We're putting together a fantastic lineup of speakers. Stay tuned for more details!
We LOVE Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty. We follow her on Facebook, listen to her podcasts, read her books, check what's new at her web site often, and her new book, "Grammar Girl's 101 Misused Words You'll Never Confuse Again," will be a door prize our our annual writers' conference in Springfield, Missouri, on July 23, 2011.
If you click on the image above (or on the link below), it will take you to a quick video of Grammar Girl thanking Ozarks Romance Authors members for our support. How cool is that?
Our 2011 writers' conference is listed in The Shaw Guides: The Guide to Writers Conferences & Workshops.
Ozarks Romance Authors
Website: http://www.ozarks-romance-authors.com Year Established: 1987 Program Description: Fiction writers conference that includes lectures, panel & group discussions, pitch sessions, Q&A. Number of Programs/Year: 1 Program Length: 1 day Group Size or S:T Ratio: ~75 Program Focus: Fiction, Humor, Mystery, Publishing, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult Faculty 2011: Literary agent Louise Fury; editor Lia Brown (Avalon Books); novelists Leigh Michaels, Shannon Vannatter, Shannon Butcher, Eliza Lloyd. Costs: $65 (early bird $60). U.S. Locations: Springfield, Missouri
Months: July Contact: Jill Slack, President Ozarks Romance Authors Springfield, MO 65802 United States Phone: 417-597-4716 E-Mail: ozarksromanceauthors@gmail.com
About ShawGuides Established in 1988 as a publisher of comprehensive worldwide guides to educational travel and creative career programs, ShawGuides has offered free online access to the unabridged, continually updated content of each guide since 1995.
You can search our updated database of career and recreational cooking schools, wine courses, golf & tennis schools & camps, high performance programs, writers conferences, photography, film & video workshops & schools, art & craft workshops, language vacations, cultural travel programs, and artists' and writers' residencies & retreats.
ShawGuides are recommended by many national and international publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Week, Fortune, U.S. News & World Report, and USA Today.
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.
This is kind of funny!
It looks like someone has a blog set up to pull its content automatically from other sources on the web. The blog is about car stereo equipment. It picked up on the fact that our July 23 writers' conference will be held at The Clarion in Springfield, Missouri, and posted information about us.
Clarion Hotel = Clarion stereo speakers?
Apparently they found us through the news story on the Joplin, Missouri-based web site JoplinIndependent.com, so this stereo speaker site linked to that article.
If you're looking for Clarion speakers for your car stereo, we can't help you. However, if you are an aspiring author, we would love to meet you and see how our members, our critique group, and our monthly meetings with fabulous speakers can help you work toward your publishing dreams.
For information about our annual Missouri writers' conference scheduled for July 23, 2011, in Springfield, click HERE.
If you'd like to find out about our monthly critique group and meeting, click HERE.
Did you see us in today's ezine from Springfield Regional Arts Council?
They usually send their e-newsletter each Monday, but since their office was closed Monday for the 4th of July holiday, the newsletter was sent today (Tuesday) instead.
SRAC mentioned Ozarks Romance Authors' Annual Conference coming up July 23, along with a link to our page on our their site. Click HERE to see our conference page on Springfield Regional Arts Council's web site.
Why did SRAC do this? Because we are a member of this fine organization that promotes the arts in southwest Missouri.
What did Springfield Regional Arts Council say about us?
Ozarks Romance Authors will host their annual conference all day July 23 at The Clarion.
This is conference for all fiction writers (not just in romance, this authors' group is multi-genre).
Registration is required.
Guest speakers will include award-winning authors, a literary agent from New York City, and an editor from Avalon Books.
July 22 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m., Barnes & Noble is hosting the conference kick-off with appearances from conference speaker and authors, and a booksigning event.
For more info - http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/2011-annual-conference/ Next Event (daily): Friday, July 22, 2011 - 4:00pm - 6:00pm
If you would like to receive Springfield Regional Arts Council's weekly ezine, click HERE and enter your email address.
Thinking of coming to our writers' conference on July 23, 2010? There is still time to register. Pay in advance using the link at the bottom of THIS page. You can even pay at the door that morning.
We'll have best-selling authors who are scheduled to travel to Springfield and make this one of the best writers' conferences in the state of Missouri. They have prepared fabulous presentations, workshops, and panels with information relevant to all writers of fiction (not just those writing for the romance genre).
