LZ's Latest News & Updates

Going to GCLS in Phoenix was a whirlwind weekend of enormous fun. The awards ceremony was great, but the BEST time was meeting Phoenix local fans whom I have communicated with by email and on J7 boards for several years now. The photo below is (from left) Maii-Fenz, Solise, Lara (me), MsTrixie, and my hubby John is in the back. We had a fantastic time as we discussed all things great and small. It's such a wonderful thing to meet people I've only known by name, to put faces to those names, and hear their voices. Thank you, ladies, all for all your wonderful words, and the lovely discussion. Other pictures.


Before we actually leave Phoenix tomorrow (at 11 pm MST!) we're taking in a trail ride tour organized by the resort's equestrian center. My hubby's birthday present to me.

We're supposed to be home sometime midday Tuesday. If all goes well. If it goes like coming out here though, we may just die of frustration. Rain in Atlanta delayed our leaving Jacksonville, FL on Thursday afternoon for two hours. While we were on the ground (already packed into the plane) we had to wait another hour and a half while the airport in Atlanta was CLOSED. When they reopened, we finally took off, landing in Atlanta about one hour later. So now it's 9 pm, and we should have been in Phoenix about now. But no, our connecting flight Atlanta to Phoenix had already left an hour earlier. We were unsuccessful making standby for a flight that was delayed, and delayed, but finally took off at 12:15 AM, Friday morning. Given a voucher, we went to an Atlanta hotel with NO amenities with confirmed seats on an 11:28 AM flight Friday morning. So as not to lose our reservations in Phoenix I got on the cell phone to the resort and arranged for our third party roommate to claim the reservation and get in to the room. A restless eight hours later, we were back at the airport waiting to board that flight. Finally we arrived in Phoenix at 1 PM Friday afternoon MST time. Our luggage had arrived on the standby flight the night before! Actually AHEAD of us!

So I'll post again when I reach Orlando. Here's hoping it's not another 36 hours fiasco.

Labels: 2008, fans, friends, GCLS, Phoenix

This isn't an official list (I didn't have a pen in my dress last night). The official list will be released by Golden Crown Literary Society at their conference website. Here's what I remember as the winners in last night's Golden Crown Literary Society awards:

• Lesbian Anthology(non-erotica) - Love, Castro Street, Katherine V. Forrest & Jim Van Buskirk eds., Alyson Books.
  
• Dramatic General Fiction - Landing, Emma Donoghue, Harcourt; The Spanish Pearl, Catherine Friend, Bold Strokes Books.
  
• Anthology (erotica) - Crave, Catherine Lundoff, Lethe Press; Erotic Interludes 5: Road Games, Stacia Seaman & Radclyffe eds., Bold Strokes Books; In Deep Waters, Karin Kallmaker & Radclyffe eds., Bella Books.
  
• Mystery - Dark Valentine, Jennifer Fulton, Bold Strokes Books; Redress of Grievances, Brenda Adcock, Regal Crest; The Devil Unleashed, Ali Vali, Bold Strokes Books.
  
• Poetry - The Islands Project, Eloise Klein Healy, Red Hen Press; Torch River, Elizabeth Philips, Brick Books.
  
• Romance - And Playing the Role of Herself, K.E. Lane, Regal Crest; Out of Love, KG MacGregor, Bella Books; Second Season, Ali Vali, Bold Strokes Books.
  
• Short Story/Essay Collection - Are There Closets in Heaven, Carol & Robert Curoe eds., Syren Book Co.; Deep in the Heart - A Memoir of Love and Longing, Shiela Morris, Red Letter Press; Fried & True - Tales from Rehoboth Beach, Fay Jacobs, A&M Books.
  
• Speculative Fiction - Crown of Valencia, Catherine Friend, BSB; Queens of Tristaine, Cate Culpepper, BSB; Rebel's Quest, Gun Brooke, BSB.
  
• Debut Author - And Playing the Role of Herself, K.E. Lane, Regal Crest; Butch Girls Can Fix Anything, Paula Offutt, Regal Crest; Dateland, Jennifer Parello, McKenna Publishing.
  
