I’m so proud to be co-chair for the Redwood Writers conference this year! A lot of planning and preparation has gone into the creation of the 2018 Pen to Published Conference scheduled for April 21, 2018. In addition to a new venue (the Finley Community Center in Santa Rosa) and sessions on craft, genre, publishing and marketing, there will be workshops on Flash Fiction, Fiction/Nonfiction, Social Media and Memoir and Individual Coaching Sessions from experts in their fields. There will be two keynote speakers: Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writers Press and SparkPress and President of Warner Coaching Inc. and Ellen Sandler, TV Writer/Producer and current President of the Entertainment Industry Assoc. of Consultants & Educators.  There will be entertainment during lunch—Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits presented by Healdsburg’s Raven Players. You’ll see some of the Bard’s best scenes from hits like Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy of Errors in 30 minutes!  See more information about the conference and register by Feb. 15, 2018 to receive the Early Bird discount rate of $95.

Today was the official Redwood Writers 2017 Anthology Book Launch Party at Linda Loveland Reid’s elegant home. I had a lot of fun reading an excerpt of my story, History in Our Midst, and then introducing the main characters and my guests, Dusty Roads and Jean Montague, just before the luncheon. Dusty and Jean were beaming as they were surrounded by a bevy of writers thanking them for what they did for women’s rights.

I am proud to announce I was elected vice president (one of three) and member of the executive board of the Redwood Writers Branch of the California Writers Club. When I embarked on my writing journey and joined Redwood Writers in 2014, I experienced how the workshops, contests, conferences, and support groups truly exemplify their theme of “writers helping writers.” I’ve always been a supporter of professional organizations that educate and help their membership to achieve their highest potential. I look forward to returning the favor by assisting and promoting the organization and its members. It is also my pleasure to be co-chair for the 2018 Pen to Published Conference.

Today, my short story about Dusty Roads, History in Our Midst, was accepted for publication by the judges in the competitive 2017 Redwood Writers Anthology! The book will be published in time to sell at the Sonoma County Fair. The official launch party will be on September 24.

Today’s scheduled Agent’s Day and pitchfest meeting was cancelled due to the fact that the agents were coming from some distance and unable to get to Sonoma County because of the rains, flooding and dangerous driving conditions. I was asked by the speaker committee chairman to join in an impromptu panel to discuss my experiences writing a nonfiction book proposal. There was a sizable group of locals who were there. I enjoyed giving everyone some of my tips based on what I’ve learned about book proposal structures, varied agent requirements and persistence. I also talked about the biography I’m writing about Dusty. My speech was well received and I had the opportunity for some excellent follow-up discussions with other writers about the challenges of finding an agent and breaking into traditional publishing verses self-publishing.