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Bellevue Farmer’s Market Wordsowers Table

Photo by John Robertson on Pexels.com

Hello Wordsowers

Join us at the Bellevue Farmer’s Market
Saturday, June 20th
8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

We have a table at this year’s Bellevue Farmer’s Market. Yay! This is an incredible opportunity for you to share a table and sell your books.

The Bellevue Farmer’s Market runs from 8:30 to 12:30 p.m. at Washington Park in Old Towne Bellevue, NE. (Located between E. 19th and E. 20th Avenues off of Franklin Street.) We’ve rented a table for Saturday, June 20th, with the potential for other dates. The cost for the table is $30.00, which we will split between all who want to sell books.

If you’d like to participate, please email Amy Stanley at amystanleyauthor@gmail.com as soon as possible and let her know:

1. That you will be at the June 20th event
2. If you’re interested in participating at additional Farmer’s Markets this summer and fall.

If you don’t have physical books to sell but would be willing to help man the table, let Amy know that as well. This is a great opportunity to get out in the community at a lower cost to you!

Blessings,

Amy Stanley

Mark Your Calendar Now for Saturday, September 19th

Photo by Glenda Thompson on Pexels.com

Saturday, September 19th – The second annual Wordsowers Retreat/Write-In will be at Mahoney State Park, located at 28500 W. Park Highway, Ashland, NE 68003. Meet in the Cedar Room on the main floor of the Peter Kiewit Lodge from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The cost is $10.00 per person; however, you will need to purchase a day pass for $7.00 if you don’t already have a state park sticker. A continental breakfast (including some gf options), coffee, decaf coffee, tea, and bottled water will be provided, along with an afternoon snack. You will need to bring a sack lunch and a preferred beverage for the noon meal. Specific schedule details will be in the July newsletter. We wanted to give you plenty of notice so you can work the retreat into your fall schedule. Please contact Amy Stanley at amystanleyauthor@gmail.com if you have any questions.

September 2026 WS Retreat

autumn landscape in lagro indiana state park
Photo by Glenda Thompson on Pexels.com

Saturday, September 19th – The second annual Wordsowers Retreat/Write-In will be at Mahoney State Park, located at 28500 W. Park Highway, Ashland, NE 68003. Meet in the Cedar Room on the main floor of the Peter Kiewit Lodge from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The cost is $10.00 per person; however, you will need to purchase a day pass for $7.00 if you don’t already have a state park sticker. A continental breakfast (including some gf options), coffee, decaf coffee, tea, and bottled water will be provided, along with an afternoon snack. You will need to bring a sack lunch and a preferred beverage for the noon meal. Specific schedule details will be in the July newsletter. We wanted to give you plenty of notice so you can work the retreat into your fall schedule. Please contact Amy Stanley at amystanleyauthor@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Write-In & Photoshoot

Wordsowers Write-In/Photoshoot
Saturday, October 18th
9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Location: Omaha Christian Center
4215 N. 92nd Avenue
Omaha, NE 68134

Our next Wordsowers write-in is Saturday, October 18th, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. If you’d like to attend but don’t have a writing project, at least come for the fellowship. There’ll be opportunities for both writing and fellowship. Snacks and water will be provided. BYOD: Bring your own drinks. If you have any questions about the write-in, contact Amy Stanley at amystanleyauthor.com.

If you want to update your professional photo (or if you don’t have one), Pat Mingarelli will be available to take pictures. He’s offered Wordsowers a package deal of $60.00 per person, which includes a professional shoot plus four digital pictures.

Pat requires a minimum of four photo sessions, so please get in touch with Wordsowers if you’re interested in participating. If you would like to schedule a time, email Lollie Hofer at lolliehofer@yahoo.com by Saturday, October 11th. You’re welcome to have your photo taken even if you’re not joining the write-in. (Although you might want to stick around for some good fellowship.)

Please note: Pictures will be taken outdoors to take advantage of the beautiful fall colors. You can pay Pat either by check, cash, or Venmo. Make checks payable to Pat Mingarelli.

