Hartline client awards and honors by Joyce Hart

Being an author is hard work and we’re proud of our authors’ achievements.   I’d like to list some of our recent Hartline authors’ awards and honors.

Lisa Harris "Dangerous Passage", Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, winner of 2014 Contemporary Romance/Suspense Christy Award

Diana Wallis Taylor "Claudia, Wife of Pontius Pilate", Revell, a division of Baker publishing Group, 2014 Historical Carol Award finalist

Linda Wood Rondeau "A Christmas Prayer", Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas,  2014 Novella Carol Award finalist

Brandy Heineman – finalist in the Genesis Contest ACFW, Contemporary Category

Lena Dooley Nelson – Lena Nelson Dooley "Catherine's Pursuit", Charisma Media, 2014 Carolyn Readers Choice Award,  Third Place for the 2014 CAN Golden Scroll Award, and Will Rogers Medallion Award Finalist

Eddie Jones finaled in the YA Selah Award at the Blue Ridge Conference

Congratulations to Joyce Hart and Linda Glaz for being nominated for Agent of the Year, the winner will be announced at ACFW Conference on September 27 in St. Louis, Missouri.

Carole Brown "The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman", Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, 2014 Novella Selah Award finalist

Aaron Gansky "The Bargain", Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas, 2014 Supernatural Fiction Selah Award finalist

Linda Wood Rondeau "A Christmas Prayer", Lighthouse Publishing of Carolinas, 2014 Selah Award finalist

Davalyn Spencer "The Rancher's Second Chance", Love Inspired, 2014 Romance Selah Award finalist

Davalyn Spencer "The Rancher's Second Chance", Love Inspired, 2014 Short Contemporary Inspirational Reader's Choice Award Finalist

Davalyn Spencer "The Rancher's Second Chance", Love Inspired, 2014 Short Inspirational Holt Medallian Award of Merit 

Rose Ross Zediker "Wedding on the Rocks", Heartsong Presents, Greater Detroit RWA 2014 Booksellers Best Award finalist 

Jane Kirkpatrick “A Light in the Wilderness” Revell Books, received a four & one/half star review in the September 2014 Romantic Times.

Suzanne Woods Fisher “Christmas at Rose Hill Farm” received  a three star review in Romantic Times, Sept. 2014.

Dee Yoder "The Miting," Kregel Publishing, received a four star review in Romantic Times.

 Suzanne Woods Fisher "The Revealing" received a four star Inspirational rating & review in July 2014 RT Book Reviews

Jane Kirkpatrick "Sincerely Yours" received a four star Inspirational Historical, Anthology review in May 2014 RT Book Reviews

Lisa Harris "Fatal Exchange" received a four star Inspirational Romantic Suspense review in May 2014 RT Book Reviews

A Few Favorite Quotes by Diana Flegal

I like to begin my workshops by sharing a few of my favorite quotes. Today I am going to share a few of them in the hopes they may inspire you, make you laugh and above all, help us not to take ourselves too seriously!

Writers aren’t exactly people…they are a whole lot of people trying to be one person.

                                                                            F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)

I write because I want more than one life; I insist on a wider selection. It is greed plain and simple. When my characters join the circus, I’m joining the circus. Although I’m happily married, I spend a great deal of time mentally living with incompatible husbands.

                                                                                         Ann Tyler (1941-    )

I suggest that the only books that influence us are those for which we are ready, and which have gone a little further down our particular path than we have yet gone ourselves.

                                                                                          E. M. Forster       

                                                                                          “Two Cheers for Democracy” (1951)

A well composed book is a magic carpet on which we are wafted to a world that we cannot enter in any other way.                                                               Caroline Gordan (1895-1981)

   

A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return.                                                                                Samuel Rushdie

                                                                                          Imaginary Homelands (1992)

In all my work what I try to say is that as human beings we are more alike than we are unalike.

                                                                                           Maya Angelou

                                                                                           Interview in The New York Times                                                

                                                                                           (January 20, 1993)

It took me fifteen years to discover that I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.                             Robert Benchley (1889-1945)

I should not talk so much about myself if there were anybody else whom I knew as well. Unfortunately, I am confined to this theme by the narrowness of my experience.

                                                                                            Henry David Thoreau

                                                                                            Walden (1854)      

I like a thin book because it will steady a table, a leather volume because it will strop a razor, and a heavy book because it can be thrown at a cat.                                 Mark Twain (1835-1910)

And last but not least:

Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of the night. 

                                                                                              Attributed to P. J. O’Rouke (1947-

"The last thing that we find in making a book is to know what we must put first."                                                                                              Blaise Pascal

Please add a few of your own. 

