Hailey Edwards's Blog, page 73
October 9, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday
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I'm a little past the 2/3 mark on this WIP. I'm looking to wrap up the first draft in about two weeks.
Not too shabby. 
More blood bubbled from his neck and wet his shirtfront. I tossed aside the blade and heard it clatter, a distant annoyance that broke the rhythm of my chant. Louder and louder my voice climbed as I used his blood to ink runes on his skin. The empty well where my power resided overflowed as Zaniah accepted my offering. Her pleasure was a purr in the back of my mind, the restoration of my powers a temporary boon.
Masculine fingers dug into my skin, but Dillon couldn't sway me from my course.
For more Six Sunday goodness, check out the official website.
October 8, 2011
26th Annual Hook, Line & Sinker Contest
26th Annual Hook, Line & Sinker Contest
True or false? If the first three pages of your manuscript aren't attention grabbing the agent or editor will probably stop reading and reject the work.
Sad, but TRUE!
Hone your skills in hooking an editor or agent by entering our Hook, Line & Sinker Contest. Three Hudson Valley RWA members, at least one published, will critique the first three pages of your manuscript. The five entries with the highest scores will be ranked by Harlequin editor BRENDA CHIN.
HOOK, LINE & SINKER CONTEST 2011
Now accepting both electronic and hard copy entries!
For more information, visit the HVRWA site here.
Writers call for submissions: Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy – an anthology edited by Mitzi Szereto
Writers call for submissions: Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy – an anthology edited by Mitzi Szereto
To be published by Cleis Press in autumn 2012.
Kingdoms of Desire: Erotic Tales of Fantasy is a place where lust and legend abound, and adventure, passion and danger entwine. Think mystical lands and creatures, kings and queens, knights and renegades, heroes and villains, warlords, maidens and princesses. Think battles and danger, honor and dishonor, good and evil. Most of all think hearts filled with passion and secret desire. This is a place where romantic chivalry is alive and well, but so too is romantic wickedness. This is a place where the good do not always win, and the bad are often more captivating and desirable than their altruistic counterparts. In these lush and timeless landscapes, the battle for flesh can be as important as the battle for power. Intrigue, sorcery, revenge, lawlessness, dark secrets and mysterious elixirs; entanglements with supernatural beings – everything is possible in these magical mythical landscapes. Think Game of Thrones and you get the picture!
Word count: 3,000 to 6,000 words.
What I'm looking for: Well-developed story lines and well-crafted prose told in a unique voice and containing interesting characters and settings. Think atmosphere, passion, desire… imaginative steamy tales that transport the reader to fantastical realms. Stories from female and male writers are welcome, as are stories containing characters of any sexual orientation.
Note: Although sexually explicit content is acceptable as well as a more subtle approach, absolutely no stock sex scenes or formulaic writing/terminology. Please refer to my previous anthologies (especially Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance) to get an idea of the variety and style of content I look for. Even though the stories need to have a strong element of eroticism and sensuality to them, I do not want stories that are one-dimensional sex stories or smut. The erotic element is an important part of the story, but it should not be the sole basis for the story or a replacement for plot and character development. No reprints (be it print, digital, or online). Original fiction only.
Payment: One-time payment in the range of USD $50-70 (payable on publication) and 2 copies of the anthology.
Submission requirements:
Stories must be formatted as follows: double-spaced Arial 12-point black font Word or RTF document (sent as an attachment). Indent the first line of each paragraph by half an inch. Do not add extra lines between paragraphs or irregular spacing between words. American spelling and punctuation only (i.e. quote marks, etc). Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), postal address, and a fifty-word maximum author bio written in the third person. Contract is for one-time, non-exclusive anthology rights with one year's exclusivity from date of publication. (This may be waived if your story is selected for a "Best Of" collection). No simultaneous submissions please.
In the subject line of your email, please state: Kingdoms of Desire
Send to: submissions @ mitziszereto.com
Submission deadline: December 15, 2011. (Stories will be read on an on-going basis, so early submissions are highly encouraged.)
I look forward to reading your work!
About Mitzi Szereto:
Mitzi Szereto is an author of erotic and multi-genre fiction and non-fiction, an anthology editor, blogger for her own blog "Errant Ramblings," and creator/presenter for the web TV channel Mitzi TV (http://mitziszereto.com/tv), which covers quirky London. Her published titles include Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance; Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts; In Sleeping Beauty's Bed: Erotic Fairy Tales; Getting Even: Revenge Stories; Dying For It: Tales Of Sex & Death;Wicked: Sexy Tales Of Legendary Lovers; The New Black Lace Book Of Women's Sexual Fantasies; the Erotic Travel Tales anthology series; and The World's Best Sex Writing 2005. A pioneer of erotic writing workshops in the UK and Europe and lecturer in creative writing at several British universities, she's been featured internationally in publications and broadcast media. Her anthology Erotic Travel Tales 2 is the first anthology of erotica to feature a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
October 6, 2011
Science Fiction Holiday Submissions Call – Carina Press
Carina Press is pleased to announce a call for submissions for our 2012 holiday collections. This will be the only open collection call for 2012 and is an excellent opportunity for authors interested in participating in the normally by-invitation-only Carina Press collections.
