Carroll Decarle has a new website. (See links box).
I understand it's under construction so will be adding new stuff. She mentioned excerpts from her new book, which is still surving the cut in the Harper-Collins contest. Congrats again, Carroll.
I have a teaser for you all. As you know, Sharon our missed assistant has been out and left the job to Russ. Although Russ handled it brilliantly, he and everyone else will be glad to know Sharon will be returning to her post at the November General Meeting on November 18th. Mark your calendars! :)) I'm not doing the group reminder mail anymore. That's why we have the Blog. If you need a reminder, let me know and I will send to those who request it.
Also, I've heard from Dr. Pirnot. She and Garret Frey are going to be speaking at various venues in Iowa. You all remember the promotion we did for Garret's triumphant story, AS I AM.
Our own John McCafferty had a beautiful spread in the Gondolier Sun heralding Garret's achievements. I want to publically congratulate Dr. Karen and Garret again!! Dr. Pirnot is an official member of the FWA and hopes to attend some of our meetings this season. She's a very special lady. I reviewed her memoir on my sucarha.com author review section. JUST A COMMON LADY is in the August 2009 archive. Which reminds me, I still cannot send a mail to a Comcast email. I'm not ignoring anyone. I do receive mail from Comcast, just can't reply. I'm going to have to call Dr. Karen and congratulate her.
Speaking of websites, I will be starting decorating mine for the holidays soon. I have a bet with my sitebuilder, Kathy Killam, that we'll get to 50,000 hits by the end of the year. Any help with a visit there will be appreciated!! I'm not good at promoting my own work, but I can brag about my website because I don't build it and it's beautiful. Any input on making it easier to navigate due to its growth are welcome. I'm sentimentally attached to the original format but I want it to be easy to navigate. It was only about 8 pages in the beginning and now is over a hundred pages!
Kathy also does Russ's, Tuck's, and Terry Lindemann's. Plus some members up in Pasco. She's so reasonable and is so easy to work with. If anyone needs a new site, or even a revamp of an existing one, I'd be glad to supply her contact info.
Only one week until our first of the month meeting. I'm so looking forward to it after missing two months. May even read myself!! Have a good week.
Susan
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Welcome Lisa & Breaking News!
Hello all . . .
As most of you know, I've returned to the land of sunshine and warmth, hobbling a bit, but home. Although, that is NOT my breaking news! :) I've had a lot of requests to read at the meetings as I've never done so and I think I'll do it in the form of a "How I Spent My Vacation" thingy like we did in grade school. It may be amusing and so many people have asked me about my trip. I can write it better than talk about it. :)
I'd like to thank James Abraham for coming from Port Charlotte to speak to us on Wednesday last. Those there enjoyed him and learned some nuggets of wisdom. Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to write to me and express your favor. I've invited James to join us any time he may be in the area on a Wednesday meeting day. He expressed to me that he really enjoyed the group and appreciated their interest.
I hope everyone is well. Other than a few I know are still traveling or have had severe personal loss, I was a bit surprised at the low turnout for the meeting. I'd like to discuss this matter at the next general meeting as it relates to inviting guest speakers in the future.
I do want to make a couple of 'news breaking' announcements. Lisa Fowler sent me the following message after the meeting on Wednesday:
"Hi Susan,
Thanks for welcoming me into your group. FYI, I just officially joined the FWA!
I just learned from Carroll that I also need to give you $5 for the use of the fire station. Will do so next meeting. I saw on your blog that you link to members' websites. Would you please add mine to the list? www.codiannefowler.com
Thanks so much - see you next month!"
I will add Lisa's website to the list on the left. I encourage everyone who does have a website to let me know so I can list it. Our personal websites are a great way of getting to know each other more personally and share our work. I know several of you have spent a great deal of time on mine and I appreciate it. It's a place of reflection ten years in the making and still growing.
For those who were not at the meeting, I'd like to publically congratulate Carroll DeCarle! Her novel, "Murder Is The New Black" has made the top five in an 'inside' contest run by Harper-Collins. It was entered by her son after two years of our working together and Carroll was the most cooperative and eager to learn client I've ever had. I literally ate the original for dinner! The book survived my determination to get to the 'meat' three times, replete with a title change. Carroll never gave up or got discouraged. She has really earned this achievement and now has an 'edge of the seat' mystery that takes place right here in Sarasota. Like a lot of first time novelists, myself included, the 'story' was buried in layers of fluff. I kept telling her it's like a sculptor who begins with a boulder and ends up with a beautiful statue. In fiction, an imperative process!
