Current News from the Kansas Authors Club

2022 Convention Presenter: Janice Northerns

7/31/2022

Writing Poetry Book Reveiws for PublicatioN

Are you ready to up your writing game and increase your exposure as an author? The publication market for poetry book reviews is surprisingly easy to break into! Writing reviews offers many benefits for you as the reviewer: publication credits, resume building, increased exposure and networking opportunities, and a deeper reading experience and appreciation for poetry. Reviewing books is also good literary citizenship. This presentation will cover the basics of what to include in a poetry book review and how to structure it, tips for taking notes while reading the book to simplify the reviewing process, and how to use published reviews to increase exposure as a writer. I’ll also discuss strategies for choosing books to review and matching reviews with appropriate markets, the pros and cons of including negative information, and how to share published reviews on the free site Goodreads to increase exposure. Attendees will receive a resources handout that includes a list of paying and nonpaying book review markets.

Janice Northerns of Liberal (D-7) is the author of Some Electric Hum, 2021 winner of the KAC Nelson Poetry Book Award, the Byron Caldwell Smith Book Award from the University of Kansas, and a WILLA Literary Award Finalist in Poetry. Her poetry has been widely published, and her book reviews have been published in journals such as The Rumpus and The Rupture. The author grew up on a farm in rural West Texas and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas Tech University, where she received the Robert S. Newton Creative Writing Award. Other honors include a Brush Creek Foundation writing residency, a Tennessee Williams Scholarship to the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and numerous awards for individual poems. She and her husband have lived in Liberal since 1998. When not writing, Janice enjoys dog walks, cooking, and kayaking.

www.janicenortherns.com

Janice is scheduled to present at 9:30 on Sunday, October 22

PRESENTATION BLOCK 6 – EXPLORING COMMUNITY AND INSPIRATION

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Answers to Your Convention Questions

7/29/2022

Q: I noted that there are three speakers scheduled in each presentation block. Are there choices on which ones you can attend?

A: If you are attending the convention in person, you will choose one of the three presentations to attend during each block. If you are attending online, only one presentation will be available to watch live in real time via Zoom. (Details will be provided to all virtual ticket holders.)

All presentations will be recorded, however, and both virtual and in-person attendees will receive the links to the videos to watch after the convention is over. The recordings will be available for a limited time, post convention.

KAC Members at Writers Place

7/28/2022

D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr., will be a vendor at The Writers Place Book Signing Party & Sale on Saturday, July 30, 2022, from 2-5 PM at The Writers Place, 31W31 Nonprofit Village, 31 W 31st Street, Kansas City, MO, 64108. Twenty-one authors are scheduled to be present, including other KAC authors, with books to sell and sign, over wine and cheese. This is to make up for the loss of in-person book parties during the pandemic lock-down years. Proof of vaccination is required. If you are in the area, come see us and add to your library of excellent reading! Details are in the attached flyer.

The other KAC authors on the program include Beth Gulley, Mark Scheel, Ronda Miller, John L. Swainston, and Maryfrances Wagner.

2022 Convention Speaker: Julie A. Sellers

7/27/2022

Forging Your Writing Future with Purpose and Inspiration

It’s been said that genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. For writers, this means we need to establish our writing plans, goals, and activities with purpose so that we can find and create inspiration naturally. This mindset encourages us to forge our own writing paths through intentional acts, rather than embrace the cliché of the writer who sits and waits for inspiration to strike. In this interactive workshop, we will consider ways to be purposeful about our writing lives and explore techniques to cultivate inspiration and motivation to write in a variety of genres. Participants will engage in writing prompts appropriate for fiction, non-fiction, and poetry and have the chance to share what they create during the session.

Julie A. Sellers is a native of Flint Hills. She earned Bachelor’s degrees in Spanish and French, a Master’s in Spanish Literature from Kansas State University, a Master’s in International Studies and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Wyoming. Julie currently lives in Atchison, Kansas, where she is an Associate Professor (Spanish) and Chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Benedictine College. Julie She is the author of the YA novel Ann of Sunflower Lane (Meadowlark Press, 2022) and Kindred Verse: Poems Inspired by Anne of Green Gables (Blue Cedar Press, 2021). She has published three academic monographs on Dominican music and identity, and her creative prose and poetry have appeared in publications such as 105 Meadowlark Reader, Cagibi, Wanderlust, The Very Edge, Journal of L.M. Montgomery Studies, Unlost, and Kansas Time + Place.

