The drawing for the Beach House get-away in Lincoln City was held at our December Portland ACFW meeting and we have a winner. Congratulations to MESU ANDREWS! Woo hoo!

We had fun with this membership incentive this year, so we plan to do it again in the coming year for another weekend getaway. Make plans to join us in February (date to be announced) for special guest Judy Gann, and mark your calendar for the Master's Seminar coming to Portland in April. (This is open to contracted and published book authors.)

Reminder: Annual dues are due in January for 2010. Please send $10 (checks made out to Portland ACFW) Address: Portland ACFW, 17950 Davis St, Sandy, OR 97055.

Also: Miralee, Cheryl and Camille would like to thank members for the vote of confidence and will be serving another year as officers on the board.

Merry Christmas! See you in February.

"My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer." Ps 45:1

Our next ACFW Portland Chapter meeting is Monday, December 14. We will meet at 7 pm this month so you have time to eat dinner, but save room for Christmas treats. You won't want to miss this one---we are drawing the winner for the Two Night Beach House Getaway!

By attending, bringing a treat, buying a book, and bringing an ornament to exchange, you could earn up to FOUR more entries before we draw the winner.

Please bring some kind of Christmas cookie or treat to share and an ornament to exchange. We're planning on a very festive evening!

For the ornament exchange--please wrap, bag, or box your ornament. We can decide how we want to exchange. There are a couple choices, so we'll see what everyone prefers.

Leave a comment and let us know if you plan to attend. Hope to see you then!

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DIRECTIONS TO VANCOUVER CHURCH OF CHRIST

From I-205 North, take exit 32 (toward Battleground)
East on NE Padden Parkway
North on NE 94th Ave
West on NE 86th St

New Master Seminar for Authors Coming Soon

Chip MacGregor, Tiffany Colter and a group of ACFW authors are hosting a Master Seminar in various cities across the country. They’ll be coming to Portland in the spring (2010) and more information will be posted as the time draws closer. This is for published and/or contracted authors. Here’s some basic info, and we’ll be sending out an email showing a member discount via our Yahoo group. Email Miralee Ferrell (miralee at gorge dot net) if you have further questions.

What are the Master Seminars?

The Master Seminars are a series of events to be held across the US covering marketing and craft. Each city we go to will cover a single topic. The first two events [Nov. in Dallas and Dec. in Indianapolis] are on marketing. These events are limited to 16 participants. Each participant will leave with an actual step-by-step plan for marketing their novel. This is customized to each person and you will be able to brainstorm with Chip and Jim on your own project. Jim is a full time marketer and Chip is a top agent. We also have two different seminars on craft. One is on writing bestselling fiction and the other is on adding depth to your fiction. Again, these will be done with top authors [Susan May Warren, Lisa Samson and Susan Meissner] working side by side with you on your specific project.

These seminars are designed to help authors master their craft and master their marketing. In one weekend you can save time and money you would have wasted on trying old, worn out ideas. Our goal is to have authors leave these seminars with new excitement for their writing and a very clear plan to reach their writing goals both in craft and in sales.

FAQs:
1. Who are these events for?
These seminars are designed for contracted and published authors.

2. Is there a fee?
Yes, there is a fee of $399 for the November/December events in Dallas and Indianapolis. The other events are $500 BUT we may extend a special discount to our zones and chapter members.

3. How does this benefit our chapter/zone?
There are both direct and indirect benefits to your zone.

a. First, we all root for each other in ACFW, so these events offer a chance for members of our chapters to get the skills necessary to build a strong writing career.

b. Next, we will have non-ACFW members at our events and we want to promote the participating zones/chapters to our attendees. We will be distributing ACFW brochures in our marketing materials. We want to point these published and contracted authors to the local zones where they can get connected locally.

c. Third, Tiffany would like to have a promotional event in each city, if possible. Each meeting extends Friday-Saturday and goes from 9am-5pm. She would love to hold a multi-author book signing at a local bookstore or other event that is put on by the local ACFW chapter and The Master Seminars. If this is not possible then she would like to offer other ideas to draw attention the local media to The Master Seminars and the Local chapters/Zones of ACFW. Some ideas are a meet-and-greet or she could come and speak on business principles for aspiring writers.

