____________________________________
The Writers’ Café Press is a small
independent publisher devoted to
assisting the talented new and/ or
unpublished authors realize their
dream.
We welcome queries about a range
of marketable fiction, but we are
most interested in speculative
fiction and in particular, the "Lost
Genre" of Biblical Speculative Fiction.
independent publisher devoted to
assisting the talented new and/ or
unpublished authors realize their
dream.
We welcome queries about a range
of marketable fiction, but we are
most interested in speculative
fiction and in particular, the "Lost
Genre" of Biblical Speculative Fiction.
| How does the Writers' Café Press differ from the large traditional publishers or purported publishing companies? Check Here |
____________________________________
Cynthia MacKinnon, Editor
 | |  | |  | |  |
Fundraiser will benefit family of late Melissa Bernard
Mon, Sep 3, 2007
By SUZANNE R. STONE
Staff writer
A group of Southeastern writers will get together in Aiken for an all-day book signing,
meet-and-greet, and fundraiser for the family of a local woman who recently lost her
battle with cancer.
The Weekend Sun & Reads Benefit will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the
H. Odell Weeks Activities Center. Admission to the benefit is free, and proceeds benefit
the widower and four children of the late Melissa Bernard, who died of cancer in July.
The book signing will feature Susan Hutto Kirkland of Calhoun, Ga., author (as S.M.
Kirkland) of the short story "Fair Balance" in the anthology "Light at the Edge of
Darkness;" Sue Dent of Mississippi, author of the fantasy novel "Never Ceese," which was
shortlisted for excellence in a first novel honors in the Bram Stoker Awards; and Donna
Sundblad of Calhoun, author of the fantasy novel "Windwalker" and a short story in "Light
at the Edge of Darkness." Also in attendance will be Editor Cynthia McKinnon of Writers
Cafe Press, who is working with Dent on a sequel to "Never Cease," and Kirkland, who is
expanding "Fair Balance" into a novel.
"Melissa is my cousin through marriage," said Kirkland. "She was diagnosed in October of
2006 with a form of colon cancer. She fought it bravely. I was in the Lost Genre Group;
we're Christian writers focusing on fantasy and science fiction from a Christian
perspective, and the writers in that group prayed for her, put her on other prayer lists.
She literally had writers all over the world praying for her."
"Living so far away in Georgia, I knew there were a lot of physical needs Brian and the
kids had, but I couldn't participate in any of that and I felt guilty about that," said
Kirkland. "I thought if I had a talent for singing or dancing I'd put on a benefit, and then I
thought, well, I can write — why can't I do a book signing or something? I called Cynthia
and said I don't know the ins and outs of this, and she picked up on it and ran with it."
McKinnon put the word out to authors she works with and is in writing groups with, and
contributions of autographed books, autographed audiobooks, stationery, art prints, gift
cards and other items came pouring in for the fundraiser. These were assembled into gift
baskets which will be raffled off in drawings throughout the day Saturday.
Tickets for the basket raffles will be sold at $1 each or in packages of $5 for six tickets
and $10 for a book of 15. Ticketholders need not be present to win if they provide
contact information, Kirkland said.
"Cynthia said one person sent her a 40-pound box of books," Kirkland said. "We were
hoping to have live entertainment, but the band we were working with is shorthanded.
But we'll have the raffles and the book signings and lots and lots of cookies."
For more information about the Weekend Sun & Reads benefit, Kirkland can be reached
at (706) 307-1129.
Aiken Standard, September 3, 2007
www.aikenstandard.com
Mon, Sep 3, 2007
By SUZANNE R. STONE
Staff writer
A group of Southeastern writers will get together in Aiken for an all-day book signing,
meet-and-greet, and fundraiser for the family of a local woman who recently lost her
battle with cancer.
The Weekend Sun & Reads Benefit will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the
H. Odell Weeks Activities Center. Admission to the benefit is free, and proceeds benefit
the widower and four children of the late Melissa Bernard, who died of cancer in July.
The book signing will feature Susan Hutto Kirkland of Calhoun, Ga., author (as S.M.
Kirkland) of the short story "Fair Balance" in the anthology "Light at the Edge of
Darkness;" Sue Dent of Mississippi, author of the fantasy novel "Never Ceese," which was
shortlisted for excellence in a first novel honors in the Bram Stoker Awards; and Donna
Sundblad of Calhoun, author of the fantasy novel "Windwalker" and a short story in "Light
at the Edge of Darkness." Also in attendance will be Editor Cynthia McKinnon of Writers
Cafe Press, who is working with Dent on a sequel to "Never Cease," and Kirkland, who is
expanding "Fair Balance" into a novel.
"Melissa is my cousin through marriage," said Kirkland. "She was diagnosed in October of
2006 with a form of colon cancer. She fought it bravely. I was in the Lost Genre Group;
we're Christian writers focusing on fantasy and science fiction from a Christian
perspective, and the writers in that group prayed for her, put her on other prayer lists.
She literally had writers all over the world praying for her."
"Living so far away in Georgia, I knew there were a lot of physical needs Brian and the
kids had, but I couldn't participate in any of that and I felt guilty about that," said
Kirkland. "I thought if I had a talent for singing or dancing I'd put on a benefit, and then I
thought, well, I can write — why can't I do a book signing or something? I called Cynthia
and said I don't know the ins and outs of this, and she picked up on it and ran with it."
McKinnon put the word out to authors she works with and is in writing groups with, and
contributions of autographed books, autographed audiobooks, stationery, art prints, gift
cards and other items came pouring in for the fundraiser. These were assembled into gift
baskets which will be raffled off in drawings throughout the day Saturday.
Tickets for the basket raffles will be sold at $1 each or in packages of $5 for six tickets
and $10 for a book of 15. Ticketholders need not be present to win if they provide
contact information, Kirkland said.
"Cynthia said one person sent her a 40-pound box of books," Kirkland said. "We were
hoping to have live entertainment, but the band we were working with is shorthanded.
But we'll have the raffles and the book signings and lots and lots of cookies."
For more information about the Weekend Sun & Reads benefit, Kirkland can be reached
at (706) 307-1129.
Aiken Standard, September 3, 2007
www.aikenstandard.com
Click here to read Rob
Novit's article on Melissa
published in July 19th's
Aiken Standard.
It is a pdf file.