Short Story

After checking into the hotel, Elsie and I wandered through the town. It seemed as if we had seen everything in less than an hour. The next day we set about finding work. I found a job at the store and Elsie started working at a cafe. I found I enjoyed meeting and helping people.

I saw less and less of Elsie over the next few days. She had started coming in later and later. I did not want to say anything, for she had done so much for me, but finally I felt I could not avoid the conversation any longer.

"Elsie, you know I wouldn't say anything, but people are saying some really bad things about you."

"So, why is that a problem?"

"Elsie, they say you are seeing Albert Carson, and he is a married man."

"Ruth, I am glad you have brought that up. Yes, I am seeing Albert and I need for you to move out of this room."

"What are you talking about. You can't afford the room on your own, and I can't afford one by my self either."

"I don't have to worry about affording anything. It is time you went out on your own and let me live my life without having to worry about you. Please be gone by the time I get back."

I was stunned. Here we had made all these plans together and now she just told me to leave. I gathered my few things while walking around in a daze. Then I became angry and as I left the room and passed the front desk I informed the clerk I was leaving.

"Do you want your money back, the room was paid a week in advance.?"

"No, Elsie is staying."

"Then I am afraid I won't be able to give you anything back."

"That's fine."

Now that I had left, I just stood there holding my bag and staring at the street. Finally I started moving and went to the store. Mr. Jensen looked at my bags and then at my face.

"So, you finally made the smart move and left. I didn't want to say anything, but if you had stayed there your reputation would have taken a turn for the worse."

"Yes, but I don't have much saved and now where shall I stay?"

"Matilda has an extra room in her place. Why don't you ask if you could rent it for awhile?"

I thought it over and decided that Matilda's might not be a bad idea. She was the school teacher and the school might like having a bit of extra money coming in.

After checking with the school board it was decided I could rent the room. It was a good move on my part. Soon Matilda and I had worked out the doing of things. I also started teaching music to the students one afternoon a week. That made my time pass very quickly.

I would see Elsie riding or walking with her 'friend' Albert, but she always avoided looking at me, let alone speaking. I guess she felt since she was spending time with one of the mine owners she had no time for common people. Still I missed her.

For myself, I had met Oscar. He was a gentle and funny man. He worked in one of the mines. On Sundays we would go for rides to explore the area. I found I not only loved the town, but the whole area. The mountains no longer oppressed me and the sky was so lovely. So my life went, until the Sunday Oscar did not show up as we had planned.

I waited for four hours, but he did not show up. I finally went to his shack. He was not there, but I noticed signs of a struggle. The next thing I knew I was being grabbed from behind and dragged off. I tried screaming, but the hand covering my mouth cut off any sound.

"Stop struggling, it will do you no good," the voice said.

Receiving the cover of a book is always exciting, but the act of creating that book has always been what I enjoy the most. To think that the words we write are read by the many or the few is by far the best part of being a writer. How strange that what we write may influence the readers we attract is scary too. How careful we must be to "get the words right." How important that becomes as we create our stories. Our heroes must truly be heroes and not some cut out paper figure. Each of them, as we put them on paper, must represent the best of us, or at least those who attempt to be the best. That is a frightening challenge we all face. May each of us be up to the task.

Short Story Continued

As we came into Silver Cliff I did look at those mountains. They were tall, taller than the buildings in Chicago. They looked so much more substantial than anything I had seen. They could be a guidepost to the future or crush you with their majesty. As for the town it was so small. I voiced my concern to Elsie, "How are we going to make living here?"

"We will just have to find work. You could put your music education to work and teach others how to play an instrument or sing."

"How do you know people would even want to spend money on a luxury when it looks like most people here are just getting by. Look at those houses and where are we going to stay?"

"Listen Ruth, we made the decision to come out here and now that we are here we will just make the best of it."

As usual Elsie was right, but I did have my misgivings. I really did wonder how we, two single women were going to make a go of it here. This town was so small, so new. What would people think of us.

"Well Ruth, get ready to take on a new adventure," Elsie said as she jumped from our coach.

The first glimpse I had was of men starring at Elsie, she did that to them, and she just smiled and turned to get her bags. I followed close behind and we went toward what appeared to be a hotel. As we entered an oriental gentleman was walking out and nodded a greeting.

"See everyone is friendly, you have nothing to worry about."

"You know Elsie, every time you say that I have the strangest feeling that I should be worrying and plenty."

Comments: As I have thought of these two during the last week or so I felt that I needed to continue the friendship but add the difference of opinion the two had about the experience they were having. At the same time, I am also working to try to add some forwarning of what may come. How indeed were they to make a go of it in this new town. Come back soon and I may have the answer.

WWW Member Book Announcement!

The Books Are Here!

Two hundred copies of my biography — Nancy Love and the Women Ferry Pilots of World War II — arrived at our house a week ago, just as I was packing to fly to Texas to give a paper on a related subject. I stuffed 10 in the suitcase and sold them all!

Now I begin six months of book programs and signings scheduled around the country — from Cleveland to San Diego, from Lakeland Florida to Oshkosh Wisconsin. All of the venues are aviation-related.

One of my well-connected aviation friends is planning a Book Launch for Valentine’s Day here in Dayton.

Nancy Love was born on February 14, 1914, and would be 94 this year, had she lived. My friend is planning a Birthday Party for Nancy — complete with cake — on the 14th to introduce the book to the Dayton Ohio aviation community. And another friend is planning a wine and cheese / book party for our friends and neighbors here in suburban Centerville in April. She did this for me when the WASP novel FLIGHT FROM FEAR came out 6 years ago.

Amazon is carrying the book as a PRE-ORDER item. My publisher the University of North Texas Press — www.unt.edu/untpress — has it posted now. I have laid in a supply of purple signing pens and can accommodate anyone who wants a signed copy. The official release is scheduled for March.

I’m in the process of setting up a new website. We hope to have it up by Valentine’s Day, but we may not make it. For future reference: www.sarahbyrnrickman.com. Give it a couple of weeks and then try visiting it.

Nancy Love was the founder and commander of the Women’s Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron — the first 28 women to fly airplanes for the U.S military in World War II. When the WAFS grew into the WASP, Nancy became the leader of the WASPs flying for the Army’s Ferrying Division. This book is a sequel to my first book, THE ORIGINALS, the history of the WAFS with mini-bios on each of the 28.

Needless to say, I’m excited. Finally I have the book — a six-year-long project — in my hands.

Sarah Byrn Rickman

Finding the Old West

Oh how we love the Old West. We read about it, study it, pour over it and we still can't get enough. A hundred years ago, the women charged forward and conquered a barren and dry land. They mustered up the courage to carry children, follow husbands, and sometimes make their own way in an uncertain world. Some buried loved ones along the way, and continued on their journey. They cried, laughed and always learned about the tremendous strength they held inside. They were unstoppable.

Today, we have the ability to discover more about the West at our fingertips. The Internet and libraries are saturated with information about the history of the land and the people of days gone by.

There are towns still in existence that carry the feel of the Old West. Cowboys still lasso their horses to the post outside the local watering holes. Buildings are full of tin ceilings and aged newspapers plastered to the walls, flaking from age.

Towns like Miles City, Montana and Mancos, Colorado echo stories of the past while creating new ones every day.

Here are a few sites and places to visit for research and story development:

• www.womenwritingthewest.org (Everyone in the group has so much to offer) Be sure to check out the members page We have a variety of author's sites connecting with the Old West all the way through the present.
  

• 2008 Women Writing the West Conference in October (a place to connect with a variety of people who love and write about the West).

