Diane Bator New Release ALL THAT SHINES

 

INTRODUCING BOOK 2 IN MY 
GLITTER BAY MYSTERY SERIES

Vintage Sage was a peaceful, one woman operation until Sage Miller’s sister Laken moved to Glitter Bay. Now they feature gently loved items with a side of mystery.

ALL THAT SHINES!

Book 2:  All That Shines (April 2021)

Sage Miller is knee deep in fashion designers—whether she wants them in her new vintage boutique or not.

One winds up dead.

Another isn’t what he seems.

A third is treasure hunting.

Sage is stuck in the middle trying to solve a murder before the grand opening of Vintage Sage, which involves a fashion show she’d rather not be part of.

To Buy:

Amazon.com     https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08W2J3LBQ?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

BWL Publishing Ltd.     https://www.bookswelove.com/bator-diane/

Reviews:

Diane Bator has once again successfully completed another beautifully written mystery: “All That Shines” Book 2 in the Glitter Bay Mysteries series. A comfortable, easy read, and a page turner which keeps you guessing right to the very end. I thoroughly enjoyed Bator’s willingness to step into the deep waters of some human issues which rage today’s society. An honest and bold move on her part, Bator writes with absolute grace and dignity. Well done!  5 Stars ~  Maggie Kirton, Award-winning, bestselling author.

All That Shines is another great “who done it” with Sage and Laken and once again I was wrong. Can’t wait for the next book in the Glitter Bay Series to see what the sisters are up to! ~ L. MacGregor

Want to join me for a chat about writing February 21? 

One thing new writers are often told is to “write what you know.” How are you supposed to grow as a writer if you only write the things you know about? The best way is to take what you already know and give it a twist—turn it into a story your readers will find engaging.

All writers put a little of themselves in their work whether they realize it or not. Sometimes using subjects you are familiar with can be a great start for any genre of novel. 

Workshop will be via Zoom, Sunday, February 21, 2021 from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Pre-registration ends February 19, 2021. Please register below. Instructions for logging into Zoom will be sent the week before the meeting. Be sure to click on + to add a ticket before clicking on “Get Ticket” below. 

Diane Bator is the traditionally published author of ten mystery novels. She is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime Toronto, and the Writers Union of Canada. When she’s not writing, she works full-time in theatre which may be subjected to immortality in a whole new series. No surprise she’s trying her hand at writing a play as well as a couple of fantasy novels.

Click on the link for more information: 

https://wcyork.ca/event/write-what-you-know-then-give-it-a-twist-with-diane-bator/

Reading and Writing in "Times Like These" by Diane Bator

                                        

 Who hasn't said at least once a day, "If I had more time, I'd..." 

I have to admit, I'd always dreamed of having more time in my day to write while raising three kids, working full time, and trying to write mystery novels.  "If I had a week to myself, I'd..."

Well our collective wish came true. Back in March, most of us were sentenced to isolation in our homes. We had all the time in the world. The problem was most of us, me for one, were too numb at the time to figure out how to create. We could only sit glued to the television or social media to watch as our world changed in crazy ways. Since my day job involves running a live-stage theatre box office, I'll be working from home for several weeks yet. 

At first, being creative was the last thing on my mind. My biggest fear was not running out of toilet paper and making sure my kids were safe. I lost sleep over the kids - not so much the toilet paper.

After the first week, I was able to focus for short stints of time on editing a couple books I'd written. Drop Dead Cowboy was scheduled for release in September 2020. I edited and submitted the completed manuscript in April. After a round of edits, it was published June 1, 2020. Bumped ahead because a fellow author needed an extension and mine was already done.

With the pressure of the new release off, I was able to relax and read a few books that have piled up. Yes, TBR (too be read) piles can teeter over and fall...just saying. For me, however, reading is always followed by posting reviews.

I've been one of the lucky ones able to work from home for the past few months. Theatre staff meets every weekday morning to chat about what we will do once we are able. Mostly, we meet to keep everyone sane and check in to make sure we're all well. Some days, there's a lot to say. Many days, we lapse into discussing bartering with neighbours, what movies we're watching, and if we've developed any new hobbies. 

