November Meeting

Saturday, November 8, 2008

La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant
5250 Hwy 121
Colleyville, TX
(Southbound access road from Hall-Johnson)

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Our special guest is a former US Marshall who is now a PI for a large law firm. You can ask him all kinds of questions for information you need for your WIPs.

Should you want a preview of the PI firm he works with go to www.mmwa.net. If you want to know more about our speaker, click on associates and then Jesse Guzman.

Visitors welcome.

October Meeting: Leanna Ellis

This Saturday, October 11.

Leanna Ellis will speak on "The Road to Publication with B&H.


We'll enjoy fellowship, a meal, and learn more about what's happening in Christian publishing today.
Visitors welcome.

We'll meet:11:00 am
La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant
5250 Hwy. 121
Colleyville, Texas
(On the access road southbound from Hall-Johnson)

September Meeting Announcement

American Christian
Fiction Writers
Click here for information on September's Conference

Meeting Information

La Hacienda Ranch restaurant

Hwy. 121 in Colleyville.

(Between Glade and Hall Johnson)

September 13th starting at 11:00 am.

This Month's Topic: Conference Q&A
A panel of people who have attended conferences will field questions. The members of the panel are: Dawn Samaniego (Dawn Michelle Michals) - our president, Lena Nelson Dooley - our vice-president, Lee Carver, and Margo Carmichael.

Members are encouraged to bring their one sheets, and anyone who wants to can practice their pitch. We want everyone to feel comfortable about participating in everything conference has to offer.

Our August Meeting with Lena Nelson Dooley Speaking

August Meeting -

Lena Nelson Dooley will be the speaker -- Painting Historicals With Authenticity. One of her historicals is a finalist for Book of the Year. She will share lots of ways to find information you need to make your setting authentic to the time period.

She'll also present this workshop at national, so if you're not able to attend national, or if you want to take a different workshop during that time period, you won't want to miss this meeting.

Meeting takes Place at:
La Hacienda Ranch restaurant
Hwy. 121 in Colleyville.
(Between Glade and Hall Johnson)
August 9, at 11:00 am.
We meet on the second Saturday,


BIO
Lena Nelson Dooley is a freelance author and editor who lives with her husband in Texas. She and her husband have two grown daughters, two sons-in-law, and four grandchildren. They love to spend time with their family. They also enjoy traveling, including taking vacations in Mexico, visiting and working with missionary friends.

During the years she has been a professional writer, she has been involved as a writer or editor on a variety of projects including: a regional Christian newspaper; a TV movie and Public Service Announcements; curriculum for public school, private schools, children’s Sunday School, and Children’s Church for three different denominations; International business reports; technical manuals, and sketches for a Christian comedian. She has edited several books for clients. She developed a seminar called “Write Right,” which she taught several years as a faculty member of the Fine Arts Academy in Bedford, Texas. She hosts a writing critique group in her home and has mentored a number of now-published authors. After years of working for a church, she now writes full time at home.

Lena often speaks at women’s ministry meetings and writing events and conferences. She has had speaking engagements in two states, Mexico, and Guatemala.
Several of her Heartsong books have appeared on the Top Ten Favorite lists. She’s even been on the Top Ten Favorite authors list. And she has been a finalist in Book of the Year four times. His Brother’s Castoff took second place. Once again, she’s a BOTY finalist.

Member News - August

First off, congratulations to our two Book of the Year (BOTY) finalist:

• Lena Nelson Dooley for The Spinster & The Cowboy (Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner anthology)


• Arlene James for When Love Comes Home (aka Deborah Rather)
  

Our president Dawn Michelle Morton had an article published in Focus on The Family. In the magazine, it made front page.

Lisa Buffalo has another article called -- Trapped like a Rat with The Christian Pulse which will appear on July 22.

Check out my Slide Show!

July Meeting - Sonya Vasquez

We have been on the lookout for people with interesting occupations to spark our creativity. Our speaker for July 12 is a wax sculptor for Ripley's museums. Sonya Vasquez will bring pictures and samples of her work. In addition to her presentation, she'll answer our questions.

This looks to be a very interesting meeting.

Bring a notebook and curiosity.

