Welcome back! Today we have with us American Title finalists, PAT (P. E.) CUNNINGHAM.

MAI: Hi Pat! Thanks for joining us. What is the title of your finaling manuscript?

PAT: A Touch of Heaven

MAI: Wonderful title! Tell us a little more about the book.

PAT: Can a woman who’s half demon find true happiness with a man who’s half angel, especially while she’s trying to save the world?

MAI: Ooh, sounds like a great premise! How long have you been writing?

PAT: Augghhh. Decades. Practically from birth, it feels like sometimes.

MAI: Can you tell us a little about how this book came about?

PAT: It’s actually an offshoot/semi-sequel to a fantasy novel (non-romance) I’m currently trying to market to SF/fantasy publishers. Most of the background for this “universe” was created for the other book, so worldbulding was a snap. The initial inspiration was pro wrestling. Don’t ask.

MAI: I’m think I’m afraid to, LOL. I’ll leave that for the readers to ask! *wink* Tell me, what was your expectation when you first entered the contest?

PAT: Low — the manuscript existed as longhand pages in a notebook. I honestly didn’t think I’d be picked.

MAI: Wow! I wouldn’t put myself through the torture of writing longhand. My once legible and neat handwriting as amounted to chicken scratch since I’ve discovered typing. What was your reaction when you learned you were a finalist?

PAT: “Holy ****, I have to type an entire novel in less than two days.”

MAI: Umm… Sylvia, can we say that here? Just kidding. *grin* I want believe you managed to do that! Kudos to you, Pat! What has been the most rewarding part of this experience so far?

PAT: Having a book editor show an interest in a novel of mine. After over 20 years, vindication at last!

MAI: Wow. Twenty years! I’m very glad you made it this far and you’re here with us. What has been the worst part of this experience so far?

PAT: UPS shipping costs and not having a home computer with Internet access. I wouldn’t be here today without the public library system.

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

PAT: Omigawd!

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

PAT: Never give up, ever. Success can hit at any time, with the work you never thought would have a chance. Persistence pays!

MAI: And you’re living proof! Any last words?

PAT: When this is over, I’m buying a new computer. And new reading glasses.

MAI: LOL. You deserve a new computer! Thank you so much for your time and best of luck in the contest!

Alright guys, you now the drill. Leave comments for prizes.

Don’t forget the second round of voting begins next week, Monday, November 12th!! Get your emails ready to vote!

I’ll see everyone back here on Thursday.

Ciao!

Mai Christy Thao
maichristythao.com

Welcome back! It’s just another short week and a half before voting begins for the second round. Wow, I hadn’t even had time to take a breather. I’ll make this short and sweet. Today we have with us the fabulous MEL HIERS.

MAI: Mel, please give us the title of your finaling manuscript.

MEL: Voice of the Bard

MAI: Ooh, great title! What’s the story about?

MEL: Bard Anna Martin loves her job keeping the peace between mythics and humans. But when a Native American monster starts slaughtering mythics in her district, Anna has to straddle two cultures to keep her people safe and, maybe, find a little happiness of her own.

MAI: I love that you’re writing about Native American mythology. It’s fresh and very unique. How long have you been writing?

MEL: I’ve always scribbled in diaries and journals. I’ve been writing fiction for about seven years.

MAI: Can you tell us a little about how this book came about?

MEL: Anna’s world evolved out of a couple of crappy first drafts I had written during National Novel Writing Month. I was focusing on other characters, other relationships until Anna popped up and started poking me in the frontal lobe. When I ignored her, she brought friends until I was compelled to tell their story. I’m glad I did!

MAI: LOL. Don’t you just love it when characters you hadn’t intended to write refuse to leave you in peace until you’re forced to pay attention to them? It always happens when you’re elbows deep in another book. I think us writers are the only ones who have that problem. What was your expectation when you first entered the contest?

MEL: Seriously? I was expecting a polite rejection at the query stage. There are so many people writing such wonderful urban fantasy and paranormal romance these days that I was convinced I didn’t have a chance!

MAI: Funny, how things work out, huh? I’m glad you didn’t get that rejection letter. What was your reaction when you learned you were a finalist?

MEL: I giggled for a few minutes, and when I could talk I told my husband (who was, at that point, convinced I’d finally gone mental). We screamed and danced around the living room, and then I called my mom. It was a great moment!

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

MEL: Definitely the most rewarding part has been getting to know my fellow finalists. They are a great bunch of ladies and I consider myself lucky to be included among them.

MAI: I couldn’t agree with you more. What has been the worst part of this experience so far?

MEL: I haven’t actually had any bad ATIV experiences so far. But the most challenging thing for me was learning the basics of self promotion in a very short amount of time. Oh, and finding a usable photo of myself! I’m a bit of a troll and tend to avoid cameras.

MAI: Mel Hiers, I can’t believe I’m hearing those words out of your mouth. You in no way even remotely resemble a troll. I hope your husband’s not reading this. The man should knock some sense into you! In one word, how would you describe this experience?

MEL: Overwhelming!

MAI: LOL. Amen to that! What kind of advice do you have for other American Title hopefuls and/or aspiring writers?

