Working With Your Editor

I’ve been fortunate to have worked with some really excellent editors. After the last round of edits I went through, I started to wonder what’s it’s like for them to work with us. What makes a writer someone they enjoy working with, and what are their pet peeves? So I asked three of my editors for their input and they graciously replied.

Jude Glad is an editor with Uncial Press and has edited three of my books. Sarah Hanson edits the Faery Rose line for The Wild Rose Press, and Nan Swanson edits the Vintage Line, also with The Wild Rose Press. All three have helped bring out the best writer in me. I started out by asking them a few questions:

Jana: Talk about the ideal author to work with. What sort of qualities would he/she have?

Jude Glad: First of all, a great story teller. Small writing problems can be fixed, but if a story isn't a grabber, there's not much you can do about it. Someone with a good handle on the language (it would be nice if she knew what a past participle is, for instance), and a large vocabulary (there are lots of better words than 'looked'). A nitpicker, who catches inconsistencies before she sends in her manuscript. And finally, someone who thinks we are the best publisher in the world.

Sara Hanson: I prefer an open relationship with an author. I like to keep the line of communication open. Be willing to ask questions and make comments. I don't bite, really! Every author has their quirks, but it is nice when they are willing to compromise and keep their sense of humor.

Nan Swanson: LOL. The ideal author would submit a perfectly crafted, spell-checked, grammatically correct manuscript, of course! Aside from that, he/she would pleasantly agree to whatever changes or corrections the editor, the copy editor, or the publishing company would require, happily accept the cover provided, and refrain from asking to have the release date set at a certain time in order to meet requirements for a contest or award. Naturally, all the authors I’ve worked with have had these qualities, you understand.

Jana: Have you ever turned down an author because they were too difficult to work with? Has an author ever refused to do requested revisions?

Jude Glad: So far we've not encountered anyone too difficult to work with (knock wood).

We've been extraordinarily fortunate in our authors, who are all wonderful.

I've heard horror stories... Yes, one author did refuse to make revisions, and we released her from her contract.

Sarah Hanson: Not solely on the basis of being too difficult. Certainly, it makes me think twice. The manuscript had better be darn near perfect, because I would rather not deal with tantrums. I get enough of that at home! As for refusing to do requested revisions, not after contract. If there are major revisions, I usually make myself clear and ask for those prior to contracting. It's a way to see how willing that author will be to work with me and help me perfect their product. I have made suggested revisions prior to contract and had them refuse. And that's okay, hopefully someone else's vision will match theirs.

Nan Swanson: Whether an author is difficult to work with is (a) not immediately apparent, and (b) not a criteria in evaluating his/her manuscript. I’ve never had an author refuse to do requested revisions, but some don’t seem to read my comments and suggestions thoroughly and do only a partial job, or they will apply what I’ve said to only the first part of the manuscript and leave the last half full of the same errors as before. However, an author is free to use my suggestions or improve upon them, or to keep their writing as it was originally—the work is the author’s and my job is simply to help polish, to point out possible ways to better the writing and make the story ready to hit the reader as the best she’s ever experienced.

Jana: What's your biggest pet peeve about authors?

Jude Glad: Pretty much my biggest pet peeve about anyone who emails me with silly questions instead of looking the answers up herself.

Sarah Hanson: Not listening or making an attempt to understand. I spend a lot of time explaining and showing what needs to be done, and if you send me something back that doesn't reflect that, it makes me feel as if you are wasting everyone's time. As I said earlier: if you don't get it, ask. I am always willing to explain further. Talk to me!

Nan Swanson: My biggest pet peeve about authors? Hmm. That they are so doggone likable it’s hard to tell them we are not able to accept their manuscripts for whatever reasons! About their work, probably it’s misuse of words and language, whether malaprops or homonyms or current slang given to characters of a hundred years ago.

Jana: If you had one piece of advice for authors on how to successfully work with their editor, what would it be?

Jude Glad: Meet deadlines. Ours do (knocking wood again), but I worked for another publisher a few years ago. There was this author who not only didn't meet her deadlines, she would go for weeks without checking her email. I'm a finisher-ahead-of-time, so people who put off until the last minute and apologize for being late make me crazy.

Sarah Hanson: Be flexible. Sometimes what you want won't work, and sometimes what I want won't either, but together we may craft a solution that is even better.

Nan Swanson: Consider every suggestion and every correction, even when you disagree with it, as something done to help you have a better manuscript, as a gift toward polishing your work to perfection.

