Meet fantasy writers Cole Gibsen & T.W. Fendley Saturday at Main Street Books

Meet fantasy writers Cole Gibsen and T.W. Fendley from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, at:

Main Street Books

307 South Main Street

St. Charles, MO 63301

directions 

Cole Gibsen

T.W. Fendley

When Cole isn't writing books for young adults, she can be found rocking out with her band, sewing crazy costumes for the fun of it, picking off her nail polish, or drinking milk straight from the jug--provided no one is looking. Her debut novel, KATANA, was published in March by Flux. www.colegibsen.com

TW writes historical fantasy and science fiction with a Mesoamerican twist for adults and young adults. Her debut novel, ZERO TIME, just received a 2012 Major Work Award from the Missouri Writers' Guild. www.twfendley.com

KATANA: A young adult novel.
Kill Bill meets Buffy in this supernatural samurai tale.
Rileigh Martin would love to believe that adrenaline had given her the uncanny courage and strength to fend off three muggers. But it doesn't explain her dreams of 15th-century Japan, the incredible fighting skills she suddenly possesses, or the strange voice giving her battle tips and danger warnings.

ZERO TIME: A 21st Century Celestine Prophecy
Xmucane leads an expedition to Earth to overcome a genetic flaw that threatens the people of Omeyocan with extinction, but she soon finds herself involved in a very personal battle that pits mother against daughter, and sister against sister. As Zero Time nears, she joins forces with Keihla Benton, who has learned that the Andean prophecies about 2012 have special meaning for her. Together they must seize the last chance to restore the cycle of Light to Earth and return to the Pleiades with a cure.

6 North Cafe: Meet Carolyn Mueller 5/12

Meet the author of Bubbles the Dwarf Zebu, Carolyn Mueller, from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, at:

6 North Café

14438 Clayton Road

Ballwin, MO 63011

 (directions)

Carolyn Mueller is a freelance writer and zookeeper at the Saint Louis Zoo. She spends her days training a variety of animals, ranging from a sloth to porcupines, for summer shows at the Emerson
Children's Zoo.

Bubbles the Dwarf Zebu is the tale of a little cow that makes a big journey from India to the USA. The story begins with Bubbles doing what zebus do best - pulling carts and living happily in India. Dwarf Zebus, like Bubbles, are an ancient breed of cattle known for their dewlaps and humps. Bubbles is cherished in India for her strength, spirit and energy, but her life is about to change. When she is sent to live in the United States she finds that her dewlap and hump make her look a bit different from the cows she meets on an American farm. Bubbles is sad and wants to fit in. Find out what happens to Bubbles when she finally finds a home at the Saint Louis Zoo.

Autographed books will be available for sale on May 12.
Online: amazon.com

Interview with Ann Behar from the 2012 Missouri Writers Guild Conference!

Today the Writers’ Lens, the Missouri Writers Guild, and St. Louis Writers Guild present literary agent Ann Behar!

The interview was recorded at the 2012 Missouri Writers Guild Conference. The session was streamed online during the conference and the questions came not only from the interviewers but also the people watching online.

Ann Behar is an agent with the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

Ann has always loved books, and in 2002 she joined SCG. She started by doing everything, reviewing and negotiating contracts to evaluating manuscripts, with heavy, constant contact with writers. After five years, she was asked to take over the firm’s growing list of juvenile writers.

She states: “I am looking for anything beautifully written, with strong, distinct voice and characters that come alive on the page. Ideally, a book should grab my attention from the very beginning and hold it there, and leave me thinking about it for a few days after I am finished.”

For more information Ann Behar or the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency please visit www.sgglit.com

The interview with Literary Agent Ann Behar recorded on Saturday, April 21, 2012.

Listen to the podcast here – http://writerslens.tumblr.com/

You can also read her pre-conference interview on the Missouri Writers Guild Conference Blog – http://mwgconference.blogspot.com/2011/11/behind-books-with-literary-agent-ann.html

Unfortunately, we experienced a few technical snafus, and the video of the webchats did not survive. So only the people who were watching during the conference got to see the interview, but we that’s why we had multiple recordings.

The interviews were conducted by Brad R. Cook, T.W. Fendley, and David Alan Lucas II.

They were made possible by a collaboration between St. Louis Writers Guild, the Missouri Writers Guild, and The Writers’ Lens.