We'll also have Louise Fury, literary agent with The L. Perkins Agency, and Lia Brown, editor with Avalon Books.
Hope to see you at The Clarion Hotel Conference Center on Saturday, July 23, 2010!
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.
Ozarks Romance Authors' members had a special treat Saturday, July 2, 2011, as author Louise A. Jackson was our guest speaker.
Louise's presentation was titled "From an Idea in My Head to a Book in Your Hand." She took us through the basics of the publishing industry with a healthy sprinkle of her journey toward publication and how the situation changes as you continue to be published.
We used our Twitter account to live-tweet during Louise's presentation, and we will now paste the transcript below.
If you would like to know about future live-tweets, become our fan on Facebook HERE and follow us on Twitter HERE.
Our next regular meeting will be Saturday, August 6, 2011, at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway in Springfield, Missouri. For details about our monthly meetings, click HERE.
Our annual conference will be held July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield, Missouri (on Glenstone, between Target and Friendly Ford). Details about our conference are available by clicking HERE.
Our speaker today is award-winning children's author Louise A Jackson http://www.louiseajackson.net
Louise is a member of Ozark Writers and Illustrators for Children
which is a group that meets here Saturday mornings
Like us, they meet 1st Sat of each month.
Children's group is having Workshop July 30 at The Library Center
Keynote is Paula Morrow, an agent who was an editor with Highlights for Children mag
Another speaker is Judy Young, a local author and former teacher
Ozark Writers and Illustrators for Children's web site is http://www.owaic.org
Another speaker at their July 30 workshop will be Vicki Grove
Our speaker today is award-winning children's author Louise A Jackson
Writing is a seamless garment. No matter the genre you write, it's much the same.
What should I write about? Who will read it? How can I make it interesting for them? Is this written correctly?
Every author asks these same questions. We can learn from each other in a variety of ways.
Today's topic: From an Idea in My Head to a Book in Your Hand
Not talking about self-pub today. There are great self-pub places, though.
Chicken Soup books couldn't find a publisher, so self-pubbed.
Now there are hundreds of publishers who would LOVE to have Chicken Soup.
You CAN be successful as a self-pub author. Louise's opinion: When you self-pub, it may be wonderful, but how do you know?
No other filter to say that you've gotten there.
Louise's personal opinion is if not good enough to pub on open market, she won't publish.
So this presentation is about traditional pub, not self-pub or e-pub.
Louise's first book began with a bit of family lore -- a clock that that was passed down
"Gone to Texas" was that book.
Every time you write a scene, your question becomes: Now what does he need, more than anything else, at this point?
"Gone to Texas" came from a family heirloom (clock) used in a fanciful way.
Don't hesitate to go with regional presses. They're smaller presses, but many are quite good.
After JK Rowling sold HP and businesses that knew nothing about publishing entered scene,
they compressed things and lost a lot. Naive men thought HP came along every other day.
Same thing happened in publishing that happened in banking.
Citibank, Bank of America bought up smaller banks. After they consolidated, regional banks started opening again
We have lots of regional banks that grew out of demand from "too big to fail" banks.
Louise's "Gone to Texas" was pub by regional press Eakin.
Peachtree Press in Atlanta is also very good.
Another book came from learning Springfield had a home for soldiers' kids orphaned by war.
Do a LOT of research! Louise is big believer in doing research.
You need MORE data than you will ever use. Then you'll probably need MORE research before finishing.
Get your idea, do lots of reseach. Begin to develop main characters.
Louise writes paragraphs in the character's voice to develop the character.
What's in his life that he doesn't want anyone to know? This drives their behavior.
Backstory is vital! Write your story, then go back and drop bits of backstory into the manuscript.
Louise strongly urges writers to work with a critique group!
@OzarksRomance Authors hold critique group 10am 1st Saturday of each month.
Louise's critique group meets weekly. She revises her work based on their critiques.
You've finished your book. Now what? Get a copy of "Writer's Market."
Do your research BEFORE sending your manuscript to a publisher.
There is nothing worse than sending your manuscript to a publisher who does not publish that genre.
Follow proper manuscript formatting guidelines -- double space, 1" margins, only 1 space after period ending sentence.