Because I have more free time to play around on social media and listen in on author events, I've been blessed to virtually meet some great people from Crime Writers of Canada, Sisters in Crime Toronto, Rogue Women Writers and others. 

I've been trying to learn how to set up a newsletter and a mailing list, but that concept keeps getting pushed aside due to other things.

Way back when, I used to do counted cross-stitch, which is something I've picked up again and developed a following who loves to watch the progress I've made. I even had someone refer my book, Drop Dead Cowboy, which features a craft shop called Stitch'n'Time to Needlepoint Retailer!

One of the other things I've been working on is my own blog post series, Escape With a Writer Sunday. Every week, I share an interview, bio and blurbs about other authors and their books. It's been a fun project! I've hosted authors from Australia, UK, USA, and even one from Hungary! If I'm lucky enough to read their books, I always share a review on the same blog post. So far, I've featured nearly 50 authors and I'm always looking for more! 

With my creativity back on track, I'm currently working on Book 2 in my Glitter Bay Mystery series. This one features Laken Miller's sister, Sage as the protagonist. Trust me, this girl has her own story to tell! Being the sister of a supermodel is no picnic, especially when Laken's fashionista friends come to visit and Sage owns Vintage Sage, a vintage boutique. 

Speaking of, I have pages to write and blogs to post!

Stay healthy and well and keep on reading!

Diane Bator

http://penspaintsandpaper.com

http://dbator.blogspot.ca/

April 5 Virtual Writing Meeting by Diane Bator

HWG Writing Prompts April 5 2020

The Signs and their Ingredients

Hey all! 

While we are all in this crazy state of being forced introverts for a while, I thought I would find a way to keep our brains active and the creative juices flowing.

In the midst of things, I'm busy doing edits for Drop Dead Cowboy which comes out in September. It's the cover ideas I'm struggling with but that will come!

I'm also finding online courses to build my word skills. Too bad it's not helping my typing some days! I tend to stumble over my fingers when I go too fast.

Anyway, I discovered this on Facebook one day and thought it would make for some fun prompts:

Aries:  Flames directly from hell, shards of diamonds, the energy of a toddler, a gallon of caffeine

Taurus:  clusters of emerald gemstones, the scent of old books, warm chocolate chip cookies, silk pajamas

Gemini:  wind from a tornado, a pinch of salt, a child’s laughter, a cup of glitter

Cancer:  shimmering tears, the moon’s light, the scent of lavender, water from an ocean storm

Leo:  a Hollywood actresses’ tears, the pride of a lion, the morning sun’s rays, beaming highlighters

Virgo:  freshly roasted coffee, the scent of new books, a bouquet of daisies, breeze of a fall afternoon

Libra:  a cup of rose petals, a bottle of fruity perfume, creamy frosting, voice of Marilyn Monroe

Scorpio:  deep rooted secrets, the eyes of a psychic, passion *added for flavour*, a midnight conversation

Sagittarius:  a child’s optimism, a folk song riff, a language not yet known, wisdom of a philosopher

Capricorn:  the bones of a warrior, a gallon of pessimism, a leader’s authority, Saturn’s tough layered rings

Aquarius:  an alien brain, a tablespoon of stardust, holographic beams, one mystery flavored candy

Pisces:  melatonin, a cup of cotton candy, the heart of a goddess, tears of a siren

Can't wait to see or hear what you all write!
If anyone wants to share it on our blog, please email me or Pat and we can post it for you.
Until we can read to each other out loud again....
Stay healthy and keep writing!

Diane

Crime Writers of Canada Author Showcase and Panel by Diane Bator

Last year, with seven published novels under my belt, I finally joined the Crime Writers of Canada. I was part of our Crime Writers Event in Orangeville last fall on September 28, 2019. I was nervous meeting such talented writers but came away inspired.

Then again on March 7, 2020, I attended my second CWC author event and I totally enjoyed it! This time, I was more relaxed and felt more like I belonged among such talented company, especially since I’d been on the Orangeville panel with Judy Penz Sheluk and Anita Arvast in September.

