News for All Members

Spring Board Meeting Highlights

4/12/2021

SPRING BOARD MEETING
Cathy Callen, KAC secretary

The KAC Board of Directors met by Zoom for their spring board meeting on Saturday, April 3rd, 2021. Sixteen officers and board members from across the state participated, led by KAC president, Duane Johnson.

A 2021 budget was presented by former Financial Secretary, Tracy Million Simmons, and approved by voice vote.
Preliminary plans for the fall KAC convention, to be hosted by District #1 in Topeka, were reviewed.
Items of discussion included a proposed change to the Bylaws for specifying the chair for the nominating committee, increasing opportunities for youth through contact with schools, partnering with libraries to increase access to district programs and statewide Author Talks, the need for adding speakers to the KAC Speaker’s Bureau, and the pros and cons of identifying contest judges to entrants in advance.
A task force will be meeting in May to discuss various aspects of modernizing KAC.

It was noted that all KAC contests are now open for submissions. In addition, 105 Meadowlark Reader, a Meadowlark publication, will be accepting submissions for stories about Kansas counties in May and June, with the theme, “Kansas Road Trips.”

The next KAC board meeting is scheduled for August 7, 2021.

Robert L. Dean Reading at SpoFest Poetry Reading, April 20

4/9/2021

D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr., will be one of four featured readers at the SpoFest poetry reading on Tuesday, April 20th, beginning at 7 PM CDT. Robert will be reading from his latest book, "The Aerialist will not be Performing" as well as showing the accompanying art by Steven Schroeder. From the Face Book event page link below, check "Going," click on "see more" (if needed) and then on the Zoom request link to register. You will receive the Zoom link after you register. There is also a Face Book live stream; however, if you register for Zoom, you can also enter the book drawing to win a book by the co-host. Robert hopes to see many familiar faces in the Zoom crowd on the 20th. This is a bi-monthly event, happening the first and third Tuesdays every month, with an open mic event on the fourth Tuesday of each month. SpoFest is hosted by James Bryant, out of Sedalia, Missouri. Poets from all over the country read at this event, so tune in and hear someone new as well!

SpoFest Open Mic Poetry and Prose

Byron Caldwell Smith Book Awards

4/9/2021

Hello Kansas Campus and Community Partners and Friends!

Yet another deadline for a Hall Center competition that is fast approaching! Open to all Kansas authors.

The Byron Caldwell Smith Book Awards are given biennially to one individual in each of three categories, residing or employed in Kansas, who has authored a book published within the two calendar years preceding the application deadline (5/3/21) . One $750 award for fiction, one $750 award for non-fiction, and one $750 award for poetry is given each competition cycle.

The recipients receive their awards at a public presentation and reception held at the Hall Center. Anyone can nominate a book, including the author or the book's publisher.

Eligibility criteria and directions for submitting available here:

http://hallcenter.ku.edu/byron-caldwell-smith-book-awards

Hall Center for the Humanities
University of Kansas

Welcome New Member Amanda Little

4/7/2021

Today, we have the pleasure of welcoming Amanda Little. She joins us from Salina which makes her a member of District 4.

Name: Amanda Little
Town: Salina

What kind of writing do you do?
I write poetry most of the time, but I have also attempted (key word attempted there) NaNoWriMo in November once or twice.

What writing projects have you completed or are currently working on?
I am currently working on a collection of poetry. The full vision is yet to be discovered, but I write confessional/observational poetry about the world around me and whatever inspires me. My most recent (and first) publications are in two different anthologies published by Local Gems Press out of New Jersey, Trees in a Garden of Ashes and Chaos: Poetry Vortex. I continue to submit poetry for publication hoping that my words speak truth to someone out there.
Is there anything else you’d like other KAC members to know about you?
I teach English language arts to juniors and seniors in a rural high school. To me writing is teaching and learning. I hope to impart some of that wisdom on my students.

What would you like to gain from your membership with the Kansas Authors Club? Mainly, I hope to gain camaraderie with fellow authors in order to inspire each other in our process.

Welcome, Amanda! We look forward to meeting you in person one of these days.

[CU]

Publication News from D1 Member, Duane L. Herrmann

4/7/2021

Poem: "Kitchen Chores" from Duane L Herrmann's collection of poems in response to the Holocaust, No Known Address, has been included in the 23rd Annual HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) collection produced by Poetry Super Highway.

