Dawn Halliday
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Title/Tagline/Ten Lines Contest

TTT Contest Description and Rules

Prize
Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency will be giving away two partial critiques to the winners. That is, a critique of your first three chapters + your synopsis.

How to enter
The contest will take part in four phases:

    (1) WEEK 1 — July 22-July 29
    Submit a tagline for your book.

    EXAMPLE:
    If I were entering HIGHLAND OBSESSION in this contest, I’d enter the following tagline:

    SOME DESIRES ARE NEVER SATISFIED

    (2) WEEK 2 — July 30-August 5
    Submit the title, genre, and length of your book.
    ONLY those who passed the previous week’s round move on. If the book is not complete, make your best guess as to length. Entries that move on will be announced frequently (probably daily), and a final list will appear here on August 6.

    EXAMPLE:
    Title: HIGHLAND OBSESSION
    Genre: Erotic Scottish Historical Romance
    Length: 94,000 words

    (3) WEEK 3 part 1 — August 6-10
    Submit the first five lines of your manuscript.
    Only those who made it through the previous week’s round move on! Finalists will announced on August 11.

    EXAMPLE (first 5 lines of HIGHLAND OBSESSION):

    Cam dismounted and tethered his horse to the spindly trunk of a juniper. Though a full moon had brightened the night sky earlier, clouds had gathered and now a soft mist fell. The horses’ heavy breathing steamed the air and their intermittent snorts contrasted with the whisper of water on the bushes and grass.

    Ignoring the needles scraping his arms, Cam glanced back at MacLean, who remained mounted, waiting for Cam’s instruction. The man and his horse formed an inky shadow in the increasing gloom.

    (4) WEEK 3 part 2 — August 10-14
    Submit the second five lines of your manuscript.
    The two winners announced on August 15!

    EXAMPLE (2nd five lines from HIGHLAND OBSESSION):

    The ground sank under Cam’s feet and leaves rustled as he moved to take measure of the small valley below. He scanned the stables and few dark outbuildings hardly visible through the rain. His gaze came to an abrupt stop when it collided with the largest dwelling in the enclave—Alan MacDonald’s two-room cottage near the banks of the loch.

    Sorcha and Alan were inside. Alone at last on the first night of their marriage.

Questions? Go to my contact page and ask away!

For a list of finalists, click here. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON AUGUST 15!

THE FINAL PHASE OF THE CONTEST HAS BEGUN!

Please fill out the form below. Enter your second 5 lines (or sentences). ONLY those who were listed as “finalists” from the previous round, please!

Note: The submission form isn’t working well for certain characters (quotation marks, em dashes and the like). If it doesn’t work for you, please go to my contact page and submit your entry through there. Sorry about the inconvenience!

Entry Form

Email: required
First Name: required
Last Name: required
Answer: required

Please click "Send" just once and wait for a response.
If for some reason you have trouble getting the form to go through, send your entry directly to Dawn.

The fine print: You must be 18 years of age or older to enter this contest; no purchase necessary; void where prohibited. Winner will be drawn randomly from the entrants who complete the form properly and who give the correct answer to the specified question. If you enter this contest, you agree to be added to Jennifer Haymore's/Dawn Halliday's newsletter list, which is sent out to subscribers quarterly. Personal information and email addresses are kept private and never shared. The winner's name will be posted on the dawnhalliday.com website at the conclusion of the contest. International entries are accepted, but prizes may be substituted due to postal constraints.