Meet your distinguished Final Round Judges and Published First Round Judges (Keep checking back for judge bios as they are added!) Click here for Page 2! FINAL ROUND: Young Adult: Sarah Shumway Senior Editor Katherine Tegen Books (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers) Sarah Shumway was an editor at Dutton Children’s Books, but has recently moved to a Senior Editor position with Harper Collins. She studied English Literature and Media Studies at William Smith College and spent summers as a camp counselor and bookseller before she graduated and moved to New York to pursue the glamorous lifestyle of a children’s book editor. Sarah considers herself a generalist, as her acquisitions list includes both fiction and non-fiction for the full range of ages, but she is most interested in commercial young adult fiction, religious/inspirational, funny romantic stories, and historical fiction. Her favorite picture book manuscripts are always character-driven. Visit the new www.harperteen.com for exclusive information on your favorite authors and series.  Browse Inside recent releases, watch video, listen to podcasts, and enter to win great prizes. Jennifer Schober Spencerhill Associates Meet Jennifer and find out what kinds of books she's looking for in this AuthorMBA Blog post. More from Jennifer here on making the most of your writing. Paranormal: Leah Hultenschmidt, Dorchester  Leah Hultenschmidt is an editor of Romance and Westerns at Dorchester Publishing, where she has worked for nine years. After several years in heading Public Relations and Promotions, she’s now back to doing what she loves most—editing books. Some of her most recent projects include the USA Today best-selling Immortals series and Angie Fox’s New York Times best-seller The Accidental Demon Slayer. Leah has been named among the Who’s Who of Professional Management, and in 2006 was a finalist for PASIC’s Editor of the Year Award. Check out Leah's super-informative Blog: Romantic Reads Laurie McLean, Larsen-Pomada Agency  Laurie McLean joined the two agency founders in 2005 following a 20-year stint as the CEO of a successful Silicon Valley public relations agency. Laurie was able to switch gears in 2002 to immerse herself in writing. She has penned three manuscripts to date, and if that wasn't enough, she decided that the life of a literary agent would be the perfect complement to her duties as a writer of genre fiction. Laurie has been writing professionally since high school--first as a journalist, then as a public relations agent. She earned a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the State University of New York and a Master's Degree at Syracuse University's prestigious Newhouse School of Journalism. Laurie specializes in adult genre fiction (romance, fantasy, science fiction, mystery, westerns, horror, etc.) plus middle-grade and young adult children's books. Her Blog: AgentSavant Historical: Amanda Bergeron, Avon/HarperCollins  Amanda Bergeron joined Avon in Fall 2008. Along with Executive Editor Erika Tsang and Editor May Chen she has worked closely with authors such as Lynsay Sands, Jeaniene Frost, Loretta Chase and Anna Campbell. She is looking to acquire all genres of romance, particularly Regency historicals and dark paranormals, as well as commercial women's fiction. Learn some fun facts about Amanda at the Avon Editors Blog:  Romance Books   Susannah Taylor, Richard Henshaw Group  Susannah Taylor graduated from James Madison College within Michigan State University, completing her degree with a semester at the University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand. She interned at Richard Henshaw Group from 1997-2000 and then joined the agency full-time as an associate agent. She's been building her list, which includes romance, women's fiction, mysteries, and non-fiction ever since. The agency's list includes authors such as Elizabeth Hoyt. More insight from Susannah here. Contemporary Single Title: Margo Lipschultz, HQN See the newest books being published by HQN. Check out this blog post talking to two Southern Heat Editors - Behind The Scenes At HQN, Kensington and Sourcebooks: Editors Margo Lipshultz, Megan Records and Deb Werksman Talk Books! Tina Wexler, ICM  Tina Dubois Wexler is actively list-building at ICM. Her tastes are eclectic--most types of fiction, nonfiction, and even YA. Recent sales include the first two books in Susan Runholt's mystery series, THE MYSTERY OF THE THIRD LUCRETIA and RESCUING SENECA CRANE (Viking), and commercial fiction sales including Donna Gephart's AS IF BEING 12 ¾ ISN'T BAD ENOUGH (Delacorte), Robin Friedman's THE GIRLFRIEND PROJECT (Walker), and Sanjay Patel's THE LITTLE BOOK OF HINDU DEITIES (Plume). Prior to ICM she worked at the Ellen Levine Literary Agency, Trident Media, and Karpfinger Agency. Tina holds an MFA. "The voice needs to be alive, pull me in, demand I keep reading. It needs to do more than just tell me what's happening. It needs to have a distinct point of view. It's the story's voice that is hardest to master ..." Read an interview with Tina here. International Creative Management (ICM) is one of the "big four" entertainment agencies in the country, representing actors, directors, musicians and authors, etc.  