Author: Ottawa Romance Writers

  • Worldbuilding through Culture with J.M. Frey Sunday, April 7 2024 · 2 – 4pm EDT

    Worldbuilding through Culture with J.M. Frey Sunday, April 7 2024 · 2 – 4pm EDT

    Worldbuilding through Culture with J.M. Frey Sunday, April 7 2024 · 2 – 4pm EDT Every memorable speculative fiction story has a world we wish we could live in – from Westeros to Middle Earth, from the USS Enterprise to Panem. The geography of your secondary world is key, but the culture and the way…

  • The Dos and Don’ts of Being a Romance Novelist Sun, Mar 3, 2024 2:00 PM EST

    The Dos and Don’ts of Being a Romance Novelist Sun, Mar 3, 2024 2:00 PM EST

    The Dos and Don’ts of Being a Romance Novelist Sun, Mar 3, 2024 2:00 PM EST Join romance editor and book coach Sarah Pesce as she walks you through what you should and shouldn’t be doing as a romance writer. Join romance editor and book coach Sarah Pesce as she walks you through what you…

  • Dread Spring by Elizabeth F. Shearly released 10 July 2023

    Dread Spring by Elizabeth F. Shearly released 10 July 2023

    Dread Spring by Elizabeth F. Shearly released 10 July 2023

  • Endless Sea of Stars by Elizabeth F. Shearly released 10 March 2023

    Endless Sea of Stars by Elizabeth F. Shearly released 10 March 2023

    Endless Sea of Stars by Elizabeth F. Shearly released 10 March 2023

  • The Shapes of Wrath by Melissa Yi: A Haunting Surgical Thriller Feb 1/23

    The Shapes of Wrath by Melissa Yi: A Haunting Surgical Thriller Feb 1/23

    The Shapes of Wrath by Melissa Yi: A Haunting Surgical Thriller Feb 1/23 A demonic surgeon. A haunted hospital. And the doctor caught between them. Dr. Hope Sze launches into her general surgery rotation with Dr. Vrac, the scourge of operating room #3, also known as the death O.R. 
Dr. Vrac screams at the resident…

  • Song of the Shadows, Mona Storm, Jan 29/2023

    Song of the Shadows, Mona Storm, Jan 29/2023

    Song of the Shadows, Mona Storm, Jan 29/2023

  • A Sweet Pea in Baltimore by Lori Lupul 1/7/2023

    A Sweet Pea in Baltimore by Lori Lupul 1/7/2023

    A Sweet Pea in Baltimore by Lori Lupul 1/7/2023

  • By the Book G.B. Gordon, 14th June 2022

    By the Book G.B. Gordon, 14th June 2022

    By the Book G.B. Gordon, 14th June 2022

  • Out of His League by Caroline Richardson, published by Wattpad Books – April 2022

    Out of His League by Caroline Richardson, published by Wattpad Books – April 2022

    Out of His League by Caroline Richardson, published by Wattpad Books – April 2022

  • Lifeline by Alexa Gregory a Contemporary Romance, feb 16th 2022

    Lifeline by Alexa Gregory a Contemporary Romance, feb 16th 2022

    Lifeline by Alexa Gregory a Contemporary Romance, feb 16th 2022

  • Grip Me Tight by Darby Fox, 01/25/2022

    Grip Me Tight by Darby Fox, 01/25/2022

    Grip Me Tight by Darby Fox cover a Steamy Contemporary, 01/25/2022

  • Schooled in Murder (A Charley Hall Mystery, book 6) by Brenda Gayle, 01/25/2022

    Schooled in Murder (A Charley Hall Mystery, book 6) by Brenda Gayle, 01/25/2022

    Schooled in Murder (A Charley Hall Mystery, book 6) by Brenda Gayle, 01/25/2022

  • Luring the Lykán with Almond Macarons, Leslie Ann Brown, Nov, 2021

    Luring the Lykán with Almond Macarons, Leslie Ann Brown, Nov, 2021

    Luring the Lykán with Almond Macarons, Leslie Ann Brown, Nov, 2021 When a reclusive dryad meets a grumpy shifter, crumbs will fly. Part of The Wild Rose Press Christmas Cookie Series.

