Do you have a book coming out and want to let us know about it? Maybe you have an important award or contest you want to plug (or perhaps have won!). Maybe your book just reached #5 or #10 or #100 on your favorite book lists…share it with me and with others here!

For the most part my blog will continue to follow my writing … I plan to finally release some of my work … preferably through a publishing house, if not then through self-release via ebooks.

This is January…a new beginning of a new year…time for new hopes and new things,

KW

“Every man should be born again on the first day of January. Start with a fresh page. Take up one hole more in the buckle if necessary, or let down one, according to circumstances; but on the first of January let every man gird himself once more, with his face to the front, and take no interest in the things that were and are past.” ~Henry Ward Beecher

I actually succeeded in following through with my main resolutions last year and have decided to focus my energy this year on my writing…my resolutions included.

1) I will attend more local and regional writers’ meetings. As a member of several organizations, I tend to find myself busy or my time already allotted when meetings roll around. Resolution? I will make calendar entries WAY ahead of time to give myself no reasons to miss out on meeting and networking with local writers.

2) I will attend more local/regional conferences. I loved the Moonlight and Magnolias Conference held in Atlanta this year. While RWA has an annual convention that is my absolute LOVE…it is too far for this Southern girl to travel this year. (I’m already looking forward to 2013) I already have M&M12 on my to-do list. I also have been invited to a nearby convention in Florida that I am considering. NOLA Stars, located in Louisiana is getting some of my attention as a possible contender as well as a couple of events in Texas. I really, really want to attend Lori Foster’s event this year as well as the one in Chicago by Romantic Times. If my budget allows (and cooperates) I want to attend both. Otherwise, I want to attend one in 2012 and the other in 2013.

3) I’ve already begun a calendar of ‘events’ exclusive to my writing. Goals for works in progress, places for meetings and conferences, must have dates for blogging and having guest bloggers, more well-defined writing times and upcoming contest. 

Will I succeed in making 2012 my year? Hopefully! I plan to give it more time and more serious devotion and, with lots of perserverance and luck, I plan to have some of my writing out there for you all to be reading!

Do you have any resolutions planned specific to your writing career? Please comment and let me know what you have planned!

Have a wonderful holiday,

KW

…and leave me a comment too! Maybe they’ll have me back!

http://southernwritersmagazine.blogspot.com/

KW

I enjoyed a leisurely train ride to and from the conference (okay, the ride was very nice but I STILL am chilled to the bone from the air conditioning in the train cars). Wonder if they were carrying refrigerated products in there with us….it was definitely cold enough!

The conference was well run and all the ladies and gentlemen in attendance were incredibly nice as were those in charge of the actual event.

It was also my first time to attend the presentation of awards for work submitted for judging in both published and unpublished romance categories. The Maggies are held in high esteem in the romance genre and I must say all the winning entries as well as those who made the finals sound like great books I’d love to read! It also made me aspire to perhaps submit my work to see how it would fair in the Maggie competition.

To all my new writer friends who took this newbie in and made me feel at home I say thank you. By the end of the even I felt right at home…and will likely be attending again next year.

Time for me to get those partial submissions polished (did I fail to mention my pitches went over pretty well too?)!

KW

Most satellites have now been designed to break into pieces small enough to burn up upon entry while descending to Earth during its ‘death’. This satellite, however, has been in orbit since before these designs were incorporated. Therefore, there are several pieces too large to entirely disintegrate before reentry that will indeed strike the Earth. While the chance of any pieces striking a person is very, very remote…the chance of seeing a reentering piece is possible. A short video on YouTube shows a few seconds of the burn one such piece experienced. Along with many videos posted of imaginative fake falling satellite pieces…soon (I hope!) more actual videos will be posted. It is not only a historical event but think of it…doesn’t it bring to mind Orson Wells’ War of the Worlds…just a bit?