Sonya Vasquez working on a sculpture of Marilyn Munroe she is doing for a museum that's set to open in August in London.

Speaker's Bio
Sonya Vasquez is a wax sculptor for Ripley's museums all over the world. She was hired by them her senior year in college, and she's worked for them for over 10 years. As far as she knows, there are only a few wax sculptors in the US, and she is the only woman. It typically takes about 3 months and $20,000 to create a new wax figure.

Meeting Info:
We meet at La Hacienda Ranch

Where: Colleyville, Texas

On the southbound freeway access road between Glade and Hall Johnson

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

July Member News- LISTEN UP, FOLKS!!

Our members have been hard at work this month. Give them a big kudos for their successes and even their failures if you hear about them. Both indicate a writer hard at work and deserve applause.

• Our prez Dawn has an article coming out in the July Focus On Your Family magazine. It will be in the one dealing with Single Parent Issues.
• Deborah Rather will be having a book released from Love Inspired: Book 1 of Eden "His Small Town Girl"
• Janice Olson is hosting the ACFW blog tour on July 14. I think she is still looking for short testimonials about your experience at conferences. See Janice's Website
• Lena Dooley will be a guest blogger on Kelly Mortimer's blog July 13-18. Stop by and see what interesting things she has to say.
• Beth Shriver has a monthly article in Heartbeat Magazine
• Lisa Buffalo had another article come out in The Christian Pulse

Let's support one another by checking out these sites and congratulating each other on a job well done.

If you have any other news- even if they are rejections- let me know and I'll put add it to our Member news entries.

June Meeting and June Book signing

Dooley Book Signing

Yes folks, it's true!

Our own V. President Lena Nelson Dooley will be having a book signing at the Southlake Barnes and Noble off Hwy. 114 in the Southlake/ Grapevine area.

Mark your calendars for June 21st starting at 2pm.

Evidently, from the picture, you'll have a fine selection of books to choose from.

Hope to see everyone there!

June Meeting: Clopton's Exciting Proposals

Debra Clopton will join us on June 14th to discuss how to make proposals exciting

Come to LaHacienda Ranch Restaurant

5250 Hwy 121
Colleyville, Tx.

(Between Hall-Johnson and Glade on the north-bound service road)

Time: 11:00 - 1:00pm

Award winning author Debra Clopton hit the ground running in 2005 with the release of her first book THE TROUBLE WITH LACY BROWN published by Steeple Hill Love Inspired. It was a Golden Heart finalist and won the Faith Hope and Love Inspirational Readers Choice award for 2006. Since then her subsequent books have won several awards and nominations including The Writers Guild Award, The Barclay Gold Award and her 2006 book NO PLACE LIKE HOME was a proud finalist in ACFW BOTY contest for short contemporary in 2007. Most recently her book DREAM A LITTLE DREAM was named one of the recipients of a Holt Medallion Award of Merritt in romantic comedy for 2008.

A prolific author Debra has created a unique world filled with characters readers don't want to give up. A place created especially to make readers join in on the fun—and sometimes the trials and tribulations...but always a place where readers can forget their own worries and spend a relaxing few hours in the company of their friends of Mule Hollow.

Debra is known for her unique voice, her humor and the ability to weave in relevant issues while still leaving her readers with a smile. She has 3 books scheduled for release in 2008 NEXT DOOR DADDY (Jan 08) HER BABY DREAMS (April 08) and THE COWBOY TAKES A BRIDE (July 08) she has 4 books on the horizon for 2009...all are continuing her series set in Mule Hollow. Her editor on all of her books is ACFW Editor of the Year Krista Stroever who she credits with sharing her vision for Mule Hollow.

You can visit her website at http://www.debraclopton.com/

May Member News

Many of our member's have been hard at work. Here's a sampling of what some of them have been up to:

• Check out Janice's new website. See sidebar and click on Janice Olson.
• Lisa Buffalo has two new articles out. You can read them by following these links:

"Where is the control?"
http://www.thechristianpulse.com/index.php/20080501572/Faith/Faith-Articles/Where-is-the-control.html

"Excuse me God, can we talk?"
http://www.thechristianpulse.com/index.php/20080501571/Faith/Faith-Articles/Excuse-me-God-can-we-talk.html

• Lena Dooley always has interesting interviews on her blog. Check it out by clicking her name on the side bar. Writer's are sure to find interesting tidbits there.
• Our president, Dawn Samaniego, is now moved and getting settled into her new home.
• We have three finalist in the Genesis Contest: Lynne Gentry, Jane Thornton, who finaled twice, and Janice Olson. Be sure to give them a big congrats when you see them.

