Pacific Northwest Writers Association
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WRITERS ASSOCIATION
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NOVEMBER 2012 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
 

(However, please note that this email address is not regularly monitored.  For any questions or comments, please email pnwa@pnwa.org)

  
(Announcements must be received by the 19th of
the previous month to be included).

PNWA NEWS:
 

November Member Workshop and Meeting

Thursday, November 8 @ 7:00pm  

   

King County Library Service Center 
960 Newport Way NW
Issaquah, WA 98027

Topic:  Getting a Book Published: An Author's Journey

Maureen Francisco, author of It Takes Moxie, discusses her journey from query letter to book contract. Maureen will discuss how she developed her concept, how she fine-tuned her query letter, how many query letters she sent out, what she learned from each rejection, and how she finally landed a literary agent and book contract.

Maureen is a PNWA member and author of It Takes Moxie:  Off the Boat, or Out of College, to Making it Your Way in America.  Maureen's journey took many twists and turns along the way, such as a lunch meeting with Teddy Zee, the executive producer of The Pursuit of Happyness, and Dr. Connie Mariano, the former White House doctor to three US presidents. Maureen is the co-president of the Seattle Ascend Chapter, a non-profit organization that nurtures today's Pan-Asian leaders.  

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PNWA's 2013 Literary Contest (deadline: Feb. 22, 2013)

The 2013 PNWA Literary Contest presents an opportunity for writers to showcase their unpublished work.    

Contest categories:

1. Mainstream

2. Historical

3. Romance/Erotica

4. Mystery/Thriller

5. Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Paranormal

6. Young Adult (ages 12-18)

7. Middle Grade (ages 8-12)

8. Nonfiction/Memoir

9. Poetry

10. Short Story

11. Children's Picture/Chapter Book

12. Adult Short Topics (Article/Essay/Short Memoir)


Awards and Benefits:

  • The eight finalists in each category will be notified June 2013 prior to the PNWA Summer Conference (July 25 - 28, 2013).
  • Award winners will be announced at the conference.
  • Every entry accepted in the contest will receive two critiques - a useful tool for any writer.
  • Finalists who attend the PNWA Summer Conference will receive a Finalist ribbon for their name badges, giving them high visibility to the agents and editors at the conference. Finalists' manuscripts will be made available to agents and editors during the conference.
  • In addition, finalists' entries are read and judged by an agent or editor to determine the top two in each category.
  • Winners are given the opportunity to attend the Agents and Editors Reception at the PNWA Summer Conference.

For more details, visit our website.

 

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Member Book Signings: November 17

Join us on Saturday, November 17 from 1:00 - 3:00pm for a multi-author book signing at the Writers' Cottage!

 

The following authors will be on-hand to sell and sign copies of their books:

 

Vaughn Entwistle

Mark Holtzen

Nancy Miller

Royce Roberts

Tamsen Schultz

Leslie Thompson

Feel free to come by the Cottage anytime between 1:00 and 3:00pm to support your local authors!  (We also ask that you please bring cash or checks if you would like to purchase books.)  We hope to see you there!

 

The Writers' Cottage is located at:

 

Gilman Village

317 NW Gilman Blvd, space #8

Issaquah, WA 98027

 

MEMBER NEWS:

 

PNWA Member Kaki Warner is delighted to announce that US Penguin Group/Berkley will be reissuing her Runaway Brides Trilogy in mass market, starting with Heartbreak Creek on November 6th. She is also pleased to add that Penguin Publishing will be releasing her first Christmas e-novella, Miracle In New Hope, on December 12th.

 

Amidst the snowy peaks of the Rocky Mountains in 1871, Daniel Hobart keeps to himself -- a man with a hole in his heart that matches the scar on his face. But when Daniel starts having visions of a young girl crying out for help, he begins to fear that solitude may have caused him to lose his mind. Determined to find out the truth about the mysterious girl, Daniel travels into New Hope and learns that she's the missing daughter of widow Lacy Ellis. After a year of heartbreak, Lacy isn't sure what to make of Daniel's claims of seeing her daughter. But when he sets out to find Hannah on his own, Lacy decides to join him, allowing herself one last chance to hope. And as they retrace the long-cold trail of Hannah's disappearance, two broken people manage to take some small comfort in each other, and in the possibility of a miracle...

