FEBRUARY 2012
FEBRUARY 2012
Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers (SASP) began in 1998 when Chuck O’Conner, Elmer Freeman, Joe Meiners,
and Dan Vollmer, Spokane area authors
formed a club in order to share their knowledge and experience with those
interested in writing and alternative ways of publishing. Today, SASP is a large non-profit
organization dedicated to anyone with interests in any aspect of writing and
art. Members now include aspiring (and
successful) authors, poets, journalists, illustrators, editors, publishers,
printers, writing instructors, and many others.
Monthly luncheon meetings provide inspiration and education by way of
knowledgeable and entertaining guest speakers, and the cheerful camaraderie of
people sharing common interests and goals.
Membership is open to all who love writing, art, and interesting people.
Spokane
Authors and Self-Publishers meets
the first Thursday of each month, September through May, in the banquet (back)
room of the Old Country Buffet
(509) 484-5026
Speakers’
presentations begin at NOON. The room opens at 11:00 AM to allow members and guests to dine, converse, join, pay
dues, browse, and perhaps buy other member’s books that are on display. Generally a short business meeting is held,
either before or after the formal presentation.
New members and guests are introduced, members relate their
accomplishments, and various door prizes are awarded.
All
members and guests are requested to buy lunch upon entering the establishment,
and to leave an appropriate tip for the waiter/waitress.
Members
need to be present to win door prizes.
Current
membership benefits include a
listing on the SASP website, www.spokaneauthors.org. Many
members provide short biographies and links to external personal websites,
creating more marketing exposure.
Current members may list and describe their published works on the SASP
website and offer their work for sale at meetings.
Guest speakers at our monthly meetings
inform, inspire, and entertain members and guests with a variety of topics, all
designed to provide knowledge pertinent to writing and publishing.
SASP
members are encouraged to purchase or trade completed works of and with fellow
members. They are also encouraged to
donate examples of their work for use as door prizes. Those who win other members’ works are
expected to provide a review of that work.
Dues for SASP
membership are $15.00 per calendar year.
Dues may be paid directly to
our Treasurer at our monthly meetings.
Alternatively, you may remit your dues to:
2011 Officers
President:
Dave McChesney (509) 325-2072
Vice-President:
Bob Weldin (509) 327-2897
Secretary:
Robert Pillsbury (509) 842-6803
rvpsasp07@comcast.net
Treasurer:
Bonnie Stichart (509) 684-0424
Public-Relations:
Russ
Davis (509) 768-6206
Newsletter Editor:
Jim
Parry 509)
325-9922
Web Master:
Dave
McChesney (509) 325-2072
Advisory Board:
Jolene Feher (509) 489-0544
fehersong@yahoo.com
Gail Mangano (509) 535-1434
mamamia3224@comcast.net
Bob Manion (509) 448-2901
gunnerbob@comcast.net
OUR
NEXT MEETING
NEW
LOCATION, NEW LOCATION!
Please join us on
Thursday, February 2 at 12 noon. We’ll be at our NEW location,
TIMBER CREEK
GRILL AND BUFFET
Our guest speaker will be JESSICA TITCHENAL. Ms. Titchenal is a multi-published author who
lives in the Inland Northwest with her family.
She writes romance, urban fantasy, non-fiction, and middle grade. Jessica also teaches writing classes for
children and adults. Her next novel, STONE COLD REVENGE, will be released in
the spring. When not writing, she stays
busy reviewing books, teaching yoga, crafting, and gardening. You can find her online under her pen name,
Jess Macallan, and at RockYourCreativeSelf.wordpress.com.
Ms.
Titchenal’s talk is titled Don’t Shoot
Yourself in the Foot. “Your
manuscript is polished and ready to submit or publish. How you conduct yourself from here plays a
key role in your platform and career success.
Avoid unintentionally shooting yourself in the foot with these tips and
tricks. Learn how to engage readers,
create lasting relationships with reviewers, work with you publishing team, and
maintain your professionalism in the face of disappointment.”
The
President’s Page
January 2012
A
small but enthusiastic group of writers helped Spokane Authors and
Self-Publishers kick off the New Year.