Jana: Anything else you’d like to add?

Jude Glad: One more thing. Each house has certain styles, and sometimes ours will not agree with what an author learned elsewhere. We are fairly strict about certain things, but open to discussion about pretty much everything else. When an author disagrees with me, I ask her to tell me why, because it's her story, not mine. "I wrote it that way and I like it that way" isn't a good enough reason, but "I want to create a certain mood, and using those words will help" is.

Jana: Thanks ladies! I appreciate you stopping by and telling us a little about what’s it’s like to be an editor.

The editors promised to stop by and answer any questions you may have so ask away.

What's in a (Pen) Name?

When I sold my first book, my publisher asked me if I wanted to write under my own name or a pen name. I thought about it for a while and decided I wanted the privacy that a pen name would give me. If at some point I wanted to write non-fiction, like magazine articles, I could still do so under my own name. 

I probably didn’t think as carefully as I should have before choosing my pen name. For instance, I discovered a writer with a very similar name at one of my publishers, and there’s an obstetrician in Chicago named Jana Richards. I probably should have done some research, and maybe written this article before I made my decision. But better late than never. If I decide in the future that I need another pen name I’ll be prepared!

So, when should you adopt a pen name?

According to Vicki Britton in her article “When to Use a Pen Name”, you might want to consider a pen name if you have a hard to spell or pronounce name, or if your name evokes unwanted associations. “If your name is Lieverwich Kowazinsky it would be wise to shorten it to Larry Kowan or something readers could readily remember and spell. If you write romance and your name is Ima Hogg it might be best to assume a name that conjures up a more pleasurable image.” The same is true if your real name is the same as another famous writer or an infamous person, such as a serial killer.

If you’re writing in a field mainly dominated by members of the opposite sex, you probably should use a pen name. For instance, men who write romance generally use female or androgynous pen names. Authors who collaborate on a book will need a pen name. Moira Allen gives the example her article “Should you use a Pseudonym?” of Robert Silverberg and Randall Garrett who collaborated under the name "Robert Randall."

Another good reason for using a pen name is if your reputation in your day job may be affected by your writing. For example, a professor of English literature who writes commercial genre fiction may want to use a pen name to keep her two worlds separate.

Many authors assume a pen name when they begin to write in another genre. In her article in the May 2010 Romance Writer Report, Colleen Gleason, who also writes as Joss Ware and Colette Gale, gives the example of Nora Roberts: “Oftentimes, the name change is a sales and marketing tactic, in order to facilitate a new brand or image. Even Nora Roberts took a new name when she moved into writing the In Death series as J.D. Robb.” Gleason says that when she changed publishers and genres there was “an obvious reason to change… Avon wanted to release my series fresh and as a debut.”

A mid-list author or an author previously published with a small publishing house may be asked to take a pen name when she receives a new contract with a big publisher. Sometimes the best thing to do is to wipe out the old track record and start over, in order to establish a new and bigger brand.

When is it not a good idea to use a pen name?

If you want a pen name because you don’t like your own name or you want something more exotic, it’s probably not a good idea. Editors aren’t impressed by cutesy pen names. Worse, a bad pen name may make you appear amateurish, and you run the risk of not being taken seriously by editors and agents. In her article “How to Choose a Pen Name” Jamie Hall related this story:  “On a writer's bulletin board I frequented, one writer was talking about adopting the pen name "Rogue Storm." This is a prime example of a name that is too showy. Fortunately, many other members of the board soon told this writer to skip it (one biting comment said "Rogue Storm is fine... as long as you're two different X-men at the same time").”

For the most part, these days there is no reason to change your name because of gender or ethnicity, although Moira Allen writes that this decision is best left to the individual writer and his/her experiences.

If you don’t want to use your real name because you don’t want your family or co-workers to know you’re writing about them, you need to know that writing under a pen name doesn’t protect you from charges of libel or slander. And if you want to use a pen name because you’re ashamed of what you’re writing, perhaps it would be best to change your writing instead of changing your name.

How should you choose your pen name?

Jamie Hall gives the following advice in “How to Choose a Pen Name”:

-          Choose a pen name that is easy to remember and spell and doesn’t have too many syllables. She suggests a first name with two syllables and a last name with one syllable.

-          Choose a last name in the first part of the alphabet. Hall claims that most best-sellers don’t have names that end in N-Z. However, there are exceptions to every rule. Nora Roberts comes to mind.

