If you're an SCN member who has made the news, please let us know (by sending email to news at storycircle dot org. If you've published a book, we'll also add you to our SCN Authors page.

If you're not a member, why not join us? Maybe you'll soon be able to post your news on this page!

July, 2010

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:

  Susan Wittig Albert Susan M. Andrus Mary Jo Doig Judith Helburn Laura Strathman Hulka Susan Ideus Penny Leisch

  Martha Meacham Jennifer Melville Judy Miller Mary Ann Moore Susan J. Tweit Sherry Wachter

• Sallie Moffitt's personal essay, "Waterwheels", won 2nd place in the 6th Annual Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference's writing competition and will be published in the Mayborn Literary Journal Ten Spurs scheduled to be released July of 2011.

• Susan Albert's new mystery series was launched in July with the publication of The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree. The book earned starred reviews from Booklist and Library Journal.

• Susan Tweit tells us about her publication news: September will be a big month in print for me. "Dying to Be Green," my feature article making funeral and burial customs environmentally friendly will appear in the September issue of Audubon magazine, and my new column, "The Whole Life," on greening your garden and yard will debut in the Fall issue of Zone 4 Magazine with a piece on "dining out" (in the garden to celebrate local, seasonal food). I'm also writing an article on the tiny but mighty Great Sand Dunes Tiger Beetle for the September issue of National Parks magazine. (The latter is one of those last-minute, short-deadline assignments: my editor called a little over a week ago to assign the article, and it's due Thursday. Yikes!)

• Kathy Waller's story "Personal Experience" was awarded second place in the Fiction: Short Story category of the Brazos Writers Writing Contest.

• Lynn Goodwin of Writer Advice (and also a teacher in SCN's online class program), offers many different services for writers—interviews, consultations, stories, markets—on her website.

June, 2010

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:

  Susan Wittig Albert Judy Alter Bobbi Chukran B. Lynn Goodwin Judith Helburn Barbara L. Heller Susan Ideus Penny Leisch Sharon Lippincott

  Martha Meacham Jennifer Melville Judy Miller Mary Ann Moore Patricia Nordyke Pando Doris Anne Roop-Benner Susan Schoch Lisa Shirah-Hiers

• Bettyann Schmidt's 4-part article series "In Sickness and in Health" is being published on Matilda Butler's & Kendra Bonnett's website. Parts 1 and 2 are available now; installment 3 goes live on July 8.

• Judy Miller's article, "Going Somewhere? 10 Tips for Great Family Travel," was published in Calgary's Child July-August issue (click on the top magazine in the sidebar [or click here] and go to page 37).

• Rhonda Esakov has won the International Hunter Education Association's "Instructor of the Year" award. This year's selection included 67 persons from more than 40 U.S. states, all nominated by state parks and wildlife departments. Rhonda was nominated by Texas Parks and Wildlife and received the award at the convention in Estes Park CO.

• Barbara Heller & Tricia Stephens were named winners in Matilda Butler's & Kendra Bonnett's Mini Memoir Vignette Contest Using Google Search Story.

• Susan Wittig Albert's China Bayles 17th herbal mystery, Wormwood, won the 2010 International Herb Association Book Award.

May, 2010

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:

  Susan Wittig Albert Judy Alter Susan M. Andrus Sally Gelardin Judith Helburn Linda Hoye Laura Strathman Hulka Penny Leisch

  Sharon Lippincott Martha Meacham Jennifer Melville Judy Miller Mary Ann Moore Patricia Nordyke Pando Susan Schoch Susan J. Tweit

• We're excited to announce that the 2010 True Words Anthology, edited by Amber Lea Starfire, is on its way to our dues-paying members' mailboxes. This issue is our best ever: we received 160 submissions this year (nearly double last year's number!). The 2010 Anthology includes stories and poems from 40 SCN members, writing about life through a child's eyes, family traditions, mothering, coming of age, loss and survival, and humorous stories about pets and the writing life, as well as photography and art. Dues-paying members can find a link to the online version and the supplement here. Great thanks to Amber for her dedicated work in producing this year's edition.

• Susan Tweit's interview with Sharman Russell on Story Circle Book Reviews will appear as "Sharman Apt Russell On Writing" in Bedford/St. Martin's forthcoming college textbook, The Bedford Reader, 11/e, edited by X.J. Kennedy, Dorothy M. Kennedy, and Jane E. Aaron, due out in 2012.

• Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett tell us that their book, Rosie's Daughters: The "First Woman To" Generation Tells its Story, has won these awards: 2010 Indie Excellence Award, Finalist and 2010 San Francisco Book Festival, Honorable Mention.

  Also, Dr. Greg's Dog Dish Diet: Sensible Nutrition for Your Dog's Health, the first book they published through their new independent publishing company, Riparian Press, won several awards: 2010 Living Now Awards, Gold Medal; 2010 Indie Excellence, Finalist; 2010 Next Generation Book Awards, Finalist; 2010 San Francisco Book Festival, Honorable Mention.

• Kathy Waller had two haiku published in the May issue of Texas Mountain Trail Writers' online newsletter, "The Log of the Trail".

• Judy M. Miller's story, "The Chest," is included in the anthology Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Mom. Read an interview from the Zionsville, Indiana Times Sentinel.

April, 2010

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:

  Susan Wittig Albert Judy Alter Penny Appleby Janet Caplan Patricia Daly-Lipe Judith Helburn Barbara Heller Linda Hoye Laura Strathman Hulka Susan Ideus

  Penny Leisch Sharon Lippincott Martha Meacham Jennifer Melville Judy Miller Diana Nolan Doris Anne Roop-Benner Susan Schoch Linda Wisniewski

• B. Lynn Goodwin has a short piece in the May issue of The Sun Magazine. The subject is sugar. Also, the spring issue of her e-zine, Writer Advice is available on her website.

• Mary Stuever, author of The Forester's Log and the state timber management officer with the New Mexico Forestry Service, was recently named one of five local, state, and federal government employees from across the U.S. who have taken on the job of making the U.S. a greener place. Stuever was recognized for her work as an "environmental hero" who stands out for her passion in protecting America's natural resources.

• Marguerite Bouvard's poetry book, The Unpredictability of Light, was one of the winners of the Massachusetts Book Awards in Poetry.

• Terry Werth won 1st prize in the Snapdragon Festival Poetry Competition and has been invited to read her poem at the Carnation Ceremony that opens the annual festival. Read her winning entry, "Women I've never met," here.

• Lorraine O'Donnell Williams's book, Memories of The Beach: Reflections on a Toronto Childhood, is being published by Dundurn Press on April 9. A book launch will take place on April 28 at the Beaches Branch of Toronto Public Library as part of Keep Toronto Reading 2010. On June 14th Lorraine will be giving a two-hour session at the Toronto Reference Library on Memoir writing. It will be along the same lines as the course she gave in Montreal, Quebec to five seniors organizations and community centres. Lorraine tells us, "Great response. Many of the attendees in Montreal have started on their memoirs. What a rich and diversified group they were. Thanks, Story Circle, for my training as a facilitator in the Owl Program. I'll keep you informed as to how things progress."

March, 2010

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:

  Susan Albert Susan Andrus Julie Baum Mary Jo Doig Judith Helburn Penny Leisch

  Martha Meacham Patricia Pando Donna Remmert Susan Schoch Becca Taylor Susan Tweit

• Patricia Daly-Lipe was interviewed about her book, A Cruel Calm: Paris Between the Wars; listen to the interview here. Based on her mother's life (she died when Patricia was 18), the book took 15 years to research. Read more about her book here and here.

• Penny Leisch's article, "Social Media 101," was published in the Writing World Newsletter, Issue 10:05, on March 4, 2010. The article was written to help writers (and others) understand social media. The publisher, Moira Allen, also wrote a very good commentary about the Disappearing Writer that comments on social media and on Penny's article.

• Judy M. Miller's piece, "Emergence: Healing to Grieve, Grieving to Heal," was published in the International Family Magazine. Her story, "The Chest," is included in the anthology Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Mom, which will be out in bookstores on March 23.

February, 2010

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:
  • Susan Wittig Albert
  • Susan M. Andrus
  • Julie Baum
  • Rhonda Esakov
  • Susan Ideus
  • Penny Leisch
  • Jennifer Melville
  • Mary Ann Moore
  • Doris Roop-Benner
  • Becca Taylor

• Judy M. Miller recently had two pieces published: "How to Get Your Tween Ready for Home Alone," Suburban Parent; "Dispel All Doubts: 5 Ways to Instill Confidence in Your Child," New Jersey Family

• "A Community Mosaic," a film produced by SCN member Susan Burneson and her husband, Rob, has been selected for the 2010 Faces of Austin Multimedia Program at Austin City Hall. Susan contributed research, scriptwriting, and film editing to the production.

