It's Writers' Wednesday over at the blog of our very own Barbara Bettis! Today, Barb's guest is fellow Ozarks Romance Authors member Kaye Calkins.
Barb's blog is always filled with interesting stuff from writers. It's a quick read, and you'll enjoy it.
KAYE CALKINS
Kaye Calkins' first manuscript, "Deverell's Dilemma," was recently accepted by Avalon Books.
Selling your first (or any!) book is so incredibly exciting. Would you like to hear the story of how Kaye found out Avalon wanted to buy her first book? Then click HERE for the scoop. It's a great story!
BARBARA BETTIS
Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.
She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.
Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.
Be sure to 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.
It's Writers' Wednesday once again over at the blog of our very own Barbara Bettis!
TRACY GARRETT
Tracy is an award-winning multi-published author, who says she always loved to disappear into the worlds created within the pages of a book. An accomplished musician, she merged her need for creativity, her love of history, and her passion for reading when she began writing western historical romance. An active member of Romance Writers of America, Ozarks Romance Authors, and Dallas Area Romance Authors, Tracy now resides in Missouri with her husband and their fuzzy pal, Wrigley.
Tracy's debut novel, "Touch of Texas," is available HERE, and "Touched by Love" is available HERE.
BARBARA BETTIS
Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.
She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.
Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.
Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!
Details about the 2011 contest, including guidelines for submission, are available by clicking HERE.
Q: When is the deadline?
A: Midnight USA Central Time on May 23, 2011. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I don't write romance. Can I still enter?
A: Yes! Contest is open to all fiction genres. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I'm not a member of your writers' group. Can I still enter the #writing #contest?
A: Absolutely! http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Must I live in the USA to enter?
A: No! We've had entries from all over the world. They just need to be in English. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Is it true that published authors can't enter the #writing #contest?
A: No. Pub authors are welcome to enter. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I placed in another #writing #contest. Can I still enter?
A: Yes, as long as the piece you submit is unpublished. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Who are the judges?
A: Final round judges are lit agent Louise Fury and Avalon editor Lia Brown. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Do I send my entire manuscript to enter the #writing #contest?
A: No, just the first 10 pages. Details here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Can I enter your #writing #contest online?
A: Yes! All of the details are here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I've never heard of your #writers #group. Are you new?
A: No. We're a nonprofit in Missouri USA, founded in 1987. http://ow.ly/4mWt9
Q: Isn't the deadline for your #writing #contest May 16?
A: No, we extended it to May 23, 2011, due to a PayPal glitch. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Is your #writing #contest open to writers outside of the USA?
A: Yes! As long as the manuscript is in English. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I can't come to your #annual #conference in July. Will I be disqualified?
A: No! Winners need not be present to win. http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Are there prizes available for your #writing #contest?
A: Yes! $100 1st, $50 2nd, $25 3rd. Info here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Does the cover page count as 1 of my 10 pages?
A: No. The 10 pages should begin with page 1 of your manuscript.
Q: Should I include my dedication page? It's very special to me.
A: No. Your 10-page limit is prime real estate. Drop us into the story.
Q: Should I use my favorite font on my submission?
A: No. Instructions are available here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: I didn't see details on single space vs. double space.
A: This is addressed here: http://ow.ly/4lYIt
Q: Is there a theme my novel must follow to be included?
A: No. Any genre is welcome. No non-fiction or poetry.
Q: Can I enter via US mail?
A: Yes, but we prefer emailed submissions, as do most editors.
Q: I'm not good at proofing or editing. Can I still enter?
A: Yes, but proofing and editing are part of the writing process. Judges won't polish manuscript for you.
Q: I need to include a few paragraphs to set up the story and let the judge know what's going on. Should I count this page as 1 of the 10 pages?
A: Your 10 pages should be the first 10 pages of the manuscript. There shouldn't be a need to share info with the judge to set up the story. The story should be strong enough to stand on its own, without explanation.
Q: I entered your contest and I'm thinking about coming to the conference. Can I register online?
A: Yes! Details about the speakers, their topics, and a link to register online are HERE.
