Thursday, February 9, 2012

Network with Us February 2012



As a subscriber to Writers in the Sky Newsletter, you are entitled to share your announcements with our readers. See guidelines at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com/p/submit-your-material.html and send your material to us before the 24th of each month to make the next month’s issue. Anything posted in WITS Newsletter is also shared with our blog readers at http://writersinthesky.blogspot.com/ .
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WITS Team Member Kristen House is holding query writing classes for authors seeking traditional publishing.

Queries are the one and only way to pitch your manuscript to a literary agent and/or publisher. The query process is complicated and requires a really specific set of skills - both writing and organizing. When I started the query process on my own several years ago, it took me more than 6 months to figure it out. By then, I'd already messed up so many contacts from playing my hand wrong that I had to stop querying and start on a new book! I'm putting together a curriculum now for a 2-day class that would cover all the ins and outs of querying agents. The information is below.

If you'd like to take the class, be sure you can attend both sessions for the whole time. Be sure to bring note-taking implements and/or a laptop computer. Parents, if you'd like to enroll as well, you're welcome to do so. I'm also not segregating middle and high school students from adults for this class. In the publishing world, we're all playing on the same field, so the same rules apply. This class will be taught with the same general Kristen-style enthusiasm, but on a college-level. Bring your A-game, authors!

Also, if you're not ready to query your novel right now but you think you may want to in the future, you should sign up for this session. Why? Because I won't be offering another one for quite some time (maybe October).

Class Dates:
Saturday, February 11 and Saturday, February 18
1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $200, Discount of $50 for multiple family members
Location: Parent Resource Room at Abintra Montessori School


Part 1: The query process: what to expect. Parts of the query: writing, drafting, and creating a query portfolio

Part 2: Organizing your query efforts: spreadsheets, email folders, and paper trails. Workshop of participants' query letters.

Be sure to eat lunch before you come, and bring a little snack or a bottle of water if you'd like. Register ASAP by sending your name and a 50% deposit to Kristen via her Website: http://www.thisisanovelidea.com/#!__anovelidea-open/contact.

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Read the first chapter for free and then decide if you want to download the 3-hour-long mp3 audio book of More Than Meets the Eye ~ True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife for only $7.00 http://deathdyingafterlife.blogspot.com/p/chapter-1.html
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Summer applications are now being accepted for A Novel Idea. This summer, we are adding a Little Middle class for rising 5th and 6th graders.
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Each story in The Sid Series ~ A Collection of Holistic Stories for Children focuses on life skills such as environmental awareness, helping others, being true to one’s self, overcoming fear, and following inner guidance. http://thesidseries.com/
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Kristen House is published 3 times in the February issue of Her Magazine. She is the new Home columnist and now a regular feature writer. Her February feature is called "Wed in Red."
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Sixteen Candles Shine Forever in memory of Johnny Maestro (Outskirts Press, 2012) by Irene Brodsky is available on Kindle and all online book sites.

Mr. Maestro was the lead singer of The Brooklyn Bridge & The Crests (1957 - 2010) He devoted 50 years of his life to beautiful love songs, to be a family man, devoted husband & father, charitable to many telethons and public broadcasting programs but most of all to be a fine gentleman in every sense of the word. He rose from the streets of the lower East Side of NYC to become a legend and role model to other young men who were interested in the field of music. Sadly, he passed away in 2010. Irene’s book is a celebration of his life and music.
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Whose Stuff Is This? Finding Freedom from the Thoughts, Feelings, and Energy of Those around You is a guidebook for empathic people who have been unknowingly carrying energetic burdens that belong to someone else. See all purchasing options at http://whosestuffisthis.blogspot.com/p/purchase-book.html.
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Alpha Chick: A Book for the New Woman in a New Era

Throughout the 20th Century, there were many waves of feminism throughout the world. First were the waves that helped give women the right to vote and changed laws around property ownership. Later, feminist leaders helped bring about equality in the workplace. Today, women all around the world owe much to the progress made by these voices of the past. But now, as we find our feet in the 21st Century—and especially at the beginning of the year 2012, which holds so much symbolic meaning for many people—the role of women in society is evolving yet again.

We have made great strides in protecting the rights of women at a legal level, but many women have not yet fully come to embrace who they are, both within society and within themselves. In so many books and popular media, we hear the word "empowerment" tossed casually about, but all too many women have struggled to become that "empowered" woman they once imagined would bring them happiness. In trying to become what they've been told they should strive to be, they often push themselves through decades of stress, feelings of helplessness, lack of self-esteem and even self-abuse in the form of addictions, eating disorders or dysfunctional relationships. These days, many women are beginning to realize that trying to become an "alpha female", in competition with the so-called "alpha male", is not the answer to life's problems.

Author Mal Duane knows all about this struggle. When she was a young woman, she battled with alcohol dependency, low self-esteem and abusive relationships. But these days, Mal is a happily married and highly successful entrepreneur in the real estate world, as well as a coach and author. In her work as a certified recovery coach, has helped hundreds of women find the path to "empowerment" without sacrificing their femininity and natural personality. In fact, it is within these very things that true empowerment lies. She calls this type of woman—markedly different from the "alpha female"—an "Alpha Chick."

In her new book, Alpha Chick: five steps for moving from pain to power, Mal shares her reflections on what her own life as an Alpha Chick is like:

"Living my life as an Alpha Chick, I am aware now of my true potential and purpose. Self-awareness and serenity are my reality. Most of the time my life runs like a finely tuned piece of machinery, with all parts working in harmony with one another. I am no longer pulled in conflicting directions. I begin each day knowing and loving the woman I am. I appreciate everything I have: my husband, my health, my homes and my work." (Alpha Chick, page 161)

The book Alpha Chick: five steps for moving from pain to power is celebrating its official Amazon launch on Tuesday February 14th, 2012. Mal says she chose Valentine's Day because she "wanted women to give themselves the gift of self-love by buying themselves the book on that day."

On Valentine's Day, you can buy Mal's book, and receive a great collection of FREE gifts, including a free class from Mal where she will PERSONALLY take you through the five Alpha Chick steps of "F-A-I-T-H", so you can apply them in your life easily and quickly.

To register for a launch reminder, so Mal can let you know when the book and free gifts are available, just go to: http://alphachick.com/book-launch/pages/pre-launch.html
When you register, you'll also receive a pass to the Alpha Chick Telesummit, A free 3-day online event with a panel of leading experts on how to awaken your alpha chick consciousness. If you cannot make the live event on Feb 7th, 8th and 9th, 2012 (12 p.m. Pacific; 3 p.m. Eastern; 8 p.m. UK; 9 p.m. Europe), register anyway so you can download the MP3s. To find out more about this event, go to http://alphachick.com/book-launch/pages/telesummit.html.

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