LARA CONFIDENTIAL The Newsletter of the Los Angeles Romance Authors Chapter of RWA Editor’s Talk 1 "Promoting Excellence in Romantic Fiction Through Education and Community Service" Meeting Notes: The Changing Face Of LARA and Chick Lit 3 Presidential Prattle 4 EDITOR’S TALK IMHO 6 Hot Off the Keyboard 6 ebruary is Valentine’s month. That Wonderful Call 8 I think we ought to officially make it the National Romance Ticket to Reality 9 Writers’ Month as well. Isn’t that what we live for? Romance? How Finding Time to Write 10 would each of us define romance, if asked? PROs Review the Pubs 11 FFireworks? Flames of desire? Feats of derring-do? Or, as the German religious Author Dean Koontz: reformer Martin Luther once said, would you describe your romance as the “stir Impressions 12 the oatmeal” variety, the quiet kind of love that survives even the banalities of day- A Foot in Two Countries 13 to-day life? Is romance to you the guy (or gal) you married years ago who can still bring a smile to your face today? Contests: Springboard or Sandbar? 14 As it happens, I married my dear hubby (DH) twelve years ago on Valentine’s How You Can Become a Part Day (let’s hear it, now—“awwww”), and I still love him to his toes. We are the of Romance History 16 commitment type, and though the road hasn’t always been smooth, it’s been a ride that I never would have missed. I am sometimes reminded, however, of Mrs. Charlton Heston’s comments when asked if during fifty years of marriage to Chuck, she’d ever once contemplated divorce. This genteel lady smiled and said, “Divorce? Never. Murder, yes.” I get that. Maybe that says more about me than it should, but I think that’s romantic. Do your heroes and heroines have that kind of “stay together, no matter the weather” sort of love? When your reader closes the book that dragged them from conflict to black moment to happy ending in three or four hundred pages, do they see your couple living happily ever after fifty years from now? Or do they say, “Right, I give their relationship about a week”? Do your lovers have that Romeo SSUE and Juliet (no wait, they died), Antony and Cleopatra (no...they died too), hmmm...okay, Ronnie and Nancy kind of love? I Think about it. In this edition of the LARA Confidential, we have an amazing display of virtuos- ity by our members who are out there moving and shaking the romance industry tree at its roots, hoping for a peach to fall right on their heads. Check out the Mr. Romance Pageant pictures (yes, that really is Fabio with our Jax), and the Hot Off HIS the Keyboard feature for all of the events going on just this past few weeks. Happy Valentine’s Day, and Happy Reading! T Thieme Jackson Bittick N Editor, LARA Confidential I LosAngelesRomanceAuthors.com Chapter # 25 February 2005/Volume 2 1 For inquiries on article submission President: Kim Winklhofer rules for the LARA Confidential Executive Vice President: newsletter or to request reprint Christine Ashworth permission, please contact: Vice President in charge of Programming: Janet Maarschalk Thieme Jackson Bittick Vice President in charge of Membership: Editor, LARA Confidential Sandra Robinson P.O. Box 14392 Torrance, CA 90503 Vice President of Ways and Means: Roben Schaerf Vice President in charge of Public or by email: Relations: Melissa Jarvis-Prieto [email protected] Treasurer: Jacqueline Crane Newsletter: Thieme Jackson Bittick Newsletters are published one week prior to each meeting, Secretary: Jennifer Salmi and the publication deadline is PAN Liason and Advisor to the President: two weeks prior to each meet- Mollie Molay ing, which is typically held the PRO Liason: Deanne Avner third Sunday of the month. Website and Listserv Diva: Sandra Richards Next meeting: Sunday, February 20th. Los Angeles Romance Authors LARA member Roben Schaerf c/o Thieme Jackson Bittick P.O. Box 14392 P.O. Box 14392 will talk to us about writing Torrance, CA 90503 synopses. Newsletter Design: Tai Shan Jackson LARA’s 2005 Foot in the Door Contest Just a reminder that it’s time to get your “Foot in the Door”! With LARA’s annual writing contest, you’ll have the opportunity to polish up your query letter and synopsis, and get it ready to send off to that agent or editor. We encourage all of our members to enter! Deadline for all entries is April 15, 2005. We are in need of first-round judges, both published and unpublished. A training ses- sion will be held prior to the entry deadline for new judges and for those who have previously judged