Posted by admin Oct 3 2011, 12:01 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, openings, writing contests
Wow, finalists—you made this hard for us!!!
First, we asked for attention-grabbing opening lines, and got 100 outstanding candidates.
Then the Rubies narrowed the list to their favorite ten, and the authors had one day to give us more of the opening: a maximum of 250 words.
The entries lived up to the promise of their first lines: we were hooked, and wished we could read more of every one!
But in the end, we had to pick just three—not an easy task. The polls kept shifting through the weekend, and in the end, TWO were tied for third place. Which means we’ve got FOUR winners!
The two Third Place winners get a ruby-slipper journal to pen even more fabulous romance novel openings. Our Second Place winner gets a $20 bookstore gift certificate (Amazon or Barnes & Noble, winner’s choice):
And our First Place winner gets the Grand Prize: the Rubies pay the author’s Golden Heart entry fee!
And as good as our First Place winner is, that’s a perfect fit, since we think this author (not to mention the rest of our top ten!) should be entering the Golden Heart prontissimo….
For maximum suspense, the winners are announced from Third Place to First….after the jump.
Posted by admin Sep 27 2011, 12:01 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, openings, writing contests
Holy guacamole—what fabulous first lines!!
The Rubies read them all, and were amazed by the variety and creative awesomeness; we’re dying to know what happens next in all these stories!!!
Thanks to the power of voting, we did manage to narrow the field down from ONE HUNDRED to only ten. Well, actually eleven, because voting was super-tight, and we had a four-way tie for the last three places.
Even with that extra finalist, it truly pained us to leave so many fabulous entries behind—we’d love to read expanded versions of every single one, and can’t wait to see those sentences opening your published books!
For today, though, only ten (or, okay, actually eleven) can return to the field of battle.
The Top-Ten Top-Eleven First Round Finalists will appear (in RANDOM ORDER) when you click on the double arrow button below.
If you see your first line, that’s your cue to enter your EXPANDED entry in one of the Comments boxes below today’s post. Include your first line again, then the following few sentences until you reach a *maximum* of 250 total words. Please put the word ENTRY in all caps at the top again (and, no, that doesn’t count as one of your 250 words). Remember, if you go over 250 words, you’re disqualified, so COUNT CAREFULLY!!
Expanded entries must be entered by MIDNIGHT EDT on September 27 to qualify for the final round.
Thanks to EVERYONE who entered!!!
DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!!! THE TOP TEN FIRST-ROUND FINALISTS ARE:
Posted by admin Sep 23 2011, 12:01 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, openings, writing contests
The Second Annual MAKE IT GOLDEN CONTEST opens right now!!
The MAKE IT GOLDEN contest is designed for unpublished authors who are polishing up their entries for RWA’s Golden Heart Contest. We all know how important a strong opening line is in grabbing the attention of Golden Heart judges, and this contest is a great chance to test yours out!
Check out the wonderful and hilarious 2010 finalists here.
Just post your romance manuscript’s first line today as a comment (with the word ENTRY in all caps at the top), and you’re in the running to win the grand prize: having the Rubies pay your $50 Golden Heart entry fee. And don’t forget the nearly infinite honor and glory! (Full prize list and complete rules follow below).
Anyone eligible to enter the 2012 Golden Heart (see RWA’s rules here) is eligible to enter (except Rubies, of course), and the best part is, there’s no entry fee. It’s COMPLETELY FREE to enter, but only the FIRST ONE HUNDRED ENTRIES CAN QUALIFY, so don’t dawdle!! Multiple entries by the same author are fine, but no repeats of entries that were finalists last year.
Even though they can’t enter the contest, Rubies are welcome to post first lines just ’cause it would be fun to see them!
UPDATE 7:30 p.m. EST: WOW!!! What an amazing day, and what amazing opening lines!! We’re definitely over 100 entries now, so the contest is CLOSED! (We have to go through and count carefully and eliminate any entries disqualified for being more than one sentence…when that’s done, we’ll let you know where the cut-off came). Now for the really hard part: trying to decide on our top ten!! Thanks to all who entered!
PRIZES:
FIRST PLACE: $50 Golden Heart entry fee paid for you by the Rubies!!
SECOND PLACE: $20 Amazon gift certificate
THIRD PLACE: a glittering Ruby Slipper journal
Official Rules of the Make It Golden Contest – READ CAREFULLY:
Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday September 23, we will accept one hundred entries for the contest, each containing the FIRST line of the entrant’s romance manuscript.
