NICOLE SEITZ is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and freelance writer/illustrator published in South Carolina Magazine, Charleston Magazine, House Calls, The Island Packet and The Bluffton Packet.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor's degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole is an exhibiting artist in the Charleston, South Carolina area where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children.

SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS


Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins is a 78-year-old sweetgrass basket weaver who sits on the side of Hwy. 17 in the company of her dead husband, Daddy Jim.

Inspired by her Auntie Leona, Essie Mae finally discovers her calling in life and weaves powerful "love baskets," praying fervently over them to affect the lives of those who visit her roadside stand.

Relations are strained with her daughter Henrietta, who thinks Essie belongs in a retirement center. If Essie can't pay $10,000 in back taxes to save her home, she may have no choice. More tensions: her grandson EJ wants to marry a white girl, Essie discovers that a handsome man she's trying to find a girl for is gay, and her daughter carries a hidden secret.

When she's faced with losing her home and her stand and being put in a nursing home, Daddy Jim talks her into coming on up to Heaven to meet sweet Jesus-something she's always wanted to do.

The SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS shifts less successfully to the afterlife, where her Gullah-Creole ancestors surround her; but soon, her heavenly peace is disrupted, for she still has work to do. Now Essie Mae, who once felt powerless and invisible, must find the strength within her to keep her South Carolina family from falling apart. Together, with Daddy Jim, they team up to return to Earth and battle two spirits conjured up by Henrietta's voodoo that threatens to ruin an attempt to save the sweetgrass basket weaving culture.

Visit Nicole at : http://www.nicoleseitz.com/

Sites To Learn From 2

This week I found a new site to visit. They are featuring Lyn Cote. She is sharing some great information. Check it out

The HEA CAFE

http://www.rwaonlinechapter.org/pubbedauthors/

CFBA Author Intro: Rene Gutteridge

Rene Gutteridge is the author of several novels, including Ghost Writer (Bethany House Publishers) The Boo Series (WaterBrook Press) and the Storm Series, (Tyndale House Publishers. She will release three novels in 2006: Storm Surge (Tyndale) My Life as a Doormat (WestBow Press, Women of Faith)Occupational Hazards Book #1: Scoop (WaterBrook Press).

She has also been published over thirty times as a playwright, best known for her Christian comedy sketches. She studied screenwriting under a Mass Communications degree, graduating Magna Cum Laude from Oklahoma City University, and earned the "Excellence in Mass Communication" award. She served as the full-time Director of Drama for First United Methodist Church for five years before leaving to stay home and write. She enjoys instructing at writer's conferences and in college classrooms. She lives with her husband, Sean, a musician, and their children in Oklahoma City.

SNITCH:

Old School meets New School meets Homeschool

Just shy of retirement and a well-earned pension, Las Vegas Police Department Sergeant Ron Yeager's definition of "active duty" involves shifting his bad leg into a more comfortable position. But when he's requested from his mind-numbing desk job to head an undercover auto theft task force, the former narcotics officer determines to prove he's still got the right stuff.

That is...until he meets his unlikely team of officers.

As Yeager soon finds out, not all the crazies are on the street. An undercover rookie, the audaciously honest Mackenzie "Mack" Hazard sends Yeager's blood pressure skyrocketing by wearing her faith like an ever-present badge. Then there's Jesse Lunden, a maverick undercover officer who refuses to learn anything from an old guy with a cane. Can this tangle of egos and eccentrics be trained into a lean, mean, crime-fighting machine...even while they are being drawn into something much bigger and more dangerous than anyone imagined?

In her trademark style, Rene Gutteridge blends zany, original characters, sincere faith, and surprising plot twists into one hilariously addictive read.



"Snitch is an engaging crime novel, balanced between sheer whimsy and genuine human drama."

....CHRIS WELL, author of Tribulation House


"A wonderful, fully developed ensemble cast makes Snitch an entertaining, engaging read. Rene's flair for a comedic, well-turned phrase shines here. Snitch is worth snatching."

...SUSAN MEISSNER, author of Widows and Orphans

CFBA AUTHOR INTRO: Tracey Bateman

Tracey Bateman lives in Missouri with her husband and four children. Their rural home provides a wonderful atmosphere for a writer'simagination to grow and produce characters, plots, and settings.

In 1994, with three children to raise, she and her husband agreed that she should go to college and earn a degree. In a freshman English class, her love for writing was rekindled, and she wrote a short story that she later turned into a book.

