I’m bouncing around the room today – absolutely thrilled to learn that I am a finalist in the Sheila Contest – run by the Valley Forge chapter of the Romance Writers of America.
The contest is for an unpublished manuscript in a genre I’ve never tried before – paranormal romance.
I’ve always been a big fan of fantasy and sci fi and horror (well – some horror). Paranormal romance fits right in there. I read it – but didn’t think I would ever write it – until one day I just did.
I was working on the first chapters of something else – and the hero I could see in my head was so dark and strong and damaged. I joked to a friend that perhaps he was a vampire. As soon as I did that, the idea stuck in my head. I couldn’t see him as anything else.
I rewrote a scene and suddenly I was writing a paranormal romance – with my heroine trapped on a yacht in the middle of the ocean with this gorgeous, dark, damaged, strong and mysterious man – who just isn’t human.
The title for the book came just as quickly – Graveyard of the Immortals.
It’s challenging to write in a new genre… and I am loving writing a paranormal.
The contest winners won’t be announced until June – but right now, I’m simply thrilled to be a finalist.
So – thanks to the lovely people at Valley Forge Romance Writers – and to the first round judges who said such nice things on their reports. I guess my next job is to keep working on that book… and make it even better if I can.