Monthly Meeting - Saturday, August 6

Join us on August 6 at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library for Ozark's Romance Authors' Monthly Meeting. It's time to nominate board members for 2016-17, plus we have a lot to discuss about the direction ORA will be taking. Do we want to change some of the board positions and/or add new positions? Do we want to hire someone to handle some tasks? Do we want to continue holding our annual writing contest? What about our conference? These are only some of the BIG decisions we need to make. Come help shape ORA's future!

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

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

NEW! ORA Critique Groups

Hello ORA members! 

Based on membership feedback, the ORA board has been working on building the foundation for critique groups within our membership. We are excited to introduce our new writers’ critique groups at the August meeting.

Kayla Griffith has volunteered to be the coordinator of the groups and will explain more about them at the meeting. She has ten years of experience at creating online critique partnerships and is delighted to fill this role for ORA. 

While there are many types of critique groups, our first set will be the type often referred to as “Concept to Completion.” Basically, each author will bring a new or newly begun story to their group and write it over the next few months with help and input from their critique group members. Getting weekly feedback from fellow writers is one of the best ways to improve writing, and we hope our members can use this powerful tool to become stronger and more prolific writers.

Once the first critique groups are up and running, Kayla can help facilitate others with a more specialized focus. Come to the meeting to find out how to get signed up for this amazing writing tool and find out what other options might be available in the future. 

Monthly Meeting - Saturday, June 4

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

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

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

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


Photo by Eric Anderson

Photo by Eric Anderson

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

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

The Early Days of ORA

A guest blog by founding Ozarks Romance Authors Member, Kathleen Garnsey.


In December, 1987, on my way to Christmas shop at the mall, I dropped my sister-in-law, Flora Opal, at Shoney's on Battlefield and National for a meeting of a new writer's group called Ozarks Romance Authors. There were several other groups at the time, but none of them wanted to work with romance writers. A woman named Weta Nichols decided the Springfield, Missouri, area needed a romance writers’ group. 

Romance writers back then were looked down upon by other groups, and not recognized as legitimate writers. There are some writers, even today, who don't give romance authors their due credit, but it has gotten better.

Weta, a prolific romance author, wanted a group that catered to romance writers only, whether published or upcoming, so she began ORA. At the time we were a chapter of RWA (Romance Writers of America) and all our members had to belong to the national organization. So in 1988, I joined ORA and RWA and began learning how to write a romance.

Weta Nichols, founder of ORA

Weta Nichols, founder of ORA

ORA soon became a viable alternative for anyone interested in writing. It was Weta's intention for ORA to cater to the art or writing the romance, since no other group would. If you write romance, you quickly learn it is a unique genre that requires certain elements not required in other genres. In a romance, the relationship is the main plot, and everything else belongs to the secondary plot. Everything revolves around the hero and heroine, and their passion to find everlasting love with one another while they work through problems and adversity. The ways in which that happens are unlimited, but the relationship is the primary reason for the story. With that said, good writing is good writing, no matter the genre, and the learning process is always necessary.

In the early days, we had speakers who educated us on writing the romance, and how to use plot, characterization and conflict to create an exciting book that included adventure, and the happy ending of true love found.

We learned how to write love scenes with the secret formula revealed: What is happening in their heads is more important than what their bodies are doing. Once I learned that, I was able to write those scenes effectively with the proper impact for the reader. Many of the presentations were by very successful published members who joined ORA, including:  Lois Kleinsasser, aka Cait Logan/Cait London, Lori Copeland, Norma Brader, Laura Abbot, Carla Kelly, Suzann Ledbetter and Terri Valentine. These ladies contributed a lot to ORA at meetings and conferences and we owe them a vote of thanks and gratitude.

The group decided it needed a newsletter, so Flora Opal and I accepted that responsibility—yes, pre-Microsoft Word and Publisher. We typed, cut and pasted together an eight page newsletter which we took to the copy shop for printing, then folded, addressed and mailed them to our members and supporting RWA groups. The first ORA newsletter was created and mailed in April 1989. Oh, the good old days. We included articles from other RWA groups, and they used articles we wrote, so there was a lot of "how to" articles which everyone enjoyed. Those were fun times, typing and gluing everything for fliers, posters, and anything else necessary for newsletters and conferences. It was a time of learning and creating a writer's group that would survive the years and grow into what it is today.