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Order Kaylene’s and Amy’s Books Here

Congratulations to Kaylene Sasse and Amy Stanley whose books were released today. We’re proud enough that our buttons are about to pop off our shirts.

Here is the link to Kaylene’s book:

Heaven Help Me: How One Abuse Survivor Overcame Terror and Learned to Trust Again: Powell, Kaylene: 9781732163355: Amazon.com: Books

Here is the link to Amy’s book:

The Bookworms: Stanley, Amy L: 9798312891614: Amazon.com: Books

Well done, ladies.

We Need to Hear from You ASAP

“Refresh Your Purpose” Retreat
RSVP by Saturday, June 7th


Refresh your spirit and your call.

Sonlit Acres
Waterloo, NE
Saturday, June 14th
9:00-5:00 p.m.

Mark your calendar for this life-inspiring event at Sonlit Acres in Waterloo, NE. You’ll spend time together with others in God’s Word and in worship, as well as have alone time where you can reflect on God’s purpose for your life. You’ll also have opportunities to write, share, and fellowship. At the end of the day may you be refreshed and inspired to walk out God’s call for your life as a writer. The cost for the retreat is $25.00, which includes a light lunch of deli meats, cheeses, bread, fruits, and veggies. Water will be provided. (Feel free to bring your own snacks/beverages to eat/drink throughout the day.)

To RSVP, contact Amy Stanley at amystanleyauthor@gmail.com or respond to the newsletter’s email address. We need to hear from you by Saturday, June 7th, if you’re interested in attending the retreat. You can pay two ways – 1) bring $25.00 CASH with you to the retreat , or 2) send a check to Lollie in the name of Eleanor Hofer no later than Monday, June 9th. Her address is 12927 Chandler Street, Omaha, NE 68138.

Some folks are spending Friday night at Sonlit Acres. If you’re interested in spending the night, reserve a room directly through them. Here is their website: HOME | Sonlit Retreats. Contact Amy to receive a discount code to spend the night or if you have any questions about the retreat.

Location for the retreat is 2304 Campanile Road Waterloo, NE 68069. 

Please note, we will not have critique group or the regular monthly meeting in June.

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Besides the Website, there are other ways to learn about Wordsowers

Wordsowers Website and Facebook Pages

Did you know Wordsowers has a website and several Facebook pages? If not, now you do. Here’s the scoop on the various pages belonging to Wordsowers.

Wordsowers Website

The address for the Wordsowers website is Wordsowers Christian Writers Group. The website is a way to promote Wordsowers online. We’ve had several people sign up for the newsletter and/or join Wordsowers after googling Christian writer groups in the Omaha area. Check out the pages. We’ve considered opening the blog page to guest writers who are active members in Wordsowers. We’ll keep you posted as to when we’re ready to accept submissions.

Wordsowers Christian Writers Facebook Page

The main Wordsowers Facebook page, Wordsowers Christian Writers, can be found at Facebook. This page has 741 followers. It’s not an interactive page but is used to post the newsletter and other important information pertaining to Wordsowers.

Wordsowers Christian Writers Group Meetups

Wordsowers Christian Writers Group Meetups Facebook page is a closed group. A writer must ask to the join the group at Wordsowers Christian Writers Group Meetups. The page is closed for a couple of reasons. First, it’s a page where Wordsowers members can leave posts and interact with other writers. Also, if a person wants to join the monthly meeting via Zoom, this is where they will find the Zoom invite. A person will not be admitted to the group unless they answer three questions and agree to the guidelines. Even then, the decision to admit a person is made at the discretion of the Wordsowers support team. Since this is an interactive group, they desire to protect the integrity of Wordsowers.

Omaha Wordsowers Critique

Omaha Wordsowers Critique is a closed Facebook group where writers submit their manuscripts to be critiqued by others in the group. A writer must be willing to critique what others submit as well. The group meets the second Thursday of each month (either in-person or on Zoom). Submission and critique guidelines can be found on the page. If you desire to be a part of OWC, please send a request to join to lolliehofer@yahoo.com.

