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Blog

20 April 2021 | NPM | “Change the Game”

April 20, 2021 By Natalia Corres

by Jennette Green


Jennette Green writes sweet romance with a touch of spice. She fell in love with writing when she was seven. As a teen, while traveling on a sailboat with her family in Central America, she filled notebooks with stories. Her books have received “Reader’s Favorite Hero,” “Reviewer’s Choice Award” and more. ‘Snowstorm’ was an international bestseller.

19 April 2021 | NPM | “Pismo at Sunset”

April 19, 2021 By Natalia Corres

by Gary Evans

 Enjoying January 2020 on Pismo Beach
 after letting Ruby run into the waves,
 the coolness of the saltwater gives me some relief
 of the cramps in my calves and my feet.
  
 It is beautiful with the sunset,
 and more so with my wife beside me.
 She is supportive, and she helped to lift me up
 several times after falling to my knees.
  
 I figure that it is God’s way of showing me
 that I have her strength as well as my own.
  
 I had to use the cane to help me rise,
 and the dog tried to assist by pulling me along;
 which reminds me that God will not only rise the tide
 but me as well while the sun goes down. 

Gary Evans, DC, is a self-employed chiropractor, currently retired and disabled. He is the father of 3 daughters and has been married for 43 years.  His first published piece is in Pathway to the Heart, WOK’s 2021 anthology.  Gary is a member of Parkside Church and Writers of Kern.

18 April 2021 | NPM | “Watches”

April 18, 2021 By Natalia Corres

by Carla Stanley

 In your jewelry box I found 12 old watches, 
 Watches that marked the years of your life. 
 Each similar- 
             Twisty metal band, small face, no numbers. 
  
 Marking your time as a mother and wife. 
 Always early for an event, 
 Always ready for what would happen next. 
 Events blending together, year after year. 
 Each watch showing the passage of the seasons 
             Rough edges smoothed. 
              
 You adapted as we grew  
 To a world that changed around you, 
 Until children grown, husband gone 
 You found yourself. 
  
 At 89 you had new friends, 
 New hobbies, new interests, in a new home. 
  
 Even as your sight failed and 
 Your arthritis hindered your movements, 
 You adapted and enjoyed your new life.  
 Large print books, brighter lights, a walker,  
 A watch with a big face, big numbers, and a strap to buckle on every day. 
  
 On that watch you marked the hours of your 97th year 
 As your body wore down and gave up. 
 You held on to every minute as I held on to your hand 
 To help you through those last days 
             as you helped me through my first days. 
  
 Your watches sit in a jar 
 Tangled with my watches. 
 They are woven together, the memories of watches 
  and time spent with you.  

Carla Stanley is a retired Theater & English teacher. She is a Bakersfield native and spent 20 years as a military wife living in Oklahoma, Washington and Germany. She spends her time traveling with her husband (pre-COVID), writing, gardening, and walking her dog Sky.

15 May 2021 | WOK Recognition | Featured Speaker: Evan Gow | “Zero to 1,000+ Mailing List Subscribers”

April 17, 2021 By Natalia Corres

by Srey Khoy 

Does the idea of building an email list seem too complicated, time consuming, and frustrating? Have you wondered how to grow your email list to engage with more readers, resulting in more sales of your book? If this is you, join us on May 15 as Evan Gow, the indie developer of StoryOrigin, shares the exact steps to grow your list in his presentation, “0 to 1,000+ Mailing List Subscribers.”

Even if you don’t have a book published yet, come to the meeting anyway. The information will give you a roadmap of the necessary steps to marketing your book. Here’s what you’ll learn in the presentation:

  • How to get started
    • How to find your audience
      • How to entice that audience to subscribe to your newsletter
      • Tools and tactics to grow your list

Don’t forget to register early for this free, virtual presentation. We look forward to seeing you there! Click HERE to go to Eventbrite and the registration.

If you’d like to find out more information, check out the StoryOrigin site and connect with the Facebook group.

17 April 2021 | NPM | “What Really Matters”

April 17, 2021 By Natalia Corres

by Annis Cassells

 Overnight
 I became elderly
 Vulnerable
 Susceptible to the virus
 Killing young and old
 Mostly old
  
 At the supermarket
 Disinfectant
 Masks and gloves
 Out of stock
 Shelves marked toilet paper
 A bare-faced lie
 I scrawled my name in the dust 
 on those forlorn surfaces
  
 Overnight
 I became expendable
 Because the economy
 Because the right to haircuts
 and beach bonfires
 Because beers at the pub
  
 Because seniors should just stay inside
 Because they’re gonna die anyway 
  
 I don’t feel elderly
 I don’t feel expendable
 What I do feel
 Is ready to kick 
 the unmasked who think
 their freedoms matter 
 more than mine 

Annis Cassells is a longtime member of Writers of Kern. Her poems have appeared in print and online journals. In 2019 Annis published her first poetry collection, You Can’t Have It All. She’s a contributor in the 2020 social justice anthology, ENOUGH “Say Their Names…”

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