Q: I have a really great non-fiction book. I think your judges will really like it. Can I enter?
A: We are only accepting fiction for this contest. If you are interested in submitting non-fiction, Ozarks Romance Authors publishes its own magazine, and accepts non-fiction, fiction, essays, articles, recipes, artwork, and photography by members. If you're interested in becoming a member in order to particpate in this publication, you are welcome to visit one of our monthly meetings or email us for more information. Click HERE for information about our magazine. Click HERE for information about our monthly meetings, and/or email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com.
Q: How will winners be notified?
A: Winners will be announced at our 2011 Annual Conference scheduled for Saturday, July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel Conference Center in Springfield, Missouri. If you are not able to attend, you will be notified via email. We will ask winners for their mailing addresses so that we can send their certificates and prizes.
Q: I'm interested in entering next year. Will you notify me when submissions are accepted?A: The easiest way for you to find out about our 2012 contest and conference would be to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Click HERE to follow us on Facebook. Click HERE to follow us on Twitter.
Q: I have a question that is not addressed here. How can I get in touch with someone?
A: Email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com, or call and leave a message at (417) 597-4716 and we will return your call.
Everyone knows there are three things you don't take away from a woman. Her chocolate, her wine or her ability to have an orgasm. When fantasy coordinator Lacey Valentine finds herself in the unfortunate situation of not being able to reach the big O, she sets out on a mission to get it back. Hunky musician Covey James has just inherited millions of dollars. His wish is to live the life of a playboy. His grandmother's wish is to see him and his two brothers settled down while she's still living. His grandmother has a way of getting her way and he ends up on the hunt for Mrs. James. When he makes a pit stop to help a damsel in need of an orgasm, his plans go astray.
You can find "Dibs" online by visiting the web site of The Wild Rose Press HERE.
BARBARA BETTIS
Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.
She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.
Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.
Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!
Barbara Bettis, a long-time member of Ozarks Romance Authors, has launched a great feature on her blog called Writers' Wednesday. Each week, she will spotlight a writing tip from authors, both those published and those on the journey to publication.
VIRGINIA POHLENZ / V.L. GREGORYVirginia Pohlenz spent three years as Book Talk Representative for the Gateway Region of Scholastic and uses that experience to inform her ‘written’ storytelling. An avid fan of Dr. Suess, she says, “My greatest writing thrill was winning Random House’s 'Ham It Up' Contest. The $100 gift certificate and $50 Seuss library were worth the effort. However, my pride and joy is the original Green Eggs and Ham serigraph that I won from the estate of Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss).”
Virginia writes Young Adult westerns and western poetry.
BARBARA BETTISBarbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.
She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.
Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.
Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!
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.
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.
Dr. Jean Stringam’s novels The Hoarders and Balance are the first of four novels in a series that explores how the events of one year impact the lives of an extended family of cousins. While the protagonists are involved in many events singular to their own lives, the major family events are seen by different eyes as having different values, even different meanings. A reader will discover that some narrators turn out to be fairly unreliable while others are searingly accurate, but each earnestly believes the small slice of reality that s/he is able to understand is the total view of the matter. The stories are anchored in contemporary culture and investigate ways the current generation of teens respond to being raised by their Gen-Me parents and Boomer grandparents. While the impact of extended family is central, other values of North American culture are also explored: from sex to cell phones, from non-communication and cyber-bullying to constant texting and dissembling affection, from cruel acts to the sublimity of genuine love. Readers young and old report being captivated by the drama of a family who, in the muddle of living, still manage to find and give their love.
Jean Stringam grew up in Alberta, Canada, taking three of her five degrees there, and remembers wonderful days riding horses, back-packing, and skiing with her family in the Canadian Rockies. Now that she lives far away from her five children and five sisters, located on both sides of the 49th parallel, she spends a lot of time travelling to see them. When they get together they love to make music, attend live theatre, and hear each other’s tales.
