SEARCHING FOR UNCOMMON LOVE STORIES? - You've come to the right place. Like the Seeley and Unseeleycourts in the elusive world of the Fae, the Faery Rose line consists of both light and dark elements of the paranormal world, each necessary and complementary to the other.
The worlds in our books are not exclusively found here on earth or, for that matter, even on this plane of existence. The common ground with any book in the Faery line, is that the reader truly has to suspend their sense of reality when they open the book, either as an eBook or in paperback.
The true pleasure of the read is escaping the day-to-day pressures or doldrums and being transported through time or space, immersed in ghosts or witches, dragons or pixies, water nymphs or angels, off world beings or different dimensions. The reader can count on one thing from the start -- a satisfying romance with a happily ever after, or at the very least, a happy for now ending.
Just as there is seldom a good plot without conflict, a satisfying romance without love, or light without dark, a Faery Rose story could be sweet or spicy, full of adventure, danger, sorrow, and joy in addition to being just a good old-fashioned love story. Let one of our books take you away this month . . . you decide where you want to go.
[Interior: evening. Two writers IM about submission opportunities]
Crit partner: The paranormal line at Wild Rose Press is looking for short fiction. Author: Huh. Crit partner: Got anything paranormal? Author: Well, I have this one with a ghost in it and a heroine who time travels back to when he was alive—‘cause they’re like soul mates and stuff—and then she lives there with him until she becomes her own grandmother. Crit partner: Does she ever come back to the present? Author: No. Crit partner: Send it in. What’s the worst they can say?
Faery Editor Kelly Schaub: (sigh) It’s probably historical line instead of Faery.
What I do want to see in short submissions: I want to read about men and women who make their own fate and choose to be together. I don’t believe in “soul mates.”
Our senior editor, Amanda, pointed out earlier that time travels are hot hot hot for sales. Along with that, my own research points at cowboys amping the sales numbers—cowboy in the title + cowboy on the cover = win. And I am a Browncoat. If you know what that means without scanning Wikipedia, you’re already in my camp.
I love me some space cowboys.
So yeah.
Short length (45K down to 7.5K). Space cowboys who time travel. More seriously, I enjoy heroes who are not only physically good to look upon but highly intelligent. Think Commander John Crichton from Farscape (PhD in aeronautics, designed and built his own spaceflight module which shot him through a wormhole to travel in alien lands…and he’s good looking), Quinn Mallory of Sliders (genius inventor who developed “sliding” from one alternate universe to another…and pretty darn cute), Dr. Sam Beckett of Quantum Leap (invented a way for man to time travel within his own lifetime…handsome, moral) and of course Captain Mal Reynolds of Firefly, the best space cowboy ever (with the exception of Captain Kirk). Mal and Kirk didn’t have to be smarter than average; they live, fight, and love in the future. No emo metro-males need apply at my desk.
The heroine must be able to keep up and hold her own, but not be so kick-ass that she diminishes the hero’s masculinity or cannot be feminine and vulnerable. Some characters who strike the right balance: Princess Ardala and Colonel Wilma Deering (both from Buck Rogers of the 25th Century), Officer Aeryn Sun from Farscape, Zoe Washburne from Firefly—heck, any of the women on that show; Kaylee, Inara. Think of the female officers on Star Trek.
We are facing a high amount of competition both between TWRP and other publishers and within our own house to put before our readers the very best stories we can offer. Manuscripts must be highly polished, ready to go, with all the necessary literary pieces and parts before they’re offered to us. Watch your junk words (just, very, some, often, always, nearly), passive verbs (was/were), and sentences beginning “It was/There was/were.” Be sure you have believable and discernable goal, motivation, and conflict for hero and heroine, and that they work at cross-purposes to the relationship until the very end of the story. Make them work for that Happily Ever After!
Hear ye, hear ye. Come one, come all! Faery Rose line has need of short submissions that will tempt and intrigue, engage and enthrall. Fantasy heroes and heroines who master time using magic or science; their goal to achieve their heart's desire.
