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Robert Dean published in October Hill Magazine

1/16/2021

 
D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr.'s poem "The Tear" just came out in the new issue of October Hill Magazine. A link to the magazine's issue archives is provided below. The new issue is OHM Winter 2020, Volume 4, Issue 4. You can either 1: click on the image of the issue cover, which will open up the issue, or 2: click on "New! Digital Download," which is a much better way to open the issue; it will not download to your computer but open as a pdf, you have to click on the download icon after the issue opens to download the issue to your computer. Dean's poem "The Tear" is the last item in the issue, on page 164. A beautiful online magazine, and very nice folks. This is Dean's second appearance in October Hill Magazine. Link:


October Hill Magazine Archives

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If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form. ​

Coming 2021: Author Talks

1/16/2021

 
Kansas Authors Club will host a monthly “Author Talk” featuring an award-winning writer, with first priority given to authors who have won KAC book awards. The author will talk about an aspect of writing, publishing, or marketing (author's choice). The presentations are expected to last an hour to an hour and a half and will include time for questions and answers.
 
These events are being planned via Zoom, to take place on the 4th Tuesday of each month. The event will be open to all Kansas Authors Club members. A recording of the event will be made available to members who cannot attend live.

You must be a Kansas Authors Club member to attend an Author Talk. Not a member? Join today!

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January Author Talk: Jon Kelly Yenser

The News as Usual

Winner: 2020 Nelson Poetry Book Award
Tuesday, January 26, 7pm
Click here to register (must register to attend).
The News as Usual is available from Twice Told Tales Bookshop, and wherever you buy books! Support Kansas literature by supporting a Kansas Author!
 
"The title for Jon Kelly Yenser’s 2019 collection of poems, The News as Usual, accurately and profoundly describes his poetry although the “usual” here is shown to be startling and wondrous and occasionally wry and subtly humorous. Yenser writes from the ground up in choosing both his words and the subjects for his poems, reflecting his recognition that the "news," that is, ordinary life during all seasons in Kansas—in fields, in the backyards of its small towns, and in friendships—can be astonishing.
 
"Neither idealizing nor prettifying his Kansas, Yenser chooses language precisely and astonishingly. He creates metaphors that make the familiar spring wondrously into new life, thereby making the usual news become unusual."

--Elizabeth A. Schultz, judge, 2020 Nelson Poetry Book Award


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February Author Talk: Chuck Warner

Birds, Bones, and Beetles: The Improbable Career and Remarkable Legacy of University of Kansas Naturalist Charles D. Bunker

Winner:
2020 Martin Kansas History Book Award
2020 "Looks Like A Million" Design Award
Tuesday, February 23, 7pm
Click here to register (must register to attend).
University Press of Kansas has agreed to offer members of KAC a 30% discount on copies of Warner's book. Beginning today, this offer is good through March 31, 2021, and applies only to online purchases from University Press of Kansas using the Promo Code KAC30.  (https://kansaspress.ku.edu/978-0-7006-2773-8.html)  

​“While reading Chuck Warner’s book, I felt myself being transported back in time and seeing life through the eyes of Charles Bunker. Birds, Bones, and Beetles tells the story of naturalist Charles Bunker's life from his early years in Illinois in the late 1800s through his long career at the University of Kansas. Much like Charles Bunker, the book itself is unassuming and down to earth. Warner takes care to not only reveal Bunker's strengths but also his flaws. Yet, the book is more than a biography. Warner ties Bunker into a larger world that include his relationships with his colleagues and family, developments within the University of Kansas, and the natural history of the state. This well written and well researched book is not only a treat to read but is a valuable contribution to the history of Kansas.”

-Thomas C. Percy, PhD, judge, 2020 Martin Kansas History Book Award

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March Author Talk: Michael D. Graves

All Hallows' Shadows

Winner:
2020 J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award
Tuesday, March 23, 7pm
Click here to register (must register to attend).

"In All Hallows’ Shadows, Michael D. Graves serves up both homage and an original take on the hard-boiled detective genre. The mean streets of the novel are historic Wichita, Kansas, which Mr. Graves renders impeccably, edging in a history lesson with his mystery. Graves, an evident baseball fan, hits through the cycle of the genre’s tropes, but does so in a manner entirely his own, realizing a style entirely his own. Out of a field of strong competition, my choice for the J. Donald Coffin Book Award is Michael D. Graves’s All Hallows’ Shadows."

-William Sheldon, judge, 2020 J. Donald Coffin Memorial Book Award


Robert Dean Featured on Sunday Poems with Ken Hada

1/15/2021

 
D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr.'s poem "Cloudy with a Chance of Miracles," from Dean's latest book, The Aerialist Will Not Be Performing, was featured Sunday, January 10th, on Ken Hada's podcast "The Sunday Poems with Ken Hada." It is part of Episode #120. This is the Second Sunday in a row Ken has read from Dean's recent book. Ken also reads one of his own poems, "What We Have Lost," and briefly reflects on the events from Wednesday, January 6th. The podcast can be found anywhere podcasts are broadcast, and also at the link to Ken's website here:

Episode 120: Loss & A Chance of Miracles by The Sunday Poems with Ken Hada • A podcast on Anchor
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Stacy Thowe Novel Released on January 29

1/14/2021

 
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Congratulations to D1 member, Stacy Thowe, on the upcoming publication of her novel. 

This note from Stacy:

My novel, God Bless the Broken Road, is scheduled to be released January 29th by Austin Macauley Publishing out of New York. The pre-order should begin around January 15th-18th. It will be available for pre-order or sale on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Austin Macauley’s website, 
austinmacauley.com. 

Click here for the news release as published in the Topeka Capital-Journal. 
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HATTEBERG CONNECTS WITH PEOPLE

1/5/2021

 
Larry Hatteberg captured the hearts of Kansans because he connected with everyday people. He will be sharing his secrets for an award winning career in photojournalism and writing at the D5 monthly meeting Saturday. This talented, Kansas-raised man gained national acclaim.

Larry's presentation to D5 via Zoom is on Saturday, January 9 from 1:30 to 2:30. In the next couple of days, President Connie White will be emailing an invitation to D5 members at your email address on record.

A warm invitation is extended to all KAC members. Your district president will be able to forward the Zoom invitation to you.
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Wichita Library Virtual Discussion: The Hard Verge: Britain 2025, by Gretchen Eick

1/5/2021

 
Book Event Announcement from Gretchen Eick:

January 27th 6-7:30 PM, the Wichita Public Library will have a virtual discussion of my 2019 near-future book The Hard Verge: Britain 2025. 

Gretchen Eick of District 5 is the author and will be present for the discussion. The library has copies so no one needs to purchase the book. If people register, they will receive the Zoom address 24 hours in advance. Call 688-9580 or visit wichitalibrary.org/events to register online:  https://wichita.evanced.info/signup/eventdetails?EventId=11744


The novel is about asylum seekers in London in the post-Brexit years of an Ultra Right party's dominance of British politics. When a Syrian woman journalist disappears, her partner's search for her leads into the legal and illegal refugee community and to a small group of Members of Parliament willing to investigate what is happening in the privatized detention centers. Investigations that ensue uncover disturbing activity at Poton Downs, a top secret British weapons laboratory, and the Ultras' alarming increase of surveillance.  Is she still alive? Will Ana be found? What about the tens of thousands of others seeking asylum? And their children? 

Invitation to submit (deadline extended)--It Wasn't Funny!

1/4/2021

 
Vicki Julian has extended the deadline to February 15 for submissions to her next book, It Wasn't Funny...Then. The anthology is a collection of of first person stories relating a situation that was embarrassing or uncomfortable when it happened, but now seems funny or, at least, not quite as traumatic as when it occurred. It should be funny to others, but must meet the criteria as stated. It can be as short as a paragraph or up to 3-500 words. Anonymity will be honored if requested. As an example, the author has cited her own story which she will share upon request. Contact Vicki at vickijulian@sunflower.com.

Vicki Julian is an active D2 member and former state Financial Secretary for Kansas Authors Club. 

Mark Scheel Poem published at Spillwords.com

1/4/2021

 
News from D2 member, Mark Scheel. 

​My poem "Season of Revision" has just appeared on Spillwords.com as their end of year selection.  It's excerpted from my recent poetry collection Star Chaser from Anamcara Press.  Here's the link:
https://spillwords.com/season-of-revision/

Members Dean and Beckemeyer Published

1/1/2021

 
Poetry written by D5 Members, Roy Beckemeyer and Robert L. Dean, Jr., appear in MacQueen's Quinterly, Issue 6, January 2021. Roy has two poems, one of which won the Editor's Choice Award, and Bob has one poem.

Bob's poem "Borderland" is under Ekphrastic Works. To see the image which inspired it, go to the website and click on the title of the photo by Chris Whitney which appears under the poem title.

Roy's two poems,  "Prothalamion" and "The Way Night's Lapidary Light Burnishes Your Skin," are under Poems, Lineated. Roy's latter poem won the Editor's Choice Award for this issue. 

Click below for the MacQueen Quinterly Table of Contents to read the poetry of these two talented D5 poets.

