Free Book Alert! Harlequin Giving Away 16 Romance Ebooks

To celebrate their 60th anniversary, Harlequin is giving away 16 electronic romance novels.

You can download them in all kinds of formats, including as pdf files, so you don't need an ereader to participate. Once you download them, read them on your laptop or computer.

New Ozarks Literary Journal Seeks Submissions

Cave by Shygantic

A new literary journal called the Cave Region Review is seeking submissions from Ozark writers:

"Please pass the following information along to your members.

I am co-editor of a new literary journal, Cave Region Review,
published at North Arkansas College. This journal is dedicated to
 highlighting the best literature and art being produced in the Ozarks.

We have extended our deadline to Feb. 15 and have broadened our submission guidelines to welcome submissions from all writers and
artists living in the Ozark region. Please visit our website,
ttp://www.caveregionreview.com/ for complete submission guidelines.
This is going to be a quality journal in both content and format.

It will be 75-100 pages, full color, and professionally bound."

Phil Howerton
English Instructor
North Arkansas College

Check out their submission guidelines for more info. Note that they are now accepting submissions from all Ozark writers, not just those teaching at or attending two year colleges.

Zombies Ahead

Zombie Walk @ Sitges by Rumikel

Ha! You people should have listened to me! I told you the zombies are coming. The outbreak started in Texas.

If you want to live, check out the Zombie Squad website. I'm off to Home Depot for lumber to cover the windows.

Writing Conference T-Shirts

I am prepping for writing conference season by purchasing some quirky and creative writing conference t-shirts created by children's author Angela Fox. My newly purchased t-shirts are not pictured here. You'll have to see them at the Missouri Writers Guild Conference 2009 to truly appreciate the depth of my crazy.

Never been to a conference? This newbie shirt is perfect for you.

And for the obsessed and psychotic (like me) there's the Do Not Stalk The Editor Tee.

Premio Dardos Blog Award

A big thank you to Donna Volkennant over at Donna's Book Pub for awarding the Coffee and Critique Blog the Premio Dardos (Italian for prize darts) Award given in "recognition of cultural, ethical, literary, and personal values transmitted in the form of creative and original writing."

Many thanks for the honor. And apolgies for not adding you to my blog roll sooner. I thought I had you on there, but when I looked I realized I was following your blog, but hadn't linked to it yet.

A List of No No's for Evil Overlords

Its Future is In Our Hands by Aussiegall              

Thanks to editor Cheryl Klein for posting a link to The Top 100 Things I'd Do If I Ever Became an Evil Overlord (scroll down) on her blog Brooklyn Arden.

I'd seen it before, but it's definitely worth reading again.

Not that I'm studying it for any reason...

Win Erica Spindler's New Book

Win a free signed copy of Erica Spindler's new thriller Break Neck. Love the title. 

Scroll down the website's page to see the contest entry form. It looks like she might be giving away one a month? Not sure, but the rules seem to suggest so.

Missouri Writers' Guild Conference 2009

There's still time to get the early bird rate for the two-day Missouri Writers' Guild Conference 2009.

Price:
MWG Members $139
Chapter Members $149
Nonmembers $159

You can register online with paypal. And don't forget to enter the annual writing contest.

Speakers:

Lee Goldberg

Lee Goldberg is a two-time Edgar Award nominee whose many TV writing and/or producing credits include Martial Law, SeaQuest, Diagnosis Murder, The Cosby Mysteries, Hunter, Spenser: For Hire, Nero Wolfe, Missing and Monk. He’s also the author of My Gun Has Bullets, Beyond the Beyond, Successful Television Writing, The Man With with The Iron-On Badge and the Diagnosis Murder and Monk series of original mystery novels. He has led TV writing seminars all over the United States and Europe, consulted for studios and television networks in Germany, Sweden, and the Netherlands, and has taught at UCLA Extension. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Mystery Writers of America and is the co-founder of the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers.

Jessica Burkhart

Freelancer of over 100 articles and she her first novel, TAKE THE REINS (CANTERWOOD CREST), will be published by Simon & Schuster's Aladdin M!X in January 2009. It's part of a 4-book series. Kate Angelella, another speaker, is her editor.

Michelle Salater

An award-winning writer and owner of Michelle Salater Writing & Editorial, LLC, a copywriting company specializing in writing marketing materials for small to midsized businesses. She holds a BA from Washington University in St. Louis and an MFA in Creative Writing from Queens University of Charlotte. She resides in Charleston, South Carolina, with Mama Mia, a gorgeous dog she rescued from St. John, US Virgin Islands.

Kate Angelella

Editor at S&S. Will be speaking by herself and with Jessica about the business of writing and also working with an editor (the good, the bad, and the very ugly.)

Harvey Stanbrough

He has nominated for a National Book Award, a Pulitzer Prize, a Pushcart Prize, a Frankfurt Book Fair Award, and the Inscriptions Magazine Engraver's Award. He'll be speaking about seven ways to lose a reader and will also be doing a Sunday workshop on dialogue.

