Heidi Ruby Miller

Heidi Ruby Miller is Switching to Blogger

2009-06-07T15:05:09Z

I am slowly shifting over to http://heidirubymiller.blogspot.com, so all of my new updates will be there.

Sorry for any inconvenience, as I know some of you use LJ exclusively, but it was just time to move on.

Hope to see you at heidirubymiller.blogspot.com some time soon.

Cheers,
Heidi

Preston and Child in Pittsburgh

2009-05-19T14:01:24Z

jason jack miller, heidi ruby miller, douglas preston, lincoln child

Over the weekend we went to Joseph-Beth Booksellers at Pittsburgh's South Side Works to see Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.

We took several of our books from home and bought their latest Pendergast Novel The Wheel of Darkness, as well as Child's new novel Terminal Freeze.

This was special for me because these guys, along with Clive Cussler, Michael Crichton, and Arthur C. Clarke are why I started to write in the first place.

PATHS TO PUBLICATION - DANA MARTON

2009-05-13T12:09:15Z

Saved by the Monarch by Dana Marton

Many years ago, I had a job as an afternoon receptionist at a company. The morning receptionist was a Harlequin reading maniac. We shared the same desk and every drawer was filled to the brim with Harlequin novels. Since work was slow, I began reading those little books in between answering the phone. (Romance writers must learn to multitask.) Soon I was reading them faster then I could find them. Then one day in the library I came across Kathryn Falk’s How to Write a Romance. I suppose I haven’t considered the authors until then. They seemed mythical creatures born with this extraordinary knowledge. But the very existence of Kathryn’s book suggested that romance writing could be learned! That was a stunningly new concept to me at the time, almost too good to be believed.

So I took How to Write a Romance home and read it, and began to write a historical romance set in Ancient Egypt. I had a couple of hundred pages when the floppy disk that held my only copy got corrupted. I just didn’t have the heart to start all over again. When I overcame the disappointment of losing my early masterpiece, I began a sci-fi romance. This one I even sent to a publisher! (Optimism is very important for a romance writer.) I got a very nice letter back, but they weren’t interested. The next book was an inspirational romance. This time the publisher (a different one) loved the partial and asked for a full. Sadly, no sale. Then I wrote a straight romance. Then a western historical. (Romance writers need lots of resilience.) Then a romantic suspense that actually won a couple of writing contests. I might have meandered along like this endlessly if I hadn’t found Seton Hill University and their Writing Popular Fiction program. (Romance writers ask for help when they need some.)

I tried more romantic suspense there along with epic fantasy. I was told by knowledgeable people that I had a category voice and romantic suspense was my strength. Only one publisher publishes category romantic suspense so, yay, I had a target. Harlequin Intrigue was one of my favorite lines anyway. I started reading even more of them. And wrote a novel specifically with them in mind. And sold it. Just like that. After only thirteen years of trying! Piece of cake. (Romance writers don’t give up. Ever.)

Holding that book in my hands was so much fun that I have done it since again and again and again. I have twenty novels so far and my books are published in eleven countries in eight different languages. Some have been turned into audio books, some you can download to your phone chapter by chapter. One was even turned into a comic book in Japan! I’m a Harlequin author at last. And I’d like to think there are some receptionists out there with my books in their desk drawers. (Romance writers are optimists. Oh, right. I’ve already said that.)

-Dana Marton
May 2009

Dana Marton’s TALL, DARK & LETHAL is a Rita finalist this year. You can find out more about her and read excerpts from her books at www.danamarton.com. Her most recent release is SAVED BY THE MONARCH.

–Forget kissing frogs. Meet Prince Miklos of Valtria. And if the crown fits….--

CONTEST:
Email me at heidirubymiller@gmail.com with the subject MONARCH CONTEST and include in the body the names of five other Dana Marton novels, your name, and your address by 12:00 PM EST on May 14, and I'll enter you in a random drawing to win a signed copy of SAVED BY THE MONARCH.

New Kentuck Knob Blog

2009-05-04T18:32:19Z

Part of my duties as the Educational Marketing Director for Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob include creating a blog.

