Theme for this month - Romantic Suspense  

Sharon Donovan lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her family. Prior to the loss of her vision, she was a legal secretary for the Court of Common Pleas where she prepared cases for judges in Domestic Relations. Painting was her passion. When she could no longer paint, she began attending creative writing classes and memoir workshops. After a long and winding road, a new dream resurrected. Today, instead of painting her pictures on canvas, Sharon paints her pictures with words.

Sharon writes stories of inspiration and suspense. She is a published author with The Wild Rose Press, White Rose Publishing, Whimsical Publications LLC and Chicken Soup for the Soul, Tough Times, Tough People. Echo of a Raven is a Recommended Read from the reviewers of Coffee Time Romance & More. To read excerpts and reviews of Sharon’s books and to sign up for her newsletter, visit her website.

Author Host - Sharon Donovan

Theme - Historical Romance

Award winning author, Lyn Armstrong was born in Australia. She has a passion for writing historical paranormal romances with an erotic touch. Her novels have hit the bestsellers list on her publisher’s website. Lyn loves to travel the countries she writes about and takes great pleasure in researching Europe’s intriguing history.

This self-confessed romantic wrote her first novel in the early 1990’s and has been writing ever since. She served for two years as a Florida Romance Writers board member and is an active member of Romance Writers of America. Lyn also volunteers as a judge for romance writing contests and FRW conference committee.

Author Host - Lyn Armstrong

Theme - Historical western romance (woohoo cowboys)

E. Jamie stands for hot. Hot sexy stories that make your toes and everything else curl. It stands for passionate tales that leave the bedroom door wide open and leave you begging for more. She lives in Toronto, Canada and has been writing since the age of eleven and hasn't been bored a day in her life since. She's published many steamy works with Amira Press and has a brand new romantic suspense with publisher Sugar and Spice Press called Strawberry Wine!

In her free time she likes to read and counts Paullina Simons, Diana Gabaldon, Julia Quinn, Victoria Alexander, Catherine Anderson and Lisa Kleypas among her favorite authors. She loves to listen to music while she writes and suggests movies soundtracks are some of the best music to write to. She is in love with the TV show Supernatural and thinks Jensen Ackles was born simply to inspire her to write smut. As she is a Days Of Our Lives fan, she believes James Scott falls into this category as well.

She loves to cook as she considers it yet another wonderful creative outlet.

Author Host - E. Jamie

Theme - YA  - Wiccan Cool

Traci Hall writes paranormal fiction for teens and adults, and is the author of the Rhiannon Godfrey series published by Samhain Publishing.  She writes medieval romances for Medallion Press.

Author Host - Traci Hall

Theme - Paranormal Romance

When Helen was young, her teachers accused her of being away with the fairies. Things haven’t changed much! Only now, the fairies are tall and sexy and they live in her MAGIC KNOT fantasy series rather than just in her head. The second book THE PHOENIX CHARM was released in January. Also look out for THE FROST FAIRY and THE FEAST OF BEAUTY—two novellas due out in 2010. Helen resides in South Western England with her husband, two teenagers, two Shih Tzus, and a cat who rules the household with a velvet paw. She believes deep within everyone there’s a little magic.

Author Host - Helen Scott Taylor

Theme - Paranormal

Dark. Devious. Sensual, sinister and startling. These are the words used to describe the wild worlds of Stella and Audra Price.

Their stories are fresh, imaginative and break the boundaries and social moraes of the romance genre, while adding sizzle and new life into the urban fantasy realm. Writing in a number of other genres, they have proven that just because its dark and off the beaten path those who went before them have tramped, doesn't mean it has to be wrong.

Author Hosts - Stella and Audra Price

Shelley Munro is tall and curvaceous with blue eyes and a smile that turns masculine heads everywhere she goes. She’s a university tutor and an explorer/treasure hunter during her vacations. Skilled with weapons and combat, she is currently in talks with a producer about a television series based on her world adventures.