Celeste Walker

Editor of Listen Magazine, a magazine about drug and alcohol prevention for teens. Will also be taking pitches.

WOW! Women on Writing Winter Flash Fiction Contest

That's a lot of alliteration. WOW! Women on Writing is hosting a Winter Flash Fiction Writing Contest. Janet Reid, The Query Shark, is judging.

Entry fee: $10
or $20 if you want a critique of your entry

It's limited to 300 entries, so get yours in as early as possible. They will disable the paypal button when the limit is reached.

From the website:
WINTER 2009 FLASH FICTION CONTEST


OVERVIEW:
WOW! hosts a (quarterly) writing contest every three months. The mission of this contest is to inspire creativity, communication, and well-rewarded recognition to contestants. The contest is open globally; age is of no matter; and entries must be in English. We are open to all styles of writing, although we do encourage you to take a close look at our guest judge for the season (upper right hand column) and the flavor of our sponsor, if you are serious about winning. We love creativity, originality, and light-hearted reads. That's not to say that our guest judge will feel the same... so go wild! Express yourself, and most of all, let's have some fun!

WORD COUNT:
Maximum: 750
Minimum: 250

The title is not to be counted in your word count. We use MS Word's word count to determine the submitted entry's word count.

PROMPT:
OPEN PROMPT!

That’s right, this is your chance to shine, and get creative. You can write about anything, as long as it’s within the word count and fiction. So, dig out those stories you started way back when and tailor them to the word count.

We’re open to any style and genre. From horror to romance! So, get creative, and most of all, have fun.

GUEST JUDGE: LITERARY AGENT, JANET REID

Janet Reid is an agent with FinePrint Literary Management. Her specialty is relentlessly commercial crime fiction but she also swoons over well-written projects in many other categories. Her asssssistant is a 12 foot long stuffed snake (given to her by Lee Child.) She maintains a blog at http://www.jetreidliterary.blogspot.com to rant about everything that makes her snarl from query letters to…well, query letters. She also runs Query Shark to critique query letters. After hours she stalks Jack Reacher.

CONTEST DEADLINES:
WINTER: December - February 28th, Midnight (Pacific Time) - NOW OPEN!

PRIZES: 25 WINNERS TOTAL!


FIRST PLACE:
$200.00 cash prize
WOW! Goodie Bag
Entry published on WOW! Women On Writing
1 Year Subscription to Premium-Green Markets ($48 value)
Interview on the WOW! Women On Writing Blog

SECOND PLACE:
$150.00 cash prize
WOW! Goodie Bag
Entry published on WOW! Women On Writing
1 Year Subscription to Premium-Green Markets ($48 value)
Interview on the WOW! Women On Writing Blog

THIRD PLACE:
$100.00 cash prize
WOW! Goodie Bag
Entry published on WOW! Women On Writing
1 Year Subscription to Premium-Green Markets ($48 value)
Interview on the WOW! Women On Writing Blog

7 RUNNERS UP:
WOW! Goodie Bag
Entry published on WOW! Women On Writing
1 Year Subscription to Premium-Green Markets ($48 value)
Interview on the WOW! Women On Writing Blog

15 HONORABLE MENTIONS:
WOW! Goodie Bag
Name, state, and title entry published on WOW! Women On Writing

Video Workshops on Writer's Digest TV

Happy Friday Everyone.

Writer's Digest TV is offering two new video workshops for $4.99. Not too bad for five bucks. You get 30 days of access to the video.

How to Decide Whether to Stick With a Book Project or Move On

Kathy Reichs, author of the Temperance Brennan Series

I may watch the second one because I love the television series Bones, which is based on the Brennan series. And when is it time to leave that first book? Will they track you down and charge you with neglect if you abandon it at the Book Doctor. Oh forgive me. My brain seems to have melted into weirdness. I hope to recover soon.

Bad News - NEA Reports More People Are Reading

The NEA says more adults are reading, which puts a serious crimp in my plans for world domination. Apparently I am partially at fault because of the reading I assign my classes. You see, they wouldn't necessarily read voluntarily. I must think on the ramifications of this.

For those of you who aren't my students, I beg you to stop now before you get ideas, before you want to get involved in things like politics and tax your mind with too much information. I hear it causes migraines if you aren't used to it. Beware.

The good news is the adult population actually increased far more than the number of readers, so lots of people still aren't reading; therefore my plan isn't totally untenable. Don't give up hope, my followers. I still think we can take over care of the world.

WOW! Women On Writing Seeking Submissions for 2009

Carole Burge over at Romance Writer Woes has a great post on submissions WOW! Women on Writing is looking for in 2009. My friend Margo Dill writes for WOW!, and they have fun interviews and helpful how tos for women writers. So check them out and submit.

