RNA Conference Top Ten and an announcement!

Better writers than me have posted excellent write-ups of conference talks so instead of a deep, insightful blog post I thought I'd do a list of "Ten things I didn't know before the conference". There are probably an awful lot more than ten but I know you haven't got all day. So, before your cup of tea/coffee gets cold I'll get on with it...

Conference Top Ten (facts, tips and gossip)

1. The biggest sector buying books in supermarkets is women aged 40-49 and for some titles supermarkets can account for 90% of sales.
2. Digital is seen as the way forward (but beware, if the supermarkets are giants Sony, Amazon and Google are monoliths...) ebook sales and audio downloads have rocketed, particularly with the release of the ipad. Ebooks and audiobooks may be released as packages in the future
3. Watch out for 'author apps' - a kind of fan club app, with the opportunity to get sent free excerpts. .
4. Writing a 'Trojan Horse' - Romantic plot-lines are selling really well, especially when dressed up as something else e.g. an aspirational plot-line (lifestyle change, travel etc). If you write romantic suspense emphasize the suspense part of your pitch! It's sad but true - there are women out there who want the romance stories their grandmothers read but to have it dressed up as something modern, more contemporary perhaps.
5. Romance accounts for 20.5% of all fiction sold.
6. It takes a brave and a good writer to start a new trend, to innovate rather than imitate. One point from the Mills and Boon talk (see photo below) was that writers need a commercial awareness of the market and to keep their fingers on that market's pulse to create fresh stories that are relevant to the twenty first century reader.
7. The words 'twenty first century' appeared no fewer than 7 times in the key points of the M&B talk. Methinks they were making a point.
8. It is possible to be creative at 9 am on a Sunday morning with a screaming headache and the cogs of your brain grinding painfully - Julie Cohen's workshop taught me that - despite feeling crap I came out of the workshop with a new hero and story idea. From discipline can come inspiration. Actually think I'm in danger of getting deep there, so moving swiftly on...
9. You don't have to be a Planner or a Panster like it's your religion for life - you can be somewhere in between or a flexible planner (thanks Kate Hardy for the excellent talk :-). Switching off your email while you're writing can lead to better productivity. (Okay I already knew that one but sometimes it's good to be reminded... Like Kate Walker's workshop on Conflict, you can never be reminded too many times).
10. Sadly there were rumours that our favourite 'party outfit' publisher may be having distribution problems, we firmly hope for the sake of it's fab writers that there will soon be better news on the inkvine...

But now it's time to finish dunking that biscuit and make an official Minx announcement (drumroll please):

We're very pleased to announce that we've lured one of our lovely blog friends over to the Minxy side. She probably doesn't know what's hit her yet so we're announcing it before she changes her mind. I'd like to welcome Joanne Pibworth as a new member of the Minxes of Romance. Welcome Joanne.

Joanne will be introducing herself properly here on the Minx blog on Monday 9th August so I hope you'll come back then to welcome her properly :-)

Author Spotlight: Rebecca Savage

Today, The Minxes are very thrilled to welcome Rebecca Savage to the spotlight!

Take it away, Rebecca...



1. Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?

I started writing in June 2004, so I was a rookie. Sometimes I still feel like one.

2. Where did you get the idea from for this particular book?

Well, 9/11 and the tragedies surrounding it will forever be in my mind and may others. This latest book, Guard My Body, is based on terrorism, homegrown, where a man wants to get help and cross the border into the US with bombs and...well, i can't tell you more, but that the idea. Terrorism...at home and abroad.

3. Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?

I used to want to hit it big with the big name publishing houses. Now I'm happy with e-publishing as long as I have my fans and can write, write, write...I ever get with a big house....hmmmm...actually, I may never try. Too many games.

4. Which was the last book you read that you wish you'd written?

Everything by Angela Knight! She's the greatest!

5. Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?

Not necessarily, but there are alot who I idolize and adore and wish I could be more like.

6. Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?

Depends on how they're written. If there's talking and it's humorous, then giggle-worthy. If they're worded too...hmmmmm...extremely, then I still read them, but some words are just a bit much:)

7. What's the most romantic moment of your life so far?

OMG, let me think back to before the divorce...oops, did I say that outloud...Before my ex, there were some very romantic experiences. Once, I sat in a park, lights out, at night, under the stars, in Italy...how could that not be romantic...it's Italy, for goodness sakes:)---the guy was great and gorgeous. Yep, definitely a wonderful memory.