They have at one time represented people such as Halle Berry, Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts. Their Website.    Contemporary Series: Wanda Ottewell, Senior Ed. Harlequin SuperRomance  Wanda Ottewell has been with Harlequin Enterprises for eight years. During that time she has acquired for many of the company’s series programs. Now as Senior Editor for Harlequin Superromance she focuses her attention on finding those emotional, heartwarming stories readers want. Wanda spends her spare time reading and gently convincing non-believers of the merits of the romance genre. Wanda currently lives in Toronto. Here's a great interview with Wanda at eharlequin discussing their books.  And another blog interview. Melissa Jeglinski, The Knight Agency   Melissa Jeglinski joined The Knight Agency in September of 2008 as Associate Agent/Submissions Coordinator. A graduate of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where she majored in English with a concentration in writing, Melissa began her career as an editorial assistant at Harlequin Enterprises. During her 17-year tenure, she discovered more than a dozen authors who have become National bestsellers and ascended to senior editor of the Silhouette Desire line, one of the company’s most prestigious and successful series. An undeniable asset to the TKA team, she utilizes her extensive editorial experience, combined with distinctive tastes and a top-notch romantic pedigree, to foster TKA’s client roster to national prominence. Melissa is a member of RWA and AAR. Check out more at The Knight Agency website.  Here is a post from Melissa on the agency blog. Romantic Suspense: Deb Werksman, Sourcebooks  SourceBooks is a small publishing house located in Naperville, Illinois. This year marks the beginning of SourceBooks entry into the world of romance publishing. The new line is called “Casablanca” and will offer “15 to 20 titles per season, in a mixture of mass market and trade paperback formats.” Deb Werksman is the executive editor for SourceBooks and the head of the Casablanca line. Check out these exciting interviews with Deb.  She's all about talking with writers! AuthorMBA Dear Author Casablanca Author's Blog The Royal Ascot Blog Tamar Rydzinski, Laura Dail Literary Agency Agency website Check out a great interview with Tamar here. Inspirational: Melissa Endlich, Harlequin Steeple Hill  Born and bred in New York, Melissa Endlich has worked in the publishing industry for fifteen years, the past eight at Harlequin/Silhouette. Since 2005 she’s been an Editor for Steeple Hill Books, working mainly on contemporary inspirational romances. Currently she is overseeing the launch of Love Inspired Historical, a brand new line of inspirational historical romances, launching in February 2008. After so many years in the publishing world, Melissa still considers herself very blessed that she is paid to read books that she would gladly read for free, and considers it a mission to help spread love and faith through inspirational romance fiction Natasha Kern, Natasha Kern Literary Agency  Natasha Kern, has 24 years of experience in the publishing industry. Before founding her own agency in 1986, she worked as an editor and publicist for New York publishers (Simon & Schuster, Bantam and Ballantine). Natasha has personally sold more than 850 books as an agent and worked on close to 1,000 books during her career in publishing. She represents several NYTimes best selling writers and many writers who have made the USA Today list as well as winners of many notable publishing awards, including: the Edgar Award, the RITA award, the Silver Dagger Award, the Christy Award, the Hurston/Wright Award, and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. She has taught workshops and been a speaker at dozens of writers conferences including Romance Writers of America National Conference, The Pacific Northwest