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Scholarship Established for Local Writer

Summer in Words, an annual writing conference on the Oregon coast is now affiliated with the Hoffman Center in Manzanita. As part of this affiliation, funds are being raised so that Holly , a Hoffman Center instructor, can attend the conference. Additionally, a raffle sponsored by the conference will support the Hoffman Center, including their summer arts camp where Lorincz will be teaching writing to teens.

The amount for her scholarship is $265. If additional funds are raised SIW will also offer Lorincz a manuscript critique by a developmental editor. In addition, raffle items related to writing are being accepted, with a special interest in a local business offering a writer’s retreat lodging on the Oregon coast.

Holly Lorincz grew up on the Columbia River and now lives on the north Oregon coast. She taught high school language arts for 15 years at Neah-Kah-Nie High School while at the same time coaching an award-winning speech and debate team. She was the Oregon Speech Educator of the year in 2007 and has twice received Outstanding Educator awards from the National Federation of High Schools. She helped the speech team grow from zero to forty members in a school with 200 students, achieved three State Championships with seven of her competitors earning individual State Champion trophies, and served on the Oregon Speech & Debate State Committee Board for ten years.

Two years ago, Holly was forced to leave teaching when she contracted mononucleosis. The underlying Epstein Barr Virus has morphed into Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, leaving her to battle physical and mental fatigue — a language arts specialist with a virus attached to her communications and short-term memory. No longer able to teach, she redefined herself as a novelist. Sometimes able to write only a sentence a day, sometimes a paragraph, but she writes. She dabbles in short story and poetry, loves writing children’s books with her six year old Auggie, and recently finished her first fiction novel, Smart Mouth.

Her website is at http://hollylorincz.wordpress.com/

Funds can be sent via PayPal or mailed to Summer in Words, P.O. Box 820141, Portland, OR 97282-1141. Contact Jessica Morrell at 503 287-2150 or jessicapage@spiritone.com for details about the scholarship or raffle. Donors will be included in the Summer in Words written program unless they wish to remain anonymous.

Summer in Words is an annual writing conference held on the Oregon Coast. Chelsea Cain is the keynote speaker joining a group of award-winning and stellar professionals for a weekend that will inspire writers at all levels. The theme for this year’s conference is Refinement, Resonance & Renewal. SIW provides aspiring and established writers the opportunity to hone their writing skills, hear inspiring advice, and network with fellow writers. Cost for all three days is $265.00; single day pricing is also available.

Both beginning and established writers are invited to attend the conference. SIW will also feature a raffle with proceeds going to Hoffman Center a facility that provides arts in Manzanita and Write Around Portland, an organization that helps people transform their lives through writing. The conference is located at the Hallmark Inn & Resort located in midtown Cannon Beach overlooking Haystack Rock. Cloud & Leaf Bookstore of Manzanita will be selling books at the event.

Visit any of the instructors’ websites or blogs:

Chelsea Cain http://chelseacain.com/

Sage Cohen http://pathofpossibility.com/

Jessica Glenn http://mindbuckmedia.com/contact.shtml

Cathy Lamb http://www.cathylamb.net/

Jessica Morrell: www.jessicamorrell.com

Naseem Rakha http://www.naseemrakha.com/

Bruce Holland Rogers http://www.shortshortshort.com/

The registration fee of $265 covers tuition for the three-day conference, Friday night’s reception, Saturday lunch and keynote, and light breakfasts each morning. Friday night’s Writer’s Reception and the Saturday lunch and keynote are $25.

About Summer in Words: Founded in 2008 by Jessica Morrell Summer in Words was created to provide writers with an intimate conference experience in an uplifting setting so that attendees are energized, enlightened, and inspired. Jessica Morrell is the author of five books for writers and Voices From the Street which is about homeless people in Portland, Oregon

LINKS TO PUBLICATIONS AND ARTICLES about Holly Lorincz:

Poetry http://hoffmanblog.org/http:/hoffmanblog.org/category/squid

Blog http://hollylorincz.blogspot.com/

Article http://www.upperleftedge.com/2012/05/14/5-reasons-chronic-illness-is-fabulous/

Poetry Award http://www.writersdigest.com/poetryawards

Educator Award http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=3917

http://www.tillamookheadlightherald.com/news/article_c3a6f5d9-d495-53d2-ba56-f16b237d16b4.html

http://northcoastcitizen.com/pirate_pride/news/article_f32136c6-232f-11e0-bf69-001cc4c03286.html

 

Summer in Words Writing Conference June 15-17

We wanted to pass a long a great opportunity for writers of all levels to learn from some of the best in their field…

Best-selling author Chelsea Cain will headline the roster for the 5th annual Summer In Words Writers Conference at the Hallmark Inn & Resort in Cannon Beach, Oregon. A full weekend of workshops, lectures, panels and individual consults will inspire writers at all levels. The theme for this year’s conference is Refinement, Resonance & Renewal. SIW provides aspiring and established writers the opportunity to hone their writing skills, hear inspiring advice, and network with fellow writers. Cost for all three days is $265.00; single day pricing is also available.

