Kelly Steed's Breaking News!
Kelly Steed, Speculative Fiction Author Newsletter
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (September 17, 2009)
Marion
County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at
Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion.
Avalon Books Author Judi Thoman will be presenting Manuscript Submission
Guidelines. An improperly sent submission package will result in a
rejection slip. Judi Thoman is the
author of one novel in her name and thirty-five under two pen names. The MCFW is
open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion
County, OH. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Interview With The Michigan Catholic (August 21, 2009)
Robert Delaney, a reporter for
The Michigan Catholic Interviewed Kelly Roberts (Steed) and Sharon Perko,
Principal of St. Bartholomew School in Detroit. The article "Schools
Using Facebook to Keep in Touch" was published in the August 21st. edition. The
article talked about schools in the Archdiocese of Detroit using Facebook
to announce reunions, seek help for fundraising and to aid in promoting
enrollment. Kelly is very active in the fight to save St. Bartholomew and
is planning a series of novels set at the school. She will be donating a
percentage of the proceeds to the St. Bartholomew Scholarship Fund.
New Webpages for Kelly Roberts and Marion County Fiction Writers in Development (August 2009)
Kelly Roberts Young Adult Fiction Author will be getting her own page soon along with her own domain name. Kelly and Richard are hard at work designing it. Marion County Fiction Writers will also have a homepage soon in addition to their mail list on Yahoo. This is all part of a drive to sign-up career-driven writers as members. MCFW will also have it's own domain name.
The Steed Zone will also be revamped with it's own domain name in the future. It will take awhile for that one because the sight is so large and Kelly doesn't like any of the templates so a new one with have to be created. Notice will be given on the homepage of this sight for all those we've exchanged links with before the move and for a period of three months afterward.
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (August 20, 2009)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion. Sci-Fi Author Kelly Steed will be presenting The Nonfiction In Fiction: Effective Research Methods that Can Be Applied to All Fiction Genres. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science degree in US History, grew-up in historical reenacting, began doing independent research at age thirteen and has put those history skills to use in writing speculative fiction (sci-fi, fantasy and horror) novels.
The MCFW is
open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion
County, OH. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (July 16, 2009)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly
meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion.
Avalon Books Author Judi Thoman will be presenting The Hook, The Book and
The Cook A Newer Method for Writing Effective Query Letters When Seeking an
Agent. The MCFW is
open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion
County, OH. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (June 18, 2009)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion. Avalon Books Author Judi Thoman & Sci-Fi Author Kelly Steed will be presenting Characterization Tips for Creating Fictional Characters that Breath. Please bring character descriptions or character sheets so that we can help flesh them out. The MCFW is open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion County, OH. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Marion
County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (May 21, 2009)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly
meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion.
Historical Romance Author Judi Thoman will present “Show Us the
Money” the true story of how much fiction authors can make.
The Marion County Fiction Writers
are dedicated to sharing information on the publishing industry and the
mechanics of writing as well as providing support for its members from rough
draft through publication and promotion. The
MCFW is open to both published and
non-published fiction writers residing in Marion County, OH.
Sign up for membership and group mailings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Note: This Group
deals strictly with Fiction Writing. While
our members may write nonfiction or poetry, these projects are separate and not
talked about at group meetings because the writing rules and the submission
process are totally different. If
you write anything other than fiction, contact the Mid-Ohio Writer's Association
mid-ohiowriters-owner@yahoogroups.com
based out of Mansfield.
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (April 16, 2009)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly
meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion.
Historical Romance Author Judie Thoman will be discussing E-Books the
Wave of the Future. The
Marion County Fiction Writers are dedicated to sharing information on the
publishing industry and the mechanics of writing as well as providing support
for its members from rough draft through publication and promotion.
The MCFW is open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in
Marion County, OH. Sign up for
membership and group mailings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Note: This Group
deals strictly with Fiction Writing. While
our members may write nonfiction or poetry, these projects are separate and not
talked about at group meetings because the writing rules and the submission
process are totally different. If
you write anything other than fiction, contact the Mid-Ohio Writer's Association
mid-ohiowriters-owner@yahoogroups.com
based out of Mansfield.
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (March 19, 2009)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly
meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion.
Speculative Fiction Author Kelly Steed will be discussing How to Spot a
Literary Agency Rip-Off and How to Find a Reputable Agent.
The Marion County Fiction Writers
are dedicated to sharing information on the publishing industry and the
mechanics of writing as well as providing support for its members from rough
draft through publication and promotion. The
MCFW is open to both published and
non-published fiction writers residing in Marion County, OH.
Sign up for membership and group mailings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Note: This Group
deals strictly with Fiction Writing. While
our members may write nonfiction or poetry, these projects are separate and not
talked about at group meetings because the writing rules and the submission
process are totally different. If
you write anything other than fiction, contact the Mid-Ohio Writer's Association
mid-ohiowriters-owner@yahoogroups.com
based out of Mansfield.
