Madeline Hunter-Join Us! Workshop For Writers @VFRomanceWriter @MadelineHunter

You’re invited to an all-day writing workshop offered by Valley Forge Romance Writers, featuring NY Times best-selling historical romance author Madeline Hunter, at Montgomery County Community College in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Register now and join us September 15, 2018!

 

Bring a work-in-progress or a new story concept and leave with a conflict driven synopsis for a book that will wow readers and editors!  For more information visit Valley Forge Romance Writers.

Madeline Hunter-Workshop For Writers @VFRomanceWriter @MadelineHunter

You’re invited to an all-day writing workshop offered by Valley Forge Romance Writers, featuring NY Times best-selling historical romance author Madeline Hunter, at Montgomery County Community College in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Join us September 15, 2018.

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Bring a work-in-progress or a new story concept and leave with a conflict driven synopsis for a book that will wow readers and editors!  For more information visit Valley Forge Romance Writers.

Kiss A Cowboy-For One Hour-Only .99! #shortreads #romance

If you haven’t yet given romance titles by Adele Downs a try (And why haven’t you? Foot tap…tap…tap), there’s a selection of books by the author to choose from at every major ebook sales outlet. The .99 titles include western romances KISSING HER COWBOY and HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY and SANTA TO THE RESCUE, a firefighter novella.

If you’re sitting on the beach or taking a trip, KISSING HER COWBOY can be read on your device in about an hour. It’s the perfect romantic treat for a short escape. The story has received many outstanding reviews and was an Amazon Top 100 seller after release.

KISSING HER COWBOY by Adele Downs

A Lunchbox Romance Short Story

Only .99!

An Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Western, Western Romance and Short Romance

A cowboy with a fractured back and a cop with a broken spirit heal on a Texas ranch with the help of a stallion named Big Blue.

Excerpt:

“Oh, Lord.” Treymont Woods kicked up dust on his boots as he sauntered from the stables to the woman who just had to be his new riding student. Her flaming red hair swooshed from one side of her shoulders to the other as she watched his stallion, Big Blue, canter inside the corral. Her hands, knuckles white, clutched the fence and every muscle in her tall, slim figure looked tight. Before he could get to her, she pivoted toward the parking area, moving her feet like she was fixin’ to run.

“Hey there!” He called out as a distraction. By the time Trey reached the woman’s side, he could hear her breathing like she’d raced a Texas mile. Before he could introduce himself, she turned to him with wide green eyes and shouted, “He’s huge!” Pink splotches bloomed under the freckles on her pale skin.

She licked her bottom lip and shook her head. “No, no, no, no….” and started backing away. “I can’t do this. Keep my deposit. I’ll figure something else out.”

Trey lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Okay. No problem. You don’t have to ride if you don’t want to.”  Her jeans looked too tight for riding, anyway, and that white blouse would be smudged inside five minutes. Hadn’t the woman ever been to a ranch before?

She stopped moving then and frowned at him, causing twin lines to form above her nose. Her adorable nose, now that he’d gotten a decent look. In fact, everything about the woman seemed downright appealing, despite her reaction to Big Blue. Who in their right mind wouldn’t love the greatest horse that ever lived, on sight?

Buy The Book for .99!

Amazon   iTunes

Boroughs Publishing Group

Available wherever ebooks are sold.

HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY is an Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Western, Western Romance and Short Romance and the stand alone sequel to KISSING HER COWBOY.

A Lunchbox Romance short story. Only .99!

Hurry! Enter The Sheila Contest Before Deadline! @VFRomanceWriter #romance

Are you an aspiring romance author or a published romance author who’d like feedback on your manuscript from trained, experienced judges? The Sheila Contest, hosted by Valley Forge Romance Writers, is one of the most respected writing competitions in the industry. Low entry free, helpful feedback, the opportunity to have your book read by editors and agents, and a generous cash prize for the best of the best. The deadline looms, so hurry to enter!

Deadline is April 7, 2018.

Here’s the link for details. Good luck!

https://valleyforgeromancewriters.blogspot.com/p/2018-sheila-contest.html

Romance Authors List Their Favorite Reads of 2017 #booklover #Best of 2017 #romance

Happy New Year 2018!

