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

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

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

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

HERE is a link to the story.

The text of our press release is as follows:

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

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

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

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

Clarion car stereo speakers = Clarion Hotel Conference Center?

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.

Barnes & Noble, Brangelina, Game Stop, and Ozarks Romance Authors -- Oh, my!

Hi, future attendees of Ozarks Romance Authors' annual conference, which will be held in Springfield, Missouri, on July 23, 2011. (Sorry! I got the year wrong in the video.)

I wanted to show you something interesting. We're going to have a little quiz later.

Click to watch the short video at the top of this page and you will drive around with me (Jill, 2010-2011 president of Ozarks Romance Authors) in a parking lot on the southwest corner of East Battlefield and South Glenstone in Springfield, Missouri.

You'll see several buildings in the same, large parking lot.

There is a small building with a Game Stop store in the north end and an AT&T Wireless store in the south side. Behind this Game Stop building is the only Barnes & Noble store in Springfield.

Here is the quiz: What could the Game Stop building possibly have in common with this Barnes & Noble, which is where we're going to have the booksigning for our speakers the evening before our annual fiction writers' conference?

The booksigning will be here at Barnes & Noble, within walking distance of The Clarion Hotel, which is where our conference is taking place. The booksigning will be Friday, July 22, which is the night before our conference, from 4:00 - 6:00, here in this large, lovely Barnes & Noble store.

Are you curious about what this Barnes & Noble might have in common with the little Game Stop building?

I'll give you two hints. The clues about what they have in common are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Yes, Brangelina.

Does that make you even more curious?

By the way, be sure to plan on attending our:

* Booksigning Friday, July 22, here at Barnes & Noble, 3055 S. Glenstone

* Annual Writers' Conference just down the road at The Clarion Hotel, 3333 S. Glenstone

in Springfield, Missouri.

Now, if you are curious about what this Barnes & Noble store (where our booksigning will take place) has in common with the Game Stop building, Brad Pitt, and Angelina Jolie, here are the details!

Ready?

1. GAME STOP BUILDING -- BRAD

Colonel Day's Levi's Emporium, which is where Brad Pitt worked as a sales clerk between the time that he graduated from Springfield's Kickapoo High School and went to seek his fame and fortune in Hollywood, used to be the only tenant in the Game Stop/AT&T building.

At that time, Brad looked like this:

I couldn't find any photos of the old Colonel Day's store, but the building has not changed much. Currently, the building looks like this:

Back then, it had an odd stucco finish with deep grooves to match the exterior of the Venture store on the west side of the parking lot. These were the only two buildings on the parking lot at that time, but the lot now also has Barnes & Noble, Office Depot, and Olive Garden.

The Venture store has been gone for many years and is now a K-Mart store.

This is the K-Mart Brad and some of the kids reportedly shopped at during their December 2010 trip to Springfield.

2. GAME STOP BUILDING -- ANGELINA

Take a closer look at the windows in the Game Stop building. Who do you see there, along with Super Mario?

Yup, that's an image of Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft, long before she and Brad became Brangelina. The Game Stop building has several large images of Angelina hanging in its windows.

Gee, I wonder if that was the topic of conversation on the Jolie-Pitt private jet. "Darling, did you see the large posters of me in the windows where you used to work? Shall I have the longitude and latitude added to the tattoo on my bicep?"

3. BARNES & NOBLE / STARBUCKS

This is the Barnes & Noble store that became famous in December 2010 when, while in town to visit Brad's family, Angelina stopped at the Starbucks inside of the bookstore and bought coffee. News of the sighting of Angelina, Zahara, and Shiloh made its way onto the Internet, including:

People magazine

Perez Hilton

Our local NBC affiliate, KY3

JustJared.com

PopSugar.com

RadarOnline.com

It was also during this visit that Brad and Angelina posed for photos at St. John's Hospital (where I was born) to dedicate the new Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center, named in honor of Brad's mom, Jane Pitt. To see the story in People magazine, click HERE.

PinkIsTheNewBlog.com

There you have it! Thanks for playing, and we'll see you at our fiction writers' conference in Springfield, Missouri, on July 23! Click HERE for more details about the great speakers and topics we have scheduled for the day.

P.S. Stop by Barnes & Noble in Springfield to have coffee, just like Angelina! Enjoy it, along with some conversation, during our booksigning on July 22. We can't promise you'll see Brangelina but, based on last year's event, we think you'll have a lot of fun.

