Sweet Potatoes, Croquet, and Summer Fun for Authors!

Summer is fast approaching and our muses are itching to get out and enjoy the sunshine. It’s a great time to pack that picnic basket with crowd pleasing treats like Sweet Potato Croquettes.

Sweet Potato Croquettes are quick and easy to whip up. Toss these ingredients in your shopping cart:

1 box corn flake cereal

1 40oz can yams (you can use candied if you prefer)

1 bag mini marshmallows

Cinnamon or Allspice

When you get home put that watermelon in the fridge to chill then preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Next you can get rid of all your pent up noveling anxiety by crushing the corn flakes, don’t make them too fine though you want some nice bits.

Now put the yams in a bowl and mix with cinnamon or allspice to taste. Once thoroughly mixed roll yams in ping pong or golf ball size balls with a marshmallow or two in the center.

Next just roll the yam balls in the crushed corn flakes until coated and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Once all rolled pop your croquettes into the oven for 15-20 minutes or until done.

While you’re waiting for your Sweet Potato Croquettes you can grab your mallet and try to get through the wickets or… You can hop online and make sure you’re signed up for Marketing for Romance Writers.org’s  A Taste of Summer Camp.

This three-day summer conference taking place July 12th thru 14th won’t disappoint. There will be great opportunities for learning, sharing and don’t forget the prizes! The best part it’s FREE. That’s right a free, online conference with goodies to boot.

Don’t miss out just because Romance is in the name. MFRW supports all genres and most classes can be applied to all areas of marketing and writing. The group’s motto says it all. Seek, Teach, Share, Learn, Succeed.

Registering for the conference is easy just join MFRW’sYahoo group and you’ll be in the loop for A Taste of Summer Camp.

Now mark your calendar, get those Sweet Potato Croquettes out of the oven, and get started on your summer fun! Be sure to keep a look out for more Taste of Summer blog posts from fellow MFRW members as we spread the news about this awesome event.

Opportunity Knocks by guest author Dahila DeWinters

Gladiator's Pen welcomes author Dahlia DeWinters to the Ludis. She's here to tell us about an up coming marketing workshop hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers. The camp and group is for more than just the romance genre. There's something for all writers trying to get their books into readers hands.  So pour a cuppa and enjoy. Don't forget to leave a comment! 

Opportunity Knocks at Marketing For Romance Writers Summer Camp. Open the door to our MOTTO: SEEK, TEACH, LEARN, SHARE, SUCCEED

Marketing for Romance Writers Summer Camp is July 14th – July 15th. To receive updates for the camp or learn more about it and MFRW, please sign up here:http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/

“I had to let it happen
I had to change
couldn’t stay all my life down at heel
Looking out of the window, staying out of the sun.” – Evita (Lyrics by Tim Rice)

I’m a musical person.  I firmly believe that there are two kinds of music, good and bad.  That’s it.  I’ll listen to anything if it catches my ear.  My collection extends from Sinatra to the Spice Girls, so that’s pretty clear, right?

So, Dahlia, you may ask, what does this have to do with your post?  I’ll tell you.  Marketing For Romance Writers (MFRW) is a group that I accidently stumbled upon while looking for groups for romance writers on Yahoo. And am I glad I did.

The group is filled with so much support and information that is useful for the beginner to the “advanced” romance writer.  Places to request reviews, places to guest blog, things to avoid:  the members are so open and ready to share their experiences.  Too shy to ask a question?  No problem, run a search and I am sure you will find the answer to your question, or at least find a resource. They’ll even help you with your email signature.

Here’s where Evita comes in.  Marketing your book is about change.  You must change.  Accept change.  Initiate change.  It is only through change that we can learn, share our knowledge and succeed in this business. We can’t do the same old things that were done even last year and expect them to work.  We, as writers, have to keep up with the ever changing environment of the Internet, keep ahead of the trends,  so that we are riding the wave instead of drowning in it.

So are you going to catch a wave with us this summer?  I’ll bring the tunes. Not just showtunes either, I promise.

MFRW is sponsoring a free summer camp on July 14^th to July 15^th.  Two days, full of information.  To receive updates for the camp or learn more about it and MFRW, please sign up here:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/

Dahila DeWinters writes romance off the beaten path.  Check out her blog at http://thesultryscribe.com.

Summer Camps for Writers

Camp NaNoWriMo

June is right around the corner, which means summer, fun and… camp! Campfires with ghost stories, smores, hot dogs on sticks and writing lots and lots of writing.

Camp NaNoWriMo starts on June 1^st.  Just like it’s big brother NaNoWriMo that takes place in November writers gather to make the mad dash of 50,000 words in 30 days.

At Camp NaNo you have a profile, novel page, a place to log your word count as often as you wish to update it. Instead of forums, writers get a cabin with four other campers to chat with and share all the adventures.

This is a great way to give that novel a summer push. If one month of Camp NaNo is this much fun, how about two months?  There is a second session of camp that takes place in August. Writers can chose to do June, August or both. Despite the pressure to make that 17667 daily word count, the atmosphere of camp is more relaxed.

Marketing for Romance Writers Summer Camp

If you’re looking for a little less pressure July 14^th -15^th Marketing for Romance Writers is holding a free summer conference of their own.

A workshop called Opportunity knocks. MFRW’s motto is Seek, teach, learn, share succeed. The conference will cover many aspects of marketing for writers. The group is mostly romance writers but this conference will provide tools and information that all genres can put to use.

Author Dahlia DeWinters will be stopping by the Ludis June 1^st to tell you more about the event and group. So be sure to drop back by.

This summer there are many great opportunities for learning, writing and fun. So grab your backpack and bear repellent and let’s go to camp!