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Members who wish to submit a blog entry should send it to sandiegowriterseditorsguild@gmail.com. A review committee will consider each submission for membership interest and may suggest edits before publishing the submission to the blog. For more information, see Blog or Be Blogged.

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  • 12 Aug 2020 4:11 PM | Deleted user


    Private security specialist, Greg Stern, is a reluctant guest in a remote and inaccessible Zen monastery. His wife, Vega, sent him there after a marital transgression to ponder and improve his interaction with women. When a dead boy is found in the meditation hall, the group of eclectic guests and monastics find themselves trapped in an enchanted valley with a murderer in their midst and no way out.          

    Death of a Zen Master received a 5-star review from Readers' Favorite. See the review below.

    Cornelia Feye’s Death of a Zen Master is a well-written and absorbing story that harkens back to the classic murder mystery novels such as those penned by Agatha Christie. I loved the isolated setting for the crime and relished seeing the fear and suspicion of the students as they realize they are trapped with a killer, with no way out and no way to contact the outside world. Feye’s characters are finely crafted and true-to-life and her plot is ingenious. She gives the armchair sleuth plenty of red herrings to consider along with Greg Stern, as he tries to unmask the killer and stay alive. This classy, modern-day homage to the golden age of murder mysteries is most highly recommended.

    5-star review by Jack Magnus for Readers’ Favorite

    What do other authors say about Death of a Zen Master?

    From the very beginning of this mystery, set at a remote Zen Retreat in the Ventana Wilderness area, the characters are full of life and opinions.  Greg is here to pacify his wife and has no intention of embracing anything other than the excellent food. When the Abbess is found murdered and a 300-year-old Buddha goes missing, Greg finds something to fill his time and, he hopes, a way to impress his wife. Feye, who is known for her art mysteries, takes the reader on a clever and twisting route to a satisfying conclusion. Woven throughout the story is just enough Zen philosophy, history, and art history to create a fully evolved novel.

    Tamara Merrill, Author of Shadows in our Bones, and The Augustus Family Trilogy

    Forget your English Manors. And manners. A Buddhist monastery in California makes the perfect setting for this engaging and clever take on the we're-trapped-in-place-and-one-of-us-is-a-killer story. In Cornelia Feye's capable hands, the search for spiritual enlightenment goes hand in hand with the search for a murderer. A tasty Karma-snack of a mystery novel.

    Corey Lynn Fayman, author of the award-winning Rolly Waters Mystery Series

    A rousing and entertaining mystery in a very unique setting— a Zen monastery. The talented Cornelia Feye has created two unforgettable characters, Greg and Vega Stern. Separately and together they must solve a murder while they immerse themselves in Zen Buddhism. It will keep you guessing all the way to the last page.

    Carl Vonderau, author of Murderabilia 


    Cornelia Feye is an author, art historian and publisher. She published three mystery novels, and the first one, Spring of Tears, won the San Diego Book Award in 2011. The anthology Magic Mystery & Murder, co-edited with Tamara Merrill, won the San Diego Book Awards in 2019. She is the founder of Konstellation Press, an indie publishing company for genre fiction and poetry. Her publications include art historical essays and reviews in English and German.

    Visit her website


  • 31 Jul 2020 8:38 AM | Deleted user


    Congratulations to Theresa Halvorsen, whose new novel, Warehouse Dreams, launches on July 29.

    Below is the book description from Amazon.com, where the book is currently available for pre-order.

    Kendle’s job is on the line every time she rescues a Wild teen. But Wilds, with their uncontrolled psychic abilities, need her help. They need the chronically underfunded Warehouse, the only school available for Wilds. But accepting a teen with potentially dangerous abilities puts her at odds with her boss; refusing means the teen faces life institutionalized, sedated, and under restraint.

     

    Stephen, the new telepathy teacher, is a Bred. His wealthy parents paid for his perfect genetic code. He’s not used to the Warehouse’s long hours, to students who float beds through walls during nightmares, or send fishbowls through windows—not to mention the food sucks. The only bright spot is the fascinating Wild teacher in the next room who plays amazing cello or guitar music late at night.