Julie was the Kansas Author’s Club’s 2020 Prose Writer of the year, and the Kansas Voices Contest Overall Winner in Poetry (2022) and Prose (2017, 2019).

julieasellers.com

Julie is scheduled to present at 11:15 on Saturday, October 22

PRESENTATION BLOCK 2 – ENHANCING WRITING SKILLS

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Save the Date: Author Talk with Adelaide Bauman, August 9 at 7:00 pm

7/26/2022

“Zara the Zebu: My Quest to Self-Publish a Whimsical, Instructive, and Inspiring Children's Book”

Join 2021 Children's Book Award Winner, Adelaide Bauman, author of Zara the Zebu, who will review the entire process of creating, planning, writing, designing, and publishing an award-winning children's book.

"As a first time author with a very fresh perspective, I hope that my experience- from storyboarding, to finding and working with an illustrator, to the editing process and beyond, will offer you insights into possible avenues, hang-ups, and victories you may choose and experience when working to self-publish your own children's book, or perhaps inspire you to work with one of our great Kansas publishers instead. Either way, it is my hope that by sharing my experience, I can help another future author find their way to holding their very own book in their hands!"

--Adelaide Bauman, D3 member

You must register in advance to receive a link for this meeting. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

"ZARA THE ZEBU is charming and well-written. Child listeners and readers will relate to Zeni’s goal of forming a friendship with Zara and the obstacles she has to overcome to earn the calf's trust. This is a story of persistence and growing empathy, presented in a lively and child-like way. Zeni solves her problem herself, with supportive adults in the background, which gives agency to her as the main character. The bright color palette of the illustrations complements the story. The portrayal of Zeni in text and illustration is appealing and culturally sensitive. Congratulations, Adelaide, on a wonderful book!"

-Sue Lowell Gallion, 2021 Kansas Authors Club Children's Book Award Judge
2021 Children’s Book Award JudgeMy choice for the winner of the Children's Book Award is Zara the Zebu, by Adelaide Bauman, illustrated by Vita Kalmutska.

ZARA THE ZEBU is charming and well-written. Child listeners and readers will relate to Zeni’s goal of forming a friendship with Zara and the obstacles she has to overcome to earn the calf's trust. This is a story of persistence and growing empathy, presented in a lively and child-like way. Zeni solves her problem herself, with supportive adults in the background, which gives agency to her as the main character. The bright color palette of the illustrations complements the story. The portrayal of Zeni in text and illustration is appealing and culturally sensitive. Congratulations, Adelaide, on a wonderful book!

Sue Lowell Gallion
2021 Children’s Book Award JudgeMy choice for the winner of the Children's Book Award is Zara the Zebu, by Adelaide Bauman, illustrated by Vita Kalmutska.

ZARA THE ZEBU is charming and well-written. Child listeners and readers will relate to Zeni’s goal of forming a friendship with Zara and the obstacles she has to overcome to earn the calf's trust. This is a story of persistence and growing empathy, presented in a lively and child-like way. Zeni solves her problem herself, with supportive adults in the background, which gives agency to her as the main character. The bright color palette of the illustrations complements the story. The portrayal of Zeni in text and illustration is appealing and culturally sensitive. Congratulations, Adelaide, on a wonderful book!

Sue Lowell Gallion
2021 Children’s Book Award Judge

2022 Convention Presenter: Cat Webling

7/24/2022

Succeeding as a Freelance Writer in the Digital World

Freelancing is a strange entry into the world of professional writing. Often an invisible (but profitable) profession, it’s becoming more and more common in a world shifting toward a gig economy. Cat Webling, a freelance writer and editor by trade, walks her fellow authors through her career of choice, explaining what freelancing is, how it works, and how you can get into it without any experience at all. She’ll talk through establishing a presence, securing contracts, and managing your business as a freelancer - including how to avoid common scams.

