I was invited to be interviewed by the gracious folks at www.shewrites.com. Follow this link and take a look at the lovely comments:
http://www.shewrites.com/profiles/blog/list?user=24hcruetuxtsr
Rhonda
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Conference Season
Its conference season! I know some are already behind us such as RT but there are still so many more to come like RWA Nationals. Have you ever been to one of the larger conferences? I definitely think its something that every writer should do at least once. Yes they are very expensive and very chaotic but there's something about being in a grand ballroom full of thousands of romance writers that gives you a feeling of belonging you just can't get anywhere else.
In 2004, I attended RWA in Dallas. I'd recently become a long distance member of the SARAs (San Antonio Romance Authors) and I was eager and nervous to meet my "online only" friends face to face. The connections I formed there and the friendships I made that conference not only have endured to this day but are completely 100% the reason why our company in the very beginning was so well supported. My friends from SARA promoted the heck out of TWRP in the early days and wrote for us so we would have quality inventory. To this day, if I need something I can shoot out an email to those ladies and they will help me.
But friendships aren't the only reason to attend a conference. It's a gift to yourself as a writer. Its time away from home and family that allows you to focus solely on you and your craft. Everyone needs that no matter what you write. No matter how well published you are, there are always tidbits to pick up in workshops or items to learn from keynote speakers. There's also the casual meets with editors and agents that can change your entire career.
Nothing says you have to do the big conferences; there are plenty of smaller chapter conferences across the country and around the world. But do yourself a favor and get to at least one this year. You won't regret it.
Rhonda Penders, Editor-in-Chief
Monday, May 28, 2012
Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Yesterday morning, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute things for our family barbeque. Just outside the door was an older veteran—probably in his seventies—handing out red poppies and asking for donations to their veterans’ group. I overheard him telling another gentleman about his time in the war and how many in his group died either on the battle field or from injuries received while in combat.
Standing slightly behind the veteran was his wife. She, too, was handing out poppies. As her husband talked she would reach over and stoke his back or gently touch his elbow. There was so much love and adoration in her eyes as she looked at him, it warmed my heart. I can’t imagine how it must feel to be a military spouse whose significant other is deployed for any length of time. To stay home, holding down the household, never knowing if your loved one is coming home.
On this Memorial Day, we remember those soldiers who fought and gave their lives for our freedom. We owe so much to not only them, but their families. So next time you thank a vet, or pray for our fallen, remember their families as well.
I send out my sincerest, heartfelt thanks and support to those of you who have loved ones currently deployed and to those who have sacrificed everything to keep us safe. God bless!
Johanna Melaragno
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
New Historical Series....
Got a hankerin’ for bad boys and
badges? So do we!
Saddle up and send us your bad boys
ready to be reformed by love. Or your lawmen who long for the love of a good
woman. (We like female outlaws and heroines who uphold the law, too!)
Characters should be heroic at heart, and people we wish we knew in real life.
Throw in lots of conflict, smoldering sexual tension, an historically accurate
western setting, and a happily ever after ending, and you’ve got the kind of
story we ‘d love to read!
Outlaw characters must be worthy of
being a TWRP hero, no cold-blooded murderers or rapists, please. Lawmen should
be devoted to upholding the law even at great personal sacrifice. Setting can
be anywhere west of the Mississippi in the 1800s. Length 7,500 to 25k. Heat
rating can range from sweet to hot.
Send your queries or questions to queryus@thewildrosepress.com,
subject line Lawmen and Outlaws Series.
Monday, May 21, 2012
After galley.
by RJ Morris
Production Manager,
Co-Founder, VP, The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
What happens to your baby after galleys?
You’ve worked hard, you’ve slaved over a hot computer
keyboard until your eyes are red rimmed and blurry, your fingers are numb, your
back aches, and your legs don’t remember what it means to stand. Your editor, whom you’ve blessed and cursed
in the same breath, finally announces that your manuscript has completed the
galley stage and is ready to go to production.
