On the SFR Brigade Web Site...

The Points Standings for the past week has been posted, and the sidebar at right updated.

The Weekly Recap (SitRep) has been posted.

A Publisher's Showcase Update has been posted.

There's now a section to discuss the upcoming RWA Nationals, now moved to Orlando.  Who's attending?  What are the best workshops?  Should we plan a SFR Brigade get-together?  If you're planning to attend, be sure to stop by the forum.  If you're conducting a workshop or event, be sure to let us know.

Weekly Recap (SitRep)

It's been another banner week for the Brigade! 

Although membership requests slowed down a bit, it's actually a good thing for two reaons: 

1) It gave us the opportunity to explore new territory--a SFR Brigade web site.  Thanks to Larianne Wills for the link. Though still in experimental stages, please give it a thorough shakedown and report back if you think it might serve our purposes (at least on a temporary basis).  SFR Brigade Web Site

2) We're almost at maximum capacity as far as site authors here on the main site, so I have a special request (plea, cajole or arm-twisting, as applicable). 

For those who haven't and don't plan to post to the blog, could you please contact me and we'll reassign your author slot to a new member.  Important: You will still be a full member of the SFR Brigade, listed on the roster and encouraged to participate in all activities.  If you should decide in the future that you want to post, we're reserving one floating slot for that purpose, and we'll also reassign the next available author slot to you.  (Does that sound like a deal?)

New Members

Ann Willows
Is working on her first SFR.  Welcome, Ann!

Gini Koch
Has a recent SFR release, Touched By An Alien.

Hywela Lyn
Author of "Children of the Mist."

Lisa Paitz Spindler
Aka in Skiffy Rommer circles as "Danger Gal."

Sara Brookes
Has an upcoming release with Liquid Silver Books, Midnight's Ghost.

Sara Creasy
Released Song of Scarabaeus in print this past week.

Sara Rustan
A published author with Samhain and Loose-Id.

Points Standings 

1 - Charlie Allden, Officer on Deck duties
1 - DL Jackson, Officer on Deck duties
1 - Leslie Dow, Officer on Deck duties

1 - Sandra Stixrude for the Tagging Party

1 - Frances Pauli for recruiting Ann Willows
1 - Laurie Green for recruitning Sara Creasy
1 - Laurie Green for recruiting Lisa Paitz Spindler
1 - Laurie Green for recruiting Sara Brookes

1 - Katherine Allred for the post generating the most activity

1- Laura Scarlett for her RT workshop information post

As before, if you think I've missed you, please let me know.  The points tally has been updated on the sidebar.

Publisher's Week: May 17 - 21
We still have room for a couple more if anyone would like to host a spotlight for their and/or a publisher.  Current participants and member hosts with tentative dates assigned for their spotlights are as follows:

Carina Press -- Heather Massey (May 18th)
Devine Destinies - Frances Pauli (May 17th AM)
Ellora's Cave -- Barbara Elsborg (May 19th AM)
Liquid Silver Books -- D. L. Jackson (May 19th PM)
Mundania -- Arlene Webb via Marie Dees (May 21st AM)
Red Rose Publishing -- Sandra Stixrude (May 20th AM)
Samhain -- Sheryl Nantus (May 17th PM)
Shadowfire Press -- Arlene Webb (May 21st PM)

If your interested in hosting a publisher that's not listed, let me know a.s.a.p.

What's Coming Up?
In the coming week, we look forward to hearing more from our RT attendees and we'll continue to develop and experiment with our new website. Don't forget that both Coyote Con and the Brenda Novak auction are still underway.  For anyone with a book release in May, please let me know the date and also if you'd like an official Launch Party on the SFR Brigade.

Weekly Update (SitRep)

It's been another stellar week, and although we didn't hit our membership goal for the first time, at *fanfare please* 91 members, we didn't fall too short of it.  Even once we reach crew capacity, we'll still have plenty of room for passengers.  This is a big starship!  We've had lots of great content posted by members this week that generated some excellent discussions. 

New Members
Ok, this is a pretty sketchy list and I know I'm missing a few, so if that's you, please let me know and I'll correct it at once.  (And then blame it on my aide de camp.  He's been distracted laterly.)    

Aubrie Dionne
Welcome to the Brigade, Aubrie!

Frances Pauli
A SFR author and new member who has already recruited a member!

Jaletta Clegg
Has a SFR series under contract,

Tannia Franklin
Tannie just slipped in under the wire today, so welcome, Tannia!


Point Standings
This is the fun part where I get to award points based on activity and contests.  As before, if you think I've overlooked you, please drop me a line.  (And also as before, I'll blame it on my aide.)  This week we were awarding a bonus point (total of 2 points) for recruiting new members.  Two members took advantage of that. The post generating the most activity was the interview with Linnea Sinclair by Donna S. Frelick (37 comments!) coupled with Linnea's three-book giveaway. Many points to doll out there.  Here's the week's point tally: 

1 - Charlie Allden for Officer on Deck duties

1 - Donna S. Frelick for interviewing Linnea Sinclair
1 - Donna S. Frelick for post with most activity

2*-Frances Pauli for recruiting Jaleta Clegg

1 - Kanaxa for designing the icon/logo

1 - Kaye Manro for Officer on Deck duties
2* - Kaye Manro for recruiting Aubrie Dionne

1 - Kylie Griffin, contest final (Shiela)

2 - Laurie Green, contest win (Lilac City Rochester)

1 - Liana Brooks for blog tour
1 - Liana Brooks for authors page poll
1 - Lianna Brooks for authors library page creation

1 - Linnea Sinclair for post with most activity
1 - Linnea Sinclair for banner artwork
1 - Linnea Sinclair for interview/book giveaway

1 - Sandra Stixrude for book tagging party

1 - Sharon Lynn Fisher contest final (Shiela)
1 - Sharon Lynn Fisher for Officer on Deck duties

1 - Vicky Burkholder for Officer on Deck duties

Overall point standings have been updated on the sidebar.


