Seducing Charlotte, my debut novel which releases this month, was the second-place finisher in RT Book Reviews’ “Writing With the Stars” contest in 2011.

After five rounds of competition, online voting at RT Book Reviews determined the winner. It was an exciting and stressful time. Out of 10 finalists, I tied for second place in the international competition.  Not bad!

Seducing Charlotte has enjoyed success in other contests as well, including:

1st Place, 2010 Put Your Heart in a Book,  (New Jersey Romance Writers)

1st Place, 2010 Best Break-Up Contest, (Alaska Romance Writers)

1st Place, 2010 Duel on the Delta (River City Romance Writers)

Finalist, 2010 Orange Rose Contest (Orange County Romance Writers)

Finalist, 2010 Heart to Heart Contest (San Francisco Romance Writers)

Finalist, 2009 TARA Contest (Tampa Area Romance Writers)

That’s me above with one of my all-time favorite authors, Madeline Hunter, who judged Seducing Charlotte in the New Jersey Romance Writers’ Put Your Heart in a Book contest, where it took first place.

I’m can’t wait to hear what readers think.  You’ll have the opportunity to reach your own conclusions when Seducing Charlotte releases later this month!

I have some incredibly exciting news to share!

RT Book Reviews announced today that my manuscript, Seducing Charlotte, has made it to the fourth round of Kensington/RT’s Writing with the Stars contest. I am now one of four finalists left in the competition. That’s just one round away from the final and a possible book deal. The person who receives the most online votes wins a book contract from Kensington.

THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED. I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORT! 

Voting is now under way for Round 4: Best Secondary Character. Here is my entry:

SECONDARY CHARACTER: His was a masculine face etched in hard lines. Not particularly handsome, the duke possessed sharp-cut features which hinted of menace. He wore his black hair long, tying it fastidiously back at the nape of his neck. Though terribly out of fashion, the style somehow seemed to suit him, even as it emphasized the unforgiving angles of his profile. Everything about Hartwell, from the magnificent way he carried himself to his impeccable grooming, suggested a man of consequence. He managed to exude an air of command and abundance of charisma by simply walking across the room. Willa obviously adored him, but Charlotte felt distinctly uneasy in his presence.

MENTOR MARY WINE COMMENTS: This really grabbed my attention. There were only a few adjustments here because after reading this description I found a picture of this man in my imagination and I so want to know if Willa can knock him out of his polished shoes.

JUDGE’S TAKE:  I can totally picture Hartwell here. I am guessing that he is generally a “good” character despite that hint of menace in his features. Actually, that hint of menace is one of the things that makes him interesting, instead of coming across like stock-titled man No. 4. Hartwell has a hero’s air about him in this description — he isn’t without flaw but the flaws you describe are ones that readers generally accept with their protagonists. It makes me wonder if he is being groomed to be the hero of another book. Even if he is, don’t be afraid to throw an elbow with a more wildly swinging character trait or two. You might be able to make this character 10 times juicier if you toss in a new angle … like this is his first appearance in society after being released from prison two days earlier. You don’t want your secondary characters to steal the story from your protagonists of course, but it is food for thought.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2011 is a positive and fruitful year for you.

When it comes to writing, 2010 was an amazing year for me. One of the top highlights was finalling in BRAVA/RT’s Writing with the Stars contest. Kensington editors Alicia Condon and Megan Records selected the 10 finalists for the online voting contest. To have an editor at a publishing house select my work out of all the entries was great validation.

The contest is ongoing. Today, Sunday, Jan. 2, is the last day to vote in Round 3. I hope you’ll take a moment to check it out and will consider voting for my entry, Seducing Charlotte, a historical romance set against the backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. 



Me with Madeline Hunter at the NJ PYHIAB conference

 I also attended my first writers’ conference in 2010. Seducing Charlotte placed first in the New Jersey Romance Writers Put Your Heart in a Book contest.

I was thrilled that one of my favorite authors, Madeline Hunter, was among the judges. I met Ms. Hunter at the conference and she was lovely – amazingly generous. I ran into her in the lobby and she spent a good 45 minutes discussing my writing with me. I learned so much about plot, conflict and layering from both our discussion and the workshop she presented at the conference. As a result of that discussion, I’ve gone back and started revamping the first manuscript I ever wrote, Compromising Willa, which placed 2nd in the PYHIAB contest. It’s already a much better manuscript.

If you’re an aspiring writer, I strongly suggest you try to make it to one of the chapter conferences. They are well worth it.     


I got this saucy apple green cover with my Kindle.


I also became a Kindle-ista in 2010. I received a Kindle for my birthday and never looked back. I wavered on whether I wanted the e-reader – it made me feel a little unfaithful to traditional books. But now I enjoy both e-books and tree books. I still haven’t discovered how to lend an e-book to a friend but I hope to figure it out in 2011.   

I actually launched this blog in 2010 – as a result of the Writing with the Stars contest. It’s been a lot of fun. I’ve tried to provide interesting information about publishing, the romance industry and just reading in general.

I plan to continue blogging away into 2011. Happy New Year and I hope you’ll be back to visit often!