You lean back in your chair that gives an audible complaint
from over use and debate on whether or not to break out the champagne or wait
until you have a release date. You
decide to field the question to your editor, who gives a patient, but obviously
pat answer that it could be days, perhaps weeks before a release date is
decided upon.
“Why?” you ask. The
hard part is done, the text is flawless, even your dedication, carefully
crafted to include everyone in your family that supported you during this long
and often painful process, including the dog, is perfect. Why would a release date take weeks to
receive?
Well, I’ll tell you. There
are a dozen things that must take place before the rest of the world can read
your wonderful prose. Electronic devices
abound in this day and age, so your story must be formatted in specific ways to
display properly on these devices. Each
one has its own unique way of handling text, so a good deal of care must go
into this technical process. If your
book is to be printed, other formats must be created to align with the
manufacturers’ specifications. Many days
of preparation for the distribution of your book must take place. Then once these often tedious but necessary
steps are taken, a release date can then be assigned to your book.
“Finally!” you say. “I’ll
get a date and it’ll be just around the corner.”
Um, well no. As you
were slaving at your keyboard, there were other manuscripts moving into
production, also ready for dates and final formatting. Therefore, your story must get in line.
“But it’s an electronic book, why can’t it go out the minute
it’s complete?”
For The Wild Rose Press, Inc., we intentionally limit the
number of releases per week so that each title gets a full day in the sun (2
weeks on the front page of our website).
If we were to release stories as quickly as we received them, then your
wonderful tale and its lovely cover would be but a blip on the screen. Literally.
So we limit ourselves to an average of five per week, which puts our releases
about six months away from galley completion.
Although you are saddened by this delay, you’re a savvy
author and realize this allows you the time to promote your work and gather the
crowds for the unveiling of your latest book.
It will be an event to remember, and an accomplishment to be proud of.
So although you’ve slaved away and used your vivid
imagination to create this fabulous piece of work, there are invisible steps
and countless people required to get your book to the top of the publishing
mountain.
I hope this has enlightened some of you, and that you might
consider saying a simple thanks now and again to those invisible people who
work very hard to make your book the best it can be. And as spokesperson for the invisible people, I say, thank you,
for allowing us to be a part of your publishing life.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
You Know You're Reading a Good Book When...
You know when you're reading a good book when...
How do you finish that sentence?
What makes you decide the e-book on your screen or the paperback in your hand is going to be a great read? At what point do you have that “eureka!” moment? When do you know the story will echo in your heart long after you turn the last page?
Is it when you meet the characters and find their goals, motivation, and conflict resonate with—or are refreshingly different from—your own? Or when the first plot twist steals your breath, or makes your heart quiver or your mind race for answers? Or when you’re completely transported into the story after reading only a page, or a paragraph?
The Wild Rose Press author Emma Lai replied, “I know I’m reading a good book when I’ve fallen in love with the characters by page two, or when I’ve read twenty pages without once glancing up, or when I’ve laughed, cried, groaned, moaned, or gotten angry with one of the characters.”
TWRP author Maxine Mansfield said this, “You know you’re reading a really good book when you have to pee so bad, you are squeezing your thighs together as tight as you can get them, just so you can get to the end of the chapter before you have no choice but to get up and run!” She added, “It happens to me all the time.”
Other devout readers of romance had this to say:
“When something unusual happens that I wasn’t expecting, but it’s perfect.”
“When I lose track of time and where I’m at and what I’m supposed to be doing.”
“When I think I know what’s going to happen so I keep reading to make sure I’m right.”
“When it’s highly recommended, especially by friends who like the same stories I do.”
“When I smell dinner burning!”
What about you? When do you know the story you’re reading is a good one?
by
Lori LeBonde, editor, Scarlet Rose
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Birthday Party Winners
Birthday Prizes from the Wild Rose Press
Congratulations to
Emily Tardy for winning a Kindle Fire!
