Writers: This is YOUR Year!

If you're one of the many writers that subscribe to my blog, or if you think 2017 is YOUR year to write that novel that's been brewing in the recesses of your mind, I have good news!

A local writers group, Sunshine State Romance Authors, has a slew of amazing programs geared toward helping writers in their journey toward publication and improving their craft. I'm particularly excited because they've asked me to give their March workshop on "Editing and Selling Your Manuscript: Tips to Revise and Pitch Your Novel Successfully."

I've already created a presentation for the event, as well as a MASSIVE packet of worksheets designed to help writers in every genre revise their manuscript and create the supporting materials (like a query, synopsis and pitch) for your upcoming writer's conferences and online queries!

The links for reservations and pricing are coming on SSRA's home page, so stay tuned!

Happily My Ever After,

Dylan

P.S. The link for Sunshine State Romance Authors is HERE, and their Facebook page is HERE. Follow them so you will know when registration opens for the March event!

P.P.S. First time on my blog? Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE above to be notified of all the oodles of things coming in 2017!

An Agent At Last!

For those of you following me on my blog or Facebook, you know I've been awaiting response from the agent I pitched to at RWA conference (my pitch story is here). Aaaand....*drumroll*...I finally signed my contract for an agent!!

No. Not AN agent. THE agent:

I'm thrilled to announce I have signed a contract for my Young Adult series, beginning with
DELINQUENT, to 3 Seas Literary and the marvelous Cori Deyoe! It's a huge milestone for me, as I have been looking to switch from paranormal romance to YA. Most YA publishers won't even look at your submission without an agent, so landing a talented and experienced agency like 3 Seas is a dream for me!

More to come--like a contract for the series!!--but I was so excited to let you all know about the long-awaited end to my agent journey!

Happily My Ever After,
Dylan

GIVEAWAY, Conference Update and New Box Set Announcement

Okay, okay. I've been naughty. I haven't updated this blog since July, and I'm sorry!! If you've read any of my past blog posts, or are friends with me on Facebook, you'll know that I have a difficult time multi-tasking. So let me take a moment to bring you up to speed with my writing life:

No time for a giveaway?
Buy your copy HERE

First, I'm a guest on Happily Ever After Thoughts HEAT blog this week, and offering a pre-Halloween GIVEAWAY! If you've never read my books, this is your chance to get a FREE copy of Any Witch Way sent to you, and autographed by moi!! The link for the blog post is HERE.



Delinquent update:

The pitch for my YA Contemporary to the Harlequin editor, and my dream agent at the RWA 2015 conference went very well, and both of them asked me for a full manuscript. Woot-woot! I spent all of August revising based on my beta reader comments, and sent it to them in September. Still waiting to hear...so keep your fingers crossed!

Don't want to wait?
Buy your copy HERE

My Paranormal Fans: You'll be happy to know I haven't abandoned you, either! My short story, "Piper's Piping" is coming out in PRINT this holiday season! This paranormal holiday story is featured along with 11 other outstanding authors in a 3-book set that's sure to be a hit with all of the
romance readers on your shopping list! More as I know it with links, etc.

There. You're officially up-to-date! Stay tuned for some NaNoWriMo Prep...

Happily My Ever After,
Dylan

Pitch Perfect & Ready for RWA 2015!

All month I've been working my a** off, and (if you've read my last post) trying not to stress and make my heart flip-flop in my chest anymore...but I'm finally ready for RWA 2015!

I just finished packing and printing out my final version of my marketing one-sheet (because I do better with props) and I'm ready for successful pitches on my new YA project, Delinquent.

Hell, it's GOT to be better than the last time I pitched. 

I channeled 'Flipper' and spoke half-dolphin during the whole thing, all the while eyeing the bed behind me. (No, it's not THAT kind of pitch. For the whole story, check out this blog post on my writing chapter's site HERE.)

Plus, keep your fingers crossed for me, as Delinquent is one of 3 finalists in YARWAs "Rosemary" award!! I'll find out if I won this Friday at the Evening of YA. Check it out at YARWAs link HERE.

If you're going to the RWA Conference, email me at my contact page HERE and let me know! I'd love to catch up with you at the conference and we can compare pitch notes. ;)

Happily My Ever After,
Dylan

I'm a Conference Pitch VIRGIN NO MORE!

I'm still punch-drunk from a day of incredible learning and opportunity at yesterday's "Super Saturday" workshop, presented by RWA's sister chapters, CFRW and VCRW.

First, before I pee my pants, I have to tell you...I pitched for the very first time to one of my A-list/dream agents, The Knight Agency's Lucienne Diver...AND SHE ASKED FOR my YA novel, CASSANDRA'S AWAKENING! :)

Dylan and C.T. Charles with Lucienne
Diver's card...the GOLDEN WONKA
TICKET to submit to her! :)

While I have three paranormal romances published with my amazing publisher, The Wild Rose Press, they don't handle the Young Adult genre. When I heard The Knight Agency's, Lucienne Diver was accepting pitches at the conference, I knew I had to pitch my YA. I barely remember the pitch and it felt like I was in there for 30-seconds, but my writer friend, CT Charles, assured me I was in there for at least 4 minutes. It's all a blur. And I wasn't even drinking.

Agent Lucienne Diver
speaking at "Super Saturday"

Ms. Diver might have known it was my first time, and she was very gentle with me. ;) Seriously, what a professional, kind and honest woman. I feel so honored to have the opportunity to send her my YA, and truly enjoyed her talk yesterday on the "Role of Agents in the Modern Publishing World." In a nutshell, despite the burgeoning trend for self-pub and hybrid authors, agents are as important as ever in ensuring that the author's best interests are represented. Her q&a was insightful and I have pages of notes from that and the one-page critique session she hosted. If you have the opportunity to see Lucienne Diver speak in the future, I highly recommend the experience.

The featured speaker was the effervescent and entertaining Roxanne St. Claire. I adored her energy and her honesty, and she gave some incredible tips for how to take your manuscript from "Sleeper to Keeper." Totally inspiring and what a truly nice woman!

Finally, took 3 hand-cramping pages of notes on Lorena Streeter's presentation on "Social Media." As the head of marketing in her day-job, Lorena really knows her stuff! Had several 'a-ha' moments on utilizing my time and my interests to reach readers (vs. just other writers!) and can't wait to try out my new skills!

Came home with a bunch of new SIGNED books to read from the fabulous authors at CFRW and VCRW. In particular, looking forward to Caro Carson's "Doctor, Soldier, Daddy," Roxanne St. Claire's first novel in the Barefoot Series, "Barefoot in the Sand," Connie Mann's "Angel Falls," and Lucienne Diver's Latter-Day Olympian Series, "Bad Blood" and "Crazy in the Blood."

Sigh...new books always make for a 

Happily My Ever After!

Dylan

P.S. Did you know my NEWSLETTER subscribers get all the goodies first from me FIRST? Enter your email into the box under "Subscribe to Dylan's Newsletter" on the right. Who doesn't love Author SWAG???