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Category: Writers

Bob Worthington Wins National Book Award

Posted on August 30, 2022 by Mark Davis

Las Cruces Writers is thrilled to announce that our very own Bob Worthington has won another book award for his new book, Fighting Viet Cong in the Rung Sat. Below is the official press release. Congrats to Bob!

LAS CRUCES VETERAN & AUTHOR WINS NATIONAL AWARD FOR
SECOND VIETNAM BOOK

LAS CRUCES, NM — Las Cruces resident, writer, and Army veteran Dr. Bob Worthington’s book “Fighting Viet Cong in the Rung Sat” has been awarded a silver medal from the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA). The second book of Dr. Worthington’s Vietnam military trilogy, the award was announced on August 27, 2022.

MWSA President Bob Doerr said that Dr. Worthington’s book earned the silver medal in the memoir/biography category after scoring “high enough in our rigorous evaluation process to win a medal recognizing (his) achievement.” Dr. Worthington’s “Fighting Viet Cong in the Rung Sat” was recognized for the writing, editing, and its publication. “(He) should be very proud of (his) accomplishment,” Doerr said. “We certainly are.”

Dr. Worthington describes his second tour in Vietnam as some of the fiercest fighting of the war and tells of his experiences training South Vietnamese commandos to conduct raids in the swamps south of Saigon.

“Fighting Viet Cong in the Rung Sat” is the follow up to Worthington’s previous book, “Under Fire with the ARVN Infantry,” which was awarded a national award for Excellence in Literature by the Military Writers Society of America. The author’s final book in the trilogy, “The Making …

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August Seminar – Life Legacy Memoir Workshop

Posted on August 10, 2022August 30, 2022 by Mark Davis

Please join LCW’s Karen Ray for the next LCW writer’s seminar. Here’s the scoop:

Have you ever thought about sharing your story? Do family and friends tell you, “You should write a book!”? I believe each person’s unique history deserves to be remembered and shared with others. My goal as a personal historian, memoir coach, writer, and editor is to help preserve those life stories.  When faced with a whole lifetime of memories the task can seem daunting. However, capturing one’s life stories can be an enjoyable, easily accessible project when broken down into easy steps and given some inspiration for how to start.

Come join us in an interactive workshop on writing your story. My goal is to empower you with the tools to begin writing or recording your own unique memories and experiences. This can be an immensely rewarding writing project. Ask yourself, if not now, when?

Date: August 27
Time: 2 – 3:30 p.m.
Place: Good Sam’s, Building E (first floor West lounge), 3045 Buena Vida Circle.

I’ll  share some simple tools and ideas for recording your memories and drawing out your story. This will be an interactive one hour seminar, followed by a half hour question and answer session, during which I’ll provide handouts with take away information. Even if you’re an experienced writer you might learn something new, and gain a different perspective, while having a bit of fun on a Saturday afternoon.…

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Overview of Branding Workshop

Posted on July 24, 2022July 24, 2022 by Mark Davis

Six hearty souls ventured out in the heat to participate in the branding workshop presented by George Pintar

The participants requested answers to three questions

  • What is the definition of branding?
  • How do you brand your book?
  • What are the benefits of branding?

Using the Socratic teaching methodology, mind mapping, and attendee participation the three questions were answered. Below is the summarization that culminated in the two-hour informative and fun-filled event.

…
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Chile Charlie Speaks Again

Posted on July 13, 2022July 13, 2022 by Mark Davis

Check out President Emeritus George Pintar’s new audiobook of his recent novelette, Navajo Tainted Beliefs. You can get it at Audible and Amazon. Here’s a synopsis:

Navajo Tainted Beliefs is a fictional novelette exploring the similarities and differences between the Bible and the Navajo stories regarding the creation of the earth and humankind.

Chile Charlie and Dolly Sweet Thompson interview two Navajo shamans to obtain the facts and oral stories regarding these concepts. The setting is at the headquarters of the Navajo Nation—Tohatchi. These side-by-side comparisons are well-documented and have excellent narration that is easy to understand. You will laugh, cry, and wonder why as you listen and digest these similarities.…

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Seminar: Self-Publishing

Posted on June 12, 2022June 12, 2022 by Mark Davis

Please join me for my upcoming seminar on self-publishing. The seminar is Saturday, June 25th from 2-4 PM at Good Samaritan Village, Building E, 3045 Buena Vida Circle. I will also stream the seminar via Zoom (invitation will go out to members email list a day before).

This class is designed for writers of all skill levels who have an interest self-publishing their books. The goal will be to discuss why a writer self-publishes and the skills that are be needed to do so. Next, I will survey different levels of self-publishing, from assisted services to full do-it-yourself. The primary focus of the seminar, however, will be self-publishing a book from soup to nuts, including obtaining ISBN codes, formatting a manuscript, creating cover art, ordering a sample, and sitting back and enjoying the small pleasure of success.

