Lancaster Christian Writers Welcomes Publishing Expert Mike Williams This Saturday, February 16

It's that time of month again! Join Lancaster Christian Writers in welcoming local area publishing and print-on-demand expert Mike Williams this coming Saturday, February 16, 2013, at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd, Lititz, PA, 17543 from 9:30AM-12 noon ((registration opens at 9).

A publishing consultant with H&H Graphics Group in Lancaster, PA, Mike Williams has been involved in the printing industry for fifteen years.  He presently partners with publishers, small and large, up and down the East Coast to make their titles a physical reality.  Locally, Mike is a frequent public speaker on marketing and printing topics for the book industry.

Mike describes his workshop, entitled "The Business of Self Publishing" as an informal conversation style event that will help participants recognize and understand the business aspects of self publishing.  "Many authors are creatively focused and are often surprised at the depth and breadth of the details required to successfully self publish.  Understanding the challenges will help prepare those who forge ahead on the rewarding path of self publishing."

IN OTHER NEWS:

 

1. CONGO DAWN BOOKSIGNING:  If you're in the Lancaster area and would like to encourage your local Christian bookstore, Jeanette Windle (me) will be signing new Tyndale House Publishers fiction release Congo Dawn on Saturday, February 23, 2013, from 10 AM to 2 PM at Berean Christian Stores, located at 898 Plaza Blvd, Lancaster, PA 17601. PRESS RELEASE here if you'd like to pass invite on to friends and family.

2. SUPER SATURDAY 2013: Registrations are beginning to filter in for LCW's Super Saturday 2013 on April 6th at Lancaster Bible College. Registration and workshop descriptions are up at our LCW blog.

It isn't too early to register. And please help us get word out by passing on both FLYER and PRESS RELEASE to your own social networks.

3. SCRIPT WRITING CRITIQUE GROUP:  From LCW member and workshop leader Amy Swanson: "Interested in expanding you writing repertoire? Has your creative well run dry? Why not try a script and play writer’s critique group! Meet interesting people and have a good time all while improving your writing skills.  Whether you’re interested in writing stage plays, screenplays, or skits for you church or other social functions, this critique group might be for you. We are looking to hold a meeting once a month on a Saturday. If you are interested please send you name and email address to amy.swanson@zoetis.com. We will try and find a day that suit the most number of people. Hope you hear from you soon and keep writing!"

4. FROM JANUARY SPEAKER LISA HESS:  Shortly after speaking to LCW in January, Lisa came across another resource that linked "I need to see it" to right-brain thinking and planning. In 100 Ideas for Better Organization, a downloadable document created by Smead (the office supply company), hint #72 shared that right-brain-dominant people are stimulated to thinking and doing by the things they see. And, not surprisingly, there's an office product for that. So take heart, "I need to see it" organizers - we are not alone! For a link to Smead's 100 Ideas for Better Organization and more of Lisa's take on things, visit her blog, The Porch Swing Chronicles at http://l2hess.blogspot.com/2013/01/on-organization-right-brained-thinking.html?m=1.

Until Saturday.

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers
www.jeanettewindle.com

LCW Meets Tomorrow PLUS Guest Visit from Karen Whiting/More Contests/Opportunities

A final reminder Lancaster Christian Writers will be meeting tomorrow Saturday, January 19, 2013, at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd, Lititz, PA, 17543 from 9:30AM-12 noon ((registration opens at 9). I'm exciting to share that joining workshop leader Lisa Lawmaster Hess will also be Karen Whiting, speaker and author who has contributed more than once to our Super Saturday conferences. She will be sharing a devotional moment with us and is always available to answer questions in non-fiction, children's books, and marketing where she is an expert.

Karen is here to speak on behalf of the Christian Authors Network and sign books at the Munce Christian Product Expo, kicking off Sunday-Tuesday, January 20-22. I will be hosting as well (though they arrive too late for an LCW appearance) two other authors you may know, Bonnie Calhoun (who helps run GPCWC and Colorado CWC) and Linda Shepherd, founder and director of AWSA (Advanced Writers Speaker Association). Then we will all be joining numerous other CBA authors, publishers, and bookstore owners at the CPE, including many who have spoken at LCW from Tracy Higley, Dave Fesseden, Marsha Hubler and more.

I myself will be signing my new title Congo Dawn at the Tyndale booth Tuesday morning. Speaking of which, my advance copies just arrived! So for those of you who've been asking, I will have copies for sale tomorrow.

