Working Titlez

Well,  Spring might not quite be in the air yet, but it is truly a lovely day here in the Mojave Desert. It most certainly will be Spring in April during the annual Las Vegas Writers Conference. There’s hardly a lovelier time of year unless it is is the other eight months when it is also not 117 degrees! So whether you’re a writer in Las Vegas who wants to attend a local conference to hone your skills and learn more about the publishing biz, or a writer in a colder clime who would like all of the above PLUS experience the desert in the spring, check out the website. I’ve attended almost all of these conference and serendipitous things always happen! Hope to see you there!

Like it or not, your Facebook page is about to be converted to the new timeline model. GalleyCat has a post that provides suggestions to authors for the most effective timeline. Check it out. We suggest that authors have both a book (or books) FB page plus a personal one. You can cross-post as appropriate. For example, you may not want to include your family vacation photos on your book FB page, but you’ll want to add to your personal page announcements about book signings, awards, and such. Yeah, I know! We haven’t figured out when we’ll have time to set up our timelines either.

Our colleagues at CityLife have named the trio of journalists Local Heroes in the December 22, 2011 issue. The comprehensive investigative report Deadly Force is available as an e-book here. All Stephens Press e-books can be viewed here. ~ CHU

BRIAN HAYNES, LAWRENCE MOWER, REVIEW-JOURNAL REPORTERS; ALAN MAIMON, SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

The conduct of those we empower to protect us should be a matter of constant concern and vigilance on the part of citizens. But there have been enough officer-involved fatal shootings in Las Vegas, and the seemingly routine clearing of those officers by a controversial coroner’s inquest system, that you couldn’t be blamed for becoming inured to the whole grim spectacle. Which is what made “Deadly Force,” the Review-Journal’s comprehensive examination of police shootings, so important and resonant: It pried our eyes open again. (Disclosure: CityLife is owned by the company that publishes the R-J.) It’s the sort of long-term (the reporters spent a year on it), resource-intensive (the paper spent thousands acquiring records), wide-ranging, public-service journalism that big metro dailies were born to undertake.

“I suppose what surprised me the most,” Lawrence Mower tells CityLife, “was that for years — forever, really — we’ve been hearing that shootings were justifed because the person had a knife, or a gun, or a car. That is likely true in the legal sense. But what we discovered was that just because the shooting was justified didn’t mean that it had to happen in the first place. That some other departments held officers accountable for tactics leading up to a shooting was a huge surprise and allowed us to look at all 378 incidents in a new light.”

While the series certainly has local cops feeling the heat of renewed scrutiny, it’s also prompting an internal dialogue in the department about its policies and behavior, and that can only be good. Kudos, guys. ~SCOTT DICKENSHEETS

For great cities aren’t just described by great novels. They are defined and shaped by them.

It comes as no surprise to writers (and readers, for that matter) that the setting is an important part of a story – whether novel or non-fiction – and often, can become a character in itself. The surprise is in finding a literary work that creates an identifiable backdrop – or captures the essence of a city’s character.

Las Vegas is certainly a character – and as a setting – quite popular. Unfortunately, Sin City is also an enigma, as book reviewer Patrick Coolican of the Las Vegas Sun remarks,  and few writers have been able to harness its pulse and put into words. Cynical by profession, Coolican readily admits that tackling the city that never sleeps is a challenge best left alone.

But then came Crit, Andrew Kiraly’s fast-paced vividly descriptive debut novel that isn’t about Las Vegas and until the end, doesn’t even take place in Las Vegas, but still, manages to impress Coolican with its “on-the-money” portrayal of the 24-hour desert town.  Kiraly’s talent gives hope to Coolican that the great Las Vegas novel is within reach. For the full article, read here:

Book signings, blog posts, Facebook entries … all are great ways for a publisher to introduce a new book and its author (or authors) to the public. An easily dismissed medium, but equally as powerful, is the good old-fashioned radio talk show. In fact, listeners get an added bonus: they can actually hear excerpts in the authors’ own voices!

This Sunday night from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Coast to Coast AM radio (100.5 AM and 840 AM, Las Vegas), Emmy award-winning journalist and radio host George Knapp will be sharing the microphone with Vegas Rag Doll co-authors Wendy Mazaros and Joe Schoenmann. They’ll reminisce about days gone by, the Las Vegas mob, and Wendy’s former life as the wife of a hitman.