Nowadays she’s either teaching for her university in Missouri or, better yet, she’s teaching for them in a foreign country such as China or England. She loves to travel. If she had her way, she would visit every country in the world including all the oceans, rivers, forests, and jungles. Whenever anyone asks her where home is, she thinks about all the people she has loved. If she could get them all together in one wonderful, happy pile, that would be home. You can visit her at http://jeanstringamauthor.wordpress.com/
Please also note that we will not be meeting in our regular room this time. Join us in the Story Room at the Library Station at the usual times.
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. If you have questions about the group, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com. 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.
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.
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.
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.
Make plans to attend the Ozarks Romance Authors Annual Conference
Saturday, July 23, 2011
8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
The Clarion Hotel Conference Center, 3333 S. Glenstone Ave., Springfield, Missouri
*** Conference site is just a few minutes' drive from the original Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World store and Grizzly Tools, so make it a family weekend trip. Your hubby and kids will have plenty to do while you are at the conference. ***
TICKET INFORMATION:
Pre-registration through July 1, 2011 = $60.00
Pre-registration after July 1, 2011 (or at the door) = $65.00
Members of Ozarks Romance Authors (ORA) receive discounted tickets:
ORA member pre-registration through July 1, 2011 = $50.00
ORA member registration after July 1, 2011 (or at the door) = $55.00
Once again, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Ozarks Literacy Council to help their mission of promoting literacy in our region.
PITCH SESSIONS WITH EDITOR / AGENT
Attendees who would like to schedule a 10-minute pitch session with either Literary Agent Louise Fury or Avalon Editor Lia Brown must register for the conference (below) and then contact the conference chairwoman, Cecily Cornelius-White, in advance via email to schedule your pitch session. professorcecily@yahoo.com
AGENDA:
-- Registration and Breakfast
-- Opening remarks and intros
-- Shannon Vannatter - Cut the Fluff: The Art of Revision and Self-editing
-- Shannon Butcher and Eliza Lloyd - Suspense Plotting and Making it Hot
-- Leigh Michaels - Things that Stump the Best of Us (Pacing, Backstory, and Transitions)
-– Lunch (catered lunch provided on-site)
-- Discussion with Publishing Panel - Making a Good First Impression.
-- Break for small group discussions
– Break-out Session #1
- Shannon Vannatter - Crafting Effective (and Gender Appropriate) Dialogue
- Publishing Panel - Future Directions in Publishing - Small Group Discussion with Agent and Editor Panel
– Break-out Session #2
- Shannon Butcher & Eliza Lloyd - Crafting Heroes to Die For
- Leigh Michaels - Playing Fair: When Characters Keep Secrets
– Break
-- Full Panel Q &A
Awards -- Presented for Weta Nichols Writing Contest
Closing remarks and Adjourn
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:
Shannon Vannatter
Central Arkansas author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter is a stay-at-home mom/pastor’s wife/writer. She recently signed a three-book contract for her contemporary inspirational romance series set in Romance and Rose Bud, Arkansas.
Heartsong titles ship to a 10,000 member book club before releasing in stores. Vannatter*s titles: White Roses, White Doves, and White Pearls will be available through the book club and preorder in May 2010, October 2010, and January 2011 respectively and in stores six months later for each title.
It took Vannatter nine years to get published in the traditional market. Like Janette Oke, she views her work as a ministry and her books as paper missionaries. Vannatter hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as her characters struggle with real-life issues. Their journeys, from ordinary lives to extraordinary romance through Christ-centered relationships, demonstrate that love doesn’t conquer all, Jesus does.
Her short stories appeared in Mature Living and The Writers’ Journal, in 2009. Her first novel was Print On Demand published in 2001. She’s received several awards including 2nd place in RWA’s 2007 Touched By Love and 2008 Where the Magic Begins Contests, and a Honorable Mention in The 2007 Writer’s Journal Romance Contest. Her works have been displayed at Springfest’s Annual Artist & Author Exhibit.
Vannatter has taught fiction workshops for several writers’ groups including: Arkansas Inspirational Writers, Cleburne County Writers’ Guild, Fiction Writers of Central Arkansas, and White County Creative Writers. She’s contracted to teach workshops in 2010 at the Life Press Christian Writers’ Conference in Memphis, TN and the Ozark Creative Writers’ Conference in Eureka Springs, AR.