Writers Conference, Association of Christian Fiction Writers, as well as regularly attending Book Expo and ICRS and many others. She is a member of several writing organizations including Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, Romance Writers of America, The Authors Guild, and American Society of Journalists and Authors. Find out more at the agency's website. PUBLISHED FIRST ROUND JUDGES: Tera Lynn Childs    Congrats Tera!!  2009 RITA for Best First Book!! Bio (aka what you'll see in the back of her latest book) Tera Lynn Childs is a wannabe goddess and the author of OH. MY. GODS. and GODDESS BOOT CAMP. Tera lives in Houston, Texas, where she spends her time fleeing hurricanes, making character profiles on MySpace (stop her before she makes one for Adara—oops, too late), blogging with the Buzz Girls, and writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages. (PS -- Tera's super-cool editor is Sarah Shumway, one of our YA Final Round Judges!) Karin Tabke For a long time, controlled chaos ruled Karin's life. Busy mother of four, owner of her own successful business and wife to a street cop, she harbored thoughts of twisting plots and hot romantic scenes. Now, with only one child left at home and hubby retired from law enforcement, Karin happily pounds out those steamy scenes at her keyboard. (PS -- Karin hosts a fantastic "First Lines" contest on her blog each year to help aspiring writers get noticed by agents!) Kate Steele Having been an avid reader of romance for years, and being possessed of an overactive imagination, Kate decided only recently to try her hand at writing. She discovered that, like reading, writing romance has become addictive. She is thrilled to be part of the Ellora's Cave family. Kate lives in a turn-of-the-century house located on three acres in the midst of Indiana farm country. Keeping her company is her family, dogs, and other assorted pets. Kimberly Frost I imagined fantastic scenes in my head from the time I was old enough to string thoughts together. It didn’t occur to me to write them down until I was about ten.  In my late teens, I thought I should write a novel and try to get it published. Despite having read a few of them, I didn’t know much about the process.  So, after one rejection, I felt that settled things.  I had a terrific passion for biology and the life sciences, and my novel went into the closet while I went to medical school. A funny thing happened on the way to the emergency room, however. While medicine was all-consuming at times, creative writing had its hooks into me and refused to let go. No matter how many times I tried to quit writing, I simply couldn’t.  WOULD-BE WITCH sold quickly in the summer of 2007, and then I waited patiently for Tammy Jo to find her way into bookstores so that you could meet her. I hope you love her adventures as much as I do. Gretchen Craig Gretchen Craig returns with another sweeping story that brings the Old South to life in all its glory – and a passionate heroine compelled to follow her heart. On the eve of the Civil War, the daughter of Southern planters finds her loyalties tested in a magnificent saga of family pride and forbidden love. Kim Lenox To me, there’s nothing more exciting than the first meeting, and the subsequent “dance” that takes place between two people who are meant to be together. Who are meant to be soul mates. Especially when it’s obvious they can never be together. I love writing romance because I get to make the “can never be together” disappear. It was even more fun putting the “immortal” twist on this series. You’ll see my tag phrase: Heroes worth waiting (forever) for. When you’ve existed from the beginning of time, and lived a thousand “lives” already — what sort of person would make time stand still for you? I got to explore that question in these books. Teri Thackston Teri Thackston started making up stories in grade school, deciding she might have a future as a writer when she completed her first book at age eleven. That book, a blatant rip-off of the TV spy spoof "Get Smart", never left the house...fortunately for all. But many of Teri's short stories did leave home and found life in national magazines, and her books have won numerous awards. Proud to be a native Texan, she lives in Houston with her own personal hero husband, her two amazing sons and two dogs who think she should take her fingers off the keyboard and pet them every time she sits down to write. Cheryl Bolen Cheryl Bolen has enjoyed several successful careers. She's been a stay-at-home mother, a journalist, a public school