Book 'Em, Danno!

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." 
– Groucho Marx

 

If you're a fan of the original Hawaii Five-0 series you know the line spoken by Steve McGarrett, played by Jack Lord, became a classic catchphrase. As writers, we can use our literary license to use the phrase as motivation to keep writing our book, or if it's already published go ahead and Book a speaking engagement or book signing. We know that progress is made by taking the initial step and continuing to move forward. So, hat's off to McGarrett and Danno.

And a special salute to Groucho for his loyalty to books and dogs, and for always finding a way to make people laugh. All of this (except the dogs) will be addressed in upcoming meetings, so read on.

• The River City Writers will use their Tuesday, March 8 meeting to critique works in progress. If you're interested in participating, contact group leader Kathy Bain, kathrynbain@comcast.net.
• The Ancient City Writers have been allowed to return to their meeting room at the St. Augustine Mian Library and will host an entertaining speaker on Saturday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. Romance author and former TV producer/host Sandra Madden presents "Lighten Up: Gatting Serious about Humor." She will address when it's appropriate to use humor and the different ways humor can be incorporated into most novels. All are welcome, the only requirement is a sense of humor.
• The quarterly meeting of the Amelia Island Writers is scheduled for Tuesday, March 22, 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Story & Song Bookstore in Fernandina Beach. The special guest speaker is Dr. Terry Maple, a behavioral research scientist and former President/CEO of Zoo Atlanta. Maple wrote Atlanta's Iconic Ape: The Life of Willie B. Willie B. was a silverback ape and his story is a metaphor for the transformation of Zoo Atlanta into one of America's most innovative zoological parks. Dr. Maple, who has retired on Amelia Island, will discuss his book and the transformation of Zoo Atlanta.
• Contact Clay County Writers group leader Melanie Pronia for information on upcoming meetings.
• 
  Listen up, introverted writers, this one's for you. Noted author, editor, and speaker Nancy Quatrano will address "Transforming Writers into Speakers" at the Saturday, March 26 meeting of the Ponte Vedra Writers. As we know, writing is an activity that requires solitude and most of us thrive in that environment. But when it comes to getting out in public and marketing their books, the introverted writer needs to know how to hold and sell an audience. Nancy tells us that “one of the most powerful ways to build fans and credibility is by speaking face-to-face with people. Whether you’re holding a book signing event or speaking on a topic related to your book, public speaking can improve your value by fifty-percent.” The meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library.

But wait, there's more!

• The NE Florida chapter of Florida Sisters in Crime meets this Saturday, March 5 at 10:00 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library to hear noted author Parker Francis—Yep, that's me—discuss how
  
  to keep your reader in a constant state of anticipation. During my talk, "The Suspense is Killing Me," I'll share some of the secrets bestselling authors and the late, great Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock use to ramp up the suspense. Learn how to involve the reader and make them care about your character while putting them in jeopardy. You don't have to be a "Sister" or a crime writer to attend, but bring your sense of anticipation.
• A Gathering of Poets, Hope at Hand and the North Florida Poetry Hub are sponsoring a poetry contest for high school students (9-12 grade). Video, audio, or email submissions are welcome, accompanied by a print version of the poem with a 40 line limit. Awards are First prize, $200; Second prize, $150; Third prize, $75. The deadline for submissions is March 15 with festive public event and award presentations on April 10. Inquire further or send entry materials to accidentals@comcast.net.
• The Florida Authors & Publishers Association (FAPA) presents writer and YouTube blogger Shaelin Bishop on "Marketing Your Book." To register, emailRichard.Ballo@myfapa.org and indicate you will be attending.
• Noted poet and author Shutta Crum presents a free Zoom workshop on "Getting Published by Using Duotrope" on Tuesday, March 29 at 7:30 p..m. It's hosted by the North Florida Poetry Hub, and you must register to participate. Go to either Meetup or Facebook Events to RSVP.
• Celebrate St. Patrick's Day at the Mocama Brewery in Fernandina Beach with a fun-forward program hosted by Nancy Blanton and Jim Ramage. Learn some Irish vocabulary, read a limerick or share an Irish poem. Music and more merriment follow.
• Remember that both the RPLA and Collections 14 are open for submissions. Visit floridawriters.org for details. 

And if you've ever received a poor review on Amazon or elsewhere, take heart. I'll leave you with reviews of a few noteworthy books.

The Saturday Review of Literature on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby: "What has never been alive cannot very well go on living. So this is a book of the season only."

The NY Times on The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway: "…leaves one with the feeling that the people it describes really do not matter; one is left in the end with nothing to digest."

The New York Times on Catch 22 by Joseph Heller: "…it gasps for want of craft and sensibility…the book is an emotional hodgepodge; no mood is sustained long enough to register for more than a chapter."

