I am pleased to announce that registration for the 27th Annual Pennwriters Conference is now open. Kami Garcia, NYT Bestselling Author of Beautiful Creatures and the Bram Stoker nominated Legion Series, is the Friday Evening Keynote. Meredith Mileti, Author of Aftertaste, is the Saturday Luncheon Keynote. Phil Sexton from Writer’s Digest is the Keynote for the Friday Networking Lunch. Jason Pinter, Editor In Chief of Polis Books, is the Friday Published Penns Luncheon Keynote.

Meet with 13 literary agents and editors and pitch. Choose from over 50 + workshops. Pre-conference writing intensives Story Structure using SAVE THE CAT with Jessica Brody , Revision using The Book Architecture Method with Stuart Horowitz, and Building Your Author Brand with Lisa Kastner.

Space is limited. Register soon!

http://www.pennwriters.org/prod/

2014 is shaping up to be an amazing year for Pennwriters. We will have a new website in the coming months, so look for that Area 6 members. It will have a forum and the blog will be interactive for all of Pennwriters.

The Pennwriters Annual Conference is May 16-18th at the Eden Resort in Lancaster, PA. Kami Garcia is our Keynote Speaker and we have many others coming to speak and present. Hope to see you there!

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

Join the Kintsugi Poets as we celebrate dark poetry…the Kintsugi Poets Society is celebrating our grand launch with a poetry blog hop. Enjoy!

The society welcomes dark poets to join…check the blog for information.

via Grand Launch BlogHop – Broken words whispered in the Dark.

BLOOD RUSH: BOOK TWO OF THE DEMIMONDE continues the tale about a woman who finds herself inextricably submerged in a world of demivampires, werewolves, and mystical oracles. Set in fictional Balaton, a city in southeast Pennsylvania, Blood Rush follows an advice columnist-turned-oracle named Sophie whose empathic talents have earned her a revered place within Demivampire society.

Krafton first began the Books of the Demimonde with BLEEDING HEARTS (Pink Narcissus Press, 2012), a story that combined vampires and ancient Egyptian mythology. The story follows the race of demivampires, whose origin lies with the Egyptian god Horus, the falcon-headed god of the sky. The demivampires aren’t the only supernatural beings with divine ancestry–Horus is also the forefather of Werekind. “There is a long-standing tension between the demivamps and the weres in my story,” Krafton says. “Despite their common ancestry, there is a lot of misunderstanding and prejudice. Sophie finds herself in the middle of the two races and learns that the demivamps aren’t the only ones who depend upon her for a little bit of redemption.”

Krafton also explores the demivamp equivalent of drug abuse and its consequences. Consuming blood for pure thrill is a misuse of the resource and is called “blood rush” for the high it creates. Illicit use can further a demivamp’s change into full vampire, the change known to the DV as “evolution”. Unfortunately, it’s also the only available treatment for a certain DV condition, one that has afflicted a close friend’s daughter. Sophie finds herself playing a dangerous game with Rodrian, her ex-lover’s brother, when he gets hooked on blood rush–and her.

BLOOD RUSH: BOOK TWO OF THE DEMIMONDE (Pink Narcissus Press) is available May 14, 2012 in trade paperback and e-book formats.

Pushcart Prize nominee Ash Krafton is also the author of a growing list of novels, short stories, and poetry. She resides in the heart of the Pennsylvania anthracite coal region with her family and bossy German Shepherd dog.

The book talk is scheduled for 1 PM on Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Junior high to adults are welcome to attend the session. Books will be available for purchase and the author will be holding a raffle.

WRITING 21ST CENTURY FICTION with DONALD MAASS

LIFESAVER FOR NON-FICTION WRITERS with BOBBI CARDUCCI

ISLAND OF DOOM with JONATHAN MABERRY

A WRITERS WEBSITE – SETTING SAIL with BRIANA CHANIN

Check out the Pennwriters site and register while there is still space available. Don’t miss a great conference filled with workshops, industry professionals, and fellow writers.