Eleven authors (6 women and 5 men) met at the Tottenham Community Centre and spoke to a small, but attentive audience about our process as well as answering a few questions from our wonderful host librarian, Kim Burgess. I found it intriguing that out of all eleven of us, only one professed to being a true plotter, aside from the non-fiction crime writers.

The highlight for me was getting to mingle and talk to fellow authors later. We exchanged stories about other events, how we come up with ideas for books, what we do to promote our books, and even what printer we use to get hard copies.

Our amazing panel:

Anita Arvast – Dr. Arvast is a professor of humanities and writes books in the true crime genre with an orientation to social justice. Her first book, Bloody Justice, was short-listed for the Arthur Ellis Award. Her subsequent book, What Killed Jane Creba, is being turned into a play. 

http://www.anitaarvast.ca/

David Albertyn – Born in South Africa, David Albertyn immigrated to Toronto in 1993. Writing stories since the age of six, a graduate of Queen’s University and the Humber School for Writers, David’s goal is to write visceral novels that are both thrilling and meaningful. He has coached tennis since 2005. https://davidalbertyn.com/

Diane Bator – A born writer and storyteller, once Diane Bator started writing, she’s never looked back and is the author of several mystery novels. When she’s not writing, she works in a theatre which may be subjected to immortality in a whole new series. She might even try writing a play.

http://penspaintsandpaper.com/index.html

Karen Grose – Karen Grose was born in Canada and lives with her family in Toronto. After a career as a teacher, principal, and superintendent, she turned her attention to writing. Set in Ontario, The Dime Box is her debut novel and she is currently working on a second. https://karengrose.ca/

Jim McDonald – Jim McDonald is a teacher, marriage officiant, DJ, actor, publisher and author. Jim is close to completing Heavy Weather, a historical thriller that follows the 1970 guerilla actions of Weather Underground, the terror group that bombed draft boards, courts of law and even the Pentagon. http://www.jimmcdonald.ca/

Daniel McTavish – Daniel McTavish has worked in the computer industry for over twenty years, spending thirteen years in North Carolina. He currently lives in Toronto, Ontario, but spends what time he can at his cottage in Norway Bay, Quebec, sharing morning writing sessions with passing porcupines and racoons. https://mctavishpublishing.com/about/

Hyacinthe Miller – An award-winning author, Hyacinthe’s work has been published in anthologies, magazines and online. Her debut novel, Kenora Reinvented, was released in late 2019. Hyacinthe is a founding member and Past President of the Writers’ Community of York Region and a member of numerous Canadian and International professionals writers’ groups.

https://hyacinthemillerbooks.com/

Lorna Poplak – Lorna Poplak is a Toronto-based writer, editor and researcher with a fascination for the stories behind historical events. Her debut book, Drop Dead: A Horrible History of Hanging in Canada, was released in 2017. She is currently working on a second non-fiction book about Toronto’s infamous Don Jail. https://www.lornapoplak.com/

John Simpson – John Simpson was a journalist for many years as well as the author of crime fiction. His first book, Undercut, was runner-up to Kathy Reich’s Deja Dead in the first-novel category of the 1997 Crime Writers of Canada Arthur Ellis Awards. He lives in Barrie. 

http://johnworsleysimpson.ca/about-john-worsley-simpson-crime-fiction-writer/

Judy Penz Sheluk – An Amazon International Bestselling Author, Judy Penz Sheluk writes the Marketville and Glass Dolphin Mystery series. Her short stories are included in several collections, including The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery and Suspense, which she also edited. Judy is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, South Simcoe Arts Council, the Short Mystery Fiction Society, and Crime Writers of Canada, where she serves on the Board of Directors as Vice Chair. She splits her time between Alliston and Goulais River. http://www.judypenzsheluk.com/

Keith Weaver – After a 37-year career in engineering, and more than 50 years into a continuing reading addiction, Keith Weaver turned full time to a long-standing interest, writing. But instead of technical writing, he focuses now on fiction. Eight books later, this very active retirement continues.

http://keithrobertweaver.com/

While I’m still relatively new in the Crime Writers of Canada circle, I’ve found being a part of the group beneficial and am branching out to other groups such as Sisters in Crime as well. I meet new crime writers, learn more about the tax implications of being a writer, and find out more from other authors about their processes. What works for some, doesn’t always work for others.

