Make You Mine has been nominated for Best Steamy Romance in the 2010 Emma Award presented by Romance Slam Jam.

Since I will be cruising in April for the 2010 Romance Slam Jam it would be just fine with me to come home with my suitcase just a little heavier with an award.

Thank you to everyone who nominated me. This is the second recognition for Make You Mine and I appreciate every drop of love.

For more on the 1st Award Nomination click here.

For more on the Romance Slam Jam cruise click here.

2009 Nominee for Best African-American Romance 

Romantic Times Magazine Awards!!!

“Oh shyt” is exactly what I said when I found out about the nomination. LOL.

This is the book my Mom pushed me to write.  Several editors wouldn’t mess with it because the heroine was unemployed, $200.00 from being broke, and about to be evicted from her apartment. Real ish that happens to good people all the time. (Love is not just for the wealthy. Hello.) But I digress…

I was steady pumping out books and my Mom would say “what happened to the one about the pregnant lady that moves into the man’s house while he’s away”.  My answers:

• I’ll get to it, Ma.
• This editor wants something less realistic.
• That editor wants me to change the story. I wouldn’t, so it didn’t sell.
• As soon as I finish this book or that I’ll get to it.

Well, I finally did submit it to Dafina.  They brought it, published it, its selling well, and it just was nominated for an award by a publication well-respected in the romance writing industry.

I know my Mama is in heaven telling all the nay-sayers “Humph. That’s my baby girl”.

But this is also a huge milestone for me for one other reason.  Peep the other nominees in the Best African-American Romance category:

• Francis Ray (Nobody But You)
• Beverly Jenkins (Bring On The Blessings)
• Brenda Jackson (Taste of Passion)
• Rochelle Alers (Man of Fate)

Say what. Say who? These four icons of African-American romance…and me? Say what you want, but when discussing African-American romance and its trailblazers every last name on the list  has been mentioned. (DISCLAIMER: I’m not throwing shade on anyone but I like a good dose of reality and there is not one up and coming romance author who wouldn’t give a big toe to have these women’s career.)

I have read them all (especially Francis. Heart of a Falcon. Classic. All time favorite romance book.)  I respect them all for all they’ve done to make it a bit easier for me to get my job done.  I am so pleased and proud of myself to be ranked among them. I’m proud to be the up and comer with just 8 romance books under my belt compared to their substantial release amounts.  I’m still building my brand and honing my craft.  I still have a way to go and I’m excited to know that with each book I will only get better.  When it comes to my writing career, I feel like God is preparing me for  my breakthrough and this nod is a testament to that.

WOOO-HOOOOOOO!!!

UPDATE: A print version of the entire Destination Romance series is now available via amazon.com.  The seperate e-novellas are still available for downloads via Red Rose Publishing’s website. Follow the link below. Thanx.

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(Reprinted from the official Destination Romance flyer)

African-American women are the fastest growing population being diagnosed with HIV and/or AIDS. In this season of giving, six award-winning authors have teamed with Red Rose Publishing to donate all proceeds from the anthology Destination Romance to the South Side Help Center, because, after all, sometimes it is better to give than receive.

Every penny (minus printing cost and distribution) is being donated to the South Side Help Center, a non-profit organization that provides HIV/AIDS prevention intervention programs in the African-American community. We may not be able to save the world, but it feels good to know our love of reading and writing may be able to save one of our sisters, mothers, aunts, nieces, daughters, and friends.

We can not do this alone. We need your support in buying this book and telling all of your friends about Destination Romance, a Series and Anthology that will have you wanting to make waves in the sea of Love!

Each novella will be released as an e-book in Oct.-Nov 2009. Then just in time for Christmas, the couples’ stories will be released as a print anthology, titled Destination Romance.

Destination Romance: While on the Romance Slam Jam anniversary cruise to Jamaica, six couples discover the “Love Boat” is a lot more than a television series from the 1980s, and this time the destination is hot, steamy romance.

ISBN: 978-1-60435-483-6
Release Date: 11/26/2009

Mocha Nivens enjoys the casual nature of her long-term, long-distance relationship with businessman Dean Kincaid, but she ends it when he moves back to town wanting more. When Dean dates other women, Mocha realizes what she’s lost, but is it to late to claim the love she deserves?

READ EXCERPT AND/OR PURCHASE 

(PLEASE NOTE: New to Red Rose Publishing and/or ebooks? Check out their step-by-step instructions on how to purchase.

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(Click the cover for more info on each novella in the series)

Back in 1998 I decided I wanted to seriously attempt to get my first book published.  It was all written and then typed (I wrote by hand back then.) I was living in a VERY small town in SC at the time.  There weren’t any networking possibilities in my immediate area and I already understood that “knowledge is power”.  I didn’t dare ask one of my favorite writers like Francis Ray or Donna Hill to pull me into the industry.  I knew I had to learn–just like they did–what to do to get my work seen.

