May 7, 2007 • Print This Post
Since the Brava contest is in full swing, and since you are all out there working on your contest submissions…right?… I thought this might be a good time to post my novella finalist from the last Lori Foster Brava Novella Contest.
Disclaimer: Kate Duffy did not buy this novella. However, it was chosen as a finalist by the then-Brava authors who judged and by Lori Foster. Kate liked the writing but the workplace romance and potential for sexual harassment ickiness that comes with that sort of thing (as I had written the novella) made it a no-go for her. But, I do think I can someday move this around and make it work. Just haven’t found the time yet. I am determined to sell a single author anthology centered on a workplace to Kate Duffy day. Just not today since I’m on deadline on a single title, but one day.
Further Disclaimer: I have not edited this entry…though I was really, really tempted. I wanted to be fair and show you what sort of entry landed a finalist spot two years ago and the condition it was in at the time.
Further Further Disclaimer: The finalists in the last contest were all very different so this is just an example.
Excerpt from MANN TROUBLE copyrighted by HelenKay Dimon (more chit chat from me following the excerpt):
This had to be a joke.
Duncan Mann glanced down at his appointment book, trying to decipher the scribble. The handwritten note should have said something about a one o’clock with the new employment counselor. He didn’t see any reference to an afternoon meeting with a hot brunette who could double as a lingerie model.
He expected matronly. A long, shapeless floral skirt. Hair in a tight bun. Sensible shoes. Even a slight mustache, but not the scary kind. The faint can-barely-see-it kind.
What he got was a walking wet dream.
A pencil-thin black skirt, a form fitting white shirt that showcased every inch of her c-cup breasts and a delectable pair of strappy black heels. Not to mention wavy honey-colored hair that grazed slim shoulders and eyes the color of melting chocolate.
“Mr. Mann?”
The vision spoke. The way she said his name, all formal and proper, made him wonder if she had a whip and leather thigh-high boots hidden under her clipboard. Not his thing but he’d give it a try for her.
He choked down the lust clogging his throat. “Yes?”
“Are you listening to me?”
Not one damn word. “Of course.”
Those lovely eyes narrowed. “What did I just say?”
In the R-rated version in his head, she mentioned something about peeling off her pastel panties and wrapping her long legs around his waist. Better to opt for the made-for-television version. The one that wouldn’t get his ass kicked by those pointy two-inch heels.
“You were explaining your role here.” He hoped that was close.
“Your company hired me to get your equal opportunity program up and running.”
Whatever that was. “Not to be dumb, but do I have an equal opportunity program now?”
She pursed those full lips together in a severe frown. A man didn’t have to be a Nobel Prize winner to know that wasn’t a good sign.
“That is precisely my point, Mr. Mann. You should.”
“Please call me Duncan.”
“No.” She started blathering on about equal something or other. He decided to stop her before he drifted into a coma.
“Wait a second. Did you just say no?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, you said no?” Duncan had the sudden urge to run for cover. Marisa Carter was a scary woman and right now he was her prime target.
“Mr. Mann, let’s get something straight.”
The temperature in the room dropped thirty degrees in less than five seconds. She didn’t notice but his back teeth started chattering.
“I am here because your business is in trouble.”
“It is? As the owner and president of said business, you’d think I’d know that sort of thing.”
“You managed to establish a highly profitable computer consulting firm without having any women on staff.”
She certainly made that sound bad. “What about my sister?”
“I hardly consider her an employee. She’s family.”
He made a mental note to disown Jenna since this entire employment counselor thing was her stupid idea.
“My point is, Mr. Mann, you need professional help.”
###
Now, the first novella Kate did buy from me appears in the ‘06 anthology WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS with novellas by Lori Foster and Erin McCarthy. I wrote that novella specifically for Kate after we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of MANN TROUBLE.
Tell me your thoughts on novellas in general - like ‘em or no - and your favorite (if you have one). I’ll pick someone at random from those commenting to win a copy of WHEN GOOD THINGS HAPPEN TO BAD BOYS.
In the meantime, get back to writing and polishing those contest submissions.