For now, sharing their work, and mine, is what works for me!

Happy reading!

Diane

Escape With a Writer Sunday Author Call Out

Happy New Year!

One of the fun things I've been doing this past year is a Sunday blog post called Escape with a Writer Sunday. I've had a very busy few months with some great authors, but I'm always looking for new people to appear on my blog!

Who can join the fun? 
Anyone! I've had authors from all over the world send me their bios and book information to help promote their great new novels.

How do you find the site? 
Easy, peasey! Check out http://dbator.blogspot.com to see what I do and read about new-to-you authors and their books.

Do you have a book you'd love to promote?
Please find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dianebatorauthor/ or message me via my website http://penspaintsandpaper.com/index.html

All the best in 2020! 

Diane 

My First Writing Conference by Diane Bator

This feels a bit like an essay I did once in school.  What I Did This Summer by Diane Bator. Remember those? Only this one is about something I did for the first time as a published writer. I attended a writer's conference. Yes, it's taken me eight novels to finally get to one!

I've read posts by friends who travel to conferences all over the place but was lucky that the Writers' Community of York Region sponsored one in Newmarket, Ontario this past weekend. This was the first event the WCYR had ever hosted and it was well attended by over 100 writers from all over Southern Ontario including Patricia and I.

We started the day in the atrium of the Newmarket Town Hall with coffee and muffins and received a great new folder to take notes in. After a few brief words from on of the coordinators, we broke into groups for our chosen morning sessions.

Our first session was with romance novelist Zoe York, author of more than 50 romance novels. She discussed Marketing for Genre Fiction. A lot of writers in the room were either looking to publish a novel or had published 1 or 2 novels. The one thing I found most interesting were the questions she gave us to think about no matter where we were at in our journeys.

1. What genre do you want to be writing and what type of books do you want to write? ie. genre, heat level, setting, tone, etc.
2. What are the next 5 books you want to write?
3. Can you group thematically or do they exist in the same world? Explain that world in a common theme in a sentence or two. ie. small town romance with sexy cowboy.
4. On a blank piece of paper, list all of your work to date, published or unpublished, finished or in draft/dream stage.

One of the other things they offered throughout the day were 20 minute Blue Pencil Meetings. The opportunity to sit with a fellow writer or editor (including our own Marilyn Kleiber) and ask them questions as well as getting feedback on their novel. I passed on the chance for this conference, but Patricia was very happy with the feedback she received.

Lunch was simple, soup and sandwiches along with some yummy chocolate chip cookies for dessert. While we ate, we were also able to purchase raffle tickets and enter them to win several beautiful baskets donated by sponsors, including the writing group I belong to. Draws were made at the end of the day. I didn't win any, but Patricia did!

After lunch we were treated to a keynote speech from Terry Fallis, author of The Best Laid Plans and two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. He is a huge fan of being a Plotter when he writes his books. In fact, he plans them in great detail before he writes something I don't think I could ever do! I'm part plotter, part pantser. One thing he said that surprised many people in attendance was that he still works full time. After writing seven novels and receiving many awards, he still must hold a 9-to-5 job.

I was a bit concerned about the afternoon session. The handouts we'd received the week before suggested a very academic-style of session. Luckily, Kate Freiman, author of romantic fiction, was entertaining and the whole afternoon was more interesting than I expected. She discussed blending genres and story structure. Hard to believe I was the only self-professed mystery writer in the room.

Back in the main banquet room afterward, winning tickets were drawn for the gift baskets then my friend and I left. On the way out the door, we received a swag bag with some bookmarks and the like as well as three books. These were mine!