  The premier of the selected Faces of Austin films will be Friday, February 19, 2010, 5:30-7:30pm, in Council Chambers. The premier is part of the People's Gallery art exhibition opening, an annual year-long exhibition of arts throughout City Hall. Later, the films will be available on video displays in the City Hall atrium and on Channel 6, Austin's government access channel.

• Susan Albert has been included in the new reference book, The 100 Most Popular Contemporary Mystery Authors, published by Libraries Unlimited. This reference book is intended for teachers, students, scholars and fans.

• Rhonda Esakov was nominated for the 2010 NRA Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award. This award recognizes women who have made significant contributions on the local, state and or regional levels. Rhonda's contributions include writing for the NRA's blog, teaching leaders and helping re-write policy for the Boy Scouts of America and working as a Volunteer Instructor for Texas Parks & Wildlife. She tells us, "I am honored to be included in group of women who give their time to share a dream to get men, women and children interested in the out of doors."

January, 2010

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:
  • Susan M. Andrus
  • Rhonda Esakov
  • Judith Helburn
  • Laura Strathman Hulka
  • Mary Marino-Strong
  • Jennifer Melville
  • Judy Miller
  • Diana Nolan
  • Brenda Osborne
  • Patricia Nordyke Pando
  • Lisa Shirah-Hiers
  • Kathy Waller
  • Sharon Wildwind

• Judy M. Miller's story, "The Chest," will be in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Thanks Mom, in bookstores March 23, 2010.

• Lisa Shirah-Hiers's piece entitled "Alma de Mujer Center for Social Change: Healing the Earth One Woman at a Time" was published in the January, 2010 issue of austinwoman magazine. The article is about Alma de Mujer Center for Social Change in Austin, Texas.

• Linda Hoye's piece, "Two Hearts, One Baby, Multiple Blessings," was published in Adoption Circles: Canada's Post-Adoption Quarterly's Fall 2009 issue.

• Morgan O'Donnell's two-part series on searching for a sustainable occupation was reprinted by The Green Economy Post in December (read part 1 and part 2). She was also chosen as the Alternate Writer for the 2010 Carl Sandburg Writer-in-Residence Program.

• Elaine Thomas had a feature called "Steel Wheels Keep on Rolling" in the Dec-Jan issue of Farm and Ranch Life, as well as another in the Jan. issue of Texas Gardening called "Great Galloping Guineas". She also writes a weekly column for her local newspaper, The Fayette County Record, called "Remember When", a compilation of news from 50 years ago that week in the community.

• Lois Halley has had several pieces published recently: "The Year I Did Thanksgiving" (Mount Airy Senior Connection, Nov-Dec 2009); "McAdoo Memories: Christmas Eve Traditions" (Panorama Magazine, Dec 2009); "One Winter in McAdoo" (Looking Back Magazine); "Butch," my first poem (Wishing Well, an anthology of poetry).

• Lita de los Santos has just self-published La Familia de los Santos, her memoir of growing up on a small farm in Texas during the Depression of the 1930s. It will be available on Lulu.com this month. Jane Ross served as the editor on this project.

December, 2009

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:
  • Susan Wittig Albert
  • Susan M. Andrus
  • Karen Ballinger
  • Rhonda Esakov
  • Judy M. Miller
  • Patricia Nordyke Pando
  • Susan Schoch

• Reed Stevens' online culture column, book reviews, etc., appear on Broad Street Review every month.

• Sharon Blumberg had a story published in My First Year in the Classroom (August, 2009), an anthology for (and written by) teachers, edited and compiled by Stephen D. Rogers. It features uplifting and unique, first year experiences for teachers.

• Nancy Franke took third place in the Windmill Women Writers contest.

• Joanna Poppink's letter, responding to a series of articles on binge eating, was featured in the LA Times.

• Susan Burneson's essay, "A woman who loved animals leaves a legacy in Austin," appeared in the Austin American-Statesman's "Tales of the City" column on 11/29/2009.

