Interview with Christy Phillippe

I’d like to welcome our guest editor today, Christy Phillippe over at Medallion Press. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

What exciting new projects are happening over at Medallion Press?

We are excited about our upcoming nonfiction line coming out in 2010. It will feature inspirational true memoirs of people who have overcome extraordinary challenges to live life to the fullest.

Can you give us a little history about Medallion Press?

I’ll let Helen Rosburg, our president and founder, speak for herself:

“Like many of you who are published authors, one of the happiest days of my life was the day I sold my first book. The elation lasted a long time. Then reality set in. Unlike the commercial for a certain drugstore chain, life is simply not perfect. Being a published author is not all it’s cracked up to be either. After my second book I found myself commiserating with fellow authors about the ups and downs of the publishing world.

As a reader I had complaints as well. Why, for instance, couldn’t a great story have a great cover? Why did that beautiful book I bought, with the exciting back blurb, turn out to be such a stinker?

A book, to me, is a treasure. Each one I buy should be a separate gem, something to read, reread, and keep on my shelf forever. In the real world, of course, this simply isn’t possible, but it didn’t stop my complaints.

After listening to myself whine and moan for a time, I decided to put my money where my mouth is. And, in June of 2003 Medallion Press, Inc. was born.

I love books. I looooooove them. I love not only to read them, but gaze at them, touch them, smell them. Books contain magic. They transport. They are light, easy to carry, generally inexpensive; in short, simply the greatest form of entertainment. My love of books is at the very heart of Medallion.

Every book Medallion produces is considered as a mini work of art. From concept to cover, it is nurtured each step of the way. Authors myself included, tend to think of their books as children. Medallion has many ‘children.’ Our goal is to have you, the reader, find the treasure you expect in every one of our books. Our mission is to have every title you buy end up on your ‘keeper’ shelf. Our greatest joy, and ultimate expectation, is not to have readers say ‘When is the next so-and-so author coming out?’ But ‘When is the next Medallion book going to be on the shelves?’

This dedication to quality is what drives Medallion Press. It is what drives its dedicated and talented staff. And it is, I hope, what will keep you all coming back for more.”

What are your top five pet peeves a new writer makes?

1. Sloppy editing

2. Not following our submission guidelines

3. Using over-description that slows down the plot line

4. Not paying attention to detail (e.g., having a woman get pregnant in January, but then she doesn’t deliver the baby until November—that’s just cruel!)

5. Here’s the bigee: Asking repeatedly for an update on the status of the manuscript. This is one of the best way to destroy your chances of getting a contract!

What are your top five pet peeves a published author makes?

1. 1. Sequels that don’t make sense

2. 22. Missing deadlines

3. 3. Assuming that one book means a contract for life

4.S4. Sloppy editing

5. 5. Unwillingness to accept an editor’s help

What old or new trend do you see in publishing at Medallion Press?

Genre-wise, in the industry itself, vampires are still a hot item, but werewolves seem to be growing in popularity. At Medallion, specifically, we have really grown our horror and thriller lines, and our romance lines are going strong. And, of course, we’re thrilled to introduce our new nonfiction line in 2010. Medallion also plans to capitalize on the unprecedented changes in the publishing industry, taking advantage of new forms of media in both publishing and marketing our books.

What catches your eye in a new writer’s work?

A fresh twist on a bankable theme, with solid writing to back it up.

For the submission process, what do you want from an author?

I cannot stress this enough: FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES.

What is your response time?

Typically between 3 and 6 months.

What new author have you recently signed?

Doug Lyle, MD, forensics expert, will publish a crime thriller with Medallion in 2010.

What new project made you grab that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

Plum Blossoms in Paris, by Sarah Hina, made me stop everything to keep reading. She will also be published with Medallion in 2010.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking to break into your house?

Stick with one genre and do it well. Don’t let your plot get over-complicated. Sell me immediately in your proposal and synopsis—and please make sure there are NO TYPOS in these documents.

Thanks, Christy! Check out Medallion’s website at www.medallionpress.com.

