Spotlight on Barbara Dawson Smith   By Cheryl Bolen

Over the past few years, Cheryl Bolen has been publishing a Spotlight series of biographical sketches of a number of romance writers at her web site. She has graciously allowed us to re-post those biographical sketches here at the Beau Monde blog.

Today, we begin with a biographical sketch of award-winning romance author, Barbara Dawson Smith …

A Romance Reader’s Pet Peeves: The 10 That Set Me On Edge Every Time! By Regan Walker

A Romance Reader’s Pet Peeves: The 10 That Set Me On Edge Every Time!  By Regan Walker

All readers have their pet peeves and it’s why we love some romances and hate others.

I found it rather cathartic to set mine to paper. I wanted to speak for other readers whose reviews I see on the Internet (along with mine). Though I read primarily historical romance, these aren’t limited to that genre. Hopefully this will help authors who want to please their readers avoid some pitfalls.

Here are my top 10:

1. A cover that has nothing to do with the story. I realize the authors have little to do with this so it’s really a gripe at the publishers. But it is nonetheless valid. Real examples abound: A handsome pirate with black hair and dark eyes on the cover, but the hero has blond hair and silver eyes! A Victorian costumed woman on the cover of a Restoration romance.  A Highlander in a plaid kilt on the cover but the story takes place centuries before they wore kilts. A heroine described as “plain and plump” but the cover shows her a beauty with a devastating figure. Please. Why is it the publishers think readers don’t notice? Well, we do and it’s irritating!

2. A title that doesn’t describe the story or cheapens it. I know the publishers are selling romance like the cable outfits sell sex, but when they use a dime store novel title just because it sounds like a book that is selling well, or they think the words “seduced,” “ravished,” or “in bed with” will make us buy it, to me it cheapens a serious historical romance. And don’t use words in the title that aren’t related to the story, like “pirate” if there’s no pirate in the romance (yes, I encountered one like that!), or “seduced” when there’s no seduction. The authors I’ve talked to hate it when publishers do this, though they have little say about it. That is sad, really. I have heard this from several authors, who I will not name for fear of getting them in trouble with their publishers, but still. Do the publishers think we readers would like the books any less if they used more honest, serious, worthy titles? (Like perhaps the one the author prefers?)

3. Not enough emotion to engage mine. Witty dialog, clever storylines and great hooks may be preferred by today’s publishers, but if you can’t engage my emotions, if you can’t make me care, I won’t be rating the book 5 stars. And it takes time to build characters, to tell me why I should love or hate them. Only some authors get my 5 star emotional rating: Penelope Williamson (a two-Kleenex box author), Kathleen Givens, Nadine Crenshaw, Marsha Canham, Virginia Henley, Betina Krahn and Iris Johansen, to name a few.

4. Simpering, whiny or weak heroines. Some people might like the weak, simpering females. Not me. I like my heroines with backbone. Not snippy or snarky, mind you. I’m talking about real character. Inspire me with courageous heroines who won’t be dictated to, who rise to meet life’s challenges and you just might make me a fan. A good example is Sarah in BROKEN ARROW by Judith James. Sarah is one of the best heroines out there: strong, compassionate—a unique individual who swims against the tide—and a woman who fights for the man she loves. Another is Fallon in PRINCESS OF FIRE by Heather Graham (aka Shannon Drake), who refused to be cowered by William the Conqueror. My reviews on Amazon that give romances 5 stars are replete with other examples. There is no quicker way to turn me off to a story than to make the heroine a whimpering, whiny female. (I could give you examples of those, too.) And it doesn’t make me happy if, later in the story, she suddenly becomes a Valkyrie. Not buying it. Mind you, I expect the heroine to cry for a valid reason. People do. But if she is constantly teary eyed and whimpering, I won’t finish the book nor read another by that author.

5. Contrived plot elements. I’m reading along, enjoying a great romance when suddenly, wham, out of nowhere something happens that just doesn’t fit—and isn’t believable. I know it’s romance, but it has to be natural…not contrived just to get the story moving in a certain direction. This is really important and can turn me off to an author quicker than anything. I have found that authors who engage in this do so again and again. I won’t mention names but suffice it to say these are the ones I’ve given 2 or 3 stars; and they are not on my lists of “Best” romances.

6. A research dump. I really appreciate it when the historical romance reflects the author’s thorough research. I can always tell and I give them high marks for it in my reviews. But don’t dump everything you learned into long passages in the story. If the heroine is a potter, I don’t need the encyclopedia version of everything there is to know about pottery—or fossils, or painting, or stone masonry, etc. I don’t need to go back to school. If I want more details, I’ll look them up. I can give you many authors who incorporate their research very well. A few whose names come to mind are Virginia Henley, Heather Graham (aka Shannon Drake), Nadine Crenshaw, Marsha Canham, Cynthia Wright, Elizabeth Stuart, Meredith Duran, Judith James, Joanna Bourne and Penelope Williamson.