And, his short story, "Apple Crispies," has been posted on the Literary Yard site.

The book, Topically Challenged: vol 1, which includes Herrmann's news-themed story: Rising Basket Woven, written in response to a 180 word challenge, is now available through Amazon. A percent of the cost goes to a charity that gives books to children who can't afford them.

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.

Book News from D2 Member, Peg Nichols

4/6/2021

SIDEWALK SALE ACROSS AMERIA is a charming, heart-warming story about creating a "new normal" after the Pandemic.

It's a very contemporary story. Sabrina Harkins owns a yarn shop that she fears she may have to close because of the Pandemic, but she is grateful that her husband, Harold, has a good job they can count on. Harold Harkins, who is an amateur radio ham in his spare time, fears that with offices closed and people working at home, he will lose his job with the vending machine company, but is reassured that the family will be able to survive on the yarn shop income. Of course there is a cast of other characters, including the widower neighbor, knows nothing about yarn, but volunteers to run the shop when Sabrina is in quarantine, and 12-year-old Alford, whose uncles have convinced him Covid anxieties are all a hoax. Available on Amazon as a Kindle. Paperback coming.

About the Author: Informed by the entrepreneurial experiences of a life-time and living first-hand the ‘get-it-done’ ‘can-do-it’ attitude that got her parents and millions of Americans through the Depression, author, teacher, publisher, entrepreneur Peg Nichols prescribes a “Sidewalk Sale Across America” to re-launch small local businesses all across America out of the end of the Covid-19 Pandemic. What begins as Sabrina Harkins' invention for survival could spark something that helps millions. Sabrina, the yarn shop Queen of the Sidewalk Sale Across America. The author knows whereof she writes: she is a life-long knitter of note and holds a ham radio license.

Welcome New Member Andrew Garvey

4/6/2021

District 5 welcomes a new member: Andrew Garvey. While Andy doesn't mention humor writing as one of his areas, he seems to have a knack for it.

Name: Andrew Garvey

Town: Rose Hill, KS

What kind of writing do you do?

I've written sci-fi ever since I realized I didn't know what "literary fiction" means. I sometimes do junk poetry to help out my illustrator, and medium.com's financial/business rags buy my short pieces on slow weeks.

What writing projects have you completed or are currently working on?

I'm currently writing to women on match.com in my usual voice and because that's not short-form, I come across as overeager. A small, traditional press in NYC went out of their wheelhouse and published a science fiction novel of mine in 2016 called Mind Control Empire. It sold poorly. After that, I dabbled in self-publishing, and we did a couple of adult coloring books called The Color of Poetry and Quietus: The Color of Poetry II when the fad took a dive in popularity. I don't think we caused it.

Do you have a website or a facebook page that you'd like to share with other KAC members?

But I barely know them ...

Is there anything else you'd like other KAC members to know about you?

I thought I was the one to discover that avocado and kimchi go really well together, but there are a lot of recipes online already.

Welcome New Member Sharon Riley

4/6/2021

District 2 has a new member! Let's all welcome Sharon Riley to our happy band of writers.

Name:   Sharon Riley
Town:  Lawrence, KS

What kind of writing do you do?   I work at KU Libraries and I’m a certified coach (ACC) with ICF, so most of my writing lately has been work-related.   When I have time though, I also like to write poetry and fiction. I’ve been out of it for a while, so hoping this club can help me get back to it!

What writing projects have you completed or are currently working on? A fiction piece. I had some poetry published years ago, but too long ago to really mention, lol.

Do you have a website or a facebook page that you'd like us to share with other KAC members?   Not at this time.

Is there anything else you’d like other KAC members to know about you?

I love historical fiction. Currently reading “The All True Travels and Adventures of Liddie Newton” by Jane Smiley.   Reading about Lawrence in 1855 is a hoot. I also really enjoy memoir or fiction that reads like memoir.

What would you like to gain from your membership with the Kansas Authors Club?
Writers are just about the most interesting people in the world to me.    I miss having that community so I’m looking forward to that. I also need more accountability for my writing.

