June 14, 2008

OKRWA June 2008 Newsletter

June 2008 Program
Saturday, June 21, 2008 @ 1:00 p.m.


Historical Author Panel


Speakers



Merline Lovelace


Amanda McCabe


Sharon Sala

From The Prez: Christy Gronlund

Have you been watching American Idol? I love this show. Out of 100,000 people the judges pick 24 hopefuls to compete for the title. This process mimics the process we all go through on our journey as writers. In the show, the contestants must first audition in front of assistance judges. If they make it through to the next round, they are judged by Randy, Paula and Simon. If they are good enough, they get the golden ticket to Hollywood. Our contests do the same thing. At first you are judged by the first tier judges, the published and the trained judges. At the next tier, you have finaled and are judged by an editor or agent. At this point, you are in Hollywood week. If your book gets requested and published, you are in the final 24 and it is time for America to judge.

The thing I truly love about this show is that in the final 24 there is such variance. Most of these hopefuls have worked very hard to get to this point. They have been well trained in the vocal arts. The same can be said of writers who have trained, critiqued and polished their books. The variance, however, isn’t because of a lack of talent or training. The judges keep telling each of the contestants to make the song choices their own. To show America who they are as artists. But that isn’t all. All these singers have a good voice and, for the most part, they choose songs that compliment that voice. However, there are some of them that seem to lack the ability to connect with their audience.

I asked a friend of mine, who used to sing professionally, why some of these singers couldn’t connect with the audience. She told me that the only way you could form a connection is to decide the song’s meaning and sing that meaning to the audience. The meaning doesn’t even have to be the original meaning but something that touches the artist so that meaning can be conveyed through their song.

I realized that this technique is also the same thing as writing the book of your heart. It doesn’t matter if the writing is good (technical prowess), it doesn’t matter if the song choice is good (a genre that is popular at this moment), if you don’t remain true to your voice and your message, you will not be able to convey your message and touch your reader. So forget what’s popular at the moment, know that you have been trained well, decide the message you want your reader to hear and write the book of your heart.

Christy

New Releases




Nothing Personal
Jaci Burton

It was nothing personal, just a business arrangement. Ryan McKay is a multi-millionaire with a problem. He needs a bride to fulfill the terms of his grandfathers will. Unfortunately, the one he chose just bailed on him and hes hours away from losing his company. Enter Faith Lewis his demure, devoted assistant. Ryan convinces Faith to step in and marry him, assuring her their marriage is merely a business deal. Ryan is certain he can keep this strictly impersonal. After all, hes the product of a loveless marriage and for years has sealed his own heart in an icy stone. Despite Faiths warmth, compassion and allure, hes convinced hes immune to her charms. Faith will do anything for her boss, but marry him? The shy virgin sees herself as plain and unattractive, a product of a bitter mother who drummed into her head that she wasnt worthy of a mans love. But she agrees to help Ryan fulfill the terms of his grandfathers will, hoping she doesnt lose her heart to him in the process. But love rarely listens to logic, and what follows is anything but business.

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No One Lives Forever
Jordan Dane

Born to a life pitted by violence, a man desperately seeks peace to move on. He's fallen in love with a Chicago homicide detective, but just when he embarks on a new life, his old one comes calling. A mysterious and beautiful assassin barges into his downtown Chicago flat, attempting to collect on an old marker. She confesses the true identity of his crime boss father—a name kept secret by his mother—and begs his help to free the man kidnapped in Brazil. The ransom note gives him only ten days to attempt an impossible rescue. Will he risk his future to discover his past?

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Damned, Delicious and Dangerous
Delilah Devlin


Men of darkness, men of passion...trapped by temptation and bound by desire. No woman can refuse their erotic invitation for sexual pleasure...

"The Demon Lord's Cloak" by Delilah Devlin
Bound and naked, Voletta has every reason to fear the mysterious man holding her in his arms. Instead his brooding presence intrigues her, his hard body excites her--and his rough touch arouses her...

"Night Sins" by Lisa Renee Jones
In the battle between good and evil, Kayla Ward knows vampires are strictly off limits. But Ethan's dark sensuality and seductive allure leave her craving hot, passionate sex...

"The Devil's Paradise" by Megan Kerans
Justice Malloy is looking for the perfect place for a wedding reception. What she finds at The Last Resort Hotel is a man whose raw male power promises carnal pleasure like she's never felt before...

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The Darkest Kiss
Gena Showalter

She has tempted many men… but never found her equal.

Until now.

Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death—a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.

But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya herself, their uncontrollable attraction becomes an anguished pursuit. Now they must defeat the unconquerable forces that control them, before their thirst for one another demands a sacrifice of love beyond imagining.…



Member News


Rinda Elliott signed with agent, Miriam Kriss, of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

Please join us in congratulating our members on these fantastic achievements.


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From the Editor
Please, send all member news, new releases, writing articles, etc. to Debbie Behrens at Deb.Behrens@yahoo.com .


Posted by Debbie Behrens :: 9:07 PM :: ---------------oOo---------------