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Saturday, December 25, 2010

This Book May Become the Most Useful Book on Your Desk!

It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences

Subtitle: a writer’s guide to crafting killer sentences
By June Casagrande
Ten Speed Press (2010)
ISBN: 9781580087407
Nonfiction/How-To (Writing)
Buy Link: http://budurl.com/GrammarSnobs
Publisher's Site: http://www.tenspeed.com/





New Book May (Should!) Replace Your Stunk and White!


Grammar Guru Offers Advice
Like None You’ve Ever Seen—All in One Place!



Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of This Is the Place and Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Tracings, a chapbook of poetry and the How To Do It Frugally Series of book for authors



Rules. Rules. Rules. I didn’t realize how tired I was of the same old writing advice until this little black book landed in my mailbox. I promised to review it fast, but this It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences book by June Casagrande isn’t a book a serious writer wants to flip through fast.

I could see from the subhead in the first chapter that this book would include something better than most. It read, “Thy Reader, Thy God.” What a concept that is! The Reader and not The Rule Book! Ahem! And it got better and better as Casagrande explored all the subjects I knew everything about. Or thought I did. She uses examples so a writer can see the differences between OK writing and acrylic-clear writing.

By the time I got to “Are Your Relatives Essential?” I was really sold. This is a Wow- Chapter, even for accomplished editors. The writing tips she gives in Chapter Twelve for using tenses effectively are just what I need to convince my students that I’m not the only editor/teacher in the world who believes that tenses needn’t match all the way through a story (or even a paragraph, for that matter!). That chapter is called “You Will Have Been Conjugating.”

I could go on and on, chapter by chapter. What isn’t new to a writer or what doesn’t elucidate will remind and amuse Casagrande’s God, The Reader. For those who know Casagrande’s work, this book isn’t as funny as her first one, Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies (www.budurl.com/GrammarSnobs ). Nevertheless, the reader will still occasionally get a good laugh. For chuckles read Chapter Nine, “Antique Desk Suitable for Lady with Thick Legs and Large Drawers.”

For Casagrande, the lesson is always that grammar needn’t be dreary. Why should it be when we love writing? How could it be when grammar is the nails and tacks, the color and structure of what we love? Writing.



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Carolyn Howard-Johnson’s first novel, This is the Place, has won eight awards.
Her book of creative nonfiction Harkening, won three. A UCLA Writers' Program instructor, she also is the author of another book essential for writers,USA Book News' Best Professional Book of 2004, The Frugal Book Promoter: How to Do What Your Publisher Won't.(www.budurl.com/FrugalBkPromo ). The second in the HowToDoItFrugally series, The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor ) covers writing successful query letters and includes helpful hints from twenty of the nation's top agents. Her book Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy (www.budurl.com/WordTrippersPB ) will appeal to the same crowd that falls in love with Casagrande’s books. Learn more about Howard-Johnson at her new site http://howtodoitfrugally.com/ .

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Free Webinars Offered by BookBuzzr for Authors

BookBuzzr Offers New Learning Ops for Writers or How to Avoid Becoming a Book Marketing Dinosaur by Marketing Your Book with Emerging Technologies.
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The technology landscape and associated opportunities for marketing your book is changing at an unprecedented pace. Online games, mobile marketing, Facebook, Twitter, the Kindle, the iPhone, the iPad and the Android are pushing the boundaries of what is possible when it comes to promoting and marketing your book.

As an author, it is important that you keep abreast of these emerging trends and technologies so that you can take advantage of these opportunities. You don't want to become a book marketing dinosaur, do you! Ha!



The first step in avoiding the fate of the dinosaurs is to spend some time to educate yourself, and Bookbuzzr is providing a perfect place to do just that. It's a new kind of online learning environment … one that was focused on getting practical, actionable information from industry leading experts to authors in the most efficient manner.  I will be participating so I'm especially eager for you to know about it early enough to include it in your new year calendar. Here is their announcement:



Announcing BookBuzzr’s Book Marketing Technologies Center (BBMTC)



In order to help you to successfully navigate through the swarm of new technologies and separate the noise from the signal, we at BookBuzzr are launching the BookBuzzr Book Marketing Technologies Center (BBMTC.)

BBMTC is the world’s first and only online, free, learning program designed to help authors learn about emerging new technologies and associated opportunities for book promotion. BBMTC features a monthly online seminar or roundtable (aka webinar) featuring industry leading book marketing experts. Each month they will cover a new technology or emerging trend.



Our panel of experts will talk and share about technologies with authors and writers through webinars and blog posts to cover it comprehensively. This is our way of getting different viewpoints to the table about what is the latest trend emerging for authors in technologies that will help them reach out to more people.



We will have one webinar each month on the topic and as many view points as possible from industry experts as article/blog posts.

For each webinar the panel will share their views about the topic and discuss it in detail. The latter half of the webinar will be dedicated to answering questions from authors and writers. Questions can be asked before, during, and after the seminar on Twitter (with Hashtag #BBMTC) or on our BookBuzzr Facebook Page.



How much does it cost?



You can attend any workshop for free. Our generous expert partners are giving away much of their knowledge for free. Why is BBMTC free you ask? Our expert partners are doing this in the hope that at least some of the attendees will become their clients in the future. Also its our and our experts way of giving back to the author community. Of course you are under no obligation to purchase anything.



What is the schedule and what are my next steps?



The schedule is outlined below. Please bear in mind that the schedule may change and we may make changes to the format of this program or the schedule based on feasibility and opportunities. Simply sign-up to our monthly newsletter to get notified about upcoming BBMTC events.