So, here it is for those interested:

http://kentuckknob.blogspot.com

~Heidi

Jack Meter Giveaway

2009-03-09T13:08:22Z

It's Read an eBook Week, (March 8-14), so M. D. Benoit will give away the first two ebook versions of the Jack Meter Case Files in the series if you buy Meter Destiny. Check out details at her website (http://mdbenoit.com) and her blog (http://mdbenoit.com/blog).

PATHS TO PUBLICATION - M. D. BENOIT

2009-03-02T13:18:11Z

Meter Destiny by M. D. Benoit

As far as I can remember, I’ve always written and told myself stories, but it took the death of a very dear friend to convince me that it was futile to hold down a job I hated instead of doing something I’d always yearned to do: write full-time.

Once I had taken that decision, I took a few creative writing classes at our local community college but it was an online writing course that opened the doors for me and convinced me I could do this. In 1995 I joined Writelab, run by a wonderful writer named J. R. Lankford. It was a structured writing course with constructive critique from other would-be writers enrolled in the course. There, I met two wonderful people who eventually became part of my critique group and who still support me and occasionally (virtually) hit me over the head when I’m not meeting my potential.

It was also at Writelab that Jack Meter was born.

I used him for exercises on point-of-view, dialogue, characterization, flashback, internal dialogue, etc. When I was finished with the course, I thought I was finished with Jack. I was wrong.

Like a best friend who had moved to a distant city, I missed him. I realized that during the time I had used him as an anchor for my writing exercises he had become important to me. After several months of resistance, I put together the bits and pieces I had written during Writelab and fleshed out the story. Originally entitled ‘Til the Fat Lady Sings, it was published as an ebook in 2000. When the publisher folded, I sold it again to my current publisher, Zumaya Publications and the title changed to Metered Space.

Metered Space was supposed to stand alone. I went on to write two other novels (Catalyst, tentative pub date 2010), and Synergy, published in 2007.

But Jack had other ideas. He kept insisting that his story wasn’t over yet, that we had a lot more road to walk together. From his insistence were born Meter Made (2005) and the Jack Meter Case Files series. Meter Destiny (2008), the novel showcased here, is the third one in the series, although it can be read as a standalone book. Two more Case Files are under the editing block.

If I talk about Jack as if he were a real person, it’s because he is real to me. When a writer lives with a character for years (albeit only in his or her head), developing a sense of intimacy is inevitable. And no, Jack is not me, nor is he the me I’d like to be. He’s simply Jack Meter, someone who lives a pretty bizarre life and who struggles with who he is.

Here’s a summary of Meter Destiny:

Destiny. Friendship. Family. Jack Meter hasn’t spent a lot of time on these ideas and has avoided them completely since Annie’s violent death three years before. But the claim of a strange group calling themselves the Fates from Mythology that it is still controlling Life on Earth and the Fates’ allegation that one of them was kidnapped, force him to review where these concepts fit in his life.

As Jack Meter unravels the kidnapping mystery by wading through a series of riddles and lies, and as he realizes his new clients are using him and his friends in a game of their own, he finally understands he must accept his own destiny. But will that understanding come in time to save his friends’ lives and stop a sociopathic alien from destroying everything Jack knows and believes in?

-M. D. Benoit
March 2009

Meter Destiny is available online both as a trade paperback (e.g., amazon, Barnes and Noble) and as an ebook (e.g., amazon, eReader, Fictionwise, Mobipocket). During Read an eBook Week, March 8-14, M. D. will give away the first two ebook versions of the Jack Meter Case Files in the series if you buy the third. Check out details during that week on her website (http://mdbenoit.com) and her blog (http://mdbenoit.com/blog).

Eugie Foster's Virtual Launch Party for Returning My Sister's Face

2009-03-01T13:46:30Z

Join the party for Eugie Foster's debut short story collection, RETURNING MY SISTER'S FACE: AND OTHER FAR EASTERN TALES OF WHIMSY AND MALICE, co-hosted by Facebook and LiveJournal. I hear she even has virtual champagne and sake.

She's giving out prizes, too!

The grand prize is an autographed copy of RETURNING MY SISTER'S FACE, which will be awarded by a random drawing to be held at the end of today. To get your chance to win, either:

• Post a shout-out on your blog for RETURNING MY SISTER'S FACE with a link to Eugie's LiveJournal party co-host page (http://eugie.livejournal.com/383110.html); or
• Join Eugie's Facebook group.

