Venue Changes

Hello, and welcome to a new year at ORA!

We are excited to announce that starting at our February meeting, ORA will be meeting at the Library Center, located at 4653 S Campbell Ave. Join us on February 3, 2018 to learn some of the exciting events we have coming up, including the year's scheduled book signings at Springfield's First Friday Artwalk.

Our speaker on Saturday is Christopher Johnson, a videomaker at American National. Join us at 9:30 for Critique and stay for the program. We'll see you there!

April Meeting - Everything and a Few Things You Wish You Never Learned About POV

Join us Saturday, April 1 as Kathleen Garnsey presents: ing and a Few Things You Wish You Never Learned About POV.

About Our Speaker

Born in Michigan, raised and married in California, Kathleen is now a twenty-nine year resident of Missouri. She currently lives in Ozark and stays busy with her husband of forty-nine years, her son, daughter-in-law, and three fantastic grandchildren.

Writing is Kathleen's passion, which she became serious about in 1987 when she joined Ozarks Romance Authors. Always a fan of sci-fi and romance, she loves combining the two elements into stories of passion and adventure in another time and place. She has written five futuristic romances which are available, or soon to be available on Amazon. Look for her past titles: Warrior's Link, Hawk's Redemption, Falcon's Quest and Secret of the Kiah. She just completed The Alluring Traveler which will soon be released.

About ORA's Monthly Meetings

ORA meets on the first Saturday of the month, hosting guest speakers who offer information about numerous facets of the industry. Our presenters include published authors, acquiring editors and agents, self-publishing gurus, special-interest experts, marketing specialists, and more.

Meetings begin at 11:30 a.m., following our critique group at 9:30 a.m., and are typically hosted at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, located at 397 E Central Street. Meetings include the speaker’s presentation, news and discussion regarding upcoming literary events and opportunities, and conclude with door prizes.

Anyone interested in ORA is welcome to attend up to three meetings for free. Afterward, annual membership is only $25.

March Meeting - Are We Having Fun(damentals) Yet?

Join us Saturday, March 4 as Allison Merritt presents: Are We Having Fun(damentals) Yet?

About Our Speaker

A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author who writes historical, paranormal, contemporary, and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. It's not unusual to find her lurking in graveyards, wandering historical sites, or listening to ghost stories.

Allison graduated from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri with a B.A. in mass communications that's gathering dust after it was determined that she's better at writing fluff than hard news.

About ORA's Monthly Meetings

ORA meets on the first Saturday of the month, hosting guest speakers who offer information about numerous facets of the industry. Our presenters include published authors, acquiring editors and agents, self-publishing gurus, special-interest experts, marketing specialists, and more.

Meetings begin at 11:30 a.m., following our critique group at 9:30 a.m., and are typically hosted at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, located at 397 E Central Street. Meetings include the speaker’s presentation, news and discussion regarding upcoming literary events and opportunities, and conclude with door prizes.

Anyone interested in ORA is welcome to attend up to three meetings for free. Afterward, annual membership is only $25.

The March meeting at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library will be held UPSTAIRS rather than in the basement.

Monthly Meeting - Saturday, June 4

Join us on June 4 at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library for Ozark's Romance Authors' Monthly Meeting. We'll be continuing our conversation on craft with Katy Madison presenting Shrek's Guide to GMC.

ORA meets in the basement of the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library in Springfield, MO at 11:30 a.m.

Join our critique group at 10 a.m - 11:30 a.m. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Please NOTE: This meeting will be a long one. While ORA meetings tend to last an hour, some topics require more depth and discussion. The June meeting is expected to run at least two hours.

