Prairie Rose Publications

The Back Story

Prairie Rose Publications came from humble beginnings – namely, Livia Reasoner’s (aka Livia J. Washburn) efforts to learn how to format e-books and make covers for them when she and her husband, James (Reasoner), began reprinting their backlist novels. It wasn’t long until she started publishing both reprints and originals with the Western Fictioneers organization,. It was through Western Fictioneers that she got to know Cheryl Pierson. They decided the world really needed a publisher specializing in Western historical romances. It was Cheryl’s vision that brought expansion as they exploded onto the publishing scene. They dragged Kathleen Rice Adams along for the crazy ride. While they are authors first, each of them has her own publishing talents. It’s made for a magical mix—an exciting, up-and-coming publishing company that has created a family atmosphere with their authors, and all are quick to help one another in any facet of the writing and publishing process. Livia and Cheryl credit their publishing success and expansion to this extended-family feeling. Today the company has six different imprints under the Prairie Rose Publications umbrella and publishes 50 to 100 books each year.
Here’s What They Want—All Spelled Out—and How to Submit
To submit a manuscript, please send a query letter via email and include the following:

• A paragraph about yourself and previous publishing history (if any)
• Contact information (name, address, phone, and email address)
• For non-fiction: synopsis, along with relevant history on the subject and/or your expertise in that subject area, and if reprinted, history of work.
• For fiction: plot synopsis; if reprinted, history of work
• Manuscripts should be in 12-point Times New Roman font, double-spaced.

Prairie Rose Publications (PRP) is looking for Western, Regency, and Medieval Romance Novels. 30K to 100K words. Sweet to spicy, but no erotica, please.
Prairie Rose Publications is looking for some wonderful short romantic tales of the Middle Ages for the upcoming anthology One Hot Knight. Summer can be stiflingly hot—especially during a time period with no modern conveniences. Emotions run high. tempers flare, but love and romance can also blaze to life in the midst of hot summer days and nights. We want to see your story about summer love in a medieval land. Attach the completed manuscript to an email addressed to Cheryl Pierson at prairierosepublications@yahoo.com and include a brief synopsis of the story in the body of the email. Please put One Hot Knight in the subject line.
Deadline: May 15, 2016.
Length: 10K-17K words.
Fire Star Press (FSP) is looking for Contemporary Romance, Mysteries, and Science Fiction. 30K–100K words.
Submissions Call: A Song to Remember series from FSP
Theme: The music of life and love
Length: 15K to 25K words
Deadline: September 1, 2016
Heat: sweet to spicy
Some song titles evoke memories of not only the song, but also of the time, the era, the place. They call for stories all their own, and at Fire Star Press they’ve inspired a new line of novella-length stories we’re calling “duets” because each book will contain two romantic tales.
Someone To Watch Over Me: 1940s—Paranormal
The song “Someone To Watch Over Me” probably brings thoughts of the comfort of a safe haven in your true love’s arms. But what if the someone is not what he or she appears to be? What if he were a ghost from the past, or an alien of the future? Stories should be set in the 1940s. No graphic horror or sex—just an “aha” moment. What will your hero or heroine do when he or she discovers exactly who—or what—watches over them?
If I Loved You: 1950s—Misunderstood Love
If I Loved You will contain two stories of misunderstood love set in the 1950s. Anything from a series of events that are misunderstood by one partner or the other to one big misunderstanding that could cloud the issue of a relationship forever. A man sees his intended bride kiss another man on the cheek and consequently calls off their wedding, only to discover later that the man is her brother, etc. The possibilities are endless.
This Magic Moment: 1960s—A Revealing Moment Changes Everything
This Magic Moment will contain two stories set in the turbulent 1960s. Free love, rock and roll, and the civil rights movement changed society. In these stories, a revelation changes everything. Maybe a civil rights worker must decide between his passion for his job and his passion for his woman. A Woodstock musician realizes the love he feels for his girlfriend is stronger than the music he makes with his band. A preacher’s daughter becomes pregnant and her boyfriend, despised by her parents, shows them what love truly is when he learns he’s going to be a dad. These are just a few examples of the kind of thing we’re looking for. What magic moment will drive your story?
Wonderful Tonight: 1970s—Can True Love Happen in Just One Night?
Eric Clapton‘s “Wonderful Tonight” tells the story of what happens to a couple in one single night. That’s what we’re looking for in this novella duet, set in the 1970s, with a twist. We’re looking for tales about couples who may be barely acquainted, or perhaps just met. An incident throws them into a situation where they find love. We’re not talking about just lust, but also about a mutual caring that blossoms into the fragile beginnings of love between two people. These stories should be no hotter than spicy, given these parameters. What kind of wonderful night brings your characters to the brink of true love?
I’m On Fire: 1980s—Unlikely Love Blossoms
Bruce Springsteen’s hit “I’m On Fire” is the inspiration for this duet of 1980s stories about love between two people who are a highly unlikely match. If you have a story about an interracial couple, a librarian and a party guy, a rock star and a schoolteacher, a wealthy heiress and her chauffeur—any unlikely pair for the decade—we’d love to see it. Make the story sizzle! What would make your hero or heroine say, “I’m on fire…”?
Wicked Game: 1990s—Circumstances Aren’t Always What They Seem
Chris Isaak’s haunting hit “Wicked Game” makes us wonder about the things people will do for desire. This volume features characters who do something they wouldn’t ever have done ordinarily, but are driven to do for the love or desire of another person. Maybe the wicked games people play trap two people in a web of deceit. Perhaps a faulty news report threatens to destroy one or both lives; or maybe friends, family, or life itself conspire against the couple to keep them apart by playing one against the other. It’s up to you to determine the reasoning and rules for love’s wicked game.
Sundown Press (SP) wants Westerns, cookbooks, and how-to books, 30K-100K words.
Painted Pony Books (PPB) is looking for young adult westerns. 30K-60K words.
Tornado Alley Publications (TAP) would like young adult mysteries and new adult romance. 30K-60K words
Prayers and Promises Publications (P&PB) wants Christian novels. We’d love to have an Amish series. 30K–100K words.
Website: http://prairierosepublications.com Watch for more calls for submission
PRP Blog: http://prairierosepublications.blogspot.com
PRP Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/prairierosepublications
Email: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com
PRP wants authors to be very satisfied with their fair treatment. Covers, light editing, setup with the distributors, publicity on our webpage and elsewhere will be provided by PRP. Authors have input into editing and covers. Cost of cover images come off the top of monies earned by PRP and the author. After that, author earns 70% of monies received.