Christina Katz Recommends

More About Jennifer Keene's New Book: On Sale Now!

“DIVORCE! MUST SELL DOGS!”  This sad classified headline appeared recently in a major newspaper. With a national divorce rate at around 49%, it’s not the first plea of its kind.

A recent poll by US matrimonial attorneys revealed a steady increase in the number of pet custody cases heard by courts the first five years of this decade.  About 90% of those respondents cited dogs at the heart of their clients custody demands (5% involved cat custody).*

Nearly 75 million dogs are part of US households.  Roughly 40% of those households include two or more dogs.  By law, in most states, pets are considered property – like a piece of furniture or an automobile.  So, when things don’t work out, when love between a couple is gone, who gets Fido?

Finally, from TFH Publications, comes the first-ever self-help book to guide couples and the dogs who love them, through the confusing and painful process of breaking up.

New in bookstores this April – We Can’t Stay Together for the Dogs: Doing What’s Best for Your Dog When Your Relationship Breaks Up ($22.95; Hardcover; ISBN: 978-0-7938-0624-9; TFH Publications). Written by Oregon-based (and single-again) professional dog trainer Jennifer Keene, this unique self-help guide stresses problem-solving using “3 Cs” – helpful to any pet household: communication, compromise, and canine-centricity.

More coming soon...

Marc Acito's Book Trailer for Attack of the Theater People

It is 1986, and aspiring actor Edward Zanni has been kicked out of drama school for being "too jazz hands for Juilliard." Mortified, Edward heads out into the urban jungle of eighties New York City and finally lands a job as a "party motivator" who gets thirteen-year-olds to dance at bar mitzvahs and charms businesspeople as a "stealth guest" at corporate events. When he accidentally gets caught up in insider trading with a handsome stockbroker named Chad, only the help of his crew can rescue him from a stretch in Club Fed. Laced with the inspired zaniness of classic American musical comedy, Attack of the Theater People matches the big hair of the eighties with an even bigger heart.

A Book Review of Manuscript Makeover by Elizabeth Lyon (Perigee, April 2008)

Edit Your Fiction For Publication
Review by Patricia Clement

Elizabeth Lyon makes the simple but stunning promise to both novice and experienced fiction writers that practicing the techniques in Manuscript Makeover will lead to publishable stories. And she has the credentials to back up this claim—experience as an editor, mentor and workshop leader and author of four previous books on the craft of writing.

A readable and well organized-style, spiced with humor, makes reading Manuscript Makeover an unusual pleasure. The book is divided into the four main areas of style, craft, characterization and marketing. Each chapter is sprinkled with descriptions of the most common writing problems of each chapter’s topic as well as clear explanations of the ways to fix each problem.

Examples from best-selling novels illustrate concepts and each chapter ends with a detailed checklist for easy reference. The style chapters present inside-out (“using your self knowledge to plumb the depths of your life experiences to improve your writing”) and outside-in (“tricks of the trade”) methods of revision.

Craft chapters address issues particular to each fiction genre, different types of story structure and movement, suspense, time and place.  The five chapters on different aspects of characterization present the most in-depth coverage I’ve ever read of that subject.

Chapters discuss point-of-view, character dimension and theme, character personality and voice, as well as character-driven beginnings, scenes, suspense and narration. After reading the characterization chapters I finally understand how to strengthen my book and create irresistible characters by weaving character development into scenes and narration.

The last chapters deal with how to market your manuscript, from delivering impeccable manuscript mechanics to writing synopses and query letters that will neatly take your novel from your first draft to your agent and editor’s desk.

Reading Manuscript Makeover has given me the skills and confidence to edit my clumsy first draft into a polished novel. Buy this book and let Elizabeth Lyon help you score an acceptance on your novel or story.

Pre-order Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe by Jennie Shortridge

My friend Jennie Shortridge has a new novel coming out in May called Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe. Here's a bit more...

When she learns that her college sweetheart husband has been seeing another woman, Mira Serafino’s perfect world is shattered and she wants no one, least of all her big Italian family, to know. She heads north—with no destination and little money— stopping only when her car breaks down in Seattle. She takes a job at the offbeat Coffee Shop at the Center of the Universe, where she’ll experience a terrifying but invigorating freedom, and meet someone she’ll come to love: the new Mira.

Get it while it's hot!

Whidbey Students Sponsor a Monthly Short Form Contest

From my friend, Nancy Boutin:

April is National Poetry Month and we'd like to celebrate. But, as we've come to appreciate, poetry can be found almost anywhere in the short form. And we at the Whidbey Writers Workshop adore the short form.

