Amazon to Acquire Dorchester?

Publishers Weekly is reporting Amazon will bid to acquire the assets of Dorchester, a publishing house which has been in financial trouble for more than two years.

According to PW, if the deal goes through, Amazon will pay all outstanding royalties owed to Dorchester authors. Amazon would acquire 1,900 active titles in many of the genres it already publishes in, including romance and westerns.

PW quotes Amazon as saying its authors will have a choice as to how they want their books published going forward. The final auction is on August 28.

According to PW,  the auction process was triggered by the owner of Dorchester's parent company, who is owed $3.4 million. The publisher has struggled in the aftermath of the drop in demand for mass market paperbacks.

Dorchester's troubles have been frustrating for authors and their agents, who've struggled to get owed royalties since their titles have continued to sell. Many authors have unsuccessfully attempted to get their rights reverted back to them.

Penguin Makes Ebook Deal with New York Libraries

In a one-year pilot program, Penguin has agreed to make its newer ebooks available at the New York Public Library and the Brooklyn Public Library, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Penguin is now working with 3M instead of OverDrive. If the program is successful, it could branch out to library systems across the country.

The reverse decision comes about four months after Penguin pulled its newest digital titles from libraries.

The new program allows the New York libraries to lend more than 15,000 Penguin front-list titles.

The catch is that the ebooks won't be available until six months after the books' initial publication date. The delay is designed to keep ebook library loans from cutting into sales of new ebooks.

The libraries will pay current market price for the ebooks and the titles are lendable one at a time.

2012 Duel on the Delta Double Finalist

I have some great news to share on the contest front!

Two of my historical manuscripts - THE PARACHUTIST and TEMPTING BELLA - are finalists in the River City Romance Writers 2012 Duel on the Delta contest.

The final judge in my category is Deborah Nemeth of Carina Press. The  winners will be announced in late July.

All of the finalists are listed below. Congratulations and good luck at all!


Contemporary
Clear as Glass — Lynn Kellan
Synchrony's Call — S.J. Bickford
Surrender's Vow — S.J. Bickford

Historical
The Parachutist — Diana Quincy
Tempting Bella — Diana Quincy
Seduced by a Spy — Chrinstina De Gennaro

Inspirational
Too Late to Apologize — Christy Smith
Liberty's Lady — Mary Curry
Deliver Us from Evil — Mary Curry

Paranormal
Dark Conquest — Chritina Kenton
The Book of Dracon, The Mayhen Series — Briana MacWilliam
Seal of Fate — Traci Douglass

Young Adult
Blood, She Read — Sara Hubbard
Lost Souls — Beth Watson
Operation Breakup — Jeanmarie Anaya

Yay! I'm a 2012 Sheila Double Finalist

Where's the champagne?

I received a call informing me that two of my manuscripts are finalists in the Valley Forge Romance Writers 2012 Sheila contest.

THE PARACHUTIST and TEMPTING BELLA both finaled in the Historical Category.

I need to give a special shoutout to the Sheila judges for  providing excellent feedback on both manuscripts.  

Now, the six highest-rated entries in the Historical category move on to the final round, where they will be judged by Elizabeth Poteet of St. Martin's Press.

Congratulations to all of the finalists!

2012 Sheila Finalists

Single Title
The Secret Ingredient, Susan Spaulding*
Cat on a Hot Steel Flight Deck, Heather Nickodem
The Novice Wife, Adele Downs*
Doctor with Benefits, Elizabeth Kelley*
Octagon Girl, Michele Mannon

Romantic Suspense
Her Unreasonable Doubt, Anne-Marie Carroll
The Way You Love Me, Janis Thereault
Mesmerized in Madagascar, George Guthridge
Double Trick, Ava Milone
Twisted, Tori Lennox

Historical
Her Every Desire, Jennifer McQuiston
The Parachutist, Diana Quincy
Embracing an Unloved Earl, Eileen Emerson*
Taming Huck Finn, Leigh Stites
Tempting Bella, Diana Quincy
The Winds of Fate, Elizabeth Bysiek

Young Adult
Midnight Siren, Ruth Knafo Setton
The Agreement, Angela N. Blount
Flying Objects, Falling in Love, and Other Catastrophes, Caryn Caldwell
Designer Genes - "The Boyfriend Cut", Harely Brooks
Dolphins, Dorks, and Danger, Robin Weaver

Women's Fiction w/Romantic Elements
Untamed Valor, Virginia E. Boylan
Taylor Made Life, Kary Rader
Murder, Curlers and Cruises, Arlene McFarlane
Unredeemed, Jodi M. Fisher
Preservation, Carrie Christie

Paranormal
Flood and Fire, Amy Raby
Incandescent, M.V. Freeman
Fairy Tales, Elizabeth Roadifer
Blood Vine, Amber Belldene
Dead Vampires Don't Date, Meredith Allen Conner