News And Announcements

Do you remember the 21st night of September?
Love was changin’ the minds of pretenders
While chasin’ the clouds away

So sang the great Earth, Wind & Fire on “September,” the joyful R&B affirmation released in 1978. September 21, 2019, Saturday evening special guest speaker Kali Wallace (Dead Space) joined the SCWC in Irvine to share her affirmation of purposeful being as a writer. Now, two years later and barring any major setbacks, California is on track to re-open and we will return to Irvine for our annual in-person fall event.

There’s much to report, but we’re waiting until June 15th to assess what tweaks might be needed regarding hotel accommodations. In the meantime…

Good “Muse” Galore

Since February’s San Diego wrap update, there are so many new SCWCer books to report now out or coming soon that I’m simply going to do so alphabetically:

Ryka Aoki’s LGBT sci-fi novel Light from Uncommon Stars drops September from Tor … Simone Berkowitz’s (writing as Simone De Munoz) debut medical thriller Manflu is now out … Matt Coyle’s eighth Rick Cahill mystery, Last Redemption, arrives in November … Gene Desrochers’ second Caribbean noir murder mystery, Sweet Paradise.

Tiffany de Vos’ (writing as T.D. Fox) debut YA fantasy The Walls of Orion … Marie Estorge’s latest memoir, Then There Was Larry, “a razor-sharp look at duplicity and betrayal among friends and lovers” … Jide Familoni’s novel about a struggling immigrant scientist, The Rachel Project … Kelley Gusich’s (writing as Kelley Kaye) Strangled by Simile, book three in her Chalkboard Outlines cozy mysteries.

Joe Jablonski (writing as J. John Nordstrom) sold his debut novel, A Thing with Feathers, to British indie The Writing Collective … Bethany Lopez’s two most recent novels, Unwoven Ties and Starter Wife … Pamela McCord’s The Problem at Wisteria Gardens, third in her Pekin Dewlap Series.

Reina Lisa Menasche’s spooky The Spirit of Shy Moon Lake … Mike Murphey’s Killing Time, third in his Physics, Lust and Greed Series, as well as the nonfiction chronicle of the Chad Mitchell Trio, We Never Knew Just What it Was (out August) … Elisabetta Panzica children’s picture book Butterfly.

Evan Ramspott’s (writing again as Better Hero Army) Archraven, Hollow Mountain Butterfly Book 3, and Soldierina … Suzanne Redfearn’s Hadley and Grace, a crime fiction … Michele Scott’s The Archangel Agenda: An Evangeline Heart Thriller.

Two young adult novels from Russ Thompson, Never Wanted and All Alone … Janet F. Williams’ (as Zoe Amos) LGBTQ+ romance, Talk to Me … and Thomas Wing has a story appearing in the new collection Phobia!: An Anthology of Fear, “Please Don’t Let Me Fall!”

Best of success to all!

Pre-registration Now Open

Discounted Early “Bard” Pre-registration is open. Do so now to save on Full Conference participation. We introduced several new workshops at San Diego 35 and will do so again in September. With the SCWC community, it’s about the writers in the room, not the person behind the podium; getting writers to the level of commercially viable craft; helping writers find that one passionate advocate so often crucial to publication success. Regular updates resume next month. Here’s what you need to know now…

SCWC*LA/IRVINE 18 LOCATION: The conference will likely return to Sonesta Irvine Hotel (formerly Wyndham Irvine), located at 17941 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614. Dates are September 17-19, 2021. Lodging discounts will be available to SCWC conferees. Phone (949) 863-1999 to book your reservation, or do so online (when available). Deadline for discounted hotel registration is pending until June 15.

SCWC*LA/IRVINE 18 SCHEDULE: Rest assured that plenty of craft- and business-centric sessions, read & critique workshops, one-on-one consultations and more will fill up the weekend. Though we won’t begin plugging things in until later, you can get an idea of the overall shape of the conference on the schedule page.