See you there!

E-Book Rights Alert: Amazon's Kindle 2 Adds "Text to Speech" Function

2009-02-13T13:04:54Z

I'm passing this along from The Authors Guild. It's lengthy, but worth reading for all writers, I believe.

"On Monday, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled Amazon's Kindle 2 e-book reading device at the Morgan Library in New York. Most of the changes from the first version of the Kindle are incremental improvements: the new Kindle is lighter and thinner, for example, and Amazon eliminated the scroll wheel. One update, however, is wholly new: Amazon has added a "Text to Speech" function that reads the e-book aloud through the use of special software.

This presents a significant challenge to the publishing industry. Audiobooks surpassed $1 billion in sales in 2007; e-book sales are just a small fraction of that. While the audio quality of the Kindle 2, judging from Amazon's promotional materials, is best described as serviceable, it's far better than the text-to-speech audio of just a few years ago. We expect this software to improve rapidly.

We're studying this matter closely and will report back to you. In the meantime, we recommend that if you haven't yet granted your e-book rights to backlist or other titles, this isn't the time to start. If you have a new book contract and are negotiating your e-book rights, make sure Amazon's use of those rights is part of the dialog. Publishers certainly could contractually prohibit Amazon from adding audio functionality to its e-books without authorization, and Amazon could comply by adding a software tag that would prohibit its machine from creating an audio version of a book unless Amazon has acquired the appropriate rights. Until this issue is worked out, Amazon may be undermining your audio market as it exploits your e-books.

Bundling e-books and audio books has been discussed for a long time in the industry. It's a good idea, but it shouldn't be accomplished by fiat by an e-book distributor.

Reading to your kids note: A Wall Street Journal article quoted a portion of an interview with Authors Guild executive director Paul Aiken regarding the Kindle 2. The remarks have been interpreted by some as suggesting that the Guild believes that private out-loud reading is protected by copyright. It isn't, unless the reading is being done by a machine. And even out-loud reading by a machine is fine, of course, if it's from an authorized audio copy. Others suggest that challenging Amazon's use of this software challenges accessibility to the visually impaired. It doesn't: Kindle 2 isn't designed for such use. The Guild continues to support efforts to make works truly accessible to the visually impaired."

Jason Jack Miller Has Paneranoia

2009-02-09T13:07:50Z

Jason Jack Miller got a word accepted at Urban Dictionary - paneranoia.

Stop by and give him a thumbs up! (Yes, I'm allowed to campaign for him because he is my husband.)

My New Job at Kentuck Knob

2009-02-06T13:26:19Z

I am officially the new Educational Marketing Director at Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob.

This is a dream job for me because it combines my degrees in Anthropology, Geography, and Writing, and my experience as an educator, archaeologist, and travel industry worker.

Neil Gaiman once mentioned something about each one of us connecting to certain energy centers around the world: that's how Kentuck feels to me.

Odyssey Writing Workshop Launches Blog

2009-02-05T14:53:42Z

On February 1, the Odyssey Writing Workshop launched a blog for writers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror here on LJ at http://odysseyworkshop.livejournal.com/.

Weekly posts will provide valuable insights into the writing process and the publishing industry. They will include interviews, writing and publishing tips, profiles, and news of sales and publications by Odyssey graduates, among other interesting topics.

Odyssey invites writers and readers of fantasy, science fiction, and horror to "friend" our LiveJournal and leave comments.

Thanks to Shara Saunsaucie White for the heads up.

Cover Art for The Other in the Mirror

2009-02-04T12:49:20Z

You can see the cover of The Other in the Mirror, a new Phillip Jose Farmer omnibus, edited by Seton Hill Writer Christopher Paul Carey. The cover art is by Bob Eggleton.

Seton Hill Writers Update

2009-02-03T23:57:37Z

Here are some Seton Hill Writers updates from the past couple of months.

Behind the cut you'll find news on Mike Arnzen, Maria V. Snyder, Ellen Spain, Shelley Adina, Kerri Mountain, Monica Spence, Traci Castleberry, and Irene L. Pynn.

#1: Kerri Mountain's WPF thesis novel The Parson's Christmas Gift is still available at some online sites even though it sold out at the publisher's site, Steeple Hill Books.

