It's great to see others achieving their goals. It's motivating. Winning awards for writing. Getting published. That's our member news. 

Announcements are to let you know about things like: changes, who are guest speakers are, all sorts of stuff. Let us know what's good for you, shout out mailto:editorbawl@gmail.com

But first, the calendar now has a dedicated page. Find it here.

I recently published my novel, The Fall of 69, available on Amazon.  - Bill Gaupp

The Fall of 69

Michael, age 17, drove himself from Oregon to the hell hole of a small Texas town in the summer of 1969. As the Woodstock music festival dominated the nation's attention, Michael felt he was driving through the gates of paradise, going the wrong way.

Kathleen, age 17, had it all. She made friends easily, dated a star football player and seemed to have a bright future. Everyone thought they knew Kathleen. And everyone was wrong.

Rusty, age 17, was bigger, stronger and faster than his peers. A linebacker on the high school football team, Rusty had a college scholarship. His future would be secure except for a secret he revealed to nobody.

Three high school seniors. One small Texas town. Three teens desperate to break the chains of other people's expectations. The battles in Vietnam had been going on for years. The battle for the souls of three high school seniors was just beginning.

Guest Speaker for June: Matt Riley

Matt will be joining as the guest speaker during the In-Person meetings that take place at the Friendswood Library the last Wednesday of each month. 

Matthew Riley is a poet and library director. His poems appear in numerous anthologies and journals. He has been invited to read at poetry festivals, bookstores, libraries, galleries, cultural centers, and online forums. He hosts Friendswood Poets and enjoyed three years on the board of Mutabilis Press, a non-profit literary press devoted to publishing poetry. He is the author of Late Blooms for Laughing Ghosts, out now at Point Clear Press, and is working on a second collection of ekphrastic poems based on the paintings of Edward Hopper.

Image: Matt Riley

WRITE-IN CHANGES!

The Monday and Wednesday write-in events have a now host.  Starting in June, Martha Cuddihy will lead the morning write-ins. RSVP via the EVENT in order to get the Zoom link. Time is 9:30 to 11:30 am. Please know that 11:30 am is the absolute latest. When the write-in ends adepends on how many participate.

No changes to the third Saturday of the month write-in. It continues to be led by Julie Pitzel. The time, 3-5 pm, remains the same.

Anyone else interested in leading a write-in in-person or via Zoom should contact editorbawl@gmail.com to establish the event. If you have an idea for a different meeting theme - maybe even a book club...  All suggestions are welcomed.

Guest Speaker for May: J. A. Guynn

J. A. Guynn will be joining as the guest speaker during the In-Person meetings that take place at the Friendswood Library the last Wednesday of each month.

J.A. lives in Alvin, Texas. When he is not writing, he enjoys reading a variety of genres and watching movies with his librarian wife. J.A. Guynn is an avid desktop gamer.

He is a member of Bay Area Writers League and has participated in writing panels as a moderator and panelist at BrazCon. The online journal, Setu, has published two of his flash fictions.

"I sell books at cat shows. Why? First, because I show cats, so it's an environment I'm comfortable in; but also because it gives me a chance to present my books to people who may not attend author or book events. Finding unique events to sell your books can lead to sales you might otherwise never have made." 

Image: J.A. Guynn

Guest Speaker for April: Leslie Lindsey Davis.

Leslie Lindsey Davis will be joining as the guest speaker during the In-Person meetings that take place at the Friendswood Library the last Wednesday of each month from 6:30pm to 7:30 pm. ct.

Image: LLDavis

Kate Sangar Elected BAWL President

April 30, 2025: Kate Sangar was elected the BAWL President.  Kate was first a member of BAWL back in 2004, taking on positions including membership chair, newsletter editor, coordinator for monthly mini-workshops, and even President for two years. She  was forced to take time off for medical issues, but she's returned to BAWL.

Her mission is to return BAWL to its heyday before COVID shut down in-person events and derailed plans. Kate supports BAWL achieving its goal: to join with and aid writers seeking to strengthen their skill set, either with the craft itself, or with the business of writing, or both. 