Her college career was cut short with the news of their fourth baby's impending arrival, but the seeds of hope for a writing career had already taken root. Over the next several years she wrote, exchanged ideas with critique partners, studied the craft of writing, and eventually all the hard work paid off.

She currently has over twenty-five books published in a variety of genres. Tracey Bateman believes completely that God has big plans for his Kids and that all things are possible to anyone who will put their hope and trust in God!

DEFIANT HEART


Will Fannie be able to keep her family...and her heart, safe and find a new life on the frontier?

Book One of the Westward Hearts series, orphans Fannie Caldwell and her two young siblings have spent the last three years as indentured servants under a cruel master. Desperately wanting a better life for her brother and sister, Fannie devises a plan to secretly join a wagon train heading west.

Her plan immediately runs into trouble when the handsome yet bullheaded wagon master Blake Tanner refuses to allow an unmarried woman on the train.

But Fannie's determined...she'll escape and go west with or without help!

As life on the trail tests everyone's endurance and faith, Fannie soon realizes the perils of being a single woman on the frontier. Witnessing Fannie fending off one scare after another, Blake slowly recognizes how much he cares for this alluring young woman.

Will Blake sacrifice his own dreams and guide Fannie to safety?


Or will Fannie's stubborn independence keep her from finding true love?

In Memory Of Katherine D. Jones

I’m in total shock today. I was visiting Monica’s Blog and I read the sad news of Katherine's passing.

Katherine was a good writer, a friend and an encourager. We met at the Slam Jam in Florida and kept in touch. I was truly excited to introduce her to SORMAG’s readers when her book debuted. I’ve watched her career blossom and looked forward to our emails. She would always send me one to pick up my spirits.

Being a writer is always a lonely business, but its always nice when you make a few writer friends. Most of my friends in this writing business I met online or at conferences.
When I met Katherine we clicked and it was nice to share about the struggles of writing. Since she made the publishing jump, I could ask her questions about what to expect and she was willing to share her ups and downs.

Katherine had ventured into different genres and wasn’t afraid to try something new. I admired that about her. I could tell she enjoyed telling her stories.

Seeing her career take off inspired me to keep up the writing dream. I’m so happy she was able to see her name in print and that she leaves a legacy for others to know her and her writing.

I had the pleasure of meeting her husband and boys at the Dallas Slam Jam. I thought it was great that her family supported her and her career.

I will truly miss Katherine and our emails.

I and SORMAG's staff send our deepest sympathy to her family.

The romance world has lost one of the good ones.

Visit Katherine's site and learn more about this kindred spirit

http://www.katherinedjones.com/

Sites To Learn From 1

On Thursdays I’ve decided to share sites I’ve found that I’ve learned something about writing or the publishing business

Here are two:

Book Acquisition

How To Write A Book proposal

CBFA Author Intro: Ann H. Gabhart

Ann H. Gabhart has published a number of adult and young adult novels with several different publishers. The author of The Scent of Lilacs, Ann and her husband live a mile from where she was born in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky. She is active in her country church, and her husband sings bass in a southern gospel quartet.





ORCHARD OF HOPE:

Nothing will be the same after the summer of 1964.Drought has gripped the quiet Kentucky town of Hollyhill, and the town seems as if it is holding its breath--waiting. Jocie Brooke is nervous about starting high school. Her sister Tabitha is experiencing the weariness of waiting for a new baby. Her father David is feeling the timidity of those first steps toward true love. All of these pivotal steps in life are awaiting the Brooke family.

Into this cloud of tense anticipation, a black family from Chicago, the Hearndons move here to plant an orchard outside of town. Fresh off the Freedom Train, Myra Hearndon is sensitive to what the color of her skin may mean in a Southern town. Her family will have to contend with more than the dry ground and blazing sun as they try to create their ORCHARD OF HOPE.

Jocie finds herself befrending a boy that some townspeople shun. Due to unspoken racial lines in this southern town, the presence of these newcomers sparks a smoldering fire of unrest that will change Hollyhill..and Jocie...forever.

In this close-knit community, everything is about to change.

Let this riveting novel take you along to experience unexpected love, new life, and renewed faith amid life's trials.

Eight Random Things

I was tagged by Patricia Woodside. Here are the rules:

1. Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves
2. People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules
3. At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names
4. Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

Here are my eight things:

All my life I’ve been a late bloomer. I didn’t become a Christian until I was twenty-five. I thought saying I believed in God was good enough. A friend of mine died and it made me question where do we go when we die? I didn’t want to be left behind.

