The Golden Claddagh

Enter Celtic Hearts Romance Writers Chapter contest The Golden Claddagh!

We have four categories for unpublished authors and published authors with unpublished  manuscripts.

* Historical
* Fantasy-Futuristic-Paranormal
* Contemporary
* Young Adult/New Adult

Our contest due date is May 10th. Finalists will be notified by June 15th and winners notified by August 1st–Winners will be announced at the CHRW Annual General Meeting at RWA National Convention in San Antonio, TX in July 2014.

Eligibility

The competition is open to RWA members ONLY.

Manuscripts must be unpublished and un-contracted in any form, including self-publishing. The manuscript rights must belong to the author and be available to contract, should a final judge wish to offer publication.

The GC entry must be a full-length novel (more than 40K). Novellas or Short stories will not be accepted.

Manuscripts must be completed by the time results are returned. Entrant must retain all rights to the entry and not have granted any of them to a publisher or any other party by the contest entry deadline.

If your manuscript is accepted for publication during the time of our contest (dates will be specified) you must notify the contest coordinator; your submission(s) will be withdrawn from consideration and your entry fee(s) returned.

Please Note:

• Previously entered manuscripts may be entered again, but no previous winningmanuscript shall be re-entered, even if revised.
• You may submit multiple entries so long as you pay an entry fee and submit a completed entry form for each submission.
• You may not enter the same manuscript in more than one category. *Entry fee per entry: $10.00 CHRW members and $15.00 non-member CHRWA members.

CHRW reserves the right to discard all electronic entries and return fees if a minimum number of three (3) entries are not received in any category. Entrants will be contacted before the entries are returned and given the option to place their entry in another category if it is eligible. We may also refuse an entry that does not follow the rules stated here in the guidelines.

All Payments are Electronic through PayPal. The easy link is here:

If you wish to go directly to PayPal, please use Paypal address: treasurer@celtichearts.org

Entry fee: $10.00 CHRW members and $15.00 non-member CHRWA members.

All entries will be read and scored for the first round by two trained judges and one published author, and the lowest score dropped. The three entries with the highest total scores in each category will move to the final round. An editor/agent will judge the final round and select a winner from the finalists in each category.

Categories:

Future, Fantasy & Paranormal: Romance novel where the mains focus is on the romantic relationship, but the future, fantasy or paranormal elements are integral to the story (includes time-travel).

Contemporary: Includes, single title, long and short romantic fiction with a contemporary setting set after 1945. Main focus is the romantic relationship between the hero and heroine.

Historical: Romance novel set primarily before 1945 — any location. Please specify your time period and setting in your entry.

Young Adult/New Adult:  Romance novels in which young adult or new adult themes constitute an integral part of the plot. *Romance subplot not required*

 

Entries

Entry Composition: No Synopsis required! Your entry must have the following:

1.     An email “cover page” which includes the author’s real name, address, telephone number(s), e-mail address, submission title, category, manuscript word count and PayPal confirmation # should be submitted in text of the e-mail. Do not include the cover page in the same attachment as your manuscript.

2.     The beginning of your manuscript, including prologue, cannot exceed thirty (30) pages. Standard manuscript format must be followed:

• 1 inch margins
• Double spaced in a standard font and size 12-point.
• The TITLE of the manuscript, the category, and any subcategory should be placed on the top left hand side of the entry. The PAGE NUMBER should be on the top right side of the entry.
• We will not accept entries that have colored, or designer fonts. DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR NAME ON THE MANUSCRIPT.

3. Manuscript must be in a .doc or .rtf file format.

NOTE: Your entry must not exceed thirty (30) pages total.

 

SUBMIT ENTRIES TO:

Contemporary Category - contempcat@celtichearts.org

FFP Category - ffpcat@celtichearts.org

Historical Category - historicalcat@celtichearts.org

Young Adult/New Adult Category - yacat@celtichearts.org

 

Final Round Judges

FF&P

Angela James – Carina Press
Kerry Buckley – Carina Press
TBA

Historical

Laurie McLean – Forward Literary, Inc
Beth Miller – Writers House
Leis Pederson – Berkley Publishing

Contemporary

Julie Mianecki – Penguin Books
Alissa Davis – Carina Press
Elizabeth Bistrow – Penguin Books

Young Adult/New Adult

Nicole Fischer – Avon Press
TBA

 

Awards

The FIRST PLACE winners in each category will receive a $50 dollar cash prize and a commemorative pin.

