Sockmonkeys In The Wild

Image: Rayna L. Stiner in a maroon coat on the left and Jen Edwards in a black shirt and green and black sweater on the right. Photo by Jen Edwards

Hi Sockmonkeys!

Two of our fellow writers ended up meeting at a bookish event on Sunday, March 1st: Jen Edwards and Rayna L. Stiner. It was called Book Bash and was hosted by Readthrough Books at Frontier Park in Graham. I looked for more information or a direct link to share but wasn't able to find anything. In any case, the two of them posed for a photo and passed it onto me with permission to share it on the blog and our social media.

It is always great to see other Sockmonkey writers and what they're up to, whether at write-ins or library events or maybe even writing conferences, so if you're out and meet up with other Sockmonkey writers and don't mind a photo of that meeting being shared, please send it and a short message about the meetup to pcsockmonkeywriters (at) gmail.com and I'll post it for others to see. Bonus points if you include a Sockmonkey! 

I hope this event went well for Rayna and the other local writers who participated!

April 16 2025 Wednesday Writing Weigh-In

 

Image: Beige background with four colored squares in a 2 by 2 grid under the words "Wednesday Writing Weigh-In" in pink letters. Upper row from left to right: a teal box with a white square and teal check mark in it above the words "I'm working on a new project." in dark letters; a green box with a white square and a green check mark in it with the words "I'm writing/editing and existing project." in dark letters. Lower row from left to right: a red box with a white square and red check mark in it above the words "I'm researching or planning." in dark letters; a pink box with a white square and pink check mark in it above the words "I'm taking a break to fill my creative well." in dark letters.

Hi Sockmonkeys!

Been a little while since I've posted one of these. This is just a quick post to check in with you and see how your writing is going. Are you working on something new? Reworking something old? Researching or daydreaming for a new project? Submitting work and waiting to hear back? Taking a break to read, watch movies, craft or do other things to refill your creative well?

Whatever you're up to, please take a minute to reply to this post or one of our social posts and let us know!

(Haha, looks like my actual message is shorter than my alt text for the graphic!)

Hope you're all doing well. Look forward to hearing from you!

Need an Ebook with some Writerly Inspiration?

Hey there Sockmonkeys!

I hope everyone is staying healthy and hasn't had their routine completely upended by the need for physical distancing.  High hopes, I know, but hope is a good thing to have, even when things are so strange at this point.

In any case, one of our original Sockmonkey MLs/group leaders, Darlene Reilley, shared with me an e-book she created and released to try to aid writers during this unusual time.  She is offering it as a free download from her blog Darwrites (link to follow shortly).  I am writing about it here and linking you to her post with her permission, so please, feel free to go check it out and leave her some thanks, comments, encouragement, etc.

How do you download it?  Visit The Writer's Pocket Book of Inspiration page and follow the instructions listed.

Technically, this is something that would be part of Self-Promotion Saturdays, but, since she just released it, is offering it for free and it's both timely with current events and the start of Camp NaNoWrimo, I'm making an exception and posting it right away.  I hope you find it encouraging and useful if you decide to visit and download it.

On a side note, since I just mentioned Camp NaNo, our first regional Camp cabin is full (though a few people still haven't accepted their invitations) but we have plenty of room in our 2nd regional cabin. If you're interested in doing some virtual writing with us this April, please visit the sign up thread and let me know.

Open Mic Poetry Reading Night at the Library Looking for Poets!

Hello Sockmonkeys!

I was contacted by one of the librarians at the Puyallup Public Library about an Open Mic Poetry Reading they are hoping to hold in April.  They wondered if I knew any writers in our area who might like to come and read some of their poetry at an event that would be attended by any at the library who were interested in listening.  This is part of National Poetry Month, which happens every April.

Since I only meet our writers during NaNoWriMo, when people are writing novels, I don't know how many of you also write poetry, but I let her know I would get the word out and see what sort of response I received.  Do you write poems?  Would you be willing to share them?  Wondering what's planned for this evening?

The details I currently have are as follows:

They are hoping to hold it Open Mic style.  There will be a maximum of 15 participants reading during the event.  The only requirements are that participants be at least 12 years old and that your content be kept PG (aka no obscene language, violence or other content that may not be appropriate for a library setting as there may be minors in attendance).  Each participant will be allotted 3 minutes to share their work.

They are planning to hold the reading on Tuesday, April 28th from 6 - 7 p.m.

If you're interested in participating as a volunteer reader and want to read some of your poetry, please contact me at PCsockmonkeywriters@gmail.com or use the Questions? Ideas? box in the sidebar (as long as you include a valid email where I can get back to you with the information).  I will send you the sign up information.

Whether you're sharing your poetry or not, I'm sure writers are also welcome to attend this night of local poetry, if they'd like to do so as part of National Poetry Month.

Any questions, please leave them in the comments, send them via the sidebar or email them to our gmail account.

How many Sockmonkey poets are there?  Let us hear from you, either way!

The Pirates of the Asteroids

This is the fourth and final (for now) post featuring Therese (Terry) Martin's books for Self-promotion Saturday (until she releases her next book!).  Thank you, Terry, for letting us feature your work to start things off!

