CONFERENCES & CONTESTS - Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers

NOTE from my desk: While I have not attended most of the conferences I showcase, I have heard excellent comments regarding their offerings. Please check their website thoroughly and if you have any questions, use the contact information on their page. While some may be short-dated, I encourage you to check out their site and plan for next year.

Also, keep in mind that by the time you see the conference info here, hotels may be already filling up. When you call the hotel for reservations, check to see what hotels are within walking or uber distance if you need to stay off sight. Being on location always offer the best conference experience but sometimes it's just about being there when you can.

If you attend any of the conferences or enter the contests I list, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share your review in the comments section of that conference's post.

Know of a great conference you'd like me to share? Please use the contact form on the right to drop me a note.

Thank you!

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FICTION WRITERS

September 8-10, 2017

This is another one of those conferences that have been around seemingly forever - and with good reason.  

I really like the layout of their website and all of the information they provide ahead of time. The brochure is beautiful and well-laid out. The list of Agents and Editors to be in attendance is astounding! 

If you're interested in signing up for the bookstore and author signing event, you will want to go HERE  There is also great information on their BLOG, which appears to be kept updated well. 

If there was any way for me to make the conference this year, I would be there in a heartbeat. Downtown Denver offers a myriad of shopping opportunities between workshops and the Renaissance Hotel is high end for a reasonable price ($109 plus tax and fees per night) 

This looks to be THE conference to attend this year. I hope you'll come back and share your experience.

Creative Blessings!

Angela

MARKET MONDAY - Twitter Part 5

While working on some of my own promo stuff at the time of this writing, I realized I left out a very important part of Time Management when it comes to Twitter -  or any other Social Media. The use of an auto-posting service such as HootSuite can be invaluable!

There are several different 'purchase' levels for HootSuite but I've been using the FREE level for three years and haven't found a need to spend money. While the paid for levels do offer additional usage options, for the most part, the free level works for what we do.

Basically, you log into Hootsuite using your Twitter account. From there, you can schedule tweets several weeks out... such as author signings, speaking engagements, cover or book releases. I spend one day doing nothing but loading hootsuite for all seven of my blogs and  now our Oghma account.

You can set the date and the time you want a tweet to go out. In the fall when things are quieter around here I'll be talking more about 'timing' of tweets. For now, think about when you think the majority of your readers are on twitter. That's the time slots you want your tweets to go out.

Also.. you can set a tweet to run more than once a day... say to catch people before they head out to work in the early morning (those city commuters) or a lunch hour.  Don't spam with more than two a day. However, each tweet must be worded slightly different or Hootsuite will not allow the second tweet to go out.

There really isn't a learning curve to Hootsuite. Like anything else you find your footing then you'll sail from there.

Another thing Hootsuite (and there is another but I can't think of it at the moment) does is allow you to connect all of your social media platforms together so when you post something one place, it goes across the board to all of your social media outlets.

I do NOT recommend this.  Read my lips - I do NOT RECOMMEND this avenue. While it can be a time saver, this also takes away the 'personal' side of connecting with your readers. Also, if something happens to one account, you'll be locked out all the way around. Ask how I know :-D

Social Media platforms do not take long to connect on. Just sign in with a purpose, take care of business then move on.  If you don't think you can do that, I'm sure there's a high schooler in your neighborhood who'd love to earn a little extra cash.

There are also marketing services out there. They offer packages for doing different aspects of the marketing you do not want to do. I recommend Jar O Marbles. Annette's link is on my sidebar.
That said, You CAN do your own marketing. You just have to be smart about how you spend your time.

Okay, for the rest of the month, we'll be talking about Facebook and how to use the platform effectively.

Happy Writing!
Angela

WEEKEND INSPIRATION!

The work week is behind you. Each Friday I will post a picture to help get the creative juices flowing. If you post on-line somewhere, please share a link in the comments section so we may stop by and enjoy your process.  Creative Blessings! Angela

CONFERENCES & CONTESTS - Writer's Digest

NOTE from my desk: While I have not attended most of the conferences I showcase, I have heard excellent comments regarding their offerings. Please check their website thoroughly and if you have any questions, use the contact information on their page. While some may be short-dated, I encourage you to check out their site and plan for next year.

