NEWSDAY TUESDAY ...

No dance photos to dazzle you with this week. Unless someone from the Oklahoma Writer's Conference this past weekend has pictures of a few of us two-stepping it up at The Rodeo on Saturday night -- a real live cowboy dance hall, complete with live bull riding.  Poor Bulls.

We've recently landed several very cool deals I can't wait to mention ... but we're still waiting on contracts - which means you'll have to wait for the news.

Plenty of other stuff to mention, though...

CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, APPEARANCES

Chip is heading to Orlando this weekend where he'll be hosting a fiction writers retreat with Lisa Samson and Susan Meissner. If you're in the area for the weekend, contact the coordinator at tiffcolter at gmail.com - there is likely room for a couple more folks. Mention that you saw the last minute post on the blog and Tiff will let you know if discount is available.

Sandra is making her way north this weekend (May 7-8) to join authors and faculty Northwest Christian Writer's Renewal in Seattle.

Later today, May 4th, Sandra will be interviewed about God's role in her career over at www.christiandevotions.us. An archive of the show will be available in case you care to catch it later.

MacGregor Literary author Janice Thompson officially debuted her online course "Becoming a Successful Freelance Writer" last week. Check out the course on her website - www.freelancewritingcourses.com or on YouTube.

REVIEWS/RANKINGS

Publishers Weekly called Gina Holmes CROSSING OCEANS (Tyndale) a "haunting tale that packs an emotional wallop." and warned readers to "keep tissues near."

Carla Stewart's upcoming June title, CHASING LILACS (Hachette/Faithwords) is also receiving a lot of attention. In addition to being reviewed in Library Journal, receiving a starred review in Publishers Weekly; mention in Library Journal; Reviews in PW (a starred one), Library Journal, and Christian retailing. http://www.christianretailing.com/index.php/product-news/books-mainmenu-8/book-reviews

Irene Hannon's AGAINST ALL ODDS (Revell) remains within the top 20 in for the past 35 days on Amazon's "Religion and Spirituality" category.


AWARDS
Christian Retailing Retailers Choice Awards were announced yesterday.  Congratulations to the publishers and authors who won!

Writer's Digest listed our website as One of the 101 Top Sites for Writers. And Chuck Sambuchino who writes a blog for Writer's Digest recently listed ours among his top five choices of Best Agent Blogs for 2010.  A shout-out to fellow CBA agent Rachelle Gardner for making the list also.

We've mentioned it before, but it's worth repeating that Christian Retailer has announced this year's Christy Award Finalists. Of the finalists, three are represented by MacGregor Literary: STAND IN GROOM by Kaye Dacus (Barbour Publishing) in the Contemporary Romance category; in Contemporary Stand-alone, Lisa Samson's THE PASSION OF MARY-MARGARET (Thomas Nelson); and THE NIGHT WATCHMAN by Mark Mynheir (Multnomah Books), a Suspense category nominee.

Melanie Dobson's RECENT release from Summerside Press, LOVE FINDS YOU IN LIBERTY, INDIANA is currently ranked as Amazon's #1 Quaker novel -  and yes, Quaker is a category!

OTHER NEWS
Speaking of Melanie, she was recently invited by NYT best-selling author Cindy Woodsmall to post an article over at Cindy's site, Plain Talk about the night she spent with an Old Order Amish couple in Sugarcreek, Ohio while she was researching her newest release, LOVE FINDS YOU IN HOMESTEAD, IOWA.

Keep an eye out for Dobson's, REFUGE ON CRESCENT HILL (Kregal), a novel inspired by a deserted 1853 mansion which still stands on a hill in Dobson's hometown of Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

This past weekend, Jay Payleitner, author of 52 THINGS KIDS NEED FROM A DAD had the privilege of Washington, D.C. finalists in the 2010 National Center for Fathering Father of the Year Essay Contest. For the past decade the Essay Contest has helped connect the Center to over 1,000,000 children, fathers and families across the United States.

Jay's book is currently receiving promotion as the featured product on the website for The National Center for Fathering.

GOT NEWS? Email Sandra putting NEWSDAY in the subject line. And if you have shots of Saturday's attempt at the two-step - you know who you are - let me know. I may be willing to make up something really great about you in exchange for the photos ...

Comments

[Janice Thompson]

Thanks so much for mentioning my news, Sandra. It's been a banner week for many of us in the writing biz! So tickled about my many friends who've finaled in the Christy awards. It's always so fun to see how these things play out.

[terri tiffany]

Wish I was going to be still here in Orlando this weekend but headed to the other side. It looks like a good conference. But I'm thrilled as I was able to get an appt with Sandra at the conference in Bothell. Now to calm myself and learn to speak without looking like an idiot--have compassion please--it's my first pitch!!

[C. F. Pagels, Ph.D.]

Thanks for sharing all that great information. Congrats on being named to the top 101 websites and for inclusion in the top five agents on Mr. Sambuchino' list!

[Sandra Bishop]

Hey Terri,
I'll look forward to hearing your pitch. Remember the NWCW Renewal hosts group pitches - which means you'll have about five minutes, and a group of other authors who can provide you feedback afterward on your pitch. Think sales. Seriously. Content is important of course, but market, comps, platform (or writing creds) become even more so when you have limited time. And nerves are natural. I don't bite, though. Been told I'm actually pretty nice.