Volume V
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Newsletter Editor:
Sherry Gibson
Novel-Only a Game-published by Publish America
Poetry-www.authorsden.com/sherrygibson
Featured Poet for Authors Den
www.sherrygibson.com

Assistant Editor:
Sharon Sanders

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Opportunities For Authors - by Sherry Gibson



Most of us who write are looking for ways to move forward in our career. Some of us are not only trying to develop our careers in writing or other fields but doing so why fighting a chronic illness. It is not an easy combination, but a successful one for many!

Today I want to talk about Author's Den. Publish America strongly suggests that as one of their authors, you must set up a website. They suggest using Author's Den or setting up a website of your own. I have chosen to use both methods for now.

If you are not a regular visitor to Author's Den, let me encourage you to go there now and check it out. Whether you are a reader, a visitor of an author, they offer many advantages for you. I will talk about them from an author's vantage point.

Establishing a den at Author's Den is a good beginning but they offer much more to you. You can build your own web pages with ease. You can download pictures to go with your work or to use as covers for your articles or stories. These services are free to all members. They offer Author Essentials Den for a low price each month for those of you desiring more control and advantages within your web pages. I have found this to be well worth the small fee we pay for it.

All of that is a good thing, but Author's Den is offering their authors much more. As an active author the support group at this site will help promote you and your work. You have your own bookstore for selling your novel if you have one. Author’s Den now has his or her own weekly radio show that is broadcast live. Every author has an equal opportunity to be selected for that interview with Roger Vizi. Read my article, "You can be on the New Author's Den Radio Talk Show" located at:
www.authorsden.com/sherrygibson

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In this article you will find out how to be selected for this wonderful opportunity.

Author's Den is promoting their outstanding authors by offering a book contract. Janet Caldwell was their first selected author. They are publishing a hardback book of a collection of her poems and short stories. They plan to do this again for someone else. Each author in Author's Den has a chance to be selected for this golden moment! I have set this as my next goal. That doesn't mean I will achieve the goal, but it gives me something to work for. Each time one person visits my den at www.authorsden.com/sherrygibson and rates and reviews some of my poems, articles or short stories, it brings me one step closer to seeing this dream become my reality.

If you have not been in to read my work, and to rate and review my items, please take time to do this for me. It will help me attain my goal, and it will also show you what Author's Den is all about. By visiting each other’s den at Author's Den, we are supporting each other!

To those of you who have supported my efforts from the beginning and are regular visitors to my Authors's Den web pages, I send out a very special "Thank you" to each of you. For those you who haven't been there yet, I do look forward to seeing your name on my review list soon.

Thank you,
Sherry Gibson

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Newly Posted short story, by Sherry Gibson, "Her Last Visit" is now available for reading at www.authorsden.com/sherrygibson

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Featured Author of the week:

Name: Jacquie Griffith



My name is Jacquie Griffith, born into an Air Force family. abused as a child. Married into the Air Force family and then joined myself. Right now I am going through a divorce from a marriage of 24 years because my husband cannot accept the disease I have of Lupus and all its ramifications, and my disabilities. I was very sick for about 8 years and they could not find out what was wrong, but then in 1990 I finally got the diagnosis that made sense. Lupus. There was so much different organ involvement that it was very hard to track. A Rheumatologist in Iceland diagnosed me. The Lupus caused seizure activity so my nursing career was over before it began. I still have kidney and liver involvement /damage from the Lupus. I also have an aneurysm in the root of my aorta, an aortic valve leak, idiosyncratic episodes of severe tachycardia and irritably bowel syndrome all of which are pretty debilitating and ascribed by my doctors to be attributed to having the Lupus. I have short-term memory loss and joint pain that makes daily activities of living impossible sometimes. I am 47 years old, have one living child my daughter, currently stationed in Hawaii with her husband who is in the Army. I have 2 beautiful grandsons, Noah, born at 28 weeks and diagnosed with cerebral palsy and autism, who is almost 4 now, and Nathan who was almost a full term baby, now being studied for cystic-fibrosis (please pray it is not that) and celiac sprue. My daughter and I did a study in Ohio for NIH about her having Lupus syndrome phenomenon, which is some of the symptoms and problems associated with Lupus but not having the disease herself at this point.
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Run



Quick! Run and hide, hide from my hideous face, more specific the horror in
my eyes.
Turn away turn away before the pain there devours you too.
No! Oh no don't touch my skin with kindness, no that would hurt so deep.
The trenches in the ocean are high above where my mind sits now.
Your love and compassion will wound the wounds.
Take my advice, Run.
Before it is too late, before you can see in me what lives in me.
Hurry, go before you see the anguish and the fall of this person.
You don't want to see it you do NOT want to be here.
I know, trust me I know, it is vile this pain behind my eyes.
I have to stay, you don't, so go. For it will consume you too.
There is much wailing and grief why would you want to be eaten alive too?
No my friend I love you so I say run, quickly run!
(c) Jacquie Griffith October 5, 2002

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Remember that each week we are going to be featuring an author. Please submit your poetry or articles to me as quickly as possible. I have a few submissions lined up now and look forward to many more!

If you have any comments or encouragement to offer Jacquie on her poem, please email them to me at Sherry@sherrygibson.com and I will see that they are forwarded on to her immediately.

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Coming through for us as she always does, assistant editor, Sharon Sanders, has two more interesting writing sites to share with us today!

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Writers & Poets Links

http://www.artistresource.org/poetlinx.htm

Wonderful site with resources available for writers
and poets with emphasis on poetry.


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http://pageonelit.com

Useful, informative resources for the writer.
Site offers tips and monthly contests.

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This is an interactive newsletter and comments or ideas from the readers are always welcome here and if suitable will be published in the next issue. Feel free to share my articles with your friends. Please share our success stories with others.

Sherry Gibson