Welcome back as we continue with our American Title finalists interviews. Wow, has it already been a week? Don’t forget that first round voting ends on Sunday, October 28th, so if you haven’t voted yet, please take a moment after the interview to check out the rest of the American Title finalists and vote for your favorite finalist! Every vote counts and we, the finalists, appreciate the votes and support from you.

Also, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a wonderful prize! Last week, three lucky commentators won prizes. This week, I’m picking two winners from each interview, so leave your comments and don’t forget to vote!

MAI: Today we have with us ANITRA LYNN MCLEOD. Anitra, can you tell us the title of your manuscript that finaled?

ANITRA: Thief

MAI: Interesting title. Makes me curious as to if it’s a thief of hearts or thief of something else. Please tell us what your book is about by giving a short blurb.

ANITRA: Buck Rogers meets the Wild Wild West!

MAI: Ooh, I like that! How long have you been writing?

ANITRA: 29 years

MAI: Tell us a little about how this book came about.

ANITRA: I love sci-fi and westerns so I merged them into a western flavored futuristic. I also love kick-ass heroines and those strong but silent alpha heroes.

MAI: What was your expectation when you first entered the contest?

ANITRA: Thought I had nothing to lose and I might get some feedback.

MAI: What was your reaction when you learned you were a finalist?

ANITRA: I thought someone was messing with me! I read the email four times, printed it out, read it about twenty times then finally believed it and wrote back to Leah. Then, I couldn’t decide who to call first! I ended up calling my dad first since my mom passed away three years ago.

MAI: What has been the most rewarding part of this experience so far?

ANITRA: Meeting the other contestants. I knew most of them from the contest circuit so it was fun to get to know them better. Also, in doing the PR work, a lot of folks in SLC were really excited and couldn’t wait to help me spread the word. For a big city, Salt Lake can be more like a small town in many ways.

MAI: What has been the worst part of this experience so far?

ANITRA: Nerves. I feel like a flasher wrenching open my trench coat, hoping that folks don’t point and laugh!

MAI: LOL. That’s one way of putting it! In one word, how would you describe this experience?

ANITRA: Exciting!

MAI: What kind of advice do you have for other American Title hopefuls and/or aspiring writers?

ANITRA: Something I took from previous AT finalists–have fun with it. Enjoy the ride. And for other aspiring writers–never give up. Take chances by entering contests, networking, getting involved. You really have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

MAI: Wonderful advice. And last question. Any last words?

ANITRA: I just want to thank everyone for all the support. I find the writing community one of the most generous and fun of all the groups of people I know. Thanks for the interview, Mai!

MAI: You’re very welcome, Anitra. Thanks for allowing me to interview you, and good luck in the competition.

Alright, now before you hurry off to vote for your favorite finalist, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a cool prize! On behalf of all the American Title finalists, I thank each one of you for your support.

Good luck to all the finalists and I’ll see everyone back here on Thursday!

Mai Christy Thao
www.maichristythao.com

Aside from Sylvia:

You can visit Anitra at: www.anitramcleod.com

And GO VOTE! (direct link here: Vote on the Best First Line!)

Thank you!

Guest blog by Jenny Gardiner

Hi Sylvia–thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog! You know I’m one of your biggest fans and have been since way back when I read your entries in Lori Foster’s fabulous contest. That was back when I’d never written any fiction–I was simply a fan of Lori’s books! In fact, I only decided to dabble in it because hey, why not?! My totally lame entry went nowhere fast, but I remember reading your and HelenKay’s entries and taking note of what a winning entry looked like…

Flash forward a couple of years. I actually did venture into fiction, and found out that for someone trained as a journalist and bound by writing facts, writing fiction and making it all up as I went along was awfully fun and liberating!

As a fellow “contest baby” I think you are fabulous for helping out the AT IV authors with such a very generous contest to draw attention to their campaigns. I know you really appreciate what a wonderful launching pad winning a writing contest can be, and I’m here to second that notion.

