April 2011

New releases

Exciting new releases from ACFW members due to hit bookstores soon include:

• Max Elliot Anderson: Barney and the Runaway, a middle-grade novel, released March 1 from Comfort Publishing.
• Eddie Snipes: I Called Him Dancer will release on April 12 from GES Publishing.

Bylines

Those racking up writing credits in magazines and anthologies this month include:

• Candy Arrington: Published “Sleepover Savvy” in the March/April issue of Thriving Family and “The Reality of Jesus’ Death” in the April 3, 2011, issue of ENCOUNTER—The Magazine.
• Deanna Klingel: Published “The Blue Bicycle” in Milestones, the literary journal of Southwestern Community College.
• Cynthia A. Lovely: Published stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Tales of Christmas and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Gifts for Christmas, which released in December 2010. She also published an article in the inspirational section of Catholic Forester in January 2011.
• Fred St. Laurent: Published “An Oasis in Your Bookstore” in the March issue of CBA Resource Magazine.
• Delores Topliff: Published “Jobs Foundation Benefits Ministry Partners” in the March issue of the Minnesota Christian Chronicle.

Interviews

Check out these new interviews featuring:

• Laurie Alice Eakes: Was interviewed for a feature article on her and her writing by The Ambassador, the alumni magazine for her undergrad alma mater, Asbury University.

Agented

Hoorah for representation! Three cheers for:

• Valerie Comer: Signed with Joyce Hart.
• Sue Harrison: Signed with Rachelle Gardner of WordServe Literary.
• Jo Huddleston: Signed with Lavonne Joy Stevens of Bruce R. Barbour Literary Management Group.

Contest winners

Throw some confetti and celebrate with these contest winners:

• Sandy Ardoin: Finaled in the North Texas RWA’s Great Expectations Contest. The final entries are being judged by Natalie Hanemann with Thomas Nelson.
• Eddie Snipes: Won first place in the winter writing contest for Writer’s Aglow with a short story called “I’m Too Old for This.”

Sold

The list of published authors is growing! Congratulations to:

• Max Elliot Anderson: Signed a contract with Comfort Publishing for When the Lights Go Out, a middle-grade novel for the tenth anniversary of 9/11 this fall.
• Valerie Comer: Sold her first piece, a novella, to Barbour Publishing as part of a collection called At Rainbow’s End.
• Melanie Dickerson: Signed a contract for her second book with Zondervan, another young adult romance and fairy tale retelling. The Merchant’s Daughter (based on Beauty and the Beast) will release in November.
• Jean C. Gordon: Sold her first inspirational romance, Small-Town Sweethearts, to Love Inspired for release January 2012.
• Lisa Jordan: Signed her first book contract with Love Inspired for Lakeside Reunion, releasing November 2011.
• Cara Putman: Signed two contracts with Barbour Publishing for novellas. The first, Dying for Love, will release in February in Cherry Blossom Capers. The second will release in June 2012 in At Rainbow’s End.
• Sandra Orchard: Sold the second novel in her Undercover Cops series, Shades of Truth, to Love Inspired Suspense for release in March 2012.
• Shannon Taylor Vannatter: Signed the first contract in a new Texas rodeo series with Barbour’s Heartsong Presents.

Speaking engagements

Not only are they writing, but they’re speaking too! Give a round of applause to:

• Candy Arrington: Was the keynote speaker at the United Methodist Women’s Retreat in Columbia, South Carolina, on March 5. She also participated as part of the faculty for the Carolina Christian Writers Workshop in Anderson, South Carolina, on March 18–19.
• Angela Breidenbach: Will speak and teach at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference on May 11–14, 2011, and the Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference August 10–13, 2011.