With more than 200 manuscript entries received this year—almost double the number of entries we received for last year's contest—we had an extremely difficult time narrowing down the list of winning manuscripts. But after numerous weeks of evaluating the stories through three intensive judging phases, we have finally selected 11 manuscripts we felt best represented the erotic romance our readers have come to expect from Amber Quill Press.

So, without further ado, here are the manuscripts—listed alphabetically—we have chosen to receive our standard two-year electronic publishing contract, and the authors we will be inviting this year to join the Amber Quill Press roster of authors...

• The Claiming - Sherrill Quinn
• Cup Of Fate - Cassandra Curtis
• Darkson’s Forfeit - Marie Harte
• Diary Of A Dirty Cowboy - Jade Rivers
• Family Jewels - Kelly Maher
• Her Black Little Heart - Selah March
• Poker Brat - Barrie Abalard
• Santa’s Helper - Cassidy Kent
• The Streets Of Florence - Pepper Espinoza
• Tales of the Pride: Awakening - Larissa Lyons
• Unloved - Nina Merrill

Within the next 24 hours, we will contact the authors of the winning stories and offer them our standard two-year e-publishing contract for the manuscripts listed above. (Please remember, authors are under no obligation to accept the contract.) If the author agrees to the contract terms, the manuscript will be entered into our production queue, where it will be professionally edited (content-editing and copyediting), have cover art created, etc., like all the other manuscripts AQP produces. The winning manuscripts will be published in June, 2006, to coincide with our Amber Heat Wave.

In 2005, Amber Quill Press selected, out of 100+ entries sent and evaluated, 17 manuscripts we felt best represented the type of stories our readers prefer. Each story received a contract and was released in June 2005 during our 2nd annual Amber Heat Wave™ celebration. Since that time, many of the winning authors have published multiple stories with Amber Quill Press...

• Another Cave Creek Cowboy by Brit Blaise
• Catching Caroline by Sylvia Day
• Cave Creek Cowboy by Brit Blaise
• Chella's Quest by Laura Bacchi
• The Dark Lord by Kelli A. Wilkins
• The Journey by Dreama Faire
• The King Of Hel by Grace Draven
• Meandros by Sasha White
• A Most Unusual Princess by Kelli A. Wilkins
• Out Of My League by Therese MacFarland
• Renna's Sacrifice by Bernadette Gardner
• Reunion by Kelsey Lewis
• The Sexy Stranger by Kelli A. Wilkins
• She Who Laughs Last by Jacki King
• Spoils Of War by Renee Peterson
• Strip-O-Gram by Ellie Marvel
• The Virginia Model-Logues by Brit Blaise

Do you have a manuscript you believe can make next year’s list of winning entries? If so, return to this page at the beginning of the New Year, review the contest rules detailed above, and send us your story/stories. Like the authors who won our previous contest, you might also garner a publishing contract from Amber Quill Press!

Once again, good luck to all!