It’s time for LERA Idol!

This year, our award-winning judges will be Darynda Jones, Lauren Teffeau, and Tamra Baumann.  They will do a live critique of the first two pages of your romance novel or your novel with romantic elements on Saturday, July 22, 2023.  The meeting will begin at 11:00am (Mountain Time), with the program scheduled to start at 11:30am.

You can attend the meeting either in person or via Zoom.  It will be held at Bear Canyon Senior Center, 4645 Pitt Street NE, Albuquerque, NM.  Even if you are attending in person, we ask everyone to register via Zoom beforehand at this link:  https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkf-yhrzwiE9bLnP9Rh3zAIGKH1awkt8hZ

To participate in the live critique, please e-mail the first two pages of your manuscript to Louise at programs@leranm.com by midnight on Wednesday, July 19.  Slots are limited and will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.  You may enter more than one manuscript, but be aware that second submissions will not be critiqued until everyone’s first ones have been reviewed, as time permits.

Please format your manuscript with Times New Roman 12-point font and one-inch margins all around.  You do not have to start the chapter halfway down, beginning at the top is fine.  In the header, do NOT put your name, but do include the title and the romance genre of the manuscript.  Your name should not appear anywhere on the entry.

I will gather the manuscripts and make sure the judges receive their copies.  Someone will read them aloud during the meeting so all members can hear.  Please remember that this is a cold read.  It’s your chance to see how people react to your writing without knowing who the author is. Members may also offer their opinions, in addition to the judges’.

Remember that what is suggested is only an opinion. The author may or may not make the suggested changes according to her story’s vision. It can be difficult to hear, but please remember, all of us want to produce the best work possible and to help each other along this writing path.

This is always a fun meeting, so come prepared to test out your story idea!  Any questions, please reach out to Louise at programs@leranm.com.