8. What do you wish you'd known about being an author before you were pubbed?

Nothing. It's a step by step process and you have to climb the ladder. The problem is, you don't know the rungs are there until you get to them and they identify themselves. Then you make the choice and take the step and keep going...or you don't.

9. What's the best writing advice you've ever been given?

Never stop writing!

10. Tell us about your latest release.


I mentioned it's about terrorism and it's also about a librarian with a wildside who has a sister who's CIA with an even wilder side. The sister and her male partner need her help. So she gets to show her wildside. What a way to go!

11. What’s next for you?

I'm working on the third of that series of six, and a dragon story...wow, talk about tough. I'm branching out of my normal element into fantasy. World building is fun...

Thank you so much for joining us today, Rebecca, and we look forward to more books from you in the future.

Monday Minx - Misbehaving...

I'd like to draw your attention to a fabulous first release with Wild Rose written by fellow Minx, Romy Sommer, writing as Rae Summers. Here's a taster to whet your appetite...

"Gabrielle is the quintessential Flapper, a wild child who turns her back on home and a resentful and unloving mother to become a nightclub singer. She wants nothing more from life than freedom and pleasure.

Sebastian is a dutiful son, following in his father’s footsteps and on the verge of marrying a suitable bride. But as the Twenties roar to their conclusion, he finds himself torn between duty and the urge to indulge his adventurous streak.

From the moment Gabrielle and Sebastian meet, the tension between them simmers. When he rescues her from a boorish suitor, Gabrielle discovers a kindred spirit beneath Sebastian’s serious demeanour, and she sets out to seduce him into one last passionate fling before he settles for a loveless marriage.

But the fire that burns between them threatens to consume her. Will Gabrielle survive falling in love with the one man she cannot have?"

The cover is as stylish as the story and in case you think I'm biased have a read of her first review from RT Book Reviews (who gave her four and a half stars :-). They say

"Let's Misbehave is a romp through 1920s England that is sure to delight... At only 80 pages, this novella never seems rushed or forced. Instead the story conveys a depth of feeling that is not reached by many novels triple its size. Brava, Summers!"

You can read the full review here And visit Wild Rose to buy the story here You can also read an excerpt on the Wild Rose site. So what are you waiting for? Go read :-)

The RNA Conference - Julie Cohen

This week we're delighted to welcome our first guest blogger, and firm Minx favourite - Julie Cohen. Her Harlequin Mills and Boon and Little Black Dress titles have a guaranteed place on our keepers' shelf and 'GIRL FROM MARS' Recently won an Award of Merit in the HOLT Medallion. Come back to the Minx blog on 13th of October to hear about her new release coming out with Headline - 'GETTING AWAY WITH IT'

(Check out the photograph with Jo Eustace if you want to pick out Julie from the shoe line-up on the RNA blog!)

The RNA conference
Every time I’ve gone to a Romantic Novelists’ Association conference, it’s changed my life. Take the first one, for example, in Durham in 2002. Though I’d been chatting with some other RNA members on the net, and made good friends with some of them that way, I’d never met any of the people there in person. I’m pretty sure I’d never even met a published romance writer in person. And yet there I was, arriving late, halfway through dinner on the first night, into a room full of loudly chattering writers. I was terrified. What if they were all so brilliant they wouldn’t talk with me? Who was I to say I could write at all? I was unpublished, clueless, and had only ever been rejected.

I was greeted by cheers and waves and hugs from my online friends. And it got even better from there: I met published writers, experienced writers, other newbies, all of them friendly and generous. I got down on my knees and asked my online buddy to be my critique partner. I walked along the river and saw the cathedral. I drank too much wine.

It was wonderful.
The following year, in 2003, I was drying my hands in the ladies’ room when the organiser of the New Writers’ Scheme came up to me and said, “I hear your manuscript submission this year was really good. You should send it to this agent.” Then she gave me a card. I had never, ever been told by an impartial stranger that my work was any good. I nearly cried. Then I drank too much wine.

By the time of the Leicester conference in 2004, I’d acquired an agent, but I was still unpublished. But, basically because I am unembarrassable, I was giving the first workshop on writing sex scenes that the RNA had ever hosted. I’d done two interviews with national newspapers because of it, and another national profile piece and a television appearance would follow. And me, still an unpublished writer. Because of the RNA. That evening, after the workshop was over, I drank too much wine.