The 2013 Pennwriters Annual Writing Contest is underway.  As I prepare myself for another round of entries, I can’t help but feel excited all over again. I’m eager to see what this year’s contest will bring.

I’m proud to announce that our second-round team of judges will include Hank Phillippi Ryan, Hallie Ephron, Mary Pickard, Marcus Sakey, Scott Paulsen and Bruce DeSilva.

If you are a Published Penn and would like to volunteer for first-round judging, please email me, and I will send you the link to apply. Judges come and go for various reasons. We are always looking for good judges.

Here are the categories of our contest. Multiple entries are allowed with the proper entry fees:

• Novel Beginning—Submit no more than 10 pages.

Include your genre so we can match your entry with a suitable judge. $15 entry fee per piece.

• Short Story—Submit no more than 10 pages.

Include your genre so we can match your entry with a suitable judge. $15 entry fee per story.

• Non-Fiction—This includes Creative Non-Fiction or Narrative Non-Fiction. Submit no more than

10 pages. $15 entry fee per piece.

• Article—Submit no more than 10 pages. $15 entry fee per article.

• Poetry—up to 40 lines per poem. $15 entry fee for up to three poems (3 poems/$15; 6 poems/$30)

This year, we are pleased to offer the option to submit entries electronically. Digital entries sent via email will save you the expense of copying and mailing your submissions and save postage and supplies fees for Pennwriters. Digital and paper entries will receive the same detailed score sheet and comments. Well, mostly the same… writers who opt for digital won’t have to decipher any cryptic handwritten comments from judges! Paper entries will still be accepted, but I encourage everyone to try the electronic submission option. The money currently being spent to mail entries to judges, print scoring sheets, and purchase office supplies could then be used to provide additional benefits to members.

Elecronic submissions – Enter Electronically

Submissions open January 1, 2013.Paper Entries:

Rules and submission address click here: paper entries

Mailing address for paper entries is toward the bottom after clicking on above link.

All entries must be postmarked by Jan 31, 2013.

All entries must be submitted by Jan 31, 2013.

Electronic submissions – Enter Electronically

Judging Criteria now available for review here!

Paper submissions to Colette Garmer. Go to Paper Rules and address link – top right of  Writing Contest – Open.

Helpful Formatting Tips

To Save an Entry if RTF (Rich Text Format)

Choose “File” then “Save As” then look down to the “Format” box in the center of your pop up box that shows you how you currently have the entry saved, and look to the right where there are arrows (carets) pointing in opposite directions.  Click on  the arrows (carets) so a box drops down with common formats.  Choose “Rich Text Format” rtf, then go down to the bottom right hand corner and click “Save.”

Help saving an Entry created on Mac Pages as RTF

If using a Mac and you created the entry in “Pages” go to “File” then “Export” then choose “Word.  Then “Next”.  Then save it to your desktop and hit “Export.”

Now open the new Word Doc you just made and go to “File” and choose “Save As” then choose “RTF.”

To Make 25 :Lines per page in Word

Choose “Format” on the tool bar at the top, then choose “Paragraph” from the menu.  On this pop up menu item choose the “Line Spacing” box and look to the right where there are arrows (caret) pointing in the opposite directions.  Click on the arrows (caret) so a box drops down with spacing choices.  Choose “Exactly” and to the right where it says “At” and choose 26 pt, then click “OK” at the bottom right corner.

To Change your Font Color to Black

Hold down your left button on your mouse and drag it across the text you want to highlight.  Release your finger and click the “A” over a colored bar in the upper tool bars, usually on the right hand side.  Click on the arrow (caret) pointing downward, choose the black box on the color chart shown and click on it.

Writers often neglect the detailed emotional and sensory descriptions that keep their readers fully engaged. Submerging readers in palpable scenes populated with vivid characters requires skilled communication of evocative sensations. Without such detail, stories fade to black and white and leave readers feeling unmoved.

