MARIE WARNER has five books listed on Amazon: Love Comes Dearly, Chase the Wolf, Reason for Marriage: The Duke’s Gypsy Bride, Lady of the Doves (A Reason for Marriage novel), and Pin-Up Girl (A Reason for Marriage novel). Other titles are in the works. BARBARA SHEPHERD had an article published in the Stillwater News Press: “William Scott Receives Quilt of Valor.” She had several blogs featured on Prosateur Blog: “Vittles & Vignettes” (featured blog), “Patchwork Skin”, and “Writing Tips. Her Mainstream Historical novel River Bend was released December 6, 2017, by The Wild Rose Press, in both print and digital versions.
Latest News From the Mid-Oklahoma Writers
Barbara Shepherd had a picture book published by Doodle and Peck: The Potbelly Pig Promise. A mainstream historical novel by Wild Rose Press, River Bend, is scheduled for publication in December 2017. David Roper had three issues of Truth for Today on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus in the spring and his commentary on the same three books was published in the fall. He had an indie children’s book published earlier in the year: Super Kids, and a traditionally-published children’s book, My Friend, Frank, in the fall.
Mid-Oklahoma Writers News
News From Mid-Oklahoma Writers
Acceptances and Sales
David Roper's first picture book The Little Old Man, The Little Old Woman, and The Little Red Hen came from the press in September (Doodle and Peck Publishing).
Bonnie Lanthripe's mid-grade novel The Ringleader: The Legion of Fury is scheduled to be published soon (Pen-L Publishing).
Nancy Lee has an article scheduled to be published in 2017 by the United Methodist magazine Christian Living in the Mature Years: "Encore Adults: 'Play It Again, Sam!'"
Profession Activities
Barbara Shepherd was the guest speaker in Ada, Oklahoma, for Ada Writers Club; wrote press releases for Oklahoma City Writers and Wordwrights–OKC Christian Writers; wrote and published a newsletter for Wordwrights; and finalized plans to co-host another Fiction Writers Retreat on June 17, 2017.
David Roper was one of the authors at the Encyclomedia conference in Oklahoma City, had a book on the SCBWI "Book Blast" site, had a book launch party for his new picture book at the Midwest City library, was an author at the Kansas Literacy Festival in Wichita, Kansas, attended the fall Oklahoma SCBWI conference which included a book-signing, produced a book for his brother Coy Roper: Potpourri: A Medley of Poetry and Prose.
Contest Winnings
Barbara Shepherd won awards in the 2016 Rose State Writers’ Conference contest: First place in Nonfiction for an article "Colonel Bourland Commands Attention," first place in Writing for Young Readers in a YA story "Web of Deceit." She also won the "Outstanding Author Award for 2016."
Club Activities
The club suffered a massive blow when faithful member Jeanne Shirley passed away October 24, 2016. Jeanne was considered "the heart beat" of the group. She kept the Mid-Oklahoma Writers going for many years through good times and bad. She was recently made a Lifetime Member in recognition of her years of loyal service.
The winners in the fall 2016 Mid-Oklahoma Writers Contest (theme: "Summer") were as follows. Poetry: 1st place – "Heat" by Barbara Shepherd, 2nd place – "The Prose Writer’s Lament" by Nancy Lee, 3rd place – "D.A./DNA/NFL from Hell" by Catherine Katey Johnson, Honorable Mentions – "Luscious Lure (On a Summer Day)" by Magi Whitaker, "Summertime" by David L. Roper, and "The Note Said" by Jeanne C. Shirley. Fiction: 1st place – "A Summer of Change" by Jeanne C. Shirley, 2nd place – "Summer Bliss" by Barbara Shepherd, 3rd place – "The First Day of Summer" by David L. Roper, Honorable Mention – "When the Funnels Come Back to Tom Pastrano" by Catherine Katey Johnson.
Officers for 2017 are as follows: President – Candyce Shima, Vice-President (and Program Director) – Catherine Katy Johnson, Secretary – David Roper, Treasurer – Jaz Primo.
Mid-Oklahoma Writers Still Active
Acceptances and Sales
DAVID ROPER now has a paperback version of Horsefly Hank and the Osage War Shield. He recently published an account of his family’s 1974 50-day tour of Europe: Europe on 5-10 Nervous Breakdowns a Day. His picture book The Little Old Man, The Little Old Woman, and The Little Red Hen is scheduled for publication in September by Doodle and Peck Publishing. He has a three little worms story scheduled for the April 2017 issue of Highlights High Five: “The Magic Words.” High Five recently purchased another story: “Why Mortimer Wears Glasses.”
Contest Winnings
BARBARA SHEPHERD won 1st place in the 2015 Poetry Society of Oklahoma Annual Contest with “In the Land of Make Believe.” She won 2nd place in Adult Fiction in the 2016 Christian Writers Fellowship Annual Writing Contest in Kansas with the story “Mail Order Bride.” In the same contest, she won 2nd in Poetry with “November Ice,” 2nd in Children’s Fiction with “Hear Me On the Radio,” and 3rd in Children’s Non-Fiction with “Wacky Animals from A to Z.” She won awards in the Arkansas Writers’ Conference 2016 contest: 1st Place for a poem (“The Journey”), 1st Place for a short story (“Daffodil Waltz”), 2nd Place for a 6-word short story (“Divorce”), 2nd Honorable Mention for a short story (“Granny’s Gift”).
Profession Activities
BARBARA SHEPHERD attended the SCBWI conference in May, co-hosted the Fiction Writers Retreat on June 4, and was again juried into the Woody Guthrie Poetry. She read poetry at St. Benedict’s in Shawnee; wrote press releases for Oklahoma City Writers, Wordwrights–OKC Christian Writers, and Mid-Oklahoma Writers; wrote and published a newsletter for Wordwrights; and made a trip to south Texas for research related to her newest screenplay.