Dear Joanne Phillips has finally experienced that first 'birth' of a written baby. Her compilation of short stories that range from hilariously funny to heart-rending is 'on the streets'! "Short Takes On Life" was just offically published and was presented to her earlier on the day of the meeting. Needless to say, Joanne was beaming and bubbly. Congratulations, Joanne! Your life is a movie! Joanne is currently working on her first novel and is now 'gung-ho' to work hard!
Also, I'm compelled to again mention Gordon Tucker's soon-to-be-officially-released book, "Sarah's Creek". Some of you did see the galley, but the 'real thing' is due out in ten days! I know several who are lined up to buy it. Tuck is a writer's writer. I already have his next one, "Chameleon" on the editing table! How do these novelists do it? I'm happy to say that Russ, too, is back working on his sequel to "Crosshairs" along with his new penchant for Flash Fiction. Russ, also, is a writer's writer. He's not limited to one genre.
And just to add some sprinkles to the icing . . . I understand that Peter and Ellen are both right at the threshold of their new books. Further updates will be forth-coming!
If anyone has 'breaking news' to share, be sure to let me or Russ know so we can help you announce it. I again implore you all that this blog is for you to participate and have a voice, not just glance at occasionally.
A new member, Steven Choby, is a Toastmaster's speaker and will be 'performing' one of his short stories at the next meeting, November 4th. We will also be hearing from Peter, and Dewey will read for the first time! I'm anxious to hear the new work. It is our informal meeting so all are encouraged to think about taking part. I'm not sure how it was run in my absense, one group or groups of the group, but Russ said the first meeting night has been very enjoyable. Hope to see you all there. You are missed when not present.
My thoughts go out to those of you dealing with loss and illness.
Susan
As most of you know, I've returned to the land of sunshine and warmth, hobbling a bit, but home. Although, that is NOT my breaking news! :) I've had a lot of requests to read at the meetings as I've never done so and I think I'll do it in the form of a "How I Spent My Vacation" thingy like we did in grade school. It may be amusing and so many people have asked me about my trip. I can write it better than talk about it. :)
I'd like to thank James Abraham for coming from Port Charlotte to speak to us on Wednesday last. Those there enjoyed him and learned some nuggets of wisdom. Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to write to me and express your favor. I've invited James to join us any time he may be in the area on a Wednesday meeting day. He expressed to me that he really enjoyed the group and appreciated their interest.
I hope everyone is well. Other than a few I know are still traveling or have had severe personal loss, I was a bit surprised at the low turnout for the meeting. I'd like to discuss this matter at the next general meeting as it relates to inviting guest speakers in the future.
I do want to make a couple of 'news breaking' announcements. Lisa Fowler sent me the following message after the meeting on Wednesday:
"Hi Susan,
Thanks for welcoming me into your group. FYI, I just officially joined the FWA!
I just learned from Carroll that I also need to give you $5 for the use of the fire station. Will do so next meeting. I saw on your blog that you link to members' websites. Would you please add mine to the list? www.codiannefowler.com
Thanks so much - see you next month!"
I will add Lisa's website to the list on the left. I encourage everyone who does have a website to let me know so I can list it. Our personal websites are a great way of getting to know each other more personally and share our work. I know several of you have spent a great deal of time on mine and I appreciate it. It's a place of reflection ten years in the making and still growing.
For those who were not at the meeting, I'd like to publically congratulate Carroll DeCarle! Her novel, "Murder Is The New Black" has made the top five in an 'inside' contest run by Harper-Collins. It was entered by her son after two years of our working together and Carroll was the most cooperative and eager to learn client I've ever had. I literally ate the original for dinner! The book survived my determination to get to the 'meat' three times, replete with a title change. Carroll never gave up or got discouraged. She has really earned this achievement and now has an 'edge of the seat' mystery that takes place right here in Sarasota. Like a lot of first time novelists, myself included, the 'story' was buried in layers of fluff. I kept telling her it's like a sculptor who begins with a boulder and ends up with a beautiful statue. In fiction, an imperative process!
Dear Joanne Phillips has finally experienced that first 'birth' of a written baby. Her compilation of short stories that range from hilariously funny to heart-rending is 'on the streets'! "Short Takes On Life" was just offically published and was presented to her earlier on the day of the meeting. Needless to say, Joanne was beaming and bubbly. Congratulations, Joanne! Your life is a movie! Joanne is currently working on her first novel and is now 'gung-ho' to work hard!
Also, I'm compelled to again mention Gordon Tucker's soon-to-be-officially-released book, "Sarah's Creek". Some of you did see the galley, but the 'real thing' is due out in ten days! I know several who are lined up to buy it. Tuck is a writer's writer. I already have his next one, "Chameleon" on the editing table! How do these novelists do it? I'm happy to say that Russ, too, is back working on his sequel to "Crosshairs" along with his new penchant for Flash Fiction. Russ, also, is a writer's writer. He's not limited to one genre.
