Coming Opportunity!

Vice President Janice Olson has just set a date with speaker, writer, and literary agent Mike Farris of Farris and Farris Literary Agency in Dallas, and also an entertainment attorney with Tipton Jones. He will be speaking to our group in February 2011. Mike handles CBA and ABA clients, has had several clients’ books turn into movie contracts, and is very knowledgeable about the publishing and movie industry.


Mike has graciously offered to take a look at one sheets from of our members. If you are looking for an agent, or would like to have an agent look over your one sheet, over the next few months get busy and polish that baby of yours and bring a one sheet with you at the February meeting. If you are in doubt of what a one sheet should look like or say, many of our authors and writers would be willing to send you examples of what one should look like. But remember:  a one sheet is just that—one sheet, and no more.

So please don’t abuse Mike’s kind nature by bringing multiple one sheets. Only one per person. He will not look at a manuscript, synopsis, or chapters. He will not discuss that gem of an idea you have running around in your head. Take advantage of this opportunity that is just around the corner.

If you have any questions about this, please email Janice@jkolson.com.

Brag Lines October 2010

Did you know that our member Richard Pickett is a musician and songwriter as well as playwright and prose writer? He recently sent query letters "all over Texas" concerning his Christian opera and, so far, Wayland Baptist University and Abilene Christian University BOTH took it, and said they'd read it after Christmas, and consider premiering it next year.

His Christian songwriter-partner, Karen Kite of Abilene, met a successful Christian TV writer. The three are going to write a "children's Christian musical TV show" and pitch it to producers. Also, Karen signed a contract with an Oklahoma outfit who will book her to sing their Christian songs all over the country, and release them on a national CD. So things are lookin’ up for Richard. Hallelujah!

Lena Nelson Dooley signed a three-book contract with Strang, taped an interview with TheChristianAuthorsShow.com which aired October 11-12, was interviewed by Romantic Times at the ACFW Conference, and had a video interview at Conference with www.ChristianRetailing.com . She’s working hard on deadline right now.

Beth Shriver sold:
Reclaiming Tess—Release date June 2011 and
Love is a Rose—Release date December 2011
Check out the link below to watch Beth’s interview and make a comment:
http://www.thebalancingact.com/story/?id=2090

Leanna Ellis was a guest blogger this weekend, talking about how she wrote Facelift when the words wouldn't come right after her dad died. Stop by http://siamckye.blogspot.com/2010/10/when-words-wont-come.html , read it and leave a comment.

Fringe member Lisa Buffaloe is proud to announce Nadia's Hope placed runner-up in the women's fiction category of the Genesis contest. She’ll be the speaker at her church's women's retreat October 22-24th. The topic is "Living free".

Lynne Gentry's submission to B&H for an African series wasn't picked up, but maybe another publisher will recognize this gem.

Jane Thornton's latest article, “Alone at Midnight,” is available at
http://www.thechristianpulse.com/2010/10/14/alone-at-midnight/

There you are, folks! DFW Ready Writers are writing, selling, blogging, talking, and even singing!

October 9th: Voice with Michelle Stimpson

Voice

Voice is what keeps readers coming back to your work page after page, story after story, book after book.  Though every work has its flaws at some level, voice forgives a multitude of sins and engages your reader from beginning to the end.  The beautiful thing about voice is that it's unique and natural – it’s YOU!

Let’s face it: next to a great idea, voice is what appeals most to editors and readers. Absent this essential human trait, a computer could have been programmed to spit out your novel. So how do you include your own voice without overwhelming the reader? And how can you bring “you” into a third-person narrative so that readers will fall in love with the way you tell a story? In this session, we’ll take a stab at those questions by analyzing bestselling authors’ works to discover their unique voices and practice techniques to kick up the voice in your own novels.

Bio:

Michelle Stimpson is an author, a speaker, and an educator who received her Bachelor of Science degree from Jarvis Christian College in 1994.  She earned a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2002.  She has had the pleasure of teaching elementary, middle, and high school as well as training adults. 

In addition to her work in the field of education, Michelle ministers through writing and public speaking.  Her works include Boaz Brown, Breaking Bondage to Biscuits, Divas of Damascus Road (National Bestseller), The Good Stuff, Trouble In My Way, and the upcoming release, Last Temptation.  She has written and published over 40 short stories through her educational publishing company at www.WeGottaRead.com. She also ministers to women through her blog.

