News!

Charlotte McClain, one of our favorite authors at Lyrical Press, has done it again. I'm excited to announce we're working on another story, Melody Unchained, now in content edits. It's a smart, often funny, touching contemporary romance with all the elements we love about Charlotte's stories. She really knows how to create strong characters, and Melody and Jerry are wonderful. Jerry is a cop, kind and dependable, sworn to his duty to help people. And he's mega hot. He's also just coming back to the living from a long period of mourning his late wife. He cared for her through her illness to the end. Definitely one of the good guys. But he's not all cookie-dough and sweetness--he's reluctant to love again and doesn't want anything to do with Melody.

She is, after all, totally nuts, he thinks. He doesn't need that, a woman who claims to be a three thousand year-old genie...or does he?

But she is--a genie, I mean. Newly freed, spunky and always getting into trouble as she finds herself human again, she's looking for a new master. Jerry.

That's all I'm gonna say on the plot, but I will say this. The story has me riveted. And I'm already fantasizing about what the cover will look like. Or what Jerry will look like on the cover... There's just something about a hot cop, isn't there? Oooh! Makes me drool!

In the meantime, while you wait for Melody Unchained's release in 2013, Charlotte has a list of books sure to keep you happily reading.

Did I mention her heroes are mega hot?

You can find her books here-- http://www.lyricalpress.com/store/index.php?main_page=authors&authors_id=35&zenid=9a0424jb64c5396u452m85jog1 and at amazon.com and all the usual places to buy ebooks.

And here are a few of her latest releases. 

Sometimes a dream life is really a nightmare.

Rebecca has big plans. She's going to be a famous artist, even if she has to sell her soul to do it. And so far, it's working for her. She's gaining notoriety in local art circles, but the "crap art" she's selling makes her miserable. Ducking into the local fire station during a rainstorm, she finds the perfect way to distract herself--a hot firefighter with a big ego begging to be toyed with. 

Dan would be the first to admit he has a big ego, but there's something about Rebecca...

Hunting her down after that first kiss in the rain turns out to be the easy part. Making her happy might be impossible. But Dan is willing to do whatever it takes, including helping her buy back her soul. 

Maybe it was the rain, maybe it was the uniform. Or maybe Rebecca and Dan were simply struck by lightning. 

WARNING: Violent weather, workplace disasters, and life happening despite the best laid plans.

Who makes memory?

Beth Wilson has been caring for Nonie Bennetti for years. She can see the end looming, but she doesn't expect it to arrive in the form of Nonie's grandson. 

James is visiting his grandmother to hide from the publicity of a massive real estate scandal he revealed. While he's there, his mother decides it's a good time to audit Beth's handling of Nonie's finances. James wants to audit something else about Beth, but his mother is relentless. He's not hanging around anyway.

But Beth, and the small town his grandmother lives in, have a lot of appeal. Maybe it's time to stop moving around and start making some memories.

Contents warning: Meddling mothers, medical emergencies and little league games.

Love can't flourish in the dark

Fifteen years ago, Elaine fell in love with Johnny McMannus, the local bad boy. He was nineteen and she was jailbait. To keep them both out of trouble, Johnny left town. 

But years later his father's heart attack brings him back to run the family garage. Hoping to reconnect with Elaine, Johnny has to first fix the mess his parent's alcoholism has made of things. Before Johnny can deserve Elaine, he has to salvage his family's reputation, save their home, and rescue the business. 

Too bad Elaine doesn't want to be deserved. She wants to be loved. She never got over Johnny and she's done sneaking around with him as they had before. If he can't love her in public, to her way of thinking he doesn't love her enough.

Warning: Nosy neighbors, hypochondriac mothers and underage girls.

Do We Have the Contest for You!

Dear writers out in the wide lovely world, here's a wonderful opportunity. Polish up those mss and submit them. Best of luck to you!

The First Annual Lyrical Press How Lyrical is Your Romance? Contest opens on Monday, January 16^th. This contest is open to both published and unpublished authors.

Entries must be complete works, ranging in word count between 15,000-100,000 words, any heat level, and fit into one of the following subgenre categories:

• 
  

Contemporary romance
Historical romance
Paranormal or urban fantasy romance
Romantic steampunk
Romantic suspense

Prizes:

1^st Place: $200 advance and digital publishing contract (advance payable as $100 upon finalized contract and $100 upon publication).

2^nd Place: $100 advance and digital publishing contract (advance payable as $50 upon finalized contract and $50 upon publication).

