Pat Brown has set up a new blog under an alter ego: G.K. Parker. She will publish her mainstream historicals under this pen name rather than P..A. Brown, the name under which she publishes her gay fiction. Her new blog can be found at: gkparkerhistorynoir.blogspot.com.

Miguel Carbonell has published an adventure story for children aged nine and up that has promoted locally by Chapter's bookstores through booksignings. King Tut's Tomb Robbers tells the story of Nathan, a resourceful twelve-year-old boy, who travels back in time to ancient Egypt where he witnesses the suspicious events leading to King Tut's death. If you know of any writing festivals or conferences where he could promote his book, leave a comment on my blog.

Irene Gargantini (LWS and CAA) and Sharon Crawford (CAA) have co-authored the novella Fire Underneath the Ice, the most recent e-release of Rogue Phoenix Press. Irene has authored this work under the pen name R. S. Natanevin. The printed version will be available in a few weeks.

Ruth Zavitz's short story The Good Life has been published in Canadian Stories Anthology # III which can be ordered for $28 from Canadian Stories, Box 232, Fergus, ON N1M 2W8.

The Malahat Review's website states, "We all begin in a little magazine," and it's absolutely true

Yet it's predicted that many, if not all, Canadian literary and arts magazines will fold after they lose a key federal funding source that is slated to disappear in a maze of bureaucratic finagling. Read about what you can do, not just to save Canadian literature, but to save magazines that give new Canadian writers the possibility of getting a story published.

FictionLondon is a new blog launched by Ahmed Khan to promote fiction that features London, Ontario as a locale. He wants information about any works of fiction (both short stories and novels) that feature London. His goal is to provide more exposure for London, Ontario writers as well as for the City of London itself. He asks that you contact him via his blog.

Ruth Zavitz calls our attention to the informative article Books Gone Wild: The Digital Age Reshapes Literature from Time Magazine.

John Jeneroux invites us to check out Canadian writer Barbara Kyle's novel writing course. Do yourself a favour and watch her excellent video on three-part story structure. It is not to be missed. Amazingly, you can go through her entire course on-line for just ten dollars.

Check out the Writer's Studio Guide to Publishing in Literary Magazines and Entering Contests written by Ayelet Tsabari for Simon Fraser University..

Have you reached the point where it's time to find an agent? LitMatch is a no-cost resource for finding legitimate literary agent information. ("Agencies" that require an up-front reading fee are not listed.)

Canadian Writers Group is a new literary agency just for freelancers. The first of its kind, CWG opened its doors on May 14th and already represents over fifty of Canada's top freelance writers.

Rent-A-Coder is an on-line market place where buyers post jobs and service providers offer bids. I just had an excellent experience with this site, so if you offer writing or editing services, this is another place to explore, in terms of getting freelance work. Check it out. - CB

LWS member Christine Walde has been published in a variety of journals and publications for both her fiction and non-fiction, including Descant, The New Quarterly, Quill and Quire and The Globe and Mail. Her critically-acclaimed first novel, The Candy Darlings, was published by Houghton Mifflin (2006) and Penguin Canada (2007).

As a poet, she has upcoming work in The Antigonish Review and was most recently short-listed for the Descant/Winston Collins' Prize for Best Canadian Poem.

While at the Windermere Manor, Walde will focus on her own writing and engage in a series of activities and events. As Writer-in-Residence, she will meet with accomplished or novice writers from the community for two days a month, to discuss aspects of writing and provide manuscript consultation and professional writing advice.

Written submissions may include up to a maximum of 10 pages of fiction or non-fiction or poetry.

To arrange an appointment, contact: Christine.Walde(at)sympatico.ca

"Everyone who enjoys discussing poetry, or learning more about the art form, is welcome to attend these Poetry London readings and workshops. Facilitated by Michelle Doege, Fanshawe College professor, the workshop provides an opportunity to take a closer look at the work of that evening's featured poet and for two participants to share their own poetry in a mutually supportive atmosphere."

Workshops will be held on the following Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. in the lower level of the Landon Branch of the London Public Library in Wortley Village, one hour before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. reading. Those interested in participating are encouraged to bring a poem. Photocopying is done on site. Cost: N/C. Dates:

"OPEN WORKSHOPS" - Ron Stewart hosts extended workshops that focus on the poetry of local participants. An exciting new venture that launched last summer and which was well received, these workshops were at Chapters North for a couple of meetings, but they HAVE MOVED BACK TO LANDON LIBRARY. Meetings begin on the dates below, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Bring 10 to 12 copies of one poem that you want to share and for which you want feedback. Cost: FREE. PDF Guidelines here.

A book editor for 25 years, workshop leader Brian Henry spent seven years with Harlequin, the world’s largest romance publisher, and has helped many of his students to get published.

His workshop schedule, through September 1, 2010, is HERE. To contact him: e-mail: brianhenry(at)sympatico.ca or visit his BLOG.