    Kendle doesn’t think Stephen belongs at the Warehouse, but when he helps save her and her students from a violent mob, she wonders if she was wrong…and if a Bred like Stephen might fall for a Wild like her. But Kendle has little time for romance. As society ramps up its hatred of Wilds and the Warehouse’s resources stretch desperately thin, Kendle must find a way to keep the director from expelling the most gifted students as dangers to the school.

    https://youtu.be/InsxWhw3uYM


  • 30 Jun 2020 6:19 AM | Deleted user


    Congratulations to SDWEG member Robyn Bennett, writing as Casey Fae Hewson, for publishing a new romance, Misty Springs. In addition to writing both fiction and nonfiction on her own, Robyn also writes jointly with another Guild member, Bob Boze. And Robyn has the distinction of being the SDWEG member who lives the farthest from San Diego. She resides in New Zealand and travels occasionally to San Diego when she attends our meetings.

    Misty Springs Summary

    Emily Seymour sat in her favourite spot on Red Hill Mountain, looking down at the alpine village of Misty Springs. Glancing at her disfigured hand, she wonders if she’ll ever be able to put aside her insecurities from the accident and her broken engagement and rebuild her life.

    Ricky Coles, a cocky builder, working side jobs as a bartender, wants nothing more than to lay low, pay off his debts, and put his past behind him.

    After their first meeting gets off to a rocky start, it doesn’t take long to confirm they are like oil and water: Emily naïve and trusting; Ricky seemingly unable to tell the truth about anything.

    But both have much more important things to worry about. Emily’s dream house that has put her in debt to her unforgiving brother and may never be built, thanks to an unscrupulous contractor, and the people chasing Ricky to collect on his debts.   

    Will this unlikely pair end up proving that there’s a reason opposites attract and that support often comes from the most unexpected places?

    Link to Amazon:



    Casey Fae Hewson has always loved to write stories.

    In 2014 she got serious about her writing and drafted her first novel, Haven River, a Young Adult contemporary romance, which was published in 2016.

    Well and truly bitten by the writing bug in 2017 she published Aqua Bay set in spectacularly beautiful New Zealand where she lives.

    She is currently editing her third novel, Misty Springs.

    Casey is now partnered with Bob Boze the author of Love is a Pretty Girl with a Cape to Share Your Dreams With, The Horses of Tir Na Nog, The Sisterhood and Dreams. Together they are working on several collaborative efforts including: The Beach Pool and a new co-authored romance novel: Light My Way.

    When she writes Casey draws on the natural beauty of her hometown, Blenheim, which is surrounded by hills, vineyards and olive trees, and bathes in endless sunshine.

    When she's not writing she's reading from her extensive collection of romance, drama, thriller, horror, Young Adult and biography. "As I can't live in a library, I've created the next best thing - my own library."

    You can also find Casey in the garden, mountain biking, walking on the beach, listening to music or trying to keep her crazy cat under control!

  • 23 Jun 2020 6:48 AM | Deleted user

     

    SDWEG member Cary Lowe was interviewed by former San Diego Union-Tribune reporter Roger Showley in a live streamed event hosted by Warwick’s Books. Roger and Cary, as well as Julie Slavinsky of Warwicks talked about the experiences Cary recounted in his book, as well as how those apply to current political events. The video of the interview can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/warwicksbooks/videos/852486275154896/ .

    Congratulations, Cory.



  • 19 Jun 2020 6:59 AM | Deleted user


    Congratulations to Cary Lowe for receiving an IndieReader Discovery Award has been announced, recognizing Becoming American as the best book from an independent publisher in the field of politics/current events.

    On Thursday May 28th, IndieReader, one of the original review services for self, hybrid, and independently published authors, announced the winners of their annual IR Discovery Awards (IRDAs) for 2020. Becoming American by Cary D. Lowe won in the politics/current events category.

    IndieReader launched the IRDAs in 2011 to help notable indie authors receive the attention of top publishing professionals, with the goal of reaching more readers.  Noted Amy Edelman, author and founder of IR, “The books that won the IRDAs this year are not simply great indie books; they are great books, period.  We hope that our efforts via the IRDAs ensure that they receive attention from the people who matter most.  Potential readers.”  

    Past and present sponsors for the IRDAs include Amazon, Reedsy, Smith Publicity and NY-based literary agents Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.  Judges have included publishers (from Penguin Group USA and Simon & Schuster), agents (from ICM, Dystel), publicists (from Smith Publicity), and bloggers (from GoodeReader). 