Our conference is mentioned in today's e-newsletter from Springfield Regional Arts Council

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://youtu.be/sjIEeR0STmo

IF YOU'RE COMING FROM THE NORTH

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

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

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

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

this next video will make more sense to you.

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

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

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

http://youtu.be/YQowVCMccz0

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our 2011 finalists, in alphabetical order, are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gail Zerrade Boise, Idaho "The Patriarch" Mainstream

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

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

Ozarks Romance Authors' store is open for business!

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.

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?

"Writing in the Ozarks" conference scheduled for August 2011 at novelist Janet Dailey's inn in Hollister, Missouri

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.

High Tea Scheduled for 2011 Missouri Literary Festival

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 Joins Springfield Regional Arts Council

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.

Joplin Chapter of Missouri Writers' Guild To Publish Anthology To Rebuild School Libraries Destroyed By Tornado

Our neighbors (and a few members and friends of Ozarks Romance Authors) in Joplin, Missouri, were hit by an EF-5 tornado on May 22, 2011.

We are thankful to report that none of the members of our writers' group lost homes, businesses, or their lives. However, a dear friend of ORA, who recently spoke to us, lost her home. We send prayers for those who have lost so much.

If, by chance, you have not heard about the devastation, here is a story from the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/us/24tornado.html

As writers, here is a small way that we can help.

The following information was shared on the web site of the Springfield Regional Arts Council. Since we are a member of the SRAC and because we support other writers' groups as much as we are able, we wanted to help spread the word regarding this call for submissions and how the funds raised will benefit Joplin.

On Sunday, May 22, 2011, a monster tornado hit the town of Joplin, Missouri, leaving a 6-mile path of destruction that has made this disaster one of the worst, if not the worst, in the state’s history.

Among the casualties were four of the schools in the Joplin School District, two of which lost roofs and a high school that is a total loss. We have partnered with the Joplin School District and are being kept apprised of their specific needs as they assess damage and begin the healing and rebuilding process.

To assist in the Joplin relief effort, the writers of the Joplin Writers' Guild, a chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild, plans to publish an anthology, Storm Country, with all proceeds from sales going toward rebuilding the school libraries damaged or destroyed by the tornado. In an attempt to re-establish a much-needed sense of normalcy within the devastated community, the Joplin School District plans to open school on the regularly-scheduled date of August 17, 2011.

Please help us to help them by submitting your writing to the anthology and purchasing Storm Country when it is published.

Thank you for your support of this effort.

Claudia Mundell, President, Joplin Writers' Guild Deborah Marshall, President, Missouri Writers’ Guild

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The Joplin (Missouri) Writers’ Guild, in coordination with the Missouri Writers’ Guild, is seeking fiction, non-fiction and poetry to be included in an anthology, Storm Country, to be published near the end of the summer. All proceeds from book sales will go to the purchase of books for school libraries damaged or destroyed by the May 22, 2011, tornado. Midwest writers are encouraged to submit their original work June 1, 2011 through July 15, 2011. Submit work with the theme of storms and severe weather in the Midwest. All forms of stormy weather should be considered: ice, floods, tornadoes, wind, and snow. Include name, address, phone number, and email address on first page of submission.

Poetry of any form and up to 30 lines may be submitted. A maximum of THREE poems from any author will be considered.

Short fiction in any genre, 1,500 words or less, will be considered.

Nonfiction (features, essays, memoirs, etc.) of 1,500 words or fewer may also be submitted. A maximum of three pieces of prose will be accepted per author.

All submissions must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman. Prose should use three-space paragraph indention and double-spacing. Poetry should be single-spaced. Pages should be numbered. Spelling and grammar must be as the author intends. Author retains all rights. Please include third-person author bios up to 75 words.

Submit your Word documents by July 15, 2011, to joplinwritersguild@yahoo.com or mail to:

Claudia Mundell 1815 River Street Carthage, MO 64836

Eliza Lloyd's new book, "Another Lover," has been released!

Eliza is one of the talented authors scheduled to speak at Ozarks Romance Authors' annual conference on Saturday, July 23, 2011, in Springfield, Missouri.

