Okay, folks…I’m gonna have to make this one fast.

I’ve been a bad blogger this past week–I was working like crazy to finish up my manuscript, but I promise I’ll be better this week! Truly!

And, following that being-better idea, I wanted to get in another Publisher Spotlight. This time, I’m focusing on Dorchester.

According to Dorchester’s submission guidelines, they are looking for the following romances: historical, futuristic, time-travel, paranormal, and contemporary. (Hmmm…I think that might pretty much cover all the big categories!)

You can send your synopsis and first 3 chapters to:

Dorchester Publishing
200 Madison Avenue, Suite 2000
New York, NY 10016

Now here’s a worry: Their turn around time is listed as 6 to 8 months. So, if you submit to these guys, don’t bother checking your mailbox for a while.

Oh…and here’s a fun note: Dorchester is also accepting submissions in the horror category. I’ve always wanted to write a straight horror. Yes, I love romance, love the happily-ever-after endings that I can create (come on, the world NEEDS fairy tale endings sometimes) but…I’m a serious horror buff and the idea of breaking loose, of seeing just how dark my stories can go…well, it really intrigues me.

So, I’ll put my horror story down in my “one day” file…and one day, maybe I’ll do it.

Writer’s Digest has an interesting article posted on how to get an agent, or rather…how NOT to get an agent. Since I’m currently on the hunt for an agent, I thought it might be a good idea for me to make sure that I wasn’t starting things off on the wrong foot.

I’ve heard that the right agent can really make a writer’s career…just as the wrong one can break it…or, at the very least, slow it down.

Writing conferences seem to be great for meeting agents–you get to go in, sit face to face, and pitch your work. Nice–but a little intimidating for me. I can’t stand face to face rejection. The mere thought terrifies me. But I’m planning to go to the RWA convention this year, and I think I’m gonna have to work through my fear…and pitch.

Preditors and Editors is a good site for checking out potential agents–they list any negative reports that those folks might have.

Oh, and speaking of negatives…if you’re looking for an agent, and he/she asks you to pay an upfront fee–run, don’t walk, away. Agents who charge reading fees are to be strictly avoided.

So…like I said, I’m on the hunt. And I’m not much of a hunter (unlike my die-hard dad!), so wish me luck.

I just finished my latest manuscript. Yep, 380 pages of blood, sweat, and tears. Hmmm…that doesn’t exactly shout, “Romance!” now, does it?

The next step: Editing this baby.

But…editing will have to wait until tomorrow. I’m going to bed!

Avon is open to submissions; specifically, Avon wants historical romance (100,000 words), contemporary romance (100,000 words) and African-American romance (90,000 words).

To query Avon, you should prepare an overview of your book–no more than 2 pages–and email it to: avonromance@harpercollins.com. Their turnaround time on e-queries is currently listed as one to two weeks (pretty impressive!).

Avon has a lovely set of guidelines for their would-be writers. They seem to be looking for all sorts of stories–romantic suspenses, dramas, funny tales…the field appears to be wide open.

Here are a few of Avon’s recent releases:

Sword of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor
What Price Love? by Stephanie Laurens
Sighs Matter by Marianne Stillings

On Saturday, Nick and I headed to the theater…and saw Basic Instinct 2. I was a bit worried when I discovered that the film was showing in the smallest screening theater…that’s usually not a very good sign. And when we got inside, and I saw that only about ten other people were there, well, I took that as bad sign #2.

Then the movie started. Yes, as the reviewers have noted, the opening is a bit…um…wild, but, hey, it’s Basic Instinct!

The plot got moving really fast. Murder within the first five minutes. Sex, too. And, dang, Sharon Stone looked really good–did she sell her soul to the devil or what?

But anyway…the character of Catherine Tramell was much harder in this film. Sure, you’re probably thinking, the woman is a cold-blooded, seductive killer…how can she be harder? Simple. Unlike the original Basic Instinct, Catherine isn’t pretending to be a good girl. She doesn’t cry and try to get sympathy from the other characters, she doesn’t bat her lashes and talk about how everyone she loves just “happens” to die. Oh, no, not this time. This time, she’s evil, and proud of it!

I didn’t think I would be surprised by this movie. I mean, come on…duh–Catherine’s a killer! Well, yes, she is…we all learned that in the first film. But…this time, there’s another twist. One I didn’t see coming. One that I very much enjoyed–and that’s all I’ll say so I don’t go into spoiler land.

So, what did I think of the movie? I liked it; heck, I’d probably even buy the DVD. Is it gonna win an Oscar? No, but it sure was fun to watch.