The SECOND and THIRD PLACE winners in each category will receive free workshops through Celtic Hearts Romance Writers.

Questions

For questions please contact the contest chair, Alisa Walker at: contests@celtichearts.org

 Thank you!

My Soul's Dark Journey into Night -- I mean Rewrites

Hello Fierce Friends,
Bet you thought I had disappeared into the dark void called DEADLINE HELL. Well, you were right. That's exactly where I have been. The thing about writing a book and actually turning it into your publisher is that, well, that's not the end of it.

After 1 - 4 months, your editor calls and tells you everything that's wrong with it and everything you screwed up. Which is good, because no writer worth her salt wants a book to go to press in less than perfect condition, right? This is the time in the process where your editor can tell you what she didn't like about the details over which you have opened a vein nightly.

My editor always has great suggestions and observations, so when she sent me my rewrites, I eagerly read her thoughts. In this case, my editor felt that my characters needed tweaking. After thinking about it, I agreed. They needed a little slapping around by their Creator (me). No problem, I can handle this. And, oh yeah, she doesn’t like the ending. And the rewrites are due back in a week.

Now, let me pause to say that if I had a normal life, this might not be a problem. But I don't. My life is a roller coaster of fast-paced ups and downs, sparks and surprises, the likes of which you have never seen, usually punctuated by sudden crises on the level of a devastating volcanic eruption. So okay, one week.

After informing my editor that there is no way in Hades that I can change the ending in a week, I proceed to spend the next week doing the rewrites. I do not sleep. I do not eat. I do not watch All My Children or The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I write. I agonize. I change my book.

Okay, so the rewrites are finally done, with no loss of life or limb. I send them into my editor. Whew. That's done, right? Ah, not so fast grasshopper. You see, now I must wait with baited breath for the copyedits, which is when my original manuscript is mailed back to me with indescipherable little bits of code written all over the pages in blue or green pencil (as well as suggestions as to how I can make my writing better by implementing some of their word choices and italicized nouns).

I have two weeks to do the copy edits, which is more reasonable, if you have a normal life, which, as I indicated above, I do not. But I plow into it, determined to finish by the deadline. Now, let me pause here and explain that this is only the second book I have written for this publisher, and my previous publisher didn't supply copy edits. At that house, I got rewrites and that was it until the galleys arrived. So, as you can imagine, I was not, shall we say, knowledgeable about how to approach showing the changes in the pages of the manuscript. And unfortunately the MS didn't come back with a manual, just a brief note that said I "could" write on the pages of the manuscript. So I did.

I go without sleep. I go without food. I go without my daily soap. I go without The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Boston Legal, and Big Bang Theory. I am a good girl. 450 pages later, my writing hand is a pretzel, and the copy edits look like the aftermath of Sherman's March to the Sea. (Quick -- how many of you know this historical reference? Who was Sherman? Why did he march? Where was the sea? Why was the sea?) I'm almost finished, and the day before my manuscript is due, I get a call from my editor.

"Remember we talked about changing the ending?" she reminds me. Yeah, that was the change I couldn't do in a week, I remind her. Well, it's gotta be done. But the four days I'm given to REWRITE HALF MY BOOK is not enough time, for some reason that I can't explain.(Maybe it’s just me, I mean, go figure.)

So like any professional, I do what I must. I calmly, maturely, solemnly, call my agent and FREAK OUT!! After listening to my threats to hold the manuscript at gunpoint until I get more time, my agent (actually an angel on special assignment from Heaven) assures me she will help me. And she does, because, luckily for me, that's what she does. She helps me.