1. Lac Athabasca (a play) by Len Falkenstein
2. Doc Christmas by Neil Enock
3. Mad Men and Philosphy, which is an anthology.

Yay! More new-to-me authors!

I have one year until the next (fingers crossed!) York Writers Conference. I may do some searching and find a couple more I can fit into my schedule. 

In the meantime, I won't quit my day job, but I won't stop dreaming and writing either!

Looking for more New-to-You authors or familiar authors? Visit my blog every Sunday for Escape with a Writer Sunday at https://dbator.blogspot.com/

Feel free to check out my books at http://bookswelove.net/authors/bator-diane-mystery/

Diane Bator

author of Wild Blue Mysteries, Gilda Wright Mysteries, and Glitter Bay Mysteries.

Meeting Sunday, September 9 2018

Patricia, hurry up and get well!!

We had a small but fun group and a lively discussion today about aging after Clare read from his "document" called "Growing Old is Not for Wimps."

Our items of business were the long list of upcoming events:

Coffee, Conversations & Books Author Event – Diane Bator

September 19, 2018, 7pm-8pm   Jelly Café, Shelburne 

Local self-published author Diane Bator rekindled her passion for writing in 2007 when she joined Dufferin County’s foremost writing group, the Headwaters Writers’ Guild. She has written assorted short stories, murder mysteries, and YA novellas. Her first murder mystery, Murder on Manitou, was published after winning a writing contest in 2010. In 2016, Diane was nominated to be an Established Artist of the Year at Orangeville’s Celebration of the Arts. 

To register for Coffee, Conversation and Books email Jade Noble: jnoble@shelburnelibrary.ca This month's venue is the Jelly Craft Bakery in Shelburne. Refreshments provided.

Writer’s Craft with Marilyn Kleiber: Creating Great Characters

September 22, 2018, 10:00am - 3:00pm | Orangeville Public Library

Join creative writing instructor Marilyn Kleiber for a full day workshop where you will learn how to research for and build characters in your writing, using dialogue to make them come alive. Does your character deserve first person or third person presentation? Will you present your character in the present, or the past tense? Answer these questions and more.

Pre-registration required. Please email infolibrary@orangeville.ca or call 519-941-0610 ext. 5230 to reserve your spot today. A 30-minute lunch break will be provided.

Fall Workshop dates:

Saturday, Sept 22 - there is a waiting list!!
Saturday, October 27 - Self Editing like a Professional - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. only a few spots left!
Saturday, November 24 - Self-Publishing - 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  only a few spots left!

Eramosa Eden Writers’ Retreat

September 23, 2018, 9:00am - 4:00pm    Eramosa Eden
Bring your own lunch.
Cost: $20 donation is appreciated to cover costs.
Check in is at 9am then writing until noon. After a lunch break, we will continue with private writing or you can meet with a small group for feedback on a short piece, that you either bring with you or have written that morning. The day usually winds up around 4pm.

To register:  Email Gloria Nye at glorianye@gmail.com

Brampton Artists Festival

Saturday, October 13, from 10am - 4pm
30 Peel Centre Drive (Next to Bramalea City Centre, Bramalea Retirement Residence)
Join us for The ARTISTS Festival - a cultural intersection where the residents and the general public can meet artists from the local and GTA arts and culture scene.  Celebrate the creative arts, enjoy performances, and discover artistic treasures in over 30 displays; a select marketplace showcased within an elegant atrium venue. ​Stay for the day, enjoy performances and displays, book a tour of the Bramalea Retirement Residence at the festival for five free raffle tickets towards the Prize Packages.    **Marilyn offered to cover the cost of the table and asked if other group members with published work would like to share. Patricia sent around the email with the forms to be submitted if you do. Please let Marilyn know as well.     

Don had some great items for us to use as writing prompts:  a kit for assembling violins, a coin collection, a statue of a water carrier, a very cool telescopic camera from days gone by, and a jug from Hudson's Bay.

We came up with some very intriguing stories!

                  

Upcoming Writing Meetings

September 23, October 14 and 28 @ 1:3opm 

New members are welcome to join.

