West Houston RWA

Celebrating the end of our 22nd Emily Contest with a bang!  We have… AGENT APPOINTMENTS and two MUST SEE WORKSHOPS!

(Registration for this event is required and limited to 75 participants.  More Registration Information is with the day’s schedule below.)

Morning: CONTESTS: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly with Sarah Andre and Lark Howard

With all the contests out there, ever wonder if they’re really worth entering? What can you get out of contests? How do you choose the best ones for you? What does it take to final? Why volunteer to judge? Sarah Andre and Lark Howard have entered a whole lot of contests over the years and will share the lessons and war stories of winning, losing and judging the best, the worst and everything in between.

Sarah Andre began writing contemporary romantic suspense novels in 2005 and joined WH in 2006.  She has been a finalist in multiple contests including Lone Star, Fab Five, Sheila, Finally a Bride and  2011 Golden Heart. In 2009 Sarah signed with a NY Literary Agent who is currently shopping her  manuscript “Locked, Loaded and Lying.”

Lark Howard’s love of reading, writing and travel led her to a degree in English, a string of colorful jobs and a well-worn passport. For years she’s written for a living—marketing financial services by day and writing novel length fiction at night. Her current project, a paranormal romance set in Paris, is out on submission which is both exciting and nerve-wracking.

Afternoon: The Marathoner’s Guide to Writing: Staying in it for the Long-Haul without Losing Your Perspective, your Patience, or your Mind with Colleen Thompson and New York Times Best Seller Kerrelyn Sparks

The race to get published can be pure hell, but as someone who’s spent more than twelve years and twenty books in the trenches, COLLEEN THOMPSON will tell you it’s a leisurely Sunday stroll compared to the Herculean effort of staying published–and staying sane and healthy while doing so. Of the scores of romance writers she started out within 1999, very few remain but there are survivors still out there kicking tail and taking names. So what are the distinguishing qualities that enable some to keep working through the ups and downs common to every career? What lessons can those of us who aspire to be marathoners take from their stories? Colleen will share the traits she’s noticed as well as what she’s learned talking to other writers. Come hear an insider’s observations on what it takes to have a long-haul career as a writer.

From the historical novels that began her writing career to the riveting romantic suspense that has become her trademark, Colleen Thompson writes stories that show us that sometimes, love can kill. Her first romantic thriller, Fatal Error was nominated for the RITA for Best Romantic Suspense and won the Texas Gold for Best Mainstream fiction, and awards and honors have been showered on her books ever since. These include a RITA nomination for Triple Exposure, starred review from Publishers Weekly, Top Pick, KISS awards, reviewers’ choice award nomination from Romantic Times Book Club.

A resident of the Houston area and member of WHRWA, Colleen is a sought-after speaker locally and nationally.

Kerrelyn Sparks is the bestselling author of the Love at Stake series, paranormal romantic comedies published by HarperCollins.  When the fourth book in the series, The Undead Next Door, debuted at # 14 on the New York Times list, even the Undead sat up and took notice.  Kerrelyn lives in the Greater Houston area with her husband, children, and a house full of garlic. At this time, there are no vampires in her family. Werewolves are another matter entirely.  For more information, visit her website at www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Agents taking appointments

AGENT APPOINTMENTS will be from 10:15-11:30 and from 1:20 to 3. The appointments will last five minutes. Those desiring a one-on-one agent appointment MUST have a complete manuscript. First priority will be given to PRO and PAN members. You may request which of the agents you wish to meet with, but we make no guarantees.

Laura Bradford established the Bradford Literary Agency in 2001. Her recent sales include books placed with Berkley, Grand Central, Harlequin, Kensington, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Sourcebooks, Hyperion, Flux, Macmillan, Adams Media, Egmont USA, John Wiley and Sons and Mira Books. She continues to actively build her client list and is currently seeking work in the following genres: Romance (historical, romantic suspense, paranormal, category, contemporary, erotic), urban fantasy, women’s fiction, mystery, thrillers and young adult as well as some select non-fiction. She is a member of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR) and Romance Writers of America, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and she is an RWA-recognized agent. Twitter: @bradfordlit

After eight years at Berkley Publishing, Kim Lionetti left her position as Senior Editor to join BookEnds in March 2004. A member of AAR, Kim is currently focused on growing her young adult, women’s fiction, and romance lists and is only accepting submissions in those categories. Most important, she is looking for fresh voices and compelling storytelling. Given her extensive editorial background, she enjoys helping authors shape their work into more marketable products and seeing their writing as part of the “bigger picture.” You can contact Kim directly at klionetti @ bookends-inc.com or follow her at Twitter: @BookEndsKim

Registration Information

Workshop Fee:
2012 Emily Finalists: FREE!
WHRWA Members – $15
other RWA Members – $40
Everyone else – $55

Lunch will be provided.  If you have special dietary needs, you may wish to bring your own

Registration is required, and is limited to 75 participants.

The deadline to register is February 7th, 2012.

>>Registration now open.  Click Here.<<

Location:  Memorial Drive Christian Church (Our usual meeting location)

Schedule for February 11th

9:00 - 9:45: "Agent Introduction and Q&A" with Laura Bradford & Kim Lionetti
9:50 - 10:45: Business Meeting
9:50 - 11:50: Agent pitches
10:50 - 12:00: "CONTESTS: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" with Sarah Andre & Lark Howard
12:00 - 1:00: Lunch
1:00 - 1:30: Emily Awards Presentation
1:30 - 3:00: Agent pitches continued
1:30 - 3:30: "The Marathoner’s Guide to Writing: Staying in it for the Long-Haul without Losing Your Perspective, your Patience, or your Mind" with Colleen Thompson and Kerrelyn Sparks

BLOG: KEY TO SUCCESS plus Informal Q & A: My Ebook Success

Joan Reeves has written SlingWords, her personal blog, since 2005. Along the way, she wrote a “commercial” blog daily and became a ghost blogger for corporate executives, business owners, and bookstores. (Due to Non-Disclosure Agreements that remain in effect, she can’t name names, so don’t ask!) When she began publishing ebooks in March 2011, her sales immediately soared. She credits much of her ebook success to her blog SlingWords. Since she knows a thing or two about blogs, she’s happy to share her knowledge with other writers.

Since Joan loves to talk, she’ll also offer an Informal Q&A about her Ebook Success which she reveals in her soon to be published book, EBOOK SUCCESS: JOAN SELLS & TELLS ALL.

Joan Reeves is a bestselling Kindle author of Romance. In her spare time, she’s a mild-mannered reporter for the Daily Planet who–no, wait, that’s some other writer. Seriously? Okay, if we must be serious. Joan Reeves is a multi-published print and ebook author. She’s published all over the web under her own name, various pseudonyms, and as a ghost, and she’s the writer and publisher of the long-running blog SlingWords.

Joan believes: “Although we are all different on the outside, on the inside, we all share the same human desires and emotions. My job as a writer is to appeal to those human emotions. I sometimes think professional writers do this well because, as F. Scott Fitzgerald pointed out, “A writer isn’t just one person. He (she) is a whole lot of people trying to be one person.”

Schedule for January 14th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 – "BLOG: KEY TO SUCCESS"
12:00 to 12:30 - Book signing with various authors

Registration is required, and is limited to 100 participants.  Please fill out our registration form located here.

During this special all-day seminar, Hollywood script and story consultant Michael Hauge will present his unique approach to creating compelling fiction and eliciting emotion in your readers through story concept, plot structure, character development and theme. Michael will then reveal his proven method for getting the people in power to read your manuscript or screenplay. Selected participants will also get direct feedback on their story concepts and pitches.

Topics covered will include:

• The primary goal of all story
• The power of desire, need, longing and destiny
• The essential conflict all characters must face
• Turning plot structure from a complicated concept into a simple, powerful tool you can easily apply to every story
• The single key to creating character arc and theme
• Creating unique, believable and fulfilling love stories
• The unique rules of romantic comedy: fantasy, duality, deceit
• Adapting your novel to film
• The single biggest mistake writers make in pitching their work
• The eight steps to a powerful pitch
• Query letters, phone calls, conferences and pitch fests
• Uniting your own passion with the demands of the market

If you want to elevate your fiction writing to the highest possible level, this event is a must.

Schedule:

8:00 Doors Open
8:30 Chapter Business Meeting
9:00-11:45 Hauge speaks
11:45-1:00 Lunch and Author Signings (not Hauge)
1:00-3:00 Hauge speaks
3:00-3:30 Afternoon break and Hauge Signing
3:30-5:30 Hauge speaks
5:30-6:00 Hauge Signing

Registration is required, and is limited to 100 participants.  Please fill out our registration form located here.