Romance author Nicole R. Locker asked best-selling and award-winning authors of Romance Writers of America to share their single favorite book of 2017. If you’re looking for a great read, here’s the list of our recommendations. My choice is #11.

https://nicolerlocker.com/2017/12/31/15-favorite-reads-of-2017-straight-from-romance-authors/

LUXURY MODEL WIFE by Adele Downs

A 2017 HOLT Medallion Award of Merit Recipient

HOLT Medallion Award WINNER – HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs

HER IMMORTAL VIKING won the prestigious HOLT Medallion Award “for outstanding literary fiction in the Romance Novella category” and is one of my most popular books. Have you downloaded your copy? Available at all book outlets.

HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs

Viking Warrior. Immortal Slave. Freed by Love.

A Viking cast into eternal servitude by an angry god is transported to the modern world, but to claim the love of the mortal who called him, Gunnar must find a way to clear his name across the divide of a thousand years.

ONE LONELY NIGHT

Divine intervention. That’s all Penny asks. Freedom from overwork and mountainous debt. She sings songs of praise, chants like a yogi, and rubs her belly like Buddha until the crystal charm on her navel shimmers, all hoping to draw the attention of someone—anyone—“up there.”

In the west, beyond the seas, from the place between Heaven and Earth, an immortal hears Penny’s cries. Once a renowned Viking warrior, Gunnar has been cast into eternal servitude by an angry god. Now, while Penny sleeps, he comes to Earth to grant her wishes. But Penny is about to wake up, and so is every desire she’s ever known. To claim their fairy-tale ending, Gunnar must find a way to clear his name. Not only must his sword arm and courage stay strong, but their powerful love must cross the divide of a thousand years.

Buy The Book on Amazon!

Buy The Book from Smashwords!

Buy The Book from Boroughs Publishing Group!

HOLT Medallion Award WINNER – HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs

I’m thrilled to announce that HER IMMORTAL VIKING has *WON* the prestigious 2016 HOLT Medallion Award “for outstanding literary fiction in the Romance Novella category.”

Many thanks to Virginia Romance Writers and the readers who judged the contest, loved my book, and gave my Viking and I this honor.

HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs

Viking Warrior. Immortal Slave. Freed by Love.

A Viking cast into eternal servitude by an angry god is transported to the modern world, but to claim the love of the mortal who called him, Gunnar must find a way to clear his name across the divide of a thousand years.

ONE LONELY NIGHT

Divine intervention. That’s all Penny asks. Freedom from overwork and mountainous debt. She sings songs of praise, chants like a yogi, and rubs her belly like Buddha until the crystal charm on her navel shimmers, all hoping to draw the attention of someone—anyone—“up there.”

In the west, beyond the seas, from the place between Heaven and Earth, an immortal hears Penny’s cries. Once a renowned Viking warrior, Gunnar has been cast into eternal servitude by an angry god. Now, while Penny sleeps, he comes to Earth to grant her wishes. But Penny is about to wake up, and so is every desire she’s ever known. To claim their fairy-tale ending, Gunnar must find a way to clear his name. Not only must his sword arm and courage stay strong, but their powerful love must cross the divide of a thousand years.

Buy The Book on Amazon!

Buy The Book from Boroughs Publishing Group!

HOLT MEDALLION Award Finalist-HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs

I’m pleased to announce that HER IMMORTAL VIKING is a finalist in the novella category of the HOLT Medallion Award. I’m thrilled that readers love this story and appreciate this honor.

HER IMMORTAL VIKING by Adele Downs

Viking Warrior. Immortal Slave. Freed by Love.

A Viking cast into eternal servitude by an angry god is transported to the modern world, but to claim the love of the mortal who called him, Gunnar must find a way to clear his name across the divide of a thousand years.

ONE LONELY NIGHT

Divine intervention. That’s all Penny asks. Freedom from overwork and mountainous debt. She sings songs of praise, chants like a yogi, and rubs her belly like Buddha until the crystal charm on her navel shimmers, all hoping to draw the attention of someone—anyone—“up there.”

In the west, beyond the seas, from the place between Heaven and Earth, an immortal hears Penny’s cries. Once a renowned Viking warrior, Gunnar has been cast into eternal servitude by an angry god. Now, while Penny sleeps, he comes to Earth to grant her wishes. But Penny is about to wake up, and so is every desire she’s ever known. To claim their fairy-tale ending, Gunnar must find a way to clear his name. Not only must his sword arm and courage stay strong, but their powerful love must cross the divide of a thousand years.

Excerpt:

He smoothed her hair and rubbed a thick tendril between his thumb and forefinger. “I am Gunnar.” He pronounced the name Goo-nar.

