sa国际传媒官网网页入口

Author-editor-publisher Sonja Dewing of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 is a spark plug.

In the midst of COVID-19 outbreak, Dewing was meeting, virtually, with other female thriller writers and they all seemed to be facing the same obstacle: They couldn鈥檛 get their stories published.

Dewing saw the obstacle as an opportunity. So she pushed forward on several related fronts.

She established the Women鈥檚 Thriller Writers Association. Its web address is .

The website has links to association-sponsored workshops, events, membership, registration for a project called 鈥淲rite a Book in February,鈥� and an anthology of stories by about 10 authors published last year under the title 鈥淭hrillHers.鈥� A second anthology is in the works for publication later this year.

The website also connects to weekly, mostly virtual, member meetups on different literary subjects and to a Dewing-organized podcast 鈥淭he Five-Minute Author,鈥� which is about writing and self-publishing.

A recent podcast episode offered advice on how writers can use to sell their books. A December episode featured five children鈥檚 authors offering tips on writing and editing.

As if those activities weren鈥檛 keeping Dewing busy enough, she founded a publishing company, Plot Duckies. It published the 2023 鈥淭hrillHers鈥� anthology and Dewing鈥檚 four-volume fantasy series 鈥淭he Idol Makers.鈥�

Thrilling opportunity: sa国际传媒官网网页入口's Sonja Dewing forms Women鈥檚 Thriller Writers Association aimed at helping fellow authors

鈥淔or books I publish, I ask that they have a strong female character. I publish only fiction,鈥� she said.

Dewing estimated that there are about 30 women who are currently members of the association, many from New Mexico.

Among them are sa国际传媒官网网页入口 writers Dita Dow, Kara Smith and Saleema Ishq.

Dow said she鈥檚 been writing for about 10 years and had first met Dewing through National Writers Month.

鈥淎s soon as I found out that she had formed the association, I joined it. It has helped me be a better writer,鈥� Dow said.

To date, she has written four books of short stories, mainly in the category of paranormal thrillers, though she also has written psychological and suspense thrillers.

Dow said she meets in-person with some of the association members to hash out characterizations and plots.

Smith came to writing after having worked in full-time positions in the intelligence field with the National Security Agency, the FBI and a nonprofit. For the past eight months, she鈥檚 been doing consulting work and decided she would rather write.

鈥淚鈥檓 38. Is this my midlife crisis? I don鈥檛 know. I do know I love writing. My story 鈥楬idden Waters鈥� was in the 鈥楾hrillHers鈥� anthology,鈥� she said.

Smith is working on expanding the story into a full-blown novel.

鈥淢y goal is to pitch it to major publishing houses. If it鈥檚 rejected, I鈥檒l self-publish it, with guidance from Sonja,鈥� Smith said.

鈥淗idden Waters,鈥� she explained, blends science fiction with a coming-of-age theme aimed at young adult readers.

鈥淚 like putting in, for example, super string theory, the particle collisions at Los Alamos. Isn鈥檛 that science fiction, science fact that hasn鈥檛 been proven yet?鈥� Smith asked rhetorically.

Ishq said she joined the association about a year ago and soon after the thrillers writers group because 鈥淚 needed accountability with my writing projects.鈥�

She said she began writing fiction after being laid off from a day job as a content writer for an online publication.

Dewing鈥檚 belief in her as a writer of psychological thrillers has bolstered her self-confidence. 鈥淎t this point I am comfortable in the genre. I am working on my debut novel. It involves family relationships,鈥� Ishq said.