SCWC & the Sunriver Writers' Summit in May

As all my followers know, I love the Southern California Writers Conference (SCWC), and believe that attending this excellent conference is important for aspiring writers, published authors, and even for indie publishers. I'll be teaching at SCWC in September in Irvine, but this post is really about their new Summit in Oregon in May.

           The Sunriver Writers' Summit is, as its name suggests, something quite different from a typical conference, and there are some compelling reasons to attend this two-day event, besides the fact that I'll be teaching there with the always-inspiring Judy Reeves and Michael Steven Gregory. 



First, the elements that make up a typical conference can make it a bit overwhelming—the plethora of workshops to attend, the many things to do before and after workshops. At the Writers' Summit, you'll be in one of three intensive tracks (check them out here) for both days. You'll concentrate on one subject—for instance, writing, polishing, and producing a great memoir, in my track—and focus on that exclusively. Obviously, there's a lot to cover within that subject, so you won't get bored!

           The second reason is that we all get stuck sometimes—whether we're just starting a project and need a push to get us going in the right direction, or have written a manuscript and know we need help figuring out what part of it is a book, or have a book and no idea of how to "get it out there." I hear all the time from writers how they spent years in a creative rut, until the right class, with the right person, at the right time, helped to propel them to a whole new level.

           Another reason is that all of us track leaders have been there, not just writing and editing, but selling and promoting projects and published books. We'll not only share with you the benefit of our years of experience, but answer specific questions about your project.

           Finally, the Summit will be held in beautiful Sunriver, Oregon (located in Central Oregon, very close to Redmond Municipal Airport) at the spectacular Sunriver Resort Lodge. May is the perfect time to visit this part of the Pacific Northwest, and the Lodge is a perfect setting for creativity.

           So, why not take the opportunity for a life-and-work-changing weekend in a gorgeous natural setting? Dates for the upcoming Summit are May 26-27, 2018. Don't wait—the Summit registration fee will be discounted if you register by May 1.

           hasta pronto—see you soon!

Five Books I Read in 2017—and Recommend

It’s time for me to list five books I loved in 2017. As always, I leave off the bestsellers—the ten titles you’ve read about ten times in the last ten weeks of top ten books lists. I tried to keep it to works published in 2017, but I included a couple from 2016 that I discovered this year.

I am also, as always, not listing the books I edited in 2017, but I will tell you that the key author name to remember is Clay Savage…He’s got a half-dozen excellent manuscripts written in a variety of genres—it sounds unbelievable, but he’s crazy talented and prolific. Don’t worry, I'll let you know when his books are being published.

I will mention one collection that includes a story of mine: The Insider’s Guide to the Best of Mexico: 42 experts tell you where to sun, swim, eat, stay, and celebrate the real Mexico (2017) edited by Carmen Amato. This little ebook is a treasure—filled with short pieces by some well-known Mexico writers, like Jinx Schwartz, author of the always-enjoyable Hetta Coffey Series. Not a typical travel guide, this includes unique tidbits, offbeat adventures, and actual insider insights—and best of all, it is currently free on Kindle!

So...On to my "top five" list for 2017:

What Remains True by Janis Thomas (2017) isn’t just my favorite book this year, it’s already one of my favorites of the decade. One sign of a great book is that I want to read it again, and I wanted to reread this one as soon as I finished it. A true literary artist has the ability to step inside other people’s heads and inhabit them, and Thomas has done that here, in spades. Oddly enough, I had just finished reading Stars in The Grass, which deals with a similar situation—a family dealing with the loss of a young child— and as good as Ann Marie Stewart is, her book paled in comparison to the raw power of What Remains True. I don’t want to spoil anything by telling you more, just read it!

The Book of Moon by George Crowder (2016) This book reminded me of a California take on The Dirty Parts of the Bible, but I enjoyed it much more. Moon Landing may be only fifteen but he’s no kid; this coming-of-age story is told from the point of view of a very adult young man. Moon is concerned with the disintegration of his family due to his parents divorce, but he’s also worried about sex, death, global problems, world religions, and his own spirituality.

The Leavers by Lisa Ko (2017) I try not to hype any books that showed up on national “best of the year” lists, but I had to include The Leavers, because I this book is a must-read for anyone interested in issues of migration, immigration, and assimilation, as I am (and if you are not interested in these subjects, why not?). The story builds slowly, and was tough to get into, so be patient; I almost gave up on it, and I am so glad I didn’t. It might change the way you look at life in these United States.

The Eagle Tree by Ned Hayes (2016) This quirky book is a winner, and could be read by nature lovers of almost any age—the protagonist is a 14-year-old autistic boy who is in love with trees, and one tree in particular. If you enjoy reading about the outdoors, the Pacific Northwest, or stories told by unusual narrators, you’ll love The Eagle Tree. And if you loved The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, you will adore this book. The Kindle edition is on sale right now.