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Photo by Eric Anderson

Katy Madison has always loved stories.  As a child she was always lugging a book around.  At the age of eight, after having gone through over a hundred Nancy Drew mysteries, all the Laura Ingalls Wilder books—at least twice—and many others including her full weekly allotment of library books, Katy went to her mother and begged for a new book to read.  Her frustrated mother handed her a romance novel.  Katy fell in love with the romance genre.  She quickly found where her mother hid the rest and began sneaking them out to read.  She cut her eye teeth on books by Georgette Heyer and Mary Stewart, not to mention dozens of Barbara Cartland’s.  With a nod to great Gothic novels like Jane Eyre and Rebecca, Katy offers up her gothic romance Tainted by Temptation.

Katy makes her home with her family and two cats on a tree-lined street in Kansas City.  She thinks there is nothing better than a curling up in front of the fireplace and escaping with a good book while a storm rages outside. Except maybe the beach without the storm, plenty of sun, and, of course, a good book.

December Meeting

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, December 5, 2015 - Annual Potluck and Christmas Gift Exchange

We will be starting with our annual potluck dinner at NOON. Instead of a monthly speaker, we will have our Dirty Santa gift exchange. Please bring a $10-$15 gift, wrapped or in a gift bag, if you would like to participate. Regifting is fine as long as the item is in excellent condition and good taste.

The December 5 meeting will be at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 397 E. Central St., Springfield, MO. We'll be at the Creamery for our Mega Critique Group and Write-In in January, then back to our regular location at the Library Station starting in February.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

November Meeting

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, November 7, 2015 – Sherry Foley – “It’s all about that platform”

It’s all about that platform! But…wait…what exactly is a platform? Is it a one size fits all? We will discuss the dos, don’ts and dibs on defining what a platform is and how to create a solid on which to stand.

Sherry Foley is the author of the Captive Series and Switched in Death. She also is the managing editor at WinterGoose Publishing. Her next book is based in her hometown of Springfield, Missouri and releases in 2016.

Twitter: @sherry_foley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sherry-Foley-Author/253958441304150

Please note that in November, ORA will be meeting at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 397 E. Central St., Springfield, MO. The speaker begins at 1:00.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, September 5, 2015 - Holly Atkinson will present Pitching to Editors and Agents

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, September 5, 2015 - Holly Atkinson will present Pitching to Editors and Agents

 Holly Atkinson was fortunate to receive her first taste in editing when she was thirteen and wrote copy for a local realtor show. In 2008, Holly graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor’s in English, emphasizing in Creative Writing. Her first real job in the literary world came in the role of line editor for Lyrical Press. In 2011, she was recruited by Mundania Press as a content editor, where she met one of her future Samhain coworkers. In 2012, Holly joined the amazing team at Samhain Publishing.

Holly lives in Missouri with her husband, loves travel, musicals, and goes a little nutty around the holidays. In her spare time, she writes erotic romances and serves as a copywriter for a local marketing firm.

Please note that in September, ORA will be meeting at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 397 E. Central St., Springfield, MO. The speaker begins at 1:00.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, August 1, 2015 - Sharon Kizziah-Holmes will present "Telling communicates facts; Showing invites understanding"

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, August 1, 2015 - Sharon Kizziah-Holmes will present "Telling communicates facts; Showing invites understanding"

 

You’ve heard it over and over again…show, don’t tell. In Sharon’s program, Telling communicates facts; Showing invites understanding, she will give us insight on how to engage readers by putting them in the character’s world. Showing helps the reader experience the story through actions, words, thoughts, senses, expressions, feelings and conveys your story in more of a visual presentation.

Sharon is a retired road musician and has written songs since the age of fourteen. She became interested in writing novels and short stories in the early 1990’s and joined ORA in 1992. Sharon has served as the ORA President, Vice President, and Secretary, and for four years she was the Conference Coordinator. Ozarks Romance Authors is like home to her. She is also a member of Springfield Writers’ Guild, Ozarks Writers’ League and Sleuths’ Ink Mystery Writers.

Her latest novel, The Will and the Wisp, is historical fiction based on a true story. Though she writes mostly romance, Sharon says, “Venturing out into the mainstream world with my co-author James Armstrong has been a great experience.” She and James are shooting for spring 2016 for release of the sequel The Voice in the Wind.