• www.coloradohistoricnewspapers.org

• www.photoswest.org

SHORT STORY CHOICE!!

The tabulating is done and I will be telling the story of Elsie and Ruth as they arrive in Silver Cliff from Chicago.

I will be posting in what I will call 'real' time. What you will be reading over the next few weeks or so will be written on the blog post. The first draft of the story and the comments I make on what I have written will be just as they come from my fingers except for the spell check. I have to do that for you see the keyboard does not make sounds like the keyboard of the piano and if my fingers move who know what you will see.

For those of you who missed the picture of the mountains led to the following phrase "just a few more miles and then it will be time to have fun", which in turn lead to the idea of Elsie and Ruth going to the mountians from an opposite place. In thinking of names for the characters I came up with Elsie and Ruth for I wanted older sounding names. The names in fact are the first two names of my paternial grandmother. I myself originally came from the mid-west and can speak fairly well for how that felt. I have spent the last couple of days putting the two ladies in various scenarios, but other than the opening few lines I am not quite sure what is going to happen as I get to the end. I usually know the ending for my stories, the fun part is letting my characters decide how they want to get there. Now for those first few lines.

"Just a few more miles and then it will be time to have fun," Elsie laughed. "Just look at the mountains! It is so much better than Chicago"

That is Elsie, I think she would find a leaf fun if she thought it would get her anywhere. Still she is my best friend. It is because of her I am on what she likes to call an adventure.

"Come on Ruth, smile. We have survived so many things. Get rid of your somber mood and think of what is to come."

Final Four

Here are the final four. The following are the choices made by the readers of this blog for scenarios. The winning choice I will use to not only write a first draft of a short story, but I will also explain as I can the thought process I use to get to what I write.

Please send your choice to dorismccraw@yahoo.com before Wednesday Jan 26, 2008.

1. Having been forced to remain at a lower altitude due to heart problems Sue comes to the decision that no matter what she will return to the mountains she loves.

2. Elsie and Ruth are on their way to the mining town of Silver Cliff to experience the excitement of the boom town. hey decided anything would be better that working the factories in Chicago.

3. Kathleen, a very controlling mother, is left with the empty nest. She has just lost her husband, and now has to face what her children are going to to with the homestead that she can no longer maintain.

4. Having lead and exciting and adventurous life, Clara, is looking for somewhere to spend the remaining years of her life doing something to return to the world the 'gold' she has had over her wonderful life.

BRUNCH WITH JANE KIRKPATRICK

For Those Oregon Members. Join Jane Kirkpatrick for Brunch as she does a special presentaion honoring Women in Hisory at 10:AM on March 8 at the Eugene Hilton 66 E. 6th Ave., Eugene, OR. For reservations, send a check made out to AAUW to A. Hinman, 236 Greenvale Dr. Springfield OR 97477 By March 1. The cost is $18.00. This special event is sponsored by the Eugene-Lane Branch of the American Association of University Women. Jo@Jo-Brew.com
www.something-brewing.com
http://www.jo-brew.com/

Short Story, next to last round

Here are the last of the daily choices. I hope you have enjoyed them as much as I have had fun creating them. The idea today is "There is no jail......"

4.1 Jenny was caught with stolen goods and was sent to prison for 2 years. She has reason to be angry at the boyfriend to left her holding the 'goods' so to speak. How does she resolve her anger and dilema?

4.2 Having been forced to remain at a lower altitude due to heart problems Sue comes to the decision that no matter what she will return to the mountains she loves.

4.3 For years Samantha has taken her singing talent for granted. Now faced with throat surgery that could take away that talent Sam has a decision to make. Surgery or ?

4.4 Maria became wheelchair bound after and accident and is fighting her way back to riding on her ranch and on the horse she loves.

I look forward as I do everyday to your choices.

Doris McCraw

Short Story, Next Round

Here is the next round of choices. Just continue to pick one from each day and on Sunday I will post the top four for the final choice. Then, starting next weekend you can see how my mind creates (hopefully) a short story.

The idea today is : "Just a few more mile and then it will be time to have fun."

3.1 So says Janice to her husband and 3 children, who would rather be home and hanging with their friends. To Janice this is the chance to get the family back together.

3.2 Joanie is on her way to go skiing when she is caught in a severe storm and finds herself stranded with a flat tire.

3.3 Sally has run away from home in Wisconsin and thinks that going to the mountains is the answer to all the problems she has with her life.

3.4 Elsie and Ruth are on their way to the mining town of Silver Cliff to experience the excitement of the boom town. They decided anything would be better than working the factories in Chicago.

SEE YOU TOMORROW!

Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines

Short Story, part 3

Okay everyone here is the second days choices for the short story on the blog. You can make your choices for all four days up until Friday Jan 18, 2008. Just send your choices to dorismccraw@yahoo.com with the choice in the subject line.

The idea today is "Some people look and see beauty, I look and see years of my life gone, gone for nothing."

2.1 Arlene spent her life taking care of her father and mother, who really did not care or love her, instead preferring her prodigal brother.

2.2 Mary, married to a cold, hard man feels that she has made a mistake and that her life will be for nothing, except for hard work, endless loneliness and despair.

2.3 Juliette has spent years working as a madam, trying to make a living and hating the thought of using others just to survive. She is now trying to make her peace with herself and those she used.

2.4 Kathleen, a very controlling mother, is left with the empty nest. She has just lost her husband, and now has to face what her children are going to do with the homestead that she can no longer maintain.

Velda Brotherton Earlier Podcast

A podcast of an interview with Velda Brotherton conducted by Revvell Revate for the Book Crawler was almost missed when the holidays took precedence.

This interview is in several segments and covers the writing of Fly With The Mourning Dove. It was originally podcast on November 29, 2007 on www.thebookcrawler.com and is a vibrant discussion about writing creative nonfiction and working with the protagonist of the story throughout the process.

Here are some photos taken in New Mexico of one of the ranches still owned by Edna Hiller, the hero of Fly With The Mourning Dove. Hope you enjoy them.

Also, don't forget to check out the documentary on Velda Brotherton at http://vimeo.com/354804.

Short Story part 2

Instead of me doing everything, I thought it might be fun to make this an interactive exercise. Over the next four days I will post scenarios of each of the four ideas. I would ask that you as readers choose one from each day and on Sunday Jan 20 I will post the four winners and then whichever the group chooses I will write the story based on that choice.

You may send you choices to dorismccraw@yahoo.com and reference the number IE. 1.2 or 2.4 in the subject line. Now for the choices today.

The idea I will be working with today is "is this the area where I will finally find my 'gold'? etc.

1.1 The woman is actually a prospector, there were a few of them in the 'old' days. She is trying to get the funding together to by the supplies she needs, but is being turned down by those she request help from.

1.2 Gold to Mary is a home and property of her own. She is escaping a bad relationship and feels that she can lose herself in the mountains and hence find the 'gold' that is peace of mind and safety.

1.3 As a young woman, Jennifer had always wanted to get married and have children. Because of a physical disfigurement she has not had the luck she had hoped for. She is heading toward the mountains and the men who work there to try and find her 'gold', someone who will care for her as she can and has cared for others.

1.4 Having led and exciting and adventurous life, Clara is looking for somewhere to spend the remaining years of her life doing something to return to the world the 'gold' she has had over her wonderful life.

Take you pick and I will see you tomorrow.

Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines.