#2: Shelley Adina's second book in the All About Us YA series is out in bookstores. It's called Be Strong and Curvaceous. The third book Who Made You a Princess? is due to hit stores in May 2009.

#3: Monica Spence was elected as President of the Long Island Romance Writers, Chapter 160 of the RWA.

#4: Maria V. Snyder's novel Poison Study made the 2009 YALSA "Popular Paperback" list.

#5: Traci Castleberry has a short story titled "Rent Girl" in the Valentine's Day anthology Lace and Blade 2. Also, as her alter-ego Nica Berry, she has a new e-book out from Loose Id titled Consort.

#6: Dr. Ellen Spain was selected as a judge for the 2009 Young Voices Awards.

#7: A new community on Facebook honors one of Seton Hill's horror writers and mentors - "What would Mike Arnzen do for a Klondike Bar?"

#8: Irene L. Pynn has a revamped site - http://www.irenelpynn.com

Leigh Singer Interviews

2009-02-02T19:16:55Z

There is a reel of film journalist Leigh Singer's Hollywood interviews up here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUn_XCsqTHY

Thanks to Tam Singer for the heads up!

Cyril Wecht in Greensburg

2009-01-22T13:01:25Z

Cyril H. Wecht will be signing copies of Question of Murder: Compelling Cases from a Famed Forensic Pathologist at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Greensburg, PA on Tuesday, January 27 at 7:00 PM.

22nd Annual Pennwriters Conference in Pittsburgh

2009-01-19T19:14:41Z

Online Registration is open for the Pennwriters 22nd Annual Conference A Writer's Tool Chest.

WHEN: May 15 - 17, 2009
WHERE: Pittsburgh Airport Marriott
KEYNOTE SPEAKER: New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline
PENNWRITER SPEAKER: Asimov's Readers' Award winner and Seton Hill mentor Timons Esaias

I'll post continuing updates about the conference, guests, and events.

Pennwriters, Heidi Ruby Miller, annual conference, A Writer's Tool Chest, Pittsburgh, Lisa Scottoline, Timons Esaias, writing, Seton Hill Writers

HEIDI'S PICK SIX - IRENE L. PYNN

2009-01-15T14:00:47Z

Irene L. Pynn

HEIDI'S PICK SIX

1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
Everyone is always surprised to hear that, in From Light to Dark, Balor is my favorite character. He's technically the antagonist, but I just love the guy. Come on, world. Give him a chance. :)

2. Tell me about your travels.
3. Coffee, tea, or milk?

4.What else can you do besides write?
Let's see... I can't juggle. Math is out. My cooking's a bit like poison. Um... O.O

5. Who are you reading right now?
6. Pop culture or academia?

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
There's a fight scene in From Light to Dark that was not only emotionally-charged, but also confusing for me to write, since I have never actually been in a fight myself. I had to call several friends who had been in more unfortunate situations than I and conduct interviews with them about what exactly a punch to the nose feels like. After that, I resolved to never be punched in the nose.

8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?
Anywhere. One of my short stories, "God Corp.," came to me after several people tried to kill off my (obsessive) love of Shakespeare by pointing out that he might not have written the plays himself at all. Inspiration for another short story, "Mind Reader," came when I was surfing the web and found colorful images of brain scans online. Don't ask me how I found that, because I haven't a clue. In any case, it led to something fun!

9. Food you could eat everyday.
10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
11. What kind of music speaks to you?

12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?
Honestly, my stories wouldn't make it without outlines. There's nothing wrong with taking detours when something interesting in the distance catches my eye, but without a general guidemap, I would get lost in a dark forest somewhere and end up stuck in a ditch. And there'd probably be no cell reception, and I'd start getting hungry...

13. Celebrity crush.
14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?

15. Do you still watch cartoons?
Compulsively. Noggin is one of my favorite television channels, and that's a station only for preschoolers or hard-core cartoon lovers. I also love tons of anime and watch Cartoon Network (both daytime and Adult Swim) whenever I have a chance. Simply put: yes, I do still watch cartoons. And, yes. I am comfortable with that fact. :)

Irene L. Pynn has been a writer her whole life. Coming from a family of writers, it was inevitable!

