Directions to The Clarion Hotel for our Annual Conference July 23, 2011

Hi everyone! We sure hope you're as excited about Ozarks Romance Authors' annual conference coming up on Saturday, July 23, 2011, as we are!

Since the directions in Mapquest are a little confusing, we wanted to post a couple of videos and explain the wacky way to find the hotel.

The Clarion's address is 3333 S. Glenstone Avenue here in Springfield, Missouri, and the hotel faces Glenstone. However, you can't turn into the hotel's parking lot from Glenstone. That's the wacky part.

IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE SOUTH (FROM BRANSON, HEADED NORTH TOWARD SPRINGFIELD)

If you're coming from the south down Highway 65 (from Branson, headed north toward Springfield), you have a few options. You can exit Highway 65 and get on the James River Freeway heading west, and then take the northbound Glenstone exit. If you take this route, you'll be headed north on Glenstone and you'll drive past The Clarion.

At this point, Mapquest's confusing directions tell you to make a U-turn. WRONG! You'll see The Clarion and the Ford dealership on your left (the west side of the street) and then you'll see the traffic light at the intersection of Glenstone and Erie. Turn left (west) on Erie and be ready to make an IMMEDIATE left turn (south) in front of the Ford dealership. Stay on this little access road until it is about to dead-end and then you'll turn right (west) into the hotel's parking lot.

We took this route to show you what to expect, and here is the video:

http://youtu.be/sjIEeR0STmo

IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE NORTH

If you're coming from the north, you probably:

* came in on Interstate 44 and took the Glenstone exit, and headed south on Glenstone

* came from the north on Highway 65, headed south, and took the Battlefield exit, and then came west on Battlefield and turned south on Glenstone

* came from the west (headed east) on Battlefield and turned south on Glenstone

this next video will make more sense to you.

At the intersection of Battlefield and Glenstone, you'll see Barnes & Noble on the southwest corner. This is where we're having our booksigning on from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. on Friday, July 22, by the way.

Go south on Glenstone and you will pass Barnes & Noble and Olive Garden. The traffic light will be Erie. Turn right (west) on Erie and be prepared to make an IMMEDIATE left (south) in front of the Ford dealership. Follow this little road until it is about to dead-end and make a right (west) into The Clarion's parking lot.

Here is a video to show what it looks like coming toward The Clarion from this direction:

http://youtu.be/YQowVCMccz0

Have you reserved your seat at our annual writers' conference? Click HERE to read all about the great speakers and topics. When you go to that page and scroll down, you'll see a spot at the bottom to register and pay using PayPal. If you need more information, or if you would prefer to mail a check to register, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com.

Congratulations to the Finalists in our 2011 Weta Nichols Fiction Writing Contest

Congratulations to the 8 finalists in our 2011 Weta Nichols Fiction Writing Contest!

Their entries are now in the hands of our final-round judges, literary agent Louise Fury and Avalon Books editor Lia Brown, who will be here in person at our annual conference July 23 in Springfield, Missouri.

During the conference, which will take place at The Clarion Hotel Convention Center (between Target and Friendly Ford on South Glenstone), we will announce the winners and present the cash prizes -- $100 for first place, $50 for second place, and $25 for third place. (If you are a finalist and can't make it, we will mail your prize.)

This year, we had a record-breaking 99 submissions from all over the world, representing many genres.

Many thanks to our first-round juges. Without them, we never would have been able to see our contest double in size.

Our 2011 finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

Linda Carroll Brad San Antonio, Texas "Hannah's Promise" Historical Romance

Cecily Cornelius-White Springfield, Missouri "Snatchers" Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Alice Cummings Springfield, Missouri "The Treasure Hunter's Lady" Fantasy Romance

Rebecca Davis Cincinnati, Ohio "The Goddess of Michigan Avenue" Paranormal Romance

Lily Herman Pont Vedra Beach, Florida "Out the Backdoor" Young Adult

Brenda Littau Pallyup, Washington "Love and Zombies" Romance/Horror

Normandie Ward Fischer Gloucester, North Carolina "Heavy Weather" Mainstream

Gail Zerrade Boise, Idaho "The Patriarch" Mainstream

If you are interested in competing in our 2012 contest, please click HERE to follow us on Twitter, or click HERE to follow us on Facebook.

Would you like to be included in the fun, learning, and networking that we have planned for our July 23, 2011, conference? Click HERE for details.

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!