All seminars/webinars at 2:00 p.m. Eastern / 11:00 a.m. Pacific / Noon Arizona



January Facebook Fundamentals for Authors Wednesday, 12th Jan 2011



February Using Twitter to Market your Book –I’ll be participating on this panel. I love Twitter for authors! Wednesday, 9th Feb 2011



March Formatting for the Kindle and other readers Wednesday, 9th Mar 2011



April Marketing Your Book in an Apple World Wednesday, 13th Apr 2011



May Blogger Relations for Authors I’m a panellist for this topic, too. Lots of us aren’t using our blogs to their capacity. Wednesday, 11th May 2011



June How to Create Good Book Trailers Wednesday, 8th Jun 2011



July Podcasting Fundamentals for Authors Wednesday, 13th Jul 2011



August Online Gaming - Why it Matters for Authors Wednesday, 10th Aug 2011



September Marketing Your Book in a Mobile World Wednesday, 14th Sept 2011



October Networking on Forums and Reader Sites for Authors Wednesday, 12th Oct 2011



November How Authors can Use Technologies to Market Their Books Wednesday, 9th Nov 2011



December How Authors Can Succeed in the EBooks Universe Wednesday, 14th Dec 2011

Feedback Requested



If you find a topic interesting or believe that you have the expertise to participate on a particular topic, or if you’d like to contribute and be a part of this program – drop us an email at freya [at] BookBuzzr [dot] com. We’d love to hear from you – the more views on a topic the clearer it gets : )



Our BBMTC panel page is up. Do take a look: http://bit.ly/igPsNh



Note: For an inexpensive way to educate yourself on the publicity basics please consider my The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't. You'll get the basics for publicity, writing media releases, assembling media kits and promotion ideas that don't necessarily require high-tech skills.  By the way, for newbies, the word "publicity"  is synonymous with the word "free."  There are ways to get more of it than you ever imagined.

~Submitted by your MWSA blogger, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/.

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Friday, December 3, 2010

Give Yourself a Gift This Holiday Season

I thought I'd drop by and name drop. (-: "Usage books" is a term not many of us know. And a term we should know. In fact, we should have at least one on our desktop (virtual or the real thing!). Treat yourself to one for the holidays. Learn more about what they are and your choices at http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/12/usage-books-for-you-for-gifts.html.



~Your MWSA blogger, Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Blogging writers' resources at Writers' Digest 101 Best Websites, http://www.sharingwithwriters.com/ and
providing lots of writers' resources at http://www.howtodoitfrugally.coml/
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Friday, November 26, 2010

Learn AMAZON Secrets FREE with FREE Newsletter Subscription

Authors love to hate Amazon.com. Trouble is, we can't thrive without it. Sadly most authors and even publishers don't know how to effectively use the features Amazon offers -- especially the trick to achieving bestselling ratings.


Luckily, Aggie Villaneuva learned that stuff the hard way -- and she achieved two category bestsellers in 2010, each book in three separate categories! She freely shares that knowledge with us in her TWO white paper reports in ONE, "How Choosing Kindle Categories Wisely Got me Two Best Sellers This Year." Plus "How to Gain Bestseller Status in Amazon’s Print Bookstore Too."

Miraculously, (because Aggie is a peach!)  I'm offering her white papers at no charge to authors willing to help other authors learn even more about the writing and publishing world by subscribing to my Sharing with Writers newsletter. One report for the author who recommends my newsletter. Another for the author who signs up. It doesn't get any better than that! I know many MWSA subscribers and members already get my Sharing with Writers newsletter in their e-mail boxes. That's OK.  You may still want to share it with others. (-: 
To qualify for this double gift, put SUBSCRIBE-FREE "AMAZON Secrets" REPORT in the subject line of an e-mail and send it to HoJoNews@aol.com. In the window of the e-mail, list the e-mail address of the recommending author and the new subscriber. Both authors will get an e-copy of Aggie's report back in their e-mail boxes. Easy as that!


PS: You'll also find the section on using Amazon in my The Frugal Book Promoter useful. Amazon isn't perfect but they are trying to be author friendly. And, I have to say, they've never been late with a royalty payment. Authors can't always say that about their publishers, can they? (-:

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, is one of your official MWSA bloggers and author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . The Great First Impression Book Proposal is her newest booklet for writers. She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
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Sunday, November 14, 2010

New Free E-Book Program from AuthorsDen

I thought I'd let you know about the new free e-book service offered at AuthorsDen. If you've been thinking about publishing your work as an e-book, now is the time to get started. (-: Learn more about it here: http://sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/2010/11/authorsden-offers-new-free-e-book.html



Best,
Your MWSA Member Talk blogger,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/ 


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Friday, November 12, 2010

MWSA 2010 People's Choice Award Vote

Hi everyone...we need to vote for the 2010 People's Choice Award...check out pages 18 through 25 in this year's Conference Program. At the end of each People's Choice Finalist piece, there's an email where you can vote for the winner. You have until December 31, 2010.

http://www.redenginepress.com/MWSAProgram2010midres.pdf




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Saturday, October 23, 2010

Review: Think Chirstmas Stocking Stuffers; Think Your Own Writing Career

The Great First Impression Book Proposal

Subtitle: Everything You Need to Know to Impress a Publisher in Twenty Minutes or Less
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
ISBN 9781453690956
$6.95

First reviewed for Amazon by Robert Medak
Four of five stars

The Great First Impression Book Proposal is a book that all authors need to get past the gate keepers as Carolyn refers to them in her books. This book is by no means a step-by-step plan, but it does give you the basics for publishing your book.
The publishing industry has changed. In today’s environment, more is placed on the author to make a good impression on agents, editors, and publishers if they want to get their manuscript published.

The first impression is all you have to get the attention of those that hold the publishing purse strings. If you do not create something of value for their time and effort in your first impression your chances of becoming a published diminish greatly.

Carolyn’s The Great First Impression Book Proposal while not guaranteeing publishing does offer things that will aid you in the possibility of becoming published.

The Great First Impression Book Proposal is another in a series of little $6.95  pamphlets about various aspects of writing, editing, and publishing including Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.


This is a book that anyone considering writing for publication should read. In fact, they should read all of Carolyn’s pamphlets about writing. Some may feel that they know the information in Carolyn’s pamphlets; even prose will find they are still a good source of information and review of what authors need to know about getting past the gatekeepers.
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The reviewer is an editor and reviewer.

