Welcome Feel the Heat Contest Runner-Up Felicity Roger!
10 Comments November 12th, 2008 in Modern Heat, writing, writing contest Posted by Amy
by Felicity Roger
In hindsight, I am surprised I didn’t start writing romances years ago. I am the mother of four beautiful heroines and twelve years or so ago I snagged me a hero of ‘Presents” proportions. Okay, so maybe not a trillionaire, but he has the rest of the required qualities in spades.
But it was only two years ago when I first decided have a stab at writing a Romance and the reasons had nothing to do with my family. It was because the ‘real book’ that I was writing was going nowhere and I concluded that what I needed was a new project to help me jump-start the old one. What I needed was one that had more defined parameters, a book with a formula maybe. I came to the conclusion that what I needed was romance.
As fate would have it, the very same day that I had this epiphany, I saw an advertisement for a short course with Melanie Milburne. I read the blurb and as she sounded like a reasonably accomplished writer, I enrolled. I was so naive, I didn’t even realise that there were different lines. I just assumed that they were all still the ‘bodice rippers’ that my step-father used to joke about.
I was totally swept away by Melanie. She was so vibrant and so passionate about her craft that after spending a day in her company, I was desperate to have a little of what she was having.
So, I bought, borrowed and stole every Mills and Boon I could get my hands on. I wrote two full manuscripts for Presents and received two lovely rejections. I kept in touch with Melanie by email, (no it was not stalking, just keeping in touch) letting her know my progress. Then when I told her I had finished a third manuscript, she offered to critique it for me and I have been fortunate enough to have her as a mentor and friend ever since.
I entered my first competition, Instant Seduction with a masterpiece of a first chapter and one that I thought would have Mills and Boon knocking at my door offering me a 200-book contract. I am still waiting for the email to say that it showed promise. Not to be dissuaded, I kept at it and at Melanie’s suggestion, started looking at other lines.
It was then that I stumbled across The Mile High Club by Heidi Rice and after rereading it several times and sleeping with it under my pillow (in my defence I had just read ‘The Secret’) I decided to start targeting Modern Heat.
In September I attended my very first RWA conference in Melbourne. The awards dinner was the highlight for me and I decided, as I listened to all the names being called for the various competitions, that I wanted some of what they were having.
And now, here we are. At another turning point in the journey. I would like to say congratulations to Lucy, Rachael and Jackie. Well done and I cannot wait to read your winning entries and watch your progress. And to all those talented writers who missed out on placing in the competition, my advice is to just keep going and enjoy the journey.
And if all else fails put Heidi Rice under your pillow so when you do get published, you can say you slept your way to the top!
Tagged with: Feel the Heat Writing Competition
Congratulations Felicity!
Thank you for all your encouraging comments to those of us who didn’t get anywhere in the competition. I look forward to reading your competition entry soon.
Lorraine
Congratulations, Felicity! And ROFL on sleeping your way to the top.
You are absolutely right that the moral of the story is to KEEP WRITING. It’s the only way to get there. Enjoy this time, and I look forward to reading your chapter when it appears!
Love your post – can’t wait to read your chapter!
Geat post Felicity! And congratulations again! That 200 book contract is close, I can feel it…
BTW, will it work if you sleep with an ebook under your pillow??
Jackie
Ahh, Felicity you sweetheart, so glad Mel and Jack and their Mile-High antics were of help in your mission to sleep your way to the top! And you couldn’t do better than Melanie Milburne as a mentor.
Looking forward to reading your chapter – and getting some inspiration off you in return.
All the best
Heidi
E-book…I wonder. I actually love nothing more than having a book read to me so I am a big fan of the audio book and was excited to see such a big range of them available through Harlequin. I can walk the dog and listen to my favourite authors at the same time. Talk about multi-skilling.
Thanks everyone and I am very excited to have come runner-up and Lorraine, do keep plugging away at it. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever had was from a multi-published author. They said to make sure I enjoy the time before I am published because it is when you have the most freedom and you can write with gay abandon. I try and remember this piece of advice every time I sit down at the computer.
Lynne, I was totally inspired by your success. Well done and I look forward to reading your winning entry Lucy.
BTW, Heidi is now on a rotational basis with Natalie Anderson (Mistress Under Contract) and Trish Wylie (Claimed by the Billionaire Bad Boy).
Cheers Felicity
Congrats, Felicity.
Looking forward to reading your book when it is published.
I have to say, MH has some great authors. Each one has their own style that shines through. It is hard for me to choose which one to read next!
Barbara
I agree with you Barbara. In truth, there is actually now a waiting list for ‘pillow time’. So many great authors, so little time. So many fab Aussies as well. I met Kelly Hunter and Anne Oliver at the RWA conference as they are as inspiring as the books they write.
Cheer
Felicity
Too funny Felicity! I say we all put a book under our pillow tonight. LOL.
Looking forward to your story! Congrats and enjoy!
hugs,
Marian Pearson Stevens
Coming in late to offer my congrats and say I too loved your post! You’ve definitely got an enjoyable voice
Tonight… cos I need all the inspiration I can get for the last chapter of my mss… I’m going to bed with Anna Cleary!!