She has taught everything from Creative Writing to English Literature at both the high school and college levels, but before becoming a teacher, Irene worked as a reporter at a small newspaper while she finished her Master's degree in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill University. Her thesis novels there were a work of speculative fiction for children about time travel, and a strange little thing about a hedgehog.

When she isn't writing or teaching, Irene loves to spend time with her supportive parents, her talented brother, her incredible fiancé, and Othello, Sprocket, and Coretta (cat, dog, and cat, respectively).

The theatre is another of Irene's great loves, and she has worked in almost all areas – on stage, back stage, writing for the stage… or just sitting in the audience, she's always at home in a play. One of the geekiest things about Irene is her deep affection for Shakespeare since elementary school, but she has come to terms with that by now and sees no reason to hide it. ("Hamlet FTW!")

Irene is also an avid reader. It doesn't matter whether she's reading a novel, a short story, or a comic book, Irene enjoys the same genres that she writes: speculative fiction, magical realism, or just good, old-fashioned fantasy and science fiction.

Every November, Irene can be found red-eyed in front of her computer, trying to meet the challenge of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Through this experience, she has stretched her writing muscles and made some wonderful friends who inspire her every day. Her NaNo for 2007 is currently in the revision process.

More than anything, Irene likes to believe in magic.

HEIDI'S PICK SIX, Heidi Ruby Miller, Irene L. Pynn, From Light to Dark, Wild Child Publishing, young adult fantasy, writing, author interviews, Seton Hill Writers

Seton Hill WPF Graduates for January 2009

2009-01-14T13:26:52Z

Congratulations to the following Seton Hill University students as they graduate today with their Master's in Writing Popular Fiction and become part of the WPF Alumni:

Mary Ann Aug (Mystery/Romantic Mystery)
Patrick Cobbs (Young Adult)
Rebekah Cramer (Young Adult)
Matthew Donahue (Science Fiction)
Gale Holt (Young Adult)
Susan Isola (Women’s Fiction)
Sherry Peters (Fantasy)
Daphne Riordan (Urban Fantasy)
Krista Russell (YA/Historical)
Stephanie Splater (Women’s Fiction)
Alexander Spoerer (Science Fiction/Fantasy)
Jennifer Stuttle (Chick Lit)
Betsy Whitt (Fantasy)
Tracy Wilson-Burns (Romance)

Seton Hill University, Heidi Ruby Miller, Writing Popular Fiction, graduation, writing, Seton Hill Writers

HEIDI'S PICK SIX - SUSANNE SAVILLE

2009-01-10T13:54:05Z

Susanne Saville

HEIDI'S PICK SIX
1. Which of your characters is your favorite?
2. Tell me about your travels.

3. Coffee, tea, or milk?
(evil laugh) Coffee, of course. Always coffee. Forever coffee. Although I do like English Breakfast and Glengettie tea. And I must have milk in both my tea and my coffee. So maybe just pour all three into a big swimming pool and I'll float about in them.

4. What else can you do besides write?
Catalog. Used as a verb. I could create both Library of Congress and Dewey Decimal numbers for books. You want travel to Britain? That's 914. Biography? 921. I think movies are 798.... It's a useless talent now because most cataloging is done by a central source these days and distributed by computer, instead of each library having its own cataloger. So I'm rusty now.

5. Who are you reading right now?

6. Pop culture or academia?
I studied pop culture when I was part of academia. Seriously. Ask about my paper on Disney. Ask about my book on how pug dogs saved civilization. No, on the other hand, don't get me started... :)

7. What is the toughest scene you ever wrote?
8. Where do you find your inspirations to write?

9. Food you could eat everyday.
Chocolate. Especially Cadbury or Galaxy chocolate. I could live on chocolate. Cadbury Fruit & Nut bar - there's my protein and vitamins for the day. Think all I'd have to worry about would be scurvy. I wonder if the orange Aero bar has Vitamin C?

10. Are you into sports or other physical activities?
Horseback riding. I love horseback riding - Western style. I'm not so good at English style.

If you mean *watching* sports, then Red Sox. Go Red Sox Nation! :)

11. What kind of music speaks to you?
12. Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?

13. Celebrity crush.
John Barrowman. Totally John Barrowman. And I actually got his autograph - squeeeeee!!!! He is a sweetheart - and very patient with fans who go completely blank and can't think of anything intelligent to say. (Yes, that would be me.)