Author Host - Shelley Munro

Theme - Paranormal Romance

Marisa Chenery was always a lover of books, but after reading her first historical romance novel she found herself hooked. Having inherited a love for the written word, she soon started writing her own novels.

After trying her hand at writing historicals, she now also writes paranormals.

Marisa lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and four children.She would love to hear from you, so drop her an email.

Author Hosts - Marisa Chenery

Theme - Contemporary Romantic Comedy

Unable to stay focused in school—science and math didn’t equate to happily ever after—Selena excelled in Daydreaming 101 and Creative Writing. Her future as a writer was foreshadowed by winning first prize in a contest hosted by the Humane Society—a romance about two race horses who fell in love (the filly won the race and The stud).

Selena has continued her passion for happily ever after both in her life (okay, some days she’s sitting in first class on the Frazzled Express…but still) and in her books.

In love with her husband, family, friends, life, books, hockey, lively discussions, red wine, and of course chocolate. Selena is looking forward to connecting with romance readers with her latest release from Samhain Publishing—What a Girl Wants.

Author Hosts - Selena Robins

Theme - Historical Paranormal Adventure Romance

Zoe Archer is an award-winning romance author who thinks there’s nothing sexier than a man in tall boots and a waistcoat. As a child, she never dreamed about being the rescued princess, but wanted to kick butt right beside the hero. She now applies her master’s degrees in Literature and Fiction to creating butt-kicking heroines and heroes in tall boots. Her BLADES OF THE ROSE series—featuring dashing men and fearless women—will be released Fall 2010. Zoe and her husband live in Los Angeles.

Author Host - Zoe Archer

Theme - Contemporary Romance

As an award-winning author of contemporary erotic romance in genres including military, cowboy, ménage and paranormal, Cat Johnson uses her computer so much she wore the letters off the keyboard within a year. She is known for her creative marketing and research practices. Consequently, Cat owns an entire collection of camouflage shoes for book signings and a fair number of her consultants wear combat and cowboy boots for a living. In her real life, she’s been a marketing manager, professional harpist, bartender, tour guide, radio show host, Junior League president, sponsor of a bull riding rodeo cowboy, wife and avid animal lover.

Author Host - Cat Johnson

Theme - Paranormal Romance

Dana Marie Bell wrote her first short story when she was thirteen years old. She attended the High School for Creative and Performing Arts for creative Writing, where freedom of expression was the order of the day. When her Parents moved out of the city and placed her in a Catholic high school for Her senior year she tried desperately to get away, but the nuns held fast, And she graduated with honors despite herself. She's now a best selling Author with Samhain Publishing and Liquid Silver Books, and has Consistently earned top reviews from RT BOOKreviews and other reviewers.

Dana has lived primarily in the Northeast with a brief stint on the US Virgin Island of St. Croix. She lives with her soul-mate and husband Dusty, their two Maniacal children, an evil ice-cream stealing cat and a bull terrier that Thinks it’s a Pekinese. She's been heard to describe herself as "vertically Challenged" and "a lapsed brunette." Dana also suffers from osteoarthritis, And can be seen walking with a cane or tooling around in her mobility Scooter. Her condition was the inspiration for Belle's hip injury in Steel Beauty.

Author Host - Dana Marie Bell

Theme - Romantic Suspense

Heart stopping puppy chases, childhood melodrama and the aborted hangings of innocent toys are all in a day’s work for Nikki Duncan. This athletic equestrian turned reluctant homemaker turned daring author, is drawn to the siren song of a fresh storyline.

Nikki plots murder and mayhem over breakfast, scandalous exposes at lunch and the sensual turn of phrase after dinner. Nevertheless, it is the pleasurable excitement and anticipation of unraveling her character’s motivation that drives her to write long past the witching hour.

The only anxiety and apprehension haunting this author comes from pondering the mysterious outcome of her latest twist.