This year’s conference kicks off Friday morning, June 15th with workshops taught by Jessica Morrell, Bruce Holland Rogers and Naseem Rakha. Friday’s workshops will be followed by a reception and book signing with books from Cloud & Leaf Bookstore and a talk by Sage Cohen. Saturday features workshops by Jessica Glenn, Sage Cohen, and Cathy Lamb and a luncheon and keynote by Chelsea Cain. Saturday night is Out Loud, a chance for participants to read from a work in process. Sunday morning includes a workshop by Jessica Morrell, Cathy Lamb describing her road to best sellerdom, and a Q & A on Risk It to Get Published.

Conference founder Jessica Morrell said, “We are excited to celebrate the fifth year of Summer in Words with such a stellar line up of speakers and workshops. I’m especially looking forward to Chelsea’s talk on how to murder for money. Of course, she’s talking about writing her thriller series. This year’s workshops and talks will give writers a big advantage in today’s ever-changing publishing landscape.”

Both beginning and established writers are invited to attend the conference. SIW will also feature a raffle with proceeds going to Write Around Portland, an organization that helps people transform their lives through writing and the Hoffman Center a facility that provides arts in Manzanita.

Cannon Beach, Oregon is vibrant community on Oregon’s coast known for its love of the arts and books. The Hallmark Inn & Resort is located in midtown and overlooks Haystack Rock. Discounted room rates are available for conference participants. Cloud & Leaf Bookstore will be selling books at the event.

Visit any of the instructors’ websites or blogs:

Chelsea Cain http://chelseacain.com/

Sage Cohen http://pathofpossibility.com

Jessica Glenn http://mindbuckmedia.com/contact.shtml

Cathy Lamb http://www.cathylamb.net/

Jessica Morrell: http://jessicamorrell.com/

Naseem Rakha http://www.naseemrakha.com

Bruce Holland Rogers http://www.shortshortshort.com

The registration fee of $265 covers tuition for the three-day conference, Friday night’s reception, Saturday lunch and keynote, and light breakfasts each morning. Friday night’s Writer’s Reception and the Saturday lunch and keynote are $25.

Contact Jessica Morrell at 503 287-2150 to arrange an interview with any of the presenters.

About Summer in Words: Founded in 2008 by Jessica Morrell Summer in Words was created to provide writers with an intimate conference experience in an uplifting setting so that attendees are energized, enlightened, and inspired. Jessica Morrell is the author of Thanks, But This isn’t for Us, Bullies, Bastards & Bitches, How to Write the Bad Guys in Fiction, The Writer’s I Ching, Wisdom for the Writing Life, Voices From the Street, Between the Lines, Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction Writing, and Writing Out the Storm.

For the complete schedule or any information or to register, contact conference coordinator Jessica Morrell at 503 287-2150 or jessicapage@spiritone.com or conference assistant Mary Drew at mary.drw@gmail.com

Registrations can be mailed to Summer in Words, P.O. Box 820141, Portland, OR 97282-1141. Payment can also be sent through PayPal.

Website is http://summerinwords.wordpress.com

Chelsea Cain reads from The Night Season Saturday November 5 during the Dark & Stormy Beach Weekend

Thriller author, Chelsea Cain will read from her new book on Nov 5. Photo by Laura Domela.

So, who is Chelsea Cain and why does she write gory thrillers?

New York Times Bestselling author Chelsea Cain will read from her latest book The Night Season at 7 pm Saturday November 5.

Caine’s Portland-based thrillers, described by The New York Times as “steamy and perverse,” have been published in over 30 languages, recommended on “The Today Show,” appeared in episodes of HBO’s “True Blood” and ABC’s “Castle,” named among Stephen King’s top ten favorite books of the year, and included in NPR’s list of the top 100 thrillers ever written. According to Booklist, “Popular entertainment just doesn’t get much better than this.”

So how did this “Queen of serial-killer fiction” (Kirkus Reviews) get into writing gory books? Here’s the start of an explanation.

“In retrospect I always had a fascination with the macabre.

It started with the pet cemetery. A kitten of mine was hit by a car and I buried her in an elaborate ceremony under the Rhododendron bush in our front yard in Bellingham, Washington. Months later, I came across a dead bird. I picked it up, put it in my lunchbox, carried it home and buried it under the Rhododendron.

Eventually kids in the neighborhood started hearing about the cemetery and would appear at my door cradling their dead pets. By the end of that year I had buried fifteen birds, three cats, a hamster, a rabbit, a chicken, and about a dozen gold fish. Each corpse was laid in a shoebox, cushioned with toilet paper, and presented with a piece of costume jewelry from a collection that someone had given me. I would then bury the box and say a few words to whoever was present. I had a special vintage ladies hat I would wear for the occasion. It was black, with white silk flowers piled on it, and a torn black net veil.

I was not an ordinary child.”

Get the idea that Cain won’t be an “ordinary reader?” To find out more about how the Green River Killer, Nancy Drew and TV cops shows headed Cain down the path of gory thrillers join us on November 5.

After Chelsea’s reading and Q&A we’ll have our popular Open Mic focused on the theme of “It was a dark and stormy night” at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita.

Admission for the evening is $5.

The weekend is a joint event of the Manzanita Writers’ Series/Hoffman Center and the Manzanita Business Alliance, and is made possible in part by a grant from the Tillamook County Cultural Coalition.