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New post on Detroit: Little Library Capital of the WORLD! |
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I get asked a lot of how to start writing and I thought I’d. idolatry this video.
For authors how do you write?
A special AUTHOR MEET & GREET, NEXT MONDAY EVENING, APRIL 25, 2016 @ 6pm at the PARKMAN BRANCH of the Detroit Public Library located at 1766 Oakman (@Dexter). LaTanya Orr will be doing a reading/sharing my story and a booksigning. This is a FREE event. Books will be available for $20. Light refreshments served.
Purchase your book on Amazon, click here: http://amzn.to/1VHq8Pe
For more about this author:
SuperStar CEO | Brand Stylist | Award Winning Designer | Author Strike A Pose |Co-Producer PenPitchPublishProfit Book Dev Seminars | Founder @LadyTrep
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This week, we turn the spotlight on author Colleen Nye!
Colleen Nye started writing at an early age. Between school writing assignments and her love of reading in early elementary school. In high school, she submitted some of her poems and short stories to various mediums including anthologies, newspapers, magazines and contests. Several of which were published and won her awards including a few editor’s choice awards, placements in contests and even The Sarah Endres Award for Young Writers. Colleen also started a poetry club in her high school where she held weekly meetings to share her writings with her fellow classmates and to be able to hear what others were writing. She wanted other young writers to be proud to share their writing.
As an adult, she branched out and worked as a freelance writer for corporations and non-profit organizations, writing press releases for newspapers, magazines and online blogs and web sites. She also worked with politicians to create campaign and promotional fliers, bios and web site blurbs. Other works she has done have been research and photography for a few Mid-Michigan sites highlighted in the book Paranormal Lansing by Nicole Bray and Robert DuShane. She’s also worked with several companies, creating their how-to articles and product descriptions.
In 2009, Colleen joined a writer’s group called Writing at the Ledges in her home town of Grand Ledge, MI. In 2010, they published their second anthology of the group’s poems, short stories, memoirs and essays entitled Seasons of Life. Colleen’s short story, “Full Circle” was a part of this book, being one of the longer pieces and receiving several great reviews. In 2012, the group published their third anthology, in which, Colleen had two short stories.
In 2008, Colleen collaborated with her friend, Carrie Peterson, about a dream Carrie had one night. This dream became part of the opening sequence for her novel, When In Maui. Carrie’s dream and her friendship help Colleen shape When In Maui into Colleen’s first full length novel, published in 2012.
In 2013-14, she wrote a tech thriller, Immersion. Signing it with Anchor Group Publishing and released 2015. A story she’s anxious to see reach a wider audience. Anchor Group also picked up When in Maui, an opportunity Colleen is very excited to see develop.
Colleen currently lives in Michigan with her two daughters – a budding chef and an aspiring free spirit that rivals her own inner gypsy. She is teaching writing classes locally. Her next novel? She’s working on a few projects and anxious to share them with you all.
Where are you from?
Michigan
Tell us your latest news?
#1 The first book in my new anthology series, The Lunch Time Anthologies: Gable Heights, is signed with Anchor Group Publishing. These anthologies are full length novels where I write the over-arching storyline, and a group of authors write pieces that fit into the story to complete it. Book two is under way, and I’m gathering authors for book three currently.
#2 I am signed to be in Nashville, TN, St. Louis, MO and NYC next year, as well as several other expos and conventions, signing at their annual large conventions as well as the first Indie con in London England in 2017… so busy times are coming!
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing when I was a kid. Having the childhood I did, I loved to escape, making my own alternate realities in my mind, imagining what life COULD be like. As I got older, I realized that people liked my stories. So, now I write them to share them as well as help others do the same.
When did you first consider yourself a writer? Always? LOL But probably when my first solo novel was published in 2012. I’d had short stories, poems, content, releases, etc all published, but there’s something different about seeing an entire book that you created on shelves.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My first finished, solo novel was inspired by one of my best friend’s dreams that she “forced” me to listen to when I thought my life was falling apart… yes, like a dream she had while sleeping. It’s the opening scene to the book.
Do you have a specific writing style?
I don’t think so?
How did you come up with the title?
Titles are odd for me. I toil on them really hard… then BAM… something comes to me. I’ll keep thinking on it for a bit to be sure, but I always come back to that BAM moment one.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
In When in Maui? Just that all things are possible. In Immersion? To stop letting corporations feed us things that are bad for us and politics to back them up in doing it. It’s GOOD to take a stand when it’s for the right thing.
How much of the book is realistic?
I think Immersion is actually more realistic than When in Maui, oddly enough.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
Nope.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Greg Bear’s Blood Music. It changed my life as a teen and opened my eyes. Hands down.