Registration Fee:

WHRWA member – $15
Emily Judges (2011 and 2012) – $40
RWA member (Not WHRWA member) – $55
Not a member of RWA or WHRWA – $100

MICHAEL HAUGE is a story consultant, author and lecturer who works with screenwriters, novelists, filmmakers and executives. Michael has presented seminars and lectures to more than 40,000 participants around the world, and has coached writers, producers, stars and directors on projects for Will Smith, Julia Roberts, Robert Downey, Jr., and Morgan Freeman, as well as for every major studio and network. He is currently on retainer with Will Smith’s company, Overbrook Entertainment, where he was involved in the development of I AM LEGEND, HANCOCK and THE KARATE KID.

Michael is the best selling author of Selling Your Story in 60 Seconds: The Guaranteed Way to Get Your Screenplay or Novel Read, as well as the brand new 20th Anniversary Edition of Writing Screenplays That Sell.

Three successful young adult/middle grade authors will present a panel discussion of the teen/tween market at the Oct. 8 meeting of West Houston RWA.

Remember high school? The friends, the drama, the parties, the… sex? Fashion and technology change, but teen angst remains the same. On Saturday, October 8, authors Lara Chapman, Dotti Enderle and Mary Lindsey will help you tap into your inner teen. Learn the do’s, don’ts, tips, trends and taboos of writing for the young adult and middle-grade markets.

The Panel

Prior to attending law school at The University of Houston, Mary Lindsey received a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Drama from U of H. She has taught drama and playwriting in a large public high school and English in a private school.

Mary lives in Houston with her husband, three kids, two dogs, her daughter’s pet rats, an Australian Bearded Dragon, and dozens of Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches.

Her YA paranormal romance, SHATTERED SOULS (Philomel/Penguin), will be released December 8, 2011. Her second novel, ANNABEL (Philomel/Penguin), is a modern Gothic YA based on Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee,” and has a tentative release date of Summer 2013.

For more, visit: http://www.marylindsey.com

Lara Chapman, author of FLAWLESS, grew up loving school, especially new school supplies (who doesn’t love the smell of new crayons?). She loved school so much, in fact, she tried to make a career out of it. But after an extended stay in college prompted her father to announce she couldn’t be a professional student, she finally declared a major and graduated with her teaching certificate, reluctantly leaping into the scary waters of adulthood. Since then, she’s been teaching various subjects at the intermediate school level and loving every second of it. Lara lives with her family in Dime Box, Texas (it’s as small as it sounds), where she reads and writes daily. She’s rarely – if ever – found without her laptop and iPhone. For more, visit Lara online at www.larachapman.com.

Award-winning author Dotti Enderle began her writing career in 1995 when she got tired of her husband coming home at night, looking around, and saying, “What the hell did you do all day?”  Inspired by her two daughters, Nancy Drew, and hatred for housework, she has published 39 books for children and tweens. Her work includes middle-grade novels, CROSSWIRE, MAN IN THE MOON, and the FORTUNE TELLERS CLUB series.

Schedule for October 8th

8:30 AM - Door open, sign in, coffee
9:00 AM - Business meeting
10:00 -10:30 AM - Fellowship
10:30-Noon - "Today's YA - Beyond the Angst"

“The Emily” Judge Training

Jo Anne Banker and Kay Hudson team up to present the very helpful judge’s training workshop. It’s got something for everyone, newer writers who are thinking about judging for the first time, but want to feel confident in their ability to handle the overall job, as well as experienced judges who want a reminder of all the different aspects of judging. This workshop is for anyone interested in giving fair, consistent evaluations, or in learning the criteria RWA contest judges use for contest entry placements.

Jo Anne Banker is the 2011 Golden Heart winner in Contemporary Series with her manuscript, Lost and Found. After a successful career as owner of a bookkeeping service, she’s traded her calculator for a laptop, and hopes to touch the lives of others with her stories. She’s been a member of RWA since 1993, studying her craft. She has also served for a combined twelve years on two local chapter Boards, including two years as president of West Houston RWA.

Kay Hudson used to answer to “contest slut,” but now she prefers “Golden Heart Finalist.” Sounds a shade more dignified, doesn’t it? She joined RWA in the mid 90s and has served on the boards of the Houston Bay Area and West Houston Chapters. She’s still entering contests, and tries to return the effort by judging for at least four of her favorites every year. When she’s not working, commuting, or writing paranormal romantic comedy, she blogs at  kayhudson.com.

Main Program: Expecting the Unexpected in the World of Publishing: Surprises to Prepare For

Sandra Worth has degrees in political science and economics which have nothing whatever to do with what she writes about—the Tudors and the Plantagenets. She worked briefly as a research assistant at the University of Toronto before giving it up to follow her husband around the world and raise her family. Writing is her second career. She is the prize-winning author of six historical novels, five of which have each garnered multiple awards, including three Reviewers’ Choice Awards, among them the Romantic Times “Best Historical Biography.” For more information, visit her website at www.sandraworth.com.

Schedule for September 10th

7:30 - Doors open, sign in, coffee
8:00-9:00 - "The Emily Judges Training"
9:00-10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews
10:30-12:00 - "Expecting the Unexpected in the World of Publishing: Surprises to Prepare For"

What We’ve Learned Along the Way

Best selling authors Nina Bangs and Gerry Bartlett met at an RWA chapter meeting almost twenty years ago and have been critiquing together ever since. Nina has hit the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists with her paranormal romances, and Gerry’s Real Vampires series continues to hit the Barnes and Nobles and Borders top 10 trade paperback list with every release. They will share with us the good, the bad and truly frightening of what they’ve learned in the trenches about the publishing business and writing in general.

Schedule for August 13th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 – "What We've Learned Along the Way"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors

Fundamentals and Essentials of Writing the Suspense Novel

Rita finalist Linda Castillo may be writing thrillers now, but her roots are in romance, and those roots run deep.  She wrote 23 romantic suspense novels for two publishing houses before breaking out in 2009 with her debut thriller Sworn to Silence.  If you’re writing any type of suspense, whether it’s a straight thriller, an inspirational romantic suspense or something in-between, and you’d like to learn more about his exciting genre, this workshop is a do not miss!

Linda Castillo wrote for 11 years before making that first sale to Silhouette Intimate Moments in 1999.  Since, she’s sold 27 books to three New York publishing houses.

She’s won numerous industry awards.  In 1999, she was a triple Golden Heart Finalist, winning the romantic suspense division with what would later become her first release.  She’s also won such prestigious awards as the Daphne du Maurier, the Holt Medallion, and a nomination for the prestigious Rita.

Her debut thriller, Sworn to Silence, garnered starred reviews from Library Journal, Publisher’s Weekly, and Booklist—and spent four weeks on the extended New York Times bestseller list.  The second book in the series, Pray for Silence, also hit the NYT list.

In her spare time, Linda enjoys trail riding, and dabbles in barrel racing. She resides in the Texas Panhandle with her husband, three dogs, a barn cat, and two Appaloosa horses.  She’s currently at work on her next novel, a thriller set in Amish Country and featuring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti.

Schedule for July 9th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 – "Fundamentals and Essentials of Writing the Suspense Novel"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors

Staying the Course:  Tracking the Plot for Pantsers and Planners.

Award-winning author Julia Justiss will talk about the importance of the major story elements (GMC,) and how she uses a synopsis as a writing outline to stay on track. She will also show the chart system she has developed for keeping track of POV, chapter breaks, and plot and romance developments as she writes.

Once she has explained the idea, the group will brainstorm a story and put together a chart, so everyone can see how it works as they progress through the book.

A former Golden Heart winner, Julia Justiss has published 15 Regency-set historical novels and three novellas for HQN and Harlequin Historical. Her books have won The Golden Quill, a Favorite Category Book of the Year from All About Romance and finaled for awards ranging from Romantic Times’s Best First Book to the Daphne Du Maurier to a Reader’s Choice for Best Historic Novella.  An admitted historical research nerd, Julia balances a day job as a high school French teacher with her first love, creating deeply emotional, character-driven historical romance fiction.

Schedule for June 11th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 – "Staying the Course: Tracking the Plot for Pantsers and Planners"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors

Humor: It’s More Than Just a Joke

Make your readers laugh, and they will love you for it! Join Kerrelyn Sparks as she takes a serious look at humor,  though be warned Kerrelyn can only remain serious for short intervals, each lasting approximately sixty seconds. During those brief flashes of coherency, she will present ten ways to incorporate humor into your writing and explain how humor can be used to help you achieve multiple goals while crafting your story.

Kerrelyn Sparks is the bestselling author of the Love at Stake series, paranormal romantic comedies published by HarperCollins. When the fourth book in the series, The Undead Next Door, debuted at # 14 on the New York Times list, even the Undead sat up and took notice. Her most recent book, Vampire Mine, debuted at # 9 on the NY Times, # 7 on Publishers Weekly, and # 22 on the USA Today bestseller lists. Kerrelyn lives in the Greater Houston area with her husband, children, and a house full of garlic. At this time, there are no vampires in her family. Werewolves are another matter entirely. For more information, please visit her website at www.kerrelynsparks.com.