Read a free excerpt of "Another Lover" here:

Buy your copy here: Visit Eliza's blog here: If you live within driving distance of the Ozarks and would like to attend our conference, we look forward to meeting you! More information, including a list of speakers and topics, may be found by clicking here:

Ozarks Romance Authors is a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Missouri, and was founded in 1987. Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month, along with a constructive, nurturing critique group. More than half of our members have been published, and we look forward to hellping you find your way down the path to publication. Visitors are welcome at our monthly meetings. The first three visits are free. For more information, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or visit

Deadline extended for 2011 Weta Nichols Writing Contest

There is still time for you to polish the first 10 pages of your work-in-progress to submit to our annual fiction writing contest, named in honor of the founder of our group, novelist Weta Nichols. Due to a PayPal glitch, we have extended the original deadline (May 16, 2011) to May 23, 2011.

The contest is open to published and unpublished writers, but the piece that you enter must be unpublished.

Any genre is welcome, not just romance fiction.

Winners will be announced at our annual conference in Springfield, Missouri, on July 23, 2011. You do not need to be present to win, and you are not required to be a member of our group to enter. Details about our conference are available here: http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/2011-annual-conference/

Final round winners will be judged by Louise Fury, literary agent with the L. Perkins Agency, and Lia Brown, editor with Avalon Books!

Prizes are: 1st place $100; 2nd place $50; 3rd place $25.

For full contest rules, guidelines, and links to submit your entry, visit: http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/annual-contest/

Ozarks Romance Authors is a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Missouri since 1987.

ORA's Jill Slack and Ruth Hunter Spoke to Springfield Writers' Guild

Ozarks Romance Authors officers Jill Slack and Ruth Hunter spoke to Springfield Writers' Guild April 23, 2011.

Their goal was to introduce SWG members to the importance of social media and blogging as ways for writers to boost their careers.

President Jill Slack spoke about social media sites Facebook and Twitter for social media, and using WordPress for buidling blogs and web sites.

Vice President Ruth Hunter spoke about blogging strategies and using Blogspot to build web sites and blogs.

Springfield Writers' Guild is a chapter of Missouri Writers' Guild.

There was a good crowd at the Heritage Cafeteria for the meeting, which is where Ozarks Romance Authors used to meet years ago. Most of the SWG members in attendance do not have Facebook or Twitter accounts or blogs, and there were many questions to be answered following the presentataions.

It is always great for the writers' groups within our region to work together, and Jill and Ruth had a great time. They appreciated several Ozarks Romance Authors members who took the time to attend the SWG meeting, and there were a few who overlap with membership in both groups.

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.

Critique group begins at 10:00 a.m., lunch is at noon at Panera next door, and our meeting with guest speaker begins 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.

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:

"Wicked Desires"

"Wicked Temptation"

"Another Lover"

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.

ORA's President and VP to Speak to Springfield Writers' Guild April 23, 2011

Springfield Writers' Guild has asked two officers of Ozarks Romance Authors to speak to their group. President Jill Slack and Vice President Ruth Hunter will give a presentation on blogging and social media for writers at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, April 23, 2010.

Springfield Writers' Guild meets at Heritage Cafeteria in the Fremont Center, 1364 E. Battlefield, in Springfield, Missouri. This is on the southwest corner of the intersection of Battelfield and Fremont.

Founded in 1943, Springfield Writers' Guild is a multi-genre group that meets on the fourth Saturday of each month, with the exception of December. Mentor hour begins at 11:00 am, and the speaker/business meeting begins at 1:00 pm.

To visit the group's web site click HERE, and to visit its Facebook page, 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.

Critique group begins at 10:00 a.m., lunch is at noon, and our meeting with guest speaker begins 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.

ORA's magazine is on sale now!

     

This beautiful, full-color magazine, put together by ORA Vice President Ruth Hunter-Gault, is available for sale now. Cover photograph by member Brenda Brinkley. This magazine is filled with stories, poems, recipes, art and photography showcasing the diversity of our members. Follow the link to find out more.

ORA's Spring Fever Magazine Taking Submissions

We have another magazine coming out in April. If you're an ORA member and you'd like to see your stories, poems, art, photographs or recipies featured in our group magazine you can send submissions to: romanceauthorsmag@gmail.com Attn: Ruth, Spring Fever The subject of the magazine will be spring for the upcoming season. Anything related to spring is welcome. Please have your submissions turned in by March 1st. Documents should be no longer than 1500 words and sent in .doc format. Images should be sent as .jpg.