Submissions shorter than 45K are what we're looking for, and if there's not a "happy ever after" then your work won't make it through our door. We want romance, conflict, and sensuality in spades. So brush off your magic wands, find your heart, and fly your faery wings to the nearest keyboard. Make us happy to say "Welcome to Faery Rose. Pull up a magic broom, have some ambrosia, and play in our space.
Kicking off the first half of the month you have moi, me, Amanda Barnett & our lovely editors. Let's kick back and have a good time. And don't forget our sister line Black Rose, under the wonderful direction of Callie Lynn Wolfe, will be handling the rest of the month.
Let me tell you a little bit about the Faery Rose line, we've changed a bit over the years. Picture your hottest hunk, sexiest heroine, and put them in a scenario that's both magical and sensual. Now, that doesn't mean you can go erotic, that's our Scarlet line, but we do like to see some spice in our submissions but we do also like sweet, spicy, and hot.
Don't worry if you cross over the line, we'll get your work where it needs to go.
Faery is so much more than Faery creatures. There are immortals, dragons, space warriors and more. Our line spans so many different characters.
What we're looking for are short submissions no longer than 45K with a time travel theme, but remember your avenue of time traveling has to be magical if you return to the past. I'd love to see more romances where the hero and heroine go back and forth, it makes for a nice mixture.
Of course that's what I like, but our other wonderful editors, Claudia Fallon, Sarah Hansen, Kelly Schaub, and Frances Sevilla will be taking their turns, and I'm positive they will tell you what they like also.
The bottom line is we need the hero and heroine to have goal, motivation, and conflict to make the romance into something readers will buy and want to keep on their keeper shelf. I know I have several favorite authors and I keep their books and take them out to read months and even years after I first read them. It's like having an old friend stop by. Also, if you are submitting always look at our guidelines. We want happy ever after or at least for now.
Ghosts are fine but I want the hero and heroine to be able to be together in actual bodies. Call me old fashion but I like the sensuality of knowing they can actually touch one another. Science fiction is also a wonderful sub-genre for us.
Now settle back, Twitter, Facebook, whatever method you use to get the news off and tell your friends to drop by. We love new faces as well as our cherished and dear friends already here at The Wild Rose Press.
And a big shout out to all our Faery Rose authors: Thank you for a job well done. Editors at faery, you rock. Couldn't do it without you.
Ahh, that time of year again when the kids go back to school and everything starts to settle back into a routine. Though we might dwell on the slowly shorter days, the fall brings with it one of the most colorful times of the year and many more activities and new experiences.
One of the best activities on a cool day or night is curling up with a good book. Whether one of paper or the new technology of eReaders, which are just as easy to laze on the couch with these days, sneaking away a little time just for yourself is always a treat.
So settle in and check out the latest edition of our main newsletter where we talk about the new technology, tell you about our "Movie" experience, show you how sometimes the best comes in Last and give you a few ideas of books you may just want to curl up with on a cool autumn afternoon.
Scarlet is about erotic romance--our readers want to know about every kiss, caress and touch, and how the point of view (POV) character responds, reacts, and experiences those kisses, touches and caresses. So a pet peeve for me is when authors send me an erotic romance with barely half a page of sex. Talk about wham, bam, thank you m'am!
So, how long should you plan on making your sex scenes? Think of at least a few paragraphs for each part. The first kiss can be very detailed, then first base, then second base. The actual 'act' can be a couple of paragraphs. The fireworks should have their own paragraph. Of course, more is better. We can always cut out what isn't needed. We've never rejected anyone for writing too much sex!
A "first sex" scene should be many pages since the characters are getting to know each other in a whole new way. There are lots to describe, perhaps compare to past lovers. You can add in dialogue. Allowing the characters to communicate and get to know each other really connects them to the reader (and adds word count!)
