Mom's Story Event

The program at the Microsoft Store was fabulous. In addition to my videotaped interview, the Vice President, Programs & Services of the Arizona Chapter for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society attended, providing useful information about the Society and its services. Everyone who attended received a complimentary teeshirt from Microsoft. The video will be available on YouTube soon.

Mom's Story Event

Today is the day...the long awaited event at the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale. A friend is going to video tape it and put it on UTube. How cool is that?!

The Microsoft Store Event

On July 30th from 6:00-8:00 PM the Microsoft Store will be hosting an event on multiple sclerosis (MS). Mary Jo Nickum will discuss Mom’s Story; A Child Learns About MS.

Great News!

Today is the final session of the PNWA Conference and I'm looking forward to Elizabeth Lyons and her workshop. If you aren't familiar with her books helping you with the writing craft, you should discover these terrific resources.

Last night was the celebration dinner for the literary contest finalists and (major drumroll......The Esposito Caper took second place in the mainstream category! I am still floating on Cloud 9! I didn't even realize that a check came with the award. What a night!

PNWA Saturday

Interesting day at the Conference yesterday. Short stories may soon be experiencing a resurgence in the publication business. Credit this one to the rise of ebooks and POD that make compiling and formatting this genre easier. Advice from the panelists was to enter contests and start compiling an anthology if this is an area you're interested in writing to.

The Weird Report.

In addition to the woman wearing the stuffed parrot and feathers glued to an oversized straw hat and sporting a rainbow skirt, a man wearing a lime green velveteen cape was prowling about the environs yesterday. Balding (looking a bit like Friar Tuck with the tonsure) and a scraggly beard, he was a sight to behold. If I were an agent, I would have put out my "Out to Lunch" sign if he approached my table.

A group of us went to dinner in Seattle last night - The Flying Fish. Why is it that the smaller the portions, the larger the pricetag???

Tonight is the literary competition awards dinner and I'm excited! Keep your fingers crossed for me.

PNWA Conference

I'm at the Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference in Seattle for the next few days. Typical Seattle weather - cloudy and drippy fog but the atmosphere inside the hotel is animated. Just emerged from an all-day workshop on the nuts and bolts of novel writing coupled with an overview of the changing publication industry.

NEWSFLASH!! Small presses have gotten the green light! In fact, they're on the cutting edge of a changing industry. Just thought Chalet would like to hear the good news. There was a considerable amount of discussion about promoting one's work and the use of Social Media and other formats.

Branding is still big news. If you're going to be successful, it appears you need to become a household name - like Pepto Bismol or Burma Shave. That's branding yourself. Hint from the seminar: Don't put your book cover as your avatar on FB or Twitter. Use your name and picture. Brand yourself. More tomorrow.

PNWA

I'm packing my bags for the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference in Seattle. Leaving on Wednesday for the long, long drive (After my last marathon plane trip that took me to Denver via Oklahoma City and a tense time winding around tornadoes and massive thunderstorms - I decided to drive).

Going to take my tape recorder with me and make some notes on the next novel (Crosswind)as I drive. I need to get characters' bios fleshed out and a general outline completed.

One of my novels - The Esposito Caper - is a finalist in the mainstream category of the literary contest, so I'm stoked! Very different characters from Headwind.

Need to do some blog updating today and find my toothbrush.

Trip of a Lifetime

Just returned yesterday from the most incredible journey I've ever taken. I'd always heard how big Alaska is but I truly was not prepared for the vast vistas, rugged terrain, and abundant wildlife. We traveled all the way to the Arctic Ocean, bumping along the Dalton Highway dodging ruts and gravel chunks the size of Kansas.

I kept a journal along the way but words can't do this great land justice. Pictures can only capture a part of it. The tundra, the glaciers, the mountains majestic are humbling indeed.

Now catching up on blogging and preparing for Headwind's launch.