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Thursday, October 14, 2010

On Wordiness

I thought MWSA members might want to follow the regular feature on wordiness on my Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor blog. There is a new one today at http://www.thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/.  . Maybe even subscribe so you don't miss a single tip for avoiding wordiness.

My Wordiness posts are done like alerts. I use this format: When you see these words then you might consider eliminating some of them with an edit like this.

The blog also includes a search engine so you can easily find all the posts on wordiness. AND, I am open to your suggestions--credited, of course!
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Posted by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, one of your official MWSA bloggers. http://www.howtodoitfrugally.com/
http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com/

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Tuesday, October 12, 2010

MWSA Authors helping each other and sharing stories

Hello MWSAers!

Since I'm so far behind on getting the MWSA website updated, I thought I'd get even further behind and spruce things up a bit here on our MWSA blog.

For two conferences in a row, I've noticed that there's a pretty strong need for an online meeting place for MWSA authors to share "war stories" about their authoring, editing and marketing efforts. Even those of us with years of experience and thousands of books published (not me) can learn from other MWSA members.

During our most recent get-together in Pittsburgh, for example, a small group of us had a very interesting session about marketing in general, and Amazon.com marketing specifically. At that small meeting, we promised to try and maintain the enthusiasm and initiative by using our MWSA blog to keep in touch and to share our experiences in our efforts to get the word out about our books.

With that in mind, I'm trying to facilitate MWSA members' use of this blog.

We'd love to hear from you!!!

If you'd like to participate, you can do so by responding (making comments) to existing blog entries. Or, if you'd like to get more involved, please send me your email address and we'll add you to our "approved author list." This will allow you to start your own blog comments.

Please let me know if you have any suggestions/comments/lessons learned... anything!

Let's hear from you and keep up the level of enthusiasm we all experienced up in Pittsburgh!

Thanks,
John Cathcart
MWSA Webmaster

PS. Speaking of marketing on Amazon.com, a while back I began writing a series of articles on “tricks” you can use on Amazon.com’s website. It’s a work in progress, but I think we could all share our experiences, learn together, and improve our knowledge of online marketing. The articles can be found here: http://militarywriters.com/Amazon_tricks.html. You can also find it by hovering your mouse over “Resources” (on our main menu) then “For Writers” then clicking on “Amazon.com tricks.”

Please make any suggestions/additions/comments to those articles and share your own experiences on this blog!

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

I rarely send subscribers and readers of this blog to my Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor blog. You know where it is. Ha! But today I posted a link of all links for folks who love the English language and a good laugh. C'mon. Humor me. And boost the day's readership. While you're there, leave your most aggravating homonym booboo in the comments!

http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/09/weingarten-reads-english-its-last-rites.html

Your sometime MWSA blogger,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
www.howtodoitfrugally.com

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Saturday, August 21, 2010

Your First-Person Essay or Your New Memoir--Take Your Pick

Just dropping in to let you know about the new review I just posted at http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/2010/08/your-first-person-essay-or-memoir-your.html . Writers will want to know about this book, they should also know about The New Book Review. It's open to all books, all reviewers. Guidelines for submissions are in the left column.

Your MWSA sometime blogger,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson


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Thursday, August 12, 2010

A War Poetry Contest for You

With the winning of contests being in the air at MWSA, I thought you all might be interested in this one from Winning Writers. It's specifically a poetry contest for poems on the subject of war. Go for it, MWSA troops!

That’s kind of you to offer. Perhaps your readers would find interesting the judge’s comments from our War Poetry Contests. You can see them here: http://www.winningwriters.com/contests/war/wa_pastwinners.php
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Submitted by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
MWSA official blogger and MWSA award winner for poetry and marketing books. (-:


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Monday, August 9, 2010

MWSA Gold Medal Winner's Book Reviewed On New Book Review!

One of Military Writers Society of America's gold medal winners appears on The New Book Review blog today. I thought you'd like to support a fellow member and research that site for possible exposure of your own book. The guidelines are in the left column.

http://thenewbookreview.blogspot.com/2010/08/military-memoir-is-military-writers.html

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Submitted by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, your faithrful MWSA blogger and author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers.
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Sunday, August 1, 2010

Great New Opportunities (Frugally!) at Authors Den

This is news I think our MWSA subscribers and visitors will like, Joyce!
(-:

I have been a member of Authors Den (AD) for about eight or nine years. At first I just loved their free (very frugal!) way for a new author to have a Web site. Then I started using their Gold membership to publish my newsletter.

I'm not much of a date keeper but that newsletter (It goes by the same name as this blog--branding you know!) has been around for some years now! I recommended it in my The Frugal Book Promoter, of course. And I've even partnered with Authors Den at the LA Times/UCLA Writers' Faire. Cross promotion always has its advantages, but it is an especially good marketing tool when one partners with those who already have lots of contacts and a great reputation.

The point of all this is that AD has some news. And I sure love spreading good news--especially when it comes from people I feel great about recommending. My AD friend Matt Miller writes:

"The AuthorsDen Services Marketplace is Open for Business!

"AuthorsDen.com, an online literary community established in 2000, has seen the toll researching the diverse components of the book industry has taken on writers. As a result, we recently launched the AuthorsDen Community MarketPlace...

"The MarketPlace brings together authors and community service providers to create a more artful product. It looks as if it will save us authors some promotion time. Find it at
http://marketplace.authorsden.com"

I can hardly wait to try all its features. Check it out for yourself. And while you're poking around, look at the different membership levels. At a bare minimum sigh up for the free level. Even if you have a Web site of your own, all those outside links coming back to your Web site make for very good Web site opitmizaton (SEO). And it is great backup when your server gives you fits. And, think of the networking opportunities among your fellow AD authors!


