MAIDEN RUN by Joan L. Cannon is published and available from book stores

My friend, Joan L. Cannon, who lives in Morganton, NC is the author of two novels, SETTLING and MAIDEN RUN. She tells me that Maiden Run which was first an E-book, has now been published in paper. As anyone who has written a novel knows, the writing is just the beginning of having your book reach the reading public.
Joan says on , Hilltop Notes,
When you love your story as it unfolds under your fingers, completing it feels like a mixed blessing. When you then wonder whether it will ever see the light of day, you can begin to regard it as a curse. Nobody who writes for publication will fail to understand what I mean.


When the Adams family is approached on an ordinary summer day in 1935 by a pair of representatives of a mining company about investigating the family farm for deposits of natural gas or oil, none of them suspect this will be the pivotal summer of their lives, as they strive to save the land and its heritage.



A second theme is that of the destruction of beauty in nature, of tradition and history in the name of "progress."


Filled with a cast of colorful characters surrounded by the beauty that is rural America, written with the engaging style of a natural storyteller, Maiden Run will call to your own story of roots that can't be pulled thoughtlessly from the ground, and the love between siblings.

Three members of the same family with three vastly different views of their places at Maiden Run and just as varied views on life, find themselves changed over thirty years. Each must find a way to continue without the home to which they have always been able to return.

You can find Cannon's book, MAIDEN RUN, and excerpts from the book on the website of the publisher, Write Words, Inc
ISBN 1-59431-801-8 Fiction / Women's Contemporary as well as on http://www.amazon.com/.  It can be read on Kindle. Local book sellers can order it.

Networking by Glenda Beall

How important is networking in the literary world of North Carolina? Some people attend the NCWN Fall Conference to network with other writers, agents, editors and publishers, as well as to take advantage of the opportunity to learn more about the craft of writing.
Networking happens at small and at large events, in workshops and at picnics, at readings and every other place where writers congregate. Any time writers communicate with each other, in person or online, an opportunity may arise for a beneficial outcome. This happened recently for a Netwest member who posted an essay on http://www.netwestwriters.blogspot.com/.
Joan L Cannon, author of two novels, lives in Morganton, NC. Shortly after the Netwest web log came online, Joan contacted us inquiring how she might promote her book, Settling. For many of us in rural areas, it is difficult to travel and find opportunities to read and sign books, especially if we are not youngsters. Joan has become a wonderful friend, but most of all, she is a terrific writer and her work deserves to be read.
Joan was encouraged to post her book on ncwriters.org at Book Buzz. She already had a website, but set up a blog as well, http://www.hilltopnotes.blogspot.com/. She leaves comments on posts by our members on http://www.netwestwriters.blogspot.com/. On our recommendation, Joan clicked on http://www.seniorwomen.com/ and read the work of the fabulous writers there. In a short time, Joan had become a regular contributor for Senior Women. Read her essays twice a month.
Our Haywood County Representative, John Malone, author of two historical novels based on his family from Ireland, posted on the Netwest web log, a well-written article about a medical incident he suffered last year. He received a number of comments complimenting his work. Joan has never met John. But she saw his work online and she liked it. Joan L. Cannon sent to Tam Gray, her editor at Senior Women, the link to John’s post. Tam Gray liked what she saw. Now John Malone is the “token male” on the Senior Women site. He will give readers a different perspective from the women writers.
All of us, wherever we are on the ladder of success, benefit by helping others. Most successful writers are generous writers. By networking we learn not only what might help us along the way, but how we may help others. Thank you Joan L Cannon and John Malone.



Read John's essay, "Retirement Odyssey," soon at www.seniorwomen.com