SCWC*LA/IRVINE 18 STAFF: In addition to our select roster of returning workshop leaders, agents, editors and other publishing professionals, several more will be joining us for the first time. Be sure to subscribe to our periodic .COMmunity updates to find out who, along with all timely SCWC news.

Until next time, give yourself permission to write even bad words.

–Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS

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

To call our current surreality unnerving is an understatement. Seems people in every walk of life are petrified. Friends. Family. Familiar strangers we’ve never taken time to learn about. Those we glance past. All face an existential threat not of our making, and largely beyond our control, other than sustaining personal due diligence and crossing fingers. Crossing toes.

There is an opportunity in our midst, however, in this Age of Outrage, one that may possibly be abating as a result of plague. A lull, for sure. How long we don’t know. The quietude it allows is one that must be squeezed of all empathy, experience, legacy and more to be found inside if only we plumb it deep enough, throttle it fast enough, now enough, to harness our potential.

Be smart. Be patient. Be kind. Be safe. Ask your community for help if you need it. And write through this. Write.

Your story will weigh. Come September we’ll reconvene to figure how hard.

So Much Good “Muse”

We’re developing many new workshops for Irvine, influenced in part by issues identified at our recent San Diego event, as well current and evolving trends now thrust upon the writing community as a whole. As you might imagine, there will be plenty to address in the fall. First and foremost, of course, craft & execution. Along with it, our lifequake’s impact on publishing, on marketing, on readers and more. In the meanwhile…

SCWCers have been busy. Those with titles recently out include San Diego 30 Outstanding Fiction Award winner Clay Savage’s The Last Getaway, which Kirkus Reviews calls “A crackerjack read from an author who seems to have taken Elmore Leonard’s rules of writing to heart” … The third book in Bethany Lopez’s Frat House Confessions romance series, Brody … Book 1 in The Queen’s Fayte YA fantasy series, Dragon Maid, from DeAnna Cameron (as D.D. Croix) … And book 7 in the Bruno Johnson Thrillers, The Heartless, by David Putnam.

From Christa Yelich-Koth, The Jade Arch, book 2 in her Land of Iyah YA fantasy trilogy … The fifth and final installment of Gayle Carline’s Peri Minneopa Mysteries, Murder Bytes … And Death (A Love Story), a stand-alone check-up on possibly life’s “biggest event” from author/workshop leader, and resident shaman Matthew J. Pallamary.

Out this month from Megan Haskell, Forged in Shadow, The War of the Nine Faerie Realms Book 1 … In May, Ava Homa’s Daughters of Smoke and Fire … Along with Pamela McCord’s Under the Willows (her The Ghost on Firefly Lane was selected by Kirkus Reviews’ Indie editors to be included in the April 1st issue, which less than some 10% of Indie authors are).

Come June (Kathleen) Kat Clark’s The Voice of Reason and Dottie Hubble Bonneau’s Once in a Blood Moon drop, both from Acorn Publishing … Also, from Fawkes Press, the fifth in Greta Boris’ Seven Deadly Sins domestic thriller series, A Pinch of Gluttony.

And a hearty big virtual hug to Ryka Aoki (He Mele A Hilo: A Hilo Song), who just scored with Tor Press (Macmillan) for Light from Uncommon Stars in a two-book pre-empt deal. (Watch Ryka address taking control of her writing career below.)

Congratulations and best of success to all. You’ve earned it!

– Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS

With furious hope we turn from our most recent San Diego event—where an unprecedented number of conferees were recognized and awarded for their outstanding work—to the SCWC’s annual Fall conference, which takes place again in Irvine, September 18-20, 2020. Friends familiar and new will be there. Pay no heed to your inner critic. Break the cycle of rejection from agents, from editors, and, most importantly, from readers and get your work the attention it deserves. Join us.

