JUNE LITERARY NEWS

BLACK ROMANCE ANTHOLOGIES SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Nationally bestselling and award-winning authors Niobia Bryant and Kim Louise are seeking submissions of short stories for an upcoming African-American romance anthology.

We want to showcase the very best romance authors out there, whether published or unpublished. We are looking for stories that capture the very essence of a loving relationship and will resonate and remain with the reader long after they close the book. This anthology is an attempt to honor the romance writers who blazed the way, uplift the writers of today, and open the doors for those to come. We want an anthology that will properly represent the African-American romance genre in the same tradition that contemporary African-American fiction was represented by Terry Mcmillan's Breaking Ice: An Anthology of Contemporary African-American Fiction and Clarence Major's Calling the Wind:Twentieth Century African-American Short Stories.

Anthology Concept
* The stories must have at least one love scene.

* The relationships must be heterosexual.

* Stories should be in one of the following genres:

Contemporary Romance
Romantic Suspense
Romantic Comedy
Futuristic Romance (science fiction)
Paranormal Romance
Fantasy Romance
Historical Romance
Chick-Lit
Inspirational
Interracial (One of the characters must be African-American)

Submission Guidelines
* All stories must be written in proper manuscript formatting--12pt. Courier New, double spaced with one-inch margins.

* Stories should be 2500 - 3500 words (10-14 pages with proper formatting)

* E-mail your story to BlackRomanceAnthologies@yahoo.com. No attachments will be accepted. Please paste your submission into the body of the e-mail. Any stories sent as an attachment will be deleted. Please put SUBMISSION in the subject line.

* Be sure to include your name, contact information, and your story's genre on a cover sheet WITH THE STORY. The final selection process will take a while, so if your contact information changes, please keep us informed.

* Only original stories that have not been published in any format are allowed.

* Just one story per author and please submit to us exclusively.

* All stories may be edited for content and length.

* Submissions will be accepted June 1, 2006 until September 1, 2006.


Compensation
* There will be a payment for each story accepted for the final publication. Each contributor will receive copies of the completed project and a payment of $100.00.

* Also every contributor will be able to include a bio in the Contributors Section of both the book and the official web site.

Please feel free to forward this information to all interested parties.

We look forward to reading your stories.

Thank you,
Niobia & Kim
http://www.geocities.com/blackromanceanthologies/index.html

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Durham, North Carolina to Host Faith-Based Arts Conference

Three day event showcasing the talents of gifted authors currently publishing in the Christian and Inspirational Fiction arena.

Raleigh, NC (PRWEB) June 8, 2006 -- Readers, poets and aspiring writers throughout North Carolina and as far away as Washington State will convene Durham at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel & Convention Center to attend the 2nd Annual Faith-Based Arts Conference on June 30, 2006.

The three day event will showcase the talents of a wide-ranging spectrum of gifted authors such as Angela Benson, Stacy Hawkins-Adams, Linda Windsor, and Patricia Haley among others currently publishing in the Christian/Inspirational Fiction Arena.

Workshops for aspiring writers and published authors will be held on Friday, while readers enjoy book club roundtable discussions with pre-selected reads. On Saturday, local author Dr. Gail Hayes will be the luncheon keynote speaker. She is the bestselling author of Daughters of the King. Motivational speaker, Lynetta Jordan will be the morning speaker for the Gospel Breakfast held Sunday morning.

“The theme for this year’s conference is The Holiness of the Gift. I think it’s important that we as faith-based artists understand that our gift is a ministry and that the words we write or speak today can save someone’s tomorrow,” says national bestselling author, Jacquelin Thomas who is the founder and coordinator of the event.

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Press Contact: Jacquelin Thomas
Company Name: Faith-Based Literary Events, Inc.
Phone: 919-761-8329
Website: www.faithbasedarts.com

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WIN AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF JUMP AT THE SUN BY KIM MCLARIN!

Enter to win an autographed copy of JUMP AT THE SUN, Kim McLarin’s provocative new novel that USA Today compared to Terry McMillan’s, Waiting to Exhale, and Toni Morrison’s, Beloved.

Kim McLarin is giving away 10 autographed copies of her new novel. JUMP AT THE SUN (Harpercollins, July 2006) explores the challenges of mothering and being mothered in a complex world, witnessed through the lives of three generations. About JUMP AT THE SUN, USA Today wrote, “...her daring novel has the fire-breathing sass of Terry McMillan's Waiting to Exhale and the soul-searching depth of Toni Morrison's Beloved...honest and surprising and provocative...refreshing on a hot summer day.”

To enter, visit www.kimmclarin.com, read the excerpt from chapter 1 of JUMP AT THE SUN, and answer the following questions:

1) What is the full name of Grace’s mother?
2) On what day does Grace’s mother say she should be careful?

