By Joanne Grant, Harlequin Presents editor

Back in early July, I announced our third writing competition on I Heart Presents. To enter the competition you need to submit a compelling first chapter of a Harlequin Presents or Modern Heat style story, with a short synopsis, and if your entry captures our imagination—you could win an editor for a year!

But do not worry if this is the first you have heard of it, because the competition is still open, in fact you have until November 2nd to enter! To date, we have had over 60 entries, but from past experience we know to expect the entries to come flooding in that final week, and that those 60 will turn into hundreds!

Maybe this is all news to you, or maybe you have been contemplating entering the competition but just haven’t yet got up the courage to press that ’send’ button yet. Well, here is some information to get you motivated!

Our previous contests Instant Seduction and Feel the Heat, had a high calibre of entries. So high in fact, that we have since bought our two winners: Lynn Raye Harris and Lucy King!

Lynn won the Instant Seduction competition and her winning entry, and debut novel, Spanish Magnate, Red-Hot Revenge was published in Harlequin Presents, August 2009.

Lucy King won our second competition Feel the Heat, aimed at Modern Heat editorial. Her winning entry and debut novel Bought: Damsel in Distress will be available from Harlequin Presents in January 2010.

But the successes do not stop there! Earlier this year, we were thrilled to buy another talented new author, Tina Duncan, who first caught our eye when she entered the Instant Seduction competition in 2008. Although she didn’t win, or even place as a runner-up, Editorial saw her potential and kept working with her until we finally bought her book, Da Silva’s Mistress, which will be available in Presents Extra in January 2010.

So, could you be our next competition winner or catch our editors’ eyes as a potential new writer?

More details can be found at www.iheartpresents.com and writing guidelines are available on eHarlequin.com, but in brief: