Kia Marathon and RWAonline Workshop

October will be a busy month!
I have been asked to co-moderate a very special yearly event with my Romance Writers of America chapter, RWAOnline. I love the online chapter, it would be difficult for me to be as involved with a brick-and-mortar meeting place.

The Kia Marathon happens every October. Affectionately known as the Kick In The Ass marathon, it is actually named after Kia Cochran, a member we lost from breast cancer a few years ago. "The marathon is dedicated to writing, and to remembering those that have been affected by breast cancer. " (Marly Mathews)
As I have lost a dear friend and have another fighting hard right now, it is especially close to my heart, and I am honored to be asked to take part in moderating.

Nicole Montreuil and Dawna Lei Grubbs are also moderating, and Nic is helping run an online workshop presented by Sherry Morris. The workshop is free for chapter members, but open to non-members for a nominal fee.
Here are the details:
Nicole Montreuil writes-
In honour of our KIA marathon, us workshopper folk have scheduled a three-week, hands-on kick-in-butt class coming up. Meet the Short Story Boot Camp. How "hands-on"? If you do your homework, you'll have a short story or novella ready for the e-pub of your heart...and some clue where and how to send it. How "kick-in-butt"? Workshoppers, members and non, will be part of KIA, so we've got a chance to show off our chapter while we spur each other on. Want to KIA but not sure what you'll write? Join the workshop and find out how that WIP from hell can be distilled to the novella that gets you sold. Want to workshop but not sure you can manage a novella in less than a month? Come KIA and let your teammates motivate you. I like to think of it as the Mutual Motivation Society. *g* As always, free for RWAOL members (that's you), but if you want to be on the list for e-mail reminders before class starts (or want to get your non-member friends hooked on the awesomeness of Chapter # 136), drop by the Writer's Campus, where it's $15 for non-members and good times for all. Class runs Oct. 8-26 in the workshops forum. Run by multi-e-pubbed author Sherry Morris, with a little crossover help from yours truly and the KIA Divas, Diana Trodahl and Dawna Grubbs. Registration closes Oct. 3, but again, as RWAOL members, you don't have to register to attend.


(Image is a photo taken in Mendocino by Carleton Watkins, just because I like it)