Two weeks later, I’d sold my first novel.
Then there was the first conference as a published author. The first where I actually got to sign books. The time where we all cried because our friend was told by an editor that her book had been bought; the time where we all cheered because a dear friend had placed in the Elizabeth Gouge award and then walked across a field barefoot, swigging champagne. The times when someone tells me I’ve managed to help them in some way, which is the best feeling ever. There were the shoes and the toasts and the workshops and the naughty kitchens and the meetings with editors and agents and the chance conversations with people whose books I love, and people whose books I am going to love, just as soon as they get published so I can read them.

This year, in Kate Harrison’s workshop, she told us to set ourselves three achievable goals to improve our writing life. I started work on them the day after I got home. Other members helped me with research questions, with inspiration, with encouragement, with finding direction. And oh yes—I believe I drank too much wine.Mostly, I’ve made friends, and friends are what you need in this business, to fight the crows of doubt and the solitude and to celebrate the successes. Oh, and also shoes. And maybe just a teensy tiny little bit of wine...

Julie’s latest book is NINA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF GLOOM, available with free shipping here:http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9780755341412/Nina-Jones-and-the-Temple-of-Gloom

Her website is http://www.julie-cohen.com, she’s on Facebook as julie.cohen.author an

d her Twitter ID is @julie_cohen.

Author Spotlight: Lucy King

This week the Minx spotlight is on Lucy King, winner of the Mills and Boon Feel the Heat competition in 2008 and the Joan Hessayon award. Two of the Minxes were lucky enough to meet Lucy when she picked up her award at the RNA conference in Greenwich and are pleased to report that she's every bit as nice as she seems on her blog :-)

So, on with the questions...

Where were you in your writing career 5 years ago?
Right at the beginning. I’d written one story and had sent it off to Mills & Boon in Richmond. My first ever rejection letter came back in August 2005 saying that while my material was competently written my story didn’t focus strongly enough on the relationship between the hero and heroine. It also suggested I read as many current titles as I could, which given that I foolishly hadn’t read any in the previous twenty years, was excellent advice. So I read as many as I could lay my hands on and decided to keep on trying.

Where did you get the idea for this particular book?

A year or so ago I read somewhere that PR was one of the few industries not to suffer in a recession, and it got me thinking. Modern Heat is about glamour and what better excuse to write about parties? I then decided to give my heroine her own PR company and an over-achieving family and focused on what would be her worst nightmare. Everything else sort of slotted into place. Eventually.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?
Geographically, in a beautiful farmhouse in rural southern Spain. Personally, 10 years younger. Professionally, writing my 30th novel for Mills and Boon. Hopelessly wishful thinking on all fronts!

Which was the last book you read that you wish you’d written?
‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’, but only for the royalty cheques and the film rights.

Was there any particular author or book that made you want to be a writer?
No. I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until I sat down and typed Chapter 1. I started writing more to see if I could do it rather than out of any pressing creative urge. Now I’m strangely addicted.

Do you find writing love scenes giggle-worthy or cringe-worthy?
Neither. At least not if they happen in the right place at the right time. I have to get into the zone and then they (hopefully) write themselves. However I find it really hard to re-read my love scenes as they tend to make me blush.

What’s the most romantic moment of your life so far?
I’ve been trying to think of an answer to this question ever since you invited me here. And tragically I really can’t think of anything. I’d like to think that the most romantic moment of my life is still to come.

What do you wish you’d known about being an author before you were published?
The discipline it requires sometimes to get words down and hit deadlines. This is still a work in progress.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever been given?
Me: ‘Oooh, iheartpresents.com is running another contest.’
My husband: ‘You should give it a go.’

Tell us about your latest release?
Propositioned by the Billionaire is about a PR executive who comes from a high-achieving family, has a fear of failure and hair that tends to frizz, and a venture capitalist with his own island and serious trust issues. It also features a flamingo, parties and exploding handbags.

What’s next for you?
I’m working on revising my third Modern Heat and trying not to get too distracted by my ideas for book number 4.

Keep up to date with Lucy's news via her blog Pick up your own copy of 'Propositioned by the Billionaire' at the Book Depository, the Mills and Boon Website or Amazon