indie way works for you...and against you!

Some of my NY conglomerate published friends do not really understand the way indie press pays on net (read this as your royalty rate applied to the actual amount received for the book from third party distribution sites). For someone that makes the same percentage of the cover price, no matter where the book sells or what price it sells at, it seems counterproductive to use a net contract, but the contracts both work for us and against us.

In most cases, the indie net contract works for authors. We get a much higher percentage of ebook sales than NY conglomerate authors do, in general, and a much higher percentage of ebooks sold from the publisher site than we do with any given distribution channel. The NY conglomerate authors will make the same percentage, no matter where the book sells and a lower percentage than indie authors make, in general. It's a no-brainer to see why the net contact is appealing to us.

The publishers (depending on which one I'm dealing with) give me between 30% and 60% of cover price on all sales from the publisher site. But I get that same percentage (or slightly higher*) on the amount they receive from the distribution channel on third party sales. So, if it's a $6 ebook, and I have a 50% royalty rate, I make $3 on sales from the publisher site but may only make $1.05 to $1.50 to $2.06 on the same book selling from a third party site (35% to 50% to 70% (less 10 cent "delivery charge" on the latter...thank you Amazon) remitted to the publisher and then my 50% royalty rate). The highest royalty rate is currently Smashwords, but that's assuming it sells directly from Smashwords (few books do) and not via a channel Smashwords is the aggregator for...and assuming you choose not to opt into paying people that send business to your book/s.

Now, when does it work against us? When the contract between the publisher and the distribution channel allows the distribution channel to play games with sale price and pass that along to us!

I'd propose that Amazon and the other distribution channels should be FORCED to sign agreements with us that say the publisher gets a set rate (a set dollar amount) on every ebook sold, and if they want to play price games and loss leaders, they do so out of THEIR portion of the book sale and not ours...just as I understand they do with paper books. Right now, that's not the case. So that works against us.

*Some publishers are nice in that they give a higher percentage rate from distribution than from the home site. At one, I get 40% on publisher site sales, but they raise it to 50% from distribution channels, so that $6 book nets me $2.40 from the publisher's home site but that same $1.05 or $1.50 or $2.06 from distribution channels...assuming the distributors DON'T have undercutting sales with each other and further cut my royalty rate by up to 50% trying to outdo each other's sales, dropping me to $.53 or $.75 or $1.03 per book sold, for THEIR greed, their attempts to monopolize the market. And this happens far more often than you might believe.

See why I say we need to make them eat that instead of us? I have nothing against a free market and sales for readers, but this sort of free market hurts the authors and publishers instead of the distribution channel choosing to do it. But when the Big 6 pushed for contracts that said Amazon wasn't allowed to hold sale prices, they were accused of price fixing and are being investigated for antitrust/monopoly issues. I can see why they might say that, but... The obvious answer is to make the distribution channels eat the sale. That works for me. It might not work for NY conglomerate, since they are all about protecting the "price point."

FABULOUS new contest for romance and erom authors!

What is it? All Romance eBook's Just One Bite Short Story Contest. If you will have a 2500-3000 word romance or erom story hanging around in September (submissions run the 1st to the 28th) that has never been published before, consider entering ARe's contest. No entry fee. $1000 grand prize. Lesser prizes for other winners, including an iTouch and gift certificates for ebooks... And bragging rights for being chosen a semifinalist/finalist. No matter how many entries they get, they will be posting 32 as semi-finalists on Oct 1. From there, there will be 5 rounds of reader voting to whittle them down to the grand prize winner. Even being shown on Oct 1 means extra exposure with readers and bragging rights. Of course, if you make it to at least the 32 slots, you are agreeing to let ARe publish the story as a free read on their site. Since many of us have ebooks on ARe, this works to your advantage, and that's the reason I offer so many free reads there personally. Just a thought for a little extra exposure and promo hype.

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/submissions.html