• Ann Bannon Popular Choice - And Playing the Role of Herself, K.E. Lane, Regal Crest.
  
• GCLS Directors' Award - Nann Dunne and JustAboutWrite.com
  
• GCLS Trailblazer Award - Katherine V. Forrest.
  

Again, congratulations to everyone!

Labels: award, GCLS, winner

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be mostly offline for the next seven days (July 30-August 5) enjoying the fun and sun in Phoenix attending the Golden Crown Literary Society annual conference.

Labels: conference, GCLS, offline

Golden Crown Literary Society, dedicated to expanding the visibility and quality of lesbian fiction, has released its list of Goldie award finalists in advance of its annual conference in Phoenix (July 31-Aug 3), where the winners will be announced.

I have been named a finalist in Debut Author for Turning Point from P.D. Publishing, Inc.

Congratulations to all the finalists! Please follow this link to see the whole list.
http://www.gclscon.com/2008GCLSAwards-Finalists.html

I'm again looking forward to seeing all the writers, editors, publishers and readers in Phoenix!

Labels: authors, award, conference, GCLS, lesbian fiction, PD Publishing, TP, Turning Point

From the GCLS convention:

I was on the Shameless Secrets panel, as previously mentioned, and an audience member, Rrrose I think, took digital video of the various readings, mine included. Graciously she provided me a CD with the MPG file, and I have uploaded it to share.

Labels: Atlanta, convention, discussion, GCLS, Turning Point, videos

...or "GCLS Part 2"

A sampling of pictures from GCLS 2007 and the Friday night reading at Charis Books in Atlanta...(you have to be a member of my mailing list to view them)

An official list of attendees to the conference is available at the GCLS Convention site. However, I shared panels, readings, and conversation with dozens of new and old hands at this writing thing: Lynn Ames, Ali Vali, Radclyffe, Therese Szymanski, Justine Saracen, KG Macgregor, Jane Fletcher, Gun Brooke, JD Glass and Bett Norris.

On Friday night in Atlanta, I read an excerpt from "Turning Point" at the local Feminist bookstore, Charis Books, arranged by the Charis Circle Foundation. My fellow readers were Ellen Hart, Jane Vollbrecht, Lori Lake, and fellow P.D. Publishing author, J.P. (Peg) Mercer. Thank you to everyone who made that evening such a special event. I found out that TP made #1 on Amazon's best sellers list that night from 9-10 pm EST!

Labels: Amazon, Atlanta, Charis Books, discussion, fun, GCLS, lesfic, reading, Turning Point, writing

Anne Azel's "Gold Mountain" (PD Publishing, 2006) won in the General Fiction category at Saturday night's GCLS Awards! Since Anne could not travel, Barb and Linda passed along her acceptance speech to me which I gladly read on her behalf. Way to go, Anne!

Go here for the complete list of GCLS 2007 Goldie winners!

Labels: award, fiction, GCLS, lesfic

GCLS Atlanta 2007 Part 1

Definitely a LONG ramble here... Just throwing some thoughts on the page. My memory is not what it used to be, so this is just what sticks out, not an exhaustive report of the conference... My experience.

I am in Atlanta at the annual conference of the Golden Crown Literary Society, a group dedicated to the advancement and expansion and support of lesbian literature. Still two days to go. I had two readings on Thursday, and a reading last night at the local lesbian/feminist book-spot, Charis Books & More. Charis sold out of my book. *smile* And I read with the likes of Lori Lake, Ellen Hart, and J.P. Mercer, and Jane Vollbrecht. My title ("Turning Point") was the only romance-primary story in the bunch. Ellen writes mysteries (she read from her upcoming Jane Lawless series installment) , Lori writes police procedurals and mysteries ("Gun Shy", "Ricochet") and edits anthologies (She read from "Romance for LIFE" a wonderfully funny story about an international JamesBond-type captured by the bad guys and reflecting on her life as as she's sure she's about to die). Jane wrote and read from a book on a 1959 WAC recruit just released in time for the conference ("Close Enough"), and J.P. ("Peg") wrote and read from her novel, a national security suspense/intrigue/ thriller ("Talon").