IN OTHER OPPORTUNTIES:

WEEKEND WRITING WORKSHOP: Jeannette Hague Scott, long-term Lancaster Sunday News editor, freelance journalist and editor, who has also offered excellent workshops at Super Saturday conferences and LCW meetings, sends a personal invite for LCW non-fiction writers to an intensive workshop/retreat she is holding February 22-24, 2013. to teach people how to write their personal experience stories or memoirs. Details are at:
http://www.narrativeimpact.com/Events.html

CONTEST: For those wondering what to do with those short stories you didn't get to submit to that romance story contest that shut down, wonderful author and ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) colleague Deborah Raney also sent this personal Short Story Fiction contest submission invite to LCW.  Would love to see an LCW member among the winners. Here is the link:  http://www.southernwritersmagazine.com/contest.html

As always, regular news bulletins for LCW can be found at our blog site: http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com/.  Until tomorrow.

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers
www.jeanettewindle.com
http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com 

LCW Welcomes Lisa Hess This Saturday PLUS Opportunities, Contest, News

Happy New Year 2013!! Lancaster Christian Writers is excited to kick off our own calendar year this coming Saturday, January 19, 2013, at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd, Lititz, PA, 17543 from 9:30AM-12 noon ((registration opens at 9). We are privileged to welcome as speaker Lisa Lawmaster Hess, who will be sharing with us a fun and practical workshop few of us can claim we don't need, entitled, "Organizing Your Writing By Style: The Fun Way to Get Your Act Together."

A  former elementary school counselor whose own organizational system is a work-in-progress, Lisa Hess writes both fiction and non-fiction and is the author of Acting Assertively and Diverse Divorce and WITF Radio's community blog "Six Children and No Theories". She blogs at www.L2Hess.blogspot.com (The Porch Swing Chronicles) and her community blog cab be found at: www.witf.org/six-children-no-theories. Lisa shares of her workshop, "Do you have trouble keeping yourself and your writing projects organized? Maybe you need a better, low-stress way - one that works with your style. In this workshop we'll explore some common personal and organizational styles that can interfere with getting (and staying) organized and learn how to make them assets instead of liabilities so we can keep ourselves and our writing projects in order."

As always, we will be providing time for peer critique after the workshop. If you are bringing a piece to share, remember to bring ten copies to share and that the limit is 1500 words.
AND IN OTHER NEWS:

WRITING OPPORTUNITY: Joyce Tilney, editor of regional Christian newspaper The Voice of Grace and Truth sends a reminder to LCW that she is looking for submissions. Submission guidelines can be found at:  www.thevoiceofgraceandtruth.com. Articles can be emailed directly to: joycetilney@yahoo.com. Joyce writes: "As far as needs, I love testimonies for the papers and any article that has an uplifting message to bring hope."

CONTESTS: Christian Fiction On-line Magazine has a feature article on American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) contest opportunities for 2013: http://christianfictiononlinemagazine.com/buzz_acfw.html 
If you are a fiction writer and have not joined ACFW, this is one professional network for which I can highly recommend as worth its registration fee (one of only three industry networks I've found worth joining, and the other two require being a royalty published professional). Just in contest opportunities, online workshops, Q&A from professionals, peer critique, it is well worth the investment.

Write Integrity Press also  announced four new writing contests this week. 1) The Heart Bouquets contest.seeks romantic short stories to be compiled in a Valentine anthology. Here's the shortened link for those on digest: http://bit.ly/Sqt3wq. 2) WIP's three annual contests, center around this year's theme of JOY. The Books of Joy contest seeks series of three books, the One Joy contest is for a standalone book, and the Christmas Joy contest is self-explanatory. The details for all three contests are in one post. Here's the shortened link: http://bit.ly/VGkQAB All contests offer cash prizes and publication. 

FREE WRITERS MAGAZINES: And speaking magazines, both CFOM above, and the new TBCN (The Book Club Network) Book Fun Magazine (www.bookfunmagazine.com) are FREE and chockfull of writing tips, interviews with favorite authors and LOTS of book giveaways. Sign up on line and issues will be delivered straight to your email inbox.