Never take for granted the editor is still at that pub house. They constantly move around.
By the time Writer's Market comes out, they may be gone. Web site might not be correct.
Pick up the phone. Call publisher. Ask if that editor is still there. If in doubt, ask if male or female.
Get the editor's name right! Develop the art of the query letter.
Conferences are vital for writers. We're having one July 23! Details: http://ow.ly/4lZmp
Louise says you can have 10 queries out for 1 manuscript, but only send ms to 1 house at a time.
Loads of info online of how to write a query letter.
Louise makes most of her publishing industry contacts through conferences.
She is going back to a national publisher (rather than regional) again for next book.
Someday you'll get call/letter saying they want to buy your book. Next to having a child, this is the best feeling EVER.
Enter contests! Put your book out there.
Louise's book "H is for Hope" helps the Rainbow Network. http://rainbownetwork.wordpress.com
Rainbow Network is a faith-based organization working to end extreme poverty in Nicaragua through housing, health care,
education, micro finance, and sustainable agriculture.
A lot of the process of writing means pieces of process take places simultaneously.
Louise was a teacher for many years and earned her doctorate in 1965.
Conferences Louise attends? Society for Children's Book Writers & Illustrators, Ozarks Writers League
Thanks for joining our live-tweet of author http://www.louiseajackson.net
Ozarks Romance Authors' very own Jennifer Jakes discussed the Alpha Male yesterday on Rachel Leigh's blog.
EXCERPT:
So what do you think, ladies? Do you find yourself drawn to Alpha or Beta males in movies or books? Action hero or Romantic Comedy? Rouge or guy next door?
Want to see what all of the fuss is about? Click HERE to visit Rachel Leigh's blog.
Rachel Leigh is a writer of erotic romance who loves mixing love with good sex and plenty of cheeky laughter. She says the aim of her stories is to turn readers on, as well as making them feel love may be just around the corner. She is basked in the United Kingdom.
Jennifer Jakes writes hot western romance novels. She is the author of "Rafe's Redemption." Click HERE to visit her web site.
Eliza Lloyd is one of the authors coming to speak at our annual writers' conference, and she just gave a little sneak peek on her blog HERE. In fact, this is the second time she has mentioned our writers' conference, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 23, 2011, in Springfield, Missouri. We mentioned the other occurrence HERE, along with links to Eliza's books.
If you like a sexy, steamy read, click on her titles below.
Follow Eliza Lloyd on Twitter! Her Twitter name is @elloydwriting .
Writers' conferences and conventions of this quality in the midwest are not easy to find. This year's conference is full of presentations and workshops by award-winning authors, plus our attendees can schedule pitch sessions with a literary agent and publishing house editor from New York City. Opportunities like this do not happen often in the Ozarks! If you would like more details about who will be speaking (and who will be taking pitch sessions) at our conference, click HERE.
Ozarks Romance Authors, a non-profit group for Missouri writers of all genres, was founded in 1987. The regional writers’ group holds its meetings the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway, in Springfield, Missouri.
Visitors are welcome. Your first three visits are free. For details about upcoming meetings, please click HERE.
Our annual conference will be held July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. To learn more about the amazing lineup of speakers and workshops, click HERE to visit our conference page.
If you have questions about the group, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.
http://elizalloyd.blogspot.com/2011/06/ozark-writers-conferencejust-around.html
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.
Looking for a great way to support your favorite non-profit group while letting more people know that you are a fabulous writer?
How about adding a few pieces of ORAwear to your wardrobe?
Here is the link to go to our store: http://www.cafepress.com/romanceauthors
You'll find some cute things like T-shirts, sweatshirts, polo shirts, ringer T-shirts, caps, tote bags, messenger bags, teddy bears, license plate frames, and mugs.
Ozarks Romance Authors was founded in 1987 as a regional writers' group focusing on the romance fiction genre. The group was a chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWA).
Through the years, ORA evolved into a multi-genre group. Current members have been published by traditional book publishers, e-publishers, independent publishers, Kindle, Nook, and various newspapers, magazines, trade journals, and industry publications.
Members range from those who are just thinking of getting started in writing to those who have been published many times.
If you are interested in the publishing industry, we would love to meet you. Our monthly meetings are fun and informative, and our critique group can help you polish your manuscript and get it ready for agents and editors to consider.
Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station in Springfield, Missouri. This is just south of the intersection of Interstate 44 and North Kansas Expressway, or just north of the intersection of West Kearney Street and North Kansas Expressway. Click HERE to see a map.
If you have questions about the group, feel free to post a comment here, send us an email at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com, or call (417) 597-4716.
Two members of Ozarks Romance Authors are heating up the Internet today.
Barbara Bettis has welcomed Amanda Barke to her blog for Barb's popular "Writers' Wednesday" feature. Click HERE to see the interview.
AMANDA J. BARKE Amanda J. Barke is an author, editor, freelance journalist, singer/songwriter, and motivational speaker. She lives in the Ozarks (southwest Missouri) with her family.
Her work as a freelance journalist can be found in Ozarks' Senior Living Newspaper, Ozarks Mountaineer Magazine, Missouri Life Magazine, and various other regional publications. Her other articles can be found online at ehow.com, livestrong.com/lifestyle, and amykitchenerfdn.org.
As a motivational speaker, she travels all over Missouri promoting literacy in schools, teaching fellow writers, and motivating teens to follow their dreams. In 2010, she served as president of Springfield Writers' Guild.
She has been a member of Ozarks Romance Authors since early 2011.
Visit Amanda online by clicking HERE.
Her children's book, "The Sleepy Little Sun," is available online by clicking HERE.
Her novel, "A Distant Rumble," is available online by clicking HERE.
BARBARA BETTIS Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.
She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers' groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.
Visit Barb's blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.
Be sure to check Barb's blog for future Writers' Wednesday features!
Several folks have emailed and called Ozarks Romance Authors to ask if we will be live-tweeting from our annual conference, which is scheduled for Saturday, July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel Conference Center in Springfield, Missouri.
It seems that a few folks were hoping that they could just check in on Twitter to stay up-to-date with everything the award-winning novelists say during their workshops and presentations.
So, the big question is -- Will Ozarks Romance Authors live-tweet from our annual conference?
The answer is, "Sort of."
Here's the deal.
We will tweet to let our followers know what's going on behind closed doors to a certain extent. We'll let you know who is speaking and, toward the end of the day, we'll announce the winners of the 2011 Weta Nichols Fiction Writing Contest.
However, we will NOT tweet excerpts of the presentations and workshops.
You may be wondering, "Why not?"
There are several reasons.
1. The presentations and workshops contain material that falls under the copyright of the individual speakers. Out of respect for them, we won't put their information out there on Twitter.
2. Our attendees are paying a fee to attend the conference. Out of respect for them, we will not divulge the contents of the workshops and presentations on Tw. We hope that doesn't seem harsh. But, think about it. If you had paid anywhere from $50 to $65 to attend an all-day conference, would you be happy if you knew there were folks out there who were reading the same material that you just heard -- for free? Didn't think so.
There is still time to reserve your seat! If you still have not registered for our annual fiction writers' conference, click HERE to read all of the details and register at the bottom of the page.
Ozarks Romance Authors is a multi-genre writers' group, founded in 1987. We are a registered non-profit in the state of Missouri, and more than half of our members have been published.
Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station on North Kansas Expressway in Springfield, Missouri.
Visitors are welcome! Your first three visits are free. Join us for our critique group at 10:00 a.m., lunch at noon, and a guest speaker with a message relevant to the publishing industry at 1:00 p.m.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter at http://www.Twitter.com/OzarksRomance and "Like" us on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/OzarksRomanceAuthors.
If you have questions about visiting our group, feel free to email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.
Information about this conference is being provided by Ozarks Romance Authors because we support and encourage other writers' groups within our geographic region. In fact, many of our members overlap and are also members in these other groups.
Writing in the Ozarks: Writers' Conference at Ye Olde English Inn in Historic Hollister, Missouri August 18-19-20, 2011 (Thursday, Friday, and Saturday) Sponsored by Ozark Adventures, Inc.
The renovated English Inn, of Downing Street in downtown historic Hollister, MO, is the exciting, yet relaxing, working getaway site for writers of all genres: Westerns, Mysteries, Horror, general interest articles, mainstream fiction.
This historic inn features on-site dining at the River Stone Restaurant and the Black Horse Pub. Comfortable and elegant rooms include free wi-fi. All presentations are on-site or nearby on Downing Street, or at the campus of The College of the Ozarks (Saturday events only).
PRESENTERS
Janet Dailey introduced the “Western romance,” which focused on the female, who was often marginalized in traditional Western novels, and provided the “first look at heroines, heroes and courtships that take place in America, with American sensibilities, assumptions, history, and most of all, settings.” She is the author of the popular Calder Series, and she is now the owner of the English Inn! Visit Janet Dailey online by clicking here: http://www.janetdailey.com/blog.
Dusty Richards has written dozens of Western short stories and novels. He is the only writer who has won two Spur Awards in the same year (for short story and novel) and was named by Readers Choice in True West magazine as the “greatest living American Western writer.” He is the author of "Writing the West: A Western Novel Roundup." Visit Dusty online by clicking here: http://www.dustyrichards.com.
Radine Trees Nehring is the creator of the popular mystery series “Something to Die For,” set in the Ozarks, and featuring the adventures of Carrie Culpepper McCrite and Henry King. Her latest novel, "A Journey to Die For," was the winner of the 2010 Silver Falchion award at the Killer Nashville Conference. Visit Radine online by clicking here: http://www.radinesbooks.com.
Fred Pfister is a retired English professor and editor of The Ozarks Mountaineer magazine, and author of "The Insider's Guide to Branson and the Ozark Mountains" and "The Littlest Baby: A Handbook for Parents of Premature Children." Visit Fred online at the web site for Ozarks Mountaineer magazine by clicking here: http://www.ozarksmountaineer.com.
REGISTRATION & COSTS
Call Ozark Adventures at (417) 239-0203 to register. See program details in June on their website by clicking HERE. $60 ($70 at site) registration fee includes free, rest-of-year membership in the Ozarks Writers League (OWLs), to those not already members. (Click HERE for information about the group.)
Lodging and meals are at the expense of participants. Eateries within only two minutes walking distance of the English Inn are Vintage Paris, Little Hacienda, Japanese Kitchen, and Audi's #1 Pizza and Pub. Call Innkeeper Pam Hatch, 417-544-9056, and ask for special “Writer Rates” ($69 and $99). That rate includes breakfast at the Inn.
Visit www.oldenglishinnhollister.com for room views and information. Other lodging is located in the general area of Branson and Hollister. We would suggest the nearby Keeter Center on the campus of College of the Ozarks.
Read the article about “double Spur Award Winner” Dusty Richards in the forthcoming July-August issue of The Ozarks Mountaineer magzine. Subscribe and see sample articles and features at www.ozarksmountaineer.com.
This conference in Hollister coming up in August 2011 sounds fantastic! If you would like to attend, please post below or send us an email at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com so we can make plans to ride together or meet you there.
Ozarks Romance Authors is a non-profit, multi-genre group for writers and was founded in 1987. Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway, in Springfield, Missouri.
Join us for critique group at 10:00 a.m., lunch at noon, and our meeting/guest speaker at 1:00 p.m.
Visitors are welcome. Your first three visits are free.
Our annual conference will be held July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel and Conference Center in Springfield, Missouri. To learn more about the amazing lineup of speakers and workshops, click here to visit our conference page.
If you have questions about our group, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.
Louise A. Jackson will be showing us the traces of writing a novel from the first idea to publication.
Louise A. Jackson, of Springfield, Missouri, is the national award-winning author of five children’s books:
She has written articles published in The Reading Teacher, Language Arts, and Journal of the West.
Much in demand as a speaker, Jackson is known for her spirited presentations to all ages and for her ability to inspire and encourage writers.
You can visit her website by clicking here: Louise A. Jackson
If you're unable to make it, be sure to "attend" via our live-tweets during the presentation. Just become one of our followers on Twitter by visiting our page HERE and then follow our Twitter feed on Saturday, July 2, 2011, beginning at approximately 1:05 p.m. Central Time (USA).
In the December 4, 2004, issue of Springfield Parent & Family Magazine (now published by the Springfield News-Leader and known as Ozarks Moms Like Me), Louise shared the story of how she got started as a writer.
Jackson discovered the writing bug at age 10 when her mother bought her a Kodak Brownie box camera, and told her to write a story about her favorite photo on the roll.