An emblem of the sun, surrounded by a circle, had been branded on the back of his powerful hand. Penny touched the scar while he held a length of her hair, recognizing Freyr’s sacred insignia from her textbooks. “The pain must have been excruciating.” Without thinking, she lifted the old wound to her mouth and laid kisses along its perimeter before pressing a kiss to the icon inside.

Tremors vibrated across her lips when they touched the ancient symbol and her body tingled with the contact. The brand grew warm and then hot against her mouth, though it did not burn. She ran her tongue over the thick scars to erase the heat, and then licked the center, finishing with a tiny swirl.

Gunnar’s gasp of surprise was the last thing she expected when she lifted her head. He released her hair and drew away.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what got into me. Have I offended you?” She’d always been popular with men, and comfortable around them, but her behavior with Gunnar was bold, even for her. She sat up. “Am I under some kind of spell?”

Gunnar shook his head. “I used my powers to heal you, but your free will remains intact.”

She searched his face for clues about what to do next, because desire shone behind the wary expression in his eyes. Something else shone there, too. Gratitude. Penny waited for Gunnar’s reply without letting go of his disfigured hand.

He said, “Kindness isn’t something I’m used to finding. Perhaps you’d be less inclined toward compassion if you knew what I’d done to deserve this brand of servitude.”

She reached out and draped an arm around his neck to bring him closer. Their gazes locked and held. Gunnar’s eyes were like pools of ice blue water that pulled her in and down.

Her breathing slowed while the sound of her heartbeat rushed blood through her ears. “I am Penelope. And if you’re from Alfheim, I know who and what you are. I just don’t understand why you’re here.” How could she deserve his rare, benevolent gifts? She was just an ordinary woman from an ordinary town, barely scraping by.

His warm breath grazed her cheek in shallow rushes, lifting goose bumps across her skin. His wide, firm mouth smelled of sweet ground parsley and fresh-picked mint. “Sometimes we get what we need, simply because we ask. That’s the beauty and power of the unexpected.”

Buy The Book!

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Her-Immortal-Viking-Adele-Downs-ebook/dp/B00TY21LBM/

Boroughs Publishing:

http://www.boroughspublishinggroup.com/books/her-immortal-viking

Kiss A Cowboy For Only .99!

If you haven’t yet given romance titles by Adele Downs a try (and why haven’t you?), there’s a selection of .99 short stories and novellas to choose from at every major ebook sales outlet. The .99 titles include western romances KISSING HER COWBOY and HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY; and HOOK ME UP, a firefighter novella.

KISSING HER COWBOY by Adele Downs

A Lunchbox Romance Short Story

Only .99!

An Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Western, Western Romance and Short Romance

A cowboy with a fractured back and a cop with a broken spirit heal on a Texas ranch with the help of a stallion named Big Blue.

Excerpt:

“Oh, Lord.” Treymont Woods kicked up dust on his boots as he sauntered from the stables to the woman who just had to be his new riding student. Her flaming red hair swooshed from one side of her shoulders to the other as she watched his stallion, Big Blue, canter inside the corral. Her hands, knuckles white, clutched the fence and every muscle in her tall, slim figure looked tight. Before he could get to her, she pivoted toward the parking area, moving her feet like she was fixin’ to run.

“Hey there!” He called out as a distraction. By the time Trey reached the woman’s side, he could hear her breathing like she’d raced a Texas mile. Before he could introduce himself, she turned to him with wide green eyes and shouted, “He’s huge!” Pink splotches bloomed under the freckles on her pale skin.

She licked her bottom lip and shook her head. “No, no, no, no….” and started backing away. “I can’t do this. Keep my deposit. I’ll figure something else out.”

Trey lifted his hands in mock surrender. “Okay. No problem. You don’t have to ride if you don’t want to.”  Her jeans looked too tight for riding, anyway, and that white blouse would be smudged inside five minutes. Hadn’t the woman ever been to a ranch before?

She stopped moving then and frowned at him, causing twin lines to form above her nose. Her adorable nose, now that he’d gotten a decent look. In fact, everything about the woman seemed downright appealing, despite her reaction to Big Blue. Who in their right mind wouldn’t love the greatest horse that ever lived, on sight?

Buy The Book for .99!

Amazon   iTunes

Boroughs Publishing Group

Available wherever ebooks are sold.

