Release day: ROMANCE FOR CYNICS

Release day for ROMANCE FOR CYNICS.

Available in print in the UK, and ebook in the US.

AMAZON
BARNES & NOBLE

If you're a bit dubious about Valentine's Day, this one's for you!

Here's the blurb:

Must. Not. Fall. For. Fake. Boyfriend.

Cashel Burgess's PR team has come up with a plan to salvage his reputation and show his "softer" side by entering him in a Valentine's Day competition to find Australia's Most Romantic Couple. It's so ridiculous it might actually work. The hitch? He doesn't even have a girlfriend. But that's not about to stop him….

Thanks to a good-for-nothing ex, gardener Lucy Grant hates Valentine's Day. But when Cash makes her an offer too good to refuse, Lucy finds herself half of the most cynical couple in Australia! The only problem is, when a man fakes it this well, a girl might be tempted to turn fiction into fact….

Valentine's Day Pitch the Book of your Heart winners!

Thanks to everyone for entering the Valentine's Day Pitch the Book of your Heart contest.

I'm absolutely thrilled to announce the winners:

LORI WILDE'S winner (critique of a partial & synopsis): Bronwyn Stuart's Mixing Business with Pleasure.


LIZ PELLETIER'S winner (Partial critique): Mustang Sassy by DL Snow
(and a bonus! A full request for A Quirkey Affair by Michelle Stuart)


LIBBY MURPHY'S winner: (critique first chapter) Live to Tell by Marisa (Winner)
(and another bonus request: Head Over Wheels by Danielle Dreger)

ALETHEA SPIRIDON HOPSON'S winner: (a full manuscript request) Julie Rowe's Molly Gets Her Man

KERRI-LEIGH GRADY'S winner: (5 page critique) Iron Guns, Blazing Hearts – Heather Massey 
(and a bonus request Project Shadow – Rachel K)

NINA BRUHN'S winner: Eve's The Waiting Game
(Nina has also emailed several participants inviting them to submit with the idea that she can bring them closer to the word count during revisions!)

A HUGE thanks to the wonderful editors from ENTANGLED PUBLISHING who generously offered their time in this contest. Much appreciated.

For the winners, you can find editor email addresses here at EP's website.

My Valentine's Day gift to you: free writing resource!

I belong to the amazing NINC, an excellent organisation for authors.

They are offering a fabulous FREE writing binder (with loads of articles from their conference last year).

Go download it now!

To all romantics out there, happy Valentine's Day.
I'll be announcing the winners of my pitch contest later tonight.
Stay tuned!

Editor's wish-list: Kerri-Leigh Grady

Hope you all spent a lovely weekend honing your pitches for the Valentine's Day Pitch the Book of your Heart contest starting here tomorrow!

Here's what Kerri-Leigh (Associate Editor at Entangled Publishing) is currently interested in acquiring:

She loves paranormal romance and UF worlds that aren’t complicated by numerous mythical beasties, smart romantic comedy, dark comedy, romantic thrillers/suspense/horror, dystopian romance including steampunk, reunions, BFFs falling in love, marriage of convenience, [strong] woman in jeopardy, man in jeopardy, supernatural elements, clever monster elements, multi-cultural characters, alpha nerds, high stakes adventure, and general hilarity.
She’s open to F/M, F/F, and M/M pairings in all heat levels.

For Indulgence, she's looking specifically for the following: reunions, BFFs, marriage of convenience, ugly duckling, [strong] woman in jeopardy, man in jeopardy, road trip, alpha nerds, high stakes adventure and suspense, forbidden love, fish out of water, and smart romantic comedy. I’d love to find a military hero where the romantic conflict rings true and is related to the challenges of being a mil-girlfriend or milspouse.

Kerri-Leigh is generously offering a 5 page critique as a prize.

Thanks Kerri-Leigh!

So there you have it.
You've met the editors.
You know what they're after.
And if you've written something completely out of the box, that's great too.

Pitches start right here tomorrow!

Editor's wish-list: Libby Murphy

Today I'm introducing the lovely Libby Murphy (my fantastic editor at EP, she's truly amazing: insightful, enthusiastic, and she even makes revisions fun!)

Libby would like to see submissions for adults and young adults written with a killer voice, and she especially loves quirky characters and plots. She loves sci-fi with aliens, robots, and high tech; urban fantasy and time travel; contemporary romance; women’s fiction with a strong romantic element; and suspense and mysteries. She craves humor, anti-heroes, and underdogs, and strong, capable heroines are a must. For Indulgences, she's looking specificaly for the following: Best friends, best friend’s younger sister, millionaire playboy, athletes, relationship because of a bet, arranged marriages, bad boys, revenge plots, reunions, adventure (Indiana Jones meets Bridget Jones!), romantic comedy, forbidden love, geeks (hero or heroine), and military heroes. I’m not likely to request sheiks or royalty, but if the royalty is the heroine, that’s definitely more likely. I’m a huge sucker for snarky heroines, funny heroes, and heroes who are the strong, silent type.
Libby is especially interested in Flirts and Ever Afters that fit the following:

Scientists or inventor-types who walk the line between good and bad (like Batman)

Paranormals with a villain hero/heroine who is redeemed by the end

Disaster or apocalyptic events in which people find love, despite everything falling apart around them (can be sci-fi, fantasy, or contemporary featuring a natural disaster, for example)

Quirky contemporaries or paranormals—humor is a must!

Sci-fi, especially if it has a Tron, I, Robot, or a Terminator type setting

Thrillers set in a small town

Zombie hunters :)

Romantic Comedy (would love to see a trilogy about a group of girlfriends finding love)

Libby is generously offering a critique of the first chapter of the winner of her choice.

Thanks Libby!