Cat Webling is an actress and author based in Kansas. She loves everything mad and macabre, philosophical and silly, so that's exactly what she writes! Scifi, fantasy, and poetry are her main stays when she's not writing about literature, theater, gaming, or fan culture.
She currently has a novel, a couple of short story collections, and several poetry collections under her belt. She works as an editor for SUPERJUMP Magazine, is an active member of the Kansas Authors Club, and daylights as a copywriter for hire.

Cat writes from her home, which she shares with her loving partner, adorable son, and several very cute cats.

www.catwebling.com/

Cat is scheduled to speak at 1:30 on Saturday.

PRESENTATION BLOCK 3 – WRITING IN OUR TECHNICAL WORLD

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Answers to Your Convention Questions

7/22/2022

Q: What is a Read-athon? What is considered one page? Who gets to read?

A: If you have looked at the 2022 Convention schedule, you may have noticed that Friday evening is capped off with a "Read-athon." New and returning members may be wondering what a Read-athon is.

Simply put, the Read-athon will be open for all convention attendees and a sign-up sheet will be available at registration.

We are calling it a Read-athon (rather than a Read-Around) this year because we want to make sure as many attendees as possible have the opportunity to participate.

On the schedule you will notice that we have declared "1 poem or 1 prose page (no exceptions)."

If you are a prose writer, we will ask that you only read one standard page of text (12 point font, double-spaced). 250 words is your ballpark.

If you are a poet, you may only read one poem. The one-page rule also applies to poetry. If you choose to read haiku, make those three lines count!

Our goal is to make this event quick and fun and keep it moving!

2022 Convention Presenter: Renee' La Viness

7/22/2022

Editing: Less Equals More

In today’s writing world, word counts rule. Whether writing for anthologies, contests, periodicals, or book publishers, an author needs to know what to cut when their word count exceeds the limit. During this interactive session, Renee’ will share some simple tips to help authors meet those limitations and strengthen their stories at the same time. Worksheets will be included.

At thirteen years old, Renee’ La Viness wrote and performed her own ventriloquism skits. Since then, she’s been published in books, magazines, newspapers, and anthologies. From 2013 to 2018, she held an editor position at 4RV Publishing.

Renee’ is the founder/organizer of the annual Meet the Publishers! event in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a co-organizer of the Read.Write.Share. Conference in Little Rock, Arkansas, and the Advertising Executive for Writers Monthly PDF e-magazine. She is also a freelance editor and proofreader, a sponsor and judge for multiple short story writing contests, and a speaker at writing events.

In her daily life, Renee' runs a local writing critique group, assists with another one, and enjoys spending time with her precious grandchildren. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband Gene and one ornery chicken.

www.reneelaviness.com

Renee' is scheduled to present at 11:15 on Saturday, October 22

PRESENTATION BLOCK 2 – ENHANCING WRITING SKILLS

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2022 Convention Presenter: Kim Horner McCoy

7/20/2022

I Jump, You Jump: Vulnerability and the Line BreaK

A poem’s line break creates a pause in the current line before the plunge into the next one—or off the end altogether—and to be vulnerable in a poem is to open yourself (or your poem’s speaker) to the reader, to invite that reader to jump with you. If the line is the diving board, the break is the bounce that flings us into the unknown. This can be scary but the well-crafted line break rewards the courage of writer and reader alike.

During this interactive workshop we’ll read some poems and examine the ways they use rhyme and enjambment to open emotional space, and work on crafting lines in our own poems whose breaks allow us to be vulnerable in unanticipated ways.

Participants in this workshop should brings poems-in-progress and laptops/notebooks.

Kim Horner McCoy grew up in the Missouri Ozarks and lives now at the edge of the Flint Hills of Kansas. She admits to being a cat person, but is otherwise agnostic. For more than twenty years, she was a university adjunct instructor in Missouri and Kansas. She has published short fiction, book reviews, and poetry in various journals. Her debut chapbook, This Bony Cabinet, appeared in July 2021 and she is currently working on her first full-length collection of poems, The Woman’s Belief Corps.

You can find her on Instagram at @kimhornermccoypoet and Facebook at Kim Horner McCoy Poet

www.kimhornermccoy.com

Kim is scheduled to present at 11:15 on Saturday.