HER CHRISTMAS COWBOY is an Amazon Top 100 Bestselling Western, Western Romance and Short Romance and the stand alone sequel to KISSING HER COWBOY.

A Lunchbox Romance short story. Only .99!

Aspiring or Published Romance Authors-The Sheila Contest Opening for Entries

Are you an aspiring romance author or a published author who’d like feedback on a new manuscript? The Sheila Contest, hosted by Valley Forge Romance Writers, can help.

On the path to publication of my novel LUXURY MODEL WIFE, releasing May 2016, I entered The Sheila Contest with an early draft of the manuscript under a different title, and finaled in the competition. Though I was happy to have scored high enough to make the cut and win a finalist badge, I didn’t win my category, or even take one of the top three spots.

Fueled by the desire to make my book a winner, I took the feedback I received from the judges to heart and revised the entire manuscript. After revisions, I polished the book again. And again. And again. I changed the title to LUXURY MODEL WIFE, and when I thought the manuscript was ready, pitched the rags to riches story to my publisher. Within a week I received an email with the magic words “love the book” and a contract arrived soon after.

If you’d like feedback on a work in progress or the opening of a completed novel, The Sheila Contest opens for entries March 13. You do not have to be a member of Romance Writers of America to enter.

The Sheila Contest 2016

Sponsor: Valley Forge Romance Writers

Fee: $25 for VFRW members, $30 for non-members

Opens for Entries: March 13, 2016
Deadline: April 16, 2016

Eligibility: Participation is open to all romance writers who are unpublished, self-published, and published. Entry must be the author’s original unpublished work and not under contract.

Entry: First 20 pages of manuscript and up to 5 page unjudged synopsis.(25 page total)

First Round Judges: Three (3) qualified, trained judges, including: General, PRO and PAN members.

Categories and Final Judges:

Single Title: Junessa Viloria, Penguin Random House

Historical: Stephany Evans, Fine Print Literary Management

Erotic: Sara Megibow, KT Literary

Romantic Suspense: Alicia Condon, Kensington Publishing

Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal: Nicole Resciniti, The Seymour Agency.

Best of the Best – 1st place winners from the final round will move on to the Best of the Best round, judged by Best Selling Authors and Booksellers:

Madeline Hunter – New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author

Mariah Stewart – New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author

Terri Brisbin – USA Today Best Selling Author

Joan Silvestro –  Indie Bookseller, Hamilton Book Trader

Heather Soligo – Traditional Bookseller, Barnes & Noble, Christiana Mall

Grand Prize for Best of the Best: $100

Top Prizes: Certificates, and the 1st through 4th place winners will be printed in RWR Magazine. (Romance Writers Report is the trade magazine of Romance Writers of America.)

For more information please visit our website: http://www.vfrw.com

Contemporary Romance Night at Lady Jane’s Salon Philly @LadyJanesPhilly

The consensus of book lovers who attended Contemporary Romance Night at Lady Jane’s Salon Philly was, “We had fun!”

Despite torrential rain with heavy downpours and street flooding, romance lovers turned out for an evening with authors Susan Scott Shelley, Judi Fennell, and Adele Downs at Main Point Books in Bryn Mawr, PA and gave us a warm welcome. Susan read from her book Rekindled, Adele read from Lip Service, and Judi read from What A Woman Wants. We sipped wine, nibbled chocolate, gave away prizes, and had lots of laughs despite the weather.

From Left to Right:
Susan Scott Shelley, Adele Downs,
Judi Fennell

Some of the guests at Lady Jane’s Salon Philly

Susan Scott Shelley, author and one of three founders of Lady Jane’s Salon Philly, with visiting author Ursula LeCoeur

Proceeds from the event benefitted the Center for Literacy, Philadelphia.

Dining in New York after the Workshops #RWA15

Socializing after all-day workshops highlighted my experience at the Romance Writers of America 2015 conference.

Boroughs Publishing Group authors pictured clockwise at Becco on 46th street’s famous restaurant row, left to right: Paula Millhouse, Adele Downs, Christine Ashworth, Alanna Lucas, Jane Lynne Daniels, and Lyn Austin.

Multo bene!

We had the best table in Becco–which included a skylight view. Mouth-watering traditional Italian cuisine and great company created the perfect evening after a long day of meetings, learning, and networking.