Author Host - Nikki Duncan

Theme - Paranormal

Jane Toombs lives on the south shore of Lake Superior with the Viking from her past and their calico grandcat Kinko.  Here they enjoy lovely springs, marvelous summers, colorful falls and miserable winters.  She is the award-winning author of eighty some published books and twenty-five novellas or short stories.  Jane writes in all genres except men's action and erotica. Counting his and hers, they have eleven children, thirteen grandchildren and five great-grandchildren all of whom have to come a long way to visit them.

Author Host - Jane Toombs

Champagne Books & Carnal Passions

Carnal Passions is the erotic romance imprint to Champagne Books, an independent small press located in Calgary, AB Canada. In business since the fall of 2008, Carnal Passions continues to put out high quality erotic romance at the best possible prices. Our books are available in electronic and trade paperback formats.   Carnal Passions—unleash your inner animal.

Champagne Books is an independent small press located in Calgary, AB Canada. We’ve been putting out fiction since April 2005 and have recently added science fiction, mystery and horror to our lines of high quality romance. Our books are available in electronic and trade paperback formats.   Champagne Books—fiction to embrace.

Changeling

Out of This World Erotic Love Stories Featuring Literary Erotic Novellas Cyborgs, vampires, dragons, cat shifters, werewolves, slinky snake shifters, aliens, genetically altered cyborg dragon shifters...Number one rule, it's got to be hot, and it's got to have a plot (OK, so maybe that's two rules).

Loose Id

We're Loose Id (like lucid, not loose eye-dee. ) Loose Id is a leading publisher of erotic romance. It publishes between 16 and 24 titles per month by more than 200 talented authors worldwide, unleashing readers' fantasies with a full range of erotic romance subgenres, ranging from bdsm capture fantasy to yaoi, and including exceptional traditional favorites, contemporary and historical.As a result, the company currently projects annual receipts of more than $1.5 M. Since opening its doors, Loose Id has sold over 1 million books.

Loose Id is love unleashed. We're taking romance to the edge.

New Concepts

New Concepts Publishing went on-line with their first four novels, Amber Moment, Lord of Chaos, Liar’s Poker, and Shattered Dreams, in October of 1996. At first publishing only 2 to 4 novels a month, they are now publishing 8 to 16 novels and short stories a month. Although NCP began by focusing on the romance genre, they now publish an ever widening variety of genre fiction, including erotica, erotic romance, short contemporary duets, science fiction/fantasy, historical romance, westerns, horror, anthologies, paranormal romance, and more.

The primary goal of New Concepts Publishing, from it’s inception, was to bring high quality fiction to book lovers. By offering our authors generous royalty percentages and creative freedom, we’ve not only attracted many fine authors, but can offer work ‘written from the heart’, fresh, excitingly different stories stringent guidelines would not allow.

Lyrical Press

Lyrical Press, Inc. Is a New York based small press owned by the husband and wife team of Frank and Renee Rocco. Our goal is to provide authors with a reliable and pleasant home for their books and offer readers an eclectic mix of quality titles. LPI publishes in both electronic format and Print On Demand for select titles over 60,000 words.

Although Lyrical Press is actively seeking erotica, romance and paranormal sub-genres, we welcome all submissions except screenplays, young adult and poetry works.

At this time Lyrical Press is closed to self-published and/or previously-published works.

If you dare to write it, we dare to consider it.

Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen

Ellora’s Cave is THE place for erotic romances. Our site receives over 60,000 hits daily and averages sales of over 70,000 e-books per month. Our readership continues to grow by the thousands. Ellora’s Cave is ALWAYS open to new submissions of erotic romances. See the submissions page on our website for more information.

Who better to name a publishing imprint after than Cerridwen, the Celtic Goddess of Wisdom? Cerridwen was the muse who brought inspiration to writers and others in the creative arts.