Image: K Sanger

Guest Speaker for March: Ky Adams

Ky has been teaching for over 20 years and writing since she was eight. She has five published children's books, ranging from a picture book to an early chapter book. She has kept a "Writer's Notebook" in different forms for at least 20 years. She will speak to you about what you can use for a Writer's Notebook, what to put in them, and how to "mine" from your notebooks. Please bring your own notebooks to share!

Ky is also a BAWL member. You can follow her on her Amazon Author page.

Image: Ky Adams

Kelley Garcia

January 31, 2025: Kelley story was selected and published in: Lost in the Stacks, An Anthology of Library Stories by Hawai'i Fiction Writers. This delightful collection is available through Amazon KDP. 

Book Description from Amazon: An anthology of twenty-four all new short stories with “libraries” as their common theme by fourteen authors, members of Hawai'i Fiction Writers.

Brett Botbyl, a dear friend and member of the Hawai'i Faction Writers group invited me to submit a story to their anthology because I had invited him to submit to our 2023 Anthology, Space. Lots of talent in this: Lost in the Stacks.

BAWL Monthly, In-person meetings are back!

Before COVID the in-person meetings were going strong. We lost lots of people when we had to go to ZOOM.

But now we're back. The meetings will be held the last Wednesday of the month from 6:30 to 7:30pm hosted by Kate Sanger. 

This first event will be February 26 and the speaker is Doug Williams.

(Revised: June 14, 2025)

Williams is an award-winning screenwriter, author, and playwright. His script Black Star Rising, based on the life of Barbara Jordan -- one of the most prominent African-American political figures in the latter 20th century -- has been honored in 40 film festivals, winning eight best screenplay awards. A short film he wrote and produced, A Bullet For Your Thoughts, has been similarly recognized, winning awards for best film, best noir, best thriller, best mystery, best actor, and best supporting actor and actress. His latest, a female-based thriller titled The Kronos Protocol, has also won numerous competitions, earning praise for both the writing and the story. Critics compared his novel Nowhere Man to Homeland and House of Cards, and he co-wrote A Sacred Duty, the true story of a federal whistleblower who helped expose a conspiracy and coverup that killed hundreds of American veterans.

He’ll be discussing how screenwriting informs novel writing and vice versa -- structure, themes, chapter transitions, and pacing.

His new novel, Failure Point, is available at retailers everywhere.

"A sharply rendered thriller...Williams delivers a polished story with a hardboiled edge, lively action, and plenty of intrigue." -- The BookLife Prize from Publishers Weekly.

Christmas Eve Tradition by J.A. Guynn - 1st Place winner of the Kayla Hicks Short Story 2024 Contest

J.A. Guynn is a BAWL member and a participant in the BAWL Critique Group. John "Tony" Guynn lives in Alvin, Texas, with his librarian wife.

Tony shared the following, regarding the achievement, on the BAWL Facebook account:

"Woke up to a surprise this morning. A month or so ago, I entered a couple of short stories in a contest held by Kayla Hicks (@klhicks912 on Twitter). This morning, I have: "I am excited to announce the winners of my short story contest! 1st place- @JAGuynnAuthor - Christmas Eve Tradition. I am honored and humbled that one of my stories was selected for first place! You can read it here. Also, credit to my wife for creating the title image. For those who participate in the critique group meetings on Wednesday evenings, you've already heard the story."

When he is not writing, he enjoys reading a variety of genres, watching movies with the Mrs., and is an avid desktop gamer. He has participated in writing panels as a moderator and panelist at BrazCon.

J. A Guynn has published two flash fiction stories in the online journal Setu, and The Branded epic high fantasy trilogy: Skald, King, Conqueror.

You can check out Kayla Hicks on Substack.

Congratulations to Tony on 1st place and we hope to see more of his work in 2025!

November 19th

Due to a lack of use the Member Forums have been removed from this website.

Just keeping it fresh, folks!

