Gwendolyn Womack is the author of The Memory Painter, a dazzling debut novel that skips through time and blends romance, intrigue, mystery and science with masterful flair. Of it, in a starred review Library Journal declares, “It’s best not to try to analyze the ambitious plot of this thriller … just hang on for a wild and entertaining ride around the world and through the centuries back to ancient Egypt.” “Fundamentally it speaks to the cultural, emotional, and spiritual connectedness that binds us all,” avows The New York Journal of Books. And NY Times best-selling author M. J. Rose (The Witch of Painted Sorrows) calls it, “A sweeping, mesmerizing feat of absolute magic.” The first of our Special Guest Speakers to be announced, we’re delighted to welcome Gwendolyn to the SCWC.
While we’re crafting another unique conference experience for LA14, given the capacity crowds that attended his “Book Blueprint: From Foundation to Finish” at last month’s San Diego event, author/workshop leader Ara Grigorian will return to Irvine to co-present a new 5-part series of sessions being developed with yet another of our popular author/workshop leaders, Janis Thomas. Also confirmed, Jean Jenkins will conduct her popular 2-part genre workshop, “Best Foot Forward: Polishing to Impress.” From New York’s Corvisiero Literary, agents Marisa Corvisiero and Samantha Bremenkamp are on board. Also, addressing the countless questions many authors are grappling—whether traditionally published or pursuing the personal path to publication—public relations ace Paula Margulies will be joining us. Her terrific The Tao of Book Publicity: A Beginner’s Guide to Book Promotion is now available.
Speaking of Good “Muse”
Plenty other SCWCers with new books out, or soon to be released: Claudia Whitsitt’s Beyond the Lines has just dropped. The second in her Kids Like You series, Dream Girls Hattie, Crackers, and Beverly Jo return with the same determination and resolve they displayed in the first … From the ever-prolific Bethany Lopez, 7 Months, the next installment in her Time for Love series, is out March 24th … The fifth in her popular Peri Minneopa Mysteries, Gayle Carline again tosses the charming housecleaner-turned-detective into hot water with A More Deadly Union, out May 26th.
In her first foray into teen contemporary, Mary G. Thompson’s Amy Chelsea Stacie Dee is out October, followed by yet another of her delightfully dark YA fantasies, Flick and Mist, come January, 2017. Both in hardcover from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt … Finally, from Buzz & Roar Publishing, Christa Yelich-Koth’s sci-fi Identity, the sequel to Illusion, will be published this fall. Congratulations and best of success to all!
We have lots of staff still to announce, including many authors, agents, editors and other publishing professionals both familiar and fresh. We’re also developing several new workshops to address some of the most confounding issues impacting most writers, as was time and again brought to our attention at SD30. More on that soon.
Until next time, take advantage of the Early “Bard” Pre-registration discount off Full Conference participation and register today. Join the conversation on our SCWC Facebook group. And be sure to watch this brief excerpt from novelist Elizabeth Marro’s talk at SD30.
–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC