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Carolyn Howard-Johnson is an official blogger for Military Writers Society of America. Carolyn is author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and how to books for writers including, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't; The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success; and Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers . She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". She has three FRUGAL books for retailers including A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor . If your followers at Twitter would benefit from this blog post, please use the little Green widget to let them know about this blog:
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Friday, July 30, 2010

MWSA Member Recommends New Book on Book Promotion

I have a motto: "Reading one book on book promotion is never enough."
Thus, I recommend Michelle Dunn's Mosquito Marketing, a book full of book-marketing essentials. Here is the heartfelt recommendation I wrote to Michelle, complete with disclaimer:


Dear Michelle:

Congratulations on a job well done! In the writing. In the accumulation of knowledge. And in the production. I shall recommend Mosquito Marketing to my UCLA students and my clients--every single one of them!

Yes, you may use that as an endorsement, though you may not want to because I contributed to the book. Thus I may appear biased. The thing is, I would have said the same thing even if I had no part in it! (-:

So, it's going up on my Web site (the Resources for Writers section of www.howtodoitfrugally.com) right now! And into my recommendation list for my students. Soon. (-:

Thank you so much. Mosquito Marketing (ISBN 1453605304) will be a valued part of books I am part of--ones that I keep in a special reference (and brag!) library. Great work!

Best,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson

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Contributed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, one of your official MWSA bloggers.

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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Help for Getting Manuscripts by the Gatekeepers

Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy
By Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Published by HowToDoItFrugally.com
EAN-13: 9781450507653
Paperback booklet
55 pages
$6.95

Reviewed by Robert Medlak for Amazon and asorted review sites

This pamphlet is only around fifty pages, but filled with an assemblage of word trippers written in a conversational style that will help writers from aspiring to seasoned with their copy.

The best way to appear amateurish as writers is to make simple word usage errors. There are homophone words that writers should know the difference, and which one of them to use in their copy. Some of the most common errors found in editing by author and editor, Carolyn Howard-Johnson lists in “Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers.”

This reviewer found this pamphlet to be inspirational and a brush up for any writer. Any time a writer submits copy not up to professional standards there is a gatekeeper who will bounce it. Reading this pamphlet can save writers the embarrassment of receiving a rejection slip for poor writing.

“Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers” is a postscript to Carolyn’s book, The Frugal Editor. No writer is a consummate writer in every sentence and word choice. Writers can only strive for perfection, but not consumed by it.

This reviewer found this small pamphlet chock full of useful information for all writers. Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers receives a five star rating by this reviewer.

The Reviewer

Robert (Bob) Medak is a writer/editor/reviewer. He reviews for AllBook Reviews and New York Journal of Books. He is acquisitions editor for Real Time PUblishing. Find him at Stormy Winter. He tweets at www.twitter.com/RJ_Medak.

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Monday, June 28, 2010

Peggy Noonan, Our Soldiers, and the Question of Gender in Writing

I thought our MWSA members would like to see member Phyllis Zimbler Miller's take on a recent writing (?) goof from the Wall Street Journal. It is pertinent to both our writing and our interest in the military. Go to:

http://thefrugaleditor.blogspot.com/2010/06/peggy-noonan-our-soldiers-and-question.html

Phyllis and I would love to have your comments. And I'd love to have you subscribe to that blog for occasional information on editing, grammar and related subjects.

BTW, Phyllis wrote Mrs. Lieutenant.
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Submitted by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, your official MWSA Member Talk blogger. (-: www.howtodoitfrugally.com
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Monday, June 21, 2010

Author Encourages Donation of Books

I thought I'd let you know about this nifty way for you to donate your returned or excess books, or just the many in that military library you've been collecting. The information was sent to me by the author of Quiet Fury books and I blogged about it today at www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com. All the resource links are there! See what you think and then put your thinking-bonnet on! How can MWSA help?

Best,
Your MWSA blogging captain,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
www.howtodoitfrugally.com

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Wednesday, June 16, 2010

My Home State of Utah, Our Soldiers and Art

Just thought my fellow MWSAers would want to see something that touched me on a far more personal level that anything that usually goes around on the Web about the military or our soldiers. You'll see why. Please leave comments so I'll know you saw it. (-:

http://warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com/2010/06/artist-from-my-home-state-of-utah-and.html


This is the epitome of what I'm talking about when I say we can all do more than send sentimental posts around on the Web. Of course, MWSA members have been doing that, for sure. It's like preaching to the choir. (-:

From
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Your fellow MWSA member and official blogger
www.howtodoitfrugally.com
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Sunday, May 9, 2010

Dwight Zimmerman on The History Czar

Dwight Zimmerman discussed "The Graphic History of the Vietnam War" with Paul Bruno, The History Czar!

http://www.historyczar.com/mp3/historyczar020510.mp3

MWSA Member Del Staecker on The History Czar

Enjoy Del Staecker discuss his award-winning book "The Lady Gangster" with Paul Bruno, The History Czar!

http://www.historyczar.com/mp3/historyczar043010.mp3

Saturday, May 8, 2010

New PTSD Therapy Available to Vets

If you suffer from post traumatic stress disorder or know someone who does, you may be interested in this post on my War Peace Tolerance blog,http://warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-help-for-ptsd.html

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Saturday, May 1, 2010

On Editing by MWSA Member

Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy
by Carolyn Howard-Johnson
HowToDoItFrugally Publishing,2010
ISBN: 1450507654

Reviewed by Magdalena Ball

I'm firmly of the opinion that one of the main difference between a good book and a great book is the quality of the edit. Carolyn Howard-Johnson knows that and has provided a series of books designed specifically to help authors edit their books without having to spend a fortune. The latest one in the Frugal series is a handy list of tricky, “trip-you-up” words that every writer would do well to master. Some, like “advice / advise” are common problems that dog the writer from primary school onwards, and it's probably time to get these sorted out. Others, like “although / though” are more subtle, and Howard-Johnson doesn't shirk from pointing out why the use of one word is preferable over another. The explanations are always clear, with well written and original examples, and once you've read Howard-Johnson's words of wisdom, you won't make the mistake again. The book is just 50 pages, and is easy to carry around for reference, or check through quickly when you're unsure. You could also use it as a kind of course book, taking on a pair of words a day with the aim of improving your overall English skills. Even if your English is masterful already, you might be surprised at how often you misuse some of the more common sets, such as “bring / take” or “childlike / childish.” Howard-Johnson even provides ill-used phrases like “It is what it is.” or the difference between i.e. and e.g. (I'm afraid I've misused this one myself). The book ends with a list of other recommended editing books.


