Wednesday, March 30, 2016

moving computer content from one place to another

In working with authors & others by computer, a problem I’ve found some have is not knowing how to move content from one place to another. There are several ways to do it, but here’s a simple way that works for me:

1, Type your content in a Word document, e-mail message, or similar. Or find your desired content in an already existing document.

2, Use your mouse to run your cursor over your content till it all turns a different colour. You have now selected it.

3, While pressing Control [Ctrl] on your keyboard, press C on your keyboard. You have now copied your content.

4, Use your mouse to place your cursor where you want your content to appear.

5, While pressing Control [Ctrl] on your keyboard, press V on your keyboard. You should now have pasted your content where you want it.

Elma (Martens) Schemenauer http://elmams.wix.com/elma . CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS: 1940s-era novel about love, Mennonites, faith, & family. Set in Vancouver & rural Saskatchewan. Order from Chapters online http://tinyurl.com/ny8smwk or Borealis Press http://tinyurl.com/lfdo9pf . More info at http://elmams.wix.com/sflwrs . Book trailer https://youtu.be/sBRuhh1xX7Y .

Tuesday, March 29, 2016

a review of TWO HEARTS: AN ADOPTEE'S JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF TO GRATITUDE by Linda Hoye

Linda Hoye, author of the book TWO HEARTS: AN ADOPTEE'S JOURNEY THROUGH GRIEF TO GRATITUDE, grew up in Saskatchewan. She doesn't live there anymore but calls the province "the home of my heart." She says, "I've spent more years away from it than I did living there, but it's as much a part of me as it ever was. It is my motherland; it is in my DNA."

That's how I feel. My love of Saskatchewan comes through in my 1940s-era Mennonite novel CONSIDER THE SUNFLOWERS. So do my connections with my Mennonite parents and other relatives.

Linda Hoye's mother was a Mennonite but Linda spent many years not knowing this or anything else about her birth parents and other "blood" relatives. She was given up for adoption at a time when the process was shrouded in secrecy. Some adoptees don't seem to mind not knowing their backgrounds. However, Linda did. She struggled with identity issues and the sense that she was somehow unworthy of love and acceptance. Her book has much to say to anyone who grapples with such feelings. Don't we all at some times in our lives?

TWO HEARTS resonated with me in several ways. After a number of years, Linda came to faith in Christ, a faith I share. She lived in Kamloops for some years. That's where I live now.

Thankfully, after searching for some time, Linda found her birth parents and other relatives. However, finding them wasn't the final answer to her struggles. Slowly, through a long journey and many complex relationships, she gained a measure of peace. I'm glad I could share her journey through reading this book.

Paperback: 232 pages, Publisher: Benson Books (May 8, 2012), ISBN-10: 061560675X, ISBN-13: 978-0615606750

Monday, March 28, 2016

best books for writers

Here are publishing guru Jane Friedman’s suggestions regarding books for writers: https://janefriedman.com/best-books-writers/ . Of course there are lots more, some of which I’ve found to be readily available in libraries.

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Danielle Pederson, fantasy for young adults, & library reading Thursday March 31

Danielle Mathieson Pederson, Interior Authors Group member and writer of young adult fantasy, is doing a reading and Q&A especially for writers. It’s at the Kamloops downtown library [Victoria & 5^th Avenue] at 7 pm Thursday March 31. It's an event for all who like fantasy & YA novels, and for fans of The Mer Archives interested in Book 2! Danielle will be reading from her first published novel "Lasera ~ Book One of the Mer Archives' and will sign and sell copies at the event as well. As an added bonus she'll be discussing some of her other projects and even give attendees a sneak peak into Book 2. She loves interacting with readers and fans, and hopes to see many of you there!

You can “Like” Danielle & her writing on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/hcnbud3 .

