Member News

Celebrating the accomplishments of our members

Have some news of your own to share? Email newsletter [at] kwawriters.org or visit our Contact Us page to fill out a form that will submit your news to the newsletter editor. Choose “Newsletter Submission” in the list of Message Subjects.

Everett Robert, member of KWA and Dramatists Guild of America, had his children’s one-act play The Absolutely True Story of Tom Sawyer as Told By Becky Thatcher produced by the Hill City, KS summer children’s theater program sponsored by the Graham County Arts Council, Graham County Rec Department and Graham County Community Foundation. Directed by fellow KWA member Bill Goodwin and starring students of the Hill City school district and McPherson College. It premiered July 3 and 4 at the Frontier Stage, Hill City, KS.

Heather Cashman

Heather Anne Houston Cashman appeared in an interview at Sugar, Spice and Everything Paranormal about her book Perception, a postapocalyptic sci-fi, which is part of her Tigers’ Eye Trilogy. Her website is HeatherCashman.com.


Starla Criser, aka Starla Kaye, had two book covers as ads in RT Book Reviews magazines recently. The cover for Maggie’s Secret Wish, from Decadent Publishing, appeared in the August issue. The cover for Their Lady Gloriana, from Black Velvet Seductions, appeared in the September issue.

Conrad Jestmore‘s mystery River of Murder has been published as an ebook. It is available to sample for free, or to purchase and download to your computer, Kindle, or Nook at http://www.smashwords.com/b/63121. It will also be available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.

Kelly Johnston’s poem “Mountains of Memories” won third place in the 2011 Kansas Authors Club District 2 Poetry contest.

Starla Criser, aka Starla Kaye, is now hosting guest romance authors on her website’s blog on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. You are invited to stop by and read the posts at http://starlakaye.com.

Gordon Kessler has announced his latest thriller novel, Brainstorm, was released in audiobook July 15 and should be available from iTunes. This follows the novel’s e-book release in June in all of the most popular formats including Kindle, Kobo, Nook, and Sony, for tablets like iPad and Xoom, and even cell phone applications. His novels Dead Reckoning and Jezebel have also been released as e-books, along with his short stories “Jack Knight” and “Toothpick for Two.” All three of his novels and his two short stories can be found on www.Amazon.com, www.ReadersMatrix.com and www.Smashwords.com. Additionally, his novels are available in paperback and hardcover through Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Borders. Gordon states that the recent advent of e-book publishing along with print-on-demand, or POD, have given “indie writers” opportunities that could not have been imagined only a year ago, allowing them to compete with brand-name and bestselling authors. Gordon plans to hold e-book publishing and promotion strategy sessions after the monthly KWA meetings at the Green Mill Restaurant at Kellogg and Rock Road in Wichita. He invites all KWA members and other writers interested in e-book and independent publishing to attend. You can find more info on his websites, www.GordonKessler.com and www.ReadersMatrix.com (where you can soon view actual book trailers of all three of his novels), on www.IndieWritersAlliance.com and www.WritersMatrix.com, and follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gordon.kessler1, LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/pub/gordonkessler/27/420/626, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gordonkessler, or email him at Gordon@gordonkessler.com.

Gary Cummings won second honorable mention in the OWFI 2011 contest’s Mystery Suspense Novel category with Breaking In.

Bill Goodwin won first place in the OWFI 2011 contest’s Play/Film/TV Script category with Millennium Madness.

Erin Perry O’Donnell‘s article “Clubhouse Scholar” was published in the June issue of the LION, the official magazine of Lions Clubs International. Another article, “Be Your Own Brand,” came out in the Spring issue of Texas Meetings + Events magazine.

Ray “Grizzly” Racobs was awarded first place in two separate categories with this year’s Kansas Authors Club District #2 contest. His short story “A Bird in the Hand” took first in Children’s Story by Adult Author and his commentary piece “The Pursuit of Happiness” took first as a Feature Article.

Starla Criser, aka Starla Kaye, has sold two novellas to Decadent Publishing. Maggie’s Secret Wish and Starting Over will be published later in 2011. In addition, she has her first book video out for Their Lady Gloriana. Click here to watch!

Bonnie D. Tharp shares that her Active Aging article “Reliving history from the undergarments out” won second place in the 2011 Kansas Professional Communications contest.

Bonnie Eaton, aka B J Myrick, a former KWA member, won third place in the OWFI 2011 Contest’s Western Novel category for Pioneer of No Man’s Land.

Hazel Hart, a former KWA member, won first place in the OWFI 2011 Contest’s Short-Short Story category for “Flashes.”

Starla Criser, writing as Starla Kaye, has a medieval romance, Their Lady Gloriana, that will be released May 16 from Black Velvet Seductions. She will be the guest blogger on 10 different blogs as part of a tour from May 17 to 31, have a book trailer released, and have a book launch party at Author Island on May 18.

Carol Martin writes: “I got a $5 check in the mail last week. ‘Big whoop!’ you say. Indeed, but it marks a beginning in my writing career. That $5 was the prize money I was awarded for taking third place in the Kansas Authors Club-District 3 Literary Contest. My inspirational piece ‘Your House is on Fire’ was the entry. (You can find it in the March 7, 2011, entry at www.fim-carol.blogspot.com.) Now, what to do with all that loot? Maybe I’ll just frame it.”

Diane Wahto is the winner of this year’s “New Voice Award” from the Salina Arts and Humanities Commission. She was featured in the 28th annual Salina Spring Poetry Reading Series in April.

Ray “Grizzly” Racobs won first place in the new essay contest sponsored by OWFI. Their newsletter, The Report, features a photo on the back cover. Entrants write a short story based on the photo. Racob’s winning entry, “Keep on Walking,” from the Winter edition, is featured in the Spring 2011 edition.

Starla Criser, writing as Starla Kaye, will have her medieval romance, Their Lady Gloriana, released from Black Velvet Seductions in mid-May.

Starla Criser, writing as S.K. Fero, will have her previously serialized contemporary romantic suspense, Buying Trouble, published as an eBook with Blushing Books in April.

Ray “Grizzly” Racobs had a Letter to the Editor printed in the Dec. 18 Wichita Eagle. This was the third printed comment out of four sent in by the author/humor columnist during 2010. By the way, there’s a Holiday Special sale for his “Oro” books featured on www.grizzlysbooks.com

Starla Criser, writing as Starla Kaye, had two anthologies of her short stories published in November. Her Cowboy’s Way was published by Black Velvet Seductions, and North Pole Magic is from Blushing Books. www.starlakaye.com

Conrad Jestmore’s article “Go the Distance” was accepted for publication in the winter issue of the Reiki News Magazine. It details his use of Reiki techniques to help animals overcome medical and emotional problems. www.animalreikitherapy.com

Sonny Collins’s new book, Illumination, has been published by Prairie Moon Publications & Lulu Press. It is inspirational poetry and a Christmas novella together in one book, available in either hardcover or paperback.

Mike Klaassen publishes a free, monthly e-zine about the craft of writing fiction. You may subscribe to “For Fiction Writers” at Mike’s website, www.mikeklaassen.com.

Jennifer Sparlin’s historical fantasy novel for young adults and up, The Sea at Mughain, got a short but very favorable review in Issue 75 of Renaissance Magazine. The book is available at www.genremall.com.

B.D. Tharp’s novel Feisty Family Values was a finalist in the “Best Books 2010” Awards sponsored by USA Book News. www.bdtharp.com