BWG 2010 Conference "A Bridge to Publication"

Good Morning Friends,

Well it's conference week here in SW LA and the Bayou Writers' Group annual "Bridge to Publication" conference is underway!

Scheduled for this Saturday - November 13th - we've got a great lineup of speakers!  Here are the details:

At the Door Registration 8:00 – 8:45


Announcements 8:45 – 9 am

9-10 am – Harold Underdown – Preparing Children’s or YA book for Publication
     Children’s Book Editor Harold Underdown is a freelance editorial consultant. He has worked at Macmillan, Orchard, and Charlesbridge, and has experience in trade and educational publishing. Harold enjoys teaching, and in that role wrote The Complete Idiot's Guide to Children's Book Publishing, now in its third edition. He founded and runs "The Purple Crayon," a respected web site with information about the children's publishing world at www.underdown.org. Mr. Underdown will be happy to answer questions between critique/consultation appointments – please check his sheet to see what time your evaluation is and if you have basic questions, sign up in any available time slot.

Break/Announcements 10:00 – 10:15 am

10:15 – 11:15 Chere’ Cohen – Developing the NF book proposal/selling ideas to the NF market
     Multi-published Author, Cheré Dastugue Coen is an award-winning journalist and author living in Lafayette, Louisiana. She has worked or written for many publications and currently works as a freelance travel and food writer, plus pens the weekly books column and newsletter, Louisiana Book News. Her fiction includes Kensington historical romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her nonfiction books include the cookbook travelogue “Cooking in Cajun Country” (2009) and the upcoming “Magic's in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris and Sachets.” (2010) She is currently at work on the “Historic Guide to Cajun Country,” scheduled for release in 2011.

11:15 – 12:45 Lunch

12:45 – 1:45 Gary Goldstein – What Editors/Kensington Expect
     Gary Goldstein, Sr. Editor, Kensington started his editorial career at Crown Publishing in 1986. He spent two years at Bantam Doubleday Dell (now Bertelsmann AG) from 1988-1990. He joined Putnam Berkley Publishing (now Penguin USA) in May 1990. Following his stint at Berkley, in 1997 he moved on to Simon & Schuster’s Pocket Books division (where he signed up a then-unknown author named Dan Brown and his novel ANGELS AND DEMONS). He rejoined Penguin USA in 2000 (Alpha Books division, publisher of the Complete Idiot’s Guides.) In October 2003, he joined Kensington Publishing Group, where he acquires and edits both non-fiction for Kensington’s Citadel Press imprint and fiction (military and political thrillers, westerns, suspense), among them NY Times and USA Today bestselling authors William W. Johnstone and Michael Walsh.

1:45 – 2:00 Break/Announcements

2:00 – 3:00 Self/E/Small Press Published Author Panel - The INS & OUTS of Self, Electronic, & Small Press Publishing.
     Lesa Boutin is a children’s author who discovered a love for every aspect of a book’s life, from concept to completion. With a background in education, Lesa started her own publishing company, Boot in the Door Publications, in 2006, followed by the release of her YA novels, Amanda Noble, Zookeeper Extraordinaire in 2007, and Amanda Noble, Special Agent in 2008. Currently a writer with Writers in the Schools Houston, Lesa enjoys sharing her imagination and passion for storytelling with her students.

     Wendy Lanier is a Texas author whose writing includes book for Lerner Books, Capstone Press, Lucent Books, Kid Haven Press and contributions to: Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse, CBN.com, MOPS.org, Devokids.com, and The Amazing Bible Fact Book for Kids. Her educational and professional background includes a BS in Speech Communication Disorders and a M.ED in Elementary Education and over 18yrs in TX schools. She is a member of SCBWI and Bayou Writers’ Group.

     Curt Iles is a Southern writer with a warm style that makes one glad to be alive and wish to enter his world. He and his wife DeDe live in Dry Creek, Louisiana. Curt is a graduate of Louisiana College (B.S. 1979) as well as McNeese State University (M.Ed. 1985 and 1987). After fulfilling careers as a teacher/coach, school principal, and outdoor camp director, Curt began writing full time in 2006. The author of seven books, he speaks at over one hundred events yearly and can be reached at curtiles@aol.com. He recently released his seventh independent book, A Good Place. His previous six books have sold a cumulative 20,000 copies. Curt’s mission in life is “to be walk closely with Jesus, be a man God can use, and be respected by my wife and family.” His life verse are the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:33, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.”

     Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group. Multi-published in creative non-fiction and romantic fiction Pamela has five novels available in Ebook & Print (4 part Tempered Series ~ Com Star Media & The Inheritance ~White Rose Publishing) and six short stories (all available at White Rose Publishing) as well numerous articles, essays, & devotions to her credit. Her writing has been tagged as “Inspirational with an Edge!”™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

3:00 – 4:30 Door Prizes/On the Wall/Reception/Author Signing


As you can see there is something here that will benefit nearly EVERY writer so if you're in the area - drop on by and join us for a fun-filled/informative day!

Download the brochure HERE!

Hope to see you there!

Until later...take care & be blessed!
PamT

Not Much Going on in My World....

Good Morning Friends,

Just wanted to drop in and THANK you ALL for being my friend.

Not much new going on in my world....still waiting on edits on from Five Star on The Visionary, still in TN spending time with my friend Penney and doing a little bookkeeping job, still missing my friends at the Silver Spur Guest Ranch - hopefully will be back there soon.

If you're in the SW LA/SE TX area and looking to attend a writer's conference, come to the Bayou Writer's annual Bridge to Publication conference ~ we've got a great lineup of speakers! Get details at our website.

Well, as I said, not much else going on right now...check back Saturday when our spotlight is on Rebecca Vickery!

Until later, take care & be blessed!
PamT

What's Going on in MY World

Hello Friends,

When I consider what to blog about, I try and post something that would be of interest to many.... places where readers and authors connect, author spotlights, etc.

Today I thought I'd just drop by and fill you in on what's happening in my world.

On a personal note, you may or may not know that I am the grandmother of two beautiful children. My Angel Girl, Bryanna is 4 (5 in March) and "Baby Sean" will be 3 in April. I must admit I never beleived the saying, "there's nothing like being a grandparent" until I became one...and yes THERE'S NOTHING LIKE IT!

The great news is I'm going to be a grandmother again! My daughter is almost 3 months along now and we're hoping for a little brother for Bryanna.

On a professional note, my Agent has also accepted my gift book to pitch! I'm so happy about this!! Love is a Rose parallells the love of God and the Christian life to the words of The Rose, written by Amanda McBroom and performed by Conway Twitty and Bette Midler.

I'll be sure and keep you posted on what happens with the projects he pitches.

Bayou Writers Group's Anuual Fall Conference on the 15th was a smashing success! I was going to write a whole post about it, but my fellow BWG members beat me to it. Visit Nona, Mindy or Jess's blog to find out more. One of our guests also blogged about the conference!

Well Friends, that's about all the news for now. Today I'm guest blogging @ Simply Romance Reviews Blog so if you get a chance run over there and check it out.

Saturday Spotlight this week will be Judith Rochelle and her book, On the Run.

Hope you'll drop by and check out this great book.

IMW, have a BLESSED and Happy Thanksgiving!!

PamT

Good News - We Have An Agent!!

Hello Friends!

If you read my post on October 16th, you'll know that I pulled my book, The Visionary from Enspiren Press due to unforseen and unfortunate circumstances. This put me back to square one with the novel...should I pitch to other small presses or take a chance and find an agent to represent me?

With much prayer and consideration, I decided to give myself a time frame to find an agent and if no success, pitch to small presses.

Well, WE HAVE AN AGENT!

By the grace of God or a miracle (aren't they one and the same?) I hooked the 2nd person I queried!!

Mr. Les Stobbe has been in the business for 53yrs and is known as the champion of getting contracts for new authors.

Now some of you may feel like I do, that I'm not a new author, but in the eyes of bigger publishing houses, I just may be.

And that's fine!

As long as one contracts this book and my other WIP - Circles of Fate LOL!

Well Friends, just wanted to share with you this success and to THANK YOU for your continued prayers and support.

Now, on to more news.....

Wednesday I'll be spotlighting Masha Malka and her book The One Minute Coach for her virtual book tour through streetsmarketing.com.

Our Saturday Spotlight this week will be Amber Leigh Williams and her latest book Denied Origin.

Saturday is also Bayou Writers' Group's Annual Fall Conference so if you're in the vicinity of Lake Charles, Louisiana c'mon out and join us!

That's all for now, Folks!

Until later...take care, God Bless and remember....the Vision is yet for an appointed time!

PamT