Someone Stole My Year

Where has it gone? It seems only yesterday we were welcoming in 2015 and now we're watching as it slips away.

Week in and week out, we've read one another's books, cheered each other on to new accomplishments and shared new found knowledge. Now the year is drawing to a close -- have we finished that manuscript or completed those edits? Did we accomplish the goals we set at the beginning of the year?

In 2016 we'll be given new opportunities and there will be other changes as well. We've been meeting at the Webb Wesconnett Library on 103rd Street for several years, but due to a scheduling snafu (someone also stole my mind) we won't have the room the first quarter of 2016. So, starting Thursday, January 7, we'll have a new meeting place:

Oakleaf Christian Fellowship
6195-7 Lake Gray Blvd. 32244

Don't despair over what hasn't been done. Instead, take these final weeks of the year to create a plan to make writing a priority in 2016. And, include in that plan your critique group -- we look forward to seeing you.

Merry Christmas!

The Cost of Love and Sanity

The Cost of Love and Sanity, Jaye Cherie’s second book, hit shelves on January 14, 2014.

A member of First Coast Christian Writers since 2010, Cherie is by far our most prolific writer. She already has two more books written and is outlining a third. She recently held a personal NaNoWriMo producing 70,000 words in 31 days. See – that one day makes all the difference.

Cherie has also tackled the biggest hurdle authors face - marketing. She created a book trailer, arranged a blog tour and scheduled a book signing.

Discipline and commitment to her craft creates warm, funny and poignant tales of women struggling to balance the need for love and independence.

Meet Jaye Cherie between 12-2 p.m. on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at:

Books A Million
9400 Atlantic Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32225

 

Black Friday Specials

We have a great group of writers. They’re funny, talented and productive. We spend every Thursday night enjoying a sampling of the works in progress from these wonderful artists. And they are artists. Not only do they write, but many members pursue other artistic outlets. Photography is a common denominator, as is drawing, animation and public speaking. Individually and collectively First Coast Christian Writers are awesome.

It would be selfish to keep all this awesomeness to ourselves so here are a few things our members are up to right now:

Writer and humorist, Danny Murphy, is offering Friday Freebies until December 6. Here’s a great opportunity to sample his humor and share it with your family and friends – think office gifts.

Want to help shape the direction and marketing plan for a novel? Jaye Cherie is holding a focus group on December 7. Space is limited, so get those RSVPs in quickly.

Christine Miller Ramey is featured in the devotional anthology, The Journey Home: Romans 15:24. It is currently available on Kindle for less than a dollar.

Looking for a Christmas tale to ring in the holiday season? Linda Wood Rondeau has three: A Christmas Prayer, Joy Comes to Dinsmore Street, and last year’s delightful romance, It Really is a Wonderful Life.

Enjoy drinking from this talent pool, and then make a New Year’s resolution to see your writing goals come to fruition.

Happy Holidays

Schedules

Someone asked me today if I enjoyed the long weekend. What? There was a holiday?

I’m a stay-at-home daughter so doctor visits are the main event around my house. Days are broken into three important time periods: medication, lunch and sun downing. 

In the morning the day stretches out endlessly before me. I don’t have anything scheduled. I’ll get a lot of writing today as soon as I do the grocery shopping or wash the dishes or mow the lawn.

And, because I’m old, that activity wears me out. I rest for a minute or an hour. I don’t have anything scheduled this afternoon. I’ll get a lot of writing done. Then I chase a wayward dust bunny or a wayward mother.

Before I know it night has fallen, but the next day is a clean slate. I don’t have anything scheduled tomorrow. I’ll get a lot of writing done.

The problem is I don’t have anything scheduled, including writing time. How can someone with a full time job write an entire book when I can’t get chapter one edited? They don’t have more hours in their day. They’ve learned to manage their time. They have a schedule.

So today, I’m going to get a lot of writing done. I have it scheduled.

Spring Has Sprung

In honor of daylight savings time, we're adjusting our meeting schedule for the second quarter.  Actually, there's another group in the room before us overlapping our time a little bit.  So, we'll enjoy the spring weather and congregate on the front steps to share our accomplishments and then head into the room for critique time. 

Also, on three nights this quarter we will meet at the Panera Bread at 8635 Blanding Boulevard, 32244.  The dates are: April 11, May 9 and June 13. 

April starts Camp NaNoWriMo if you're planning to participate.  This is a great way to jump start a new project or a stalled work in progress.  Take this opportunity to challenge yourself to grow in the craft.

Keep (or start) writing!