Submit your entry via the “comment” box on the blog, typing in the word ENTRY in all caps at the top so we won’t miss it.
There is no entry fee. Anyone eligible to enter RWA’s Golden Heart Contest (except Rubies) is eligible to enter MAKE IT GOLDEN.
We will close to entries at midnight EST September 23 (in other words, the window is roughly 24 hours). Any entries that include words past the end of that first sentence, or any entries posted after midnight will (sadly) be disqualified.
The Sisters will read the first lines and choose ten finalists.
Ten finalists will be listed on the blog at 12:01 a.m. EST on Tuesday September 27th. ENTRANTS SHOULD CHECK THE RUBY BLOG AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27 TO FIND OUT IF THEY HAVE FINALED. It is entirely the entrant’s responsibility to check the blog to see if he or she is a finalist.
The ten chosen finalists will have the rest of the day, until 12 midnight EST on September 27 (in other words, almost 24 hours), to post an expanded entry, starting with that fabulous first sentence, and continuing with the next consecutive lines up to a MAXIMUM TOTAL of 250 words. (Really, a maximum of 250. Any more than that, and we have to disqualify the entry.) Again type ENTRY in caps and post, along with your first sentence, the expanded entry.
The three winners will be announced on the blog October 3rd.
Posted by admin Sep 15 2011, 12:05 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, openings, writing contests
Yes, Loyal Readers, it’s nearly the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Blog’s SECOND birthday, and we’re celebrating big-time all along the yellow brick road! Our official Birthday Bash is on September 21st, and just like last year, WE’LL be the ones giving away the gifts! Be sure to grab a glass of virtual champagne and join us for the festivities!!
Then, on September 23rd, we’ll be repeating our MAKE IT GOLDEN CONTEST , and giving all of you a terrific chance to shine (plus have a chance to earn more great prizes!!)
As you may remember from last year, the MAKE IT GOLDEN contest is designed for unpublished authors who are polishing up their entries for RWA’s Golden Heart Contest–the contest that brought the Ruby Sisters together when we were finalists together in 2009.
We all know how important a strong opening line is in grabbing the attention of Golden Heart judges, and this contest is a great chance to test yours out!
Check out the wonderful and hilarious 2010 finalists here. (And may we point out–with a lovely little glow of pride–that finalist Arlene Hittle did indeed go on to be named a finalist in Golden Heart 2011.)
Finalists and winners from last year are welcome to enter again, BUT ALL ENTRIES MUST BE NEW!!
PRIZES:
FIRST PLACE: $50 Golden Heart entry fee paid for you by the Rubies!!
SECOND PLACE: $20 Amazon gift certificate
THIRD PLACE: a glittering Ruby Slipper journal
Anyone eligible to enter the 2012 Golden Heart (see RWA’s rules here) is eligible to enter (though, of course, Rubies are not eligible), and the best part is, there’s no entry fee.
In other words, it’s FREE!!
All you need to do to enter is follow the official rules, below:
Official Rules of the Make It Golden Contest – READ CAREFULLY:
Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday September 23, we will accept one hundred entries for the contest, each containing the FIRST line of the entrant’s romance manuscript.
Submit your entry via the “comment” box on the blog, typing in the word ENTRY in all caps at the top so we won’t miss it.
There is no entry fee.
We will close to entries at midnight the same day. Any entries that include words past the end of that first sentence, or any entries posted after midnight will (sadly) be disqualified.
ONLY NEW ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO REPEATS FROM LAST YEAR, PLEASE!!!
The Sisters will read the first lines and choose ten finalists.
Ten finalists will be listed on the blog at 12:01 a.m. EST on Tuesday September 27th. ENTRANTS SHOULD CHECK THE RUBY BLOG AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27 TO FIND OUT IF THEY HAVE FINALED. It is entirely the entrant’s responsibility to check the blog to see if he or she is a finalist.
The ten chosen finalists will have the rest of the day, until 12 midnight EST on September 27 (in other words, almost 24 hours), to post an expanded entry, starting with that fabulous first sentence, and continuing with the next consecutive lines up to a MAXIMUM TOTAL of 250 words. (Really, a maximum of 250. Any more than that, and we have to disqualify the entry.) Again type ENTRY in caps and post, along with your first sentence, the expanded entry.
The three winners will be announced on the blog October 3rd.