I get another week. And so the marathon begins. The new ending involves rewriting major plot points, which retroactively affects earlier parts of the book, and it is a grueling dissection. I feel very much like Dr. Frankenstein when he tried to stitch together different body parts and still end up with a living, breathing human being. Unfortunately, Dr. F ended up with a living, breathing monster, and as I worked all night, every night, (I did sleep a couple of hours a day) I began to fear that my creation would eventually end up being chased by villagers wielding pitchforks too.

Fortunately, this is not the case. Turns out my editor knew what she was talking about. The changes made the book better, stronger, snappier, sexier, and now with less carbs! Not that the woman at the mail stop would believe that. You see, I found out that I was supposed to "insert" major changes (changes of more than a page) into the actual manuscript. So my 450 page manuscript ended up being about 700 pages with all the changes. (Don’t worry – once they take out everything I crossed out, it’ll be back to 450.)

Quick now, for extra credit, does anyone out there know how much it costs to overnight Fed Ex a 10 pound manuscript to New York? In the immortal words of Danny Kaye in White Christmas, the price lies "Somewhere between 'Ouch' and 'BOING'"

As I slathered the outside of the box containing my precious manuscript with tape, the woman who worked at the mail place assured me that I didn't need to do that. She had placed one strip of tape across the top and one across the bottom, and that, she told me, would hold it "just fine".

I had the sudden mental image of my package being tossed between two husky Fed Ex guys and one of them fumbling the catch. The box hits the ground, bursts, (due to a lack of tape) and the pages of my manuscript are scattered across the floor of the Fed Ex receiving center in St. Louis, Missouri. The two guys are scrambling to pick up all the papers, when suddenly, the huge door at the end of the warehouse-like building begins to open. The two Fed Ex guys freeze as beams of sunlight shoot into their dark little piece of personal hell, and a tiny breath of air touches the edge of one paper. Then another. Then--whoops--it's a Midwest twister, whaddaya know, and it sweeps into the warehouse, picks up the pages of my manuscript (and the Fed Ex guys) and carries them out the doorway and into oblivion.

I turn back to the mail lady with a grim smile. "I'll feel better with a little more tape," I tell her. She smirks. I resist the urge to deck her. Instead, I concentrate on making sure the box containing my masterpiece is more secure than Mona Lisa in the Louvre. It's done. I breathe a sigh of relief, and then bite my lip as the smirky woman takes the package from me and tosses it into a bin where other, lesser taped boxes reside.

I walk out the door and blink. The sun is shining. There's a nice breeze. Not a twister in sight. My book is finished. I can live again. I go home. I begin to breathe, slow, deep breaths that fill my lungs. A tentative smile crosses my face. I open my laptop and check my email, just for fun, you know? Nothing pressing anymore. Oh, look, there's an email from my editor.

"Dear Tess," it reads. "Got the manuscript. Thanks so much. When will you have the next book finished?"

I stare at the computer. Slowly I log out of my email. I shut down my laptop. I close it. I pick up the remote control to the TV. I turn on my Tivo. 5 unwatched episodes of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I click the remote. Sarah Conner is kicking some Terminator butt. I smile.

**If you would like to make Tess Mallory's Painful Journey Toward The Completion of HIGHLAND REBEL all worthwhile (she does it all for you!) help her become a best-selling author by pre-ordering her newest book at amazon.com **

Why Judge Writer's Contests?

I received a questionaire last night asking me why I judge writer's contests, how many, etc. And it gave me pause.
Why judge unpublished and published authors' contests?

I average 7 a year. Would be more if I volunteered for all the requests I receive for them. I'm a sucker when a chapter I've judged for asks me personally. I've been getting better at ignoring some of the ones that are mass mailing requests. The reason? It takes time judging contests. Lots of time. Particularly when it's for published authors' books and you have to read 5 or 6 whole book, rather than 25-30 pages per entry for 5 or 6 authors.

So why judge? The satisfaction of giving back to the writing community. I want to help others, who may have the chance to get their manuscripts before an editor or agent that they might not otherwise. To share some advice if a writer needs some help.