When I entered the American Title III contest, I was, I’m embarrassed to admit, a little in the dark about the whole thing. I vaguely remembered having seen some posts on a loop in which authors asked for votes that previous winter. I was new to RWA, new to loops, new to all of that stuff. I obliged those authors by casting my votes when asked, and that was that. And when the AT III contest was announced and I learned that they were looking for humorous women’s fiction, I figured it was a great way to get my writing in front of an editor’s eyeballs, so I entered.

Now, you’ll know I’m crazy when I also admit that once I found out I was a finalist, I hesitated to actually accept–I was worried that it would tie up my manuscript! D’oh! Lucky for me, an agent friend gave me a huge dope slap and told me all of the fabulous things that went along with being in a contest like this: the exposure, the ability to meet a lot of people, even more industry professionals’ eyeballs being on your work. What can I say? I told you I was clueless!

Once I realized this, I also realized that in an industry in which one has so very little control, this contest put an enormous amount of control squarely in my lap. I viewed this contest as mine to win or mine to lose. And that beautiful acceptance letter I got? I viewed it as my own personal Golden Ticket, just like in Willy Wonka (and I still have it taped up right next to me at my desk!).

The American Title contest goes on over a long period of time, so it did get exhausting. There were phases of two week-long voting frenzies, followed by lags in which I felt I’d been left to clean up after a wild fraternity party–much of my day-to-day life just got put on hold while I was working it to get votes. Dishes stacked eye-high, tumbleweeds of dog fur on my floor. I did remember to feed and care for my kids on a daily basis, though . But the contest was also a lot of fun. We were lucky to have a fabulous group of finalists and we’ve all become good friends and each other’s biggest cheerleaders (in fact, Judi Fennell has gone on to two far more grueling contests with the Gather.com ones, and is now one of five finalists, and we’re all keeping our fingers crossed that win or lose, it leads to a publishing contract for her).

Each month in which I remained in the contest meant I had that much more time to figure out how I could reach out to more potential voters. Now, at the time I hadn’t been thinking terribly long-term. But after it was over, I realized this gave me a fabulous additional gift–I had all sorts of people who were familiar with the title of my book, who might at least pick it up if they saw it in a bookstore, and many of whom felt “vested” in it, having supported it for 6 months during the contest. In my town, I’m constantly running into people from my kids’ soccer teams, academic teams, choral groups, schools, my hairdresser’s (they handed out my card to every client AND kept my cards in their bathroom), who are asking when they can buy the book. It’s really such an honor.

Last spring I attended a writing conference at which Michael Cader, founder of Publisher’s Marketplace, discussed industry trends. And he was frank in his somewhat grim assessment of the publishing industry, and how hard it is to break through the noise of publicity in the book world. And he pointed out that most authors cannot expect an inordinate amount of support (a la heavyhitters like John Grisham) from their publishers, because it’s simply not how things work these days. But, he added, the great equalizer is the Internet. And he said that people who are able to tap into the internet to expand their marketing base start out with a huge advantage when it comes time to sell your book. And so by sheer dumb luck, great good fortune, and perhaps a little bit of my early career publicity/marketing background buried in the depths of my brain, I was able to at least make a little headway in establishing my book’s presence, long before it was an actual book.

So, for this, I cannot begin to say how grateful I am. For Dorchester and Romantic Times for having provided this fantastic opportunity to me–wow, I can’t begin to thank them enough. And for the–literally– thousands of people who have helped me to get where I am, I am really humbled by their generosity.

Not long ago we attended the American Idol concert, and one thing that stuck with me was how very grateful this group of performers was to be on that stage. They knew that the audience played a large part in helping to put them there. And that is most definitely how I feel toward the many people who have backed me along this journey. It’s helped me to appreciate even more what a special gift I’ve been given.

So thanks to you, Sylvia, for extending a helping hand to this year’s contestants, and also for giving me the chance to shout-out to all who have helped me in this crazy journey!

