My Recent Comments

I understand that. But the confusing part is

" For published authors, this line is a great way to build their miniseries at Harlequin and Silhouette." 

To me that implies published = published by Harlequin and Silhouette. That's the part that I wanted clarification on. I already have a piece between those lengths finished and ready to submit. The published question always confuses me because some pubs, editors and agents don't recognize being epublished as being published.

So this was really just me trying to understand the phrasing cause of that one sentence. And wondering where in the pile I'd go among the published or unpublished.

Thanks for trying to explain further. I'm really not trying to be difficult. 

just to clarify -

other avenue = just submit and see what happens 

I thank you for trying to answer my questions but I'm still confused.

And I'm sorry if you took my quetions the wrong way or I'm stepping on any toes but as I stated, the way things are worded are, for lack of a better word,  confusing.

I understand about going to the editor if you are already pubbed with Harlequin or Silhouette but what are they considering to be pubbed. Because some of the info is conflicting the way I'm reading it.

So thank you for trying to answer my questions, but I'm going to have to try another avenue to get my answers I think. I really do appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions.

And again, I apologize as this seems to have been the wrong forum to broach my questions.

I have a few questions -

"For published authors, this line is a great way to build their miniseries at Harlequin and Silhouette. Unpublished authors are welcome as well.

Only complete manuscripts submitted electronically will be considered from unpublished authors; no partials or queries, please. Submissions should be sent as a Word-compatible attachment."

It says for published authors this line is a great way to build their minseries at Harlequin and Silhouette. So are they only going to consider authors published by Harlequin and Silhouette. 

It says unpublished authors - does that mean unpublished period or just unpublished with Harelquin/Silhouette. If you are epubbed does that count as published?

And says only fulls/completed from unpublished authors but then says no partials or queries. Does that only apply to unpublished authors? Or unpublished by Harlequin and Silhouette? And if so how would published authors submit if not on partial/proposal? 

It may just be that it's still early but that sentence is a bit confusing.

I thank you for the recommendation.

Rejection is hard but a part of the business. I've never had a rejection cause of skin colour. Maybe not right for line, not enough heat, or whatever but not that. I have had my characters race questioned, and even one suggestion that I make her "less ethnic".

And thanks for the book recommend. I will pick it up. I have read Peter Dunne's Emotional Journey, I think it's called.

And I will submit. Harlequin and e-harl has been great to me.

And believe me it is a romance.

Yes my question has been answered but I think it has been misunderstood. In my experience when race is brought into the romance world picture, then things get strange and people naturally assume that the story is going to be about issues and differences and problems than about two people falling in love and having a romantic relationship. They see race or multicultural or ethnic and think racism and prejudice and that it's going to overshadow the romance.

And I thank you for your response.I figured it to be that way but as I stated I couldn't recall having read any. Which is where my statement came in because I have read Blazes and Desires which have had ethnic heroines but not many, if any, Presents. Of course I have not read every Presents so I may have missed some. 

I think my submission fits Presents the best because that is what it is and was tailored for, written for. 

And my question stemmed from the fact I have discussed my story with other writers, published ny selling, best selling authors and been told that my story wouldn't fly for Presents but it would best be sent to Kimani which frankly irritated me. So I wanted to make sure that I wasn't shooting myself in the foot so to speak. 

See this is where we are going to differ - in my opinion a romance is also a love story or at least it should be. ANd I think a romance should be a love story because that brings in the heat and meat and so much more.

And  I don't know what you mean by "archplot format story". Formulaic? I'm confused by your wording and terminology.

As for the HEA, who says a love story will end in tragedy or won't have a HEA. That's also confusing to me. A love story and romance can have a HEA. And in my opinion, if a romance is just about sex and passion without adding in the emotional depth and growth that happens when people/characters fall in love then it's not a good read. A romance that does't contain the emotional relationship, development and growth, again in my opinion, only has card board characters. So maybe I misunderstood what you're trying to say, so if I did I apologize. 

And as  I mentioned it's not about exploring "vast cultural differences" but I'm not going to hide or gloss over something that will add to the story just because it may be seen as "taboo" or "too much". I don't think that will do the characters or the stories any justice. And as for any cultural differences if there are any, which there probably would be, I think it should add to the characters and their growth not become the focus.

Maybe I'm not explaining this right, but it also could be that in my experience when ever race or even racial differences come up, especially in romance things get icky and people assume that the story is going to be about the two races and fighting and prejudice and racism and that's not the case. My stories just happen to feature multi-cultural characters because that is what I see around me, it's what I live and it's what I write and promised myself I would right as a child.

Sorry if this post stepped on any toes or offended anyone but it is, what I thought to be, a legitimate question.  

I write my characters that way because that's how they come to me. It's what I've longed to see for so long as a reader, that I want my characters to reflect me and my world. I suppose I can write a caucasian or european heroine but it wouldn't be true to me or my writing style and I'm afraid it would come across as awkward.

As I stated in the other thread, the race/heritage of my heroine isn't the conflict but the romance is. But it's not something that's going to be ignored or glossed over like the perverbial "pink elephant" in the room.

And you're right it's about their upbringing and experiences not about any supposed racial conflicts. I'm not writing a book on race relations. It's about love, relationships and above all romance and passion between two people.

Now, that's not to say that it's heavy handed or overbearing or on everypage. But there are some slight cultural differences that can make for interesting minor conflict and for funny or interesting scenes to show how the characters interact, get along, grow in their relationship and get to know each other.

Did that make any sense?

And I thank you for your advice and words of wisdom. I'm not trying to be difficult just trying to make sense of things. And as I said in the other post, I haven't seen a heroine or a presents like I described in a long time. 

I didn't think it would be a problem but wanted to make sure.

And I know some lines are more open to "different" characters than others. So really was just checking.

The racial/cultural/heritage differences isn't the source of the conflict. And isn't the focus of the story it's about the couple and how they come together romantically. Their personality conflicts are also hightlighted. And while their ethnic differences aren't the conflict or highlight, I don't ignore them like the "giant pink elephant" in the room that everyone can see but no one mentions. LOL.

In any of my stories, the characters race isn't the source of their conflict. Though it may be brought up or mentioned by others. Or highlighted in a particular scene it isn't about race or even acceptance.

My stories are about the characters and their relationships to each other, with each other, with themselves. My stories aren't just romances but love stories with real, flawed, relatable characters. At least I hope they read that way. 

I hope I explained that right, or at least so that it can be easily understood.

I may enter but it depends on if my heroine (whose Latino) would be a no-no. I may direct it at Desire though cause I don't recall any truly ethnic heroines.

Good luck to all those who have entered and are planning on entering.