The Pirates of the Asteroids is a middle to high school grade pirate action adventure novel set in space.  It is book 2 in the Chronicles of Alpha series.

"The Lloyd family is back in the midst of an interplanetary crisis. Pirates have been plaguing the space ways in the Sol system for decades, selling captives into slavery, and now they've begun to attack Alpha shipping. After a passenger liner is raided and the passengers kidnapped, Lieutenant Jonathan Lloyd is given a top secret assignment, to search for information in the Asteroid Belt about the pirate gangs. As cover, his brother David and his friends are along for what is supposed to look like a vacation trip. But things get more interesting when he discovers two annoying stowaways and a frightened fugitive slave. Will this "vacation trip" prove to be too dangerous for the Lloyds?"

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

The Rustlers of Alpha Colony

This third installment of our Self-promotion Saturday posts takes us out of WW2 historical fiction and into book one of the Chronicles of Alpha series, Book 1, The Rustlers of Alpha Colony by Terry Martin.

"There’s a crisis on Alpha Colony, the first of Earth’s colonies outside the solar system. The planet Alpha, located in the Centauri System, is a perfect agricultural world. That’s why Earth wants to keep it and exploit its resources for its own benefit. The contract that established the colony is due to expire, and one of the conditions for granting Alpha Colony its independence is not as simple as it seems. The planet’s farms and ranches must meet a strict quota of grain and livestock to be shipped to Earth over the term of the contract. If that quota isn’t met, Alpha Colony will remain under Earth’s heavy-handed rule for many more years—or perhaps forever.

  There’s just one problem. Large amounts of cattle have gone missing. Could there be rustlers on Alpha Colony? It seems unthinkable, but a trio of middle school students has stumbled across evidence that has them convinced someone is stealing cattle. Without the missing cattle, the colony can’t make its quota. But will anyone believe these three boys? Will they be able to find evidence to convince the planetary leaders before it’s too late?

This first book in the Chronicles of Alpha introduces David Lloyd, his family, and his best friends, Coby Steinberg and Joshua Bateman. Are these three intrepid young detectives involved in a challenge far beyond their abilities? Or will they be able to meet the challenge and save their home world? "

The Rustlers of Alpha Colony is a middle to high school grade historical fiction about events during the founding of the United States told with a science fiction twist.

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version, as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

The Uncivil Engineer

This is the next post continuing the Self-promotion Saturday posts started by this blog's creators.  A page with information about how to submit your own writing to be highlighted in a future post like this will be created soon.  In the meantime, thank you, once again, to Therese (Terry) Martin for agreeing to be highlighted first!

The Uncivil Engineer is a high school to college age (New Adult) historical fiction novel set during World War II.  It is a companion to In the Presence of My Enemies and explores the same historical events from a different perspective.

"December 8, 1941. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was followed by conquest and occupation of the Philippine Islands. James Harper, an American engineer working in Manila, is caught up in the turmoil. His experiences in the United States in the 1920s and 1930s have given him some insights that could help him survive being imprisoned. Will that be enough? Will he survive the war, keep his family together, and find his place in the postwar world? Or will he meet his end in the violence of war? Follow James' story from the speakeasies of New Orleans to the economic worries of the Great Depression and the tough decisions he has to make. Share his worry for his family, the perils of being a prisoner of war, and his growing hopes for the future. This sweeping story, inspired by the real-life wartime experiences of the author's family, is a compelling vehicle for people of all ages, spanning four decades. Readers will experience the Pacific war through the eyes of characters who find themselves in the middle of terrifying circumstances. Not a dry textbook, this exciting story with fascinating characters will make the Greatest Generation come alive for their great-grandchildren. Written for "new adults" of high school and college age, it is accessible for middle school readers as well as more experienced adults of all cultures."

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and The Uncivil Engineer.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.

In the Presence of My Enemies

This is the first new post continuing the series started by this blog's creators in order to let any Sockmonkey Writers who would like to promote their books or stories to do so.  Thank you to Therese (Terry) Martin for agreeing to be the first!
 

  In the Presence of My Enemies is a middle to high school grade historical fiction novel set during World War II.

"Emily Coates lived a life many Americans would envy. She grew up in the Philippine Islands in a diplomatic family, and reached adulthood when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in the White House and Glenn Miller's band was all the rage. Her job with the Army Air Corps in Manila was exciting until the day the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, rapidly followed by air and sea attacks on Manila. At twenty-two, invading Japanese took her, her mother, and her sisters as captives. They ended up in an internment camp, where for nearly four years they experienced deprivation to an almost unimaginable degree. Will this pampered American princess collapse under pressure? Or, will she show the courage that will lead future generations to call hers the Greatest Generation?"

Therese (Terry) Martin moved to Pierce County, Washington from Colorado in 2016.  She is a retired middle school teacher, but continues to teach karate to all ages.  She is currently working on the third Alpha Colony novel and has started a mystery series set in the 1950's with the characters from In the Presence of My Enemies and her other WW2 novel.

You can buy the Kindle version or the Paperback version , as well as read a sample of the novel on Amazon.