Posted by HelenKay Dimon @ 5:00 am • Filed under: HelenKay Dimon
RSS feed for comments on this post.
The URI to TrackBack this entry.
Want your own gravatar? Get one here.
I love novellas, especially when I know that my reading time is going to be short. I’m always amazed at how much the authors can convey in them!
My favorite novella right now is Jinxed! by Jacquie D’Alessandro, Jill Shalvis and Crystal Green.
I loved the excerpt from MANN TROUBLE too! You left me wanting to read more, more and more.:mrgreen:
This except was great.
Novellas are good because they always leave you wanting to read more by the author. The last novella I read was Jinxed!
i like them they introduce to new authors and your favorite authors too. love men of courage novella from lori.
HI helen:grin:
Two thumbs up to the excerpt!
Oh me, I love novellas. . . for one thing, you can guarantee that in a day I can read a whole story if not a whole book. LOL But if it’s an anthology with different authors, sometimes you get introduced to someone that you didn’t already read. The last one I read. . . um, hmm. Guess it’s been a while. LOL 
Lois
I’ve tried reading Evanovich’s out of series books or her early books and all of the main characters seem so much like Stephanie Plum. It’s like she only has one character in her head and can’t write anything different.
On the other hand…Nancy Bartholomew is a favorite author of mine. She wrote a series that consisted of 4 books with a character named Sierra Lavotini. Her publisher didnt contract her for anymore books in the series so the series was left cold. I was so dissapointed when reading this, but was happy to read that Nancy’s Stella books sound ALOT like the Sierra books. The main character’s personality seems very similar so I will pick those books up to get my Sierra fix. I know that sounds weird that now I am saying I like that she wrote this character the same as her other! I havent read those books yet so I’m not positive, but from what I’ve seen they seem alot like her other books.
Oh I’m sorry! I posted that on the wrong thread on here!
I like novellas because it’s nice to read a short story when you’re not in the mood to read a whole big book. I’ve read one or two novellas though and didn’t read the other authors’ works because I just wasnt interested in reading them. I guess it helps to pick up a novella with a bunch of authors that you like so you can enjoy the whole book.
Loved the excerpt!
Hello Helen,
WoW! Great excerpt got me wanting more
I love novellas. I enjoy reading them because I always find New to me authors and I end up wanting to read more of their books. I don’t actually have a favorite one right now. All the ones I have read so far were very good so it’s hard to pick which one loved them all.
Hugssss
LindaH
I concur with the great excerpt. Definitely want more.
I like novellas for the same reasons as some others: they are short and can be read in a short amount of time;
you get 3 different stories usually; at times you get to read a story from an author you are not familiar with and get to try his/her writings.
Hi Helen,
I loved the excerpt. It definitely left me wanting to read more. I still love your Viva Las Bad Boys. It’s all about the chef.
Great excerpt, and makes you want to read more.
I love novellas because they are short and I can read one before going to sleep and not have to keep thinking only one more page, one more chapter. They pack a lot of information and action into a short format.
I have read a few of them in the past couple of months, and some were older, but enjoyable. The ones that come to mind right away are Bad Boys With Expensive Toys, Texas Bad Boys, and there are so many more from so many good Authors………..:lol: Oh and your own Viva Las Bad Boys was so enjoyable as well.
I like novellas in that they give me a small taste of an author I might otherwise have never given a chance. I find that even in that short read you know wheither you want to read more from that author or not. I expect an anthology to include a known author however to tempt me to buy the book, so that it’s not entirely a gamble.
HelenKay, I’d like to MANN TROUBLE whenever you get it published, so good luck with it.
I love reading novellas. I can finish one during my lunch break and it’s really relaxing. There’s also getting to know a new author that is great in anthologies. I loved your writing in WGTHTBB. I probably wouldn’t have picked up a book by you if I hadn’t bought that one for LF and EM. Now I pick up all your books. Love the excerpt of Mann Trouble. I hope you get to that anthology of work place romances soon, it’s one of my favorite themes.
