Dark and Stormy Nights in Pen Argyl

We had a great D&SN at Grace UMC up in Pen Argyl last night. (Hosted by Blue Mountain Library) Six excellent readers from GLVWG and lots of questions from the audience. It was good to see fellow GLVWG members outside the bustle of a meeting and have some time to schmooze.

John Evans did his usual fine job of hosting the session.

Highly Recommended!

Writes Cafe Discussion Topic and New Venue

Smashwords 101
GLVWG Writer’s Café Oct. 12, 2011 7:00 PM
presented by David A. Miller

Location: Channel 39, Steelstax, Bethlehem MAP AND DIRECTIONS

Why is self-publishing better than traditional publishing?

Who named the thing Smashwords?  What does that mean?

What does it cost?

How does Smashwords make any money?

How should you price your book?  Why?

Why is Smashwords better than other self-publishing programs?

Why do you have to format your manuscript to their rules?

How long does it take to get published?

What about ISBN?

Who does the marketing? Distribution?

Announcing GLVWG May workshop

May 28th 2011
Liesel Dreisbach
County Extension Director, Penn State Extension 

Afternoon Workshop: Effective Meetings, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.Free to GLVWG members Non-Members $15.  Register Here

Have you ever attended a meeting and wondered later why you bothered to waste your time?  Every person who participates has a role in making it a more effective meeting.  How to identify and achieve meeting objectives and how to facilitate meetings will be the focus.  We’ll also look at group formation, which occurs over and over again as some people join the group and others leave.

Morning Program: Making Decisions using Parliamentary Procedure

Parliamentary procedure is confusing, right?  We’ll talk about how and when parliamentary procedure should be used.  

OK, this sounds dry as dirt, right?  Wrong.  It's a fun exercise in building trail mix.  What, you ask, does trail mix have to do with effective meetings?  Well, 25 or so people will collectively decide how much of what goes into the trail mix.  Raisin advocates will debate dried mango partisans as to which ingredient gets to be the highlight of the mix.  Can consensus be reached?  You'll never know unless you are there.  Oh, and you get to eat the trail mix at the end, so how can you lose?

Congratulations to Becky Bartlett

Member Becky Bartlet has finaled in the annual "Sandy" contest in mainstream fiction with "An Unexamined Life."  The Sandy, sponsored by Crested Butte Writers, is a high profile, respected contest, with a very real chance at publication at the end.

Good luck Becky!

Jeffrey B. Allen lands a miniseries

That's right, GLVWG's own Jeff Allen has landed a miniseries for his novel Gone Away Into the Land.  Mucho kudos, Jeff and good luck dealing with Hollywood. 

Here's the story, towards the bottom of the article: http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/starr_report_esXi8hfJkdqFx0N1PrNidJ

Jon Gibbs is #4! (Well, sorta)

Jon Gibbs reports his YA novel, Fur-Face, currently #4 on OmniLit.com's Juvenile Fiction chart :)

Congragulations Jon.

Only 3 Days Left!

Write Stuff Conference prices increase on Saturday.  Register now here.

New release by Albert Defilippantonio bridges East and West

 Rockabilly Haiku & Swingin’ Tails bridges East and West.

What does music that originated in the Appalachian hills have in common with Eastern philosophy and young Asian greasers?

Quite a bit, as it turns out. And a new book by Albert Difilippantonio, Jr., will leave you wondering how you ever doubted the connection.

In Rockabilly Haiku & Swingin’ Tails (48 pp., $14.50), a collection of haiku poems, a short story and campy illustrations, Difilippantonio weaves a tale that spans generations, continents and cultures—and leaves the reader with a sense of wonder at the way it all fits together.

This is the first collection of published material by Difilippantonio, whose memoir pieces appeared previously in The Sun magazine.

Carole J. Heffley, writing in The Irregular, an arts and culture newspaper based in Easton, Pa. (Difilippantonio’s hometown), says: “…it is best to forget ‘haiku’ in Mr. D’s work and enjoy the poems for what they are: pulsating, pushing the envelope, gyrating little poetic snapshots of life that rock.”

In Rockabilly Haiku & Swingin’ Tails, Difilippantonio leads the reader from the early days of rural Appalachian music through its evolution into blues, jazz, rock ’n’ roll, and rockabilly—all while drawing upon references to Elvis, Buddha and Lao Tzu, the Chinese Taoist philosopher of the 6^th century B.C.E.