Also, keep in mind that by the time you see the conference info here, hotels may be already filling up. When you call the hotel for reservations, check to see what hotels are within walking or uber distance if you need to stay off sight. Being on location always offer the best conference experience but sometimes it's just about being there when you can.

If you attend any of the conferences or enter the contests I list, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share your review in the comments section of that conference's post.

Know of a great conference you'd like me to share? Please use the contact form on the right to drop me a note.

Thank you!

WRITER'S DIGEST ANNUAL CONFERENCE

While I've never attended this conference, I know several people who have as well as some of the folks connected to the Writer's Digest organization. They are top notch and bring in only the best. Writer's Digest is always on target with trends in the writing industry.

What you walk away with from this, and any conference, is entirely up to you and what you are looking for. But of all the conferences, Writer's Digest is out to insure every attendee finds what is right for them... even if you don't know what it is you need. They cover all the bases from Getting Published, Building a Platform, Crafting a good book, Genre insights and the Business side of the profession. I have to say, of all the conferences I've attended, very few focus on the business. That's what writing is. If you are striving to be published and investing time and money into your craft in the hopes of making money some day - it is a BUSINESS.

While some of the other conferences I've mentioned have been short-dated, there is still time to register for this conference. Go forth and absorb the knowledge from the cream of the crop and I look forward to hearing of your experience.

Creative Blessings!
Angela

MARKET MONDAY - Twitter Part 4

How was your week? Are you getting reactions to your posts? Are they being liked/ retweeted? Great!

No? Really? There should be some activity. At least once a week, add to your followers. If someone likes/ retweets one of your tweets, click on their name and learn about them. If they are paying attention to your tweets they find what you have to say valuable and are a great person to follow. Sometimes people want to follow you, but they'll hold back. They'll retweet or like one of your posts to see how YOU react.

Remember... this is a SOCIAL medium. This is conference networking on a much larger scale.

And within this virtual conference of networking you'll find a unique way to get involved in conversations. If you look on your left sidebar you'll see #'s with words/ phrases next to them. These are topics that are Trending. There are also topics of conversations that happen on specific days.

As I type this, there is a trending topic #BadThingsToHearInTheDark.... Hmmm you may find fodder for a new story in that one. Today (May 28th) is also #NationalHamburgerDay

This is the last installment in Twitter. If you have questions, you can always leave something in my comments or use the Contact Me on my side bar... or better yet, DM me on Twitter and I'm happy to help.

Tweet Tweet
Angela

WEEKEND INSPIRATION!

The work week is behind you. Each Friday I will post a picture to help get the creative juices flowing. If you post on-line somewhere, please share a link in the comments section so we may stop by and enjoy your process.  Creative Blessings! Angela

CONFERENCES & CONTESTS - Thrillerfest!

NOTE from my desk: While I have not attended most of the conferences I showcase, I have heard excellent comments regarding their offerings. Please check their website thoroughly and if you have any questions, use the contact information on their page. 

Also, keep in mind that by the time you see the conference info here, hotels may be already filling up. When you call the hotel for reservations, check to see what hotels are within walking or uber distance if you need to stay off sight. Being on location always offer the best conference experience but sometimes it's just about being there when you can. 

If you attend any of the conferences or enter the contests I list, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share your review in the comments section of that conference's post.

Know of a great conference you'd like me to share? Please use the contact form on the right to drop me a note.

Thank you!

THRILLERFEST!

This is the premiere writers conference for anyone who writes horror or gritty mystery. Thrillerfest offers a wide range of workshops with top notch speakers in the genre such as Lee Child and Heather Graham. 

Thrillerfest is one of those conferences that have earned the reputation they carry, and their prices reflect that. Their schedule and pricing allow you to pick and choose the experience that fits your needs. 