                                                                                                                

All-Star Jazz by Andy Scheer

Any pantster novelists at the traditional jazz festival this past weekend in Evergreen, Colorado, would have liked the performance at 7:15 Saturday.

Pianist Jeff Barnhart had come primarily to play solo or perform duets with his flute-playing wife, Ann. But for this hour he was asked to pull together a full ensemble.

From all the other bands with that slot open, he picked the best to play not only the front line of trombone, trumpet, and clarinet, but also the supporting rhythm section of drums, bass, and banjo.

Those choices made, most of his work was done. No rehearsal needed.

All he had to do was name each tune and its key. The performers took it from there, playing in unison for the opener, then trading off improvisational solos until the time to wrap. The notes arose spontaneously from each player's experience and personality.

I'd witnessed each perform in their own bands, but in this combination they played even more like themselves. Just the way Jeff Barnhart wanted.

Much like a novelist who assembles the characters, places them in an interesting situation, and lets them run with it.

There's nothing like an all-star cast.

A Tremendous Storm by Linda S. Glaz

           A huge storm rolled through tonight. Power went out, lightning strikes hit record levels, hail was huge and plentiful. And the vertical wind slammed into trees. It was crazy!

The day had been a typical hot, steamy Michigan summer day. Felt like everyone was stuck in a sauna until the cold front hit us like a might steamroller.

It made me think a bit like what a writer faces not only in his or her writing, but as he attempts to ‘get his work out there’ without much luck. When she gets writers’ block and blindly bashes at the keyboard praying for letters to turn into words.

There are a great many tremendous storms as we write, face agents, approach editors. We break out in sweats, feeling like we’re caught in kilns. We face emotions that swirl like tornadoes of doubt and apprehension.

And yet, if we don’t quit, we make it through the torrent and emerge on the other side as we did tonight here in Michigan. We emerged on the other side, cool, calm, and relieved that the heat had spent itself.

It will be cool and comfortable tonight. The air’s fresh, sweet. I opened all the windows letting in the crisp air, about twenty degrees cooler. Have I mentioned I don’t particularly like hot days? The entire week is supposed to be dry, cool nights, warm days. It is the kind of weather I stay in Michigan for even if we only get a handful all summer long. They are worth it.

So are the times we get encouragement as authors. We fight our way through the heat of battle, whether it be with other authors (critters), agents, editors, or even just a tough time with ourselves trying to hammer out a scene.

Emerging on the other side is sweet and refreshing. A time to re-evaluate our ability and realize we can do it.

Use your tremendous storms to be better. To find victory in each tiny accomplishment. A full read from an editor versus a rejection. An agent willing to make suggestions. Another author who falls in love with a chapter and can’t wait to read more.

One day one step at a time.

Cool, fresh, and sweet.

7 Reasons Why You Need to Come Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference July 30 - August 2, 2014

    

7 Reasons Why  
You Need to Come

Greater Philly Christian Writers Conference

July 30 - August 2, 2014

1. To learn the craft of writing. Okay, maybe you've been writing for many years, but there is always more to learn. Master craftsmen will teach  workshops  and  continuing sessions that, as one conferee said, are the equivalent of a semester college course in writing. You'll learn from authors like Cec Murphey, Linda Evans Shepherd, Tim Shoemaker, and Jeanette Windle. And they are just four of the 56 authors, editors, agents, and publicists serving on this year's faculty.   

2. To learn the craft of marketing your work to potential publishers or how to indie publish. If you've gotten more than your share of rejection slips or have yet to get your first rejection (I'm sorry, it goes with the territory of being a writer), GPCWC offers a "Get Published" track of six hour-long workshops that will provide practical help. In addition, literary agent, editor, and author Dave Fessenden is teaching a two-hour Wednesday early bird workshop, on "Book Proposals: The Front-End Method." You also can choose Tim Shoemaker's continuing session, "How to Get Published."  If you're considering indie publishing, a special two-hour workshop, "You Can ePublish Your Book" is offered among the Wednesday early birds plus we have a continuing session that will walk you through step-by-step using Createspace to publish your book.

3. Face-to-face opportunities to pitch your work to editors and agents.  At GPCWC full-time conferees get FOUR 15-minute one-on-one appointments with the faculty of your choice. Because we have such a large faculty, there's a good possibility that you even late registrants will get their top choices. On Thursday afternoon you'll have the opportunity to sign up for additional appointments with faculty who still have openings. In today's publishing world, the only way to connect with most agents and editors is through meeting them at a conference. Check out our helpful spreadsheets of their editorial needs. You'll find links on the pages for our editors and agents. Anxious about meeting a real live editor or agent face-to-face? Jeanette Windle's two "Practice Your Pitch" early bird workshops (one for nonfiction and the other for fiction), will give you more confidence for your one-on-one meetings. Our authors are also available for appointments. They can point out the strengths and weaknesses in your writing, answer questions, and provide helpful guidance.  

