Writing Contest for Romance Writers

YourNovel.com Celebrates 20 Years:
Writing Contest Features $35,000 in Prizes
RALEIGH, NC, September 2, 2011 -- Romance writer wannabes have the chance to see their work published in a book and win one of 10 romantic getaways (total value of more than $35,000) in the YourNovel.com Personalized Romance Writing Contest to celebrate the company's 20th anniversary.
Ten winners will be selected to have their personalized, romantic stories published in an anthology called Celebrating Romance II to be sold online with YourNovel.com's other books and eBooks. Like the others, this book will be capable of being personalized so that any couple can star as the hero and heroine in the stories.
People ordering from YourNovel.com answer 23 questions about the starring couple, like names, eye and hair color, pet names they call one another, their careers, hometown, best friends, favorite perfume and favorite music. Then YourNovel.com takes those details and weaves them throughout any of their offerings.
The books are set in exotic destinations like Tahiti, Rome, the Caribbean, Africa, and at locations like luxury hotels, cruise ships, a ski resort, a dude ranch, or as a detective novel, a golf fantasy book, historical fiction, and even a vampire saga.
Contest entrants will need to do the same thing - use all 23 personal bits of information in a 2,500- to 4,000-word story in a romantic setting while employing all the techniques of romance writing, including those titillating yet tasteful love scenes that come in YourNovel.com's Wild or Mild versions of each book.
YourNovel.com held a similar contest for their 10th anniversary producing Celebrating Romance, still a popular seller. An impressive six of the 10 winning writers went on to publish full-length books. Ma rcy Thomas and Gail Gibbs have written full-length novels for YourNovel.com. LuAnne McLane (with 13 novels under her belt), Lori Pepio, Janet Welch and Regina Hammond all went on to publish books for other companies.
For the 20-year milestone, YourNovel.com's founders and co-authors J.S. Fletcher and Kathy M. Newbern (a husband/wife team using the pen name Fletcher Newbern) have teamed up with sponsors in the travel industry for prizes to inspire writers to produce award-winning work just like Fletcher and Newbern have as travel journalists, their other vocation.
Prizes valued at more than $35,000 include:
• 7 nights at Palm Island Resort, Grenadines (palmislandcaribbean.com) $5,540 value;
• 7 nights at St. James's Club & Villas, Antigua (stjamesclubantigua.com) $4,515 value;
• 7 nights at The Verandah Resort & Spa, Antigua (theverandah.com) $4,200 value;
• 5 nights at Bolongo Bay, St. Thomas, USVI (bolongobay.com) $2,354 value;
• 2 nights at Rosewood Country Inn, Bradford, NH (rosewoodcountryinn.com) value $798;
• 2 nights Ozarks Mountain Christmas, Branson, MO (explorebranson.com) $700 value;
• 2 nights at Old Edwards Inn & Spa, Highlands, NC (oldedwardsinn.com) $625 value;
• 2 nights at Chesterfield Palm Beach, Palm Beach, FL (chesterfieldpb.com) $538 value;
• 2 nights in Raleigh, NC (VisitRaleigh.com) at Oakwood Inn B&B, (oakwoodinnbb.com) and personalized tours (total package value $500);
• A surprise destination to be announced;
• 10 complimentary copies of Celebrating Romance II valued at $1,270 to winners ranked 1-5;
• 5 complimentary copies valued at $635 to each of the winners ranked 6-10.
Fletcher says, "Whenever we explain what we do, someone invariably responds, 'I should write a book.' We agree, and now's the time."
Newbern adds, "We know from our own customers these past 19 years that there are a lot of romantic people out there. And this is their chance to create a romantic piece of fiction and see it published in a book. Plus, the prizes are terrific."
How To Enter: For information on how to enter the contest, prize details and the official rules, visit www.YourNovel.com/contest.aspx Entry deadline is Oct. 15, 2011, with winners announced by Nov. 28, 2011. The contest has no entry fee, but will be limited to 300 entries. It is open to U.S. or Canadian legal residents at least 18 years old. Entries must be submitted via email and will be judged on how well the story works for any starring couple; the plot; story originality; story location; entertaining and spicy romantic interludes; dialogue, exposition, mechanics and grammar; plus the climax.
Current Books: YourNovel.com currently offers 28 books and 16 eBooks where any couple become the hero and heroine. Novels come in hardback or paperback and the starring couple's photo can even be added to the book's cover. Paperbacks range from 150-190 pages and start at $39.95; hardbacks, 200-230 pages, start at $84.95; eBooks are 32-124 pages starting at $19.95. Photos can be added to the cover for an additional $25. Priority S/H is $7 in the U.S. or $16 on global orders. The fastest way to order is on the web at www.YourNovel.com. Those without Internet access can call (800) 444-3356 in the U.S. to have information faxed or mailed.

Connie Gotsch www.conniegotsch.com Host Write On Four Corners KSJE FM, Farmington NM www.ksje.com Author two award winning youth novels ‘Belle’s Star,’ and ‘Belle’s trial,’ based on the life of a real dog and written from her point of view. Available from Artemesia Press at http://www.apbooks.net and amazon.com, and Anazon,com Belle’s Star was a New Mexico BookAward in 2009 and 2010; First Place for Juvenile Fiction New Mezxico Press Women and National Federation of Press Women Communication Contests 2010’ Silver Mom’s Choice Award 2010.
Belle’s Trial’ won First Place for Juvenile Fiction in the 2011 New Mexico Press Press Women’s Commuication Contest, and a Silver Mom’s Choice Award for 2011. The book received an Eric Hoffer Award nomination for 2011.