Not Just Any Monday!

Happy Monday Everyone!  

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know it's Monday and many of you are back at work and not very bright-eyed or bushy-tailed, for whatever the reason.  Well, I happen to be in a good mood because I have something great to tell you!  

After months of heehawing, I finally did it, I jumped in with both feet and entered my first contest!  But not just any contest, a paranormal fight club!  That's right, a paranormal fight club!  Terry, one of my invited guests for today, will get to that in a minute, but first, I wanted to tell you how all this came about because it demonstrates just how important your online writing community connections can be.  

To be honest, I can't remember exactly how I stumbled upon Romance in the Backseat (RITBS), but I can tell you what caught me while I was there.  I think I might have been searching for round robins and I came across the round robin called, "May Flowers".  Well, I started reading and got hooked enough to join Ning (another bloggerverse).  I started making comments about the story (it was pretty good) but from my other forays into author sites and blogs, I didn't feel any fear about contacting Terry Kate when I discovered a link on her site wasn't working.  We developed an acquaintance which eventually grew.  I have a lot of respect for what she and the other ladies do at RITBS because it's a huge site to maintain and requires a lot of effort.  Their dedication to the site is evident just by looking at it.  

Then the next round robin started, "White Wedding Nightmare", and I continued to read that and was thoroughly impressed by the effort not only from the authors involved, but from the coordinator as well, Terry Kate.  We continued talking and somewhere along the way, she mentioned that she was looking for unpublished authors for a contest.  I was so comfortable with myself by this point that I said, "That would be cool! I would love to compete, if you want me, that is."  Okay, maybe not as comfortable as I first thought, but comfortable enough to jump at the chance to compete in a competition.  

But, as I said before, this isn't just your regular old writing competition, it's a paranormal fight club!  [Okay, I wish I had some cheesy music to play right here, but I don't!]     

So, what's a Paranormal Fight Club, you ask?  Well I'll let Terry Kate you!  

Romance in the Backseat's 

First Annual 

Paranormal Author Fight Club

Wow what a title!  But what does it mean?

Not what you might think.  

No large barbwire cage matches with bats and brass knuckles, just eight authors competing for your votes with their writing.  Eight authors from all over the world - There is an Aussie - rising to the challenge and going head to head on paper. 

October 1, 2009 all authors receive the first paragraph of the Fight Club story.  Where they go from there is up to them.  They have one week to finish their first pages which will then be posted on Romance in the Backseat for readers to enjoy and place their votes for who should move forward.  8-6-4-2-1 The winner will be announced on October 31, Halloween.

[Watch for a link to the site, so you can cast your vote! - for me, Carrie, hopefully!]

None of these authors have been published before and it is my great hope that the exposure these fabulous writers get here will bring their voices to the attention of publishers and readers alike.  Plus it should have oodles of shapeshifting poodle fun.

Hey no one else used that before.  I call it!      

Terry Kate - Creator of Romance in the Backseat  

Here are some of my competitors:

Tonya Callihan 
I write romances, mainly erotic. I have been writing for ten years now, but only started to pursue writing as a possible career two years ago. I have never had a romance of mine published.  I also write for several other websites, mostly freelance. I review for many sites, LASR/Whipped Cream, You Gotta Read, Mistress Bella Reviews, Fresh Fiction and HRC.  I am excited to be apart of Romance in the Backseats Paranormal Contest. I think this will be a lot of fun, help tone my writing, and give me exposure I otherwise wouldn’t have had.

View: Tanya's Tidbits - her bimonthly column with Fresh Fiction

Tanya's Ramblings - her blog

Tanya's Website - sorry, but you must be 18 to visit. Be honest, are you 18 years of age? Yes or No?

Shaunee Cole 
I started writing in college and loved it so much, I decided to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing.  Though I loved romance and its sub-genres, grad school taught and encouraged me to write literature, so I did, or more precisely, tried.  Unfortunately, I never really found my voice and decided to put down my pen.   

After a lot of time working in corporate America, I decided to get back to what I really love, but this time I promised myself I’d follow Mr. Sinatra’s fine example and do it my way.  I’ve been writing paranormal romance/urban fantasy ever since.  In addition to writing, I work in a public relations office college as a graphic designer.

Watch for updates of more contestants!