-          Check out the name you’ve chosen on Amazon.com to make sure someone isn’t already using it, or something similar. You might want to search Facebook as well. That’s how I found out about the obstetrician in Chicago. Do a Google search. If it’s too common a name Google may put you well down the list.

-          Try out a pen name on the Internet for awhile. Hall said she tested out a previous pen name in chat rooms, and found that people were not only getting the spelling wrong, but they were confusing her with a famous actress with the same last name. She eventually had to abandon that pen name, but at least she wasn’t stuck with it forever.

Do you use a pen name? Have you ever considered adopting one?

Writing Blurbs

I’m trying to write a blurb for “The Girl Most Likely” and it’s not going as well as I would like. So I dug out this post that I wrote for the Prairie Chicks Write Romance blog. Maybe it’ll give me some inspiration!

Picture this. You’re in a book store perusing the shelves, looking for some interesting reading.  As you thumb through the spines, an intriguing book cover catches your eye, so you pick it up to see if the book is by one of your favourite authors.  Even though the author is unfamiliar to you, you read the back cover copy, otherwise known as the blurb.  But the ho-hum blurb does not inspire you to read further, so you put the book back onto the shelf and move on. 

Another writer loses a sale.

According to Dan Poynter of Para Publishing, a writer has a very short timeframe to entice the reader to buy her book:

“Initially, all a potential buyer sees is the book’s spine. If the browser takes it down, he or she will gaze at the cover about four seconds and then flip the book over to read the back cover. On average, he or she will spend just seven seconds here so the trick is to keep them reading longer. Your copy has to be punchy and benefit-laden; it has to speak to the potential buyer.”

The blurb is vitally important in making a sale, whether in an electronic bookstore or in one made of bricks and mortar. But long before your book gets to the bookstore, your blurb will help get the attention of editors and agents.  Agent Kristin Nelson says the uniqueness of the blurb in a writer’s query letter is what helps her decide whether to ask for sample pages:

“Too often I see historical romance pitch copy that reads something like this: she’s desperate but the belle of the ball and he’s a rake. It’s too generic. I need some original element (character, plot device, etc.) to grab my interest or I’ll pass.”

After the book is published, your blurb can help get the attention of reviewers. Review site owner Marianne of Long and Short Reviews, says your blurb is often what persuades reviewers to select your book from a long list of others they have the choice of reading and reviewing:

“…when we offer books for review, we post the blurb in our reviews group -- that's what our reviewers have to go on, so make sure it's well-written.  That's what will sell your story the best -- both to my reviewers and to the world in general.”

Getting the blurb right is crucial.  Here are some tips to remember when writing blurbs:

1.       Don’t write a synopsis.  While a synopsis gives a brief summary of the entire novel, including beginning, middle and end, the blurb’s job is to intrigue readers into reading more, whether they are editors, agents, reviewers, or lovers of fiction. The blurb accomplishes this by giving the highlights, including the names of the main characters and their goals, conflicts and motivations.  In a suspense, show how the tension is rising.

2.      Don’t give away the game!  Never reveal the conclusion of your story and be careful not to reveal too much information.  A blurb walks a fine line between revealing just enough information to entice while not giving away too much of the story. But you definitely want the mood of the book to shine through in the blurb.

3.      Make em’ laugh, make em’ cry!  Use action verbs and keep the use of adjectives and adverbs to a minimum.  Emotive words give the blurb an emotional tug.  For instance, in my blurb for my novella “Flawless” I use phrases such as “passionate response” and “maelstrom of attraction” to convey the love story between Hunter and Madeleine.  With words such as “betrayed”, “survive”, and “revenge”, I hope to evoke the emotion of a suspenseful read.

4.      Keep it short!  In her article “Writing Great Blurbs”, Mayra Calvani says that blurbs should be no more than 100 to 250 words.  Often publishers want even shorter blurbs for back cover copy.  For example my publisher, The Wild Rose Press, (http://www.thewildrosepress.com ) requires no more than 100 to 150 words.  Ruthlessly read through your blurb and remove any extraneous words. Replace passive verbs with active ones that give your blurb more power and life.

5.      Give your readers a reason to buy/read your book.  In her article “Writing a Short Book Blurb”, Marg McAllister says to end the article with an enticement, a promise.  “This can be in the form of a statement or a provocative question.” For my book “Till September”, I ask this question in the blurb:  Can Hannah Kramer, a woman determined save her family’s farm, find lasting love with Quinn Anderson, a man equally determined to take it from her?

