"All things seem possible in May"

~ Edwin Way Teale

   Teale was an American naturalist, photographer and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer who obviously knew a thing or two about the promises of spring. I find that some of my best story ideas come to me while mowing the lawn or working in the garden—if you can call the motley assortment of plants, weeds and tree roots snaking through my lawn a garden. 

   But this month brings a florist's truckload of goodies so read on for news of FWA meetings and other activities of interest to area writers.

NE Florida FWA Chapter Meetings

• First Coast Christian Writers meets every Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church on Greenland Road. The May 7 speaker is Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Bruce Thomason who will discuss his crime thriller, Body Toll.  
• River City Writers meets on the second Tuesday of the month at the SE Branch Library off Gate Parkway at 7:00 p.m. Next meeting is Tuesday, May 12. Lynn Thompson is the speaker. Contact group leader Dar Myers for more information: dfm1973@ymail.com
• Ancient City Writers this month calls on another ancient writer for its program as Regional Director Vic DiGenti presents a follow-up to his "Great Beginnings" workshop. This time Vic (yes, we ancient writers are allowed to refer to ourselves in third person) continues the novel lesson plan with "How to Avoid Muddled Middles & Dead Ends." We will all gather at the Main Library's meeting room at 10:15 a.m. to hear Vic discuss how to sustain interest to the very end. That's the ancient writer pictured to the right in what seems like ancient days when he had time to relax and read a good book.
• Amelia Island Writers will convene at the usual time and place—Tuesday, May 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the Florida House Inn in Fernandina Beach. Group leader Maggie deVries can give you the details: maggie1948@yahoo.com
• We wrap up the month of FWA meetings at the Ponte Vedra Library as the FWA Ponte Vedra Writers  gather at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 23. All of us who dream of seeing our novels on the big screen should take note as John Boles, an award-winning writer, producer, director and actor will discuss "Turning Your Novel into a Screenplay." John has taught writing, film and screenwriting courses for a number of years. He also writes and produces live, interactive mysteries for his own company, Mystery Makers. 

I'll have coffee brewing, you bring the popcorn.

And more for your money

• If you didn't get your RPLA submissions in the mail yesterday, you missed the cut-off and the entry fee has risen to $40 per submission. Remember you must be a member of FWA to enter the competition, and that the fee jumps to $50 on July 1. The deadline is July 13. Visit the FWA website for guidelines and to become a member.
• Another reminder about the upcoming FWA anthology, From Our Family to Yours. The deadline for submissions is May 31. This is the first in a new series of collections sponsored by FWA. The theme is family and it can be fiction or non-fiction or poetry with a 1,500 word limit. Like the RPLA, you must be an FWA member to be eligible to submit. This is a great way to get your work published and sold as the books will be sold online and at the FWA bookstore and conferences. Here's the link to submission guidelines.
• Those of you writing children's books (and there must be many in this area judging by the turnout to hear John Cech last week), you might want to check out the 2009 Moonbeam Childrens Book Awards. The new book awards program, designed to honor the best children's books, authors and illustrators, is accepting entries until August 22nd. Click on the link for guidelines and entry form.
• UNF's Literary Magazine, Fiction Fix, is now accepting submissions for Fall 2009 for fiction and/or artwork.  Short stories, short short, or novel excerpts may be submitted, but greater consideration will be given to fiction under 3,000 words. 
• Congratulations to Judy Weber, 1st Place winner in the Mystery category of the recent Do It Write Literary Competition. Another local winner was Linda Eadie. 
• More congratulations, this time to Rodney Hurst, It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke, winner of the inaugural Stetson Kennedy Award. Presented by the Florida Historical Society, the award recognized the book for its investigative research "which casts light on historical Florida events."
• The Anhinga Writers Studio 2009 Summer Workshops, formerly the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings–Writing the Region) is set for July 29 to August 1 in Gainesville. It features Charlaine Harris, author of the popular Southern Vampire Mysteries which were turned into the HBO series, True Blood. 
• Apple and iTunes has a new offering—and it's free. You can download 33 podcasts from Roy Peter Clark's book, Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, read by the author. These range from Nuts & Bolts subjects like "Begin sentences with subjects and verbs," and "Watch those adverbs," to what he terms, Blueprints like "Use dialogue as a form of action." 

That's it for now. I'll leave you with this pearl of wisdom from that great philosopher, Groucho Marx, 

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."

Vic

Since these blog postings are sent out to people interested in writing, it's safe to say most of us consider ourselves writers. Or do we? When do we step over that invisible line dividing wannabe writers from honest-to-goodness writers? Is it when we decide we're writers, or when we become published? Maybe it's when someone actually pays us for our work. 

That's probably a question we all have to answer for ourselves, but if you're still waiting for your first publishing credit, you're in luck. FWA is publishing the first in a series of anthologies for FWA members. The first collection is titled From Our Family to Yours, and as the title suggests, it's all about families. These will be short stories (fiction or non-fiction), 1,500 words or less, with a family hook—good families, funny families, strange and dysfunctional families.

 Sixty of the best submissions will be selected for this first collection so get yours in right away as the deadline is May 31st. The book will be printed this fall and made available for purchase.

Some things to keep in mind: 

1. You must be an FWA member to submit and current through the fall publication of the book 

2. Submission is done electronically to FWACollection1@floridawriters.net

3. Authors whose stories are selected will be required to sign a release for one-time North American printing rights assigned to FWA

4. Go to this FWA website page for the complete details

Good luck with your submission. Now, let's see what our regional FWA Chapters have in store for you this month.

