Snow, Snow Everywhere...

In case you missed it, we here in Denver were socked by a snowstorm last week. This is my back yard...23" of snow...the chiminea is buried, the birdbath is covered. Took us about eight hours over two days to dig ourselves out to the road. Did I mention how I love winter????


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For you writers out there:

Only days left to enter The Sandy! The contest is sponsored by the Crested Butte Writers and the deadline is Feb 12.

From the website:

Don't miss out on a chance to impress these amazing editor and agent final judges. Especially the editors who only take agented submissions. Experienced writers, this is your chance to slide in the back door!

Low submissions on all categories except C/YA, so not a ton of competition--at least not yet.

Tell your critique partners--spread the word!

2012 Sandy Final Judges:
Romance - Sue Grimshaw, Editor at Large & Category Specialist for Ballantine & Bantam Dell
Mainstream Adult Fiction - Kevan Lyon, Agent at Marsal Lyon Literary Agency
Suspense / Thriller / Mystery - Kat Brzozowski, Assistant Editor at Thomas Dunne Books
Fantasy / Science Fiction - James Frenkel, Editor at Tor / Forge
Children's & YA - Mary Kole, Agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency

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Two classes you might be interested in-- one taught by my buddy Kat Richardson and the other by yours truly:

Creating Your Urban Fantasy World
Sunday, March 4, 2012
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Kat Richardson

ClarionWest One Day Workshops

This special-focus workshop will help you learn how to choose, establish, and write a setting (real, alternate, historical, or allegorical) appropriate for Urban Fantasy. You'll learn how to block out and write action that utilizes whatever magic, occult, or paranormal system you're establishing, and how to develop and write characters for Urban Fantasy by integrating their power(s) and skills--or lack of them--with their setting and interactions.

Kat Richardson is the bestselling author of the Greywalker paranormal detective novels. A keen fan of hardboiled fiction, Kat models her stories on the work of iconic detective writers such as Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, with added dashes of whimsy and horror, and the occasional ferret.

Attendance is limited to 12 students on a first-come, first-served basis.
Cost is a nonrefundable fee of $125. Full-time students are eligible for a $15 rebate at workshop session.

If you live in the Seattle area, check this one out.

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And I'll be teaching my UF class on line sponsored by the Carolina Romance Writers:

The Carolina Romance Writers Chapter of RWA is pleased to announce our April Online Workshop

WORKSHOP: So You Want to Write Urban Fantasy?
INSTRUCTOR: Jeanne Stein
DATE: April 2nd to April 30th, 2012 Regular Workshop
TYPE: Regular, (Month-long) classes, consisting of at least 2 lessons per week for CRW and HCRW members is $15, all others $25

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION:
What we'll cover in this course will apply to not only Urban Fantasy, but to all genres. While some topics are specific to UF, world building, for instance, most pertain to crafting a good a story. I'll also include lessons on the business of writing, something often neglected but very important. The publishing world is changing daily. You need to be aware of how those changes affect you. So, what is Urban Fantasy? Why has it become the hottest new genre to hit the market in decades? Is it too late to tap in? What elements do you need to write UF? These are some of the questions we'll be addressing in this course.

INSTRUCTOR BIO:
Jeanne Stein is the national bestselling author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles. Her character, Anna Strong, received a RT Reviewers Choice Award for Best Urban Fantasy Protagonist in 2008 and was nominated again for the 2011 book, Crossroads. Jeanne also has numerous short story credits including most recently the novella, Blood Debt, from the New York Times bestselling anthology, Hexed (2011). Her series has been picked up in three foreign countries and her short stories published in collections here in the US and the UK. The eighth in the Anna Strong series, Haunted, debuts in August. Jeanne lives in Denver, CO where she is active in the writing community, belonging to Romance Writers of America, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, Sisters in Crime and Horror Writers of America. She has taught at numerous conferences and on-line academies.

Registration Deadline: April 2 Register here

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February 7th was the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens. To see how it's being celebrated in the UK go here

To test your Charles Dickens literary expertise, take this quiz

It's a toughie...at least it was for me!

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So, got big plans for Valentine's Day?


I've been reading this little book called The Secret of Shelter Island - Money and What Matters by Alexander Green. It was recommended to me by my husband who mostly reads nonfiction and while I can see why the title appealed to him (he's the family investor) I was surprised to find what the book was about. It's a series of articles Green wrote about the pursuit of a good life.

Okay, I'm not spiritual. I don't have deep religious feelings. I'm agnostic, at best. I think there needs to be only one guiding principle: love one another. It's the only commandment we need. But in this book Green quotes a "prayer" by the author of Today Matters, John Maxwell that appeals to me. Here it is...you can substitute the goddess or gods or whatever for the Dear Lord...

So far today, I am doing all right. I have not gossiped, lost my temper, been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or self-indulgent. I have not whined, cursed, or eaten any chocolate (Jeanne: we can forgive him this one though I'd leave it out.)However, I am going to get out of bed in a few minutes, and I will need a lot more help after that. Amen.

Amen.