SFR Brigade

Recently, Heather Massey at The Galaxy Express posted a thought-provoking article titled Caught in the Cover Crossfire: ENEMY GAMES by Marcella Burnard where she raised the question if the cover implied the novel was SF or Urban Fantasy.

We've seen a lot of discussion over SFR-less SFR covers or the branding of SFRs with covers that effectively suggest ROMANCE or FANTASY more than SFR. This has inspired many questions.

"Shouldn't SFR look like SFR?"

"Are publishers afraid SFR elements on the cover will scare off potential readers?"

"Isn't a non-SFR cover on a decidedly SFR novel akin to bait and switch?"

Here's our chance to make a statement as a group devoted to SFR. Should we sponsor a SFR Brigade Inaugural Cover Art Contest to select the best SFR-themed cover in the universe? Your response to the poll on the main blog will tell us if this is an activity that Brigaders would be interested in.

The All Romance Ebooks, Just One Bite contest opens for voting today.

My SFR short, Complicated Cargo, made the finals. Didn't see a lot of SFR, but hey,

we got at least one in there!

The contest page is:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/contest.html

Frances Pauli

I received a message from Michelle De Rooy that she has finaled in two awards for RWA (Australia), results to be announced in a week and a half at the Awards Night Dinner on August 14, 2010. They are the Emerald Award and the Valerie Parv Award.

She also received news that the same manuscript which finaled in these two awards, a Fantasy Romance, 'Appleseed', has finaled in the 2010 RWNZ Clendon Award. The results will be announced at their Awards Night Dinner, August 21st.

Congratulations, Michelle, and best wishes for the awards!

For the second time in a week, Donna S. Frelick has finaled in a contest!  This time in the TARA Paranormal category. 

Congrats, Donna! 

(Love seeing those SFR Brigader finals come in.  More Buffy Award hopefuls!)

Donna S. Frelick's SFR--Unchained Memory--has finaled in the Virginia Romance Writers Fool for Love Contest, Paranormal category!

Donna is quite new to the contest circuit and this is her first final!!!!!

BIG CONGRATS, Donna!   I just know we'll be awarding you a Buffy very soon. 

Thanks to Katherine Allred and The Galaxy Express for this information.

SFR Brigade has four finalists for the 2010 PRISM Awards.  Winners will be announced at the FF&P The Gathering event in Orlanda at RWA nationals in July.

Novella

Ella Drake - Firestorm on E'Terra

Futuristic

Kathy Allred - Close Encounters

Jess Granger - Beyond the Rain

Linnea Sinclair - Hope's Folly

Big congrats to all our finalists!

Seriously Reviewed has launched Contest Connection, a free blogspot to advertise author contests. To advertise a contest see submission guidelines at www.contestconnection.blogspot.com

This a free service provided by Seriously Reviewed for authors of any genre.

We appreciate your passing this along

Romance Reader

Congratulations to Brigade member Laurel Wanrow! Her SFR work-in-progress PASSAGES has been named a finalist in the paranormal category of the 2010 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

Final placements will be announced at the RWA National Conference in its shiny new venue in Orlando.

FINALISTS: PARANORMAL ROMANTIC MYSTERY/SUSPENSE

Last Wishes by Caroline Dunsheath

Last Chance by writing team Ann Fischer & Linda Baxter

Hearts of Darkness by Ciara Stewart

Lost Paladin by Tracy St. Hilaire

Passages by Laurel Wanrow

Good luck, Laurel!     *-_-*