A few small errors in a manuscript or piece of writing may seem like a minor problem, but they mark the writer as an amateur and can be just what an overworked editor is looking for in order to move your unread manuscript over to the slush pile. At best, they make the writer look sloppy and uneducated. At worst, you may be conveying something quite different to what you had in mind. Not all of writing is this clear and straightforward, so ensuring that you understand and are able to easily use and distinguish commonly confused words correctly is more than just a good thing. It's essential. That so much helpful advice is couched in such light-hearted, easy to read and entertaining prose is due to Howard-Johnson's abilityities. This little book has a simplicity that belies the importance of what it's conveying. Do yourself, and your readers, a favour and make sure that you choose the right word every time you write.

About the Reviewer:
Magdalena Ball runs the review site The Compulsive Reader (www.compulsivereader.com) .An Australian poet, she blogs at http://magdalenaball.blogspot.com/ and her Web site is www.magdalenaball.com .

About the author:
The New Book Review is blogged by UCLA Extension Writers' Program instructor Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. It is a free service offered to those who want to encourage the reading of books they love. That includes authors who want to share their favorite reviews, reviewers who'd like to see their reviews get more exposure, and readers who want to shout out praise of books they've loved. Please see submission guidelines on the left of this page. Reviews and essays are indexed by author names, reviewer names, and review sites. Writers will find the index handy for gleaning the names of small publishers. Find other writer-related blogs at Sharing with Writers and The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor.
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Thursday, April 29, 2010

So, Are MWSA Members Utilizing Their Benefits?

I belong to Military Writers Society of America. And if you are reading this blog, it's likely you do, too!

So, why do you belong?

I tell you why on my Sharing with Writers blog today. Please drop by so you can pat yourself on the back. And also so that you can see if you're utilizing all the benefits you're entitles, to!


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Blogged by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of the multi award-winning HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers.

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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Easter Gift for Troops

I thought I'd pass this along from my e-mail box:

Dear Patriotic American,

Many troops who have returned from Iraq or Afghanistan severely burned, blinded or paralyzed are struggling just to feed their families. These brave men and women have made painful sacrifices for us (and our families).

And since you support patriotic causes, I wanted you to know about something special you can do for them in return this Easter.

The Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes has just launched an Emergency Easter Meal Project. Our goal is to deliver $60 to hundreds of severely wounded troops so they can put Easter dinner on the table. Can I count on your financial support?
Please say yes.

My name is Major General John K. Singlaub, U.S. Army (Ret.), and I served our nation in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Now I am working with the Coalition to Salute America’s Heroes, which provides emergency financial aid for troops who have been severely wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Our generous supporters have already responded with emergency financial aid to more than 11,000 requests from America’s disabled GIs, and provided them with more than $22 million in emergency financial aid and other support services.

Please join our generous, patriotic family of supporters by making a special donation right now to the Coalition to Salute America's Heroes.

When America’s disabled GIs return home, out of the blue they are blindsided by another disaster – a disaster they never expected and couldn’t possibly plan for. A disaster most Americans don’t even know is happening.

The wounded GI’s disability check takes six months . . . nine months . . . even a year to arrive. He is wounded so badly he can’t take care of himself, so his wife quits her job to take care of him. Suddenly he is facing a financial catastrophe and has nowhere to turn.

You, and me, and other patriotic Americans must be there for them. Because they were there for us.

The Coalition's Emergency Easter Meal Project was created to help disabled troops like:

Blair William Didion Sr., who told us he sometimes relies on “food from public pantries” after suffering spinal fractures from a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Retired Army Sgt. Joshua Johnson of Colorado, who was injured in Iraq. After receiving emergency financial aid from Coalition supporters like you, Joshua wrote, “We were not going to be able to buy groceries for the month. The gratitude that my family and I have for the help you provided is hard to put into words.”

And Paul Thurman, whose wife had to resort to selling her blood plasma to buy food after he was injured in Iraq.

Emergency Easter donations can help the Coalition rescue our wounded heroes from having to get their Easter dinner from a public pantry, or (God forbid) from having to sell their blood plasma to buy groceries.
The severely wounded serviceman or woman who receives help might even live in your neighborhood, attend your church or shop at your grocery store. Or perhaps their parents do. So please send as generous an Easter gift as you can afford.

As you can imagine, the wives and mothers of our troops who have been blinded, badly burned or maybe even paralyzed are suffering as well. So instead of cooking Easter dinner at home, some families may decide to “give Mom a break,” and use their $60 to take her out to a restaurant on Easter Sunday.

That way they can enjoy Easter weekend with their family – just like you and I will.

Bear in mind: The Easter Season is the perfect time to thank these disabled heroes for the painful sacrifices they’ve made. After all, these brave men and women went to war to protect our freedom. Now many will never be able to see, or hear, or use their arms or legs again after being hit by a roadside bomb.

You and I can’t heal their physical injuries or make them whole again. (No one can.)

But helping to put Easter dinner on their table will let them know their fellow Americans appreciate the painful sacrifice they made for our country.

Finally, I’d like to show you what a difference your kindness can make. Kristi P. is a young servicewoman who suffered a devastating injury in Iraq. After receiving emergency financial aid from Coalition supporters like you, Kristi wrote back to say,

“Your gift brought tears of Thanksgiving to my eyes. . . . It felt like God was smiling upon me and reminding me what I gave really did matter.”

