March is White Rose Month @ The Wild Rose Press and as a surprise to EVERYONE (including the authors), the publishers and Sr. Editor introduced some exciting news and now I’m passing it on to you!

We’re excited to announce the arrival of White Rose Publishing.

On May 1, 2006, two writing critique partners, RJ Morris and Rhonda Penders, decide to open a “kinder and gentler” publishing company. That company was, and is, The Wild Rose Press. Their premise was to grow a “garden” where authors would be treated with respect, concern, and understanding. RJ and Rhonda wanted a publishing company that didn’t make authors wonder what was happening with their manuscripts. The two also believed that no one should ever again receive a form rejection letter. If the manuscript was not something the company could use, every writer who sent a query would receive a personal, prompt, and courteous letter of rejection explaining exactly why the manuscript wasn’t accepted and what the author could do to improve it. If an author was to receive a contract, the process would be as efficient as possible, and the author would be kept in the loop with communication every step along the way. In fact, communication was to be one of the key strengths of the company.

Almost three years later, RJ and Rhonda have successfully fulfilled their goals, and over five hundred authors in a range of fourteen different lines have been published at The Wild Rose Press, and a staff of close to fifty includes a Graphic Arts Department, Production Department, Proofreading, Marketing and, of course, Editing.

Continuing to cultivate The Wild Rose Press was to be the end of the story. However in late 2008, RJ and Rhonda became aware that some Christian readers and authors were reluctant to visit The Wild Rose Press catalogue site because of some of the non-Christian covers that sometimes appeared on the front page as new titles in the non-Christian lines were released. Not wanting to offend, RJ and Rhonda quickly built a White Rose portal at http://www.whiterosesbooks.com/ so that Christian visitors could avoid non-Christian content if they so chose. But, on further research, both agreed this was not enough.

VOILA! White Rose Publishing was born. With the experience of RJ and Rhonda behind it, along with the impeccable reputation and RWA recognition that The Wild Rose Press is an upstanding publisher, pays royalties promptly and on a regular basis, and is not a vanity or subsidy publishing house, White Rose Publishing sees its dawn as we move towards becoming the online place for quality Christian romance. We will publish books and stories in various lengths ranging from Rosettes (which are quick reads) to Roses (which are 100,000 word novels). All books over 65,000 words will be released in both print and ebook form. Anything less than 65K will be available as an ebook at a variety of distributors, including Amazon Kindle, Sony Ebook store, and Fictionwise, among others. Printed books will be distributed through http://www.amazon.com/, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, Target.com, and can be ordered by libraries, bookstores through such distributors as Bakers and Taylor and Ingram.

As a new publishing venture, we are actively seeking quality submissions in all romance subgenre. Senior Editor Nicola Martinez, holds to strict guidelines of what is and isn’t acceptable for a White Rose book. While we will publish some titles that might be considered “edgy” according to regular CBA guidelines, with her team of three editors, Ms. Martinez will work hard to bring readers entertaining, quality stories that also glorify Christ by upholding a strict code of Christian values. For information on how to submit, please read our submission guidelines.

So, if you read or write Inspirational please stop by. We are even building a library of FREE READ short stories so come on over, take a look around, enter our poll on favorite genre, download a free read and see what we have to offer.

I’ve often wondered how important setting is to a story. And like many things I have come to learn as an author, it depends on your plot, characters…well your book. Sometimes the setting is of very little importance while other times the setting becomes such an integral part of the story it becomes almost another character.

When I wrote “The Spirit of Christmas” the setting really was of little consequence. In fact, I never once mentioned where this story took place. It can be assumed it is in the United States probably near a big Eastern city, but I never once mention where exactly. The reason why was because it really wasn’t important and because I didn’t want to be boxed in by placing my story into a specific location. When I was writing “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding” I started off with a location. Most of the action took place in NYC and in Poughkeepsie, NY. But I started to feel stifled by the setting and the story slowed down. So, what could I do? I axed the setting. When this book comes out this summer, you won’t find a reference to location. It’s gone. I realized the reader will get an idea about where it is located without stating it specifically and then I can write the location description without having that boxed in feeling.

Just so you don’t think I am setting-o-phobic, I wrote a novella this fall which will be released this summer called Return of Summer. In this story the setting was of immense important to my characters. When I first started writing this story, I had an idea of what I wanted my heroine to be. She was going to be witty, joking all the time, and emotionally stunted. But in time as I visited the Outer Banks of North Carolina again and researched the area in great detail, I came to realize Arianna would be the embodiment of her island home. She would have this wild, free, and mystical persona. It is something that really draws the hero to her. And it is in essence the location which brings these two characters together. Setting was of the utmost importance to this story, and I am so glad I took the time to incorporate it so intensely into this novella. It made it something special, something to remember, something to read over and over.

For the last week, when I have friends ask what I’m up to, my response is — “Working on Edits.” They of course want to know what all that entails. This is only my second book, but I think I’m getting it. Your editor sends in corrections, points out errors or things that just aren’t clear, and makes suggestions. In both cases, my editors have been great to work with. My current release is with The Wild Rose Press, my new publisher. So, far I have been very pleased with my editor. I’m looking forward to a great working relationship in which I learn a lot about editing my book and making it sparkle.

Hopefully this summer, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding,” will be released with Wild Rose Press under their White Rose Line.

Here is a blurb for you. I’m still working on the official one:

Associate history professor, Kari Montgomery, has carried the feelings of loss and inadequacy ever since she broke off her engagement to Geoffrey Hudson. All that changes when she looks into a pair of steel blue eyes as she attempts to make it through a rain storm the day of her cousin Emily’s wedding. But even though Kari begins to feel compelled toward him, she isn’t sure if she can love again or if she is even worthy of that love.

Youth pastor Randy Steele has a sense of humor and a pair of remarkable eyes that make him fascinating to most of the women he meets. As he tries to get Kari to see her own worthiness and ability to let God heal her heart, he realizes that he also has something in his own life to heal – the relationship with his parents. But can he reach Kari and show her how wonderful life can be with God in control of their futures?