Saturday

SHALLA CHATS with freelance editor Mike Sirota & Class for Writers: DEEP EDITING: The EDITS System, Rhetorical Devices,and More







SHALLA CHATS with freelance editor Mike Sirota



“Working with a Freelance Editor”






First of all, who ’s Mike?

I am a writing coach, a freelance editor, and a “spirit guide” to many successful and aspiring writers. I’ve written nineteen published novels including The 22nd Gear, Bicycling Through Space and Time, Demon Shadows and The Well, from such publishers as Bantam Books, The Berkley Publishing Group, Pocket Books and Zebra Books. Among my most recent client successes are Michele Scott's Death Reins In, due out from Berkley Prime Crime in June (her fifth published novel), and Whitney Lyles’ First Comes Love (Berkley Trade), her fourth published novel, as well as many others.






I was an editor and award-winning feature writer for a San Diego newsmagazine, I evaluate and edit manuscripts professionally, and I have taught writing classes at many educational venues, including the University of California, San Diego Extension and Palomar College. I am also a long-time faculty member for the Southern California Writers’ Conference and the La Jolla Writers ’ Conference.












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Remember Barry Eisler, the NY Times Bestselling Author Shalla interviewed?
SHALLA CHATS with Barry Eisler

“Insider’s Look at Publishing the Rain Series”

by Shalla DeGuzman



First of all, who ’s Barry?

A writer with a longstanding interest in what he thinks of as “forbidden knowledge,” Barry spent three years in a covert position with the CIA's Directorate of Operations. During his time with the Agency, he was trained in small arms, long arms, hand-to-hand combat, improvised explosive devices, small water craft, air drops to friendly forces, surveillance, counter-surveillance, counter-terrorism, agent recruitment and management, and interrogation and manipulation techniques. After leaving the CIA he went to live and work in Japan, where he earned his black belt from the Kodokan International Judo Center.




The Rain books, featuring half-Japanese, half-American freelance assassin John Rain, have won the Deadly Pleasures Barry Award and the Mystery Ink Gumshoe Award for Best Thriller of the Year; have been included in numerous “Best Of” lists, including those of Amazon.com, Deadly Pleasures, News-Press, Publisher’s Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the San Jose Mercury News; have been translated into nearly twenty languages; and have been optioned for film by Barrie Osborne, Oscar-winning producer of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.







Here's his latest news!

Hi everyone,

I wanted to let you know that Rain Fall: The Major Motion Picture is coming along smoothly. It looks like Gary Oldman is on the verge of being attached, and there's other news, too—check it out in Variety. Keep your fingers crossed...


I'll be promoting in Amsterdam and London later this month, so if you're in the area, check my new appearances link and come on by.


For anyone who was impressed by the way Rain shorted out a pacemaker in the opening scene of Rain Fall, I can only say: he was ahead of his time... Finishing revisions on the seventh book now. It's my first standalone thriller, so not set in John Rain's universe, though it does contain the usual compelling characters, edge-of-your seat action, realistic tradecraft, exotic locales, and steamy sex (if I do say so myself). Very happy with how it's turned out and so is my new editor, Mark Tavani of Ballantine, who will be publishing the book in early '09. I'll have more news on all that soon. For a hint of what's coming, here are a few photos from my peripatetic research expeditions... For all you politics and language addicts, swing by my blog, Heart of the Matter. For you social networkers, give me a shout on MySpace and Facebook. And if you really want to have fun, there's my website discussion board... a lot of interesting people talking about writing, the Rain books, politics, single malt whisky, and anything else that strikes people's fancy, so if you have a chance, stop by and say hello. It would be good to see you there...


Thanks for all your support! —Barry


www.barryeisler.comwww.myspace.com/barryeisler






***OKAY TO FORWARD***





Online class: May 1-30, 2008
"DEEP EDITING: The EDITS System, Rhetorical Devices,and More" by Margie Lawson
Registration $30 at www.WriterUniv.com/





DEEP EDITING is for the writer who wants topsychologically impact the unconscious of the reader. For the writer who wants to learn fresh editingtechniques. For the writer who wants to edit for power. If you were introduced to Margie's EDITS System in her Empowering Characters' Emotions course, you'll learn how to expand the EDITS System in DEEP EDITING.









***OKAY TO FORWARD***

Thursday

READ: A Face by Picasso by Shalla DeGuzman


Now on MP3


Our Latest Award-Winning Short Story




A Face by Picasso


by Shalla DeGuzman

My face must look like one of those portraits by Picasso, the kind he cut and sewed together to create a movie star masterpiece.


If only I understood what he truly thought of me, how he really felt...

http://www.shallamagazine.com/features/fiction/shortstories/literary/shalla/Face_Picasso.php



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Time Critics Pick 100 Best Novels

The Complete List In Alphabetical Order

Modern Library's Choices

On This Page


The Best Novels: #1-25
The Best Novels: #26-50
The Best Novels: #51-75
The Best Novels: #76-100


Forums


The 20th Century's 100 Best Books in English?

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TOP 10 FAVE NOVELS of Shalla DeGuzman

Novel 1: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Novel 2: Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquival

Novel 3: The Bridges of Madison County by James Waller

Novel 4: Nine and a Half Weeks by Elizabeth McNeil

Novel 5: The Lover by Marguerite Duras

Novel 6: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

Novel 7: A Knight In Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux

Novel 8: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Novel 9: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Novel 10: Chocolat by Joanne Harris

 

Thanks for Visiting!

Come back soon and check out my Best Sellers :)

Questions? Compliments? (I like getting kind emails :)

Please title emails with "Hi Shalla" otherwise they might get deleted.

shalla_de_guzman@yahoo.com

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