Words For The Journey Annual Writing Contest!

It's time for the WFTJ annual writing contest!

Dying to see your book on a bookstore shelf? Now’s the time to polish both your idea and craft by entering our Spring 2010 non-fiction contest.

Submit Back Cover Copy and a related Query Letter for the book idea you’ve long pondered. Your back cover copy should be no more than 175 words, and should be on a separate sheet from your query letter. And your query letter—one page, 12 pt. Times New Roman—should be addressed to a publisher who may be interested in your material. So you have a little research to do.

The cool thing about this contest? You’ll be prepared to use your entry after the contest to submit to agents and editors.

The contest is open to writers in the Denver, CO area and The Woodlands, TX area.

First Place from each region will receive a $50 Amazon gift certificate. Second Place will each receive a copy of Polishing the Pugs, by Kathy Ide. Third Place will each receive $10 gift certificates to enjoy Starbucks.

Words For The Journey day

This morning I went to my weekly WFTJ meeting. I love being with writers striving to improve their craft and eager to accept the high calling to be used for eternal purpose through the work they create.

Today's topic was Making Time to Write and was presented by Jan Parrish. This is a photo of Jan illustrating portions of time in a day.

The point is, prioritize, prioritize, prioritize!!

I sometimes do a book report for the group. I think it's a great practice for authors to spread the word about other books out there.

Today's book was Keeping His Pants On...Until He Gets Home by Joyce S. Oglesby. Joyce is a sweet, encouraging cheerleader for creating happy, satisfying relationships between husband and wife. She advocates a deliberate, thoughtful approach to the role of being a wife. Obviously not a Shrinking Violet, Joyce empowers women to take control of their sexuality in a biblical sense and abandon inhibitions that may stand in the way of close, enjoyable marital relations. Joyce tells tells it like it is and offers those stuck in a stagnant relationship strategies to change for the better. She's an equal opportunity author--the sequel is called Turning Her On...and Keeping Her Heart.

After the meeting a few of us went out to lunch together at a gas station. Yes, you read that right!!

The hoagie shop in Out of Her Hands is based on a local eatery. The real deal was awarded "The Best Sandwich Shop in a Gas Station Award" by a local newspaper.

And if you're wondering, my cheese steak sandwich (with Cheez Whiz!) was marvelous.


From left to right: Danica, Jan, Darcie, and Bonnie. Don't they look oh, so satisfied? Yeah, that's what Philly food will do to you.

Words For The Journey day

This morning I attended my weekly WFTJ meeting. Today we discussed being a part of a critique group.

Before the meeting got down to business I did a book report.
I don't know if you can tell, but I'm holding Kim Vogel Sawyer's Where the Heart Leads. It's book # 2 in the Waiting for Summer's Return series. Kim is a strong author. She occasionally stops me in my tracks when I have to pause to admire a particular phrase.

Here's the description for Where the Heart Leads: After his graduation from college, Thomas Ollenburger is filled with big dreams and many questions. What will he do for a career? Should he marry? Where will he call home? Torn between his Mennonite roots on the Kansas prairie and his love for the big city of Boston, as well as his affection for a girl in each location, Thomas is unsure of his place in the world. He has always sought God's leading in his decision-making, but now it seems as if God is silent. Has Thomas's heart led him astray?

I wasn't the only one to do a book report. Chris Richards told us about a new find, The Dimwit's Dictionary. This book gives you alternates to overused words and phrases. Good one, Chris!

Author Dianne Daniels was kind enough to take my photo while I was doing my book report. Bless her heart--she was so kind that she took about 15 photos. I felt like a superstar on the red carpet, LOL.

To pay back the favor, I took about 10 photos of Dianne while she walked back to her seat. It was good for a laugh.Loretta, the girl hiding behind my launch party invitation, apparently didn't find it quite so humorous. You should check out her blog. She's one smart cookie --blogs about religion and science.

WFTJ & Searching for Spice On an End Cap!

My Words For The Journey writers group meets in Barnes & Noble on the last Tuesday night of the month.

This month Donita K. Paul was our guest speaker. She taught writers how to achieve backbone in their writing life. Great talk. It was very inspiring and encouraging. She helped some of us weird writers to feel more normal. Er, maybe not exactly normal, but we could understand ourselves within the context of a writer's realm. Some of the quotes she shared evoked universal understand among us. Yeah, we became one with the likes of John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway.

Then I took a tour through the store and was thrilled to see Searching for Spice on an end cap.

See! That's actually a self portrait. LOL. Maybe I should just stick to writing.

