These are hard times for too many, hemmed in, strung out. Anxious. Chrissie, Wes, Rick, Linda and I had tried to glom onto some hope that our fall conference could take place as usual. Given the current phased opening failures in regaining some semblance of normalcy, we cannot in good conscience attempt to conduct an in-person event that will place so many conferees and staff in peril. Even if the hotel manages to fully re-open, the risk to our SCWC community remains great; the unknowns persistently unknowable. Consequently, we’re postponing Irvine until September 17-19, 2021.
Suffice to say, despite our rousing winter conference this past February, 2020 has quickly become a shitty year. The prospect of it getting better is fast fading. While we’re all personally better together–and our inability to gather this September deeply disheartening for me personally–clearly together we all must shoulder through these unsettling times and do all we can to stay safe, keep others safe, and document all that we can until, at last, we again reconvene. While so many of us are apart, what we together share, each uniquely, is an individual perspective on a staggering, historic event, the impact of which will be furiously scrutinized well beyond our lifetimes. As we’re writers, again, I can’t stress or urge you enough to make the time to document this moment as thoroughly as possibly. It’s urgent. We’re the caretakers of history happening now.
Still, that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of good to report…
A Slew of Good “Muse”
Books by SCWCers recently out include KJ Kennelly’s The Angel Ship … A new Boudreaux Universe novel from Bethany Lopez, Easy Risk … Indy Quillen’s Reputation … The eleventh in Teresa Burrell’s series, The Advocate’s Killer.
From Terry Black, My Trashy Romance … Lia Fairchild’s third in her Bridge Brothers series, Beautiful Bridges … Miles Beauchamp’s Still Amazed, a collection of short stories, blogs, columns, art and more … Mark C. Jackson’s The Great Texas Dance, the second in his tales of Zebadiah Creed series.
Elisabetta Panzica’s The Atlantean Empire (Wisdom’s Quest Book 1) is now out … As is Russ Thompson’s coming of age novel, Taken Away … And a novella from Greta Boris, available exclusively on her website, The Escape Room.
Out this month: Mike Murphey’s Taking Time: A Tale of Physics, Lust and Greed … Raul Ramos y Sanchez’s King Robin (writing as R.A. Moss) … A memoir from novelist Richard Anderson, A Door Left Open.
In August we have Jeff Pollak’s First Second Coming: Book One In The New God Series … In September, R.D. Kardon’s Angel Flight is the second in her Flygirl Trilogy.
Also, this just in from longtime SCWCer Thomas Wing: “Pixie Forest Publishing is putting together an anthology for middle-graders titled Phobia!, and it is in this book that my story will appear. I don’t have a publication date yet, but I’ll announce it on my writer page when I get it … grateful to workshop leaders Ara Grigorian, Janis Thomas, Claudia Whitsitt, Laura Taylor, and Jennifer Silva Redmond, and especially my editor, Jean Jenkins. While none of them have actually looked at this particular story, the lessons I learned from all of them let me edit this story and get it published.”
Congratulations and much success to all!
Shot at our recent San Diego event, below is a new doculogue on agents, editing, an alternate path to publication success and more featuring authors (in order of appearance) Holly Kammier, Adalyn Grace, Nathan Makaryk, and Tori Eldridge. Much information in it, so kick back with a refreshing beverage and take notes.
Cheers!
– Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS
