Member News

2009 February Member News

Penelope Marzec is pleased to announce that Crescent Moon Press reissued IRONS IN THE FIRE, her paranormal novel. IRONS IN THE FIRE is a Nominee for Best Small Press Paranormal.

Caridad Pineiro is pleased to announce that FURY CALLS, her March 2009 release from Silhouette Nocturne, received 4.5 stars from Romantic Times Bookclub which said, “Piñeiro infuses her vampires with very human feelings, making her paranormal story seem realistic. It’s a great read!”

Jacquie Rogers’ DOWN HOME EVER LOVIN’ MULE BLUES won the The Romance Studio 5-Heart Sweetheart and the book was featured on the TRS homepage for the week.

Pearl Wolf’s TOO HOT FOR A SPY, a March release from Kensington Publishing, received 4 Stars from Romantic Times.
Shobhan Bantwal will be signing copies of her two books, THE FORBIDDEN DAUGHTER and THE DOWRY BRIDE on March 7 at 2 pm at the Classics Bookstore, 117 South Warren Street. Trenton, New Jersey 08608.

The New Jersey State Council on the Arts honored 26 individuals with 2009 Artists Fellowships at its meeting Tuesday at the Union County Arts Center in Rahway. LSF Writer member Writer Pamela Burke of Middletown received a perfect score in the prose category from the panel of judges and received a fellowship from the organization.

Please visit with Cheryl Solomini at one of her upcoming events!
Tuesday, February 24, 7:00 PM
Murder at the Beach (book-signing)
273 Pineapple Grove Way Delray Beach, FL; (561) 279-7790
Friday, February 27, 11:00 AM
“Getting Press Coverage” (workshop leader)
Saturday, February 28, 3:15 PM
“Humor in Mysteries” (panelist)
Sleuthfest, the South Florida mystery conference;
DEERFIELD BEACH HILTON 100 Fairway Drive, Deerfield Beach, FL
Saturday, March 14, 2:00 PM
Monmouth County Library (discussion and book-signing)
125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan, NJ 07726
Wednesday, April 22, 7:00 PM
Bound Brook Library (discussion and book-signing)
402 E. High Street, Bound Brook, NJ 0880

Luci Weston’s HERE WE ARE . . . WITH LUCI’s blog entry was selected for inclusion in the January 31 issue of Blogger’s Best Carnival, edited and compiled by Karen of WriteFromKaren. The Carnival includes topics on “Life, Love, Children, Writing, Family” and more, by bloggers from all over the blog-o-sphere.
Melinda Leigh is thrilled to be listed as a finalist in Casablanca Author’s Perfect Pitch contest for her novel, Tempted.

Dianne Gerber, writing as Autumn Jordon, is proud to announce the sale of her first novel, a romantic suspense, HIS WITNESS (working title), to The Wild Rose Press. Please visit her at www.autumnjordon.com where you can sign up for her quarterly newsletter.

    Blurb: Elementary school nurse STEPHANIE BOYD’s ordinary world changes forever when she and her children witness a blood bath. To escape the wrath of the Russian Mafia, she has no choice but to help the FBI uncover the Mafia’s mole inside the U.S. Treasury. While on the run with the handsome agent who is willing to die for them, Stephanie learns the meaning of self-sacrifice and love.

    Agent JOHN DOLTON’s only break in solving the case that cost him everything is a couple of kids and a beautiful widow. But keeping his witnesses safe seems impossible when their every move is foreseen by their enemy. Within weeks, Stephanie and her children soften the loner’s heart and John allows himself to let go of his all-consuming sorrow.

    This time John vows not to fail to protect the family he loves.

Member News

2009 January Member News

Lori Avocato just received a gratis copy of The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists because she had several quotes in it The best part: Lori’s name is the same size font as Mary Higgins Clark, Lawrence Block, Jennifer Blake and Suzanne Brockman’s on the front cover. She also has quotes in two recent Wtiter’s Digest books on how to write.

Melinda Leigh is pleased to announce her manuscript, WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, won first place in the Romantic Suspense category of the Missouri Romance Writers of America’s Gateway to the Best contest. Melinda is also pleased to announce that her manuscript, WHERE THERE’S SMOKE, won first place in the Romantic Suspense category of Romance Writers Ink’s Where the Magic Begins contest.

Debra Mullins’s GARLANDS AND GARTERS series, beginning when a wedding planner returns to her native
England to plan a prominent wedding only to have it disrupted when the young bride’s far-too-attractive fiance (believed lost at sea) returns, to Esi Sogah of Avon, in a nice deal, by Lucienne Diver of The Knight Agency.

Caridad Piñeiro’s December 2008 release, SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD from Silhouette Romantic Suspense,
received 4 Stars from Romantic Times who said ―Soldier’s Secret Child (4) feels like a wonderful dream. . . Cataromance gave the book 4 1/2 Stars from and noted that SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD was ―Intriguingly suspenseful plus overflowing with conflicting emotions, SOLDIER’S SECRET CHILD is poignantly compelling. In addition, SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN was chosen as a Joyfully Reviewed Recommended Read for December.

Kathye Quick’s Leadership Class 2008 had to do a community service project, so 14 of us did a Go-Green E-Zine which is now posted on several county and municipal websites, the Somerset County Energy Council, all the Boards of Education in Somerset County, the National Association of Counties and New Jersey Association of Counties. Since it was my idea, I was Project Manager and now our Go-Green Group has won an Award from Somerset County for the E-Zine for Excellence in Planning and
Education. We’re getting it on January 20.

Chris Redding will be offering SHOW UP NAKED, an online course, to the Orange County Chapter from February 16 to March 15. For more information, please visit www.occcrwa.org/classignup.html.

Anne Walradt will perform LOVE LETTERS at the United Methodist Church of Red Bank, NJ, 257 Broad Street, on Feb. 14, 2009, at 7:30 PM. Desserts will be served. Free-will offering.

Lois Winston will be offering PREPARING YOUR MANUSCRIPT FOR THE EDITOR OR AGENT OF YOUR
DREAMS, an online course, sponsored by the Elements of RWA Chapter the first two weeks in March. For more information, please contact workshops@elementsofrwa.com.

News

Introduction from the President – Gail Freeman

Sometimes the best ideas come from a carelessly thrown out word or phrase. Something as innocent as a group of writing friends sitting around a table and one of the members saying she had this great idea for a story but… And then we played the writer’s favorite game, “What if…” and Liberty States Fiction Writers was born.

What we envisioned in our first “what if” session was to become our founding meeting, the creation of a place where writers of all genres of fiction could network, learn, and share ideas without boundaries. As a group, we believe that it’s not the type of fiction that you write that matters, but the quality of that writing. It’s not limited to romance, women’s fiction, mystery, horror, thriller, science fiction or any other genre. A romance can have mystery and suspense elements; a science fiction story can contain elements of horror. The world is changing and, with that change, the lines between genre fiction categories have blurred to become simply “commercial fiction.” To us, good writing is good writing. Period.

Our goal at Liberty States Fiction Writers is to create and foster an environment where all writers will have the freedom to express their own individual writing in a format that is unique and special to them. We intend to grow with the changing times, to embrace new ideas and be on the leading edge of the changing market trends, using the latest technology to accomplish that goal.

Four of our founding members have served as President in other writing organizations and many of the other founding members have held positions on the Board of Directors in those groups. We bring with us a wealth of knowledge of what works and how to get things done. And we also bring with us the realization that the greatest strength of any group is the people. For it is our members who will help us learn what they want and need to help us all grow as writers. It is our belief that all of us, no matter what we write, have ideas that will help the others in the group. And maybe, just maybe, those ideas that work for romance, for example, might spark the creative flow for that thriller that is “almost” on paper.

I write historical romance novels. Well, maybe. I have elements of paranormal in my story, so I might write historical science fiction romance. I also have a work in progress that is a romantic comedy but it has elements of chick lit in it and a mystery that has to be solved, so maybe I write chickie comedy romantic mystery. But wait! It has a bonding feature between two of the women characters, so I should add women’s fiction in there somewhere. But I also know that from a publishing marketing standpoint, I have to label this as one thing. That’s how it’s sold. It would be shelved in a particular section of a book store and, last time I looked, there was no Chickie Romantic Comedy Mystery with Women’s Fiction elements section.

As you can see, the line is no longer clear.

At Liberty States Fiction Writers we want to help you learn what it is you write from a marketing standpoint. We want to help you hone your craft so you can create the best story you are able to create and we want to give you the support and encouragement you need, whether it’s because you are suffering from writer’s block or you’ve received a rejection letter or a horrendous score in a writing contest. And we want to celebrate and cheer you on when you finish your manuscript, final in that contest, or sell that book!

So take a few moments and browse through our website. Read some of our articles on writing. Listen to a few of our podcasts. Over the coming months we will be trying new and exciting ideas. We believe in trying. You should, too.

Gail Freeman
President, Liberty States Fiction Writers
Click here to contact Gail
Gail Freeman has been writing for twelve years and is a yet to be published author. Ms. Freeman served as President of the New Jersey Romance Writers for two years and has also served as Vice President, Treasurer, Special Events Chair, and Hospitality and Critique Chair in that organization. On a national level, Gail was one of the founding staff members of the Romance Writers of America’s electronic newsletter, eNotes and served as editor of that publication for a number of years. In 2005, she was awarded the RWA’s prestigious Service Award for her commitment and volunteer efforts. She also chaired the RWA’s 2007 Chapter Newsletter Contest and the 2008 ad hoc committee for reform recommendations and changes to that contest. For the past eight years she has been a member of the RWA Communication Committee. After being out of high school for twenty years, Gail went back to college and obtained her associate degree in accounting. A lifelong resident of the Jersey Shore, Ms. Freeman believes in happy endings and working towards your goals, no matter how long it takes.

A Multi-Genre Fiction Writers Organization