Interview with editors Lori Graham and Laura Kelly

I’d like to welcome our guest editors today, Senior Editor Lori Graham and Editor Laura Kelly from the Crimson (suspense) line of The Wild Rose Press. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy.

Thank you. We’re happy to be here.

What exciting new projects are happening over at Crimson?

Lori: The most exciting project is that Crimson Rose month is coming up in November. First, we are doing a submission call. We are calling for “Men in Uniform”.

To back that up, we have a special free read and some opportunities for prizes. The free read is “A Girl, A Guy and A Goon” by Cindy Green and it will feature a man in uniform and kick off our promotion. Next we have three opportunities for prizes. First, we will be starting a blog on 11/1 regarding our favorite man in uniform and how the blog will work, inviting comments to serve as people’s registration in the blog drawing. The winner will be chosen at random at the end of the month and given a free Crimson download. Also, for those downloading a free read, their name will go into a random drawing at month end for a free coffee mug. The final opportunity will be in the polls. Our Marketing Director will be posting polls every couple of days. Folks will have to go to the website and check out the covers and blurbs for the books of the poll and then vote for their favorite. The winner of each poll will win a free download of one of the books in the poll.

It will be a great time to check out our incredible Crimson writers.

Can you give us a little history about Crimson?

Lori: Crimson has been around since the inception of The Wild Rose Press and is our second largest line as far as sales. There is never been a dull moment as over 60 authors provide us with murder, mayhem and intrigue while still building some incredibly romantic stories. We currently have seven editors and are getting ready to add our eighth. The majority of our current works are the longer rosebuds or roses but we would love to get a few more rosettes and miniature roses (shorter stories) if anyone would like to try their hand at it.

What are your top pet peeves a new writer makes?

Lori: If you are a new writer getting ready to submit to any publishing house, take the time to study their website and guidelines. It is very frustrating to an editor to receive a manuscript from someone who obviously doesn’t know anything about their company.

Laura: Stories that begin with backstory, and not where the action begins. I don’t want to wade through six pages of what happened before the story begins, before the story begins. Stories where the characters seem to have only two emotions—anger and lust. I like to read about well-rounded characters with a full range of emotions, not two characters who snipe at each other and trade barbs until they can’t control themselves any longer and fall into bed, then hop out of it and start sniping at each other again. I like the story to progress in stages as a real relationship should, with them getting to know each other’s quirks and fallacies as human beings. Stories with too much narrative. A romantic suspense story has to do double duty. It’s a mystery/suspense and a romance. Therefore it has to hit the ground running. Too much narrative slows down the pacing.

What are your top pet peeves a published author makes?

Lori: As a published author, it is easy to fall into the mindset that everything you do is publishable quality and to be honest, most of it is. However, don’t give up the routines that got your published in the beginning. Still proofread, continue to use your critique group and partner with your editor.

Laura: I would have to agree with Lori on this. We hate to write rejections and especially rejections to authors we have already worked with, but we don’t have time to edit careless mistakes that could be caught by a good proofreading. Sending in a manuscript full of typos and bad grammar shows you are not being respectful of your editor or her time and expertise. We’re here to edit story structure and plot deficiencies, not bad grammar and spelling.

What old trend or new trend do you see in publishing for Crimson?

Lori: Given the way our society is evolving, we are seeing a bit more international intrigue and manuscripts based on some terrorism. I don’t know that this is a trend but just a new avenue for intrigue.

What catches your eye in a new writer’s work?

Lori: Hero and heroine development – if the writer has taken the time to really create characters that I can enjoy that makes a huge difference. Then there is the villain. I need to be able to either “hate” the villain or be able to understand why the villain did what they did.

Laura: Good, clean dialogue. A lot of new writers don’t realize every line of dialogue doesn’t need to be responded to, and you don’t need to include every thought the character has. I see this especially when authors are trying to close a scene, or get the people out of the room. Just end the scene with a pertinent piece of dialogue and cut to the next scene. The reader will realize they left the room and got into their cars and drove across town and….

So when I see a manuscript with realistic dialogue that does what it’s supposed to do and moves the story along, and a minimum of narrative, that catches my attention right away.