Our own Velda Brotherton featured on "Writers in the Sky" blog

Author and Women Writing the West member, Velda Brotherton makes a splash on the "Writer’s in the Sky" blog, a site dedicated to featuring different avenues of learning the craft of writing. This past Friday, they podcasted Velda discussing her latest book, Fly With the Mourning Dove.

In this creative non-fiction release, Velda shares the story of six-year-old Edna as she starts a new life in the parched, desert land of New Mexico in the early 1920s. Follow Edna as she faces daily existence with an ill family member, while she and her parents homestead 640-acres in the arid New Mexico desert. Share in her new life as she learns to fall in love with the beauty and mystery of New Mexico.

Velda is a resident in the beautiful Ozark National Forest. She is a member of Women Writing the West as well as the Ozark Writers League, Missouri Writer’s Guild and Northwest Arkansas Writers Workshop.

Be sure to check out the podcast at http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/

Velda can be found on the Internet at www.veldabrotherton.com

Fly with the Mourning Dove by Velda Brotherton

Short Story

I decided to write a short story on the blog. I am having fun with the process and thought I would share with you what I do.

This time I have started by doing what I call 'free' writing. I used the above picture taken by my friend Nadine Keaney on our return trip from Breckenridge after a murder mystery show.

Here are some of the thoughts and feelings that I took from the picture.

"There is no jail worse than the one that puts you behind bars and then shows you the freedom you have lost."

"Just a few more miles and then it will be time to have fun."

"Some people look and see beauty, I look and see years of my life gone, gone for nothing."

"Is this the area where I will finally find my 'gold'? I have prospected for years, dealing with me who think I cannot do as well as they. So what if it the area is covered with snow, I am stronger than they think."

Join me next time. I have a feeling one of the above may end up the story!

If you wish to comment please feel free, the more the merrier.

Doris McCraw writing as Angela Raines

New Short Story Competition Announced

Women Writing the West and She's Out West magazine are co-sponsoring a short story competition in 2008! The top three stories will be published in She's Out West. Only WWW members are eligible to submit.

For more information about Women Writing the West, and complete contest guidelines, see www.womenwritingthewest.org.

For more information about She's Out West magazine, see www.shesoutwest.com.

This is a terrific opportunity for WWW members. Start thinking about your stories!

Regards,
Kathleen Ernst
WWW President
www.kathleenernst.com

November Reading Group

The discussion has begun - come join us!

Our selection for November is Preserving Cleo by Women Writing the West member, Jo Brew. The discussion will begin on November 15 and you can join us here.

About the book:

Cleo is the smart and social young wife of a traditional family farmer. Unable to survive in the isolated and limited role she's allowed, she rebels in a silent voice that's heard by her whole family. She wants it all: a challenging future, the man she loves and a tightly knit family. Getting it all won't be easy - the odds are stacked against her.

You can order the book direct from the author's website by clicking here.

To read more of Jo's writing, stop by the Cresswell Chronicle to read her columns.

Another Blog Book Tour

WWW member, Susan Wittig Albert, has a few book tours under her belt. Last week she embarked on her first virtual book tour for the fourth in her Cottage Tales Myteries of Beatrix Potter - The Tale of Hawthorn House.

Fellow WWW member, Dani Greer, will host a blog stop for the author on November 14th to talk about Beatrix's marketing savvy, her relationship with her editor and publishing house, and how a modern author creates a new story.... and picks supporting artwork....when writing about a legend. Visit Blog Book Tours to read this fascinating interview.

You may enter the book drawing any time between Nov. 14 and noon on Nov. 17, when we'll draw three winners. Your name will be automatically entered for the grand prize drawing. Go here to enter.

Author Biography

Susan Wittig Albert is the author of Spanish Dagger, (April, 2007, hardcover), Bleeding Hearts (April, 2007, paperback - a recent Willa Award finalist), and the China Bayles' Book of Days. She has written fourteen other China Bayles novels, and more than a dozen short stories. She is also the author of two non-fiction books: Writing From Life: Telling Your Soul's Story and Work of Her Own: A Woman's Guide to Success off the Career Track.

A former English professor and university administrator, Ms. Albert has been writing full-time since 1985. She and her husband Bill Albert have written over 60 novels for children and young adults, including books in the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. Writing under the pseudonym of Robin Paige, the Alberts are also the co-authors of twelve Victorian mysteries, the latest of which is titled Death on the Lizard. They live in rural Texas with a varying assortment of dogs, cats, ducks, geese, cows, and sheep. Ms. Albert is a founder and past president of the Story Circle Network, a non-profit organization created to help women explore their life stories.

If you are curious about creating your own Blog Book Tour, Susan has put together a fun and fascinating tour with varying blog stops. Click here for the entire schedule.

Member news from Mara Purl and Donis Casey

Members Mara Purl and Donis Casey "met" through the Women Writing the West members' Yahoo! Group, and planned a joint book signing for their new books, both of which happen to be third in a series.

They met in person for the first time at the conference in Colorado Springs, and a week later did their event at Denver's famed Tattered Cover Book Store. Through discussions about their work and books, they discovered common themes which they shared with a rapt audience in Denver. Expanding on their theme "Western women writing western women's lives," they discussed a range of topics from intensive research to the key role of intuition in their female characters' lives, and from carefully structuring their plots to allowing for serendipitous inspiration.

Donis Casey's first novel "The Old Buzzard Had It Coming" recently won the Arizona Book Award.

Mara Purl's first novel "What the Heart Knows" won the Silver Benjamin Franklin Award and the USA Book News Finalist Award. Both authors are at work on the fourth books in their respective series, and plan to do future events together.

What does women writing the West mean to me?

By V. June Collins

As I reflect—

Women Writing the West, remind me of “Ranch Neighbors,”
Basically, ready and willing to lend us each a helping hand.

Often, survival of the west was under trying conditions.
The importance of Good Neighbors, was well understood—
Nurtured to-do unto others— as you wish to be done by!

Our Western way of life, held Good Neighbors, in priority—
Necessity matured, and was passed down, for generations.

Embedded, “The Lights of the West,” shine down on us,
Strengthened by a feel and need, to help one another—
While in all sincerity, “Western Neighbors” still require us
To be.—The best we can be!

At the conference

Hi everyone we're at the conference learning how to blog.

October Reading Group

Our discussion has started and continues until the end of October.... please join in!

Our selection for October is A Clearing in the Wild by Jane Kirkpatrick. The discussion begins on October 15th so be sure and join in with questions for the author, who will periodically chime in with brilliant and entertaining commentary. :)

ABOUT THIS BOOK
Young Emma Wagner chafes at the constraints of Bethel colony, an 1850s religious community in Missouri that is determined to remain untainted by the concerns of the world. A passionate and independent thinker, she resents the limitations placed on women, who are expected to serve in quiet submission. In a community where dissent of any form is discouraged, Emma finds it difficult to rein in her tongue–and often doesn’t even try to do so, fueling the animosity between her and the colony’s charismatic and increasingly autocratic leader, Wilhelm Keil.

You can read more here by clicking on the link to the excerpt. We will also use questions from the Readers Guide provided by the publisher.

Jane Kirkpatrick is the award-winning, best-selling author of two nonfiction books and eleven novels, including A Name of Her Own and the acclaimed Kinship and Courage series. Jane is a winner of the coveted Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center and National Cowboy Hall of Fame. A licensed clinical social worker as well as an inspirational retreat leader and speaker, she lives with her husband on 160 acres in eastern Oregon. Visit Jane's website at http://www.jkbooks.com/!

Go to the WWW Reading Group and click on Monthly Selections to join in.

Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Anchorage

I was planning to attend the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention in Anchorage anyway when I heard about the "Authors to Schools" program being planned by conference organizers. Authors who volunteered to participate would be paired with a school somewhere in Alaska, giving students there the opportunity to hear from a writer. What a great idea!

I was sent to the community of Delta Junction. I was advised it would be a six hour trip, but it took me eight--partly because of rain and clouds and some light snow, mostly because I kept stopping to get out of the car and take in the amazing scenery.

I spent a day each at the local elementary school, middle school, and high school. I met an interesting mixture of kids. Some lived on Fort Greely and had traveled extensively. A few lived far from town and rarely traveled farther than Fairbanks. About 40% of the students were fairly recent immigrants from Russia or the Ukraine. And mixed in were a few Athabascan and African-American students.

Highlights include guiding second graders through a descriptive writing activity that led to some amazing poems, hearing students read their work describing the first snowfall, and facilitating brain-storming sessions that led teens from "I never have any ideas" to a solid outline for a mystery.

But there were so many other highlights as well: walking in the tundra, finding a burly chef in a rural roadhouse who was delighted to make a tofu salad for a visiting vegetarian (me), being taken into the local museum by the mayor, watching swans, driving for hours through such vast country...it was a marvelous trip.

Ann Parker and me, taken at Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.



Katleen Ernst
WWW President Elect
http://www.kathleenernst.com/

Ethnic Knitting Discovery by Donna Druchunas

Hello Women Writing the West and thank you for letting me stop by on my blog book tour. I'll be speaking about using blogs to market your books at the Women Writing the West conference later this month. It's a fun way to get people to learn about your book at the same time that you learn about other blogs and authors. I'm visiting 26 blogs during the first 26 days of October. It's the culmination of a long stretch of hard work!

The last couple of years I've been busy working on my newest book, Ethnic Knitting Discovery. Because the book includes information about knitting techniques from four different countries, I had quite a bit of research to do. I would have loved to visit all of the places I wrote about in this book, but then I'd still be working on my research! Because this book is more about knitting techniques and less about the locales that inspire the knitting, I was able to do my research as an armchair traveler. Since I love books, I dind't find this to be problematic.

I grew up learning many different crafts from my mother and grandmothers including knitting, crochet, rug-hooking, embroidery, and sewing. But I didn't stick with crafts as I grew up. I started knitting again in my late 30s, and also learned to spin and dye wool with natural dyes.

Before I returned to knitting, I spent almost 20 years working in corporate cubicles as a technical writer, designer, and creative services manager. My cubes were in military training facilities, small businesses, and large corporations. During that time, I wrote and designed marketing materials, training courses and technical manuals for many types of hardware and software products.

After all that time, I rebelled and left my cubicle behind to combine my interest in knitting with my skill at writing easy-to-follow instructions. Since then, my designs and articles have been featured in Family Circle Easy Knitting, Knitters, Piecework, Interweave Knits, Fibre Focus, and INKnitters magazines, and I design patterns for several yarn companies.

All of my work in technical writing and marketing communications has been very useful in developing my freelance career. That said, it still took almost ten years from when I started writing in notebooks until my first magazine article was published, and several more years until I was being published regularly and got a contract for my first book.

I actually never thought about writing knitting books until one day, when I was complaining about my job, a friend asked me, "If you can write a book about how to install hard drives, why can't you write a book about how to knit sweaters? Wouldn't you enjoy that more?"

Becoming a freelance writer is not easy, and you may always need a part-time day job to help make the bills, but it's well worth the effort if you love words and language and you have stories that you want to share with the world!

Visit With Marva Dasef

At a local Meet The Author Event last week, I met fellow participant, Marva Dasef and her father. It is her father who becomes the narrator of her book, "Tales of a Texas Boy." The tales are an eleven year old boy's view of life during the depression.
A collection of twenty stories that incorporate the events of family life with an occasional tall tale and provide a slice of history with a few good laughs and a great deal of warmth. See more of my inteview with Marva on my blog at www.Jo-Brew.com or more about her at http://marvadasef.com. P.S. In her interview she adds a special tip about POD publishing. If that's a subject that interest you, check it out on my blog.

Jo@Jo-Brew.com www.Jo-Brew.com

September Reading Group

The book discussion begins on September 15 -

Be sure to join in!!

Our September read features Velda Brotherton's creative non-fiction tome entitled, Fly With the Mourning Dove. You can purchase the book at amazon.com.



You can also read a bit of the book here:


Prologue


In this, my ninetieth year, I’ve returned once again to the New Mexico ranch I’ll forever call home. To this day, I get a thrill out of topping the hill between the sagebrush flats and the Tusas River valley. In the early light of dawn, the adobe house waits in the shadows far below, and I hurry to reach it, the car’s tires clattering over the wooden bridge that spans the Tusas river. I park, get out and move through the yard. Over the Sangre de Cristos, the sky is splashed with a brilliant glow that spreads crimson over the mountains. In my valley the darkness retreats, stirs a breeze that touches my cheek. If I turn from the rising sun, quickly and without warning, I see those who’ve left me behind—Mom and Pop, my one and only love Calvin and our precious Ann. The shimmering morning light offers them, real and alive, their laughter echoing across the San Juans far to the west. A high desert painting where shades of ochre contrast sharply with dense umbers. The mournful song of the doves and the chatter of swallows swooping in to deposit small dabs of mud beneath the eaves of the stucco house, speak of another time. A time when my world was young and filled with hope. Continue by clicking here.


For more information about Velda and her other books, visit her website and her blog.







Our discussion begins on September 15, so please join us at the Women Writing the West Reading Group. Then click on This Month's Selections.

The Conference Count Down is ON!

The 2007 WWW conference — Peak Goals: Pen, Publish, Promote — will be here in a few blinks of the eye. And HAVE WE GOT A SHOW FOR YOU!

Cynthia, Jacque and the rest of the board have put together a rip roarin’ lineup for us. If you’re not comin’, you’re missin’ out big time!

Build better writing skills: plot, characterization, voice. Who among us doesn’t need that?
How to prepare a book proposal, synopsis and submission letter that will get results. Need I say more?
Use the Internet as a promotional tool. Anybody who’s been on the WWW Yahoo Listserv this past year has heard oodles about this, but do you know how to do it? Here’s your chance to find out!

And that’s just for starters.

Colorado Springs has so much to offer. Even if you were there last year, you’ve just scratched the surface. Come glory in Pikes Peak, the Garden of the Gods and the Rampart Range et al.

Best of all, you’ll see all those old friends – the gals you enjoyed at the conference last year – or maybe back in 2004 in Albuquerque. If you’ve never been to a WWW conference, you have NO IDEA what a treat is in store – just meeting the people, let alone what all you learn. Come put faces on those names on your Yahoo posts!

And don’t forget to take part in the Raffle. YOU TOO CAN BE A DONOR and thus help the organization in its most fun fundraiser. We want good stuff, mind you, but that means when YOU hold the winning ticket, what you get is going to be FIRST CLASS.

So throw your best jeans and most comfortable shoes in the suitcase and COME!!! Visit our website to learn more and to register, and contact Cynthia Becker, VP conference, cynipid@comcast.net with questions.

Registration deadline is Sept. 21.

See you there!
Posted by Sarah Rickman
President (2005) and WILLA Chair (2006)

Blog Book Tours

Hi All,

Hi All, I'll be doing a blog tour in October, talking about ethnic knitting techniques, showing how to design a sweater from scratch (including yarns, colors, stitches, and sizing), and talking about how to get started in a freelance career as a writer, and how illustrations are created for a book, amongst other things. I will be visiting 21 blogs over a three-week period, so this is a great chance for you to check out a lot of blogs you may not have discovered yet. A list of the blogs I'll be visiting is on my blog.

