Sally Paradysz, November Featured Author
November 7, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Featured author, Memoir, Sally Paradysz, Short Stories
In memory of Sally Paradysz
by
Carol L. Wright
Sal was at the first-ever meeting of the Bethlehem Writers Group in 2006. She had written several vignettes that she hoped would be inspirational, and brought them to the group for a critique. I remember it well. We had never met before, and here was a bright-eyed, white-haired woman with short bits of writing on several aspects of life and spirituality. The only problem was . . . they came across as preachy.
All of us who knew Sal know she was never preachy—but that’s how her writing came across. And that’s what we told her.
Instead of being discouraged, she went home and tinkered with them some more. At the next meeting she brought another draft, then another and another at the meetings that followed. She told us later that after each meeting she would go home and Mel would ask, did they like this one better? She just shook her head. Nope.
But, in true Sal fashion, she never gave up. She kept writing until she finally found her voice—by writing about her life. And when she did, she wrote from her heart.
One of the first such stories was about being in her writing cabin and looking out the window to discover that someone had stolen her Vespa. In her story, she went through the stages of grief over losing her beloved scooter, only to find as she walked back to her house . . . that she had parked it somewhere else.
Sal could laugh at herself.
[tweetshare tweet=”In Memory of Sally Paradysz by Carol L. Wright @GracieWriter ” username=”A_SliceofOrange”]
Once she found her voice she wrote about nature. She wrote about recovery. She wrote about strong women, good friends, and spirituality. And then she combined the best of all of them when she wrote about building her house.
It took her years to complete her memoir, From Scratch: Why I Walked Away from My Life and Built This Home. At first, it was hard for her to share her private pain with members of the writers group—let alone imagine sharing it with the world. But every time she gave more of herself to her story, she lent it a truth that, when published, helped others in pain to find their path to healing.
When she finally published the book, all of the writers group family celebrated. And, in the months that followed, she learned that her words were inspirational—and anything but preachy.
She stayed with our writers group for the rest of her life. Over the years, Sal became so much more than a fellow writer. She became a cherished friend.
We are so happy to have been part of her journey, and feel very blessed that she was a part of ours.
Sally Paradysz wrote from a book-lined cabin in the woods beside the home she built from scratch. She was an ordained minister of the Assembly of the Word, founded in 1975. For two decades, she provided spiritual counseling and ministerial assistance. Sal completed undergraduate and graduate courses in business and journalism. She took courses at NOVA, and served as a hotline, hospital, and police interview volunteer in Bucks County, PA. She was definitely owned by her two Maine Coon cats, Kiva and Kodi.
Sal is missed by all who knew her.
OCC And Me by @lindaojohnston #amwritingromance #cozymysteries
November 6, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Pets, Romance & Lots of Suspense by Linda O. Johnston tagged as Birthday Bash, OCCRWA, RWA
OCC’s most recent Birthday Bash occurred between my last post and this one. Happy Birthday, OCC! I did attend the main events on that Saturday, although I didn’t stay overnight and I missed the pajama parties.
But getting together with fellow members, hearing the speakers, participating in drawings–it was all wonderful! I’m a long-time member of OCC, although there are plenty of others who’ve belonged even longer. I love the chapter and am good buddies with quite a few of the members.
Right now, I just want to say thanks to all of you who put the Birthday Bash together, and those of you who do such a wonderful job of running the chapter. Yay, OCC!
Linda
[tweetshare tweet=”OCC And Me by @lindaojohnston #amwritingromance #cozymysteries” username=”A_SliceofOrange”]
Linda O. Johnston, a former lawyer who is now a full-time writer, has published 52 books so far, including mysteries and romantic novels. More than twenty-five of them are romances for Harlequin, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense and Harlequin Nocturne. Her latest release is Colton 911: Caught in the Crossfire, for Harlequin Romantic Suspense.
She has also written several mystery series including the Barkery & Biscuits Mysteries and Superstition Mysteries for Midnight Ink, and the Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter Mysteries and Pet Rescue Mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime. Nearly all Linda’s current stories involve dogs!
Linda enjoys hearing from readers. Visit her website at www.LindaOJohnston.com and friend her on Facebook.
