Did you see us in the Joplin Independent July 8, 2011?

The Joplin Independent, an online newspaper based in Joplin, Missouri, ran our press release about our annual writers' conference coming up July 23, 2011.

Joplin is our neighbor, approximately an hour west of down Missouri I-44. You've probably heard about Joplin a lot in the national news lately, since an EF-5 tornado ripped through the town on May 22, 2011. As of today, the death toll stands at 159.

Joplin is beginning to rebuild, but still needs long-term assistance. If you would like to donate to Convoy of Hope, please click HERE to go to the organization's web site.

HERE is a link to the story.

The text of our press release is as follows:

Conference for fiction writers is scheduled Updated: 2011-07-08 10:12:38 SPRINGFIELD - A conference for all who write fiction sponsored by Ozarks Romance Authors is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jul. 23, 2011. The annual event will feature agent and editor pitch sessions, workshops, panel discussions, break-out sessions, and networking. It will be held at the Clarion Hotel Conference Center, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield. A book signing will kick off the event from 4-6 p.m. on July 22 at Barnes & Noble, 3055 S. Glenstone Ave.

Attendees may pre-schedule one-on-one meetings to pitch their completed manuscripts with Louise Fury, literary agent with the L. Perkins Agency, or Lia Brown, editor with Avalon Books. Also scheduled to conduct workshops will be novelists Leigh Michaels, Shannon Vannatter, Eliza Lloyd, and Shannon Butcher. Their topics will include revision and self-editing, plotting, pacing, backstory, transitions, dialogue, character development and a review of the publishing industry. Winners of the annual Weta Nichols Fiction Contest, named in honor of the group's late founder, will be announced to conclude the day.

Tickets are $65, payable online via secure server here or via check at the door.A discount on sleeping rooms at The Clarion is available.

Ozarks Romance Authors is multi-genre non-profit group founded in 1987 in the southwest Missouri region. Monthly speakers help writers of all genres hone their skills and explore writing opportunities. Regular meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station in Springfield. Visitors are welcome. More information is available by calling (417) 597-4716.

Pitch Information for ORA Conference Attendees

Attention ORA conference attendees: Scheduling for pitch appointments with Avalon editor Lia Brown and L.Perkins Literary agent Louise Fury will officially open at 9am, SATURDAY JUNE, 11th.

Lia Brown is looking for: Single Title, Category, Contemporary, and Historical.

Louise Fury is looking for: Single Title, Category, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Picture Books.

We ask that authors signing up for pitch appointments have your manuscript completed at the time of the pitch (although Louise says she will happily offer query or submission advice to those who do not have completed manuscripts, so long as they tell her up front the manuscript is unfinished.) Appointments will run in ten-minute increments between the hours of 9am and 12:20 pm on the day of the conference, so spots are limited.

In your email, tell me who you'd like to meet with (first and second choice, if applicable). If you have a preference for time, you are welcome to mention it at the time of sign-up, but we cannot guarantees those requests. Scheduling will be done on a first come first served basis.

Contact conference chairperson Cecily Cornelius-White at professorcecily@yahoo.com for pitch appointment sign up beginning JUNE 11th at 9am (CDT), when scheduling opens.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at the conference!