RT Update
Our SFR Brigade buttons and cards just arrived yesterday (as luck would have it), so we're going to try to overnight them to Jess Granger tomorrow so she'll have them available at the Romantic Times Booklovers Conference.  This isn't a huge batch, I think there are about a dozen buttons and fifty cards, but hopefully those of you who are there can get a button and some cards to distribute to help get the word out to interested parties about the Brigade.  Be sure to see the post on Linnea's blog radio interview Monday night (posted earlier today) and her RT Schedule is posted on its own page (check the sidebar). 

What's Coming Up?
This is going to be a big week. With RT in session, we hope to recruit some new members. See the post regarding Linnea Sinclair's radio interview on Monday night--support her by calling in with questions and ID yourself as a member of the SFR Brigade.  There will be a link to a book giveaway of member KS Augustin's book on Monday--watch for it.  Join in our Tuesday Tour and Thursday Tag Party to help support your fellow Brigaders. 

Attention RT attendees:  If anyone would like to write reports or send in pics on the events, I'll award bonus points.

Anyone with a book release coming up in May, please let me know so we can post an announcment and/or plan a launch party. 

Thanks to everyone for another successful week!

Week One Recap

SitRep

Here's our situation report for week one.  Outstanding!

We've had a wonderful response from those wishing to join, and here's a mega-big thank you to those who helped get the word out, which included...The Galaxy Express...42 Blips...Kaye Manro's blog...Jennifer Leeland's blog...Laurel Wanrow's blog...a mention in SciFiGuys Urban Fantasy Weekend Report and on Enduring Romance, and we even heard a rumor that author Linnea Sinclair mentioned it on her Yahoo group.  Big shout out to Ms. Sinclair, if so!  Thanks also to all of the members who tweeted and linked.

We have Brigade members who have volunteered for or are working on online banners, promo items for events, a few event ambassador volunteers and a possible lead for designing a website.  What would you like to get involved with? Let me know. You'll be hearing more on our various projects soon. Onward and upward!

We could still use some facilitators to help sign up new members and monitor the blog during weekdays.  I think there was one volunteer to help, so I'll contact her to see if she's available to help cover this coming week.  If anyone's interested please let me know.  It's a pretty easy tour of duty.

Membership Report

As of this writing, we have -- *21 phaser salute*-- 43 members!!!  Our goal of "50 by Friday" seems very doable at the moment.  Be sure to tell your peers about SFR Brigade and mention it on your websites.

Special Activity Awards for the Past Week

I'd be remiss not to award Heather Massey a point for her great support and wonderful article on The Galaxy Express that brought in so many new members.  Thanks, Heather!

Sharon Lynn Fisher served as "officer on deck" for several shifts getting new members signed up while I was blog-locked at work.  Much thanks for being my wing...er...person, Sharon.  1 point.  And another point for doing the scouting report on Stringer Literary Agency as a potential SFR-friendly agent. 

Jennifer Leeland's Twitter Palooza book giveaway was our most active event of the week.  1 point and a big thanks to Jennifer.

I've already awarded several points to Brigaders for recruiting new members, and I have two more to announce.  One point to Kim Knox for recruiting a member and one to Laurel Wanrow for recruiting Bart Palomaro.

A $20 gift certificate to Amazon is going into the Special Cargo bin (over yonder on the sidebar) to be awarded to our contest winners next March.  And we're working on some more fun treasures now.

Congrats, all. 

I'll be generous with awarding activity points the first few weeks for those who post articles, SFR books reviews (2 points for reviewing members books!), and scouting reports to encourage participation, so got 'em while they're hot.

So What's on the Scanners for Next Week?

We're planning a very special event for Tuesday--our Inaugural Book Launch Party for a member's novel--and what I hope is the first of many.  We hope to do another Twitter Blast of the event to help generate activity.  Be sure to keep your radar dishes aimed this direction for more details.

I hope we'll have some progress reports on special acitivities and possibly a poll or two to gather intel from Brigaders. 

We'll have our Tuesday Tour of a member's blog and another Tag Party on Thursday.

I encourage members to post and really get our community fired up.  I'll publish the schedule again below and also post it on the sidebar:

If your first name starts with A - H, post on Mondays
If your first name starts with I - K, post on Tuesdays
If your first name starts with L - Ma, post on Wednesdays
If your first name starts with Me - R, post on Thursdays
If your first name starts with S - Z, post on Fridays

Anyone can post on weekends.
Task groups can post progress reports at any time.

Thanks to all the Brigaders for making this a very exciting and eventful week!