Brenda Warneka – A First-Place Winner in 2019 NFPW At-Large Communication Contest
Congratulations to Brenda Warneka – a First-Place Winner in 2019 National Federation of Press Women At-Large Communication Contest!
Brenda Warneka with her award-winning book, “Around Laughlin.”
Brenda Warneka, a member of Arizona Professional Writers, is the First-Place winner in the category of “non-fiction books for adult readers, history” in the 2019 National Federation of Press Women’s at-large communications contest. Entries were judged and ranked by professional communications experts from throughout the United States.
Warneka’s first-place winning entry was her Arcadia Publishing Company’s Images of America book “Around Laughlin.” At-large winners compete with first place state winners from throughout the United States in the national competition of the NFPW communications contest.
This is what the judge had to say about Warneka’s First Place entry: “This book used every means necessary to engage me as a reader. This author took an area of our country that held little to no interest to me and I was captivated. The pictures, illustrations, and excellent research of the very people who lived in the inhospitable land held my interest as I flew through the pages. I enjoyed this one immensely.”
NFPW is a nationwide organization of women and men pursuing careers across the communications spectrum, including print and electronic journalism, freelancing, new media, books, public relations, marketing, graphic design, photography, advertising, radio and television. Winners of the national contest will be notified in late March or early April. The winners will be honored at an awards dinner on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at the NFPW conference in Baton Rouge, LA
Susan Haught wins 2019 Best Writer Award in the reader’s choice Best of the Rim contest!
Susan Haught
Susan Haught: A member of the Arizona Professional Writers, Rim Country Chapter,Author Susan Haught, has received the 2019 Best Writer Award in the reader’s choice Best of the Rim contest sponsored by the Payson Roundup Newspaper. Susan’s response to the award.”There’s nothing more thrilling and humbling than for your work to be recognized in your home community. I’m forever grateful to those who took the time to vote. ”
Here is a little about Susan in her own words.
Hello, everyone. It’s early morning here in Payson and I’m deathly allergic to morning, so allow me to introduce myself before my coffee gets cold. My name is Susan Haught and I make things up, write them down, and call them novels. Besides being a mom, it’s the hardest job I’ve ever had, yet ranks up there with motherhood as the most rewarding. To hold months of hard work in your hand as a physical book never gets old, even after four novels. That moment makes months of joy, tears, and frustration worth it, and when a reader contacts me to say my words affected them in some way, I know I’ve done my job.
I consider myself a black liquorice connoisseur, coffee addict, wine sipper, and brown-thumb gardener who spends a great deal of time murdering the poor plants unfortunate enough to end up in my cart. I’m also an award-winning author who writes deeply emotional stories of family, friendship, and the healing power of love. I’m somewhat handier with stories than I am with a garden shovel. But I find gardening helps me to decompress and it takes my mind off writing, at least for a little while. Come to think of it, so does Australian or Finnish black liquorice!
I’ve been blessed to have received several awards for my work, the most recent the Rim Country Best Writer award sponsored by the Payson Roundup.
The Whisper of the Pines series consists of four novels and a companion book: A Promise of Fireflies, In the Shadow of Fate (A Promise of Fireflies companion), A Thousand Butterfly Wishes, The Other Side of Broken, and Outside the Lines. Three have gone on to win awards for excellence in independent publishing in women’s fiction and/or romance, are Reader’s Favorite 5 Star novels, and The Other Side of Broken was chosen by Writer’s Digest (judge 17) as “a novel not to be missed.” and Ink & Insight says, “This is what women’s fiction is supposed to be.” Outside the Lines is my newest baby, released Jan. 15, 2019, and I’m in the process of writing Book 5, Christmas Under the Tuscan Stars which will be released for the 2019 holidays.
I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, RWA-Women’s Fiction writers, Women’s Fiction Writers Association, APW, and APW Rim Country Chapter. I’ll be at the Payson Book Festival in July, and if you’re in the area or plan to attend, please stop by and say hello. I’d love to meet you!
Payson Book Festival -save the date!
Save the date – July 20, 2019. For more information see the Payson Book Festival webpage.
2019 APW officers
We are happy to announce our APW officers for 2019.
- President: Marie Fasano
- Secretary: Carol Osman Brown
- Treasurer: Cheryl Kohout
- 1st VP: Bobbie Bennett
- 2nd VP – membership: Joan Westlake
Photos from “An Illustrator’s Perspective”
Michael Hale was the speaker for “An Illustrator’s Perspective,” Rim Country District’s November 15, 2017 presentation held at Majestic Rim Retirement Community in Payson. As an author and illustrator of children’s books, Michael Hale provided an insider’s view of what it takes to create a book from concept to final production to an interested audience.
