Clash of The Titles Rings In The New Year

IS THERE A BOOK YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE COMPETE ON CLASH OF THE TITLES? PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO ENTER THE TITLE IN OUR QUICK SURVEY, BELOW!

*by COTT Sr. Editor, April W Gardner

January is in full swing, starting 2012 off with a bang. At Clash of the Titles, you can take that quite literally! For the next two weeks, we’re featuring Death. That’s right. Death.

Death has the power to intrigue and terrify, and it’s that power that a good book taps into, often leaving a permanent mark on the reader’s memory. Visit Clash of the Titles today, to read two Death excerpts and vote for the one that impacts you the most. 


Remember that every book you send to the Champions Ring will have a shot at our Laurel Award, handed out at the end of our Tournament of Champions. Coming October 2012!


Between now and our October Tournament, we'll have a slew of exciting clashes—some, old reliables; others, brand new. 

Here’s  what's on the COTT calendar:

Almost Kiss-- 

(Feb, accepting submissions)

Unpublished Hooks-- 

(March, accepting submissions)

Here's a glimpse at clashes you might see in the future:

Good Guy

Bad Guy

Leading Lady

Back Cover Summary

Comparable Covers

Mayhem and Mishaps

Creepy Covers

Author’s Choice

Reader’s Choice

Tantalizing Titles

Young Adult

Childrens

Is there a specific book that comes to mind that you would like to see compete on Clash of the Titles in one of these clashes? We want to know!! Please enter the book title in the survey box below.


Also new in 2012, once a quarter, a specially selected COTT Champ will be featured in a podcast interview with Christian Authors Guild board member, Cynthia L. Simmons. You can hear our current podcast HERE.


Clash of the Titles thanks each of our readers and voters for making COTT such a fun hang-out during 2011. We look forward to another year of introducing you to amazing new books and giving you the opportunity to win them!

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Clash of the Titles Champ Lisa T Bergren

*Guest post by Michelle Massaro

Congratulations, Lisa T. Bergren, author of Waterfall! Lisa's winning excerpt was discovered by COTT's new Talent Scout, Katie McCurdy. You can read Katie's review here. This YA title is being highly-praised by adults and is only the second YA title to win at Clash Of The Titles. Visit Lisa's site to learn more about her.

About the book:
Gabriella has never spent a summer in Italy like this one.
Remaining means giving up all she’s known and loved…
and leaving means forfeiting what she’s come to know…and love itself.

Most American teenagers want a vacation in Italy, but the Bentarrini sisters have spent every summer of their lives with their parents, famed Etruscan scholars, among the romantic hills. Stuck among the rubble of medieval castles in rural Tuscany on yet another hot, dusty archaeological site, Gabi and Lia are bored out of their minds… until Gabi places her hand atop a handprint in an ancient tomb and finds herself in fourteenth-century Italy. And worse yet, in the middle of a fierce battle between knights of two opposing forces.

And thus does she come to be rescued by the knight-prince Marcello Falassi, who takes her back to his father’s castle—a castle Gabi has seen in ruins in another life. Suddenly Gabi’s summer in Italy is much, much more interesting. But what do you do when your knight in shining armor lives, literally, in a different world?
Sounds amazing, doesn't it? No wonder it won! If you're ready to read it, head to Amazon now. You can read Lisa's COTT interview here or check out her excerpt here.
Lisa, welcome to the COTT Hall of Fame. We're very happy to have you join us!
Readers, do you hunger for a well-written convo--one dripping with sarcasm or perhaps laced with unspoken meaning? Maybe you like a quick wit or a character whose comments make you LOL. Wish you could influence the dialogue of the fictional characters you read? This week COTT is hosting a showdown for the Snappiest Dialogue. Hurry on over and let our authors know what you like, and what you long to see, in the spoken interaction between characters. See you there!

* Michelle Massaro is the Assistant Editor for COTT and has a passion for evangelizing through fiction. She writes contemporary inspirational novels with heart-rending themes intended to frame the message of God’s healing love. Michelle has written for Romantic Times, Circle Of Friends, and Pentalk Community, among others. Find her on twitter @MLMassaro, Facebook, or her blog, Adventures in Writing, and join the fun.

Clash of the Titles Victory for Joanne Sher

Guest post by Michelle Massaro
The winner of this week's COTT battle is....

  

Joanne Sher!

Joanne joins the notable COTT Conquerors family as a pre-published author. Her writing passion is Biblical and historical fiction—paving rough roads with God’s presence. Joanne says her dream is to be able to submit to Clash of The Titles as a published author. We are confident that day will come.

