Many Genres One Craft: Now Available in Ebook!

We're pleased to report that an ebook edition of Many Genres, One Craft is now also available for the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook.

Our Encore Signing

Our encore signing at Seton Hill University in June 2012 was another success, and several readers took advantage of the one-of-a-kind opportunity to get their hardcover copies signed by the fount of contributors on hand. Headlines Books provided quite a spread of books to sell. Photos have been posted at Mike Arnzen's website and the Raw Dog Screaming Press page.

After the signing, we learned that Many Genres won another publishing award: this time, a Silver Medal in the 2011 Book of the Year Awards sponsored by ForeWord reviews. It's amazing how many awards this book has had the honor to receive. We're proud of all the great work that the contributors and Headline Books put into this book to make it such a raving success this first year in print. -- Mike & Heidi

MGOC Signing on Friday 6.22 7pm at SHU

The annual Writing Popular Fiction MFA summer residency at Seton Hill begins this week, and we'll be joined by the annual summer reunion/workshop of alumni. The alums are hosting a feature rich workshop with many interesting guests and workshops -- see http://inyourwritemind.setonhill.edu/ -- and our campus at Seton Hill U in Greensburg, PA will be hosting their large public booksigning in the McKenna Center this Friday, June 22nd, 7-9pm.

Over thirty writers will be selling and signing their books, including: Kate Martin, Shelley Bates, Victoria Thompson, Meg Mims, Jason Jack Miller, Heidi Ruby Miller, Lawrence C. Connolly, William Horner, Rachael Pruitt, Scott A. Johnson, Sheldon Higdon, Gary Frank, Maria V Snyder, Patrice Lyle, Michael Knost, Geoffrey Fuller, Sally Bosco, Jessica Warman, J.L. Benet, Lynn Salsi, Lee Allen Howard, Lee McClain, Lana Ayers, Nicole Peeler, Ron Gavalik, Barbara Miller, Kristin Dearborn, Anne Harris, Rachell Nichole, and Mike Arnzen. The indie publisher, Raw Dog Screaming Press, will be there with copies of Arnzen's latest book (The Gorelets Omnibus) and launching alum Jason Jack Miller's new novel (Hellbender), among other things. Headline Books will also be there with a table and have copies of Many Genres for sale.

Obviously, this is a rare opportunity to get our anthology signed, as plenty of contributors from Many Genres, One Craft will be on hand to chat and sign copies of the book. To get a sense of what we expect the signing to be like, check out our array of photos from the launch of Many Genres at last summer's campus event.

MGOC Events: Raw Dog Screaming Press at Morgantown Poets

Scott Emerson and The Morgantown Poets hosted Raw Dog Screaming Press (RDSP) night at the Monongalia Arts Center in Morgantown, WV for Michael A. Arnzen and Jason Jack Miller.



Mike, co-editor of Many Genres, One Craft, read from his latest release through RDSP, The Gorelets Omnibus, which is available in both eBook and paperback.






Jason, a contributor to Many Genres, One Craft, read from his upcoming novel through RDSP, Hellbender. Pre-order the paperback here: http://www.rawdogscreaming.com/hellbender.html







Find more photos on the Gorelets site!

posted by heidi

MGOC Contributor: Teffanie Thompson White

TEFFANIE THOMPSON WHITE

EXCERPT from "And the Award Goes To..." by Teffanie Thompson White in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

Frederic Melcher saw the need in 1921 to encourage children’s authors for their gifts to the literary community. He proposed an accolade and named it after eighteenth century bookseller, John Newbery.

Once a year, since 1922, the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Librarian Association (ALA - www.ala.org), presents an American children’s book with the Newbery Medal and names the runner-ups as honor recipients. The book must have been published in English in the previous year. Original published work should have appropriate style, quality presentation and exceptional development of the elements of literature.

--

Teffanie Thompson White played with pen in hand. When pen was absent, she scratched words on ashen legs. Teffanie has worked as a tutor, teacher and administrator to high school students. She completed the Institute of Children's Literature and received a Master's degree in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Through these programs Teffanie created several writings for children to include her thesis, middle grade novel, Dirt. Her picture book manuscripts, Bug Talk and For Tents and Ribbons, have been adapted into onstage ballet performances. Teffanie co-authors and co-publishes pictureless books. She lives in Texas with her children, Imhotep and Halima.

Many Genres, Many Awards -- An Update

Last June, we had a phenomenal book event at the Seton Hill University writer's workshop, celebrating the launch of our collection, Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction. As we come up on our one year anniversary, we're honored to note that the book has been doing so well, receiving so many accolades from readers, teachers, students and reviewers... and even awards from the publishing industry.

Here are the awards we've been fortunate to receive:

• Winner, "Business: Writing and Publishing" category, 2012 International Book Awards.
• Winner, "Education/Academic" category, 2012 Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
• Winner, General Non-Fiction Award. 2011 London Books Festival Award.
• Listed 5th in "This Year's Ten Most Terrific Writing Books" by The Writer magazine (Dec 2011).
• Finalist, "Business: Writing and Publishing" category. USA Best Books 2011 Award.
• Finalist. 2012 Eric Hoffer Book Awards.
• Finalist, "Writing" category. ForeWord Review's 2011 Book of the Year Awards.