Kelly Steed, Speculative Fiction Author Newsletter, Has Changed Servers (Feb. 2009)
The newsletter has been moved to Yahoo due to delivery problems with the old server. This will also give Kelly greater visibility. You can subscribe for free at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KellySteed/ or by sending a blank email to: KellySteed-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (February 19, 2009)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly
meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion.
Historical Romance Author Judi Thoman will be discussing writing
effective query letters. The
Marion County Fiction Writers are dedicated to sharing information on the
publishing industry and the mechanics of writing as well as providing support
for its members from rough draft through publication and promotion.
The MCFW is open to both
published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion County, OH.
Sign up for membership and group mailings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Note: This Group
deals strictly with Fiction Writing. While
our members may write nonfiction or poetry, these projects are separate and not
talked about at group meetings because the writing rules and the submission
process are totally different. If
you write anything other than fiction, contact the Mid-Ohio Writer's Association
mid-ohiowriters-owner@yahoogroups.com
based out of Mansfield.
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (November 20, 2008)
Marion
County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly meeting from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at
Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion.
Historical Romance Author Judi Thoman and Speculative Fiction Author
Kelly Steed will be discussing Publishing Categories, Genres and Sub-Genres.
The Marion County Fiction Writers
are dedicated to sharing information on the publishing industry and the
mechanics of writing as well as providing support for its members from rough
draft through publication and promotion. Meetings
consist of a presentation designed to help writers improve their work or
increase their knowledge of the publishing industry followed by a discussion of
the presentation and other publishing concerns. The MCFW is
open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion
County, OH. Sign for membership
and group mailings at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Name That Pirate Contest Final Tally (November 14, 2008)
I'd like to thank everyone who voted for Iron Balls McCormmick, my entry into the Name that Pirate Contest. The race was close with one vote being the deciding factor. Unfortunately, Iron Balls didn’t have that vote. Still out of 194 entries to be one of ten finalists to go up for voting, is pretty cool! All finalists received an autographed copy of Emily Bryan’s novel Pleasuring the Pirate.
I had a great time thinking up the name. I chose Iron Balls McCormmick because well a pirate has to be both viral and unsinkable!
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly
meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion.
Romance Author Brit Blaise will
be discussing Character Arcs. The
Marion County Fiction Writers are dedicated to sharing information on the
publishing industry and the mechanics of writing as well as providing support
for its members from rough draft through publication and promotion.
The MCFW is open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing
in Marion County, OH. Sign for
membership and group mailings at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Beaumier Heritage Center Opens With Kelly's Artifacts (October 5, 2008)
1. Display Photo
2. Jacket Plaque
3. Photo Plaque
The Beaumier Heritage Center, a new museum on the campus of my alma mater Northern Michigan University in Marquette, opened September 20, 2008 with its first exhibit The Northern Century: Student Life at NMU. It runs through April 2009. The Beaumier Heritage Center is located on the first floor of Cohodas Hall. Its focus is on the preserving and presenting of the history and culture of the Upper Peninsula.
My Maggie Mae House Jacket and photo are part of the museum's collection.
All photos are reproduced with permission from Brent Stothers.
http://webb.nmu.edu/Centers/BeaumierHeritageCenter/SiteSections/Exhibitions/Exhibitions.shtml
My Artifacts Will Be on Display at NMU (September 20, 2008)
The Beaumier Heritage Center, a new museum on the campus of my alma mater Northern Michigan University in Marquette, is set to open September 20, 2008 with its first exhibit “The Northern Century: Student Life at NMU” and runs through April 2009. The Beaumier Heritage Center is located on the first floor of Cohodas Hall. Its focus is on the preserving and presenting of the history and culture of the Upper Peninsula.
http://webb.nmu.edu/Centers/BeaumierHeritageCenter/SiteSections/Exhibitions/Exhibitions.shtml
My Maggie Mae House jacket from Halverson Hall and photograph will be part of the exhibit. The jacket and photo are part of their permanent collection. The photo shows Robin Paulson, Kandra Parrott, Sue Schwartz and Kelly Roberts in the Maggie Mae House TV Room. The four of us were suitemates at NMU.
The museum also asked for stories about student days so I included the following story about the jacket:
I took the Greyhound home for Christmas Break 1984. When I got into Detroit there was snow on the ground, so I checked my luggage into one of the terminal lockers and headed over to my mom’s office in the Renaissance Center.
When she responded to the receptionist’s page, she took one look at me in that windbreaker and said, “Young lady, where’s your winter coat?”
“Are you nut’s? It’s HOT down here!”
(The story may or may not make it into the display.)
This is a dream come true for a historical re-enactor and a history major!