Many thanks to Tricia Sanders, the 2012 Conference Chair, and Deborah Marshall, President of Missouri Writers Guild in 2011-2012.

Thank you as well to all the speakers who participated.

The winner of Hitchcock on Hitchcock is . . .

The 10 100-sided dice have been rolled 5 times for each of the entries into the lottery for Hitchcock on Hitchcock . . .and the winner is . . .

Patricia Stoltey. Congratulations.  Please contact me at David@DavidAlanLucas.com with your mailing information and I will fed-ex the book to you. 

Thank you everyone for your comments and reading The Writers' Lens.

You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens @TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.

Giveaway: Signed copy of Christina Katz's The Writer's Workout

Today's giveaway was written by author and writing coach Christina Katz, keynote speaker of the 2012 Missouri Writers' Guild conference Show-Me Awards Banquet. Comment for a chance to win a signed copy of her book, THE WRITER'S WORKOUT, 366 Tips, Tasks & Techniques From Your Writing Career Coach.

The inspiration, stamina, and power to take charge of your writing life—every day. Get the daily jolt of energy your writing life needs from The Writer’s Workout. Inside you’ll find manageable, no-nonsense techniques for every aspect of your writing career from getting organized to connecting with your audience to building relationships.

Veteran writing coach Christina Katz draws on her knowledge from more than a decade in the business to give you tips, exercises, and insider strategies to build your skills.

• Make your writing as strong and powerful as possible.
• Pitch and sell your work at every opportunity.
• Overcome rejection to come back better than ever.
• Promote your work and build an audience.
• Learn how to balance your creative life with your daily life.

With The Writer’s Workout, you’ll develop skill, strength, and confidence – everything you need to build a robust, unique writing career that’s built to last.

Christina Katz also wrote two other Writer's Digest books: Get Known Before The Book Deal and Writer Mama. Her website is www.christinakatz.com.

photo by Sarah Whitley

In case you missed the earlier links to her interviews with The Writers' Lens bloggers at the MWG conference, here's Christina Katz talking about Platform and more!

View the raw webstream here – http://www.anymeeting.com/stlwritersguild/EA57DF88854A

Listen to the two-part podcast (best quality) – http://writerslens.tumblr.com/

Check out here pre-conference interview on the MWG Conference blog – http://mwgconference.blogspot.com/2011/11/whip-your-literary-ambitions-into-shape.html

HOW DO YOU WIN A FREE COPY OF THIS BOOK?  To enter the contest, simply leave a comment or question on the Writers' Lens blog between now (May 7) and midnight May 12, 2012. Please include your email so we can reach you if you win. The more comments you leave, the greater your chance of winning the contest. If you refer others to The Writer's Lens who mention your name in their comments, I'll enter your name again in our random number generator along with theirs, also increasing your chances at winning! The winner will be chosen after midnight on Saturday, May 12, and the announcement made on Sunday, May 13. Good luck and comment often.

Thanks for visiting The Writers' Lens. Please stop by www.twfendley.com and follow me on twitter @twfendley.

The 2012 Missouri Writers Guild Conference Interviews - part 1

The 2012 Missouri Writers Guild Conference Interviews – part 1

By Brad R. Cook

The Writers’ Lens, St. Louis Writers Guild, and the Missouri Writers Guild partnered together to host a series of live webchats with some of the speakers at the 2012 MWG Conference. The interviews went great and I have to thank the people who watched live online. Though we had a few technical snafus, we were able to bring these interviews to everyone in multiple formats.

Two goals defined this project – to showcase such an amazing conference and provide a deeper experience for everyone who attended.

I wanted to collect all the interviews into a single post, but as you will see, this project ended up being bigger than any single post or file could contain. So, it will be in two parts, and all the recordings are offered for free.

photo by Sarah Whitney

Today, we present the next interview in the series – Paul Lesko, IP Attorney with the Simmons Firm.

Paul Lesko manages the Intellectual Property Group at The Simmons Firm a nationwide law firm based in Alton, Illinois. He has published articles in The Columbia Science & Technology Law Review, and blogs on IP topics for the online magazine Cardboard Connection. He has lso provided expert legal analysis in national leading publications including The New York Times, PC World, American Legal Magazine and Chicago Lawyers Magazine.

Paul talks about copyright and its implications for writers.