Missouri Romance Writers of America 2009 Events

Thanks to Donna Volkennant and Judy for forwarding this message from Barbara Scott:

Here's MORWA's program lineup for 2009. Our meetings are at Barnes & Noble, Crestwood in the meeting room. Programs are usually from 11 am to 12:30, with booksignings and lunch at a nearby restaurant to follow. There is a $5 fee for visitors. Some programs may be longer than others and may involve higher non-member fees. Please check the morwa.org calendar or email me for specific information.

Jan 17: Laura Bradford, Local mystery writer (Worldwide Mysteries) and debut Harlequin
American author tells her publishing story

Feb 21: Michele Dunaway, "Channeling Your Inner Superwoman"

Mar 21: Colleen Gleason, author of the Gardella Vampire Chronicles,
"Marketing and Promotion"

April 18: Rebecca Giallongo, wa Rebecca Savage "The E-Publishing
Road to Print: Are We There Yet?"

May 16: Angie Fox: "Lining Up The Bones, Crafting your Paranormal
from Beginning to End"

June 20: Kimberly Killion and Megan Kelly. "How to Survive and
Thrive Your First Year as a Published Writer"

Aug 15: Program still under construction: Camp Write-a-Lot

Sept 19: Karyn Witmer Gow: Voice

Oct 17: Jenna Peterson, Avon bestselling author, "Write Like You
Mean It"

Nov 20: Charlotte Hubbard, "Writing and Selling a Series"


Barbara Scott
Books from the heart, from my heart to yours

Coming soon:
HAUNTS OF THE HEART
CAST A PALE SHADOW, April '09

Butterfly Award

Thanks to Margo Dill and apologies for getting this on my blog so late. Margo nominated me for a Butterfly Award and it's taking me this long to acknowledge it. Thanks, Margo! Your blog is looking awesome.

Now as I understand it I am charged with doing the following:

1. Putting the logo on my blog.

2. Adding a link to the person who awarded me

3. Awarding up to 10 other blogs.

So I hereby nominate the following cool blogs:

A Teaching Life

A Novel Approach

Donna's Book Pub

Critter Alley

Mental Health for Writers

Check them out. I do. Far too much. ;)

Chase The Dream Romance Novella Contest

Romance by Left-Hand

Authors Rachelle Chase and Leigh Michaels are sponsoring their third annual Chase The Dream Romance Novella Contest.

Novella Definition.

From the email:
"Submissions: The first 1,000 words of an unpublished romance novel/novella or novel/novella with a romantic theme.

Judging: Each week, I will choose one finalist and post the entry on the web site. Then, at the end of the contest, editors and agents will post their comments and readers will vote for their favorites to determine the top three winners. Each week, Leigh will also choose one entry to win a mini-critique, which will also be posted on the web site.

Prizes: There are fantastic prizes for winners and entrants alike. In addition, editors and agents will read all the finalist entries. While there are no guarantees, each year, nearly all the finalists received requests from editors and agents, some of which resulted in book sales.

New for 2009: You can now get advice from the agents/editors on what they look for in the first 1,000 words. Click here to listen to what the agents/editors have to say.

It's *FREE* to enter! Check the site for rules, last year's winners, and more."

January 2009 Schedule for Coffee and Critique

From Donna V:

Hi Everyone,
Here's our Coffee and Critique schedule for this month:

Jan 6 & 20 - 10:00-noon
Jan 13 & 27 - 6:30-8:30 p.m.

I have deadlines today and Wednesday (both for $$$), so I'm not sure I'll have everything finished to be able to make it tomorrow, but I will try. (Gotta pay the bills) ;-)

So, if I'm not there (and if Lou can't make it), if one of the regular morning critiquers would facilitate the critiques tomorrow, I would appreciate it.

Happy New Year everyone. Hope one of your goals was to keep on writing!

Last week I posted my writing goals for 2009 on my blog. If you have time, check them out, and feel free to share yours.

Take care,

Donna
http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com/

Creative Nonfiction Classes at Washington University

From Catherine Rankovic-

Dear Writer:

I'm teaching an evening course called Nonfiction Seminar at University College, Washington University, this spring. It's a 3-credit workshop course for memoir, essay, biography, travelogues, and nature writing, or narrative, as-told-to and other forms of creative-nonfiction prose, book-length or magazine length. The course emphasizes professionalism and publishability.

The course meets Tuesdays, 6:00-8:30 p.m., begins January 13 and ends May 5. I am happy to answer any questions. A flyer with information is attached. You may print it out and tack it up at work or school. Thank you, and please pass the word.

To register, go to ucollege.wustl.edu and click "Courses and Registration" The course number is U11 313, under English Composition, and tuition is $1495.

I'm also teaching a course Thursday evenings, same place, U11 323, called The Art of the Personal Essay.

Thank you very much,

Catherine Rankovic

Upcoming Literary Journal Deadlines: Fiction and Nonfiction

Silver Pumps by Donut                              The Charmed Silver Shoes blog has posted a great list of Literary Journals with January and February upcoming deadlines for submissions. They include both fiction and nonfiction opportunities, so get the new year off to a good start and submit something somewhere.