- Webmaster

Becky Ellisor

October 31, 2024: Becky Ellisor has published her book of poetry titled, "Carrying On With Words".  It's available through Amazon KDP. 

Book Description from Amazon: 

Carrying On encourages thoughts to evoke hope, patience, and compassion for your fellow earth dwellers. If you were looking in a real live bookstore, you could peruse the poem on the back cover to get an idea of what you might find inside. So here is the poem on the back cover.

We Are All Heroes, Sometimes

She gave up her seat to an older woman.

On his walk to work, he picked up a can

someone threw out the window of a passing car.

A busy man talked to the scared little girl

with all the love he gave his own children

until he found her mother at the front of the store.

He threw up his arm and blocked a passerby

who was stepping out into the street

when he heard a car coming fast.

They invited the new kid to their table

when no one else did.

He gave a kidney to someone he never even met.

We drop coins into the bin for hungry people.

They decided to start a foundation for homeless children.

A doctor saved her life.

A dying man left his life savings to provide scholarships

for other immigrants from his country.

A little girl made friends with another little girl

who was physically scarred by a fire.

He pitched in and helped because he could.

She stood up for her friend in her darkest moment.

He needed a friend, so she became his friend.

What you do for others is what makes you a hero.

What you do for yourself is necessary to live,

but it’s not what makes life worth living.

Just knowing you are a part of humanity

and taking on simple tasks other people won’t –

just because it matters

– makes you a hero.

When you die, it’s what you did for others

That will make your passing easier.

A hero lives in all of us

if we only seize the opportunities.

And here's another from page 42.

What is time?

Is it time now?

Will it be time later?

Was it time before now?

Who knows the time?

There is always time.

There was always time.

There will always be time.

Everything comes from time.

Before anything

There was time.

Before existence

There was time.

When nothingness

Existed long enough.

Time came to be.

Then, time counted.

And now, always will.

Numbers begin

And end with infinity.

So does time.

Time is everything

But there is never enough.

Not because of time

But because of us.

Life has a start

And an end.

Time has neither.

It just seems short.

Time constrains life.

Only because we count it.

But if we don’t keep track

We lose it.

It keeps us going.

The awesome cover art was created by Elektra Rose.

BAWL Critique Group Scheduled!

It is with great pleasure that we announce the BAWL Critique Group in-person events are back!

Starting on August 21, BAWL will begin hosting a critique group on the 1^st and 3^rd Wednesday of each month at Freeman Memorial Library from 6:30 to 8:00 pm CDT. Please be sure to bring five copies of seven (or fewer) pages of your work to be critiqued. 

The current schedule is August 21, September 18, and October 2 and 16. Due to scheduling conflicts, there will be no meetings the week of Labor Day. Hosts will be Kate Sanger and Kim Glaus Late.

Kate Sanger is a writer of speculative fiction, non-fiction, fiction, and poetry… and a lover of the Oxford comma. She teaches English and creative writing and has published over 90 pieces of fiction and nonfiction. Kate has been a long-time associate of the Bay Area Writers League.

You can learn more about Kate from her Amazon writer page. 

If you have questions for Kate you may contact her at 409-789-8008.

Photo: K. Sanger

Kim Glaus Late is an as yet unpublished author with hopes of having something published soon. She writes fiction and will defend her right to use two spaces after a period with her last breath.

If you have any questions for Kim you can contact her at 281-455-9039.

Photo: Kim Glaus Late

Kelley Garcia

July 27, 2024: Kelley Garcia has published her book of short stories called, 30 Stories in 30 Days, A NaNoWriMo Project.  It's available through Amazon KDP. 

Book Description: 

All these fiction stories were primarily influenced by current events, complicated relationships, war and politics, and or the love of the environment and wildlife—sprinkled with some mysticism, history, humor, horror, and high technology virtual reality stuff. Many of these stories have a single word for a title. These particular stories were written during participation in the Bay Area Writers League (BAWL) write-in events. 