Send an email to kim@kimmclarin.com with the following information:

1) Your answers
2) Name
3) Email address

Contest deadline: July 31, 2006
One entry per person. Winners will be randomly selected and notified by email. Winners will have to provide a mailing address to receive free copy. Names of winners will be posted on www.kimmclarin.com.

Kim McLarin, is an award-winning journalist and the author of the critically-acclaimed novels TAMING IT DOWN and MEETING OF THE WATERS. She is a former staff writer for The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Greensboro News & Record and the Associated Press. She is currently writer-in-residence at Emerson College in Boston.

Reading group guide available at www.kimmclarin.com. ISBN: 0060528494; William Morrow/Harpercollins; Release date: 07/03/2006
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CHESAPEAKE ROMANCE WRITERS
FALL HAVEN RETREAT

WRITERS FIRST
2006

October 27-29 2006
Airfield 4H Conference Center
Wakefield, Va.
http://www.crwrwa.org/

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CHESAPEAKE ROMANCE WRITERS

READER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON AND BOOKSIGNING
10:00AM JULY 8, 2006

Russell Memorial Library
Chesapeake, Virginia
Contact Chesapeake Romance Writers for details
www.CRWRWA.ORG

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Working Title: The Midnight Clear (as in, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear)

Working Subtitle: Stories of love, hope and inspiration

How many pages/words should I write?

Each co-author will write one short story consisting of twelve to fifteen pages (double-spaced) in length….approximately 4,000 to 4,500 words each story.

What is the layout of the book?

Each co-author will have his/her bio, picture, and contact information printed at the end of his/her story. If spacing permits, a color photo of each co-author will also be placed on the back cover of the book.

What is the theme of the book?

Christmas

What are the writing guidelines?

The genre is strictly Christian fiction and should be double-spaced and in 12-point type (Times New Roman, Ariel or Courier font only). We are looking for a variety of topics to be addressed in stories: family drama, teen fiction, untimely death, love found, male issues, female issues, marital issues, church issues, etc. Stories can be romantic, dramatic, humorous, suspenseful and/or mysterious in nature. However, each story MUST have a Christ-centered theme and be set during the Christmas season. Happy endings are not required, but each story should end with divinely ordered closure and not in chaos. Absolutely no profanity, sexually explicit or vulgar language permitted. Please keep within aforementioned page/word count, but make story complete.

What are the submission guidelines?

Short stories must be submitted via email to: kendra@knb-publications.com. Attach submissions to email in a WORD document. Do not place submissions as text in the body of the email.

How will stories be chosen for inclusion?

Providing submitted stories meet writing guidelines and are deemed well-written and engaging, they will not be refused. Therefore inclusion is a matter of promptness. Stories are reviewed on a first come, first serve basis and there is only room for nineteen (19).

How will the book’s editing, cover design, layout and book printing be handled?

Everything will be taken care of by KNB Publications, LLC. All you will have to do is create and submit your story, along with your bio and high-resolution photo (300 dpi). The rest is left to us. The finished product will be 5 ½ x 8 ½” with an eye-catching, full-color glossy cover. As with all books produced through KNB Publications, LLC, The Midnight Clear will be professionally edited, bound and printed. Upon the book’s completion, each co-author will have his/her copies of the book shipped to the address he/she provides. Each co-author will be charged actual shipping costs for the delivery of their books prior to shipping. No COD’s.

How will the book be marketed and sold?

Each co-author will receive 250 books and is responsible for the marketing of his/her own personal inventory of books. KNB Publications, LLC will have the book listed on Amazon.com and have it listed with our major distributor so that it will be available for national chain bookstores to order. This gives you MAJOR exposure and we are taking care of it for you! Co-authors cannot return unsold books from personal inventory to KNB Publications, LLC for refund. This is your opportunity to successfully market yourself and to take advantage of your moment to shine!

What is the cost to each participating co-author?

**This price INCLUDES ALL BOOK PRODUCTION EXPENSES: Cover Design, Editing, Layout and Printing. The cost is only $750.00 plus actual shipping for each co-author. (See order form for payment options)

How will you make money from participating?

When you sell your initial 250 books (at $15.00 per copy) you will gross $3,750.00! Since your investment is only $750.00, your net profit (money in your pocket) is $3,000!!! You will then have more than enough money to reorder and the profits will be even greater on the second batch of books sold. Cost will be only $2.50 per book (plus shipping) for a reorder (250 books is the minimum). Just think: If you reorder 500 books and sell them at $15.00 per book, you will gross $7,500.00! Your net profit would be $6,250.00!!!