Schedule for Mary 14th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 – "Humor: It’s More Than Just a Joke"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors

Early Morning: Jumping Off the Cliff: Writing Full Time with Karen Burns

Do you have a day job and write romance novels before you go to work, at lunch, and late into the evening? Have you considered chucking the day job and writing full time? If you have, there are a few things to consider before you give your boss that resignation letter. And, your lack of a steady paycheck isn’t the only consideration.

Karen Burns has worked as an accountant/CPA her entire adult life. She’s traveled to Rio de Janeiro, London and Oslo, audited glass molds for wine bottles in California, taken a helicopter to a drillship off the Gulf Coast—all in the name of accounting. For the last 15 years she’s been controller at the University of St. Thomas. She’s in charge of the financial statements, the annual audit, and preparing IRS Form 990. Quitting her day job isn’t an option, but writing romance novels is her passion.

Main Program: Making Sense of Scenes with Kimberly Frost

Scenes are considered the building blocks of a novel. Join WHRWA author Kimber Frost for a presentation on the important elements found in scenes, how to make them sparkle, and using scenes to create a compelling story.

Kimberly Frost is the award-winning, national bestselling author of the humorous paranormal Southern Witch series. Her new paranormal romantic suspense series launches this year in a multi-author Christmas anthology that will be released in November 2011. You can learn more about Kimber and her books at: http://frostfiction.com/

April Meeting Schedule:

7:30-8:00 Doors Open
8:00-9:00 Jumping Off the Cliff: Writing Full Time with Karen Burns
9:00-10:15 Business meeting/PAL Reviews
10:15-10:30 Break
10:30-11:45 Making Sense of Scenes with Kimberly Frost
11:45-12:30 Signing, Various Authors

Extreme Makeover: How to take your characters from drab to fab

Ever read (or even worse, written) a page-turning romance that still left you feeling unsatisfied?  Ever wondered why some romances have an excellent ‘sigh’ factor, but others have you betting the couple won’t make it past a year?  The key to a satisfying romance is vivid characters.  Many writers—both new and seasoned—struggle to create character-driven books that deliver the powerful romance that readers crave. After all, it’s easy to get caught up in Mary Jane’s struggle to raise the money to save the ranch and Detective Jones’ quest to identify the serial killer. We forget that while the twists and turns of an external plot may keep the reader turning the pages, they might fail to deliver the satisfying emotional punch readers expect.This workshop will show writers how they can use pop psychology to create believable characters. But we go beyond that with a10-step character arc that will show them how to use the conflict in their book to push their characters to learn the oh-so-important lesson.

A life-long lover of stories and adventure, it was either become a stuntwoman for the movies or live out those adventures from the safety of her PJ’s and computer. Award-winning author, Robyn DeHart chose the latter and couldn’t be happier for doing so. Known for her unique plotlines and authentic characters, Robyn is a favorite among readers and reviewers. Publishers’ Weekly claims her writing to be “comical and sexy” while the Chicago Tribune dubs her “wonderfully entertaining.” Robyn is a three-time RT Bookclub Reviewers’ Choice award nominee, and her book Seduce Me won for the 2009 Best Historical Romantic Adventure. The same book also won the inaugural RomCon Reader’s Crown award. In March, Treasure Me, the much anticipated conclusion to her Legend Hunters trilogy hit stores. You can find Robyn on-line at www.RobynDeHart.com or www.JauntyQuills.com.

Schedule for March 12th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 – "Extreme Makeover"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors

Come and join us with Lori Wilde on February 12th as we celebrate the Emily!

There is a registration fee for this meeting: $10 for WHRWA members, $35 for RWA members (Non-WHRWA members), and $60 for non-RWA members.

The meeting will be at our usual meeting location, Memorial Drive Christian Church, except we will be in the Athens Room.  Look for signs pointing to where we are.

Lunch will be provided.

Registration is open.

Morning session:  Layering Your Scenes For Maximum Impact

You’re a competent writer. You’re close to selling or you might even have sold a book or two. You get nice reviews. But you’re still get more rejections letters than contracts. What’s wrong? What’s missing? Why can’t you snag those contracts, collect sparkling reviews, hit bestseller lists and win lots of contests?

This course seeks to answer those questions. Layering Your Scenes For Maximum Impact will illustrate exactly what’s holding you back and keeping you from being the writer you’re truly meant to be. It’s designed to teach you how to find the hidden excellence in your work. What are you waiting for? Isn’t it time you shot to the next level?

Topics covered include:

1. The importance of identifying your theme
2. The secret to fresh fiction
3. The power of the concrete symbol
4. Motifs and marketing
5. The delight of surprise
6. How to evoke more emotion
7. A character’s true blue worldview

Afternoon session: Plotting from Theme

Theme will enrich a book faster than any other single element. Theme is a tool that drives a story on a deeper level. Think of theme as like the love in a marriage. It’s the core reason your story exists. Implications of theme colors and shapes everything in the story. It permeates character and the plot. Theme speculates on a possible truth. It is not an answer or law, but a supposition, a questioning, an exploration of potential.

This course seeks to teach you how to plot your story from the standpoint of theme first, story events second to produce a cohesive blueprint that will make building the backbone of your book easier.

Topics covered include.

1. The tyranny of theme.
2. Theme defined
3. Characters and Theme
4. Plot and Theme
5. Props, Symbols and Motifs
6. Closed themes versus open themes
7. Make your story sing through theme
   

   

USA Today bestselling author, Lori Wilde has sold fifty-three novels to four major New York Publishing houses. She holds a bachelors degree in nursing from Texas Christian University and a certificate in forensics. She volunteers as a sexual assault first responder for Freedom House, a shelter for battered women. She has also served as the RWA National conference workshop chair and PAN retreat chair.

She is an instructor for a company who provides online community education to over 1600 colleges and universities internationally. Lori is a past RITA finalist and has four times been nominated for Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choi

ce Award. She’s won the Colorado Award of Excellence, the Wisconsin Write Touch Award, The Lories, The More Than Maggie, the Golden Quill, The Laurel Wreath and The BestBooks of 2006 Book Award.

Her books have been translated into 22 languages and excerpted in Cosmopolitan, Redbook, Complete Woman, All You and Quick and Simple magazines. She lives in Texas with her husband, Bill.

Schedule for February 12th

8:00-8:30 Registration/social
8:30-9:30 Meeting (note earlier than usual)
9:30-9:45 Break
9:45-11:15 Lori Wilde, "Layering Your Scenes For Maximum Impact"
11:15-12:00 Emily Awards
12:00-1:00 Lunch
1:00-3:30 Lori Wilde, "Plotting from Theme"

No December Meeting

There will only be the Holiday party on December 11th.  For more information on the party, watch the yahoo loop or email President Karen.

Writing a Series with Donna Grant (January Main Program)

Think its too confusing to write a series? Think you’ll never be able to remember all the little facts needed from one book to the next? Having a cohesive grasp on your series world and characters can make writing the series so much more enjoyable.

Join bestselling author Donna Grant as she explores a variety of techniques that can help you build – and retain – your series.

Donna Grant has been praised for her “totally addictive” and “unique and sensual” stories.  She’s the author of more than twenty novels spanning multiple genres of romance—Scottish Medieval, dark fantasy, time travel, paranormal, and erotic.  Her latest acclaimed series, Dark Sword, features a thrilling combination of Druids, primeval gods, and immortal Highlanders who are dark, dangerous, and irresistible. She lives with her husband, two children, a dog, and three cats in Texas.

First Impressions with Ane Ryan Walker (January Early Morning)

“You only get one chance to make a first impression.”

With the amount of marketing expected of todays published authors, Ane will list and assist with simple guidelines to help you keep your composure during TV, Radio and in depth interviews no matter what happens. Everything from dressing for success and keeping your foot out of your mouth to handling the microphone and addressing the cameras. This course mantra and most important guideline is

Ane Ryan Walker, a health care professional with a career spanning more than forty years has also been involved in multiple fund raising organizations which called for skills not found at the hospital bedside or in the surgical suite.A former beauty queen, and multimillion dollar fundraiser and “big tickets” sales trainer, she has been involved with national and international organizations which called for speaking skills on camera and impromptu interview skills. During the recent political campaign season Ane assisted several candidates with fund raising expertise and interview/presentation skills, including practice sessions to help them feel comfortable in live TV interviews.

Schedule for January 8th

7:30-8:00 Doors open/visting
8:00-9:00 Ane Ryan Walker with First Impressions
9:00-10:15 Business meeting/PAL reviews
10:15-10:45 Break
10:45-11:45 Donna Grant on "Writing a Series"
11:45-12:15 Book signing

Registration is now closed.

NY Times bestselling author Bob Mayer has 40 books published. He has over three million books in print and is in demand as a team-building, life-change, and leadership speaker and consultant. Bob graduated from West Point and served in the military as a Special Forces A-Team leader and a teacher at the JFK Special Warfare Center & School. His latest book is Who Dares Wins: The Green Beret Way to Conquer Fear & Succeed. He teaches novel writing and improving the author via his Warrior-Writer program. He lives on an island off Seattle. For more information see www.bobmayer.org

Saturday, November 13th – Bob Mayer’s One of a Kind Warrior Writer Workshop:

I have created a unique and innovative workshop called Warrior Writer that focuses on educating writers how to be successful authors in all aspects of publishing. I have run this workshop through various writing groups and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The basic concept is for me to present the Warrior Writer Workshop for your group on a Saturday as your normal meeting, or as a special presentation. No limit on participants. Run completely through your group. Then on Sunday, I run a smaller A-Team Writers Workshop.

WHAT IS WARRIOR WRITER?

Warrior Writer is a holistic approach that gives the writer a road map to become a successful author. Warrior Writer integrates the artist’s creativity with the business savvy needed to succeed in publishing. This is the only workshop that covers all aspects of an author’s role from creator of the book to being an integral part of the business end of seeing that book in a reader’s hands. The world of publishing is changing at an incredible rate. New technologies have required authors to adjust to a different mindset. Today’s authors have to not only write the better book, but create a platform for themselves. Social media is also changing the face of marketing. Formal author training does not exist in traditional publishing. Warrior Writer fills this gap by giving authors the tools they need to be successful in today’s new face of publishing.

WHAT WARRIOR WILL ADDRESS:

It is a nine-step plan that will give writers a flow to becoming the most successful author they can be. This includes finding personal blind spots that are hurting the writing and their career. Warrior Writer will help writers develop a plan to enrich their writing, and overcome hurdles.

Integral to the program is how to develop a career path with agents and editors that includes author goals in terms of books, theme, unifying concept, all the way down to organizing one’s day-to-day writing. The ins-and-outs of running a business as a self-employed author, and become an integral part of the publishing world including doing an ‘author’ dissection of a successful author whose career can serve as a template for yours. Of particular focus in creativity are finding true fears, developing courage to conquer them, and uncovering each person’s unique creative tactics & strategies.

November 13th Schedule (8am to 6pm):

8:00-8:30 AM Sign in
8:30-9:00 Quick business meeting/elections.

Schedule Warrior Writer Presentation

9:00-9:50: Introduction to overall Warrior Writer concept.
10:00-10:50: WINS: Setting a strategic writing goal; subordinate tactical goals and aligning them
11:00-11:50: WHY & WHERE: Understanding your goal intents; and your writing environment and interaction in the publishing world.
11:50-1:00: Catered lunch
1:00-1:50: CHARACTER: Understand your character, blind spots, and character traits of successful writers.
2:00-2:50: CHANGE: The three steps of change and the five stages.
3:00-3:50: COURAGE: What do you really fear, how to build courage, build a plan to expand your comfort zone by venturing into your courage zone.
4:00-4:50: COMMUNICATE & COMMAND: Evoke the responses you want with your communication; take charge of your writing career.
5:00-5:50: COMPLETE the Circle of Success and integrate all the Special Forces.

Saturday, November 13^th Registration Fee

WHRWA Members: $10
Other RWA Members: $45
All Others: $60

Registration capped at 75 participants. First come, first served.

Optional Sunday, November 14^th A-Team Writer’s Workshop

To learn more and sign up for this extra, for-fee workshop (not a WHRWA event) please visit – http://www.eventbrite.com/org/205142012?s=1229204

Use code RWA75 to receive a special discount!

WHAT IS THE A-TEAM WRITER’S WORKSHOP?

This workshop is limited to 12 participants to ensure excellent feedback to participants. This workshop will utilize the principles of Warrior Writer and The Novel Writers Toolkit and will be focused on both the participants writing as well as their business model. We will cover aspects of writing such as the original idea, locking down core conflict, query and synopsis writing as well as developing career goals that are in-line with each individual author and uncovering blind spots.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

All participants will receive a copy of The Novel Writers Toolkit, Who Dares Wins, a copy of Who Dares Wins outline, a submission critique of cover letter, one page synopsis and the first ten pages of manuscript. This is over a $100 dollar value in material and work even before the day-long workshop.

Testimonials for WARRIOR WRITER WORKSHOP

Susan Wiggs (#1 NY Times best-seller): “Bob Mayer is a gifted writer and a generous teacher.”

Terry Brooks (#1 NY Times best-seller): “An invaluable resource for beginning & seasoned writers. Don’t miss out.”

Elizabeth George (NY Times best-seller): “Something for every writer. My hat is off to Bob.”

John Tulliius (Director Maui Writers Conference): “Fiction writers everywhere will have the advantage of Bob Mayer’s teaching wisdom.”

Chicken Soup Creator Jack Canfield (#1 NY Times best-seller): “Your Warrior-Writer focus is a great one. I always loved at the Maui Writers Conference how your programs delved deeply into the psychological models you need to develop characters. Now you are using that same knowledge to develop people. As we say in California– way cool! Much love to you my friend, and congratulations on the new book, it looks great!”

The Emperor’s … er, Publisher’s! … New Clothes with Lynn Lorenz and Sharon Mignerey

Join us for an early morning and fun discussion about what you need to know about publishers, the differences between eBook production and printed book production, reasonable expectations, and author-publisher etiquette.  The publishing model is changing, and these two multi-published authors will try to help you make sense of it all.

Lynn Lorenz started writing on a dare in 2006. With the sale of her first ebook The Mercenary’s Tale, a gay medieval romance, she’s never looked back. Now published with three epublishers and adding a fourth, she manages to juggle both traditional romance and gay romance, with a total of nineteen books and novellas. She’ll be adding three more before the end of the year. In her spare time, she sleeps.

Sharon Mignerey Bio: Please see below

The “I hate to write a synopsis” Workshop presented by Sharon Mignerey

Sure some people like to write a synopsis.  For most writers, the task is about as appealing as jumping into a frozen lake during sub-zero weather–even though some people like that, too.

This workshop helps participants identify the elements required to put together a solid romance synopsis.  Workshop participants leave with a workbook that provides concrete reminders of the steps and the techniques.

In addition to discussing different types of synopses and synopsis conventions, the workshop covers techniques for determining what your story is about, tips and techniques to crystallize turning points from other scenes, choosing which subplots to include and leave out, developing a tone that matches the story, and more.

Bio: Sharon Mignerey (www.sharonmignerey.com) has written books for Silhouette Intimate Moments, Zebra, and most recently for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense (another imprint of Harlequin).  She has recently completed a single title romance that she’s marketing, and she’s working on a suspense series.  Her most recent title is THE GOOD NEIGHBOR (11-08).  She’s had articles published by The Writer magazine, and she’s a regular contributor to The Rocky Mountain Writer with a column entitled Muse Sings.  Sharon is a student of craft, and she is a sought-after speaker who enjoys sharing with other writers.  She’s recently returned to school in pursuit of a master’s degree, and will graduate in January 2011.

Sharon’s books have won several awards including The Golden Heart, the National Readers Choice Award, and the CRW  Keeper Award.

October Meeting Schedule:

7:30-8:00 Doors Open
8:00-9:00 The Emperor’s, er, Publisher’s New Clothes (Everything You Need to Know About Publishers) – Lynn Lorenz and Sharon Mignerey
9:00-10:15 Business meeting/PAL Reviews
10:15-10:30 Break
10:40-11:40 The "I Hate to Write a Synopsis Workshop" – Sharon Mignerey
11:40-12:10 Signing, Various Authors

Notice: Location and Time change!

Program will begin at 9:15am in the Athens Room! We are back in the Fellowship Hall.

The Happy Hookers: Using Hooks and Lines to Avoid Sinkers

Hooking for fun and profit? Join Heather MacAllister & Vicky Dreiling as they show writers how to create hooks that catch editors and readers and reel them in. The first part of the workshop will show how a story’s setting, subject, time, and even you, the author, can be used as a marketing hook. In the second part of the workshop, writers will learn to identify classic story hooks that are both intriguing and familiar to readers, and how to turn a time-honored plot device into a unique, compelling, high- concept premise.

Heather MacAllister used a holiday sales hook with her first book, DECK THE HALLS, a Christmas romance published twenty years ago this December. It worked so well, she used the same hook for several more of the 47 books she’s sold to Harlequin, including this December’s Blaze, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS.

Vicky Dreiling got a request from her agent with a one-sentence pitch. She swears she learned the art of brevity when told to cut 192 slides from a PowerPoint deck for a presentation to a VP. In her day job, Vicky is a market research analyst for a Fortune 500 corporation and a  former intern at Ogilvy & Mather. Her debut historical romance HOW TO MARRY A DUKE will hit the shelves on January 1, 2011. HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL is slated for publication in July 2011.

Schedule for September 11th:

9:00-9:15: Welcome, reminder of revised schedule
9:15-10:30: Vicky Dreiling and Heather MacAllister on "Happy Hookers"
10:30-10:45: Break
10:45-12:00: Business meeting, PAL Reviews, Introductions
12:00-12:30 Booksigning with various authors

Speaker TJ Bennett presents: “When Your Princess Isn’t Perfect: Understanding the Dark Side of Your Romantic Heroine.” Using her professional training in the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), TJ will share techniques for finding and using the dark side of character that is the primary source of internal conflict between the hero and heroine. Even writers who are acquainted with personality type will learn a different way of examining character and conflict, and will discover techniques for quickly defining what they might have instinctively struggled with for years. This is a follow-on to TJ’s popular presentation last year, “Finding the Dark Side of Your Knight in Shining Armor,” which examined the romantic fiction hero.

If you’ve ever heard the expressions ENTJ, ISTP, ESFJ, etc., you’ll learn how each of these archetypal characters handles stress—and how the same stressors can provoke wildly different reactions in different types. If you have no idea what these letters mean, come and learn more. You’ll gain a deeper understanding of your heroine’s “shadow” function, or her emotional responses to the darkest moments of life, and will take away a handout that describes the heroine conflict types most frequently represented in romance—and ways to resolve storylines that stay true to your character’s type.

BIO: While employed with the Department of Defense and later as president of her own Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) consulting and training business, TJ Bennett used the MBTI instrument to help Fortune 500 CEOs and government executives develop successful work teams. Called an “author to watch” by Romantic Times Magazine, TJ is a former Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist. Her debut novel, The Legacy, a historical romance set in Early Reformation Germany, explored the destructive nature of secrets. Reviewers called the novel an “emotional rollercoaster,” “an overpowering, extraordinary tale,” and a “fast-paced tale that grabs your heart from the beginning and keeps it to the very end.” All About Romance awarded The Legacy “Buried Treasure 2008” status and named it a Desert Isle Keeper, saying it “…features the best relationship between hero and heroine [the reviewer has] read in a long time…”. TJ’s follow-on novel, The Promise, was a May 2009 release and earned a TOP PICK award from Night Owl Romance and 4 stars from Romantic Times Book Club.

TJ’s work reflects her “Dark and Daring Romance” brand. She knows a lot about the black moments of life and uses that knowledge to enhance her writing. She believes that nothing is ever lost, and no painful experience is in vain: it’s all research. Visit her at www.tjbennett.com

Schedule for August 14th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 – "When Your Princess Isn’t Perfect"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors

Don’t Bury Your Query!
A crash course for fiction writers in creating a letter that will get your manuscript read, including:

• -How a well-crafted query can save you stress and money.
• -The things you must understand before starting your query.
• -How to make an editor/agent want to like your blurb.
• -How not to sound like the other 200 lunatics and/or writers who sent in queries that day.
• -What you need to include in your blurb to be considered.
• -How to relay the tone of your story within the blurb.
• -When to choose to leave information out of your query.
• -What requests and rejections mean and do not mean.

Bio: Rhonda Morrow found out she was good at persuasive writing way back in high school when she won awards from the local TV station for her editorials.

After graduating with a degree in Journalism (emphasis in advertising), she worked for a major non-profit organization, writing press releases, speeches, volunteer recruitment letters, and various other materials aimed at gaining participation and donations.

She then moved to Viacom for six years, writing and delivering marketing presentations, and creating promotions, as well as sales and retention trainings for Showtime and The Movie Channel. But when her daughter came along, she opened her own learning center, for which she developed an advertising campaign, wrote press releases, and handled all sales activity.

When her mother (and educator/business partner) died, Rhonda closed her business and, after a year of intense grieving, found herself writing a novel. Although that novel remains on her hard drive, she now has four novellas published and a fifth under contract.

However, her big claim to fame among the writers who know her is the high rate of requests she garners from editors and agents with the query letters she writes for herself and others. ”While most of the people I know are natural fiction writers trying to write marketing materials–like queries,” she says. “I’m a natural marketing writer who’s trying to write fiction.”

At the suggestion of local writers, Rhonda has just launched her own query and synopsis service at www.thequeryfairy.com.

Early Morning

RWA FAQ: AGENTS
EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW (EXCEPT THEIR SHOE SIZE)

Hiring a literary agent is one of the most important decisions an author makes in her career. With the rapidly evolving changes in publishing, it’s more important than ever to have a good working knowledge of what to expect before you begin the Great Agent Hunt. Join award-winning author Kimberly Frost and debut author Vicky Dreiling at the early morning workshop on July 10, 2010 to learn the basics and beyond about literary agents.

Kimberly Frost is the award-winning, national best-selling author of the humorous paranormal Southern Witch Series and has recently accepted a new contract to write an as yet untitled dark paranormal series. You can learn more about her books at: http://frostfiction.com

Vicky Dreiling received three offers of representation prior to selling her first historical romance in a three-book deal to Grand Central Publishing. HOW TO MARRY A DUKE will debut on January 1, 2011. Coming soon: http://www.vickydreiling.net

Schedule for July 10th

7:30-8:00 Doors open/coffee
8:00-9:00 Kimberly Frost & Vicky Dreiling (RWA FAQ: Agent Basics)
9:00-10:15 Business meeting/PAL reviews
10:15-10:45 Break
10:45-11:45 Rhonda Morrow on "Writing a Targeted Query"
11:45-12:15 Book signing

Chemistry: How to create the sizzle that will keep your readers glued to the page

Chemistry is one of the most important ingredients in a dynamic, can’t-put-down romance.  And yet it is also one of the most elusive qualities to define and pin down.

The first half of the workshop aims to present a cohesive definition of chemistry: that combustible combination of sexual attraction and intellectual common ground spiced by both emotional connection and emotional conflict.  It is my goal to illustrate chemistry in the context of both story development and character arc.  I will also make clear what chemistry isn’t and highlight mistakes that writers commonly make when trying to generate chemistry.

The second half of the workshop focuses on the specifics of creating and deepening chemistry, from

big-scope tools—what kind of character pairing leads to greater chemistry—to paragraph-level detailing for enhancing the hero and heroine’s awareness of each other.

Sherry Thomas is a Rita-nominated, award-winning author of historical romances.  Her debut book, Private Arrangements, is a Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2008.  Her sophomore book, Delicious, is a Library Journal Best Romance of 2008.  Lisa Kleypas calls her “the most powerfully original historical romance author working today.”

Her story is all the more interesting given that English is Sherry’s second language–she has come a long way from the days when she made her laborious way through Rosemary Roger’s Sweet Savage Love with an English-Chinese dictionary.  She enjoys creating stories.  And when she is not writing, she thinks about the zen and zaniness of her profession, plays computer games with her sons, and reads as many fabulous books as she can find.

Her latest release, His at Night, arrives on shelves May 25, 2010.

Schedule for June 12th

8:30-9:00 Doors open/coffee
9:00-10:15 Business meeting/PAL reviews
10:15-10:45 Break
10:45-11:45 Sherry Thomas on "Chemistry"
11:45-12:15 Book signing

Juggling Life and Writing (Time Management) with Shana Galen

When Shana Galen was five months pregnant, she signed a contract for three new historical romances, all due before her baby would turn one year of age. She very quickly learned to balance a marriage, friendships, a new baby and her writing career. If you have trouble finding time to write, if life continually gets in the way of your career plans, or if you just want some tips on time management, join Shana as she takes you through the GMC of juggling life and writing.

Shana Galen is the author of five Regency historicals, including the Rita-nominated Blackthorne’s Bride. Her books have been sold in Brazil , Russia , and the Netherlands and featured in the Rhapsody and Doubleday Book Clubs. A former English teacher in Houston ’s inner city, Shana now writes full time. She is a happily married wife and mother of a daughter and a spoiled cat.

RWA FAQ: Everything You Need to Know About RWA Contests and Conferences (But Were Afraid to Ask)

Sharie Kohler and Christie Craig will be sharing with you their takes on entering contests and going to conferences. Come learn and listen to what they wish they had known about making the most of these experiences when they first began their writing journeys.

Christie Craig is an award-winning, multi-published writer whose non-fiction and photography have appeared in almost three thousand national magazines. A Golden Heart finalist, and a finalist in more than fifty RWA-sponsored contests, she has gained a well-deserved reputation for writing romance fiction that has both witty humor and a suspenseful, sexy tone. Published by Silhouette in the 90s, she recently broke back into fiction in a big way, making four book sales in one day. Her first single title romance novel, Divorced, Desperate, and Delicious, published by Dorchester, hit the stands in December 07, and five more titles followed.  She has since sold YA to St. Martin’s Press and a new series of Romantic Suspense to Grand Central.  Her upcoming non-fiction book, co-authored by Faye Hughes, is to be released June 2010, is Wild, Wicked & Wanton: 101 Ways to Love Like You’re in a Romance Novel through Adams Media.

Sharie Kohler, aka Sophie Jordan, is a former high school English teacher and the New York Times bestselling author of several historical romances for Avon, paranormal romances for Pocket, and a forthcoming young adult series with HarperTeen.

Schedule for May 8th

8:00-9:00 AM sharp - RWA FAQ Series: "Everything You Need to Know About RWA Contests and Conferences" with Christie Craig and Sharie Kohler, aka Sophie Jordan
9:00-10:15 AM - Business meeting, PAL reviews, and introductions
10:15-10:30 AM - Break
10:30-11:45 AM- "Juggling Writing and Life" with Shana Galen, aka Shane Bolks
11:45 AM - Booksigning

Character Motivation: Blame it on Their Parents and Other Ways to Explain Why Our Characters Do What They Do Craft

• *Why motivation matters (Your character did what?)
• *How to find the motivation that fits your characters
• *Understanding your characters (Explaining why they do what they do)

Why does your hero refuse to make a commitment? Why is he afraid of career-driven women? Why can’t your heroine trust men? Why does your heroine refuse to wear perfume? Without the proper motivation, our characters not only come across unbelievable and flat, but unsympathetic and sometimes just plain weird. Christie Craig, multi-published author, will help you find the skeletons in your character’s closet and bring them out for a dance. Christie will show how a character’s background is the key to a character’s motivation. She’ll explain the difference between the deadly back story that warrants rejections and the much-needed character-building scenes that make our heroes and heroines leap off the pages and into the hearts of our readers.

Christie Craig is an award-winning, multi-published writer whose non-fiction and photography have appeared in almost three thousand national magazines. A Golden Heart finalist, and a finalist in more than fifty RWA-sponsored contests, she has gained a well-deserved reputation for writing romance fiction that has both witty humor and a suspenseful, sexy tone. Published by Silhouette in the 90s, she recently broke back into fiction in a big way, making four book sales in one day. Her first single title romance novel, DIVORCED, DESPERATE & DELICIOUS published by Dorchester , hit the stands in December 07, and five more titles followed.  She has since sold YA to St. Martin’s Press and a new series of Romantic Suspense to Grand Central.  Her upcoming non-fiction book, co-authored by Faye Hughes, is to be released June 2010, is Wild, Wicked & Wanton: 101 Ways to Love Like You’re in a Romance Novel through Adams Media

Schedule for April 10th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 - Presentation
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors

A Presentation by Diane O’Brien Kelly, Attorney at Law/CPA

Intimidated by the IRS? Frustrated with the ever-changing tax laws? Confused as to whether you’re taking advantage of every opportunity to save a few bucks on your taxes? Here’s your chance to learn all the ins and outs–from an expert!

Diane O’Brien Kelly is a licensed attorney, a certified public accountant AND an award-winning writer, and she’s offering to visit your group (or chapter) to present a fabulous 2-hour workshop that delivers tons of information on taxes as they relate to writers.

Every writer needs at least a basic understanding of the tax rules relevant to their writing business. This workshop focuses on tax reporting and tax issues specific to a writing business, and will take the mystery and intimidation out of taxes. Even seasoned writers with many years of tax reporting under their belts are likely to learn a new thing or two in this informative presentation. As always, Diane adds a touch of humor to the presentation to keep the audience engaged.

The workshop covers:

1. How to distinguish between a hobby and a business and the tax rules relevant to each;
2. Deductible expenses, the options available, and the pros and cons of each option;
3. How to compute and pay self-employment taxes and estimated taxes;
4. How to establish a retirement plan for a writing business;
5. Record-keeping requirements;
6. Red flags to avoid;
7. Tips for hiring a tax professional and minimizing fees; and
8. Where to find forms and tax information.

Diane O’Brien Kelly is both a licensed attorney and a certified public accountant. Diane graduated with honors from the University of Texas accounting program, then proceeded to attend the University of Texas School of Law. Diane has worked as a tax specialist in both the Houston, Texas and San Diego, California offices of “Big Four” accounting firm KPMG Peat Marwick, as well as serving a stint in the Finance Division of the State of Texas Attorney General’s Office. Diane currently works at a law firm as a tax and business advisor. Diane serves as a tax columnist for the organization Novelists, Inc. Her tax articles have also appeared in Writer’s Digest Yearbook, Fort Worth Business Press, Romance Writers Report, and various RWA chapter newsletters.

Diane is also an award-winning humor writer. Her humor and fiction pieces have appeared in Byline Magazine, True Love Magazine, Northwest Family News, and various other publications. Diane publishes a fresh humor piece each month on the “Blarney” page of her website, www.dianeobrienkelly.com. She also publishes tax tips on her “Tax Tidbits” page. Diane’s seminar “Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Taxes” is very popular with writing organizations, and is offered in both a live and online format.

Diane is a member of Romance Writers of America, Dallas Area Romance Authors, Texas Library Association, various PTAs, and the Friends of the Mansfield Public Library. She is also a proud graduate of her local Citizens Police Academy.

Diane lives in Texas with her husband, two rambunctious kids, and enough cats and dogs to violate several city ordinances

Schedule for March 13th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 – "Everything You Never Wanted to Know About Taxes"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors

The Emily Meeting features an all day meeting with University of St. Thomas professor (retired) Sam Havens in the morning and USA Today Best Seller Patricia Kay in the afternoon.  Lunch is provided in registration fee and will feature the Emily Awards Presentation.  The registration fees are as follow:

WHRWA Members: $20
RWA Members: $45
Non-RWA Members: $60

Registration is now closed.

Note: TIME CHANGE.  Doors open at 8am, Business Meeting starts at 8:45am.

Morning Program

How Characters Happen Creating objective-driven characters. How to establish and payoff arcs, contrasts, flaws and back story. How to write dialogue in character.

Sam Havens is a retired professor from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. Havens founded the Drama Department at the University where he teaches playwriting and screenwriting. Havens has written over fifteen plays with productions in the USA, Canada and Australia. His plays have been selected for showcase productions in New York City, Westport, Connecticut; Amherst, Massachusetts; and East Hampton, New York. He has received playwriting grants from the Ford Foundation and from the Texas Commission on Arts and Humanities. Three of Havens’ plays are published. Havens taught playwriting and screenwriting for ten years for Rice University’s School of Continuing Studies. In addition to writing and teaching, Havens performs voice-over narration for radio and TV commercials and industrial films. He is also an abstract artist and a consultant in presentation skills. Sam Havens and wife Gretchen live in Houston.

Afternoon Program

The Emotional Connection. Great books are about more than good plotting, likable characters, lots of conflict, and skillful writing. For a book to really grab a reader, the author must make an emotional connection with that reader. Otherwise, even though the reader may enjoy the book, it won’t be one he’ll remember. It won’t be one he’ll talk about. And it won’t be one he’ll recommend to others. In this session, we’ll learn various techniques for stirring the reader’s feelings and engaging him emotionally.

Patricia Kay is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 49 novels of contemporary romance and women’s fiction.  She is also an acclaimed teacher who formerly taught fiction writing at The University of Houston and now teaches exclusively online.  Pat has been a member of WHRWA since 1986.

Schedule for February 13th

8:00-8:45: Coffee/sign in
8:45-9:30: Business meeting
9:30-11:30: Speaker: Sam Havens "Characterization"
11:30-12:00: Emily Awards Presentation
12:00-1:30: Lunch and book signing
1:30-3:30: Speaker: Patricia Kay "Emotional Connection"

Beginning at 8:00 AM, we’ll have an early morning presentation, the first of the chapter’s quarterly 2010 “N2K” (Need to Know) Programs, designed to provide basic information to our newer members (and anyone else wanting a smaller, less intimidating venue to ask questions and learn more).

Early program:

Longtime RWA members Jo Anne Banker and Kay Hudson will present: “Everything You Need to Know About RWA But Were Afraid to Ask.” PAN, PAL, PRO, WIP – what are all these acronyms, and how can various tracks and programs benefit you as a writer? Where do I fit into the world of romance (tour of the sub-genres)? Why is volunteering important, how can it help the newcomer, and what do the various jobs (from the smallest, one-time errand running to the chapter presidency) entail? How does a member get to be a judge and what can be learned from the experience?

Main program (following 9:00 AM business meeting/break):

“Collision or Collusion: What Happens When Authors Collaborate.”
Best selling author and two-time RITA nominee Deeanne Gist teamed up with suspense author J. Mark Bertrand this year, and their collaboration was an eye-opening experience for both of them. Gist will take her audience through the often hilarious misunderstandings, misdirections and eventual success of their joint venture into romantic suspense. Learn valuable tips in co-authoring a book, giving and accepting feedback and blending two very different writing styles.