Please make the most generous Easter donation you can afford right now. And let me be the first to wish you and your family a Happy Easter.

With respect and gratitude,

Major General John K. Singlaub
U.S. Army (Ret.)

P.S. As I mentioned, some of our GIs have resorted to getting their food from public pantries, and others are selling their blood plasma to feed their children.

To help them the Coalition has just launched an Emergency Easter Meal Project. Our goal is to deliver $60 to as many severely wounded troops as possible so they can put Easter dinner on the table.

Remember, Easter is the perfect time to let a wounded hero know their fellow Americans understand the painful sacrifices they have made and are wishing their family well this Easter Season. Thank you for your generosity and your patriotism.

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From your MWSA blogger, Carolyn Howard-Johnon, award-winning poet and author of the HowToDoItFrugally series of books for writers. www.howtodoitfrugally.com.

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Tuesday, March 16, 2010

New Book Release to Help MWSA Members with Tricky Homonyms



Yay! My new little help for writers is on Amazon in all its chartreuse, red, and yellow glory! I am Joyce Faulkner's trusted blog contributor and a member of MWSA, and know that all our members can benefit from this book.

Yep, you can now order a copy to put in your briefcase and read on the fly! It’s the Great Little Last-Minute Editing Tips for Writers: The Ultimate Frugal Booklet for Avoiding Word Trippers and Crafting Gatekeeper-Perfect Copy.

This is a booklet. It isn’t intended to be a complete reference for every sneaky homonym in the English language. For one thing there is a nice list of those pesky guys in The Frugal Editor (www.budurl.com/TheFrugalEditor). It’s small partly because it isn’t intended to be drudgery. It’s only 54 pages, so it’s a small, easy-to-read dose of some of the most difficult word trippers, not the ones you learned in the fourth grade. And it is written with a bit of humor to brighten the experience. If you don’t learn anything from it, send it back to me and I’ll refund your money.

Buy the paperback at www.budurl.com/WordTripperPB. It is only $6.95. You support a friend (me!) and you brush up on skills for your writing career. What could be better than that?

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Tuesday, March 2, 2010

A FREE Authors' Website Service Gets Even Better.

It's your frugal MWSA blogger here. I thought you'd like to see a new service that is coming to Authors Den in my recent post on SharingwithWriters. Perfect for the recession. Perfect for author support!

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Posted by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, www.howtodoitfrugally.com.

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Monday, February 22, 2010

Promote Your Book to Troops FREE

As some of you MWSA blog subscribers know, my grandson is back now from two tours of duty in Iraq and is now stationed (very luckily) near Monterrey, CA. Thus, the plight of our troops is a subject near and dear to my heart as it is to yours, but this is about a way you can promote your book absolutely FREE. Go to www.SharingwithWriters.blogspot.com It's on the Feb 22nd post.

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Posted by MWSA blogger Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author of This Is the Place; Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered; Tracings, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books for writers, The Frugal Book Promoter: How To Do What Your Publisher Won't and The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success. Her FRUGAL book for retailers is A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques. She is also the author of the Amazon Short, "The Great First Impression Book Proposal". Some of her other blogs are TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com, a blog where authors can recycle their favorite reviews. She also blogs at all things editing, grammar, formatting and more at The Frugal, Smart and Tuned-In Editor .

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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Free Books for Vets--A Promotion MWSA Members Can Love

Dear Fellow MWSA Members:

As many of you know, my grandson is back now from two tours of duty in Iraq and is now stationed (very luckily) near Monterrey, CA. Thus, the plight of our troops is a subject near and dear to my heart. My poetry writing partner Magdalena Ball and I are giving away e-copies of chapbook of unconventional love poetry Cherished Pulse to 'our' troops overseas as part of Operation e-book drop. They will get an e-mail with a coupon code for a free copy at Smashbooks.

We would love to have you have a copy, too. Partly to see how the program works. Partly to share our poetry with you. The coupon code to use to get it free is ZF39H (not case sensitive).You will enter the code prior to completing your checkout.

Expires: February 28, 2010

You may want to do something similar for the troops with your books. More about Op Ebook Drop is here:
http://blog.smashwords.com/2009/09/smashwords-supports-operation-ebook.html

And they have a Facebook group here:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-EBook-Drop/172002003420

If you prefer to send a real copy of Cherished Pulse to someone, that is easy, too. It is only $6.95 on Amazon, certainly a doable gift. And it is really beautiful with Vicki Thomas’s artwork. Go to www.budurl.com/CherishedPulse.


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Submitted by Carolyn Howard-Johnson who also blogs all things publishing at Writer's Digest 101 Best Websites pick www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com and at War Peace Tolerance blog.

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

ATTENTION: Call for Authors!

This is a call for authors. A new magazine which will make its debut in April is seeking articles on Nautical, Civil War, and other military history for its magazine. The articles should be a minimum of 500 words. Authors will retain copyright except for the one time magazine issue the article is in. Publisher also asks for anthology rights. Contact Barbara Marriott if you are interested. Bbarb3@aol.com

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

ReEntry

A Review of ReEntry
By Dwight Jon Zimmerman, 2009 Gold Medal Award for Reference recipient for The Book of War

