February Blog Post

There's no time like the present to make your future plans. If you're a published author I know your number one interest is selling books. FWA provides you with an excellent opportunity for book sales right here in Jacksonville. On Saturday, May 19, the annual I (Heart) Books event will be held at the Schultz Center from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event is limited to only 75 authors and includes a brunch. There are still a limited number of openings available. Click here for details.

October is still months away, but the 17th Annual Florida Writers Conference is shaping up to be

another outstanding event for writers of all persuasions. We've landed Linda Fairstein as our National Guest of Honor and Heather Graham as the Florida Writer of the Year. And Florida Poet Laureate Peter Meinke will join us, as well.
We're excited to announce that the Celebrity Workshop will be presented by Chuck Sambuchino. For years, Chuck was the face of Writers Digest's guides to agents, editors and publishers. He's still the go-to expert on getting an agent, and on Thursday, October 18 he will present "Everything You Need to Know About Agents, Submissions, Queries, and First Pages." Remember this requires a separate registration fee as it's a benefit for the Florida Writers Foundation. Information and registration may be found here.

And now for the February FWA meetings:

• River City Writers meets on Tuesday, February 13 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library off Gate Parkway. Contact Gregg Golson for details.
• Writers by the Sea meets on Thursday, February 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Amelia Island Museum of History. Author Darryl Bollinger will speak on an unusual and mysteruus topic he calls, "When You Say Nothing at All."
• Ancient City Writers will not meet at St. Augustine's Main Library in February due to AARP hijacking their meeting room to offer tax assistance to the public.
• Clay County Writers assemble on Wednesday, February 21 at the Orange Park Library. The time of the meeting is 6:15 p.m. and group leader Maureen Jung has details.
• Are you ready for a laugh? Do you want to write humor? Then come to the Saturday, February 24 Ponte Vedra Writers meeting at the Ponte Vedra Library. Longtime humor writer and professional blogger Erik Deckers presents "10 Professional Humor Writing Secrets." The chuckles begin at 10:30 a.m.

And in other news:

• Arson investigator Detective David Young presents an inside look at the world of arson investigations at this Saturday's Florida Sisters in Crime meeting. The group gathers at the SE Branch Library at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 3. Arrive early to claim your own hot seat.
• The Amelia Island Book Festival has "something for everyone" that begins with the Gala Face-Off Dinner on February 15. Four bestselling authors, including Lee Child and Karin Slaughter, meet in an "engaging and scintillating face-off exchange." Steve Berry serves as the Face-Off moderator. Visit the website for more details.
• FWA's first webinar of the year should be of interest to all published authors. The subject is "How to Make Money with Your Books." Jonathon (JK) Miller is the webinar host. The price is only $10 for FWA members and $15 for nonmembers. You'll need a computer with internet access and speakers to hear the audio. Visit the web page for details.
• John Capouya leads the University of Tampa's Creative Writing MFA program. He's also the author of Florida Soul: From Ray Charles to KC and the Sunshine Band.  He will be at the Ponte Vedra Library on Monday, February 26 at 6:30 p.m. to talk about hs book. BTW, John will also present one of the Thursday evening Boot Camp sessions at this year's Florida Writers Conference.

Until we meet again, here's a quote that most writers can identify with:

“My mind is a raging torrent flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.”

~Hedley Lamarr, Blazing Saddles

Cheers,
Vic

Vic DiGenti
FWA Executive Vice President
NE Florida Regional Director