You'll notice that the Women Writing the West blog is on my tour schedule, as are the blogs of several WWW members.

For full disclosure, the tour is part of a launch of my next book, Ethnic Knitting Discovery, but it's not only for those who might be interested in buying the book. Many of the articles will contain practical information and techniques for knitters and writers. I try to make my blog tours stand alone articles that are full of useful information, instead of just a bunch of book reviews.

I used a blog book tour at the launch of my previous book, Arctic Lace, and it shot up in the Amazon.com rankings at an amazing rate, and the first printing sold out before the official book pubication date. I'll be sharing my experiences in online marketing at the Boulder Writer's Alliance Annual Expo on September 24 in Boulder, Colorado, and will be teaching an in-depth class about blogging and web marketing for writers at the Women Writing the West Conference on October 19-21 in Colorado Springs.

I hope my successes in online marketing inspire you to try out some new techniques to promote your own books.

Pam Munoz Ryan's "Paint the Wind" Fall Tour

Hello, Everyone!

As I put the summer issue of the WWW newsletter together, I was fortunate to communicate with our own Pam Munoz Ryan about her newest release, "Paint the Wind." She told me that she has a fall tour scheduled and she wanted me to share those dates with everyone.

For those in Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, this should be a real treat! I know I've marked my calendar for September 17 and I'm excited about and look forward to a good read!

Alice Trego
2007 WWW Newsletter Editor

*************************************

Pam's Upcoming "Paint the Wind" Schedule:

Monday, Sept. 17th, 7 p.m.
King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

Tues, Sept. 18th (Call store for details)
Deseret Books, Salt Lake City, UT

Wed. Sept. 19th, 5 p.m.
Gardner's Book Services, Phoenix, AZ

Thursday, Sept. 20 (Call store for details)
Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe, AZ

Friday, Sept. 21 (Call store for details)
Phoenix Book Company, Phoenix, AZ

Monday, Sept. 24, 7 p.m.
Bookworks, Alburquerque, NM

Ready for the Conference?

Don't forget that the Women Writing the West Conference is next month!

I just heard on the news that teenagers are flocking to knitting like crazy, a new "mini trend" that might be something to weave into stories for teens and young adults. Who knew?

Chances are we might know such details and others as we gear up for the conference. I've had the fun of corresponding with winners and finalists and this year we have firmed five of the 7 Winners attending and many of the finalists. New books to pick up; new people to meet. I'm ready. Now if I can just get this manuscript finished before I fly it'll make that time a whole lot more fun.

Last year at the business meeting we asked what it was people wanted so we could be sure to include those things this year and someone said, "why are you worried? We have to come here, it's where many of us get our vitality for writing, where we find other people to support our efforts and get jazzed." I'm hoping to get jazzed again in Colorado Springs. The list of agents and editors should be going up soon but I know for sure that one of those editors was the editor for a WILLA winner. They know what they're looking for and think our members have it! So get your manuscripts ready, too! I hope you are too.

Jane Kirkpatrick
http://www.jkbooks.com
http://janekirkpatrick.blogspot.com/

Award-winning author of 13 novels and two non-fiction books. A Tendering in the Storm, Book Two in the Change and Cherish Series (WaterBrook Press/Random House) is available now! Enjoy.

Sherry Monahan on the History Channel

Hello All!

If you want to know all about Deadwood and the way it was before and after the fire, tune in to the History Channel.

On September 19, 2007 at 9:00 p.m. E.T., Lost Worlds is doing a show called, Sin City of the West. I am one of the investigators who goes all over town in search of clues to find the pre-fire town.

It was tons of fun to film and I want to do more!

This is a photo from the shoot. You can read more about the shoot and my crazy life on my own blog too - http://www.sherrymonahan.blogspot.com/


I hope you can watch.

Marj Casswell's "A Place to Come Home To" Articulates the High Cost of Settling

Humans, even nomads, are settlers at heart. We want a place to come home to, a hearth to warm our hands around, and other humans to love us. Marj Casswell in "A Place to Come Home To" tells a story of these ordinary yearnings and the high price they exact from us.

In the opening frame of the novel a 40-year-old woman returns to her father's house where in her girlhood their rich Virginia tobacco farmland stretched in every direction. Time and change have intervened. Her mother and the land are gone, but six diaries from the year she was ten call out to her when she revisits her old room. The ending frame ripples through the years between ten and now, interpreting her life through the insights gained in her reflection the diaries have brought.

While the opening and closing frames give us a sense of context and the passage of time, the guts and heart of the book lie in the 38 chapters between these frames, as all revealing photographs do. Each chapter begins with an excerpt from these diaries written in the summer of 1956 when everything changed and the gravel pit came. The diary excerpts serve as epigrammatic themes for what lies ahead in each chapter. I read the book twice, and on the second reading, I began to title the chapters to keep better track of the ebb and flow of the book's action and interludes.
"A Place to Come Home To" is both a coming of age story for 10-year-old Meredith (Merri) Coopersmith and a losing of an age. On an intimate canvas Casswell paints the sweeping story of the loss of the family farms and the end of an era. No more will there be a time when the small family farm is a viable way of life.

Both within the Coopersmith nuclear family and extended family we see how land exerts its pull on some and how the pleasures of the city call others. Yearning, hard work, and even strategy cannot save the farm or even the innocence of the community. The gravel pit opens its gaping yaw and swallows up farm land that later will, in turn, be swallowed up by housing developments.

Casswell shows the turbulence inside normalcy. As the world around her changes, the rules around her change, curtailing her adventures on the farm. But her curiosity cannot be held in check. I feared something terrible would happen to Merri in the gravel pits.
Instead, we're shown in delicate and realistic detail the emotional and spiritual development of a young girl facing family and community conflict and dissolution of life as previously known. We are let inside the interior world of her imaginative daydreams and fantasies. Her parents love her and take good care of her, yet in spite of that, she feels the tension present in their marriage and wants to make it better for them in order to stabilize her world. She carries an adult sense of responsibility that alters her childhood, in spite of her Aunt Elizabeth's efforts to give her a childhood without cares back to her.

A thread of settling runs through the book--both the positive and negative conations. Merri's ancestors come to the land as settlers and set up a lumber mill. But, in a kind of fall from Eden, the first settling occurs: "they had to sell off most of the land with trees...because they needed money to live. That's when they went to growing tobacco. Everybody around here was [growing] it," her Uncle Lowell (who carries the spirit of the land) explains to her.

This selling off the resources of the land for cash becomes a precursor for the gravel pit contract that brings evil things into a young girl's world. Each generation has struggled with how to make a living off the land. Arguments have sprung up in each generation. There are those who want to husband and steward the land and those who are just desperate to make a go of it. As a result there's a slow decline of the land, and a sense of decay and struggle, despite the wish to restore what's been lost and the honoring of hard times to save a legacy.

The tension in the Coopersmith marriage between Ted and Ellie springs from these differences, as husband and wife want different things. Ted, working a job in town so he can stay on the farm, is sober and focused on labor. Ellie, a good mother, but a city girl at heart yearning for music, dancing, flower gardens, and good times. She's a city girl transplanted to the country, and the transplant didn't take. She's lonely. Ellie finds her husband boring, but has settled down into the marriage, if restlessly, and after a costly error. In this case she settles for a lack of vibrancy in relationship in order to avoid divorce and dies six years later. And Ted settles into his workshop, a world where there are things he can fix and do something about.

