Conference, Fall, & Holiday Fun...

Happy Wednesday All,

We're almost done with August, in fact, September starts tomorrow. Writers have until September 23rd to register for the Northwest Houston RWA Lone Star Writer's Conference. All writers, of all genres are welcome. We open up the conference to all writers of all genres, so take advantage of that.

Morning Speaker will be NY Times Bestseller, Kerrelyn Sparks. The afternoon speaker is going to be Sandra Beckwith from Buildbookbuzz.com. We'll have raffle baskets to raffle off, there will be pitch sessions going on, and more.

Some writers have said they couldn't make this year. Very well, if you, a writer, can't make it this year, then put us down for next year. Generally we have the Conference the first Saturday in October. That's the date it's been ever since I started going to the conference back in 2009. So see, the time of year hasn't changed, just when the first Saturday of October is changes (some years it's not the 1st of October).

As Summer slips past us, and Fall starts in, I get a sense of an anticipation. Not just for the Conference, but also for cooler weather...for Holidays and fun. Anybody who knows me well knows that Halloween isn't my favorite Holiday. Thanksgiving is all right, but I'm really a big Christmas fan. My husband puts up with Hallmark Christmas movies from the moment they begin until the moment they end (then he deals with the Valentine's ones in February, because let's face it, I consider myself hopelessly romantic).

One of the things I love about Christmas are the lights. I like seeing houses and buildings lit up in a festive glow. We're hoping to make it out to Disney World sometime (not this year) during the Christmas season in part for that reason. I hear so much about how beautiful and wonderful it is. This year, we're looking at San Antonio for a little visit during the December month and I'm looking forward to seeing the lights along the Riverwalk (I've been to San Antonio and the Riverwalk several times, but not during the Christmas/Advent Season). We're also looking at going to Sea World--we've been there in the Summer, but never for their Christmas events. I had no idea they were even open during that time!

After the Conference on October 1st, we'll probably start gearing up for Halloween. Generally my kids go Trick or Treating with the cousins, but due to some changes this year, I'm not sure what will be happening. Eldest already knows what he wants to be for Halloween, Youngest is pretty laid back and goes with the flow.

For Thanksgiving, I think one of my aunts is coming into town, which will be fun. I always enjoy seeing her, and having Thanksgiving at my parents' house is a treat.

This year, I'm hoping Texas gets cooler than last year. Last year we pretty much were wearing shorts at Christmas, which just felt completely wrong to me. Even in my part of Texas we generally can wear warm clothing at Christmas. I love wrapping up in blankets and watching Christmas Specials at home. Making hot cocoa or tea is always fun, too.

What do you like about the Fall months and the holidays during Fall and Winter?

Have A Whimsically Wonderful Wednesday!

It's Worth A Fortune

Happy Tuesday Everyone, Does anyone remember the song If I Had A Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies ? I can't remember when or how I was first introduced to this song, but it's a fun song. So, how about if you had a million dollars? What would you do with it? Of course there's the responsible things to do with a million dollars--pay off debts, and such like that. Then there's the question of whether or not you give to charities, and how much. But, suppose you answered all those questions and you still had quite a lot left; what would you do with it? Maybe I'd go to Disney World. I've wanted to go, and I've never been able to. Or, perhaps I'd go to Germany and England, and Belgium (three of the countries my ancestors are from). Travel around seeing family and friends I don't see often. There's all kinds of possibilities. So, what about you? What would you do with a million dollars? Have A Tremendous Tuesday!

Spotlight On Author: Loretta Wheeler

Happy Tuesday Everyone, There's a gem of an author I've had the privilege of coming across...I'm talking about my friend, Loretta Wheeler. She's a sweetheart and very talented author. I enjoyed her YA Paranormal novella, The Pan Man immensely. And, she also writes Romance. So without further ado, come into my parlor and meet Loretta Wheeler: Me: In your YA novelette, The Pan Man , you mention Pan's looking for his long lost soul mate. What made you choose Pan out of all the Greek/Roman gods and goddesses? Loretta: I chose the Greek god Pan, because of the connection with the music. I found later on in the story, (my stories take over and write themselves usually) it applied even more than I realized because of the band's name. I won't mention the name of the band in here, because it's part of the surprise ending. Me: You're mostly known for your Romance stories. How would you describe your writing style? Hot, suspenseful, sensual, sw...

Myths About Writers

Afternoon Folks, I thought we'd do a post to dispel some of the myths people seem to have about writers. I'll put the ones that first come to mind then y'all can chime in. Myth: Writing is a great way to make a lot of money. I'm not sure exactly how this one matriculated. Probably in the wake of some of the big best sellers (i.e. Stephen King, Anne Rice, Stephenie Meyer, JK Rowling, and the like) but most of the time writers put in more money for their writing than they do get out of it. Generally a writer doesn't make a ton of money unless somehow his/her book is a blockbuster hit and blasts through what the author owes in the advance (which is paid back to publishers through royalties). Most writers I've met and talked to are not millionaires. I'm not saying it can't happen, I'm saying it's not one of those things that's automatic. Myth: Writing Is Easy Anybody Can Do It. Okay, granted this isn't entirely a myth, but it's not ent...

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