For three years, in the mid 1990’s, Sharon published an e-zine, Short Stories Magazine, which featured local authors. She gave it up because grandkids started to come along and she felt family time was more important.

However, Sharon has helped writers self-publish since 2002, and in 2012 decided to start her own indie assist publishing company. She now has four imprints - Paperback-Press, Kids Book Press Publishing, e-Book Press Publishing and (with her husband’s recording studio to accommodate) Audio Book press. Being an indie assist publisher has been a learning experience to say the least. Nonetheless, with over sixty books, of all genres, published over the last three years she is proud of her accomplishments and the growth of the company.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/paperbackpresspub

Twitter:  @paperbackpress

Please note that for the August meeting, ORA will be meeting at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 397 E. Central St., Springfield, MO. The speaker begins at 1:00.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, June 6, 2015 - Lisa Wells will present "Learn how to craft dialogue that carries power!"

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, June 6, 2015 - Lisa Wells will present "Learn how to craft dialogue that carries power!"

In her presentation "Learn how to craft dialogue that carries power!", Lisa will show us how to:

• Check your manuscript to see if your dialogue has the essential ingredients of great dialogue. • Weed out the most common dialogue flaws. • Learn techniques to craft dialogue that will emotionally impact (manipulate) the reader.

Lisa Wells is a 25-year veteran educator. For the past 18 years, she's enjoyed a rollercoaster journey called: The School Counselor – Dramas, Dreams, and Destinies. Add the theme song to Jaws, and you have the feel for this fun ride.

Author of DIBS, a sexy romance, nominated as Debut Book That Rocks and Best Book of The Year, Lisa believes writers should never quit studying their craft. Her Dialogue class was born out of a treasure trove of information she discovered while studying dialogue from a screenwriter's perspective.

Represented by Literary Agent, Tish Beaty. In August, her book THE SEDUCTION OF KINLEY FOSTER will be released by Entangled Publishing as part of their What Happens in Vegas series.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisa.wells.737

Twitter @lisawells1

ORA meets in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway in Springfield, MO at 1 p.m.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, May 2, 2015 Ramon Ballard will present information about querytracker.com.

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, May 2, 2015 Ramon Ballard will present  information about querytracker.com.

Ramon Ballard will present  information about querytracker.com. You can learn how to use the site to your best advantage. Find out how to find agents, query, and track your queries.

Bio:
I grew up in Salt Lake City and was invisible throughout my schooldays (due to my shyness). I had the lonely child's habit of making up stories and holding conversations with imaginary persons. Invisibility has definite advantages, especially when combined with a vivid imagination. I created magical fantasy worlds with magical inhabitants. 

Time does not stand still.  Fantasy worlds evolve into mundane, everyday life. As I grew older, my whimsical travels to far off places diminished and my invisibility slowly faded into visibility. All foolish realms were forgotten, pushed to the farthest regions of my mind. I grew up, but a small part of my mind, the part stuffed with imaginary worlds, refused to get older. I must have a Peter Pan soul.

I would tell the stories, once only heard by my imaginary friends, to my own children. Alas children, like time, do not stand still, and grow too old for such nonsense. But, I still loved my stories and would tell my wife that one day I would write a great children's novel. One day my life was changed forever when my wife told me to "shut up and write." It seems that life has a way of going in full circles. Late at night, I find myself having conversations with imaginary persons.

The rest is or will be history.

ORA meets in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway in Springfield, MO at 1 p.m.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, March 7, 2015 Wayne Groner will share “Great Beginnings: Start your book with a bang”

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, March 7, 2015 Wayne Groner will share “Great Beginnings: Start your book with a bang”

Wayne will be speaking on Great Beginnings: Start your book with a bang. His webpage is waynegroner.com. Stay tuned for more info!