Casswell writes of subtle shifts through thematic explorations more than a novel driven by action and plot. This is a quiet, thoughtful and reflective story punctuated by lyrical passages of the workings of nature and a child's delight in the freedom of exploring the outdoors.
"A Place to Come Home To" gives us a big story in a small package. Its over-riding theme is that time moves on and we must change with the times.

Visit Janet Grace Riehl's blog "Riehl Life: Village Wisdom for the 21st Century" at http://www.riehlife.com/ for more thoughts and information about making connections through the arts, across cultures, generations, and within the family. You can also read sample poems and other background information from "Sightlines: A Poet's Diary" on Janet's website.

Review: Paint the Wind, by Pam Muñoz Ryan

One of the real bonuses of WWW membership is meeting and getting to know other author-members. In 2004 at the conference in Albuquerque, YA/Children’s author Pam Muñoz Ryan was our WILLA banquet speaker. I had the pleasure of meeting her and talking with her. Pam, incidentally, is a several-time WILLA winner.

Pam had written a children’s book about Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt — Amelia and Eleanor Go for a Ride — a story I was familiar with. I wanted an autographed copy for my granddaughter. Pam was interested in my book about women pilots in World War II, THE ORIGINALS, and we agreed to a swap. We have since corresponded off and on via e-mail. At some point, I expressed interest in her next project.

In early June, a package arrived for me containing an advanced reader copy of Paint the Wind. I was thrilled, read it immediately, loved it, and e-mailed Pam that I would love to do a review for WWW. What follows here is that review, along with a Q&A prepared by Pam’s publicist. The Q&A is designed to get you thinking about what you are reading. I would also offer it as a very professional example of a marketing tool from which other WWW authors might learn.

Paint the Wind is due to be released in September 2007. The publisher is Scholastic Press of New York. Here is my review.

Reading WWW member Pam Muñoz Ryan’s latest young adult novel Paint the Wind inevitably took me back to age seven or eight and my discovery of the magic world of horses. I think it was the movie My Friend Flicka that started it all. I know for sure that when I read Walter Farley’s classic The Black Stallion, I was hooked.

I didn’t write stories in my childhood — that would come later — rather I created stories and ran them like movies in my head. I created and dreamed them. I “lived” them in my mind’s eye, in my soul, and sometimes, I think, my body lived them as well.

Like Maya in Paint the Wind, horses changed my life. My desire to ride, to be one with that magnificent animal the horse, led me to attend a Colorado summer camp that specialized in Western riding. It also led me to join a riding club in Denver — these were VERY big in the 1950s — where I learned to ride English style to complement the Western seat I learned at camp. Though I left horses and riding behind when I went to college, the life-blood of the West — horses — had been firmly ingrained in the person I would become.

Talk about life-changing events! That mine spread over ten years just makes it dearer and more vivid.

Paint the Wind is the book I WANTED to read as a young girl. Why? Because it has a HEROINE — a girl protagonist. In all the books I read about horses, a boy was the lead character. I suppose that’s why I had to make up my own stories in order to put the female protagonist — me — into the story. How many of you had similar experiences?
Pam makes the same connection with her own reading as a youngster, but in her author Q&A she adds an element that had not occurred to me.

In those childhood books we both read, the horse in the story wins a race — or some competition — to prove its worth to the owner. Pam’s contention is that she wanted the heroine to bring something to the horse — and thus to all humankind. Thus, her story reaches into that magic realm called universality. It becomes more than just a story of a girl and a horse. It becomes an experience that could be told anytime, anywhere, about anyone, and is understood and meaningful to all people. That’s no easy task, but Pam has achieved it — all in a simple story of a girl and a horse.

What could be better?

Sarah Byrn Rickman is a former WWW president (2005) and author of the forthcoming (March 2008) biography: Nancy Love and the WASP Ferry Pilots of World War II.

Q&A with Author Pam Muñoz Ryan

WWW: Did you ride or spend time around horses when you were a child?

Muñoz Ryan: Only vicariously. As a young girl, I was obsessive about books and I still remember reading Marguerite Henry’s King of the Wind, Misty of Chincoteague, and Justin Morgan Had a Horse. Many of my friends collected Breyer horses, which I loved but couldn't afford. One of my friends owned a horse and I can still remember going out to the corral behind her house to pet it. The horse world fascinated me. But it was so far removed from my everyday (and beyond my family’s financial means), that it never occurred to me to ask for riding lessons. But once, when I was in high school, the Lipizzaner Stallions came to my town on tour. A boy I had no interest in dating asked me to attend the performance. I accepted only because I wanted to see the horses! [Laughing] I still feel a bit guilty about that.

 
WWW: What classic horse stories did you read (or reread) as you prepared to write Paint the Wind?

Muñoz Ryan: I reread dozens of children’s and adult classic horse stories, and contemporary ones as well. I made a list of over thirty titles and to my surprise, discovered that most featured a boy and a horse: The Red Pony, King of the Wind, The Black Stallion, My Friend Flicka, Seabiscuit, the Billy and Blaze series and many others. That fueled my desire to put a girl protagonist in a unique and character-strengthening situation. I also noticed that many horse stories ended with an inevitable race or competition and that the value of the horse was often depicted through its ability to win something for the owner. I wanted more than that. I wanted reciprocity – for the human to "win" something for the horse, too.

 
WWW: How did you become interested in wild horses?

Muñoz Ryan: I began researching horses in general, reading nonfiction books about the historical and mythical significance of the species to man. Many world cultures revered the horse and measured a man’s worth by how many horses he owned. That led me to stories about the role of the horse in the development of America: how the country flourished after the advent of horses from Spain via Mexico and the introduction of horses from Europe to the East Coast during Colonial times. Then I read America’s Last Wild Horses by Hope Ryden and became fascinated with the social dynamics in wild herds and harem bands. I learned about the stallion’s role as protector and the mare’s role as leader and the alliances made among “sister mares.” I came to appreciate the equine sense of community. Now I understand why people advocate for the protection of wild horses.

 
WWW: How did your heroine, Maya, develop?

Muñoz Ryan: After researching the wild horses and going on wilderness rides to see them up close, I began to wonder about a young girl who lived a repressed life: one of confinement and loneliness, with no sense of community, which is the opposite of the wild horse world. Then I imagined what it would be like to thrust Maya into a remote and wild setting similar to that of the wild horses. I questioned how she might grow and change under those circumstances. I wanted Maya to discover a sense of community not only with her new family, but with the horse world, and with the land.

 
WWW: What affected your decision to learn how to ride, especially now as an adult?

Muñoz Ryan: I kept asking myself, "How can I write a book about this character and this horse and not know how to ride?" Besides, here was my chance to live what I thought was a lost dream. I’d been on a horse before, but only a few times. In each of those instances, I sat placidly on a mount that followed a line of horses, nose-to-tail. I needed a different, more hands-on experience. Two years ago, I approached a trainer, Dana Rullo, in Olivenhain, California, and told her what I needed to accomplish in order to research and write this book. I admitted to her that I’d never had one lesson in my life but that I wanted to learn everything the correct way – no shortcuts. And I asked her to be strict with me. She agreed to train me. She was demanding and thorough and exactly the type of teacher I needed. I took hundreds of private riding lessons from her, sometimes riding three days a week to prepare for the two research rides I'd arranged. I still laugh at all the mistakes I made and how many times Dana said the words, "do-over." Often, if I knew I would be learning a new skill at the next lesson, I’d research it at length beforehand. One day, Dana gave simple, clear instructions on how to side-pass. I struggled and then reiterated the myriad of details I’d read about the technique. She shook her head and said, "Stop thinking so hard and start feeling!" Like my character, Maya, I had to learn that good horsemanship is as much about feeling as it is about thinking.