Cerridwen Press™ specializes in all the varieties of mainstream fiction, including science fiction, fantasy, paranormal, mystery/suspense, women’s fiction, contemporary and historical romance, horror, and young adult. We do not publish non-fiction, poetry, children’s literature, inspirational/religious stories, or category-style romances.

Solstice Publishing

Our mission is to produce page turning fiction that leaves the reader wanting more. We offer authors from multiple genres with multiple levels of intensity. We invite you to purchase one of our books, sit back, relax and enjoy. Come back often to visit with our authors, sign up for our newsletter, to get the latest breaking news on new releases and contests, and see what other exciting surprises we have in store for you.

Phaze Books is the erotic romance imprint of Mundania Press, LLC. Established in November, 2004 with five titles, Phaze has in the last four years grown to offer 200+ titles and counting in eBook and trade paperback. Phaze is proud to include among its roster a number of nationally bestselling authors, award-winning writers, and popular names in the romance genre.

DLP Books is proud to offer revised editions of select novels and original novellas and shorts. Whether you like sweet or spicy romance, cozy mysteries, or works of an erotic nature, there is something here for you to enjoy.

Nocturne Authors

Nocturne stories deliver a dark, very sexy read that entertain readers and take them from everyday life to an atmospheric, complex, paranormal world filled with characters struggling with life and death issues. These stories are fast-paced, action-packed and with a strong level of sensuality. Nocturne features stories of vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves, psychic powers, etc. Set in contemporary times.

Call of the Wild : Wolf Lore, truths and myths every writer should know about wolves

3rd -17th

A month long seminar for writers who are interested in writing about wolves and werewolves in their stories but who want more background on the basic biology and behavior of real wolves.  Writers will also learn why the wolf evolved from admired archetype to savage evil nemesis of man.

Lessons:

Part 1.

1. Introduction
2. Wolf Natural History

   A. Basic Biology
   B. Wolf Behavior

Part 2.

1. Wolf Lore in Europe and Central Asia
2. Wolf as totem
3. Wolf as enemy of man

Eva Gordon, BA Zoology, MA Biology, California Secondary Teaching Credential in the Life Sciences. She volunteers as a wildlife educator and has volunteered at the Howling Acres Wolf Sanctuary in Southern Oregon. She loves doing presentations on wolf and werewolf lore. She writes paranormal romance and fantasy novels. She is author of the Wolf Maiden Chronicles. Werewolf Sanctuary is book 1 and is followed by Beast Warrior: Viking Werewolf and soon to be published White Wolf of Avalon: Werewolf Knight. With many more coming in the saga. She loves delving into werewolf lore and writes what she calls her  ‘werewolfhistoricals’ romance novels. She also pursues non-fiction scholarly research on global werewolf lore.

Eva Gordon is our Seminar Host

Writing the Novel for Beginners

All Month Long

Have you always wanted to write a novel but don't know where to start? Let Amber guide you in getting to that first book! Step-by-step on how to create your first novel in as little time as 30 days! Let's put your mind to the test and write that book together!

Amber Grosjean is our Seminar Host

Setting the Scene

Each word on the page should be used to draw the reader deeper into the story.  Setting each scene, from the background to symbolism, is a crucial part of what grabs the readers and keeps them.  Learn the importance of setting the scene and using active and accurate descriptors to make the world of your characters come alive.

Join us as we show you how to make your fantasy world a reality!

- Is alliteration a good thing?

- How much background is too much background?

- Can cutting back on description be a bad thing?

Collaborator's Information: 

K.G. McAbee has had more than a dozen books and nearly seventy short stories published. Her work has won a variety of awards, including the Dorothy Parker Award of Excellence from Reviewers International, first place in the Writers’ Journal Fiction Contest, and the Independent E-Book Award for Best Reference Book. She is an Eppie Award finalist in fantasy and winner in children’s books, a Dream Realm Award finalist in adult fantasy, a Sapphire Award finalist is short fantasy, and a Derringer Award finalist in mystery. The Dark Legacy, published by Calderwood Books, won the 2008 Dream Realm Award for Best YA Fantasy. She writes fantasy, both YA and adult, mystery, science fiction, pulp and horror.

