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.
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
Payson Book Festival featured on KTAR FM 92.3
The Rim Country District of APW is co-hosting the Payson Book Festival on July 22 at the Mazatal Casino in Payson. Check the Facebook page for upcoming interviews with APW members and other authors on Payson’s radio stations KMOG and KRIM.
The Payson Book Festival and two of its authors will be featured on Saturday, July 8 on Glendale FM station KTAR.
KTAR – 92.3 will host featured authors Roger Naylor and Stella Pope Duarte on July 8 from 7:00 a.m. 5to 8:00 a.m. on the RosieontheHouse show, host by Rosie Romer. Listeners can listen live, online or via app.
Tune in! And we hope to see you on July 22 at the Payson Book Festival!
April TypeRider
Editor Lynda Exley’s last issue – the April 2017 TypeRider is here. Find news about upcoming events including Rim Country’s April 19 meeting. Betty Webb talks about writer’s block in her column. And check the calendar for the many events coming up this month.
We are looking for a new editor. We appreciate all of Lynda’s hard work in producing an award-winning newsletter each month.
March TypeRider
The March 2017 TypeRider is now available! Find out more about Patricia Myers who recently passed away with stories about the many facets of her writing life and photos of her wearing her wonderful hats. Betty Webb has a humorous account of one of her book tours, “Writer Abandoned at Truck Stop” and Glennis McNeal writes of turning her family story into a compelling memoir in “Kicking the journalism habit.” Plus find out more about the national NFPW convention and upcoming events.
First TypeRider of 2017 is here!
The January 2017 TypeRider is here. Registration is now open for the third Payson Book Festival. Read reports of recent meetings of the Colorado River and Rim Country District Chapters. Betty Webb, in her column, asks “What is a real writer?” See if you measure up! You’ll also find information on the 2017 NFPW convention in Alabama plus many other upcoming writing events.
August, 2016 TypeRider
Get a wonderful recap, complete with many photos, of the Payson Book Festival held July 23 at Gila Community College in Payson, AZ in the August, 2016 issue of TypeRider. Patricia Myers shares her Paris 2016 Journal. Betty Webb tells the how she got her idea for Llama of Death. It’s quite humorous! Plus lots of writing-relating activities that are coming up are listed in the Calendar. Take a peek!
July 2016 TypeRider is here!
The July 2016 TypeRider is now available. Just click on the link. Inside you’ll find information about the upcoming APW State Convention to be held October 15. Find out more about the Payson Book Festival to be held July 23 at Gila Community College in Payson. Betty Webb continues her series of articles with “Pay attention to the world around you” and Liz Mastin helps poets with “The joy of prosody: Saving a bad poem?” There are writing events for every genre. Check them out! Plus so much more.
June 2016 TypeRider
Take a look at another information-packed issue of the TypeRider. The June 2016 issue is available. Our districts have been active – read their reports. Betty Webb offers us a column titled “Method acting works great for writers.” Skirting Traditions is now available in ebook format. And find out more about the NFPW convention coming up in Kansas City, the Payson Book Festival plus loads of writing events.