Please email Miralee Ferrell (miralee at gorge dot net) if you have questions.

Beach Drawing & Other News. . .

Our next Portland ACFW writers' meeting, the last one for this year (around the end of Nov---the date will be announced soon) we will hold the drawing for our 2009 Beach Weekend Giveaway! You will have one last chance to get your entries in! Entries are earned by attending if you're a member, joining our chapter if you're not, bringing a guest, bringing a guest who becomes a member, bringing snacks, buying books from our used book library or from our guest speakers . . . and probably a few other ways as well.

We thought we'd post a few pics now just to taunt & torture you, get you dreaming and drooling of sand and sea and salty air, and with any luck, sun.

What will the winner receive?

A weekend at Blessings By The Sea in Lincoln City, Oregon: a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house with an ocean view and close beach access.

Our last meeting for this year will be a special one. In fact, it's so special we can't tell you about it yet. Just be thinking steaming hot cocoa , tea and spiced cider, cookies, a roaring (electric) fire, some Christmas readings, some fun, a drawing for that sweet beach trip, and of course, delectable Christmas treats. You WON'T want to miss it!

AND . . . if you're a writer of fiction, another thing you won't want to miss: the release of the long awaited Writing Fiction For Dummies, co-authored by Randy Ingermanson. I'm still not sure if it's me or my audience to whom the title refers, but either way, my copy is going to get plenty of wear. Order yours today! Get it just in time to wrap it up and slip it under your Christmas tree. Just think how surprised you'll be in a few weeks when you open it!

BOOK CLUBS: the contest ends soon for the ACFW chapter to start the most book clubs. We're hearing some exciting feedback so far for our chapter. Start a book club that agrees on a book to read as a group and meets to discuss it either in person or online. That's all! Your club doesn't need to be comprised of ACFW members. ACFW wants to promote fiction reading. The chapter with the most book clubs will win a prize.

If you're starting a book club, or if you have any questions about American Christian Fiction Writers or Portland Christian Writers, just leave a comment here. Thank you!

~Camille Eide

Sec/Treasurer, Portland ACFW

October 26th ACFW: Join us for an evening with MARION DUCKWORTH

On Monday, October 26th, ACFW Portland welcomes author Marion Duckworth as our guest speaker.

Marion Duckworth is the award winning author of seventeen books and hundreds of articles. Her memoir, Naked on God's Doorstep, was released November 2007 by Multnomah Publishers. Marion has traveled widely as a speaker and Bible teacher at women's seminars and retreats. For eleven years, she and her husband John were Village Missionaries.

She has also published hundreds of articles in publications like Woman's Day, Moody Monthly, Discipleship Journal and Writer's Digest. She is a past columnist for Power for Living.

Visit Marion at http://www.marionduckworthministries.com/

And don't forget the wonderful new "twist" to our meetings. Each ACFW Portland Chapter member will be eligible to win a weekend Beach retreat at Lincoln City. The winner will be drawn at our last meeting of the year. How do you win this stay in a four bedroom beach house with a view? Everyone who attends a meeting will recieve an entry slip. Also, everyone who brings a snack will receive an entry. Whenever you buy a book from our used book fund-raiser, you will earn a chance as well. So, the more you attend, bring snacks, and buy books, the more chances you have to win the stay in Lincoln City!

More information about the raffle and the beach house will be available at the meeting.

DIRECTIONS TO VANCOUVER CHURCH OF CHRIST:
From I-205 North, take exit 32 (toward Battleground). Go east on NE Padden Parkway, North on NE 94th Ave, West on NE 86th St.

Please let us know if you can bring snacks or beverages! And remember--our last meeting for the year is coming up!! We'll draw for a winner of the beach house stay at that time. You have two more chances to get your entries in for the drawing.

Drawing--Contest!! Free Book!

Sunflower Serenade Giveaway!

