In lieu of ranting about printers and all the artistic things that I’m not good at, I will just show you my bookmarks. They have a lot of black on them and the colors don’t show up quite right, but hopefully you get the idea.

Being an ignorant novice at all this, I ordered 500 of them because they were only two more bucks than if I’d only ordered 250 of them. I’m not sure if this is going to be way too few, or if I’m going to be trying to pawn these off on people for years, but I guess we’ll find out.

It’s a brave new world out there and there are more resources and opportunities for romance writers than ever before. Here are five great sites you may not have known about, but which could help launch your career:

• Romance Divas. This website is command central for many romance writers. Founded and frequented by many published authors, Romance Divas offers free workshops, a very active forum, and a chat room in which writing challenges are the order of the day. (I confess that without this chat room and the writers there who egged me on, I might not have finished my last novel for HQN’s Silhouette Nocturne line.) While a popular hangout for published authors, it’s also a very welcoming place for the aspiring author and readers too. Just this month, several Romance Divas (including yours truly) offered up a virtual anthology of free stories in honor of Valentine’s Day.
• Dear Author This review site can be funny enough to make you spit-take, but it also strives to be fair to the romance community. Thoughtful discussions on the future of the industry take place regularly here and the cross-section of opinions from readers and authors alike is valuable for the professional writer.
• eHarlequin.com. It may seem a little dodgy for me to recommend my own publisher’s website, but in spite of the recent self-publishing debacle, eHarlequin remains one of the most active romance communities on the net. Readers not only buy books there and subscribe to category lines, but they also hang out and chat with authors. I’ve had more than a few readers tell me that they’ve picked up my books simply because I participate in the forums.What’s more, there are many resources for the aspiring writer–including virtual pitch sessions with editors.
• Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Sometimes the snark factor at “The Bitchery” can be a little much, but the site is a wonderful hodgepodge of all things Romance, great and small. Sometimes it’s a quest to expose plagiarism, other times it’s a quest to find the title of a book that a reader once read but can’t remember. What’s more? Nora Roberts shows up in the comments section all the time, as if she were a mere mortal.
• Romance Wiki. I didn’t even know this site existed until a fan wrote to me to ask me for a list of every Silhouette Nocturne ever written. I had no idea, but Romance Wiki came to the rescue. The resource page alone is worth its weight in gold.
• Romance in the Backseat. I had the pleasure of meeting Terry Kate at RWA Nationals last year. She was the first friendly face I saw, and she carries her enthusiasm to her website where she offers interviews and promotional opportunities for authors. She even sponsors virtual writing conventions!

Okay, so that’s really six great sites for romance writers, not five. But instead of contemplating my abysmal math skills, get online and make the most of the opportunities available!

6 Category Romances make it to the NYT Best Seller’s List. You can’t fault HQN for moving product.

Watch Out Bestseller Lists, Here Come Presents! at I (Heart) Presents.

As a paranormal romance writer, I love fantasy, history, politics, mythology and lore. And most everything I write is dark and heavy. But sometimes, a girl just wants a little sunshine, ya know? That’s why I picked up Kristan Higgins’ “Too Good to Be True.”

I admit to being dubious. There was an adorable-but-annoying looking little West Highland terrier on the cover, and though I’m an animal lover, I tend to be hostile towards plotlines that revolve around pets. I was even more dubious when I learned that the leading man was going to be an ex-con. Really? The ex-lawyer in me recoiled.

Then I read on, and, KABLAMMY. I fell in love with the annoying little dog, the ex-con, the sisters, the kooky sculptress mom, and all the rest. The supporting cast are so much more than just cardboard place-holders for confidantes. Higgins breathes quirky life into them all. She reminds me of one of my most favorite authors, wickedly funny-fiction-turned-important-issues-writer Caryl Rivers.

All I have to say is, where has Kristan Higgins been all my life? She’s not only a great storyteller, but a great writer. She’s not only witty–but her prose is sometimes quite beautiful, and it hits you where you live. I devoured this book, and now that it’s over, I’m sad–except that she has a backlist! I promise, I will be buying every last book on it.