ReEntry is an off-Broadway play that is an ensemble of stories about Marines and their loved ones, recounting deployment experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan and life adjustments back in the United States. The life-changing disconnect between those who have experienced combat coming into contact with loved ones, acquaintances, and strangers who have not is a common thread in most of the stories in ReEntry.
Written by Emily Ackerman and K.J. Sanchez and directed by K.J. Sanchez, the stories in ReEntry are drawn from interviews of Marines and their loved ones that they conducted over a period of three years, and all the dialogue in the play comes from those interviews. Both Ms. Ackerman and Ms. Sanchez had brothers who either served or are serving in the military. Ms. Sanchez’s brothers served during the Vietnam War, with most fighting in that conflict. Ms. Ackerman’s brothers, both Marines, served multiple deployments in Iraq.
Five actors perform in the play, with four, Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris, Bobby Moreno, P.J. Sosko, and Sheila Tapia playing multiple roles. Joseph Harrell, a Marine Corps veteran, serves as the narrator.
From the moment Mr. Harrell, a retired sergeant and former drill instructor, quietly strides onto the stage and delivers his opening monologue, to the final emotionally draining scene, ReEntry lays everything on the line. The only difference is in the intensity of the many scenarios. Some are light, others are deadly serious and some, like the “Transition” story, an indictment of the well-intentioned but flawed process designed to prepare Marines too wounded to remain in the service for life in the civilian world, contain a skillful mixture of both. Some are vignettes; others gradually unfold as the play progresses. All contain an honesty that is blunt, many times profane, and as the play reaches its climax, gut-wrenchingly raw.
As Clint Eastwood depicted in his movie Gran Torino, our nation is composed of social worlds arguably defined more by differences in value-shaping experiences (or lack thereof) than by the cultural mores of the ethnic groups that make up the country. In extreme examples those worlds can be thoroughly foreign, completely incomprehensible, and potentially violently incompatible to each other.
One particularly striking example of the potential for violence between the two groups occurs well into the play. It is a story of when a group of young self-absorbed individuals (in this case skateboarders) whose idea of self-sacrifice is to turn off their cell phones while skateboarding roll their way into a neighborhood and begin performing property-damaging stunts on property adjacent to that owned by a Marine veteran, played by P. J. Sosko. Mr. Sosko’s monologue recounting the confrontation between his character and the skateboarders is one of many emotionally riveting high points.
It is a testament to his talent that Mr. Sosko succeeds in conveying without going over the top the sarcasm and capped rage a person who’s survived combat has when dealing with shallow hedonists and their arrogant, incoherent protests and justifications—while resisting the urge to simply kill them; an action thematically analogous to the disposing of trash. Truly a bravura performance.
The defining story in the play is that of two brothers, Charlie and John (Bobby Moreno and P. J. Sosko, respectively), and their mother (Sameerah Luqmaan-Harris), and sister Liz (Sheila Tapia). Charlie and John suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with their mother and sister experiencing the desperate anguish of loved ones who find themselves helpless to aid two people they deeply care for. It is based on co-author Emily Ackerman’s own experience with her brothers. Due primarily to its length (the story builds throughout the production) this account emerges as the most powerful one in the play.
The climax of this story, told in a monologue by Ms. Luqmaan-Harris, is the final moments of the downward spiral of Charlie and John’s lives that reaches its nadir when one, in the depths of drunken anguish telephones his brother and tells him he’s decided to take his shotgun and blow his brains out. That rock-bottom moment becomes a catalyst that enables the two to reach out to each other in a way impossible for their mother and sister and turn the emotional wounds destroying their lives into the very things that will help heal them. Ms. Luqmaan-Harris’s monologue is performed with a calm, poignant dignity that is both devastating and inspirational.
Bobby Marino is commendably effective portraying the variety of youthful Marines who, as a result of their combat experiences, find themselves strangers in their own country, who accept the change as casually as if they were picking a new pair of sneakers to replace old, worn-out ones, and find ways to “deal with it.”
Sheila Tapia performs a wide range of roles, from that of female Marine, to Marine spouse, to Marine sister. Each had its particular demands and she rose to all challenges with ease and skill. Surrounded by so many strong stories filled with drama, she delivered many brilliantly understated performances that allowed the audience the necessary breathing space to prepare for the next emotionally wrenching tale.
In one respect, Joseph Harrell had the easiest role of all, that of being himself, a Marine. His command presence was a rock for the production, giving it a credibility that would have been missing had the cast been composed solely of actors who had never served in the military, let alone the Marine Corps. The high point of his performance occurs during the funeral scene when Sgt. Harrell, in full dress uniform, marches down the stairs, salutes the coffin, and then marches back up. No words spoken. None were needed.
ReEntry runs from February 6 through March 7, 2010. Seats are general admission only. Regular price is $40. Military rate with ID is $20. Performances are 90 minutes long, with no intermission. ReEntry is performed at the Urban Stages Theater, 259 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10018. Tickets are available through Smartix and can be ordered either by phone (212-868-4444) or online at Smarttix.com.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Award-Winning Novel Exploring Problems of Deployment at War Peace Tolerance Blog

Because we are mostly military here, and writers, I thought I'd let you know about a post at War, Peace, Tolerance blog today. It includes excerpts from Karen Tsetsi's new book Homefront, a story based on her own experience as the wife of a deployed soldier. I thought if you knew of anyone who would benefit from it, you could pass the link along. www.warpeacetolerance.blogspot.com.
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Posted by your MWSA blogger Carolyn Howard-Johnson
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Monday, January 25, 2010

Free Online Writers Conference

I love to pass along frugal opportunities for writers to learn more about their craft and about promotion. I am doubly pleased to let you know about this absolutely free opportunity because I'll be conducting two seminars. Do know that all are writers are welcome. All the information you need to register is at http://www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com today.

Best,
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
Your frequent MWSA blogger and contributor
www.howtodoitfrugally.com

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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Valentines Promo Idea for Military Writers



As many of you know, my grandson is back now from two tours of duty in Iraq and is now stationed (very luckily) near Monterrey, CA. Thus, the plight of our troops is a subject near and dear to my heart. My poetry writing partner Magdalena Ball and I are giving away e-copies of our chapbook of unconventional love poetry Cherished Pulse to 'our' troops overseas as part of Operation e-book drop. We hope it will help them celebrate our holiday of love and express our love to them. We figured that MWSA members would want to do the same with their books. Find the links and more information at www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com.

If you prefer to send a real copy to someone, that is easy, too. It is only $6.95 on Amazon, certainly a doable gift. (The Amazon Link is in this post.) It makes a really beautiful gift with Vicki Thomas’s artwork and you can make it even prettier by tying a slender satin ribbon in the book's crease as a bookmark. Go to .