November Featured Author: Sally Paradysz #amreading on @A_SliceofOrange
November 1, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Featured Author of the Month tagged as Featured author, Sally Paradysz
November Featured Author: Sally Paradysz
This month’s Featured Author is a bittersweet event for me. Sweet, because I am so pleased to share Sally Paradysz with the world. But bitter, because Sal died, unexpectedly, two weeks ago while on vacation in her beloved Maine.
Sal was a regular contributor in this new incarnation of A Slice of Orange. She was, in fact, one of the first authors I ask to write for us. She blogged about writing and life and nature on the thirteenth of every month. Sal was wise, friendly, and so kind that I can’t recall hearing her say an unkind word about anyone. I will miss her. I know it’s a cliché, but the word is a dimmer place without Sal. I offer my profound condolences to her partner Mel and her children and grandchildren. Sal’s family asked that instead of flowers or donations that people do a random act of kindess for someone in need.
If you haven’t read Sal’s book or one of her short stories, I hope you take the time to do so. Each one offers a gentle lesson on life.
Marianne
Sally Paradysz wrote from a book-lined cabin in the woods beside the home she built from scratch. She was an ordained minister of the Assembly of the Word, founded in 1975. For two decades, she provided spiritual counseling and ministerial assistance. Sal completed undergraduate and graduate courses in business and journalism. She took courses at NOVA, and served as a hotline, hospital, and police interview volunteer in Bucks County, PA. She was definitely owned by her two Maine Coon cats, Kiva and Kodi.
Sal is missed by all who knew her.
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Featured Author: Alina K. Field #amreading @A_SliceofOrange
October 28, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Featured Author, Featured Author of the Month tagged as Alina K. Field, new release, October Featured Author of the Month, Regency romance, The Viscount's Seduction
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Award winning author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but her true passion is the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California and hasn’t looked back. She shares a midcentury home with her husband, her spunky, blonde, rescued terrier, and the blue-eyed cat who conned his way in for dinner one day and decided the food was too good to leave.
She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. She is hard at work on her next series of Regency romances, but loves to hear from readers!
Visit her at:
http://alinakfield.com/
https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield
https://twitter.com/AlinaKField
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field
https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/
https://www.instagram.com/alinak.field/
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field
Scrivener Basics for the Confused and Terrified Writer @ElenaDillon #amwriting #NaNoWriMo2017
October 24, 2017 by marianne h donley in category Events, Online Classes tagged as Elena Dillon, NanoWriMo2017, Online Classes, ScrivenerScrivener Basics for the Confused & Terrified Writer
Elena Dillon from the Confused &Terrified Writer has launched a FREE Scrivener class. The above links to a quick video overview of the free class! Just click the “watch promo” button.
[tweetshare tweet=”Free! Scrivener Basics for the Confused & Terrified Writer” username=”A_SliceofOrange”]
About the class:
We’re coming up on NaNoWriMo like a freight train and I know everyone is getting nervous and excited. In honor of National Novel Writing Month, I’ve launched a free Scrivener class to help get your first document either set up or exported into Scrivener along with tips and tricks on that make Scrivener a powerful productivity tool.
Along with this if you sign up for the class you will have access to my free Confused and Terrified Writer Facebook Group where you can ask questions, get help with your writing projects and we support each other through this fabulous but difficult journey!
It covers how to set up your first document along with tips and tricks on that make Scrivener a powerful productivity tool.
The course is “on demand” which means you can watch each video lesson when you want and as often as you want.
About your instructor:
I’m Elena Dillon, an author of the award winning Young Adult “Breathe” series. When I’m not writing, I love to help my author friends with technology and social media. I’ve taught the Social Media for the Confused and Terrified, Pinterest for the Confused and Terrified, Visual Content for Authors and spoken at numerous conferences, chapters and groups about social media and indie publishing.
Most of the time, I’m busy being a wife to my husband of twenty-six years, mom to my two grown kids and servant to my high-maintenance English bulldog, Brutus while I wait, not so patiently, for grandbabies.
And the link again is: https://confused-and-terrified-writer.teachable.com/p/scrivener-basics
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