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Dean R Koontz. I love his work and how he’s evolved over the decades. But Cassandra Clare for her amazing world she’s created and has been able to write so many books in that world without getting dry or messing up the continuity.
What book are you reading now?
I am finishing up Amy Bartol’s Sea of Stars and starting my ARC of Stacey Rourke’s Steam. Amy’s next book in The Kricket Series is slated to come out in September, and Steam comes out in September as well. I’m due a review and a blog stop for Steam, so i need to make sure I’ve gotten it read… plus, that series is awesome!
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?
Abigail Gibbs, she’s so young yet so well written. Amy Bartol has a great imagination. Clay Dugger… He wrote a piece for Gable Heights, and he paints characters like I rarely see… such depth that you actually feel like you can meet them.
What are your current projects?
I am working on more books for The Lunch Time Anthologies series as well as co-leading a 5 book anthology release called Debut Collective, slated to be out June 2016. I’m also working on When in Maui 2, tentatively names When in Doubt.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Just one? I really can’t. My support has not really come from within my family. The bulk of my support has been from friends of mine that have been there along my journey, and I love them all equally.
Do you see writing as a career?
Yes. One day, I will make it my full time career.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
Not at all.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
Escaping reality
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
The 1st chapter of When in Doubt is in the back of When in Maui. You can get your copies on Amazon and other retailers.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Keeping up with all of my ideas. LOL
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I love so many, but I can repeat about Cassandra Clare… LOVE her world she’s created and the way she keeps the story together!
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
I do, and I have so much more traveling coming up.
Who designed the covers?
Depends on the book.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
Keeping up with my mind.
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
I learned so much about how I LOVE to write.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Keep working on it and do NOT complicate the process.
Immersion
Blurb:
Three things Seren knew: #1 Her life felt odd being so tame. #2 She lost her parents when she was young and missed then dearly. #3 Her life was never going to be the same after the day Chase came back into it.
In a world, not unlike our own the economy has tanked allowing the inhabitants to seek solace in a world of virtual gaming. Now, money hungry corporations will stop at nothing to make a buck, even if that means releasing a product that will claim millions of lives.
Tagline:
What happens when the game turns to genocide?
When in Maui
Blub:
Alice Tyler’s whirlwind vacation to Maui was supposed to be a great time with friends, an escape from all things stressful. Instead she found herself right in the middle of stress and without her best friend, Vivianne Cook. That stress? It went by the name Ryan Perry. He not only adds to Alice’s high pressure life but terrifies her by falling for her while on the island. Ryan then enlists Vivianne to help him convince her friend that fears can be overcome and happily ever afters can exist. But can Alice clear these emotional hurdles before losing Ryan forever?
And what happens when the tables are turned? Can Vivianne find her own Prince Charming and the fairy tale ending she dreams of?
Through hilarious situations and side-splitting adventures the two women lean on each other in a journey of self-discovery only to find their true selves are not at all who they thought themselves to be.
Tagline:
What if your celebrity crush was attainable?
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The Lunch Time Anthologies: Gable Heights
Blurb:
Rachel and Cam met through a tragedy. Their lives were very different from each other’s. But their bond and the events that unfold will set them on a coarse that could lead to good finally prevailing over bad in the upper middle class, suburban town of Gable Heights, Louisiana… or get them killed. Through Rachel’s drive to tell the world how every city has an underbelly, she embarks on an entire list of interesting characters and their stories. But who’s watching and wondering what she’s going to do with all of that information?
Tagline:
Every city has an underbelly.
Author: Colleen Nye
www.facebook.com/author.colleennye
http://www.amazon.com/Colleen-Nye/e/B007HR06Z8
@Colleen_Nye
New post on Detroit: Little Library Capital of the WORLD! |
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DETROIT WOMEN AUTHORS: CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT FORM http://goo.gl/forms/RVbRWahtjL
March 19, 2016 11am
Location: TBD, Detroit, MI (tentative)
Half Table: $35 (covers food cost)
$20 Deposit Required to hold table by Dec 31st 2015
RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW | CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT FORM
*Please fill out form completely. Please be at least a Metro Detroit FEMALE Author.
Other events for other authors will come but March is Women’s Month. If you have any questions, please contact us.
Subscribe to be updated of this event and other events by Motown Writers Network… Michigan Literary Network | CLICK HERE
This week’s MWN Spotlight is on Linda C. Anger!
Linda C. Anger has lived and worked in metro Detroit, Michigan all her life. Her poetry and fiction has been published nationally in venues such as “Mused: The Bella Online Journal,” “Still Crazy Literary Magazine,” and “Almost Touching: A reader for women and men.”
