There will be NO MONTHLY MEETING IN JULY. Instead we're hosting our first ORA Writers' Retreat July 8-10. Contact ozarksromanceauthors.com to join us for part or all of the weekend. Writing time, critiques and fun getting to know fellow authors--don't miss out!
February Meeting
Join Us Saturday, May 3, 2014 As Novelist Ellen Harger Presents: "Three Secrets for Tight Dialogue."
You are invited to attend our fiction writers' group on Saturday, May 3, 2014, as novelist Ellen Harger Presents: "Three Secrets for Tight Dialogue."
We'll be in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway in Springfield, MO. * Critique Group from 10:00 - 11:55 a.m. * Lunch next door at Panera from noon - 1:00 p.m. * Meeting begins at 1:00 p.m.
ABOUT ELLEN HARGER: Our very own Ellen Harger Pollreisz (writing as Ellen Harger) says: I write women's fiction heavy with sass and snark – my two favorite adjectives. I’m a new stepmom, too, so I have an almost endless supply of writing fodder. I’m also a dog lover. In. Every. Sense. Of. The. Word. Oh, and Southwest Missouri is fabulous. In 2013 I became a published author, wife, and new step-mom. I’ve been a dog lover since birth. For five years I lived in Bean Town, but ever willing to try new places, I eagerly crossed the country to live in Oakland and Berkeley. There I polished and noodled my first novel, and started a few more manuscripts with the help of NaNoWriMo. The bug developed into a full-fledged condition. After eleven years away, and loving the symmetry, I returned to the Midwest to finalize "Strong Enough," set in a town based on Springfield. I've published a poem, "Guidelines," released my debut novel as an e-book, and written a second Women’s Fiction novel, “The Anonymous Blog of Mrs. Jones.” The pipeline is backed up with short stories and novels waiting their turn. Time to open up the valve.
FIND ELLEN ONLINE HERE:
Website http://www.EllenHarger.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorEllenHarger
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6979258.Ellen_Harger
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Ellen-Harger/e/B00BOUQG26/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Hometown of Ozarks Romance Authors Voted 3rd-Most Romantic City in USA by Amazon.com
Springfield, Missouri -- where Ozarks Romance Authors is based -- was just ranked by Amazon.com as the third-most romantic city in the USA!
Our local newspaper, the Springfield News-Leader, called to interview ORA President Jill Slack to see what we think of this honor. Jill is quoted in a story on the front page of the Saturday, February 11, 2012 edition.
We saved a screenshot of the story to share with you.
Click here to open the PDF and read: SNL ORA quote 3rd Most Romantic City 2-11-2012
What did Jill have to say?
Jill Slack, president of Ozarks Romance Authors, said she thinks the rating isn’t necessarily because Springfield is a romantic place all on its own.
“I think it’s more that it’s the people,” Slack said. “It’s more of a traditional area.”
Slack also said there are quite a few writers in the Ozarks, which might be why romance book sales are higher — purchased for inspiration.
“When you’re a writer, you’re also a voracious reader,” Slack said.
Here is a link to a press release from Amazon.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20110208005991/en/Amazon.com-Announces-Top-20-Romantic-Cities-America
Excerpt from the original press release:
SEATTLE--Love is in the air. Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) today announced its list of the Top 20 Most Romantic Cities in America. After compiling sales data of romance novels and relationship books (Kindle Books and print books), romantic comedy movies (digital movies and DVDs), Barry White albums (CDs and MP3s), along with sexual wellness products, since Jan. 1, 2011, on a per capita basis in cities with over 100,000 residents, the Top 20 most romantic cities in the U.S. are:
Amazon.com’s Top 20 romantic cities 1. Knoxville, Tenn. 2. Alexandria, Va. 3. Springfield, Mo. 4. Orlando, Fla. 5. Cincinnati, Ohio 6. Vancouver, Wash. 7. Miami, Fla. 8. Murfreesboro, Tenn. 9. Dayton, Ohio 10. Columbia, S.C. 11. Pittsburgh, Penn. 12. Clearwater, Fla. 13. St. Louis 14. Erie, Pa. 15. Clarksville, Tenn. 16. Everett, Wash. 17. Gainesville, Fla. 18. Las Vegas, Nev. 19. Rochester, N.Y. 20. Tallahassee, Fla.
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.