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (September 18, 2008)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion. Historical Romance Author Judi Thoman will be discussing Mannerisms of Historical Characters. The Marion County Fiction Writers are dedicated to sharing information on the publishing industry and the mechanics of writing as well as providing support for its members from rough draft through publication and promotion. The MCFW is open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion County, OH. Sign for membership and group mailings at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Workshop With Science Fiction Romance Author Linnea Sinclair (August 30, 2008)
Linnea Sinclair
The Mid-Ohio Writers Association hosted the workshop Characterization: Making Strengths and Weaknesses Work for You (or No More Mary Sues!) taught by RITA and PEARL winning author Linnea Sinclair at the Mansfield-Richland County Public Library. I'll publishing an article about what I learned in my newsletter and later adding it to my writer advice page.
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (August 21, 2008)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold their monthly meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center Street in Marion. Historical Romance Author Judi Thoman will be discussing Plot vs. Characterization. The Marion County Fiction Writers are dedicated to sharing information on the publishing industry and the mechanics of writing as well as providing support for its members from rough draft through publication and promotion. The MCFW is open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion County, OH. Sign up for membership and group mailings: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Marion County Fiction Writers Monthly Meeting (July 17, 2008)
Marion County Fiction Writers will hold
their monthly meeting from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at Books On Center 150 W. Center
Street in Marion. The MCFW is
open to both published and non-published fiction writers residing in Marion
County, OH. Sign up at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marioncountyfictionwriters
Celebrate Summer Art Fair (June 28, 2008)
The Marion County Fiction Writers will be holding a book signing and recruiting drive during the Celebrate Summer art fair in downtown Marion on June 28th. Carl and Carol Nelson owners of Books on Center will be hosting us at 150 Center Street Marion, OH. Judi Thoman will be signing
copies of her historical romance Thoroughly Mannerly Millicent and co-founder Kelly Steed will be on hand to pass-out group flyers. We hope to increase our membership list and start holding regular meetings and events.
Civil War Photo of Kelly Steed Online (May 2008)
In the photos that accompany the article
“Detroit’s Fort Wayne Under Siege” by Vivian M. Baulch, Photo No. 4 in the
photo slide taken during a Civil War Reenactment at the fort and portrays my
mother and I saying goodbye to my father as he heads off to war.
This photo was printed in The Detroit News back in the 1970’s.
You
can see it here:
http://info.detnews.com/rvmgallery/index.cfm?start=4&project=rvm_ftwayne
Kelly's Aura Photo Publication Update (Update May)
Paul Sammut from the Institute of Contemporary Arts Bookstore in London (http://www.ica.org.uk) informed me that Jen Wu, who is organizing Auras (Homage to Marcel Duchamp), said the book should be released by the end of May. The Institute for Contemporary Arts is a registered U.K. charity.
Auras will be available from the ICA website as well as in bookstores in the UK. The projected cost will be £12 GBP.
Interview on the Paranormal Divas Radio Show April 7th
Kelly Steed will be a guest on the Paranormal Divas Radio Show http://www.apsrradio.com/default.aspx on the APSR Network on April 7, 2008 9pm-10pm EST. The APSR is a part of the Alabama ParaSpiritual Research Radio Network that brings Paranormal Talk Radio Shows From Around The World. Kelly will be discussing her writing and why she chose to write about ghosts and military history.
Richard Made the Wall November 2007
Within
the past month, Richard has achieved several milestones at ConAgra. Each phase
operator runs two lines for a 12-hour shift. The plant run rate is set at 84
percent or 152,410 bags of microwave popcorn per two lines. Anything over 95
percent is considered world class. On Nov 13th, Richard made 96.4 percent
over 12 hours. Then on the Nov 19 and 20 he ran 95.3, and 97.3 percent
respectively. No one has run consecutive days over 95 percent. He wouldn't be
able to achieve these numbers without the teamwork between himself, John Mullin
his packer and their line maintenance man Mike Ambrose. Their pictures were
taken and posted on the wall in the plant and each of us was given a copy of the
pictures. These are posted on Richard’s page.
Pippin's Photo In Snapshots November 2007 (NEW)
The
Marion Star published Pippin's Halloween photo in the November 18th issue of
Snapshots with a caption written by his Mommy. "I've got my treat and my
ghostie too! I'm here to say Happy Halloween to you!" Pippin Steed. Pippin
Photo Link His photo made both the paper and the website, not all make
the paper as well! This is the third
photo I’ve taken that the paper has published.
Kelly's Photo to Be Published to Benefit English Charity November 2007 (NEW)
Kelly was contacted by Daniel Kennedy Exhibitions Assistant for the Institute of Contemporary Arts London, England (http://www.ica.org.uk) about the possibility of publishing one of her photos in an upcoming book being compiled by artist Susan Hiller. The collection of images will be published as two books. The first book, Auras (Homage to Marcel Duchamp), will contain photographs of auras. The second book, Levitation (Homage to Yves Klein) will contain photos of people levitating. All the photographs will be taken from the Internet.