Jenny Gardiner
www.JennyGardiner.net

Aside from Sylvia:

Check out an excerpt from SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER: HERE!

And you can pre-order it here: www.amazon.com

Thank you!

Welcome back as I crash Sylvia’s blog once more to introduce our second American Title IV finalist. If you haven’t already done so, please go vote for your favorite finalist at www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle.php immediately following reading this interview. This first round of voting ends on October 28th!!

And don’t forget to leave a comment here with your email address for a chance to win some cool prizes donated by the Goddess, Sylvia Day, and her friends.

MAI: Please join me in welcoming TRISH MILBURN as our next American Title IV finalist. Trish, what is the title of your book?

TRISH: Out of Sight

MAI: Give us the blurb of your book.

TRISH: Imagine what you could find out if you could make yourself invisible at will. Jenna McCay finds out when she gives a whole new meaning to “undercover” while seeking a potential presidential assassin sending threats from within the White House.

MAI: How long have you been writing?

TRISH: I began during college, but it was sporadic because of classes and my work schedule. Serious, regular fiction writing with the aim of publication began in 1996.

MAI: Tell us a little about how this book came about:

TRISH: It was one of those “what if” questions — What could you find out or accomplish for good if you could make yourself invisible?

MAI: What was your expectation when you first entered the contest?

TRISH: Of course I hoped to final, but I honestly entered with the thought, “What do I have to lose?”

MAI: What was your reaction when you learned you were a finalist?

TRISH: I was ridiculously happy. I read the e-mail, my heart rate went up, I let out a “squee” and danced around my office.

MAI: What has been the most rewarding part of this experience so far?

TRISH: A couple of things — how nice and supportive the other finalists are, and how wonderful and happy for me my friends and family are.

MAI: What has been the worst part of this experience so far?

TRISH: Hmm, I honestly can’t think of one other than the knowledge that one of the very talented finalists can win. If I had my wish, all of the finalists’ books would be published. I figure the romance reading public is voracious and there’s enough room on the bookshelves — and readers’ shopping carts — for all of us.

MAI: In one word, how would you describe this experience?

TRISH: Exciting.

MAI: What kind of advice do you have for other American Title hopefuls and/or aspiring writers?

TRISH: Go for it. When you see opportunities, grab them. And be nice. Even though it might not seem like it, the industry is a small one. If you say something bad about someone, be it another writer, editors, agents, whoever, it’s likely to bite you at some point down the road. I’ve seen this happen to people, and it’s painful to watch. Finally, never ever give up if being published is your dream. The piles of rejections are going to really suck, especially after you’ve been at the writing gig for a long time, but just think of it this way — with each one, you’re one rejection closer to The Call.

MAI: Any last words?

TRISH: Thank you very much for this opportunity. I truly appreciate it. And huge good luck to all my fellow finalists. Let’s kick butt, girls!

MAI: Thank you for your time with us today, Trish. And good luck to you as well!

Alright now. Before you hurry off to vote (if you haven’t done so already), leave a comment for a chance to win some wonderful prizes! I’ve enjoyed all the comments posted by everyone so far. And I hope that these interviews have given you a better insight into our finalists and their winning manuscripts. I say winning here because honestly, these are ten exceptional manuscripts that Dorchester is willing to stand behind and publish regardless of who wins the American Title.

Thank you for your comments and support. And for your votes. I look forward to seeing everyone again next Tuesday with our next American Title IV finalist interview! And good luck finalists!!

Mai Christy Thao
http://maichristythao.com

Aside from Sylvia:

You can visit Trish at: www.trishmilburn.com

And GO VOTE! (direct link here: Vote on the Best First Line!)

Thank you!

Hello everyone! I want to give a very sincere thank you to the wonderful Goddess, Sylvia Day, for allowing me to take over her blog every Tuesday and Thursday from now until November 15th as I introduce and interview our ten American Title IV finalists. And believe me, she IS a Goddess. She’s offered to give away a prize to one lucky reader for every interview I do. To qualify to win, all you have to do is post a comment. A winner will be picked by yours truly by process of random selection (or depending on who’s comment I like best *grin*).