Michelle lives near Dallas with her husband and their two teenage children. She is active in the Creative Tyme Ministry at her home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. Visit Michelle online at www.michellestimpson.com.

September 10, 2010, Speaker Pamela Ewen

Pamela Binnings Ewen practiced law for twenty-five years and is a retired partner in the international law firm of BakerBotts, L.L.P. She is the author of The Moon in the Mango Tree, a 2009 Christy Award finalist. Her first book was the acclaimed non-fiction Faith On Trial endorsed by her law partner, former Secretary of State, James A. Baker III. In connection with Faith On Trial, Pamela is also featured along with Gary Habermas, Josh McDowell, Darrell Bock, Lee Stroble, and others in the film Jesus: Fact or Fiction, a Campus Crusade for Christ production. Secret of the Shroud will be released by B&H Publishing Group on September 1, 2010, and Dancing On Glass is set for release in 2011. Secret of the Shroud is the fast-paced, tense story of an embittered and powerful clergyman who learns an ancient secret, confronting him with truth and a choice that may destroy him.

Pamela and her husband, Jimmy, live in Mandeville, Louisiana, just outside New Orleans, across Lake Pontchartrain. She is on the board of directors of The Tennessee Williams Festival in New Orleans, The Faulkner Society, and co-founder of the Northshore Literary Society. In 2009 Ewen was honored as Literary Artist of the Year by the Cultural Arts Commission, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Join Pamela on http://www.pamelaewen.com/ for more information.

Following the meeting at La Hacienda Ranch, Pamela will have a book signing at Mardel's in Hurst.

Brag Lines for August, 2010

The blog mistress apologizes that some of these are coming out a bit late. To compensate, this article is being mounted from a hotel room in Brazil. Y'all keep the credits coming.

Lisa Buffaloe will be the speaker at the ladies retreat for Summit Church, (Boise, Idaho) October 22-24, 2010.

The following is a clip of Beth Shriver’s interview on the Morning Show SFL: http://southflorida.sun-sentinel.com/videobeta/e5552e7f-7371-4f56-bc9d-41ec8efe1b90/News/Parent-teen-relationships
Beth’s article is up on Gina Welborn's blog http://inkwellinspirations.blogspot.com/ . She invites us to stop by and comment.

Lena Nelson Dooley was featured on Shawna Williams’ e-book blog: http://inspirationalebooks.blogspot.com/2010/08/love-finds-you-in-golden-new-mexico.html . Lena will have an interview on Friday Aug 6th, and you can see the postings at Writing Career Coach [http://writingcareercoach.com/] and at Examiner http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-9910-Writing-Examiner]

The August 14th meeting will be followed by a booksigning by our guest speakers at Mardel Christian store at the corner of Grapevine Highway and Hurstview in Hurst at 3 PM. Come see the authors there.

Deborah Rather’s Baby Makes a Match is the Romantic Times Top Pick for the month

On January 11, Barbara Harris’ (aka Leann Harris) Second Chance Ranch for Steeple Hill will come out.

KNEO Radio in Neosho, MO did a taped interview with Lena for Love Finds You in Golden, NM on their show, Author’s corner. This station reaches Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Missouri. The show will be broadcasted about two weeks after the interview.

Beth Goddard heard from her agent that her Redwood Coast proposal was sold to JoAnne (Heartsong). She will sign the contract in November so it’s not “official” yet, but we’re already congratulating her.

Did we miss anything? Email the blog mistress to send in additions. Good work, Ready Writers!

Janice Thompson & Kathleen Y'Barbo

DFW Ready Writers’ Red Hot Summer Special
Saturday, August 14th DFW Ready Writers will present a
Double-Hitter – Two Phenomenal Speakers for the Price of One!

Janice Thompson & Kathleen Y’Barbo

What a Deal! 2 Speakers, 2-Hour Workshop for only $15.00 per person.