Cynthia D. Witherspoon’s publication experience includes Something’s Got to Give-(2004-2005 The Concept) as well as Chorus of the Dead in Whortleberry Press’ short story collection entitled It Was a Dark and Stormy Halloween.  Her short story Rest My Brothers was most recently published in  Christmas in Space  (Whortleberry Press). Her awards include an Honorable Mention in The Writer’s Workshop of Asheville’s Words of Love Contest (2009) as well as second place in the Eleventh Annual Hub City Writer’s Project Fiction Contest (2009).

K.G. McAbee and Cynthia D. Witherspoon is our Seminar Host

Nuts & Bolts of Writing Better

May 24-29

You say you want to be a writer, yet you can't seem to make yourself get to the keyboard consistently enough. Learn some tried and true methods of how to get yourself to the computer and stay there. We'll also take a peek at how to create 3-dimensional characters who will drive the storyline to help those pages mount up. And we'll dig into methods of how to make your scenes work harder for you while getting emotion on every page. 

What you'll learn
*how to make writing a habit
*letting your characters do the work
*making your scenes work hard
*adding emotion to every page

Robyn DeHart is our Seminar Host

The Many Layers of Romantic Suspense

June 2-15

Romantic Suspense has become it's own genre, neither truly "romance" or "suspense." How can you find your voice when romantic suspense is all over the map? Is there a formula? Are there any guidelines? Sexy or sweet, dark or light, violent or tame, romantic suspense is a vibrant genre that can be blended with any other genre to create something a little new and different. Some of the topics we'll discuss: the romantic suspense triangle (hero, heroine, villain); series, trilogies, stand-alones; pacing & conflict; villains; and research. Questions are welcome! 

brief bio:
Allison Brennan is a New York Times bestselling author of fourteen romantic thrillers and three short stories. Carnal Sin, book 2 in her supernatural Seven Deadly Sins series will be available on June 22; Original Sin is available now. Her new Lucy Kincaid romantic suspense series starts in January 2011 with Love Me to Death. Allison lives with her husband and five children in northern California. Between kids sporting events and writing, she has no time for fun, but she used to very much enjoy reading, wine tasting, and watching old movies.

Allison Brennan is our Seminar Host

The Trickier Bits of Fiction

August 16-21

This thoughtful and fun workshop is designed to make developing writers think about the nuances of the craft rather than repeating the same old, same old.

The function of each of your characters: goodie? Baddie? Robin Hood? An unreliable narrator? 

The page is your stage and your characters the actors; don't let them stand around and just read their lines. Characters must act, react and interact.

Chapters 1 and 2 have different functions: how and why and the importance of forward momentum. 

Manipulating character emotion: why character emotion and reader emotion need not be the same.

Ideas and exercises for becoming your character.

Sue Moorcroft writes novels, short stories, serials, articles, courses and writing 'how to' books. She's an experienced creative writing tutor and knows that most 'how to' articles, books and courses about writing a deal with fundamental craft. Moving on to the next level is hard for the developing writer because the material simply isn't out there. So she's agreed to bring you some ...

Sue Moorcroft is our Seminar Host

Project Management Skills for the PrePublished Author

All month long

Author Dana Marton used skills learned at her corporate job to get published and stay published. In the past five years, she's sold 25 books (without an agent) that are published in over a dozen countries in many languages. She's a Rita finalist and the winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. And it all started with a little project management.

