Resources

April 2010
Vol. 1, Issue #4


Biographies
All Things Editing 
In This Issue

Biographies

Donna Hole is an aspiring commercial fiction writer. She has completed all three novels for a trilogy, though only the first novel titled NOT HER MOTHER’S FATE is ready for publication. Donna also has written several short story thrillers, none of which has been published to date; and has recently started a fantasy novel.

When not working, writing or revising, Donna enjoys spending time surfing the internet for research and contacting fellow bloggers. She started her own blog (donnahole.blogspot.com) in August 2009, and has been hooked on the community since.

Donna is employed full time by social services in Orland, where she lives with two of her five children (one adult, one not). Her hobbies are: reading, writing, blogging, listening to music, going to movies with her kids, and sleeping.
np 09 Nancy J. Parra writes romantic suspense and sweet western historical romances. Hailed as a rising star of romantic fiction, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism but turned to writing fiction when she discovered it was more fun to interview the people in her head.

She lives in the Midwest with her family, a mutt named George Bernard, and bichonpoo, Gracie Lu, nicknamed "boo, boo."  George and Gracie keep her entertained and warm in the winter-Gracie likes to sit in her lap, and George, who weighs in at 80 pounds, rests on her feet while she works.

Nancy’s first romantic suspense, Mr. Charming was given a Top pick review from Night Owl Romance. While her latest, DREAM MAN has been called a "tightly written suspense..." "One you can't out down."


Her sweet western historicals are available on line and in your local library. The Lovin' Kind: A Morgan Family Romance, was named one of the top ten romances of 2006 by Booklist Magazine.  Her previous book, The Bettin' Kind, received a starred review from Booklist Magazine. Cataromance.com said it was “… a wonderful story that thoroughly sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the last page is read.”  The first in the Morgan Family Series, The Marryin' Kind was heralded as “…another winner,” by Booklist Magazine, whileWyoming Wedding (Morgan Brothers Romance) won a Reviewer’s Choice award from Cataromance.com. Labeled a rising star of 2002 by Booklist Magazine, Ms. Parra is proud that A Wanted Man (Avalon Historical Romance) received a starred review in the October 2002 edition of Booklist Magazine and Saving Samantha was featured on the chapter-a-day website.

Ms. Parra's Books:

A NO NONSENSE WOMAN…Dr. Eva Stanford wants only to help her patient sleep through the night. Little does she know that the old woman holds the secret to a thirty-year-old mystery that threatened the political life of a presidential candidate and Eva’s own family.

A MAN WITH A DREAM…FBI Agent Nate Cancaid has a reoccurring dream of a woman with dark hair and blue eyes whose murder he is unable to prevent. When the blue eyed doctor enters his office, he feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
A MYSTERY THAT TRANSCENDS TIME…It’s bad enough when Eva’s patient claims that Eva and Nate are her married assistants, but coincidences grow too complicated for her scientific mind when some of the clues come straight out of Nate’s dreams. Can Eva keep from losing her heart to a man of intuition or has fate already dealt her a losing hand?

Excerpts can be found on her website: www.nancyjparra.com; writing tips can be found on her Monday blog - www.nancyjparra.blogspot.com; Find her and friend her on Facebook - www.facebook.com/nancyjparra; twitter - www.twitter.com/nancyjparra and myspace - www.myspace.com/nancyjparraauthor

Books can be found at bn.com, amazon.com, avalonbooks.com, thewildrosepress.com, fictionwise and other on-line venues.
Ms. Parra has buy buttons for all her books on the catalog page of her website. (All photographs of books and author's photograph were provided by the author, Nancy J. Parra.)

DreamManMrCharming
 
Dream Man                                                        Mr. Charming
Contests and Online Writing Resources
The Smoking Poet's Third Annual Short Story Contest (deadline May 31)
http://thesmokingpoet.net

The Smoking Poet is a literary ezine, established in 2006, and published online on a quarterly basis. TSP’s third annual short story contest is open to all writers, whether they have been past contributors to TSP or not, and in any genre.

http://www.thesmokingpoet.net/id22.html

Prizes will be awarded to the top three stories: first prize, $300; second prize, $100; third prize, $50. All of the winners will be published in the summer issue of The Smoking Poet, online in mid June 2010.

An entry fee of $10 per submission is required, payment to be made through PayPal. Once you have sent in your submission and we determine it meets our contest guidelines, we will send you the PayPal link for payment with an invoice for your records.

Entries must be submitted as a Word doc file, one per e-mail, in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and double-spaced. The author’s name, address, and telephone number must appear in the upper right hand corner. Word count must not exceed 4,000. Please include a short bio statement, not to exceed 100 words, in the body of your e-mail.

The judges for the contest are Zinta Aistars, editor-in-chief of The Smoking Poet; Jeanette Lee, coeditor of The Smoking Poet; Lorena Audra Rutens, “A Good Cause” editor at The Smoking Poet; and honorary judge of TSP's Third Annual Short Story Contest is Kevin Morgan Watson, founding publisher and editor of Press 53, a small literary publishing company in Winston-Salem, NC. Literate Yourself!

