Introducing A New Memoir Anthology

One volume of four

Yesterday, I featured the womens memoirs website that Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett run for writers and readers. Their newest project is an anthology titled Seasons of Our Lives which includes four volumes, one for each season of our year. 

You'll find 25 stories in each one that were winners in the memoir contests run by these two fine editors and teachers. Yes, teachers because they are both so keen to help writers become better writers. 

I am pleased that I have two stories in the series. A Special Sibling is in the Spring book. It's a story dear to my heart and a very special memory. The summer book is the one that has my story Driving With Dad. Sounds like it might be about driving lessons, but it isn't. 

The four books are ebooks and can be ordered at Amazon.com. Here are the links to each book at Amazon. Click on the book cover to look inside, read the intro and table of contents and a sample story in each one.

Seasons of Our Lives:  Spring

Seasons of Our Lives:  Summer

Seasons of Our Lives:  Autumn

Seasons of Our Lives:  Winter

Each ebook sells for $3.99, can be downloaded to your Kindle and there is also a way to download directly to your computer. More on that later. On Saturday, February 1st, the books will go on a special sale--99 cents each for 53 hours. The price increases by $1 for each of the next 53 hours.

For those who do not have kindles, you can download these books onto your tablet, pc etc. Go here to learn how. It's pretty simple.

Two short reviews by an expert in the memoir field: 

What gems! These memoir vignettes pull us into and delight us with the rich stories of women’s lives. I literally couldn’t put the book down. Each story highlights a facet of life that speaks to our shared humanity. I found myself recalling moments from my own life and thinking, “It’s time to start writing my life stories!”

The beauty of this anthology is that the editors Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett have written “takeaways” at the end of each story to help budding memoir writers. These mini-lessons are a gold mine of tips and advice.  

I believe that in telling our stories we illuminate the world one voice at a time. “Seasons of Our Lives” has made my world glow a little brighter. --Dan Curtis award-winning documentary filmmaker, personal historian, and founder/coordinator of Victor Hospice's "Life Stories"

"It is true that each woman is a story waiting to be told—and in this outstanding collection of memoirs you’ll find many wonderful women’s stories. It is also true that each woman’s story is everywoman’s story, for we share so many of the same experiences. As I read these stories [in Seasons of Our Lives], I am reading bits and pieces from my own life, and I am inspired to write my own with a more passionate and compassionate heart. I hope you are, too." ~Susan Wittig Albert, NYT bestselling author of China Bayles mysteries, Writing from Life, Together, Alone: Memoir, and other books  

Memoir Site Offers Many Things To Writers and Readers

Matilda Butler, Kendra Bonnett and Rosie

Several years ago, I found a website that was of great interest to me. I wasn't looking for it, just kind of ran across it. And how glad I am that I did. Matilda Butler and Kendra Bonnett provide a wealth of information for memoir writers. Now, don't turn away saying I don't write memoir, this is not for me. The reason being that, even though memoir is the concentration here, good writing is featured at every turn. These two women are passionate about helping people tell their stories but they also promote good writing. They provide writing exercises, help with journaling and a myriad of other writing related subjects along with video seminars.

They have their own books featured on the website as well as a contest page, free books, workshops and more on the website. Check it out here.  The book I've pictured above is a series of true stories about women who personify the WWII Rosie the Riveter image. Strong, courageous, and tough--those were the women of the WWII years. But this is not Matilda and Kendra's only book. One that I purchased last summer is an award winning craft of writing book pictured below. I read the entire book on our flight from England to home last summer. Nonfiction--not a steamy romance chapter or a thriller/chase in it but it held my interest across the ocean and the USA. It's an excellent guide for nonfiction writers, but there is also much of worth to the fiction writer in this book. After one read-through, you'll want to go back and read chapters of particlar interest more than once. You can order it at the website.

Since I write a lot of family stories, I entered the contests these two editors run periodically. And I've been a winner many times. Check out the latest contest page and see what you might have to enter. The theme is "How I Met Your Father" which should prompt many fine stories. 

My aim in introducing you to these two editors, their contests, books and workshops is twofold. I think it is worth your time to visit the website and find out what may be of use to you. And I am also prefacing an announcement about some new ebooks Matilda and Kendra have just published. There are four volumes in this anthology series with the overall title Seasons of Our Lives. Each book features one of our four seasons with 25 appropriate memoir stories. There is much to relate about the books and I'll do that in tomorrow's post. These new books are perfect for readers who write and also just those who enjoy reading. 

A Great Valentine's Day

I had a great Valentine's Day yesterday. My husband of 46+ years gave me flowers, chocolates and a simple but sweet card that brought a lump to my throat. He's a Keeper.

Next, I learned I had won an Honorable Mention in a Valentine story contest sponsored by a womens' memoir website.(www.womensmemoirs.com )  They had four categorie of Valentine stories including Worst, Worst With Hope, Best and Most Humorous. The winners rode a carousel Read-a-thon yesterday. A new winning story was posted on the website every hour on the hour all day. I found myself checking in often to read the winning stories. I'd been alerted to the time of day mine would be posted.

The story I sent them is the very first Chicken Soup for the Soul story I had accepted. It's called "Love In A Box" and is one that has been published by Chicken Soup books in other venues and other countries. I still own the copyright, and the contest at the memoir site specified that they accepted already-published stories, so I sent it in. You can read the story at http://womensmemoirs.com/memoir-scrapbooking/valentines-memoir-writing-contest-winner-9-love-in-a-box-by-nancy-julien-kopp/ This site is running a new contest every month this year. Check their website for more details at http://womensmemoirs.com/contests/

The third great event of my Valentine's Day happened last night when our K-State Wildcats beat #1 in the nation, the KU Jayhawks. We were there to see it happen along with another 12,500 screaming fans. Our team has struggled this year, so this was a huge win for them. Ken and I were so very happy for all those young men who have worked hard but faced many disappointments this season.

Yep, Valentine's Day 2011 turned out to be a great day.