Linda is the president and owner of The Write Concept, Inc., a marketing communications company founded in 2000. Her corporate clients have included DaimlerChrysler Corporation, HAVEN, The Royal Park Hotel, The Community Foundation of Greater Rochester, and Demp Coaching. Business articles have been published in Black Engineer Magazine, Profiles in Diversity Journal, and MultiCultural Law Journal. Visit http://www.thewriteconcept.com
Learn more about her creative work and publications at www.fullcrumbcafe.com
Where are you from?
I was born at Mt. Carmel Mercy Hospital in Detroit, grew up in Orchard Lake, and have lived in the Rochester area most of my adult life.
Tell us your latest news?
My book “Sweeping the Floors in the Full Crumb Cafe,” which is a collection of poems, stories, and essays, has a modest following. I am working on a self-help book based on a blog I kept over the course of a year of chemotherapy. I am just completing two years as president of Detroit Working Writers, and will step into the presidency of Toastmasters Walsh College Troy in July.
When and why did you begin writing?
I was nine years old, was taunted by the other kids because of a physical issue, withdrew, and turned to books and notebooks as an escape.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
When I was nine, I realized how much I loved to read and tell stories. That’s when I decided to be a writer, and once I made that decision, I was one.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Poetry was my initial genre, and was my focus until about five years ago, when I began to write short fiction pieces. Poetry came from daily existence. Stories came when I was mature enough to understand different aspects of life.
Do you have a specific writing style?
People tell me I have a strong voice. I only know that I speak / write my mind.
How did you come up with the title?
“Sweeping the Floors in the Full Crumb Cafe” – in what became the introduction to this volume, I wrote about the “teeter-totter” of life, and fulcrum on which it totters or rests. This brain of mine turned it into a metaphorical place, which became the Full Crumb Cafe. “Sweeping the Floors” is the first in what I intend to be a series of Full Crumb Cafe books.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?
Every poem or story I write has a message.
How much of the book is realistic?
The poems are based on my life or my realizations about life. The stories sometimes are based on a real person or experience.
Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?
See question above.
What books have most influenced your life most?
Too many to list here! Anything by Anaȉs Nin, Hermann Hesse, Napoleon Hill
If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?
Hermann Hesse and Anaȉs Nin
What book are you reading now?
“The Night Circus” by Erin Morgenstern – for the 4th time
“White House Ghosts” – about the relationships between the US Presidents and their speech writers
“Mrs. Poe” – a novel based on the story of Edgar Allen Poe & his mistress
What are your current projects?
The self-help book is my focus as I wish it to be completed and published by spring 2016, but I continue to write poetry and personal essays.
Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
Detroit Working Writers
Do you see writing as a career?
Yes. I have made a living as a copy writer for over 15 years.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?
See question #3
Can you share a little of your current work with us?
I can, yes.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
Time is always an issue. Because I spend my workdays writing for other people, it is sometimes difficult to switch off my business brain and give my creative brain free rein.
Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?
I have many favorites, as noted in the earlier question. What I love about Nin is the sensuality of her work. The woman can describe a leaf in such a way that it becomes erotic. Hesse’s work is heavily spiritual, and Hill’s work is serious and practical. Morgenstern (The Night Circus) has an ebb and flow that is remarkable – this is the book I wish I had written!
Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?
No
Who designed the covers?
I did. My business is marketing communications; I am trained as a book compositor (layout and typography), and graphic design.
What was the hardest part of writing your book?
See the question above about challenges
Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it?
In addition to producing my own book, I have ghostwritten or edited quite a few others. I learn something about content development, layout, and production from each project.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Don’t give up, and don’t ever think your first draft is your finished draft. Write each scene from at least three different perspectives and find the one that drives the story forward.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
One of my writing champions, Margo Lagatutta, used to say, “How can I know what I think until I see what I say?” I write, partially, to understand what goes on at the depths of me. If the things I learn or struggle with have meaning to you, I am honored.
Available on B&N, Kobo, Smashwords, GooglePlay, Lulu
Synopsis 1:
Today, I want to know…
Have you ever wanted someone to simply love you for WHO you are? Have you ever made a mistake that the “church folks” trampled you under the pew for? Have you ever loved the wrong person for the right reasons? If so, I invite you to take a short ride in the pages of, Love Me for Who I Am, my new novella.
Synopsis:
Her sins traveled well beyond the sheets. Rainey Thomas wasn’t looking for a soul mate to avoid triggering her “sexual appetite” as she walked before the Lord. She is what one would call a good, hardworking church girl who always did the right thing. Rainey and her two sisters live life drowning in the desires and practices of their strict mother, commonly known as “Mother Thomas”, a recognized walking Bible—even from the grave. That was until she found herself caught up in the web triangle of Malik Johnson, a high ranking, hands-off trafficking drug dealer. He not only pushed Rainey’s sex button, he enraptured her mind and soul. Malik made her come alive where she then was able to see herself for who she really was well beyond the bed. For Rainey, will finding herself cause her to lose her God as she fans another flame?