In Pennwriters’ February 2013 Online Course, Fantastical Exercises to Strengthen Your Fiction, students will immerse themselves in their imaginary worlds to sharpen their focus on attention-grabbing detail and share that detail with force.

Instructor Carolyn Turgeon will lead students through guided writing prompts that will help students build vivid, imaginative, descriptive, sensual and emotional environments and characters. Students will learn:

• Writing with all five senses.

• Making a setting so  real your readers will feel they’ve been there.

• Putting the reader in your characters heart and mind.

And as a free bonus, students will receive their own copies of Carolyn Turgeon’s book, Mermaid!

DATE: February 1 – February 28, 2013

Early Bird Fee: $79 ($89 non-Pennwriters members)

Regular Fee: $89 ($99 non-Pennwriters members)

Register over at Pennwriters.

About the Instructor

Carolyn Turgeon is the author of Rain Village (Unbridled Books, 2006), Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story (Crown, 2009), Mermaid (Crown 2011), The Next Full Moon (Downtown Bookworks, 2012), and upcoming The Fairest of Them All (Simon & Schuster, 2013). Carolyn’s books have also been published in the UK, Korea, China, Brazil, Portugal, and the Spanish-speaking world, and optioned for film by Focus Features, Gaumont Film Company, and Sony Pictures. She graduated from Penn State, has a Masters in Literature from UCLA, and is currently professor in the University of Alaska at Anchorage’s low-residency MFA program.

Journaling Workshop with Kathleen Pooler & Susan G. Weidener

Have you always wanted to explore the light and the dark, the small and large moments of your life, but weren’t sure how to go about it? Have you felt the need to keep a written record of your thoughts, experiences, dreams and desires? One way to gain awareness and discover feelings is through the creative art of journaling. But what exactly is journaling and how does it transport us on a voyage of self-discovery? Start off the new year by taking this journey with a workshop that offers insight, discussion, techniques and writing time to begin your voyage of self-discovery through journaling.

Journaling: A Voyage of Self-Discovery
Co-Created by Kathleen Pooler and Susan G. Weidener
Saturday, February 23, 2013
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Fairfield Inn, Exton, PA
For more information: http://www.susanweidener.com/2013/01/why-journal-workshop.html

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CREATIVE NONFICTION WORKSHOP with Minter Krotzer
“Truth is stranger than fiction.” – Mark Twain

In this workshop we will explore the exciting world of creative nonfiction including memoir, the personal essay, flash nonfiction, and the micro essay. We will focus on all phases of the writing process, from discovering and generating creative nonfiction material, to revising and shaping written work. Selected readings will be provided for discussion as well. Open to beginners and
to those who already have written creative nonfiction. The workshop includes a private writing consultation with Minter.

Saturday afternoons from 3-5pm, for 6 meetings, from January 26th-March 2nd or Tuesday evenings from 7-9pm, for 6 meetings, from January 29th-March 5th

Workshop Registration Details:

If you are interested in registering for a workshop, or if you have questions about them, please email Minter at minterk@gmail.com . A $50 deposit (or full payment) will be required to secure a spot and it is recommended that you register soon since space is limited. All workshops are $200. Electronic participation is also available for those who are unable to attend in person. Note: a minimum of five participants is required for workshops to run. Also, we are now offering a $10 discount for those who refer new participants.

About Minter: Minter Krotzer’s prose has been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies, including Many Mountains Moving, The Saint Ann’s Review, The Arkansas Review , Upstreet, Night Train , Before and After: Stories from New York ( WW Norton), Louisiana in Words (Pelican Press), God Stories (Random House), and Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Twenty-Five Words or Fewer (WW Norton). She has received creative writing fellowships at the New School, where she received an MFA in Creative Nonfiction, Bennington College, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Squaw Valley Writers Conference, the Moulin à Nef in France and Ragdale. Click here to read a recent interview with Minter on Apiary literary magazine’s website. (www.minterkrotzer.com).