Any additional scenes should show some variety. Add in a different position, let them try something new, or somehow show growth in their character. Maybe the heroine is shy, and the last sex scene she's grown to the point that she is comfortable enough to be in charge in the bedroom. Readers love variety. They also love the darker side of sex, so don't be afraid to allow your characters to stray to the kinky side!
And lastly, make sure the language is frank and detailed. Technical body parts you learned in school aren't what readers want. They don't want flowery descriptions for the delicious bits, either! If you're unsure what the buzz words are, you should be picking up some of our sizzlin' Scarlets to broaden your horizons and see what the editors are looking for!!
I am so thrilled with the author response to our idea for a reunion series, The Class of '85. It came about as the best things usually do, by accident. Back in February or March, during a regular staff meeting, the Last Rose of Summer editors came up the idea for a reunion, batting ideas around such as getting revenge on prom queens and the best looking guys, what ever happened to the one most likely to spend time in a maximum security cage. Mind you, this was just goofing around, we agreed to mull things over and come together again in one month's time.
Within days, Senior Editor Spencer Glenn [who directed traffic with the wildly successful Wayback Texas series] generously contributed an idea which helped gel the entire idea of a reunion series. Her thoughts were so clear and intriguing they could not be ignored. Voila! the Class of '85 came to life after a remarkably easy labor and delivery.
A call for submissions went out in late March and an author loop was created. At the same time, the location for the reunion [actual and figuratively] was created, then tweaked, complete with photographs. As questions came in to the loop, a spreadsheet, created by Historical Division Managing Editor Nicole D'Arienzo, was implemented.
As stories were submitted in April [and continue to come in] contracts were offered. Today, less than four months later, we are delighted to announce the first of the alums attending the reunion: Getting It Right, by Donna Bolk, came out 8/15/10; The Serious Moonlight, by Janet Halpin will make the scene on 8/18/10; and The Lonely Road to You, by Jannine Gallant will arrive on 8/25/10. Corvette Confessions by Stacy Dawn and Fairy Tales Do Come True by Silver James will follow in September.
More will follow throughout the fall; the possibilities for what is on the horizon for the end of the year and into 2011 are endless. On behalf of the Last Rose of Summer editors and Class of '85 authors, we hope you will enjoy returning to Summerville, NY on the shores of Lake Ontario, and see what happened to the prom queen, the best looking guy, and the one most likely to spend time in a maximum security cage. Kathy Cottrell
Reading that subject probably makes you wonder how on earth The Wild Rose Press is connected with two such famous stars. Well, this week, we were happy to announce that TWRP has provided all the books that serve as props in the new Bruce Willis movie RED coming to theatres on October 15, 2010.
Mary Louise Parker plays the heroine and she is the reason for all the romance novels - her character is a huge reader and the production company needed to fill her apartment with books. We were honored to be asked to provide the books.
You can see the trailer for this movie on our web site or by clicking the link below:
It was fun to be part of something so incredibly big and while we don't know as of this writing how many of our books will appear on screen - it was a great experience just to be asked to share in it. I know a lot of the staff members will be buying tickets - I hope you'll enjoy it too.
It is truly amazing to me how many places you can purchase The Wild Rose Press titles. Hard to believe that only a few years ago, the titles were only on sale at our site and www.amazon.com. Today you can find them in so many places, even I've lost track. The most recent distributor to sign us up is www.digibookscafe.com. If you haven't been to the site - check it out. Hopefully another distributor means more sales for our authors - something that is always a top priority with me.
We're also working with a company who will take our books overseas; we're already there in some limited arenas but this company with propel us to that next level - I hope - again with sales. Romance readers around the world will be able to get our electronic offerings as easily as all of you.
The time is really here for the explosion of electronic books - if you don't own a reading device yet - odds are within the next few years you will. They are dropping in price and becoming more affordable for everyone. We will continue to do our best to put your books in as many formats as we possibly can and distribute them wherever we can.
Its summer time and the living is easy or so they say. My hope is that you find time to indulge in some wonder eReads!