• You're invited to meet Almon Gunter at the First Coast Christian Writers (FCCW) meeting this Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church on Greenland Road. Gunter is a life coach, motivational speaker, and a two-time Olympic Track Qualifier. He's also the author of Focus on the Final Seconds and Win the Game. FCCW, now part of FWA, meets each Thursday and is open to anyone looking to improve their writing skills. Visit FCCW online for more information.
• River City Writers leader Darlene Myers reports that tomorrow night's meeting, Tuesday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library located at 10599 Deerwood Park Boulevard, will cover a number of topics, including "How to Create an Instant Bestseller," and "40-Plus Ways to Make Your Next Book Signing an Event!" Contact Dar at dfm1973@ymail.com for more information.
• The Ancient City Writers chapter calls upon veteran thriller writer William Kerr to discuss elements of the series character at its meeting on Saturday, April 18 at 10:15 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. Bill's latest Matt Berkeley action/suspense novel, Mark of the Devil, was recently released and takes the reader from Florida's northeast coast to Germany in a desperate race that could change the face of history. Bill, a retired U.S. Navy Captain, will talk about how to keep a series character fresh while deepening and developing the character through a series of books. 
• The omnipresent speaker/author Rik Feeney returns to the First Coast to headline the Amelia Island Writers meeting on Tuesday, April 21st at 6:00 p.m. This time, Rik will be talking about how to use your book as a primary marketing tool. The group, led by Maggie Carter-de Vries, author of Amelia's Secrets, meets at the Florida House Inn, 22 3rd Street S. in Fernandina Beach. Contact Maggie for more info at maggie1948@yahoo.com.
• As Professor of English and Children's Literature at the University of Florida, John Cech directs the Center for Children's Literature & Culture. He's also an author of books for children and adults and the guest speaker at this month's Ponte Vedra Writer Chapter meeting, Saturday, April 25 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. Cech's topic: "Children's Books: Trends, Markets, Mysteries, and What's Always True." This is your chance to learn more about children's books from one of the nation's preeminent experts in the field.  

And here are a few other items of interest to area writers:

• The North Florida Writers meets on the second Saturday of the month at 2:00 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconnett Library. 
• The Mandarin Writers Workshop meets the second and fourth Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the S. Mandarin Library. This is a critique group and new members are welcome. Contact group leader Larry Barnes at wordsandpics@bellsouth.net.
• Don't forget the Royal Palm Literary Awards Competition is now accepting submissions in 23 different categories. You must be an FWA member to submit, and you can save some bucks as entry fees increase $10 after this month. Go to the website for complete guidelines.
• The University of North Florida is launching the UNF Summer Writers Workshop, August 4 - 7, an intensive workshop modeled after the acclaimed Iowa Writers Festival. The final day, Friday, August 7, will feature a day-long series of workshops on everything from screenwriting to Internet marketing, from self-editing to character development and dialogue. With 3 tracks covering Craftsmanship, Publishing and Marketing, the mini-conference will benefit FWA and includes lunch. Look for more information to follow shortly.
• The Florida Heritage Writers Workshop, Friday, September 11, kicks-off the 2-day Florida Heritage Book Festival in downtown St. Augustine. The workshop is held at the Casa Monica Hotel and features sessions with mystery writer Tom Cavanagh,literary agent and author Lucienne Diver, thriller writer T. J. MacGregor, award-winning journalist Shawn Bean, and many others. Early bird registration is only $50 (includes lunch), and the registration form will go up on the FHBF website soon. Speaking of the FHBF, in last year's inaugural event, they launched a new awards program called The Literary legends Awards by honoring Florida authors Stetson Kennedy, Patrick Smith and Jack Hunter. Word is out that this year's gala event will honor Harry Crews, Dr. Michael Gannon and bestselling mystery author Michael Connelly. The awards banquet is set for Thursday, August 27 at the Sawgrass Marriott Hotel in PVB. This will be a hot ticket, so check the website as ticket information will be loaded soon.
• And finally, for those of you looking for a good book title, sorry to tell you The Art of French Kissing is already taken. But you can meet Kristin Harmel, the author of this and other "chick lit" titles on Monday, April 20 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. A longtime reporter for People Magazine, Kristin has been called the real-life combo of Bridget Jones and Carrie Bradshaw, the Sex and the City author. She's also the book reviewer known as "The Lit Chick" on the nationally-syndicated TV show, The Daily Buzz. Among her other titles are How to Sleep with a Movie Star, The Blonde Theory, and the YA novel, When You Wish. It's free and coffee and goodies will be served.

The Pasco/New Port Richey 1-Day Writers Conference is this Sunday. Maybe a long way to go, but they also picked up on our regional book competition and work has leaked out that one of our own NE Florida members has taken the top prize in the Mystery category. Congratulations will go out as soon as it's official on Sunday, so stay tuned to see who the mystery author may be.

That's all for this blog. Let me hear from you and keep banging away.

Best,

Vic

Developing good writing habits

Talk to a dozen writers and you're likely to hear twelve different approaches to writing. Some people write in fits and starts, all hours of the night and day. Others are as disciplined as robots, writing at the same time of day, cranking out the same number of words or pages. For example, Shirley Rousseau Murphy, author of the Joel Grey feline series, has a set system. "I write, or revise and polish, a minimum of 2,000 words a day, 3,000 on a good day."

My buddy Randy Cribbs, a St. Augustine author with 6 or 7 books under his belt, is more laid back in his writing habits. "I'm afraid I'm not a normal writer," Randy told me. "I don't set goals, don't make many notes, and never write unless it is in my head. I basically build the story—characters, plot, everything—in my mind and eventually, when it seems to be falling into place, I sequester myself in what my wife calls the man room, and usually write until it's done."

The moral to this story is to set your own pace and find what works for you. It does help to set goals, whether to write a certain number of words or pages per day. The object is to focus on your writing and not beat yourself up along the way. 

Which leads us to this month's FWA update. Let's take a look at what's in store at the various meetings coming up in NE Florida.