2011 Annual Conference

Make plans to attend the Ozarks Romance Authors Annual Conference Saturday, July 23, 2011 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. The Clarion Hotel Conference Center, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, Missouri

*** Conference site is just a few minutes' drive from the original Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store and Grizzly Tools, so make it a family weekend trip. Your hubby and kids will have plenty to do while you are at the conference. ***

TICKET INFORMATION:

Pre-registration through July 1, 2011 = $60.00 Pre-registration after July 1, 2011 (or at the door) = $65.00

Members of Ozarks Romance Authors (ORA) receive discounted tickets: ORA member pre-registration through July 1, 2011 = $50.00 ORA member registration after July 1, 2011 (or at the door) = $55.00

Once again, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Ozarks Literacy Council to help their mission of promoting literacy in our region.

PITCH SESSIONS WITH EDITOR / AGENT

Attendees who would like to schedule a 10-minute pitch session with either Literary Agent Louise Fury or Avalon Editor Lia Brown must register for the conference (below) and then contact the conference chairwoman, Cecily Cornelius-White, in advance via email to schedule your pitch session. professorcecily@yahoo.com

AGENDA:

-- Registration and Breakfast

-- Opening remarks and intros

-- Shannon Vannatter - Cut the Fluff: The Art of Revision and Self-editing

-- Shannon Butcher and Eliza Lloyd - Suspense Plotting and Making it Hot

-- Leigh Michaels - Things that Stump the Best of Us (Pacing, Backstory, and Transitions)

-– Lunch (catered lunch provided on-site)

-- Discussion with Publishing Panel - Making a Good First Impression.

-- Break for small group discussions

– Break-out Session #1

- Shannon Vannatter - Crafting Effective (and Gender Appropriate) Dialogue - Publishing Panel - Future Directions in Publishing - Small Group Discussion with Agent and Editor Panel

– Break-out Session #2

- Shannon Butcher & Eliza Lloyd - Crafting Heroes to Die For - Leigh Michaels - Playing Fair: When Characters Keep Secrets

– Break

-- Full Panel Q &A

Awards -- Presented for Weta Nichols Writing Contest

Closing remarks and Adjourn

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Shannon Vannatter Central Arkansas author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife/writer. She recently signed a three-book contract for her contemporary inspirational romance series set in Romance and Rose Bud, Arkansas.

Heartsong titles ship to a 10,000 member book club before releasing in stores. Vannatter*s titles: White Roses, White Doves, and White Pearls will be available through the book club and preorder in May 2010, October 2010, and January 2011 respectively and in stores six months later for each title.

It took Vannatter nine years to get published in the traditional market. Like Janette Oke, she views her work as a ministry and her books as paper missionaries. Vannatter hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as her characters struggle with real-life issues. Their journeys, from ordinary lives to extraordinary romance through Christ-centered relationships, demonstrate that love doesn’t conquer all, Jesus does.

Her short stories appeared in Mature Living and The Writers’ Journal, in 2009. Her first novel was Print On Demand published in 2001. She’s received several awards including 2nd place in RWA’s 2007 Touched By Love and 2008 Where the Magic Begins Contests, and a Honorable Mention in The 2007 Writer’s Journal Romance Contest. Her works have been displayed at Springfest’s Annual Artist & Author Exhibit.

Vannatter has taught fiction workshops for several writers’ groups including: Arkansas Inspirational Writers, Cleburne County Writers’ Guild, Fiction Writers of Central Arkansas, and White County Creative Writers. She’s contracted to teach workshops in 2010 at the Life Press Christian Writers’ Conference in Memphis, TN and the Ozark Creative Writers’ Conference in Eureka Springs, AR.

Vannatter is available for writers’ groups, workshops, conferences, schools, colleges, churches, book clubs, media appearances, print interviews, speaking engagements, and book signings.

Shannon Butcher

Since launching her career in 2007, award-winning author Shannon K. Butcher has penned more than eighteen titles, including the paranormal romance series, the Sentinel Wars; the action-romance series, the Edge; and a handful of romantic suspense novels and works of short fiction. Being a former engineer and current nerd, she frequently uses charts, graphs and tables to aid her in the mechanics of story design and to keep track of all those pesky characters and magical powers. An avid beader and glass artist, she spends her free time playing with colored glass and beads. You can find her online at http://shannonkbutcher.com/.

Leigh Michaels Leigh Michaels is the author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary novels, three historical romance novels, and more than a dozen non-fiction books. More than 35 million copies of her romance novels have been published. Six of her books have been finalists for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America. She has received two Reviewer's Choice awards from Romantic Times.

