Once, again, the annual Women Writing the West Conference has come and gone. This year, the conference entitled “West by Northwest” took us to the Seattle area, one of my favorite parts of the country. We spent our first day seeing the local sites, such as the fabulous flying fish at Pike Public Market, and eating a memorable bowl of clam chowder for lunch at Lowell’s, while we watched the ships and ferries in Puget…
There is nothing like a weekend in Yellowstone National Park to clear the brain and boost the soul. For me, time spent with friends from Savage Days, when we lived and worked together long ago in Yellowstone Park, made the journey more meaningful and enriching. After this summer, punctuated by loss and sadness, my soul was elevated by time spent with friends in a place where stunning natural beauty and abundant wildlife speaks volumes to…
— Tell us about the importance of thin flip cell phones and Jimmy Choo shoes. I Googled the shoes … WOW, they are HOT!! [You could wear them, I could NOT!!!] Oh, these are such fun stories! First, the shoes. I have a “hot” character named Cynthia. She’s social climber, a blond bombshell, and is convinced she can get anything she wants by wiggling her hips and batting her eyelashes. And most of the time,…
— How did it come about that your book series was picked up by a large publishing house, and in what ways has that changed your work and your outlook? The new publishing contract came about as a direct result of developing a following for my books. I write a novel series, the first four of which were published over the last five years with a small independent press. Like most small indie presses, it…
Mara Purl has spent the month of August on a virtual book tour to promote her recent work on her Milford-Haven novel series. Her piece entitled, When Hummers Dream, is currently available as an e-book for 99 cents from Amazon.com. Her novel, What the Heart Knows, will be published in hardcover next month in September by BelleKeep Books in association with Midpoint Trade Books. If you just caught up with Mara’s virtual travels, or her…
Coming Soon – Tuesday, August 30th –we will visit with author Mara Purl regarding her popular Milford-Haven novel series. I am currently “on the road” attending to family business. My visit with Mara will take place on Tuesday, August 30th. Please check in then to learn about Mara, a fascinating, talented and creative personality, and her current projects.Joyce B. Lohse
Waiting for a book in production conjures up a combination of excitement and drama. After concentrating and struggling with many edits, it is hard watch the little bird fly from the nest as it wings its way off to the print shop. As the author, it is hard to let it go after a couple of years of concentrated effort, and it seems too soon to watch it fly away, out of reach and beyond…
The New Year is a great opportunity to set goals and plan new projects. Before we leave December, I hope you will visit my interview on the Writers of the West blog site created by Jean Henry Mead at http://writersofthewest.blogspot.com/ The interview will be featured for a few days until the end of 2010. The interview was a great exercise to review my writing life, where I have been, and where I am going. In…
As a self-employed freelance writer, my prospects for a holiday office party are fairly bleak. Writing by nature is a solitary undertaking. For that reason, writers often join associations and organizations in order to pool resources, exchange ideas, and yes, party, with associates. Recently, I attended a holiday gathering at the Denver Woman’s Press Club. Coincidentally, it is the 100th anniversary of the DWPC clubhouse, a charming little Victorian building surround by tall office buildings…
Filter Press hosted a fabulous garden party last weekend to launch author Patricia Werner’s book, The Walls Talk: Historic House Museums of Colorado. The circumstances were unusual. A fine author and researcher, and a member of Women Writing the West, Pat passed away a couple of years ago following her struggle with cancer. Filter Press fulfilled their agreement to publish Pat’s book, which she struggled to finish during her final days. Much work was then…