I hope to be able to post more news in the future. This is promising to be a great year!

May Events

Janice Thompson May Visit

DFW Ready Writers will host Janice Thompson for a two-hour writing seminar.

Saturday, May 10, from 11:00 am - 2:00 PM

La Hacienda Ranch restaurant

5250 Hwy 121

Colleyville

$10 charge at the door (This price does not include the cost of your lunch.)

Topics:

Have Yourself a Cozy Little Mystery

Writing a Novel Using 12 Plot Shots

A booksigning will follow the seminar.

Janice Thompson is a Christian freelance author of novels, non-fiction books, magazine articles and musical comedies for the stage. Her latest releases (Mommy-to-Be AND Bride-to-Be) were co-authored with her oldest daughter, Randi. Janice has currently published over thirty books. She lives in the Houston area, where the heat and humidity tend to reign, regardless of the season.

April Meeting

April 12 Meeting- Review of the Early Bird Session

Four of our esteemed member's of DFW Ready Writer's will be presenting what they learned during the 2007 ACFW Conference Early Bird Session. Come hear the different perspective from these wonderful ladies.

Meeting begins at 11:00 at the La Hacienda Ranch in Grapevine.
We will have lunch before the speakers begin.

The restaurant is located on the service road between Hall-Johnson and Glade on the southbound side of Hwy 121.

Meeting ends promptly at 1:00 pm.




Lee Carver

Lee Carver has retired from her globe-trotting life as the wife of a senior vice president of the world’s largest bank. She and her husband have served as volunteer missionaries for the past six years, where he was a bush pilot in the Brazilian Amazon. Lee ran their home as a free missionary guesthouse.

Lee lived in six foreign countries and studied nine languages. She has taught biology and chemistry, served as volunteer church musician, and is a potter.

The Carvers moved to Texas in November, 2006, to care for his parents and enjoy their extended family.

Janice Olson
Janice Olson writes fiction and non-fiction for adults and children. Her devotionals appear regularly in Journeys in Faith weekly e-devotionals and she is currently working on a daily devotional book and a suspense novel. She received the NTCW 2007 Best of Conference Award in Children’s Fiction, September 2007, and her short story My First Tea was published in Chicken Soup for the Tea Lover’s Soul in October 2007. Janice is an active member of ACFW, SCBWI, TXLA, RWA, and Historian for DFW Ready Writers. Though she enjoys writing mystery/suspense, her ultimate aspiration is to inspire others to reach higher heights and greater faith in God through her writing and teaching.

PacJac Carroll
Patricia (PacJac) Carroll has been writing for more years than she’d like to admit. But in 2006, she became serious about writing as a career and calling. A member of ACFW and DFW Ready Writers, she also attends a weekly critique group in the home of multi-published author Lena Nelson Dooley. She also attended the ACFW conference in 2006 and 2007.
Patricia loves to write, travel, and laugh. She has completed one historical romance and is currently working on a contemporary romance. She enjoys the writing process and has many more unfinished stories waiting impatiently in line to be written.

Margo Carmichael

Margo Carmichael writes suspense.
She acted as charter president 2005-06 of local chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers, DFW Ready Writers.

Her passions are reading and acting (she’s played in M*A*SH, background in “Walker, Texas Ranger,” and “Jaws III”). She has also played Constanza in “Enchanted April.”

Margo loves painting, writing, piano and art. She grew up in Florida and has traveled to Paris, Tokyo, London, Scotland and Israel.
The more I study the Bible, the more I see our awesome God's hand in my life.

March Meeting with Martha Rogers

Dawn's Wedding Shower

Martha Rogers - Sensational writings

On Saturday, March 8, 2008, the DFW Ready Writer's will be honored with a special guest, Martha Rogers for a special presentation on the importance of using all five senses in our writing.

