2011 Conference Spotlight: Leigh Michaels

Best-selling author Leigh Michaels is scheduled to be one of our speakers as Ozarks Romance Authors presents its annual conference July 23, 2011, at The Clarion Hotel in Springfield, Missouri.

Leigh's topics for this event include:

* "Things that Stump the Best of Us (Pacing, Backstory, and Transitions)"

* "Playing Fair: When Characters Keep Secrets" Leigh will also participate in panel discussions during the day with the other presenters.

Who is Leigh Michaels?

Leigh Michaels is the author of nearly 100 books, including 80 contemporary novels, three historical romance novels, and more than a dozen non-fiction books. More than 35 million copies of her romance novels have been published. Six of her books have been finalists for Best Traditional Romance novel in the RITA contest sponsored by Romance Writers of America. She has received two Reviewer's Choice awards from Romantic Times.

Her work has been translated and published in 120 countries in more than 25 languages, including Japanese, Korean, Hungarian, Polish, Portuguese, Czech, Bulgarian, Russian, Turkish, Hebrew, Greek, Swedish, Dutch, Finnish, Norwegian, Danish, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Africaans, Arabic, Indonesian, and Chinese.

She is the 2003 recipient of the Johnson Brigham Award presented by the Iowa Library Association to an Iowa author for outstanding contributions to literature.

She is the author of "On Writing Romance," published by Writers Digest Books.

She is the author of non-fiction books such as WRITING THE ROMANCE NOVEL, a step-by-step workbook, and CREATING ROMANTIC CHARACTERS. She is also the author of DEAR LEIGH MICHAELS: A Novelist Answers the Most-Asked Questions about Getting Published, and a cookbook, A TASTE OF LOVE. She has produced audio programs and written magazine articles on subjects of interest to writers in general.

She teaches romance writing on the Internet at Gotham Writers Workshop, www.writingclasses.com. Men and women from around the world have participated in her workshops, and a number of them have gone on to publish their own romance novels with commercial publishers. She is currently an adjunct professor in the School of Communications at the University of Iowa.

She wrote her first romance novel when she was a teenager and burned it, then wrote and burned five more complete manuscripts before submitting to a publisher. Her first submission was accepted and published by Harlequin Books, the first publisher to look at it.

To learn more about Leigh Michaels, visit her online at http://www.LeighMichaels.com

Ozarks Romance Authors, a multi-genre writers' group, has been a registered non-profit corporation in the state of Missouri since 1987. Meetings are held the first Saturday of each month, and the group's annual conference is scheduled for July 23, 2011, in Springfield, Missouri.

For a list of guest speakers and their topics, click here: http://ozarks-romance-authors.com/2011-annual-conference/

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.

Barbara Bettis welcomes Misty Burke for Writers' Wednesday on her Blog!

Barbara Bettis visits with fellow Ozarks Romance Authors member Misty Burke to her blog for Barb’s popular “Writers’ Wednesday” feature. Click HERE to see the interview.

MISTY BURKE Misty Burke lives in the romantic Ozark Mountains with her supportive husband and four children. When not enjoying family time, she loves to write steamy romances. Creating exciting fantasy worlds filled with dangerously handsome heroes is one of her passions.

Misty currently writes stories for Summerhouse Publishing, Evernight Publishing, Secret Cravings Publishing, and MuseItHOT Publishing.

She is an active member of Ozarks Romance Authors, Romance Writers of America, FF&P (Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal Chapter of RWA), and ESPAN (Electronic Small Press Authors' Network).

Her novel, "The Madame of Gravestone," is available online by clicking HERE.

Visit Misty online by clicking HERE.

BARBARA BETTIS Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.

She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors. She is also a member of Romance Writers of America.

Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.

Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!

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

Pitch Information for ORA Conference Attendees

Attention ORA conference attendees: Scheduling for pitch appointments with Avalon editor Lia Brown and L.Perkins Literary agent Louise Fury will officially open at 9am, SATURDAY JUNE, 11th.

Lia Brown is looking for: Single Title, Category, Contemporary, and Historical.

Louise Fury is looking for: Single Title, Category, Historical, Paranormal, Young Adult, Middle Grade, and Picture Books.

We ask that authors signing up for pitch appointments have your manuscript completed at the time of the pitch (although Louise says she will happily offer query or submission advice to those who do not have completed manuscripts, so long as they tell her up front the manuscript is unfinished.) Appointments will run in ten-minute increments between the hours of 9am and 12:20 pm on the day of the conference, so spots are limited.

