The 2010 Orange Rose Contest finalists have been announced, and I am happy to report that HEARTS OF DARKNESS is among them. The entries were judged by three published judges, and the top ten scoring entries, regardless of category, were selected as finalists. Entries now go to two as-yet-unnamed editors for the final round of judging. This contest judged the first 50 pages, as opposed to the usual 25. I’m glad that my difficult third chapter, which I’ve rewritten five billion times, is up to snuff. It’s nice to have good writing news in the midst of my writing dry spell. Motherhood has not been kind to my free time, and my 3.5 month old dislikes naps. Ah, for time to write again! I miss it.

For the next three days I’m blogging at the Desert Island Keepers blog. Today is eBooks. Tomorrow is audiobooks. Saturday? Who knows. But stop by and say hi.

http://dikladiesrule.blogspot.com/

Life with a new baby means no time to write. Heck, I’m lucky if I can eat and take a shower. Blogging, sadly, falls at the very bottom of my list of things to do.

Books I’ve managed to read or am currently reading:

MAGIC BLEEDS by Ilona Andrews

I picked up my autographed copy at Powell’s and read it in a record two days. LOVE THIS SERIES. Another great addition. Kate! Curran! Magic! Pretty writing. Deep characters. Sarcastic and funny dialogue. What’s not to love? If you haven’t read the Kate Daniels series yet, get on it.

THE FORBIDDEN ROSE by Joanna Bourne

I’m only halfway through, but I’m loving it.

REBELS AND LOVERS by Linnea Sinclair

I’m only halfway through, but then Andrews and Bourne’s books came out. I think scifi romance might be too complicated for my current sleep-deprived state of mind.

SOULLESS by Gail Carriger

Fun and flippy Victorian paranormal romance with steampunk elements. My book club read this one and we all enjoyed it. Loved the idea of a heroine born without a soul, and vampires and werewolves have an excess of soul. Very unique.

TSUNAMI BLUE by Gail Williams

This debut novel by SHOMI contest winner and Seattle RWA author Gail Williams hooked me from the beginning. I love the post apocalyptic setting and the hero is dreamy. Loved the dog, wish he appeared more. That said, if Tsunamis rocked the world, the San Juan islands would be the first to go. They are small and low in elevation. If the United States turned into a bunch of islands, only the mountains would be left above sea level. We would be living on top of the Cascades. Also, if you can see the tops of the Pike Place market buildings, the Space Needle would not be under water. It is on a hill. Details, details…which the average reader probably won’t care about. The bad guys could have used another layer or two. We know the hero and heroine are Good People because they have a dog–the kids didn’t add much to the story. I’m looking forward to reading more from Ms. Williams.

What have you been reading? What is so good you can’t put it down?

There are two auctions for readers and writers going on now, both raising money for good causes.

Brenda Novak Auction for Diabetes Research

Advanced readers copies (ARCs), autographed books, critiques, lunches with editors and agents, gift baskets, one of a kind trips around the world…there is something for everyone in Brenda Novak’s annual auction. In past auctions I’ve purchased critiques of my first (sadly abandoned under the bed) novel from authors Candice Hern and Lori Handeland, and lunch in San Francisco at the RWA National Conference with author Jenna Peterson. This year I bid on a critique or two, but was outbid. The main item I’m excited about is the Brenda Novak mentorship contest. (Did someone say contest? sign me up!) With a $50 entry fee, the first fifty pages of one’s completed novel will be judged by Barbara Freethy, Cindy Gerard, Dianna Love, Susan Mallery, Karen Rose, Karin Tabke, Debra Webb, and C.L. Wilson. The winner gets a six-month mentorship by Brenda and a read by her agent and editor. As of today 65 people have entered. Better odds than the Golden Heart thus far, but the month is still young.

Do the Write Thing for Nashville Auction

The 2010 RWA National Conference was supposed to be in Nashville this year at the Gaylord Hotel, but flooding has moved it to Orlando. To raise money for flood relief, a bunch of writers and publishing people have banded together to auction off more books, critiques and the like. Every three days a new set of items goes up for bid.

Check these great opportunities out. Great prizes for a great cause. Bid high and bid often!

I got the call this week that Hearts of Darkness is a finalist in the prestigious 2010 Daphne du Maurier Awards! The Daphne is sponsored by the Kiss of Death RWA chapter and honors excellence in mystery and suspense. Winners are announced at the KOD Death by Chocolate soiree at the RWA National Conference in July. Due to flooding in Nashville, the National Conference has moved to Disneyworld! One more reason I’d love to go. The paranormal division reached maximum entries, 50, and the top 5 were selected as finalists. The final judges in the paranormal division are Heather Osborn, editor at TOR, and Paige Wheeler, agent at Folio Lit.