7. Moral lectures disguised as romance. Yes, I know poverty existed in the past centuries (as it does now), and I don’t mind if this is reflected in the story, but don’t lecture me on the importance of being socially responsible. Don’t lecture me on the evils of slavery, natural healers that aren’t really witches, the benefits of vegetarianism, being charitable to the poor, etc. I get it. Reflect it, but don’t moralize. If you feel strongly, write an editorial, not a romance.

8. A character acting inconsistently. You know this one…a smart, savvy heroine who suddenly does something really stupid. In once romance I read, the heroine, who had been pretty smart up until this point, suddenly goes along with an abduction. Doesn’t scream, doesn’t fight. Nada. It was so disappointing it threw off my whole feeling about the story. Or, consider the hero who has always been a noble, forthright guy, who suddenly believes the worst about the heroine with no real evidence or provocation. Ugh!

9. Manufactured sexual tension. It’s gotta be real. It should come naturally out of the circumstances and the lives of the characters, but in some 2 and 3 star romances, it comes out of thin air. That will sour me on a story quicker than anything. You know what I’m talking about: arguments that should never have happened; misunderstandings any normal human being would clear up with one sentence—those things! I give highest marks to an author who has an intriguing plot that naturally develops and holds my attention, one who does not throw a wrench into the works merely to create conflict or separate the hero and heroine.

10. Love scenes that don’t match the characters or are the same in every one of the author’s books. If the heroine is an innocent virgin and suddenly she is seducing the hero with moves like a practiced courtesan (and especially the word “Please” as a euphemism for “do it now”), you just lost me. The love scene has to match the people involved and their experience. If you want a courtesan’s moves, then make the heroine an experienced woman of the night. A failure to match the love scene to the characters can be subtle. If the heroine is insecure and her past reflects bad experiences with men, she isn’t going to jump into bed with the hero and take the initiative in lovemaking. No way. It must seem like the kind of love scene these two people would share. And, please don’t make all your love scenes the same in every book you write—readers notice!

Regan Walker

(http://reganromancereview.blogspot.com)

TBM Forum Debut:   Working on the Web

This month, the Beau Monde Chapter of the Romance Writers of America is pleased to announce the debut of a new section in the Chapters/Special Interest Groups area of the myRWA.org forum. This new section is entitled "Working on the Web." It is intended to be a place where Beau Monde members can come to learn, or to share, tips and tricks on how to enhance our outcomes when working on the Internet.

The World Wide Web is now a fact of life for most authors, but we all have different attitudes, needs and levels of experience as we work in the online environment. This new section of the myRWA forum will be devoted to discussing those issues so that members will have one place where they can come to ask questions, get information and/or share it. Thus, we can all better understand and maximize our usage of the Web to our mutual advantage and benefit.

Some of the topics in this new forum will include:

• Blogging:   Tips and Best Practices
• eBook Publishing:   Authors’ Advice and Experiences
• General Web-Related Topics
• Online Safeguards:   Protecting Your Work & Safe Surfing
• Search Engine Optimization:   Getting Found on the Web
• Social Media:   FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter &c.
• Web Site Usability and Accessibility

This month, articles have been posted in the Working on the Web forum which explain the basic theory of search engine optimization (SEO) and how to select the necessary keywords in order to optimize your own web site. There is also an article which discusses the different digital denizens who inhabit the web and why each group tends to approach the use of the web in different ways. Visit the new Working on the Web forum to determine into which "digital" category you fall.

Next month, articles planned for the new forum include details on taking maximum SEO advantage of the single most powerful HTML tag on any web page, as well as a safe-surfing article on the whys and hows of constructing strong passwords to increase the security of your online accounts. In addition, all Beau Monde members are invited to drop in to this new section of the forum any time, to ask questions, or to share any information you have gleaned in your online travels and adventures.

If you are not yet a Beau Monde member, and would like to join us, please visit our Membership page for details.

What is Nielsen’s BookScan?   By Cheryl Bolen

In today’s article, Cheryl Bolen, award-winning romance author, tells us about Nielsen’s BookScan, which tracks point-of-sale statistics on book sales at a number of retail outlets. This article was written in 2005, and sadly, some of those retail outlets have fallen to the economic pressures of recent years. Nevertheless, publisher’s do use this list to guide many of the decisions they make, including whether or not to acquire another book from one of their authors.