Sometimes I prefer to make a powerful statement instead of asking a question. For my novella, “Flawless”, set in occupied France in WWII, I make the following ending statement:  “Madeleine must decide if her loyalties lie with her dead husband and the Resistance or with the greatest love of her life.”

The blurb is your selling tool, so don’t sell it short. Give your blurb as much attention as the story itself and it will help tell the world about your book. Do you find blurbs hard to write, or do they roll off your pen with ease? Care to share one of your blurbs here?

Website Contests

You’ve probably seen many contests out there.  Some writers hold a contest on their website every month.  I’ve held a few contests before, offering various things as prizes.  But as I was thinking about what to do for the launch of “Flawless” I started to wonder what was the best way to run a contest?  And what are the kinds of prizes that draw readers to your website and entice them to buy your book?

The first place I turned was to an article written by Courtney Milan in the September 2009 issue of RWA’s Romance Writers Report.  In her article “How to Run a Web Site Contest (Without Going to Jail)”, Courtney explores some of the legal dos and don’ts of running a contest.  For instance, Courtney says some authors have set up the following contest:  Buy her book, send her the receipt, and you’ll be entered for a prize.  Unfortunately, that could land the author in a heap of trouble.  Courtney says that by conducting such a contest the author is guilty of a “misdemeanor offense in California, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and a multitude of other states, punishable by up to two years in prison.”    

Yikes!  Good to know, Courtney.  The funny thing is I was just reading some information on a promotional site and they were urging authors to set up that kind of contest.

Courtney offers the following advice for the author to stay out of the slammer:

1.  Provide the odds of winning.  If you are giving a book to one commenter on your blog you should state that “The odds of winning depend upon the number of participants.”
2. State what the prize is upfront.  You can’t just say that it’s a surprise package.  If you are giving away a book, give the name of the book.  I suggest that you also state the book’s format (hardcover, paperback, ebook download) so the person entering the contest knows what to expect.
3. Don’t make it too hard to enter.  If your entry requirement states that the reader must give the name of an obscure character, the reader may not bother entering.  And if she can only get the answer by buying the book, Courtney says we’re in a gray area, legally speaking.  You should not require a person to buy something in order to enter the contest.  The best practice is for the answers to be somewhere on your website, usually in the excerpt for that book.
4. Courtney also states that to avoid problems, it is wise for the American author to limit participation to U.S. residents.  Since I am Canadian, I will have to leave that advice to my American friends. 

I scooted around on the net and looked at several authors’ contest pages.  As an example here’s Historical author Kathryn Caskie’s contest page. The page is attractive and Kathryn makes it easy to enter.  She gives a link so that the answer can be easily found and states that her books are readily available in libraries if someone wants to look up the answer there without having to buy the book.  The prize is shown and the times of the draws are also listed.  One other thing that Ms. Caskie does is to state that by entering in her contest the reader is also signing up for her free newsletter.  Since getting the word out about your books is the whole purpose of holding a contest, and a newsletter is a great way of connecting with readers, this is a great idea.  But she makes sure she tells people what she’s doing upfront.

Sometimes authors can band together to hold a contest. Author P.L. Parker says “I think the ones where it’s sort a scavenger hunt and each day another author has a clue to the next blog spot. They’re fun for everyone and get a lot of hits.” She also says that the ones with a holiday theme do especially well.

What kind of prize should an author give? Perhaps it depends if you are targeting readers or writers. I once entered a contest at C.J. Lyons’ website where the prize was a critique of a query letter, 2 page synopsis and first three chapters by an agent. My focus is on getting readers to know me. I have given away jewelry and chocolates, but I think books make the best prizes. Author Beth Trissel agrees. “For me, it (the best prize) has to be where the prize is a signed book or books. People do like those signed author copies.” If the purpose of my contest is to introduce new readers to me and my work, then it makes sense to offer my books as prizes. I can only hope that having read one of books, a prize winner will come back for more.

Have you ever entered an author’s contest? What enticed you to enter? Do you think contests get readers to buy an author’s books? In a move of shameless self-promotion, I will tell you that I have a contest running at my website to celebrate the release of “Flawless”. I’m offering several of my books as prizes. The contest ends February 28 so I hope you’ll drop by and enter soon!

