April 2025 Meeting Information

 

Join us Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 11am via Zoom for

Self-Promotion Doesn't Have to Be Scary:

How to Talk Authentically About Your Work

(otherwise known as self-promotion)

Whether it's in person or on-line, talking about your books and writing are the keys to connecting with readers and other writers, but it can feel very overwhelming to put yourself out there. Emily will talk about ways to reframe self-promotion and help with concrete plans for becoming your own best hype squad to every stage of your author career.

* * * * *

EMILY ROBERSON is an author, screenwriter and an Arkansan. She is the award-winning author of LIFESTYLES OF GODS & MONSTERS (Macmillan), a retelling of the Minotaur myth with a reality TV setting. Emily has been a bookseller in Little Rock, a newspaper reporter in Vicksburg, a marketing manager in Boston, and a writer in Chapel Hill and Dallas. She graduated from Brown University and has a master’s degree in English from the University of Texas at Austin. She now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas with her husband, three sons and no pets. You can find her on the web at www.emilyrobersonbooks.com, on Instagram @robersonemilym, and on Bluesky and TikTok as @robersonemily.

 

March 2025 Meeting Information

 

Join us Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 11am

at La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant in Colleyville for

Sarah Gamez Hamilton

Finding Your Niche

Being an author is a lot like throwing spaghetti at a wall and trying to figure out what sticks. You've published but where are the readers? In this interactive class, we'll talk about discovering your writing lane, getting to readers with "fan potential" and leveraging your strengths as a writer. We'll also address things like tricks learned from big publishing houses, social media - is it really worth it? - and the biggest missteps you might be making with readers. Best of all, let's get your books in the right hands!

* * * * *

Sarah Gamez is a writer, podcaster, and romantic optimist at heart. While working carving out her own writing path, she created "Romancing the Story" a writer and reader geared podcast where she interviews storytellers about their highs, lows, and things they've learned along the way, featuring everyone from local authors to NYT bestsellers to a movie producer! Her passion for creating detailed plots has resulted in taking far too long to complete a novel, but she's working to remedy that!

 

February 2025 Meeting Information

 

Join us Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 11am
at La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant in Colleyville for

What Can You Accomplish in 100 Days

with Amy Kelly from

Lone Star Literary Life

Are you someone who:

--Feels like for every step toward your goal, you take three back?

--Has a pile of planners, notes, and charts that you’ve dedicated to reaching your goals—all piled up in the back of your closet?

--Doesn’t set goals anymore—because, well, why bother?

Then you’re in good company!

Join us to discover new ways to look at setting - and accomplishing! - the goals you set.

* * * * *

A fixture in the North Texas literary scene, Amy Kelly is dedicated to supporting fellow writers. As owner and CEO of Lone Star Literary Life, she provides a range of marketing opportunities for Texas’ literary community, from free to paid, and teaches workshops on building an author brand.

Amy hosts The Lone Star Literary Podcast, interviewing Texas authors, indie bookstore owners, publishers, agents, and other industry professionals. She also co-hosts the podcast Time to Write with author Emily Roberson, offering practical tips and mindset tools to help authors achieve their goals. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in French and History from Texas A&M University and lives in Texas with her husband and occasionally her two college-aged children.

January 2025 Meeting Information

 

Image courtesy of IMGBIN.

 

Join us Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 11am

at La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant in Colleyville for

*Date Has Changed*

Writing Goals, Brainstorming, & Accountability

 

Since our usual 3rd Saturday of the month is during a holiday weekend and many members were unable to make the original date, we have moved the meeting to Sat, Jan 25th. It is still IN-PERSON.

New Year, New Goals!

Join us to help set some professional and personal goals, an opportunity for brainstorming and any other help you may need, as well as some tips on how to help each other stay accountable for those new shiny, sparkly goals!

We hope to see you!

 

December 2024 Meeting Information

 

Image courtesy of IMGBIN.

 

Join us Saturday, December 14, 2024

at La Hacienda Ranch Restaurant in Colleyville for our

ANNUAL HOLIDAY GATHERING

Bring a wrapped ornament ($10 or less) and join us for

FUN, FOOD, and FRIVOLITY!

Festivities begin at 11AM.

November 2024 Meeting Information

 

JOIN US SATURDAY NOVEMBER 9, 2024 at 11AM

VIA ZOOM

FOR

Tere Michaels
The Last Three Chapters

Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending. ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

What best sells your next book? The ending of your previous book! A satisfying ending ties together all the pieces of your novel – the character arcs, the relationship arcs, the plot, the carefully laid out details – and gives the reader a feeling of completion and satisfaction. They have trusted you with their time and emotions and have been rewarded with an ending that makes them sigh (and recommend your book!).

The journey resulted in a positive experience and they will be open to taking that trip again with you, with your next book. A good ending feels like a story never ends in a reader’s mind and heart, and that means a continued satisfaction that you are responsible for. What better marketing is there?!

We’ll discuss all the parts of your story that need to be considered as you end your book – everything from major character arcs to little details. We’ll consider the big and small in concluding your story in a satisfying way to make your readers happy!

* * * * *

About Tere:

Tere Michaels writes happily ever afters in the big city – with heaps of snark, angst, and humor. Her focus is on characters and all the ridiculous ways they trip through life and love. She has written sixteen books, including her popular Faith, Love & Devotion series, and The Vigilante superhero saga. She has two new series: Broadway or Bust, and The Love Broker. Her most recent book is “Undead Love Story.”

She has been presenting workshops on the writing process for ten years. She has taught at the RT Booklovers Convention, Liberty States Create Something Magical Conference, and RWA online classes, and done presentations and workshops for chapters of RWA, Liberty States, Sisters in Crime, and Horror Writers of America, as well as being a frequent instructor at SavvyAuthors. She taught and managed the RT Booklovers Convention Boot Camp. She is a plot whisperer/consultant/developmental editor and writing coach.

Send her a message through her website (www.teremichaels.com), her business website (www.writergarage.com) or connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.

 

October 2024 Meeting Information

 

JOIN US SATURDAY OCTOBER 19, 2024 at 11AM

VIA ZOOM

FOR

Tere Michaels
Making a Good First Impression: The First Five Chapters 

Your opening chapters are a book’s first date with a reader. They’re going to make decisions on if this is the right match for them based on their first impressions. So how do we write engaging, enticing, informative first chapters that set up your story, your characters and keep readers reading?

In this workshop, we’ll discuss all the factors that go into creating a smart and effective start to your book.

• How much information is too much? Not enough?
• Are you starting in the right place in your timeline?
• What are genre expectations?
• How are your readers emotionally engaging with your story and your characters?

We’ll also touch on additional topics such as POV, red herrings, worldbuilding and more.

* * * * *

About Tere:

Tere Michaels writes happily ever afters in the big city – with heaps of snark, angst, and humor. Her focus is on characters and all the ridiculous ways they trip through life and love. She has written sixteen books, including her popular Faith, Love & Devotion series, and The Vigilante superhero saga. She has two new series: Broadway or Bust, and The Love Broker. Her most recent book is “Undead Love Story.” 

She has been presenting workshops on the writing process for ten years. She has taught at the RT Booklovers Convention, Liberty States Create Something Magical Conference, and RWA online classes, and done presentations and workshops for chapters of RWA, Liberty States, Sisters in Crime, and Horror Writers of America, as well as being a frequent instructor at SavvyAuthors. She taught and managed the RT Booklovers Convention Boot Camp. She is a plot whisperer/consultant/developmental editor and writing coach.

Send her a message through her website (www.teremichaels.com), her business website (www.writergarage.com) or connect with her on Instagram and Facebook.