______________________________________________________________
In other news, Loyal Readers, here’s some more trivia about the Rubies that you just might want to have handy during our Birthday Bash on September 21:
3 Rubies have fallen out of speeding cars.
Sara Ramsey worked in India
Louisa Cornell is a retired opera singer and sang for Luciano Pavarotti.
Hope Ramsay’s books are set in a small town in South Carolina.
Ruby Beth Langston is a veteran.
Posted by admin Sep 2 2011, 9:44 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, openings, writing contests
September is the Ruby Slippered Sisterhood’s BIRTHDAY month! Consider this your invitation to join us for a fabulous birthday bash (with fabulous giveaways!!) on the second anniversary of our blog, September 21!
As part of our celebration, we’re going to repeat last year’s wonderful MAKE IT GOLDEN Contest!
Official Rules of the Make It Golden Contest – READ CAREFULLY:
Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Friday September 23, we will accept one hundred entries for the contest, each containing the FIRST line of a romance manuscript.
Submit your entry via the “comment” box on the blog, typing in the word ENTRY in all caps at the top so we won’t miss it.
We will close to entries at midnight the same day. Any entries that include words past the end of that first sentence, or any entries posted after midnight will (sadly) be disqualified.
ONLY NEW ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO REPEATS FROM LAST YEAR, PLEASE!!!
The Sisters will read the first lines and choose ten finalists.
FINALISTS SHOULD CHECK BACK ON THE RUBY BLOG AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27 TO FIND OUT IF THEY HAVE FINALED.
The ten chosen finalists have until midnight on September 27 to post an expanded entry, starting with that fabulous first sentence, and continuing with the next consecutive lines up to a MAXIMUM TOTAL of 250 words. (Really, a maximum of 250. Any more than that, and we have to disqualify the entry.)
This contest is open to anyone eligible to enter the Golden Heart, except that Ruby Sisters are not eligible.
There is no entry fee.
Part One of the contest opens 12:01 am EST September 23rd.
Contest is limited to the first 100 entries posted in the comments that day.
Ten first-round finalists will be announced on the blog 12:01 am EST Tuesday September 27th. Finalists are responsible for checking the blog to see if they have finaled.
First-round finalists will have the rest of the day on Tuesday September 27th (until midnight EST) to post the remaining words of their expanded entries. Again type ENTRY in caps and post, along with your first sentence, the expanded entry. TOTAL words may not exceed two hundred fifty.
The three winners will be announced on the blog October 3rd.
PRIZES TO BE ANNOUNCED!
Posted by admin Oct 5 2010, 12:01 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, writing contests
YOU’VE GOT US HOOKED!!
   
The competition’s been absolutely amazing!
First, we asked for attention-grabbing opening lines, and got 79 outstanding candidates.
Then the Rubies narrowed the list to their favorite ten, and the authors had one day to give us more of the opening: a maximum of 250 words.
The entries all lived up to the promise of their first lines: we were hooked, and wished we could read more of every one!
But in the end, we had to pick just three—not an easy task.
Third Place gets a ruby-slipper journal to pen even more fabulous romance novel openings. Second Place gets a $20 book-store gift certificate. And First Place gets the Grand Prize: the Rubies pay the author’s Golden Heart entry fee!
And as good as our First Place winner is, that’s a perfect fit, since we think this author (not to mention the rest of our top ten!) should be entering the Golden Heart prontissimo….
For maximum suspense, the winners are announced from Third Place to First….after the jump.
Posted by admin Sep 27 2010, 12:01 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, writing contests
Thanks again to everybody who joined us for our Blog-O-Versary bash, and to the 79 entrants who boldly offered their first lines for our Make It Golden Contest! The Rubies read them all, marveling at the variety and hilarity and overall wonderfulness, and struggled to narrow the field to ten.
It truly pained us to leave so many fabulous entries behind—we’d love to read expanded versions of every single one, and can’t wait to see those sentences opening your published books!
For today, though, only ten can return to the field of battle.
The Top-Ten First Round Finalists will appear (in RANDOM ORDER) when you click on the double arrow button below.
If you see your first line, that’s your cue to enter your EXPANDED entry in one of the Comments boxes below today’s post. Include your first line again, then the following few sentences until you reach a *maximum* of 250 total words. Please put the word ENTRY in all caps at the top again (and, no, that doesn’t count as one of your 250 words).
Expanded entries must be entered by MIDNIGHT EDT on September 27 to qualify for the final round.
