SOME SHORT SHOTS BEFORE THE WEEKEND

Since we’re coming up on Labor Day weekend, there are not one, but TWO hurricanes on the horizon, and everyone has other things on their minds, I’ll make it brief this week with just a couple of newsy items.

First of all, if you aren’t a member of Romance Writers of America® (or you have a life), you probably missed the kerfuffle over on the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal Chapter online forum about the possibility of requesting a change in RITA® contest categories. You may remember I had suggested this very thing when the RWA® leadership was looking for input on what to do about diversity a few months ago. Science fiction romance needs its own contest category to encourage more SFR authors to submit entries and to allow paranormal authors and SFR authors to judge each others’ work.

Well, it was a very lively discussion for a while on the forum, until it degenerated into the old debates about “what is SFR, really” and “do enough people actually write it” (both questions which have been answered over and over in our own Science Fiction Romance Brigade). Then somebody began to hurl insults about how romance is nothing but “trash,” (on a romance forum?) until the moderator was forced to call a halt and the RWA® president felt compelled to remind people to play nice.

I only bring this up to say that anyone here who is a member of both RWA® and the Brigade might consider contacting the RWA® leadership directly to let their voices be heard on the issue of a separate contest category for SFR. The more RWA® hears from us, the more likely they will be to consider splitting SFR off from paranormal and fantasy. Brigade members Lizzie Newell and Jean Walker/Veronica Scott (and others) were quite vocal in our support in the forum. I’ve already let my opinions be known. I think the time is right to make the point.

ON TO MORE SHAMELESS PROMOTION

I recently had a chance to give a video tour of my workspace and do an author interview for the LoveRomanceReads blog. I won’t be taking the v-blog universe by storm, but it was fun anyway!

Check it out here.

And, until next week, have a great holiday weekend and stay safe!

Cheers, Donna