ORA meets in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway in Springfield, MO at 1 p.m.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, February 7, 2015 Ben Reeder will share “Navigating the Amazon: Finding Success on the Digital River”

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, February 7, 2015 Ben Reeder will share “Navigating the Amazon: Finding Success on the Digital River”

The world of publishing has changed radically in the past few years. What was once the realm of the Big Six has now become a wide open frontier. Authors have become the new pioneers in the world of self-publishing, making themselves a power to be reckoned with. But like any newly discovered part of the world, there are pitfalls and dangers along with the potential rewards. Self-published author Ben Reeder will be sharing his experiences in this new frontier, talking about what worked for him, what didn’t and what to avoid in publishing. Topics covered include gaining visibility for your work, the role of author as publisher and protecting yourself from scams.

Bio:

Ben Reeder has self-published four novels in the zombie and paranormal genres, two of which have made the top 100 in three genres. A naturalized Missourian, he has called Springfield home for 25 years. Any resemblance to Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise is entirely unintended, and he vehemently denies being a superhero.

www.chancefortunato.com

http://www.amazon.com/Ben-Reeder/e/B005FB6LNY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

https://twitter.com/TheOneTrueBen

https://www.facebook.com/theonetrueben

ORA meets in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway in Springfield, MO at 1 p.m.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Mega Critique and Write-In--Saturday, January 3, 2015

Mega Critique and Write-In--Saturday, January 3, 2015 Instead of our monthly meeting, ORA and Sleuths' Ink will be co-hosting our 4th annual Mega Critique and Write-In! You DO NOT need to be a member of either writers’ group to attend. Writers of all genres are welcome.

Check out the 2015 Write-in Flyer then click here for more information and to register.

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, December 6, 2014 - ORA's annual Christmas party and Dirty Santa Gift Exchange

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, December 6, 2014 - ORA's annual Christmas party and Dirty Santa Gift Exchange

*** We’re Starting At NOON Today, Not Our Usual 1:00 p.m. ***

Ozarks Romance Authors’ Christmas party is a BLAST each year! Mark your calendar now so you don’t forget.

Rather than having a guest speaker at our 1:00 meeting, we will start the fun at noon with a potluck lunch.

A Dirty Santa Gift Exchange will follow, and it’s always full of laughs and good-natured gift stealing.

Bring your favorite dish or dessert and a wrapped (or gift-bagged) gift in the $10 range for the game. The gift can be nice, silly, writing-related or not. Regifting is welcome. All we ask is that the gift be in good taste.

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, November 1, 2014 Lori Copeland will share “I Meant To Tell You That”

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, November 1, 2014 Lori Copeland will share “I Meant To Tell You That”

We are delighted to present novelist Lori Copeland!

Lori will share “I Meant To Tell You That” with Ozarks Romance Authors, a group that she helped launch in 1987. Her interactive presentation will be at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 1, 2014, at The Library Station in Springfield, Missouri. Lori is the author of more than 100 titles, both historical and contemporary fiction. With more than 3 million copies of her books in print, she has developed a loyal following among her rapidly growing fans in the inspirational market. She has been honored with the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and Walden Books’ Best Seller award. In 2000, Lori was inducted into the Missouri Writers Hall of Fame.

Lori began her writing career in 1982, writing for the secular book market. In 1995, after many years of writing, Lori sensed that God was calling her to use her gift of writing to honor Him. It was at that time that Lori began writing for the Christian book market.

We’ll be in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway in Springfield, MO at 1 p.m.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 Ellen and Jeremy Pollreisz of PixelTwister Studio to Speak on The Basic Do’s and Don’ts of Book Trailers

Monthly Meeting–Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 Ellen and Jeremy Pollreisz of PixelTwister Studio to Speak on The Basic Do’s and Don’ts of Book Trailers

Ellen and Jeremy Pollreisz of PixelTwister Studio will discuss the essential principles behind what makes a good book trailer. It will be a lively presentation with videos and lots of energy. “Ask us questions and at the end of the program we’ll announce an exciting opportunity.”

We’re a team made up of author and trained character animator. Together, word motion is our passion making book trailers a natural fit.