By the time you see this the schedule for 2017 should be posted. If not, contact: kimberleyhowe@thrillerwriters.org

Remember, if you attend this or any conference, come back and share your experience. Maybe next year we will join you!

Happy Writing!

Angela

MARKET MONDAY - Twitter Part 3

How are you doing with your Twitter account? Are you failing to post? Finding the task too time-consuming.  Yeah.. that can happen.

Like any other Social Media, you can get lost of the swirl of stuff. Either the stuff is so boring you can't look away, or you can't stop reading.  Face it, even in 140 characters people can talk about absolutely nothing.

So how do you avoid Twitter becoming just another time-suck and not a productive tool in your Marketing arsenal?

As with anything else, to be productive you have to set limits. I start each morning with a list of what I need to do each day on my social media accounts. 

I've changed this up a bit from when this picture was taken back in January. I now only have the first two columns. I've also turned this into a laminated bookmark and use a wet-erase marker to check off my tasks as I go through them.

FYI - the first column is all short-coded with Email accounts/ FB accounts and Blogs that I have to attend to at least every other day, if not daily.

Email: I have 5 accounts. Ogham Creative Media, Country Angel (music), author account, Stampin' Up business and my art account.

FB: These pretty much coordinate with my Email accounts.

Blogs: Again, an email account associated with each one in some form, with the exception of my weightloss journal and the Ozarks Journal. You'll also notice a new acronym at the very bottom. That is my Shawna Kelley blog should I choose to stay with writing erotica or some heat level. I've not decided yet, but it's there for now. Being at the end of the list, easy enough to chop off. Everything else is a constant.

Oh, Twitter - I only have three accounts - Author, Music, Publisher. The publisher one I take care of up front after I've done FB. I pull info from our FB account on our authors and make sure they're plugged into Twitter. My music and my author one are on my phone all the time. I've not been very good about the author one in the past, but I'm trying to get better. Just haven't been able to get a footing on anything this year with so many changes in our household. I feel like I've been on a roller coaster - and I HATE roller coasters LOL.. There - a fact about me I bet you didn't know... And a good thing for a tweet. 

So how long does it take me to go through that check off list? About 90 minutes. But keep in mind... that's not just one account. You should  be able to hit your author account for both Twitter and FB in 30 min. 

For this week, set a timer when you get on any of your social media accounts. Start with 45 minutes and wean yourself down to 30 minutes or less. 

A great on-line timer is - Countdown Timer

The KEY thing to remember is this:

Every minute you spend doing the useless stuff on Social Media (like those silly dog/ cat videos) you are not taking care of business. Not taking care of business is costing you $$$$$.  

Another fun fact... Did you know that most of the top-earning CEO's only check their email twice a day? Once in the morning as they are making their To-Do list for the day then again near the close of day for anything pressing they need to follow up on and to start their list for the next day. 

CEO's know TIME IS MONEY.  

Don't short your check over a cat video and call it research. 

So this week, make sure you're following me... @AngelaDrakeA. Let's network to make each of us more productive.

Creative Blessings!

Angela

WEEKEND INSPIRATION!

The work week is behind you. Each Friday I will post a picture to help get the creative juices flowing. If you post on-line somewhere, please share a link in the comments section so we may stop by and enjoy your process.  Creative Blessings! Angela

CONFERENCE & CONTESTS - Tennessee Writing Workshop

NOTE from my desk: While I have not attended most of the conferences I showcase, I have heard excellent comments regarding their offerings. Please check their website thoroughly and if you have any questions, use the contact information on their page. 

If you attend any of the conferences or enter the contests I list, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share your review in the comments section of that conference's post.

Know of a great conference you'd like me to share? Please use the contact form on the right to drop me a note. 

Thank you!

Between Sessions

Stock Photo courtesy of Angela Drake

2017 TENNESSEE WRITING WORKSHOP

Get Your Writing Published!