"I wrote a story about a toad in the dog's water bowl," Jackson said. "My mother and I then packaged a lunch, went up into the hills, talked about descriptive writing, and practiced over and over. I loved it! My mother gave me another roll of film every summer."
Ozarks Romance Authors, a non-profit group for Missouri writers of all genres, was founded in 1987. The regional writers’ group holds its meetings the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway, in Springfield, Missouri.
Our next meeting is scheduled for Saturday, July 2, 2011, and you are welcome to come for our critique group at 10:00 a.m., lunch at noon, and our meeting with guest speaker Louise A. Jackson at 1:00 p.m.
Visitors are welcome. Your first three visits are free.
Our annual conference will be held July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. To learn more about the amazing lineup of speakers and workshops, click here to visit our conference page.
If you have questions about the group, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.
Best-selling author Leigh Michaels is scheduled to be one of our speakers as Ozarks Romance Authors presents its annual conference July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel in Springfield, Missouri.
Leigh's topics for this event include:
* "Things that Stump the Best of Us (Pacing, Backstory, and Transitions)"
* "Playing Fair: When Characters Keep Secrets" Leigh will also participate in panel discussions during the day with the other presenters.
Who is 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, www.writingclasses.com. 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.
To learn more about Leigh Michaels, visit her online at http://www.LeighMichaels.com
Ozarks Romance Authors, a multi-genre writers' group, has been a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Missouri since 1987. Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month, and the group's annual conference is scheduled for July 23, 2011, in Springfield, Missouri.
For a list of guest speakers and their topics, click here: http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/2011-annual-conference/
For Immediate ReleaseJune 2, 2011
Contact: William “Bucky” Bowman, Missouri Literary Festival chair, (417) 865-0450
Since Ozarks Romance Authors is a non-profit group for the benefit of Missouri writers and a member of the Springfield Regional Arts Council, we wanted to share information with our readers about this event coming up during the Missouri Literary Festival. Sounds like fun! High Tea with author Janis Cooke Newman planned Sept. 24 During 2011 Missouri Literary Festival: The Civil War
The public is invited to a unique author event – High Tea with Janis Cooke Newman, author of “Mary: Mrs. A. Lincoln,” from 3:30-5:30 p.m. Saturday, September 24, 2011, at the Creamery Arts Center, 411 N. Sherman Parkway, in Springfield, Missouri.
The event is part of the September 23-25, 2011, Missouri Literary Festival, which has three days of stirring programs and author events devoted to the American Civil War to commemorate the war’s sesquicentennial.
Tickets to the high tea are $25 per person and are available by calling festival chairman William Bowman at (417) 865-0450. A limited number of tickets is available. Tickets to the tea also provide general admission for all three days of the festival, a $15 value.
Newman’s “Mary” is told from the perspective of Mary Todd Lincoln, whom the author calls one of the most misunderstood women in American history. “Mary” is a story filled with love and war, sex and séances, assassination, infidelity, madness and politics. The book was honored as the USA Today’s Best Historical Fiction of the Year in 2006.
Newman is one of a host of national and regional authors of Civil War-related books who will talk and read from their books during the Sept. 23-25 literary festival at the Creamery in Springfield.
Events will run 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24; and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25. Tickets are $15 for the three-day event unless attendee has purchased a ticket for the Saturday High Tea.
Activities will include dozens of authors including headliners such as historian William C. Davis, author of numerous Civil War books including “The Battle of Bull Run;” Jeff Shaara, author of “Gods and Generals;” historian Adam Arenson, of “The Great Heart of the Republic: St. Louis and the Cultural Civil War;” David Wilson Atwood, of “Where The Mockingbird Sang – A Novel of the Civil War,” and many more regional and national authors of Civil War titles.
Other activities will include storytellers, discussions of the common soldier, demonstrations of the common Civil War family tent, period photography, Civil War-era music, quilting, a medical display, cooking demonstration, a celebration of African-American Poetry, entertainment by Marideth Sisco and Blackberry Winter at a Saturday night Authors Gala, children’s games and make-and-take activities, book sales and much more.
For more details or ticket information, go to www.missouriliteraryfestival.org, or call William “Bucky” Bowman, Missouri Literary Festival chair, (417) 865-0450.
Ozarks Romance Authors, a non-profit, multi-genre Missouri writers' group founded in 1987, has joined the Springfield Regional Arts Council.