MEL: This is a hard one! Up ‘till now I’ve always been the writer seeking advice. But over the past few years I’ve learned that a writer can only influence those things that she’s in direct control of. The quality of her work, how she presents herself to others, her attitude. She can’t control what a given editor or agent will think or feel on the day she holds the writer’s query in her hands. So concentrate on the things you can control, and don’t worry about the rest. Eventually you’ll find yourself in the right place at the right time.

MAI: Very well said. Any last words?

MEL: I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to participate in ATIV! It’s been a great learning experience, and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the ride. Thanks for the interview, Mai. Good luck! And thanks to Sylvia for having us.

MAI: And we’re so grateful to have you with us, Mel. It’s going to be a great ride. Thank you so much for your time and good luck to you in the next round!

Okay guys, I’m picking two winners from this interview. Sylvia and her friends have some amazing prizes, so don’t forget to leave your comments!

See ya’ll next week! And yes, that’s the southern drawl in me. *wink*

Mai Christy Thao
maichristythao.com

Welcome back everyone!

Wow, can you believe it’s already been two weeks?! The first round of voting is officially over for the American Title Contest. On behalf of all the finalists, thank you so much to each and every one of you for your votes and moral support. We (the finalists) are so blessed to have each other and to have you guys in our family as well as we forge our way through this amazing yet terrifying and at the same time, exciting journey.

Although voting is over, I will still continue with the finalist interviews. Don’t forget that the second round voting begins in a few short weeks! I’ll keep you all posted on when to start voting again. We appreciate your time and votes more than you can guess.

Now, without much further ado, let’s introduce today’s finalist, the wonderful HELEN TAYLOR w/a HELEN SCOTT TAYLOR.

MAI: Thanks for joining us here, Helen. Please tell us the title of your manuscript that finaled?

HELEN: The Magic Knot

MAI: Can you give us a quick blurb about the story?

HELEN: When Rose discovers she is the Cornish fairy queen and her father is a dark druid who has imprisoned her people in portraits, the race is on to discover the fairy lore needed to release her people before her father destroys them forever.

She seeks help from the sinfully sexy Irish fairy twins, the O’Connor brothers. Niall’s faint air of menace flutters dark thrills of anticipation through her, but does he want to kiss her or kill her when she accidentally touches his Magic Knot and forges a mystical lovers’ bond with him?

With the survival of the Cornish fairies in her hands, Rose must escape from a vampiric, winged fairy, outwit The Queen of Nightmares and surrender her mind, body and spirit to Niall to release her hidden inner fairy. The Tarot cards warn he will stab her in the back, but when she’s in his arms, the last thing on her mind is death.

MAI: Wow! I would so love to see this on the bookshelves and buy it! How long have you been writing?

HELEN: I started writing in 2003 and submitted my first finished manuscript—a short contemporary romance—to Mills & Boon in 2004. Needless to say, they rejected it. But they did read the full manuscript, and it was a nice rejection that encouraged me to keep writing.

MAI: A nice rejection is always a welcomed rejection, in my opinion. And look where you are now! An American Title finalist! Can you tell us a little about how this book came about?

HELEN: For me, story ideas often start as intense emotional conflicts. I thought what if there are identical twin brothers and one is loved and wanted by his father and the other rejected. How would the rejected brother feel? I then gave it the paranormal twist making the brothers half Tuatha Dé Danann (high born Irish fairy) and half leprechaun. So the hero has not only been rejected, he has a huge chip on his shoulder because he’s half leprechaun. Then I paired him with the most unlikely heroine I could imagine—an accountant! She’s spent all her life trying to shake off the weird life she had with her mother, only to discover she is the Cornish fairy queen.

MAI: Okay, I’m loving this book even more. I’m partial to Celtic mythology and have always been interested in writing about twins. In fact, I have two books I’ve written about twins, lol! What was your expectation when you first entered the contest?

HELEN: I half expected a polite note back from Dorchester saying I wasn’t eligible. After all, the contest is called American Title and I live in England. I hoped my story stood a good chance as it has done well in RWA chapter contests.

MAI: And I’ve seen your very impressive list of contest wins too! What was your reaction when you learned you were a finalist?

HELEN: I was very blasé and thought I’d handle being a finalist with no problem. When I received the email I just kept smiling. It was eleven PM in England so the rest of my family was asleep and I couldn’t tell them until the next morning. I was so hyped, I didn’t sleep that first night. Then I think I must have been in shock for a few days because I got hardly anything done.

MAI: LOL. Yeah, you kept pretty mum about finaling on the loops that we’re both members of while I shouted to the world that I’d finaled. I have no tact, huh? *grin* What has been the most rewarding part of this experience so far?

HELEN: My husband is so proud of me he’s telling everyone. He is very supportive of my writing and I’m delighted my reaching the final gives him validation that his support helps.

MAI: I’m so glad for you. What has been the worst part of this experience so far?

HELEN: I was writing the first draft of a YA mystery and revising a contemporary romance when I received the news about the final. I’ve continued revising the romance, but I haven’t been able to get my brain in gear to continue the mystery yet.