Nashville TN

July 22, 2017

From the website:

     This writing event is a wonderful opportunity to get intense instruction over the course of one day, pitch a literary agent or editor (optional), get your questions answered, and more. Note that there are limited seats at the event (150 total)

Because of limited space at the venue, the workshop can only allow 150 registrants, unless spacing issues change. For this reason, we encourage you to book sooner rather than later.

This looks a packed one-day event with a lot of opportunity for networking and learning. The site boasts a minimum of ELEVEN literary agents in attendance. Wow!

Click the link above and jump in! When you've come back from what appears to be a very busy day, please come back here and leave a comment to let us know your thoughts!

Creative Blessings!

Angela

MARKET MONDAY - Twitter Part 2

Did you get your page set up? I'd love to be one of your followers. Leave your Twitter handle in the comments so I can.

This week we're going to talk about content. You have 140 characters to tell people something about your book. Before we get to what you're going to write, let's talk about the SOCIAL part of Social Media.

Think of this like going to a dinner party. You visit with the people who are there. You make new acquaintances/ contacts and LISTEN to what they have to say. Only after you've played the gracious guest, or they ask about you do you share your story. ALL social media platforms work the same way. The content should not be all about you.

Start by seeing what your followers, and those you follow are talking about. LIKE/ RETWEET ones you feel other people would get something from.

Next, add your own tweets about various topics. While they do not have to match your interests, they should. This helps to build a relationship between you and your followers. Either they are other authors or they are potential readers. Some things you might share are links to blog posts that have great writing tips or news updates from publishers. From a reader point of view, share links to pages that connect to you either they book you are promoting or your current work in progress. Sci-Fi fantasy might include links to weaponry or an interesting fact of what ever sub-genre of Sci-Fi you're writing in. Whether you are writing Historical or Contemporary, there should always be something that ties to your story that you can share. You are subliminally promoting your book without flashing the 'BUY MY BOOK' sign in their face.


After you have been SOCIAL, add no more than 10% of self-promotion for your own work. These might include a link to a blog hop you are participating in, a FB launch, announcing a special sale on your release or 'hook' lines from your book.

And you're going to do this all in 140 characters or less per post. If a link is really long, Use bitly or tinyurl to shorten the length of your post. These programs allow you to input a long url and they will give you a condensed version that will work the same as the longer link but with less characters.

When promoting your stuff, add a photo. Graphics get things noticed. The ideal size for tweet-inclusive photos is 440x220


For more great information on working with Twitter, check out Get Twitter-pated by Jen Nipps

WEEKEND INSPIRATION!

The work week is behind you. Each Friday I will post a picture to help get the creative juices flowing. If you post on-line somewhere, please share a link in the comments section so we may stop by and enjoy your process.  Creative Blessings! Angela

CONFERENCES & CONTESTS - Western Writers of America

NOTE from my desk: While I have not attended most of the conferences I showcase, I have heard excellent comments regarding their offerings. Please check their website thoroughly and if you have any questions, use the contact information on their page. 

If you attend any of the conferences or enter the contests I list, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share your review in the comments section of that conference's post.

Know of a great conference you'd like me to share? Please use the contact form on the right to drop me a note. 

Thank you!

CONFERENCE INFO

June 21 - 24, 2017

I have networked with the several folks connected with Western Writers of America. I count some of the members as close friends. The amount of talent fostered from this organization is amazing! Can you imagine being able to spend four days networking with some of the top names in the Western genre. Folks like Dusty Richards, Mike Blakely, Johnny D. Boggs, Linda Jacobs,... and the list goes on.

This year's conference will be held at the Marriott Hotel Country Club Plaza in Kansas City MO. 

The conference also includes presentation of the acclaimed SPUR Award for various categories. You can see a complete list of winners by past years, HERE. 

There are a couple of great tours connected with this year's conference. Keep in mind some of these tours may require an extra fee or ticket admission.

          Tour Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

                    Recognized internationally as one of the finest general art museums in the United States,                           and currently maintains collections of nearly 40,000 works of art 

           Tour Arabia Steamboat Museum 

                  Learn about the story of the ship and her recovery, and view the everyday objects that                              made life possible for pioneers in the 1800s. It is the largest single collection of pre-                            Civil War artifacts in the world. 

