Member Meeting: Making a Good First Impression
presented by Kate Collins
TONIGHT, January 8th @ 7 p.m.
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Did you know...
...that published authors who are PNWA members can announce their book releases in our monthly newsletters?
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Dear PNWA member,
Your monthly member newsletter is in! This newsletter is a benefit to all PNWA members.
If you have an announcement about your work or the world of writing, please send us an email at pnwa@pnwa.org so we can include it in next month's member newsletter. Please limit your announcement to 80-100 words. Use "Member Newsletter" as the subject title of your email.
(Announcements must be received by the 19th of the previous month to be included).
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member news
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Member Lisa Brunette is pleased to announce her debut novel Cat in the Flock. What distinguishes this book in the marketplace are two factors: 1) the unique premise of a "dreamslipping" detective who uses her limited, involuntary power to "pick up" other people's dreams to solve crimes and 2) what Kirkus Reviews calls a "refreshing majority of female characters." Cat in the Flock is available in print and as an ebook.
While this is a debut, Brunette comes to mystery writing with hundreds of credits under her belt in the game industry, where she's steered Big Fish's premium games more squarely into the mystery genre and raised the quality bar on their developers' storytelling.
Also, readers can get a sneak peek at Brunette's Out of the Blue, which is inspired by the author's childhood as an Air Force brat, through a series of short pieces available now as ebooks.
Member Quentin R Grady is pleased to announce the recent publication of The Falcon Queen, December 2014, available on Amazon. This novel is Book 3 of the Tales of the Ghost Eagle series of novels on the French and Indian War. Set in 1755, it follows the main characters Corrinne de Chanaye and Philippe Gerrard, as they flee the corruption of New France to the city of Boston, hoping to begin a new life in the Massachusetts colony. But in the center hold of their ship, The Falcon Queen, a sealed coffin carries a vulnax wraith. This old, evil supernatural being has stirred from its original grave in Germany. The ship also possesses Wilhem von Kleinfels, a Hessian major, who is sent in pursuit. His goals are malevolent. Find the coffin, break the seal, release the wraith, and kill Philippe, Corrinne, and all their children. It is a vivid story of adventure romance, coming-of-age love, war, and the occult.
Member Lyle Manley has published a unique memoir; Adventures of a Misfit is a hilarious blending of fact and fiction and an evocative trip through the 1950s and 1960s. It begins in Southern California with profane graffiti, as well as bewildered school officials and uncomprehending law enforcement. The family abruptly returns to its roots in tiny Pony, Montana, when the author is eight, allowing views of spectacular landscapes and local souls. By September, they move to Bozeman, requiring an awkward integration into small town society. It's a humorous portrait of a turbulent time, exploring the bewildering complications of individuality and acceptance. Available on Amazon.
Member Raven Oak is pleased to announce the publication of her first epic fantasy novel, Amaskan's
Blood. Set in the land of Boahim, Adelei is one of the feared Order of Amaska. Those who are a danger
to the Little Dozen Kingdoms wind up dead by her hand. The Order sends her away from her home in
Sadai and into the hands of the Order's enemy, her father. The job is nothing short of a suicide mission,
one serving no king, no god, and certainly not justice. With no holy order to protect her, she tumbles
dagger-first into the Boahim Senate's political schemes and finds that magic is very much alive and well
in the Little Dozen Kingdoms.
Amaskan's Blood will be available in January 2015 in paperback and eBook at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. To find out more, please visit www.ravenoak.net.
Member Mark Reutlinger's second novel, Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death, was published on November 14th by Random House/Alibi. Set in a Jewish retirement home, this cozy mystery is the first of a series featuring amateur sleuth Rose Kaplan. Narrated by Rose's best friend, Ida, Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death will keep you guessing, have you laughing, and you may even learn a little Yiddish along the way! Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death is available wherever e-books are sold.
Member Anne Sweazy-Kulju is thrilled to announce the official release of her third, highly-entertaining novel, Grog Wars (Tate Publishing), on December 30th. Who will win the war for love and beer? Get the answer, buy the book! Available at Amazon, Powell's, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.
Forced into an arranged marriage and dispatched to a strange new country, a German Brew Master learned he would do almost anything for love. In 1849, Burke Kaufmann survived the first leg of his journey: the cross-Atlantic voyage and the "floating coffin ships". Then he endured the Oregon Trail during its bloodiest history with Aussie pal Queensy Gray in tow. In due course, he landed in Portland, Oregon, "Shanghai capital," and arguably the most dangerous place on earth. Fighting for his life throughout his dangerous trek, Kaufmann succeeded in curing his depression. The experience also made him enormously wealthy; he was finally able to send for his bride, Lily. When he did, Kaufmann's greatest danger so far arrives with her.