The romance fiction genre takes yet another bash in the media
If you are a fan of (or writer of) romance fiction, you've probably heard the latest round of bru-ha-ha about the genre supposedly being bad for women. It came in the form of a news story titled Romance novels can be as addictive as pornography on a news site affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This claim comes from Dr. Julianna Slattery, of Focus on the Family. She is a psychologist and author of “Finding the Hero in your Husband," and her views on the romance fiction industry were shared in an article written by Kimberly Sayers-Giles, a Latter-day Saints “life coach," for KSL.com.
Slattery's theory includes the following points:
There are similarities between what happens to a man when he views pornography and what happens to a woman when she reads a romance novel.
Men are very visual, and viewing pornography produces a euphoric drug in the body. This drug is the reason pornography becomes addictive. When the natural high wears off, a man will crash and feel depressed (as happens with any drug) and crave another hit.
Women are more stimulated by romance than sex, so when they read romantic stories (and they don’t have to be explicit to work) they can experience the same addictive chemical release as men do.
For many women, these romance novels may be more than a necessity; they may be an addiction -- and Slattery said she is seeing more and more women who are clinically addicted to romantic books.
Women may find their standard for intimacy begins to change over time because may not be able to get as satisfied with their partners as they can reading a book.
Tamar Bihari has written a fabulous blog post in response to Slattery's claims over at Women's Voices for Change: Redefining Life After 40.
Tamar Bihari's arguments include the following points:
Because romance novels at their core are all about relationships and largely aim for a happy ending, they necessarily reflect their authors’ takes on what it takes to build a healthy relationship. How two people learn to communicate, how to treat each other with respect and appreciation, how they can help each other heal from old wounds. They don’t generally begin from a healthy place, but the characters grow and learn through the story.
In so doing, they can illuminate that process for their readers, much like women might do in person, sharing stories while sitting around an office break room, or hanging out at the local playground with their toddlers. Shared experience, giving the reader a few new tools to bring to her own relationship. What’s wrong with that? (Unless you don’t believe that a woman should challenge her spouse to bring more to the relationship emotionally? Hmm…)
Relationships, emotional connections, these are foundational to our lives. To dismiss (or condemn) an entire genre because it focuses on the subject smacks of Victorianism, dismissing the “women’s sphere.” Sexist? I think so, yes.
Incidentally, romance, like any other genre (including literary!), has its share of clunkers and unfortunate genre cliches, but also a surprising richness of high quality fiction. Beautifully written or delightfully fun depictions of a place, a time, a relationship.
Bihari graduated from Harvard University with cum laude honors in History & Literature. A native New Yorker, she lived in Los Angeles for several years before returning east, and edited low-budget features and high-profile TV shows, including "Northern Exposure" and "LA Law," before turning to writing full time. Bihari recently wrote a review for WVFC of HBO's Temple Grandin; she's also given us her story of sharing her brilliant and talented son, Damian, with her Harvard reunion. She also written about her family for Autism Speaks and has published articles and personal essays in various other venues. As a screenwriter, Bihari was a quarter-finalist in the prestigious Nicholl and Austin screenwriting competitions and had three screenplays optioned by producers. She, Damian, and her husband Dan Valverde now live with their two cats in New York City.
What is YOUR take on this topic? Do you feel that romance novels equal pornography for women?
Will we live-tweet from our annual conference in Springfield, MO, on July 23, 2011?
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.
July 2, 2011 - Louise A. Jackson - From an Idea in My Head to a Book in Your Hand
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:
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"H is for Hope"
"Exiled! – From Tragedy to Triumph on the Missouri Frontier"
"Gone To Texas: From Virginia to Adventure"
"Grandpa Had a Windmill"
"Grandma Had a Churn"
"Over on the River"
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.
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!
Are you following us on Twitter yet?
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and let us know so we can follow you! As of today, we have 858 followers, and we would love to see this number grow. We're having a blast with our tweets and getting to know others in the writing community.
Not many writers' groups in the Springfield, Missouri, area (or #sgf as it's known on Twitter) are active on Twitter. We're one of the first.
So far, we have used Twitter to publicize last year's Weta Writing Contest and we received more entries than ever before.
We have also used Twitter to post tweets about our upcoming 2011 writing contest, with its deadline for entries of May 16, 2011. We have also spread the word via Twitter about our 2011 conference, which will be held July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel and Convention Center in Springfield, Missouri.