Vannatter is available for writers’ groups, workshops, conferences, schools, colleges, churches, book clubs, media appearances, print interviews, speaking engagements, and book signings.
Since launching her career in 2007, award-winning author Shannon K. Butcher has penned more than eighteen titles, including the paranormal romance series, the Sentinel Wars; the action-romance series, the Edge; and a handful of romantic suspense novels and works of short fiction. Being a former engineer and current nerd, she frequently uses charts, graphs and tables to aid her in the mechanics of story design and to keep track of all those pesky characters and magical powers. An avid beader and glass artist, she spends her free time playing with colored glass and beads. You can find her online at http://shannonkbutcher.com/.
Leigh Michaels
Leigh Michaels is the author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary novels, three historical romance novels, and more than a dozen non-fiction books. More than 35 million copies of her romance novels have been published. Six of her books have been finalists for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America. She has received two Reviewer's Choice awards from Romantic Times.
Her work has been translated and published in 120 countries in more than 25 languages, including Japanese, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish, Hebrew, Greek, Swedish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Africaans, Arabic, Indonesian, and Chinese.
She is the 2003 recipient of the Johnson Brigham Award presented by the Iowa Library Association to an Iowa author for outstanding contributions to literature.
She is the author of On Writing Romance, published by Writers Digest Books.
She is the author of non-fiction books such as WRITING THE ROMANCE NOVEL, a step-by-step workbook, and CREATING ROMANTIC CHARACTERS. She is also the author of DEAR LEIGH MICHAELS: A Novelist Answers the Most-Asked Questions about Getting Published, and a cookbook, A TASTE OF LOVE. She has produced audio programs and written magazine articles on subjects of interest to writers in general.
She teaches romance writing on the Internet at Gotham Writers' Workshop. Men and women from around the world have participated in her workshops, and a number of them have gone on to publish their own romance novels with commercial publishers. She is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Communications at the University of Iowa.
She wrote her first romance novel when she was a teenager and burned it, then wrote and burned five more complete manuscripts before submitting to a publisher. Her first submission was accepted and published by Harlequin Books, the first publisher to look at it.
Eliza Lloyd
Eliza Lloyd currently has three novels published with Ellora’s Cave in their 19th Century/Legend line of historicals. Eliza thinks romance writing is nearly as good as the real thing. Given her choice of professions, she would have preferred to be a 19th century archeologist, but she is perfectly happy living in the 21st century and comfortably writing about such romantic but inconceivably inconvenient times instead. She also writes contemporaries, romantic suspense and the occasional sci-fi when plotting and characterization don’t matter and invisibility does.
Eliza wrote her first romance novel after years of yearning. She finally woke up one day and asked, “Why the heck am I not writing?”
She enjoys traveling, movies, everyone else’s novels and a good meal out with friends on Saturday night. Her greatest flaw is that she believes there is such a thing as true love. Don’t tell her otherwise, please.
Louise FuryI am a Literary Agent, Marketing advocate and general lover of books. I work at the L. Perkins Agency and always on the lookout for fun pop culture books. I organize massive book groups for MG and YA Readers where kids can Meet, Greet and Eat with talented authors. I am also passionate about connecting with South African Authors. The rest of the time I network while navigating the slush pile.
Lia Brown
editor at Avalon Books, started her career in publishing at Starlog magazine as a high school intern, fell in love with editing and the creative process, and hasn’t wanted to do anything else since. During the last twenty years she has worked on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction topics and genres at several publishing houses including, Marvel Comics, HarperCollins, St. Martin’s Press, Oxford University Press, and Random House Children’s Books.
At Avalon she acquires family-friendly contemporary and historical romances.
Her work can also be seen online at ehow.com, livestrong.com/lifestyle, and amykitchenerfdn.org.
When she is not writing, she enjoys traveling with her family’s Bluegrass/Gospel band, The Clarke St. Strings.
For more information on Amanda’s many projects, visit her online at: http://www.AmandaBarke.com.