We enjoyed a two part program, the first being an open forum in which we
discussed rights and permissions. Jim
Parry, Bob Weldin, and Dave McChesney all offered insight into the
subject. To fill up the remaining time,
we had another open mike session. Chuck
Lehman read the beginning of his newest book, while Dave McChesney gave us a
listen to a couple of scenes from the middle of his first effort.
Our
one guest was Bill, who is looking for help in writing the story of his
life. James Vasquez volunteered to put
him in contact with Ruth Danner.
Chuck
Lehman announced that his next book will be published soon and that he is
working on the one after that. Jim Parry
told us that Book All the Teachers
had had a favorable review in the December issue of Spokane/CDA Living
magazine. We heard from James Vasquez
talking about the radio interview he had done and that had aired the day
before. Barbara Cagle brought us up to
date on her marketing efforts. We had an
update on Authors 4 Authors from Bob Manion, including word of a signing at the
Casino in late March.
As
is normal, a great selection of door prizes was available for lucky
members. Diane Saffell and Bob Hildahl
each won an Old Country Buffet meal pass.
Bonnie Stichart and Jim Parry collected ten dollar checks from
SASP. Bob Hildahl donated back a book
won a few months ago. Bob Weldin had the
matching ticket for Year of Plenty by
Craig Goodwin, and in turn donated it to our guest, Bill. Lee Moore provided two small gift boxes of
trinkets. Esther Hildahl won one. It appears that the winner of the second did
not get recorded. Finally, James Vasquez
donated a copy of his latest book, Prayers
from the Bible, and that went to Damon Bauer.
President
Dave McChesney emphasized that we have a new calendar year and dues are due for
all who haven’t yet paid for 2012. He
also told us that apparently another group has been scheduled at Old Country
Buffet for the first Thursday in May.
Dave suggested we consider meeting another day that month or setting up
a mass book signing or other event in lieu of a regular meeting. Quite possibly, a decision on what to do for
May 2012 will be made at the February meeting.
This
just in: We have a new meeting place and
guest speaker for February [See the
previous (blue) section of this newsletter].
Write
on,
For What It’s Worth
[Editor’s note: You were supposed to have a
new editor by now, but we’re having some communications problems.
(“What we have here is a failure to communicate” – Strother Martin as
the ‘Captain’ in Cool Hand Luke) Stay tuned.]
OMG, Not OCB! Unbe-fricking-lievable! Tell me it ain’t so. SASP has been meeting at Old Country Buffet (I did a little research here: Some of the original meetings were at Chic-A-Ria) since September of 1999. Zowie! Over 12 years at the same, welcoming location – and now it’s gone, all gone! I shall especially miss the soft, fresh-baked rolls and the desserts - the many, many gooey desserts.
Good-bye, ol’ pal.
Fortunately, we, the members, will still be together, will still have that same camaraderie, albeit a new location. I hope that our new digs, Timber Creek, will soon have that feeling of “home”. If not, we can always run across the street and grab some ribs.
See ya ‘round, like a doughnut,
Jim
NEWS
Listed below are
acknowledgments of
members’ accomplishments,
book
signing dates, locations,
and other items of note:
Amazon Breakthrough Novel
Award
Amazon
is currently having its annual “Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award” contest
January 23rd through February 5th. There are 2 categories: General Fiction & Adult Fiction. The Grand Prize is a publishing contract with
Penguin (which includes a $15,000 advance)!
Submit your novel to CreateSpace.
For more details go to CreateSpace or just Google “Amazon Breakthrough
Novel Award”. Get your submission in
quickly; time is running out.
2012
William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
-- Call for Submissions --Deadline for Entries: January 31, 2012 For
More Information: saroyanprize.stanford.edu Again, act quickly!
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 William Saroyan
International Prize for Writing. Two prizes of $5,000 each are given biennially
for works of fiction and nonfiction. The awards, cosponsored by the Stanford
University Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation, are intended to
“encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan legacy of originality,
vitality, and stylistic innovation.”
