LETTER FROM THE EDITORAre you looking for the heads of daffodils and crocus yet? In some areas of the country you can see the heads peeking out of the soil. They’re trying to decide if they want to come into the world and showcase their beauty. This reminds me of how some writers approach feedback. If they share a few paragraphs of their writing and get a good reception, they stay motivated. If not, too many get discouraged and decide to abandon their writing. In this issue, you will meet authors who mustered their courage, worked on their writing, honed their skills, and overcame any rejection from agents and publishers. You will enjoy reading Susan Elia MacNeal’s story of rejection and success. Authors deal with rejection but their secret in becoming successful is not to allow rejection to dictate their future. When you find your entire life changed, like Jan Richardson, you put the pieces back together. Charles R. Robinson had to rewrite his manuscript after his computer was stolen, housing his only copy of four years of work. These are times writers have to push forward. Serious writers will. Wally Lamb decided to write a story from a woman’s point of view. You’ll enjoy J.T. Ellison, talking about her writing and collaborating with other authors; Randall Reneau on how he mines for thrills; Liz Johnson sharing three things that cause her books to be successful; p.m.terrell on how to partner with charities for promoting; Sheree K. Neilsen talks about travel writing; and Lori Leger, who took control of her destiny. We have advice on genres, techniques, and promotion from Steve Bradshaw, Ane Mulligan, Vicki Moss, C. Hope Clark, Edie Melson, Shelly Frome, Terry Whalin, Claire Fullerton, Sara M. Robinson, Sunny Cooper, Joyce Mochrie and more. You will also find information on a new promotional venue Southern Writers has created for authors. March and April are great months for authors to spend their time writing and researching their new books. The weather is still cold enough to stay indoors; days that are warmer are the days we run to get more paper and ink. Happy Writing,

Susan Reichert Editor-in-Chief