3^rd Place: Top-scoring contestant in each genre category will receive an acquiring editor's critique of synopsis and first 50 pages of manuscript.

Guidelines:

File type: .rtf, .doc, or .docx only

12pt black font (Times New Roman, Cambria, Courier or Georgia preferred)

Line spacing: 1.5

Margins: 1" all

Page-breaks between chapters

Please include a title page listing the following information:

Legal name

Pen name

Email address

Contact phone

Working title (include series name and details if applicable)

Word count

Genre/category

Entries will be accepted from January 16, 2012 through February 5, 2012, and must be emailed to contest@lyricalpress.com. Entries sent to an email other than the aforementioned will be ignored. Please include book title and contest in subject line thusly: Booktitle “ How Lyrical Is Your Romance?" Attach full manuscript, and 2-5 page synopsis in .rtf, .doc, or .docx format (Booktitle_MS and Booktitle_SYN as file names--your book title replaces Booktitle). After February 5, the contest will close, but we'll still be accepting submissions as always at our submissions@lyricalpress.com address.

No entry fee required. Judges reserve the right to Decline to Judge any entry if it does not fit our lines, level of writing is not acceptable, or submission guidelines are not followed.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria: Hook, Pacing/Plot, Characterization, Dialogue, Mechanics, and Author Voice.

Winners will be announced on March 12, 2012 via our blog http://lyricalpress.blogspot.com/ and direct emails to winners.

Black Friday--Not Just for Department Stores

Black Friday at Lyrical Press

Shop Lyrical Press on Black Friday and save 50% on our entire catalog of digital books (and you don't even have to get up early and stand in line all day!)

Have a Kindle? Have a Nook? No problem! Lyrical books are compatible for most reading devices. 

Hey, book lovers, and all of you who've bought a special someone an ereader for the holidays, what a great opportunity to load that sucker up! The Lyrical Press store also has gift certificates, which is perfect if you're not quite sure what that special someone is in the mood for! And now, you can download and read the first chapter of new releases too!

Heads Up! New Call for Submissions!

Lyrical Press is actively acquiring erotica dystopian works.

Dystopia - A repressive and controlled society, usually under the pretense of utopia. Dystopian societies feature all different kinds of social control systems that repress some while lifting others to a form of nobility. There is usually a distinct system with blatant and vast privileges and oppressions separating higher classes from lower classes. Dystopian societies are often police states, where an individual (dictator) has unlimited power over citizens. 

Sensuality level: Red hot
Length: 30,000 – 95,000 words (60,000+ words are eligible for print)
Key Characteristics: Erotica romance set in a dystopian society. Strong sexual relationship between main characters. Elements of bondage and S&M that explore the dominant/submissive roles of a BDSM relationship welcome. Multiple partners acceptable.
Deadline: None
Submission Guidelines: http://www.lyricalpress.com/submissions
Submissions eMail: submissions@lyricalpress.com

Go ahead and try to shock us. We dare you.

Jewel Heist!

I don't usually put an exclamation point after a book's title, but this one deserves it, I think. Jewel Heist, by multi-pubbed author jj Keller, has been released at Lyrical Press. And no wonder it's listed as an All Romance Ebooks bestseller. It's fabulous.
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-jewelheist-615544-149.html

The story centers around Mary, a jewelry designer with her grandfather's firm. Mary has a history of being attracted to the wrong sorts of men. Undoubtedly hot men, but just not right for her. They tend to burn her. And this last one, Conrad, is a doozy. When she's at her most vulnerable, he robs her grandfather's jewelry store of a million dollars' worth of precious diamonds. That's not her only problem. She has to conceive a child in five days before the fertility shots she's taken are wasted and the future of her family business goes up in smoke. Conrad, the jerk, was going to be her donor. Now she has to find someone else. Thank goodness she has friends with a plan to help. Now, if only she can recover the diamonds, find a suitable donor and escape from Conrad and his even more felonious and dangerous partner in crime with her life intact, she'll have it made in the shade. But she didn't count on John Wang, ex-cop and undercover insurance investigator.

Jewel Heist is a page turner, but don't take my word for it. Check it out!

Diamonds used to be this girl's best friend. 

Jewelry designer Mary Keefe has been robbed--of a million dollars in diamonds belonging to her grandfather--by her own boyfriend, Conrad. Besides recovering the jewels, she's got to conceive a baby within 5 days, to save her family's legacy. Her friends have a plan, a singles cruise so Mary can find a sperm donor with the best qualities. The first mate could be the right choice--he rates a five on the Donor List. Then there's John Wang, her neighbor in the adjoining room. Attraction sizzles between them and they've become friends, but he doesn't act interested. Could be, she's not his type.