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

HELEN: Magic!

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

HELEN: I nearly didn’t enter because I thought I might not be eligible, but I took the chance and it paid off. My advice is always take the chance. Whether it’s entering a contest or submitting to an agent or publisher. The worst that can happen is you are rejected, then you’re no worse off than if you hadn’t entered in the first place. As with everything in life, you’ve got to be in it to win it!

MAI: Wonderful advice! Any last words?

HELEN: Good luck to all the finalists in ATIV! Everyone has been fabulous and supportive. We’re all winners to have come this far.

MAI: I couldn’t agree with you more. And good luck to you too in round two, Helen! Thank you so much for your time!

Alright guys, that’s it for our interview. I have to say, I’m real excited about Helen’s book. I want to read it!!

I would like to take a moment to thank all the finalists for being truly wonderful human beings. This experience was made even more magical because of the friendships us finalists have developed. Yesterday had been bittersweet. For the two who didn’t make it to the next round, you ladies are winners to me and I am blessed to be sharing this journey with you. When one door closes, it only means another has opened. I fully expect to see everyone’s books on the shelves one day!!

Okay readers – you know the drill. Leave a comment to win some cool prizes!

See everyone back here Thursday!

Mai Christy Thao
maichristythao.com

It’s Thursday already!

Welcome back, everyone. I want to take a moment to thank each of you for all the comments. Your incredible show of support for all of us finalists and your enthusiasm at reading these interviews have really inspired all of us (finalists). So on behalf of the other finalists, thank you.

Before I begin our next interview, let me make a quick reminder to everyone that the voting for this first round ends this Sunday, October 28th. This is my final plea for you to please go vote if you haven’t already done so. We (the finalists) really do appreciate the support and votes. It’s all about the votes now, so go vote for your favorite finalist!!

Alright, moving on to the next finalist interview.

MAI: Today we have with us SAVANNA KOUGAR. Love that name, Savanna! Please tell us the title of your finaling manuscript.

SAVANNA: Murder by Hair Spray in Gardenia, New Atlantis

MAI: Very interesting title. Can you elaborate on what the book is about by giving a short blurb?

SAVANNA: 2051, the land of Atlantis has risen, colonized by rebels from the Conflicts. One hundred year old Sheriff Sun Wing captures the Hair Spray Killer with an Otherworld man-god, who is a nemesis to her heart and passion-relentless in his pursuit. After all, he wants her for his wife.

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

SAVANNA: Since age thirteen (1964), seriously since sixteen. Romances since the mid eighties. I’m an oldie goldie.

MAI: Okay, can I say that I wasn’t even a thought in my parents’ head when you were thirteen? *grinning sheepishly* Please tell us a little about how this book came about:

SAVANNA: It was a confluence of several ideas, or my muse striking my noggin with the perfect storm. I’ve had a love affair with Atlantis since I first learned of the myth, long before Donovan’s cult song. What if the land of Atlantis rose from the sea again? Considering our current global plight, who would colonize, and what sort of society would they create? Then, there’s all those cute wonderful mystery titles like Death by Chocolate. I got to settle for hair spray. Fate I think, sixth grade after gym class, it almost killed me. Then, there he was inside my head. Boom! The Hair Spray Killer. Besides, I couldn’t resist knowing exactly how my hero uses erotic passion to persuade the heroine to fall in love with him.

MAI: Sounds like my kind of hero! What was your expectation when you first entered the contest?

SAVANNA: I’d entered another manuscript the year before and was politely rejected. I couldn’t even believe I entered, thought I had zero chance. I was just following my intuition.

MAI: And good thing you did! What was your reaction when you learned you were a finalist?

SAVANNA: Absolutely numb with shock. Tears. Told my mom. The shakes on and off, then the awe-struck happy phase tempered by realizing I’d have to submit a picture.

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

SAVANNA: Definitely interacting with all the other finalists and with the fab gals at Passionate Ink.

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

SAVANNA: Having to send my picture to RT. Yes, I am vain.

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

SAVANNA: Exciting.

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

SAVANNA: There’s tons of excellent advice. Everywhere you look published romance authors are giving the hand up, giving the gift of themselves, their experiences. They are giving what they write about, love – what can be better than that? Honestly, my writer’s journey has been so weirdly crazy, I have no practical advice. Just the usual, follow your heart and your dreams.

MAI: Very practical advice, indeed! Any last words?

SAVANNA: No, not dead yet – my little funny, at least, at my age. You all just be careful out there. Don’t pick up any stray chihuahuas if they’re partial to hair spray. Unless, of course, you want you’re hair done immaculately because the Other Side is calling.

MAI: Okay, note to self: No stray chihauhaus! Thank you so much for your time today, Savanna. And best of luck in the contest!

Alright guys, you know the drill. Leave a message for a chance to win cool prizes! I will be picking out two winners from this interview based on your comments.

Thank you for stopping by and for everyone’s support! Hope to see everyone back here next Tuesday where I’ll do another interview and reveal of the ten finalists, which two didn’t make the cut into the next round.

Mai Christy Thao
www.maichristythao.com

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!