I joined the Navy at the age of 17. I wanted to sail the seven seas and see the world. I was in the Navy for six years. I sailed over one sea to get to Guam and I wasn’t in a boat. I never was on a boat the whole time I was in the Navy. I still haven’t been on a boat.

Every now and then it hits me that I’m somebody’s wife and mother. I could be walking up the stairs and it dawns on me, that my dream of being married and having children is real. Marriage and motherhood are hard some days, but it’s the best thing that’s every happen to me.

Seeing my name in print is fantastic. It feels like I’m getting closer to my dream of seeing my book on the shelf. The best ones are those, I didn’t even know would be there. I’m reading an acknowledgement and there my name is with those most heartfelt acknowledgments, and all I want to do is cry.

I can think of everything to do but write some days. It’s like I’m afraid of finishing the book. What is up with that?

When I started SORMAG, I never dream we would last this long or that I would come in contact with some amazing people because of it. Every time I think it’s the end for it, the Lord opens another door for me.

I am a t.v. addict. I tried to stop cold turkey but it never works. I find myself slipping back into my old habits. So this year I’ve decided that this summer I’m giving up t.v. I’m going to hang out in the yard with kids. Do more activities so hopefully I won’t miss the t.v.

I’m also an AVON addict. Have you seen the latest catalogues? They have some cute stuff in there. I find myself wanting more and more. If you want to become an addict, let me know and I’ll send you a catalogue.

Trying to find eight places that haven’t been tagged wasn’t easy, I found six.

Marilynn Griffith because I miss her blogging, maybe she’ll bless us with a few thoughts
http://marilynngriffith.typepad.com/rhythmsofgrace/

Monica Jackson, because she always makes me think
http://monicajackson.com/blog/

Bonnie Calhoun, I enjoy her blog.
http://bonniescalhoun.blogspot.com/

Camy because she inspires me.
http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/

Michelle has great reviews, makes me get the book.
http://edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/

Farrah is a new writer, whose blog I’m enjoying.
http://farrahrochon.blogspot.com/

CFBA AUTHOR INTRO: Amy Wallace

Amy Wallace is a member of the CFBA and an avid Blogger. A self-confessed chocoholic, this freelance writer is a graduate of the Gwinnett County Citizens Police Academy and serves as the liaison for the training division of the county police department. Amy is a contributing author of God Answers Moms' Prayers, God Allows U-Turns for Teens, Chicken Soup for the Soul Healthy Living Series: Diabetes, and A Cup of Comfort for Expectant Mothers. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three daughters.

Drama. Tragedy. Thriller. Romance. Can these four actually go together?

Amy Wallace's meaty first book of the Defenders of Hope Series, RANSOMED DREAMS, has successfully united these genres.

It is one of those books that after you read a little and put it down, the desire to see what will happen next is so strong that it will occupy your thoughts, compelling you to make the time to finish. But watch out! It is best consumed where no one will hear you cry because, if you have children, it will hit you like a stab in the gut and wrench you with a twist of the knife.
Although the subject at first depresses, the characters are so real and likable that you need to see what will become of them.
This book will NOT bore you.


Chained To Yesterday
When tragedy struck and Gracie Lang lost everything, her faith crumbled, and nothing but the drive for justice propelled her forward. But after two years of dead-end searching, the truth Gracie seeks is the very thing her stalker will stop at nothing to hide.

Forgiveness Unlocks the Future

An FBI agent in the Crimes Against Children Unit, Steven Kessler spends his days rescuing other people’s children and nights caring for his son. He’s through with God, embittered by his ex-wife who abandoned them both, and definitely doesn’t expect what’s coming next.

The Past Is the Key

A plot to kidnap a British ambassador’s daughter dangerously intersects Steven and Gracie’s worlds–a collision that demands a decision. But are they willing to pay the high ransom required to redeem dreams and reignite hope?

ENDORSEMENTS:

Steeped in police intrigue and rich characters, Ransomed Dreams entertains, educates, and captivates. Amy Wallace is a fresh, vibrant voice in the Christian market

~Mark Mynheir, Homicide Detective and Author of The Void Ransomed Dreams had me hooked from the start and didn't let go until the deeply satisfying ending.
~Kristin Billerbeck, Author of What a Girl Wants

CFBA Author Intro: Chris Well

Chris Well is a fellow member of the CFBA and founder of its sister organization, FIRST. He is an acclaimed novelist and award–winning magazine editor and has previously written the “laugh–out–loud Christian thrillers” Deliver Us from Evelyn and Forgiving Solomon Long(one of Booklist’s Top 10 Christian Novels of 2005). He has also contributed to 7ball, Infuze, and Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Chris and his wife live in Tennessee, where he is hard at work on his next novel.

TRIBULATION HOUSE

Mark Hogan has it all. The job. The family. A position on the board at church. All he’s missing is a boat. Not just any boat—a 2008 Bayliner 192.When Reverend Daniel Glory announces that the Rapture is taking place on October 17 at 5:51am, Hogan realizes his boat–buying days are numbered. So he does what any man in his situation would do—he borrows a load of money from the mob.Not that there’s any risk involved: After all, when the Rapture comes, Hogan will be long gone. The mob will never find him.But when Jesus fails to come back on schedule, Mark Hogan finds the mob is in no mood to discuss the finer points of end–times theology...

Chris Well’s laugh–out–loud Christian thrillers appeal to the millions of readers who gobble up the rollicking crime fiction of Janet Evanovich and Elmore Leonard. TRIBULATION HOUSE does not disappoint!

SORMAG WORKSHOPS

SORMAG’s Spring workshops are open for enrollment.

Workshops begin May 7th. Click here to register –
http://sormag.com/schedule.html


A-Z Writing Tips -
http://www.sormag.com/WORKwilliams1.html

Timeframe: 4 weeks May 7th – June 1, 2007
Email Course
Cost: 50.00

This 4-week course will cover writing tips from A to Z for beginning
and advance writers. The twenty-six tips will be provided over the
duration of four weeks. Each week the students will receive 6 - 7
writing tips corresponding with a letter of the alphabet for discussion

Instructor: Barbara Joe Williams (Amani Publishing, LLC) is a former
business school teacher, guidance counselor, and reading instructor.
She is a freelance writer and an independent publisher living in
Tallahassee, Florida.

Writing Romance Novels (Part 1) -
http://www.sormag.com/WORKsoard1.html

Timeframe: 4 weeks May 7 – June 1, 2007
Email Workshop
Cost: 50.00

Do you love to read romance novels? Have you always thought you'd
like to write one? This four week course covers the basics of what
you'll need to know to get started on this exciting career journey. Lori
is the author of Become a Romance Writer and has published romance
novels through Thorndike's FIVE STAR line.

Instructor: Lori Soard has a PhD in Journalism and Creative Writing
and an undergraduate degree in English Education from Indiana University.
Her books include romantic comedies, suspense, mainstream and nonfiction
topics. She teaches for a college-accredited correspondence course and
creative writing to high school students.

The Fiction Writer's Self-Editing Workshop http://www.sormag.com/WORKstapleton.html

Timeframe: 2 weeks May 14 – May 18, 2007
Email Workshop
Cost: 25.00

Do you find yourself overwhelmed by confusing grammar, punctuation,
and editing rules? Don't despair! The Fiction Writer's Self-Editing Workshop
is the place for you. Whether you're a beginning writer or seasoned author,
you can learn simple, straightforward tips for self-editing.

Instructor: Rhonda Stapleton obtained her Master's degree in English
from Cleveland State University. She has a Bachelor's degree in English
from CSU, as well. Rhonda is a Principal Editor at Thomson West, a legal
publishing company, where she has worked for the last five years. In addition,
she has freelance edited novels, theses, student papers, and a college writing textbook.

See ya on the net - Building Your Online Presence - http://www.sormag.com/WORKhoffman.html

http://www.sormag.com/WORKhoffman2.html


Timeframe 2 weeks – May 14 – May 18, 2007 and May 21 – June 1, 2007
Email Course
Cost: 25.00

This course is geared toward the newly published authors or the author
who would like to promote their books online. This course will take you
step-by step to building an online presence.

Instructor: LaShaunda Carruth Hoffman is the publisher of Shades Of
Romance Magazine. An online magazine for readers and writers of multi-
cultural romance and fiction. She has eight years of experience in online
promotion. She believes in helping writers reach their dreams of publication
and introducing readers to the wonderful world of multi-cultural romance and fiction.

COMING IN JUNE

Mistakes First Time Authors Make
Writing Romance Novels (Part 2)
Detoxify – Your Life and Your Legacy Require it
How to Survive Your First Interview
Online Book Tours