but would like to brush up on their skills. It’s a good opportunity to both share your knowledge and to learn! Please let Roben or Gina know if you are interested in judging. For detailed information, entry forms, rules, and info on where to send your entries, check out the LARA website: http://www.losangelesromanceauthors.com/contest.html Your contest coordinators, Gina and Roben, will be happy to answer any questions. Please contact them at: [email protected] and [email protected] 2 Meeting Notes: The Changing Face Of LARA and Chick Lit by Sandra Richards The January 16th meeting saw new faces arrive and familiar faces welcomed to the Board. Lisa Carol Udall passed out the milestones recognition awards. LARA members are producing and on the move. LARA’s president, Kim Winklhofer, was given spe- cial recognition for her service in 2004. Cathy Yardley, Red Dress Ink author of Couch World and L.A. Woman, showed us the changing face of Chick Lit. Speaking of its origins in England, she cited Bridget Jones’ Diary as the tale that put the genre on the map. The Chick Lit heroine is savvy, single, and lives in a large city like London or New York. Her job is in a glamour industry like fashion or publishing, her boss is Evil, her lover cheats, and life has just im- ploded. Usually written in first person, the voice is hip, referencing designer clothes, bags, etc., even if the heroine is on a budget. Unlike romance, Chick Lit doesn’t have the usual happy ending. It is about the heroine’s journey, the Cathy Yardley, Red Dress Ink author, spoke on the changing irrepressible woman who overcomes all the troubles face of Chick Lit to January's attendees. in her life, and does it with panache. “The Chick Lit market moves fast,” Yardley said, Plot Your Novel pointing out the expansion into Mommy Lit, Eth- nic Lit, and Tart Noir. The genre is now branching Sponsor: Los Angeles Romance Authors out with comedy, mystery, and paranormal. Accept- Location: The Holiday Inn, Burbank, CA ing darker themes than traditional romances, it even Fee: $45.00 members. $50.00 non-LARA allows for protagonists to be killers. Date: May 21, 2005. 9:00-4:00 Want to know more? Check out the RWA online Are inspiration and intuition letting you down? chapter, Chick Lit Writers of the World at Carolyn Greene, the “Plot Doctor,” will share www.chicklitwriters.com. tried-and-true plotting methods, including stages of character growth and the power of Join us on February 20th, 2005, when LARA’s theme in this LARA sponsored workshop. own Roben Schaerf will discuss the topic of “Writ- ing Synopses.” For more information: www.losangelesromanceauthors.com LARA member Sandra Richards lives in Downey Contact: with one husband, one best friend, two rats, nine Janet Maarschalk, VP Programming, at cats, and one completed paranormal manuscript. [email protected] See back page for sign-up sheet. 3 Presidential Prattle If you’ve never participated on a A new screen shows you the dif- message board before and are a little ferent threads (topics) in this section. wary of them, I’m going to give you Threads are listed with the most re- by Kim Winklhofer step-by-step tutorial so you need fear cent on the top. To open a thread, them no longer. Not only that, but if you just click on it. At that point you take this tutorial, you’ll find out you see all the messages that have You know the “Meet and Greet” how to win a hardback copy of either been posted. Sandra K. has done a time of the monthly meeting? That’s Lisa Gardner’s The Killing Hour, or terrific job of explaining how the my favorite part, and I always wish Jayne Ann Krentz’s Truth or Dare. It’s message board works and the eti- it could be longer because I never have not chocolate, but hey, a book lasts quette, but no one seemed to be read- enough time to talk to other mem- longer and isn’t fattening. ing it. Hence, my handy-dandy tu- bers. But that’s not such a problem torial. anymore, because we now have the First, go to the www. message board on the LARA website! LosAngelesRomanceAuthors.com Let’s get out of that section and website and click on Members Only. back to the main area. You can use LARA’s new message board, or Fortunately, you do not get taken to a the back button on your browser. Or forum, is like a little Barnes and website featuring jackets from the sev- next to the buttons that say New Noble (sans books) that I can visit enties. Enter your user name (your last Topic and Post Reply, there are links whenever I want.