They
wish to use her aura photograph for Auras (Homage to Marcel Duchamp) found on
the Mystical Happenings page of The Steed Zone.
As the photo was a work-for-hire, Kelly
has given her permission. Photo
URL: http://home.att.net/~s.c.ninlil.c.b/images/aura_small1.jpg
The books are
of a noncommercial nature as the Institute for Contemporary Arts is a registered
U.K. charity. All the websites of
photograph donors will be acknowledged at the end of the books.
More
information will be posted as it becomes available.
O.B.I.T. Ghost Hunters Formed October 2007
Kelly
Steed formed the Ohio Battlefield Investigative Team to concentrate on
investigating military hauntings due to the many experiences of paranormal
phenomenon my husband and I experienced while participating in historical
reenactments. O.B.I.T. is a part of the Extremely Paranormal Family http://www.extremelyparanormal.com/,
a group of investigating organizations teamed together to share information and
possibly conduct investigations together.
If you are in need of help, contact another organization in your area. Thanks!
You can read more about the team at: http://www.myspace.com/obitghosthunters.
Kelly's Picture No. 1 at Google Earth
Something totally
cool but rather bizarre has happened! Richard updated our Google Earth
program. I was at a meeting so he decided to do some searches until it was
time to pick me up. He looked up
Marion, OH and when he hit the link for images he was surprised to find his
wife: http://www.google.com:80/images?q=Marion,Ohio
What's really bizarre about this listing is the fact that the webpage they're showing is through Writer Net. It's not The Steed Zone, which is actually listed in the links on the city site. I applied for that listing. I guess you just never know what bit of publicity is going to net you further exposure!
Marion County Fiction Writers Founded September 2007
Romance Author Judi Thoman and Speculative Fiction Author Kelly Steed have founded the Marion County Fiction Writers.
Mission Statement: The Marion County Fiction Writers are dedicated to sharing information on the publishing industry and the mechanics of writing as well as providing support for its members from rough draft through publication.
This group is still being organized and as yet isn't having regular meetings. Check back to The Steed Zone for future updates.
The Steed Zone Has a New Email Address July 2007
For all you link partners, The Steed Zone's new email address is thesteedzone@verizon.net we will be moving the webpage shortly to verizon and purchasing a domain name. Kelly will contact you as that takes place.
Hermione Granger Steed Makes Snapshots for the Week of June 17-23, 2007
My little girly-girl's picture made page 10 of the Snapshots paper put out by The Marion Star. It is also cataloged online and can be viewed at the following link: Hermione Granger Steed says, "Hey Marion!"
Spiritual Visitations Editor Heather Froeschl Takes Top Honors February 2007
Heather Froeschl is the editor of Spiritual Visitations, an anthology of ghost stories in which my story “On The Eve of The Millennium” will be published by Zumaya Publications in 2008. Here is a press release from Heather:
FROESCHL TAKES TOP HONORS AS FREELANCE BOOK EDITOR
CALLAWAY, VIRGINIA - Freelance editor Heather Froeschl has been editing, proofreading, and critiquing manuscripts since 1998. Her company, www.Quilldipper.com, also offers book reviews. This year she took top honors in the Preditors and Editors annual Book Editor category. The Preditors & Editors webpage, http://www.anotherealm.com/prededitors/, is a watchdog in the publishing world.
"Authors don’t have to accept
rejection any longer," Froeschl says. "Thousands of unknown
authors are rejected by publishing companies every day. A typical author’s
collection of 'no thanks' letters can easily be considered a fire hazard. It is
my goal to help authors to succeed. A little red ink now can keep the
rejection slips away.”
Because of all the competition in the writing world, making sure an author's work is the best it can be is the first step. Most authors need a second look, because they are too familiar with their work to catch errors that could be glaring to a publisher. Big publishers won’t look at an unpolished manuscript and many small publishers do not employ editors. The quality of the written word is at risk when books are freely published with glaring typos, grammar errors, and other common mistakes. According to Froeschl, “Authors are often rejected simply because the work appears sloppy and a publisher cannot, or doesn’t wish to, invest time and money having to edit or even rewrite manuscripts.”
Finding an editor to work with is just as important as finding an agent. Authors need to look for qualifications and referrals. The Preditors and Editors site acts as a guide to publishers and writing services for serious writers, spotlighting troublemakers and scammers and offering referrals for those who qualify. Their readers post recommendations and warnings. The annual contest pinpoints the best of the best in the publishing world, where readers vote for the top authors, books, editors, publishers, illustrators and more. Froeschl was delighted with her win in this year's Book Editor category.
Congratulations Heather!