From "A Distant Rumble" by Amanda J. Barke:
When an underground cave in Kauai collapses, Dezarae Collins, a young archaeologist, is trapped beneath the surface and fights for her life. From above ground her Hawaiian assistant, Derek Makoa, and hundreds of volunteers frantically search for her. Dezarae’s widowed mother, Sydney, wonders why God would allow such a tragedy. Hope wanes as the search continues well into the third day.
Meanwhile, Dezarae struggles to maintain consciousness with a life-threatening head injury. Desperate to stay awake, Dezarae finds the missing journals of the late, great cave explorer, Elizabeth Rochester. The historical documents relate Elizabeth’s discovery of a missing English cruise liner rumored to have carried half of the Queen’s fortune.
Will Dezarae survive her injury? Will Derek ever confess his love for her? What happened to the treasure? Why would God allow such tragedy? Could God really have a plan in all of this chaos?
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.
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.
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.)
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 MICHAELShttp://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 VANNATTERhttp://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 BUTCHERhttp://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 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.
After months of planning and preparation, our annual writers' conference was held yesterday at The Library Center in Springfield, Missouri. Did you see us on the KOLR-10 evening news?
While our members and attendees were soaking up the knowledge provided by the fabulous speakers who traveled to Springfield, Missouri, to present relevant topics on writing and the publishing industry, our local CBS affiliate showed up to speak with ORA's 2009-2010 president, Kathy Mullens.
http://youtu.be/j44aVLLmbnMRomancing the Ozarks: A Treasury of Short Stories by Authors from the Ozarks
This 235-page anthology was published by Starship Press in 2009, and features members of Ozarks Romance Authors, a registered non-profit group for writers in the southwest Missouri region.
The group began in 1987, focused on romance fiction, but through the years has evolved to become, essentially, a multi-genre group, with members working on – and published in – many genres of fiction, as well as non-fiction, poetry, essays, journalism, and photography.
Authors featured in this anthology include:
Jean Rosenow
Kathy Mullens
Deborah Schaulis
Betty Inman Shortt
Diana Locke
Jennifer Litteken
Maurine Howell
Harriett Ford
Pat Elliott
Don Waterman
Kaye Calkins
Barbara Huddleston
H.G. Stratmann
Maryellen Stratmann
Karri Lynn Halley
Sandra Allmon
Ruth Hunter
Georganna Myers
Acknowledgements:
Special thanks are extended to the authors who contributed to this collection of short fiction stories. All of them are residents of the Ozarks, an area of the United States which includes much of the southern half of Missouri as well as a large part of northern Arkansas. This regional not only abounds in beautiful geography, but is also rich with its unique cultural inheritance.
Great appreciation is also extended to Ruth Hunter for interior text design; Kathy Mullens for cover art; and Deborah Schaulis, Diana Locke, Jean Rosenow, Barbara Huddleston, Kaye Calkins, and Harriett Ford for editorial assistance. Virginia Pohlenz, Maryellen Stratmann, and a host of many others added their encouragement and support to this project, which fills a niche in literary anthologies.
To all those named and unnamed, a heartfelt thank you.
Information about Henry and his book, from his web site:
EYE HAS NOT SEEN: AN ANTHOLOGY OF SHORT STORIES
by teen journalist Henry Stratmann III, age 16
What do you get when you mix H. G. Wells with Ray Bradbury and O. Henry?
The answer: Henry Stratmann III.
This sixteen-year-old takes you on a memorable journey in his first anthology of short “short stories." With just a few strokes of his pen, he connects you to intriguing characters from the past, present, and future.
Climb on board the roller coaster of his imagination and buckle up for the ride! These are stories that all ages will enjoy.
About the Author:
Henry's favorite activity is daydreaming. He began writing down his musings at the ripe old age of six, when he started a family daily newspaper. He is a typical teen-ager and attends high school in Springfield, Missouri.
To order Henry's Anthology of Fiction Fables, send check or money order for $6.99 (sales tax included), plus $2.00 for shipping and handling to:
Fiction Department
Starship Press, LLC
4319 South National, No. 135
Springfield, Missouri 65810-2607
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.
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.
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.