Vancouver Island history & Eleanor Hancock in BC Bookworld

Eleanor Hancock, Interior Authors Group member and writer of history, is in the Spring 2016 issue of the magazine BC Bookworld! I believe free paper copies are available at bookstores and maybe libraries. Look at pages 38 and 39 to see her and her book Salt Chuck Stories from Vancouver Island’s West Coast: Zeballos, Nootka Sound, Kyuquot. There’s also interesting information about her book in progress, Hardly the Klondike: The 1938 Zeballos Gold Boom.

You can read the magazine online at

http://bcbooklook.com/latest-issue/ . Don’t ask me why it but you need to go to pages 36-37 and 38-39 to see Eleanor and her books. Once you’ve looked, press Esc on the far upper left of your keyboard to get your normal screen back.

Monday, March 21, 2016

new awards for books self-punlished in Canada

Vancouver, BC [March 21, 2016] – New Literary Award Recognizes the Best of Independent Publishing

This year’s Whistler Writers Festival, October 13–16, will include the presentation of the inaugural Independent Book Awards. The Whistler Independent Book Awards will be open to Canadian authors or permanent residents who have independently published a book or books in the last five years. There will be a single winner, with two additional finalists, in each of four categories: fiction, non-fiction, crime fiction and poetry. The shortlist will be selected by the Canadian Authors Association (Vancouver) and the three finalists in each category will be independently judged by a panel including a respected Canadian author or poet and an appointee of the Whistler WritingSociety. Judging the Fiction category will be author and translator Genni Gunn, whose most recent novel, Solitaria, was nominated for the 2011 Giller Prize. JJ Lee, whose debut book,The Measure of a Man, was a finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award, will judge the Non-Fiction category. Crime novelist, journalist and publisher Linda L. Richards will judge the Crime Fiction category, while former Vancouver Poet Laureate Evelyn Lau will judge the Poetry category.

Eligible authors can submit their entries to the Whistler Independent Book Awards until Friday, June 3, 2016. Submissions can be made via www.whistlerwritersfest.com and www.tidewaterfestival.com. All entries will be evaluated and authors not longlisted will receive a written assessment from the nomination committee. The Canadian Authors Association (Vancouver) will select the shortlist, and the twelve finalists, three in each category, will be notified by July 22. Finalists will receive a significant prize package and will be invited to attend several Festival events, including the popular Literary Cabaret, where winners will be announced. There will be a cash prize of $500 in each category, and winners will participate in a Festival event or reading and will have their books retailed by Whistler’s Armchair Books for three months after the conclusion of the Festival.

Jointly produced by the Whistler WritingSociety and Vivalogue Publishing, the Whistler Independent Book Awards mark the evolution of independent publishing. While the industry has grown dramatically in the last decade, there have been no juried Canadian awards recognizing exceptional quality in these titles—until now. “These awards reflect our ongoing commitment to inclusiveness,” said festival organizer Stella Harvey. “We are proud to welcome accomplished independent authors to the Festival and to celebrate their work.”

Media Inquiries About the Awards: Contact Lynn Duncan, lynn@vivalogue.com or 604-522-6222

Media Inquiries About the Whistler Writers Festival: Contact Stella Harvey stella25@telus.net

About the Whistler Writers Festival:Now in its 15th year, the Whistler Writers Festival has hosted more than 100 leading Canadian authors. This year, the event runs from October 13 – 16. The Festival is organized by the Whistler WritingSociety, which also sponsors a Writer in Residence and Authors in Schools program.

From: Elma [mailto:elmams@shaw.ca]
Sent: March-21-16 10:18 AM
Subject: self-publishing companies: red flags

Good article here on what to watch for in companies offering to help you self-publish a book: http://tinyurl.com/jbbn3y9 .

using Facebook to gain fans & hopefully sell books

Good article here on using Facebook to gain fans & hopefully sell your books http://tinyurl.com/zlj2r3j .

Sunday, March 20, 2016

Writers wanted: Artificium

I don't know anything about this publisher but their invitation to writers may be of interest. They apparently pay. They are located in the United Kingdom but don't say anything about not accepting submissions from people elsewhere.

From: Artificium [mailto:editor@artificium.co.uk]
Sent: March-20-16 11:21 AM
To: elmams@shaw.ca
Subject: Writers wanted!