 
WWW: Paint the Wind is a departure from your other novels—it’s still your signature storytelling, but the epic Western landscape feels like exciting new terrain for you. What kind of research did you do to get to know your setting?

Muñoz Ryan: I needed to go where my story would be set, or somewhere similar, to see the wild horses in their habitat. So I signed up for two research rides. During the first one (in May 2006, in the eastern Sierra Mountains), the weather turned wet and cold, but our group rode anyway, one day for six hours in freezing rain. I will never forget the moment we finally encountered a harem band: That first sighting was awe-inspiring. The horses’ spirits were self-righteous and noble. And I realized how very seldom I have ever seen a large mammal in the wild, living free within its own defined society. That experience also gave me profound respect for the horses’ ability to withstand the elements and the restraints of man.
On the second ride (in August 2006, in southwestern Wyoming, near the Red Desert), we rode for eight days. I slept in a teepee, was caught on horseback in a swarm of "mean bees," bathed in the Sweetwater River, and spent long days in the saddle. In that part of the country, there is much more sky above than there is earth below, and for me, there was something unsettling and settling about the wide open spaces. At night, the stars came slowly, one by one. The Milky Way emerged as a smear – a giant swipe across the speckled blanket of sky. It was peaceful and comforting. But at the same time, against it, I felt belittled and helpless. I wanted to convey that feeling to the reader.

 
WWW: In alternating chapters throughout much of the novel, you write from the point of view of a wild horse, Artemisia. Did you always know her story would be such a central part of the book?

Muñoz Ryan: As the story developed, I knew that I wanted to incorporate the horse world from a perspective other than Maya’s. As I researched the herd dynamics of horses in the wild, I became intrigued by the nuances of their society and how it is structured, especially the role of the lead mare. When I needed a horse character to fulfill Maya’s unresolved longings about her mother, a lead mare seemed the right choice.

 
WWW: Were there any special challenges in writing from the point of view of an animal?

Muñoz Ryan: The biggest challenge was to avoid giving the horses anthropomorphic characteristics. The book would have been much easier to write if I could have given them human emotions! But that wouldn’t have been true to the animal world. A horse’s sensibility is different from a human’s and I wanted to portray it correctly. I tried very hard to depict appropriate equine responses, but I still left a little room for some creative license.

 
WWW: The horses in the book are named for famous painters. What was your inspiration for this?

Muñoz Ryan: I tried many different approaches to naming the horses. (At one time, I toyed with the idea of naming them after the towns in Wyoming.) While researching, I visited the Gilcrease Museum: The Museum of the Americas, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and was inspired by their collection. There I saw, among others, the works of Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, Olaf Seltzer, Charles Banks Wilson, John Singer Sargent, John Audubon, N.C. Wyeth, and Winslow Homer. The artists and their works stayed with me. I realized that many of them were likely unfamiliar to young people, so I saw an opportunity to subtly introduce them. But most importantly, naming the horses after famous painters fit the story. Many are named for painters of the American Southwest because the story is set there. I hoped that if readers searched for their work, they might appreciate the landscape, history, and color of a part of this country that is truly unique. Other horses are named for artists whose personal journeys impressed me, and who had to overcome their family’s or society’s reservations about them becoming artists, such as Mary Cassatt and Artemisia Genteleschi. I also chose a few artists, like N.C. Wyeth, simply because I’m in awe of his work.

 
WWW: Anything else you’d like to share about your adventures? What was your most surprising discovery?

Muñoz Ryan: The writing of this book was a physical and an emotional challenge. As my character grew in my imagination, I discovered new territories too, away from the safe and familiar. Until I learned how to ride, I had never appreciated a horse’s size and power and how sobering that can feel. Nor could I have imagined how passionately I would fall in love with horses, especially my training horse, Smokey, who knows so much more about riding than I do. The other revelation was how very much I appreciated being in the wilderness. There is something magical in a panoramic landscape. Without the extra-sensory world pressing in, the simplest tasks take on meaning, priorities become clear, relevance is easier to determine. As my character, Aunt Vi, says in the book, "Wide open space does that to people. Slows them down and gives them time and legroom to sort out their thoughts and put them in the right order." It certainly did that for me. Wide open space gave me the chance to slow down so that my story and characters could grow in my imagination.

 
WWW: The scene in which your main character, Maya, first learns to lope is exhilarating to read. Did you have a similar experience?

Muñoz Ryan: I’ll never forget the time I loped a long distance in Wyoming. We had been out all day for another long ride. Before we headed back to camp, we arrived at a vast grassy plain. We divided into two groups, those who wanted to hold back and those who wanted to move out. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. I moved forward in the saddle. I didn’t have to cue my horse because as soon as one horse started, mine immediately picked up the gait. The remuda horses were amazingly adept at loping over the sagebrush and avoiding holes. We loped faster and faster. It was as if the horses were racing each other in a great arching leaps. I have never ridden so fast or so far in my life. It was frightening and thrilling and invigorating, and…well…I can’t wait to do it again someday. I can’t wait to once more paint the wind.

WWW: Thanks for sharing with us, Pam!

August Reading Group

We'll start discussing our Monthly Selection around August 15th so get your copy and start reading now! Best price is through amazon.com. Here is information about the book from Rio Nuevo, the publisher's website:

The Wicked West
Boozers, Cruisers, Gamblers, and More
Sherry Monahan
$15.95
ISBN-13: 978-1-887896-74-0
ISBN-10: 1-887896-74-0
176 pp, 6 x 9, paper, 60 b&w photos and illustrations

The Wicked West takes readers on a sinful journey back to frontier days. Gallop your horse right into a saloon (that often really happened!). Learn how our forefathers—and foremothers—enjoyed life’s wild little pastimes, such as drinking, smoking, gambling, and of course, prostitution. Your guide for this riotous trip through saloons and bordellos all across the Old West is popular historian, Sherry Monahan. She shows you how to mix a mean whiskey cocktail and gives the rules for the high-rolling game of faro. Best of all, she introduces you to a crowd of rough, tough, real-life men and women who tell their unforgettable stories in their own salty words.

Who would have guessed that absinthe was a popular drink? It's now available again in the United States having been banned since 1912. Go to the reading forum link to learn more about the green fairy!

Sign up and join us at the WWW reading group forum.

Buy the book at our amazon.com link here.

blog interviews

Hi,
Today
http://storieshappen.blogspot.com/2007/08/jane-kirkpatrick-tenders-tale.html and http://favoritepastimes.blogspot.com/ both have blog interview with me posted. I talk about writing and life and issues of faith as well.
I'm busy working on my quilt and craft book so this will be short. When that book is finished I'm going to figure out how to add photographs to this blog. Then you can see the difference in the landscape from before and after the fire. But for now, I hope your day goes well. Jane

Willamette Writers Conference

The 38th Annual Willamette Writers Conference is being held, August 3-5 at the Airport Sheraton in Portland, Oregon. The Writers Faire, open to the public, is at the same location on Thursday evening from 6-9pm. Sixty northwest authors will be there to sell and sign books. Jo-Brew

www.Jo-Brew.com http//jo-brew.blogspot www.thecreswellchronicle

JULY READING GROUP

"Unsinkable: The Molly Brown Story" is my fourth biography, and the third I have written for the "Now You Know Bio" series from Filter Press.