       

W.O.W. - Words the Orangeville Way, December 2, 2017

On Saturday, December 2nd, 2017, The Orangeville Public Library in partnership with The Headwaters Writers' Guild and local independent book store BookLore, held the third annual W.O.W. celebrating award winning authors Nicolas Billon and Michael Redhill.

Harry Posner, Dufferin County's first Poet Laureate and member of the Headwaters Writer's Guild, hosted the event with a special introduction by HWG member and USA Today bestselling author Diane Bator. Diane spoke about her experience with the Headwaters Writers' Guild and how the group has helped her to publish several novels. She went on to introduce our two guest authors Nicolas Billon and Michael Redhill. A panel discussion then took place moderated by Harry Posner followed by an audience Q&A.

Nicholas Billon, Harry Posner, Michael Redhill

On Finding Inspiration

Nicolas Billon: Reading. A question from something I have read.

Michael Redhill: My muse is spending time in a room and just waiting until something catches.

Writing Process

N.B.: I Write from 9-6. I try not to write outside these hours but sometimes the brain doesn't turn off. I don't always do an outline.

M.R.: Writing process consists of peaks and valleys. I respond when it is flowing in the right direction. Writing accrues in layers. In comparison to sculpting - Michelangelo chipped away at the rock until David appeared.

Advice for Beginning Authors

M.R.: Seek out a local writing group like the Headwaters Writers' Guild.

N.B.: Your mother is a good person to sell your writing to. She will always read it. She will always buy it. Have patience. Everyone's first draft is shit. You will be writing and rewriting.

On Books & Bookstores being killed by E-books

M.R.: I think they are bouncing back now. There is a lot of pleasure to be had by the physical object. I'm not that worried.

N.B.: I'm not that worried either. We've been talking about the death of books for about a decade.

M.R.: There are more people reading poetry more than ever.

Speaking About Their Books

Nicolas Billon: Butcher is currently in development for a future film. Can't say much without giving anything away.

The language spoken in Butcher is Levinian which does not exist. In Greek tragedies violence never occurs on stage. In order to hide the violence when someone is describing the violence he needed to use a language no one can understand.

The conflict is invented though the Balkan Wars and Rwanda Genocide are alluded to.

Themes: Revenge, justice and forgiveness.

"You can have justice or you can have peace but you can't have both." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Butcher seeks out whether that quote is true. Revenge is easy to understand. We have all felt it. Justice is more abstract. Your identity can be tied up in an emotion or a drive. The idea of identity and complexity of idea is woven throughout the play.

I cannot predict an audience and their reaction. If the audience walks away with questions I think that is a good thing.

Harry Posner: When you are writing a play do you think along the lines that it would be turned into a film?

N.B.: No. I feel if a play is adapted into a film I feel it has failed. Rewriting for a film is beginning from scratch.

Nicolas Billon went on to read from "Greenland" from the Fault Lines series.

Harry Posner to Michael Redhill: What does the Giller mean for a writer? (Michael Redhill having very recently won the 2017 Soctiabank Giller prize).

M.R.: I don't know yet. It was only 2 weeks ago. It doesn't seem real yet. I was stunned when my name was called. It was weird.

Harry Posner asked Michael Redhill to discuss the winning book "Bellevue Square".

M.R.: A woman hears she has a doppelganger hanging around Toronto's Kensington Market, a place of many sub-cultures. (On where the idea came from): I just sat in the park watching the people and wondered what it would be like for me to see "me" walk into the park. The book is about a woman who walks out and sees someone sucking up her reality.

Harry Posner: What was your process?

M.R.: I don't work with outlines. I would be stymied by sticking to the path. I wasn't sure where this book was going to end up. I knew there had to be confrontation between these two characters.

Harry: Did you know it would affect the reader?

M.R.: No. The original draft was 60 pages. I cut it down to 30.

Harry:  The book moves around between multiple genres.

M.R.: Keeping the reader wrong-footed was what I had in mind.

Harry: What was the most challenging aspect of writing the book?