Before I begin, what is the American Title?

In a nutshell, the American Title Contest is the annual contest held by Romantic Times Magazine to discover the next great romance writer. Ten finalists are selected from the sea of entries by editors at Dorchester Publishing. Excerpts of their work are then posted online at www.romantictimes.com for five rounds of voting by readers, with two finalists eliminated at the end of each round. The winner will be announced at the annual RT Convention in April and will receive a publishing contract from Dorchester Publishing for the winning manuscript. This year, the theme for the contest is paranormal.

To kick this off (and because I get first pick for doing the interviews), I’ll start by interviewing myself as the first American Title IV finalist.

MAI: Today we have MAI CHRISTY THAO with us. Mai, what is the title of your book?

MAI: Prince of Darkness

MAI: Give us the blurb of your book.

MAI: A blind princess who sees a man the world has forsaken is determined to fight for him. Yet, this prince cursed to hide in shadows harbors a terrible secret that could be her salvation, or her destruction.

MAI: How long have you been writing?

MAI: 6 years

MAI: Tell us a little about how this book came about.

MAI: Never in my wildest imagination had I thought I’d write this book. PRINCE OF DARKNESS had never been intended. It is the second book in my Zenith fantasy series. The hero, Prince Kym’rin, was the antagonist in the first book under the alias of Lord Mortimir. When I’d written the first book, I made Lord Mortimir out to be this great evil-of-all-evils guy. I had every intention of killing him off. I even gave him these glowing red eyes. But somewhere near the end of the first book when I delved deeper into the secretive Lord Mortimir’s past I began to humanize him. When my heroine in the first book asked Lord Mortimir what he wanted from them and he replied simply, “To live,” I hit my head against the wall. Literally. There was no way I could bring myself to kill him off now, and so Kym’rin’s story was born.

MAI: What makes this book special?

MAI: This book is very dear to my heart. My two characters are tortured souls. I was emotionally drained writing this story. I recall bawling until my eyes were red while writing certain parts of the story because of the intensity of emotions in the scene. It paid off. My critique partners have commented at how the emotions rise from the pages of this particular story to grip them. You know the phrase every author uses to describe their book as their “blood, sweat and tears”? Well, there was no blood shed (thankfully), but I sure cried enough to go through my entire box of Kleenex and sweated when the tension in the story escalated.

MAI: What was your expectation when you first entered the contest?

MAI: I was confident I’d final. Okay, so maybe not confident, but very hopeful. And I did lots of praying!

MAI: What was your reaction when you learned you were a finalist?

MAI: I thought they’d made a mistake and emailed the wrong person. I wanted to email back and say, “Are you sure?” but I was afraid to. I waited 2 days without saying a word, expecting to see a second email retracting the first.

MAI: What has been the most rewarding part of this experience so far?

MAI: Knowing without a doubt I have not only the support of all my friends, family, and fellow writers, but the support of my fellow finalists as well.

MAI: What has been the worst part of this experience so far?

MAI: The waiting. The voting process, praying I don’t get voted off. The marketing process. Not wanting to be like, “Vote for me!” but secretly wishing everyone would. Oh, and getting shredded by the judges. Yikes!

MAI: In one word, how would you describe this experience?

MAI: Nerve-wracking.

MAI: What kind of advice do you have for other American Title hopefuls and/or aspiring writers?

MAI: Anything is possible. Write the best book you can, continue to learn and build your writer’s toolbox, and dream big. Oh, and never give up.

MAI: Any last words?

MAI: Umm… Vote for me! =)

Phew! Talk about seeing double! If you got tired of me talking to myself about myself, fear not! Thursday we introduce our second American Title IV finalist.

But don’t wait to vote. Voting has already started. Go to http://www.romantictimes.com/news_amtitle.php now to meet the all the finalists and cast your vote! Voting will only stay open for two weeks. This first round of voting will close on October 28th. So go and vote for your favorite finalist! Every vote counts!