Carina is looking for science fiction novellas with a winter holiday theme, to be published digitally both individually and as a collection in December 2012. The novellas should be from 18,000 to 35,000 words and feature science fiction elements as integral to the novella. The stories do not need to be romance, or even have romance elements, but can be straight science fiction, or science fiction with romantic elements, and can also feature elements of mystery, thriller, horror or other sub-genres. Additionally, there is no set heat level for these stories, so they can have no sex, or be ultra-sexy, or anything in between.
I recognize that saying simply "science fiction" leaves room for a tremendous amount of interpretation within the genre. However, this is preferable as I feel narrowing it down too much might leave out something amazing.
Essentially, we're looking for interesting, creative, well-written stories within the science fiction genre that will appeal to readers' imaginations and add to our growing catalog of science fiction stories.
The science fiction holiday collection will be edited by Angela James and supported by a marketing and promotion campaign both online and in print. In addition, each author chosen to contribute to the anthology will receive a set number of limited-edition print copies for their own use in giveaways and contests (or to decorate their own bookshelves).
To submit, please send your completed manuscript and synopsis, along with query letter to submissions@carinapress.com by March 15th, 20112. In the subject line, please put SciFi Holiday: Manuscript Title and Author
All submissions will be reviewed and final decision made by April 30th, 2012.
For questions about this call for submissions, please email Angela James at submissions@carinapress.com
For more information about Carina Press, and to read the submission guidelines, please visit www.carinapress.com
*permission to forward granted*
October 3, 2011
Coffee Time Romance & More Article on the Birmingham Books and Babes Luncheon
Lisa from Coffee Time Romance & More gave the BBB luncheon, along with Moira Rogers (the Donna half) and me, a very nice mention in their newsletter this month. It was so nice meeting her and everyone else who attended. I hope we can do it again some time. 
October 2, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday
Woo hoo! It dropped down to 52 degrees last night.
Snuggling is so much more fun beneath the covers. 
His back bowed, his horse screamed. When I was drained, he slid from the saddle and hit the ground. Stepping over him, I mounted the frantic mare. She danced, eyes wild in the face of the storm. My arm felt hung with weights as I lifted it, palm-out, and began a low chant that made the wind break for a moment before its roar redoubled. It was not pleased, but it did obey.
For more Six Sunday goodness, check out the official website.
September 27, 2011
Everlong Spotted in the Wild!
Last week a reader, Robin, told me she'd spotted Everlong at her local bookstore. She sent me the pictures today and I am so thrilled! It's the first time I've seen my book on the shelf.
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She drove down to Birmingham from Lexington, Kentucky to attend the luncheon/signing last weekend. It was so great to meet her and talk about the series with her. She showed me the pictures on her camera then, and it was the coolest thing ever. Then I found out she'd been talking to her local book store about my books, which is why they've started stocking me. How awesome is that?
I am floating on Cloud Nine today.
September 26, 2011
Birmingham Books and Babes Luncheon
Here are some pictures from the luncheon Saturday.
I'll be blogging more about the event later this week, but for now, enjoy!
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September 25, 2011
Six Sentence Sunday
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Where to start? I attended a reader luncheon yesterday–my first. I signed books and postcards and Kindle/Nook cases until my hands cramped, and it was just as awesome as I always thought it would be. Lots of pictures were taken, lots of prizes won, and lots of faces finally put with names. I'll be blogging about this once I rest up and get my hands on the pictures, but a reader also brought me a picture of Everlong in the wild. She not only found the book, but had spoken with the bookstore owners several weeks before, encouraging them to stock me. I was floored, just amazed she loved Everlong so much. Let alone that she drove from Kentucky to Birmingham for the meeting.
I'm feeling very humble today. Ours really is the best job there is.
Several tents had blown away and supplies scattered the dunes. I saw no bodies. I prayed there were none. Zaniah have mercy on those poor souls. I gave in to bitter tears. For you have never shown mercy to me.
For more Six Sunday goodness, check out the official website.
Special Guest…The Laird
So…Saturday was The Day.
Poor Bree couldn't make it because she was sick, but Donna and I had a blast. It was my first signing/talk, and it wasn't half as scary as I thought it would be, but it turned out we weren't the only special guests invited.
I give you…the Laird. The BBB's official mascot.
He was introduced to us as "the man for every woman." You can see his spots–he's a shifter, a vampire, a fire fighter, a police officer, a sheriff, a rock star, body builder, a highlander, a solider, a cowboy, a striper, and an angel.
Once the ladies had a couple of drinks, his clothes came off…
Yeah. What else is there to say? LOL