MacQueen's Quinterly Issue 6

Robert Dean Poetry Featured on Ken Hada Podcast

1/1/2021

 
This Sunday, January 3rd, 2021, poet and ECU professor Ken Hada will be reading D5 member Robert L. Dean, Jr.'s poem "Aftermath," from Dean's latest book, The Aerialist Will Not Be Performing, as part of his Sunday Poems With Ken Hada podcast series. It is episode #119. The podcast can be heard Sunday afternoon on Ken's website or anywhere podcasts are hosted.

Ken has previously featured Wichita poets Roy Beckemeyer, Michael Poage, and Robert L. Dean, Jr., in episode #52. Robert L. Dean, Jr.'s poem "Along This Road" was read in Episode #80.

 Ken presented at a D5 meetings in 2019 from a book he wrote with his brother, The River White.

This link takes you to Ken's podcast.
Sunday Poems With Ken Hada

Check out Ken's quality poem podcasts every Sunday.
Visit his website to learn more about him.

www.kenhada.org

LARRY HATTEBERG PRESENTS SECRETS TO AN AWARD WINNING CAREER

12/28/2020

 
This Hatteberg presentation promises to be a treat. Join Kansas Authors Club District 5 as they host Larry Hatteberg on January 9 at 1:30 via Zoom. Connie White, D5 president, will email the link to D5 members and KAC district presidents a few days prior to the event. All KAC members are welcome. Contact your district president for Zoom credentials.
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For 51 years, Larry Hatteberg brought a special kind of television to Kansas. His constant search for ordinary people, whose stories illuminate larger issues, put him in a position to develop a personal relationship with Kansas viewers.
   On November 25, 2014, Larry left KAKE-TV to pursue stories that he’s wanted to do for years, but could not, due to the requirements of daily television journalism.  
   Throughout the nation, he is known as an Emmy award-winning video storyteller who can touch people through his television journalism. With over 120 national, regional and state awards, Larry has set broadcast standards for television journalists all over the world.
   His national award-winning Hatteberg’s People series was the longest running television feature in Kansas. Nearly two thousand Kansans have been profiled. The series took Larry to 17 foreign countries in search of Kansas People. 
  Larry published two books and DVD’s called Larry Hatteberg’s Kansas People. These best-selling books and DVD’s profile Kansans who make the state a unique place to live.
  Larry’s awards include a regional Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, an Emmy for Lifetime Achievement, and the National Edward R. Murrow Award for Writing. He was twice named National Press Photographers Television News Cameraman of the Year.
 He received three of the highest awards in photojournalism given by the National Press Photographers Association. He is a past-president of NPPA.
   Larry is a nationally known teacher of photojournalism. He has consulted with over 40 television stations across the United States and worked with the Defense Department instructing military photo-journalists and combat camera crews in video storytelling techniques.
   Hatteberg grew up in Winfield, Kansas. His interest in photography began at Winfield High School where he was photo-editor of the school newspaper and yearbook.  
   Larry's wife, Judy, is a retired teacher from the Wichita school system. She is a writer and poet. They have two married daughters, Sherry and Susan. Sherry is a teacher living in the Kansas City area.  Susan works in the public relations field in Wichita.  

Memoir Trilogy of D7 Member, Mark Wentling, now complete

12/22/2020

 
On December 17, the third and final volume of Mark Wentling’s three-volume book, Africa Memoir, was published.

Visit all 54 African countries with an adventurous American guide who has spent over half a century on the continent.
Africa Memoir tells the incredible lifetime story of Mark G. Wentling, a boy from Kansas who grew up to travel, work, and visit all 54 African countries. Derived from over a half century spent working and living on the African continent, Wentling devotes a chapter to each country describing his firsthand experiences, eye-opening impressions, and views on future prospects.
Original and authoritative, this one-of-a-kind, three-volume work deserves a special place on the bookshelves of anyone interested in Africa.
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If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form. ​

Windy City Reviews publishes review of D6 Member Book

12/22/2020

 
This note just in from Julie Stielstra, D6 member:

This lovely review of my youth novel, Opulence, Kansas, just came out Dec. 21 in Windy City Reviews, associated with the Chicago Writers Association. What a delightful Christmas gift - and maybe of the “grand planetary conjunction” we watched tonight. 

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"When I finish a book, I try to select a word that encapsulates ending my reading experience—gratified, informed, indignant, breathless. The word I chose when I closed the book Opulence, Kansas by Julie Stielstra, after reading it in two sessions, was “hopeful.” Hopeful that, despite terrible tragedies and loss, people can recover and find joy in the world. Hopeful that there are uncles and aunts like Len and Maggie, waiting to love and restore value to teens who need them. Hopeful that the next generation will value relationships like Katie and Travis. And hopeful that self-centered, inconsiderate people can be transformed into mindful allies."
                    --Barbara Belford, Windy City Reviews

Read the entire review here.

