Just to let everyone know, all the writerly events I was involved with in March this month have been canceled. Here's the official announcement from the Fairfield Scribes' page:
So I'd like to wish everyone a happy and healthy March, and hope to see you at some rescheduled writing events in April and May!
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I am so thrilled to announce that my debut novel The Rose Queen is now a 2019 finalist for The Wishing Shelf Book Award. It's a fantastic contest from the UK, where the finalists and winners are chosen by the book's audience. So my YA book was read by teens, who picked it to be one of the finalists! Although I'll never know the "judges" who picked my book, I want to thank all of them - I'm so glad you enjoyed it! While the sequel has been delayed from 2019 publication, it's in the works. And it's even more exciting than book 1! To give you a hint... expect war and terrible battles, true love and family ties, betrayal and redemption, ultimate sacrifices and death-defying magic. On Sunday, March 15, WestportWRITES at The Westport Library will welcome the Fairfield Scribes to celebrate Ray Bradbury's 100th birthday! Writers are encouraged to draw inspiration from the legendary author of The Martian Chronicles and Fahrenheit 451 to write their own short story. After a brief writing session, attendees will get one-on-one time with the editors to help hone their stories and brainstorm ideas. All writers attending the workshop will receive an invitation to submit their stories to the Westport Library's new anthology, to be published on September 1st. Authors published in the anthology will have an opportunity to read excerpts at the annual Saugatuck StoryFest at the end of September. Several writers from the Fairfield Scribes (Edward Ahern, Elizabeth Chatsworth, P.C. Keeler and me!) will open the workshop with a conversation about Ray Bradbury's great contributions to literature. Then we'll take a break to do some writing and will reconvene for small group sessions with the editors. The seminar will be held on Sunday, March 15 from 1pm-4pm at Brooks Place Room in the library, located at 20 Jesup Road in Westport. You can find out more information about the panel HERE. Hope to see you there! I'll be back at KGB Bar this Friday with some BRAND NEW fiction that has never before seen the light of day (or been heard in the voice of its author). The literary and humor writer Paul Beckman runs a monthly reading series the first Friday of every month in the Red Room (3rd floor) at KGB Bar in New York City called "F Bomb NY: Flash Fiction Reading Series." I'll be there with the fabulous writers Andrea Marcusa, Jenn Stroud Rossmann, Michael Mongiello, Daniel Galef, and Ron Kolm. So stop by to hear some great stories and have a drink or two. KGB Bar is located at 85 E 4th Street, and the event will take place from 7-9pm. Hope to see you there! Merry Christmas, all! As some of you who follow my comic might have noticed, I took a bit of a break from penning Toddler Times during the fall. Life has just been a bit too hectic recently. But one of my New Year's resolutions was to resume, and the above photo (which was one of my MANY attempts at taking a picture for our annual Christmas card) inspired this comic: And there will hopefully be many more moments of silliness to capture in the new year.
Have a great holiday season, and see you in 2020!!! I'm so thrilled to announce that The Rose Queen has recently gotten some amazing recognitions.
First off, it was named as a fantasy finalist for IAN's (Independent Author Network) 2019 Book of the Year. I'm very thrilled to have my book in such great company as other indie authors and finalists A.M. Manay, Suzie Plakson, Geoffrey Saign, Michael Lynes, Michael G. Munz, and Kathleen McClure. Next, it was ALSO named as a finalist for the 2019 Literary Classics Book Award (winner to be announced on November 15th). I'm so excited that my debut novel is doing so well! The publication of Book 2 in the series has been delayed, but will be coming out next year. It's even bigger and badder than Book 1, so stay tuned! Looking for some tips on writing and getting published? Come join me and fellow Fairfield Scribes' writers and editors Gabi Coatsworth and Edward Ahern, in addition to the Poets' Salon's poets Edward Ahern, paul Bluestein, David Boston, and Jack Powers, in some practical workshops this weekend on how to write and edit your work for publication.
The conference is this Saturday from 9am-4:30pm, with some great panels by various local authors, including us. It's completely FREE to attend, but requires registration, since space is limited. You can sign up to attend the conference HERE. Hope to see you there! I just took a look at my website and realized it's been a couple months since I last posted anything. The sound of crickets is deafening here! LOL.
But that doesn't mean things aren't running full steam ahead. It just means I haven't had time to write any blog posts because of Big Happenings going on behind the scenes. I've had a few acceptances since I last posted, several books in the works on the authoring side, and several books in the works on the editing side. The kids and I took a couple trips during the summer - once to California, once to Eastern Canada, so we've been keeping busy. The big news for this upcoming week is that a number of the Fairfield Scribes' authors and editors (including me) will be at the Saugatuck StoryFest on Friday (September 27th) and Saturday (September 28th). This weekend, I'll post more info about where to find us. Next week is also a big birthday for me - I'm turning the big 4-0. I doubt it'll be wildly different than 39, but my oldest daughter (who is studying factors in school) would be the first to tell you that it's a more versatile number. So here's to a versatile year! Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone had a happy and productive summer. The Westport Library is doing "30 days of library" in honor of their newly renovated space. July 2nd (tomorrow) is exploring the Writing Center at the library, so please join WestportWRITES and the Fairfield Scribes at 7 p.m. for readings from our brand-new anthology, Imagining Monsters: A Collection of Short Stories Inspired by Frankenstein. The reading is free, and all proceeds from book sales of Imagining Monsters benefit the Westport Library. Drinks and snacks will be served. Authors who will be reading include Corrine "Mitzy Sky" Taylor, Elizabeth Chatsworth, V.P. Morris, Gabi Coatsworth, D.J. Whitney, Edward Ahern, Sheryl Kayne, and me! So stop by, listen to some fantastic fiction by local writers, and have a chat with the writers afterwards while nibbling on some snacks. Hope to see you there! |
Who the heck is Alison McBain?I am a freelance writer and poet with over two hundred short pieces published in magazines and anthologies. Check out my 2024 writing challenge to write a book a week at Author Versus AI. For more info, please check out my "About Me" page. © Alison McBain. All rights reserved
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