Category: Invitation To Attend

D5 Member, Gretchen Eick, Speaking at Kansas Book Festival

9/16/2021

Gretchen Eick will be speaking on a panel at the Kansas Book Festival about writing books that treat controversial subjects and/or historical material that is little known by the general public. She will be using her latest book as her case in point: They Met at Wounded Knee: The Eastmans' Story (University of Nevada, 2020).

She has had two articles accepted for publication in the first two issues by 105 Meadowlark Reader: A Kansas Journal of Creative Nonfiction.

She is revising the sequel to her historical novel Maybe Crossings for publication in early 2022. The sequel is set in 2019 with a working title When the Road Splayed.

She will be speaking to the District 5 KAC group Saturday, October 16 at 1:30 on researching and writing historical fiction and nonfiction.

Literary Submissions for 2022 Yearbook Deadline Approaching

9/12/2021

Members, don't forget to claim your page in the 2022 yearbook!

Deadline: October 15, 2021

Due Between August 1 and October 15, 2021, electronic receipt or postmark

Every Member having paid current dues is invited to submit ONE literary contribution for the yearbook. That submission can be either prose or poetry. Prose is limited to one printed page (no more than 500 words). Poetry is limited to one printed page (no more than 40 lines including spaces between verses).
All literary contributions remain the property of the individual authors. Authors may continue to use or distribute their work without requesting permission from the Kansas Authors Club. No work printed in the KAC yearbook may be copied or distributed in any form without explicit permission from the author.
Yearbook Submissions are preferred via the online site, Submittable. There is NO CHARGE to submit a yearbook entry.

Prepare your document as you normally would for print submission.
The link for submission is: kansasauthorsclub.submittable.com
Complete required information. (Name, address, etc.)
Select file and upload for submission.

Not Your Ordinary Presentation

9/6/2021

Chelsea Monroe-Cassel--author, artist, and designer. This multi-talented lady will be presenting ideas about how to use our reading interests and writing talents to create successful cookbooks. To get an idea of her creativity, visit her website Inn at the Crossroads. She designs beautiful cookbooks that include luscious photos, images, and recipes from popular video games and classic works of fiction. Her Official Cookbook for The Game of Thrones was her first big success, followed by World of War Craft, and Star Wars. She will speak to us from her 200+ year old Vermont farmhouse. Her presentation will be the first item on the D5 meeting agenda September 11.

D5 will meet in person at Asbury Church on 15th Street and St. Paul Street. Enter through the southwest door. The meeting will start promptly at 1:30 with Chelsea Monroe-Cassel presenting immediately after introductions. There is no need to preregister if you are attending in person. For those of you who will attend via Zoom, click on the registration link below.

Invitation to Attend - D3/D4 Joint Meeting - Tuesday, September 14

9/6/2021

Date: September 14, 7:00pm CST
Leader/Moderator: Nancy Julien Kopp (Featured Reader)
Program Description:

Featured reader followed by “open mic” readings

Featured reader reads for a maximum of 20 minutes. Less time is fine.
Open mic readers divide remaining time by number of readers

About D3/D4 Meetings:

Monthly meetings are held via Zoom on the second Tuesday of each and begin at 7:00pm Central Time
Zoom details are the same every month (Contact KAC email for meeting link)
This information shall be posted on the website for anyone to access
If a program leader or featured reader wishes, they may send a reminder email to district 3&4 members a couple of days in advance using the group email list.
All KAC members are welcome

Invitation to Writers and Authors in Western Kansas

9/3/2021

District 7 Kansas Authors Club meeting (Fall Convention)

All members of District 7 Kansas Authors Club and other interested writers and authors are invited to the Fall Convention of the club in Colby, Kansas on Saturday, September 25th, 2021 at City Limits Bar and Restaurant, 2227 S. Range Ave., Colby, beginning at 11:30 a.m.

There will be lunch on your own from a limited menu at the venue then a program with a speaker and awards for the winners of the Summer Writing Contest held by District 7. Bring a piece of your writing if you want to participate in the Read-A-Round.

There is no fee to attend the Convention other than your meal. Come and enjoy an afternoon of fellowship and information and meet other writers from the area! There is limited seating so please RSVP to Sheryl Brenn at 785-443-1066.

Writing Retreat in the Paola Community Garden

9/1/2021

Beth Gulley, District 2 member, hosts a writing retreat in Paola. Members of Kansas Authors Club are invited to attend.

Writing Retreat in the Paola Community Garden
September 15 from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
1201 Industrial Drive, Paola, KS 66071

Are you looking for inspiration? Do you need a few quiet minutes to yourself? Bring your lawn chair and a notebook to the Paola Community Garden on September 15 from 6-7 p.m. for a writing retreat. We will begin our evening with writing prompts to inspire you. Then participants will have space and time to write in the garden. We will finish the evening with an opportunity to share our writing with the group (this is optional). This event is hosted by District 2 member, Beth Gulley. For more information email Beth. or see the Facebook event link.

If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form.

Rescheduled D-1 program on Legal Issues for Authors

8/13/2021

Thea Rademacher, J.D., will provide the August program during the regular District 1 zoom meeting on Aug. 21 at 1:00 p.m. This is a rescheduled program that was originally for the July meeting. Thea is a D-1 member, an attorney and the founder of Flint Hills Publishing. She will also be presenting a workshop at the October KAC convention.
Non-members of District 1 who would like to sit in on next Saturday's program should contact D-1 President Anne Spry for a link.

Now Accepting Literary Entries from Members for 2022 Yearbook

8/9/2021

Members,

Don't forget to turn in your entry for the 2022 Yearbook. Review the guidelines in the yearbook! You must be a current member to have a page in the yearbook.

Vino & Verse with José Faus & Natasha Ria El-Seari: August 13 at 7:00pm

8/9/2021

Beth Gulley, D2 Member, is the Riverside Readings Cohost for this event.

NARRATIVE INQUIRY FOR NON-FICTION AND FICTION WITH JULIE A. SELLERS

8/5/2021

Anyone who knows how to talk can conduct an interview, right? Not exactly. Join Julie A. Sellers for an interactive workshop on how to conduct narrative inquiry for your works of fiction and non-fiction. Julie has published three academic books with a strong narrative inquiry component. She will share tips and best practices to make your interviews productive and rich.

A native of Kansas, Julie A. Sellers has travelled extensively in the Americas and Europe. Julie was the KAC’s 2020 Prose Writer of the year and the Kansas Voices Contest overall prose winner (2017, 2019). Julie’s creative work has appeared in a variety of publications. Her book, The Modern Bachateros: 27 Interviews, received the KAC 2018 It Looks Like A Million Book Award. Her poetry chapbook, Kindred Verses, was published June 15, 2021 by Blue Cedar Press.

To learn about narrative inquiry, join D5 members Saturday, August 14 at 1:30 pm either by Zoom or in person.

In person: Asbury Church (Fireside Room) 2801 W. 15th St., Wichita. Enter on the St. Paul Street side.
Zoom: Registration required. Click the button below.

Click for Zoom Link

Last minute D-1 program switch; Maus to present on query letters

7/15/2021

In response to a last-minute scheduling conflict with the speakers for the next two months, Thea Rademacher and Ruth Maus have switched places. Ruth Maus will be our presenter at Saturday's District 1 zoom meeting at 1:00 p.m. She will be helping members learn the format and elements to include (and not to include) in a query letter to get your manuscript noticed by literary agents.
Thea will present her program on copyright and legal issues for authors at our August 21 meeting.

Copyright Law for Authors, D1 Monthly Meeting

7/12/2021

Saturday, July 17, 1pm via Zoom

D-1 member Thea Rademacher will present a program at this Saturday's zoom meeting on copyright for authors. The attorney and author, owner of Flint Hills Publishing, will also be presenting at this fall's KAC Writing Workshop and Conference.

Anyone wishing to attend this Saturday's 1 p.m. meeting can email D-1 President Anne Spry for the zoom link.

Lois Ruby, a Multi-book Author, Talks About Writing for Young Adults

7/3/2021

Lois Ruby, author of 21 historical novels for young adults, will speak at the D5 Zoom meeting July 10 at 1:30. Her book Steal Away Home was named an IRA Young Adults' Choice and a Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. It has been adopted as part of the curriculum by school systems in Tennessee and Georgia. Lois served as a young adult librarian for the Dallas Public Library. She lived in Wichita for thirty years and has set some of her books in the state.

Click here to register

Join us Saturday, July 10 at 1:30. Registration is required.

Lisa Hase-Jackson Shares Tips on Best Writing Practices for Next D3 Meeting

6/23/2021

All Members are Invited to Attend!