In your email, tell me who you'd like to meet with (first and second choice, if applicable). If you have a preference for time, you are welcome to mention it at the time of sign-up, but we cannot guarantees those requests. Scheduling will be done on a first come first served basis.

Contact conference chairperson Cecily Cornelius-White at professorcecily@yahoo.com for pitch appointment sign up beginning JUNE 11th at 9am (CDT), when scheduling opens.

Thank you, and we look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Author/Photographer Brenda Brinkley is today's guest at Barbara Bettis' blog for Writers' Wednesday

Have you discovered "Writers' Wednesday" yet? It is a feature on the blog of Ozarks Romance Authors member Barbara Bettis. Each Wednesday, she hosts a special guest to discuss their writing. It's always a quick, fun read. Click HERE to see today's interview with fellow ORA member Brenda Brinkley.

BRENDA BRINKLEY Writer/Photographer Brenda Brinkley has been a published writer since 1983. After taking sporadic breaks to raise a family, she now writes passionately. She has had more than 400 articles published, and her short stories have won awards and been published in a number of anthologies. Her photography has graced magazine and anthology covers, including the January 2011 launch of Ozarks Romance Authors' magazine (click HERE) and Ozarks Mountaineer Magazine.

Her latest project is a book for children titled "Cleveland the Green Camel."

Brenda's work has appeared in Ozarks Farm & Neighbor Magazine, Ozarks Mountaineer Magazine, and several editions of anthologies such as Mysteries of the Ozarks and Echoes of the Ozarks.

Visit Brenda's blog by clicking HERE.

BARBARA BETTIS Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.

She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.

Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.

Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!

Novelist Mia Marlowe visits Barbara Bettis' blog today

Barbara Bettis' guest today on her blog's "Writers’ Wednesday” column is fellow Ozarks Romance Authors member Mia Marlowe. Click HERE to see the interview.

By the way, Mia will be the guest speaker this Saturday, May 7, 2011, at the monthly meeting of Ozarks Romance Authors. Be sure to stop by! She will begin at 1:00 p.m. (Central Time) in the Frisco Room at The Library Station on North Kansas Expressway. We haven't seen her for many months, since she moved away from our area, and we are so looking forward to this visit and her words of wisdom.

MIA MARLOWE Mia learned much of what she knows about storytelling from singing. A classically trained soprano, she won the District Metropolitan Opera Auditions and has shared a stage with Placido Domingo. As she prepared for operatic roles, she devised back stories for her characters. Since she’s worn a real corset, and had to sing high C’s in one, she empathizes with the trials of her fictional heroines. But in Mia’s stories, they don’t die in a Parisian garret. They get to live and keep the hero!

Now an award-winning author, she writes historical romance for multiple publishing houses. Her debut title received advance ovations from romance luminaries. #1 New York Times bestseller Victoria Alexander says Mia’s Touch of a Thief has “adventure and heat and everything I want in a great story!” UK’s BooksMonthly has crowned Mia Marlowe “the queen of saucy historical romance.”

You can visit her at any of the following places: Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

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!

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.

Kaye Calkins is Barbara Bettis' guest today for Writers' Wednesday

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!

Visit Kaye Calkins online by clicking HERE.

BARBARA BETTIS Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.

She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.

Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.

Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!

Writers' Wednesday with Novelist Tracy Garrett

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.

Visit Tracy online by clicking HERE.

BARBARA BETTIS Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.

She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.

Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.

Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!

Frequently Asked Questions About Our 2011 Annual Fiction Writers' Contest

Each year, Ozarks Romance Authors is asked a lot of the same questions about our annual fiction writers' contest, which is named in honor of one of our founders, the late novelist Weta Nichols. As we receive more questions via our Facebook and Twitter pages, we will post the answers here for reference.

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.

May 7, 2011 - Mia Marlow

Novelist Mia Marlowe is scheduled to present "What a Novel Idea!" at our May 7, 2011, meeting. This topic will teach us about something vital -- story structure.

How can a writer be sure her story isn’t full of holes or missed opportunities? Listen to the voices of the ancient bards. For centuries, story-tellers have been perfecting the craft of weaving tales. We can stand on their shoulders.

Based on Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey, Mia explains the mythic structures that form plot points your readers are already pre-programmed to respond to. WHAT A NOVEL IDEA will help writers be certain their plots will hit all the readers’ (and editors’) hot-buttons.