For the submission process, what do you want from an author? What is your response time?

Lori: Mainly for them to have followed the submission guidelines. Put together a great query letter and synopsis to grab the editor’s attention. (Hint – have someone read it and the synopsis. Someone who hasn’t read the story.) Please don’t make the synopsis a “See Spot run” sentence structure.

Laura: Our response time varies, on the number of submissions received and on hand at the time. We try to get back to every author on a query within 30 days, a partial within 60 days, and a full within 90 days. We now have a process where manuscripts for contract consideration are submitted to our senior editor for approval, and that takes time, too. So we might not be as quick at getting back to authors as we were in the beginning.

What new author have you recently signed?

Lori: Jenni Holbrook

Laura: AJ Brower

What new project made you grab that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

Lori: There have been a few so I am going to need a diet soon.

Laura: Hot Contract, by Jodi Henley, No Second Chance, by Maggie Toussaint, and this month’s release by Kathleen Mix, Deadly Paradise, is really gripping. I like stories that simmer with danger and move at a really fast pace.

But I am pleased with how all of my stories turned out once the editing process was complete. I don’t let them ‘out of the house’ until the author and I are satisfied that they sparkle.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking to break into your house?

Lori: Study your weapon of choice and the characters you are developing. To get the suspense truly high, you need to know all of it inside out. However, while you are developing the suspense, don’t forget about the romantic aspect and build the sexual tension. (Another hint – take some time to look through the suspense novels already published with a house to get a feel for what is possible.)

Laura: I agree with Lori, here. We do all kinds of stories. I have edited Hawaiian terrorists, horse farm and corporate sabotage, serial killers, kidnapping stories, murder mysteries and international intrigue. Each one had its own flavor and beat, and was unique in its own way. I love the diversity in Crimson.

Last, but not least, please read your manuscript aloud to yourself before you send it in. You will be amazed at the glitches you catch if you do this. If you reach a section where your mind starts to wander and you bore yourself, you know that section is slow and needs re-writing. You can catch excess repetitions of words and phrases this way, too. And stilted or non-essential dialogue.

To query us, first, go and read our submission guidelines on the website, http://thewildrosepress.com/publisher/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=44then send your query to queryus@thewildrosepress.com. All queries go through a main clearinghouse person, and are then forwarded to the senior editor of that line, in our case, Lori, and she assigns the work based on an established rotation.

Thanks, Lori and Laura!

Thank you. It was a pleasure to be here.

Check out The Wild Rose Press Crimson offerings on our Suspense page at

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=137&zenid=f76da1f64767e3702b9ae30a01fd70d2.

Top Ten Pet Peeves We Hate to See

Top Ten Peeves We Hate to See
By editors Laura Kelly and Vicky Reed

1. The story is filled with happy coincidences that magically solve problems for the hero and heroine.

A good example of this is the romantic suspense where the hero and heroine are trapped. The hero dropped his gun into the elevator shaft to save the heroine from tumbling to her doom, the building is on fire, and a killer is on the loose. It looks like the end for our dauntless duo—but suddenly, a SWAT team arrives.

Anton Chehkov, the great Russian playwright, once said that if you have a gun above the mantelpiece in Act One, you’d better shoot it before the curtain falls. In other words, if you lock your hero in a building with a crazed killer, and set the basement on fire, tell your reader who the hero is, what he does, and why SWAT is keeping track of him—before they break in.

Write down the major plot points. Does everything flow logically from point A to point B? If not, then re-think your story line.

2. Writers who manipulate the plot to suit their ideas of what a nice scene would be, and it doesn’t logically follow the plot.

Usually this involves some clichéd love scene. Maybe after being rescued your hero and heroine are caught in a torrential downpour and find shelter in a ramshackle tenement. It’s cold, they’re both soaked, wind is whistling through the bug-sized cracks but--despite the blue tinge to their anatomy--they stop to have sex.

Like like that Seinfield episode where George yells, “I have shrinkage,” events have to contain logic. Unless you’ve laid the groundwork to establish your hero is a superhuman sex machine, sub-zero temperatures are the opposite of a turn on. So are sand, insects, reptiles, or rodents in the vicinity, and scenes where they haven’t bathed in days, but the minute they are alone and supposedly ‘safe,’ they have sex.