Deeanne Gist—known to her family, friends, and fans as Dee—has rocketed up the bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere with her four very original, very fun historical romances. Add to this two consecutive Christy Awards, two RITA nominations, rave reviews, and a growing loyal fan base, and you’ve got one recipe for success. Prior to her novels, Gist wrote for national publications such as People, Parents, Parenting, Family Fun, Houston Chronicle and Orlando Sentinel. She also has a parenting line of products called I Did It!® Productions that is available nationwide. She has four grown kids and lives in Texas with her husband and two dogs. She has a very active online community on her website, her blog and her chat room.

J. Mark Bertrand is the author of BACK ON MURDER (Bethany House, 2010), the first in a series featuring Houston homicide detective Roland March. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston and now lives in South Dakota with his wife Laurie.

Schedule for January 9th:

8:00 to 9:00 - Open doors - sign in/coffee plus Early Morning Bonus Session
9:00 to 10:30 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:45 to 11:45 - Main Program
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors
12:30 - Adjourn

***Registration is required for this event. Register here. ***

Morning: Tips from Madison Avenue: The Selling Synopsis

If you’ve ever had trouble writing a synopsis, here’s a hint: pretend you’re writing an ad. An advertising copywriter for 25 years, Laurie Schnebly Campbell was amazed to discover that the same skills which helped her sell bikes, bouquets and birdbaths ALSO helped her sell books. Discover how to use those “Madison Avenue” techniques to interest editor-agent “buyers” in YOUR product!

Afternoon: Block-Busting: Putting the Joy Back in Writing

At some point, almost all writers suffer from the inability to tell the story they want. Part of writer’s block is a lack of joy in the process. So counselor Laurie Schnebly Campbell looks at the causes — including exhaustion, boredom and fear of success — and the benefits of this block. Writers take home new awareness of what works for them, and renewed inspiration for returning to the craft they love.

Laurie Schnebly Campbell combines 25 years of writing for an advertising agency with a background in counseling…and in writing for Silhouette Special Edition, where she won Romantic Times’ “Best Book Of The Year” award over Nora Roberts. Her latest book is a how-to for writers on creating characters with ANY-uh-grams, and she’s spoken on psychology and marketing issues for writers from London to Los Angeles and New Zealand to New York. In fact, she loves teaching so much that she chose her website (Book Laurie dot com) so people would find it easy to Book Laurie for workshops. She also enjoys playing with her husband and son, running the AskAnAuthor and WriterU class loops, vacationing in the red-rock town named for her great-grandmother Sedona, recording Talking Books for the blind, and working with other writers. “People ask how I find time to do all that,” Laurie says, “and I tell them it’s easy. I never clean my house!”

***For our November Meeting, the cost is $20 for WHRWA chapter members, $35 for RWA members, and $60 for everyone else. Lunch will be provided. Registration is required for attendance.

Schedule for November 14th

8:00-8:30 Coffee/sign in
8:30-9:30 Business meeting
9:30-10:00 Break
10:00-12:30 "Lessons from Madison Avenue: The Selling Synopsis"
12:30-1:45 Lunch/book signing
1:45-3:00 "Block Busting: Putting the Joy Back in Writing"

Please join us on October 10th, when we’ll welcome a panel of experts to answer your questions. To facilitate this forum, please look over the bios and consider what you’d like to ask our guests.

After careers in journalism and teaching English, Cheryl Bolen’s first novel was published by Harlequin Historical in 1998. For that novel, she was named Notable New Author. Six more novels set in Regency England followed, including the 2006 Holt Medallion winner for Best Historical. Her articles on Regency England have appeared in The Regency Plume and The Regency Reader, and she is a regular contributor to The Quizzing Glass. Since 1987 she has traveled to England whenever possible and confesses to a fascination over dead Englishwomen.

When most people look at Crystal Clifton “cop” isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. After all when you think “cop” the first image that usually comes to mind is a six foot four, 220 pound, muscle bound macho guy with a lot of body hair. At five foot two (and a half), without visible muscles or body hair, Crystal is the complete opposite of that mental image in every way. However, if you ask any of those macho guys that she works with, they would still tell you that she can get the job done, and you can always count on her to have your back.

Physician Kimberly Frost has given numerous medical presentations at the state and national levels and has received six awards for teaching and academic excellence.

In June 2008, she was a presenter at the RWA national conference where her talk, Medical Facts and Fallacies in Popular Fiction, was well-received. She currently splits her time between working and teaching at an urban trauma center and writing her humorous Southern Witch series, which debuted this year from the Berkley publishing group.

Laine Lindsey has been practicing law since 1992. He worked for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office until 1995, when he opened his own criminal defense practice. He is Board Certified in Criminal Law and is one of the few lawyers in Harris County approved to be appointed to defend death penalty cases. He also acts as a special prosecutor in cases where the Harris County D.A.’s office is recused because of conflicts.

William Simon specializes in Computer Forensics, Computer Crime, and Computer Security. He has worked on cases ranging from inappropriate use of e-mail to child endangerment to capital murder. William earned the “TCI” (Texas Certified Investigator) designation from the Texas Association of Licensed Investigators, and served as HTCIA’s Gulf Coast Chapter 2nd Vice President, and spent three years as moderator of the HTCN Forensic Forum.

Mike Thompson is a twenty-eight year veteran of the Houston Fire Department. A Texas Certified Master Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician, Mike has been assigned to an engine company, ambulance, ladder trucks, and is currently an engineer/operator on Tower 6, where he has crosstrained to assist in medical, hazmat, and water, below-grade, high-angle, tunnel, and extrication rescue.

Schedule for October 10th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 - Panel of Experts Program
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors
12:30 - Adjourn to lunch

“From Teasers through the Main Attraction: 7 Steps to Building Sexual Tension that Every Romance Author Should Know

We have been moved to the ATHENS ROOM for this meeting. (Our old meeting room)

Want to help your writing go from ho-hum to hot in the space of one evening? Want to take the sexual tension in your latest novel from sweet to sizzling? Then join multi-genre romance author Tracy Wolff as she guides you through seven steps that will make your characters’ attraction to each other pop right off the page.

Tracy Wolff collects books, English degrees and lipsticks and has been known to forget where—and sometimes who—she is when immersed in a great novel. At six she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow and a prince– and at seven she forayed into the wonderful world of girls lit with her first Judy Blume novel. By ten she’d read everything in the young adult and classics sections of her local bookstore, so in desperation her mom started her on romance novels. And from the first page of the first book, Tracy knew she’d found her life-long love. Now a writing professor at her local community college, Tracy writes for New American Library, Harlequin Superromance and Spice. She also gives workshops around the United States–teaching students how to write everything from poetry to literary narratives and short fiction and instructing teachers on how to teach writing. Her first novel, A Christmas Wedding, was published by Harlequin in November of 2008 and will be followed by five more books in 2009 that run the gamut from contemporary to paranormal to erotic suspense.

She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and three young sons.

Schedule for September 12th:

8:00 to 9:00 - Open doors - sign in/coffee plus Early Morning Bonus Session: "Contest Judge Training" with Jo Anne Banker and Vicky Dreiling.
9:00 to 10:30 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:45 to 11:45 - Tracy Wolff presents "From Teasers through the Main Attraction"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors
12:30 - Adjourn to lunch

Surviving Industry Changes: When it comes to publishing, the only thing an author can really count on is change. Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) chats about strategies to help you survive and thrive after such set-backs as the loss of an editor, the discovery that your line is folding, or the news that your publisher (or the market in general) is no longer buying what you’re selling. Survival tips from a dozen years in the trenches included, to help you focus on long-term goals, deal with difficult setbacks, and keep going.

Shayla Black (aka Shelley Bradley) is the national bestselling author of 25+ sizzling contemporary, erotic, paranormal, and historical romances for multiple print and electronic publishers. She lives in Texas with her husband, munchkin, and one very spoiled cat. In her “free” time, she enjoys reality TV, reading and listening to an eclectic blend of music.

Shayla has won or placed in over a dozen writing contests, including Passionate Ink’s Passionate Plume, Colorado Romance Writers Award of Excellence, and the National Reader’s Choice Awards. Romantic Times has awarded her Top Picks, a KISS Hero Award and a nomination for Best Erotic Romance.

A writing risk-taker, Shayla enjoys tackling writing challenges with every book.

Schedule for August 8th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:00 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:30 to 12:00 - Shayla Black Presents “Surviving Industry Changes”
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors
12:30 - Adjourn to lunch

“Getting the Word Out, with or without a Publicist”

Whether or not authors are fortunate enough to have a professional publicist at their disposal, they’re still responsible for helping alert and attract potential readers. Coming to West Houston RWA to share their knowledge on getting the word out, with or without a publicist, USA Today bestselling, RITA nominated romantic suspense (and now inspirational romantic suspense) author Karen Young teams with CBA bestselling inspirational romance author Kathleen Y’Barbo, who is also an exclusive marketing professional for Books & Such Agency (where Karen Young is currently represented).