Dinner on the rooftop of Lattanzi Ristorante Italiano on New York’s 46th street restaurant row was a once-in-a-lifetime experience I’ll never forget. The open air level was decorated with flowers and lit with candles and each table was accented with tapers. The Jewish-Italian style food was unique and delicious, and the service impeccable.

I ♥ New York.

Boroughs Publishing Group authors pictured clockwise, left to right: Teresa Carpenter, Nancy Sartor, Marilyn Baxter, Adele Downs.

The rooftop was reserved just for Boroughs authors. Who could forget rooftop dining in the heart of Manhattan? Not me. Ever.

See you soon New York, I hope. Until then, I’ll be in my office, writing.

Best–Adele

Every woman needs a man that… #RWA15

Returned from the RWA (Romance Writers of America) national conference in New York City both energized and zombie-like. It’s a strange sensation to be simultaneously exhausted but raring to go.

This is my favorite conference souvenir. My publisher got this exactly right, wouldn’t you agree?

During off hours, author friends from my publishing house and I walked around Times Square and watched the street performers. For a price, visitors could gather around break dancers, or have their pictures taken with costumed cartoon characters and actors dressed as the Statue of Liberty. A production company was filming a music video and the crowd was invited to sit in a section of bleachers and act as extras. We watched actors in tuxedos complete a scene for the film.

The most interesting photo-op for hire was the naked young woman wearing only a thong, painted head to toe in red, white and blue in front, and I ♥ New York on her butt cheeks. I couldn’t help but wonder how much money she made a night. Her so-called boyfriend tried to persuade me to take a picture with her, but I declined. I wanted to cover her with my cardigan and call her mother, instead.

More mainstream performers pitched Broadway shows in places like the Marriott Marquis on 46th and Broadway, where Romance Writers of America held their conference. These women danced and posed in the hotel lobby to promote the musical, “Chicago.”

I might be a country girl from rural Pennsylvania, but I love visiting New York.

More soon about my trip to the RWA national conference.

Best–Adele

On My Way: New York City, RWA 2015 Conference #RWA15

This country girl is on her way to New York by train for the annual conference of Romance Writers of America. Though I love living in rural Pennsylvania, I enjoy my trips to Manhattan. I’ll share photos and news about the 35th Anniversary conference when I return.

In addition to the writing workshops, there are fun networking events on my conference schedule. A group of Boroughs Publishing authors have reservations for dinner at Becco, a restaurant owned by renowned Italian chef Lidia Bastianich (Lidia’s Italy on PBS) and her son. I love Becco and can hardly wait for my return visit. The food comes straight from heaven. The next time you’re in New York, be sure to put Becco on your must-try list. It’s a short walk to the restaurant from Times Square.

Other conference events include an invitation-only meet and greet hosted by Entangled Publishing, a Boroughs Publishing Group author mixer, a Boroughs Publishing Group Open House, and a private Boroughs author dinner. (Management has kept the restaurant name a secret. Can’t wait to find out where they’re taking us.) A couple of meetings will cap the trip and then I’ll take Amtrak home.

I’ll be back with news of a hot September 15 release! (Hint: Ready for more firefighters?)

Best–Adele

Advice From Author Bob Mayer

New York Times best-selling author and former Green Beret, Bob Mayer, often has interesting things to say about the publishing industry. I especially liked his blog post of April 29, So You Want To Make A Living at Writing?: 13 Harsh Truths. In his candid article he included a rant by science fiction author Harlan Ellison called, “Pay The Writer.” I agree the expectation that writers give their work and their time away for no compensation has gotten out of hand.

Bob Mayer presented a half-day workshop at my local chapter of Romance Writers of America, Valley Forge Romance Writers, with his business partner, author Jen Talty, on Saturday, August 4, 2012. The following is a repost of a report I wrote about his presentation on another blog soon after his visit. The information is still fresh, so enjoy.

***

Bob Mayer’s presentation to writers was offered in three parts: (1) The Original Idea: the heart of your story and key to selling your book. (2) Outlining and Plot: the events of your story. (3) Beyond the ebook: how do you sell it?

Rather than try to regurgitate Bob’s presentation from my notes, I’d like to share some of his insightful and helpful off-the-cuff comments. The following are not direct quotes, but bits of information he imparted that I found interesting.

• Write what you’re passionate about.

• 90% of all requested submissions following author pitch sessions with agents and editors at conferences are never sent.

• The traditional publishing route takes about three years from idea to bookstore.

• Traditional publishers invest their promotional dollars on a few select authors. The remaining authors are left to fend for themselves in a ‘throw it against the wall and see what sticks’ approach to sales and marketing.