  • May 2019: Selling Books with Kobo Writing Life: Global Distribution & Exclusive Promo

    May 2019: Selling Books with Kobo Writing Life: Global Distribution & Exclusive Promo

    Want to distribute your books globally, from your local library to big box retailers like Walmart? With Kobo Writing Life, you can sell your book in over 190 countries, and access promotional opportunities puts them in front of millions of Kobo users. This free distribution tool lets you keep the rights to your books and…

  • Recap April 2019: Develop Your Unique Author Voice with Stefanie London

    Recap April 2019: Develop Your Unique Author Voice with Stefanie London

    Event recap By Jennifer Carole Lewis Standing out in today’s market is one of the more challenging things for authors today but one of the most important thing for creating dedicated readers is an author’s unique voice.  Stefanie London presented an informative workshop on how to best present your unique voice, concept and execution to…

  • Recap March 2019: Full day writing workshop: Show, don’t tell and scene/sequel

    Recap March 2019: Full day writing workshop: Show, don’t tell and scene/sequel

    Recap of March 2019 by Jennifer Carole Lewis Shirley Jump’s full day workshop on Show Not Tell and Scene and Sequel got ORWA and our guests buzzing and our keyboards clacking.  Both were full of great practical tips on how to deepen our descriptions and create faster-paced scenes to hold a reader’s attention.  She shared…

  • Recap Feb 2019: Successful Author Mindset with Heather Elliott

    Recap Feb 2019: Successful Author Mindset with Heather Elliott

    Event recap by Jennifer Carole Lewis Heather Elliott of Mindful Change began her workshop on overcoming impostor syndrome with a powerful anecdote.  She’d signed up for a program she was very excited about and when the feedback on her first assignment arrived and indicated she hadn’t fully grasped the material as yet, she was overcome…

  • Recap Jan 2019: WIP into Shape

    Recap Jan 2019: WIP into Shape

    Event recap by Jennifer Carole Lewis We started the year getting WIPped into shape. Eve Langlais explained the many different online services and programs available for independent publishing today, such as Vellum, Draft 2 Digital, Findaway and Ingram. We didn’t get many takers on the first page critique with Jenn Burke, but if you’re interested,…

  • Recap: Prolific Authors Share Their Secrets (Dec 2018)

    Recap: Prolific Authors Share Their Secrets (Dec 2018)

    Event Recap By Jennifer Carole Lewis Anyone who has ever sat in front of a keyboard to share the story in their head knows that writing is hard.  But there are some amazing prolific authors who are able to write tremendous amounts and ORWA was lucky enough to have four of them share their secrets…

  • Recap Nov 2018: Private Investigator and Security Guard

    Recap Nov 2018: Private Investigator and Security Guard

    Before our workshop, we asked ORWA members who their favorite fictional detectives were, and if they write detectives in any of their stories! Workshop Recap Contributed by Jennifer Carole Lewis ORWA’s November workshop on the reality of private investigating and security was hugely informative.  Our special guest, a private investigator with over 20 years of…

  • Recap: Five Secrets to Painless Revisions (October 2018)

    Recap: Five Secrets to Painless Revisions (October 2018)

    Recap by Callie Amo: On October 14, 2018, local Ottawa historical/erotica romance bestselling author Sharon Page came to our group to discuss her five secrets to revising a work-in-progress (WIP). She has given her workshop before to ORWA, but it has become so popular that we had her give it again! Her workshop was very…

  • Recap: September 2018 Writing Workshop with Tanya Huff

    Recap: September 2018 Writing Workshop with Tanya Huff

    We might have taken the summer off, but with the start of the fall, it’s time for ORWA to gather once again.  We were delighted to break our long summer fast with Tanya Huff, a talented author who has written in multiple genres for the last thirty years.  Tanya spoke to us about the challenges…

  • Recap: RTC August 2018

    Recap: RTC August 2018

      The 4th annual Romancing the Capital (RTC) event, organized by ORWA’s own Eve Langlais, happened August 2 to 4, 2019! The event had over 40 authors and 250 readers, making it a unique and intimate event that allows new and meaningful connections.  Several ORWA members were sponsoring authors of the event, including Lucy Farago,…