English teacher, an antiques dealer, and in 1998 she debuted with her first novel, A DUKE DECEIVED. She says it's only natural that she write about love and commitment. She's been married to her real-life hero, now a college government professor, since she was twenty years old. They especially enjoy weekends at their island get-away off the Texas coast and travel to England every chance they get. Jane Myers Perrine I write to get away from it all-from dirty ovens, gardens filled with weeds, and clutter. Sadly, when I finish a few hours at the computer, it's still there. I just don't have the time to take care of the housework-thank goodness. But thoughts leap around in my head, plots and characters have to be put down on the page immediately or they will be on to other things before I can tell my readers their stories. Linda Warren After selling her first book to Harlequin Superromance, Linda Warren's life hasn't been the same. It's fun, exciting and she never has enough time, but she enjoys every minute.  Read more of her amazing Bio on her website. Lynn Lorenz Kristi Gold After seven years of starts and stops, Kristi Gold sold her first Silhouette Desire in 1999 and has since contracted for over twenty-five books. A classic seat-of-the pants writer, Kristi attributes her ability to write fast to a burning need to see how the book ends. She firmly believes that perseverance, some luck, a sense of humor and a continued love of the craft leads to success.As a best-selling, award-winning author, Kristi’s learned that although accolades are wonderful, the most cherished rewards come from personal stories shared by readers and networking with other authors, both published and aspiring. She currently writes full-time and resides in Central Texas with her retired husband and the occasional guest in the form of one of her three grown children. Linda Barrett The shelves in my home are filled with books of every kind: cookbooks, biographies, natural sciences, science fiction, reference, thrillers and mysteries. Most of the shelves, however, are lined with romance novels. Why romance? Maybe because I relish the happy ending, the hope for the future. Maybe because I get to ride the roller coaster with the hero and heroine as they fall in love—despite their original intentions—and discover what’s truly important. Maybe I choose romance because romance fiction, more than any other genre, is about people. It’s about women making choices and becoming empowered by their own decisions. Or maybe I choose romance because my own life is filled with heroes and heroines. Tanya Hanson My descent from Missouri pioneers, childhood camp-outs in the High Sierras with my two brothers and dozen cousins, and my college days in Nebraska and Colorado turned me into a lifelong fan of the Old West, where freedom reigned and the sky was tall. Although I live in a suburb, I'm definitely a country bumpkin...and our town is surrounded by strawberry fields and lemon groves. Teaching high school English helped me hone my own writing skills, but I'm lucky now to be retired on the California coast with my firefighter husband. Our son and daughter survived my classes and both are recent graduates of the University of Southern California. Best of all, I am the besotted gramma of a toddling baby boy. Check out Tanya's website for her writing awards. Dawn Temple Dawn wrote her first book in secret, only admitting to her husband what she was doing when he discovered her stash of research books on Texas divorce laws. Once she’d been “outed,” Dawn joined Romance Writers of America®, found an awesome critique group and began entering contests and submitting her work. That first novel is still stored in the computer, but Dawn’s second book, A Will To Love, a 2005 Golden Heart Finalist, fulfilled her unknown childhood dream. That same year, Silhouette Special Edition bought that manuscript and retitled it To Have And To Hold, catapulting Dawn from “wannabe” to “gonnabe.” Farrah Rochon Favorites I have quite a few favorite things, but there is nothing I enjoy more than relaxing with a really great book. Author Judith McNaught holds a special place in my heart. Her wonderful stories have brought me hours of enjoyment, but more importantly, her work introduced me to a group of friends I will cherish for the rest of my life. Other favorite authors include Suzanne Brockmann, Brenda Jackson, LaVyrle Spencer, Julie Garwood, Janet Evanovich and many, many more. Writing Favorites One of the things that most made me feel like a real writer was joining Romance Writers of America. I