June 2nd, 2008 – June 13th, 2008
“Hooks, Lines, and Stinkers”
With Rhonda Pollero, aka Kelsey Roberts
Workshop Description
Never give your reader an excuse to stop reading. There are
many ways to hook the reader from the opening line – action,
humor, dialogue – but that isn’t the end of it. Every
subsequent line, scene and chapter has to keep that hook firmly
embedded. That can be accomplished by employing certain
techniques – like dropping the reader into a dangerous situation
– or you can sabotage yourself by relying on information dumps
and clichés, (do you really want the phone ringing to break the
sexual tension or is there something else you can do?). We’ll
define types of hooks and those stinkers that are almost
guaranteed to get your manuscript rejected or your book tossed
across the room. Food for thought – 84% of people who stop
reading a book do so at the end of a chapter (Barnes & Noble).
More food for thought – people make their buying decision in
less than one minute based on reading the opening three
paragraphs while still in the store (Barnes & Noble).
About the Instructor
Rhonda Pollero sold her first romantic suspense, LEGAL
TENDER, in 1993. With more than 4 million copies in
print, her books are distributed worldwide. Pollero has penned
more than 30 novels; won numerous awards and nominations; landed
on best-seller lists including USA Today, Waldenbooks and
the Ingrams’ Top 50 List. She has received numerous Romantic
Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice Awards, an Affair de
Coeur Contemporary Series Award; and two Career Achievement
Awards for Romantic Suspense.
In June, 1995, Pollero developed the wildly popular Rose
Tattoo series for Harlequin Intrigue ™. These novels “. . .
offer the best of her unique ability to seamlessly blend romance
and mystery.” Romantic Times goes on to say that she “is
a master of the romantic suspense genre.” Affair de Coeur
says that her “humor and dialogue sparkle.”
In 2000, Pollero developed a second series for Harlequin
Intrigue™, The Landry Brothers. This 7 book series has
received both critical acclaim and established her as one of
Intrigue’s top-selling authors. In addition to writing for
Harlequin, 2005 saw the release of her first title from
Ballantine, KILLER CHRISTMAS, excerpted in the December,
2005 issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine.
2007 saw the launch of the Finley Anderson Tanner mystery series
with the debut hardcover title KNOCK OFF. Garnering both
popular and critical acclaim, including a starred review from
Kirkus, Kensington Books will release the second in the
series, KNOCK ‘EM DEAD, in March 2008.
Pollero is a sought-after lecturer and workshop presenter as
well as a much-requested media guest. She has been featured in
The New York Times and The Washington Post, among
others and makes frequent appearances on both radio and
television. She founded The Writers Workshop at Anne Arundel
College in Maryland and was the lead instructor in their craft
and genre writing courses for three years. She is considered an
expert in why women read and write crime fiction as well as an
excellent authority on plotting and structuring the novel.
Pollero is a member of The Author’s Guild, Mystery Writers of
America, International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime,
Romance Writers of America, and Florida Romance Writers, Inc.
She resides in south Florida with her family. You may contact
the author directly at
Rhonda@rhondapollero.com, or visit her on the web at
www.rhondapollero.com or
www.KelseyRoberts.net.
Enrollment Information
Cost: $20 non-members / $10 IRWA members
Please complete the following steps to complete your enrollment
in this course:
1.
Send an e-mail to Online Class Coordinator Leshia Stolt
at onlineworkshops@indianarwa.com with the following
information:
·
Title of the online class
·
Your full name
·
Method of payment
·
The email address you wish to use when
taking the class
The email address your PayPal account is listed under (if
applicable)
2.
Payment Method: Pay by Check or Paypal
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Member Fees $10
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Non-Member Fees $20 |
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Check: |
If paying by check, please mail check to
Indiana RWA
Attention: Adrienne Hogan, Treasurer
P.O. Box 412
Fishers, IN 46038-0412
Please make checks payable to Indiana RWA. Note the class title
as well as your email address on your check.
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3. Join Online Class