• The First Coast Christian Writers group, FWA's newest Jacksonville chapter, meets each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church off Greenland Road in room 513. Tomorrow night's speaker is Cheryle Touchton, a missionary and evangelist who speaks on her relationship with God and hands out cards containing quarters. Thus, she's known as the "Pocket full of quarters Lady." 
• Visit the River City Writers on Tuesday, March 10 to hear Bruce Thomason, Jacksonville Beach Police Chief and author of the mystery, Body Toll. This group, led by Darlene Myers, meets at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd. Contact Dar at dfm1973@ymail.com.
• The Amelia Island Writers Group welcomes Annette Myers, author of The Shrinking Sands of an African-American Beach, as speaker at the Tuesday, March 17 meeting.  The meeting starts at 6:00 p.m. at the Florida House Inn, 22 Third Street in Fernandina Beach. Call group leader Maggie DeVries, 904-321-6180, for information.
• The Ancient City Chapter skipped last month's meeting because the AARP moved into their meeting room to provide income tax assistance to us old folks. To make up for the loss of February, Rik Feeney will provide a double-whammy of a program, covering two topics—Developing Author Web Sites and The Right Way to Publish. They will gather at 10:15 a.m. on Saturday, March 21 at St. Augustine's Main Library. 
• And the last meeting of the month, when, hopefully, March will exit like a lamb, takes place on Saturday, March 28 at the Ponte Vedra Library. The PV Writers Chapter is on a roll. Last month, John Byram, University Press of Florida editor-in-chief, talked to a packed room about some of the most common reasons why book proposals are rejected. For your edification, among the reasons are: 1) Picking the wrong press to submit your proposal to in the first place. Do your research before submitting. 2) Forgetting to spell-check. Editors are funny about misspelled words, especially if it's their name. And 3) Demanding unreasonable marketing and promotional support for your book. This month's guest is super-speaker, consultant and author Jon Gordon. He's the author of The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work and Team with Positive Energy, and The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to Deal with Negativity at Work. Jon and his books have been featured on CNN, NBC's Today Show, and in a variety of national publications. He will be talking about "How to Build a Million Dollar Platform." The meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. Don't be late or you may not get a seat.

Other items of interest include...

• The Royal Palm Literary Award Competition is now accepting your entries. This annual writing competition covers 23 categories of both published and unpublished work. The catch is that you must be an FWA member to enter the competition. There are new categories and new guidelines, so go to the RPLA Competition page on the FWA website for all the details. Winners will be announced at the RPLA Banquet at the October conference.
• Here's another benefit for FWA members you might want to take advantage of. FWA will publish its first anthology, a collection of stories from FWA members titled From Our Family to Yours. The publication will feature all kinds of stories about families, both fiction and non-fiction. The selection committee will choose up to 60 of the best ones, and Suzette Standring, former President of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists will select her top ten stories. Read more about it on the website, and send your submission to fwacollection1@floridawriters.net.
• As announced in my last update, the Florida Sisters in Crime chapter was planning to move their meetings to the first Saturday of the month. You know what they say about best-laid plans. Unfortunately, the meeting room wasn't available, so the March meeting will be on the 3rd Saturday, March 21 at the SE Branch Library. Then they will revert to the first Saturdays.
• Plans are being made for the next Florida Heritage Book Festival, September 11 & 12. Watch for information on the September 11 Writer's Workshop held at the Casa Monica Hotel, and the free reader's festival on the 12th at Flagler College.  The Literary Legends Awards dinner will take place several weeks before the festival (time and place TBA) to honor several of Florida's outstanding writers. Check the website for the latest news. 
• The Amelia Island Book Festival is moving from the fall to President's Day weekend, February 11-13, 2010.  They will feature new events and activities.
• UNF is in the process of planning a 4-day summer writer's workshop modeled after the acclaimed Iowa Writers Festival. More news as it develops.
• Sharon Scholl has asked me to announce that her poet's group, A Gathering of Poets, meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 2:00 p.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. They welcome visitors and new members.
• Mom's Choice Award Winners —  Pamela Bauer Mueller, a Gold Recipient in the Mom's Choice Awards for two of her novels, Aloha Crossing and An Angry Drum Echoed.  And to Jane Wood, Silver Recipient, for her two books, Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure, and Trouble on the St. Johns River. And Jennifer Swanson is a Silver Award winner for her juvenile fiction, Penny and Rio: The Mysterious Backyard Meeting. Congratulations to all.
• Kudos to Mary Jane Hayes, whose children's book, Emma's House of Sound, will be performed as a play at the Limelight Playhouse and the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind.
• And one more big pat on the back to Rodney Hurst, a Florida Book Award Bronze Medal winner for his non-fiction book, It Was Never About a Hot Dog and a Coke. 
• Chris Berman's new SF book, The Hive, has been released and he's out doing signings. As is George Prom, with his new book, The Thrift Store. Congratulations to them both, and to all of you about to do great things.

That's it for now. Send me your good news and items of interest for area writers.

Best,

Vic

Is it cold enough for you?

There are many good reasons why I live in Florida, but 27 degree weather isn't one of them. Still, it's all relative, isn't it? Our winters usually consist of only a handful of hard freezes, while the folks up in Lake Wobegon suffer through seven months of winter. And while some people may relish winter's arctic blasts, like this insane Green Bay Packers fan, give me a warm beach and a cool beverage anytime. But as one wag said, nine-tenths of the people wouldn't be able to start a conversation if the weather didn't change.

What does this all have to do with writing, you ask. Good question. It may be my personal antipathy to leaving my warm home, but I've found I've been more productive the past few days, pounding out pages and ignoring all the usual reasons to go outside. So thin as it may seem, that's my reason for talking about the cold in a writing blog. Maybe you have your own take on weather and writing. Let me hear from you. 

Okay, on with writerly happenings in the NE Florida region:

• First Coast Christian Writers meet each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church, 6045 Greenland Road. This week's speaker is Florida Times-Union editor Tom Szaroleta. Tom will talk about how to get your feature stories into the paper, among other things. Visit group leader Lorraine Haataia's web site for more details. 
• River City Writers meet on the second Tuesday, February 10, at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd. Group leader Dar Myers reports that this month's speaker is award-winning Harlequin romance writer Tracy Montoya. Tracy will present, "Writing Romance: Is There a Formula or is There More to These Books Than Bodice Ripping?" Need more info, contact Dar at dfm1973@ymail.com.
• The Amelia Island Writers has a fascinating topic this month. Group leader Maggie de Vries tells me Jim Morgan, the former leader of this group, will return to talk about the discovery of an old manuscript apparently written by several unknown writers. Jim is the author of The Copper Indian and Faith and Proton Therapy. Visit with Jim and Maggie on Tuesday, February 17 at 6:00 p.m. at Fernandina Beach's Old Florida Inn. Contact Maggie at maggie1948@yahoo.com.
• St. Augustine's Ancient City Writers Chapter has been booted from their meeting room this month by the AARP tax preparers, but have no fear, they'll be back on Saturday, March 21 at 10:15 a.m. at the Main Library with a return visit by the always effervescent Rik Feeney.
• University Press of Florida Editor-in-Chief John Byrum speaks at the Ponte Vedra Writers Chapter meeting on Saturday, February 28 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. A faculty member of the Society of American Travel Writers, John is also on the editorial advisory board of The Florida Review. John will tell us "The Top Ten Reasons Why Editors Reject a Non-Fiction Proposal (and How Authors Can Avoid This Fate)." Sounds like something we all should hear.

Other items of note:

• Mark your calendar for this year's Much Ado About Books, February 27 and 28. They're in a new location with a slightly different format. They're moving to the Jacksonville Main Library for both days. Friday's event includes craft workshops with authors Anne LeClaire and Carla Neggins, a panel on blogging, a Q&A session with David Baldacci, and Steve Berry's "Eight Rules of Writing." There's also a Friday Brunch with Baldacci and Saturday Luncheon with Adriana Trigiani. Both are ticketed events, as well the pricey Ex Libris Gala Friday night. For schedule of events, click on the Much Ado About Books home page.
• The Do It Write Literary Competition has moved their submission deadline back to February 15 so you still have time to enter. You need to send 3 copies of the first 30 pages along with a 1-page synopsis. Click here for submission guidelines.
• The Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) Jacksonville chapter has changed its meeting format to two closed groups—one for picture book writers and the other for those writing novels. If anyone is interested in participating in either of the two groups, please contact Janet Walter at jgwalter@comcast.net.
• The First Coast Romance Writers meets on the second Saturday of the month at 11:00 a.m.at the West Regional Library, 1425 Chaffee Road. Former Simon & Schuster editor Marcella Landres presents a two-part workshop on February 14. The first part is "How Editors Think," and the second part is "After the Contract." The Jacksonville RWA also has their annual Southern Lights Mini-Conference coming up on March 14. The theme is "Five Key Elements for a Powerful Story." More details here.
• Noth Florida Writers also have a Valentine's Day meeting planned—2:00 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconnett Regional Library, 103rd Street near I-295. 
• And for you fans of thriller novelist James W. Hall, the author is speaking at Flagler College tomorrow evening, Thursday, February 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the Flagler Room, Ponce Hall, 74 King Street.
• Remember that FWA members can take advantage of their own social marketing network. FWA Network is for members only and includes genre discussion groups, blogs, publishing news and views and much more. Sign up here.
• And speaking of FWA, when was the last time you checked out the website? There's beau coup new stuff including news of the Royal Palm Literary Awards and he upcoming annual conference, which has been moved  from it's traditional November date to October 23 - 25 at the Lake Mary Marriott Resort. 

Let me know if you have announcements of new publications or awards won so I can pass them along.

Until next time, stay warm and keep writing.

Vic 

Looking Ahead

The holidays are over and we're tip-toeing into 2009 with the best of intentions, 

looking for positive change rather than more of the same. While I'm not a big believer in New Year's Resolutions, there are a few things I hope to accomplish over the next 12 months. How about you? I wish your New Year is filled with everything good and nothing bad. Didn't we have enough of the bad stuff in 2008? It left many of us reeling and more than a bit stressed out, nervous about the coming year. Hopefully,

 you don't feel like this guy? 

 

If you're committed to getting your writing career on track, complete a project or just get started, then there are more opportunities than ever before. FWA continues to offer monthly meetings in five different locations here in the NE Florida area. Additionally, there are other writing groups, classes, and opportunities to learn and grow as a writer. So let's get started. Here's what's going on in this first month of 2009.

• First Coast Christian Writers is the newest addition to FWA chapters in our area. They meet each Thursday evening at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church on Greenland Road. Julie A. Fast is the guest speaker on January 8. Julie is the author of several books, including Take Charge of Bipolar Disorder. For more information, visit their blog site.
• River City Writers get their groove back with the Tuesday, January 13 meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library at 10599 Deerwood Park. Blvd. This is a good one for you mystery writers as the speaker is Detective Karen Smith from the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. For six years she's been a detective with the Crime Scene Unit, and also teaches Crime Scene Investigations at the police academy. 
• The Ancient City Writers chapter meets on the third Saturday of the month at 10:15 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. This month, January 17, the guest speaker is Marshall Frank. Frank who was a presenter at last May's 1-day conference in Ponte Vedra, is an entertaining speaker. A former Miami-Dade police captain and the author of nine books, Marshall will talk about turning facts into dynamic fiction and non-fiction. Contact Jeff Swesky for information: sweskys@comcast.net.
• The Ponte Vedra Writers chapter offers a do-over this month with the return of Nancy Haddock. You may recall a messy lady named Hurricane Fay washed away our August meeting, so we've invited Nancy, the author of La Vida Vampire, back to talk to us about writing for the paranormal market. Barring a surprise January storm, join us on Saturday, January 24 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library.

Here are some other opportunities of note:

• Writing instructor John Boles, who is a spring speaker at the Ponte Vedra Writers, announces his next round of creative writing and screenwriting classes through the Duval County School System. Three Creative Writing classes at Terry Parker and Englewood High Schools on Mondays and Tuesday (8-week terms), and a Screenwriting class on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Registration for the winter term is January 6 through 8 with classes beginning the following week. Call for registration or information: Terry Parker - 720-1650, ext. 142 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Englewood - 739-5212, ext. 128 from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. There are fees for each class.
• June Weltman will teach "Writing Mysteries for Children & Teens I" through Mandarin High School's adult community education program. The 8-week term begins January 22 and classes will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the school. June will teach the follow-up course, "Writing Mysteries for Children & Teens II,"through UNF's adult education program starting January 21. Registration for the Mandarin High class will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., January 6 - 8 at the school's office. Call 620-4200 to register for the UNF class.
• Lynn Harlin's next round of Shanty Boat Writers Workshop classes begin this month. The workshop is designed for both beginning and seasoned writers and cover various elements of writing fiction. The evening class runs Wednesdays from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. for six weeks and there is a $100 fee. Day sessions and an evening poetry workshop will also be announced. Call Lynn at 778-8000 or email her at lyharlin@aol.com.
• Florida Sisters in Crime meets at 10:30 a.m. on the first Saturday of the month at the SE Regional Library. Click here for more information.
• First Coast Romance Writers meet at the West Regional Library at 1425 Chaffee Road at 11:00 a.m. on the 2nd Saturday of the month. Go to the FCRW site for more details.
• Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) normally meets on the third Saturday of the month at 1:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library, but will next meet in February. Click here for more information.

