Bev Pettersen's Blog, page 41

Get Enthralled by Tamara Hogan’s ENTHRALL ME!

I’ve been a Tamara Hogan fangirl since way back, so when I got the chance to take a sneak peek at the new Underbelly novel and host her release party here at the Ruby blog, I jumped at it faster than you can say sexy vampire lovin’.  ENTHRALL ME, the latest installment of the Underbelly series, definitely had that, but like all of the books in the series it was so much more than just chemistry and fangs.  But don’t just listen to me, let’s talk to the creator herself and get the inside skinny...

PSA: Just say no to wallets

I had originally planned to write this post about pet peeves in romance. But when I mentioned the problem with ‘condoms in wallets’ to my friends, they didn’t always know what I was talking about. So, I’ll talk about condoms today, and I’ll write about pet peeves another time.

Here are two things I want to say before getting to the PSA part.

Disclaimer: I’m not a health care professional. For medical advice, please talk to your doctor. Safety: This post is not a moral judgment or political c...

Where Are They Now? – The Dragonflies (Class of 2015)

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first edition of our eight week series on Golden Heart finalists past!  Every year from March to July we do a series of interviews with the new crop of Golden Heart finalists, leading up to the ceremony at Nationals, but this year we got to wondering… Where Are They Now?  And so this blog series was born! 

Each week we will feature a new year (or group of years – we had to combine some so we could get through them all).  All of the information was volunta...

Judging Sign Up for the RITA (All-New Digital Version) Starts Today!!

Holy Smokes!! It seems like last year’s RWA Contests just finished up yesterday. I’m betting some finalists haven’t even had time to pick their sparkly gowns back up from the dry cleaners. But it’s already the season to get moving for the next round! Today is the first step: you can start signing up to be a RITA judge today!

I just signed up, as I have since the first year I was published as Lara Archer and therefore eligible to judge, because I value the RITA Contest, and want to do my part...

2017 MAKE IT GOLDEN Finalists Announced!!

It’s time to announce the top ten finalists for the 2017 MAKE IT GOLDEN CONTEST!! Finalists: be sure to post your EXPANDED entries in the comments below (a maximum total of 250 words, starting with the exact opening lines you showed us already, plus what immediately follows) by 12:01 a.m. October 3 to stay in contention for the final round. In other words, you’ll have 24 hours from the time this post appears. Please put the word ENTRY in all caps at the top again (and, no, that doesn’t count...

Reminder: Last Chance to Complete a Where Are They Now Survey!

Coming this October and November, the Rubies will be running a series of blogs about previous Golden Heart finalists and where they are now – but we can’t do that without input from the finalists themselves!  So if you’re a Golden Heart finalist and you’d like to be included, please remember to fill out your survey by midnight October 1st.  Then watch the Ruby blog in the next two months to hear from Golden Heart finalists of years past, leading up to the opening of this year’s Golden Heart c...

Let’s Talk – Disabilities in Romance

I’m writing this post today from Duke Cancer Center where I will be talking to third-year medical residents as a survivor of ovarian cancer (Survivors Teaching Students is a nationwide program – https://ocrfa.org/get-involved/survivors-teaching-students/ ).  

As I watch the people move before me, I am awed at some of the conflicts, determination, and love that I see. These people (and I can proudly say that I was one of them) are heroes and heroines, battling against foes plaguing their bodie...

It’s Our 2017 MAKE IT GOLDEN Contest Entry Day!!

Welcome to the EIGHTH Annual MAKE IT GOLDEN Contest!! The MAKE IT GOLDEN contest is designed for unpublished authors who are polishing up their entries for RWA’s Golden Heart Contest. We all know how important a strong opening is in grabbing the attention of Golden Heart judges, and this contest is a great chance to test yours out!

Check out the finalists from 2016’s contest,  2015’s contest, 2014’s contest, and 2013’s contest , (plus 2012’s contest here, 2011 here, and 2010 here).

Any time b...

Suspense Or Mystery 101

When I began to write romantic suspense, I tossed out several reams of paper. Why?  Because no matter how I tried I couldn’t keep my villain hidden. He kept voicing his POV and writing his own chapters. I nearly ripped my hair out by the roots fighting with him to stay silent. Then I read a wonderful book, How To Write Killer Fiction by Carolyn Wheat.  Ms.Wheat set me straight and confirmed what my villain was telling me all along.

Is there a Who-dun-it in suspense? Of course there is. When t...

Happy Eighth Birthday to the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Blog!!!

Happy birthday to us!! It’s hard to believe, but the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood blog is EIGHT YEARS OLD today!! We’re proud to have created this blog as a supportive online community for Romance writers and readers, reaching out with inspiration, advice, and Sisterhood for all!!

Over those eight years, we’ve offered up regular blog posts (2,458 so far!!), plus annual special events including our Rita/Golden Heart Announcement Day Cyber-Party, an interview series with each new class of Golden...