3. Characters not acting in character.

In Linda Seger’s book, Creating Unforgettable Characters, she explains that every character is the result of how they grew up, their background and their core personalities. We are the sum of our parts. A person’s qualities in turn imply other qualities. A former policeman can be expected to know something about guns and the law. A heroine presented as a savvy businesswoman can’t go around making one bad decision after another. Every action is filtered through experience and background. Once you create a person, you must remain true to who and what you have created.

4. Characters who stomp, stalk, clench fists and glare at each other, exhibit no self-control and are victims of their emotions, including passion.

A character who stomps around with her fists clenched, glaring at the hero until the touch of his hand makes her hot for him is two-dimensional. A well-drawn heroine has emotions that are true to her background and core personality. Nobody has only one or two emotional reactions, and as we grow, we learn to exert control over our actions. It’s all a part of growing up.

5. Writers who think bickering equals conflict.

Every word should push your story forward. Bickering is verbal quicksand. Once the snappy comebacks stop, is there anything preventing your hero and heroine from falling into each other’s arms except word count? Tell me why your hero and heroine can’t be joined, and then—put that gun on the mantelpiece.

6. Writers who think every line of dialogue must be answered, and every inner thought conveyed to the reader, in case they ‘don’t understand’what you are trying to say.

If a reader doesn’t understand why your character says or does something, it’s because you haven’t fleshed out that character well enough. Telling the reader why Indiana Jones hates snakes isn’t enough. You need to show it. Through dialogue and action.

Dialogue is action, by the way, and only dialogue that moves the story forward needs to be included. Excessive dialogue slows the story down, and only bores the reader.

What really bogs down a story is when every time the hero or heroine speaks, we get a mental assessment of what they said by the other party, before the other party speaks.

Don’t have them think their responses and feelings, have them act upon them, preferably with a conflict-enhancing line of dialogue. (Not bickering, as stated above).

7. Don’t tell us what the characters are about to do, then show them doing it.

Susie had a plan, first she’d sneak out the back door, then go to the store and buy a wig and some make-up, and then she’d sneak back to Joe’s place and find the missing key, but she’d make sure Dave saw her, so he would follow her, and then Joe would know what Dave was up to and could arrest him. And on the way, she’d call the SWAT team, just in case there was trouble.

Just show her sneaking out the back door, shopping at the store, making her phone call to the SWAT team and then showing up at Joe’s apartment. Make us wonder what’s going to happen, next.

Another thing we see a lot of is writers who think laying out their character’s plan in this way, ahead of time, then having that plan go awry when the character tries to put it into action, equals conflict. As in “Oh, no, Susie was going to go to the store and buy the wig, but they didn’t have any for sale. She’d have to go with plan B.”

If plan A never happens, that’s even more pointless than telling us Plan A, then showing us plan A. It just frustrates the reader.

8. Writers who don’t know how to end the scene with a hook.

A good hook can be a snappy line of dialogue that leaves the reader wondering what will happen next, and pulls them into the next scene, or chapter. A lot of writers seem to have trouble getting their characters out of the room, or scene. Or ending the day. Never end the scene with your character going to bed alone. It might give the reader the idea to put the book down and do the same.

9. Point of view violations.

When you are in a character’s point of view, you can only see, hear, taste, smell and feel what that character sees, hears, tastes, smells and feels. And you can only describe what they are experiencing using vocabulary your character would use. What self-respecting alpha male describes anything as “horrid?”

Beware of using your own extensive writer’s vocabulary instead of limiting dialogue and internal narrative to words your characters would use. What construction worker hero would describe the heroine’s hair as ‘golden tresses?’ Her golden tresses flowed over his arm as… This is you, the author speaking, and using omniscient POV, to boot, which only distances your reader from the story. If your hero wouldn’t notice the color of the wallpaper or delicate brocade of the furniture, then let that be described in the heroine’s POV.