Contests:

• Writer's Digest is accepting entries or their 78th annual Writing Competition with a deadline of May 15. Enter in 10 different categories to be eligible for more then $30,000 in cash and prizes.  WD Competition.
• Looking for a list of contests, try this one.

And here's the winning entry in the 2008 Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest ("It was a dark and stormy night...") Visit their site for all the winning entries.

Theirs was a New York love, a checkered taxi ride burning rubber, and like the city their passion was open 24/7, steam rising from their bodies like slick streets exhaling warm, moist breath through manhole covers stamped "Forged by Delaney Bros., Piscataway, N.J.

Until next time, 

Vic

Holiday Happenings

It's that hectic time of year. Family visits, parties, shopping. But writers can stay connected and keep the focus on their current writing projects by checking out the various FWA meetings in the area this month and coming months.

Also, now is the time to put the finishing touches on your manuscript for the 2009 Lighthouse Book Awards competition. Exact details will be forthcoming, but you have until late February to enter your unpublished manuscript in any of the four categories: Young Adult, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Fiction-General, or Science Fiction/Fantasy. Remember that the top three finalists in each category are judged by an acquiring editor for a traditional publishing house. Look for details soon.

Speaking of competitions, our NE Florida region collected a slew of awards at the FWA Conference RPLA Banquet on Saturday, November 15. Congratulations to the following award winners: Gertie Poole, Jim Morgan, Hank Racer, Linda Eadie, Michael Ray King, Muriel McKinley, Nancy Murray, William Hamel, Jennifer Swanson, Dickie Anderson, Helena Powell, and Vic DiGenti. 

And here's what's happening at our various FWA chapters here in the NE Florida region:

• NE Florida's newest FWA Chapter is the First Coast Christian Writers led by Dr. Lorraine Haataia. They meet weekly on Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church at 6056 Greenland Road. This week's guest speaker is consultant Steve Waterhouse, author of The Team Selling Solution: Creating and Managing Teams That Win the Complex Sale. For more information about attending these meetings, please contact Lorraine at president@firstcoastchristianwriters.org.
• Ancient City Writers – Because of the Christmas holiday, St. Augustine writers will meet on Saturday, December 6 instead of their normal meeting date of December 20. Starting at 10:15 a.m. at the Main Library in downtown St. Augustine, they will present a panel discussion on the topic of "Writing the Salable Novel." Panelists include Nancy Haddock, La Vida Vampire, William Kerr, author of six adventure/suspense novels, including his latest, Deadly Logic, and historical fiction author Arliss Ryan, The Kingsley House. Karen Harvey will moderate the panel which will be followed by a reception and book signing. Contact Jeff Swesky for information at sweskys@comcast.net
• River City Writers welcome John Boles to their December 9 meeting to discuss character development for fiction and film projects. They meet from 7:00 to 8:45 p.m. at the SE Branch Library located at 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd. off Gate Parkway. For more information, go to www.rivercitywriters.blogspot.com.
• Amelia Island Writers meet next on Tuesday, December 16 at 6:00 p.m. at the Florida House Inn at 31 S. Fourth Street in Fernandina Beach. Novelist Cara Curtin will be the speaker. Cara co-authored Fernandina's Lost Island with the late David Tuttle. Contact chapter leader Maggie deVries at maggie1948@yahoo.com.
• Ponte Vedra Writers chapter normally meets on the fourth Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Library. Except for this month when we're on holiday. January 24 we'll kick off another season of outstanding programs starting with Nancy Haddock speaking on "Writing for the Paranormal Market." In February, John Byrum, senior editor for University Press of Florida, will be the speaker, followed by Jon Gordon in March who will speak on building your platform. Look for more information later in the month. 

Enjoy the holidays and keep writing.

Vic

Holidays are for writers

With October slipping away, November promises more than a blessed end to the longest presidential campaign in history, it also ushers in the start of the holiday season. Before you go crazy spending your share of the government bailout bounty (sorry, I lost my head), join me in reviewing goals made at the dawn of 2008. 

Did you complete your book, I asked myself? Yes and no is my answer. Did you send out query letters to agents and publishers? Oh boy, did I. Did you get published? Yep, Windrusher number 3 came bouncing out of the oven in August. Did you sign up for the FWA conference? You have to ask?

If you didn't reach all of your goals, don't despair as there are still two months left in the year. Keep working your plan and planning your work as the sales people like to say. 

FWA can certainly help keep you on track with motivating and educational meetings, and next month's big conference. This will be my last plug for the conference (or maybe not), but it's approaching fast so time is running out to register. There are dozens of outstanding workshops and presenters during the November 14 - 16 conference, including agents, editors and publishers. All of the Friday morning signature workshops are now included in the one fee, and, of course, there's the Royal Palm Literary Awards Banquet on Saturday night. Go to the FWA website for details. 

FWA chapters are springing up faster than I can keep up with them. Five new groups have come on line in the last six weeks, including groups in Crawfordville (near Tallahassee), Gainesville, Celebration, St. Lucie, and Ocala. The Ocala group is led by Lucy Beebe Tobias, author of 50 Great Walks in Florida, and a speaker at our Ponte Vedra Writers chapter several weeks ago. Good luck to all the new group leaders as they do their part as "Writers helping writers." I'm sure there will be more groups added soon since FWA continues to grow and prosper.