While you’re sitting in your bathrobe or warm-ups, drinking the now-cold cup of coffee or tea, writing that next New York Times best seller, wouldn’t you like to earn cash on the side to keep you writing habit afloat? Or maybe, just maybe you’d love to add to your little bag of writing accomplishments … well then … you won’t want to miss hearing Janice Thompson.
Janice Thompson, multi-published author, speaker, mentor, and all around woman of many talents with a great sense of humor (If you don’t believe me just read her books), will be giving a one-hour presentation on "Supplementing Your Fiction Habit." This is a fast-paced course that will give fiction writers eight different ways to earn money with their writing (outside of fiction novels). Ms. Thompson will discuss goal setting, write-for-hire work, magazine article writing, public speaking, non-fiction books, and much, much more.

Then after hearing Janice Thompson and before you cozy up to your next villain or contemplate your romantic love scene, wouldn’t you want to know just how edgy that next scene should be? Will you cross that proverbial writer’s line of no return? Wouldn’t it be nice to know how edgy is too edgy? … well then … you must hear what Kathleen Y’Barbo has to say about “Over the Edge: Edgy Fiction in the CBA Marketplace.

Kathleen Y’Barbo, bestselling author of more than 35 award-winning novels and novellas with over 950,000 books in print, a tenth generation Texan, graduate of Texas A&M University and a member of the Texas Bar Association Paralegal Division, will give us all some idea of pitfalls of writing Edgy for CBA. Edgy fiction has become a much-used term to describe the latest trend in the Christian market, but what does it really mean to write "on the edge"? And how does an author know when he or she has stepped over the edge of realism into the realm of shock value? This workshop will visit the topic of edgy fiction and offer writers much to think about on topics that were once considered off limits in Inspirational novels.
Plan now to attend this workshop and meet two incredibly talented authors that will hold your attention with two chucked-full hours of inspired insight into the CBA writing world.

Both of these authors are multi-published in a number of different venues, and they're experts in their fields.


Come join us for lunch and a special time of learning. A book signing at Mardel in Hurst will follow the meeting.

Brag Lines, July 2010

Jane Thornton has a new article online, “I Think I Can’t”. Her pieces are always practical, uplifting, and hard-down honest. The address: http://www.thechristianpulse.com/2010/07/15/i-think-i-cant/

Anne Greene is on a roll. White Rose Publishing contracted for her book, Masquerade Marriage. This Scottish historical proves that she isn’t locked into a time, a country, or a genre. Got any great marketing ideas? She’s listening.

Tyndale House is using seven of Lisa Buffaloe’s devotions for their book, tentatively titled The One Year Book of Laughter and Joy. Publication is August, 2011. Her inspiring story is on http://www.lisabuffaloe.com/

Lisa posted a true story about a young man who is an evangelist overseas. Lisa writes, “His story blows my socks off! I need these wonderful reminders that God is an amazing God.” http://www.lisabuffaloe.blogspot.com/ . Read and be blessed. I did and I was.

And Marilyn Eudaly’s submission, "Serpent in the Basement", will be in the same book!

Ronie Kendig will be signing NIGHTSHADE and doing a small talk on PTSD at Legacy Books in Plano on August 17th at 7pm. This is a very nice independent bookstore, the same one that hosted Sarah Palin when she came. She urgently requests that we show up to support her. It matters.

Beth Shriver is going to Florida to do a book tour and be on two television shows to talk about her book, Peace for Parents of Teens.

Lena Nelson Dooley had a live podcast with Christian Work at Home Mom on July 15th.

Becky Yauger posted a blurb on the August meeting, a two-hour, two-speaker mini-conference, with the online Dallas Morning News. Read it at http://listings.guidelive.com/coppell-tx/events/show/128670445-dfw-ready-writers-meeting .Thanks for the publicity, Becky.

Deborah Rather aka Arlene James has finished the fourth book in the Chatam House series from Love Inspired (Steeple Hill Books). She’s now working on the 2nd book in a new continuity series set in Colorado. You can find her at:
http://www.arlenejames.com/http://www.chatamhouseseries.com/

Dr. Richard Mabry’s second novel of medical suspense, MEDICAL ERROR, was to be released Sept 1, six months after the release of CODE BLUE. However, it's already available on Amazon, Cokesbury, and a few other sites. The publicity for it won't really get underway until Sept 1, but if you encounter anyone who just can't wait to read it, please pass on the information that it's available. To investigate his “Medical Suspense With Heart,” go to http://rmabry.com/ and http://rmabry.blogspot.com/ .

DFW Ready Writers is a moving and shaking group. Sometimes we get published, and sometimes we don’t, but we’re always out there writing and and learning.