14. Who are the biggest influences on your work?
15. Do you still watch cartoons?

Susanne Saville has earned a Master's Degree in History and a second Master's Degree in Library Science. The casual observer might suppose that this primarily qualifies her to dispense fries at fast-food restaurants. However, Ms. Saville has worked as a Reference Librarian in California and as a History Instructor at Georgia Military College. She currently resides in New England and, along with writing, delights in researching, spending quality time with her cats, and eating fries at fast-food restaurants. Susanne's most recent novel is The Secret Hunter.

HEIDI'S PICK SIX, Heidi Ruby Miller, Susanne Saville, The Secret Hunter, Regency Romance, writing, author interviews

2008 Submissions and Responses

2009-01-04T20:46:39Z

I always like to look back on my submissions record for the previous year right around this time, so behind the cut are my statistics for 2008, along with commentary:

2008 SUBMISSIONS AND RESPONSES:
68 total submissions
*The total is 58 less than 2007 and much less than the Buckell 150 I've been striving for annually, but the results of these meager submissions were encouraging.

15 rejections
*These are from various sources for a variety of projects, some agented, some freelance (mags, agents, online media, editors).

3 withdrawals
*All withdrawals were for online publications, 2 of which turned out to be of questionable integrity.

1 other
*I created the "other" category for circumstances which cannot be covered under the usual headings; in this instance, it was a bad e-addy with no way to find an alternate one.

20 non-responders
*This isn't as cut and dry as it would seem because either my agent or me are still in direct contact, negotiations, etc. with 5 of these sources.

AND NOW...

30 acceptances
*The most I have ever gotten within the six years I have been keeping submission records. And, on 4 of these occasions, I was asked to submit my work based on my online presence and past publications.

2008 RESPONSES FROM 2007 SUBMISSIONS:
5 rejections
*So the longer they have it doesn't necessarily mean the better your chances? :)

writing submissions, Heidi Ruby Miller, response times, writing, Seton Hill Writers

I'm in The Writer Magazine

2008-12-16T13:37:42Z

I'm in the January 2009 issue of The Writer - actually my face is. A couple of months ago I did a photo shoot for a new ad campaign at Seton Hill University for their Writing Popular Fiction Masters Program, and the ads are now making their way into magazines.

If you're a member of RWA, there's a black and white version of the ad in this month's Romance Writers Report too.

Seton Hill University, Heidi Ruby Miller, Writing Popular Fiction, The Writer, Romance Writers of America, Seton Hill Writers

Seton Hill Writers Update

2008-12-14T13:20:41Z

I haven't done one of these in a while because I've been busy on a novel (of course), but here are a few updates I've recently heard about:

#1: The Other in the Mirror, a collection of writings by Phillip Jose Farmer and edited by Christopher Paul Carey, is now available for pre-order.

#2: Mary SanGiovanni was interviewed at Famous Monsters of Filmland about her latest novel Found You.

#3: Kaye Dacus' Stand-In Groom received a four star review in Romantic Times BOOKreviews. This was her thesis novel for the WPF program.

#4: Renae Johnson has a new trailer for her upcoming release Blessed Be.

#5: The first two chapters of Anne Harris' second novel Accidental Creatures is up at Book View Cafe.

#6: HALO: The Cole Protocol by Tobias S. Buckell hit the New York Times Bestseller list.

Christopher Paul Carey, Heidi Ruby Miller, Mary SanGiovanni, Kaye Dacus, Renae Johnson, Tobias Buckell, Anne Harris, writing, Seton Hill Writers

Seton Hill Seeks Faculty for Writing Popular Fiction Graduate Program

2008-12-13T12:58:46Z

Sorry for no cut. I thought this might be important enough to some of you to post in full. Here are two job postings put out by the university. One is for graduate level, the other for teaching undergrads. Thanks to Mike Arnzen for the heads up:

FACULTY WANTED TO TEACH WRITING OF POPULAR FICTION

Assistant Professor of English
Location: Greensburg, PA
Category: Faculty - Liberal Arts - English and Literature
Posted: 11/10/2008
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Full Time

Seton Hill University seeks published novelist of popular fiction (preferably mystery/suspense), to teach and to mentor novel-length theses in the graduate low-residency Writing Popular Fiction program (half-load), and to teach undergraduate courses in creative writing and first-year composition.

Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in English, MFA considered. Background in journalism, publishing, and/or editing a plus. Teaching experience/potential at undergraduate level desirable.

Send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, official transcripts, a statement of philosophy of teaching, a writing sample, a teaching portfolio, and three letters of reference. The review process will begin February 15, 2009 and will continue until the position is filled.

Seton Hill University is a Catholic, liberal arts University, educating traditional and non-traditional undergraduate and graduate students. Classes are offered in a variety of formats - day, evening, and weekends. Seton Hill has a student-centered campus culture based on Catholic values, acceptance, community and service. The campus is located 35 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Postal Address: Dr. John Spurlock, Chair
Humanities Division
Seton Hill University
Seton Hill Drive
PO Box 507F
Greensburg, PA 15601
Email Address: spurlock@setonhill.edu
http://fiction.setonhill.edu
http://www.setonhill.edu

***
ALSO WANTED: COMPOSITION SPECIALIST!

Assistant Professor of Composition
Institution: Seton Hill University
Location: Greensburg, PA
Category: Faculty - Liberal Arts - English and Literature
Posted: 11/10/2008
Application Due: Open Until Filled
Type: Full Time

Seton Hill University invites applications for an Assistant Professor position in Composition, beginning fall, 2009. The faculty member will teach first-year composition courses, with a secondary teaching responsibility as a generalist in undergraduate English.

Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in Composition/Rhetoric with an M.A. in literature (or related area). Background in writing assessment and/or writing in the disciplines a plus. An outstanding candidate who has completed all but the dissertation may be considered.

Send a letter of application, curriculum vitae, official transcripts, and a statement of philosophy of teaching composition, a writing sample, a teaching portfolio, a developmental composition syllabus, a set of teaching evaluations from a composition course and three letters of reference to. The review process will begin February 15, 2009 and will continue until the position is filled.

Seton Hill University is a Catholic, liberal arts University, educating traditional and non-traditional undergraduate and graduate students. Classes are offered in a variety of formats - day, evening, and weekends. Seton Hill has a student-centered campus culture based on Catholic values, acceptance, community and service. The campus is located 35 miles east of Pittsburgh.

Postal Address: Dr. John Spurlock, Chair
Humanities Division
Seton Hill University
Seton Hill Drive
PO Box 507F
Greensburg, PA 15601
Email Address: spurlock@setonhill.edu
http://www.setonhill.edu

Seton Hill University, Heidi Ruby Miller, Writing Popular Fiction, Seton Hill Writers

Authors Guild Call to Buy Books

2008-12-12T16:31:03Z

The following is an email sent from Roy Blount, Jr., President of the Authors Guild and humor writer. I thought it merited repeating, even in these tough times, because I can say personally how much less our household has spent on books this year...

"I've been talking to booksellers lately who report that times are hard. And local booksellers aren't known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating. Booksellers don't lose enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A government bailout isn't in the cards.

We don't want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let's mount a book-buying splurge. Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party. Buy the rest of your Christmas presents, but that's just for starters. Clear out the mysteries, wrap up the histories, beam up the science fiction! Round up the westerns, go crazy for self-help, say yes to the university press books! Get a load of those coffee-table books, fatten up on slim volumes of verse, and take a chance on romance!

There will be birthdays in the next twelve months; books keep well; they're easy to wrap: buy those books now. Buy replacements for any books looking raggedy on your shelves. Stockpile children's books as gifts for friends who look like they may eventually give birth. Hold off on the flat-screen TV and the GPS (they'll be cheaper after Christmas) and buy many, many books. Then tell the grateful booksellers, who by this time will be hanging onto your legs begging you to stay and live with their cat in the stockroom: "Got to move on, folks. Got some books to write now. You see...we're the Authors Guild."

Authors Guild, Heidi Ruby Miller, Roy Blount

The Surrender in Best of Every Day Fiction 2008

2008-12-11T13:33:11Z

The Best of Every Day Fiction 2008 Anthology is now available for order. Among the many wonderful stories included is my story The Surrender.

The Surrender, Heidi Ruby Miller, Best of Every Day Fiction 2008, writing, Seton Hill Writers