And speaking of FWA chapters, here's a rundown of what's on the horizon for November, although the holidays are having an impact on local meetings:

• River City Writers meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. the SE Branch Library on Deerwood Park Blvd. However, there will be no meeting that night due to the room not being available that day. Look for them to resume on December 9 with creative writing instructor John Boles discussing character development. For information, contact group leader Darlene Myers at dfm1973@comcast.net or visit their blog.
• St. Augustine's Ancient City Writers chapter reprieves Sandra McDonald's talk on Implied Author/Implied Reader. Sandra spoke at the Ponte Vedra Writers group meeting last weekend on the same subject. If you missed her excellent presentation, this is your chance to catch it. Be there on Saturday, November 15 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. In December, they'll meet on the 6th because of the Christmas holidays.   The special program includes a panel discussion and book sale. Contact Jeff Swesky at sweskys@comcast.net or visit the Ancient City Writers Blog.
• To the north is the Amelia Island Writers Group, meeting on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:00 p.m. at Fernandina's Beach's Florida House Inn. Maggie deVries leads this group and she can be reached at maggie1948@yahoo.com.
• And to round out our regional meetings, my Ponte Vedra Writers group is going on a two month hiatus due to conflicts with the holidays. But we're coming back strong in the new year with some exceptional programs. Look for more information soon.

Here are some other writer's groups in the area for you to check out:

• First Coast Christian Writers meet each Thursday at 6:45 p.m. in room 207 at Christ's Church on Greenland Road. Chapter President is Lorraine Haataia.
• First Coast Romance Writers meet at 11:00 a.m. on the 2nd Saturday of the month at the West Regional Library on Chaffee Road. 
• Florida Sisters in Crime has just changed their meeting date to the third Saturday of the month at 10:30 a.m. at the SE Regional Library.
• North Florida Writers meets at 2:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month at the Webb Westconnett Library. 
• Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) meets on the third Saturday  of each month from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Library. Contact Janet Walter at jgwalter@comcast.net.

What else is going on in the area?

• In case you didn't see it, The Florida Times-Union announced their annual Holiday Short Story Contest. The deadline is 4:00 p.m. Friday, November 21 and it needs to be no longer than 1,000 words. A new wrinkle this year is the "shoebox" format. All stories must incorporate the following words or phrases at least once within the body of the story: nog, wreath, mistletoe, blizzard, kazoo, gingerbread, family, Alabama, puppy, stocking, roller coaster and Kermit the Frog.  Sounds  like fun. Read all the details online at the TU's website.
• And if you're into contests, check out Poets & Writers site for a comprehensive listing of contests for poets, novelists and short story writers. It also includes announcements of available grants and fellowships for writers. 

That's it for now. I'll leave you with these encouraging words from Mickey Spillane, the late, great writer of hard-boiled detective fiction:

"If you're a singer you lose your voice. A baseball player loses his arm. A writer gets more knowledge, and if he's good, the older he gets, the better he writes."

What's in it for me?

"I want to learn more about how to be a better writer, but I'm not sure if these meetings will  help me."

The woman on the other end of the phone had called asking about attending our next FWA Chapter meeting after seeing a notice in the newspaper. She wanted to know more about FWA and "what was in it for her." I told her of the benefits of FWA, of the various chapter meetings throughout our region with stimulating speakers, of the networking and motivation the meetings provided. I told her of The Florida Writer magazine, of the annual conference and the mini-conferences and Lighthouse Book Awards. 

After five minutes of conversation, she decided that FWA sounded like what she was looking for to get her writerly juices flowing. And as I spoke, it reinforced to me the value of FWA and how much it has helped me personally in my writing career. If you feel the same way, I hope to see you at one of the meetings or at the November Conference in Lake Mary. Remember you have to be a member to attend the annual conference, so if it's time for you to renew, this is the time to do it. Go to the FWA website for details. 

Here's what's happening in our NE Florida Region:

• Monday, October 13 at 6:30 p.m. – Bestselling international thriller author Steve Berry speaks at the Ponte Vedra Library as part of the FOL's Book Talk Cafe program. Steve will be discussing his latest thriller, The Venetian Betrayal, and give us a preview of his December release, The Charlemagne Pursuit. In The Venetian Betrayal, Cotton Malone, the former U.S. Justice Department agent turned rare book dealer, chases after a miraculous healing serum supposedly buried with the remains of Alexander the Great. Berry, who lives on the SE Georgia coast where he practiced law until very recently, has seen his last four books debut on The NY Times Bestseller list. He was recently a Guest of Honor at the Amelia Island Book Festival.
• Tuesday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m. – River City Writers Chapter meets at the SE Branch Regional Library to hear from freelancer Kay Day who will talk about making a living with the nonfiction market. Again, thanks to Darlene Myers for assuming the leadership role with the River City Writers. Questions about the meetings, contact Dar at dfm1973@comcast.net.
• Saturday, October 18 at 10:00 a.m. – Ancient City Writers monthly meeting at St. Augustine's downtown Main Library will host romantic suspense author Terri Ridgell, a familiar face on the First Coast. Terri has been director of the Amelia Island Book Festival for the past two years, and will have a timely topic for those of us attending the November Conference: Approaching an Editor or Agent. Terri will tell us how to take advantage of the few minutes you have to present yourself and your project in the best possible light.  
• Tuesday, October 21 at 6:00 p.m. – The Amelia Island Writers Chapter holds their regular monthly meeting at the Florida House Inn's conference room  in the historic section of Fernandina Beach. For information, contact Maggie deVries at maggie1948@yahoo.com.
• Friday, October 24 at 7:30 p.m. – Sara Gruen, author of the bestseller Water for Elephants, will speak at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort. Water for Elephants  chronicles the life of Jacob Jankowski, a depression-era veterinarian who runs away and joins a third-rate traveling circus. The New York Times Book Review wrote, "With a showman's expert timing, Gruen saves a terrific revelation for the final pages, transforming a glimpse of Americana into an enchanting fairy tale." Gruen will be the guest of honor at a Patron's Reception at 6:00 p.m. and then speak at 7:30 p.m. on the 24th. Reception and presentations tickets are $60 for PV FOL members, $80 for non-members or $20 and $30 for the presentation only. They may be purchased at Seymour's Bookstore inside the Ponte Vedra Library or by calling 904-285-0073.
• Saturday, October 25 at 10:30 a.m. – The Ponte Vedra Writers Chapter presents Sandra McDonald, heralded science-fiction author and writing instructor to speak about Implied Author/Implied Reader. Sandra says, "There are two characters that every writer must consider, whether working in fiction or non-fiction or poetry. How do you define the difference between them and work them to your best advantage." Sandra is the author of The Outback Stars and the sequel, The Stars Down Under. She's an accomplished writer, teacher and much in demand as a speaker on the craft of writing. If you attended any of  her workshops, either at writing conferences or at our FWA meetings, you won't want to miss her presentation. 

