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President’s Message

March 1, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as

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By OCC Co-President Sandy Novy-Chvostal

Critiquing: Sometimes a Paneful Necessity

I am a writer; words are my bred and butter. So I take great pride in insuring that I always select the right word to express my exact meaning.

Yet, despite the fact that i have a photogenic memory, even I have been known to make mistakes. I once told an editor that she was an abnormality in the business, only to have a friend quickly correct that to anomality. And although I realize that a condiment is something you put on your hot dog, and a condom on something else entirely, I’ve unfortunately traversed those two words as well.

But as bad as it is to make mistakes like these in pubic, its even worse when you make them in you’re writing. Because then the reader (and editor) is detracted from what you are trying to say.

Which is why I am so thankful to have critique partners. Along with helping me develop plot and characterization, they also help me catch those small mistakes in my books that some time slip through spell check.

But if you are a knew writer, you may not have found critique partners yet. And you may be wondering how ou can get you’re work critiqued. Well, here are a few suggestions to help you get started:

*Enter OCC’s Orange Rose Contest. The oldest, RWA chapter contest, the Orange Rose, was created to help our members get published. Every entrant receives detailed feedback from three published writers, and finalists are judged by acquiring editors. (Please see page 15.)

*First-Chapter Critique drawings. Offered monthly by our generous published authors, OCC members can enter this drawing for free at every general meeting.

*Critique Group Raffles. Still in the works, our creative Ways & Means directors are devising ways to give members the chance to “check out” how established critiqued groups function. Watch for more info in upcoming Orange Blossom issues and The Morning Juice loop.

*Stay for lunch at the meetings. There’s no better time to get get to know your fellow OCC members, and hopefully, find someone you’d like to work with–such as an all most error proof writer like me!

Happy Writing!

Sandy


Sandy Novy-Chvostal (aka Sandra Paul) has a degree in journalism, but prefers to write from the heart. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have three children, three cats, and one overgrown “puppy.” Romantic Times has labeled Sandra Paul’s work as “outrageously funny and surprisingly perceptive” while Rendezvous stated “Sandra Paul is imagination with wings.”

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WINNERS – The Worst Valentine’s Day Ever

February 28, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as

Vicki Lewis Thompson and OCC are thrilled to announce the winners of The Worst Valentine’s Day Ever contest.

But first we’d like to thank Vicki Lewis Thompson for teaming up with us and for helping make this The Best Valentine’s Contest Ever.

For even more Valentine fun, be sure to look for Vicki’s latest, My Nerdy Valentine.

Vicki Lewis Thompson is uniquely qualified to document the nerd experience and has the National Honor Society pin to prove it. Long before brains were cool, she made passes at guys who wore glasses. She eventually married one.

Being a smart man, he recommended she write romances. Being a smart woman, she wrote about romantic nerds. When Nerd in Shining Armor hit the NYT bestseller list, it validated her secret passion and confirmed what she’s always known – nerds are hot and getting hotter! The runaway success of Vicki’s nerd books indicates that we have officially entered an era of nerd love, which suits her perfectly.

And now for the winners!

But first I’d like to thank all who entered and followed along. It was great fun and we hope you come back next year.

What?

Next year’s too long to wait?

Well okay!

Come back tomorrow when we kick off A Slice of Orange, the e-zine!

That’s right!

Come back every day for lots of fun, friendship, tips and tricks for newbies and inspiration for newbies and veterans alike.

Okay…now for the winners!

First Place:

The Valentine’s Day Scale: Great, Good, Not So Good, Ugly and Get Off Me by Jen Crooks

Second Place:

Smokin’ Valentine by Rebecca Forster

Third Place:

Slip Slidin’ Away by Andrea Baker

Congratulations, girls!

Warmest regards,

Dana Diamond

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Author Talk in The OC

February 28, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as

By Jina Bacarr

Are you on the go 24/7 with your family, your writing, your emails? Did you miss the last monthly OCC/RWA meeting? Or you attended the meeting and you want to know more about our guests? OCC doesn’t have instant replay, but we have the next best thing: Video podcasts with our guests as well as OCC authors.

Check out the OCC podcast page for my series, “Author Talk in the O.C.,” video and audio podcasts that are fun and informative. In my monthly audio podcast, you’ll get all the info about our next meeting on March 10th and a sneak peak at what’s inside the Orange Blossom Newsletter. Check out all my OCC podcasts at http://www.jinabacarr.com/OCCpodcast.html

And I’ll see you at the meeting!

Best,
Jina

Jina Bacarr picked up her first microphone at the age of ten and worked in radio (deejay and commercial voiceovers) before podcasting. She’s the author of The Blonde Geisha and coming in July, Naughty Paris.

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Valentine Haiku by Michelle Thorne

February 25, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as

valentine’s day dearth
no candy or any flowers
no one to spoon…sucks

Michelle Thorne
Bearly Used Books…123
Home of A Great Read
OCC Media Director
123 So. First Street
Historic Old Puente, CA 91744
(626) 968-3700

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FROM THE HEART by By Kitty Bucholtz

February 22, 2007 by in category Archives tagged as

Not too many Valentine’s Days ago, John and I were broke and in love. No, we weren’t in college – in fact, we’d been married about ten years already. But we were still lovey-duvvy enough to want to go out and celebrate. Since Valentine’s Day fell on a Saturday that year, John came up with a great idea: we’d go to the dollar theater for a double feature!

I love movies! Any kind of movie – action, drama, romantic comedy, you name it. So I didn’t care what was playing. We just needed two films that could be watched more or less back to back. Sounded like a lovely way to spend a Saturday.

Except that I’d forgotten one little detail. John loves movies, too – but only some movies. He loves movies with lots of action and fighting. (I was so embarrassed when he laughed out loud during the heads-being–off battle scenes when we saw Braveheart opening weekend!) The only way he’s going to see a chick flick is if it’s a guy’s dream come true (movie star chases regular guy in Notting Hill) or if there’s an actor he really likes in it (Kevin Smith in Catch and Release this past weekend – which, by the way, I’m going to consider my Valentine’s Day date this year; you’ll see why soon).

We drove to the theater and stood there reading all the show times. It wasn’t a great line-up for Valentine’s Day, but hey, it’s the dollar theater.

“Hey, we could see Aliens 3, go have lunch, then come back and see The Replacement Killers,” John exclaimed with delight. (Reading over my shoulder, he says he did not exclaim with delight. Only women exclaim with delight. Trust me, he was excited.)

So I’m standing there thinking, it’s Valentine’s Day, the day you show the one you love that they’re the number one person in your life. And I love movies.

“Sure, why not?” I said with forced delight.

Two hours later, we took a break and walked over to Burger King for lunch. (Yes, Burger King.) “What’d you think?” John asked.

What I was thinking is that Sigourney Weaver was bald and saying the f-word on the most romantic day of the year. “Not as good as Aliens,” I said.

We walked back over for the next part of our date. I have to admit, I was kind of dreading the next movie. Maybe the people will have some redeeming qualities in the end, I thought, trying to be optimistic.

Um, well, kind of.

At the end of the movie, as we walked out to our car, John said, “Happy Valentine’s Day, sweetie.”

I just looked up and him and shook my head. “What part of this day had anything to do with Valentine’s Day?” I asked with a half-laugh.

“Well,” John began. “Sigourney Weaver loves her family and friends so she protected them from aliens. And in the other movie,” he paused to think. “There was a lot of blood and blood is red, so there you go!”

I heard someone snicker behind us. John flashed his fabulous grin at me. I couldn’t help it. I caved and started to laugh as he gave me a huge hug and kissed the top of my head.

I’m sure I’ve had some pretty sad Valentine’s Days in the past, but only with people I didn’t love like I love John. The fact is, when you love someone, you can choose to enjoy anything if you’re together.

Still, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I took some precautions this year. I bought the Trojan Pleasure Pack today. Regardless of what movie we see or whatever else we may do, I know the day will at least end well!

Kitty Bucholtz is an OCC RWA member, a 16-year veteran of the marriage wars, and currently writing a chick lit novel about a married woman who discovers she has a super power.

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