Member Tracy Weber is delighted to announce that A KILLER RETREAT, the second in her light-hearted mystery series featuring a yoga teacher protagonist and her unruly-but-loveable German shepherd, is available now at booksellers everywhere, including Amazon
and Barnes and Noble. When Seattle yoga teacher Kate Davidson gets an offer to teach at a vegan resort on Orcas Island, she jumps at the opportunity, even though it means being forced to endure the wedding ceremony of the center's two caretakers. Avoiding the M-word turns out to be the least of Kate's problems when a wedding guest is found floating face-down in the resort's hot tub, shortly after a loud, public (and somewhat embarrassing) fight with Kate. The police pick Kate as their number-one suspect, so she'll have to find the killer fast, or her next gig may last a lifetime--behind bars.
A Killer Retreat has received rave reviews from Publisher's Weekly, and Library Journal, New York Times bestselling authors. Check it out at tracyweberauthor.com.
Member John D. Trudel is receiving 5-star reviews for his recent publication, Raven's Run. Trudel was also a featured author for Chanticleer in December 2014. Congratulations, John!
Member Jamie Zerndt is pleased to announce that his book, The Cloud Seeders, recently won the Cygnus Award for Speculative Fiction. Congratulations, Jamie!
Member Jeremy Zimmerman is pleased to announce the recent publication is his young adult novel, Kensei. Jamie Hattori's alter ego, the masked hero Kensei, has been doing pretty well protecting her neighborhood from petty villains with her martial arts skills, her father's katana, and a little help from the local spirits. But things get rough when the spirits start flaking out. Then there's her slipping grades, the vampire owls, and the cute roller derby chick looking for romance. And even worse, Jamie's hero-hating mom is starting to get suspicious. Can Jamie defeat her mysterious nemesis without tearing her family apart? And more importantly, will she score her first kiss? Available on Amazon.
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contests
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The Nancy Pearl Book Award
www.pnwa.org
PNWA's Nancy Pearl Book Award is a NEW literary contest designed to recognize recently published works by PNWA members. Books published in 2014 can be submitted for consideration. Winners will be announced at the 2015 PNWA Conference (July 16 - 19), receive $1000 in cash prizes, and one month of promotional advertising with PNWA and Author Magazine.
Deadline: January 23, 2015. Click here for more information.
2015 PNWA Literary Contest
www.pnwa.org
Don't miss this opportunity to put your work to the test and compete with some of the best writing talent in our international PNWA Literary Contest. There are 12 categories, cash prizes, and every entry receives two valuable critiques. Winners are announced every year at the Summer Conference in front of writers, agents, and editors.
Deadline: February 20, 2015. Click here for details.
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local events and workshops
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Hugo Literary Series: Laugh after Death
hosted by the Richard Hugo House
Friday, February 6, 2015 - 7:30 pm
"Too soon!": the stern reproach awaiting comedians who crack jokes about the dearly and recently departed. The comedian is supposed to feel lousy and clumsy, but more often than not they seem tickled to have been scolded. To anyone who has encountered death up close, it is decidedly unfunny, except for when laughter is the only solace around. In any case, death and humor twin up in difficult, fascinating ways (as anyone who's read Amy Hempel's "In The Cemetery Where Al Jolson's Buried," or most of Lorrie Moore's best stories will tell you).
On Feb. 6, you'll hear three brave authors search for a space straddling laughter and death: Sheila Heti, author of the wildly popular How Should a Person Be?;
Richard Kenney, a poet with formal leanings and a precise, original voice; and Seattle poet and documentarian Anastacia Tolbert. Music from Tai Shan.
hosted by Seattle7Writers
Saturday, February 7, 2015
A unique, collaborative one-day writers' conference for all levels of writers, Write Here Write Now is a fun, fast-paced day of writing for participants with mini-lessons, one-on-one author conferences, and support from a host of local writers. Includes breakfast and lunch, collaboration and camaraderie with the Pacific Northwest's finest published authors, and the guarantee that each participant will write and learn more than they thought possible in one day. At Seattle7Writers, we know that writers can help each other achieve great things. We firmly believe that writing (actually writing, not just learning about, talking about, or hearing about writing) is the key to writing well enough to get published. This is why Write Here Write Now is all about writing: with support, with tips and advice from friendly experts, and with the camaraderie of a room full of writers. Thursday, March 5, 2015 - 7:30 PM Benaroya Hall "The PCT gave me a really grand sense of humility, which is what you need so you can keep walking in ways both literal and metaphorical." -Cheryl Strayed Cheryl Strayed is a memoirist, novelist, and essayist. She is the author of two New York Times bestsellers, the memoir Wild (soon to be a feature film) and Tiny Beautiful Things, and the novel Torch. In 2012, Wild, about Strayed's 1,100-mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, was selected to be the inaugural book in Oprah's Book Club 2.0.
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Critique Group Classifieds
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Member Mike Miksch is looking to meet up with other writers in the Everett area who have either been published or are actively submitting material to markets. Mike is seeking feedback to take his writing to the next level, and is more than happy to reciprocate with feedback of his own.
Contact Mike at Mikemiksch@gmail.com.
Member Eric Ruthford is actively looking to join a critique group in the Puget Sound area. Currently, Eric is working on two narrative non-fiction projects; however, he would be happy to participate in a mixed genre group. Eric resides in Maple Valley.
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