    Becoming American received the verdict of Winner from IndieReader’s reviewers. The book is a political memoir chronicling the author’s growing up in post-war Europe with parents who were Holocaust survivors, immigrating to the US, serving in the military, working on campaigns and causes, and overall becoming a politically engaged American. Mr. Lowe is a retired lawyer and college professor residing in San Diego and active in politics there. 

    Reacting to winning this award, Mr. Lowe said, “I hope this book shows readers how immigrants become Americans and what it means to be a real American.”


  • 14 May 2020 6:42 AM | Deleted user


    The San Diego Library's Local Author Program invited authors to submit short videos of them reading from their books for the Library to include on its website. As we learn of Guild members who have submitted videos, we hope to feature them on our website as well.

    Here's Marcia (M. Lee) Buompensiero reading from her award winning novel, Sumerland, which earned Marcia the 2017 San Diego Book Award for best mystery.


     

    If you have also submitted a video to the San Diego Library's Local Author Program and are willing to share it with Guild membership, please send a link to it on YouTube (or send the file for the Guild to upload to our own YouTube channel) for us to highlight your work as well.


  • 11 May 2020 6:57 AM | Deleted user
    Three people reading and writing around a table

    At the November 2019 meeting of the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild, Susie Strasser of the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, Creative Writing Department, asked if Guild members would be interested in helping students at her school. (Susie has since joined the Guild. Yay!)

    Guild members Robyn Bennett and Bob Boze volunteered after the meeting and have since been working with her to help the school’s students perfect their writing skills.

    In January 2020, Robyn and Bob were given twelve short stories from students and asked to critique them. Then in early February, they were part of a four-person Jury Panel that listened as the students read their papers. The other two jury panel members were instructors from the school, who had evaluated the students' papers ahead of time.

    After each student finished reading, one by one the jury panel members provided their critiques of the paper, offering both positive feedback and suggestions for enhancements.

    Before the first student read, the four panel members did a quick comparison of their critiques. Instantly, it became obvious how impressed they all were with the twelve papers. Each student had done an excellent job, and almost all of the suggestions for improvements were truly enhancements that an edit of a published writer might find.  

    Perhaps even more impressive was that none of the students took offense to the comments or suggestions, and each and every one of them expressed appreciation for the jury panel members helping them to become better writers.

    In mid-April, Robyn and Bob put together a PowerPoint presentation on how to enhance Creative Non-Fiction using Creative Fiction writing techniques.

    This was presented by Bob at the end of April, as the Creative Non-Fiction class kicked off its first session via Zoom. The session covered the three structures of Creative Non-Fiction which the students were to choose their first paper from.

    It then provided example topics within each structure and gave examples of how show don’t tell, emotions, the five senses, and other fiction techniques could be used in each. Once again, the presentation was very well received as the students went off to select the topic for their first papers.

    Next up, once on grounds classes resume, Robyn and Bob have offered to do their Editing Untangled Workshop to help round out the students' skill sets. That is, unless Susie comes up with another assignment before that.

    Robyn Bennett gives presentations and workshops at conferences, library and community groups incuding at Zonta, writing guilds, and is a long-standing lecturer at Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand. Robyn writes contemporary romance and business books

    Bob Boze gives presentations, and has chaired panels and workshops at writer’s groups (e.g. San Diego: Writers Guild, Editors Network and Romance Writers), and at conferences, book fairs, library and community groups. Bob writes contemporary romance and business books and holds a BS degree in Engineering and Project Management with studies in Creative Writing at NYU, William and Mary, University of Maryland and University of Delaware. 


    Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash


  • 5 May 2020 7:27 AM | Deleted user


    SDWEG member Marla Anderson's science fiction novel NanoMorphosis has received a number of awards: 2018 B.R.A.G. Medallion, 2019 eLit Book Bronze Medal, 2019 IAN Book of the Year Finalist.

    Congratulations, Marla!


    What is indie B.R.A.G. and the indie B.R.A.G. medallion? The term “indie” refers to self-published books and B.R.A.G. is an acronym for Book Readers Appreciation Group. The name “indieBRAG” and the B.R.A.G. logos are trademarks of indieBRAG, LLC. The B.R.A.G. Medallion is a certification trademark owned and controlled by indieBRAG, LLC.

    What are the eLit Awards? The annual eLit Awards are a global awards program committed to illuminating and honoring the very best of English language digital publishing entertainment.