25.00 digital gift certificates to either The Wild Rose Press or The Wilder Roses (erotic romance) digital catalogs are going to...
flchen1
ShadowLuvs
TraceyD
Amy Smith
Jenni Jacobs
All Winners will be notified by email, facebook, or Twitter.
Thank you for celebrating with The Wild Rose Press
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Happy 6th Birthday, TWRP!!!
From all of us in you guessed it...
Black Rose:)
Pop the bubbly, pull up seat, and join me in a toast to the dynamic duo, RJ and Rhonda.
For without a dream shared by two women more than six years past,
we would not be here and rising fast.
Thank you, Ladies!
May your days continue to be filled with vibrant daisies:)
Now would someone please cut the cake?
Okay, okay. Sorry for the corny poem. I'm stepping down now. Enjoy!
Callie, Lill, Nicolette, Eilidh, Lara, and Amanda
From the darker side of the garden.
Happy Birthday to us! The Wild Rose Press turns 6 today. So incredibly hard to believe as the time has literally flown by.
The best part about my job is that every day I get to make dreams come true. Writers become published authors and published authors become multi-published. It was our drive to create a kinder, gentler publishing house that led to where we are today - Best Publisher for Four Years running. We're really proud of that and proud of our customer friendly company.
We're so excited here in the garden to celebrate this special day with all of you. Please stop by all day to comment on our blogs. Hopefully you are following us on twitter as we are having our first twitter party and we're giving away door prizes all day long.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us bloom and grow.
The best part about my job is that every day I get to make dreams come true. Writers become published authors and published authors become multi-published. It was our drive to create a kinder, gentler publishing house that led to where we are today - Best Publisher for Four Years running. We're really proud of that and proud of our customer friendly company.
We're so excited here in the garden to celebrate this special day with all of you. Please stop by all day to comment on our blogs. Hopefully you are following us on twitter as we are having our first twitter party and we're giving away door prizes all day long.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping us bloom and grow.
Happy Birthday TWRP - Special Calls for Submissions
Happy 6th Birthday to the Wild Rose Press.
We thought we'd share what we're looking for in submissions.
The Wild Rose Press is a publisher of romance and we are always open for submissions in all our lines.
However, here are some special series opportunities.
Please see our website for full
submission guidelines. www.TheWildRosePress.com
2012 Series and
Call for Submissions
Last Rose of Summer Line – later-in-life contemporary
Dearly Beloved Series ~ This unique series isn’t always
about the bride and groom. A member of the clergy, the wedding planner, pastry
chef, caterer, florist, or the musician could become the hero or heroine of the
story. The phrase “Dearly Beloved” must be present in the story.
Word count:
7,500—25K; Heat level: sweet to spicy. Submit the entire manuscript as an
attachment to queryus@thewildrosepress.com.
In the subject line include: Dearly Beloved Series and the title of your manuscript.
For questions or clarification, feel free to contact Kathy Cottrell, Senior
Editor for the Last Rose of Summer line at kdcottrell@aol.com
Yellow Rose Line – contemporary western
Honky Tonk Hearts Series ~ Lonely hearts gravitate to the
Lonesome Steer Honky Tonk. Owner and bartender, Gus Rankin, has seen his
share of the wandering souls over the years—he’d even like to think he helped a
few find true love along the way.
Wherever a
cowboy rides, works, plays or competes could be the setting for your story as
long as at some important point, they cross the threshold into the Lonesome
Steer Honky Tonk.
Word Count:
20K to 40K. You can find pertinent
details on the honky tonk and submission information at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/twrphonkytonkhearts.
Questions:
contact Stacy D. Holmes, Senior Editor of Yellow Rose, at stacy@thewildrosepress.com.