Cheers,
Vic

Vic DiGenti
FWA Regional Director

"February is for doers"

 

"If January is the month of lasting change, January is for dreamers. February is for doers." ~ Marc Parent

For all the doers out there, we post opportunities to find inspiration, education, and positive reinforcement at FWA NE Florida meetings. Here's what's in store for this month.

• The River City Writers invite you to join the next Zoom meeting on Tuesday, February 8 at 6:30 P.M when they will dive into character and point of view. The topic is "Whose Story Is It Anyway?" And you may participate by clicking on this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/73420033961?pwd=pWfeOlDJTDUOElUYFDHK9GEnq65X2t.1 Member ID: 734 2003 3961.
• February is the month the AARP in St. Augustine flexes its muscles and pushes the Ancient City Writers out of its meeting room. So they'll be on hiatus this month, but if you need help with your taxes, drop by the St. Augustine Main Library and talk to one of the AARP folk. The writer's group returns in March with a cheerful presentation on how to inject humor into your writing, a discussion led by author Sandra Madden.
• Amelia Island Writers had a full house last month to hear Florida author Craig Pittman's entertaining take on "Weird Florida." They were laughing so much they had to take this month off but will return on St. Patrick's Day, March 17, with an event they call "The Irish Open." The small groups on memoir and biography continue to meet. For more information contact Marla McDaniel.
• The Clay County Writers continue to work on formulating future programs. Contact group leader Melanie Pronia for input and information.
• You may know Don Fox as the CEO of a billion-dollar Jacksonville company, but he is so much more. 
  
  Don has helped Firehouse Subs become a national brand with more than 1,200 fast-casual restaurants. But he is also a military historian and published author with two histories of General Patton's Fourth Armored Division during World War II. Don will join the Ponte Vedra Writers group on Saturday, February 26 at the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library at 10:00 a.m. He will present "Separating Fact from Fiction: Lessons Learned on the Road to Bastogne," in which he'll share lessons on research, structuring your narrative for nonfiction writers, promoting your book, and much more.

And in other news ...

• Florida Sisters in Crime meets Saturday, February 5 at 10:00 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Branch Library to hear from Kaye Schmitz, author of On Deadly Grounds, discussing "Research Like Crazy—Write Calmly."
• The Royal Palm Literary Awards competition is now open for submissions. Beat the rush and enjoy early bird entrance fees. Find out more here.
• Volume 14 of the FWA Collection is also open for submissions as of February 1. There is no entrance fee. This year's theme is "Thrills and Chills," and author Barbara Rein will select the top ten winning submissions. Details can be found on the same page as the RPLAs.
• We all know that the annual Florida Writers Conference is back on track for an in-person gathering in October. Visit floridawriters.org for details. But here's news of some other conferences you may be interested in.
• This month's Amelia Island Book Festival, including the Festival Gala and Author Expo, has been canceled due to Covid concerns. They will offer a number of other activities. Visit the website for more information.
• The Southwest Florida Reading Festival in Fort Myers, Florida, is scheduled for March 5.
• The Palm Beach Book Festival in Boca Raton is scheduled for March 10-12.
• ThrillerFest XVII is set for May 31 - June 4 at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. Presented by the International Thriller Writers, it features bestselling authors, informative panels, master classes, and much more. Registration info here.
• SleuthFest 2022 is back after a Covid year off, July 7-10, in Deerfield Beach and Boca Raton. 
• Killer Nashville, August 18 - 21, brings together writers and readers of mysteries and crime fiction. Here's the website for more information.
• And one of my favorite writer/reader conferences is Bouchercon, billing itself as the World Mystery Convention. The convention attracts up to 2,000 writers and readers and moves to a different host city each year. This year's conference is in Minneapolis, "The Land of 10,000 Crimes," on September 8-11. Information can be found here.
• Bill Opperman, Chairperson for the 2022 Royal Palm Literary Awards, is searching for prospective judges for the prestigious awards competition. If you'd like to be considered, visit this page and complete the survey.
• Congrats to William Wildey with Ed Mickolus for their new book TRIVIA MATTERS: A TRIVIA HOST SOURCEBOOK It includes more than 800 researched and play-tested questions.
• Jennifer Bjork has published THE WHISTLING GALILEAN: SHAI'S JOURNEY, a coming-of-age historical novel set in the first century. Congratulations!
• I had originally joined LinkedIn when I had a real job and later updated it when I began writing and publishing. And while I occasionally used it to contact an individual I seldom checked it. But they never forgot me and kept the emails coming urging me to upgrade to the fee-based Premium membership, which I ignored. But in recent months I've received numerous notices of local and more distant writer-specific job openings. Now it occurs to me that if you're looking for a writer position—and many of these are work-from-home type jobs—you could register for LinkedIn. Just a thought. 

That's all folks. Remember to be a Doer this month.

Cheers,
Vic

Vic DiGenti
FWA Regional Director

aka Parker Francis

Windrusher

Matanzas Bay

Bring Down the Furies

Hurricane Island

Ghostly Whispers, Secret Voices