If you are not already aware of the importance of the Nielson BookScan, let Cheryl Bolen explain …

Cheryl Bolen Reveals The Power? of the Golden Heart Award

With the entry period for Beau Monde’s Royal Ascot Contest now underway, many of us are polishing our manuscripts and daydreaming about what effect a win might have on our budding writing careers. In today’s article, Cheryl Bolen, award-winning published author of several historical romance novels, records her conversations with a group of Golden Heart award finalists. They share their thoughts on the impact which Golden Heart recognition had on their careers and their success in publishing their books.

The Sales and Distribution of Mass Market Books by Cheryl Bolen

Your manuscript has been accepted by a publisher, editing has been completed, you have approved the cover design and the book has gone to press. But the next steps are just as important, how will your newly-published novel be sold and distributed? In today’s article, Cheryl Bolen shares details on how and where your book will be sold and the percentages of sales typically achieved in the various venues. She also reveals the methods employed by most publishers’ sales reps to get your book into the hands of your readers.

Announcing the 2012 Royal Ascot!

Unpublished writers: Polish the first 7000 words of those manuscripts! The 2012 Royal Ascot will open for Entries on February 1st, 2012. In the next few weeks, details will be available on our webpage and through MyRWA, but, for now, here are highlights:

This year’s contest will be open to unpublished authors and authors who have not been contracted in book length fiction by RWA PAN definition in the last 5 years. All entries must have at least partial Regency (Late Georgian) setting, broadly defined: within the United Kingdom between 1780 and 1840. No synopsis is necessary!Our categories will be used to assign first round judges to the manuscript types they prefer:

Regency Historical (longer Regency or Mainstream Regency-set)

Hot Regency (Very sensual to Erotic Regency, at author’s discretion)

Wild Regency (Paranormal, Time Travel, other similar Regency)

Sweet & Mild Regency (Traditional, Inspirational, Young Adult or other without explicit sex).

Each entry will be judged by three judges, including at least one published in Regency Romance. The lowest score will be dropped, and the top six entries will move to the final round.

Our Final Round Judges are:

Agents

• Stephany Evans, Fine Print Literary
• Louise Fury, L Perkins Agency
• Pam Hopkins, Hopkins Literary Associates

Editors

• Lauren Plude, Hachette Book Group
• Angela Polidoro, Random House
• Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks

Besides the February 1st opening, some additional important dates are:

• Friday April 6th, 2012, midnight PDT: Deadline for all parts of entry
• Finalists Announced May 25th, 2012
• Winner(s) will be announced at The Beau Monde Conference

Further details will be announced on the blog and website soon! If you have any questions, feel free to contact this year’s co-coordinators, Sarah Tormey and Wendy La Capra, at royalascotcontest@gmail.com. Thank you!

Regency or Regency-set Historical? by Cheryl Bolen

One of our recently featured authors, Cheryl Bolen, has graciously given us permission to publish some of her articles here at the Beau Monde. We begin with an article she wrote in which she explains how she got started writing Regencies. She also provides a clear and concise explanation of the difference between traditional Regencies and romance novels set in the period of the English Regency. This article was originally published in 2002, and sadly, since its original publication, her predictions on the fate of traditional Regency romances have come to pass. Nevertheless, this article will give those writing in the Regency genre a rare look at the development of romance novels set in our favorite period of history, from the perspective of an author successfully published in that genre.

We hope you will enjoy reading Cheryl’s candid look at the business of Regency romance writing  . . .

Down Under Beau Monde Authors

‘Down Under’, several Beau Monde members (from Romance Writers of Australia and New Zealand) are taking part in a five day Launch Party to introduce Historical Hearts.

Do you know a lot about the Regency? Want to win prizes and support the Regency authors at the Historical Hearts blog? Then drop by every day this week for gossip, fun and prizes.

 Historical Hearts: Historical Hearts Launch Party – Day 1:

Tamara Gill  – We’re all very excited to announce a blog for Australian Historical Romance Writers. Over the next five days we’ll be giving away books, critiques, bookmarks, wonderful prizes of all kinds to celebrate the launch of this fabulous blog. Any loyal reader of Regency historicals will know the answer to my question immediately, but…we’re here to have fun, not to tax our loyal followers too much.

Royal Ascot Contest- Making Contests Work For You

With the deadline looming for the Beau Monde’s Royal Ascot Contest, our amazing contest coordinator, Sarah Tormey, talks about  MAKING CONTESTS WORK FOR YOU.

As an aspiring writer, I admit I have caught contest fever from time to time, and was always disappointed when my work did not final. I would stop entering and focus on submitting. After a year of this back and forth, I started to see the similarities between the judges’ comments and my rejection letters. Both pointed out similar flaws or problem areas.