Black Rose – Paranormal (Dark: hot shifters, sexy vamps, and to die for demons)
Pagan Holiday
Series. We are looking
for stories that have to do with following:
*Yule
(similar to Christmas)
*Imbolc
(candlemass)
*Ostara
(Spring Equinox)
*Beltane
(May Day)
*Litha -
Midsummer (Summer Solstice)
*Lughnasadh
(First Harvest)
*Mabon
(Autumn Equinox)
*Samhain
(End of the Celtic year)
Crimson Rose – Romantic
Suspense
Summer Heat Series ~ Crime and emotions seem to spike
on hot summer nights. Bring them together and the results are explosive. It can
be any kind of mystery or action suspense. The hero and heroine can be the
investigators, or the victims. The only requirement is that the heat of a
summer night must be a key role. Location can be anywhere in the world.
Spice
level: Sweet to Hot; Length: 7,500 to 55,000 words
After
seeing our full Crimson guidelines on our website, submit a synopsis and query
to queryus@thewildrosepress.com.
In the subject line include: Summer Heat Series and the Title of your
manuscript. For questions or
clarification, please feel free to contact Lori Graham, Senior Editor for Crimson
Rose, at lori@thewildrosepress.com
Scarlet Rose – Erotic
Romance in all genre
Scarlet
Rose is looking for hot men who love hot men! See the GBLT section of the
wilder website and our specific guidelines for erotic romance.
Sweetheart Rose – Sweet
contemporary
The Flower Basket Series ~ Set in the fictional town
Almendra in central California
Word count:
7,500 to 40,000; Rating: Sweet
Cactus Rose – Western
Historical
Lawmen & Outlaws Series ~ Got a hankerin' for bad boys and
badges? So do we!
Saddle up
and send us your bad boys ready to be reformed by love. Or your lawmen who long
for the love of a good woman. (We like female outlaws and heroines who uphold
the law, too!) Characters should be heroic at heart. Throw in lots of conflict,
smoldering sexual tension, an historically accurate western setting, and a
happily ever after ending.
Outlaw
characters must be worthy of being a TWRP hero, no cold-blooded murderers or
rapists, please. Lawmen should be devoted to upholding the law even at great
personal sacrifice. Setting can be anywhere west of the Mississippi
Length
7,500 to 25k. Heat rating can range from sweet to hot. Send your queries or
questions to queryus@thewildrosepress.com,
subject line Lawmen and Outlaws Series and the title of your book.
Champagne Rose – Contemporary
Millionaire’s
Club - Classic Contemporaries ~ Champagne
Length –
20K – 60K Rated Spicy to Hot
Historical Lines – American,
Cactus, English Tea Rose, Vintage
Love Letters Series ~ Sometimes… a letter changes
everything. In the historical series, the receipt of a letter forever
changes a character’s life. A Dear John letter, a “Regret to Inform You”
letter, Unexpected Inheritance, a Mail Order Bride, let your imagination be
your guide. Stories must be historically accurate.
Story length
20,000-25,000 words. The letter must occur within the first
three pages of the story.
Please
follow the general submission guidelines on the website for formatting and
submit through the queryus@thewildrosepress.com.
“Love Letters Series” should appear in the subject line, as well as your title.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Color Inside the Lines
Color Inside the Lines
Or…Controlling Your Points of View
by Editor Maggie Johnson
Has anyone ever read your manuscript and advised that you need to control your POV? Have you ever mentally answered “What the h-e-double-hockey-sticks are they talking about?”
Well, in a romance story the Points Of View that we are interested in seeing are the Hero’s and Heroine’s. Isn’t our main reason for reading romance to experience how these two people meet, fall in love, and feel about each other?
Did we really buy the book hoping to find out how her mother thinks she is a total incompetent in homemaking skills? Or were we really hoping to read a sub-plot about how his best friend thinks he is a complete fool for being taken in by this seductress?
Well, yes and no. These little tidbits of information are interesting, and make the hero and heroine seem just a wee bit more human. So they do have a place in the story--we’re just not going to hear about them from Mom and Dave (the best friend) directly.
All of our information is going to be filtered through Jack and Sally, the aforementioned hero and heroine. (Please feel free to be more creative in naming your characters.) But we’re going to learn these things in an organized manner--one that does not give our readers a headache wondering who is saying or thinking what…and why.
