Writers and poets in the far western mountain area of North Carolina and bordering counties of South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee post announcements, original work and articles on the craft of writing.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Celebrate Nancy Simpson
Nancy Simpson celebrates her 100th post on her blog, Living Above the Frost Line. Look at the photo on her page today of some Netwest members back in 1998 when we soaked up Nancy's gifts in her classes at Tri-County Community College. Can you name those writers?
Friday, May 29, 2009
NETWEST SUPPORTS INDEPENDENT BOOK STORES
Curiosity Shop Bookstores in Murphy and Andrews, NC
sent their upcoming events list.
Friday, 5/29 - 5-7pm Hondo will be playing music at The Shoppes of Murphy.
5pm - Relay for Life in Konehete Park, Murphy
Saturday, 5/30 3-4pm The Bear Notes will play music at our Andrews location.
Saturday, 6/6 11:00am-1:00pm Senator Zell Miller will be in our Murphy store to sign his book, Purt Nigh Gone
The Murphy Spring Fest takes place that day downtown.
(If you can't be here that day and want him to sign a book, you may purchase in advance and we'll take care of it)!
Saturday, 6/13 11am-1pm Senator Zell Miller will be in our Andrews store.
Saturday, 6/20 6pm - 11pm Andrews "Cruise Night". Join us on our deck to watch the action!!
Saturday, 6/27 - Andrews Cultural Art Center Garden Tour
also, Andrews Music Festival
sent their upcoming events list.
Friday, 5/29 - 5-7pm Hondo will be playing music at The Shoppes of Murphy.
5pm - Relay for Life in Konehete Park, Murphy
Saturday, 5/30 3-4pm The Bear Notes will play music at our Andrews location.
Saturday, 6/6 11:00am-1:00pm Senator Zell Miller will be in our Murphy store to sign his book, Purt Nigh Gone
The Murphy Spring Fest takes place that day downtown.
(If you can't be here that day and want him to sign a book, you may purchase in advance and we'll take care of it)!
Saturday, 6/13 11am-1pm Senator Zell Miller will be in our Andrews store.
Saturday, 6/20 6pm - 11pm Andrews "Cruise Night". Join us on our deck to watch the action!!
Saturday, 6/27 - Andrews Cultural Art Center Garden Tour
also, Andrews Music Festival
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Waynesville book store - Osondu's coming events
This week's events at Osondu's books in Waynesville, NC
Friday the 29th
@ 7:00 p.m. tea tasting
Saturday the 30th
@ 11:00 a.m. tea tasting
@ 3:00 p.m. meet the author Sarah Addison Allen
Sarah Addison is the author of Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen. Come out support Sarah by attending her signing. If you have never read her books or met her you will be so happy you came. If you have read and met her you will be thrilled to see her again. :)
@7:00 p.m Music with Lorraine Conard
This is our last Saturday night of music. So come in join us in thanking Lorraine for the year of music she has provided on Saturdays.
We will see Lorraine on many of the Friday Art after Dark evenings.
Tuesday June 2nd
@10:00 a.m. Mystery Book Club first meeting. All our welcome.
Friday the 29th
@ 7:00 p.m. tea tasting
Saturday the 30th
@ 11:00 a.m. tea tasting
@ 3:00 p.m. meet the author Sarah Addison Allen
Sarah Addison is the author of Garden Spells and The Sugar Queen. Come out support Sarah by attending her signing. If you have never read her books or met her you will be so happy you came. If you have read and met her you will be thrilled to see her again. :)
@7:00 p.m Music with Lorraine Conard
This is our last Saturday night of music. So come in join us in thanking Lorraine for the year of music she has provided on Saturdays.
We will see Lorraine on many of the Friday Art after Dark evenings.
Tuesday June 2nd
@10:00 a.m. Mystery Book Club first meeting. All our welcome.
Squire Summer Writing Residency to be held in WNC
Western North Carolina Writers - Now is the perfect time to sign up for the Squire Summer Writing Residency at Warren Wilson College, near Asheville.
North Carolina Writers’ Network
SQUIRE SUMMER WRITING RESIDENCY
Friday–Sunday, July 24–26
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, NC
Writing Workshops Featuring:
Poetry with Cathy Smith Bowers
Fiction with Tommy Hays
Nonfiction with Catherine Reid
Register by July 8 at http://www.ncwriters.org/ or call 336-293-8844.
North Carolina Writers’ Network
SQUIRE SUMMER WRITING RESIDENCY
Friday–Sunday, July 24–26
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, NC
Writing Workshops Featuring:
Poetry with Cathy Smith Bowers
Fiction with Tommy Hays
Nonfiction with Catherine Reid
Register by July 8 at http://www.ncwriters.org/ or call 336-293-8844.
SILVER BOOMER BOOKS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Silver Boomer Books issues a Call for Submission
Two anthologies - be sure to check these links.
http://silverboomerbooks.com/submissions.htm
http://www.eaglewingspress.com/guidelines.htm
Karen Greene
abilenewritersguild.org
writing as:Kerin Riley Bishop
silverboomerbooks.com
silverboomers.com
frecklestowrinkles.com
Two anthologies - be sure to check these links.
http://silverboomerbooks.com/submissions.htm
http://www.eaglewingspress.com/guidelines.htm
Karen Greene
abilenewritersguild.org
writing as:Kerin Riley Bishop
silverboomerbooks.com
silverboomers.com
frecklestowrinkles.com
New Anthology is making progress
The new Netwest anthology will have a lovely cover, I'm sure, although it hasn't yet been chosen. Photos are coming each day and I get excited to see what the next envelope will hold.
Work on the book is moving along as CDs have been mailed to Nancy Simpson, Editor. Each story, essay or poem will be proof-read several times before all are combined into one file to go to Katje, Karen Holmes daughter, who will format the book for the printer. It will take many weeks, many hours of reading, and more reading before the manuscript is complete.
If your work was selected for the anthology, and if you cannot make a CD with your work and a fifty word bio, please contact Nancy
and we will work out something so that your poem or prose piece will not be left out.
Work on the book is moving along as CDs have been mailed to Nancy Simpson, Editor. Each story, essay or poem will be proof-read several times before all are combined into one file to go to Katje, Karen Holmes daughter, who will format the book for the printer. It will take many weeks, many hours of reading, and more reading before the manuscript is complete.
If your work was selected for the anthology, and if you cannot make a CD with your work and a fifty word bio, please contact Nancy
and we will work out something so that your poem or prose piece will not be left out.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
NETWEST MEMBER, JACK JOSEPH PRATHER RECEIVES RAVE REVIEWS