Her work has been translated and published in 120 countries in more than 25 languages, including Japanese, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish, Hebrew, Greek, Swedish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Africaans, Arabic, Indonesian, and Chinese.

She is the 2003 recipient of the Johnson Brigham Award presented by the Iowa Library Association to an Iowa author for outstanding contributions to literature.

She is the author of On Writing Romance, published by Writers Digest Books.

She is the author of non-fiction books such as WRITING THE ROMANCE NOVEL, a step-by-step workbook, and CREATING ROMANTIC CHARACTERS. She is also the author of DEAR LEIGH MICHAELS: A Novelist Answers the Most-Asked Questions about Getting Published, and a cookbook, A TASTE OF LOVE. She has produced audio programs and written magazine articles on subjects of interest to writers in general.

She teaches romance writing on the Internet at Gotham Writers' Workshop. Men and women from around the world have participated in her workshops, and a number of them have gone on to publish their own romance novels with commercial publishers. She is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Communications at the University of Iowa.

She wrote her first romance novel when she was a teenager and burned it, then wrote and burned five more complete manuscripts before submitting to a publisher. Her first submission was accepted and published by Harlequin Books, the first publisher to look at it.

Eliza Lloyd Eliza Lloyd currently has three novels published with Ellora’s Cave in their 19th Century/Legend line of historicals. Eliza thinks romance writing is nearly as good as the real thing. Given her choice of professions, she would have preferred to be a 19th century archeologist, but she is perfectly happy living in the 21st century and comfortably writing about such romantic but inconceivably inconvenient times instead. She also writes contemporaries, romantic suspense and the occasional sci-fi when plotting and characterization don’t matter and invisibility does.

Eliza wrote her first romance novel after years of yearning. She finally woke up one day and asked, “Why the heck am I not writing?”

She enjoys traveling, movies, everyone else’s novels and a good meal out with friends on Saturday night. Her greatest flaw is that she believes there is such a thing as true love. Don’t tell her otherwise, please.

Louise Fury I am a Literary Agent, Marketing advocate and general lover of books. I work at the L. Perkins Agency and always on the lookout for fun pop culture books. I organize massive book groups for MG and YA Readers where kids can Meet, Greet and Eat with talented authors. I am also passionate about connecting with South African Authors. The rest of the time I network while navigating the slush pile.

Lia Brown

editor at Avalon Books, started her career in publishing at Starlog magazine as a high school intern, fell in love with editing and the creative process, and hasn’t wanted to do anything else since. During the last twenty years she has worked on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction topics and genres at several publishing houses including, Marvel Comics, HarperCollins, St. Martin’s Press, Oxford University Press, and Random House Children’s Books.

At Avalon she acquires family-friendly contemporary and historical romances.

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ORA Conference 2011

First and Last Name: Address City, State Zip E-mail Phone Number: URL Are you published? yes no Would you like to be included in the book signing? yes no Please tell us the name of your latest publication: Please give us your ISBN and the name of your publisher so we can be sure to get your books ordered in time. Do you have more books to include in the signing? If so, please list the same information on them as you did above. Registration fees for ORA Members $50.00 Non-Member Fees $60.00

Pre Registration or Late Registration Member or Non-Member

ORA Member $50.00 ORA Member after July 1, 2011 $55.00 Non-member $60.00 Non-member after July 1, 2011 $65.00

Pitch your book in person to a literary agent or big publishing house's editor at Missouri writers' group's annual conference

SPRINGFIELD, MO -- A conference for fiction writers is scheduled for 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. July 23, 2011. The annual event will feature agent and editor pitch sessions, workshops, panel discussions, break-out sessions, and networking, and will be held at the Clarion Hotel Conference Center, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, Missouri.

Tickets are $60 prior to July 1, or $65 after July 1 or at the door, payable online via secure server by visiting http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/2011-annual-conference or via check.

The conference, open to all who write fiction, is sponsored by Ozarks Romance Authors, a multi-genre non-profit group founded in 1987.

Attendees can 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.

Featured guests and speakers will be novelists Leigh Michaels, Shannon Vannatter, Eliza Lloyd, and Shannon Butcher.

Topics include revision and self-editing, plotting, pacing, backstory, transitions, dialogue, character development, and 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.

A discount on sleeping rooms at The Clarion is available.

Ozarks Romance Authors is a non-profit organization for writers in the southwest Missouri region. Monthly speakers help writers of all genres hone their skills and explore writing opportunities.

Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station in Springfield. Visitors are welcome, and more information is available by calling (417) 597-4716 or by visiting www.Ozarks-Romance-Authors.com.

Become a fan on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/OzarksRomanceAuthors and follow the group on Twitter http://www.Twitter.com/OzarksRomance.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

LOUISE FURY http://lperkinsagency.com http://louisefury.blogspot.com Louise Fury, literary agent with the L. Perkins Agency, will be taking pitch sessions from authors at the conference.

Louise believes in the power of marketing and is constantly on the lookout for authors who know how to promote themselves.

She is seeking well written, teen sci-fi and young adult horror. She is also on the hunt for fun, imaginative and engaging middle grade fiction--think humor, adventure and mystery. The characters must be authentic and original. Louise is a huge adult horrror fan, but also loves romance (especially Regency and Victorian) and is looking for paranormal and steampunk romance novels with series potential. (No memoirs or erotica.)

LIA BROWN http://avalonauthors.blogspot.com/2010/04/introducing-new-editor-lia-brown.html Lia Brown, editor at Avalon Books in New York City, will be taking author/editor appointments at the conference. She is currently looking for single title, category, contemporary, and historical.

Brown started her career in publishing at Starlog magazine as a high school intern, fell in love with editing and the creative process, and hasn’t wanted to do anything else since. During the last twenty years she has worked on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction topics and genres at several publishing houses including, Marvel Comics, HarperCollins, St. Martin’s Press, Oxford University Press, and Random House Children’s Books.

LEIGH MICHAELS http://www.leighmichaels.com Leigh Michaels is the author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary novels, three historical romance novels, and more than a dozen non-fiction books. More than 35 million copies of her romance novels have been published. Six of her books have been finalists for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America. She has received two Reviewer’s Choice awards from Romantic Times.

Her work has been translated and published in 120 countries in more than 25 languages, including Japanese, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish, Hebrew, Greek, Swedish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Africaans, Arabic, Indonesian, and Chinese.

She is the 2003 recipient of the Johnson Brigham Award presented by the Iowa Library Association to an Iowa author for outstanding contributions to literature.

She teaches romance writing on the Internet at Gotham Writers’ Workshop. Men and women from around the world have participated in her workshops, and a number of them have gone on to publish their own romance novels with commercial publishers. She is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Communications at the University of Iowa.

She wrote her first romance novel when she was a teenager and burned it, then wrote and burned five more complete manuscripts before submitting to a publisher. Her first submission was accepted and published by Harlequin Books, the first publisher to look at it.

SHANNON VANNATTER http://www.ShannonVannatter.com Central Arkansas author Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife who writes inspirational romance fiction. She recently signed a three-book contract for her contemporary inspirational romance series set in Romance and Rose Bud, Arkansas.

It took Vannatter nine years to get published in the traditional market. Like Janette Oke, she views her work as a ministry and her books as paper missionaries. Vannatter hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as her characters struggle with real-life issues. Their journeys, from ordinary lives to extraordinary romance through Christ-centered relationships, demonstrate that love doesn’t conquer all; Jesus does.

Her short stories appeared in Mature Living and The Writers’ Journal in 2009. Her first novel was published in 2001. She’s received several awards including second place in the Romance Writers of America 2007 Touched By Love and 2008 Where the Magic Begins Contests, and an Honorable Mention in The 2007 Writer’s Journal Romance Contest.

SHANNON BUTCHER http://www.shannonkbutcher.com ' Shannon Butcher is the wife of fantasy and sci-fi author Jim Butcher. She learned to write in an effort to help him improve his own work and as soon as she discovered that writing was more a learned skill than a natural talent, she knew she had to give it a try. She couldn’t resist the challenge of taking the pieces of a story apart and putting them back together again.

She thought she would write the same kind of thing Jim did, but then she picked up her first romance novel in 1998 and was hooked. Somehow, stories about how two people come to love each other made everything else seem shallow in comparison, she said.

ELIZA LLOYD http://www.elizalloyd.blogspot.com Eliza Lloyd currently has three novels published with Ellora’s Cave in their 19th Century/Legend line of historicals.

Eliza thinks romance writing is nearly as good as the real thing. Given her choice of professions, she would have preferred to be a 19th century archeologist, but she is perfectly happy living in the 21st century and comfortably writing about such romantic but inconceivably inconvenient times instead.

She also writes contemporaries, romantic suspense and the occasional sci-fi.

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