Find her at http://www.joannesher.com/

Her winning excerpt came from her manuscript entitled Handmaiden to a Princess:
“Don't you have to leave now?” Mama took a sip of water and looked out at the sun. Rivka's eyes followed her mother's. The colors of the sunrise were already beginning to fade into the blue of the Israeli sky.
Rivka nodded. “Good bye, Mama. Off to the gardens.” She half-jogged toward the next part of her morning ritual.
Rivka’s sandals flip-flopped on the dirt, her steps brisk and light. The scents of the lilies of the valley and hyacinths slowed her pace the closer she got. The grass before her, still touched with the last of the morning’s dew, slapped against the sides of her sandals. She stopped, closed her eyes, and took in a long, slow breath.
Aroma fit for royalty.

read the full excerpt, and that of her most worthy competitor, Mary Hall, here. 

Some reader comments:
I felt that excerpt 'A' was really good in that the little girl was so a part of the description.
I want to go walk in the garden!
I felt the soil in my hands, and smelled the fragrance of flowers in the air. Lovely!
I could see and smell the flowers

About her win, Joanne said:
WOW - I'm SO excited! What an honor. And what a FUN clash it's been.
Like the other members of the COTT family of authors, Joanne and Mary both praised each other's work and exuded a Christ-like spirit throughout the competition.
 
Get to know Joanne through her interview with her COTT hostess, Gail Pallotta here.

Congratulations, Joanne! We can't wait to see you in print!

Join us at COTT for our next Clash. Vote for your favorite and be entered to win a free book. Have a book or theme suggestion? Send it in! Have you written the next blockbuster hit? Send us your 500 best words. We want to hear from you. 

bio: Michelle Massaro is Assistant Editor for the literary website Clash of the Titles. She has written for The Write Conversation, Pentalk, COF Ministries, and Romantic Times. She and her husband of 16 years live in sunny So Cal with their four children. Above all, she is a follower of Christ Jesus, unashamed to stand upon the Word of God from beginning to end. Connect with her on her blog, twitter @MLMassaro, and Facebook.

Clash of the Titles Conquerors!

Special Note: Beginning this week, I'm changing the posting schedule on The Write Conversation. From now on you'll read about the Clash of the Titles conquerors on Monday, to make it possible for you to participate in the clash. Aren't familiar with Clash of the Titles? It's the ultimate literary challenge - where authors battle and readers judge!

My writing instruction post will now come on Tuesday. 

Don't forget to join the conversation! 

Blessings, 

Edie

Attention! Ann Gaylia O'Barr has been crowned CHAMPION at

Clash of the Titles!

For her excerpt from Singing in Babylon, Ann Gaylia O'Barr garnered favor in a Clash against fellow contender Dee Smith for Best Antagonist. Both excerpts showcased sinister adversaries.

As one reader put it:
Both antagonists were well described, and both gave me a chill up my spine.
Another assures us:
Both are VERY creepy!
But only one can claim victory, and that honor falls to O'Barr this time around. How did she do it? Ann believes a good antagonist elicits a measure of sympathy from the reader so that we are both drawn to and repulsed by his character. It must be true because it secured her the win.
In her interview with COTT staff member Amanda Flower, Ann shares how she spent years country-hopping for her work as U.S. Foreign Service officer and collected plenty of raw material for her antagonists by her immersion in Muslim-dominated culture. Wow!
Want to know who her favorite fictional bad guy is? Read her interview to find out.
Ann says: I've thoroughly enjoyed the contest. Answering the interview questions sharpened my ability to explain the novel. Writing is a continuous learning expreience, and I love it!
About her book:
***
Singing in Babylon:
Recent grad Kate McCormack, saddled with college debt, has limited options…until she accepts an offer to teach English in Saudi Arabia. Plunged into a foreign world, she’s homesick and lonely, stuck in a gilded prison where women aren’t even allowed to walk around the block by themselves. The future stretches before her like a leaden sky.
Journalist Philip Tangvald, on the trail of a story about illegal immigration routes through the Middle East and North Africa, is intrigued by the feisty Kate, but wonders if he deserves to find love again. Too much loss and betrayal has burdened his life. First, his father, when he was eleven. And, a year ago, his wife. Now he’s free of everything—except the guilt from his past—and wants to stay that way.
Two worlds, two hearts in exile, are about to collide. And when they do, might they find a new song to sing … in Babylon?
***
Read more about Ann and her body of work at her website
COTT's current Clash is on Best Opening Hook. Visit today to read the two selections, vote for your favorite, and enter to win one of the competing titles! (Mentioning my name gives me an extra entry, so if you don't mind I'd appreciate it!)

Michelle Massaro is a homeschooling mom and aspiring novelist, as well as Assistant Editor for the literary website Clash of the Titles . Connect with her on twitter @MLMassaro, facebook, and her blog Adventures in Writing

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