Readers enjoy it on many levels. Young people can use these books for reports because of the research involved and the required non-fiction elements included, such as glossary, timeline, bibliography, index, and so on. Adult readers like these biographies because they are a quick, fun, and easy way to learn elements of history in a researched format they can enjoy and trust for historic accuracy.

The book recently received a silver CIPA EVVY award in the 2007 juvenile division. CIPA is the Colorado Independent Publishers' Association. My books are special because I work hard to bring history alive for the reader while incorporating my journalism degree and genealogy background with my intensive research methods. I dig for quotations, so the character can speak in his/her own voice, and I use historic photos and graphics contemporary to the life of the subject. For instance, although the "Unsinkable" topic is not new, this book contains newspaper graphics which have not seen the light of day since the Titanic sank in 1912. It stands out for its non-fiction format, which includes previously overlooked elements of Mrs. Brown's life. Joyce B. Lohse

Contact the author and buy the book here and join us at our reading forum. Discussion is open to the public and for anyone who loves historic writing. ~ Mod.

Creating A Family Farm

Our Willamette Valley is a lush stretch of green running through the northern third of Oregon between the coastal mountains and the Cascades. It is the place where my life is centered. From my home on the outskirts of Eugene, I travel through farm country in any direction. Most often toward the north where I have grown children and grandchildren.

Watching the seasons change on the farms as I passed by began to stimulate interest and questions. One particular farm house, located some distance back from the road intrigued me. There were no neighbors as far as I could see, just fields with changing crops. I seldom saw anybody around, never a woman but the house and small yard appeared well tended. When I returned from a grandchild's band concert or activity after dark, the single light glowing at the end of the long driveway was the only visible landmark on the unlit main road.

It seemed natural when my wondering about life in that house led me to create a story. That story of Cleo, a farm wife, became my first novel.

Never having lived on a farm, I began the framework from conversations with two older friends who had been farm wives. Many of the details of day to day farm life came from the two but the character of Cleo's mother-in-law, Edna, came from experiences in my teen days picking strawberries in a local field.

As the story grew, so did my need of knowledge. I began reading articles in the Country Life magazine, hung around the women at the Lane and Benton County Fairs, went to a few 4H meetings with my grandchildren, a few Grange events and made regular trips to the fruit and vegetable stands along the back roads that connect our farm towns. I talked to the extension service, to the local honey plant and to any of the farmers at the local farm store who were willing to spend time answering questions.

I spent time in each of those nearby farm towns before I decided which would be the center of life for Cleo and her children. I liked several but Harrisburg, about an hour north of my home, had the community feel I wanted.

As Cleo's story developed and my research went on, a secondary and larger theme overtook the tale. From one woman's struggle to survive in a culture she didn't understand, I discovered the need to bring the plight of the family farmer to the attention of readers. Hopefully the women who live and work in the city, buy their processed food at the chain stores and skip over the farmers market and fairs in favor of other entertainments.

I met with teachers who work to support their families and the farm they live on, farmers who work a second job at night, women who work in the neighbor's produce stand and women who spend two or three days a week as salespeople at the farmers market in the city.

Even the farms that set up the roadside markets need to have more than what they've grown. One farming family is partially supported by the nursery business the wife began while the men grew the traditional crops. Down the road from that historic farm, another plans special activities to attract more people. Senior retirement centers bring busses so the residents can shop and have lunch from a portable hot dog stand, finishing with ice cream and homemade pie. All summer children can feed the goats, visit other farm animals and play on the playground. The season ends with a computer planned corn maze, horse drawn wagons to the pumpkin patch and lots of cider. The production of crops is no longer enough. To succeed the farm family must have another source of cash flow and/or learn and practice sharp new business skills.

When my Preserving Cleo and the sequel, Cleo's Slow Dance, were both on the market, I felt like I'd told a tale of a woman's growth and put it in a vehicle that illustrated a major dilemma in our contemporary life style. Were I to do it again, I'd choose to pass on a stronger message as I see more people who are ready to listen. www.Jo-Brew.com http://jo-brew.blogspot.

Member News Update

Left, Carolyn Wilker, Center, Linda Hall, right, WWW member Jane Kirkpatrick in Guelph, outside of Toronto, during the Write! Canada Conference this past week. Carolyn is a writer and reviewer of many of Jane's books; Linda Hall is an award-winning mystery writer from New Brunswick. She's a favorite writer of WWW member Jane Kirkpatrick, who finally got to meet her face to face. Jane taught a five hour class on writing the Historical Novel and a one hour class called "Putting Duct Tape on the Harpies", about changing the stories we tell ourselves that keep us from writing. Writers make the best conference companions! Come meet some of your favorite writers at the WWW conference in Colorado Springs this fall.

Jane Kirkpatrick
http://janekirkpatrick.blogspot.com/

Award-winning author of 13 novels and two non-fiction books. A Tendering in the Storm, Book Two in the Change and Cherish Series (WaterBrook Press/Random House) is available now!

Join our reading group

We've created a reading group that you can join here, and we'll be discussing a WWW author's novel each month. This month we're reading Ann Parker's first novel in the Silver Rush mystery series entitled Silver Lies. Here's a comment from Ann in our ongoing conversation:

"Inez Stannert is my paternal grandmother's maiden name. She came to Leadville as a young child (her father was a blacksmith) until she was about 18, at which time she and her mother (!I cannot find a trace of her father, anywhere, after this time) moved to Denver. Granny never spoke to me about Leadville ... so it was a complete shock to me to find out (long after her death) that she had spent her formative years there. It was this bit of family history that started me on the path to researching Leadville and the creation of the Silver Rush series. The real Inez never set foot in a saloon, bar, or any other such place. But I wanted to name my protagonist after Granny, as a tribute of sorts. I checked with my relatives and they all agreed she would have been quite tickled by it ...A librarian once described the character Inez as "Miss Kitty [from the old TV series 'Gunsmoke'] unchained!" I rather liked that! There were women who ran/managed saloons in Leadville, but not many. Out of 300 or so saloon owners listed in the 1880 census, 3 were women." You can read the prologue to Silver Lies at the author's website. Buy the book at amazon.com or your local bookstore and join us for a fascinating summer read.

Thanks, Women Writing the West!

Hi everyone. I am very proud to announce that my second book, Arctic Lace has won two awards this month! I'm so thrilled, because this book was very important to me.

Last week I learnd that Arctic Lace had advanced in the 2007 Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) competition from semifinalist to finalist to bronze award winner in the How-to (Crafts/Hobby) category (#46).

Arctic Lace has also won the Foreword Book of the Year Silver Award in the Crafts & Hobbies category and it's the only knitting book that received an award this year!

I want to thank Women Writing the West for supporting me on my journey in researching and writing this book. When I first joined WWW about 5 years ago, Arctic Lace was just a dream in the back of my mind. At every step of they way working on this book I've received support and inspiration from other WWW members, and at each October conference I've been energized to keep moving on with my writing goals. My success with this book is a tribute to Women Writing the West and everyone in the organization who has been so generous sharing their experience with me. Thank you!

I also want to say thank you to Sigrun Robertson and all of the Oomingmak Co-op knitters I met in Alaska, especially Fran, Joyce, and Eliza, who took so much time to talk to me during my research trip. I dedicated the book to all of the co-op's knitters and I am so glad that they so many people appreciate their work and are learning about their unique contribution to the knitting universe as well as the ways they are using knitting to maintain their subsistence lifestyle.