For John Kajiyama, posing as Wang, Mary Keefe is just his type. She's beautiful, funny and sweet...but is she innocent? Diamonds are missing and he must recover  them for the insurance company. How far will he go to maintain his cover in this investigation?

Here's an excerpt:

Mary was adorable--Debbie’s age equaled hers. “What happened when you went to the can?” John asked.

“Saw a ghost.” She outlined the shape of his mouth with her tongue, moving him to act on his desires.

He hesitated. What was her game? He took a step back.

“If you’re not going to be serious.” Heart thumping, pounding on his ribcage, John knew what he had to do. He released her, picked up her purse and shoes. “Good night, Mary.”

True fear tightened her face. Pain glazed her eyes. “No. Please, I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

“Why?”

Arms folded at her waist, chin lowered, she whispered, “I’m afraid.”

He flung her items and tucked her close. She had every reason to be scared. Two men who’d robbed her jewelry store were still at large and at this time, she wasn’t clear from suspicion.

Swaying in time to the music, he tried to relax her. “What about now?”

Her cheek dropped against his shoulder. “I like Daughtry. He has a nice, raspy voice. We share the same taste in music.”

“Do you believe in love? Quick, sharp, gut-wrenching love?” He kissed the soft skin of her shoulder.

“I want to believe. Mostly I’ve been disappointed. I hope…”

He lifted her arms to rest on his shoulders again, seeking that connection. “Yes, what do you hope?”

“I hope to find love before it’s too late.” She shook her head. “Most of the guys I’ve been attracted to don’t stay. My last boyfriend was a scumbag.” Her breath caught in her throat, making it sound like a sob. “I thought I saw a guy who looked like him in the hallway. Terrified me.”

Her words floated in the air with spurts and sputters. Fear, true fright came from each word.

“If it was him, would he hurt you?” Slow removal of hairpins allowed the strands to flow down her back.

“He stabbed me here.” Mary tapped John’s heart. “A little theatrical. Sorry. Physically? Yes, I can imagine him getting angry and assaulting me.” She shivered.

Rubbing her arms, he put his cheek against hers. “I’ll protect you.”

She kissed him, transforming that fear energy into passion. Her cupid lips hit the target, as if the love angel had shot his arrow. John Kajiyama confirmed he was in love with Mary Keefe.

He held her face in his hands. “You don’t have to pretend an interest in me. I’ll protect you.” His words came out hard, but he didn’t move away. “Maybe I should go look for the guy now.”

* * * *

Mary whipped his hands away, but aligned her gaze with his. “No, I was wrong. That man couldn’t be my ex. He’s running from the law. I’m not faking romance with you in order to have safety. From the time I flattened you to the sofa, I’ve felt a spark. When you held me in the pool, embers flickered. I was hoping tonight I could see if a fire would ignite.”

She was shocked the words had left her mouth. What had she been thinking, disclosing her past and then freely sharing her desire to be with him? She shouldn’t consider a relationship with him. Love wasn’t in the future for her. But a fling, one night to make the magic happen. Should she?

One night to feel the joy of being with this stunning man who looked at her as if she were the only female on a ship which appeared to have two women for every man.

One night to experience the enchantment of love.

You can find Jewel Heist by jj Keller at www.lyricalpress.com It's right on the first page under New This Week.

Check out jj's website for more stories from this wonderful author, www.jj-keller.com. There you'll find all her books, and she's got some great trailers too.

I had the best time editing this book. As many times as I read Jewel Heist during the editing cycle--five?Six times or more?--I read it again upon completion and later this year, will likely pop it up on my computer screen and read it yet again. It's that good!

Kudos to Mason!

Mega congratulations go out to a very special author on my roster, a.c. Mason. She will likely not toot her own horn about this; she gets out there and promotes her books, but a horn tooter--no. So, I will shout hurrah and do the happy dance for her. Please join in!

a.c. has racked up nominations in the Authors After Dark Bookie Awards for 2012.
Check this out:
Nominated for Fantasy Short Story of the Year--Aequitas II: Punishment

For Series of the Year--The Wolf Spirit Series

For Best Couple in a Series--VanWolf and Alexia in Chocolate Damsel. I could not agree more. Van Wolf is a delicious leading man: hot and gruff, incredibly brave with a heart of gold. Alexia is the type of a heroine we all love: witty and generous-hearted, and she just does not give up when it comes to saving those she loves.