A Canadian writers' resource site that has been posting writing contests and submission calls, occasional literary news, publishing information, and links to great Canadian writers and organizations since 1997.

Creative Writers Opportunity List: CRWROPPS.

A wonderful FREE resource, you can bookmark this site and check it periodically or sign up for e-mail notifications. If you sign up for notifications, you will receive them on daily basis, and for all types of literary contests. We strongly suggest, therefore, that you set up one or more e-mail filters so that these e-mails are automatically routed to specific folders where you can peruse them at your leisure.

The Canadian Writers Contest Calendar CWCC

Published each year, this is the definitive guide to Canadian contests.

FreelanceWriting.com keeps its on-line contest content updated. Good site for U.S. contests that have open submission policies.

Bill Paul, who hosts Straight Talk on Fanshawe's 106.9 has offered LWS a 30-minute slot in which members can read excerpts from their work. This is open to any LWS member whether you write poetry, fiction or non-fiction.

Forest City Writers group is an informal group of writing friends who meet to discuss our current writing projects. We meet on the last Tuesday of each month from 7 - 9 p.m.

We are looking for a few more friends to join us. Feel free to bring a couple of pages of your writing to share with us if you would our like feedback, however, there is no requirement to do so.

We usually meet at the Central Library, in the area adjacent to the Little Red Roaster, however, in summer we meet in Victoria Park near Williams Coffee Pub.

Whether you’ve been writing or not, we invite you to join us. To confirm the current month's meeting place, send an email inquiry to Maureen at:

mspencer(at)london.ca

SARNIA, ONTARIO – The public can expect a few treats and surprises this year with the tenth season of Spoken Word which meets once a month in the Walter Petryschuk Turret Room of the Lawrence House Centre of the Arts, 127 Christina Street South in  Sarnia, Ontario. 

The informal evening of storytelling, humour and poetry reading, held on the last Friday of every month, except July, August and December, has a reputation for introducing new work and voices.

“Anytime you bring highly creative people together, you’re bound to generate some unplanned and humorous moments,” said Debbie Okun Hill, an award-winning poet who has co-hosted the event for the past four years. “Spoken Word is like an open window showcasing the pulse of Sarnia ’s literary scene.”

Lambton College English professor and co-host Ryan Gibbs agrees.

“It’s a great opportunity for the public to gain insight and to listen to new work by such veteran writers as Peggy Fletcher, Norma West Linder, Hope Morritt, Carmen Ziolkowski, Anne Beachey, and John Drage.”

Together they have been widely published with many holding memberships in such organizations as The Writers’ Union of Canada, the Canadian Authors Association, The League of Canadian Poets, and The Ontario Poetry Society.

Over the summer, Fletcher and Linder both had new collections of poetry published and launched in London, Ontario by Beret Days Press. Fletcher, along with Okun Hill, also traveled to Brighton, Ontario for the third annual CCLA Art and Lit Fest where they were involved in a book launch for And Left a Place To Stand On: Poems and Essays on Al Purdy, a fundraising anthology published by Hidden Brook Press.

In 2010, Palace of Diamonds, an e-novel by Hope Morritt, will be published and sold on-line by eXtasy Books. Fletcher and Petrolia poet Sherri Hext will also be releasing new poetry collections in the near future. Samples from all of these works are expected to be shared during the tenth season.   

Special themes and guest speakers are also being considered.

“Last year, we started experimenting with themes such as our tropical paradise in January,” said Gibbs, who also serves on the Board of the Lawrence House, “and for the first time we welcomed out of town guests, including GenreCon writers Douglas Smith, Vicki Delaney, and Jean Rae Baxter, as well as James Wallen, the playwright of the successful play Crude-mentary Tales, performed over the summer in Canatara Park.”       

The audience also received a sneak preview of local historian Bob McCarthy’s new book Strands of Time: Stories of Sarnia-Lambton, to be officially launched at the Sarnia Library Auditorium in late October. New writers and storytellers are always embraced.

“We aim for a light and friendly atmosphere so that new talent may test their work and feel comfortable communicating with the public,” said Okun Hill, who still uses the forum to calm her own jitters.

“We’re like family. It’s an intimate group of about 20 to 30 people, ranging in age from high school students to those in their retirement years.” Anyone may come to share their own writings, the work of a favorite author, or just be part of the audience.

Spoken Word was first introduced by veteran writers and Writers in Transition members Fletcher and Morritt and later hosted by Susan Chamberlain (of The Book Keeper), Ena Forbes (a storyteller and past president of Sarnia Toastmasters) and Lois Nantais (a local poet and associate professor of social science and human services at Lambton College). Okun Hill has co-hosted the event for the past four years while Gibbs starts his third season.

Admission is free.

For more information, e-mail spoken-w(at)hotmail.com or (519) 869-2749.