The Springfield Regional Arts Council (SRAC) connects people and the arts. It supports some of the most prominent visual, performing, literary and film/media arts organizations within 27 counties, the largest outreach of any in the state of Missouri.
The Arts Council launched Artsfest in Phelps Gove Park in 1980, and moved it to historic Walnut Street in 1990. In recent years, Artsfest on Walnut Street has attracted 35,000 people as a celebration of visual and performing art becoming the largest fine arts festival in Southwest Missouri.
In 1990, First Night Springfield launched to celebrate the performing arts on New Year’s Eve in a family-friendly atmosphere in downtown Springfield. This event attracts 5-7,000 people annually.
Since 1997, both festivals have been operated under a management contract with the Urban Districts Alliance and are the two largest fundraisers for the Arts Council.
In 2001, the Arts Council was given the opportunity to lead a Cultural Trust initiative, working with the Missouri Arts Council to build endowment for regional arts organizations. In October 2001, the Arts Council changed its name to the Springfield Regional Arts Council, with the goal of becoming a full-service Arts Council for the region. It also implemented the First Friday Art Walk.
In 2009, Springfield was recognized as the 2009 Creative Community by the Missouri Arts Council. The Arts Council also launched its third festival, the Missouri Literary Festival, to be held bi-annually as well as opened Fresh Gallery, a collective gallery of local fine art and fine craft in downtown Springfield.
The SRAC accepted an agreement with the City of Springfield to restore an 1890s warehouse building in Jordan Valley Park. Plans were to renovate the building for use as an Arts and Culture Center, providing educational activities for the community. Staff officially moved into the partially renovated facility called The Creamery Arts Center in September 1, 2002. The official grand opening was held November 16-17, 2002. Currently, The Creamery houses the offices of the Arts Council, Springfield Symphony, Springfield Ballet, Springfield Regional Opera, Springfield Community Center, Care to Learn, as well as a board room, arts library, exhibition hall, film editing bays, shared costume and set design shops and shared costume and instrument storage.
The Arts Council partners with member organizations, the Springfield-Greene County Board, Springfield Community Center and Springfield Public Schools on various education programs that reach over 30,000 children a year. The Arts Council also supports the following programs by serving as their fiscal agent: Claymobile, First Friday Art Walk, Missouri Film Alliance of Springfield, Eclectic Endeavors and LemonDrop.
The SRAC has a 21-member board and has a full-time Executive Director, Finance Director, Programs/Exhibition Director and Executive Assitant/Facility Manager. In addition, there are several active volunteers who help with major events and projects. The SRAC has developed a solid internship program with local universities.
The SRAC's operations are funded through memberships, festival/event proceeds, grants, donations and a portion of the local hotel/motel tax.
The current mission of the SRAC is to transform lives and enrich our Community through the Arts.
Ozarks Romance Authors, a non-profit group for writers of all genres, was founded in 1987. The regional writers’ group holds its meetings the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway, in Springfield, Missouri.
Join us for critique group at 10:00 a.m., lunch at noon, and our meeting/guest speaker at 1:00 p.m.
Visitors are welcome. Your first three visits are free.
If you have questions about the group, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.
NOTE: When the first Saturday of the month falls on a holiday weekend, we often reschedule. If you’re thinking of visiting and it’s a holiday weekend, please email us to find out if we have rescheduled.
Barbara Bettis visits with fellow Ozarks Romance Authors member Misty Burke to her blog for Barb’s popular “Writers’ Wednesday” feature. Click HERE to see the interview.
MISTY BURKE Misty Burke lives in the romantic Ozark Mountains with her supportive husband and four children. When not enjoying family time, she loves to write steamy romances. Creating exciting fantasy worlds filled with dangerously handsome heroes is one of her passions.
Misty currently writes stories for Summerhouse Publishing, Evernight Publishing, Secret Cravings Publishing, and MuseItHOT Publishing.
She is an active member of Ozarks Romance Authors, Romance Writers of America, FF&P (Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal Chapter of RWA), and ESPAN (Electronic Small Press Authors' Network).
Her novel, "The Madame of Gravestone," is available online by clicking HERE.
Visit Misty online by clicking HERE.
BARBARA BETTIS Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.
She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America.
Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.
Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!
