Newsletter of the Society of Southwestern Authors
Vol. 39, No. 6 Dec '10/Jan. '11
|
|
Upcoming Events
December 6
Santa Cruz Valley Chapter Meeting @1-2:45PM
Panel discussion on mystery writing with Carol Costa, Elizabeth Gunn, Mike Hays and Susan Cummins Miller at Friends in Deed, SW corner of La Canada & Camino Casa Verde.
December 11
Arizona Mystery Writers @10-2PM
Hometown Buffet, 5101 N. Oracle Rd.
Karen McLeish's 4th annual Christmas Murder Mystery Workshop.
$17.50 non-members. RSVP Molly 624-0792 or email amw2010mm@gmail.com
December 19
SSA Forum @11:30-2PM
Four Points Sheraton
Barbara Marriott -
"What it Takes To Be an Award Winning Author: Secrets of Publishing, Submissions, Contracts & Marketing""
(see article this page)
January 8
Arizona Mystery Writers @10-2PM
Hometown Buffet, 5101 N. Oracle Rd.
Morning-William Kalt on tales of the Wild West territorial days.
Afternoon-Mary Ann Hutchison "The Why, How, and Where of Selling Your Writing While Waiting for Your Big Break."
$17.50 non-members. RSVP Molly 624-0792 or email amw2010mm@gmail.com
January 16
SSA Forum @11:30-2PM
Four Points Sheraton
Robert L. Hunton -
"Bridging the Culture Gap: One
Outsider's Collaboration with the
Tohono O'odham Nation""
(see article this page)
To R.S.V.P. Forum
Leave Phone Message
at 546-9382
or e-mail: forums@ssa-az.org
WEDNESDAY before the Forum
$25 paid at the door
|
|
What it Takes To Be an Award Winning Author:
Secrets of Publishing, Submissions,
 Contracts & Marketing
Have you dreamed of winning awards with your writing? Do you want to
know what steps are needed to make this dream come true?
Barbara Marriott is going share with us her secrets to publishing, submissions,
contracts & marketing, and how each of these helped her become an award
winning author.
Her books include Outlaw Tales of New Mexico, which won First Place in Arizona
Press Women's 2008 contest, and was a finalist in the National Federation of
Press Women of Nonfiction 2008. She is also the author of In Our Own Words,
which was finalist in the Arizona Book Publishers Association for Nonfiction
2009, and Annie's Guests, which was chosen as one of the best western books of
2002. Her other books include Canyon of Gold, Banana River, Oro Valley: Images
of America, and Myths & Mysteries of New Mexico.
Don't forget to call in your reservations to 955-9382 OR email forums@ssa-az.org by the Wednesday prior
(in this case, December 15).
Bridging the Culture Gap: One Outsider's
Collaboration with the
Tohono O'odham Nation
Whether it's fiction or memoir, historical non-fiction or educational essay, all good
writing requires a variety of research strategies. Does your writing research include
the critical element of personal contact? Have you gotten the word "from the horse's
mouth"? And even if you have, do you know what to do with it?
Robert L. Hunton, author of The Borderlands Trilogy and the debut novel in that
series for young readers, Gift of the Desert Dog, likes to think of it as collaboration.
In order to get the very best response possible
from a contact, the author says, "meet on a
level playing field, work hard to establish
mutual respect, create a comfort zone for
your exchange, and recognize your source's
contribution as credible and of value, even if you later choose not to use
the material acquired in your finished product."
Robert often draws his material from a subject he knows well; Native
American culture. For thirty-two years he taught middle school students about Blackfoot winter counts, the sun dance of the Mandan, the "trail of tears" of the Cherokee, and the struggle of the Abenaki people of Vermont and Quebec to achieve tribal recognition with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Washington. The impact of his work is still being felt in curriculum and programs offered to students in his old school district, and at county and state levels in Vermont.
Join us at the Sheraton Four Points Conference Center on January 16, 2011 for an enlightening luncheon with Robert. As always, you can either call in your reservations to 955-9382 OR email forums@ssa-az.org by the Wednesday prior (in this case, January 12).
|
Successes
Gail Gibbs has penned the third vampire eBook in her series for the personalized romance website YourNovel.com. This one's called Blood Starved and brings back the sexy vampires from Vampire Rhapsody and Fresh Blood. As with all YourNovel.com titles, couples become the stars of their own personalized romance novel or e-book, by filling out a questionnaire with pet names, best friends, favorite music, hair color, and more. They can even choose whether the romance will be "Wild" or "Mild," resulting in an intimate reading experience.
In Blood Starved, the starring couple are summoned to a Rocky Mountain hideaway where a convention of vampires takes them further into the world of blood lust and superhuman powers. Our couple must depend on their guile, courage, and ultimately love in order to survive the night.
Blood Starved, Fresh Blood and Vampire Rhapsody can be ordered at www.yournovel.com.
Lauren B. Grossman's Once in Every Generation was released in October.
Eleven-year-old Angelina Mariano was a phenomenon that happens only once in every generation. Her spectacular singing voice was incomparable. But a traumatic incident created a debilitating phobia that destroyed any dream of pursuing her passion.
As an adult, Angelina teaches private voice lessons and takes on a student she recognizes as astonishing, one who possesses the career potential that eluded her. Lisa Forester is that student. Becoming her mentor and friend, she nourishes young Lisa's talent and instills that which escaped Angelina so long ago, the confidence to believe in her own abilities.
Unleashed, the young student's voice launches her on a meteoric rise to stardom. At the height of Lisa's career, however, a life-altering illness surfaces. Because of her love for Lisa, Angelina must now dig deep down inside of herself and face her own fears.
Relying on one another's strength, both women will learn to face their own challenges. Once in Every Generation is a story of relationships, courage, and dreams interrupted.
You can go to laurenbgrossman.com for a custom autograph and bookmark.
Lauren is also pleased to announce that her short story submission, "The Neighborhood Bitch," won Honorable Mention in the Writer's Digest's 79th Annual Competition. She placed in the top 100.
Molly McKinney (CORRECTION)Ã her new cozy mystery novel is titled In Plain Sight not "Site" as was stated in the last Write Word. Autographed copies are available at mtmwriter@gmail.com or (520) 624-0792.
Alma Margaret Permar, has published Written in The Margins: Poems Touching the Essence of Life. In the midst of nurturing a family, working in various full-time professional careers, living and traveling throughout the United States and other countries, Alma has continued to write.
In this book she has now brought some of the notes from the margins of her experiences into the center of the page. She has integrated her reflections and insights into a collection of very accessible poetry seeded by our universal life experiences of challenge, conflict, change, and celebration.
This is a book that you will want to place on your nightstand with a pen so that you, too, can make notes in its margins as your own reflections and insights emerge. You will not only appreciate reading and engaging these poems, but you will also treasure discovering your own notes written in the margins of this book.
www.WrittenByAlma.com
"What a Christmas gift this would be.
A writer of poetry, short stories and essays, Alma has now created a book that will touch every reader's soul."
—Penny Porter
|
|
|