I've been reading Tricia Goyer's Sunflower Serenade and enjoying this sweet story of a small town, its residents, the county fair and the country western singer who arrives and sets the town on its ear. Tricia weaves a story of gentle country life, but also more complex family relationships. I have an extra copy of this lovely, hard-cover book to give away. Here are the rules:

Leave a comment telling me if you've ever read any of Tricia's books, or any of the Guidepost series books, and you'll be entered in the drawing. If you want a second entry for another chance to have your name drawn, either link my blog to yours or follow my blog, and let me know that you did.

Here's a quick summary of the book again, in case you missed it on my earlier post.

About the Home to Heather Creek series: Charlotte Stevenson's world is turned upside down when her daughter, Denise, dies in a tragic car accident. She ran away at eighteen and Charlotte has never forgiven herself. Now, Denise's children, abandoned by their father, are coming from California to live on Heather Creek Farm in Bedford, Nebraska.

Charlotte is uncertain about her ability to care for three grandchildren who are not thrilled to give up the beach and sunshine for snow and farm chores! But she sees a chance to make amends and will do whatever it takes to keep her fragile family together. Feel the courage, strength and commitment of this family as their lives unfold in the Home to Heather Creek series.

ACFW welcomes guest speaker BIRDIE ETCHISON - Monday, August 31st

Join us Monday, August 31st at the Vancouver Church of Christ for

"FINDING YOUR NICHE: The Short and the Long of it" with Birdie Etchison.

At conferences the emphasis is on writing the novel, but what if you don’t have
time? What if you’d like to try something shorter first? Or, give yourself a break in between writing the longer muse.

How to make transitions in your life of writing. How to keep on going when the engine is rusty.

Topics we’ll discuss:

Hearing the call
Getting started
Keeping at it
Marketing
Bouncing back after rejection
Mentoring others

Birdie Etchinson first began selling short stories and articles to a variety of Christian publishers. Her first published books were juvenile, three nonfiction, and then romance. OREGON was an alternate selection For Crossings Book Club. Her nonfiction written with a non-writer became a movie made for TV. She’s also written novellas and short articles for collections like The Heart of a Mother. Her other accomplishments include being an instructor for Writer’s Digest Schools.

Birdie resides on the Long Beach Peninsula. She has six children, seven grandchildren, and nine great-grands. Her hobbies include reading and cooking.

Please come around 6:30 pm to socialize and snack. Birdie will speak at 7 pm. Don't miss out on Birdie's valuable insight and experience.


And don't forget the wonderful new "twist" to our meetings. Each ACFW Portland
Chapter member will be eligible to win a weekend Beach retreat at Lincoln City. The winner will be drawn at the end of the calendar year (our last meeting of the year.)

How do you win this stay in a four bedroom beach house with a view? Everyone who attends any given meeting will recieve a slip of paper to enter. Also, everyone who brings a snack will receive an entry slip. Whenever you buy a book from our used book fund-raiser, you will earn a chance as well. So, the more you attend, bring snacks, and buy books, the more chances you have to win the stay in Lincoln City!

More information about the raffle and the beach house will be available at the meeting.

Directions to Vancouver Church of Christ:
I-205 to the Padden Parkway exit and go east on Padden. Turn left at the 94th Ave light, then take the first left and turn left again into the church parking lot.

If you can bring snacks or beverages, please contact Cheryl Martin: calm1954 at yahoo dot com.

Portland ACFW Meets Monday, June 29

Join us Monday, June 29th at 6:30pm to meet and hear from NW author LINDA CLARE. Linda will be teaching on Writing To the Rule of 3.

Linda is a published non-fiction author and is looking forward to the October 2009 release of her first novel, The Fence My Father Built, from Abingdon Press.

Address: Vancouver Church of Christ 9019 NE 86th St. Vancouver, WA 98662.

Directions: From Portland: Take I-205 northbound and cross the Columbia River into Washington. Take the Padden Parkway eastbound exit (exit 32). Continue right onto Padden Parkway. You'll see the church on your left. Turn left at the first traffic light, NE 94th Ave. Take the first left (NE 86th St.) and then another left into the church parking lot. We meet in the Fireside Room to the right of the main entrance.