To date no person has been hurt by a piece of falling debris, according to recent news articles. Sightings of falling debris over the skies near Southern California have been reported. It feels a bit like science fiction…streaks of light entering our atmosphere…from a satellite orbiting our Earth for longer than many readers have even been here themselves! Stuff to spark the imagination of budding writers!

Celebrating the beginning of autumn (a favorite season!) and a beautiful day…and hoping this recent news event may spark a creative sci-fi writer’s imagination,

KW

Keynote speaker will be Eloisa James, one of my current favorite authors. I had the opportunity to hear her speak in Washington DC at the RWA conference a couple of years ago and I must say she is an incredibly entertaining and insightful writer. I look forward to hearing her speak again.

I have never attended a local conference…but am really looking forward to seeing the presentation of the Maggies. Those judging the unpublished works this year are (information taken from the Georgia Romance Writers website):

Single Title–Holly Blanck, Editor, St. Martins Press*

Series Contemporary–Victoria Curran, Editor, Harlequin*

Inspirational–Charlene Patterson, Editor, Bethany House*

Historical–Tessa Woodward, Editor, Avon

Paranormal–Claire Eddy, Sr. Editor, Tor

Young Adult–Leah Hultenschmidt, Editor, Sourcebooks*

*Also attending the 2011 Moonlight & Magnolias conference.

There will also be a presentation of the Maggie Medallion to a worthy published author!

I am looking forward to meeting other Southern writers as well as writers from other parts of the country (and hopefully a few from other countries).

There will be a wonderful Book Fair, an awards’ ceremony with dinner and dancing and many workshops for published and aspiring authors.

My first conference meeting of this year…and I am getting pretty excited!

KW

Avon Books makes donations from sale of select books for National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Funny how a person can remember exactly where he or she was when something bad happens that affects your life profusely. I have days that are forever etched in my mind. One of the foremost is the day I found out my mother had ovarian cancer. Even worse, I was sitting with her at that exact moment and I often wonder what was going through her mind when she heard that word…that awful “C” word…no ones wants to hear.  That day began a journey that lasted a little over three years. A journey that I spent with my mother…trying to be her support through the bad days and helping her live life just a little better on those good days.

September is recognized as National Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. September is the month I lost my beautiful mother to her fight against this disease (September 23, 2004). In a touch of irony, teal (one of mother’s favorite colors) is the official color of the ribbons, jewelry and other items used to bring awareness to this deadly cancer.

How can a vibrant person who loves life and has a great respect for health get mixed up in this fight? How can one so aware of the health of others not see this coming?

Long regarded as the ‘silent killer’ ovarian cancer is almost always detected in late stages. A person is incredibly lucky to be diagnosed in the first stages. Many are able to get help while the disease is in the second stage. But…most ovarian cancers are found in stage three and stage four. For those unfamiliar with these stages, let me give a quick primer. In Stage One, cancer is limited to one or both ovaries. Stage Two has the cancer in one or both ovaries and it has spread to other pelvic structures. By Stage Three not only have one or both ovaries been involved with the disease but also either the cancer has spread beyond the pelvis and is in the lining of the abdomen or cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. The tumor is limited to the true pelvis but also malignant extension to the small bowel. By Stage Four again one or both ovaries are involved and the cancer has actual metastasized to the liver or lungs. Also, the pleural fluid (excess fluid located around the lungs) contains ovarian cancer cells.

For each of the first three stages there are three grades of I, II or III…each a step worse than the next as far as the exposure to the cancer.

Fiftieth Wedding Anniversary, just a few weeks before her diagnosis. Mama was already quite sick.

My mother, when hers was found, was already at Third Stage, III. Not to be graphic, but to be helpful to you, her cancer had spread into her pelvis area, her abdomen and its lining. None was found in her lymph nodes. When she had surgery two LARGE tumors were removed…one located right at her stomach; also she had to have the protective lining to her abdomen removed, leaving her susceptible to herniation of that area of her body. With the ascites (fluid) that occurs with many cancers plus this loss of abdominal lining, she often had to have the fluid drained (I actually sat with her many occasions when this was done (mind you, she was awake for these procedures)…while it relieves pressure on organs and gives the patient relief it also speeds the accumulation of even MORE fluid).