Hone Your Writing Skills

4/6/2021

You are encouraged to attend the D5 meeting April 10 at 1:30 when Amy Sage Webb-Baza is presenting flash fiction skills that can improve your writing no matter your preferred genre. Register by slicking the link below. You will be directed to a registration page. A link for the meeting will then be emailed to you.

Registration for Flash Fiction Presentation

Kansas Authors Club District 7 to meet April 17 in Garden City

4/3/2021

Members of District 7 of Kansas Authors Club will be meeting at the Clarion Inn, 1911 E. Kansas Ave., Garden City, at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 17 for their Spring Convention.

They invite other interested writers/authors to join the meeting to hear Janice Northerns, Liberal, review her new book Some Electric Hum.

Northerns, a native of Texas, is a retired professor of literature. She and her husband taught English and Creative Writing at Seward County Community College. Her poems range from Texas to Kansas. She will also entertain questions from the audience.

Please bring to the group any item of interest that you have produced recently, poetry or prose, to share with the group. For more information and to reserve a place at the meeting and luncheon, please contact Sheryl Brenn, Levant, at 785-443-1066.

It's not often you see a whole life that's gone into a book, but here we have just that. Janice Northerns lives this life intensely, and lives intensely in language. At the core of this book are the raw elements of birth, love, and death; while surrounding them are sophisticated yet impassioned readings of the violence of history, class, and social codes. These are poems to be read both largely and closely, for the stories they tell, and for their turns of poetic craft. You don't just read this book, you enter it.
--William Wenthe

Flash Fiction to Improve Your Writing Skills

4/2/2021

D5 is hosting Amy Sage Webb-Baza at their regular monthly meeting Saturday, April 10 at 1:30.

Amy Sage Webb-Baza teaches at Emporia State and judged KAC’s 2020 Flash Fiction contest. She will speak about writing effective flash fiction, followed by a writing exercise for participants in writing flash fiction and sharing what they've written.

Please join us for a fun exploration of flash fiction. This form is rewarding to practice and fun to read. Writing flash fiction also offers techniques that can enhance prose of many lengths and types, including short stories, novels, nonfiction essays, and memoirs. Flash fiction even overlaps with and informs poetry. All writers will find some inspiration for their projects in this form.

Registration is required. To register for the April 10 presentation at 1:30, please click the button below.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Annual Writing Contest--Categories for Youth through Adults--Open April 1 through June 15

4/1/2021

2021 Theme Categories:
"Writing through Difficulties"

Featuring: 7 additional categories in prose and 7 additional categories in poetry

All Kansas Authors Club members are eligible to enter, regardless of residence.

All writers living in the state of Kansas may enter, regardless of membership.

We recommend you review the contest guidelines before entering.

Entries accepted April 1 through June 15.

Awards will be announced at the annual convention in October.

Member Duane L. Herrmann to be published in anthology

4/1/2021

Duane L. Herrmann, D1, just learned that his poem: "Prairie Air Contesting" has been selected for inclusion in the anthology entitled Snowdrops, forthcoming from Poet's Choice, out of India. A flash poem, a flash essay and a flash fiction, all originally published on "The Short of It," have been selected for inclusion in the 2020 anthology, "The Sound of Brilliance," by the same publisher. The Adirondack Center for Writing has posted his short fiction: "Contest Winner," and "Encouraging Words," among the Featured Writing on their website.

Robert Dean Poem in MacQueen's Quinterly, Issue #7

4/1/2021

KAC D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr. has a poem in the new issue of MacQueen's Quinterly, issue #7, March 2021. The poem is titled "Borrowed Time." Dean has been in every issue of MacQueen's Quinterly to date. A link to the poem page is included here:
MacQueen’s Quinterly: Poetry & Hybrids: Robert L. Dean, Jr.: Borrowed Time

Upcoming Author Talk Schedule

3/28/2021

Kansas Authors Club is hosting a monthly “Author Talk” featuring an award-winning writer, with first priority given to authors who have won KAC book awards. The author will talk about an aspect of writing, publishing, or marketing (author's choice). The presentations are expected to last an hour to an hour and a half and will include time for questions and answers.

These events are being planned via Zoom, to take place on the 4th Tuesday of each month. The event will be open to all Kansas Authors Club members. A recording of the event will be made available to members who cannot attend live.