Always Be Your TruU!
Sonya Visor
Author of Who I’ve Become
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
New Release! Love Me for Who I Am
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/sonya.visor
https://twitter.com/@sonyavisor/
https://www.pinterest.com/unmask1/
To purchase:
Click here to hear the interview:
Guest summary: Porter Anderson is a journalist, critic, writer, and speaker in publishing.
Porter Anderson bio:
Porter Anderson, BA, MA, MFA, is a Fellow with the National Critics Institute and has done special readings in the psychology of the arts at the University of Bath, UK. As a journalist, he has worked with three networks of CNN (CNN USA, CNN International, CNN.com) and was on the lead development team for CNN.com Live. He also has worked on The Village Voice, Dallas Times Herald, D Magazine, Sarasota Herald-Tribune and other outlets. He writes the weekly (Thursdays) WRITING ON THE ETHER column at JaneFriedman.com and (Mondays) ETHER FOR AUTHORS column at PublishingPerspectives.com. Anderson also is a regular contributor to WriterUnboxed.com and to Digital Book World’s (DigiBookWorld.com) Expert Publishing Blog. He has been posted by the United Nations to Rome (P-5, laissez-passer) for the World Food Programme, and served as Executive Producer to INDEX: Design to Improve Life in Copenhagen. He is based in Tampa and his primary medium is Twitter.www.PorterAnderson.com Follow him @Porter_Anderson
New Year Literary Endeavors
Baby steps count too
mwn newer
Discussion outline of our January monthly meetup at The Detroit Public Library Main Branch. We meet every 2nd Saturday from 10am to Noon. Interested in Joining us next month, please feel free to come or RSVP at http://meetup.com/michiganliterarynetwork.
Please feel free to share this post with another writer, author, poet or group!
Writing Goals
Realistic Monthly Writing Goals
Word Count
Page Count
Publishing Goals
Set timelines.
Get a publishing buddy
Find someone who is ahead of the publishing goals and help them out to learn from them
Marketing
Offline – placing marketing material places in state and out of state
Visiting networking groups related to book or the writing industry
Supporting other authors and ppl in your book’s genre
Online
Social networks
Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google, Youtube
Produce one audio file and one video file a month
Produce one blog post a month
Get a free account at Hootsuite to make posting easier for yourself
Promotion
Find one event to speak at, perform at, teach at… online or off line.
Easy one… check out blogtalkradio and set up an interview for yourself
Get a blog to be featured on
Offline… check out churches, library or youth groups in the area to speak at about your genre, specialty or book
Overall
Get a buddy
Budget monthly
Do ONE thing in your goal sheet and then next month try to do two things and next month do three… and so on
Come back to Motown Writers and give us an update.
January group goal
Take one selfie of you and another writer. Post it to social media with a hashtag of #motownlit
Resources
http://www.writersdigest.com/writing-articles/by-writing-goal/get-published-sell-my-work
Now add your beginning of the year goals and any tips you can offer to other writers! See you next meeting.
RSVP now at http://meetup.com/michiganliterarynetwork
The Motown Literary Network has been live on blogtalkradio.com since fall of 2009, with nearly 10,000 downloads. Our 30 minute, weekly show airs Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. EST with a focus on everything related to the literary world, from the writing process to author highlights to the nuts and bolts of publishing. Although the show can be heard by listeners all over the world, and our guests may come from all over the country, our target audience is readers and writers in Michigan with an interest in the Michigan literary community. Established in 2000, Motown Writers Network and The Michigan Literary Network were created to strengthen Michigan’s Literary Community. Drawing readers, writers, authors, poets and more together, the networks’ mission is to connect readers to Michigan literary works, educate and connect writers and poets to resources, provide events and venues for authors to showcase their work and a lot more. To sign up for updates on The Michigan Literary Network, click here. Visit our website and help strengthen the Michigan Literary Network, by sending our information to other readers and writers!
Michigan Literary News & Events
Founder’s Posts & Notes
MWN Upcoming Workshops Michigan Lit Radio Show (Listen Live (646) 915-9177) MichLiterary Monthly Events (Contact us to add yrs) FaceBook Member Activitiy
Agents, Editors and You: The Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published (Writers Market Library)
Alan M. Schlein: Find it Online: The Complete Guide to Online Research, Third Edition
Jack Neff: Formatting & Submitting Your Manuscript (Writer's Market Library Series)
Kathy, Henderson: Market Guide for Young Writers: Where and How to Sell What You Write
Novel & Short Story Writer's Market 2007 (Novel and Short Story Writer's Market)
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