And often, I find wonderful stories that I hope I'll be able to read in print some day. One I fell in love with recently is now an American Title finalist and her manuscript is still in the running. I can't wait to read her book one of these days. Another was a published author's work that I probably would never have checked out, but I love her stories and she's made a fan of me. Just because I read it in a contest.

So why judge contests? To find new authors whose books I want to read, to help the beginning writer to succeed, and helping writing chapters out that need my help, but also, sometimes looking at a manuscript, I will see what works and what doesn't, which helps to remind me what makes a story riveting, that I want to read without putting down until the very last page.

USA Today National Bestselling author, Joy Nash

I'm privileged to announce USA Today National Bestselling author, Joy Nash, shared a little about herself with our readers—and what a success story. Learn how she did it!

She is the award-winning author of historical, paranormal, and contemporary romance fiction with Celtic, magic, fantasy, futuristic, romantic and sensual themes. My first chance to read one of her books was during a Romance Writers of America contest, Celtic Fire, and I was hooked. Now, all her books have a special place in my heart and truly are keepers. Her new book, Deep Magic, is now available everywhere! Read the excerpt of the second book in Joy's Druids of Avalon series, and order it online today!

Thanks so much, Joy, for taking the time to share with us today.

1. Can you tell us a little about your latest release?
Certainly! My latest book, Deep Magic, was released on Jan 2, 2008. Deep Magic is the second book in my Druids of Avalon series, which has been compared by reviewers to Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon and Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy. The Druids of Avalon series follows the lives of the Druid ancestors of King Arthur, as they struggle to pave the path for the great future king. Deep Magic, in which I tell my own version of how the great sword Excalibur was forged, follows the first book in the Druids series, The Grail King.

DEEP MAGIC... After generations of persecution, Britain's Druids have returned to Avalon, conjuring a magical mist to shield their illegal haven from Roman eyes. When a rogue Roman sorcerer threatens the isle's secrecy, Gwendolyn, the chosen successor to Avalon's Guardian, turns to forbidden Deep Magic in an effort to save the Druids from discovery. Crucial to her plans is Marcus Aquila, the handsome Roman blacksmith who once saved her life. But Gwen, a shapeshifter, cannot fully control the wolf that hides in her soul. The beast threatens the tentative love she and Marcus have forged. And what of the sword of Deep Magic they’ve created together...will it be Avalon's salvation...or its downfall?

You can read an excerpt of Deep Magic on my website, http://www.joynash.com/. Or you can listen to a podcast of me reading a different excerpt on Dorchester Publishing's website http://www.dorchesterpub.com/ !

2. What's coming up next?
Right now I'm hard at work finishing the urban fantasy Immortals: The Crossing. The Immortals series is a multi-author series I've co-authored with Jennifer Ashley and Robin Popp. The first round of Immortals books were released in 2007 – and all four titles became USA Today Bestsellers! Now four new Immortals books -- three full length novels and an anthology (with one full length book and one novella from each Immortals author) will be released beginning September 2008. Immortals: The Crossing (Oct 08), features the Sidhe demigod Mac, a very popular secondary character from my first Immortals book, Immortals: The Awakening. To keep up on Immortals happening, visit http://www.immortals-series.com/



3. Share with us how you felt when you learned you made the USA Today National Bestselling list.
The Awakening is the third book in the Immortals series. After Jennifer's The Calling and Robin's The Darkening each hit the USA Today list, I was on pins and needles waiting for my sales figures. I really didn't want to let the team down by tanking! Especially with JK Rowling taking up about twenty bestseller slots with her seven Harry Potter books in various incarnations . Luckily, The Awakening came through for us, as did Jennifer's finale, The Gathering. I was ecstatic, of course, and probably just as relieved.

4. Have you used a critique group? What are the benefits?
Yes, I've been in a critique group since I joined RWA in 2001. After a few false starts, I teamed up with two wonderful authors, Donna Birdsell and Anita Nolan. None of us were published when we began critiquing. Donna is now multi-published, with books from Berkley Sensation and Harlequin NEXT. Anita is now pursuing publication for middle grade readers, and has published educational short historical fiction as part of a middle grade history textbook series. I highly recommend critique partners. They keep you honest! They will tell you if some plot point's not working, and they'll catch all kinds of inconsistencies you've missed, even after your fifteenth read through. Often, authors are just too close to their own work to be able to see the story objectively, through a reader's eye.