Following her presentation at our meeting, she will be signing books at Half Price Books of the Ozarks, a fabulous book store in the Plaza Shopping Center, 1950 S. Glenstone, Suite O. We will be there from 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., so stop by and say hello.

We're so excited for the talented Diana Groe (who writes as Emily Bryan and Mia Marlowe) to return to the Ozarks! She is a native of West Plains, but is now based near Boston, Massachusetts.

Mia learned much of what she knows about storytelling from singing. A classically trained soprano, she won the District Metropolitan Opera Auditions and has shared a stage with Placido Domingo. As she prepared for operatic roles, she devised back stories for her characters. Since she’s worn a real corset, and had to sing high C’s in one, she empathizes with the trials of her fictional heroines. But in Mia’s stories, they don’t die in a Parisian garret. They get to live and keep the hero!

Now an award-winning author, she writes historical romance for multiple publishing houses. Her debut title received advance ovations from romance luminaries. #1 New York Times bestseller Victoria Alexander says Mia’s Touch of a Thief has "adventure and heat and everything I want in a great story!" UK’s BooksMonthly has crowned Mia Marlowe “the queen of saucy historical romance.”

You can visit her at any of the following places: Facebook, Twitter, or her website.

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.

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, 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.

Author Lisa Wells is the Writers' Wednesday guest over at Barbara Bettis' blog

Are you ready for another does of Writers' Wednesdsay? Our pal Barbara Bettis continues her series on her blog, with fellow member of Ozarks Romance Authors Lisa Wells as her guest.

LISA WELLS Lisa Wells' first book, "Dibs," is a spicy, fun read.

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.

In addition to being a member of ORA, Lisa is a member of Romance Writers of America.

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!

Author Jennifer Jakes makes an appearance on Barbara Bettis' Writers' Wednesday series

Barbara Bettis' popular blog series, Writers' Wednesday, continues! This week, fellow Ozarks Romance Authors member Jennifer Jakes is Barb's guest. To read the interview (including an excerpt from Jennifer's book, "Rafe's Redemption"), click HERE.

JENNIFER JAKES Jennifer Jakes describes herself as a chronic insomniac who got used to making up stories while waiting to fall asleep. "It was a lot more interesting than counting sheep. Maybe too interesting, because I started staying awake so I could figure out 'what happened' to my characters. For the sake of my health, I began writing the stories on paper - during the day. So far it's working out pretty good:)"

"Rafe's Redemption" was a 2010 Golden Heart finalist, grand prize winner in the Gateway to the Best contest, first place winner in the Gateway to the Best contest, and second place winner in ORA's Weta Nichols fiction contest.

In addition to ORA, Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and Missouri Romance Writers of America (MoRWA).

Visit Jennifer's web site by clicking HERE. Her blog, featuring Man Candy Monday, is available by clicking HERE. http://barbarabettis.blogspot.com/2011/04/writers-wednesday-welcomes-jennifer.html

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. In addition to membership in Romance Writers of America, she 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 launches Writers' Wednesday feature on her blog, with V.L. Gregory as her first guest!

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.

This week, Barb is interviewing another long-time member of Ozarks Romance Authors -- Virginia Pohlenz, who writes as V.L. Gregory.

VIRGINIA POHLENZ / V.L. GREGORY Virginia 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.

Visit her online by clicking HERE.

BARBARA BETTIS Barbara Bettis is an award-winning author of historical fiction, and a long-time instructor of English and journalism at the college level.

She lives in the Missouri Ozarks and is active in several writers’ groups in the area, including Ozarks Romance Authors.

Visit Barb’s blog by clicking HERE. Her main web site is HERE.

Be sure to check Barb’s blog for future Writers’ Wednesday features!

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.

April 2, 2011 - Jean Stringam

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.

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.

March 5, 2011 - Ruth Hunter-Gault and Jill Slack

Join Ozarks Romance Authors' members Ruth Hunter-Gault and Jill Slack as they present ways to promote your writing through social networks and media at the March 5, 2011, meeting of this group for writers.

Ozarks Romance Authors, a non-profit group for writers of all genres founded in 1987, holds its meetings the first Saturday of each month at The Library Station, 2535 N. Kansas Expressway, in Springfield, Missouri. Join us for critique group at 10:00 a.m., lunch at noon, and our meeting/guest speaker at 1:00 p.m.

Visitors are welcome. Your first three visits are free.

For more information, be sure to click the icons (on the right side of the page) to follow us on Facebook and Twitter. If you have questions about the group, please email us at OzarksRomanceAuthors@gmail.com or call (417) 597-4716.