Writing Seminar June 30th with JILL WILLIAMSON

Jill Williamson, author of By Darkness Hid, a Christian fantasy novel, is giving a writing seminar. She will be sharing 10 Tips for Better Writing and 10 Steps to Publication.

June 30th - 6:30 PM
Liberty Bible Church in Salmon Creek
12401 NE Salmon Creek Ave
Vancouver, WA 98668

(360) 574-9302

Admission is free.

Multi Author Signing June 20th

Come join me at Beaverton Christian Supply on Cedar Hills Blvd, on June 20th, as I join with six other fabulous authors for 2 hours to sign your favorite books. Here's the authors you'll meet:

Robin Jones Gunn
Cindy Hannan
Miralee Ferrell
Melanie Dobson
Leslie Gould
Pat Rushford
Jill Williamson

Where Do I Find Christian Fiction??

Are you a starved Reader? Looking for solid, faith inspiring books that offer Suspense? Romance? Adventure? Mystery? Edge of your seat thrills? An escape into times past? Times to come? Have you read every Christian novel your neighbor owns and gave up on finding any more?

We wanted to make your life easier, sort of. So we collected links to a whole bunch of Christian Fiction Authors---just for you! Because you are very special, Reader. This is not an exhaustive list by any means. We are just getting started, so please be patient. If you don’t see your favorite Christian author listed, please give us a shout! And if you are a published Christian author and would like your books included in this listing, let us know. It’ll cost you no more than a Starbucks. Or a MooLatte. (This is a sophisticated drink for grown ups and not just a coffee flavored milkshake.)

PLUG TIME (since it’s our site and we can do whatever we want): The Portland Christian Writers would like to take this opportunity to brag on the Christian authors in our local area. Here are a few of our very own Oregon & Washington Christian authors listed in a totally random and in no way secret bible coded order:

Christina Berry http://www.christinaberry.net/
Sherrie Ashcraft http://www.sherrieashcraft.blogspot.com/
Lorena McCourtney http://www.lorenamccourtney.com/
Randy Ingermanson http://www.ingermanson.com/books/index.php
Bonnie Leon http://www.bonnieleon.com/
Karen Kingsbury http://karenkingsbury.com/
Robin Jones Gunn http://www.robingunn.com/
Jane Kirkpatrick http://jkbooks.com/
Miralee Ferrell http://w3.gorge.net/miralee/Author.html
Melanie Dobson http://www.melaniedobson.com/
Jill Williamson http://jillwilliamson.wordpress.com/
Patricia Rushford http://www.patriciarushford.com/
Randy Alcorn http://epm.org/books/alphabetical_book_indexDetail.php
Leslie Gould http://www.lesliegould.com/pages/books.html
Melody Carlson http://www.melodycarlson.com/
Mesu Andrews http://mesuloveshim.blogspot.com/
Lindy Jacobs http://lindyjacobs.blogspot.com/
Ann Shorey http://annshoreycom.blogspot.com/


If you belong on this list and are not, please leave us a comment with your web link. A nice comment.


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OKAY, NOW FOR SOME PAINLESS PLACES TO FIND FICTION:
First, you’ll find current titles and a good variety of Christian Fiction at
Christian Book Distributors: http://www.cbd.com/

Michelle Sutton’s Edgy Inspirational Author Blog offers more book reviews than you could ever possibly find time to read. But more important to the topic at hand: this site lists countless Christian authors. I mean that. I gave up counting. I actually attempted to copy each of the links for you here, but my mouse started to smoke. Just go there. You’ll need to scroll down a little and look for a list called “Incredible Authors” on the left. http://www.edgyinspirationalauthor.blogspot.com/

The American Christian Fiction Writers’ website lists gobs of Christian Fiction authors: http://acfw.com/readers/authorlist.shtml

. . . and upcoming releases: http://www.acfw.com/upcomingreleases.shtml

. . . more book reviews: http://www.acfw.com/bookreviews.shtml

. . . and Mary Connealy tells me that this list, broken down by sub-genre, is so comprehensive it’s scary: http://tiny.cc/ysOAM Of course, I gotta check that out now, just because she said that. (Yes, I grew up reading Stephen King.)