--SWAT chart

--Force Field Analysis

--creating your best possible proposal

--your to do list while waiting for the call

Dana Marton is our Seminar Host

Jordan Dane's Master Class for Writing Suspense

4th - 17th

Join national bestseller & critically acclaimed Jordan Dane when she shares her "Master Class in Writing Suspense." In this unique online class, Dane will provide a comprehensive workshop on writer’s craft that will include:

• Where do story ideas come from and how to start
• How to create characters editors are looking for
• Ten key elements to writing a thriller
• Where do I go for killer research

Ask your questions after every daily session and all during the week of October 4. Answers will be posted the following week – Oct 11-17th.

Jordan Dane is your Seminar Host

Seven Power Rules of Dramatic Sentences

1st - 5th

When I completed my first manuscript, I thought a national day of celebration should be proclaimed.  Imagine my chagrin when I discovered contest judges, agents, and editors weren't impressed by my 700 neat pages.  They expected not only that each chapter, page, and paragraph be effective, but they also demanded that exacting standard apply to each sentence and even each word.  Didn't they know that perfectionism of this level put them at risk for early cardiac arrest?

When I had no luck changing their minds, I decided I would have to conform. And these seven rules made all the difference.

Lyn Cote will be your Seminar Host

We all love books and there are many MANY events that points out the excellence and achievements in this industry, but sometimes it is hard to find them. So we are working on gathering all of this information so you can find it in one place. If you know of something that isn't here, tell us!

 

ARIANA

The best cover in each category will win the ARIANA Best in Category award. The fifteen ARIANA winners will go on to compete for the QUASAR Best Cover of 2008 Award. The QUASAR and the ARIANA are engraved awards presented at the EPICon awards banquet. Awards are mailed to any winners not present.

Caldecott Medal

The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.

The New Covey Awards

Cover Awards

Currently there are two Award Categories.

1. Most Eye-Catching Cover
   
2. Most Relevant Cover

What do these categories mean?

Most Eye-Catching Cover is simple. This is the Cover that would make you stop and pick up the novel for a closer look.

Most Relevant Cover refers to how relevant the Cover is in relation to the back cover blurb. In other words, does the cover reflect the idea of the novel?

Trailer Awards

The NEW Covey Trailer Awards are the same as The NEW Covey Awards but for Book Trailers (sometimes also called Book Peeks) instead of Book Covers.

The goal of The NEW Covey Trailer Awards is to recognize Book Trailers that would make you interested in the book, make you stop and perhaps visit the authors website to read the excerpt. Like The NEW Covey Awards, it is also a forum that provides additional exposure for new authors.

Each person who wins a NEW Covey Trailer Award will receive an icon and will be listed as an Award Recipient. The icon and a link can be posted on their website or blog to show the world that their Book Trailer rocks.

Trailer Awards Site

Bram Stoker Awards

Each year, the Horror Writer's Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement, named in honor of Bram Stoker, author of the seminal horror work, Dracula. The Stoker Awards were instituted immediately after the organization's incorporation in 1987. While many members, including HWA's first President, Dean Koontz, had reservations about awards for writing -- since the point of HWA was for writers to cooperate for their mutual benefit, not to compete against one another -- the majority of members heavily favored presenting awards, both to recognize outstanding work in the horror field and to publicize HWA's activities.

To ameliorate the competitive nature of awards, the Stokers are given "for superior achievement," not for "best of the year," and the rules are deliberately designed to make ties fairly probable. The first awards were presented in 1988 (for works published in 1987), and they have been presented every year since. The award itself is an eight-inch replica of a fanciful haunted house, designed specifically for HWA by sculptor Steven Kirk. The door of the house opens to reveal a brass plaque engraved with the name of the winning work and its author.

EPPIE Awards

The EPPIE Awards have been given annually since the first EPIC conference to recognize outstanding achievement in e-publishing.

The categories are judged by members of EPIC, all published authors. After the first round of judging, the works of the finalists are sent to another panel of judges, and winners in all eighteen categories are selected. The winners are announced at the EPIC conference's gala award ceremony at the annual EPICon Convention.

