Ode To My Writing Group
I love Tuesday’s. It means come 7 o’clock, I’ll be seated at a table with five of my favorite people. Well, make it four. Jeff Shelby has moved to Texas and while we are still battling the vagaries of the web cam, he often joins us by telephone. I’m going to introduce you to each one in no particular order.
Since I’ve already mentioned him, I’ll start with
Jeff. Jeff was the first in our group to get a publishing contract. Killer Swell was released in hardback by Dutton in 2005. His second book, Wicked Break, came out in 2006. He’s at work now on a stand alone thriller that’s REALLY good. If you haven’t yet read his Noah Braddock books, do so now. They’re set in San Diego and I get homesick every time I read one. He’s a die-hard Padre fan, even if they don’t deserve such devotion. He has a great
blog that you should also check out.
Next, the dynamic duo – Margie and Tom Lawson.
Margie many of you already know. She’s a well-known lecturer on the circuit with classes on Defeating Self-Defeating Behaviors and a killer editing system. Check out her website and sign up for one and you won’t be disappointed. She and her hunky husband, Tom, are co-authoring a thriller. Tom is a pilot and built his own small airplane. Now, Jeff says the only way he’ll fly on a plane that small is in a casket, but the rest of us can’t wait to give it a try.
Sandy Maren is probably the best critiquer in the group. She has an agent shopping a YA novel and is currently at work on an Urban Fantasy. She zeroes in on exactly what’s wrong in anything we give her and comes up with suggestions to fix it. Remember the name, because before long, you’ll be looking for her books, too,
Then, of course, there’s Mario. I don’t have to say anything else except that his second book, X-Rated Bloodsuckers is out now and it’s SO Mario, you’ll love it. Most of you know, that Mario is also an artist. The picture at right is the present he gave me when The Becoming was first released. He heard me say that I wish I had a pair of 38’s and this is what he came up with. Although I refuse to WEAR it, I’ll treasure it always!
Why did I do this? Because in the last three years, everyone in this group has gotten an agent, gotten published, finished a manuscript, or otherwise established him or herself in the writing world. People ask me if I think a writer’s group is important? You can guess what my answer is.
PS Things to watch for this weekend: Blood Ties starts Sunday, right along with Daylight Savings Time. Yippee to both!