UPCOMING SPEAKERS: And finally, I hope you are marking out LCW's remaining calendar events for 2012-2013 on your calendar because we have confirmed a slate of awesome workshop leaders. Here is the line-up through till our summer break:
February 16th: Mike Williams, publishing consultant with Lancaster area POD publisher H&H Graphics Group will be walking LCW through the business aspect of making your title a reality at reasonable cost.
March 16th: Dean Drawbaugh, Destiny Image editor who has walked more than 600 titles through the editing process in just the last seven years, will be sharing his acclaimed seminar, "Nine Qualities That Sell Books"
April 6th: Super Saturday one-day conference with a fabulous lineup of fiction and non-fiction authors.
May 18th: Lawyer and intellectual property expert Peter Kraybill will be speaking with us on the legal issues of websites, copyrights, etc.
June 15th: Acclaimed local children and youth author, Linda Oatman High will be sharing one of her conference workshops. More details on each closer to date.

As always, regular news bulletings for LCW can be found at our blogsite: http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com/.  Until Saturday.

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers
www.jeanettewindle.com
http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com 

LCW December News: Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2013!! It was a pleasure to see a good group for our Lancaster Christian Writers Christmas party. Many beautiful, touching, even funny pieces shared by LCW members--each year it is such a delight to see--and hear--what a talented group of writers make up Lancaster Christian Writers.

Our next meeting (assuming the Mayans were no more capable of predicting the end of the world as they were of preserving their own empire) will be Saturday, January 19, 2013, at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd, Lititz, PA, 17543 from 9:30AM-12 noon ((registration opens at 9). We are privileged to welcome as speaker Lisa Lawmaster Hess, who will be sharing with us a fun and practical workshop few of us can claim we don't need, entiled, "Organizing Your Writing By Style: The Fun Way to Get Your Act Together."

A  former elementary school counselor whose own organizational system is a work-in-progress, Lisa Hess writes both fiction and non-fiction and is the author of Acting Assertively and Diverse Divorce and WITF Radio's community blog Six Children and No Theories. She blogs at www.L2Hess.blogspot.com (The Porch Swing Chronicles) and her community blog cab be found at: www.witf.org/six-children-no-theories.

Lisa shares of her workshop, "Do you have trouble keeping yourself and your writing projects organized? Maybe you need a better, low-stress way - one that works with your style. In this workshop we'll explore some common personal and organizational styles that can interfere with getting (and staying) organized and learn how to make them assets instead of liabilities so we can keep ourselves and our writing projects in order."

IN OTHER NEWS:  

1. Christian Romance Magazine writing opportunity:  I shared at the Christmas party of an invitation LCW had received to submit Christian romance short stories. I apologize hugely that this opportunity is no longer available. After only four issues, the magazine shut down, ironically, for lack of submissions. BUT if you are interested, you can check out all four issues for free HERE. We will continue to forward such opportunities as they came available.

2. SS2013 Flyer: We did get a volunteer to put together our Super Saturday 2013 poster--thank you SO much, Diana Baldwin. We hope to have that available to circulate by end of January. Meanwhile DO reserve Saturday, April 6, 2013, for an awesome conference lineup.

3. Workshop/Devotional speakers: Our LCW 2012-2013 calendar year is now completely filled for speakers and workshops EXCEPT our June 15th meeting. I'm excited at the wonderful lineup we have, thanks to suggestions from our LCW members. If anyone has a suggestion for our June meeting, please do let me know. Meanwhile we do have openings to share in the opening devotional time for most meetings, so if you would like to share, please let me know that as well.   

If we don't cross paths in person before the holidays, may the Giver of all gifts, our heavenly Father, grant you a wonderful celebration of our Savior's birth.

Merry Christmas,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers
www.jeanettewindle.com
http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com 

Lancaster Christian Writers Holiday Fun Saturday, December 15, 2012

A Merry Christmas 2012 from Lancaster Christian Writers.  Come celebrate the season with us Saturday, December 15, 2012, at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd, Lititz, PA, 17543 from 9:30AM-12 noon ((registration opens at 9). Our fabulous guest speaker--YOU!!

Yes, as has become LCW tradition, our December meeting will showcase the creativity and genius of our own members. Share a poem, drama, devotional, even a scene of that novel. Time limit is 3-5 minutes (easy way to calculate is a maximum of 700 words), in order to permit as many to participate as possible. I do need an advance head count. SO please let me know if you want to participate so as to get you on the list.

Party food:  If you are baking any Christmas goodies or would like to contribute a brunch type dish, we'd love to make this a real party. If you think you can bring something, a heads-up would be nice just for planning. But last minute goodies will also accepted.

We will be making time as well for our usual peer critique groups. AND if you have published titles or Christmas crafts, do bring them along for our Holiday Bazaar.  What better or more economic gift can you get for family member or friend than a personalized autographed title or craft.