The three part podcast can be heard here – http://writerslens.tumblr.com/

The first part the video interview can be seen here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYML_91eNcc

Part two of the video interview can be seen here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvygowVAh-g

But that’s not all…

New today we are also providing video of the interviews with Rhonda Penders and Christie Craig!

Friday, April 20, 2012

Rhonda Penders, Editor-in-Chief of The Wild Rose Press

View the video of her interview here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwlNPHW-pJ0

The link to the raw webstream – http://www.anymeeting.com/stlwritersguild/EA57DF85804C

The link to the Podcast on The Writers’ Lens Tumblr page – http://writerslens.tumblr.com/

New York Times Bestselling Author Christie Craig

Christie talks about the Agent/Author relationship and more!

View the video of her interview here – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AtlXa9R44c

View the raw webstream here – http://www.anymeeting.com/stlwritersguild/EA57DF84844B

Listen to the two part podcast – http://writerslens.tumblr.com/

Saturday, April 21, 2012

photo by Sarah Whitney

Christina Katz, the keynote speakers at the Show-Me Awards Banquet!

Christina is the author of three books from Writer’s Digest: The Writer’s Workout, Get Known Before The Book Deal, and Writer Mama.

Christina Katz talks about Platform and more!

View the raw webstream here – http://www.anymeeting.com/stlwritersguild/EA57DF88854A

Listen to the two part podcast (best quality) – http://writerslens.tumblr.com/

Check out here pre-conference interview on the MWG Conference blog – http://mwgconference.blogspot.com/2011/11/whip-your-literary-ambitions-into-shape.html

There are more interviews coming!

Next Wednesday, I’ll post Part Two of the interviews from the MWG Conference – and you won’t want to miss them.

Literary Agent Ann Behar

Literary Agent Ann Collette with her client Carol Carr

The interviews were conducted by Brad R. Cook, T.W. Fendley, and David Alan Lucas II.

They were made possible by a collaboration between St. Louis Writers Guild, the Missouri Writers Guild, and The Writers’ Lens.

Many thanks to Tricia Sanders, the 2012 Conference Chair, and Deborah Marshall, President of Missouri Writers Guild in 2011-2012.

Thank you as well to all the speakers who participated.

To Blog or Not To Blog is No Longer a Question

On May 5th, I will be giving a presentation to The St. Louis Writers Guild on Blogging. If you're in town  . . .

To Blog or Not To Blog is No Longer a Question

Kirkwood Community Center, 2nd floor
111 S. Geyer Rd., Kirkwood, MO 63122
Get map and directions

Date: Saturday, May 5, 2012
Time: 10 AM until noon

SLWG members attend for FREE; $5 fee for non-members

Please register in advance  

 

Whether you are using WordPress, Blogger, or Tumblr every writer needs to be blogging, but it can be a strange and unfamiliar world. David Lucas, who writes for not one, but many blogs, will discuss why writers should blog, what a book blog tour is, how blogs can be a great way to market a novel, and how to draw traffic to your site. If you are a blogger, have thought about blogging, or have no idea what a blog is – this workshop will you navigate the blogosphere.

David Alan Lucas is a writer, poet, martial artist and a prolific blogger. He has blogged interviews of emerging musical bands for "Rolling Stone" type ezines, writing techniques, self-defense, and health care law. Some of his blogs about overcoming learning disabilities have been used by professors in universities both in the United States and Great Brittan.

 

His fiction includes Paranormal, Horror, Science Fiction, and Mystery/Crime Drama.

David is a Sandan (Third Degree Black Belt) in Tracy’s Kenpo under Tim Golby and David Hofer and brings his knowledge of martial arts, physical and psychological combat to his self-defense articles and his fiction writing.

David holds a Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri—St. Louis and a Masters Degree in Business and Leadership from Webster University. He is also a certified paralegal.

When David is not writing he is reading, working with the community, traveling, camping, studying martial arts, or otherwise looking to get into some kind of adventure that will likely spawn other story and poetry ideas.

In David's "To Blog or Not to Blog, There is No Longer a Question," he will go into the does, don'ts and musts of blog writing. Many of these will be from personal experience.

David currently blogs actively on his own Coffee with David blog site (http://davidalanlucas.blogspot.com) as well as The Writers' Lens (http://www.thewriterslens.com) and he can be followed on Twitter @owlkenpowriter 

Thank you for reading and please visit www.davidalanlucas.com and www.thewriterslens.com. You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens @TheWritersLens. Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.