Jack Joseph Prather, author and poet, is reading and signing his highly praised new novel - The Day of the Knights.
Saturday, June 13th from 11:30-2 p.m. at Mike's On Main, Main Street and Third Avenue, Hendersonville, NC
Tuesday, August 18th from noon-1:30 at the Lanier Library, Chestnut Street, Tryon, NC
Thursday, August 20th from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Henderson County Library, Washington Street, Hendersonville, NC
Be sure to check out Jack's website: http://www.jackjosephprather.com/
Order The Day of the Knights from Amazon.com and other sites you will find on Jack's website.
One reviewer asks for a sequel, and others say this book is impossible to put down. A page-turner, it seems. If you have read Jack Joseph Prather's books, please leave a comment.
Saturday, June 13th from 11:30-2 p.m. at Mike's On Main, Main Street and Third Avenue, Hendersonville, NC
Tuesday, August 18th from noon-1:30 at the Lanier Library, Chestnut Street, Tryon, NC
Thursday, August 20th from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Henderson County Library, Washington Street, Hendersonville, NC
Be sure to check out Jack's website: http://www.jackjosephprather.com/
Order The Day of the Knights from Amazon.com and other sites you will find on Jack's website.
One reviewer asks for a sequel, and others say this book is impossible to put down. A page-turner, it seems. If you have read Jack Joseph Prather's books, please leave a comment.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Candy Maier Scholarship Fund