SUPER SATURDAY 2013: We have finalized a wonderful faculty list for our 2013 one-day Lancaster Christian Writers conference, to be held again this year at Lancaster Bible College Saturday, April 6th, 2013. Best-selling and award-winning suspense authors Ronie Kendig and Mindy Starns Clark will be teaching our fiction track. Author, speaker, and founder of national "I Love to Write Day", John Riddle, along with editor, writing coach and author Dave Fesseden and nationally acclaimed speaker and author Nancy Sebastian Meyer will be teaching non-fiction and marketing workshops. Marlene Bagnull will be present with her conference bookstore. SO PUT THE DATE ON YOUR CALENDAR AND HELP US GET THE NEWS OUT!!

NEED GRAPHIC DESIGNER FOR SUPER SATURDAY 2013 FLYER: One final request, if anyone has graphic design gifts, we could use a volunteer to put together a poster/flyer for Super Saturday 2013. We would need it by mid-January to begin event publicity. Press photos, info, etc. are already in hand so it is just a matter of putting together an attractive flyer.  If anyone is able, interested, and willing, you will be hugely appreciated.

Looking forward to seeing many of you next Saturday. If we don't cross paths in person before the holidays, may the Giver of all gifts, our heavenly Father, grant you a wonderful celebration of our Savior's birth.

Merry Christmas,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers
www.jeanettewindle.com
http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com 

Lancaster Christian Writers Welcomes Speaker and Journalist Dona Fisher This Saturday, Nov. 17th

A reminder that Lancaster Christian Writers November meeting is now right around the corner this Saturday, November 17, 2012, at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd, Lititz, PA, 17543 from 9:30AM-12 noon (registration opens at 9). We are delighted to welcome speaker and columnist Dona Fisher, whom many of you may recognize as director of Lancaster's National Day of Prayer Event. Dona will be sharing a workshop:  "Write It From A Prayerful Heart".

A native of Lancaster, PA, Dona Fisher serves as Vice President of Friendship Foundation, Inc. which provides Christian outreach events including the non-denominational Change of Pace Bible Studies of which she has been director for 37 years.  She also chairs the annual Lancaster County National Day of Prayer. Among other publishing credits, Dona has written a column for the Matters of Faith section of Lancaster Sunday News since 2003.  Dona shares about this workshop, "Nothing more intimidating than a full mind and a empty page. Learn to be aware, ponder, deposit those thoughts, pray fully dependent, and desperately in need of cultivating God's viewpoint. Think in parables-earthly stories with heavenly meanings."

IN OTHER NEWS:

1. Looking for Devotional Speakers: We still have openings for devotional speakers this month through end of year. Guidelines: a 5-10 minute devotional related to writers/writing. If you would be interested in sharing THIS SATURDAY, or in future months, please contact me ASAP.

2. Critique Groups: Following the workshop will be our regular critique session. A reminder to follow LCW guidelines of bringing 10 copies no more than 1500 words.

3. December meeting: As has become tradition, our December speaker (Saturday, Dec. 15th) will be YOU. Share a poem, drama, reading 3-5 minutes (maximum 700 words). Please let me know if you want to participate so as to get you on the list.

4. Holiday Bazaar: Also we will be featuring our Holiday Bazaar both November and December meetings, so if you would like to bring your books to sell or pick up a personalized autographed title for that family member or friend, here is your opportunity.

And on a personal note, thank you all who prayed for my travel to Nairobi, Kenya, this past month in Littworld 2012, the global Christian publishing/writer conference that takes place every three years on shifting continents (www.littworld.org). My two suitcases of materials for publishers and conference arrived safely as did I. Littworld itself was the largest to date with almost 200 delegates from exactly 50 countries. Argentina, Burundi, Cameroon, Denmark, Egypt, France, Ghana, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Liberia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Singapore, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia were just an alphabet sample of the parade of nations with every continent represented including the world's most populous countries of mainland China and India and the planet's newest nation of South Sudan. LCW member Terry Webb, who has done extensive ministry in Kenya, was also present so Lancaster Christian Writers was well represented. For more on this wonderful ministry of raising up Christian publishers/writers around the planet, check out: www.littworld.org. Or my recent photo albums if you are on FaceBook.

Looking forward to seeing you all Saturday. And don't forget your titles for the Holiday Bazaar.