 Without a lot of internet access–back then I had to go to my local library–I made it my business to find out more about this world I wanted to be a part of.  In little small town America, I wrote letters to publishers requesting submissions guidelines. I researched the books I liked and wanted to write and what publishers were interested in them. I discovered who accepted agented and unagented materials (I had no agent at the time).  I researched agents and got info on what it took to submit (again via SNAIL MAIL). I plotted out how I was going to get published.

I must stress again. I was living in a town with a population of less than 1,000 and a writing community connected to the New York publishing industry of zero (0).

And guess what?  The more I researched, the more I learned things I was completely clueless about. Things I needed to know–and had to be able to do–to get on.  Things like a synopsis, a proposal, a query letter, a hook, etc.  I enrolled myself in Publishing 101–and I am still taking classes. Hello and Goodnight.

Sigh.

Today, I have four book deals with three publishers in New York, an agent, a publicist, and a career that I still take serious as a heart attack.  The book deals may go.  The agent may stop returning my calls. My publicist may find something or someone more interesting to promote. But I will never forget what I know and hopefully use it to get back  or go even further than I am today.

I try to be humble, because I know there are far bigger fish in the publishing sea than me (Hello Eric, Terry, Kimberla, Tina, Alice, and Walter–just to name a few).  I don’t try to be rude or indifferent to unpublished or self-published authors who want help or advice or a little of my time. Those you step on or disrespect on the way up you may meet again on your fall downward.

BUT…(and here is the reason for this soliloquy)…

1) Do not look for a shortcut route into the industry.

• I advise against emailing a total stranger and asking them to read your book: for a quote; to give to their agent or editor; or just to be told what they think of your work. (Also please understand that this idea is not original. Authors get requests like this ALL THE TIME. Seriously.)
• Do the work. Knowledge is power. (Some of those with longevity in the business have knowledge. There’s more to a writing career than just writing)
• This industry is about grinding and hustling. If you don’t have the energy, inclination, wisdom, or heart to learn the industry…then maybe it ain’t for you, Boo. (A little tough love. Please recognize this for what it is.)

2) Do not contact an author under the premise of loving their books and then blind side them with a request on how to get published….especially if your true intention is for that author to miraculously say “I’ll send it to my agent for you”.  (Sneaky, sneaky, sneaky!)

• 1st, I know there are true readers that want to write and that’s why I take the time to answer those requests for info.  I am sharing the info I had to fight so hard to learn for myself.  But that is all I have to offer and I am just being honest.
• Many authors can not read your book.  (Personally I have so many deadlines that I don’t have the time to do laundry on the regular so I know I can not sit and read a book from a total stranger. Again just keeping it 100). 
• Would you give a  job referral for a total stranger (I wouldn’t). Referring a total stranger to an editor or agent is just bad business and illogical. (Of course this does not refer to those you know or are familiar with. Hence the use of “total stranger”.)
• When an author (i.e. Me) does take time to send a page long list of things to do to submit your work (something I looked up for myself 11 years ago) please take the time to Email back a “Thank you” for the advice.  Those who don’t? I know that they were hoping for their SUBLIMINAL REQUEST to work. They didn’t want my summary sheet for Publishing 101. They want an easy way in and how dare I waste their time with useless info.  **Side-Eye**

Would you cheat on a test or ask someone to write your paper and be proud of the grade even though you know you didn’t learn a dang on thing?

People, please know that I’ve been there. I’ve been coming up with stories since elementary school. I’ve been the reader who feels they can write a book just as good or better. I’ve been the dreamer. So I do understand. I really do.

BUT…

A lot of folks–not all–but a lot of folks are trying to grab at the great American story of being discovered by an  author instead of going through the steps to get there. Trust me it sounds like a great story and its even better for the RARE few that it works for…but it is rare. 

I will never forget a woman on Oprah who wrote a book and sent the entire manuscript to a gazillion publishers with no success.  Her story might have been just as great as she thought it was, but none of the editors read her manuscript because she had no respect and/or knowledge of their submission guidelines. Simple. Every publishing house has them and they want writers to know them, to respect them, and to use them.  What was she lacking outside of her creative spirit? Knowledge.  That’s what was stopping her from getting her book read.

Again, I feel its time for a disclaimer. (I do not mind being asked for advice for getting published. A lot of you already know I respond to those requests with lots of info.  This post are for those it fits. Period.  Those who ask for help but truly don’t want it. In the words of Pastor Lee: If I hit you I didn’t mean to miss you.) 

When someone gives you valuable information… accept it and learn from it.  USE IT. Don’t discard information given to you and wave your hand dismissively because your attempt at sending a SUBLIMINAL REQUEST didn’t work.

 And plus… the request ain’t all that subliminal. Humph.

LOL. Someone coula told me I had Message from a Trailer in the Header. lol. Its all corrected now but that definitely was a duh moment on my part. –N.