Vicki Hinze lists more authors here: http://web.mac.com/vickihinze/Vicki_Hinze_Author/

And some authors just don’t seem to be listed on any of these sites, they’re just grazin' around out there having fun: Maggie Brendan http://www.bustlesandspurs.com/
(Maggie, I'm sure you're not the only one. We'll round up the others soon.)



Grace Bridges supplies a list of Christian Speculative Fiction and some reviews here: http://splashdownbooks.com/lost-genre-library.html

If you STILL haven’t gotten your fill of book reviews, Roseanna White does more here: http://www.christianreviewofbooks.com/

There’s some sort of battle of the authors going on here, looks like it could be fun: http://acfw.com/readers/authorcomparison.shtml

Again, I’m sure we’ve missed someone even with all these lengthy lists. Just let us know who’s missing and we’ll get them added.

So, see? There is no way you can complain about not having anything to read now. Not that you would complain. And even if you have time to read all these titles, by the time you finish them, there will be more. I may even have a book for you by then. Wow. You’d better be on hand for that . . . I’m thinking that will be a MooLattes on the house kind of day.








~Camille Cannon Eide
EXTREME KEYBOARDING

Jill Williamson's new cover for By Darkness Hid

Miralee suggested I post my new book cover, so here it is:

Isn't it pretty?

Next Meeting for Portland ACFW

The next meeting of the ACFW Portland Chapter will be on Monday, February 16. We are so pleased to have Sandra Bishop, agent with the Chip MacGregor Agency. This will be a great time to learn from an agent associated with a well known literary agency.

Please come around 6:30 pm to socialize and snack. Sandra will speak at 7 pm.

SOMETHING NEW AND EXCITING!!! Starting with our February meeting, we are implementing a wonderful new "twist" to our meetings. Each ACFW Portland Chapter member will be eligible to win a weekend Beach retreat at Lincoln City. The winner will be drawn at the end of the calendar year (our last meeting of the year.)

How do you win this stay in a four bedroom beach house with a view? Everyone who attends any given meeting will recieve a slip of paper to enter. Also, everyone who brings a snack will receive an entry slip. Whenever you buy a book from our used book fund-raiser, you will earn a chance as well. So, the more you attend, bring snacks, and buy books, the more chances you have to win the stay in Lincoln City!

More information about the raffle and the beach house will be available at the February 16th meeting. Come join us and get your first entry! Bring a snack and get a second one!

That brings me to snacks. Who is willing to bring snacks for the February meeting? Please let me know if you can help, and what you plan to bring. Thank you!

DIRECTIONS TO VANCOUVER CHURCH OF CHRIST

Here are the directions: (listed two times with a little different language)

From I-205 North, take exit 32 (toward Battleground)

East on NE Padden Parkway

North on NE 94th Ave

West on NE 86th St

To get to the church,

follow I-205 to the Padden Parkway exit

and go east on Padden. Turn left at the 94th Ave light, then take the

first left and turn left again into the church parking lot.

Thank you, and see you on February 16,
The Board, Miralee, Cheryl and Camille

New Book Releases

Love Finds You In Last Chance, California

Miralee Ferrell's newest release just hit the shelves. You can find it on Amazon.com, Christianbook.com, BarnesandNoble.com, or most Christian bookstores. It's also being carried at Borders, Barnes and Noble, Sam's Club, and select WalMart stores. Here's a short summary.

It's 1877 and Alexia Travers is alone in the world. Her father has died unexpectedly, leaving her burdened with a heavily mortgaged horse ranch. Marrying one of the town's all-too-willing bachelors would offer an easy solution, but Alex has no interest in marriage. Instead, she dons men's trousers and rides the range, determined to make the ranch a success on her own.

But despite Alex's best efforts, everything seems to go wrong: ranch hands quit, horses are stolen, and her father's gold goes missing. Alex is at her wit's end when wrangler Justin Phillips arrives in Last Chance with his young son, looking for a job. But there seems to be more to Justin's story than he's willing to share. Will Alex ever be able to trust him? More importantly, will the independent woman finally learn to depend on God?