You’ve narrowed down which titles you wish to purchase from TWRP’s eBook store, now which format is best? What do the different format file types mean and where do they each work the best? Why are there so many choices?
The International Digital Publishing Forum describes the goal of Open Publication Structure (OPS) as “to define a standard means of content description for use by purveyors of electronic books (publishers, agents, authors et al.) allowing such content to be provided to multiple Reading Systems and to insure maximum presentational equivalence across Reading Systems.” In other words, the industry is attempting to set a standard format to make downloading and keeping eBooks easier. According to Mobipocket’s website, Mobipocket is one of the three main ebook formats based on the Open E-book Publication (OEP) formats, a precursor to (OPS). But several file extension names are out there. Here are four we use at TWRP:
MS Reader (.lit) Microsoft eBook Reader format. Can be used on desktop or laptop PC, Tablet PC and UMPC, or using Microsoft Reader for Windows Mobile. Microsoft’s website says eBooks are also readable on “some new Windows CE consumer devices coming to market.” As of March 2010, Microsoft does not plan to make this format available on Macintosh, Palm, or Linux, and considers .lit to be proprietary—not available to eBook readers that do not support MS Reader. In this non-OPS format, digital rights management (DRM) allows all eBooks in MS Reader to be read on up to four devices. Mobile devices listed as “Windows Powered” generally ship with MS Reader installed, or you can download it free from Microsoft.
Web (.HTML) This as another OEP format, and means “hypertext markup language.” Any web browser should allow viewing of this format. Readers such as Mobipocket and Kindle use HTML files in a compressed form within their file types, and HTML format can be converted for use on the Kindle. This format does not offer DRM support, where .mobi, .pdf, and .lit do. Files in HTML are often large and require lots of storage space.
HTML can be read on the following eBook devices: Apple iPad; Azbooka WISEreader; Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Opus; COOL-ER Classic; Hanlin e-Reader V3; Hanvon WISEreader; Nokia N900; Onyx Boox 60; Pocketbook 301 Plus, 302, 360°; Viewsonic VEB612
Adobe (.pdf) Portable document format (.pdf) is an OEP format best viewed on a full-sized screen such as on a PC or Mac. Of .pdf format, Microsoft says, “PDF is a great format for capturing documents and print images. However, it is static and does not scale well, or change to fit the size of the screen you're using, which introduces limitations.” For the fixed-image file to be viewable on a handheld device the file has to have been created with a special reflow code; locked files such as eBooks will not allow this reflow to be added later. On a computer, you will need Adobe software to view a .pdf eBook, such as Acrobat or Reader. Adobe Reader is available as a free download from Adobe.com
That said, .pdf is supported by the following eBook readers: Amazon Kindle 1, 2, International, & DX; Apple iPad; Barnes & Noble Nook; Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Foxit eSlick; Opus; COOL-ER Classic; Hanlin e-Reader V3; Hanvon WISEreader; iRex iLiad; iRex DR1000; Iriver Story; Nokia N900; NUUTbook 2; Onyx Boox 60; Pocketbook 301 Plus, 302, 360°; Sony Reader; Viewsonic VEB612 (The only hardware claiming not to support PDF is the Azbooka WISEreader).
Mobipocket (.mobi) Mobipocket is software designed to catalogue and display ebooks on many devices in .mobi format. You can download Mobipocket eBook Reader for free to a windows-based PC, then link your PDA, smartphone, or Blackberry via USB to transfer titles to your handheld device. Mobi files are accessible to Apple computer systems running Mac OS X 10.2 or later. Amazon has also released a Linux-compatible Kindle file generator.
Mobi is supported by the following eBook reader hardware: Amazon Kindle 2, DX; Azbooka WISEreader; Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Endless Ideas BeBook; Opus; COOL-ER Classic; Hanlin e-Reader V3; iRex iLiad; iRex DR1000; Nokia N900; Onyx Boox 60; Pocketbook 301 Plus, 302, 360°; Viewsonic VEB612
So why choose .mobi over the other three formats? “In a nutshell,” says RJ Morris, Owner & Executive Administrator for TWRP, “Mobi is a format that is suited to the latest in ereaders, the famed KINDLE. It allows a handheld of that kind to resize the text, where as a .pdf is limited, since it is seen as an image rather than text. Not all ereaders can take the Mobi format, but it adds to the selection for our customers.”