Learning to Trust

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I just concluded a busy month of January. I needed to complete revisions on a manuscript by the end of January to have any hope of selling it to my publisher. The tight deadline meant there wasn’t time to have writing friends read it over and offer suggestions before returning it to my editor, which is what I normally like to do. My editor made a lot of suggestions and pointed out where things worked and where they didn’t. My job was to figure out how to fix the things that didn’t work. I struggled with the changes and barely finished before month’s end. With great trepidation, I sent “The Girl Most Likely” back to my editor. I had no idea what to expect.

To my great surprise and delight, she liked the changes I’d made and offered me a contract. What a relief! But to me, the greatest surprise was that aside from the help I received from my editor, I was able to complete the revisions my own.

I know that sounds strange. Writing is, after all, a very solitary pursuit. We're supposed to do this on our own. But I’ve relied a lot on critique partners and writing friends for advice. And I’ve received so much solid help over the years, to the point where I sometimes wondered if I could write a book on my own. I honestly don’t think I could have been published without a little help from my friends.  

But this past month has taught me that I can trust the voice in my head, the one I too often ignore, the one that says things like ‘This section doesn’t work’ or ‘She needs more motivation for her actions’. In a lot of cases, if something isn’t working, I actually do recognize it, and if I listen hard enough I can figure out what to do to fix it.

I found I’m not alone in recognizing this. Romantic suspense writer Leslie Tentler, whose debut novel “Midnight Caller” was released in January 2011 by Mira Books, says that she realizes she might have to go it alone more often from now on:

 “Writing is solitary, something that increases once you become published. Writing my first book, I had the luxury of time and the constant feedback and support of a critique partner and writer’s group. I had the time to enter contests. All of this builds your confidence as a writer. Now, I have to work much faster which means I have less time to have others assess my work. I’ve had to learn to edit myself harder knowing that fewer eyes will be on it before it goes to my editor. “    

In the January 2011 edition of Romance Writer Report, former Silhouette Senior Editor Valerie Hayward says the writers she’s worked with who have met their publishing goals have “learned to trust themselves as writers. That trust is what allows a writer’s unique voice to emerge. And voice is what editors are looking for.”

Going it alone can be scary. And confusing. I’ve been in the situation (many times) where my story can go in one of several directions. Which way do I turn? What is my story about, really? How do I get my message across to readers?

It’s comforting, not to mention confidence building, to know the answers are inside me if I look hard enough. It’s good to know that after all these years I’m finally starting to trust myself as a writer.

So does that mean I no longer need a critique partner or a writer’s group? Hardly. I probably need them more than ever. I’ll always need people to bounce ideas off of, and to give me honest feedback. There are going to be times when I’m stuck and don’t know what to do. And you can’t have too many friends in this business.

But at least now if I have to go it alone, it won’t be quite so scary.

Have you learned to trust your voice?

Guest Blogger Laverne Clark

Please welcome my guest blogger, Laverne Clark. Laverne is a fellow Wild Rose Press author and her book "Guardian of the Jewel" is part of the Jewels of the Night series as is my book "Flawless". Laverne hails from New Zealand and is a brand new author. She's talking to us today about her debut and about something that helped her on her road to publication...

The Power of Ignorance 

Thank you for having me on your wonderful blog Jana!

For those of you who don’t know me, let me introduce myself first. I’m LaVerne Clark and a newbie writer. Well – that’s not strictly true. I’m a member of Romance Writers of New Zealand and have been writing for years, always with the thought of being published ‘some day’. Luckily for me, The Wild Rose Press turned my ‘some day’ into November 2, 2010 – a date forever etched into my memory and heart. Guardian of the Jewel was also my very first submission to any publishing house and I credit the success of the story to a large dose of ignorance.

Ignorance is a vital weapon in the arsenal of the newbie writer. How many of us would persevere if we knew what we were writing were clumsy and clichéd? Sure, those thoughts invade our minds, battering relentlessly at our ego’s defences, but because we don’t really know for sure, we battle on regardless, and if we’re stubborn enough, finish the prose our hearts dictate we write.

Smug in the knowledge that Guardian was never going to be read by anyone, I wrote the sex scene with no inhibitions. Mum and Dad wouldn’t see it, let alone real readers, so nothing held me back from letting my characters experience the lovemaking they deserved. Thank you ignorance! Without it, I’m afraid the scene could have come across as cardboard and stilted, an instruction manual for what goes where and when : )

Ignorance also shelters you from the tough road of editing – that intensely important roadblock on the journey that forces you to sit down and strip back your masterpiece to the bare bones. Although it can be painful, it will reward you with a story that shines brighter than you ever imagined.