Congrats to all the finalists, but especially my Greater Seattle RWA chapter mate Ann Charles, whose entry Nearly Departed in Deadwood is a finalist in the mainstream mystery suspense category.

This Saturday is the second annual Romance Extraveganza! sponsored by the King County Library Association. Jayne Ann Krentz gave last year’s excellent keynote speech about the heroic journey in genre fiction. This year the always entertaining Cherry Adair is speaking. Don’t miss it!

Saturday, May 1, 11am–4pm
Covington Library

Meet some of your favorite best-selling romance authors on a day dedicated to romance readers and book lovers.

11:15am
Keynote Address by Cherry Adair

Noon
Book Signing Party with all participating authors

12:30pm
Paranormal Panel featuring Katie MacAlister, Cherry Adair and Shannon McKelden

1:30pm
Historical Panel featuring Julia Quinn, Elizabeth Boyle and Margaret Mallory

2:30pm
Contemporary Panel featuring Susan Andersen, Gina Robinson and Ann Roth

Books will be available for purchase.

Refreshments provided by The Covington Friends of the Library, the Greater Seattle Chapter of Romance Writers of America and Cherry Adair.

The 2010 Marlene Award winners were announced yesterday at the Washington Romance Writers retreat (the other Washington), and I’m happy to announce that Hearts of Darkness placed first in the paranormal category. My prize is a critique of my entry by 2009 RITA award winning author Gwyn Cready. So excited!

In other news, my baby is 3 weeks 2 days old today and getting bigger every second. She finally fits into all of her newborn clothes! The weather in Seattle is gorgeous and we have been getting out on lots of sunny walks.

I read Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs during late night feedings on kindle for the iPhone last week. It’s another solid installment of the Mercy Thompson series. My only complaint: the love scene at the end is a little over the top for Urban Fantasy. It wasn’t needed to move the plot forward. Otherwise, good read!

Our beautiful baby girl was born Saturday, March 27th at 9:41 am. She was 6 lbs 1 oz and 18.5 inches long. We are healthy and doing well (but could use a lot more sleep!).

The Oscars of the Romance Industry, the RITAs, were announced yesterday. Books published in 2009 were eligible, but authors had to submit them to the contest to be judged. Seattle authors made another strong showing among the finalists: Alexis Morgan, Julia Quinn, Margaret Mallory, Susan Wiggs, Jane Porter, and Lakeside alumna Marjorie M Liu (Class of ’96). There were, as usual, many great books of 2009 that didn’t make the cut. Who knows if the authors submitted their works. RITA winners will be announced at the Romance Writers of America national conference in Nashville in July.

Here are the few I’ve read that I can recommend:

Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl
Contemporary Single Title
Harlequin Enterprises, HQN
Editor: Tara Parsons
ISBN: 978-0-373-77356-5

Wicked All Day by Liz Carlyle
Historical Romance
Simon & Schuster, Pocket Books Romance
Editor: Lauren McKenna
ISBN: 978-0-4165-9492-5

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole
Paranormal Romance
Simon & Schuster, Pocket Books
Editor: Lauren McKenna
ISBN: 978-1-416-58094-2

The Fire King by Marjorie M. Liu
Paranormal Romance
Dorchester Publishing, Leisure Books
Editor: Chris Keeslar
ISBN: 978-0-843-95940-6

Scandal by Carolyn Jewel
Regency Romance
Penguin Group USA, Berkley Sensation
Editor: Kate Seaver
ISBN: 978-0-425-22551-6

How many have you read? Which do you plan to add to your TBR pile? Which books from 2009 do you wish had made the finalist list?

Today is an international day of blogging to celebrate women in technology and science. Lord Byron’s daughter, Ada King, Countess of Lovelace, wrote the first computer programs for Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine. (Are visions of steampunk dancing in your head yet?) Today we celebrate her accomplishments and those of countless other women scientists who get far less name recognition than they deserve.

My hubby informed me of this day, with the email subject line “for our daughter.” How cute is that? Hopefully she will grow up in a more equal world.

I’ve pledged to blog about women in science and tech that I admire. I’ll start with my mother, a doctor, who saves people’s lives during the day and comes home each night to be a domestic goddess. She started medical school when I was two and had my little brother during it. Her patients love her. Move over, Martha Stewart.

Famous woman I admire: Elizabeth Blackwell, first woman doctor, (1821-1910). Tenacity, thy name is Elizabeth. She began studying medicine privately before searching for a medical school that would admit her. Rejection after rejection followed. Geneva Medical College in New York eventually accepted her. She fought ostracism and prejudice to graduate first in her class in 1849, becoming the first woman to graduate from medical school. Faced more ostracism and prejudice to set up a practice, but she kept on trucking. She later went on to found a Women’s Medical College.

So here’s a toast to women everywhere who strive to make the world a better place, who innovate despite opposition, and who don’t give a darn what society thinks about them. Cheers!