Our first conference: I was on that first committee and did so many jobs I'm not sure what my title was, but we all worked hard to put on that conference. The date was September 16, 1989 and we called it "The Heart of the Matter." We held a Friday evening wine and cheese party in conjunction with a book signing at the mall. We hired a trolley to take attendees from the Sheraton Inn, where the conference and party was being held, to the mall for the signing. We even managed to get Bantam Books to pay the cost. We had so little money then that we had to beg our members to pay their conference fees early so we could pay for printing costs for conference mailers! We all worried how we would pay the hotel bill if we did not get enough attendees, since there was a minimum charge to use their facilities. I don't have the exact number, but it was a major success with more people than we dreamed possible, over a hundred. We were able to pay the hotel bill and pocket a bit for future endeavors.

At the time we had no idea how many conferences we would have, or who would attend. All we knew was there was a basic need for the information only we could provide for those writers who wanted to write romance, and create a book to be proud of, a book a publisher would accept. We had speakers that addressed query letters, agents, rejections, and success stories. The information has changed drastically over the years—with paper publishers falling by the wayside and electronic publishing taking over the industry in a dramatic and all encompassing way—a giant sweep no one saw coming.

As much as things change, they also stay the same. All of the writing elements we learned "way back then" are being presented to you today. The teachers and presentations may be different, but the information is timeless and necessary. We have the same appetite for writing and creating stories that people want to read. We have always had members from rank beginners to authors on the best seller lists, and every level in between.

Yesterday, today and tomorrow have blended together to form a group that has made a real name for itself, that has developed and grown from a handful of women to the number of authors we have today. We began the Weta Writing Contest at the time of our second conference, although it was not named after Weta until after she passed away. We wanted to honor our founder and thought that would be a fitting tribute since she was so extremely proud of her group and the way it had grown.

The 2016 Weta Nichols Competition is now accepting submissions

The 2016 Weta Nichols Competition is now accepting submissions

I was asked how romance writers were looked at way back then and how has it changed. It may be just me, but I feel romance authors receive more respect today than in years past. The romance genre has a massive readership, and a large part of the book market. Romance novels have been around forever, and will continue to be a viable genre to write. Romance writers should be proud of their genre, and the ability for the romance market to maintain and grow readership.

There are very few "early" members still in ORA, but those of us who are, have truly enjoyed the journey of beginning something that has endured and grown into the fantastic organization it is today. All of our hard work paid off, and as one of those "early members", I want to welcome everyone to the finest writer's group I've ever belonged to, and the one I hold near and dear to my heart. Please enjoy everything ORA has to offer, and know that many came before you, and hopefully many will come after you. My favorite greeting, "Welcome to ORA—the best writer's group around!"

Kathleen Garnsey—Member since 1988

 

MONTHLY MEETING–SATURDAY, MAY 7, 2016–CHARACTERIZATION AND IDENTITY VS. ESSENCE

Craft - Continued!

Join us on May 7 at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library for Ozark's Romance Authors' Monthly Meeting. We'll be continuing our conversation on craft with the discussion of Characterization and Identity vs. Essence.

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

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

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

December Meeting

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

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

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

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

November Meeting

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

Sherry Foley

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

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

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

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

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

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, October 3, 2015 - Panel of Professionals for Character Ideas

Monthly Meeting – Saturday, October 3, 2015 - Panel of Professionals for Character Ideas

  • Fire Marshal -  Ben Basham has been with the Springfield Fire Marshal’s office for 9 years and the Fire Department for 17 years. He is an arson investigator, bomb technician, commissioned law enforcement officer and all around good guy (as long as you keep him well-fed). He pretends to be shy but secretly loves the spotlight. His favorite movie is Backdraft and his favorite TV show is Chicago Fire.
  • Doctor - Chuck Sheppard Born many many years ago in Springfield, Graduated from Greenwood, got a degree in Engineering Physics from Cornell then Medical School at the University of Missouri Columbia. Did internship at Presbyterian hospital in San Francisco. Served as Medical Director Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic in San Francisco Drug Treatment/Rock medicine section for 4 years. Residency at Presbyterian. Moved to Massachusetts practiced Internal Medicine for 6 years the became ER director. Did that for several years then moved to Ohio for a year then Upstate NY and then back to Mercy (then St. Johns) in Springfield in 1992. Currently working in the Emergency Department and serving as the medical director for Mercy Life Line and Mercy Kids Transport. In Springfield. Lecture around the country on all things prehospital/emergency medicine. Also have a miniature horse farm (7S Miniatures) see web site www.7sminiatures.com. Love to read all kinds of books and magazines.
  • Attorney - Jonathan Barker received the Prosecutor of the Year Award in 2008 and 2009. He has spent 5+ years in the Greene County Prosecutor’s office, working in different units (Major Crimes, Crimes Against Persons, and General Crime). He has attended jury trials, bench trials, evidentiary hearings, and motion hearings. He has worked on a variety of cases for crimes committed against people (involving children, kidnapping, sexual offenses, domestic violence offenses, assault, assault on law enforcement) , drugs (drug possession, drug distributing, drug manufacturing) , arson, and robbery (robbery, burglary, stealing and other property crimes).
Please note that in October, ORA will be meeting at the Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, 397 E. Central St., Springfield, MO. The speaker panel begins at 1:00.