Deadline to register is fast approaching so hurry over to the website and enjoy the conference!

            

MARKET MONDAY - Twitter Part 1

Twitter is one of those Social Media platforms... you either get it or you don't. I have to ask. Have you given Twitter a chance? Do you know how to use Twitter effectively? Speaking from personal experience, my music business grew exponentially within six months thanks to connections I made on this particular platform. Let's start with your page.

If you have a branding platform in place, this step is super easy. The header on your page should be your current release. The inset photo should be yours. You want to bring a personal approach to your page. Build your fan base while letting them get to know the face behind the author name.

The second is the information on your page. Cluttering the space up with #s is not effective marketing. Give a brief - I love writing sweet stories with happy endings. When not writing, I enjoy....  That's it. 20 words or less should be plenty.

The other thing you want is a website link. Give them a landing page to find out more about you, your bodies of work and however else you have your website/ blog configured.

That's it! Your Twitter page is complete. Well, almost. READ THIS before going any further in creating your Twitter page.

Twitter is going to ask to ADD everyone from your contact list. Don't Do This! This is a business page.. not a family reunion. Sure, you want some of your family and friends to follow you BUT you get to choose. Some of those people on your contact list were probably auto-added at some point or another and could care less.

This is your opportunity for a fresh start.

So, let's make friends.
First -  People you want to network with
        Authors
        Publishers
        Editors/ Agents
        Organizations

Second - Do a search for people with similar interests. In the search bar type #(insert one of the interests from your introduction. You will get a HUGE list. Don't follow them all at once. Pick 4-5 then type in the next interest and repeat. If you follow too many at one time, Twitter will think you're spamming and could lock you out of your account for a set period of time. That's not how you want to start ;-)

Work on that this week. Next week we'll talk content.

Creative Blessings!
Angela

WEEKEND INSPIRATION!

The work week is behind you. Each Friday I will post a picture to help get the creative juices flowing. If you post on-line somewhere, please share a link in the comments section so we may stop by and enjoy your process.  Creative Blessings! Angela

CONFERENCES & CONTESTS - All Write Now!

NOTE from my desk: While I have not attended most of the conferences I showcase, I have heard excellent comments regarding their offerings. Please check their website thoroughly and if you have any questions, use the contact information on their page. 

If you attend any of the conferences or enter the contests I list, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Please share your review in the comments section of that conference's post.

Know of a great conference you'd like me to share? Please use the contact form on the right to drop me a note. 

Thank you!

* * * 

I apologize for not having a graphic to share for this conference. However, I think if you click HERE
you will be amazed at one this one-day conference has to offer.

I just found this conference while searching for ones to feature during the month of June. The offer prize money for the contests and they have something I've not seen at any other conference - a PORTFOLIO category for graphics artists.

Unless children's books are your genre of choice, as writers we don't often think about the graphics side of this business. I am thrilled to see a conference shining a light on this area.

I am unable to attend this year due to family obligations and I don't have time to put anything together for competition. Too many other things to do before I go after my grandbabies on the June 7th. But by all means, check out this conference, enter the contests and be prepared for what looks like a full day of great information.

CONTEST DEADLINE: June 10th - Submitted via E-MAIL


Keynote: Brian A. Klems - On-line Editor for Writer's Digest

There are also Pitch Sessions and Critique Sessions available. Sign-ups are on the website.

Check out ALL WRITE NOW! For all the details.
     

KICKING OFF A NEW WEEK!

I love to keep busy - and I do. I think it's a part of my creative brain. I want to live every minute, sometimes forgetting to live in the moment. So much to do, no promise of time.

Last week, I took a 'live in the moment' opportunity to spend a couple of days in Springfield with my sister, Kitty (Dona acutally, but she's always been kitty, kitty, kitty to me) Her moments are going to come more frequently and she requested a sister outing.  We try to meet up in the city a couple of times a year - just the two of us. She lives about an our West and I live two hours East.