Other happenings of interest to area writers: 

• Congratulations to Terri Wright and Susan Siegmund for a successful Amelia Island Book Festival. The Festival returned to the site of the Episcopal Church and attracted a large and enthusiastic crowd. The Author's Luncheon turned out to be a big success as well with speaker Louis Bayard. Congratulations also to Dickie Anderson who takes over as director of the festival.
• North Florida Writers meet today at 2:00 p.m. at the Webb-Wesconnett Branch Library at the corner of 103rd and Harlow Blvd. The group will be critiquing manuscripts today.
• The First Coast Christian Writers Group meets every Thursday at 6:45 p.m. at Christ's Church, 6045 Greenland Road, in room 204. Contact Lorraine Haataia at dr.lorraine@comcast.net.
• The local chapter of SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) has issued a December Picture Book Challenge to write a picture book to be started on December 1 and completed by December 31. Finished manuscripts may be sent to challenge coordinator Robyn Gioia at mystery4kids@hotmail.com. Janet Walter, the SCBWI Jacksonville coordinator and Robyn will sort the manuscripts and distribute them to critique groups. Their goal is to produce publishable picture books from the challenge. Contact either Robyn or Janet, jgwalter@comcast.net, for more details.
• Video book trailers are another weapon in the author's arsenal of promotion and marketing weapons. You can see them on author's websites or view hundreds of them on YouTube. They take many forms from talking heads to animation. In this act of BSP, Blatant Self-Promotion, I share with you my new trailer for Windrusher and the Trail of Fire. Check it out at YouTube and rate it if you're so inclined. Let me know what you think.

Until next time, keep writing.

Vic

It's Almost Conference Time

One of the highlights of the year for all writers is the FWA Annual Conference, and this one promises to be one of the best yet. Celebrating our 7th anniversary, the conference has moved to the Lake Mary Marriott Resort, November 14 - 16. Packed with 33 workshops, panel discussions, signature events and the Royal Palm Literary Awards Banquet all for one very reasonable price, this is one conference not to be missed.

Fourteen experienced agents, publishers and writing mentors from all over the country will help fill-out three tracks on the craft writing, marketing and promotion, and getting published. 

Friday afternoon you may select from two of the following Signature Events:

• Write a summary to make editors salivate for more
• Developing your publicity "hook"
• Jumpstart your publishing dreams
• Think like an agent
• Learn 8 little-known, no-cost secrets to book marketing
• Flex your metaphor muscles
• Discover Internet gold

And there's much more including the Friday evening welcome dinner, the keynote talk by Eliot Kleinberg, a grand silent auction, and a chance to win one of more than 60 door prizes. Call 1-899-380-7724 for hotel reservations, and go to FloridaWriters.net

for all the details and to register. Remember you have to be an FWA member to attend, so hurry and renew your membership if you haven't done so already. You may do that online as well. Registration jumps to $299 on September 30, so register now and save a few bucks.

Congratulations to the hard-working committee that produced last weekend's successful Florida Heritage Book Festival. Nearly 100 people attended the Craft of Writing Work

shops on Friday to hear from 14 excellent presenters. Kudos to Dianne Ell and her committee for putting it all together. At the same time, dozens of authors descended upon St. Johns County schools for a day of author talks. The next day's events were just as impressive as more than 400 people came to listen to and question the 40 authors participating in panel discussions and book signings. 

Kathy Dvornick and her team of masochistic, sleep-deprived volunteers deserve a big thanks for launching what will surely become one of Florida's major book festivals. 

To the left is Jewell Kutzer in her persona of the Mayberry Mamma regaling an auditorium full of students at Fruit Cove Middle School. Jewell chaired the author selection committee this year. Again, congratulations to all the volunteers who contributed to making this such a big success. Authors are already lining up to be part of next year's festival. 

Here's more news for area authors:

• Much thanks and appreciation to Judy Connolly for her outstanding service to FWA during the past two years she led the River City Writers. Because of the press of her teaching duties and the classes she's taking for another degree, Judy has stepped down from that position. Judy was invaluable as coordinator of the Lighthouse Book Awards this year, and we'll all miss her wise counsel and leadership. But fear not, Judy has already lined-up the perfect replacement in the person of Darlene Myers. Most of you probably know Darlene as she's been very active with FWA, assisting with the past two regional conferences, both as bookstore manager and event photographer. She assisted Judy with the Lighthouse Book Awards and also managed the book store for the Florida Heritage Book Festival. Aside from that, Dar (as her friends know her) was this year's president of the Jacksonville chapter of Sisters in Crime. Here's Dar with author Steve Berry at the 2007 conference at the Ponte Vedra Library. She's the one on the right. Judy and Darlene will co-cost the October meeting, so plan to attend and welcome Darlene. They meet on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Regional Library located off Gate Parkway. The October 14 meeting features a talk by freelancer Kay Day who will share her knowledge of the freelance and non-fiction markets.
• The Ancient City Writers would normally meet this Saturday (third Saturday of the month) at the Main Library in downtown St. Augustine. But because of their heavy involvement in the Craft of Writing Workshops last weekend, they have decided to rest this weekend. For information on how to rest or future meetings, please contact Jeff Swesky at sweskys@comcast.net.
• The Ponte Vedra Writers Chapter will meet as planned next Saturday, September 27 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Branch Library. We have a special treat as we welcome travel writer Lucy Beebe Tobias to regale us with tales of researching and writing her Florida travel book, 50 Great Walks in Florida. Lucy wore out two pair of shoes and covered 14,000 miles in writing her book for University Press of Florida. She'll share her research and writing secrets and tell more than a few tall tales in her show and tell talk, "The Writer as Road Warrior." An award-winning journalist who worked for the New York Times Regional Group for 23 years, Lucy is the Authentic Florida Expert for VISIT FLORIDA. She says she'll tell of "life lessons learned on the bumpy roads of Florida" where she took over 1,200 photos in ten months. 
• The Amelia Island Writers Chapter meets at 6:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at the Florida House Inn in downtown Fernandina Beach. Maggie deVries is the group leader and she may be reached at maggie1948@yahoo.com.
• And speaking of Amelia Island, the Amelia Island Book Festival swings out on October 3 - 4 with 35 authors including Steve Berry, Louis Bayard, and Laura Moriarty. The event is returning to the campus of St. Peter's Episcopal Church at the corner of A1A and Centre Street. Friday's activities include the Authors in the Schools and Rock n' Roll Readings at Wicked Davey's Fancy Saloon at 7:00 p.m. That's a free event as are the author sessions on Saturday. Go to Amelia Island Book Festival for details. 
• Much Ado About Books is seeking a chair for the Children's Chapter for the 2009 event. This person will lead the planning committee to assist the children's book authors in setting up and running their booths. This means organizing a group of volunteers to help with each booth. If interested, contact Terry Algire at malgire@coj.net or Valerie Pickett at pickett@isp.com.
• Louisiana author Pamela Binnings Ewen will be swinging through our region promoting her new book, The Moon in the Mango Tree. Set during the Roaring 20s, the novel tells the story of a beautiful Philadelphia woman torn between love for her husband and her desire for a career in music. Based upon the true-life experiences of the author's grandmother, The Moon in the Mango Tree takes readers from the streets of Philadelphia to the jungles of Siam. Ewen will be speaking at the Ponte Vedra Library's Book Talk Cafe program this Monday, September 22 at 6:30 p.m. The author, by-the-way, is a former Houston attorney who happens to be part of a family of successful writers, including her cousin James Lee Burke, and Andre Dubus. Her talk is free and open to the public.
• Finally, have you signed up for the new FWA Network yet? This is a new member-only social networking site similar to MySpace and Facebook, but for members of Florida Writers Association. It's feature-rich and allows members unprecedented opportunity to connect with one another and share news and views, while supporting each other and promoting your achievements. This is the place for that BSP (Blatant Self Promotion) and posting photos, forum discussions, and add friends to your personal page. There's a lot more, so if you're an FWA member you should take advantage of this new benefit by registering at the FWA Network.