M.R.: I started writing it in 2010. I wrote a book I wanted to read. I wanted it to be strange and difficult. This is the first book in a triptic. The next book is called "Modern Ghosts".

Michael Redhill went on to read from "Modern Ghosts".

Audience Question: Did you know when you were writing that you were writing a triptic?

N.B.: No.

M.R.: I wrote the first one, put it in a drawer. While writing the second one I heard the first one calling me.

~~~

BookLore had the authors' books on hand for purchase and the authors took the time to meet and sign books.

The Headwaters Writers' Guild and M.J. Moores had a table set up of their books for sale.

M.J. Moores; Judy Zarowny, Patricia Gallant, Harry Posner, Diane Bator,

Sonja Wolter, Clare McCarthy representing The Headwaters Writers' Guild.

Diane Bator (HWG), Darla Fraser (Chief Librarian, Orangeville Public Library),

Michael Redhill, Harry Posner, Nicolas Billon, and Lauren Tilly (Program & Research Coordinator, Orangeville Public Library)

A huge crowd was on hand.

Another successful author event held by The Orangeville Public Library. The Headwaters Writers' Guild was honoured to be a part of it and look forward to next year's event.

Writers' Open Mic Night, April 20, 2017

The Headwaters Writers' Guild in partnership with the Orangeville Public Library held a Writers' Open Mic Night on Thursday evening. The evening was a huge success as you can see by this photo:

Our esteemed host, Spoken Word Poet and author of 4 published books, Harry Posner opened the evening with a poem he wrote, "From the Crotch of the Invisible World", a rant about the electronic world. Many thanks to Harry for being Mr. Personality.

Harry first introduced Headwaters Writers' Guild founder Nancy Rorke who shared the history of the Headwaters Writers' Guild and emphasized that new members are always welcome.

First up was HWG member Donald Bowles who read from his current work in progress.

Mike and Sandy Bergner have recently moved to Mulmur. Mike read a children's short story, "Child's Fantasy", written by Sandy.

HWG member Judy Zarowny followed with three poems: "My Face Fell Off", "Forfeit" (a sonnet), and "Old Age".

Okssana Crawley made the drive from Brampton to share her series of children's books called "Super Hammy", a box set of 15 teachables which she also illustrated.

Amanda Cirinna read from her children's short story called "Never Eat Spumoni Ice Cream Twice", the moral of which is 'don't make the same mistake twice'.

A brave 14 year old, Vanian, was introduced with her quote, "I used to be a liar but became a writer instead." She read two poems, "Heartbroken" and "Half-Brother".

Our feature reader, U.S.A. Today best selling author and HWG member Diane Bator closed out the first half with a reading from the second novel in her Gilda Wright Mysteries series of novels.

HWG member and Banner columnist Clare McCarthy started the second half of the evening reading a short story he wrote from a group writing prompt. The prompt was "He tied a rope to the bag and lowered it carefully from the second floor window at the back of the old house". The title of the story, "It's In The Bag".

Emma Pink read from her newly published book "It's Going to Be a Really Good Day" about her struggles with bi-polar disorder.

We were then blessed with a second reading from feature author Diane Bator, this time from her yet-to-be-published novel "Steeped in Trouble". This will be Diane's 10th published novel (if I haven't lost count).

Following Diane was Matt Griffin from Collingwood. Matt's writing is a little on the eccentric side. I can only describe his performance as humorous, along the lines of stand-up comedy.

Winston Uytenbogaart read a collection of poems he wrote. This was his first performance and he did great. He read two poems entitled "When I Was Young", "Leonard 11/10/16" in honor of the late Leonard Cohen, "The Red, Red Rose", "Good-Bye Old Molar", "The Festival Roadie Blues", "The Farmer", and "Leo's Song" in honor of his late brother.

M.J. Moores has published a series of novels called The Chronicles of Xannia. She delighted us with her beautiful singing voice in a-capella before reading from "Cadence of Consequences". You can check out her website at mjmoores.com.

Nancy Rorke returned to the floor to read a short story on her experience surrounding learning to ride a motorcycle.

Our final performance of the night was from former HWG member Jenn Crole who we hope will be returning to the group. She read a poem she wrote called "The Awakening".

(sorry for the poor quality as this picture is a snip from a video)