10. Overuse of qualifiers.

Make every word count. Do a word search and take out every even, just, actually, really, usually, generally, especially, that doesn’t have to be there. He just wanted to see her one more time. She didn’t really even know his name. That wasn’t exactly what she’d meant to say. She wasn’t generally a fast talker. He wasn’t especially fond of turtles.

Last, but not least, put your manuscript on a low-that diet, and take out any ‘that’ that does not add to the story. Otherwise, you’re just padding your word count.

For more information on editors Laura Kelly and Vicky Reed, please go to www.editorlaurakelly.com

Interview with Harlequin Editor Johanna Raisanen

I’d like to welcome our guest editor, Johanna Raisanen. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

What exciting new projects are happening over at Harlequin?

Here are some of the exciting things to look for from Harlequin.
Silhouette Nocturne books is looking to acquire paranormal editorial with strong sexual, fantasy and danger elements for its new eBook program, Nocturne Bites.
Many of the elements that make a Silhouette Nocturne book successful remain true for the Nocturne Bites series. Stories should deliver a dark, highly sensual read that will entertain readers and take them from everyday life into an atmospheric, complex world filled with characters struggling with life and death issues. Only shorter!

Harlequin has also begun a nonfiction program. We are looking for books that will entertain, support, inspire and provide insight to women 35+ years old as their lives and roles evolve and change. We are focused on the following categories: relationships, health, diet, fitness, self-help, inspirational (Christian living) and narrative nonfiction (life memoir/personal memoir, lifestyle memoir, travel memoir and celebrity biographies/autobiographies).

Another new and exciting tidbit is Harlequin will be expanding into the Young Adult market starting with some paranormal stories under our MIRA imprint. We are excited to introduce a new fiction imprint targeted to a younger audience of African-American readers called Kimani TRU. Keep checking our web site for more YA information.

Finally, Harlequin will be celebrating its Diamond Anniversary next year—60 years of romance! Look for a year of celebration in all of our series. We’re still planning all of the special stories, so keep checking our Web site, eHarlequin.com, for news.

Can you give us a little history about Harlequin?

Here’s the history of Harlequin, as our PR department told me:

Canadian publishing executive Richard Bonnycastle founded Harlequin in 1949. In the early years, the small firm published a wide variety of American and British paperbacks—from mysteries and Westerns to classics and cookbooks. It wasn’t until 1957 that Harlequin began buying rights from Mills & Boon, British publishers of romance fiction since 1909. Mary Bonnycastle, wife of the founder, noticed the enormous popularity of these "nice little books with happy endings," and suggested the company concentrate on them. By 1964, Harlequin was publishing romance exclusively.

In 1971, Harlequin purchased Mills & Boon—and the romantic talents of more than one hundred British authors. Between 1972 and 1984, overseas acquisitions, joint venture partnerships and licensee arrangements brought the total number of Harlequin markets to 100, and sales soared from 3 million in 1970 to the present worldwide total of 131 million.

Harlequin also launched its highly successful North American direct mail operation. Following this, direct mail services were successfully started in the UK, Australia, Holland, France and Scandinavia and more are being developed.

By the end of the decade, Harlequin had established itself as the world’s leading series romance publisher and by 1981 was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Canadian communications giant Torstar Corporation, publisher of Canada’s largest metropolitan daily newspaper, The Toronto Star.

At the same time, Harlequin’s editorial lineup began growing from the 8 titles a month available in 1970 to the more than 120 titles it now publishes per month—each with its own personality and readership, and most available in 26 languages.

In 1984, Harlequin joined forces with one of its most spirited competitors by purchasing Simon & Schuster’s Silhouette imprint. Today, Silhouette novels appear beside Harlequin titles on shelves around the world, making Harlequin the world’s most prolific publisher of paperback novels.

The year 1994 was one of tremendous growth for Harlequin. The company entered the single title publishing environment with MIRA Books, it’s mainstream women’s fiction imprint, and has achieved startling success including #1 bestsellers on the New York Times, USA TODAY and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.. Single title imprints launched since 2000 include HQN (romance), Spice (erotica), Red Dress Ink (chick lit), Steeple Hill (inspirational), Steeple Hill Café (hip inspirational) and Luna Books (fantasy).

