NEWSDAY TUESDAY

SOME FUN NEWS

My son (aka Abe Lincoln) and his 3-4-5 grade classmates wowed a crowd of 300+ guests last week with their orations and period dances during the performance of a Civil War Peace Cotillion. 

Until the day of  dress rehearsal, my son wouldn't let me hear his oration of The Gettysburg Address nor watch him and his classmates rehearse the complicated dances he and his fellow classmates practiced (often on their own time) for months before the two hour live performance.

 I find it simply amazing what kids can do when we raise the bar! He knows more about the Civil War now than I'll ever pretend to know!

AND SOME SAD NEWS

Dan Penwell, the longtime publisher at AMG Publishers and a wonderfully gentle man, passed away yesterday after a long bout with cancer. Dan was a fixture at many Christian writing conferences, offering wisdom to anyone looking to talk with a longtime publisher professional. He'll be missed.

AUTHOR NEWS AND REVIEWS

Christian Fiction Library Journal says this of a few recent releases by authors we represent:

Janice Thompson's romantic comedy, Weddings by Bella, is "full of laugh-out-loud moments ... and sure to appeal to fans of Adriana Trigiani's more secular Lucia, Lucia."

In their review of RITA® Award winner Irene Hannon's In Harms Way, LJ said Hannon is a "master at character development" and said new readers will want to go back and read the first two titles in the series (Against All Odds; An Eye for an Eye).

Called Riva Riva's Heading Home "essential for parents and teens who want a YA story with elements of romance that aligns better than many popular YA novels with their moral beliefs."

And here's what they said about debut author Carla Stewart's Chasing Lilacs: "This nostalgic debut is perfect for readers who enjoy Christian coming-of-age stories."

UPCOMING SEMINARS

Here's what Susan Meissner says about the upcoming Master Seminars workshops she's teaching:

"I want each successive book to plunge deeper, to snag more acutely the reader in the most tender and savage of ways, so that my books are to them memorable, unique and evocative. The best books I've read are the ones whose prose is so lovely and sharp you don't even know you're bleeding.

Writing of that caliber reads easy and fluid but churning it out can be like mining for gems in solid granite. But it can be done. It should be done. But it takes a concerted effort. At least for me, it does. And there's no better place to hone your mining skills than in the company of other miners.

The wildly talented Lisa Samson and I are teaming up to teach a two-day intensive and intimate fiction workshop called Adding Depth to Your Fiction  that will be offered twice this year in two different spots in the nation. The first one is coming up May 7-8 in Orlando and a second one is set for Detroit in July, as part of the Masters Seminar series sponsored by Command Performance and MacGregor Literary. Lisa and I have been working on our class materials for this first workshop, and I must say I am getting more excited every day to share with writers what I have learned about adding depth and dimension to a story. And I love the idea that ours will be an intimate group which means there will be lots of indepth, one-on-one feedback, insights and mentoring.

If you're a novelist or you know a novelist, pass on the above link to them. We're going to have an amazing time together spelunking in the prose cave with our axes, picks and little yellow hats with the lights on top.

SANDRA'S 2010 CONFERENCE APPEARANCES

Keep an eye out for Sandra at the following conferences, and be sure to let her know if you're going so she can save room on her dance card for you ...

Oklahoma Writers Federation 42nd Annual Conference
April 29-May 1st, 2010
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
http://owfi.org/Conference

Northwest Christian Writers Renewal
May 7-8, 2010
Bothell, Washington (Seattle area)
http://www.nwchristianwriters.org

Colorado Christian Writers Conference
May 12-15, 2010
Estes Park, Colorado
http://www.writehisanswer.com/

Write to Publish
June 9-12, 2010
Wheaton, Illinois
http://www.writetopublish.com

ICRS
St. Louis, Missouri
June 27-30
http://www.christianretailshow.com/

Oregon Christian Writers Conference
August 2–5, 2010
Canby Grove, Oregon (South of Portland)
http://www.oregonchristianwriters.org/

ACFW in St. Louis
September 17 - 20, 2010
Indianapolis, Indiana
http://www.acfw.com/conference/

Comments

[Karen Robbins]

As a former teacher, I love seeing kids learning by using their gifts, talents, and imagination rather than staring at a computer. It stays with them longer and enriches their lives more. What great memories for you and him!

[Daniel Mount]

I'm sorry to hear of Dan's passing. He was my editor back in 2007 when I released Faith of America's Presidents with AMG, and it was a delight to work with him.

[terri tiffany]

I'm headed to the conference in WA and have already put Sandra's name down as a choice to meet with:) Hope it happens!

[emily wierenga]

What a beautiful boy you have, Sandra...

[Nicole]

Your son: very cool.

[Carla Stewart]

So proud for Eli . . . and you.

[Jodie]

Very cool pictures! That had to be such a fun and proud day. Looking forward to seeing you in September!

[Liz Babbs]

Lovely photos, Sandra.

[Jenny B. Jones]

Love their school performance. It's so cool to see kids in that capacity. Cute son, girl!

[Deb Wueethrich]

Thank you for sharing news of Dan Penwell's passing. I never met him, but received the nicest and most encouraging rejections from him. He knew how to treat writers, even when he had to turn them down. Cool pics of the kids.

[Jennifer AlLee]

Love the Cotillion pics. What a great way to experience history, not to mention a cool photo op!