Contest Winner Accepts Two-Book Deal With Harlequin

NEW YORK, LONDON and TORONTO, March 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Harlequin, one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, added a compelling epilogue to its tremendously popular So You Think You Can Write event by announcing Katrina Williams of Allen, Texas, as the winner of its unpublished author competition and offering the Dallas-area resident a publishing contract.

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Ms. Williams, an avid Harlequin reader, impressed a judging panel comprised of Harlequin editors with her manuscript entitled The Divorce Deal.  "I loved Katrina's hero," said Stacy Boyd , senior editor for the Harlequin® Desire series.  "But what really made her book stand out was her unique, fresh voice. I'm very excited to be working with her on her winning manuscript." Harlequin has also offered to purchase a second book by Ms. Williams who has begun to establish a permanent career as a professional author.

So You Think You Can Write is Harlequin's annual digital conference offering aspiring novelists the opportunity to spend an entire working week with more than 50 Harlequin editors via social media tools such as podcasts, videos, webinars, blog posts, community discussions and Twitter. Participants have the opportunity to learn valuable insider tips and have their writing samples critiqued by professional editors.  The event, which ran from November 7 – 11, 2011, drew more than 17,000 unique visitors to the site.  Ms. Williams' manuscript was selected from 175 submissions.

"This is the culmination of a dream I've had since third grade," said Ms. Williams.  Asked to describe her reaction when she received "The Call" informing her she had won the contest, she replied, "I believe I hyperventilated. I know I cried. Just because I wanted to write for Harlequin didn't mean I was good enough. Winning provided that validation. I honestly would have been happy being one of the finalists, but winning is just…wow."

In fact, the judging panel was so impressed with the quality of submissions that they have expressed interest in manuscripts by a further five contestants.  "We knew we would award one deserving participant with a contract but were delighted to read publishable manuscripts by so many other contestants," said Kathleen Scheibling , senior editor of the Harlequin® American Romance® series and the organizer of this year's contest.  "We are thrilled that participants in the inaugural So You Think You Can Write conference, which occurred in 2010, took advantage of the expert advice and tips from Harlequin editors. The quality of this year's entries tells us that So You Think You Can Write is achieving its goal of helping young romance novelists get started on the path to publication."

Ms. Williams' winning manuscript, The Divorce Deal, is expected to be published as a Harlequin® Desire novel in February 2013.  Its release will be accompanied by promotions and a front cover design declaring it as a So You Think You Can Write winner.

So You Think You Can Write will return for its third conference and contest in the latter half of 2012.

About Harlequin

Harlequin is one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in 31 languages and sold in 111 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,200 authors from around the world. Harlequin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.B). Harlequin's website is located at Harlequin.com. Harlequin has offices in 19 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York and London. For more information, please visit Harlequin.com.

SOURCE Harlequin

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