Submission deadline for the contest is May 31, 2010. Please send your submission with the subject line stating CONTEST/Last Name to thesmokingpoet@gmail.com If the subject line does not state CONTEST, then we will assume it is a submission for the ezine.
We look forward to reading your best work! See also general submission guidelines for the upcoming summer issue.

http://www.thesmokingpoet.net/id22.html
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An excellent resource for all things literary: Preditors and Editors website. Here you can find a continuously updated and extensive list of agents, book publishers and stores, contests, conventions and festivals, editing and software, magazines, organizations, signings, and workshops. If you haven't checked it out yet, get on over there. And don't forget to tie on a line, you might need it to get back out! The address is: http://pred-ed.com
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Contest: Writers of the Future
OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW AND AMATEUR WRITERS OF NEW SHORT STORIES OR NOVELETTES OF SCIENCE FICTION OR FANTASY
Ongoing contest. For rules and information (no fee to enter this contest), visit http://www.writersofthefuture.com/rules.htm
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Contests to avoid: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/avoid/av_avoid.php
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Also see:

All Things Editing

Here are some worthwhile sites to bookmark and return to frequently.
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Conferences - Workshops - Seminars - Conventions
This list is provided to you for your reference and further investigation. We do not necessarily recommend these conferences, workshops, or seminars. It is up to you to further investigate and determine whether these are legitimate and worthwhile to attend.
From: NewPages.com

  • Women's Literary Festival
    • From website: A celebration of women writers promoting literacy, diversity, and social justice in partnership with the Santa Barbara Public Library.
    • May 1, 2010

  • Fisherman's Wharf Writers Conference
    • From website: Beside the San Francisco Bay, aspiring authors will study and apply the most effective techniques of craft and style while also learning the necessary facts about the publishing market.
    • May 12-16, 2010

  • Book Passage Children's Writers & Illustrators Conference
    • From website: The Conference will cover all aspects of writing and illustrating for children—from developing ideas to honing skills to finding a publisher.
    • Location: Corte Madera
    • June 8-11, 2010

  • Santa Barbara Writers Conference
    • From website: SBWC is proud to have been helping writers become better writers for over 35 years.
    • June 17-23, 2010

  • Idyllwild Arts: Summer Writing Programs
    • From website: The mission of the Idyllwild Arts Foundation is to promote and advance artistic and cultural development through education in a beautiful, natural environment conducive to positive personal growth.
    • July 12-23, 2010

  • Squaw Valley Community of Writers
    • From website: Our goal is to assist writers to improve their craft and thus move them closer to publication.
    • July 17-24 (poetry), August 7-14, 2010 (writers/screenwriting)

  • Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference
    • From website: Has a strong tradition of great authors and teachers. It covers everything mystery writers need - from developing ideas and writing skills to finding a publisher.
    • July 22-25, 2010

  • Napa Valley Writers' Conference
    • From website:The Conference has remained a place to convene for fellowship, serious work with a focus on craft, and a week spent beside the hills and vineyards that have made the Napa Valley famous.
    • --> Application deadline: March 1 - May 1, 2010 <--
    • July 25-30, 2010

  • Mendocino Coast Writers Conference
    • From website: The Mendocino Coast Writers Conference is committed to writing for social change.
    • July 29 - August 1, 2010

  • Santa Barbara Summer Poetry Workshop
    • From website: Poetry, writing, crafting, and discussion in a setting of inspiration and respect.
    • August 7-9, 2010

  • Book Passage Travel Writers & Photographers Conference
    • From website: The Conference offers an array of workshops, panels, and evening activities. There are many hours of informal interaction between faculty and students during lunch and in discussions.
    • August 12-15, 2010

  • The Pacific Coast Children's Writers Workshop
    • From website: Creating a publishable novel is a multi-layered challenge, requiring intuition and dedication. Join us—learn fiction-crafting from the masters. Our experts will show you how to propel your novel from page-turner to published success!
    • August 20-22, 2010

  • Central Coast Writers' Conference
    • From website: 32 workshops covering fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, freelancing, poetry, writing for children and screenwriting.
    • September 17-18, 2010

  • East of Eden Writers Conference
    • From website: Our goal for the conference is for everyone who attends to get what they needed to take their writing to the next level, whether that means beginning to write a little poetry, getting a first novel published, or marketing published work. [Biennial]
    • September 24-26, 2010

  • Southern California Writers' Conference - L.A.
    • From website: The SCWC provides veteran and emerging talent authoritative guidance to help distinguish material that is ready for market consideration.
    • September 24-26, 2010

  • The Creativity Workshop - Carmel
    • From website: We will explore ways to expand our creativity through a series of exercises including guided visualization technique, automatic drawing and writing, map making, memoir, and storytelling.
    • November 5-8, 2010

  • San Francisco Writers Conference
    • From website: Conference will feature nearly 100 agents, authors and editors in a stellar set of opportunities for writing advancement. Attendees have access to more than fifty "how to" sessions, panels, and workshops taught by authors you know and love.
    • February 18-20, 2011
Shaw Guides - Searchable, comprehensive website
 
In This Issue
 
All photographs are attributed via the hyperlink included. There are no quotes used herein. No other references were used. For further information, clarification, rights to reprint, contact us at TheChicoWritersGroup@gmail.com.


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