YouareviewingentriesfromAhead,WinSomeShit

PimpYourFave,WinABook

by SB Sarah Friday, August 22, 2008 at 07:32 AM

By the power of the random integer generator, we have a winner! Comment #126 is our winner: Jennifer Armintrout. Hooray!

Email me, please, and I’ll send you a print copy of Matthew Haldeman-Time’s Off the Record. Please do let me know what you think of it!

TheWinnersoftheFirstHenleyBodicePrize!

by SB Sarah Friday, August 22, 2008 at 07:24 AM

The first place winner of the Henley Bodice Prize is AnimeJune for her entry:

Lady Eleanor Wadsworth-Pennington had always thought she’d understood her mother when she said, “Beware the rakes, they cause only pain and misery!” until she finally stepped on one and the stout wooden handle swooped up and smacked her on the face, breaking her nose and causing her to curse the lazy but irrepressible gardener Louis in a most unladylike manner.

The second place winner of the Henley Bodice Prize is Carrie Lofty, for her entry:

Thrusting and thrusting again into the gasping blonde groupie sprawled across a hot pink Naugahyde loveseat, Leo “Nasty” Houston’s member was like a hard-working mole digging its winter shelter: its snout slick and hairless, blind to all but its instinctual purpose, and intensely fond of warm, dark, welcoming warrens.

And third place goes to Elizabeth Wadsworth, for her entry:

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that any single Vampire Lord newly arrived from Transylvania with a wad of cash and several wooden boxes of dubious function, must be in want not only of prime London real estate but several nubile females upon whom to slake his insatiable bloodlust.

me, please, with your contact info to claim your prizes - thanks!

TheHenleyBodicePrizeForBestFirstLinesinRomance:TheEntries

by SB Sarah Wednesday, August 20, 2008 at 09:30 AM

There’s a ton of nominations, so read and vote and enjoy. Voting ends in 24 hours. Or something. I’m feverish and hallucinating. You all might be figments of my rather warm imagination.

Henley Bodice Prize Nominees

Total Votes: 498
Elizabeth Wadsworth, It is a truth universally acknowledged...
75 %  9% (46)
 
Elizabeth Wadsworth, “Damn you, Brad Parker..."
16 %  2% (11)
 
Lyvvie: Brandy let out a long sigh...
8 %  1% (5)
 
Lyvvie: Sophie was very nervous...
33 %  4% (21)
 
AnimeJune: Lady Eleanor Wadsworth-Pennington had always thought...
100 %  12% (61)
 
AnimeJune: The interesting thing...
33 %  4% (20)
 
Marna: There was nothing quite like hearing...
41 %  5% (23)
 
MS Jones: The Billionaire’s Secret Foot Fetish
16 %  2% (10)
 
MS Jones: The Blood-Stained Glass
33 %  4% (22)
 
MS Jones: The Ballad of the Bodacious Bust
8 %  1% (7)
 
Esri Rose: Portia Delacroix’s dainty kid slippers...
8 %  1% (5)
 
Alex: Hi my name is Ebony Dark’ness Dementia Raven Way...
25 %  3% (15)
 
Carrie Lofty: Thrusting and thrusting
91 %  11% (54)
 
Ellie: Trevor reached out a hand...
8 %  1% (3)
 
Anonymiss: Whimpering prettily, as she had been taught...
66 %  8% (39)
 
Lyra: The Pirate Rogue’s Nordic-Ethiopian Bride
16 %  2% (12)
 
Lyra: Blood Drive
8 %  1% (4)
 
Ellie: If you make me marry him, Mother...
8 %  1% (7)
 
Karen: James Wright didn’t just think...
16 %  2% (9)
 
Suze: Miyuki gazed in wonder at the tall...
16 %  2% (10)
 
Malin: Mama had always insisted...
16 %  2% (12)
 
Laura: “She writhed against him...
8 %  1% (6)
 
Gail S: IRIDIA AND THE SWORD OF LOVE
8 %  1% (6)
 
Pamela: Bruce left a lasting impression...
33 %  4% (19)
 
Lyra: The Argentine’s Secret Graveyard Mistress
8 %  1% (4)
 
Phadem: The Island
8 %  1% (6)
 