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

Congratulations to the 2015 Weta Nichols Writing Contest WINNERS!

Congratulations to the 2015 Weta Nichols Writing Contest WINNERS!

Historical Category

  • 1st Place: Pam Bazemore, "A Choice Between"

Pam BazemorePam Bazemore. (Birchwood, 20 minutes NE of Chattanooga, TN) She’s attempted a number of things to find her primary role in life: secretary, cashier, piece worker, fork-lift driver and even tank driver in the TN Army Nat’l Guard. Writing short fiction and personal journals is something she’s done off and on since high school. ‘A Choice Between’ is her first novel. She has a completed second, a raw third, and eight chapters (so far) of a fourth. When not writing, she makes the claim of ‘glorified gopher’ for her husband’s business, devoted mom to their brilliant 23 year old son, and chief feeder and caretaker to six dogs she didn’t really intend to have but couldn’t give them up even if she wanted to.

  • 2nd Place: Veda Boyd Jones, "Will Jolie's Excellent Vietnam Adventure"

Veda Boyd JonesVeda Boyd Jones (Joplin, MO) has written romance novels and children’s fiction and nonfiction books and is trying her hand at a mainstream historical novel. She reread letters she received from her husband during his army years (previous to their marriage), and using them as a catalyst, she decided to fictionalize the turmoil and angst of the Vietnam era on a young man and the young woman he loved. New ebooks: The Governor’s Daughter, That Sunday Afternoon

  • 3rd Place: Lindsey Edwards, "Awaiting the Viscount's Kiss

Contemporary Category

  • 1st Place: Jessie Gussman, "When Silence Speaks"
  • 2nd Place: Lindy Dierks, "Who Says You Can't Go Home"

Lindy Dierks

Lindy Dierks, an avid reader her entire life, began writing a few years ago. She squeezes in writing contemporary romances in the early morning hours, between a full time job, three kids, and the mountains of laundry.

 

 

  • 3rd Place: Lori Younker, "Without Borders"

Lori Younker

Lori Younker has enjoyed the world of words with her international friends for over 30 years. Whether she is learning a new language or teaching English, she appreciates the power of words to capture issues that inspire others. She has had several short stories published in anthologies some of which placed first and second in contests. Lori and her husband raised three kids in warm and woodsy Missouri. Currently, she is president of the COMO Writers’ Guild and donates her energies to recent immigrants and to her writing.

Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy

  • 1st Place: Rosalie Stanton, "Hellion"

Rosalie Stanton 2

Rosalie Stanton is a multi-published erotic romance author, with emphasis in paranormal and contemporary. A lifelong enthusiast of larger than life characters, Rosalie enjoys building worlds filled with strong heroes and heroines of all backgrounds.

 

 

 

  • 2nd Place: Allison Merritt, "Lawless"

Allison Merritt 2015A love of reading inspired Allison Merritt to pursue her dream of becoming an author who writes historical, paranormal, contemporary, and fantasy romances, often combining the sub-genres. She lives in a small town in the Ozark Mountains with her husband and dogs. It's not unusual to find her lurking in graveyards, wandering historical sites, or listening to ghost stories.

 

  • 3rd Place: Anne Belen, "Past Mistakes"

Young Adult/Middle Grade

  • 1st Place: Mary Holm, "The Fatal Crown"

Mary HolmMary Holm started writing her first novel after her twins were born as a way to stay sane between feedings and diaper changes.  Since then, she’s written two novels and is working on a third.  After graduating from Southern Illinois University with a BA in Television, she worked in production, did documentary research, and currently works as a script researcher for TV programs and movies.

 She lives in Burbank, CA with her wonderful husband of 32 years.  Her boy and girl twins are now grown and have recently made her a grandmother to two beautiful grandsons, three months apart.  On the rare occasions when she has spare time, she enjoys yoga, hiking, watching TV and tweeting.

  • 2nd Place: Charles Robertson, "Ghost Tree"
  • 3rd Place: S.D. Keeling, "Songs Never Sung, Words Never Spoken"

sharon davis keelingS. D. Keeling is the pen name of Sharon Keeling Davis, an award-winning photographer, aspiring author and mother of two rambunctious little boys. She is often drawn to historical and time travel fiction--not surprising since she spent five years as a grad student in ancient and medieval history.