And just to add some sprinkles to the icing . . . I understand that Peter and Ellen are both right at the threshold of their new books. Further updates will be forth-coming!
If anyone has 'breaking news' to share, be sure to let me or Russ know so we can help you announce it. I again implore you all that this blog is for you to participate and have a voice, not just glance at occasionally.
A new member, Steven Choby, is a Toastmaster's speaker and will be 'performing' one of his short stories at the next meeting, November 4th. We will also be hearing from Peter, and Dewey will read for the first time! I'm anxious to hear the new work. It is our informal meeting so all are encouraged to think about taking part. I'm not sure how it was run in my absense, one group or groups of the group, but Russ said the first meeting night has been very enjoyable. Hope to see you all there. You are missed when not present.
My thoughts go out to those of you dealing with loss and illness.
Susan
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Reading Meeting Update
Our "Reading Meetings" seem to be developing into a small but very committed collection of some of our best and most diverse writers. Each brought and read examples of their own eclectic works. Oddly, there were no poets this time; although there was plenty of poetic and emotion-packed prose.
Peter Frickel, who also brought his wife, Barbara, treated us with the opening segment of a new four-part allegory he is working on. As usual, Peter's prose is nothing short of poetic, even when he is writing about such mundane events as planting seeds, talking with frogs, feeling the wind, and smelling the sun-warmed soil. Peter has the ability to turn each of his many and varied life experiences into a finely wrought piece of art.
Gayle Harpan was a teacher for 30 years in the gnarly, profane, and hope-deprived inner-city area of Detroit. What she shared with us was the opening chapter of her memoir about the highs and lows, the satisfactions and disappointments, and the uplifting rewards that came from those three decades of experience. The opening chapter that she read from is titled "The Interview" and it illustrated both the uncertainty and the determination she felt as she applied for her first teaching position in Detroit. Gayle also writes books for children.
Dewey Steele loves the water and loves being on the water in a sleek and wind-steered sailboat. But there was a time when boating was new to him. It was a time when he didn't know a cleat from a jib, an aft from a starboard. But he was willing and eager to learn. That's what Dewey's story was about: that first thrilling sail up the Intracoastal Waterway. It, too, was a learning experience that probably set his life on a slightly different course. Dewey expects to write a collection of similar stories, all about sailing, and publish them in a book.
Irv Newman shared another one of his humorous and "down-to-earth" observations that he has compiled in a book that is now available for sale. This vignette had to do with funeral directors, and end-of-life decisions. You say that doesn't sound very funny? Well, you really had to be there and hear it for yourself. As an addendum to his essay, Irv also read to us his very appropriate Letter to the Editor that was published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The letter was a tribute to another noted humorist, Art Buchwald, who died some time ago. You say that doesn't sound funny either? Too bad you missed it.
Ed Ellis has a scientific turn of mind. He feels comfortable talking about Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the speed of light, the inconsistencies of time, and all sorts of other physics-related topics. But Ed, like Dewey, is also a sailor and a water lover. His story about floating in space and time on a bobbing raft just off the beach, however, illustrated a different side of Ed's writing. It also reminded us locals of some of the things we tend to take for granted: the beach, the waves, the fresh air, the blue skies, and the ambiance of the southwest coast of Florida.
Cecile Bell gave us another peek into the book she is working on. It is a labor of love dedicated to her son who was diagnosed with diabetes at an early age. With the help, support, encouragement, and love of Cecile, her son went on to excel in numerous ways, despite the illness. Cecile's reading was a brief but touching and poignant letter that her young son wrote when he first learned of his illness. Cecile hopes her book will help other parents who have children with chronic illnesses.
I brought another flash fiction piece to read but, alas, we ran out of time. For those interested, you can find it at http://www.alongstoryshort.net/. It's the second on the list of flashes and the title is "Star Power." Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks to Peter, Barbara, Gayle, Dewey, Irv, Ed, and Cecile for making our meeting an enjoyable time of sharing.
Posted by
Russ Heitz
Peter Frickel, who also brought his wife, Barbara, treated us with the opening segment of a new four-part allegory he is working on. As usual, Peter's prose is nothing short of poetic, even when he is writing about such mundane events as planting seeds, talking with frogs, feeling the wind, and smelling the sun-warmed soil. Peter has the ability to turn each of his many and varied life experiences into a finely wrought piece of art.