Just when you think that is it – your book is ready to fly off the shelves and find a loving home with a large audience – you’re faced with that last ugly and necessary step – Promotion. Promotion! What is that? For us writers, the very idea is abhorrent. What do we know about promotion – and you mean we have to advertise ourselves – in public? It’s enough to make you run for the hills screaming in terror. But you know what? It’s actually kinda fun. The writing world is inhabited by the most amazing people, keen to help you out every step of the way. Even though I live half-way around the world in New Zealand, the internet allows me to meet and become friends with all kinds of fascinating people. And I wouldn’t be here today talking to all you lovely folk without that dreaded step.

It’s true what they say – Ignorance really is bliss. Embrace it – and good luck with all your own endeavours!

Thanks Laverne! Here's a blurb and an excerpt from her debut novel "Guardian of the Jewel" from Wild Rose Press:

BLURB

After coming to terms with the brutal death of her husband by unknown thugs half a world away from New Zealand, Amy Hamblin concentrates on bringing up their son alone, struggling to make their dream of an action-adventure tourism venture a success.

When a dark, dangerous-looking man knocks on her door late at night claiming to be a guest, the safe, quiet life she’d created is suddenly anything but...

Gabriel Ryan’s task of finding the priceless blue diamond Amy’s husband stole from an organised crime ring, is made all the more difficult by the attraction that sizzles between them. Playing a role had never been so hard, and now, with a ruthless killer on the trail of the missing jewel as well, he needed all his wits about him to keep them all alive.

EXCERPT

Gabriel’s knee pressed into Amy’s thigh and sent unexpected frissons of longing to race through her system. The thin material of her jodhpurs weren’t any barrier to his heat. She scrambled to regain her composure and urged Pippin away, fixing her concentration on the path ahead.

“I’m not looking for romance,” she stated flatly. “I have a child to raise and a business to run. That’s more than enough for me.”

“It’s not nearly enough for a woman like you,” he murmured, his changeable eyes darkened to molten steel and raked over her in thorough appraisal. Her shaky resolve melted away under the heat.

Unable to take a breath, let alone speak, Amy lifted her hand and gave the signal to ride single file. As she trotted ahead, the unmistakable sound of soft laughter followed her. He recognized she was running away and the knowledge he was right made her face flame all the more.

Virtual Book Tour

I've been jumping around the web in celebration of the release of my novella "Flawless". Here's a few places I've been and where I'm going in the next while:

January 25, 2011 - I visited with Joanna Aislinn at her lovely blog and talked about getting to know my characters.

February 2, 2011 - I talked with Liana Laverentz about writers and back pain.

On February 7, 2011 I will be visiting New Zealand (virtually, anyway) to be on Laverne Clark's blog. Laverne, who is also part of the Jewels of the Night series, interviewed me about the process of writing "Flawless", and what it's like to write for a series.

Laverne Clark will be making a visit to my blog on February 10 to talk about The Power of Ignorance. It seems that ignorance can be bliss when it comes to writing.

On February 12 I'm participating in Long and Short Reviews Valentine Blog Party. I have  three blogs appearing on http://lasrguest.blogspot.com/ about where ideas come from and the thought processes that went into writing my books.I call these blogs "Behind the Book".  I also have a blog appearing on their Goddess Fish blog (http://goddessfishparty.blogspot.com/). This blog is all about the first kiss that Hunter and Madeleine share in "Flawless" along with an excerpt. It's called "Oh, that First Sweet Kiss!". There are fantastic prizes up for grabs at LASR (a Nook, a Kindle and lots of Gift Certificates) and all you have to do to enter is to comment on any of the many blogs. I hope you'll stop by and comment on my blogs.

For more information go to http://www.longandshortreviews.com/promo.htm

And lastly, at least for now, I'm guesting again at http://lasrguest.blogspot.com/ to talk about my interest in the events of World War Two and the inspiration for writing "Flawless".

And please don't forget that I have my own contest running on my website at http://www.janarichards.net/  Just click on 'Contests'. I've got copies of my books as prizes and it's easy to enter. Good luck!

I hope you can check out some of these events! Thanks!