The awesome cover art was created by the 2023 BAWL SPACE ANTHOLOGY contributor, Brett Botbyl. 

My sincerest thanks to my editor, Becky Ellisor. 

You can connected with Kelley here and you can find her on Substack: kelleygarcia.substack.com.

WRITE-IN CHANGES!

The Monday and Wednesday write-in events have had a time change. Instead of 2-4 pm CDT the new time is 9:30 to 11:30 am. Please know that 11:30 am is the absolute latest. When the write-in ends depends on how many participate.

The third Saturday of the month write-in is now led by Julie Pitzel. The time, 3-5 pm, remains the same.

Anyone else interested in leading a write-in in-person or via Zoom should contact editorbawl@gmail.com to establish the event.

Debi Fairchild In On a Roll

First: The Mysterious Man With The Box.

This children's short story Debi Fairchild wrote was published in an anthology in the United Kingdom by Tim Saunders Publishing Company last month.

No further details available. Feel free to respond to Debi about her story, the publisher, and where to purchase a copy of the anthology by replying to her post on the topic in our Member Forums.

Second: We have a winning Poet! 

Two of Debi's poems won first and second place in a monthly members only contest with the Abilene Writers Guild. First place winner is The Power of Poetry and second place winner is Life On The Farm. They don't publish your work, the group just gives you a challenge each month to write and they pay prize money for first and second place, so Debi's prize money is $35.00 for both. Look them up at abilenewritersguild.org. Cost to join is $25.00 a year. They don't do virtual meetings and they don't charge a contest fee. but you have to be a member to enter their contests.

Mary Margaret Carlisle

September 15, 1942 – November 10, 2023

Mary Margaret Carlisle founded the Gulf Coast Poetry Society. If you were a poet, a wannabe, or just loved poetry in the Bay Area of Houston, you probably knew of Mary Margaret or, took poetry classes from her or were mentored by her. She was a Bay Area Writers League member and a regular attendee for a long while.

Mary Margaret's accomplishments included being an American poet, writer, essayist, and poetry judge. Mary Margaret Carlisle's work was published in seven editions of the Texas Poetry Calendar, numerous literary journals, magazines, and several anthologies produced by Mutabilis Press, and other online poetry journals. Ms. Carlisle was a member of The Texas Association of Creative Writing Teachers, The Texas State Historical Society, The Poetry Society of America, The Poetry Society of Texas, Gulf Coast Poets, Galveston Poets Roundtable, Gulf Coast Women Who Write, The Academy of American Poets, Women in the Visual and Literary Arts and others. Mary Margaret was Sol Magazine's Project Director and chaired Ampersand Poetry Journal's board.

 PEN, the National Writing Society, inducted Mary Margaret in 1988. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston Clear   Lake and was honored with keys from Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Chi in 1991. She was a featured poet across Texas, including for the Poetry   Society of Texas, Poets Unleashed in the Woodlands, First Friday in Houston, Poetry in the Arts, Webster Bay Area Barnes & Noble Reading   Series, Austin International Poetry Fest, Seabrook Coffee Oasis, and others. She had both judged and been a featured poet of the Houston   Poetry Fest and judged other book and poetry competitions in Texas.

 Mary Margaret Carlisle taught over one hundred and fifty poetry workshops and facilitated Poetry Works Workshops across Texas and in the   Texas Bay Area. She taught poets how to critique their work and that of others. On occasion, she helped her students and colleagues   prepare  manuscripts for publication.

 She and her husband, Leo Woltz, resided in Webster, Texas, for many years and were active volunteers for the city in many of its endeavors.

The 2023 Bay Area Writers' League Anthology available now!

November 19, 2023: The 2023 BAWL Anthology: Space, is available for order on the Amazon website in both paperback and Kindle formats.

This year nine writers participated. Anyone was welcome to submit up to four items, as the project is limited to the Houston area.

The book is divided into four sections: Essays, Poems, Short Stores, and Author Biographies.

Please visit Amazon and order your copy today!