    The eLit Awards are an industry-wide, unaffiliated awards program open to all members of the electronic publishing industry.

    The contest is presented by Jenkins Group Inc., a Michigan-based book publishing and marketing services company that has operated the popular Independent Publisher Book Awards contest since 1996.

    What is the IAN Award? The Independent Author Network (IAN) is a community of authors who are self published or published by a small indie press. IAN promotes and has supported indie authors since 2010 to more than 580,000 Twitter followers and 115,000 Facebook followers. 

    One step in the marketing of your book should be entering competition for awards such as these for your marketplace. For more information about available awards for indie authors, see this article in IndieReader listing the top ten such award programs.

    If you have received or submitted your work in competition for book awards, consider sharing your experience on the Guild's Discussion Board Forum for Book Awards. The Discussion Board is open to only SDWEG registered members. You must login to be able to contribute.


    Marla L. Anderson

    I am a writer of novel length fiction and short stories, concentrating mostly (but not exclusively) on science fiction. I also dabble in horror, suspense, fantasy, mainstream fiction and the occasional philosophical rant.

    Yes, sometimes I stay in the real world, though it’s not nearly as much fun as the ones I can imagine.

    I hope you will join me on my flights of fancy.



  • 17 Oct 2019 8:01 AM | Deleted user

    At the September Marketing Support Meeting, Wade Taylor, President of wsRadio.com, reported on two podcasts he completed with SDWEG member Jerry Strayve. The first includes an interview with Scott Paulson and Wade on publishing tips from Jerry. The second is a reading from Jerry's novel, First Spouse of the United States.

    J.R. Strayve, Jr. was born to a nomadic military family, attending nine schools before entering college. Following service in the United States Marine Corps, he raised a family. It is here that he discovered his talent for ”spinning tales,” regaling his young children with spontaneous bedtime stories. His passion for history spoke to him. He spoke back and wrote the epic historical novel, Braxton’s Century. He is currently working on the sequel to Braxton’s Century, (a planned  trilogy), Millennial Moguls Unhinged. He published the controversial novel, First Spouse of the United States, in March of 2019. A sequel is soon to follow.

    J.R.'s Website

  • 24 Sep 2019 8:15 AM | Deleted user


    The San Diego Writers and Editors Guild observed our 40th anniversary on Saturday, September 14, at the Admiral Baker Clubhouse in San Diego.

    The highlight of the event was the awarding of three Odin Awards to members of the San Diego literary community to recognize their body of work and their contributions to the wider San Diego community of writers. The awardees were Marc Chery, Charlotte Thompson, and Richard Lederer.

    Richard Lederer, Charlotte Thompson, and Marc Chery, Odin Award recipients Judy Reeves

    One of San Diego's writing legends and former Odin Award recipient, Judy Reeves, served as the master of ceremonies for the event. After providing a thoughtful presentation on the history of the Guild and the Odin Award, she highlighted the many remarkable achievements of each of the awardees in her introductory remarks.

    Marc Chery modestly lists himself in his LinkedIn profile as Branch library management, community outreach, program planning, collection development, readers' advisory librarian at the San Diego Central Library. His impact on behalf of the San Diego writing community is much greater than that description implies. Marc is the man behind most of the presentations at the San Diego Central Library.

    Marc was recognized as Black History Month Local Hero while he served as branch manager of the Malcolm X library, he has hosted panel discussions of local authors, and he plays a major role in the San Diego City Library's Local Author Showcase and in promoting the annual One Book, One San Diego selections.

    Charlotte E. Thompson, M.D., is a board certified pediatrician. From 2005 to 2008, she was named each year as one of the nation's top pediatricians by the Consumer's Research Council of America. She is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at University of California Medical School in San Diego and the author of ten nonfiction books.

    Dr. Richard Lederer is the author of more than 40 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling ANGUISHED ENGLISH series and his current books, AMERICAN TRIVIA, AMAZING WORDS, HILARIOUS HOLIDAY HUMOR, and THE BIG BOOK OF WORDPLAY CROSSWORDS. His works range from bloopers and puns to word origins and word games to pets and American history. He writes a weekly column for the San Diego Union Tribune, "Lederer on Language." He is the founding co-host of the syndicated program, "A Way With Words," presented each weekend on KPBS.

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