PRESENTATION BLOCK 2 – ENHANCING WRITING SKILLS

Learn More and Register

Reggie Jarrell Speaks on Memoir Writing at Saturday Meeting, July 23

7/19/2022

Have you considered writing memoir? Care for some tips from an author who has recently published his personal memories?

Join author Reggie Jarrell, D5, this coming Saturday, July 23 @ 1:30 PM as KACD6's guest speaker interacts on for our monthly meeting, including Q&A.

Reggie will draw from his book, 31 Days (Nights): Memoir of Living Black in America, to show & tell.

Meeting is free & open to the public.
Contact Jim Potter for further details: [email protected] or 620-899-3144

Welcome New Member Karis Ens

7/18/2022

Karis Ens - Welcome to District 6 and to the Kansas Authors Club!

Here's a bit of information about her:

Karis Ens studied and graduated from Friends University in Wichita KS. with a Bachelor of Arts in Music in Piano Performance and Music Composition in 2016. She teaches piano, classical guitar, violin, sewing lessons, and does clothing alterations at her home.

She published her first book "God is Real (So is the Devil)" in 2016. In 2020, she returned to her laptop to write a children's series entitled "Piano Boy." As of now, there are three books in the series: "Neighborhood Hero," "Teacher's Hero," and "Sidetrack Mission."

Her newest children's book "A Girl and Her Cat" is about her beloved cat, Pepper, whom she had for eighteen years. Purchase her books on Amazon.com by searching "Karis Ens" in the search box.

Welcome, Karis!

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Dean's Poetry Collection Available

7/18/2022

D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr.'s, chapbook, "Pulp," is finally out. It's available at the usual online places, listed below, as well as via FB msg or email to the author. Anyone who has pre-ordered (bob thanks you!) should be receiving it their copies within the next couple of weeks (press date was July 8th). The author's name is not listed consistently in all the places, hence the links. "Pulp" can be purchased via the following places:
Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Pulp-Robert-Dean-Jr/dp/164662890X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=22T60VF7NDH05&keywords=pulp+jr+dean&qid=1658046995&s=books&sprefix=%2Cstripbooks%2C133&sr=1-1

Indiebound.org (put in your zip code to find the nearest indie bookstore at which you can order a copy. This is Bob’s favored method as it supports indie bookstores. It can be ordered at Watermark in Wichita and Crow & Co. in Hutch, for example): Pulp | IndieBound.org
And still can be ordered from the publisher:
Pulp by Robert L. Dean, Jr. – Finishing Line Press

Welcome New Member Mike Durall

7/18/2022

Today we welcome Michael Durall of Salina to D-4 and the Kansas Authors Club.

We asked Michael to share a little bit about himself:

I was the champion sentence diagrammer in my 6th grade English class and majored in English at Fort Hays State. But I never imagined myself as a writer. That changed in the 1990s when I began publishing a newsletter for my nonprofit consulting practice. I had never felt so energized. Over a 15-year period, I wrote nine books about my work.

I currently write a weekly column for the Salina 311 newspaper which focuses on Kansas people, culture, and history. The greatest compliment I ever got was from a reader who said, “Your text is so clear — you take me by the hand, lead me down the path, and don’t let me get lost.”

Welcome, Michael!

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Fellowship Opportunity from The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow

7/13/2022

The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is a non-profit organization in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, that offers writing residencies and hosts literary workshops, retreats, and events. We currently have a new fellowship opportunity that you or other writers you know may be interested in.

The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow is offering a fellowship called “Real People, Real Struggles, Real Stories: Writing About Mental Illness.” Writers wishing to apply should be working on a personal story that offers insight, awareness, hope, and literary merit. The fellowship winner receives a two-week residency in a private writing suite, a European-style gourmet dinner served in the community dining room on weeknights, the camaraderie of other professional writers, and a community kitchen stocked with the basics for other meals. Fellowship applications are due by Monday, September 26, 2022. Learn more or apply at writerscolony.org/fellowships.

Dean in Two Publications

7/12/2022

D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr., has two new poems in the spring issue of Suisun Valley Review, published by Solano Community College in California. The issue came out in May but Bob just received the photos over the weekend. It's a print mag, so no online link to the issue. Photos of each poem appear below.