Then my friend Jan came over and took another photo. Isn't SFS in great company?! Brandilyn Collins, Angela Hunt, Terri Blackstock. Wow!
The other excitement of the evening was when the WFTJ Devotional Writing Contest winners were announced. Kay Day won the award for the unpublished writer, and Robbie Iobst won the published writer's award. Good job, girls! I wasn't fast enough with my camera so this is a picture of them at the WFTJ picnic lunch. Robbie's on the left and Kay's on the right.

Words For The Journey Write Away Field Trip

Today WFTJ had our annual write away field trip to the Broadmoor Hotel and Resort in Colorado Springs. It's a beautiful, historic resort, and they were very welcoming to our group of writers who occupied their upstairs lobby. From left to right: Tonya, Robbie, Danica, Jan, me, Kay, and Michele.
Bonnie, Danica, Jan, and Robbie are hard at work.

It's such a beautiful area, isn't it?

When I took that picture I nearly jumped out of my skin from fright because I didn't realize I was standing about six inches from two ducks who quacked at me just as I snapped the photo.

You can still see his beak flapping!

And my friend Robbie got some delightful news today--MacGregor Literary Agency has agreed to represent her books! I'm thrilled for her.

Doesn't she look happy? She was just beaming.

This is one of the black swans that swim in the lake behind the resort.

Isn't it lovely?

Words For The Journey

Some days are blessed. Today was one of those days. I was able to enjoy lunch with my writing friends at a lovely park. 
This morning was the weekly meeting for my WFTJ writer's group. After today's meeting, we all took sack lunches and went out to eat together at a local park. 

See the lovely cotton tablecloths? Those are vintage, from the 1940s and 1950s. I love that style and the substantial feel of the the fabric. BTW, they're all mine. I always carry a tablecloth in my car. You never know when you're going to need one. Some of the girls thought I was kidding when I said that. Not so. See this post and this one for further explanation. I usually have one tablecloth in the car, but today I grabbed some extra for my friends. 

I pack a lunch when I go to my day job a few days a week, and another thing I always have is a linen napkin. See it? I stuffed it in the top of my green purse on the bench. I think we should take good care of ourselves and our friends. Having the simple pleasures of nice tablecloths when you eat on a public table is a luxury. Ahhh. 

Oh, I didn't get the hat memo. Apparently Robbie, Kay and Chris did. 

Words For The Journey

Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild, Rocky Mountain Region held its first meeting in January 2006. Sharen Watson, who founded WFTJ in Texas, has led the organization with devotion, love and purpose. Under her guidance, many local writers found their voice, spread their wings, accumulated rejections/redirections and garnered writing credits. She’s taught, encouraged, prayed, and rejoiced with local writers. Sharen’s made a difference in many lives.

This is a photo of our meeting today. You can see that we start them out early at WFTJ. See the hard-working young lady on the bottom right and the adorable little fellow at the top right? Also in the bottom right corner is little Brooke, our newest author-in-training, attending her first meeting at the tender age of two weeks.

Today Sharen passed the baton because she’ll be returning to Texas in a few months. The new director of the WFTJ RMR is Michele Cushatt. This decision was a result of prayer. Michele is truly God’s choice to guide this group through a new season. Michele is an experienced leader. She’s written and taught Bible studies, and she teaches the art of public speaking. She’s an accomplished non-fiction writer and has published articles in Today’s Christian Woman and Hearts at Home. I’m also proud to announce she’s coming out of the closet and admitting that she dabbles in fiction. Write on!

This is a photo of Sharen passing the flower pot (you didn’t think we really use a baton, did you?) to Michele. I’m honored to continue as assistant director of the group. And if you’re wondering? No—I didn’t want to assume the directorship. I thrive at being the second banana instead of the big cheese, and I know Michele is going to be very Gouda at being the big cheese. (Sorry, couldn’t resist that one.)

Words For The Journey Meeting

Words For The Journey met tonight at Barnes & Noble. Tonight’s topic was Blogs, and the original Blog Babe, Heather Diane Tipton gave a wonderful presentation.

Oh, the happy ladies behind Heather are Jan and Jen--Parrish and Peterson.

We also celebrated with Dianne Daniels and Robbie Iobst—the compilation book their work is in was recently released. It’s called Laundry Tales to Lighten Your Load, isn’t that cute?

Write Away Field Trip

Words For The Journey Christian Writers Guild, Rocky Mountain Region, had their first write away field trip last Tuesday. About a dozen of us traveled to the beautiful Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs for a morning of inspired writing—OK, and a little visiting with one another. (Thanks to Robbie Iobst for the group photo.)

You couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day. Thank you, Lord.


And then, believe it or not, the day got even better for me. I met the talented Donita Paul and Beth Jusino for lunch. We celebrated the release of DragonFire, the latest book in Donita’s DragonKeeper Chronicles.