We're proud of our contributors and owe it all to them. Every testimony we've heard has been positive about the book and the lessons it has to teach.


In other news:

Our publisher, Headline Books, is looking into releasing an ebook edition in the near future. Considering how hefty and voluminous this title is, that is sure to be a treat.

We'll have copies of Many Genres for sale and signing once again at the In Your Write Mind alumni workshop at Seton Hill U in Greensburg, PA, on Friday, June 22nd, 2012. 7-10pm.

The editors have new books out, so if you don't hear from us here as often as you'd expect, come on by our individual websites to learn more about what we're up to. Heidi's latest book is Greenshift and you can learn more about it at http://heidirubymiller.blogspot.com. Michael's latest is The Gorelets Omnibus, and you can visit him at http://gorelets.com. Chances are very good that if either of us are at a convention or publishing event, we will be talking about Many Genres somewhere on the program, or will have copies of the book with us to show you or sell if you'd like one. Of course, the book remains in print and is available to order online from amazon or your favorite bookseller -- see our "Ordering" page for more information.

Thank you to everyone for sharing their reactions online and in person... it means a lot to us to know that the book is helping you write. There are many genres, one craft to study...but you also have many stories to write...especially the one you're working on right now. So go -- get to it... and persist!

Cheers!
-- Michael Arnzen & Heidi Ruby Miller

MGOC Contributor: Jennifer Brisendine

JENNIFER BRISENDINE

EXCERPT from "Keeping It Real: Mixing Truth and Fiction in YA" by Jennifer Brisendine in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

If you know even one pre-teen, ‘tween, or full-blown teenager, you recognize how difficult it is to pull the proverbial wool over their eyes. You can’t easily persuade the average young adult that a loss of privileges is really harder on you than on him, or that she should clean her room for the sense of accomplishment, or that yes, he will need to know the finer points of the quadratic equation in his everyday life.

Selling young adults on fiction is equally challenging… no matter how fascinating a story you tell.

--

Jennifer Brisendine's creative non-fiction appears in the Seal Press anthology The Maternal Is Political, and her essays have appeared in LiteraryMama and the Mom Writer's Literary Magazine. After ten-plus years in the high school English classroom, she currently works as a freelance editor and writer while continuing to pursue fiction and non-fiction projects. She lives in southwestern Pennsylvania with her husband, two sons, and a petite 100-pound Great Dane.

MGOC Contributor News: Rachael Pruitt's The Dragon's Harp

Many Genres, One Craft contributor Rachael Pruitt has a new novel out--The Dragon's Harp.

ENTER THE WORLD OF THE DRAGON’S HARP

Arthurian Historical Fantasy for the 21st Century

Before Gwenhwyfar became Queen - before Arthur met Merlin - a tribal Welsh princess met a young Heatherlands Mage. Together, they will create a legend.

Inside a mist of beauty and brutality waits the Arthurian legend as you’ve never heard it before. Enter the world of THE DRAGON'S HARP, a realm of blood lust and vengeance, of spellbinding magic from the beginning of time. The realm of Princess Gwenhwyfar: a young girl torn between magic and desire, born with magical powers she can either wield to save her people from destruction - or deny to save her soul.

ERA OF DRAGONS: THE LOST TALES OF GWENHWYFAR: BOOK ONE

First in a five book series of historical fantasy, Rachael Pruitt’s unique take on a beloved legend reintroduces the mythic characters of Gwenhwyfar, Merlin, and Vortigern against the gritty backdrop of sixth century Wales, where scenes of shape-shifting and heartbreaking romance vie with torture, murder, and battle in a dragon-haunted land.


posted by heidi

MGOC Contributor: C. Coco DeYoung

C. COCO DE YOUNG

EXCERPT from "Linking Past to Present" by C. Coco DeYoung in Many Genres, One Craft: Lessons in Writing Popular Fiction

"Wonder-lust," the need to know more and silenced only by research, can serve as both the catalyst and foundation of well-crafted historical fiction.

Carefully whittled, it becomes a chain linking the author and young reader to the annals of history.

Research is for me a hands-on experience steeped in sensory input. Wonder-lust created a need in me to feel the sensations of a rail-riding hobo during the Great Depression. "You don’t have to hop a moving train," a fellow writer once chided. "You could lose a leg!" Nevertheless, grabbing hold of the “grip iron” or ladder of the worn wooden boxcar was like gripping hold of a leg of history. As a writer of historical fiction obligated to fulfill the expectations of the young reader, the first-hand experience of hopping a train goes far beyond the realm of research necessary to write a period piece.

--

C. Coco De Young is an award-winning author, freelance writer, and storyteller. Her middle-grade novel, A Letter to Mrs. Roosevelt, received the Marguerite de Angeli Prize, nomination for 10 State Book Awards, the 2000-2001 Keystone to Reading Book Award, Teacher's Choices 2000 by the International Reading Association, a Booklist "Top 10 First Novels" of 1999, and was selected by the Children's Book Council and the National Council of Social Studies as a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People. Ms. De Young holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Elementary Education, and an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, both from Seton Hill University. She resides in Ridgefield, Connecticut with her husband, Don.

MGOC Contributor News: Pictureless Books Videos

Many Genres, One Craft contributors Adrea L. Peters and Teffanie Thompson White, owners of Pictureless Books, just released some wonderful new videos: