We are going to kick off a “Poetry Corner” on our website with a kudo for one of SLO Nightwriters’ newest members. Laurie Woodward got a poem published in A Hudson View. Congratulations to a wonderful writer and poet. She’s also a great teacher and a mentor to other writers.
You can find her poem in the following:
You can learn more about Hudson View and purchase their publications at their website: http://www.hudsonview.us/
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NightWriters own merry maids of masterful wordsmithing, Susan Tuttle and Debra Davis Hinkle conquered new territory on Friday evening, May 14. Hastily invited (at their own expense, mind you) to sprinkle a few lines here and there throughout a night of fun and frolic, they engendered a surprise respect.
The event was the Per Bacco Cellars Fundraiser for Miller’s Equestrian Center and Sanctuary. After purchasing a ticket, Debra had spoken to Michelle Miller about NightWriters. The Board had decided to send Susan to the event in order to scout new territory for NightWriters to expand our influences into and network with the community.
Our lively ladies worked out a pact with Michelle Miller to have a reading between each course of Per Bacco wine and hors d’oeuvres (donated by Big Sky cafe and Mama’s Meatball). They would lace a loquacious litany of seemingly impromptu images with references to each new wine. And then, just for good measure, allusions to horses and foods were casually intertwined to the growing delight of the attendees.
As each new wine and food pairing, explained by Craig Shannon, Per Bacco’s Winemaker, enticed the assembly, so each successive reading would further enrapture them. A poignant play of elements eluding definition drew the participants into a closer tapestry of meaningful conversation throughout.
The evening became a sumptuous sensorial symphony of delights, each part of the equation leading into the synergy of the whole. From the first reading, which needed to compete with the hubbub of ongoing conversation, to the last few, when naught could be heard but the sonorous sound of Susan’s or Debra’s voice, a satisfying evening had been forged by and for all.
The production even had a wonderful soundtrack provided by the exquisite guitar artistry of Jeff Peters. Film directors would vie for the rustic and cozy ambience of Per Bacco as a unique set for a good play: giant casks filled with wines huddled around the people like mute guardians; the huge barn doors spread open to allow for the backdrop of a warm sunset suffusing the Spring raiment of the trees.
As the last few stragglers disappeared into the star filled, fragrant night, it was wordlessly agreed that a wonderful adventure had been shared by all.
(Editor’s Note: Per Bacco wines can be purchased directly at the Per Bacco Cellars, 1850 Calle Joaquin (its at the end of the road) in SLO. www.perbaccocellars.com) Their wine tasting room is open from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm are also available. For information: 787-0485. Don’t miss the Pinot Grigio, the Pinot Noir or the Zinfandel Passita. They’re a taste sensation you won’t ever forget!) Miller’s Equestrian Center and Sanctuary is a non=profit agency that rescues horses and provides riding lessons for those who can’t afford them. For more information, or to help out with donations, check their website: www.millersecs.org)
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Published under the pen name Kate Updike O’Connor, the little dog book titled My Name is Rosie is gaining momentum in popularity and online sales. My Name is Rosie, written in the voice of a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, depicts in fourteen whimsical snippets Rosie’s take on her early memories and everyday life. The book is illustrated with beautiful pen and ink drawings by artist Chloe White. Check out the book’s website at mynameisrosie.com and watch this adorable Welsh Corgi in her very own slide show. Listen to the author’s radio interview on hometown radio KVEC 920 with Central Coast’s Dave Congalton.
Ruth Goodnow, NightWriter member and the book’s author, sent a copy of My Name is Rosie to Queen Elizabeth, the world’s most famous Corgi lover. Recently Ruth received a personal reply from The Queen’s Lady-in-Waiting, Annabelle Whitehead, who said The Queen very much appreciated receiving the book. Did you know that The Queen currently has five Corgis? Their names are Monty, Linnette, Willow, Emma, and Holly. Rosie enjoyed signing the book to her Corgi friends across the ocean.