I know I am not painting a pretty picture, but it is a picture of a wonderful, brave woman who loved her life…suffering one of the deadliest cancers today. Unfortunately, ovarian cancer is not called a silent killer for nothing. Symptoms are not very easy to spot. And when they are, often they are mistaken for gall bladder trouble, weight gain or other maladies.

During Mama's brief remission

My mother thought she had gall bladder trouble. She experienced some bloating and had trouble with not wanting to eat at times. Food didn’t seem to agree with her…either she wasn’t hungry or although hungry she couldn’t eat very much. Spotting/unusual bleeding occurred even though she’d already gone past menopause. She never mentioned constipation or abdominal pain to me but these are also signs of a possible illness. Her stomach appeared distended, which she attributed to a possible gall bladder problem. Again, nothing alarming and nothing too out of the ordinary that she felt in danger. Taken all together, these symptoms are quite obvious she was sick. But they all didn’t happen at the same times. Also, by the time these symptoms are all coming together there is a great possibility the cancer has ventured into the Stage Three area.

According to ovariancancer.org you should also watch for other symptoms that have been commonly reported by women with ovarian cancer. These symptoms include fatigue, indigestion, back pain, pain with intercourse and menstrual irregularities. However, these other symptoms are not as useful in identifying ovarian cancer because they are also found in equal frequency in women in the general population who do not have ovarian cancer.

These are not silent symptoms. A person can and does notice these unusual or uncommon things as they happen to the body, especially a combination of a few. These are signs that you take and run straight to your doctor!

Early detection is KEY! For those in the high risk category, there is the CA-125 test, while it does have false positives…it measure the concentration of protein CA-125 (elevated numbers are found in cancerous cells). Transvaginal ultrasounds are a wonderful backup to this test. My mother had these tests done at regular intervals while undergoing chemotherapy and during a brief remission to measure the rise or fall of the number of cancer cells…determining the advancement or sometimes loss of numbers in cancer cells.

OVA1 has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for determining risks for surgery and helps determine if surgery can be done by a gynecologist or a gynecological oncologist –  a doctor who is specially trained to treat women with gynecological cancers. My mother’s surgery was done by a gynecologic-oncologist.

Pelvic exams, like those you get in your annual exam (ladies, get those examinations) do not usually detect ovarian cancer. If it does it is usually in the advanced stages. They are helpful and should not be overlooked as they will be part of the official diagnosis and staging of ovarian cancer. They are also vital in keeping other medical problems at bay.

Avon Books has made an initial donation of $25,000 to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. And Avon has announced that beginning August 30, it  is committed to donating 25¢ from the sale of each book, physical and eBook, in the “K.I.S.S and Teal” promotion between 8/30/2011 and 2/28/2012, up to an additional $25,000 toward programs that support ovarian cancer patients and their families. Be sure to look for the KISS and Teal logo on your next Avon purchase! You can also go to their web page to make individual donations.

A ‘critique raffle” is being held by fellow writers for author Heather McCollum…who is fighting ovarian cancer with dignity and with grace. Five fellow authors are donating critiques to be raffled at $1 per chance with the proceeds going to fund awareness of ovarian cancer and the need to find a cure. I find this a sweet, heartfelt gesture and would love anyone reading this blog to check it out at http://www.virginiakantra.com/CritiquesforHeather.html.

Treatment of ovarian cancer includes one or any combination of the following: surgery, chemotherapy, intraperitoneal chemotherapy and radiation. Naturally, a person could expect hair loss, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, nerve problems, sexual issues, diarrhea or constipation, differing tastes of foods and problems with teeth and gums and what is known as “chemobrain”, forgetfulness or trouble concentrating following chemotherapy. If it goes into remission please continue to get regular checkups, for around 70 percent of patients diagnosed with ovarian cancer will have a recurrence.

