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ORA BLOG
Meetings
The first Saturday of every
month.
Where
The Library Station
Frisco Room on
N. Kansas Expressway
Springfield, MO
When
Critique 10:00 a.m.
Lunch 12:00 p.m.
Speaker 1:00 p.m.
Business meeting follows
Bring up to 10 pages to the
10:00 a.m. critique.
Visitors Welcome
Please sign our
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judges Only |
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To Ozarks Romance Authors Website
$50.00 Second award, $25.00 third award and it's only
a $10.00 donation to enter.
Learn more about our Guidelines
and good luck! |
2010 Romancing the Ozarks Conference July 10th. Click
here to learn more
A portion of the conference and contest proceeds will go
to The
Ozark Literacy Council.
March Speaker: Brenda Minton on, Researching Agents and
Publishers
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I'm Brenda Minton, wife, mother and author
for Steeple Hill Love Inspired.
I live in the Ozarks with my husband and three children, a few dogs and
one insane cat. What I say about myself probably isn't as important as
what others would say. My daughter says I'm 'coffee crazy.' She isn't
afraid to share that news with complete strangers. I've been married
twenty-three years, and my husband still likes me. We actually have fun
together. Our favorite past-time: embarrassing our kids. My middle son
thinks that I'm really embarrassing when I wear fuzzy pink slippers to
pick him up at school. My oldest son doesn't comment. Pretty smart kid.
I'm a country girl who loves to
travel. My dream home is on the beach, waves crashing against the shore
and a deck where I could have coffee and watch the sun come up. What do
I do when I'm not writing? My kids say I talk on the phone a lot. That's
probably true, and I'm looking into a 12 Step Program. Unfortunately I
have a lot of enablers who also like to talk on the phone.
When not talking on the phone, I
love to canoe, hike, and shop.
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Brenda's books
| From the desk of ORA President, Kathy Mullins
February, 2010
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February is the
month of love. Store shelves empty themselves of garlands and tinsel to
make room for big red hearts and teddy bears and chocolates. Flower
vendors count on this month to put them in the black. The Hallmark
Greeting Card Company’s bank account swells. In short, we love, love!
As writers, we
want to inspire our readers with strong heroines and honorable heroes
who overcome the impossible and walk away arm in arm into the sunset.
No matter if we
haven’t met that gorgeous man riding the white charger. We can write
him with a cleft chin, and black wavy hair, or blonde, tan, and rippling
with muscles. He may be the renegade who makes his livelihood gambling,
or rides bulls in circuit, or strikes an imposing figure in his suit as
he manages big business. He can be the strong silent type, or a poet at
heart. He can be well educated, well read, and well traveled, or a
simple man, honest and hard working, fiercely dedicated to his family.
We’re in control. He is who we wish him to be. |
For those of us who have the great honor
of having found the man our dreams, we can re-tell our own stories,
censoring and editing as we choose. The first kiss.
The best kiss.
The longest kiss. Those lean times when we discovered why we are all we
truly do need. That we are enough. We can write of supper-time at the
kitchen table with kids and grandkids all around, everyone talking at
once. The simple joys of family with a strong father at its head.
Overcoming when we find the bonds of true love are stronger than
resentment, or misunderstandings, or illness.
What a great
time to focus on love. We can vicariously live it through our
characters, or re-visit our own history with small alterations.
I lift my cup of
Earl Grey tea, and toast to February, the month of love! May your
heroes be all you want them to be!
Happy Writing, and Enjoy your
Valentine’s Day!
Kathy
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