For April, send our judge something poetic--a memoir about the poetry in your life, a lyrical short story, or even something that rhymes--and she might send you $50 and a new honor for your writing resume. Just be sure to keep it short.

Please go to www.whidbeystudents.com for the contest link and full guidelines. While you're there, listen to our own David Wagoner recite his most anthologized poem, "Lost."

Helping Dogs Through Tough Times

Ever knew anyone who had to ask the question: But what about the dogs?

That's a pretty sad day. But it doesn't have to be the end of their world.

Jennifer Keene, dog trainer and all-around great gal, has had her first book published, We Can't Stay Together for the Dogs, Doing What's Best For Your Dog When Your Relationship Breaks Up.

Check it out, (even while hoping it doesn't happen to you).

Five Reasons to Love Marc Acito

1. He's cute.

2. He's funny.

3. He's a weight-loss inspiration.

4. He bares all. (I'll let you find this one yourself.)

5. He's one of the finest, funniest writers you'll ever read. And that is rare!

And this month, his second hilarious book is coming out!

But I'm sure you'll want to read his debut hilarious book first.

Here's the newest, followed by the debut. Better get 'em while you can!

Elizabeth Lyon Announces her Sixth Book, Manuscript Makeover

Only an excellent and experienced editor could write a really good book on this topic. So who better than Elizabeth Lyon, one of the most excellent and experienced editors I know.

The book is Manuscript Makeover, Revision Techniques No Fiction Writer Can Afford to Ignore (April 2008, Perigee Books).

I'll have a review of the book here soon. In the meantime, feel free to learn more here:

http://www.manuscriptmakeover.com/

Order from Amazon here.

Join Sage Cohen at the coast for a poetry weekend: April 4-6!

Spend two glorious days writing and communing with other writers, within view and earshot of the Pacific Ocean!

As Writer-in-Residence at Oregon Writer's Colony, I'll be leading a poetry weekend from April 4-6! Each attendee will bring his or her own writing project and plan on at least 10-12 hours to work on the project. The group will convene throughout the weekend to share goals, meals, poetry and conversation. I'll facilitate writing prompts and exercises for poets at all levels. Optional private poetry critiques can be arranged. Program starts Friday night with introductions, includes two overnights, and concludes early in the day on Sunday.

Cost is just $125!

Contact me directly with questions: sage@sagesaidso.com
Learn more and register: http://www.oregonwriterscolony.org/Writer-in-residence.htm

About Sage Cohen
Sage Cohen is the author of Writing the Life Poetic, a creative companion for poets forthcoming from Writer’s Digest Books, and  the poetry collection Like the Heart, the World. Sage’s work appears in dozens of literary journals and anthologies including Cup of Comfort for Writers, VoiceCatcher, Poetry Flash, Oregon Literary Review and blueoregon.com. In 2006, she won first prize in the Ghost Road Press poetry contest. Sage holds a MA in creative writing from New York University where she was awarded a New York Times Foundation fellowship. She teaches Poetry for the People, an email poetry class.

www.sagesaidso.com

Welcome to Christina Katz Recommends!

This blog has been coming for a while and I apologize for not having time to build it sooner. It seems that I receive requests daily from friends to help them promote their latest projects, books, events, etc. And believe me, I always want to, but I'm so darn Internet prolific that I'm always a bit stumped as to what to put where without turning my carefully targeted offerings into long lists of what my friends are doing.

So guess what this blog is? It's a long list of what my friends are doing! And what is so nice about it, for me, is that I can  link to this blog from all of my other projects so everyone I connect with can find out who I personally recommend and why.

In a new world of marketing where sometimes it seems like everyone is recommending everyone (and receiving a kickback for it), you will be happy to know that I will only recommend folks with the highest integrity here and the only kickback I expect is a review copy.

And in case it hasn't already gotten around, I'll just come right out and tell you: I'm super picky. So I won't post just anyone or anything here unless I feel like the quality is something fellow writers will thank me for sharing.

In return, I hope that you will use this site as a place where you can purchase what are sure to become your favorite products. If you think my recommendations are worth your while, you can support this sight by making Amazon purchases here. I'll be connecting this site to my Amazon aStore soon.

Oh, and of course, by purchasing and spreading the word about my books, Writer Mama and Get Known Before the Book Deal. I'm pretty sure I'll be talking about them now and again.

Thanks for coming by! Hope you like the site.