Big Blue Marble is an independent bookstore located in Mount Airy at 551 Carpenter Lane, Phila, PA 19119 (215) 844-1870 (www.bigbluemarblebooks.com)

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Poetry Workshop with Hal Sirowitz at Big Blue Marble Bookstore

“Hal Sirowitz is the bard of the deadpan delivery. His poems are like a mad combination of the haiku and the Borscht Belt – they make me laugh and smile with happiness at the pain of being alive.” -Jonathan Ames (Author and creator of the HBO series “Bored to Death”)

The poetry workshop you’ve been hearing about. Led by poet Hal Sirowitz (with Minter Krotzer’s accompaniment), we will mostly read and write poems in free verse although at times we will explore other forms. Selected poetry will also be read and discussed. The former Poet Laureate of Queens, NY, Hal has taught poetry across the country and abroad. The workshop concludes with a private writing consultation with Hal and Minter.

Wednesday evenings from 7:15-9:15pm, for six meetings, from February 6th-April 3rd (excluding February 27th, March 6th, and March 27th)

Workshop Registration Details:
If you are interested in registering for a workshop, or if you have questions about it, please email Minter at minterk@gmail.com . A $50 deposit (or full payment) will be required to secure a spot and it is recommended that you register soon since space is limited. All workshops are $200. Electronic participation is also available for those who are unable to attend in person. Note: a minimum of five participants is required for workshops to run. Also, we are now offering a $10
discount for those who refer new participants.

About Hal: Hal Sirowitz is the author of six books of poetry, Mother Said, My Therapist Said(Crown/Random House), Father Said , Before, During & After (Soft Skull Press), the newly released Stray Cat Blues (Backwaters Press) and a recent completed collection of prose poetry, A Hole in My Heart. His work has been translated into nine languages including Icelandic and Turkish. Garrison Keillor has read his work on NPR’s Writer’s Almanac and he has included Hal’s poems in his anthologies, Good Poems and Good Poems for Hard Times . Hal has performed and appeared on MTV’s “Spoken Word Unplugged,” PBS’s “Poetry Heaven,” NPR’s “All Things Considered,” and “Fresh Air with Terry Gross.” Awarded a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship, Hal is the former Poet Laureate of Queens, New York. Click here to read a recent interview with Hal on Garrison Keillor’s website. (www.halsirowitz.com)

About Minter:
Minter Krotzer’s prose has been published in numerous literary magazines and anthologies, including Many Mountains Moving, The Saint Ann’s Review, The Arkansas Review , Upstreet, Night Train , Before and After: Stories from New York ( WW Norton 2002), Louisiana in Words (Pelican Press), God Stories (Random House 2008), and Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Twenty-Five Words or Fewer (WW Norton). She has received creative writing fellowships at the New School, where she received an MFA in Creative Nonfiction, Bennington College, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, the Squaw Valley Writers Conference, the Moulin à Nef in France and Ragdale. Click here to read a recent interview with Minter on Apiary literary magazine’s website. (www.minterkrotzer.com).

Big Blue Marble is an independent bookstore located in Mount Airy at 551 Carpenter Lane, Phila, PA 19119 (215) 844-1870 (www.bigbluemarblebooks.com)

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Philadelphia-based author/journalist Anndee Hochman is offering a local version of her popular Mexico writing workshop.

Heart & Craft: Write Out of Your Comfort Zone will take place on Sundays from 2-5 p.m. starting February 3, at Anndee’s home in Mt. Airy (Northwest section of Philadelphia).

Beginning and experienced writers of fiction, poetry and memoir will find inspiring readings & discussions, provocative prompts and thoughtful critique of ongoing work.

$200 for 10 weeks. Contact Anndee at aehoch@aol.com to register.

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