Publisher: Meadowlark (June 2020)
ISBN (print): 978-1-742477-0-1
ISBN (eBook): 978-1-7342477-1-8
Language: English
Retail: $9.95 (paperback), $5.95 (eBook)
Pages: 179

Available wherever you buy books.

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If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form. ​

Dues Reminder for Members

12/21/2020

 
2021 Membership Fees should be paid by January 1, 2021. Please see our Membership page for the link to pay online or print the form and mail your check. 

If you have questions about the status of your membership, please contact Membership Chair, Deb Irsik.  send an email to Deb

Member Publishing News

12/21/2020

 
Nancy Julien Kopp, D4 Member, submits the following:

A story of mine published several years ago in The Big Book of Christmas Joy was published again this month in the LifeStory Journal edited by Charley Kempthorne.

The story is "The Best Christmas Present Ever" and is about the year I learned that it is far more exciting to give a gift than receive one. Fifth-grade experience.


Follow Nancy's writing advice at Writer Granny's World. Nancy's articles are also featured daily on the Kansas Authors Club Facebook page. 

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If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form. ​

Christopher Fielden Writing Challenge

12/13/2020

 
​Do you have 81 words in you? Can you string them together? Can you string them together to make some kind of sense? Then you can contribute to what may become the anthology with the most contributing authors!!! Sadly, only one entry is permitted per author.

The goal is 1000.


To date, we have received 953 stories. We need 47 more to publish the anthology.

When 1,000 stories have been received, written by 1,000 different authors, an anthology will be published. It will attempt to set a World Record for the most contributing authors published in an anthology.

81words Writing Challenge - Rules & How To Submit
The submission criteria are nice and simple:

• stories must be EXACTLY 81 words in length
• please include a title for your story (not included in the word count)
• entry is FREE
• anyone can submit
• 1 entry per person
• no profanity please - all the writing challenges on this website are shared with children
• your 81word stories will be published on this page
• when 1,000 stories have been received, we will publish an anthology and attempt to set a World Record for the most contributing authors published in an anthology
• profits from book sales will be donated to charity
• by submitting, you accept the terms and conditions
• when the anthology is published , you will be involved in the book launch process
• submit your story using the comments form or email
• include a short biography (40 words max) for use in the published book - if you don't supply a bio, we will be unable to publish your story
• include 1 link (optional) to your website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter etc.
Submit at: https://www.christopherfielden.com/writing-challenges/81words.php#Stories

Member News from Nancy Julien Kopp, D4

12/12/2020

 
Meadowlark Hills Senior Living in Manhattan publishes a newsletter twice a week. I sent them one of my Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas stories. It was published December 10th and has been commented on by many. It's a fun family story called "A Spoonful of Fudge."

Nancy Julien Kopp is the author at Writer Granny's World. Her pieces are shared daily on the Kansas Authors Club Facebook page. 

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If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form. ​

Winfield Arts & Humanities Council 32nd Annual Kansas Voices Writing Contest

12/12/2020

 
Complete guidelines at WinfieldArts.org
Deadline: March 15, 2021
Writers Must Live in Kansas
Copy of entry form can be found by clicking here.
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Member News from Duane Hermann, D1

12/12/2020

 
Accomplishments in Nov. 2020:

Poets & Writers Directory entry

TGS, fall 2020 Quarterly, two poems: Barn Being, Barn Standing, p.3 - the lead poem

Tiny Seed Literary Journal, poem and photo: Spring Burning


Challenge: write a 180 word story in response to news. Mine is story 95. 

Challenge: write 175 word story using all five senses. Mine is story 283.

Challenge: write a story in only 81 words. Mine is story 935.

Adirondack Center for Writing: Several responses to weekly writing prompts are posted.

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If you have news of writing events that would be of interest to all Kansas Authors Club members, or if you are a member (dues current) who would like to announce an achievement, please submit your news via this form. ​

Invitation to All Members from District 5

12/11/2020

 
Brock Rhodes, a Technology Trainer for the Wichita Public Library, will be our presenter for our meeting this coming Saturday afternoon, December 12. Brock will discuss various forms of social media and how we can used them to benefit our writing or marketing skills as authors. Brock is also knowledgeable about online publishing, and may address that as well.  
    Join us via Zoom on Saturday at 1:30 PM.  After Brock's presentation and a Q&A period, we will have our election of officers for 2021.  The slate of officers presented by the D5 Board includes Connie White for President; Gretchen Eick-Vice President; Amy Ackerman - Secretary and Web manager; Ray (Griz) Racobs, Treasurer, and Conrad Jestmore, membership chair.  We will open for nominations from the "floor" on Saturday, and take a voice or hand vote for each position.  
     If you would like the link to attend, please email Connie and include your district of membership. 
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