This fall, after four months of spending every waking (and some not so awake moments) caring for my newborn son, I decided to enter a handful of contests to motivate me to keep writing. I needed something to me get back in writing mode and the deadlines helped.

But this time, I tried something different. I submitted one polished work and one first draft. And I also changed what I looked for in a contest. Instead of focusing on the final round judges, I looked for contests that featured trained first round judges (for the best feedback) and a reduced entry fee for subsequent submissions to avoid breaking the bank with contest fees.

Overall, I think my strategy worked. The polished manuscript chapters won one contest and I received a request for a full. In another, the same chapters did not even make the final rounds. But both offered great insights into how I could improve my writing. This was especially true for the first draft chapters.

I decided to enter the beginning of my first contemporary to see if I was on the right track. After all what could be better than a group of strangers sending me their honest opinions? Much to my surprise, I received an honorable mention and a request for a full from the final round judge. Going forward, I plan to submit all my working drafts to contests. The deadlines coupled with the stellar feedback have pushed me to write even on the days when I’ve been up all night with my teething baby.

In fact, I am so grateful for my contest experiences that I decided to return the favor by coordinating the 2011 Royal Ascot.

The Royal Ascot is a contest devoted to the promotion of Regency Romances by encouraging the development of authors who set stories in the Regency Period (and features both trained judges and a lower fee for subsequent entries). If you write Regencies (broadly defined as within the United Kingdom between 1780 and 1840) and are looking for stellar feedback from trained judges, this is the contest to enter. The deadline is April 1st and finalists will be announced the first week in May. If you do not write stories at least partially set in this time period, please help us spread the word to your friends, critique partners and writer’s groups.

For more information, please visit: http://www.thebeaumonde.com/royalascot/.

Sarah Tormey was a Mass Merchandise Sales Representative at Random House. Her job was to sell romances to chain stores like Target, Stop & Shop and Wal-Mart. Sarah is now pursuing her dream of writing romance novels. To read excerpts of her work and her blog, visit .

Posted with permission of the author.

Miranda Liasson talks about Golden Heart Week

It’s Golden Heart Week

It’s the week we’ve all been waiting for! Doesn’t last November, when we cautiously and optimistically FedEx’d our bulging packages full of manuscript copies and binder clips goodbye on the crisp autumn breeze, seem SO long ago?On Friday, the calls go out from RWA to the winners of the Golden Heart Contest for unpublished writers. I’m very excited because this year, I know so many more people who are “going for the gold” thanks to Cyndi D’Alba setting up a loop for a bunch of us who entered. Plus, I have friends who are anxiously (or not so anxiously) holding their breath.

About Me

Miranda Liasson

I am a writer of Regency historical romance currently working on my third manuscript. Please join me as I blog about research, craft, community, and the road to publication. I am co-vice president of my local RWA chapter and a reviewer for The Season website and blog.

I’ll be following the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood all week. They are posting GH-related topics all week. Today’s was “T-minus Four and Counting to Golden Heart Day.” http://www.rubyslipperedsisterhood.com/

It was a great hoot to follow their blog last year where they celebrated with everyone’s announcements as they happened, and the winners often stopped in to say hi and give their reactions.

To the friends I know who entered, GOOD LUCK!!!

See you all on Friday–I am going to stock up on my secret chocolate stash for fortitude!

Posted with permission of the author.

Royal Ascot Contest Deadline Approaching

The 2011 Royal Ascot Contest Deadline is April 1st!

This year, the contest will feature trained first round judges and a panel of Final Round judges including three editors and three agents.

For additional details, visit the website at: http://www.thebeaumonde.com/royalascot/

Final Round Judges Panel include:

• Selina McLemore, Senior Editor at Grand Central Publishing
• Jessica Faust, Bookends Literary Agency
• Kevan Lyon, Marshall Lyon Literary Agency
• Elizabeth Bistrow, Editor at NAL
• Deborah Nemeth, Editor at Carina Press
• Rebecca Strauss, McIntosh & Otis Literary Agency

Contests are a great way to get feedback on a new project as well as get your work in front of an agent or editor.

If you have any questions, email our contest coordinator -royalascotcontest@gmail.com.

Posted with permission of the author.

Welcome to the Beau Monde and our Regency World.

The Beau Monde, a specialist chapter of Romance Writers of America, welcomes you to our Regency World.

Hope you enjoy your visit here and come back often.

And please, don’t forget to visit the Where We Are page so you can visit our fascinating web pages,  ’Like’ our Face Book Page, and to follow us on Twitter.

The Beau Monde