I have spent wonderful time discussing the broad spectrum of literature topics with writers, editors, publishers, and readers. And my husband is accompanying me to the dessert social tonight. I have been given an extra ticket and soundly disabused of the notion that he wouldn't be welcome through several heartfelt conversations. It's been wonderful to be welcomed as I am here, a married bisexual woman writing fiction with lesbian sensibilities.

I have also had considerable support for my in-planning novel of a police officer and life for her in her small Florida town with family, friends, hijinks and murder serving up for fun on the Sunshine State Gulf coast. I found out my murder plot shuold work beautifully from the Forensics presentation by Patty Schramm.

I was a panelist on the "Authors Shameless Secrets" panel led by Lynn Ames, who promptly renamed it "Shameless Authors Secrets" *laugh* Panelists were Jennifer Fulton, Justine Saracen, Ali Vali, Georgia Beers, Karin Kallmaker, Lara Zielinsky, and Nell Stark. Anyway, we found out what delicious eccentricities writers can have, writing in unusual places, learning unusual things just to satisfy their characters' backgrounds, and heard readings from many new releases.

My second panel participation of the day was the New Voice Panel/Reading, with Reese Szymanski leading. We heard from Julie Cannon, Bett Norris, Ruth Perkinson, JD Glass, Maria Ciletti, and me, all reading from our first books. There is a recording floating about that may make it out in whole, or in part (I will be posting my "track" at my website upon return home). Some amazing work ladies, snap up these books.

I went to dinner with a couple who had graciously hosted me in their home last year when I came alone, Karen and Betsy. A family-style place called The Colonnade. Excellent food. Cash only, which certainly added an interesting twist to the evening.

I wandered a bit through the opening social Thursday night, and talked at length with Ali Vali about her new 100-year-old fixer upper *laugh* further south in New Orleans, both of us being hurricane survivors (me from Charley, Frances and Jean in 2004, and Ali with Katrina and Wilma in 2005). I also shared small talk with dozens of others.

I dined on chocolate covered fruit and wine from my sweetheart when I got back to the hotel room, then promptly crashed around midnight.

Day 2 (with some pictures) coming when I can sort my thoughts together.

Labels: Atlanta, Charis Books, convention, GCLS, reading, signing, writing

I am so high right now. I had my first reading at Gay Days on Saturday, and the time, the women, the whole experience, was just thrilling. I had a sign up list for my email group, and had several new readers join. I got to talk writing and reading with women from all over Florida, and talk to another wonderful author who also read from her work, Martha Marinara. Wild Iris Books, the Gainesville, Florida bookstore was also there.

I even sold a few autographed copies of "Turning Point".

I also wanted to let everyone know about a newly launched lesbian stories e-zine, Read These Lips. I have a new short story, "Study Buddies", in the premier issue. The zine is free to download, and distribute. Definitely check out the site for your own copy (95 pages!) of some wonderful fiction, and share the link with others who might be interested.

Appearances: Don't forget, I'll be in Atlanta from June 7-10 at the GCLS conference. And at Charis Books & More in downtown Atlanta reading on Friday night, June 8.

Labels: Atlanta, Charis Books, Gay Days, GCLS, Orlando, reading

Be sure to check the Appearances page. I've nailed down the specifics on several readings and signings.

Labels: Atlanta, booksellers, convention, GCLS, signing, Turning Point, update

Just a word from the folks at the Golden Crown Literary Society (GCLS). They've selected the 2007 graphic image for all their materials this year.

I'll be in attendance at this event with my novel "Turning Point" available for sale. If you are in the Atlanta area, June 7-10, 2007, come on by for long weekend of informative fun with authors, publishers and readers of lesbian literature, "Women and Words."

Labels: Atlanta, convention, GCLS, writing