We would like to thank the Orangeville Public Library for co-hosting this event with us and for providing delicious cookies, fruit and beverages. Added props go out to group Administrator, Patricia Gallant (aka Mary Patricia Bird), pictured here with Diane Bator. She, Harry and Nancy worked hard with the Orangeville Public Library to put this event together. And thanks to Judy Zarowny for providing photography.

Thank you everyone who came out to support our writers. We hope to see you at the next Open Mic event. Stay tuned.

Why I write by Diane Bator

As I titled this short essay I wrote in our last HWG meeting, I chuckled. Memories of essays past when we'd return to school after summer vacation. "How I Spent My Summer."
Why I write is a lot more simple.

Writing to me is like opening a gift at Christmas. The initial idea starts off as a wonderful gift and as I unwrap, the whole thing becomes bigger and sometimes even better.

I've always been a writer, a daydreamer, a story teller. My life revolved around my ability to live a thousand lives and try new things vicariously through books and imagination. (You can see how I spent my summers!)

I'm constantly fascinated with a blank page or a blank canvas that I can create upon. Creating something that was never there before. I love paper and pens. The smell of a crisp new book off the shelf makes me swoon. Even the musty scents of a used bookstore sends my senses reeling.

Yes. I have a love affair with the written word and all of the tools it takes to shape each letter. My inspirations come from my life. My art often imitates my own curiosities.

What if?

What if a tornado hit town?

What if I dove off a cliff into the ocean and met a mermaid? Or a pirate?

What if I met the man of my dreams? (Don't you just love a good fairytale?)

My writing has opened up new worlds for me and introduced me to people I never would have met otherwise. I've done things I might not ever do, just to be able to write about them later. And taken things that have happened and explored them in a fictional way.

I would love to write for money. To be considered a "real" writer, but I need the distractions my life provides. The people and the experiences that shape me and my skills. I'm grateful to have a fun job, great friends, and many fabulous opportunities!

If you're a reader, keep reading.
If you're a writer, keep writing and never give up!!
Many of us have been told to quit. Told not to waste our time.
Follow your heart!!

HWG Author Book Release

HWG author Diane Bator has a new book released in her Gilda Wright Mystery series of books.

This is the 3rd book in the Series. You can find all of Diane's books on Amazon.ca.

Gratitude to a Writing Group by Diane Bator

April 2016 will mark my 9th year as a member of the Headwaters Writers' Guild. I can honestly say I owe my writing career to the amazing members of this group.

When I first joined the group, I had already been writing for many years, but always afraid to publish the things I wrote. I never believed I was good enough. The members of this group were as gracious with their praise as they were their criticisms. At each meeting, I gained strength and belief that I did have a little bit of talent and worked hard to stitch together the things I wrote to create my first novel The Bookstore Lady, which I shopped around to several publishers. In 2010, I won a writing contest sponsored by Wynterblue Publishing. From there, my writing career sprouted fledgling wings.

It wasn't until I met a lady in an online critique group that I was introduced to my current agent, Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency. Dawn sold my first book to Books We Love, Ltd and my first series, Wild Blue Mysteries, was born. What a great celebration to hold that first book in my hands and be able to share it with the rest of the group. That was quickly followed by two more books with two more on the way.

Then in 2013 I submitted a second book to my agent. In no time, we'd secured a contract from Gemma Halliday Publishing for my Gilda Wright Mystery series. As I write this, I am awaiting the release of the third book in this series on April 11, 2016.

  

I am also in the process of writing an entire new book based on Gemma Halliday's Danger Cove series. For the first time ever, one of my main characters is an English Sheepdog found by protagonist Laken Miller. Should be a fun ride!

Thank you to all of my great friends here at the HWG! Without your love and support, I wouldn't have all these great stories to share with the world. What an amazing group we have!!