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson wrote the foreword for Eric Dinyer's book of patriotic quotations, Support Our Troops, published by Andrews McMeel. Part of the proceeds for the book benefit Fisher House. Her chapbook of poetry won the Military Writers Society of America's award of excellence. Find it at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599240173/. Her novel, collection of creative nonfiction and much of her poetry is informed by interest in leading the world toward acceptance of one another. Find her web page dedicated to tolerance at http://www.carolynhowardjohnson.redenginepress.com/tolerence_and_utah_links.htm. If your Twitter followers would be interested, please pass this on to them using this widget:


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Friday, January 15, 2010

MWSA Book Review Workshop Slide Show

Authors, Poets! Unite for Haiti

This just came to me from Lillian Cauldwell. She is sponsoring a way for authors, poets and other artists to contribute spiritually and financially to Haiti:

On Saturday, January 16, Lillian Cauldwell is sponsoring a Mixed Media event at PIVTR LIVE airwaves to raise monies for the Haitian children.

Programming runs from 2 to 4 p.m. est . Spots are 10 minutes!!

Please reserve a spot to recite poetry, read a short-short story, sing a song or sing-along with me, tell jokes, share a thought or opinion to help raise monies for these kids who are hungry, in need of medical care, clothing, water and the basic necessities especially if they're parnets are missing or died.

All proceeds go to Mission Socorro. (More on how Mission Socorro will use the proceeds below).

Contact Info: Lillian Cauldwell; 734-827-9407; lillian.cauldwell@gmail.com

"Creator" Cauldwell
Voices of the People - United We Roar!
734-332-5902
http://internetvoicesradio.com

This is information on the organization to which Mission Socorro sends its donations for the Haitian children.

Bethany International is responding to the tragedy in Haiti in several ways. We will send our first relief team to Haiti in six weeks. Two more teams will follow. We welcome you to join one of these teams.

What to Do?
Bethany now oversees a ministry called Short-Term Evangelical Missions (STEM). STEM has sent 115 teams to Haiti over its 20-year history. In light of this, we believe we have a very good awareness of where the teams can go and what they can do once they are in Haiti.

You can learn more about the teams here: http://www.stemintl.org/trips/opportunities/teams/locations/haiti_restoration

No Gift Too Small
A second way to become involved is through a financial gift. Team members, while they raise their own support for the trip, will need materials and supplies. This will be in the tens of thousands of dollars. You can make an online gift today toward this relief effort. To do this, go to
https://secure.bethanyinternational.org/donate/index.php. Gifts to the Haiti Relief Initiative are the last option.

Bethany International
6820 Auto Club Road, Suite M, Bloomington, MN 55438

If you are interested in donating to an organization likely to get out immediate relief, you can also easily donate to one of my favorites, The Clinton Foundation.
https://re.clintonfoundation.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=3869

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Posted by your MWSA blogger Carolyn Howard-Johnson, www.howtodoitfrugally.com and blogging writers resources at Writer's Digest 101 Best Website pick www.sharingwithwriters.blogspot.com


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MWSA Book Review Workshop

Why I Do It-- A Message from a MWSA Officer

I received an e-mail today with "Why I Do It" it in the subjct line. In it I found a poem from our MWSA Vice President. I know he won't mind my sharing it with you.



Shock and Awe


Shock and awe have been used to describe aerial war.
To me those words mean something much more.
They describe what comes over me at certain times.
They tell of my emotions, all bound up inside.

So often I hear stories told by some war’s warrior.
I regularly ingest their fear and absolute terror.
What they have done dwarfs my own meager duty.
I am in awe of them no matter their humility.

Emotionally my understanding is the mission.
As I listen I curl up safe in a fetal position.
I have done just enough to see and understand.
My own contribution pales by comparison.

I close my eyes as one tells of in-coming rounds.
I can hear him and remember those sounds.
Hot shrapnel flies in the air, dripping blood behind.
The images are here and now in my own mind.

He tells of the voices, screams in the fearful dark.
The pain he recalls is so vivid and very stark.
Calls for medics, bandages and cursing all delays
Tear at his heart strings, his nerves are frayed.

I feel with him as he searches for muzzle flashes.
The rounds continue to rain, bombs crashing.
In may be only minutes or even seconds of hell
But the time was eternal as our warriors fell.

It is my hand pressuring the bandaged wound.
My ears hear the blood hitting the ground.
My heart is pounding as fear dictates my pulse.
Let me live one more day is the shouted result!

It is his story but in shock and awe I absorb his tale.
It must be shared and in this I will not fail.
I do not have much to say of what I did back then.
But now I must tell about truly heroic men.

In my few months I did enough to comprehend.
The valor and work of many will never end.
Some died but many lived, keeping history inside.
As long as allowed, their tales I will confide.

In my mind, in a fetal position on emotional defense,
I will know where they were and go where they went.
I am safe; it is not me under attack, living in their hell.
I can share their words, feeling what they all felt.

How do you tell about the smell of decaying flesh?
How do you avoid keeping memories this fresh?
How do you tell of the sounds of too late mercy?
Forgetting, failing them, is our country’s heresy.

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Michael D. "Moon" Mullins, author of "Vietnam in Verse, poetry for beer drinkers." "ViV" won the Gold Medal for poetry, 2007, from the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA). The book is available on line from Amazon, B&N, and B-a-M book stores.
It is available as an audio-book exclusively from the author. Please contact me at this e-mail address; mullins.m.1@comcast.net or via land mail at POB 456 Windfall, In. 46076.
Vietnam Veteran, Delta 3/7, 199th Light Infantry, '68-'69.
Vice President of the MWSA. One dollar from either version goes to the Wounded Warrior Project.

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Thursday, January 7, 2010

MWSA January 2010 Newsletter

MWSA January 2010 Newsletter


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MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL

Richard Lowry's Blog