In other words, it is a big turn-off to hop from head to head in any given section (or sub-chapter) of a story. Do not give us Sally’s experiences for two paragraphs before giving one paragraph of Jack’s and then hopping back into Sally’s head again. Readers should not have to ask themselves where the aspirin bottle is. That takes them way out of the story…never a good thing.
Remember that when we are in Sally’s point of view, we are not going to think about our long, slender, well-manicured fingers--unless Sally is a narcissist. We typically don’t think of ourselves that way. I’m not saying that her manicured fingers are not long and slender, only that the reader will find this out during Jack’s POV as he admires said digits.
Also during Sally’s POV we’re not going to learn that Jack is overwhelmed by Sally’s telling of her mother’s bizarre “accidental” death while mopping the kitchen floor. Unless, of course, Sally has perfected the art of mind-reading and can feel that Jack’s whelm is beyond the normal boundaries. Although we could find out about his distress at this time if he expresses in their conversation that he is utterly overcome.
So what’s with the color reference in this article’s title? Well, it’s a little exercise that I recommend my authors do for a couple pages when I see them head-hopping. They can either print out the pages and use their six-pack of multi-colored high-lighter markers, or use the multi-colored high-lighting capabilities that most word processing programs have. I even let them choose their own colors…though am happy to provide them with the following examples:
Blue = Jack said (or thought…or felt)
Pink = Sally said
Purple = They said (Mom, Dave, or anybody else directly conveying information)
Gray = Somebody said (This is the narration, or backstory)
Green = Nobody said (Deliberate scene setting Ex: He saw the red couch, she wore the blue dress)
So the gray and the green are not a part of this essay, but I will say this about that: Add the gray and green together and they should not total more than 10% of the entire manuscript. This is covered under the concept of “Show, don’t tell.” That’s another story for another time.
Now we have to take the purples and convert them to either blue or pink. It’s not that Mom cannot feel that Sally is a complete and utter failure--it’s just that these feelings need to be filtered (probably) through Sally as a (current or remembered) conversation with Mom. Or maybe Sally views a videotape or reads a letter in which Mom rants and harangues Sally about her un-ironed bedsheets. (You’re starting to feel that perhaps the mop--from the above death scene--is going to get off on “justified homicide” about now, aren’t you?)
After we’ve made everything blue and pink, they need to be segregated into their own sections. But sometimes this interrupts the story flow, right? Well, then what we need to do is bring in a translator and translate some of the pinks to blue and vice versa. Instead of Jack being overwhelmed by mom’s demise, he may “appear” or “seem” (to Sally) to be overwhelmed.
In an ideal (fantasy) world, the amount of blues and pinks would be about equal. But we must admit that the pinks are generally more “touchy-feely” so will most likely be more abundant. Just try to have at least 1/3 blue to 2/3 pink because our readers want to know both sides of the love equation, better known as the love story.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Launch Party
Join the authors of Honky Tonk Hearts on
the main reader loop of The Wild Rose Press http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheWildRosePress
May 9th between 6pm and 10pm EST
to celebrate this wonderful new series full of the cowboys you love!
the main reader loop of The Wild Rose Press http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheWildRosePress
May 9th between 6pm and 10pm EST
to celebrate this wonderful new series full of the cowboys you love!
- $5.00 Wild Rose Press Gift Certificate
- Those Violet Eyes T-shirt
- Guitar pendant necklace
- 2 Pink Wild Rose Press totes
- 3 Honky Tonk Hearts envelopes (filled with fun stuff and promo items plus a discount coupon for the Wild Rose Press ebook store)
And all those who comment will also have their name put in the Stetson for a chance to win a Honky Tonk Hearts Prize Pack including T-shirt, tote, $5.00 Wild Rose Press gift certificate...and lots of other fun stuff!