Topics to be covered:

  • Self-publishing versus publishing
  • Getting ready to self-publish
  • Skills and options
    • Software needs
    • Self-publishing assistance
    • Hiring and coordinating
  • Let’s self-publish
    • First steps
    • Bowker and ISBNs
    • Kindle KDP setup
      • Tax information
    • Softcover, hardcover, and digital only
    • Formatting the manuscript
    • Covers, art, templates, and finishing touches
    • Ordering a sample
  • Discussion and Q/A
  • Wrap-up
…
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Seminar: Online Marketing and Digital Platforms

Posted on May 24, 2022June 5, 2022 by Mark Davis

I (Mark Davis) will host a seminar on Saturday, May 28th from 2-4 PM at Good Samaritan Village, Building E, 3045 Buena Vida Circle. I will also stream the seminar via Zoom (invitation will go out to members email list a day before).

Reaching audiences and selling books online is very 21st century, but don’t expect that if you build it they will come! In this seminar, I will give an overview of online marketing approaches and the idea of a “digital platform” that is designed to assemble an audience using a variety of tools.

This class is designed for writers of all skill levels who have an interest in marketing and promoting their books online. The goal will be to survey the available channels for reaching your audience and do a few deep dives on the technical aspects of those online systems. While some of the details may be technical, the presentation will provide both a primer for those hoping to do-it-yourself and options for those looking for assistance.

This seminar dovetails with George Pintar’s planned July seminar, Branding Your Business.

Topics to be covered:

  • The idea of a “digital platform”
    • Examples of platforms
    • Hybrid models: marketing online and in person
    • Goals of platforms
    • A zoo of possibilities: Twitter, websites, Goodreads, Instagram, Facebook, oh my!
    • Models:
      • No-cost
      • Low-cost
      • High-cost
    • Measuring stuff: conversions
  • Hiring a Service vs. Do-It-Yourself
    • Trade-offs: Costs vs. Learning Curve
  • Deep dives:
    • WordPress website creation
      • Registrars and URLs
      • Services
      • Creation and editing
    • The Facebook/Instagram ecosystem
    • Twitter
…
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Chile Charlie Rides Again with Navajo Tainted Beliefs

Posted on April 26, 2022April 26, 2022 by Mark Davis

Navajo Tainted Beliefs by George Pintar is culmination of a yearlong project to learn the similarities and differences between the Bible and Navajo stories regarding the creation of the earth and mankind. Pintar’s fictional characters Chile Charlie and Dolly Sweet Thompson interview both Navajo Shamans and clergymen to obtain the facts about the written and oral stories. These are enticing and creative side-by-side comparisons. They are well-written and easy to understand. Here is a description of a shaman: “Blue Rope wore an authentic Kachina outfit. His face was covered with a mask, and his eyes hid behind the darkness of the mask. Under his right feather-winged hand, he carried a small gourd bucket.” Another is “Next, he created man from dust and woman from man’s rib. God did not think man should live alone. But in Navajo stories, the sun had the sole power to communicate, which was a big difference in the creation stories. One of the most striking is that a woman is made with a man in the Navajo version. They were made under the same buckskin simultaneously.

You may laugh, you may cry, and you may wonder why as you read Navajo Tainted Beliefs. Now available on Amazon Books.…

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Pre-Order Bob Worthington’s Newest: The Making of an Army Psychologist

Posted on April 25, 2022April 25, 2022 by Mark Davis

LCW’s Bob Worthington’s newest book, The Making of an Army Psychologist, is now available for pre-order from McFarland Press. Here’s a synopsis:

In the early 1970s the U.S. Army was undergoing seismic changes. The Vietnam War had ended, almost 600 American POWs were released by North Vietnam, the draft was terminated and the Army itself was in dismal shape. A decorated former infantryman turned behavioral scientist, Bob Worthington returned to active duty as a clinician and served as a senior psychology consultant, helping the Army remain an effective fighting force. His insightful memoir describes his pioneering research in PTSD, the managing of a clinical service and mental health center, his work focusing on pilots and aviators, and a stint as a sports psychologist for the U.S. Olympics.…

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Generations Writing Contest

Posted on April 10, 2022April 10, 2022 by Mark Davis

Pair up across generations to write something new and beautiful in the Generations Community Writing Project. Learn more in the Las Cruces Bulletin. Because writers can learn together.

classic close up draw expensive
…
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LCW Authors Pintar and Cicero at Branigan Library

Posted on March 17, 2022March 17, 2022 by Mark Davis

On Wednesday, March 30th George Pintar and Judy Cicero, local storytellers and authors, will be at the Branigan library’s second floor to autograph and explain the story line of their recent books. The event will start at 10:15 and conclude at noon. If you have books by either author that have not been autographed bring them.

Pintar’s books takes you on journeys throughout the Southwest including Antelope Wells, Deming, Great American Duck Race, Madrid, Chiz, population one, and other ghost towns.

Cicero’s book, an enchanting fairy tale, follows Tate, boy hero and Little-One, a refugee baby spider in their search for Little-One’s home web on the mysterious lotus pond. These unlikely friends accompanied by Tate’s imagination face the dangerous Bully Fish, menacing Sumo Snails, the evil Kameko, a renegade turtle taxi driver and the deadly Steaming Vapors.

If you are or know a local author, there will be information about the Las Cruces Writers. Their mission is Writers Helping Writers.

Enjoy a blind date with one of their books!…

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