Playwright and novelist William Marley says: “Albert Difilippantonio, Jr., has taken a classic Asian poetic form and staked his claim, imbuing it with rockabilly humor, sexual energy, and wisdom.”

A recent graduate of the creative writing graduate program at Wilkes University, Difilippantonio currently makes his home in Singapore, where he is at work on a forthcoming novel.

Visit http://rockabilly-haiku.com/ for more information and to order. Rockabilly Haiku & Swingin’ Tails (ISBN 978-1-61658-979-0) is also available at Amazon.com.

To arrange a book signing or interview, contact Albert Difilippantonio, Jr., at albert@rockabilly-haiku.com.

Kieryn Nicolas Rain wins top ten Editors and Preditors award

Congratulations to our own Kieryn Nicolas.  Her novel Rain made the Top 10 list in the annual P&E poll in the young adult category.  And well deserved it is.  Hmm...I wonder how many of the authors ARE young adults?

Way to go, Kieryn!

Check it out here:

http://critters.org/predpoll/final_tally_novelyoungadult.ht

Katie Grimm at The Write Stuff

Literary agent Katie Grimm will be at Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group annual conference, "The Write Stuff."  Click here: ALL THE WRITE STUFF to see a profile of Katie on the Write Stuff blog.

Jeff Allen snags another top ten review!

Great review, Jeff, Congragulations!

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 5, 2011

Reader's Choice Book Reviews Top 10 Books of 2010

3. Gone Away Into The Land By Jeffrey B. Allen 

Jeffrey B. Allen showcases his considerable imagination and writing talent in creating an entire universe. His lead is a believable, lovable character with which readers young and old will quickly bond. The villains are wonderfully horrible and easy to loathe, without overshadowing the hero. The secondary characters are interesting, fresh and well drawn. The dialogue is crisp and clear and well suited to the vast variety of creatures and peoples. Allen slowly reveals his characters' secrets along the way, keeping the reader captivated throughout. He wastes none of these nearly 500 pages, using suspense and vibrant description to keep the pages turning. He brings all the players together in a David versus Goliath-type showdown for the ages that will have you rooting for John to the end. I believe it will become the next time-tested classic fantasy tale, universally adored and mentioned in the same breath as The Wizard of Oz, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Lord of The Rings. I highly recommend this thought-provoking, entertaining read.

D&SN Kudos and Comments by the Mysterious Diane Nelson

John Evans must be congratulated for doing a superb job of organizing and conducting a highly successful program which proved to be entertaining, informative and audience friendly.  Plus he managed to put me, at least, quite at my ease.

It was the eclectic mix of readings from a variety of genres that engaged and held the audience's attention, even the young'uns in the group.

I liked the intimate setting, being close to the listerners, surrounded by like-minded folk sharing their passion - and their nerves.

My son camcorded the session and will make a DVD/CD available to whomever wishes a copy - including the GLVWG archives - when he gets back from Florida.

It was also a pleasure to meet GVLWG members 'in the flesh', and I look forward to participating in future programs.

Diane 'the elusive' Nelson

Bernadette Sukley at Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus

Our seventh GLVWG author for the Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus event on December 11th is Bernadette Sukley.

Bernadette has been researching, writing and editing for over 20 years.  Her work has appeared in Sports Illustrated for Women, Men's Health and Natural Health magazines. She's written and copy edited for the Danish-based expat publication, ABROAD.  Her novel, A Saving Hurricane is about a woman who flees to New Orleans from an abusive husband in NY, straight into the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

So join Bernadette at Dark and Stormy Nights at Shops of Emmaus on December 11th.

Diane Nelson at Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus

Our sixth GLVWG author for the Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus event on December 11th is the mysterious Diane Nelson

Diane is a versatile and prolific writer.  After thirty years as an analytical chemist and technical writer, Diane retired to writing fiction full time.  Her first published novel, Dragon Academy, for the YA and adult market came out in eBook form and is available on Amazon and other digital bookstores.  Sculpting David and the Portals novella series can be viewed here.  She is the editor of the anthology Flashes Through Time. Diane is also an accomplished poet. 

Join us at Shops of Emmaus Dark and Stormy Nights on December 11th to meet the elusive Diane.

Roman D. Mac at Dark at Stormy Nights in Emmaus

Our fifth GLVWG author for the Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus event on December 11th is Roman D. Mac.