 

For excerpts of all of Kaki's books, please stop by her website: http://kakiwarner.com/books.html

 

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PNWA member Mark Holtzen would like to announce the release of his middle-grade children's novel, The Pig War. When his parents send him to remote Mobray Island for a summer with his curmudgeonly grandfather, bookish Kell thinks his time is going to be a boring bust. But he and his boisterous sister Grace are quickly drawn into events from the island's past - The Pig War of 1859. What was The Pig War? Did pigs actually fight? What if Kell and Grace are caught with the buried revolver they've uncovered? And why does their grandfather go fishing without his fishing gear? By summer's end Kell learns that Mobray Island holds more adventure than he bargained for: shady ancestors, shadier neighbors, and even some discoveries about himself.

 

To read a Kirkus Review, as well as see Northwest bookstores where you can find The Pig War (and support local indie bookstores), visit his website: http://www.markholtzen.com/books/

You can also find his book at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

 

Mark has a guest blog at the nwbooklovers site (http://nwbooklovers.org/2012/09/11/seven-ways-to-make-third-graders-quiet-recs-from-mr-holtzen/) and he will be signing books at the November 17th PNWA event at the Writer's Cottage in Issaquah.

 

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PNWA member Jean Williams, a local environmental journalist, has launched a series of e-books entitled Keystone Prairie Dogs: They're a Lot Like People.  These booklets are designed to combine the narrative of wildlife experts with entertaining pictures and funny, satirical scenarios.  The purpose is to offer an educational and informative resource on a highly imperiled and misunderstood species, presented in a humorous and provocative way, designed to reach a broader audience beyond the scientific community.

http://www.examiner.com/article/charming-keystone-prairie-dogs-make-national-debut?cid=db_articles

 

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PNWA member Jess Steven Hughes will be signing copies of his historical novel, The Sign of the Eagle, on the following dates:

 

-Albertsons, 1304 N. Liberty Lake Road, Liberty Lake, WA, Saturday, November 17th, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.  

-Hastings Books, Music & Videos, 1704 W. Wellesley Ave., Spokane, WA, Saturday, November 24th, 4-8 p.m.

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PNWA member Anjani Millet would like to start a critique group in Seattle. Anjani writes:

"Looking to join or create a writing group in Seattle.  No horribly violent focuses though, please. Any genre.  Skype or online meetings ok too.  If interested, please contact me at anjanim@gmail.com."

CLASSES/WORKSHOPS:

 

Writers Workshop with Robert Dugoni

The Write Place presents New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni in a full-day workshop, November 10, 2012, in Spokane, Washington.

 

Don't miss this acclaimed national seminar on fiction writing. Gain a nuts & bolts approach to writing the novel from initial idea to final edit from a master writer and teacher.

 

  • Story structure and development, including outlining
  • Maintaining and increasing suspense
  • Creating memorable characters, including dialogue techniques
  • Self-Editing methods
  • Pitfalls to avoid that result in rejection or reader disappointment
  • Support to remove any obstacles in the path to publication
  • The writer's life, including overcoming writer's block
  • Lecture, in-class writing, examples from Bob's other bestsellers

 

WHO: All writers who want to improve their writing and storytelling from beginning to published novelists and memoirists  

 

WHEN: Saturday, November 10, 8 am to 5 pm (meet & greet 8-9am)

WHERE: Red Lion at the River, Division Street at the bridge, Spokane, WA

HOW: $100 ($85 for seniors and students)
To register, email gunnerbob@comcast.net

 

For more information call Bob Manion at 509-999-4332 or visit http://writingnorthidaho.blogspot.com/2012/10/robert-dugoni-to-present-writing.html  

  

CONTESTS/SUBMISSIONS:

 

2013 Nautilus Book Awards

Now open for submissions! A prestigious Awards Contest for books that showcase new ways of thinking and healthy, natural options for living sustainably and peacefully together.

 

Benefits include cash prizes for grand winners, plus exhibit & marketing opportunities for all winners. Visit www.nautilusbookawards.com for details.

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