4. To learn the craft of marketing/promoting your published work. And yes, it's a craft, and not one that comes naturally to most writers. I've often said that the reason I quit Girl Scouts is because of the stress of trying to sell cookies. Whether or not you like marketing, the fact is that you hold the key to the sales of your book. But the good news is that it's a craft that can be learned. We've also got a track of six hour-long marketing workshops. 

5. Friendships with other writers. My closest friends are writers I've met at writers' conferences. In amazing ways writers connect deeply with one another more quickly than I ever have in the chit-chat before and after Sunday morning worship services. And we need each other. A key verse for me that I've experienced and sought to follow is 1 Thessalonians 5:11, "Encourage each other to build each other up" (TLB). It happens at GPCWC!  

6. Inspiration and encouragement to keep on keeping on. Our keynoters will challenge you to "Write His Answer."  

7. Direction from the Lord. Each year, and this is my 31st year directing GPCWC, I see God at work in Ephesians 3:20 ways.  He has a plan for you and for your writing. He is the One who makes the impossible possible. Indeed, GPCWC is "More than a Writers Conference." 

There's still time to register and to request appointments. Housing is still available in Cairn University's Heritage Hall. None of the workshops or continuing sessions are filled because of the university's large classrooms. And time payments and some scholarship help is available if needed.

You're welcome to contact me if you have questions at mbagnull@aol.com

God bless you and your writing - Marlene

 

Aunt Nell by Terry Burns

If I may take a moment of personal privilege:

I'm sorry to report on the passing of my Aunt Nell (Thomas). The picture shows her with her two remaining siblings at the time, my mother on the left who has already gone on, my Aunt Meta (Graves) and Aunt Nell on the right. In later years she started going by Dorothy, but she was always Aunt Nell to us.

She was like a second mother to me growing up and for much of my life would tend to be the relative living closest to me. I moved a lot when I was doing chamber of commerce work and with her husband, my Uncle Charley, working for an oil company they did too. We tended (and not on purpose) to end up in towns near to each other. Amazing how that happened. For all of my youth we all lived together in Pampa, Texas.

They had a large family, and there were ten kids, Edgar. Alma, Leola, Mom, Ray, Nell, Meta and Billie Bob. Two died as an infant, one before and one after my mom. Holidays were always spent at Mamaw Tunnell's house, it was mandatory, and to this day that is some of my fondest memories.

I was the oldest of the "kids," and it is a shock for me to realize that I am the oldest male in the family, the second oldest period. I still think of myself as one of the kids.

She died at the age of 94 July 23rd in Nashville, Tennessee.She was born February 18, 1920 in Electra, Texas. She was an active member of First Baptist Church, Mount Juliet, Tennessee and formerly an active member of Central Baptist Church, Pampa, Texas. She was a tireless leader in the Women’s Missionary Union in Pampa. Dorothy was well known throughout her life for her parties, programs, and creative presentations in service to her church and community.

She was preceded in death by her husband Charley Thomas, all but one of her sisters and brothers, and one granddaughter Becky Porter.

She is survived by two daughters, Mikey Oldham of Mount Juliet, and Suzie Porter of Layton, UT. She is also survived by four granddaughters: Anna Oldham of Mount Juliet; Jenny Chandler of Carson City, NV; Debbie Porter (a missionary in the Middle East), and Mandy Porter (a missionary in the Far East); and two great-grandchildren: Emily Chandler and Stephen Chandler of Carson City, Nev. She is also survived by a sister: Meta Graves of Electra, Texas.

Visitation will be from 12:45 PM Saturday, July 26, 2014 until service time at Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Home in Pampa. Services will be at 2:00 PM Saturday, at Carmichael-Whatley Colonial Chapel in Pampa, with Rev. Rick Parnell, associate pastor of Central Baptist Church of Pampa, officiating. Burial will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery in Pampa, under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors. A memorial service will be at 2:00 PM Thursday, July 31, 2014, at Bond Memorial Chapel in Mount Juliet, Tennessee.

We will miss her very much but we rejoice in the homecoming that we know she is having with those family members who have gone on.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the International Mission Board’s Lottie Moon Offering or to the First Baptist Church of Mount Juliet Building Fund.