Still I Rise: The Persistence of Phenomenal Women by Marlene Wagman-Geller, with a foreword by Laurel Corona. The book highlights the struggles and accomplishments of important women of our era, like Betty Shabazz, Nellie Sachs, Selma Lagerlof, Fannie Lou Hamer, Bessie Coleman, and Lois Wilson (if you don’t recognize their names, you obviously need this book). In spite of the spotty editing, I definitely recommend this addictively-readable resource. It's important to all of us, and future generations, that our written histories tell the other half of history.

It All Worked Out in the End

One of the best things that can happen to an editor is seeing their clients' books win over readers and get great reviews. That matters as much as book awards—though those are awfully nice, too. One of the finest memoirs that I've worked on is "Fourteen" by Leslie Johansen Nack, which came out two years ago to impressive acclaim.
Leslie's journey to becoming an author took many years—the process of "birthing" the book was pretty challenging in a number of ways—but ultimately, she has a book out there that she can be very proud of.

Yesterday, I saw that Kirkus had reviewed "Fourteen," and what a review it is! Anyway, I'm so proud of Leslie and thought I'd share the review with you here.

 KIRKUS REVIEW

A debut memoir reveals a turbulent adolescence.
At first glance, the voyage of Bjorn Johansen and his three daughters from San Diego to the islands of Tahiti in 1975 aboard the Aegir (Norwegian for “lord of the stormy seas”) has all the makings of a standard adventure story. But there is much more beneath the surface that sets this stirring book apart from other renderings of the challenges of adolescence. Nack is the middle daughter, who turned 14 years old right before they set sail, and she cleverly provides a definition of “navigation” in the opening pages because it serves as one of the text’s central metaphors. Her mother, often absent from the action here, struggled with mental illness and substance abuse. The author’s early characterization of her father as “volatile and demanding” is an understatement, as he turns out to be physically, emotionally, and sexually abusive. Thus the inclusion of “Survival” in the subtitle acquires another layer of meaning. In a breathtaking scene, Nack bravely defies her father’s orders and confronts him about the sexual abuse. She writes: “We’d been at sea seventeen days. He was like a lion crouching low, studying his prey. The gazelles eventually get worn down. They cannot be on high alert every moment of the day. Nobody can. I was tired of being scared.” After a series of cultural encounters and harrowing events once they reach their destination, the return voyage involves a different boat and crew. Although the riveting book ends before they make landfall, it is an appropriate moment to reflect on what has happened up to this point. The exhausted crew has just emerged intact from a ferocious two-day storm, which required lots of concerted effort and skilled maneuvering. They’re not there yet, but they are getting close. In keeping with the tone of the project as a whole, this ending, while somewhat abrupt, is powerful and inspiring. Perhaps the only quibble is that Nack leaves readers wanting more.
An engaging account, gripping from start to finish, that should appeal to a wide audience, including sailing enthusiasts.

The funny thing is, I remember the two of us going around and around about how to end her ongoing story in the memoir (yeah, we went around about the beginning as well, that's part of the process), so I am glad to see that her hard work paid off.  
Speaking of writing life stories, I'm going to be teaching an intensive weekend memoir track at the exciting new Summit in Sunriver, Oregon. Memorial Day weekend, 2018 (also known as my birthday and anniversary weekend). Click here for more on the Summit experience.
hasta pronto!

Recap of the SDBAA Awards (with winners and links)

Last week, the San Diego Book Awards Association presented their awards at the Sheraton in La Jolla. There were no SDBAA awards given out last year, due to the passing of Chet Cunningham, so this year books were accepted from 2016 and 2017, and needless to say, the competition for top honors was very fierce...
I was there, breath held and fingers crossed for Eric Peterson's The Dining Car to win the top award in the Contemporary Fiction category, which it did! Congratulations, Eric, on your second gold medal for this delectable, rollicking book.

Two of my other clients had books nominated in the category of Published Young Adult Fiction— Dragon Camp by Cate Shepherd, and Paco Jones by Dominic Carrillo. I applauded loudly for both of them, but Paco Jones won!
But even before that, it was a very fun night, with plenty to applaud as we celebrated literary excellence in San Diego.
The General Fiction category was way too close to tell with Where I Lost Her by T. Greenwood, Casualties by Elizabeth Marro, and Gifts Unexpected by T.C. Grant. The winner was Where I Lost Her by T. Greenwood.
Judy Reeves was nominated for her newest book, Wild Women, Wild Voices and I saw that inspiring "Wild Woman" herself at the awards.
Her books' competition was a beautiful, photo-rich book by my friend Nicholas Clapp published by my long-time pals at Sunbelt Publications. Nick's beautiful book won, which was nice, but comparing the two books is like comparing apples to oranges.
Friends John Van Roekel and Indy Quillen were both nominated for their most recent works and it was nice to see them there.
The winner of the "Best of the Best" for the night, aka, the Theodor S. Geisel Award was Take a Hike by Priscilla Lister. Lots of photos of the big night are here.
There are many categories in the SDBAA awards, from local interest to military/political—there's always something for everyone from our local authors.
Click here to see the full list of winners.

The San Diego Book Awards Nominees