Harlequin moved online into the brave new world of e-commerce and e-publishing in 1996 with the creation of a web site which it renovated and re-launched as eHarlequin.com in 2000. Digitally, Harlequin’s ebooks are consistent bestsellers on ebook lists such as eReader.com. Harlequin also offers audiobooks, digitally downloadable short stories (Spice Briefs and the Harlequin Mini), mobile phone content and podcasts.

In 1997, Harlequin topped the inspirational romance market with Steeple Hill, while under two specially created imprints, Worldwide Mysteries and Gold Eagle Books, Harlequin had long been active in the mystery and male action adventure markets.

Harlequin Enterprises launched Kimani Press, its African-American imprint in 2006. Kimani press includes single title and series books. The publisher has also announced plans to publish non-fiction books.

When you add it all up, Harlequin has shipped approximately 5.5 billion books since 1949 and looks forward to the writing of many more chapters in a remarkable publishing story.
Wow! What a story, eh? (yep) KW

What are your top five pet peeves a new writer makes?

The answer to this and the next question is the same in terms of the actual writing. For new writers, I’d say a pet peeve is submitting an incomplete synopsis. Don’t give editors cliff hangers, saying we’ll find out how the story ends if we ask for the full manuscript. Chances are we won’t bother. And the other pet peeve is receiving a submission that clearly doesn’t fit the line I acquire for. Do your homework. Research the series/imprints/lines you want to write for. Read the books being published.

As for pet peeves in writing, as I mentioned, they’re the same for published and unpublished writers:

1. Misunderstanding as conflict. If what’s keeping your hero and heroine apart can be cleared up with a frank discussion, that’s not true conflict. Conflict and dramatic tension are what drives a story. In a romance, the happy ending is a given, so writers need to throw real obstacles in the path of the couple. Make the reader wonder—for a moment at least—how they’re going to achieve their happy ending.

2. Overexplanation. If your characters are having a conversation where one person is saying something the other would reasonably know—you’re overexplaining. If a character is having an internal monologue about why he/she is doing something—you’re overexplaining. Exposition and overexplanation are a disservice to your reader. You’re assuming she can’t keep up with what’s happening and you need to hit her over the head, pointing out what’s going on. It also slows the pacing, making the story boring.

3. Stereotypical, one-dimensional characters not properly motivated. Readers want to identify with the characters they read about. If a character is too good or too sweet or too evil they aren’t real, and you risk losing a reader’s interest because they don’t believe in your characters. A character’s actions must also be logical—they must be something that person would do (this helps to make the characters more real). Their motivations must be believable. I find a common pitfall is making villains so over-the-top evil that they are laughable. Isn’t the villain who is friendly and charming, yet a cold-blooded killer more scary?

4. Over the top writing. As Strunk and White say in their classic book on writing, The Elements of Style: “Avoid the elaborate, the pretentious, the coy, and the cute. Do not be tempted by a twenty-dollar word when there is a ten-center handy, ready and able.” I couldn’t have said it better. There is a tendency to use overblown language in highly emotional scenes. But that type of language actually takes away from the emotion. Keep it simple!

5. Accidents and coincidences to move the plot. I’ll quote Robert McKee’s book, Story: “Story creates meaning. Coincidence, then, would seem our enemy, for it is the random, absurd collisions of things in the universe and is, by definition, meaningless. And yet coincidence is a part of life… The solution, therefore, is not to avoid coincidence, but to dramatize how it may enter life meaninglessly, but in time gain meaning, how the antilogic of randomness becomes the logic of life-as-lived.” If you pile up coincidences in your story, they become meaningless and absurd. Accidents can happen, too, but often they are a contrived method to make characters act a certain way. An accident takes rational decision-making out of your characters’ hands, forcing them to react to the situation.

What are your top five pet peeves a published author makes?

See the above answer.

What old trend or new trend do you see in publishing for Harlequin?

Trends are tricky to predict, because the market is cyclical. What was popular diminishes, but never goes away entirely. Then often comes back into favor. Right now, erotica and paranormal are riding the popular wave. Tomorrow, who knows? Maybe someone out there will come up with the new hot trend?