Recently Gwendie Camp and Cheryl Dietrich drove down to join Mary Jo Dyre who acts as a liaison for the Candy Fund, and her guests, Mary Ricketson and Glenda Beall to discuss the future of the new non-profit charity over lunch at Shoebooties' restaurant in Murphy. In the three years this fund has been active, they have raised $11,000 and given out 50 scholarships totaling $8, 000.
They are ready now to develop a website, send out a newsletter and hold a series of fundraisers. Gwendie says they have volunteer positions available on the Board of Directors and for regional coordinators to reach out beyond the boundaries of Asheville to women south and north of Buncombe county.
We offered our support from Netwest because we believe this to be a needed organization. The Candy Maier Fund provided scholarships to several of our members in the past couple of years. The Fund is seeking donations to help meet the growing need for Candy Fund scholarships. Donations, any amount is appreciated, are tax-exempt.The Candy Fund is the only scholarship program of its type in this area.
You can reach the Candy Maier Scholarship Fund for Women Writers by email: thecandyfund@yahoo.com or by snail mail: 4B Long shoals Road #164, Arden, North Carolina, 28704-7781.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Jo Carolyn Beebe and Karen Holmes read to a full house at JCCFS

Karen Holmes impressed students from around the U.S. as well as locals with her powerful poetry Thursday evening at John C. Campbell Folk School. Karen is a recent member of Netwest. Enthusiastic and energetic, Karen is helping with the new Netwest anthology, and she publishes and edits the online newsletter, Netwest News. With her background as V.P. with ING corporation, she brings new ideas and talent to Netwest.
Jo Carolyn Beebe writes historical fiction. Her long time interest in genealogy provides fodder for her writing. At JCCFS Thursday evening the large audience enjoyed excerpts from her most recent young adult manuscript about Willie, a young boy in Mississippi during the War Between the States. With humor and mystery, she enthralled her listeners, and left everyone wanting more.

Sunday, May 17, 2009
Support Our Local Bookstores
Curiosity Shop Bookstores in Murphy and in Andrews, NC
are proud to welcome Senator Zell Miller to our stores to sign his new book, Purt Nigh Gone, about the disappearing "old mountain ways".
Saturday, June 6th - Murphy store (46 Valley River Ave.) from 11:00 am-1:00 pm. This will coincide with the Murphy Spring Festival in downtown Murphy.
Saturday, June 13th - Andrews store (1060 Main Street) from 11am-1pm.
are proud to welcome Senator Zell Miller to our stores to sign his new book, Purt Nigh Gone, about the disappearing "old mountain ways".
Saturday, June 6th - Murphy store (46 Valley River Ave.) from 11:00 am-1:00 pm. This will coincide with the Murphy Spring Festival in downtown Murphy.
Saturday, June 13th - Andrews store (1060 Main Street) from 11am-1pm.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
JEFF BIGGERS TO SPEAK IN ASHEVILLE
Jeff Biggers will speak at the Folk Art Center in Asheville, NC on Friday May 22 at 6:30 pm. For more on Jeff click on link below.
http://www.maconnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4722&Itemid=85
http://www.maconnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4722&Itemid=85
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Want to reach Ed Southern?
New Address:Ed Southern, Executive Director
North Carolina Writers' Network
P.O. Box 21591
Winston-Salem, NC 27120-1591
336.293.8844
North Carolina Writers' Network
P.O. Box 21591
Winston-Salem, NC 27120-1591
336.293.8844
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Jeff Biggers dramatizes the history of Appalachia
Jeff Biggers. Have you heard of him? I heard him dramatize one of his books today and I, like all the audience, was mezmerized. All I could think of was: If history was taught to our children the way Jeff taught us today, we'd have college history classes filled to the max. Jeff is a fount of Appalachian history. According to his session today, almost everything that is good in the USA, came from Applachia. And he gave us samples to prove what he said.
I recommend to anyone, if you see this man's name on a program in your area, go see and listen to him. After hearing him, his audience swarmed the table buying his book. I came away feeling I'd learned exciting tales about history and the people who made it.
Blue Ridge Book and Author Showcase - I'm Still High!


Friday, May 8, 2009
Poetry, alive and well in Cherokee County NC, May 7

Linda Smith, far end on right, is reading a poem she brought for critique.

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