 

ORACon 2015 – September 18-19, 2015

Ozarks Romance Authors' Annual Conference (ORACON) is almost here!

Oracon 2015 Line UpYou are invited to Ozarks Romance Authors’ Annual Fiction Writers’ Conference! This event is NOT just for romance writers. The fundamentals of good writing are universal, and you will learn vital information about the publishing industry, no matter the genre you write. Check out our lineup of fantastic speakers and register here. We will also announce the winners for the 2015 Weta Nichols Fiction Writing Contest, named in honor of the woman who founded our group in 1987, the late novelist Weta Nichols.

The conference itself will be held Saturday, September 19, 2015 at University Plaza in Springfield, MO. Check out the agenda to see the pre-conference activities on Friday, September 18th and plan to join in the fun!

Authors at Art Walk during Springfield’s First Friday Art Walk – September 4, 2015

Authors at Art Walk during Springfield’s First Friday Art Walk – September 4, 2015

ORA is participating in yet another First Friday Art Walk with our signature event, Authors At Art Walk! It’s Friday, September 4, 2015, from 5:30 – 10:00 p.m., at BookMarx (325 E. Walnut St., Ste 101, Springfield, MO 65806, 417-501-1062). www.Facebook.com/BookMarxbooks

Please show up, support our members, and make sure it’s a fun night. There is no charge to attend First Friday Art Walk. You will have the chance to meet these authors, purchase their books, and have them signed. We look forward to seeing you!

Participating authors:

Rosalie Stanton 2

 

Rosalie Stanton — a multi-published erotic romance author, with emphasis in paranormal and contemporary, author of LOST WAGES OF SIN,  SEX, SIN & SCANDAL, FLIP SIDE OF SIN, FIRSTS, WITNESS, KNOW THINE ENEMY, and MOVING TARGET.

Ellen

Ellen Harger — a writer at the Chick Lit end of Women’s Fiction and the Women’s Fiction end of Chick Lit, author of STRONG ENOUGH and THE ANONYMOUS BLOG OF MRS. JONES.

Lisa Medley Facebook Crop

Lisa Medley — a reader and writer of paranormal romance/urban fantasy novels about monsters in love, author of The Reaper Series (REAP & REPENT, REAP & REDEEM, REAP & REVEAL), HAUNT MY HEART, and SPACE COWBOYS & INDIANS.

Vera Jane

VJ Schultz— a writer of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, author of DEATH OF BIGFOOT & OTHER TALES, TRUTH OR DARE & OTHER TALES, UNDERCOVER LOVE & OTHER TALES, VERA’S VERSION, and THE GREAT EASTER EGG HUNT.

 

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

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

 Holly Atkinson2Holly Atkinson was fortunate to receive her first taste in editing when she was thirteen and wrote copy for a local realtor show. In 2008, Holly graduated from Missouri State University with a Bachelor’s in English, emphasizing in Creative Writing. Her first real job in the literary world came in the role of line editor for Lyrical Press. In 2011, she was recruited by Mundania Press as a content editor, where she met one of her future Samhain coworkers. In 2012, Holly joined the amazing team at Samhain Publishing.

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

 

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

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

Authors at Art Walk during Springfield’s First Friday Art Walk – August 7, 2015

Authors at Art Walk during Springfield’s First Friday Art Walk – August 7, 2015

ORA is participating in yet another First Friday Art Walk with our signature event, Authors At Art Walk! It’s Friday, August 7, 2015, from 5:30 – 9:00 p.m., at the Park Central Branch Library (128 Park Central Square, Springfield, MO 65806, 417-831-1342).

Please show up, support our members, and make sure it’s a fun night. There is no charge to attend First Friday Art Walk. You will have the chance to meet these authors, purchase their books, and have them signed. We look forward to seeing you!

Participating authors:

* Tierney James — author of the Enigma Series (An Unlikely Hero, Winds of Deception), There's a Superhero in the Library, Zombie Meatloaf and The Rescued Heart

Tierney James* Brandy Nacole - author of The Shadow World series (Uniquely Unwelcome, Blood Burdens, Sacrifice: A New Dawn) and the Spiritual Discord series (Broken Faith, Raging Storm)

brandy nacole* Willy Robbins -  author of the children's books In My Closet and Brooding School Blues

Willy Robbins

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

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

 Sharon Kizziah-Holmes

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

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

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

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

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

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

Twitter:  @paperbackpress

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

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