Gayle Harpan was a teacher for 30 years in the gnarly, profane, and hope-deprived inner-city area of Detroit. What she shared with us was the opening chapter of her memoir about the highs and lows, the satisfactions and disappointments, and the uplifting rewards that came from those three decades of experience. The opening chapter that she read from is titled "The Interview" and it illustrated both the uncertainty and the determination she felt as she applied for her first teaching position in Detroit. Gayle also writes books for children.
Dewey Steele loves the water and loves being on the water in a sleek and wind-steered sailboat. But there was a time when boating was new to him. It was a time when he didn't know a cleat from a jib, an aft from a starboard. But he was willing and eager to learn. That's what Dewey's story was about: that first thrilling sail up the Intracoastal Waterway. It, too, was a learning experience that probably set his life on a slightly different course. Dewey expects to write a collection of similar stories, all about sailing, and publish them in a book.
Irv Newman shared another one of his humorous and "down-to-earth" observations that he has compiled in a book that is now available for sale. This vignette had to do with funeral directors, and end-of-life decisions. You say that doesn't sound very funny? Well, you really had to be there and hear it for yourself. As an addendum to his essay, Irv also read to us his very appropriate Letter to the Editor that was published by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. The letter was a tribute to another noted humorist, Art Buchwald, who died some time ago. You say that doesn't sound funny either? Too bad you missed it.
Ed Ellis has a scientific turn of mind. He feels comfortable talking about Einstein's Theory of Relativity, the speed of light, the inconsistencies of time, and all sorts of other physics-related topics. But Ed, like Dewey, is also a sailor and a water lover. His story about floating in space and time on a bobbing raft just off the beach, however, illustrated a different side of Ed's writing. It also reminded us locals of some of the things we tend to take for granted: the beach, the waves, the fresh air, the blue skies, and the ambiance of the southwest coast of Florida.
Cecile Bell gave us another peek into the book she is working on. It is a labor of love dedicated to her son who was diagnosed with diabetes at an early age. With the help, support, encouragement, and love of Cecile, her son went on to excel in numerous ways, despite the illness. Cecile's reading was a brief but touching and poignant letter that her young son wrote when he first learned of his illness. Cecile hopes her book will help other parents who have children with chronic illnesses.
I brought another flash fiction piece to read but, alas, we ran out of time. For those interested, you can find it at http://www.alongstoryshort.net/. It's the second on the list of flashes and the title is "Star Power." Hope you enjoy it.
Thanks to Peter, Barbara, Gayle, Dewey, Irv, Ed, and Cecile for making our meeting an enjoyable time of sharing.
Posted by
Russ Heitz
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Favreau Story Published
Ann Favreau, one of our newer members, has had one of her stories accepted by COPING MAGAZINE, a periodical dedicated to cancer survivors. The story is called "Camouflage" and is from Ann's book, WINDOW EYES. The story is appearing in the September/October issue of COPING MAGAZINE for Cancer Survivors.
Ann said the magazine also launched a website recently and her story is now on the front page. Check it out at www.copingmag.com. When you get to the site, click on the COPING WITH CANCER cover and scroll down to Ann's photo. Ann said she is delighted that the story may bring hope to cancer survivors.
Congratulations, Ann! And bon voyage! Ann is currently in Connecticut and will be leaving for France on Monday.
Meeting Reminder
Don't forget, our next FWA meeting will be held this Wednesday evening the 7th at the same time (6:30 to 9:00) at the same venue (Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department training room), with a social time from 6:00 to 6:30.
This will be another of our "Reading Meetings" so be sure to bring a story, a chapter, a humorous incident, a couple poems, an essay, or anything else you'd like to share with the group. Also bring two or three extra copies to pass out to those who have a hearing impairment.
I would also appreciate a quick email to rlh3738@msn.com to let me know who will be reading. That will make it easier for me to schedule the readers.
Thanks! See you Wednesday night!
Posted by
Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com
Ann said the magazine also launched a website recently and her story is now on the front page. Check it out at www.copingmag.com. When you get to the site, click on the COPING WITH CANCER cover and scroll down to Ann's photo. Ann said she is delighted that the story may bring hope to cancer survivors.
Congratulations, Ann! And bon voyage! Ann is currently in Connecticut and will be leaving for France on Monday.
Meeting Reminder
Don't forget, our next FWA meeting will be held this Wednesday evening the 7th at the same time (6:30 to 9:00) at the same venue (Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department training room), with a social time from 6:00 to 6:30.
This will be another of our "Reading Meetings" so be sure to bring a story, a chapter, a humorous incident, a couple poems, an essay, or anything else you'd like to share with the group. Also bring two or three extra copies to pass out to those who have a hearing impairment.
I would also appreciate a quick email to rlh3738@msn.com to let me know who will be reading. That will make it easier for me to schedule the readers.
Thanks! See you Wednesday night!
Posted by
Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com
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