  • 2018 June Social

    2018 June Social

    Attend the ORWA spring social on June 11, 2017. It will be our last official event until we reconvene in the Fall. Awards ceremony We will be awarding members with our annual awards, including: Audrey Jessup Award Jo Beverley First Book Award Indie First Book Award Phoenix Award First Impression Award Make sure to let us…

  • May 2018 Workshop: Page-Turning Fiction with Kelley Armstrong

    May 2018 Workshop: Page-Turning Fiction with Kelley Armstrong

    Genre fiction is all about entertaining and engaging the reader.  This workshop will focus on ways to keep readers up into the night, turning the pages.  #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, Kelley Armstrong, will provide strategies for maximizing reader engagement starting with the planning stages and continuing through to tips and tricks for picking…

  • April 2018 Workshop: Self-Publishing Tools Explained

    April 2018 Workshop: Self-Publishing Tools Explained

    Join Eve Langlais and discover what tools are out there to help you succeed in self-publishing! Event details Sunday April 15, 2018 (2:30-4:00 pm) Workshop presentation PDF. Recap coming soon!

  • March 2018 Workshop: Writing Realistic Fight Scenes

    March 2018 Workshop: Writing Realistic Fight Scenes

    Local blackbelt Rick Lutes gave a fantastic and comprehensive look at hand-to-hand combat, as well as practical demonstrations of the techniques with his student, Jim Johnston. Every culture has a system of unarmed combat. There are usually two forms: hard (eg. Karate or jiu-jitsu) where the martial artist attacks the target directly, and soft (eg.…

  • January 2018: Back to the Plotting Board

    January 2018: Back to the Plotting Board

    After a well-enjoyed holiday break, ORWA hosted our January workshop, Back to the Plotting Board, as a way to encourage us all to get back to the keyboard.  We broke into small groups and spent time helping one another with plot challenges, title ideas, and general inspiration. Some people will tell you that the value…

  • February 2018 Workshop: Social Media for Authors

    February 2018 Workshop: Social Media for Authors

    Social Media Recap ORWA’s own Jessica Ripley gave us a comprehensive tour through the constantly shifting landscape of social media, particularly the big three sites: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  With hundreds of different sites and apps to choose from, authors have a plethora of options for keeping in touch with readers and finding new ones. …

  • December 2017: Writing Realistic Danger

    December 2017: Writing Realistic Danger

    In December 2018, ORWA had the privilege and pleasure of learning the ins and outs of making things go bang with a member of the Ottawa Tactical Response Team. The Tactical Response Team provides assistance in high risk situations and has a stringent selection progress.  The sergeant’s stories about Hell Week and the psychological requirements…

  • November 2017: Twin-Stranded Storylines with Susanna Kearsley

    November 2017: Twin-Stranded Storylines with Susanna Kearsley

    November 2017 Event Description: Whether you’re tackling a timeslip or time-travel novel, a book within a book, a dual storyline, or simply a series of flashbacks, the technical challenges of interweaving two sets of main characters, two plots, and two story arcs stay the same: how do you switch back and forth without losing the…

  • October 2017: Beyond the Furrowed Brow

    October 2017: Beyond the Furrowed Brow

    October 2017 Workshop Description: How to Help your Characters Speak Without Saying a Word 90% of communication is non-verbal, but what does it mean when someone lifts their chin, twirls their hair, or shakes with both hands?  By understanding the fundamental emotions and how they are expressed and experienced, an author can create a richer…

  • September 2017: Advanced Writing Workshop with Alicia Rasley

    September 2017: Advanced Writing Workshop with Alicia Rasley

    September 2017 Workshop Description Workshop 1:  Emotion without Sentimentality In this interactive workshop, bestselling author Alicia Rasley will help you explore two “non-purple-prose” ways of creating a compelling emotional experience for your reader: Story Design and Scene Design. You will leave with some seriously useful (but easily applied) strategies to deepen your story and scenes,…

  • RTC 2017

    RTC 2017

    This year was the third annual Romancing the Capital event, organized by Eve Langlais. It was held at a great time for us, since July and August are months our meetings and workshops are on summer hiatus, so it was nice to have an event where we got to see each other. RTC is more…