One of the fun (and exhausting) things that we do with Twitter is to have "live tweeting" going on during some of the monthly meetings of Ozarks Romance Authors. While our special guest is speaking, we share notes as fast as we can, relaying the information to YOU, our Twitter followers.
You can find us here: @OzarksRomance
Eliza Lloyd blogs about her upcoming appearance at our annual conference
One of the best conferences for writers is coming up in Springfield, Missouri, on Saturday, July 23, 2011, and one of the authors who will be presenting at the conference just mentioned that very event on her blog. Eliza Lloyd was talking about Ozarks Romance Authors conference for fiction writers just yesterday on her blog. Here is the link: http://elizalloyd.blogspot.com/2011/03/ozark-romance-authors-conference-july.html
Who is Eliza Lloyd? 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 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.
Her books are available by clicking HERE to visit her page on the Ellora's Cave Romantica Publishing web site.
Check out Eliza's steamy books by clicking on each title below:
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.
March 5, 2011 - Ruth Hunter-Gault and Jill Slack
Join Ozarks Romance Authors' members Ruth Hunter-Gault and Jill Slack as they present ways to promote your writing through social networks and media at the March 5, 2011, meeting of this group for writers.
Ozarks Romance Authors, a non-profit group for writers of all genres founded in 1987, 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.
For more information, be sure to click the icons (on the right side of the page) to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have questions about the group, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.
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.
# # #
Our members are on Twitter!
Along with following this popular southwest Missouri writers' group on Twitter via @OzarksRomance, you can also follow several of our members on Twitter!
Emily Bryan
@EmilyBryan
Beth Carter @bethsbanter
Becky Cummings @ar_cummings28
Patricia Elliott @mystryrtr
Ruth Hunter @thesagejournal
Shirley McCann @ShirleyMcCann
DeLane Parrott @DelaneParrott
Virginia Pohlenz @palooski65
Jillian Slack @jillslack
T. Sue VerSteeg @tsueversteeg
Lisa Wells @lisawells1
What a great (and easy) way to keep up with what is going on in the lives and careers of the many talented writers here in the Springfield, Missouri, area.
May 2010 meeting - Diana Botsford on Screenplay Writing and Other Visual Venues
What fabulous talents we have living here in the Ozarks!
Diana Botsford's degrees include Screenwriting & Producing from Boston University, and Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Seton Hill University. Prior to joining Missouri State University's Department of Media, Journalism and Film, she spent 12 years in Los Angeles in the television and film industry, followed by 5 years developing streaming media content and community-driven websites for Microsoft.
Her production credits are available in her IMDB profile by clicking here. Her work includes writing, producing, and directing for a wide variety of series and films. Her screenwriting credits include Star Trek: The Next Generation, Spiral Zone, and a variety of children’s series for CBS, NBC and independent networks. As a visual effects director Botsford has enjoyed the opportunity to play techno junkie while telling people like George Clooney how to stand in front of a bluescreen.
She has produced multiple series for television such as the CBS series Harts of the West and Nightgames. Her theatrical credits include visual effects directing and supervision for a wide variety of films including Nightmare of Elm Street VI, Tank Girl, From Dusk Til Dawn, Terminator 2 and many independent films.
As Associate Producer for D.I.C. Enterprises and then later as VP of Family Programming for Kushner-Locke, she produced over 1,000 hours of animation for shows that included Inspector Gadget, Heathcliff, M*A*S*K Force, Spiral Zone, and the Columbia/Tristar film Pound Puppies & the Legend of Big Paw. Most recently, Botsford served as Executive Producer on the Missouri State University Electronic Arts SF short Apollo which was a recent selection at the Athens, Greece International Science Fiction Film Festival.
Her primary writing focus is on science fiction for a variety of mediums including books, film, television, theatre and comics. In addition to Botsford's Stargate: SG-1 novel The Four Dragons (set for release in June 2010), her recently completed written work includes the SF novel Critical Past and the comic book series The Fracture. Botsford is oftentimes a speaker or workshop leader at various writers conferences and science fiction conventions.
Visit her online at http://www.DianaBotsford.com.
Join us in the Frisco Room at The Library Station in Springfield, MO! Critique group begins at 10:30 Central Time, we break for lunch at Panera next door just in time to beat the noon rush, and we return to the Frisco Room at 1:00 for our guest speaker.