Robert Edward Hawkins

August 19, 1958 - October 19, 2023

Bob passed away on October 19th in Bacliff, Texas after a long, courageous battle with cancer. You can read more details of Bob's life at the Carnes Funeral Home website. You can also leave a story there about Bob, if you have one.

His time spent with BAWL is mentioned: "Bob was an avid photographer, focusing on unique and eclectic subjects and styles. In addition, he was a journal and short story author and served in various positions in the Bay Area Writers League. He was one of the writers published in the 2021 anthology, "Anticipation."

Bob created this website. He established the newsletter style we send out every month. He brought a smile and a good attitude to all he was involved with in the league. He is missed.

Lisa Unfried

October 23, 2023: Lisa Unfried latest book has been published. It is a YA fantasy novel called, "Into the Dragon's Den". It's available through most book sellers and has received great reviews. You can purchase via Amazon here.

Book Description: 

Ever wonder if there is more to this life? Daniel did, even though he didn’t realize it. He was just a mild mannered, teenaged boy trying to deal with the challenges of a major move, a lack of friends at a new school, and the school bully’s repeated attacks. All he wanted was to get through school and immerse himself in his video games and hope that life would somehow get better. Then he met the town’s matriarch who offered him something different, an alternate reality.

Follow Daniel as he slips into realms beyond his own. Daniel discovers it takes faith to follow his destiny and learn the truth of his identity. He finds new friends and together they discover the truth of Evil, its tactics for destruction, and its influence on the darkness of their world as they find themselves within the Dragon’s Den.

You can connected with Lisa here (leave your congratulatory message in the forums) and you can find her on Facebook/lisaunfried.

Lulynne Streeter  

Lulynne Streeter's poem, titled: Belly of the Whale, has been accepted for the fall edition of EQUINOX online magazine published by https://www.hotpoet.org/.

Ms. Streeter is a long time BAWL member and often joins the weekly write-in events. You can learn more about her by visiting her website, HolleringWoman.com. There are a couple of author profile pages you can also check out to see more about Ms. Streeter. She can be found here on Goodreads and here on Amazon.

Congratulations to Ms. Streeter for her poem and we also look forward to seeing what she's submitted to the the 2023 BAWL Anthology!

Kelley Garcia joins our team as webmaster.

We have a new person volunteering to help BAWL as the website administrator, monthly newsletter editor, and yearly anthology editor. Kelley recently moved to the Houston area and immediately began looking for a writers group to join and found us. We are lucky to have her as you can see from her first (April) BAWL Newsletter. 

Follow Kelley on Substack: https://kelleygarcia.substack.com/

The 2022 Bay Area Writers' League Anthology available now!

Eerie Happenings by Ten Writers

Scary, thought-provoking, uncanny short stories and poems make your skin hairs rise. Ten authors share fictional characters, real happenings, light horror, and thoughts on strange events. These stories and poems provoke eerie feelings, happy thoughts, momentary fear, and sometimes laughter.
Read in an afternoon or on the go, while cooling your heels, or instead of twiddling your thumbs when waiting. Great for those times when you have just a few moments to enjoy a good read. Readers will feel surprised, happy, sad, uplifted, satisfied and inspired.

Eerie Happenings is an anthology of short stories, flash fiction, and poetry from local authors in the Houston area.

Available now on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats.

JJ's New Novel available now

THANATOS: EVERYTHING DIES

Description:

"Magic is dying and the world is dying with it." The world faces eventual extinction. Gods abandon the world for an unknown cause and as they go, so too does their magic. It's up to a group of mortals who silently pledge to save the world from total extinction. Sacrifices must be made. Magical races are a threat to the very life of the planet. Eyes turn to witches and dragons. An organization known as Thanatos is formed under a common extreme solution. "Every caster or magical creature drains precious time from the world. This news must be kept secret and they all have to die. Everything dies." Please feel free to join us on discord: https://discord.gg/ApMYX8DFMU

Available now on Amazon in Kindle (Free for kindle unlimited members) and paperback formats.