Lone Star Writing Contest

***Permission granted, Appreciated, and Encouraged***

Northwest Houston RWA is pleased to announce the 2011 Lone Star Contest Finalists!

Single Title Category

Final judges:

Editor: Deb Werksman – Sourcebooks, Inc.

Agent: Michelle Grajkowski – 3 Seas Literary Agency

EPublishing Editor: Leanne Morgena – Wild Rose Press

1.Perfect Summer by Katie Graykowski (2 partial requests)

2. Far From Perfect by Barbara Longley (1 full request)

3. Better Than Pasta by Linda O’Dwyer (1 full, 1 partial request)

Contemporary Series Category

Final Judges:

Editor : Wanda Ottewell, Harlequin

Agent : Pam Strickler – Pam Strickler Author Management

EPublishing Editor: Lori Graham – Wild Rose Press

1. Mandy’s Marine by Amy Lamont (2 full, 1 partial request)

2. Cyrano At Your Service by Tamara Baumann (2 partial requests)

3. Snow Job by Kelly Fitzpatrick

Historical Category

Final Judges:

Editor: Junessa Vilorio – Random House

Agent: Sara Megibow – Nelson Literary Agency

EPublishing Editor: Susan Yates – Wild Rose Press

1. Love Behaving Badly by Catherine Phelan

2. Prodigal Gun by Kathleen Rice Adams

3. The Dressmaker’s Duke by Jessica Gibbons (w/a Jess Russel)

Inspirational Category

Final Judges:

Editor: Rachel Burkot - eHarlequin

Agent: Kimberly Shumate – Living Word Literary Agency

EPublishing Editor: Nicola Martinez – White Rose Publishing

1. Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Elizabeth Ladd (2 full, 1 partial request)

2. Saving Gideon by Amy Lillard (1 full, 1 partial request)

3. Sing a New Song by Anita Jares (1 full, 1 partial request)

Young Adult Category

Final Judges:

Editor: Kat O'Shea – Leap Books

Agent: Susan Hawk – The Bent Agency

EPublishing Editor: - Meghan M. Conrad – Ellora’s Cave

1. Ceres’ Wrath by Candi Wall (w/a K.R. Lawson) (2 full requests)

2. In Deep by Robin Weaver

3. Getting a Life, Even If You’re Dead

Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Category

Final Judges:

Editor: Ann Leslie Tuttle – Harlequin Nocturne

Agent: Jill Marsal – Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

EPublishing Editor: Raelene Gorlinsky - Ellora’s Cave

1. The Ruby Brooch by Katherine Lowry Logan

2. Magic Wars by Camryn Rhys

3.Apocrypha Rising by Stephen C. Thompson

Romantic Suspense Category

Final Judges:

Editor: Katherine Pelz – Penguin

Agent: Tina Tsallas – Great Titles, Inc.

EPublishing Editor: Kelli Collins – Ellora’s Cave

1. Burning Rubber by Wendy Campbell

2. Undercover Cowboy by Kathy Bremner

3. Stealing Best in Show by Elizabeth Pina

Northwest Houston RWA

proudly announces the finalists for the

2011 Lone Star Writing Competition

FF&P

Magic Wars by Camryn Rhys
The Ruby Brooch by Katherine Lowry Logan
Apocrypha by Stephen C. Thompson

Single Title

Far From Perfect by Barbara Longley
Perfect Summer by Katie Grawkowski
Better Than Pasta by Linda O'Dwyer

Romantic Suspense

Burning Rubber by Wendy Campbell
Undercover Cowboy by Kathy Bremner
Stealing Best in Show by Elizabeth Pina

Contemporary Series

Mandy's Marine by Amy Lamont
Cyrano at Your Service by Tamara Baumann
Snow Job by Kelly Fitzpatrick

Young Adult

Getting A Life, Even if You're Dead by Beth Watson
In Deep by Robin Weaver
Ceres Wrath by Candi Wall w/a K.R. Lawson

Inspirational

Saving Gideon by Amy Lillard
Sing a New Song by Anita Jares
Heiress of Winterwood by Sarah Elizabeth Ladd

Historical

Prodigal Gun by Kathleen Rice Adams
Love Behaving Badly by Catherine Phelan
The Dressmaker's Duke by Jess Russell w/a Jessica Gibbons

The 19th Annual Lone Star Writing Competition - Now Closed

Entry fee: $20 NWH members; $25 non-NWH members

Early bird entry: $5 discount on all entries submitted by midnight May 25, 2011

Electronic entries must arrive by midnight June 8, 2011. Any entries received after the deadline will be deleted unopened. Finalists will be announced on August 19, 2011. Non-finalists will have entries returned by September 15, 2011. Winners will be announced at the Lone Star Conference in October.

Eligibility: Unpublished may enter any category. Published may enter any category in which they're not published, or in which they've not been contracted for five years. Open to RWA and non-RWA members.

Enter: First 25 pages, including prologue, if desired. All entries must be in the standard submission form: 1” margins all around, 12 pt. font, double space, 25 lines per page.

Scoring: All entries will be sent to three first round judges: two published authors and one unpublished author. The lowest score will be tossed and final round contestants will be chosen by the average of the final two scores. Finalists will be given a chance to edit manuscript using the comments and score sheets from the first round judges before sending to final judges. Top three high scorers in each category will be category finalists. Those entries will be sent to both an agent and an editor for placement.

Final judges:

Inspirational Category:

Editor: Rachel Burkot - Harlequin
Agent : Kimberly Shumate – Living Word Literary Agency
Epublisher: Nicola Martinez – White Rose Publishing

Young Adult Category:

Editor: Kat O'Shea – Leap Books
Agent: Susan Hawk – The Bent Agency
Epublisher: Meghan M. Conrad – Ellora's Cave

Romantic Suspense Category:

Editor: Katherine Pelz – The Penguin Group
Agent: Tina Tsallas – Great Titles, Inc.
Epublisher: Kelli Collins – Ellora’s Cave

Contemporary Series Category:

Editor: Wanda Ottewell – Harlequin
Agent: Pam Strickler – Pam Strickler Author Management
Epublisher: Lori Graham – Wild Rose Press

Single Title Category:

Editor: Deb Werksman – Sourcebooks
Agent: Michelle Grajkowski – 3 Seas Literary Agency
Epublisher: Leanne Morgena – Wild Rose Press

Historical Category:

Editor: Junessa Viloria – Random House
Agent: Sara Megibow – Nelson Literary Agency
Epublisher: Susan Yates – Wild Rose Press

Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Category:

Editor: Ann Leslie Tuttle – Harlequin
Agent: Jill Marsal – Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Epublisher: Raelene Garlinsky – Ellora’s Cave

CATEGORY COORDINATORS – Entries must be sent to the correct coordinator, or they will be ineligible for the contest and returned to the contestant. Electronic entries must arrive by midnight June 8, 2011. Any entries received after the deadline will be deleted unopened.

Inspirational Category:

Jenn Bray-Weber
jbrayweber@earthlink.net

Young Adult Category:

Shawnna Perigo
scperigo@yahoo.com

Romantic Suspense Category:

Jaye Garland
jayegarland@yahoo.com

Contemporary Series Category:

Jan Nash
jannash@comcast.net

Single Title Category:

Stella Pinson
stormbruin@hotmail.com

Historical Category

Karen Hankins
nwhrwaHistorical@gmail.com