would recommend RWA to anyone planning a career in writing, whether romance, mystery, suspense, mainstream fiction, or any other genre. RWA provides valuable information about the publishing world, including finding agents, up-to-date info on various publishing houses, and most important, the opportunity to network with other writers. Nikki Duncan Nikki Duncan’s first book releases from Samhain Publishing in October 2009. She is a 2008 Golden Pen finalist, is an active member of her local RWA chapters, serves on the RWA PRO Communications and PRO Education committees, and has had articles published and reprinted in over 100 RWA chapter newsletters and list serves. To learn more about Nikki visit her website at www.nikkiduncan.com, or follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nduncanwriter. Alisha Paige Also visit her blog. Vicki Batman Check out her blog interviews with more Southern Heat judges here. Sherry A. Davis I'm a native Texan, living in historic Fort Worth with my husband, children and an eclectic mix of pets including a dog, a cat, an iguana, a cockateil, two rabbits and three gerbils. I started keeping a journal the day Elvis died, doodling over the “what ifs” of that tragic day but never considered growing up to be a writer. It wasn’t until some fifteen years later when I was faced with fourteen hours alone every day with two toddlers that I began writing in earnest, just to hear “other adults”. My husband didn’t mind that my new “friends” were imaginary and actually bought me a laser printer as encouragement. Nearly fifteen years later, and two more kids, he’s still encouraging me to reach for my dream of publication, most recently, with a brand new laptop. I write romantic comedy for The Wild Rose Press. I also write single-title Contemporary and urban sci-fantasy (yes, it's my own genre, which also explains why I haven't sold to a major NY publisher and living like a high-roller ). I'm a member of RWA, North Texas RWA, Dallas Area Romance Authors, DFW Writer’s Workshop, Passionate Ink and the Elements of RWA. I'm currently serving on the board of Romance Writers of America as the PRO Liaison. Pamela Stone One might ask how an accounting graduate who spent twenty plus years in the technology field became a romance writer. Well, it’s quite simple. I’m an only child whose classy mom put her energy into my wardrobe, dance, and piano lessons. Add an amazing father who added go kart racing, slot cars, water skiing, and a pony to the mix. Toss in a wild imagination and summers in the country: lazy walks on my grandparent’s farm and another grandmother with a shed full of Harlequin romance novels to while away hot afternoons and you get me. Writing is pure escapism. Childhood imaginary friends developed into teenage fantasies. Later as a mother of two young, rambunctious sons, I began writing to keep in touch with the adult world; at least it was worth a shot. I continued writing as a method to wind down in the evenings from long, exhausting days spent in Corporate America. Anybody notice a pattern here? Not enough adult socialization – write. People overload – write. Either way, writing keeps me sane. Cheaper than a therapist and tons more fun. Wendy Watson Wendy Lyn Watson teaches constitutional law to college students by day and writes deliciously funny cozy mysteries, with a dollop of romance, by night. I Scream, You Scream: A Mystery a la Mode--the first of a series about the owner of an ice cream parlor in a small Texas town who solves murders in between scooping sundaes--will be released by NAL in October, 2009; the second book in the series, Scoop to Kill, will follow in July of 2010. While she does not commit--or solve--murders in real life, her love of ice cream is 100% true. She’s also passionately devoted to 80s music, Asian horror films, and reality TV. A native of Ohio, she’s lived in Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, Louisiana, and Texas, where she currently lives with her husband and four spoiled felines. You can find her on the web at www.wendylynwatson.com. Phyliss Miranda Award-winning, multi-published author and freelance writer, Phyliss Miranda, a native Texan, lives in the Texas Panhandle with her husband Bob. With plans to write a cookbook, she took her first creative writing class in 2001. One of her favorite parts of being an author is teaching the craft and mentoring beginner writers. She enjoys sharing her love for the new frontier, the Civil War, quilting, and antiques; and still believes in the Code of the Old West. There's More!  Click here for Page 2!