And don't let anyone sell you some wooden nickels either!

Read this: http://www.writearomance.com/

Sounds great, doesn't it? There's a Big Secret to writing romance. A magical formula. And if you spend $197 plus $12.95 for shipping you can learn it too and save yourself years of frustration, hours and hours of hard work, and tons of money. You simply fill in the blanks like a Mad Lib and voila, completed romance novel! It's easy-breezy.

Oh yes, sign me up, please!

Too bad it's all a big lie.

If you've read my blog since it's launch, you know I'm not usually catty or malicious, but this advertisement really steams me up. It's targeted to desperate, frustrated authors. And $197 is nothing for them to drop if it means they'll get their dreams. I admit, I would've fallen for it.

I am all for people taking courses and buying materials that will help them develop their craft. However, I'm not for throwing money away on scams. This is a scam. If it wasn't, the author would be a NY Times bestselling novelist. She's not. If she could write books in three days, she'd have dozens published. She doesn't.

It's a scam.

Let's check out the author's credentials. Those are always telling. Would you trust a surgeon who's only operated on dead mice? Would you trust a carpenter to build a well-constructed house who's only built dollhouses?

Ms. Adams reported on another author's blog that the book she references in the advertisement is published under the pen name Morgan Leshay, ISBN 0-9754533-8-6. The book's title is "Redemption" and it's published by a small press called LBF Books. Today's Amazon ranking is #453,096, despite the fabu quote by NY Times Bestselling author Teresa Medeiros.

Being an author who is also published by an inde press, I have no prejudices against folks who decide to have their work published by a small press. That's not the issue here. What is the issue is that Ms. Adams is presenting herself as a professional, and is making promises of "Fame and Fortune" to those who buy her system. I KNOW she's not getting either fame or fortune by having one book published by an inde publisher. It's unlikely she's sold more than 100 copies of her book. How can she possibly promise something to others when she hasn't been able to acquire them for herself? Using her own system?

Not a chance. It's more likely she'll gain "Fame and Fortune" selling this "Magical Formula" to hopeful authors who are frustrated and desperate for answers.

Don't buy the lies!

There is no magical formula. Writing a "bestselling" novel is hard work. It takes time. It takes talent and it takes determination. Building a career is hard work. It's frustrating and grueling. There are NO SHORTCUTS. You cannot fill in the blanks of some template and churn out bestseller after bestseller. Ask a NY Times bestselling author, and they'll tell you that--for free!

This whole thing is a slap in the face to authors who've worked hard to hone their craft and build their careers. And it's frightening to think about how many unknowing people who will part with their hard-earned cash to buy a magical potion that's no better than sugar water.

If you want help. If you need help, join RWA. Join a critique group. Write, write, write and read, read, read. Develop your voice. Learn to plot. Take workshops taught by trusted authors with real credentials. Don't hand over your money to a snake oil salesperson.

End of rant.