Discounted Pre-registration Now Open

Discounted Early “Bard” Pre-registration is now open. Do so by May 1, 2020 and save $125 on Full Conference participation. We introduced several new workshops at San Diego 34 and will do so again in Irvine. With the SCWC community, it’s about the needs of the writers in the room, not the people behind a podium; getting writers to the level of commercially viable craft; helping writers find that one passionate advocate so often crucial to publication success. It’s pretty much what distinguishes us from most others out there, in it for a wrong reason and crowing claims they can’t back up. Fudging numbers and failing writers who’ve placed their faith in them. Compare schedules. Do the math. Ask how this investment in your career actually benefits you and your work, then decide which conference will get you where you need to be. The choice should be easy.

Regular site updates begin next month. Meanwhile, here’s what you need to know now:

SCWC*LA18 (IRVINE) LOCATION: The conference will be held at the Sonesta Irvine Hotel (formerly Wyndham Irvine), located at 17941 Von Karman Avenue, Irvine, CA 92614. Dates are September 18-20, 2020. Lodging discounts are available to SCWC conferees. Phone (949) 863-1999 to book your reservation, or click here to do so online. Deadline for discounted hotel registration is August 27, 2020.

SCWC*LA18 (IRVINE) SCHEDULE: Rest assured that plenty of craft- and business-centric sessions, read & critique workshops, one-on-one consultations and more will fill up the weekend. Though we won’t begin plugging things in until later, you can get an idea of the overall shape of the conference on the schedule page.

SCWC*LA18 (IRVINE) STAFF: In addition to our select roster of returning workshop leaders, agents, editors and other publishing professionals, several more will be with us for the first time. Be sure to subscribe to our periodic .COMmunity updates to find out who, along with all timely SCWC news.

Until next time, write as if your life depends on it. For a reader, if you do so well enough, it just might.

– Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC/SWS

Make no bones about it – apparently, shrunken skulls in the late-night read & critique workshop do just fine – our annual Irvine event proved to be yet another knockout weekend for writers. Big shout out to the conferees who placed their trust in the SCWC staff; along with Rick and Linda Ochocki on the front desk, all of our workshop leaders and advance readers. And kudos to our guest speakers Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke (The Two Lila Bennetts), August Norman (Come and Get Me), Kali Wallace (Salvation Day) and Jonathan Yanez (Forsaken Mercenary: Dropship) & Jynafer Yanez. Wes, Chrissie and I thank you all.

Now, on to the awards…

SCWC*LA/IRVINE 17 Award Recipients

OUTSTANDING FICTION
The Darkness that Consumes
By Emily Osburn of Aliso Viejo, CA

OUTSTANDING FICTION
The Voice of Reason
By Kat Clark Naperville, IL

OUTSTANDING MEMOIR
TBD
By Kat Clark of Naperville, IL

Of course, each SCWC holds a contest in which all writers are invited to participate. The rules are simple: Write a piece in any form you wish of no more than 250 words based on the one-word topic announced Friday night. The topic for LA17 was “March.” Here’s the winning entry…

OUTSTANDING TOPIC STORY
Final March
by
Elisabetta Panzica
of Mission Viejo, CA

The march began. A slow, excruciating cadence. One by one, the days passed on by. We didn’t know how long she had, but we knew it wasn’t more than days. Brown eyes looked up at me, still beautiful and bright. I held her hand, so slight and fragile, afraid that it would break. There was so much I wanted her to know, so much I could have said.

I felt the heavens open above her, saw the angels all make haste. Today there would be a party up in heaven, a great homecoming. We talk of this and that, and she is once again animated. She prepares for her final journey, making herself ready for a new body, strong and free of pain, with wings that will carry her across eternity. Her lips quiver. There are no words of regret, no sadness, only love.

It is March fourteenth, when the final chapter of her life unfolds. She passes quietly with a small gasp. March fourteenth. I close my eyes, it has a message, it is Pi Day, and pi goes on forever.

###

Congratulations to all the award winners!

We’ll return to Irvine next year with our 18th annual LA(ish) event. Dates will be September 18-20. Discounted pre-registration opens March 1, 2020. In the meantime, our 34th annual San Diego conference take place Presidents’ Day Weekend, February 14-16, 2020. Limited to 175 writers, all the details can be found here.

—Michael Steven Gregory
Executive Director, SCWC