PACIFIC NORTHWEST WRITERS ASSOCIATION
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JANUARY 2011 E-NOTES:
E-Notes is your monthly electronic newsletter full of the latest news about the literary world. Our newsletter is a PNWA Member Benefit.
Please send us an email if you would like to place an announcement in next month's E-Notes: enotes@pnwa.org
(Announcements must be received by the 19th of the previous month to be included).
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PNWA NEWS:
Happy New Year! We have several upcoming events this month:
January Member Meeting
Thursday, January 20 @ 7:00pm
King County Library Service Center
960 Newport Way NW Issaquah, Washington 98027
Speaker: Jason Black
Topic: The Hook
No novel succeeds without an ability to "hook" the reader, to draw the reader deeply into the story. While there are as many ways to hook the reader as there are novels, successful hooks share a lot in common. In this month's lecture, book doctor Jason Black will reveal the ingredients of a successful hook, will show you some recipes for mixing them together, and will give some example opening hooks from PNWA members' writing. Send the first page of your manuscript to Jason@PlotToPunctuation.com; Jason will select a few to discuss during the meeting. In the last portion of the evening, Jason will cover techniques for effective synopsis writing, sure to come in handy as you prepare your submissions for the 2011 PNWA Literary Contest!
Sleuth Contest Winner
We are pleased to announce the winner of the Village Theatre/PNWA Sleuth Contest: Celeste Deveney of Bothell, WA, for her story "A Very Final Exit," has taken first place. We would also like to recognize Larry Houch of North Bend, WA, as runner-up for his story "Nothing Simpler." Sunday, January 2 at 3:00pm, we will be hosting a reading of the winning story by celebrated local actors, including a cast member from the Theatre's production of the Tony Award-winning play "Sleuth." The event will take place at our Writers' Cottage location in Issaquah's Gilman Village. (317 NW Gilman Blvd, space #8, Issaquah, WA 98027) We hope to see you there!
Lisa Murphy Book Release Party The Turkish Mirror January 8th, 2011, 3:00 PM PNWA Writers' Cottage Gilman Village 317 NW Gilman Blvd, space 8 Issaquah, WA 98027 O.T. Murphy & Jerry Middaughwill play Old Time Music on the guitar and harmonica, Devin Jensen will wander the crowds doing sleight-of-hand magic, and author Lisa C. Murphy (website www.murphyink.com) will be on hand to sign books. Come and celebrate with us. We hope to see you there.
The Turkish Mirror is a Magical Realism journey across continents and cultures. From the streets of London, to posh Paris, to the effervescent blue of the Turkish Mediterranean, two talented artists struggle to understand love, betrayal, and forgiveness.
Member Book Signings
Join us Saturday, January 15 from 1-3pm at the Writers' Cottage for a book signing event with three excellent PNWA authors:
Candace Murrow is the author of the novel Visions of Hope, a love story laced with romance, mystery, and the paranormal, and The Day Mel Quit Dreaming and Other Stories, a chapbook of spirited and entertaining short fiction. www.candacemurrow.com
Corbin Lewars is the Seattle-based author of Creating a Life: The memoir of a mom and writer in the making, which is nominated for the 2011 PNBA book award. Her essays have been featured in over twenty-five publications and she is the publisher of the zine Reality Mom. www.corbinlewars.com
Jennifer D. Munro's essays and stories have been published nationally and internationally in over fifty anthologies and literary journals. Whether fiction or nonfiction, J.D. offers a candid yet often humorous exploration of sex and the sexes, with a quirky yet earthy take on women's issues such as body image, infertility, gender roles, and marriage. Her published fiction is collected in The Erotica Writer's Husband & Other Stories. www.munrojd.wordpress.com
PNWA Writers' Cottage Gilman Village 317 NW Gilman Blvd, space 8 Issaquah, WA 98027 |
MEMBER NEWS:
PNWA member Karen Fisher-Alaniz has an amazing and encouraging success story from PNWA's 2010 summer conference. Here it is, in her own words:
"I am so pleased and excited to share good news with you. I pitched my memoir, Breaking the Code: A Daughter's Journey into her Father's Secret War, to editor Peter Lynch of Sourcebooks. He asked me to send a synopsis and the first 50 pages. I worked like crazy and sent it in. About a month later, I got a very enthusiastic letter back. They skipped protocol and offered me a contract right then and there. We have been going over it for a few weeks and tonight, I gave them the go-ahead to send me the signature copy. My book will be out in the fall of 2011! The way this all came about is quite amazing in itself. But without PNWA I would not be where I am at this moment. So, I wanted you to be amongst the first to know and also wanted to thank you for giving me the opportunity to get my book published."
Congratulations, Karen!
http://karenlalaniz.blogspot.com
PNWA member Kaki Warner announces the release of her latest novel, Chasing the Sun, on January 4th. This book concludes the Wilkins family saga and the Blood Rose Trilogy. Although she is sad to move on from this series, she is happily at work on the next trilogy for Berkley--The Runaway Brides. This series is also set in the 1870s, and chronicles the lives of four women who head to Colorado for a fresh start and end up getting more than they bargained for. The first book in the trilogy, Heartbreak Creek, will be released in July 2011. For more information on The Blood Rose Trilogy, book trailers, excerpts, synopses, newsletter, blog, etc., please go to www.kakiwarner.com.
PNWA member Sunnie Empie announces the fall release of The Legacy of Ida Lillbroända: Finnish Emigrant to America 1893. The book has been announced as a USA BOOK NEWS Best Books 2010 Finalist Award in two categories: Best Books: Multicultural Non-Fiction, and Best Books: Narrative Non-Fiction www.boulderhousepublishers.com/content/ida_lillbroanda.html
PNWA member Darlene Cox announces the publication of her 2010 novel, Pearl, that joins her previous two novels, A Little Bit of Larceny, published in 2008, and Web of Deceit, published in 2009. She invites members to learn more about her and her novels at
www.darlenecox-booksandblog.com.
PNWA member Donan Berg was the subject of a front page feature article in the November 8, 2010 Iowa City Iowa Press-Citizen after two of his unpublished manuscript entries landed in the winners' circle at the Dixie Kane Memorial Contest sponsored by the Louisiana Chapter of the Romance Writers of America.
www.abodytobones.com/
PNWA member Kay Kenyon's sci-fantasy novel, Bright of the Sky, is offered for a limited time as a free Kindle download. It is the first book of the science fiction quartet, The Entire and The Rose. The series has twice been shortlisted for the American Library Association Reading List Award. You can listen to a podcast interview with Kay here on the subjects of fiction and finding room in your life to write.
www.kaykenyon.com
PNWA member Tom Schabarum will be reading from his new novel, The Palisades,at Village Books (http://www.villagebooks.com/) in Bellingham, WA on January 30th, 2011, at 2pm. He will also be reading some poems, which recently won the 2010 Creekwalker Poetry Prize and are featured in Swimming With Michelangelo, a chapbook of poetry coming in December. The title poem can be seen here: http://vimeo.com/17372526
Visit Tom at www.thepalisadesnovel.com.
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CONTESTS/SUBMISSIONS:
PNWA 2011 Literary Contest
Our 2011 contest is an opportunity for you to showcase your unpublished work. Submit entries in any of twelve categories:
1. Mainstream
2. Historical
3. Romance (this year accepting electronic submissions only)
4. Mystery / Thriller
5. Science Fiction / Fantasy / Horror
6. Young Adult
7. Nonfiction / Memoir
8. Screenwriting
9. Poetry
10. Short Story
11. Children's Picture / Chapter Book / Middle Grade
12. Adult Short Topics: Article / Essay / Short Memoir
Finalists are judged by an agent/editor/industry professional to determine the top two in each category. $700 First Prize per category; $300 Second Prize.
Entries are $35 per entry for current PNWA members and $50 per entry for non-members. Simultaneous entries are accepted ONLY in different categories; that is, you may not submit more than one entry to a single category. All entries must be received by February 18, 2011.
Entry forms and detailed guidelines are available at www.pnwa.org.
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CLASSES/WORKSHOPS:
Start the New Year "Write" All Day Writing Retreat Saturday, January 15, 10am-4pm Coupeville's Madrona Massage Retreat Center, located on scenic Penn Cove, is a picture-perfect place to get away from the distractions that impede the writing process. Join published author, writing coach and literary agent, Andrea Hurst, for a focused day or writing, professional feedback, and support. Cost -- $75.00 PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED Register at info@andreahurst.com Novel Re-Vision: Editing Your Manuscript for Story 8 Saturdays, January 8th - March 5th, 2011 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (No class 2/26) Do you have a completed draft novel? Wondering what to do next? This Bellevue College class walks writers through the novel revision process. In-class exercises and critiques help students recognize the sections of their manuscripts that convey story and those that don't. During the course students will compile a list of edits necessary to revise their novel. Prerequisite: a completed draft novel. Cost $195.00 Questions? Contact Lois@LoisBrandt.com. Register at the Bellevue College Continuing Education Website: http://www.campusce.net/BC/course/course.aspx?C=12122&pc=17&mc=81&sc Writers' Roundtable featuring Jeanne Matthews Bainbridge Island, WA -- Author Jeanne Matthews introduces the Roundtable topic, "Using Myth in Creating Story and Character," on Tuesday, January 18, at the Field's End Writers' Roundtable, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. at the Bainbridge Public Library, 1270 Madison Avenue North. Jeanne Matthews was born and raised in Georgia and currently lives in Renton. Her novel Bones of Contention (2010) is a mystery set in the wilds of Australia's Northern Territory. The protagonist, a "wannabe anthropologist with a passion for mythology," tries to sort out the complicated song lines of her own ancestors while struggling to solve two perplexing murders. Matthews graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Journalism and has worked as a copywriter, a high school English and drama teacher, and a paralegal. www.jeannematthews.com The monthly Field's End Roundtable, free and open to writers of all levels and interests, takes place from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Bainbridge Public Library. The guest author introduces the topic, and then participants join in a Q & A period followed by a large group discussion. The evening closes with coffee and cookies, providing an opportunity to network with other writers. Additional support comes from the City of Bainbridge Island Arts & Humanities Fund. Visit www.fieldsend.org for more information.
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