*****
And that's not all! Before and after the barn doors close on the launch party, the series authors are on the blog circuit with more fun and giveaways.
Join us on the following dates, leave a question or comment for the authors and your name will be added into a draw for another chance to win a Honky Tonk Hearts prize pack! (Draw to take place September 25, 2012)
You won't want to miss a day!
Dates may include a group or single authors…you’ll have to visit to find out! But one thing they will ALL have is sexy, heartbreaking, breathtaking cowboys.
Dates may include a group or single authors…you’ll have to visit to find out! But one thing they will ALL have is sexy, heartbreaking, breathtaking cowboys.
Roses of the Prose: http://www.rosesofprose.blogspot.com/
Wednesday May 2nd
Wednesday May 9th
Saturday May 12th
Paty Jager: Western Wednesdays: http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com
Wednesday June 6th
Wednesday June 13th
Wednesday June 20th
Wednesday June 27th
Wild & Wicked Cowboys: http://wildandwickedcowboys.wordpress.com/
Monday May 14
Wednesday May 23
Saturday June 23
Monday July 23
Kat Henry Doran’s blog: www.WildWomanAuthor.blogspot.com
Monday, April 23
Sunday April 29
Sunday May 6
Monday July 2nd
Monday July 9th
Tuesday July 17th
Monday July 23rd
Monday July 30th
Katherine Gray: http://katherinegrey.blogspot.com
Wednesday July 11
Wednesday July 25
Cowboy Kisses: http://cowboykisses.blogspot.com.
Thursday April 24
Tuesday July 10
Tuesday August 7
Tuesday August 28
Sweethearts of the West: http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.ca/
Wednesday August 22
Thursday August 23
Rachel Brimle: http://rachelbrimble.blogspot.co.uk/.
Saturday April 14
Tuesday May 22
Thursday May 24
Tuesday July 3
There may be more dates added so don’t forget to pop back and check!
Special note: We are still looking for a few more good stories to round out our series...Honky Tonk Hearts submission call and details can be found here: http://wildrosepress.us/publisher/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2673&Itemid=223
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
The Wild Rose Press' Own Stud - Festivo
If you have any interest in horses or just like a good solid short story romance, check out "Worth Winning".
Monday, April 9, 2012
A New Series from Last Rose of Summer
Everyone loves a wedding.
Fragrant baskets of brightly colored flowers; the sounds of harps and violins wafting on warm breezes; luscious seven-tiered cakes; and the expected something old, new, borrowed and blue.
That's what the editors for the Last Rose of Summer are looking for in our new series:
Dearly Beloved
Every successful event has the usual happy couple. For a Last Rose hero or heroine, they could be marrying for the first time, perhaps not. We also believe the bride and groom shouldn't hog all the glory. Any of the second stringers involved in the wedding could very well take the spotlight and become the hero and/or heroine: clergy, wedding planner, pastry chef, caterer, florist, musicians, parents of the happy couple [or step-parents], members of the wedding party.
We want to be reminded of why two people commit to each other till death do them part.
Certainly, bride-zillas, wedding Nazis; possessed caterers; twelve-handed best men or nymphomaniac bridesmaids are always welcome to join the mix. Perhaps having the entire wedding party down with the 24 hour flu and barfing their way down the aisle would add an unforgettable touch to the activities.
Submission specifics:
Word count: 7,500—25,000
Dearly Beloved will be limited to 15 contracted stories so it is important to write with heart and make sure the story is heavy on goals, motivation, conflict and a HEA.
Heat: sweet to spicy [no erotica please].
Note: At some point in the story, the phrase “Dearly Beloved”, must be included.
Please follow general submission guidelines on the TWRP website for formatting; submit through queryus@thewildrosepress.com. In the subject line include: Dearly Beloved Series and the TITLE.
For questions or clarification, feel free to contact Kathy Cottrell, Senior Editor for the Last Rose of Summer line, at kdcottrell@aol.com
The possibility for this series are endless; we're excited to see what our talented authors can create.
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