Newsletter of the Society of Southwestern Authors|
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Newsletter of the Society of Southwestern Authors |
Vol. 3, No. 1 June/July '01 |
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BECOMING A NOVELIST:
STAIRCASE OF A THOUSAND STEPS 
Masha Hamilton is used to writing on deadline. For almost a
decade, she worked for Associated Press as a foreign
correspondent in the Middle East, and then as Moscow
correspondent for the Los Angeles Times. She self-syndicated
a newspaper column "Postcards from Moscow" and reported for NBC/Mutual Radio.
She has covered riots and revolutions, politics and religion in the most volatile areas.Then Masha Hamilton walked away. She wanted to try a different kind of writing. She imposed her own deadline, giving herself three years to transform herself into a novelist. The result is Staircase Of A Thousand Steps from Penguin Putnam's new Bluehen imprint. Set in the West Bank just before the 1967 war with Israel, it is a haunting story of loyalty, longing, and accidental betrayal. Publisher's Weekly calls Hamilton "a natural storyteller," and Kirkus, in a starred review, says she uses "words as carefully as the Bedouin use water to bring a disappearing world to vibrant life." Hamilton lives with her husband, David Orr, and their three children in Tucson. She is working on another novel. Please remember to make your luncheon reservation by Wednesday, June 13th.
CAPTURING THE MOMENT
If you have ever run out of ideas then you may have to live life a
little more. Life is a magic fountain of ideas and all we have to do is
draw on those ideas at will. On July 15 Jane Eppinga will show
how to use everyday life such as a hold-up in the grocery line as an
idea, which for her, evolved into a published story.
Jane Eppinga's writing credentials include over 200 articles for both popular and professional publications covering such diverse subjects as children's fiction, biology, construction, food and others. A University of Arizona graduate, Jane sports an impressive list of awards including the 'C. Leland Sonnichsen Award' for the best paper in the Journal of Arizona History. Be sure to phone in your reservation to 546-9382 by Wednesday, July 11 so you don't miss this versatile and engaging speaker of the month.
Greetings from the
New Editor . . .
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RECENT SUCCESSES
Mike Alvarez's nonfiction book about writers and the writing life is just out from Xlibris. Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Writers, Mike writes, "is the kind of nonfiction book I wish had been available when I began writing. It would have saved me a lot of time and helped me to understand what being a writer is all about." The book is available directly from the Xlibris website, through Barnes and Noble or Borders Bookstores -- and of course, directly from Mike. Lynnette Baughman's second mystery, Thin Disguise, was published June 1 by Top Publication, Dallas, Texas. Lynnette is currently on an eight-state signing tour and will be in southern Arizona late in the year. Carol Costa's book, Teach Yourself Accounting In 24 Hours, published by Pearson Education (Formerly MacMillan USA) was released in April. Her article on Easter Food Traditions appears in the Spring issue of Arizona Gourmet magazine. Elizabeth Gunn's fourth novel in the Jake Hines Mystery Series, Six Pound Walleye, is due out from Walker about June 1. The book has received starred reviews in Kirkus Reviews and Publishers Weekly. Allen Kates' book, CopShock, is the basis for a 1-hour, A&E television documentary called "Cop Counselors" which will air on the prestigious series Investigative Reports with host Bill Kurtis. The program airs on July 17th at 10 PM/9 PM CT (Double check both date and time in your local TV schedule.) Find out more about Allen's research in this area on his website: www.copshock.com Fran Lenzo was just awarded a third place prize for her story, "The Honey Tree," by the SE Arizona Christian Writers Fellowship. "This is my very first 'win' and it sure feels good!" Lori Pfeiffer's article, "No one wants a cure for Red Rock Fever caught on a Sedona Sojourn," appears in the June issue of Arizona Highways. Lori Pfeiffer and Penny Porter both had stories in the April, May and June editions of Arizona Highways in 2000. All three of these issues were entered in the Society of American Travel Writers Lowell Thomas Competition for which Arizona Highways won the Gold Award for the Best Travel Magazine of 2000. Emmy Lou and Quentin Schenk's "Death over Naha" will be published in the May '01 issue of The Foundation, the journal of the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, Florida. Quent was a carrier pilot in World War II, and he and Emmy Lou work together on his memoirs. Another chapter, "Carrier Checkout at Glenview," has been accepted for publication in the fall issue of the same magazine. Emmy Lou Schenk contributed "Restoration and Renovation," a chapter in The History of Ramsey Canyon, 6th edition, published by The Nature Conservancy, February 2001.
Phyllis and Sam Turner's article, "Star Party: Celebrants look skyward for inspiration," appears in the June issue of Arizona Highways.
The Write Word
President & Membership Chair Web Page http://www.azstarnet.com/nonprofit/ssa Deadline for next issue is the 15th day of July
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