Sexy

Yesterday, the next two Brava finalists were announced, and man, let me tell ya. They are hot. Make sure to check them out at http://www.bravaauthors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=162&start=7&sid=79c80d5dbfb542af9a84d394d104a8a4

The first entry was “Losing It” by Dawn Munroe. It definitely has a candid flavor to me and reads with a voice that sounds very true to today. I thought it was a touch wordy at the beginning, which I recognize only because I know that is something I do as well. It is truly an art form to be able to use the least amount of words to get your point across. But I kept reading, and it got really good. I love the playful ending of it, and it definitely made me want to read the rest of the story to find out how these two knew each other and how they have changed since. That last line of text… hooked me.

The second entry revealed yesterday was “Reese” by Georgi Anne Porter. This one, for me, had some shock value, haha. It is quite sexy and in your face, which is certainly original so far with this contest. My favorite line from the entry has to be

“Every erogenous zone I had was starting a cheerleading squad.”

Pretty cute, I thought. Especially because I know exactly what she means! 🙂

Overall, each entry that comes out teaches me more and more about what it takes to win a competition like this, and what elements help create tension when you only have a short word count to send in. I know it’s going to be super tough to pick a winner. And then, honestly, so much of who wins the reader’s choice will come down to personal genre preferences as well as writing quality, so it’s subjective. I printed out all of the entries so far and have been going through them, re-reading the ones from before, and realizing just how much talent there is in Romance writing. I hope that someday I can add my name to that list of talented authors.