Sourcebooks Casablanca Romance Authors

by M. L. Buchman I think in series. I have friends who think in short stories. They write these charming little encapsulations of a moment, so polished and precious and refined that each is a joyous nibble. (Almost every short story I used to submit to workshops or anthologies was returned with a simple note: "This isn't a short story, it's the synopsis for a novel. Now go write it.") For a while, I thought in single novels. One growing arc following a character, and those around her (I write predominantly from the woman's point of view -don't know why, always have). Even in my fantasy and science fiction, there is usually a love interest along for the ride, but it is then just that couple's journey. Then a strange thing began happening. Short stories that I submitted to workshops or had friends read started coming back with a new note on the rejections: "This isn't a short story, it's a synopsis for a series. I want to read this series...

My poor blog. It gets neglected for months at a time. Every day, I think about what I could post on it and wish there were more hours in the day, and I wasn’t such a lover of sleep. Essentially on my blog, I excerpt historical information and images from old, public domain sources. It’s more for my benefit than my readers. Often, I’m running searches on my own website, looking for information. Digging through old books and digital archives gives me the same golden, happy glow of when I was a child, rummaging through the closets, trunks, and basements in my grandmother’s house. My first cousins and I share a passion for history.  It might be a genetic trait. At Christmas we would converge on my grandmother’s house. We would beg for someone to let us in the attic where our mothers’ old hoop skirts and 1950s prom dresses were stored. Once dressed up, we would open my grandfather’s old army trunk. One by one, we would pull out the artifacts forgotten over the years–old picture...

  Whether we're writing about vampires falling in love, shape-shifting wolves who find their soul mates, or Regency lords and ladies dancing in ballrooms, many of us on this blog write romances.  What is it about romance that draws us in?   I can only speak for myself, but I have to admit that I love reading and writing romances for the happy endings. Life unfortunately does not always lead to joy, but within the pages of a story, we can watch our characters, people we have come to like, discover love in their lives and watch as they work to make that love stay. It always takes work, just as in life, but in a romance novel, the happiness is guaranteed to last. That is a beautiful thing.   As much as I love the happy endings, I also love watching my characters get there. They fight, and they fume, and they slowly work on themselves and each other until their walls come down and they see each other as they truly are. The characters in my novels ...

Yesterday was a day of celebration for our authors! Romance Writers of America (RWA), the trade association for aspiring and published romance fiction authors, announced the finalists for the 2014 RITA ® Awards. The RITA — the highest award of distinction in romance fiction — recognizes excellence in published romance novels and novellas. Congrats to all our finalists! Darius by Grace Burrowes The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley The Bridesmaid by Julia London Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker We'll be cheering for you at the awards ceremony on July 26 at the 2014 RWA Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

It's winning Wednesday! Check out some of the fabulous books and prizes you can win right now! Just click on the author's name. Shana Galen Stop by her website to win a red "Authors Are My Rock Stars" t-shirt (size XL) featuring Jane Austen, a Jane Austen air freshener, and a Mr. Darcy writing pad. It's a Jane Austen extravaganza!  Shona Husk is giving away a copy of SEX WITH STRINGS on Goodreads. Theresa Romain Stop by the contest page of her website to win a duo of springtime historical romances from Amanda Forester and Lisa Kleypas. Open internationally until March 31! More Theresa Romain And every Wednesday in April, Theresa will give away a prize to a randomly chosen newsletter subscriber. The first giveaway is coming up next week--someone will win this rainbow of historical romances by Theresa, Julie Anne Long, Meredith Duran, Erin Knightley, Anna Campbell, Kieran Kramer, and Grace Burrowes. All newsletter subscribers ar...

WHAT JADE AND ELIZABETH  REALLY DO... Take the Quiz! 1. Elizabeth Hoyt and Jade Lee are... a) Frenimies since @JadeLeeAuthor tweeted that every loonie on the planet should send    @Elizabethhoyt their story ideas. (so far unicorn/troll love is winning) b) Beasties.  Because neither Jade nor Elizabeth can spell c) Besties because who else would share their personal blinged out ear buds with each other? d) truly and totally uninterested in writing their WIP this morning. Answer: all of the above 2.  Elizabeth Hoyt is... a) responsible for the Squidge kama sutra b) will do anything to avoid having her photo taken including burning poor squidge with her hot coffee c) is a crazy dog woman d) is hard at work on Darling Beast, the sequel to Duke of Midnight. Answer: all but d. She's lost in pinterest right now compulsively watching Sherlock rip off his scarf again and again and ...oh my. That is hot! 3. Jade Lee is... a) dressed eleg...

Last week, my five-year-old daughter--known online as Little Miss R--was on spring break. We had playdates. We went to the park and the library. We covered the driveway with elaborate chalk drawings. We made sheaves of art. And she built fort after fort out of my paperbacks, continuing a family tradition . "This is a doll of me," said Little Miss R. "Or you. We both have brown hair." The 85th time I tried to cram in a few minutes of work while she constructed a romance-novel ziggurat next to my desk, we wound up having a rather humbling interview. Since I was at my computer, I typed it all out: TR: What’s my job? LMR: Your job is to make books. TR: What kind of books? LMR: Books where the people get girlfriends and boyfriends because they love each other. TR: Do you like that kind of story? LMR: Um…no. They’re way too hard to read. And there’s lots of kissing and I don’t like that. But I like the covers. The covers ...

This weekend, I'll be making the short flight to Sydney to attend the ARRA (Australian Romance Readers Association) Awards ceremony. Not only have Heart of Iron and My Lady Quicksilver been nominated for five awards between them (Favourite Sci-Fi, Futuristic or Fantasy Romance, Favourite Continuing Series, Favourite Cover X2 and The Sexiest Hero from a Romance published in 2013), but it's one of the few chances I get to catch up with my writing buddies. Awards are always fun (my money's on Anna Campbell scooping the pool again!), but there's nothing quite like catching up with your 'people'. Don't get me wrong, I love living in a small country town, but there is one astronomical downside. I grew up with my nose buried in a book or spending hours on the computer, but there was never anyone else that I knew who wrote or loved reading - particularly romances - as much as I did. In a way, the internet was the best thing that ever happen...