Jeremy Pollreisz is the Creative Director, specializing in videos that use dynamic typography. His creative energy is like Old Faithful on constant burst. He needs to share.

Ellen Pollreisz is an author whose mission is to help readers challenge the absolutes they carry around. She’s also obsessed with the process. “Screw results. Show me how you got there.” Which makes her the perfect partner in creating book trailers. Think details.

We believe everyone has a story to tell. What’s popular changes, but personal truth and passion is always en vogue.

We make stories come alive.

We’ll be in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway in Springfield, MO at 1 p.m.

Join our critique group from 10 a.m. to Noon. Want your work reviewed by talented writers and published authors? Bring twenty copies of up to five pages of your work to share for critique or just listen and offer advice.

Monthly Meeting--Saturday, September 6, 2014. Editor Holly Atkinson to Speak on Tips, Tricks, Dos & Don'ts When Pitching to an Agent or Editor

Monthly Meeting--Saturday, September 6, 2014

Editor Holly Atkinson will give us insight and tips on pitching to editors and agents at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 6, 2014, at The Library Station in Springfield, Missouri.

Holly is an editor at Samhain Publishing and a copywriter at ADsmith Marketing and Advertising. 

Since she can remember, Holly Atkinson's professional ambition has revolved around fiction editing. She was fortunate to receive her first taste in editing when she was thirteen and wrote copy for a local realtor show. In 2008, Holly graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor’s in English, specializing in Creative Writing. Her first real job in the literary world came in the role of line editor for Lyrical Press. In 2011, she joined Mundania Press as a content editor and finally landed her dream job at Samhain Publishing in 2012.

Holly describes herself as the quintessential book nerd. In her spare time, she writes erotic romance under a penname, though she hopes to produce more mainstream works in the future so the more conservative members of her family can read her work. She lives in Missouri with her husband, loves to travel, and goes a little crazy around the holidays. Her largest writing influences include Pamela Smith Hill, Aaron Sorkin, JK Rowling, Stephen King, and Joss Whedon.

FIND HOLLY ATKINSON ONLINE:

http://www.samhainpublishing.com/author/holly-atkinson/ https://www.facebook.com/hollyda1 http://notesfromyoureditor.wordpress.com/

We'll be in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on N. Kansas Expressway n Springfield, MO.

Monthly Meeting--Saturday, August 2, 2014: Insights and Tips on Writing Your First Novel from Author Mara W. Cohen

Monthly Meeting--Saturday, August 2, 2014

The Frisco Room at The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway, Springfield, MO

Critique group at 10:00 a. m. followed by lunch at Panera and our speaker at 1:00 p.m.

Author Mara W. Cohen will give us insight and tips on writing your first novel at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2014, at The Library Station in Springfield, Missouri.

Mara teaches in the English Department at Missouri State University.

With degrees from both Columbia University (NYC) and Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA), she is working on her doctorate at The Spertus Institute of Jewish Leadership and Learning in Chicago.

In addition to writing historical fiction about the Jews of Greece, she the co-director of the Telling Traditions Project, which has a mission to preserve the history of the Jews of the Ozarks and does research on American haggadot.

Along with this first novel, her first documentary "Home, Community, Tradition:The Women of Temple Israel," about the Jewish women of Springfield, MO, is available from the project.

Very concerned about preserving Jewish history, Ms. Cohen has just completed, with M. Rachel Gholson, "Jews of Springfield in the Ozarks" published by Arcadia Press.

A world traveler, she loves meeting her fans, so consider inviting her to your community.

FIND MARA W. COHEN ONLINE: http://english.missouristate.edu/MaraIoannides.aspx https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mara-W-Cohen-Ioannides-author-page/114047885299978 http://www.amazon.com/Mara-W.-Cohen-Ioannides/e/B001JSD266

No Monthly Meeting For July

Monthly Meeting--Saturday, July 5, 2014 - NO MEETING

There will be no July meeting due to the holiday weekend.

We'll see you in August.

Write on!