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Thursday, January 28, 2016

#NewRelease -- Sundown Western Tales -- Giveaway!

Do you love stories about the untamed days of the Old West? Well, pardner, this is one collection of short tales you will not want to pass up!  From old standards like Max Brand and Zane Grey to new authors and those in between, you’re sure to find these stories to your liking.  Settle back in your easy chair and get ready for ten fantastic tales of action and adventure that will pull you right in and have you reaching for your own pistol as you read!

In Zane Grey’s story, “The Horses of Bostil’s Ford”, a man’s horse means everything…

Richard  Prosch’s “Storm Damage” is the tale of a man finally getting the woman he always wanted.

There’s nothing better than a dog in Big Jim Williams’s “Riding Fence”—where a loyal canine friend saves a ranch hand’s life in a blizzard.

They say there’s a fortune to be made in picking up “Buffalo Bones”. Charlie Steel’s character, Smiley, will keep you guessing.

The young son of a gallows-builder places a bet with a school chum that a hard-to-hang prisoner will meet his fate, at last, in Kyle Rudek’s “The Man Who Wouldn’t Hang”.

In “Love’s Lonesome Serenade—The River Romance”, Lane Pierce pens a tale of escape and unexpected romance between a young gunman and a soiled dove.

W.M. Shockley’s “Mordecai” is a man determined to hold on to what’s his to the very end—even if he’s not sure he wants it.

A young man is killed, and a beautiful horse is accidentally shot, changing the course of several lives in Robert Steele’s  “The Good Shooting”.

The Hicks brothers stir up trouble with the wrong drifter in Gordon Rottman’s story, “Missing But Not Missed”.

“The Cure of Silver Canyon” is a wonderful Max Brand western short that blends plenty of drama, action, and emotion into an exciting read.

Don’t miss this new western anthology from SUNDOWN PRESS!

Be sure and leave a comment for a chance to win a free ebook!

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Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Finding a Niche

When I left off last month, I had just talked to a friend who recommended I take another class to see where it took my writing.

I am so glad I listened!

On her advice, I inquired at AllWriters' Workplace and Workshop about their Wendesday workshop. AllWriters is a writing studio in downtown Waukesha, Wisconsin that caters to all writing styles. The director, Kathie Giorgio, said I was welcome to "audit" a session on a Wednesday night, so I took her up on the deal.

Let me say that I was incredibly apprehensive going into the room. I hadn't written much at all formally, so was sure I'd be the greenest writer in the place. Well, I was greeted with warmth and acceptance. The writing levels were all over the map - from novice to polished and published. There were poets, musician/writers and a few people looking for a way to tap something inside them. I shared a bit of what I'd scribbled in my notebook with the group and it was well received. By the end of class, I knew this was exactly where I should be.

I enrolled in the class that week seven years ago and have been enrolled on and off ever since. It was one of the best decisions I could have made. At class we bring in up to 10 pages of double-spaced writing and read it before the group. When we're done, the group of 8-12 people critique it. The critiques are intended to be positive and supportive. We're hard on each other but in a supportive way. We push each other because we want the best from one another. In the process of it all, we laugh and laugh. It is a fun group.

As a writer, I cannot say enough about how important it is to have a good critique group. It is the single most important thing you can do with your writing. I've found it's easy to think your writing is beautiful and perfect, only to bring it to group and have it humbly put in its place. It only serves to make me a better writer though, so I take it for what it is.

Next month, I'll talk more about this studio and some of the success it has helped me achieve.