And don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a cool prize from Sylvia Day! The winner will be notified by me with further instructions, so please make sure you leave an email address.

See everyone Thursday!

Mai Christy Thao
PRINCE OF DARKNESS
www.maichristythao.com

Aside from Sylvia:

Enjoy the interviews, enter for prizes, then please go to the Romantic Times site to cast your vote for one of these talented authors (direct link here: Vote on the Best First Line!)

You can read all the first lines and find voting instructions through the link above.

Thank you!

When I first began to write, my goal was to entertain my stuffed animals that I’d gathered around my Holly Hobbie rocking chair. I’d make little picture books, usually with crayons, about a three-legged dog with some growth sticking out from his body, because for some reason I couldn’t make a fourth leg properly. My stories would usually be about a girl losing her dog, how she would go out looking for him, how miserable she was without him, what the dog was looking for - usually another furry friend, how lonely he got, and then the happy reunion when the girl and dog found one another again.

Now, the funny thing is - some thirty years later I haven’t strayed too far from that theme in my writing. The dog has just been replaced by a man *snicker snicker* and he is still flawed. Only that growth is something more exciting. But the flaw is important because it’s what makes my character(s) tick. Somewhere along the way I’ve never lost that joy of making imaginary people go through something grueling, or funny, or thought provoking, or painful in order for them to find out that they do indeed belong together.

Now, my characters sometimes all ready know each other, and other times it’s fate or destiny that brings them together - an unusual circumstance. Some sort of element that draws them to one another. Of course there is sex - but it has meaning too.

I’ve traded crayons for a keyboard, and my reader audience is much wider and can actually give me feedback, but I still write for me. My characters are flawed - sometimes the woman is stronger, sometimes the man, but usually they are equals…it just depends on the story itself. There are obstacles they each must face - both alone and together. Sex is of course a new factor - and brings with it all new kinds of issues, problems, and obstacles - along with some good fun stuff thrown in there. Even the heat level and foreplay becomes an important aspect of the story because it mirrors the characters themselves.

But at the end of the day, or book really - they’ve come to understand something very important. And that something is valuable to them, and gives them clarity. They realize there is more to them because they are together. That denying their feelings is somehow denying a piece of themselves. And that sharing those little bits of themselves - those pieces of their soul - was worthwhile because of who they shared it with.

And to think my writing career started with a three-legged dog.

~Ann Cory
www.anncory.com

I was asked to blog about “How it is to be a writer’s Mom” (actually “How it is to be Sylvia Day’s Mom.”)

I had to think about it for a while. The short answer would be, “It is like a mother with a firstborn baby.” However, there are many books to guide a new mother-to-be. But I don’t know if there is a book on how to be a proper mother to a writer.

It has been about three years since my daughter Sylvia started this book-business. I have noticed a slow change in her household. More and more clothes have found a comfortable spot on her bedroom floor and decided to stay there instead of on hangers in her walk-in closet or in hampers for carrying to the washing machine. Dishes never seem to make it into the dishwasher. The backyard has been forgotten. The front flowerbeds, which were once the pride and joy of the neighborhood, are now choked with weeds.

I learned long ago that people will do what they fancy. I know I have no power over any human being. So I decided to just wait-and-see to find out what was going on.

A few months later, I was told about her website. A few more months after that, Sylvia told me she had won Lori Foster’s Brava Novella Contest. To tell you the truth, I had no idea what Sylvia was talking about. It seemed like Sylvia went to another planet and came home speaking a foreign tongue.

Thank goodness for the World Wide Web. I can type in whatever I don’t know, and the computer will lead me to an answer. English is not my native tongue, so the online dictionaries are a great help with finding new words. (so I could comprehend the ramblings of this new author.)