After 18 years at Sam's Club home office, she became officially retired - not by her own choosing. Too many job cuts and only a tenth of positions listed on the job force board. I spent our two days reminding her that now she can do all of the things she was always too tired to do - and at her own pace.

I took her to dinner at Hemmingway's Cafe in Bass Pro. They offer all you can eat snow crab legs on Thursday nights. We can eat our weight in crab legs LOL. Then we came back to the hotel and chilled. I spent part of the time building my potential entry list for the 2017 Ozark Creative Writers conference I told you about last week. For the price of conference registration, you can enter as many of the 30+ contests categories. Did I mention they all come with cash prizes? Check the list out HERE. Incidentally, if you're considering going, make your hotel reservation ASAP. The block of rooms fill up quick. Best Western Inn of the Ozarks 

I use the categories to write out of my comfort zone, try new ideas and if I make a little prize money, that's a bonus.😀 Well, I came up with 26 potential entries. Will I enter them all? Probably not. Especially since although the entry deadline is August 25th, I need to have mine turned in before the grandkids get here in June for 8 weeks. So I only have about 8 weeks to write like the wind. I will have time to polish after they leave but I'd rather get them turned in and out of the way.

With that deadline in mind, I also have four articles due for Saddlebag Dispatches magazine.

While my ideal would be to work on fiction right now, I have to focus on work and items that need done before the girls arrive. I've not seen them in almost four years. I don't want to miss a second of the time they are here.

Bob and I  also have things to get done in the yard before the girls arrive, like their chalk sidewalk and the new sandbox. And I'm finally going to have the gazebo I've wanted for three years. We'll have a shady spot outside to curl up with snacks and story time.

Speaking of story time, what are you reading? I just finished a classic by Leanne Banks - His Majesty, MD. Great, quick read.

CONFERENCE & CONTESTS - Ozark CreativeWriters

"Your Lucky Day in The Ozarks"

51st Annual Ozark Creative Writers Conference
October 12-14, 2017

Best Western Inn of the Ozarks

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

I LOVE this conference. I've missed one in 27 years. Why?

Great Speakers

Awesome People to network with

Contests with prize money!

Publishers Row 

Pitching Opportunities

Beautiful setting in the Ozarks

Historical Eureka Springs

Most Hospitable Hotel in Eureka Springs

Okay, I might be a bit biased on that last one. Best Western Inn of the Ozarks and Conference Center has been our host hotel for 98% of our 51 years. The staff is amazing, the food mouthwatering (both at the event and in the hotel restaurant - Myrtie May's)

Check out THIS LINK and see what contest you can enter, who you want to meet with and how you will spend a glorious weekend in Eureka Springs!

CONFERENCES & CONTESTS - Storytellers of America!

THERE'S STILL TIME TO -

scheduled Special Guests include

NYT & USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Jodi Thomas

TWO-TIME SPUR AWARD WINNING AUTHOR

DustyRichards

AWARD WINNING & ACCLAIMED AUTHOR

VeldaBrotherton

PHENOM CHILDREN’S AUTHOR

Alice Cai

We need a headcount!

To Register for the Free Conference

Send an Email to:

veldaeb@gmail.com

CONTESTS!

2017 Storyteller Awards - 

for Excellence in the Art of Storytelling

Contest Rules and Guidelines

One $10 Entry Fee allows you to enter as many categories as you wish BUT only 1 entry per category.  

Contest Rules:

Winners must be present to accept award

Only one entry per category

Only those registered to attend the conference may enter

Entries must be formatted properly for the category entered, double spaced, 12 point font.

Please do not put your name on your entry.

Include a cover sheet with:

     category number and name

     your name, address, phone number and email address.

    Send one copy of entry with cover sheet, unless otherwise requested in the category to:

Venessa McDaniel Cerasale

1706 SE P Street

Bentonville AR  72712

You may send your ONE TIME $10 entry fee with your contest entries or pay through Paypal: storytellersofamerica@gmail.com

Deadline to Enter - February 22, 2017

Entries will not be returned unless otherwise noted. Entry will be destroyed if all rules are not followed.