Posted by admin Sep 21 2010, 12:01 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, writing contests
IT’S OUR BIRTHDAY!!!
The Ruby Sisters have been blogging together for a full year now, every single weekday since September 21, 2009. And we’re still going strong!
We’re celebrating by throwing our FIRST EVER CONTEST, the Make It Golden Contest. Just post your romance manuscript’s first line today as a comment (with the word ENTRY in all caps at the top), and you’re in the running to win the grand prize: having the Rubies pay your Golden Heart entry fee. (Complete rules and full prize list follow below). Remember: only the FIRST ONE HUNDRED ENTRIES QUALIFY, so be quick!! (Update as of 10:15 p.m. EST: We’re up to 75 entries! With less than two hours to go before the deadline, we’ve still got room for a few more, so jump on board!!)
Plus, as a special birthday surprise, we’re giving out some fabulous blog-o-versary prizes TODAY!!! A few randomly-selected folks who leave a comment today (either an entry or a regular comment wishing us well on our birthday) will win books by Ruby Sisters, who’ll be popping in throughout the day to announce winners. One randomly-selected commenter will win a $20 Barnes & Noble e-gift-certificate. Look for a special post at the end of the day today for a full list of blog-o-versary prize winners!
Posted by admin Sep 16 2010, 12:01 am in golden heart, hooks, Make It Golden, writing contests
The Ruby Sisters’ blog will celebrate its FIRST birthday September 21st. We can hardly believe it. Time does fly when you’re having fun. To celebrate we’ve decided to have a contest. Yippee! We’re calling it the Make It Golden Contest. Grand prize is your Golden Heart entry fee.
We want to thank all of you with a big Tin Man heart for being faithful followers and offer an incentive to polish your Golden Heart entry.
Starting at 12:01 a.m. on Monday Tuesday September 21st, we will accept one hundred FIRST lines of a romance manuscript. We will close to entries at midnight. Any words past that first sentence period or posted after midnight and the Wicked Witch of the West will DQ you. And that doesn’t mean you will be going to Dairy Queen.
Why Make It Golden? It’s a Scarecrow no-brainer. All the Sisters believe openings are key to finaling in the Golden Heart. The opening is the most important part of the book. It has to grab the reader, contest judge, agent and editor immediately and force them to keep turning pages and reading. If you attended any of the agent /editor panels in Orlando, you got an idea of how important agents and editors think openings are.
With this contest you get the chance to see how your opening grabs The Ruby Sisters. Show us what you’ve got. Does your story start in black and white or brilliant Technicolor? The Sisters will read the first lines and choose ten finalists. Those ten will then give us MORE of the story, starting with the first sentence, and continuing with the next consecutive lines up to a MAXIMUM TOTAL of 250 words. We will count. Anymore and… you guessed it… you will be DQ’d and maybe have to contend with a Flying Monkey or two.
Tell your critique partners and chapter mates. Polish, polish, polish; make every word count. Don’t be a cowardly lion, follow us down the Yellow Brick Road as you Make it Golden.
RULES – READ CAREFULLY
This contest is open to anyone eligible to enter the Golden Heart. Ruby Sisters are not eligible.
There is no entry fee.
Contest opens 12:01 am EST September 21st.
Contest is limited to first 100 entries.
Contest closes 11:59 pm EST September 21st.
Enter the first sentence ONLY of your manuscript by posting it as a comment on the blog. At the top of your comment, type ENTRY in capital letters. On the next line enter your first sentence. The Ruby Sisters will select all finalists.
Ten first-round finalists will be announced on the blog 12:01 am EST Monday September 27th.
Those ten finalists will have the rest of the day on Monday September 27th (until midnight EST) to post the remaining words of their expanded entries. Again type ENTRY in caps and post, along with your first sentence, the expanded entry. TOTAL words may not exceed two hundred fifty.
Not much, we know. Think having us read those two hundred fifty words and say “man, I’d love to read more of that.” This is exactly what an agent and editor do.
The three winners will be announced on the blog Tuesday October 5th.
First prize -Golden Heart $50.00 entry fee paid.
Second prize- $20.00 B&N gift certificate.
Third prize- Ruby Slippered Sisterhood Journal
Prizes are as stated. No cash substitutes.
No feedback on entries will be provided.
The Sisters are multi-published, in print and e-book. We are PAN and PRO. We read and write in all genres. We are trained judges. We have finaled in and judged many contests.
We are Golden Heart winners, finalists and Good Witches.
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