2-3 months after the first book (BAD BOYS AHOY!) was sold to Kensington, I learned that “first sales” were to be celebrated in a grand manner, but it was too late. I didn’t know that at the time she sold. Sylvia grew up with a parent whose ideas and customs are so different from most of her friends. I understand that the children of immigrants feel like they have parents who are from another planet. These children must endure some crazy ideas from their parents’ home countries, and put up with their parents’ ignorance and overbearing attitudes.

For me, her writing world is a different kind of culture shock. I am her mother, but I don’t know the language and customs of a writer’s world. I felt really bad about not giving her a proper celebration for her “first sale”.

Now the baby writer has matured past the baby-steps. She’s progressed from walking, to jogging, and now she’s running full-speed ahead. As her mother, I try to stay by the roadside and provide water bottles when she needs them and a towel to dry the sweat from her face. I shout encouragements when she feels low, and comfort her when (she thinks) she’s stumbled. After all, she is not running alone. Life is a three-legged race — Sylvia and all our family members together. When she is sad, we all feel sad. When she is happy, we scream with joy.

I am not young, nor as able as I wish to be. Each day is new and a challenge, just like the life of my daughter, Sylvia.

www.ReneeLuke.com

Today is release day for Dipped in Chocolate. I nearly forgot. I woke up to my normal routine of getting kids ready for school, then shooo’ing them out of the house. There was a moment to reflect when I reminded Sylvia that today was release day for me. But then I started writing toward my next two deadlines and the day completely got away from me.

But it’s release day, and it feels strange. I have another book available. Another book on my shelf. Three years ago this was nothing but a dream. Two years ago my first release was still a year away, and yet now, I’ve got more than one and am so busy with deadlines I’m not even stopping for a breather to celebrate this small success in my career.

I have a bottle of champagne chilling in the fridge, thanks to the Colts Superbowl win on Sunday. But having a glass tonight would just make me sleepy–and I don’t have the time. Sadly. Because really, nothing sounds better than a chilled fluted glass of bubbly mixed with the sexy sweetness of Dipped in Chocolate.

So I found another way to celebrate release day today. Or maybe by now it’s yesterday, actually. (Um…I’m wondering where Feb 6th disappeared to?) I’ve decided to share a little of each story with you.

Tonight I’ll focus on the first story of the anthology, Gimme Some Sugar.

Here’s the back cover blurb: In Gimme Some Sugar…Jackson never realized how much he loved his best friend Alexis—until her wedding day was on the horizon. Now all he has to do is convince her that their harmless kissing games over the years weren’t so harmless after all. In fact, they may end up breaking his heart

“Gimme Some Sugar” is the story of Jackson and Alexis. They’re childhood friends, but when Alexis ends up engaged and the wedding is being planned, both start examining their feelings. Alexis knows in her heart that she’s always loved Jackson, but moves forward with her engagement because of family obligations. Jackson keeps his feelings to himself because he believes if Alexis wanted him, she’d have said so by now.

I’m going to share an excerpt next, but let me give you a little set up. Alexis and her fiancee were supposed to have dance lessons for their first dance, only Bryan bailed on her early so she called Jackson to be his stand in. In the following scene, they’ve been left alone after class to do a little extra practicing. **This is from my files, so any typos are mine and won’t appear in the book. Please forgive.

Have fun, and enjoy “Gimme Some Sugar”.

“Dance with me?” She moved around him, keeping one hand lightly on his body, caressing him as she danced for him. She stood behind him, reached up and touched his shoulder blade, outlined the contour of his spine, skimmed over his firm ass. “Dance with me, Jackson.”

She hugged him close, brushing the tips of her nipples against his muscular back. Her arms went around him, her face pressed into his t-shirt. It held the subtle saltiness of sweat.
Rolling her hips, she laughed when he moved with her, joining the beat of the pounding bass. She flicked a nail across the button of his jeans, in a manner that caused him to groan.

“You going to dance with me?” He was already moving with her, but Alexis didn’t wait for a reply. She closed her fingers around his hard cock, the length swathed in denim. Blood pulsed against her palm as she stroked him up, slowly. Down.