Lisa Hase-Jackson will draw on her expertise as a writing coach to share tips on best writing practices and what errors to avoid during District 3's next monthly meeting on Saturday, July 3. The program will begin at 10 a.m.
***

Lisa M. Hase-Jackson’s debut collection of poetry, Flint and Fire, was selected by Jericho Brown for the 2019 Hilary Tham Capital Collection Series, an imprint of The Word Works in Washington DC. She holds an MFA in poetry from Converse College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and a MA in English from Kansas State University. A full-time writing coach and workshop facilitator, Lisa is Editor in Chief of South 85 Journal and founding editor of Zingara Poetry Review.

Email President Duane Johnson to request Zoom Link for Attendance.

Website of Lisa Hase-Jackson

June 19 D-1 program–Should you do your own audiobooks?

6/16/2021

Narrator, author, former radio commentator Craig Battrick.

'Grandpa Cranky' a/k/a Craig narrated a delightful book and gave the CD to his family for Christmas.

This Saturday at 1 p.m. the District 1 zoom meeting will feature a veteran voice talent/author/editor talking to members about the pros and cons of doing your own narrations of audiobooks.

His presentation this Saturday starts with the question, “Should you narrate your own audiobook?” He will explore the types of books that should be narrated by the author and those for which a professional should be hired. He will then recommend a narration test to help the author determine if he or she has the stamina to narrate a book.
“Then we explore the audiobook creation process, costs and options for working in a studio or creating an in-home studio, and end with some recommendations for online research,” says Craig.

And he should know.

On the strength of his voice alone, Craig started his career as a radio announcer in 1978. After three years in radio, he went on to do TV and radio commercials as a part-time addition to his business writing career. He has also done training film narration.

Anyone wishing to join in the district meeting may get a link by emailing D-1 President Anne Spry prior to the meeting Saturday.

June 22 Author Talk - Featuring Grant Overstake

6/13/2021

June Author Talk:
Grant Overstake

The Real Education of TJ Crowley

Winner:
2019 J. Donald & Bertha Coffin Memorial Book Award

Winner:
2019 "It Looks Like a Million" Design Award

Recording Available for Viewing by Members - Click Here

Come get answers from the guy who knows about indie publishing! Grant will be answering questions about writing, book production, and marketing! He'll be talking about successes, as well as pitfalls to avoid.

Join us live on Tuesday, June 22, to get the most from this excellent program!

Learn more at www.grantoverstake.com

"The historical moment portrayed in this YA novel makes it a compelling book for our time. This read takes us back to 1968 and the divisions of the country around the Viet Nam war, racial conflict, and civil rights. Wichita becomes a character in its own right as the segregated city begins bussing of black students to white schools, riots and a tense police force result in curfews, and the Fair Housing Law forces integration. Against this background, TJ Crowley begins 7th grade. When his father abandons the family and his older brother enlists in the army, his alcoholic mother spins out of control.
"The short chapters and quick pace of the story involve the reader effortlessly in TJ’s life. Descriptions of his best friend’s experiments with growing his hair, tie dyed clothing, and drugs are a realistic backdrop. The upheaval of TJ’s home when a black family moves in next door and his mother invites friends from her past to handle the problem make junior high that much more complicated. TJ’s point of view is perfectly reflected in his drive to make it onto sports teams, his crush on the new girl next door, and his adolescent concern with finding his locker. As TJ learns to question things he’s never questioned before, the reader sees a piece of Kansas history that shows not just how things have changed but how many things haven’t changed. Grant Overstake has given us a book that reads easily while not being easy to forget at all."
Kim Rutter, Judge

Grant Overstake, Author

Invitation to Attend - June 22 Author Talk

6/2/2021

Recording Available for Viewing by Members - Click Here

Come get answers from the guy who knows about indie publishing! Grant will be answering questions about writing, book production, and marketing! He'll be talking about successes, as well as pitfalls to avoid. Grant is the winner of the 2019 J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award and the "It Looks Like a Million" Design Award.

Join us live on Tuesday, June 22, to get the most from this excellent program!

Learn more at www.grantoverstake.com

Invitation extended to members and those considering membership in Kansas Authors Club

The author of two award-winning indie novels, Wichita native Grant Overstake began a notable journalism career at age 18 as a parttime reporter for The Wichita Eagle. He graduated from the University of Kansas journalism school where he won the William Randolph Hearst Award, considered the Pulitzer Prize for college journalists. At age 24, he joined The Miami Herald, a paper that shaped many best-selling authors. Grant returned to the Sunflower State to edit weekly papers in Johnson City, Oswego, and Hillsboro, Kansas, earning numerous KPA Awards.