All Kansas Authors Club members are invited to attend. Considering membership? Select "potential new member" and register for one free Author Talk. We'd love to meet you.

April 27 Author Talk by
Ronda Miller

April Author Talk: Ronda Miller

Author of: I Love the Child

Winner: 2020 Kansas Authors Club Children's Book Award

Tuesday, April 27, 7pm
Click here to register
(must register to attend)

Ronda will be talking about education vs. entertainment, the importance of layered messaging, finding and working with an illustrator, inclusivity, and her objectives in writing this book.

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 Ronda's book from her publisher, Kellogg Press, or wherever you buy books!

May 25 Author Talk by Roy Beckemeyer

May Author Talk:
Roy Beckemeyer

Stage Whispers

Winner:
2019 Nelson Poetry Book Award

Tuesday, May 25, 7pm
Click here to register
(must register to attend)

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!

Invitation to Submit: William Allen White Legacy Poems, Stories, and Essays

3/25/2021

Deadline Extended: April 20, 2021

The William Allen White Community Partnership is looking for poems, stories, and essays for an anthology about the legacy of William Allen White. The project is a fundraiser to support Red Rocks, the WAW home in Emporia.

Not sure what to submit? How about an essay about your time as a student at the WAW School of Journalism at KU? What about a poem inspired by time spent at Peter Pan Park, a site donated to the city of Emporia by the Whites after the death of their daughter, Mary. Perhaps you attended the William Allen White grade school in Emporia and have stories you could share. Have you been to Red Rocks? Did you ever work for the Emporia Gazette?

Send your questions and entries to Kerry Moyer. Kerry is a District 2 member, our state prose contest manager, and he serves as a board member for the William Allen White Community Partnership.

Writers in the Community:

3/25/2021

Kerry Moyer, District 2 member, was a guest speaker for Riverside Elementary School's Reading Across America Event (March 1) Of the event, Kerry says, "Getting to talk about writing and poetry with kids was a lot of fun!"

District 1 Shares Recording of March Program by Carol Yoho

3/25/2021

Enjoy this program by Carol Yoho, District 1 member, on graphic arts for book covers.

Membership in Kansas Authors Club gets you tickets to programs like this, and more. Anyone interested in writing is welcome to become a member. Additional programs are archived on the "members only" portion of our website.

DENISE LOW TO ZOOM SPEAK SATURDAY, MARCH 27 FOR D6

3/24/2021

Denise Low, a former Poet Laureate of Kansas, will speak on Zoom this Saturday, March 27 @ 1:30 PM (CST).
Whether you write poetry or prose, Professor Low will read poetry from her newest book, Wing, and explain how the two genres are alike and different in order to show and tell.
Denise Low, Ph.D., has taught creative writing at the University of Richmond and the University of Kansas, and she founded the creative writing program at Haskell Indian Nations University, where she taught 25 years.
Denise will be joining the meeting from her home in Healdsburg, CA.
If you're interested in attending this free virtual event, contact Jim Potter, jim@copintheclassroom.com or 620-899-3144.

March 23 Author Talk - Michael D. Graves, author of All Hallows' Shadow

3/21/2021

March Author Talk:
Michael D. Graves

All Hallows' Shadows

Winner:
2020 J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award

Tuesday, March 23, 7pm
Click here to register
(must register to attend)

Mike will be talking about research methods he has used in writing the Pete Stone books.

Use Coupon Code: KAC21
in the Meadowlark Bookstore for 10% off of the Pete Stone novels. This coupon is good for KAC members through the end of April.

"In All Hallows’ Shadows, Michael D. Graves serves up both homage and an original take on the hard-boiled detective genre. The mean streets of the novel are historic Wichita, Kansas, which Mr. Graves renders impeccably, edging in a history lesson with his mystery. Graves, an evident baseball fan, hits through the cycle of the genre’s tropes, but does so in a manner entirely his own, realizing a style entirely his own. Out of a field of strong competition, my choice for the J. Donald Coffin Book Award is Michael D. Graves’s All Hallows’ Shadows."

-William Sheldon, judge, 2020 J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award

<<Previous

April 27 Author Talk by​Ronda Miller

May 25 Author Talk by Roy Beckemeyer

Categories

Archives

April 27 Author Talk by
Ronda Miller