New Fall Location

First Coast Christian Writers are shaking things up with a new location for fall. 

We will be meeting at the Dunkin' Donuts at 7328 103rd St, Jacksonville, 32210.  This is on the other side of I-295 from the library where we normally meet.

We will be here for November and December. Remember, we take off for Thanksgiving and the last two Thursdays of the year.

Meeting times are the same: Thursday nights 6:45 to 8:45

We will resume meeting at the Wesconnett Library on Thursday, January 3, 2013.

The club will buy the donuts, and the weather's perfect for a steaming cup of hot chocolate or coffee.  So come on out and join us!

L.W. Rondeau’s Newest Book Now Available

Following unprecedented climatic changes, resultant
pestilence and war brought the world into chaos.
Eventually, each nation surrendered its sovereignty to
form a global democracy, initially known as The Accord.
However, the democratic government proved too weak and was soon replaced by a faux democratic rule.

The year is 2073, and current governor of Western America
Province, Edwin Rowlands, is poised to become the
Constitutional Government’s second president. Many fear
that the sweeping reforms found in his proposed
Preservation Act will set him up as a dictator. If enacted,
defection both past and present would become a crime
punishable by death, thus bringing all outlands into
crushing subjection.

While most believe reform is critical, factions disagree on
how to prevent the Preservation Act from becoming law.
Ahmed Farid, second President, believes reform can be
managed within the existing government. Leader of the
Revolutionary Army, Jimmy Kinnear, trusts only in military
intervention. However, Jacob Goodayle, Chairman of
Western America’s illegal outland government, favors
separatism.

As tensions rise, civil war seems imminent. Who will be the
voice of reason in a world on the verge of a third dark age?

This is our very own Linda Wood Rondeau’s second published book. Check Amazon.com and other online resources for the e-version or hard copy. 

TOP OF THE WORLD: A REPORT ON THE BLUE RIDGE MOUNTAINS CHRISTIAN WRITERS CONFERENCE 2012

If you attended this year’s event, then you understand when I say you laughed until you cried. Who will forget Torrey Martin’s Torrey Stories event with his Alaska escapade involving a can of pepper spray and a big bear. Steven James encouraged us, hilariously so, until our eyes watered, with why life foibles can become writing material.

This year offered a wonderful variety of classes, offerings from magazine writing, poetry, and improving our fiction as well as marketing ideas. Yours truly focused on the marketing classes, and found great helps to focus my time and energy on more positive results.

As always, faculty members were of highest caliber, always gracious and ready with an encouraging word.

If you’ve never attended a writers’ conference, I highly recommend this one. Set in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, the vista alone will bring you closer to the Lord. The worship services gave us a little taste of what heaven will be like as voices blended in harmonious thanksgiving to the Author of Creativity.

Ridgecrest Lifeway Center bathes all its events in 24/7 prayer vigils. I attended my first conference here in 2001. Since that time, God has never failed to encourage me in my writing. And this year was no exception.

Thanks Linda for that report and congratulations on your Selah Award for The Other Side of Darkness.

As you can see from Linda’s experience, conferences can be educational, fun and just the kick to recharge your writing. I encourage you to find one to attend in the next 12 months, especially if you have a manuscript completed or nearing completion. Conferences are an excellent place to pitch your work to agents and acquisition editors.

There are conferences all over the country and even abroad so pick your dream vacation spot. This is a mere sampling of upcoming conferences:

Romance Writers of American (RWA) - July 25-28, 2012 in Anaheim, California

University of North Florida (UNF) – August 4-5, 2012 in Jacksonville, Florida

American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) – September 20-23, 2012 in Dallas, Texas

Florida Writer’s Association (FWA)  – October 19 -21, 2012 in Lake Mary, Florida

American Christian Writers (ACW) – Multiple dates and locations for 2012 and will switch to mentoring sessions in 2013 – visit website.

Florida Christian Writers – March, monitor website for 2013 dates

Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference – May, monitor website for 2013 dates

Writing with Believers

When my aunt came home from her first day of kindergarten she said, “Whew, I’m glad I’ve finished school.”

By now we know that learning never ends, and that’s especially true for the craft of writing, but finding reliable sources for that continuing education can be difficult. Sometimes we need inspiration from an outside source or a connection with other writers to remind us that we’re not on this journey alone. 

Joining a Christian writing organization can give us the boost we need along with friends that share the same world view.  Of course, we would like everyone to join FCCW, but time and distance constraints prevents that so an online or nationwide group may be the answer. Here are some examples:

American Christian Fiction Writers provides education, inspiration and connections with a mission to promote Christian fiction through developing the skills of its authors, educating them in the market, and serving as an advocate in the traditional publishing industry. 