Wordsowers NaNoWriMo

NaNoWriMo stands for National November Write More month. The administrator for the Wordsowers NaNoWriMo Facebook page is Lee Warren. It’s a place to connect with other zany writers attempting to complete a 50,000-word novel during the month of November. Lee uses the page to encourage writers as well as announce write-ins throughout the month. The write-ins are meetings to help keep each other motivated and on task to reach the 50K goal. Come November, if you’re crazy enough to give it a try, ask Lee to let you into the group.

We Want to Celebrate You

Well Done, Authors

You’re invited to join Amy Stanley at a book release party for her children’s fiction book, “The Bookworms.” The party is scheduled for Saturday, May 10th, from 1-3 p.m. at The Book Nook. The location is 118 N. Washington Street Papillion, NE 68046. We’re excited for you, Amy. If you want to purchase her book, contact Amy at amystantleyauthor@gmail.com. The book will be available at Amazon on May 10th.

Congratulations to Ashley Shannon. She had an article published in TheTruly Co’s latest nature issue titled “Between Seasons and Eternity, Insights from the Cemetery.” You can purchase a copy of the magazine from  https://bit.ly/3E49ojc. 

Kudos to Kaylene Sasse. She recently signed a freelance contract with publisher David C Cook. She has started writing contributions for The Standard Lesson Commentary, and the first of her contributions will be included in the Fall 2026 quarterly release. Well done, Kaylene.

If you’ve had a book, article, devotional, essay, poem, picture, or artwork published, please let us know. We’d like to celebrate your successes with you. Connect with Wordsowers at lolliehofer@yahoo.com and tell us your good news.

Is God Calling You to Serve WS?

The WS Support Team Needs You
Opportunities to Serve Others

Nope, we’re not talking about tennis. We just needed to get your attention.

To be honest, Wordsowers needs willing people to step out of their comfort zones to serve others. The WS support team is looking for two or three people who are interested in being a part of the team. After talking to the Lord about it, if you feel this is something He’s calling to you to do, contact Debbie at debbie.crom@yahoo.com or Lollie at lolliehofer@yahoo.

Here are some service opportunities for you to consider: set the agenda and lead monthly meetings, oversee the Critique Group, promote Wordsowers in the Omaha community, provide write-in opportunities at coffee houses, and help the team plan special activities apart from the regular meetings.

After prayer, if Jesus is nudging you to serve Him through Wordsowers, please contact us.

T

Thank You, Kat Parent, For Your Excellent Service to Wordsowers

Thank you, Kat

Due to a crazy, busy schedule (life does that to us sometimes), Kat Parent has stepped away from the Wordsowers’ Leadership Team. To say that she will be missed as a leader is greatly understated. When it came to planning events, Kat was our idea person who brought fun and creative ideas to the table. She did a remarkable job scheduling the monthly speakers and overseeing the meetings. As a “front person,” she led the meetings with humor and style. Thank you, Kat, for your dedication and service to Wordsowers. Debbie and I are grateful for you and how your friendship has blessed our lives.

With Love and Gratitude,

Debbie, Lollie, and all your Wordsowers’ friends

Great Time Together

There were lots of laughs, sweet fellowship, and God-ordained connections (if you know, you know) at the annual Wordsowers Christmas Party. We also learned about the mystery of Christmas (and yes, it has everything to do with Easter).

Starting front and center and going clockwise: Linda, Anisa, Sassy, Kat, Karen, Ben, Debbie, Lollie, Roger, and Miranda.
We were thrilled at the God-ordained connections. Don’t you love it when God does that?

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving.
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.


What are you thankful for this year?

There are no regular monthly meetings in November and December. WS Critique group will meet in November but not in December. Be sure and check out the Christmas Mystery Party details for December 7th. (Posted separately from this post.) Regular monthly meetings will resume in January on the fourth Thursday.

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