Artificium is looking for submissions from writers for our 2016 publications. | We are looking f or good, original writing in any genre fo

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

opportunity: fiction 300-1000 words

http://flashfictionmagazine.com/submissions/

Saturday, March 12, 2016

New Jewish Press

The Toronto-based New Jewish Press is open to submissions of fiction and nonfiction books dealing with Jewish culture, history, philosophy, and religion. Preference given to Canadian works but international works will also be considered. More info at http://www.newjewishpress.ca/ .

Thursday, March 10, 2016

world's 10 most literate countries

Article about the world’s 10 most literate countries. How does your country rate, or does it? http://tinyurl.com/glqqw3h

Monday, March 7, 2016

selling books at a market, show, or fair

Selling books at a market, show, or fair isn’t always easy. Having done it or tried to do it at the Visions Farmers Market in the Sahali Mall and also at Art in the Park, I seriously relate to the author of this article: http://tinyurl.com/z5d3tbu .

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

conference: Write West Coast May 7

Good news! Christian Writers Conference in Abbotsford Saturday May 7. I’ll be giving the workshop Fiction Flaws: Find ’em & Fix ’em & will also participate on a panel. Trust me. This is true even though my picture doesn’t appear on the website: https://thewordguild.com/wwc/ . Here’s the information you’ll find on that website:

Write West Coast

The new TWG [The Word Guild] writers’ chapters of British Columbia are pleased to host this outstanding one-day conference. From writing skills to managing the business of writing, attendees will learn, be inspired, and spiritually enriched. Meet and network with other like-minded individuals.

When:

Saturday May 7, 2016

Time:

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Location:

Cascade Community Church
35190 DeLair Road
Abbotsford, BC
Canada V3G 2E2

Enjoy workshops by published & award winning authors in an open forum.

A1: Scene and Sequel–To Plot and/or Get your Story Going.
OR
A2: Writing Dynamic Devotionals

B1: Fiction Story Arcs with Big Hearts
OR
B2: Motivation, Marketing, and Money—The Why, How, and How Much for Writers.

C1: Articles: Writing for print; writing for the web
OR
C2: Fiction Flaws: Find’em & Fix’em

Special Guests:

Keynote Speaker: Grace Fox

Grace Fox is an author and international speaker whose passion is to connect the dots between faith and real life for her audiences. She is also founder of the all-new “RADIANT: Creating a Deeper Life” one-day women’s conferences and national co-director of International Messengers Canada, a non-profit with 200 career missionaries working in 25 countries. Together with her husband Gene, she trains and leads short-term missions teams to Eastern Europe annually. She also teaches missionaries-in-training in Egypt and church leaders in Nepal. Aspiring Woman magazine recently named her one of Canada’s top 10 female Christian entrepreneurs.

Worship led by Carola Meerkerk

Carola Meerkerk is a songwriter, singer, creative writer, speaker and bible teacher. She has been nominated for the Canadian Covenant Music Awards in 2011 and in 2013 in the category of “Jazz and Blues Song of the Year”. She is passionate about sharing God’s Good News and encouraging a vibrant relationship with Jesus.

CRITIQUES:

At the conference you can receive manuscript critiques (for half the usual price). For $25, you can submit 5 pages in advance, and book a 15-minute appointment with a professional editor or writer. Don’t miss this excellent opportunity! **There is limited space and we will only be accepting submissions until April 16, 2016!**

Submissions must be:
* 12 point Times New Roman
* double spaced
* should be the beginning of your piece so the critiquer has some context

Conference Cost:

Early Bird Fee (register before April 9th)

Word Guild member fee: $67 + HST
Non-member fee: $85 + HST

Late Fee (register between April 10th – 30th)

Word Guild member fee: $117 + HST
Non-member fee: $135 + HST

** More exciting details, including workshop descriptions, speed dating with an editor and author tables coming soon! **

The registration form is at https://thewordguild.com/wwc-reg/ This includes the opportunity to rent table space to sell your book/s for $25 + HST.

elma's almanac