Submit five copies of a novel, short story
collection, or work of creative nonfiction published between January 1, 2010,
and December 31, 2011, with a $50 entry fee. Visit the website for more
information, including entry forms, contest rules, and complete guidelines. Go
to: saroyanprize.stanford.edu
DEADLINE: Please note that entries must be
received on or before January 31, 2012. If you have additional questions, feel
free to contact Stanford University Libraries, William Saroyan International
Prize for Writing, Green Library,
A
New Web Magazine
I am launching a literary web
magazine and online community that is devoted to quality narrative writing about
real people creating positive social change. It's called Beyond the Bracelet:
Stories of the Movement from Awareness to Action.
I invite you to check it out! I'd love for
you to be involved in our community, in whatever way makes sense for you—as a
liker, follower, commenter, reader, writer, or action-taker.
website: http://www.beyondthebracelet.com/
blog: http://www.beyondthebracelet.com/blog
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Beyond-the-Bracelet/186305708063699
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/beyondbracelet
Best,
Ross Carper
SASP
Member’s Stories Published
Barbara Hollace announced
that Dr. Bernie Siegel's, A Book of Miracles"
was recently released. Her story, A Community of Hope is the first story
in the Holiday Miracles
section. Barbara says, “It is always
exciting to get published, especially when you know that it is so competitive
to get your work selected these days. I
don't receive any royalties, but I think you'll enjoy the read.”
To purchase a copy, check
with your local bookstore or on Amazon.
She also has a story in Love is a Verb Devotional from Gary Chapman.
This was released on October 1st.
SASP Member Book Release
Anna Goodwin
Hurrah! JUSTICE FORBIDDEN,
my psychological thriller, murder mystery is finally out. You can get it on my
website www.anaparkergoodwin.com
for 20% off regular price: $13.50.
10% of my profits will go to counseling abused children. Or you can
get it at Barnes and
Noble or Amazon. ISBN: 978-0-9845566-0-1
What is the story about? Of course it’s all about what I know best.
I am a psychotherapist who had a private practice for many years. Although the
plot is fictional, the character of the client and much of her past is based on
true events.
What are the facts about memory? Are there false memories? Can
memories be repressed and then remembered years later? This is one of the greatest
controversies still raging in psychology today.
Dr. Faythe Bradington, Clinical Psychologist, is shocked to
discover that an ex-client is suing her for implanting false memories of
childhood abuse. Faythe rushes to her office to read her files, but when she
arrives she discovers a body in the waiting room. Now terrified, she calls 911.
To make her situation worse, her insurance company insists she settle out of
court. There will be no justice for her unless she discovers what actually happened
to her ex-client 25 years ago. Determined to clear her name and discover the
truth, she hires a private investigator, who unknown to her has psychic powers
that become crucial in solving the case. As Faythe and L.P. probe into her
ex-client’s haunted past, they discover dark secrets so ominous that just
knowing them will set off unstoppable deadly events.
Read
the book, leave a comment at my website, at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and
then pass the book to someone else you know would enjoy it. If you want me to do
the same for your book send me an e-mail: jargoodwin@msn.com. We are very fortunate to have
a wonderful group. Let’s cooperate and help each other reach our writing
dreams.
A New “How to” Book
THE WRITERS PORTABLE MENTOR
A guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life
By Priscilla Long
ISBN: 978-0-9842421-0-8,
$17.95,
www.priscillalong.com
Recent Newsletters now on
Site
All issues of our recently revived SASP Newsletter are now posted
and available on the web-site. Simply go to the Newsletter Tab on our home page
and click on the month you are interested in.
All content of the e-mailed or “snail-mailed” versions is there, although
the format is changed somewhat.
Publishing Accomplishments
Jim Parry’s book, Book All
the Teachers,
is now available on most major bookstore web-sites.
It is also available as an “e” book.
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble,
New
“LINKS”
We’ve recently added several “general
interest” links on the web-site page of the same name.
Many SASP members’ web-sites and blogs
are linked here as well.
Price Reduction
SASP Member and former President Barbara
Cagle has announced that the price of her book 16 x MOM: A MASTERY OF
MOTHERHOOD is now $17.95