September Meeting - Speaker Harry Olson

Nothing Like Old Mother Nature

Would you like to add some tension and realism to your story? Weather related events can up the stakes of peril, relationships, loss, and even death to your work in progress (WIP).
Ahh. . . . You have never experienced a hurricane, tornado, earthquake, or even a flood that can wipe houses off their foundation? Allow me to tell you how you can obtain the knowledge of how people are affected and learn to survive these catastrophes.

On Saturday, September 12th, 2009, at 11:00 am—1:00 pm, DFW Ready Writers will be hosting speaker Harry Olson, a catastrophe insurance adjuster since 1994. He has experienced most storm related happenings as a first responder at national disasters and has seen firsthand how lives can be devastated and changed forever.

Dealing with individuals who have lost everything within a matter of hours, even minutes is heart-wrenching and life changing. Harry will be sharing first hand knowledge of weather related happenings that have taken place throughout the United States and will give you ideas how these actual events can come to play with weather related realism in your WIPs.
So don’t miss out on this month’s meeting. Making your novel the most that it can be by having weather as an antagonist in your WIP can bring relationships, death, and realism to the forefront, causing your book to come alive to your readers. Plan now to attend.

Date: Saturday – September 12, 2009
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Meeting Place:
La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant
5250 Hwy 121,
Colleyville, Texas
(Restaurant sits alongside the southbound access road between Hall-Johnson
and Glade).

Hope to see you there.

Writing Tip by Barbara Harris

The best writing tip I can give you is to write. You have a sit down and type the book into your computer. Conferences are fine. Regular writing meetings are great support, but when push comes to shove, you have to have a book to show the editor, so write.

DFW Ready Writers in the News-What's Happening August 2009

Hello, Ready Writers!

This month...

Deborah Rather, who writes as Arlene James, will have a new book out in a couple weeks. Anna Meets Her Match is the first book in the new Chatam House series from Love Inspired. The book has already received 4-1/2 stars and Top Pick from Romantic Times magazine.

For more info, visit the series' Web site at www.chatamhouseseries.com. Deborah will also be speaking on scene construction at the ACFW chapter in Round Rock, Texas, on August 15.

Jane "Grammar Mama" Thornton has had numerous articles published on The Christian Pulse. Her latest article appeared on July 20th. And, be watching for her next article that will post on August 17th.

Lena "Red" Nelson Dooley will speak at the North Texas Christian Writers Conference September 11 and 12. Her book, The Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner, released this month in Thorndike large print edition. Wild West Christmas and Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe release in September. A combined volume of Can You Help Me? and Caught Red-Handed will release in September in Thorndike large print edition.

Congratulations, Ready Writers!!!!!!!!

Dawn "Your Writer in the Know" Michelle Michals :o)

August Meeing: Richard L. Mabry, MD

MEDICAL DETAILS IN YOUR FICTION: GET THEM IN, BUT GET THEM RIGHT

Want to draw your reader into your fiction? Throw in a medical detail—injury, surgery, heart attack or stroke. But how do you make your account accurate without being so graphic or technically complex that it turns your reader away? In this presentation, Dr. Richard Mabry, a retired physician and published author of medical suspense fiction, will discuss a number of common medical scenarios and give advice on how to find the information needed to make your story believable.
Dr. Richard Mabry, physician and medical suspense author, will discuss incorporating medical scenarios into your fiction, suggesting ways to get the information needed to add authenticity to your writing.

RICHARD L. MABRY, MD Bio
Dr. Richard Mabry retired from medicine in 2002 after more than 35 years in practice as an ear, nose & throat specialist, the last ten of them spent as a professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. During his medical career, Dr. Mabry lectured all over the world and held the office of president or vice-president of every major organization in his specialty. He has written or edited eight best-selling medical textbooks, and well over 100 of his papers were published in medical journals.
Dr. Mabry entered the field of non-medical writing after the death of his first wife, writing The Tender Scar: Life After The Death Of A Spouse, which was published by Kregel in 2006. The Tender Scar is now in its third printing and is in use by numerous pastors, counselors and seminary professors, as well as providing a tool for healing for thousands of people who have lost a loved one.
His first novel of medical suspense, Run Away Home, will be published by Abingdon Press in early 2010. He has completed the second novel in the Prescription For Trouble series and is now at work on the third.
Dr. Mabry’s work has also appeared in Christian Communicator, In Touch Magazine, Upper Room Devotional Guide, and Grief Digest, as well as a number of online ezines.
In September 2009, Dr. Mabry will be speaking at the American Christian Fiction Writers’ Conference in Denver, Colorado, and in 2010 he will speak at the Mount Hermon Conference in Santa Cruz, California.

July Meeting- Barbara Harrison

Barbara Harrison aka Leann Harris, is a multi-published author who will be speaking at DFW Ready Writers’ meeting on July 11th. Barbara will give tips on writing for Love Inspired Suspense, word length, topics, and the in-and-outs of writing for the line. She will also cover the difference between suspense and mystery. Come and learn how to write for Steeple Hill.

Barbara Harrison, writing under the pen name of Leann Harris, has always had stories running around inside her head. When her youngest child started elementary school, she finally gathered her nerve and began writing. She joined RWA in 1987 and is a charter member of Dallas Area Romance Authors and former president. Her first published novel was a finalist in Romance Writers of America Golden Heart contest and was nominated by Romantic Times as one of the best first novels.

The author of 12 novels, Barbara’s latest book Guarded Secrets is scheduled for an Oct. 2009 release from Steeple Hill Books.

Barbara has a BS in speech from the University of Texas at Austin and is a certified teacher of the deaf. She has taught math and science to high school deaf students. She is also an avid gardener.

Visit Barbara’s author Web site http://www.blogger.com/www.leannharris.com

The meeting is:
Date: Saturday – July 11, 2009
Time: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Meeting Place:
La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant
5250 Hwy 121,
Colleyville, Texas
(Restaurant sits alongside the southbound access road between Hall-Johnson
and Glade).

Hope to see you there.

DFW Ready Writers in the News - What's Happening June 2009

Hello, DFW Ready Writers!

The summer is already half over and the temperatures are steadily rising. I know it's hot here! All the more reason to stay in the A/C and write for the Lord!

For this month's member news:

Jane Thornton was published this month on The Christian Pulse. Her article, “A Merry Heart,” ran on June 1^st, and is still available to read by clicking here.

Mark your calendars now and don't miss our resident physician Dr. Richard Mabry's newest devotional. His meditation "God Of The Universe" will appear in the July-Aug issue of the Upper Room devotional guide. Written to commemorate the 40th anniversary of man's first step on the moon, the devotional will post on July 20. You can read it online that day at http://upperroom.org/devotional.

Congratulations to this month's Members in the News. If you have members news that didn't make it this month, please e-mail me at dawn@dawnmichellemichals.com for next month's addition.

Take care, God bless and Happy Writing,

Dawn Michelle Michals

www.dawnmichellemichals.blogspot.com

June Meeting - Lena Nelson Dooley

How to Write a Believable Salvation Scene

Writing a salvation scene is easy, right? Just throw in some “God” words, then use the system taught during Sunday school class.

If that’s what you think, do I have news for you!

Learn the things that make a salvation scene work for your book during this workshop. Lena will show you how to write the scene without being in your face, over the top pushy, or blatant with your message and yet communicate the need of salvation to your readers.

The attendees are encouraged to bring a salvation scene they are working on if they’re willing to share it with the group and have it analyzed.

Lena Nelson Dooley
is a multi-published author. Four of her novels published by Heartsong Presents, the romance division of Barbour Publishing, were voted top ten favorites in Heartsong’s annual readers’ poll. One of her novels received a second place award in the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year contest at the 2004 national convention. The Scraps of Love novella anthology, also published by Barbour Publishing spent five months on the CBD fiction bestseller list. Three of her books—Pirate’s Prize, Minnesota Brothers, and Gerda’s Lawman—were on a bestseller list in the UK. Pirate’s Prize went to #1 on that list. Spinster Brides of Cactus Corner, an April 2007 release was on the CBD fiction bestseller list within two weeks. Her novella The Spinster and the Bride was a finalist in Book of the Year. Montana Mistletoe, which released in September 2007 was on the CBD list, too. Snowbound Colorado Christmas was on the CBD bestseller list for three months, as well as on the Barbour Fiction bestseller list. In 2008, Lena was voted one of the top ten favorite authors in the Heartsong readers’ poll.
A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, she has been a speaker on both the regional and national level. She’s also president of the local chapter—DFW Ready Writers. In 2006, she received the prestigious Mentor of the Year Award at their national conference. She also teaches writing seminars and has spoken at writers’ groups in two states. Besides speaking for writing events, she has spoken for women’s groups and women’s retreats both in the US and internationally.
Mrs. Dooley and her husband James will celebrate their 45th anniversary this year. They live in Hurst and are involved in the lives of their children and grandchildren.
Before she started writing full time, she was also on retainer from a publishing company where she headed a writing team that produced a two-year American History course for at-risk students. She has completed other major curricula.
Snowbound Colorado Christmas was her 18th book release, and five books will release in 2009—The Prairie Romance Collection, Wild Prairie Roses, Cranberry Hearts, Wild West Christmas, and Christmas Love at Lake Tahoe. Summerside Press will release Love Finds You in Golden, New Mexico in 2010.