• What traditional publishers think readers want, and what readers actually love, are often two different things. The same with filmmakers. When the movie “The Godfather” was completed, the studio feared they had a flop on their hands. They thought the public would hate the film. Instead, audiences loved the movie and it became a huge hit. Later, “The Godfather” became a classic.

• It’s anybody’s guess as to what will happen in this new Wild West of publishing. This is the time to invent something. Try something new. Bob went to Barnes & Noble to pitch a “Nook First” thirty-day exclusive sales option for authors and launched the program when they accepted his idea. This partnership gave him high visibility on Nook and garnered big-dollar sales.

• The secret to publishing success is tenacity.

• An author should have at least three books for sale before expecting long-term sales results. Ebook sales have a ‘long tail’ and build over time. A few years ago, ebooks sold quickly in the first month or so. That has changed. These days, book sales take time to accumulate.

• Privately, I asked Bob if he, or someone he knew, offered a book analysis service. I’m not necessarily interested in hiring a line or content editor, but someone to take a critical look at one of my completed novels and offer her insight as to its strengths and weaknesses.

Bob suggested I ask readers to look at my manuscript. “Readers, not writers,” he said. “Writers tend to be too critical.” So…I’m changing my strategy and searching for beta readers to offer feedback on my novels after my critique partners have helped with the technical aspects.

Do you have publishing insights to share? If so, please leave them in the Comments section.

Best–Adele

Disaster Averted, June RWR Magazine Article

If you’re a published or aspiring author, will bumping into the refreshments table at a writers’ conference, dropping an F-Bomb during an agent pitch, or stepping on an editor’s Monolo Blahnik’s put you on the Auto-Rejection List? Though it might seem that way after a slip-up, chances are we’ll survive with our good name intact if we respond to the incident with grace and a sense of humor.

If you’re a writer who also belongs to Romance Writers of America (RWA), I hope you’ll check out my feature article Disaster Averted  in the June 2013 issue of Romance Writer’s Report (RWR). In the article, authors share their humorous and sometimes horrifying personal stories of professional blunders and how they avoided career suicide in the aftermath.

~Best, Adele

Cheap, Simple Treadmill Desk!

I’ve been searching for just the right treadmill desk for a long time, and finally found one that’s simple, portable, and affordable. The Tread-Top® desk is made of heavy duty construction with a blue coating, folds in half using a hinge, and straps to the treadmill arms with Velcro. Easy. It took me less than ten seconds to attach. Cost of the Tread-Top® is $60 plus about $18 shipping.

Writers tend to get wide in the beam due to hours of sitting. Walking at a speed of 1.0 mph while working will keep me active and productive at the same time. I can use my portable netbook or my laptop on the desk. When I’m finished working, and want to run or walk at a more aerobic pace on my treadmill, I remove my laptop, detach the desk, and go.

Author Adele Downs has no personal or business connection to the North Carolina company that offers Tread-Top®. I’m simply a customer who is happy with her purchase. If you’re interested in reading more about the product,  here’s the link. http://www.tread-top.com

Happy walking while you work!

The SHEILA CONTEST Open for Entries!

The Sheila Contest proudly hosted by Valley Forge Romance Writers is open for entries.

Deadline: April 12, 2013

Fee: $25 for VFRW members, $30 for non-members

Eligibility: All RWA members, published and unpublished, who have not published a full-length novel (40K words or more) in the category entered at the time of the contest deadline and within the past five years.

Entry: Total of 35 pages, including synopsis (not to exceed 5 pages).

Categories: Single Title Romance, Historical, Romantic Suspense, Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal, Women’s Fiction with Romantic Elements, Young Adult.

Judges: Entrants will receive a detailed score sheet from four qualified judges, including PRO and PAN members.

Final Round Judges: Single Title – Emilia Pisani, Gallery Books; Historical – Elizabeth (Lizzie) Poteet, St. Martin’s Press; Romantic Suspense – Katherine Pelz, The Berkley Publishing Group; Fantasy/Futuristic/Paranormal – Megha Parekh, Grand Central Publishing; Women’s Fiction – Alex Logan, Grand Central Publishing; Young Adult – Wendy Loggia, Delacorte Press/RHCB.

Top Prize: Certificates. First- through fourth-place winners will have their names printed in RWR magazine.

FMI: http://www.vfrw.com/contest