  • ORWA’s 2017 Social

    ORWA’s 2017 Social

    Recap by Jennifer Carole Lewis Every June, the Ottawa Romance Writers’ Association gets together and spends an afternoon laughing, celebrating one another’s achievements and enjoying each other’s company.  This year was no exception. Hosted at Lucy Farago’s lovely home, ORWA members quickly settled in to trade suggestions, ideas and share anecdotes.  We swapped opinions on various…

  • May 2017: Writing Active Setting with Mary Buckham

    May 2017: Writing Active Setting with Mary Buckham

    ORWA officers gave us the great opportunity of participating in a webinar with Mary Buckham on writing active setting in May 2017. It was a two-part webinar, with an initial presentation followed by a Q&A session a week later. This gave us plenty of time to review the information she gave us, re-watch the presentation,…

  • June Social 2017 Announcement

    June Social 2017 Announcement

     Attend the ORWA spring social on June 11, 2017. It will be our last event until we reconvene in the Fall. Professional Headshots We will be offering the opportunity at the June Social to have a professional headshot done for each interested member. Anna Jones, an Ottawa wedding photographer, will take a number of different poses,…

  • Pitch Session with Pamela Harty

    Pitch Session with Pamela Harty

    This month is our first ORWA member pitch session! This is your chance to skip past the slush pile and get quick feedback. On Sunday April 30, 2017 you can pitch to Pamela Harty from the Knight Agency. Pamela is looking for: contemporary and historical romance, romantic suspense, women’s fiction, young adult, business, motivational, diet and health,…

  • April 2017: You’ve written a book… now what?

    April 2017: You’ve written a book… now what?

    Our April 2017 workshop this week was “You’ve written a book… now what?” and was led by two bestselling and prolific ORWA authors, Eve Langlais and Mandy Rosko. They discussed the pros and cons of traditional and indie (self) publishing, and what to do if you want to submit to a small, medium or large…

  • March 2017: Serialized Success with Linda Poitevin

    March 2017: Serialized Success with Linda Poitevin

    March 5, 2017 Workshop: Wattpad with Linda Poitevin Serialized fiction goes back to the time of Charles Dickens and is currently undergoing a revival in today’s digital world. Savvy authors around the globe are exploring this “new” way of publishing and reaping significant dividends. Join author Linda Poitevin for a look at Wattpad and Radish, two of the models currently…

  • October 2014: Full Day Craft Workshop with Molly O’Keefe

    October 2014: Full Day Craft Workshop with Molly O’Keefe

    The Plot and Sub-Plots Connection (10:00 – 12:00): No matter what your word count, subplots help create a rich, multi-dimensional world for your reader to escape to. In this workshop, using interactive exercises, RITA-winning and Bestselling Author Molly O’Keefe will help you figure out how to build subplots that will in turn create drama and conflict…

  • The Jaguar Legacy by Maureen Fisher 2016

    The Jaguar Legacy by Maureen Fisher 2016

    The Jaguar Legacy by Maureen Fisher 2016 A journalist on track for the scoop of the century tangles with an archaeologist determined to prevent a premature press-leak of his discovery—an ancient Olmec city buried in the lush and mysterious jungles of Mexico. Little do they realize the ruins contain secrets best left untouched.

  • Malena Able, former ORWA President

    Malena Able, former ORWA President

    MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT – A Personal Journey A few years ago, I got the notion into my head that I would like to write a book. I expect many of you at some point in your lives have had the same idea, or thought while reading, ‘this looks so easy even I could do…

  • April 2015: How to Make Opportunities Happen: 6 Strategies to Success

    April 2015: How to Make Opportunities Happen: 6 Strategies to Success

    Don’t wait for that great opportunity to present itself. Go find it! Be in charge of your own career and make opportunities happen for you. Keep ahead of the trends. Look around. Learn from your own experience and the experiences of others. Watch the bestsellers and what they’re doing. Build your network. Expand your reach…

  • President’s Message (May 2013)

    President’s Message (May 2013)

    Occasionally, prospective members question the need for membership in the Romance Writers of America. Does membership in the parent organization, they ask, truly provide enough benefits to warrant the additional cost? My answer is an unqualified yes. Speaking for myself, here are the benefits I receive from my membership in RWA. Benefits Due to ORWA’s…