Newsstand
Members: Got news? Submit a short blurb about your accomplishments as a writer using the Newsstand form:
This may include awards, nominations, achievements, interviews, recent publications,
and anything else pertaining to your accomplishments as a writer.
Read through the Newsstand Submission Guidelines for best practices. And for more tips, read previous announcements sent in by your fellow CWC members below.
Exciting news about Jac’s trilogy
In early August the first book of Jac Fitzenz’ trilogy, The Shanahans, will be published by Palmetto Publishing. His second book, in the editing stage, is to be ready by the Fall. In addition, Jac will be featured as the August cover story of “The Villages Spotlight,” a South Bay magazine. Timing for both cover story and the book’s publishing seem to be aligned.
Mary Beth’s memoir available for pre-order
Mary Beth O'Connor's memoir, From Junkie to Judge: One Woman's Triumph Over Trauma and Addiction, is available for pre-order on Amazon and other sites. She continues her advocacy work around trauma recovery and multiple paths to addiction recovery. To listen to some of her podcasts, check out her website, junkietojudge.com.
Geri wins election and celebrates new audio book
Geri Spieler was recently elected president of the CWC presidents’ club. Other exciting news: Her new publisher, Diversion Books, has contracted a company to create a professional audio book for Housewife Assassin: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford, formerly published by Macmillan/St. Martin's Press. The publisher has also produced a scripted podcast.
Ida’s rhyming books a hit at book fair!
Ida Lewenstein sold copies of her rhyming books at a bookfair at The Peninsula Regent in San Mateo on July 20. The event was a success—both for the author and her readers!
Laurel Anne’s Plague of Flies wins big!
Member Laurel Anne Hill's third novel, Plague of Flies: Revolt of the Spirits, 1846, recently won its eleventh award. Number eleven came from Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBA): the OZMA Grand Prize Award for Fantasy Fiction. For more information, go to https://www.chantireviews.com/2022/07/01/the-ozma-2021-ciba-winners-for-fantasy-fiction/
Ida’s books featured in high school poetry class
Member Ida J. Lewenstein’s rhyming books will soon help teach the art of rhyme to students at Cristo Rey Tampa High School in Tampa, FL! Four to six students in a work-study environment will study rhyme and then pass along what they learn to students at nearby elementary and middle schools. Students will read and study Ida’s A Sad Little Dog, Poor Old Goat, The Weary Clock, and The Little Chair. Ida’s books are available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and her website, www.rhymingwithmsida.com.
Steve’s newest crime fiction novel
Steve Latner has published a new crime fiction book! In Nice Guy Bob, the nicest ex-con in the neighborhood and his dog, Ricky, witness a crime that forces Bob to grapple with conflicting emotions and corrupt officials. Can this old thief and his small dog outwit the police and the sociopath sent to kill them? Read to find out!
Evelyn’s “Art in a Time of Chaos”
Evelyn LaTorre answered the call of editor Stefanie Raffelock for art that uplifts and informs our crisis-stricken world. Evelyn’s chapter, “Art in the Time of Chaos,” appears in the anthology Art in the Time of Unbearable Crisis, published by She Writes Press. Proceeds from this work will be donated to the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, an organization conceived by chef José Andrés as a way to feed people affected by natural disasters and war.
James Hanna’s trifecta of stories, plus one award-winning novel
Member James Hanna has three new short stories available for eager readers. The macabre “Another Will Take Your Place” appears in The Chamber Magazine. “The Keeper of the Abyss” is published in A Thin Slice of Anxiety, and the ribald “A Diamond as Big as a Black-Eyed Pea” entertains readers in K’in.
His novel The Ping-Pong Champion of Chinatown won a gold medal in humor from the 2022 Independent Press Awards!
Another Fault Zone to shake things up!
Get ready to rumble! Members of the SF Peninsula branch of the CWC will begin submitting works to Fault Zone: Detachment beginning in September. It’s time to let those creative juices start to flow!
Richard’s videography
Richard McCallum has created a self-made teleprompter that allows him to view, read, and record a script on the pc screen without looking down or shuffling papers or reading from his phone. He purchased a foot control allowing him to scroll through the script on the pc at his own pace, so he doesn’t have to fumble with up/down arrows on a keyboard. He is happy to share this technique with anyone interested. Write to Richard at remccallum2001@yahoo.com.
Another milestone for Fault Zone: Reverse
This just in: Fault Zone: Reverse placed finalist in the 16th annual National Indie Excellence Awards in the Anthology category. Congratulations to all the member writers and editors who participated! We’ve set the bar high for our next edition: Fault Zone: Detachment.
Darlene’s “Spirited Voices”
Darlene Frank celebrated publication of the eighth issue (March 2022) of her digital magazine Spirited Voices: A Writing Journey into the Deep Imagination. This issue features a poem by members Alisha Willis and art direction and graphic design by member Doug Baird. Check out this beautiful work!
New poems from Joan Gelfand
Two poems from Joan Gelfand’s new work in progress have been accepted for publication. "Hamani" will appear in The Wax Paper and "Branded" will appear in "Ignatiun" the Literary Journal of USF. In addition, her poem “The Ferlinghetti School of Poetics” appears in “Light on the Walls of Life” a tribute anthology to Lawrence Ferlinghetti to be published on March 24, Ferlinghetti’s 102 birthday.
Award for Evelyn LaTorre
Evelyn LaTorre was just awarded the Moritz Thomsen Peace Corps Experience Award for her memoir, Between Inca Walls by the Peace Corps Writers. Her second memoir, Love in Any Language: A Memoir of a Cross-cultural Marriage, was published in October, 2021. Articles, interviews, and podcasts featuring Evelyn's writing can be found on her website. Nice, Evelyn!
Geri’s podcast!
Geri Spieler recorded a show about her creative nonfiction book, Taking Aim at the President: The Remarkable Story of the Woman Who Shot at Gerald Ford, for iHeart Media. It will be about San Francisco in the 70's and will include info from her book. In addition, her book is being republished by Diversion Books under the title Housewife Assassin: The Woman Who Tried to Kill President Ford.
Vanessa’s new story
Vanessa MacLaren-Wray has a new short story published. “Coke Machine,” which won the “In the Spirit of Novelmania: My Ticket to Crazy Town” event at the 2021 Literary Stage competition, is now the second entry in Water Dragon Publishing’s Truck Stop at the Center of the Universe Coke Machine series. Join deaf, wisecracking, Ukrainian spaceship engineer Marichka as she contends with a hazardous-substance spill and an alien intruder. In addition, she received a Pushcart Prize nomination and a World Fantasy Award nomination for her story, “Heart’s Delight,” in Fault Zone: Reverse. You rock, Vanessa!
Marianne’s poetry
Marianne Brems had her poem "Not Too Often" published in “The Bluebird Word”, an online literary magazine, on February 28, 2022.
In addition, her third poetry chapbook was just accepted for publication by Finishing Line Press. It will be out later this year. Whoot … Marianne!
Fault Zone: Reverse takes gold!
The INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARD (IPA) recognized Fault Zone: Reverse as the winner in the Anthology Category of their annual indies competition. Laurel Anne Hill, the Editor-in-Chief, was delighted to inform our CWC anthology contributors—at least one or two of them first-time published authors—that they ALL are now nationally recognized “award-winning” authors and poets.
Carole’s culinary travels
Carole Bumpus is busy! She is short-listed with Chanticleer International Books for both the Hearten Award (for Uplifting Non-Fiction) and the Instruction and Inspirational (I and I) award for Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, Book Two. Foreword Indies Reviews named her a 2021 Finalist for Book of the Year in Travel for A September to Remember: Searching for Culinary Pleasures at the Italian Table, and the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) named her a finalist for the Benjamin Franklin Award – Travel for the same volume. Carole spoke to writers at the Diamond Valley Writers Guild in Southern California in March on being a culinary travel writer. And not to be slowed down, she taught an online class on Creating A Culinary Travel Memoir for the SF Writers Conference writers series in April. Whew!