Novelist Weta Nichols, founder of Ozarks Romance Authors
Weta Nichols launched Ozarks Romance Authors in 1987 in Springfield, Missouri, with the goal of encouraging writers in southwest Missouri who were interested in the art of writing for the romance fiction industry.
As the popularity of the industry grew, the membership and its outreach grew. Members achieved various levels of success in the publishing industry, and the organization gave back to the community by donating to scholarship funds with the Writers Hall of Fame, with its headquarters in Springfield, Missouri.
Weta (pronounced "WEE-ta") was devoted to the group and its members until her death in the spring of 2008 at age 84.
Weta was a Texan by birth, but lived in many different places. Her husband's work took them to many states, plus Peru, South America. She soon felt that writing letters and journaling wasn't enough. She wanted to include the many places she had been in stories, and she began learning the basics of writing. She attended a Romance Writers of America conference in Dallas, Texas, and was then inspired to form Ozarks Romance Authors.
She called the Missouri Ozarks her home for the last 18 years of her life. Her family included 1 son, 2 grandsons, and 1 great-granddaughter at the time of her passing. According to one of her publishers, Whiskey Creek Press, Weta was "described as a person with determination, grit and perseverance."
She published many articles for both magazines and newsletters. Her repetoire included short stories and novellas, and several novels, including the Whiskey Creek Press Number One Bestseller, "Cutter's Woman."
Her books are still available in many places, including Whiskey Creek Press and Amazon.com. Several of her books are also available in print and Nook editions at Barnes & Noble.
Members of Ozarks Romance Authors continue the tradition of holding an annual fiction writing contest, which was renamed The Weta Nichols Writing Contest in her honor, as a way to acknowledge talented authors and the industry that meant so much to her. Winners are announced each summer at the writers' group's annual conference in Springfield, Missouri.
What did reviewers say about Weta's work?
Review For BELINDA'S LOVE by Weta Nichols
“Lawlessness, prejudice, and love permeate the pages of BELINDA’S LOVE. This novel takes the reader to Pioche, Nevada in 1875 where “bad guys” abound as the lure of the Nevada silver mines brings in a motley assortment of people. Both the newcomers and the old-timers are less than admirable in their dealings with their fellowman. Belinda’s low self-esteem, due to the way people treat her because of her ethnicity, is a strong thread in the makeup of the story. At times, I read with a sense of urgency as I looked for her to become aware of her own self-worth. Prejudice, as it was at that time, comes through loud and clear.
Both men and women are culpable and inflect much underserved cruelty on Belinda and her family.
The parade of adversaries that both Belinda and Rich have to deal with kept me turning pages. If you enjoy a story of the early days of settling the West and of how love blooms among a multiplicity of thorny problems, BELINDA’S LOVE is it.”
– Camellia, The Long And Short Of It Reviews
Reviews For CUTTER'S WOMAN by Weta Nichols
"Cutter's Woman is a romantic story that carries the reader into the lives of two lonely characters who have lost so much in their years. They’re just trying to find happiness with each other. The setting and landscape are so brilliantly detailed, as are all the secondary characters, that the reader can’t help but feel a part of this rare read. The ending almost makes you swoon; such a perfectly packaged romance that feels good all over. I loved that Maggie never regretted going to Wyoming and marrying a man like Cutter. Weta Nichols composes a delightful story that reaches out and pulls at the heart. She weaves in characters that jump right from the pages. It was so in-depth, the way Cutter claimed her for his woman. This book is a rare find and a keeper." Reviewed by: Linda L 5 Angels Fallen Angel Reviews
"This is an excellent historical romance. Ms. Nichols described the country and the era vividly. The characters are exceptionally written with plenty of history and emotions. Secondary characters pull up from the back to enhance this tale with plenty of excitement of a ranch life of this time of history. Sensual romance scenes ties all of this up, making is a wonderful read."
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Review For HONEY'S LOVE by Weta Nichols
Ms. Nichols’ story is one of hardship, love and acceptance, The author’s attention to detail lets the reader picture the scene so well that they can almost smell the flowers, feel the rain falling and sweat from the heat of the hot sun. Ms. Nichols gives the readers some historical events along with the story that only make it more believable and help it to flow smoothly from one scene into the next without a hitch.
Reviewed by: Donna - 5 Angels