What catches your eye in a new writer’s work?

Strong characters with believable motivations, fast-paced and engaging writing, a well-thought-out plot and conflict. And of course, great writing.

For the submission process, what do you want from an author ? What is your response time?

We accept partial proposals (synopsis and three chapters) at Harlequin American Romance. But I recommend checking eHarlequin.com for full submission guidelines as some lines may vary. Generally we try to respond to submissions within three months.

What new author have you recently signed?

Last year I signed two new American Romance authors—Lisa Ruff, whose first book is called Man of the Year and is on shelves in June 2008 and Trish Milburn, whose book, A Firefighter in the Family, is out in September 2008. Be sure to check them out!

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking to break into your house?

I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to do your research. Find the line or imprint you like and get a sense of the type of stories that are being published. Read the line. You need to decide where your voice and your story fits.

Best of luck to all, and happy writing!

Thanks Johanna.

Check out Harlequin’s website at www.eHarlequin.com

Interview With Leah Hultenschmidt

I’d like to welcome our guest editor today, Leah Hultenschmidt. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

What exciting new projects are happening over at Dorchester Publishing?

Oh my gosh, where to start? We’re always hopping with new projects, so this is a toughie.

Some new authors you’re definitely going to want to try this year include New York Times bestseller C.L. Wilson with her super debut Lord of the Fading Lands and Lady of Light and Shadows. And when you feel like you’re going to go through withdrawal waiting for C.L.’s next books, we have Kathryne Kennedy’s spectacular Enchanting the Lady, which author Erin Grady has described as “the imagination of J.K. Rowling combined with the romance of Julie Garwood.” And J.D. Warren brings us a wild paranormal romantic adventure in Bedlam, Bath & Beyond.

Plus, the high-action Shomi line has its three newest titles coming out, American Title winner Jenny Gardiner makes her debut with Sleeping With Ward Cleaver, and Marjorie Liu has her latest in the Dirk & Steele series with The Last Twilight.

Can you give us a little history about Dorchester Publishing?

Dorchester is the oldest independent mass-market publisher in North America. We specialize in genre fiction – Romance, Westerns, Horror, and Thrillers. Our imprints include Leisure Books, Love Spell, Making It, Shomi and Hard Case Crime. For more, visit http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/about.cfm.

What are your top five pet peeves a new writer makes?

I’m not sure about coming up with five, but all it takes is one or two. Mostly, it’s that they let the pacing fall. If you can keep me reading, you’ve got a great shot at getting an offer.

What are your top five pet peeves a published author makes?

Again, I don’t think I really have five. It kind of takes a lot of peeve me. But I’d say a big one in this category is that sometimes an author who already has a contract gets a little comfortable and the level of writing isn’t up to par with the book that got her published in the first place. Fortunately, my authors are pretty good about *not* doing this. Mostly because they probably know I won’t let them get away with it. I’d rather have a good book turned in late than a messy one that meets its deadline.

What old trend or new trend do you see in publishing for Dorchester?

I think writers are going to continue to mix genres in bold new ways, like with historical paranormals, mystery romances, and romance with high fantasy. I noticed before the New Year that I was getting a lot of submissions with demons. It seems that demons are the new vampires. But once you know about a trend, it’s already in its peak. So the best thing to do is be aware of the market, but write what interests you most.

What catches your eye in a new writer’s work?

Before I read a word of the sample pages, I’m looking in the cover letter to see if the author’s idea is something new and different. Is the story interesting? And then, can it keep my interest? And then, do the characters have depth? Would I want to read more about these people? Do I care what happens to them? If you can get a ‘yes’ to all those questions, I’ll probably buy the book.

For the submission process, what do you want from an author? What is your response time?

My ideal submission is a cover letter that tells me the genre, the word count, and brief plot description; a 3-7 page synopsis covering all the major plot points; and a brilliant first three chapters that leaves me begging for the rest of the manuscript because I NEED to know what happens next. It typically takes about 4-6 months for a response, unless we can see right away that the work is something we don’t publish. The “no” responses are much faster. ;-) Also note that we accept agented and unagented submissions.

