RD Spotlight On

What an exciting month!! The divas (and others) have returned from Reno, Nevada after attending the RWA Conference there. I hate to report the sad news of Marianne Mancusi arriving back to her home to find it had burned. Writers are such wonderful people!! A lot of them have pulled together and there is an auction going on for Marianne at Ebay so here is the link be sure you go and bid on something!! Marianne Fire Fund Lots of Critiques for sale and lots of books to- something for readers and writers alike!!

Romance Divas has a new SPOTLIGHT ON this month with Candace Havens. So be sure you click her name to read the wonderful interview with her!!

Don't forget the AUTHOR OF THE MONTH!! Denise Jefferies is going to teach us how to manage our STRESS!
Well I don't know about you, but I have to be there for this one!!! So mark your calendars for August 22-26, 2005!

Attention Writers and Readers

Marianne Mancusi came back from Reno to find everything gone. Lightening struck her house and it burned down.
Here's a letter to pass along. Let's help all we can!!

From Lani Diane Rich:

As many of you know, author Marianne Mancusi (A CONNECTICUT FASHIONISTA IN KING ARTHUR'S COURT) returned home from the RWA national conference to discover that she had no home - it and all her belongings had burned to the ground while she was in Reno. While we're grateful that neither Marianne nor her dog were hurt, the loss of everything she owned - including childhood photos and mementos, things she can never replace - was simply devastating. Now there's a single girl in Boston who needs absolutely everything, so the girls here at Literary Chicks (http://www.literarychicks.com) are circling the wagons, and the writing community has come out like gangbusters to show their support by helping us set up this AMAZING auction to benefit Marianne.

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmariannefirefund

Items include signed books from...

Jennifer Crusie
Mary Jo Putney
Alesia Holliday
Michelle Cunnah
Lani Diane Rich
Dierdre Martin
Melissa Senate
Toni Blake
Gena Showalter
Lori Avocato
Joshilyn Jackson
And many, many more...

Also, critiques (NOT submissions, but who doesn't want to get their name in front of these people?) from...

Chris Keeslar, Sr. Editor, Dorchester
The Knight Agency
Stephanie Kip Rostan, agent, Levine-Greenberg
Beth de Guzman, Editorial Director - Mass Market, Warner Books
Kelly Harms, former Avon editor, now an agent with the Jane Rotrosen Agency
Brianna St. James, editor for Ellora's Cave and Cerridwen Press
Steve Axelrod - agent representing authors Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Alesia Holliday and more top hitters
And many more...

Not to mention critiques from authors...

Jenny Crusie
Alesia Holliday
Michelle Cunnah
Lani Diane Rich
Karen Rose
Lori Avocato
Joshilyn Jackson
Natalie Collins
And more...

Anyone who would like to donate to Marianne independently of the auction can find out how to do so at http://www.literarychicks.com.

This could quite easily be among the best opportunity this year for aspiring writers to get their name in front of big hitters, and it's definitely a great opportunity for readers to get signed books from their faves. So if you can promote, we'll really appreciate it, and if you can't but would like to forward this e-mail to people you think might be interested, that would be fantastic.

Thanks so much for your time. We appreciate you beyond the telling of it.

J Lani

High Noon Challenge

Yep It's Words at 20 paces at the Diva Corral.
If you've been reading my blog or are a Romance Diva, I'm sure you've heard about our newest fun writing exercise. But if you haven't let me tell you about it!!
Just to tell you how fun the Divas are let me tell you how it all started on this particular challenge. I was reading the threads (as usual) and Diva Laura was enjoying her writing frenzy. (that girl can write fast lemme tell ya!) And jokingly said she take anyone on. heee hee then Jax said if she wasn't so busy she would (!!!! I want to know where she'd get the time!! That girl has more going on than the Pentagon!!! LOL)

Well, as I read this amusing thread, I mentally heard the theme from the Good the Bad and the Ugly! Spurs jingling and all. LOL So I challenged them to start writing on 6pm Friday and finish by HIGH NOON Sunday. LOL I didn't know what I was doing but it sort of took hold. Now there are a bunch of us using this weekend (starting on Friday August 5 at 6pm until Sunday, August 7 at High Noon (12pm) to write as much as we can in that length of time.

Are you ready to take the High Noon Challenge? Join us in the FORUM and post your word counts for Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It's sure to be a blast!!
If you haven't joined the forum yet, IT'S FREE and wonderfully FUN so what ARE you waiting for??
Plus we have new workshops about to start! So come on and join us!!

More Reviews!!

Wow! I'm loving this! It's just the greatest to do something you love! I'm reviewing books on occassion for Romance Divas and I love it. I am reading some great books I normally wouldn't even know about. I just read Reon Laudat's Wanna Get to Know Ya. Let me tell you it was fabulous!!! I loved it.
As soon as the review is up at Romance Divas I will post a link. Don't miss this book in October!!
But while you wait go check out all the other reviews at Romance Divas! Lots of great reviews posted to keep you busy!! So check it out!!
Romance Diva Book Reviews