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers
www.jeanettewindle.com
http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com 

Lancaster Christian Writers News/Writing Opportunities

It was an enormous pleasure to see so many in attendance this last Saturday for our October LCW meeting, a truly full house with over 50 in attendance and a delightfully practical and interactive workshop from speaker Emily Chase. Emily has also left LCW with a fresh publication opportunity (see details below). A thanks as well to our own poet laureate Byron Smith, who shared a devotional challenge with the group along with his award-winning poetry. A congratulations to Byron for his poem, Sculpted, which was a finalist for Pennsylvania in the national 2012 Senior Poet Laureate Contest (poem included below for those who didn't get to hear Byron read in person).

Meanwhile mark your calendar for our next meeting, Saturday, November 17, 2012, at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd, Lititz, PA, 17543 from 9:30AM-12 noon (registration opens at 9). We are delighted to welcome speaker and columnist Dona Fisher, whom many of you may recognize as director of Lancaster's National Day of Prayer Event. Dona will be sharing a workshop:  "Write It From A Prayerful Heart".

Dona shares about this workshop, "Nothing more intimidating than a full mind and a empty page. Learn to be aware, ponder, deposit those thoughts, pray fully dependent, and desperately in need of cultivating God's viewpoint. Think in parables-earthly stories with heavenly meanings."

SPEAKER BIO: A native of Lancaster, PA, Dona Fisher serves as Vice President of Friendship Foundation, Inc. which provides Christian outreach events including the non-denominational Change of Pace Bible Studies of which she has been director for 37 years.  She also chairs the annual Lancaster County National Day of Prayer. Among other publishing credits, Dona has written a column for the Matters of Faith section of Lancaster Sunday News since 2003.

On a personal note, I leave Friday Oct. 26th, for Nairobi, Kenya, where I will be on faculty at Littworld 2012, the global Christian publishing/writer conference that takes place every three years on shifting continents (www.littworld.org). One of my greatest delights is the privilege of mentoring writers across the developing world; this conference brings together more than 200 top leaders in Christian publishing and writing from across the developing world on all five continents. I would ask for prayer that God will grant safety in travel and right words in speaking. Above all, I am ferrying two suitcases of material and books earmarked for African Christian publishers and conferees.   Please pray with me that this luggage will arrive safely to the conference.

See below for writing opportunities and Byron Smith's wonderful award-winning poem.

Blessings,
Jeanette Windle
President, Lancaster Christian Writers
www.jeanettewindle.com
http://lancasterchristianwriterstoday.blogspot.com 

WRITING OPPORTUNITIES:

1. Emily Chase expresses appreciation for last year's participation by LCW members in West Shore Evangelical Free Church's Lenten publication. West Shore has again extended an invitation for LCW members to participate in their 2013 Lenten project, a book of daily offices with the working title Making Space: Learning How to Enjoy God’s Beautiful, Life-Giving Presence. 8 themes have been selected for the eight chapters; each chapter will have twenty brief essays, 300 words or so each.  The eight themes are: 1)   Silence (and solitude); 2)  Sabbath (and sacred time); 3)  Simplicity 4)  Fasting 5)  Prayer; 6)  Worship; 7) Hospitality; 8) Community. The deadline for submissions is Dec. 1, 2012. Authors of devotionals published in the book will each receive a single copy of the book.  All submissions can be sent to Emily Chase (echase@messiah.edu). 

2. LCW member Evelyn Merriams, recently accepted for publication by Salvation Army's 132 year old publication War Cry (congratulation!), is sharing this opportunity with the group. Now a monthly publication, War Cry accepts unsolicited subscriptions on a variety of topics. Guidelines available at:  War Cry Submission Guidelines

AWARD-WINNING POEM SCULPTED: BY BYRON SMITH, SENIOR POET LAUREATE, PA FINALIST

I moved freely                                                                     Thud of mallet, chip

within the marble mountain                                                 of chisel, nick the

until the grinding gnaw                                                        surfaces of my vault.

bit into the face                                                                   Studied persistent rasps

of our wall.                                                                         lay bare my contours.

Depletion of our solid                                                         Air and light touch me

cliff seemed small.                                                              into rigid helplessness

Neglected attention                                                              Ogled and admired, I stand

caught me one day                                                                real as life, they say.

in a special block                                                                 I return the stares.              

cut from our domain.

Furiously, I fought                                                              He who has imprisoned me

the sudden limits of                                                             is praised, applauded.

solitary confinement.                                                          Can he know how much

Surrounding barriers of                                                      he doesn't  understand

light and air                                                                        of inside life exposed,

encompassed my tight cell.                                                 leaving me motionless,

Caged in a cube                                                                   permanently not alive.

stolen from our mountain

I'm taken alone into a

curtained studio.