What new author have you recently signed?

I work with a lot of new authors. Some new ones to check out this summer include: Trish Albright, Siren's Song (July) – This is an adventure-filled historical, and it immediately reminded me of “The Princess Bride” crossed with “Zorro,” and maybe a little “Pirates of the Caribbean” thrown in for good measure.

Angie Fox, The Accidental Demon Slayer (August) – Stephanie Rowe, Michelle Rowan and Tate Hallaway have all already given this book some great quotes, so if you like their light paranormals, I’m betting you’ll like Angie’s too. The heroine’s voice is incredibly engaging, as is the most hilarious Jack Russell terrier I’ve ever seen.

Alissa Johnson, As Luck Would Have It (October) – I just fell in love with the characters in this Regency-set book, not only the main protagonists, but all their friends as well. Like Julia Quinn or Eloisa James, Alissa has created this wonderfully romantic world that I never want to leave.

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking to break into your house?

Our editors judge a lot of contests. Both Angie’s and Trish’s books were bought from contests I judged. That can be a great way to break in—and faster than the slush pile!

Thanks Leah!

Check out Dorchester's Website at: http://www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/about.cfm.

Interview with Erin C. Niumata

I’d like to welcome our guest editor today, Erin C. Niumata with Avalon Books. It’s a pleasure having you come visit us at Much Cheaper Than Therapy, where chocolate is plentiful and advice is free. So grab some chocolate and a lounge chair. Your therapy session has begun.

What exciting new projects are happening over at Avalon Books?

We’re always excited about our upcoming books. We have several new Carolyn Brown, Holly Jacobs and Amanda Harte romances coming out as well as a few Kent Conwell mystery and westerns coming up.

Can you give us a little history about Avalon?

Avalon Books has been publishing books for the library market for fifty-five years. We started by publishing sci-fi and westerns. Nursing novels were added in the sixties which evolved into romances. Now we publish 60 books a year, 10 books every two months: 4 contemporary romances, 2 historical romances, 2 mysteries and 2 westerns.

What are your top five pet peeves a new writer makes?

*Not knowing your subject (ie writing about a city they’ve never visited)
*Ignoring editorial advice
*Creating false friction or unbelievable tension between characters
*Scooby-do endings in mysteries – the big confession instead of a good solid ending
*Too many subplots
*Trying to write too much to create drama which takes away from the main story

What are your top five pet peeves a published author makes?

*Selling to another publisher ;-)
*Writing a book almost identical to the one I just published
*Not listening to editorial advice
*Making outrageous demands
*Sending in a first draft instead of a polished manuscript

What old trend or new trend do you see in publishing for Avalon?

Avalon has a formula that works well for us but we’re always looking for something new and fun to publish. We have a few romantic comedies coming out and we’d like to publish more of them. But for now you can guarantee that all our forthcoming books are true to Avalon style.

What catches your eye in a new writer’s work?

Great writing and a new idea. In romance – when they can really capture that feeling of new love – the excitement, the anticipation – that’s hard to do so when I see a new writer who has ‘it’ I’m ready to fork over a contract and start working with them.

For the submission process, what do you want from an author ?

The first three chapters and a brief 2-3 page synopsis.

What is your response time?

For queries about 2 weeks. For full manuscripts about six months.

What new author have you recently signed?

Deborah Mazoyer and Shelly Mosley writing as Deborah Shelley, Jennifer Lawler, Loretta Rogers, Betty Archer Liddington

What new project made you grab that hidden piece of chocolate in your pencil drawer?

Carolyn Brown’s new five book series that I’m about to sign up. And a few other surprises!

Any other chocolate nuggets you can give authors looking to break into your house?

I like well written sweet romances that touch the heart and/or funny bone. Old themes with a new twist are always good to read, and new ideas are always welcome. We’re not afraid to take on new writers and work with them, we are small enough to groom novice writers with potential. We love unpublished authors and hope to make their dreams of publishing come true.
Thanks, Erin!

Thank you!

Check out Avalon Books Web site at www.avalonbooks.com