Dean also has 5 poems in the new 365 Days: A Poetry Anthology, Vol. 4, edited by James Benger and Dan Pohl. This is also a print publication. Copies can be purchased by clicking the button below or on Amazon. All profits go to a charity based in Kansas City.

365 Days: A Poetry Anthology

La Viness Short Story Writing Contest

7/12/2022

The La Viness Short Story Writing Contest is putting out its annual call for submissions! Entry is only $10, and you get two for the price of one! First Place=$100; Second=$75; Third=$50. Deadline August 31st. Please follow the guidelines for your best chance to win. The judges do not know each other and they do not know whose stories they are reading, so everyone gets an equal chance. Good luck!

Click here to visit the website for more info: https://www.jespiddlin.com/writingcontest

Invitation to Ann Anderson Book Signing: Posts of a Mid-Century Kid at Watermark Books

7/12/2022

Anderson takes us on a journey to 1950s and 60s Kansas and treats the reader to hometown cooking in her tasty memoir, Posts of a Mid-Century Kid. With humor and richly crafted details, she chronicles her mid-century childhood, offering a sampling of another era.

2022 Convention News

7/10/2022

You are Invited!

Join us in Lawrence October 21-23, 2022 for "The Write Way to the Future!" convention.

Schedule and registration details are now available!

We will be posting more details about our workshops and presenters throughout the coming month. We look forward to hosting you at the convention in October. Tickets for live streaming and viewing recorded sessions later from home are also available.

Learn More on the 2022 Convention Page

Don't forget to check out the books of our convention supporters. Click on the image below to learn more. This is an ideal time to get a quarter page advertisement for your books, too! Details here.

David Hann Featured in July Issue of Senior Weekly

7/9/2022

David Hann, a district 2 member of Kansas Authors Club, was featured in the July 2022 issue of Senior Monthly. Hann's book, The Jayhawker Cleveland, was published by Anamcara Press.

David's Book an Anamcara Press

Mark Scheel Poem Published at Spillwords

7/8/2022

"Thoughts During a Morning Stroll," by D2 member Mark Scheel, was published at Spillwords.

Read It Here

Mark Scheel: I was born on a farm in Kansas and attended Kansas University. After graduation I served overseas with the American Red Cross and later taught English at Emporia State University and was an info spec with the Johnson County Library. I belong to The Kansas Authors Club and The Writers Place and have served on the boards of directors with two literary magazines. I also was a prose editor for Kansas City Voices magazine. I'm now retired and write full time. My essays, short stories, poems and articles have appeared over a 40-year period in numerous periodicals. I blogged for several years on Scriggler and The Grant Journal and those posts were collected in a book. I have published six books to date representing every major genre. My work has won several literary awards and I'm represented by the Metamorphosis Literary Agency.

<<Previous

2022 Convention Presenter: Janice Northerns

Writing Poetry Book Reveiws for PublicatioN

Answers to Your Convention Questions

Do you have a Question about the Convention?

KAC Members at Writers Place

2022 Convention Speaker: Julie A. Sellers

Forging Your Writing Future with Purpose and Inspiration

Save the Date: Author Talk with Adelaide Bauman, August 9 at 7:00 pm

2022 Convention Presenter: Cat Webling

Succeeding as a Freelance Writer in the Digital World

Answers to Your Convention Questions

Do you have a question about the convention? Submit it here and the answer might get selected for publication. (Either way, you'll get an answer.)

2022 Convention Presenter: Renee' La Viness

Editing: Less Equals More

2022 Convention Presenter: Kim Horner McCoy

I Jump, You Jump: Vulnerability and the Line BreaK

Reggie Jarrell Speaks on Memoir Writing at Saturday Meeting, July 23

Welcome New Member Karis Ens

Dean's Poetry Collection Available

Welcome New Member Mike Durall

Fellowship Opportunity from The Writers' Colony at Dairy Hollow

Dean in Two Publications

La Viness Short Story Writing Contest

Invitation to Ann Anderson Book Signing: Posts of a Mid-Century Kid at Watermark Books

2022 Convention News

David Hann Featured in July Issue of Senior Weekly

Mark Scheel Poem Published at Spillwords

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