Ellie: Victoriana was blonde, leggy...
16 %  2% (10)
 
Malin: Crossing the plaza...
16 %  2% (9)
 
Marna: Mellisande d’Alagnace listened fearfully...
1 %  0% (1)
 
Alex Ess: In the darkness of her room...
16 %  2% (12)
 
Pamela: As the sun set below his beachfront mansion...
16 %  2% (10)
 
Pamela: Bob hoped this blind date ...
33 %  4% (19)
 
More,more,more!>

TheHenleyBodicePrizeforFirstLinesinRomance

by SB Sarah Monday, August 18, 2008 at 02:26 AM

In honor of this year’s Bulwer Lytton prize winners for 2008, it’s time, I think, for the worst first line in a romance novel competition. I know there is a “romance” category in the real Bulwer-Lytton, but given the depths (hur) of your creativity, there needed to be more.

You know the drill: give us your original works of horrid first line art, that you yourself wrote, as awful and excellent as possible please! Comments are open for 24 hours, so leave your first line of awesomeness there. I’ll be doing something different this time around, though: in the comments, we’ll take nominations for the finals. So if you see a first line there you like, nominate it for the finals, and I’ll post the final slate of top-nominated first lines for final voting.

First prize: $25 gift certificate for the bookstore of your choice (Powell’s or Amazon), plus Romance Novel Poetry Kit for your eternal amusement while you stand at the fridge wondering if you’re hungry or just wanted to feel a cool breeze.

Second prize: Something Awesome. I’m not at the Prize Suitcase right now but there’s awesome in there, I promise.

Third Prize: see above!

Why The Henley Bodice Prize? Because Virginia Henley wrote some marvelously bizarre and downright screeching first scenes for her novels, with some great first lines, particularly my favorite, Dream Lover:

As the perfectly formed, timeless shape of the rounded head emerged, still glistening with wetness, Emerald couldn’t take her eyes from it.

Bring it on!

TheBrideWoreARCs:TheWinners!

by SB Sarah Wednesday, August 06, 2008 at 04:40 AM

During RWA, we had a contest running for an ARC of Marta Acosta’s new book, Bride of Casa Dracula. Then entries in the contest are so damn funny I was wheezing in the hallways as I read them. I’m sure someone thought I had a rather odd repiratory disorder, because I’d be snorting at my phone and giggling.

Marta emailed me with the winners, and asked me to convey the following:

There were so many incredible stories for this contest that I’ve had a really difficult time picking my favorites—and a really fun time reading them aloud to my husband.

The first winner is Emmy for her tragic tale of a marriage that was disastrous from the beginning (husband bailing on wedding night) to it’s ultimate conclusion (pregnant secretary).

The second place is Joanna and the Halloween wedding.  I was laughing so hard I couldn’t finish reading aloud.

The third book goes to Elizabeth Wadsworth for a wedding story that proves that love, sense, and happiness are not mutually exclusive.

And I’ve got an ARC without the title page, so that goes to Miah, for enduring “gaslighting” by a psychotic mother-in-law/seamstress, a theme which comes up in The Bride of Casa Dracula.

Honorable mentions:  WryHag for bravely wading into cold water to save beer.  JennK for “cheese log rolled in corn flakes.” Cellan for “macaroni cross.” Fall from Grace for using “butt wiggle” and “toilet water” together.” JoyKenn for sitting on her wedding cake.  Meagan who suffered for love.  Booklight for a dark and dramatic tale of conspiracy and corruption.  Marsha for giving us a moment of loveliness and grace.  Jackie for playing air guitar at her reception.  Malin and her “shoes make the bridesmaid” tale of terror.  Amanda G. and her patchwork wedding dress. The Rotund for “blue and white satin Civil War recreation gowns.” Amelia for the camouflage wedding gear.” Staple for two left shoes.  Sarah Frantz for her Shakespearean tale of familial sabotage.  Jennifer Armintrout for her story of the demon bitch in mourning.  Collette for sounding the battle cry of the bride:  ““I’m the fucking bride asshole.  I’ll park wherever the fuck I want.”

Thanks to everyone for the wonderful stories!  Please visit my blog next week for some book giveaways.

If you’re a winner (yay!) you can , and I’ll pass them along to Marta. Thanks for playing, y’all. 

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