First Annual IdaHope Writer's Conference

Writing with joy, in humility, to encourage

Register Online for the Idahope Writers 2009 Conference or...download a registration form here. The early bird rate has been extended for anyone who signs-up for a 2009 membership to IDAhope Writers for a total of $65.

Full scholarships now available. Send your request to ameuser@cableone.net

Dates:
January 30-31

Location:
New Creation Fellowship5707 Castle Dr.Boise, ID 83703
(Near Chinden and Veteran's Memorial Parkway) View Map

Offering:
Classes, Contests, Critiques

Speakers:
Author, Robin Lee Hatcher
Author, Jeannie St. John Taylor *
Author/Editor, Jill Williamson
*Sorry, Jeannie St. John Taylor will not be able to attend, but in her place an editor from Pacific Press will be avalable. (Jeannie St. John Taylor will be avalable for phone appointments if children's writers want to get a critique from her)

Conference Schedule
Friday Night
5:30 Registration
6:00 Welcome/Worship
6:30 Panel of Guest Speakers
7:00 Keynote Speaker
8:00 Dessert/Contest Awards

Saturday
8:00 Welcome/Worship
8:30 Keynote Speaker
9:45 Breakout Session #1
11:00 Breakout Session #2
12:30 Lunch
1:30 Book Signing
2:00 Critiques/Appointments
3:45 Keynote Speaker
5:00 Raffle/Giveaways/Closing

My (Jill's) workshops are:
Fiction for Young Adults
Delve into the mind of a teenager as we take a look at what makes young adult fiction work. Learn to create engaging characters, intriguing plots, edge-of-your-seat pacing, and that unique voice that will appeal to this generation of readers.

Creating a Realistic Sci/Fi/Fantasy Storyworld
What sets science fiction and fantasy novels apart from other genres is the storyworld they take place in. In order to be successful in this genre, you need to create a believable and captivating storyworld. We’ll learn how to create a unique world from scratch including maps, cities, people and beasts, magic, and how to follow the laws of the land you create. All this will help you create a more engaging story.

Advanced Praise for Jill's New Book, By Darkness Hid

I'm so excited about the feedback I've been getting, I wanted to share. Here are two of my favorite endorsements for my medieval fantasy novel that's coming out APril 1, 2009 from Lord Press. Yay!

You can see the other endorsements here: http://jillwilliamson.wordpress.com/the-blood-of-kings/

“I love a good fantasy, and By Darkness Hid more than fills the bill. With an unpredictable plot, twists of supernatural ability, and finely crafted tension between the forces of good and evil, Jill Williamson’s book had me captivated. I jumped into the skin of the heroine and enjoyed her journey as if it were my own.”

–Donita K. Paul, author of the Dragon Keeper Chronicles: DragonSpell, DragonQuest, DragonKnight, DragonFire, and DragonLight.


“Jill Williamson is a major arrival. She presents characters full of mystery, and leaves room for plenty of further exploration. By Darkness Hid is a fast-paced addition to the world of swords and sorcery, using a backdrop of political and spiritual intrigue to heighten the tension. When readers begin lining up for the sequel, you'll find me at the front of the line.”

–Eric Wilson, author of Field of Blood and Haunt of Jackals

Welcome to Portland ACFW

We're so glad you've decided to join us here at the brand new site for the Portland chapter of ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers).

We're a group of just over a dozen writers, some published, a couple just starting out, and several pre-published authors. Our focus is on developing our craft and fellowship with like-minded people. Our meetings are typically on the 2nd or 3rd Monday evening of every other month, beginning at 6:30 and ending at 8:30. We hope you'll consider joining us as we listen to a variety of quality speakers, including multi published author, literary agents, editors, publicists and more.

Please drop us an email at Portlandacfw@gmail.com if you'd like to know more. And of course, check back here often as several of our members will be posting writing articles, sharing sucesses in their writing life, or updating info for the next meeting.

Blessings! Miralee Ferrell
www.miraleeferrell.com