Grant’s first novel, Maggie Vaults Over the Moon (CreateSpace 2012) was named National Book of the Week by Publishers Weekly. The audiobook was performed by Audie Award-winner Tavia Gilbert. Maggie recently was named one of the best track and field novels of all time by Citius Mag. The story was reissued by Grain Valley Publishing as a new title on June 1, 2021, with a new foreword by Olympic Champion Katerina Stefanidi, and chapter questions by sport psychologist, English teacher and coach, Dr. Melissa White.

The Real Education of TJ Crowley (Grain Valley Publishing 2018) was picked to be a Candid Conversations Book Club selection by the Wichita Public Library and was the recipient of the J. Donald and Bertha Coffin Memorial Book Award for the best Kansas book, as well as the “It Looks Like a Million” Design Award for the same title from the Kansas Authors Association at its annual convention. It was the first time that a novel won both top awards.

Grain Valley Publishing Company produces award-winning books with teams of freelance editors and designers working virtually from around the nation; publishing through the digital printing and distribution platform, IngramSpark.

Don't forget to register to attend!

Marilyn Johnson Presents Writing Tips June 12

5/29/2021

Marilyn Johnson’s presentation for the D5 meeting on June 12 explores the topic of writing speculative fiction. WRITING SCI-FI/FANTASY: TIPS FROM THE EXPERTS will cover pointers gleaned from well-established authors published with traditional publishing houses and her own writing experience. Topics will include character development, identifying your reader base, anchoring your story, fight scenes, and writing your truth. Whether you write speculative fiction on not, you’ll find something helpful in one or more of the above areas.

Marilyn serves on the KAC Board and chairs Writers in the Community as well as being a member of KAC’s Convention Planning Committee. She has published Little Magpie and the Wild Pony Hunt, a middle grade fantasy novel. Current works include a science fiction short story “Celestial Tourist” and her Time Keeper Trilogy: Time Dancer, Jitterbug Dancer (upcoming), and Weaver Dancers (upcoming). This science fiction series is in the time travel/historical fiction genre.

You must register, so please click the button below to receive the link for attending the Zoom meeting at 1:30, June 12.

Author Talk: Roy Beckemeyer, 2019 Nelson Poetry Book Award Winner

5/25/2021

May Author Talk:
Roy Beckemeyer

Stage Whispers

Winner:
2019 Nelson Poetry Book Award

Recording Available for Viewing by Members - Click Here

Roy will talk about the writing of his poetry book, Stage Whispers. Discussion will include how the chapters and layout came about, and how the poems were assigned to the chapters. He will read from the book as part of the discussion.

Don't forget to support our Kansas Authors! Buy a book. Review a book. Send a note of appreciation about a book. You can order Roy's book from publisher, Meadowlark Press, or wherever you buy books!

District 6 Meeting Invitation - Saturday, May 22, 2021

5/17/2021

Cover of Issue #1 - 105 Meadowlark Reader, A Kansas Journal of Creative Nonfiction Cover photo by Dave Leiker

If you want to learn about writing, editing, or publishing, then you’re invited to attend Saturday’s (May 22, 2021 - 1:30pm) District 6 meeting of the Kansas Authors Club. It’s free and open to the public.

The Zoom meeting will have five speakers. Tracy Million Simmons, founder of Meadowlark Press, and Cheryl Unruh, editor of 105 Meadowlark Reader: A Kansas Journal of Creative Nonfiction, will share their vision of gathering true Kansas stories. The first issue of the journal highlights 35 talented Kansas writers from 25 counties.

Virtual attendees will also meet the other three prolific writers, all Kansas Authors Club members, and learn how they created their essays for submission for the spring issue. Each story is an authentic Kansas experience. The speakers, their home base, and essay titles, are: Miriam Iwashige, Partridge, “A Pandemic Privilege”; Julie Stielstra, Ellinwood/Chicago, “Barton County”; and Ginger Zyskowski, Seattle (formerly Hutchinson), “A Kansan and His Machines.”

There will be time for questions and answers.
105 Meadowlark Reader may be purchased at your local book store or at 105 Meadowlark Reader.

To join the 1:30 PM (CST) meeting, or to become a part of a community of Kansas writers, contact Jim Potter, president of District 6, at jim@copintheclassroom.com or 620-899-3144.

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