I love to read novellas while I am either by the pool or at the beach. I think the short stories make it easier to watch your surroundings. I loved Perfect for the Beach and When Good Things Happen to Bad Boys.
Great excerpt! I love novella’s. Hard to pick a favorite one though. lol
I read more full length stories than novellas but I do enjoy them periodically, especially when I am busy because then it doesn’t take much time to finish a story.
Don’t enter me!
Just wanted to say I believe Novellas are a great way to be intorduced to a new author. AND, considering how short they are compared to a regular length novel, they are sometimes best read when you need a quick happy ending (usually) to brighten your day!
So, did Duncan and Marisa get a HEA? I need to know! *g*
Loved the excerpt, too. I like novellas too. I tend to want and need a shorter read between the longer-length stories. Usually by an author I’ve read before that I know will pack a satisfying story in a shorter length.
Hi, HelenKay! I just wanted to let you know that I really enjoyed your entry–and I can definitely see why it finaled! I would love to read more about that hero!
I like novellas and read a lot of Bravas. Sometimes I dont have time to get a mm book read so if I read a novella, I feel like I have accomplished something.
One of my favs was Susan Dononvan’s Turn up the Heat I think it was called from one of the Christmas anthols.
Yes and no.:-) For the most part, I like longer stories, but one I really enjoy was by Lisa Kleypas.
I like novellas, especially when trying new authors.
If I read an antho with a new author and I like what I read, it encourages me to buy full length novels. I especially enjoy Christmas novellas. One of my favorites was “Merry Christmas Baby”.
I love to read novellas it gives you a chance to read more than one story in a book and you get to also read them by different authors.
Novellas are OK, but I prefer a much longer story. One I can get into for a while. I enjoy a book that will have 3 or 4 books to the story. Novellas are just a little short for me. But I do read them, there are some good ones out there, I just can’t think of one right now.
I like novellas. The excerpt was great! I think that novellas are a wonderful idea.
Hi everyone! Thanks for the nice comments on MANN TROUBLE. I admit to having a bit of a soft spot for this novella. It was fun to write. And, Brandy, they definitely get a happy ending.
At some point I’ll revise and see if I can get Kate to bite now that I have a better idea of what she likes and what my writing strengths are. Just have to get through two single title deadlines first.
I understand what people are saying about the shortness of the novellas, but I agree with others here who talk about getting to know a new author through these shorter stories. I’ve found many authors I now love by picking up a multi-author anthology that included one of my favorite authors. For example, a long time ago I read this anthology with Jayne Ann Krentz. From there I found Carla Neggers, Linda Howard and Linda Lael Miller. To this day, I’m so happy I picked up that anthology.
JT - Zach the chef is one of my all-time favorites, too. I’ll be interested to hear what you think of Kane in YOUR MOUTH DRIVES ME CRAZY. I fell for him too
Nichole - That’s exactly why I was so thrilled to be included in the WGTHTBB anthology. I am a huge fan of Lori Foster and Erin McCarthy. To see my name right under theirs on a book covers was just the best thing ever.
Susan - I so happy you mentioned Jacquie D’Alessandro. She’s one of those authors I keep meaning to read but haven’t yet. When you listed ehr name it triggered the memory and I ordered a book. So, thanks!
UPDATE: And the winner is…Angie T. Congrats
Email me and I’ll get that book out to you.
I like novellas ‘coz I’m a busy woman so I don’t have so much time to linger around and read LOOOOOOng stories.
I don’t really like novellas because they make me crave for more and they seem to me like shortened stories that could have gone a long way. But I’ve read a few good novellas in the past, too. I guess, it’s really up to the writer’s skill in plotting a good story that makes a book good enough for readers.
I don’t like novellas. Novellas feel like novels that fell short. But I guess, I could be wrong as I’ve only read a few.
I don’t like novellas cause they are too short, and they really don’t have a story line to them. I have at least 5 or 6 of these types of books, and I stopped reading them. But that was 8 years ago. Maybe things have changed. Who knows?
wtg angie
Wow! Thanks HelenKay!
I have sent off an email with my addy!!