By the age of twelve Roman joined the Ukrainian underground where he served as a scout, special courier, and operational leader. Whether against the Nazis or the Communists he understood the stakes: to win the freedom of Ukraine or die trying. In "The Winding Path to Freedom," He tells the story of his years as a freedom fighter, escaping the Communists by walking to Germany's American zone and his life after immigrating to America in 1950. He served in the US Army, graduated from college, and established a business manufacturing accessories for musical instruments.

Join Roman at Dark and Stormy Nights on December 11th and learn true history from a man who helped make it.

Sally L. Luckenbach at Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus

Our fourth GLVWG author for the Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus event on December 11th is Sally L. Luckenbach

Sally is a stress management consultant based here in the Lehigh Valley. In classes and private consultations, she teaches a broad spectrum of techniques for both children and adults to address the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of each person. She is the author of The ABCs of Stress Management, a practical philosophy and program of wellness that uses a novel approach of word associations and simple exercises to acknowledge, understand, and manage stress.

A former reporter and copy editor for The Morning Call newspaper, she began a second career in wellness and stress management in 1991. Sally has a BA in Psychology from Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA, and continues her studies and the practice of CranioSacral Therapy and other forms of relaxation techniques. She is affiliated with the Lehigh Valley Health Network.

So join Sally at Dark and Stomy Nights on December 11th and get stress reduced for the holidays!

John Evans at Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus

Our third GLVWG author for the Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus event on December 11^th is John Evans.

John has a special interest in Mark Twain. His first book, A Tom Sawyer Companion, draws a parallel between The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Twain’s personal adventures as a boy.  “Getting the Bugs out of Tom Sawyer” is a humorous look at an entomologist obsessed with insects mentioned by Twain.  John also reviews books for the Mark Twain Forum, an on-line website of Twain scholars who share an interest in Twain’s life and writing.  John recently retired from teaching and has turned his energies to writing fiction. His first novel The Cut was published by Beachhouse Books to favorable reviews. He has just completed a second novel, Dead Issues.

John is also the organizer and head honcho of GLVWG's "Dark and Stormy Nights" project, so join us at noon in the Emmaus library on the 11^th and watch John not read his work, because he will be the MC.

Elizabeth Bodien at Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus

Today we're highlighting GLVWG author Elizabeth Bodien for the Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus event on December 11th.

Elizabeth holds multiple degrees from the University of California (Berkeley), John F. Kennedy University, and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, USA.  She has worked as a teacher of English in Japan, an organic farmer in Oregon, a certified childbirth instructor in West Africa, a calligrapher, a graphic designer and a certified Montessori teacher.  She has taught cultural anthropology and critical thinking on the college level.

Elizabeth is a published (no mean feat in itself) and award winning poet in such diverse areas as haiku and poetry to be translated into Pennsylvania German.  On December 11^th she will be reading from Plumb Lines and Rough Terrain: Notes of an Undutiful Daughter.  Finishing Lines Press will publish her next collection, Endpapers, in January, 2011.  Click for a sample of her poetry, Garden Shed.

Plan to join Elizabeth in Emmaus on Saturday, December 11^th.

Jeffrey B. Allen - Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus

Our first GLVWG author to showcase for the Dark and Stormy Nights in Emmaus event on December 11th is Jeffrey B. Allen.

Jeff has had such a varied career it is difficult to fit in any one box.  He has been a high school teacher, a master cabinet maker, and an award winning business owner.  He's taken bike tours around the USA, and has his fifty ton Coast Guard captain's license.  In addition to writing – his second novel Beneath the Quarry Waters, is scheduled for release February 8th, 2011 – he teaches courses at NCACC and lectures on writing and social issues.  Jeff is also a fellow of the National Writing Project at Penn State University.  His complete bio is here.

On December 11th Jeff will be signing and reading from his first novel, Gone Away Into the Land, a fantasy that uses the technique of Magical Realism to deal with the very real problem of domestic violence.

So be sure to attend GLVWGs first Dark and Stormy Nights event at Shops of Emmaus on December 11^th and say hello to Jeff!

Dark and Stomy Nights at Shops of Emmaus

Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group (GLVWG) is participating, via D&SN, in Shops of Emmaus this year on December 11th, 2010.  Book readings, signings and a reception for authors. With food!  Public invited.

From Fantasy to Stress Management, from a WWII partisan's story to YA adventure, GLVWG has it all at Shops of Emmaus.  All the info is HERE.