5. What is your writing space like? Do you write at a desk? Somewhere else? Listen to music? Have to have no distractions?
If I had to write at a desk, I wouldn't have finished my first book! I write on a laptop computer, while sitting on the living room couch (you know, the one in the room near the front door that no one ever uses). Often, my dog is curled up at the end of the couch. The coffee table is my desk, supporting my feet and all the notes I've written to myself. I never listen to music while writing – I find it distracting. When I first started, I needed absolute silence (and preferably an empty house), but now I can filter out most background noise, like the TV in the family room, and the normal noise generated by three teens/preteens. But I do have a set of noise-cancelling headphones, and I'm not afraid to use them!

6. What is the message you'd like to share with your readers?
That there will always be real life heroes—men and women who face external foes, and their own weaknesses, with honor and optimism. They may not be fighting to save the world, like the heroes in a novel, but they are fighting for a piece of their own world. For their marriage and family, or for a child's future, for the good of their community or country, or to defeat an illness, or to just do their job honestly and as well as they can. And that love is always a part of that struggle. The heroes in books may be larger than life, but the inspiration for those characters are everywhere around us.

7. Do you feel contests helped you in making it where you are today? Why or why not?
Yes, I definitely do. I first entered contests in order to get honest critiques – and mostly that was worthwhile, especially the painful critiques from knowledgeable judges who ruthlessly pointed out my weaknesses. Of course, there were a few downers – here and there I encountered a less-than-tactful judges whose subjective comments made my blood pressure skyrocket! The first manuscript I sent out on the contest circuit had fair results, especially after a good number of rewrites. It was the second manuscript, however, that hit paydirt. Celtic Fire did extremely well in contests in 2003/2004. I was somewhat of a contest slut....ahem diva...but the effort paid off – Celtic Fire became a 2004 Golden Heart finalist. As a result, I had numerous requests from publishers, and the manuscript ended up selling to Dorchester. I used to joke that if all the judges that ever read the first chapters of Celtic Fire in a contest actually went out and bought it, that the book would hit the NY Times list!

8. When did you start writing and what gets you through the rough times, if any?
I always fooled around with writing a book, but I really started writing seriously in 2001. It was one of those silver lining things. In autumn of 2000, I came down with a flu that never went away – it turned into a case of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome that took almost four years to completely heal. The first year was particularly bad. I struggled to take care of my three young children, and had no energy for anything else that involved moving around. Funny thing about CFS is, you're extremely fatigued, but it's also hard to sleep. So I read a lot of books, and eventually started writing my own, mostly to get my mind off of worrying if I was every going to be able to walk a mile without needed to lie down for three hours afterward. So actually, it's the writing that gets me through the rough times. Writing is fun. I never get tired of it, though I do sometimes get distracted by all the other things in my life. My trick is to write in the morning, first thing after the kids leave for school. If I put it off, sometimes my pages don't get done.

9. What was your happiest moment as far as writing goes?
I probably screamed the loudest when I learned Celtic Fire was a Golden Heart Finalist. Selling Celtic Fire to Dorchester was also a high point. But I'd have to say that Immortals: The Awakening hitting the USA Today list has been my biggest thrill.

10. What advice can you give to readers?
The same advice I give my children – concentrate on creating and spreading goodwill, and break the karma of the bad by not passing it along to the next person when it hits you.

Wow, Joy, this is an incredible story. I’ve never heard of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, but what a journey! And to think that horrible flu was the beginning of a successful line of books that capture the reader’s heart. Thanks so much for sharing your story with us!! And anyone who has a yearning to read the kind of stories that will keep you hooked to the page until the very end, check out Joy’s work. I’m sold!

Terry Spear
http://www.terryspear.com/
Sold!!! Don't Cry Wolf, sequel to Heart of the Wolf