Phil Giunta's Blog, page 75

Meet YA Author and GLVWG Anthology Chair, Becky Bartlett, at the Write Stuff!

YA Author Rebecca Bartlett has been a long time member of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, its current treasurer and always a great resource. She is sure to inspire attendees with her upcoming conference session “Create Credible Characters with Voice, Dialogue, and Point of View.”  Plus, as chair of the GLVWG anthology,  she will be sharing her insights during her session, “The Making of an Anthology.”

Click here to read her interview on our conference blog!

Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015

I was waiting at the bank today when I checked FB on my phone. I saw Mr. Nimoy's image and I knew what the caption would be even before I scrolled down to read it. It was the news I'd feared since his hospitalization. The cast of Star Trek have always been an inspiration to me and the characters they portrayed, my heroes since childhood. It has been an honor to meet each of them at cons and other events over the decades. Definitely memories I will always treasure.

Below was the first time I met Mr. Nimoy at a book signing in 1998 at the Montgomery Mall in Pennsylvania.  With me were friends Vince Maiocco and Inge Heyer--now Dr. Inge Heyer, PhD and co-con chair of Shore Leave .  

My New Shiny!

I am pleased to report that my short urban fantasy story, "My New Shiny" and my essay about writing, "Write or Die", will be published in an anthology called GLVWG Writes Stuff. What the heck is GLVWG, you ask? It is the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group, sponsors of the Write Stuff conference that I've been blabbing about here on Facebook for months (because I'm the chairman this year).

The anthology will launch at the Write Stuff Conference in Bethlehem, PA on March 26-28!

Cover art by GLVWG member, Keith Keffer.

About This Writing Stuff...

This week, Ilana Myer examines the elements of a strong female character while K.T. Bradford challenges us to spend a year reading books by authors of another gender, ethnicity, or sexual preference.  Writer Beware and David Gaughran update us on the status of the two-year-old lawsuit against Author Solutions.  Warren Adler explains why he went indie, Mary-Theresa Hussey details the roles of a freelance editor, and James Scott Bell provides ten steps that lead to writing failure.

All that and a little more, including a tank armored in books (you don't see that every day)!  Enjoy!


Oh No, She Didn't: The Strong Female Character, Deconstructed by Ilana C. Myer

I Challenge You to Stop Reading White, Straight, Cis Male Authors for One Year by K.T. Bradford

Writer Beware Update: Lawsuit Against Author Solutions, Inc. by Victoria Strauss

Barnes & Noble's Dirty Little Secret: Author Solutions and Nook Press by David Gaughran

Warren Adler: Why I Went Indie & Why the "Joys and Glory of Authordom Cannot Be Dismissed" via IndieReader

What a Freelance Editor Brings to the Table by Mary-Theresa Hussey

The Ten Commandments of Writing Failure by James Scott Bell

Using Fencepost Characters by Joe Hartlaub

Let's Talk About Me by Donald Maass

Weapons of Mass Instruction: A 1979 Ford Falcon Converted into a Tank Armored with 900 Free Books by Christopher Jobson

The Write Stuff Conference is only Three Weeks Away!

Welcome literary agent Alexander Slater to the Write Stuff Conference!

We're pleased to welcome literary agent Alexander Slater from Trident Media Group to the Write Stuff conference!

Alexander joined Trident Media Group in 2010. After two years as an assistant, he spent two years as an agent representing the entire agency’s Middle Grade and Young Adult titles in the Foreign Market, attending the books fairs in Bologna, London, and Frankfurt. Alex is now building his list domestically, while keeping his focus on these areas. He has sold rights and worked such prestigious authors as R.J. Palacio, Louis Sachar, L.J. Smith, and many others.

Check out Alexander's interview!

Meet publisher, writer, and podcaster Steven H. Wilson at the Write Stuff!

In addition to "Character Development as World-Building”, Steven H. Wilson will also teach attendees how to produce an audio version of their work with “Steps to Recording an Audio Book & Podcasting.”   We're pleased to bring new media programming to the Write Stuff!

Click hear to read our interview with Steven!

My paranormal short story "Photos from the Attic" now FREE on Wattpad!

My paranormal short story, "Photos from the Attic" is now available for your free reading pleasure on Wattpad!

After inheriting her deceased uncle's home, Claudia Adamski finds a tattered box of old photographs in the attic. As she and her daughter sort through the pictures, friends and family members begin dying tragically. When her mother is nearly killed in a fire, Claudia soon finds herself facing a vengeful spirit who will only stop when a family secret is revealed...

Click here to read!

The Social Media Jedi brings her Force to the Write Stuff!

Our keynote speaker and multi-session presenter Kristen Lamb is interviewed on our blog!

Kristen is a social media expert, best-selling author, consultant, and student of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Click here to learn how she balances everything and what she brings to the table at the Write Stuff conference next month!

Meet Memoir and Non-Fiction Writer Geoff Gehman at the Write Stuff!

Those local to the Lehigh Valley might remember Geoff Gehman as a features writer for the Allentown Morning Call Newspaper.  We're excited to welcome Geoff as a presenter at the Write Stuff Conference!

Click here to read our interview with Geoff!

A Word to the Wise: Agent David E. Fessenden at the Write Stuff Conference!

Joining us at next month's Write Stuff Conference is David E. Fessenden from WordWise Media Services. David is also an independent publishing consultant with degrees in journalism and theology, and two decades of editorial management with Christian publishers. He has written six books and hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.

His first novel, The Case of the Exploding Speakeasy, was published in the fall of 2013.

Click here to check out our interview with David!