Orders for My Name is Rosie are coming in from as far away as Australia. The world is full of dog lovers, and Corgi lovers in particular! The reasonable price of $8.95 per book appeals to buyers – as does the fact that part of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to Woods Humane Society in San Luis Obispo.
My Name is Rosie is also available in independent bookstores around the Central Coast, including Chaucer’s Bookstore in Santa Barbara. Check it out.
CHEAP COPIES
Need a cheap manuscript copied for an agent or publisher? Here’s where the pros go:
www.moxicopy.com/index.php A 400-page ms costs $23.16, with S&H included.
www.bestvaluecopy.com a similar ms costs $14.27, with S&H included.
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INFLUENCERS vs. REVIEWERS
An Influencer is someone with a blog, radio program, print or internet column who is in the position to influence and sell copies. They agree to accept a copy with the implicit understanding that their review will be favorable. Send them an ARC (advance review copy).
A Reviewer is a reader who agrees to post a review. Often for a free book. There is no guarantee of 5 stars, but if the reviewer feels the book rates less than 4, better to decline than to trash the author.
Great places for Reviewers to post:
Facebook, Goodreads, Linkedin, Twitter and other social networks.
Link these reviews to your website, Facebook, email signature.
Many NightWriters have their own Facebook Page or Profile/User Account and now that we all have a Facebook Page through SLO NightWriters maybe we could use some guidance on how to use Facebook. I know I could.
Here is SLO NightWriters Page: SLONightWriters’ Facebook Page
It can also be accessed from the left blogroll or directly from your Facebook Page or Profile/User Account via the “Search Box.”
My friend, Natalie Borgardt, set up the Facebook Page for NightWriters and she sent me a link for a manual about Facebook Pages (pages are for organizations, etc.). Here is the link for a Facebook Pages Manual: http://www.facebook.com/l/3ea65;bit.ly/9MfBC6
Profile/User Accounts are for individuals. This is what I have and you probably have, also. Here are some links for a Facebook Profile/User Manual:
http://www.lionelwindsor.net/smw/StMics_FacebookManual_R1.pdf
http://www.squidoo.com/facebookmadesimple
http://www.acenet.edu/Content/NavigationMenu/ged/etp/pros/FacebookUserGuide_Final.pdf
Some of these guides are not current; Facebook makes changes very often. Happy Facebooking!
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Award winning, best-selling author Jeff Carlson shows us how he won the Publishing Game – and tells us how to do it, too! A former NW member, Jeff is the author of the breakaway sci-fi Plague Year trilogy. Jeff’s website is: www.jverse.com/
Our president, Susan Tuttle, had this to say on Facebook the next day:
Way to go, Jeff! Thanks for a fabulous presentation on Tuesday night. We all learned bundles – at nano-speed, no less!
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Mother’s Day was yesterday and when I think of my mother, I am always reminded of how she taught me to share and not just with my three sisters. She moved on to Heaven, but she left that sharing bug with me.
My yellow zucchini are just over two inches long and my green zucchini are more than three inches in length. I don’t have any tomatoes, yet. I think my vegetables will be ripe by next month’s meeting.
What can you bring to this Tuesday’s May Meeting? If you have anything homemade or homegrown, feel free to bring it. Don’t forget to bring a book and/or take a book from the book basket.
Happy gardening and sharing when you aren’t writing!
p.s. We are still collecting blankets and coffee for the Homeless Shelter.
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If you are a SLO NightWriters’ member, we are looking for book donations. Please bring your book to the May 11th NightWriters’ meeting. They will be given to the event coordinator to give away at the event. If you are interested in attending click on one of the links below:
http://www.perbaccocellars.com/perbacco/index.jsp
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I think this question has been answered, extremely well, by several different sites already. Therefore, I’m going to list the links to the sites:
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/cool-things-you-can-do-with-google.html
http://www.google.com/help/features.html
There is some overlap in the above sites. I have included information given in diverse ways so that our different learning styles would be covered.
There will be a test at the May monthly meeting. Just kidding!
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