November, 2009

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:
  • Susan Wittig Albert
  • Mary Jo Doig
  • Judith Helburn
  • Barbara Heller
  • Susan Ideus
  • Penny Leisch
  • Sharon Lippincott
  • Martha Meacham
  • Judy M. Miller
  • Linda Joy Myers
  • Diana Nolan
  • Susan Schoch
  • Becca Taylor
  • Susan J. Tweit

• Bobbi Chukran's play, "Annierella and the Very Awesome Good Queen Fairy Cowmother," a winner in the Summer Shorts 4 competition, will be published in January by Brooklyn Publishing.

• Judy M. Miller has had several pieces published in the last two months:
  • "I Can't Be Loved," Pieces of Me: Who Do I Want to Be? Voices for and by adopted teens (EMK Press)
  • "How to Approach and Talk to Adoptive Parents," San Diego Family Magazine
  • "Adoption Etiquette 101: What NOT to Say to Adoptive Parents," Coulee Parenting Connection (pages 14-15; entire magazine downloads in PDF format)
  • "How to Talk to Adoptive Parents," Charlotte Parent
  • "A Conversation about Oral Sex with My Teenaged Son," Metro Family Magazine
  • "Sex Talk," Portland Family Magazine

• Heather Cariou's memoir Sixtyfive Roses placed first in Biography/Autobiography at 2009 Nashville Book Festival. SCN's review of her book is here. We're looking forward to seeing Heather as our keynoter and a workshop facilitator at the SCN conference.

October, 2009

• Jennifer Schile's essay, "True Blue", was published in the anthology P.S. What I Didn't Say: Unsent Letters to our Female Friends.

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:
  • Susan Wittig Albert
  • Susan M. Andrus
  • Duffie Bart
  • Rhonda Esakov
  • Judith Helburn
  • Penny Leisch
  • Judy Miller
  • Patricia Pando
  • Donna Van Straten Remmert
  • Susan Schoch
  • Allyson Whipple

• Pat Flathouse's debut on NPR is now available here. Just scroll down to the cover of her book, Growing Up in the Texas Panhandle, and click on the title or book cover (or click here to go directly to the MP3 recording). You can listen to her response to the interviewer's questions and also hear her granddaughter, Em, respond to the interviewer's question about growing up in Pampa, TX.

September, 2009

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:
  • Susan Wittig Albert
  • Rhonda Esakov
  • Judith Helburn
  • Barbara Heller
  • Susan Ideus
  • Penny Leisch
  • Jennifer Melville
  • Mary Ann Moore
  • Diana Nolan
  • Patricia Pando
  • Doris Anne Roop-Benner
  • Susan Schoch
  • Kathy Waller
  • Sharon Wildwind

• Karen Walker's memoir, Following the Whispers, was named a finalist in the 2009 New Mexico Book Awards, a statewide competition. Winners in more than a two dozen categories will be named at a banquet on November 20. Karen's book is in the "first book published" category.

• Cameo Victor's website, Self-Guided Tarot, now features a monthly newsletter, as well as a free download of her book, Self-Guided Tour through the State of Happiness.

August, 2009

• Janet Riehl's newest poetry book, Worth Remembering: The Poetry of Our Heritage, has just been released. The book was edited by Janet's father, Erwin A. Thompson; Janet is the producer and shaper.

• These SCN members published book reviews this month at StoryCircleBookReviews:
  • Susan M. Andrus
  • Rhonda Esakov
  • Judith Helburn
  • Barbara Heller
  • Linda Hoye
  • Susan Ideus
  • Penny Leisch
  • Sharon Lippincott
  • Mary Ann Moore
  • Patricia Nordyke Pando
  • Donna Van Straten Remmert
  • Doris Anne Roop-Benner
  • Susan Schoch
  • Kathy Waller
  • Sharon Wildwind

• Catherine Close is one of 32 authors selected to appear in Thanksgiving to Christmas: A Patchwork of Stories, a new book released by AWOC Publishers in late August 2009. Her essay, "Christmas in My California Kitchen," celebrates the growing diversity of her California family through the metaphor of food served at Christmas.

• Susan Wittig Albert's Together Alone: A Memoir of Marriage and Place was published by the University of Texas Press.

• Rhonda Esakov's story, "Making the Ghost Shrimp Sucker", is featured in the Sep/Oct 2009 issue of Backwoodsman magazine (America's #1 Woodsrunning Magazine).

• Judy M. Miller's article, "The Adoptive Parents' Roles in Integrating Their Child's Identity" is in this month's Adoption Today magazine.