Although Martha’s primary writing experience is in non-fiction, she has been writing fiction for a number of years. She revised seven Bible studies for First Place Health Program, published by Gospel Light, and wrote one original for them. Martha also had several articles appear in Christian magazines. In addition, ten devotionals are included in the 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006 editions of Penned From the Heart, and nine others appear in Today is the First Day, a devotional book published by Gospel Light/Regal Books. Her first novel, Not on the Menu, was published in the spring of 2007 in the novella collection, Sugar and Grits.

In addition, Martha has two stories in Wayne Holmes’ compilations, Whispering in God’s Ear and Embrace of the Father as well as stories in compilations by Karen O’Connor and books by Janice Thompson Debra White-Smith.

Martha resigned in 2004 as editor of an eight page monthly newsletter for the writer’s organization, Inspirational Writers Alive! after five years as the editor. She serves as President of the state Inspirational Writers Alive! and also the director for the annual Texas Christian Writer’s Conference. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers for whom she writes a devotional every week.


We hope you'll come join us for this wonderful treat. We meet at La Hacienda Ranch restaurant off Hal-Johnson and Highway 121. The restaurant is on the Southbound side between Glade and Hall-Johnson.

Meetings start at 11:00 am and end at 1:00 pm. Come join us for lunch, visiting and learning. Visitors are welcomed. You must be a member of ACFW to join DFW Ready Writer's.

February with Speaker Sandy Glahn

February 9, 2008 Meeting

The DFW Ready Writers meeting on Saturday, February 9, will feature aspecial guest speaker--ACFW member Sandy Glahn.

Sandra Glahn, Th.M., teaches creative writing and journalism classes in the media arts program at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), her alma mater.

Sandy also teaches classes on homiletics and women’s history. She is pursuing a Ph.D. In Aesthetic Studies (art/history/ philosophy) at the University of Texas at Dallas. And she serves on the board the Evangelical Press Association and the women's executive committee for bible.org. She is editor-in-chief of Dallas Seminary's award-winning quarterly magazine, Kindred Spirit.

Her books include The Coffee Cup Bible Study series (featuring AMG's Mocha on the Mount, Espresso with Esther, Java with the Judges, Solomon Latte, Cappuccino with Colossians and Premium Roast with Ruth) and the medical suspense thriller, Informed Consent (Cook).

She has also coauthored seven books: When Empty Arms Become a Heavy Burden (Broadmanand Holman); Sexual Intimacy in Marriage (Kregel, now in its third edition); Lethal Harvest (Kregel, a CBA best-selling Christy fiction finalist); Deadly Cure (Kregel); False Positive (WaterBrook) ; The Infertility Companion (Zondervan); and The Contraception Guidebook(Zondervan ). She has contributed to several additional works and numerous publications.

Her passions include helping writers get published (see www.aspire2com/writing. htm), speaking on bioethics, and discussing issues of particular interest to women. She frequently speaks at women’s retreats, as well as, at marriage and infertility conferences. She and her husband, Gary, have been married twenty-eight years and have one daughter.

She will bring these books to sign at the meeting:

Fiction:

Informed Consent

False Positive

Lethal Harvest Deadly Cure

Non-fiction

All the coffee cup books

Sexual Intimacy in Marriage

The Infertility Companion

Seminar training

Breaking the Publishing Barrier
is a one-day writing seminar presented by the CenTex Chapter of ACFW.

Saturday, February 2, 2008
From 8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Speakers will be award-winning authors Anita Higman and Kathleen Y'Barbo.

The event will take place at the Lane House,
First Baptist Church
306 Round Rock, Avenue
Round Rock, TX,

Topics will be of interest to any fiction writer or potential fiction writer. Cost is $35 which includes a light breakfast, lunch, refreshments, and handouts. Books by the speakers will also be available for sale/signing. Registration is limited and on a first-come, first served basis; seminar is fragrance-free.
Registration form and more information is available at the chapter website: http://home.austin.rr.com/linharris/centex.html Any interested writer is invited to attend.
Contact me if any questions.
Dorothy Featherling
CenTex Chapter President

January 2008 Meeting with Lena Nelson Dooley and Dawn Morton

Christmas Party, 2007