Faery Editors Chiming In With Their Thoughts! Hello everyone, just a bit of information from the Faery section of the garden.
The definition of Faery for me is simple, something magical, mystical, something that will make dreams come true. That is what I am looking for as an editor, to help grant wishes for contracts. However, that is not always the easiest thing to do. Each author, whether pubbed already or not, must do their part to help realize their dream.
Romance has to be the key word. I don’t want sweetness and nice all the time, because life isn’t truly that way. I want to see a work that will pull me in from the first page if not the first sentence. Believe me, it can be done. Give me Goal, Motivation, and Conflict in spades. If I can’t believe in it, then I can’t sell it. I want to know your characters, what they feel, their reason for doing what they do, and to rejoice in a Happy Ever After.
One thing I see, as an editor, are manuscripts not properly formatted, basic writing skills not being utilized, and a general not knowing what the guidelines are for our line or our publishing house. Do yourself a favor, look these up. They are invaluable to a writer wanting to break into the literary world.
If you send me something that does not follow the guidelines from the query letter and synopsis, then I will wonder if you will be able to follow instructions about revising your work if we get that far.
Now, if you have a romance that is filled with characters that leap off the page, make my heart warm reading about them, you still have to know the writing basics. Unless you are a multi-pubbed author, you can’t get away with sloppy point of view. That is what keeps your readers focused on your work. Poorly written POV can pull them out of your work and make them put your book down. As an editor, I am the same way. Again, follow the guidelines, and if you are not certain about the writing basics then utilize the Green House, it is outstanding for giving authors the help they need to hone their work.
As for what I want to see personally, I love heroes and heroines who make me want to step into their books. I want to be so drawn in, I have to remember I’m supposed to be evaluation the work and not just enjoy the romance.
Amanda Barnett/Senior Editor/Faery Rose
Please read what our wonderful Faery Editors have to say about what they like or dislike.
What Editor Claudia Fallon says:
Different publishers may have different ideas about what a romance is. Before you submit your story, please make sure that it is indeed a romance, and a romance of the type that The Wild Rose Press publishes. Buy a couple ebooks from the line you are interested in submitting to (like Faery!) and read them. Also, check out the Greenhouse in the Writers' Resource section on our website at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/ I hate having to reject a perfectly good manuscript just because it's a story with romantic elements rather than a true romance!
What Editor Sarah Hansen states:
Point-of-view control is crucial to me. While true there is more than one big-name author out there who skips from character's head to character's head within a scene, I find it distracting. The ability to keep within one character's head for a scene shows me the author is working to bring the reader inside their creation. Mastery over point of view allows the depth of emotion, conflict, and resolution that a story with bouncing points of view do not. I find stories with fewer, stronger, and longer points of view offer a tighter and more satisfying story than those that jump frequently. Draw the reader in and hold on tight by allowing them the full range of your character's "life."
What Editor Frances Sevilla is looking for:
I want memorable characters and a plot that draws me in from the first paragraph and keeps me reading long after I want to put it aside.
That takes in all the necessary qualities to make a manuscript a good book.
What Kelly Schaub wants to see:
Submission guidelines often preach to the choir. Those who don't follow the guidelines or don't have the skill necessary in their writing craft to be published are the very writers we are forced to reject. I don't like rejecting. I don't like getting excited by a premise only to be disappointed when the partial manuscript shows a lack of craft polish or the well-written full manuscript proves to be a non-romance. Telling a hopeful writer "no" breaks my heart. What my coworkers have already said they want to see, I second. Sing with the choir--learn all you can about writing craft and put it into practice before you send your manuscript to us. Competition is high for contracts. Don't assume "the editor will fix it later." Give your product the best chance of success by selling it at the right state of readiness to the right people.