For Cross Genre Novel of the Year--Chocolate Damsel

And that's just for her books with Lyrical Press. Her book Night Reins has received two well-earned nominations and her wonderful blog, IRMC Books received a nomination too!

a.c. is nominated in prestigious company, and rightly so. I'm thrilled for her. She's amazing. Through her own determination she's grown as an author and perfected her craft, and is also always willing to share her knowledge or support her fellow writers. And, she's a devoted mom and has another full time career besides being an author. Told ya. Amazing.

Best wishes to a.c. Mason in the Bookie Awards! I hope she wins every award she's been nominated for.

Wandering Body Parts: A Cautionary Tale

Sounds kinda sexy, doesn't it, as if some delectably hot man is letting his fingers wander slowly over your skin as he seduces you. Or chilling, if the body parts are just wandering around the parking lot when you go to the store for a gallon of milk--disembodied arms and leg flopping across the tarmac on a mission to kill you.

Alas, it's nothing so dramatic, dear writers. It's just a description of a character's action written as though the character has no control over what their body parts are doing.

Believe me, though, it is out to get you. Muahahahha! (That was the phenomena of  wandering body parts laughing, not me, by the way. I have enough problems with it myself.)

Would an editor, seeing a flood of WBP's in your submission pass on the project? Depending on the editor and the standard of writing expected, of course they could. Like head hopping or any other big no no, editors know they're gonna have to explain how passive and active voice works to that author should they accept the submission, how voice relates to perspective, yaddah yaddah yaddah. That's a lotta work an editor would rather not have to do.

Here are a few of the classic examples we all know and love:
Her eyes flew across the room.
Her lips nibbled his neck.
His feet pounded the path.

At one time or another we've all come across them in some variation or another.

It is a phenomena, by the way. And even the most conscientious, anal retentive of us get caught up in it. If you're looking at a bunch of action sentences all close together, in a sex scene, say, and trying to avoid starting every sentence with 'He' or 'She', do your best to not fall into the "Oh, using a wandering body part-passive voice-type sentence adds variety" trap. Wrestle those words around until the subject is the character, describe around the action, leave the sentences alone for a few days and gain a little distance, do anything...

Wow, Mary. Talk about dramatics.

But feel no guilt, dear writers, just recognize the WBP phenomena, correct it and move on. Tell your beta readers and CPs to be on the lookout for it in your work and do the same for them. Like having a spa day and treating your friend to one too, it just does you both sooo much good.

Here's another way to look at Wandering Body Parts. Remember Sir Isaac Newton and "A body at rest tends to stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force"?

How strange that I sucked so badly at physics in high school I flunked all the tests about the laws of Gravity and Motion, yet here I am, an editor, realizing Sir Isaac was indeed a god of science. Hmm. No wonder my mother threw a fit when she saw my grade...all that education money down the tubes.

Anyhoo. Sir Isaac was correct as usual. A character's body parts stay at rest unless used by the character to do something--anything.

And that's exactly what should be happening in those example sentences but is not. If a character is acting even in the smallest way, unless they can't help it, that character is in control of their actions. Every eye movement, gasp, sigh, motion of their hands, feet and every body part in between. Lips do not just nibble--the female character nibbles using her lips. His feet don't pound without him making them pound; he pounded the path with his feet. Remember that.

Yes, sentences are written like that all the time, in all sorts of books. That doesn't make it right, or cool, though it might be trendy, and can be especially embarrassing in sex scenes. Just imagine, as an author has written it, whoo-hahs and schmeckels doing whatever the heck they want all over the page without the knowledge of the hero or heroine. Cringe-worthy, and a little scary, I think.

I'm truly blessed as an editor, because every author on my roster, even those sparkling new to the Mary's World of Writing Weirdness party do not intentionally make the Wandering Body Parts mistake. They fight it tooth and nail. I can tell that whenever I read their work. But like me, they're human, and like any writer, seeing the trees for the forest is hard. I place no blame and totally sympathize. We are in the boat together.

This cautionary tale is for anyone preparing submissions and revising out there in the world beyond my roster.
  
If you've figured out that the true and correct subject of all the example sentences is 'he' or 'she', and realize that's true of any sentence involving a character acting--even if the 'he' or she' is just understood and not blatantly trotted out as one of the words in the sentence--you, dear writer, are golden. And if your character can't help nibbling your hero's neck or gasping because he's so unbelievably delicious, then that must be specified. Easy, huh?