Short Writing Gig for UVA -- Interested?

I'm looking for a writer who can revise a notebook for Hip and Knee Replacement surgery patients. It has chapters explaining the various steps between pre and post operation. It is not particularly well written and has incomplete information that isn't very helpful. (i.e. Eat healthy meals before surgery.) It is about 13,500 words. It's not that it needs to be longer, just better. You'd need to talk with the lead surgeon and others to complete the information. We'd like this ready for layout in 3 to 4 weeks.
Give me a call or email...Thanks...Reecye

Reecye Modny
rfm9g [at] virginia.edu
UVa Health System
Marketing Communications
P.O. Box 800224
Charlottesville, VA 22908-0224

Save the date! Monster book arriving! Friday, Oct. 26 in Charlottesville!

Whip out your calendars, folks: Susan Tyler Hitchcock is inviting us all to Frankenstein's coming-out party:

[That's "fronk-un-steen".]

Dear Friends,

I invite you to enjoy a monstrous evening with me on Friday, October 26, to celebrate the publication of my lucky 13th book, Frankenstein: A Cultural History.

Book signing will take place at New Dominion Bookshop on the Downtown Mall at 5:30pm. Party after, location TBA. I just wanted you to be sure to save the night for monstrous frolicking.

More to come. Meanwhile, check out the October Wired, keep fingers crossed that we score an NPR interview as Halloween approaches, and tell all your friends to ask for the book at their local bookstores.

Cheers,

Susan

NPR's "Contessa of Country Cooking": Her upcoming literary and gustatory happenings

This just in from Mollie Bryan, author of Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant Cookbook: A Lifetime of Recipes from the Shenandoah Valley:

Greetings!

I hope to see some friendly faces in the crowd at my next two appearances. (Yes, folks are still interested in the Mrs. Rowe book!)

On Sunday October 7, 11:00 a.m., I will be speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Waynesboro, which is on Pine Ave. I will be giving a Power Point presentation about the restaurant and Mrs. Rowe —with my husband's help. I'll also update you about future projects. If that's not enough to entice you, there will be cookies. The restaurant is sending over trays of fresh cookies. The choir will be singing some of Mrs. Rowe's favorite hymns. So it will be a real celebration of her life and accomplishments.

On Friday, December 7, 5:30-8:30, I will be participating in a Dinner with the Author series at Stone Soup Books, which is on Main Street in Waynesboro. It's a really good fit for the Mrs. Rowe book. If you haven't been there, and you're local, you need to check it out. They have wonderful food and a great selection of books. Books and food....Can't get any better than that! I am not sure of the details, but I will let you know soon. And please check my website from time to time for updates. MollieCoxBryan.com

In the mean time, I've been writing for NPR's Kitchen Window, Taste of the South Magazine, Relish magazine, and back to writing for GRIT. Soon, my Mary Johnston article will be published in Virginia Living—and I am VERY excited about that.

I am not sure if I will be doing any more local public appearances about this book. So, I'd love to see any of you at either one of these events.

Keep reading, writing, and cooking!
Cheers,
Mollie

Report from Denver

From left, seated: Janet Elyse Singleton, Sheri Keasler-Benson, Mary Taylor Young, Paula Singer, Kristin Nelson, Bella Stander. Standing: Karen Carter, Robin D. Owens. Photo by Carleen Brice.

The Northwest Contingent having all sent their regrets, the Literary Ladies met today in SE Denver, at the fantabulous Bombay Clay Oven in Cherry Creek. OMG is the food ever great (even better than Milan in Cville, but don't tell Kermit the host); so are the ambience, service and price. And I snagged one of the two free parking spaces!

Oh yeah, and we talked about books, publicity, good/bad covers (Mary's dad used to disparage her mom's "bosom-frigate" books; i.e., romances), the e-holocaust over thigh-highs at the RWA convention, and what Carleen Brice should serve at her launch party...in February. (It's never too soon to start planning!) Small world: Carleen and Sheri have the same agent, Victoria Sanders.

Know Any Blacksburg Writers?

Jenny Gardiner has passed along a request from Blacksburg's new-writer-guy-in-town, Jonathan Schramm. Schramm, who works in the VA Tech undergrad admissions office, would like to tap into the writing community in Blacksburg. (There's a joke to be made here about reading all those undergrad admissions essays, but someone else will have to come up with it.)

So, if you can put Schramm in touch with Blacksburgers who write, email him at: jschramm at vt.edu.

Nuts & Bolts of Publishing and Promotion

Jenny Gardiner has helpful information to pass along (and, as the Sultan of Self-Promotion, Jenny knows what she's talking about):

A writer friend forwarded this to a loop I'm on. This is an agent's blog, and his piece about self-promotion is worth reading for anyone hoping to break into the industry in this grueling market. www.NathanBransford.blogspot.com
-Jen
American Title III winner, Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, (Dorchester/Feb. 2008)
JennyGardiner.net & www.thedebutanteball.com

[At Bransford's blog, scroll down to August 23rd for the self-promotion post. But don't confine yourself that post -- Branford has lots of good advice regarding other aspects of getting that manuscript published. How to write a synopsis is another good one. A good blog to bookmark, IMHO. --Janis]

Download Leslie Middleton's Radio Show

Leslie Middleton writes:

My weekly radio show, "The Rivanna Rambler," which airs at 11:55 a.m. every Thursday on 91.1. FM WTJU, is now available by podcast at my new blog:

http://rivannarambler.blogspot.com/

You can catch it live at 91.1 FM (or audio streaming at wtju.net) or at your leisure on the blog which also includes the written narrative and links of interest. (The actual podcast is hosted at the Charlottesville Podcast Network: cvillpodcast.com.)

I've been producing this show, which is an exploration of the cultural and natural history of the Rivanna watershed, since April 2006. Also, I have a new email address: lmiddleton@embarqmail.com

I welcome your comments and feedback! --- Leslie