1 – Best Book of the Year – Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop
$100 – Must have been published between Jan 2015 and July 2016, no restrictions on genre or length. Send one copy of the published book (no ms please) Judges will be drawn from the Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop.

2 – Best Book Manuscript – Cassville Writers – $50 Winner. Send the first chapter and a five page synopsis of your book in any genre. Double spaced, properly formatted. No erotica.

3 – Flash Fiction – Linda Sartin – $50 to winner – 99 words, any genre. Double spaced. No erotica.

4. Fiction – Author’s Anonymous –- $50 First Place winner only. Short Story, any genre. 1500-3000 word count, Times New Roman 12pt, double spaced.

5 – Play Writing – Actor’s Casting Agency- Grand prize is publication with Shamrock Press. Whole manuscript of a play or screenplay, doesn’t matter how many acts. Full scripts. No limit on length.

6 – Poetry – Ozark Poets & Writers Collective, Fayetteville, AR.
1st Place $70 + a large pile of poetry books. 2nd Place $30 + a small pile of poetry books. 1 Honorable Mention + a small pile of poetry books: Open to any form of poetry, with a theme of entropy and/or ectropy, which means things that are breaking down or spiraling out of control and its complement which is increasing order of the building up of things. A good example would be how the ocean or other body of water can either rob the ground of sand/soil to build up a shore, or how it can tear away at a shore and cause collapse as that soil returns to the ground underwater. You may look at it scientifically or metaphorically in any way that you interpret those life forces. Length: maximum 42 lines. Winner will be chosen by a committee of judges.

7 – Song Writing – Crow Johnson Evans
$30 First Place; $20 Second Place – Each entry must include double-spaced typed lyric
and a digital form of the song (CD or audio cassette).
Lyrics and music must be created by the applicant and not yet published.
All copyrights will remain with the authors/composers. Each songwriter will receive written constructive criticism.
Criteria for judging will be: Match of music style and lyrics; Hook, arresting idea, memorable message and title; Strength or grab of the first verse; Sing-ability of the chorus; Does it make the listener want to hear it again?
What will not be considered: Quality of performance; Any introductory comments; Musicianship; Profanity.

8. Water Color Art – The John Lisle Award – First Place $300, Second Place $200, Third Place $100. Water Color Size 15 x 22 or 22 x 30. Entries are to be taken to the Storyteller conference Saturday a.m. and delivered to the registration table where judge(s) will pick up. Work may be picked up by artist following the awards banquet Sat. night.

NEW YEAR - NEW PLAN!

Happy New Year, dear readers!

I know I've been promising this remodel for almost a year. Between job changes for my husband and for myself in 2016, some things just had to take a backseat. Sadly, decisions about my writing were buckled safely in the back for the ride through this crazy time in our life. 

I began seeing road signs more clear in October when I attended the Ozark Creative Writers conference. I formally met Casey Cowan of Oghma Creative Media. While a book I pitched to Casey ultimately did not make the cut, we found another common ground we could work together on.  By late November I became Marketing Director for Oghma Creative Media AND Saddlebag Disptaches magazine. I also became a regular feature columnist for Saddlebag Dispatches. My first article on the Arizona Cowboy - Rex Allen, appeared in the Winter 2016 issue (pg 120). You can read the magazine free on-line or subscribe to the quarterly print copy. I'm turning in my first cover story and another history non-fiction piece this weekend.

I also began selling Stampin' Up! scrapbooking/ cardmaking/ paper crafting products back in May 2016. I've been a customer for almost twenty years and decided the time had come to have the discount and early preview of new products. 

With the fireworks of 2017 came new decisions for me. Some things probably won't make my publisher happy but I've come to the awakening of what is going to work for me. What is going to make me happy? What is going to propel my publication dream closer to a full-fledged reality? 

Over the coming weeks, I hope to share some of the plans to make those dreams come true. In the mean time, help yourself to chocolates and wine. 

Thank you for stopping in.

Angela