It promises to be a (late) night to remember: a prize-winning interviewer, an accomplished writer, and a woman with a story that’s difficult to imagine come together to burn up the airwaves with humor as well as drama. If you’re not a nightowl, or won’t be in Las Vegas for this holiday weekend, you don’t have to miss the entertainment; check out the radio’s website here for archived shows and station call numbers across the country.

Oh! Oh! Oh! The UK’s Guardian has named FADE SAG CRUMBLE (www.fadesagcrumble.com) one of the ten BEST BOOKS SET IN LAS VEGAS! Right alongside Hunter S. Thompson, Larry McMurtry, James Ellroy, Tom Wolfe, Dave Hickey, Charles Bock, and John O’Brien. Whoa, that’s exalted company! So proud of our editor Scott Dickensheets and our amazing gang of ten authors! Danielle Kelly’s essay on decay and the Neon Museum is quoted in the article. Thrilled!!

The book is the signature project of the 2011 Vegas Valley Book Festival and features ten of the finest Las Vegas writers exploring decay.

10 of the best books set in Las Vegas

Congrats and kudos to our Stephens Press authors and editors who won Nevada Press Association 2011 awards this past weekend. We knew we were keeping good company! Bravo to Joe Schoenmann, Andrew Kiraly, Joan Whitely, Lynette Curtis, John L. Smith, Michael Green, Deborah Wall, Heidi Knapp Rinella, Danielle Kelly and Ginger Meurer.

Kevin Janison

Writers used to squirrel themselves away in remote cabins, dusty offices, revealing themselves only briefly to hand over completed manuscripts to their publishers or to appear shyly at the corner bookstore or coffee house for a book signing or reading. Rarely did authors speak to large audiences or get involved in marketing their great American novel.

But times have changed. Bookstores are closing — both big chains and little indie shops — providing fewer opportunities for book signings and appearances. Authors develop follows through their websites, tweets, and Facebook pages, but never meet face-to-face with their audience. Readers buy online or download straight to their Nooks and Kindles.

Stephen Nasser

What’s a writer to do? Stephens Press authors have found a way to reach out to the community and share their stories by visiting schools and speaking to students. Stu Michaels, author of You Can’t Make This Up! spent time with high schoolers in a creative writing class. Stephen Nasser, author of My Brother’s Voice, has presented stories of the Holocaust at middle school assemblies and Kevin Janison, has entertained elementary-age students with his Deputy Dorkface series. What a delightful partnership! Professional authors doing what they do best — telling stories — and inspiring a whole new generation of budding readers and budding writers.

Stu Michaels

Working with writers to bring their stories to print is a daunting, yet rewarding task. When a manuscript is based on the life a real individual — one who has made an impact on the lives of others – it is especially thrilling. And when that story, and the research behind it, inspires another art form, well … the results are spectacular!

So it is with Helen J. Stewart, First Lady of Las Vegas, a new publication from Stephens Press. Dr. Sally Zanjani, historian and author of ten books on Nevada history, and Carrie Townley Porter, a former Nevada history teacher and Helen J. Stewart researcher for over forty years, collaborated on a fascinating and informative look at a woman ahead of her time, a woman born in the 1800s whose influence can still be felt today.

Using these writings as his inspiration, sculptor Benjamin Victor created a beautifully realistic statue of Helen J. Stewart, a fitting tribute to such a remarkable woman as well as to the dedication and hard work of the authors and the power of the written word.

Zanjani and Townley-Porter will launch Helen J. Stewart, First Lady of Las Vegas,  at the Nevada Women’s History Project luncheon October 8, 2011, at the Bartley Ranch in Reno, Nevada. The authors will discuss the years of research and writing dedicated to the project, as well as sign copies of their book.

And on December 3, 2011, government officials, Helen J. Stewart’s family members, and civic leaders reflecting the organizations on which she made an impact will gather at the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort State Historic Park for the unveiling and dedication of Benjamin Victor’s statue, giving the First Lady of Las Vegas a permanent home.

Most writers workshops involve hundreds of people. Which is a good thing — many people to meet, connect with, network with, and learn from. But what if you could enjoy a different kind of experience? A handful of writers and a couple of pros. Three days of personal interaction focusing on you and your writing? Throw in a magnificent fall in a lovely Vermont inn. Sound good? It sure does to me. I’ll be there. Come and join us! Downloade a PDF of the workshop details and schedule here. Maralys Wills, writing teacher extraordinaire, and yours truly, will be leading a small group of writers over three days, from October 11 to October 13. We’ll cover everything from the essential great first page to the current climate in the publishing landscape. Plus there will be plenty of one-on-one opportunities and instruction tailored to the student’s needs.