If the writing is solid but not romance enough for Faery here at TWRP--don't dispair. Genre fiction is a funny thing, and here at Faery we have a crossover blend with fantasy and science fiction. The whole world of Scifi/Fantasy publishing is open to good books we've rejected for not focusing enough on the romance angle. Market it as Scifi/Fantasy with romantic elements. Just be sure to read their guidelines.
Just a reminder that the deadline for the Jewels of the Night submission call is March 31st! Look to our November blog posting at www.behindthegardengate.blogspot.com for the rules. We will accept these submissions throughout the year but to be eligible for the special prize drawings you must submit by the deadline and follow the rules. Looking forward to some great manuscripts!! Any questions, you can email me at Lori (at) thewildrosepress.com.
He’s ruggedly sexy in jeans, boots and a cowboy hat. He’s a wild mustang, dangerous and untamed. Men in this series like their lovin’ like the broncs they ride, rough and with a hard twist--it’s all about Cowboy Kink.
Guidelines:
Rosette and miniature rose length – 7500 to 40,000 computer word count. All stories must meet the double rose rating.* Stories can fall into any genre so long as the cowboy element** is present. *Double rose stories must include one or more of the following:
Submissions not reaching the double rose rating can still be contracted but will not be listed with the Cowboy Kink series.
**Wearing boots and a hat do not a cowboy make. These heroes must be men who work ranches, ride the rodeo, etc. Think hard-working, sweaty, muscled, and rough around the edges.
Established Scarlet Rose authors, submit directly to your editor. New authors submit to queryus@thewildrosepress.com with a subject line Scarlet Rose Submission: Cowboy Kink
Sunday, November 1, 2009
The Wild Rose Press Introduces a Special Submission Call from Crimson Rose
Jewels of the Night…
WHAT MAKES THIS SUBMISSION CALL SPECIAL?
One submission will be chosen at random to launch the series. The selected contract will be given a premium publishing slot during Crimson month (November, 2010) as well as a featured review and interview with the review site Once Upon a Romance. The selected story will be showcased on the Crimson Rose Page of The Wild Rose Press website and the Behind the Garden Gate blog. The Wild Rose Press will provide an advertising book banner to the author. Once Upon a Romance will also display this book banner without charge for a thirty day period beginning with the day of book release.
This submission call is open to current Wild Rose Press authors as well as all new query authors.
THE STORY: · Must involve a blue diamond. It could be a treasure hunt or a midnight thief or… Let your imagination take flight! · Must involve a high level of danger · Can be in any region of the world · Can be any timeframe as long as the most prevalent elements are romance and intrigue
Guidelines:
Stories must be complete. With a word-length between 20,000 and 65,000 words (miniature rose or rosebud length) Must be an original, never-before published work and you must own the rights to it. To qualify for the launch, submission must arrive on or before March 31, 2010 Manuscripts must be formatted per standard formatting rules (Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced, 1 in. margins, numbered pages) Submission call is open to both published and unpublished writers Story content must adhere to posted Crimson Rose guidelines as posted on the submissions page of www.thewildrosepress.com
HOW TO SUBMIT:
Email your manuscript as a single Word .rtf attachment to Lori (at) thewildrosepress.com Put: “Jewel of the Night Series: Manuscript Title: YOUR NAME” in the subject line In the body of the email, include The synopsis Your Real name Pseudonym, if applicable Your contact email Word-count
Submissions received that do not follow these guidelines will be discarded without notice. The Wild Rose Press is not responsible for submissions lost in cyberspace and not received. Upon receipt, you will receive a confirmation email. If you have not received a confirmation email within five working days of emailing your submission, please send us an email. Direct questions regarding this submission call to: Lori (at) thewildrosepress.com. If you have received receipt of your submission, please do not inquire about status until after standard response wait time. All entrants will be reviewed per our normal submission guidelines which are available at http://www.thewildrosepress.com/.