My mother enjoyed a few months without chemotherapy and with low CA-125 numbers, then it returned and seemed to never respond to treatment. According to the ovariancancer.org site:

One of the factors in determining a patient’s risk of recurrence is the stage of the cancer at diagnosis:

• Patients diagnosed in stage I have a 10 percent chance of recurrence.
• Patients diagnosed in stage II have a 30 percent chance of recurrence.
• Patients diagnosed in stage III have a 70 to 90 percent chance of recurrence.
• Patients diagnosed in stage IV have a 90 to 95 percent chance of recurrence.

We need better early detection. We need reliable tests that can find this illness in its earliest stages. We need more accurate screening tools!!

Please take a few minutes to look at a few ovarian cancer sites. Famed Saturday Night Live member, Gilda Radner, died of this disease. A great organization was founded by her husband after her death because she’d felt “no one should face cancer alone”. Along with the sites I’ve mentioned, visit Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, A Survivor’s Journey For Women with Cancer, Ovarian Cancer?? Pass the Wine…Now!, Wikipedia List of Women with Ovarian Cancer…or one of the scores of sites for information concerning finding, treating and curing this disease.

Please, listen to your body! Insist on more attention to ovarian cancer research and testing. Ladies (and gentlemen) please pass along the link to this blog to raise awareness with others who should know more about this deadly cancer. Let’s raise awareness among our writing (and reading) community!

Let’s make many, many more people aware of this most deadly disease,

KW

New Jersey? New York? New England?

I do know that hurricanes, many fierce and historic, have devastated those areas in years past. It just is unusual to me (I suppose) because I live in an area regularly on the alert for this type weather. My home has been in the direct path of Hurricane Camille’s eye and within miles of the eye of Hurricane Katrina. These two make the others that have inundated our area seem much smaller and less destructive. But….destructive they are!

Trees down, branches broken and strewn about, store fronts losing signs, glass windows broken, possible flooding. Just a few of the things to worry about with hurricanes. My vivid memories of Camille are still very much with me. THAT was a storm I will never forget. Katrina? I left the area and returned after the storm had passed only to find my hometown and many cities and highways around it covered with downed trees, no power, limited access to food and gas.

To those in the Carolinas, batten down the hatches…you are surely receiving wind and rain from the bands of the storm that are entering your area. To those farther North, please heed all warnings of your city and state officials. It is much better to over-prepare than to find yourselves with no food or water or gasoline for several days. Often we have gotten prepared for a bad storm only to have no power problems or destruction. But never let your guard down when it comes to these types of storms…they are unpredictable and dangerous. Wouldn’t you rather be well prepared…just in case?

High tide. New moon. The pathway of the storm. All factors when the storm approaches New Jersey and New York. Areas north of these states will also be affected with wind and rain…and probable damage.

As Irene travels up the East coast it creates dangerous currents and, nearer the storm eye, waves currently above forty feet.

To all along the entire coast and in both the direct and indirect path of this large, dangerous storm, please heed all warnings and stay safe,

KW

For those of us who are a bit HTML challenged, using website building software seems to be the way to go. Also several web hosts (both free and fee based) offer premade web pages. Simply fill in your information and upload to the Internet.

I am considering adding pages to discuss ebooks, progress on current work in progress and a few other goodies I’ve seen while exploring the web pages of some of my own favorite authors. Just comparing my own to theirs has given me some great ideas. I am also researching how to get readers and other authors interested in coming back for regular updates on my writing.

When complete, I will link this blog to my website and I hope you will feel free to check it out and send any comments or suggestions my way. I always appreciate constructive criticism.

Oh, if you have any suggestions or advice to pass on now…..please do!

Time to get back to learning about links and codes and color palettes,

KW