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- Connie Cockrell introducing the speaker, Michael Hale. Photo by Carol Osman Brown.
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- Michael Hale with a fascinated audience. Photo by Bing Brown.
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- Demonstrating the illustration process. Photo by Bing Brown.
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- Michael Hale showing “Bad Monkey Business,” which he wrote and illustrated. Photo by Carol Osman Brown.
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- Michael Hale showing examples of illustrations. Photo by Bing Brown.
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- Speaker Michael Hale with Carol Osman Brown. Photo by Bing Brown.
APW member Beverly Raphael Konik Dies
Beverly Raphael Konik, owner of Write Visions Communications, worked as a free-lance writer. She served for more than a decade as state treasurer of Arizona Professional Writers (APW) and was in this capacity on the APW State Board of Directors until her death on Nov. 6, 2017. Bev passed away in her sleep after battling cancer for a brief time. She enjoyed friendships with many APW members who appreciated her quick wit, great sense of humor and compassion for others.
Bev joined APW in 1995 and also was a member of the National Federation of Press Women. A respected freelance writer, she used her strong writing, organization and research skills as a volunteer working on many APW projects. These included APW high school student scholarships, educational programs for journalists and organizing state conferences. Bev was an avid reader with a strong curiosity and love of travel. She delighted in meeting authors and helped secure grants for the Payson Book Festival, an APW literacy project.
Born Dec. 28, 1938 in Pittsburg, PA, Bev came to Arizona in 1975. She worked for the State of AZ in labor relations where she helped resolve conflicts and then worked for the City of Phoenix for more than 15 years.before retiring in 1996 to take care of her father. She was a community activist who mentored youth and helped promote positive changes in education, environment, wildlife and social issues.
She is survived by her daughter, Rachel Harvey of San Francisco, brother Barry Konigsford, and his wife Kitty Konigsford of Mt. Prospect (Chicago,) IL, and their children Brian Konigsford and Janice Konigsford, and Sue Jaeger, sister-in-law. She was preceded in death by her brother, William Konigsford, and parents Evelyn Konigsford and Lewis Konigsford.
A memorial service/celebration of life for Bev is scheduled for 11 a.m. – 3 p.m., Dec.2, 2017 at Christ’s Community Church, 3710 W. Orangewood, Phoenix, AZ 85051. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Arizona Community Foundation, 602-381-1400 or www.az.foundation.org .
If you have memories or photos to share, you can send them to the APW Facebook page and to an email address established by the family: bevsmemorial2017@gmail.com .
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- Bev Konik, volunteer, at the Payson Book Festival July 2017 selling raffle tickets and accepting donations for scholarships. Photo by Bing Brown
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- Bev Konik in purple volunteering at the Payson Book Festival July 2017. Photo by Bing Brown.
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- Pam Stevensen (left), APW president, and Beverly Konik (right), treasurer, work on APW records. Photo by Brenda Warneka.
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- Bev Konik (center) looks on as Pam Stevenson (center), APW president, presents Betty Merritt of the Merritt Center in Payson a copy of APWs “Skirting Traditions.” (2013) Photo by Bing Brown
November 2017 program: Michael Hale – An Illustrator’s Perspective
The Arizona Professional Writers present: Michael Hale – An Illustrator’s Perspective
Join us! Wednesday, November 15 1:00 PM at Majestic Rim Retirement Community, 310 Tyler Pkwy, Payson, AZ.
Everyone loves children’s books but not everyone knows how they are created. As an author and illustrator of children’s books, Michael Hale provides an insider’s view of what it takes to create a book from concept to final production.
Learn how authors, illustrators and many others come together to put books on your shelves. It’s a great insight into the world of children’s literature.
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- Michael Hale
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- Written and illustrated by Michael Hale
Michael Hale is the Illustrator Coordinator for the Arizona Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. (SCBWI). He has years of creative experience as a designer, writer and Illustrator and was the Creative Director of The Phoenix Zoo.
Now he puts his creative skills to work on writing & illustrating children’s picture books. He loves his work.
Michael illustrated his first picture book, UP UP UP in 2016. It was written by Phoebe Fox and published by First Edition Project Books. He both wrote and illustrated his second book, Bad Monkey Business. It was published by Simian Books in 2017.
You can see more of Michael Hale’s work by visiting www.michaelhale.me