American Christian Writers offers annual conferences and mentoring retreats across America, a huge selection of writers' books and seminar tapes and CDs, and correspondence classes.

Faith, Hope and Love, a faith-based chapter of Romance Writers of America, encourages fiction that glorifies God and promotes Biblical principles, a tricky proposition in the sex-driven world of romance. 

FaithWriters provides an opportunity to develop your skill by writing to topic, word count, and deadline in their weekly challenge. There are four proficiency levels to reward beginners as their skills increase.   

Pentalk Community brings Christian and secular writers together to share ‘all things writing’ with reviews, tips, marketing, news and resources. 

Take a little time today to research these groups and others to see who best meets your needs as a writer and forge new friendships.

Writing Successes

I love to write about the successes of our writers!  And, at FCCW we’re fortunate to have two hot commodities. 

Jaye Cherie launched her debut novel, “The Gold Digger’s Club” on January 3 of this year.  Hope you’ve gotten your copy, because as of March 27 there were only 1500 remaining.  We’re eagerly awaiting her second novel, which we know will do equally well. 

Linda Rondeau has received a contract from Trestle Press for her second novel, “America II”.  Look for it to come out this summer.  And she has a publisher ‘very interested’ in her third novel. 

It’s contest season and Dalyn Woods has entered her novel into two contests hoping to catch the eye of an agent and/or publisher. 

Kirk and Adam are busily working on their projects and bring us new material to critique weekly.  Hey guys—you better catch up with the girls!

We’d love to see what you’re working on.  So, dig through the sweaters and shoes in the bottom of the closet until you find the box, dust off that manuscript and bring it in.  We promise to be kind. 

The Benefits of Belonging

We are First Coast Christian Writers, an independent 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization who meets for the purpose of supporting each other in the attainment of our writing goals. 

But we also have a Big Daddy. No, I’m not being sacrilegious; I’m referring to the Florida Writer’s Association.  The FWA pulls all the various writing groups in Florida together and helps us connect with other writers across the state.   As an individual member ($45/year with discounts for multiple years) you receive:

o    Quarterly issues of The Florida Writer magazine

o    Monthly issues of FWA eNews

o    One link to their websites on the FWA website

o    Reduced advertising rates in The Florida Writer magazine

o    Access to members-only online discussion forums (to come)

You are also eligible to:

o   Attend the annual FWA Conference

o    Enter the annual Royal Palm Literary Award Contest

o    Be published in The Florida Writer magazine

o    Participate in local Writers Group discussions, critiques, and learning opportunities

o    Participate in book signings, critique groups, promotional events, and mini-conferences

o    Take leadership roles as officers, regional and group leaders

o    Access to the FWA Network, a private social networking site where members can
make personal and professional connections to support their writing careers

I encourage you to visit their Web site and seriously consider joining this organization. 

FCCW Names New Officers

President – Lynn Rix

Lynn is a seventh generation Floridian. She preserves a little piece of Old Florida on the three-acre homestead she shares with her husband of more than 20 years, her grandmother, mother, two cats and fish of varying number.

She has written numerous articles on Northeast Florida history and politics, devotions, and humorous essays on dementia care giving. She has climbed the rankings in the Faithwriters challenges and entered the Genesis and Touched by Love contests for unpublished novelists. 

She is currently editing her first novel, a romantic suspense aimed at Harlequin’s Love Inspired line. 

Vice President – Kirk Rainer

Kirk is an engineer with more than twenty years of experience primarily in aerospace and defense. While able to continue his profession (in some degree), H. Kirk Rainer has also been embroiled in the never ending consequences of no-fault divorce and parental alienation— the details of which are reflected in his books, Websites (alwaysfather.com, hkirkrainer.org), and other developments. Support organizations include: American Coalition for Fathers and Children (acfc.org); Alabama Family Rights Association (alfra.org); Protect Fathers' Right (protectfathersrights.org); National Father Initiative (fatherhood.org); Institute for American Values (AmericanValues.org); and the Florida International University (FIU), "The State of Fatherhood" research.

Secretary/Treasurer – Tracy Redman

Tracy served as president for two years.  Under her leadership FCCW changed venues from Christ Church in Mandarin to the Wesconnett Library on the Westside.  We immediately saw growth and revitalization of the group. 

Tracy has lived in many foreign countries and draws from a rich well of life experiences in her writing.

She is studying mental health counseling and working on a devotion book for those experiencing the pain of divorce.