The Hammett Prize

IACW/NA awards THE HAMMETT PRIZE annually for literary excellence in the field of crime-writing, as reflected in a book published in the English language in the US and/or Canada. The winner receives a "Thin Man" trophy, designed by sculptor Peter Boiger.

James Beard/KitchenAid Award

The James Beard/KitchenAid Awards recognize the best books on culinary topics in categories including Cookbook of the Year, Wine and Spirits and Baking and Desserts. James Beard is recognized as the father of American gastronomy, and his restaurant awards are considered extremely prestigious.

Click on the sidebar to see winners from previous years. Past winners include "A Vineyard Garden" by Molly Chappellet and "A Mediterranean Feast" by Clifford A. Wright.

Man Booker Prize for Fiction

The Man Booker Prize promotes the finest in fiction by rewarding the very best book of the year. The prize is the world's most important literary award and has the power to transform the fortunes of authors and even publishers.

The Man Booker judges are selected from the country's finest critics, writers and academics to maintain the consistent excellence of the prize.  The winner of the Man Booker Prize receives £50,000 and both the winner and the shortlisted authors are guaranteed a worldwide readership plus a dramatic increase in book sales.

Newbery Medal

The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

Nobel Prize in Literature

The very first Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded in 1901 to the French poet and philosopher Sully Prudhomme, who in his poetry showed the "rare combination of the qualities of both heart and intellect". Over the years, the Nobel Prize in Literature has distinguished the works of authors from many different languages and cultural backgrounds. The prize has been awarded to unknown masters as well as authors acclaimed worldwide.

PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction

The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is a national prize which honors the best published works of fiction by American citizens in a calendar year. Three judges, chosen annually by the directors of the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, select five books from among the more than 300 works submitted, making this the largest peer-juried award in the country. The winning writer and four finalists are honored at a ceremony held in Washington at the Folger Shakespeare Library in May.

Pulitzer Prize

The will of Joseph Pulitzer, a crusading newspaper journalist, provided for the establishment of the Pulitzer Prizes. Since its inception in 1917, the prizes have recognized the best in journalism, letters, drama and music. Many consider it the most prestigious award a journalist or author can achieve.

QUASAR

Recognizing Excellence in E-book Covers

Rita Awards

The RITA Award. RITA awards are presented annually to the best published romance novels of the year. The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA's first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for the best in published romance fiction.

The Ruby Awards

The Ruby Award for Website Excellence is to encourage authors who are using the internet in positive and innovative ways to market their writing, and for community groups providing reviews, education, and other services for authors. It will be offered in four parts.

• Author - Author designed sites
• Design - Professionally designed sites (graphic will go to author and to designer)
• Simple - Simple free sites such as freewebs, geocities, etc.
• Community - Community sites providing reviews, education, or other services

Each award will be held for a one year period.

Prizes may include free featured author space, banner creation, author promos, marketing workshops, promo material, interviews, book promos,  advertising, and more.

After the conclusion of the nomination period (open to the public), a panel of judges will visit nominated sites and vote. An online presentation party will be held in a live chat format and the awards will be announced. Nominees will receive graphics to post on their sites, and the winners will receive recognition on sites sponsoring the event and awards (i.e., Coffee Time Romance, Romance Junkies, The Romance Studio, and AuthorMBA Blog have already expressed interest).

The Spur Awards

The Spur Awards, given annually for distinguished writing about the American West, are among the oldest and most prestigious in American literature. In 1953, when the awards were established by WWA, western fiction was a staple of American publishing. At the time awards were given to the best western novel, best historical novel, best juvenile, and best short story.

Since then the awards have been broadened to include other types of writing about the West. Today, Spurs are offered for the best western novel (short novel), best novel of the west (long novel), best original paperback novel, best short story, best short nonfiction. Also, best contemporary nonfiction, best biography, best history, best juvenile fiction and nonfiction, best TV or motion picture drama, best TV or motion picture documentary, and best first novel (called The Medicine Pipe Bearer's Award).