Thanks for Making Us Top Ten

Excellent news: Thanks to all of you, The Writers' Group has been on the Top Ten Most Visited Blogs at Publishers Marketplace. If you have an idea for a topic you'd like to see covered here, email us and let us know.

In other news, though we expected this week to be slow in publishing circles, it's been anything but. Read below to see what we've been doing to enrich our literary lives.

Lisa
I had wonderful encouragement and congratulations on finding an agent from Christopher Castellani, one of my favorite novelists (A Kiss from Maddelena, The Saint of Lost Things). He also happens to be Boston's Grub Street Writers Creative Director. We've agreed to meet for lunch once my novel has found a publishing home. I'm looking forward to spending some time with such an inspiring and kind person.

Amy
I spoke with debut author Patry Francis about the February 1 release of her novel, The Liar's Diary. To promote her book, she'll be on conference panels (Backspace with Tish Cohen), hosting workshops (if you're in the Boston area, check out Grub Street South at Buttonwood Books), and having Liar's Parties (think a Tupperware party but with books!). Best news is I get to host one. Want to come?

Hannah
I discovered that "happily editing" is not at all an oxymoron, as I worried it might be, as I revise my draft, and I doodled around with a query letter. Also finished Nick Hornby's A Long Way Down. Tom Perrotta describes it in Publishers Weekly as Camus' grown-up version of "The Breakfast Club," which is on target. My favorite character was Maureen...

Lynne
Before my speaking schedule ramps up again, I took some time during this quiet work week to begin my next novel. I've written two chapters. Over the last month, I've become absorbed in researching two of my characters careers and preoccupations. As for Negotiation Generation, I'm still working to obtain testimonials and I'm beginning to flesh out a marketing plan.