About the speakers:

Kathleen Y’Barbo first discovered her love of books when, at the age of four, she stumbled upon her grandmother’s World Book Encyclopedias. Letters became words, and words became stories of far-away places and interesting people. Eventually Kathleen learned that her love of story could carry her off to places far beyond her small Texas Gulf Coast town. Then she hit the road for real, earning a degree in Marketing from Texas A&M before setting off to such locales as Jakarta, Tokyo, Bali, Sydney, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Finally, the road led back to Texas and a career in writing, where within a decade, Kathleen is now a best-selling award-winning author of more than thirty novels, novellas, and young adult books. In all, more than 850,000 copies of her books are currently in print in the US and abroad.

In addition to her skills as a writer, Kathleen is exclusive publicist for Books & Such Literary Agency. Thus, the girl who only dreamed of books now is thrilled to not only write them but also tell the world about other authors.

Kathleen is a member of Authors Guild, Advance Writers and Speakers Association, American Christian Fiction Writers, Romance Writers of America, Words For the Journey Christian Writers Guild, and Public Relations Society of America. She holds a BBA from Texas A&M University’s Mays Business School and a certification in Paralegal Studies. A tenth-generation Texan, Kathleen Y’Barbo has a daughter and three sons.

About Karen Young : Although I’ve written 35 books, I’m convinced that I didn’t choose a career as a writer; it chose me. After numerous long distance moves necessitated by my husband’s career, I realized I would never have enough time in one particular job to develop a career. So, out of sheer desperation after the tenth move, I decided to try writing a book. When a major publisher bought it, I knew that I had found a career! Or, as I mentioned, it had found me.

Writing fulfills something inside me like nothing else. I’m interested in people, in their lives, in who they are,
in their interests, in what makes them tick, in what makes them happy or sad or good or bad. Spinning a tale with characters drawn from whole cloth out of my imagination is just plain fun.

But I want my books to speak to my readers. I’m drawn to explore the problems of contemporary women. With three daughters of my own, I see first hand the ups and downs of relationships, of difficulties women face in balancing career with marriage and motherhood, with the challenge of blended families as a result of divorce and—looking beyond my family—to issues facing society as a whole.

Ten years ago, I lost my husband to a fatal heart attack. Not only was my world changed, but I was changed in ways too numerous to mention. One of the most joyous was that I was drawn back to the faith of my childhood. And, along with that, I began to explore the possibility of writing inspirational fiction. Over the years as I’ve conceived and developed plots relevant to the lives of contemporary women, there is one element that I feel is overlooked. And that is spirituality, faith. My books have always included the tension between right and wrong, but I mostly avoided adding the spiritual tension— those hard questions and struggles when characters inevitably dealt with trouble. Writing good inspirational fiction is not about adding a religious component to a book— it’s so much more. Now I freely explore the presence of a spiritual dimension to my characters. I can flesh out my characters to add the physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual.

Early Morning Workshop:  “Building your Web Presence: Where your website ends…”

Just because you have a website, doesn’t mean that you are done with the internet.  There so many other ways out on the web to promote yourself and put yourself out there.  Your website is just the beginning, but it is your decision on how far you can go.  Sarah and Steph return to help you learn about the internet beyond your website.

About the speakers:

Stephanie Leary began designing websites professionally around the same time she started writing novels. Her web design work in higher education has garnered several awards, and she serves on the programming committee for the annual conference of the HighEdWeb Association.

A system administrator by day, Sarah Schroeder would rather be writing code or working on her latest romance work-in-progress. A RWA member since 1994, she received her PRO status in 2006, a delay which she blames on her college education.

In 2006, the two teamed up form Paged Media, a website development company for the literary minded and literary organizations.

Schedule for July 1th:

8:00-9:00 - Open doors - sign in/coffee plus Early Morning Bonus Session on "Building your Web Presence" w/ Sarah Schroeder and Stephanie Leary.
9:00 to 10:30 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:45 to 11:45 - Main Speakers Kathleen Y'Barbo and Karen Young
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors
12:30 - Adjourn to lunch

Hone your pitching skills by practicing in a safe, friendly, and fun environment! Pitch practice helps writers:

Join four experienced, successful authors as they play the parts of experienced agents and editors (some of whom promise to crack their tiny whips) in what promises to be an exciting event. And if you don’t want to pitch (or model excellent pitching, if you’re a pro), you’re encouraged to observe and learn or just come and help out.

Our participating authors:

Patricia Kay: Patricia Kay is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 48 novels of romance and women’s fiction. A past Rita® nominee, Pat has written for five different publishers and currently writes mostly for Silhouette Special Edition. Her next release is HIS BROTHER’S BRIDE-TO-BE, an SSE that will be published in July. An acclaimed teacher, she formerly taught at The University of Houston but now limits her teaching to online classes.

Sophie Jordan penned her first historical romance in the back of her high school Spanish class. This passion led her to pursue a degree in English and History. A brief stint in law school taught her that case law was not nearly as interesting as literature – teaching English seemed the natural recourse. After several years teaching high school students to love ANTIGONE, Sophie resigned to pursue her dream of writing. In less than three years, her first book, ONCE UPON A WEDDING NIGHT, a 2006 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Nominee for Best First Historical, hit book shelves. Her second novel, TOO WICKED TO TAME, released in March 2007 with a bang, landing on the USA Today Bestseller’s List. And as if she’s not busy enough, Sophie writes contemporary paranormals for Pocket under the name Sharie Kohler.

Heather MacAllister: Heather MacAllister has worked with a dozen editors during her more than forty books with Harlequin. A three-time Rita nominee and winner of the Golden Heart, Heather a new book out, UNDRESSED, Harlequin Blaze (6/09). Brenda Chin, her editor of fifteen years, bears no resemblance to Madison (see below). For that matter, neither does Heather.

Sharon Mignerey: Sharon Mignerey (www.sharonmignery.com) has written books for Silhouette Intimate Moments, Zebra, and most recently for Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense (another imprint of Harlequin). Her most recent title is THE GOOD NEIGHBOR (11-08). She’s had articles published by The Writer magazine, and she’s a regular contributor to The Rocky Mountain Writer with a column entitled Muse Sings. Sharon is a student of craft, and she is a sought-after speaker who enjoys sharing with other writers. She’s recently returned to school in pursuit of a master’s degree, and will graduate in January 2010.

And their editor/agent personae:

Cruella Dreamcrusher (Pat Kay) is the (we won’t mention her age) owner of AgentsAreUs and all Cruella wants to do is make one more big sale so that she can retire in the manner to which she would like to become accustomed. She is very tired of starry-eyed newbies and thinks nothing of crushing their dreams, just as her name suggests. She advises that you’d better not waste her time. Give her your pitch quickly and you’d better make it good. Otherwise, her “nice lady” face aside, she’ll make mincemeat out of you and enjoy doing it.

Iona A. Besseller (Sophie Jordan/Sharie Kohler) is a hungry junior agent at a large New York based agency, one of many vying to rise in the ranks and acquire as many bestsellers as possible … but she’s picky, dreads a long list of “unsold” authors. Tired of reading too many manuscripts that read like wannabe JR Wards, she wants a completed manuscript that is one-of-a-kind fresh! Give her a to-the-point pitch in ten seconds or less and let her do the rest of talking so she can try to figure out if you’re a diamond in the rough who would actually make a deadline.

Madison McKenzie (Heather MacAllister) is a New Yorker to the core and has a tendency to forget that there is life outside Manhattan . She has a degree from Hideouslyexpensive University , and a lifestyle supplemented by a trust fund. As a Senior Editor with Diamond Romance, she’s experienced and over-worked, and has a stable full of authors. She’s only doing conference pitches because it’s required. If she takes on anyone new, it’ll have to be for a project that’s polished and fresh, from an author who acts professional and has done her homework. She’s not into warm fuzzies and she doesn’t baby authors. Her efficiency sometimes makes her appear abrupt and impatient, but she truly loves publishing and wants her authors to succeed.

Lydia MacBeth (aka Sharon Mignerey) has been an editor for various major publishers for nearly 30 years. She takes credit for discovering several (now) NYT best-selling authors. She has a keen eye for detail and story structure, and she knows what she likes. She’s always on the hunt for that next NYT best-selling author.

Schedule for June 13th:

8:30 - Open doors - sign in/coffee
9:00 to 10:30 - Business meeting, PAL reviews & introductions
10:00 to 10:30 - Break
10:45 to 12:00 – Patricia Kay, Sharie Kohler, Heather MacAllister, and Sharon Mignerey starring in our "Pitch-A-Palooza"
12:00 to 12:30 - Booksigning with various authors