That's it for now. We'll see you on the book shelves.

Vic

Time is the most precious coin

Some wise sage once reminded us that "Time is the most precious coin we have. Be careful not to let others spend it for you." I try to keep that in mind when I find myself being tugged in too many directions. If writing and getting published is on the top of your To Do List these days, then stay on track (and save those precious coins) by attending the Craft of Writing Workshop on Friday, September 12 at St. Augustine's lovely Casa Monica Hotel.

Dianne Ell and the Ancient City Chapter of FWA have done an outstanding job creating a full day of work shops for writers at all levels. September 12 is the first day of the new Florida Heritage Book Festival, and you should have it on your calendar as well as send in your registration before the limited slots are taken. There will be three tracks of workshops during the day: Crafting Your Stories; Getting Published; and The Business of Writing.

Among the 14 presenters are John Byram, Editor-in-Chief of the University Press of Florida,  and Mary Anna Evans, author 

of the award-winning Faye Longchamp archaeology mystery series (both pictured to left). Also joining them are entertainment law attorney

Carolyn Herman, and international thriller writer David Hagberg, (pictured on the right). The cost of the workshop is only $45 and it includes lunch with a keynote address by Gary Monroe, award-winning author and photographer. For complete details and registration, go to Florida Heritage Book Festival.

Coming up later this month for FWA Chapters:

• Ancient City Chapter – Saturday, August 16 at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine's Main Library. FWA member Nancy Quatrano talks about Writing for Credit and Money. This workshop is designed to provide practical instruction on how to write for both credit (building your resume) and money while strengthening your writing skills.
• Ponte Vedra Chapter – Saturday, August 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the Ponte Vedra Branch Library. Nancy Haddock is riding the wave of popularity of paranormal romances with her bestselling debut novel, La Vida Vampire. The mystical and mythical are red hot in today's market these days, and Nancy says the possibilities are limitless. Join Nancy as she discusses the array of paranormal markets, what editors are looking for, and how to add a dash of the supernatural flavor to break into the market. 

In other news:

• Don't forget to register for the 7th Annual FWA Conference, November 14-16 at the Lake Mary Marriott. You also have to be a member to attend the conference, so now is the time to renew that membership, and climb abroad for a fantastic 3-day event. Here's what you get — Three days of outstanding workshops and presentations, 24 book industry experts, agents, editor and publishers,  plus the Royal Palm Literary Awards Banquet. The conference also offers networking opportunities, professional exhibits, a silent auction to promote literacy throughout Florida, and a bookstore. FWA is now 800 strong and you'll be sure to take away much more value than the cost of the registration. For details and a registration form, go to the FWA website.
• And while we're talking events for writers, the Florida Heritage Book Festival includes the Literary Legends Awards dinner this Saturday at the World Golf Village Conference Center. Join us at 6:00 p.m. as we honor Jack Hunter, Stetson Kennedy and Patrick Smith. Then before September 12, you'll want to register for the Craft of Writing Workshop as detailed above. That evening, you're invited to the Meet the Authors Reception at the Markland House on the Flagler College Campus. Many of the authors will be there for this meet and greet of the literary elite. The cost is $25 and includes drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Call Marie Cashat at 904-940-0890 for reservations. On Saturday, September 13, the festival continues with a full day of author talks, panel discussions, book signings,children's activities and more. Among the noted Florida authors are NY Times Bestseller, Heather Graham, plus Les Standiford, Cassandra King, Robert McComber, Bob Morris, Janis Owens and dozens more. It's all free except for the Keynote Authors Luncheon where you'll enjoy the fine food of the Casa Monica Hotel plus hear from Heather Graham and Les Standiford.  Again, click here for details. 
• June Weltman will be teaching two 8-week adult education classes on Writing Mysteries for Children & Teens this fall. June is the author of Mystery of the Missing Candlestick, which is set in St. Augustine. The classes are at Mandarin High, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. starting September 11. Registration will be held from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the school on August 26, 27 and 28. Call Kathy Cook at 904-260-3911, Ext. 207 for information or visit www.duvalschools.org/mhs.
• Fall is the time for book festivals on the First Coast, and after visiting the Florida Heritage Book Festival, head north for the Amelia Island Book Festival on Saturday, October 4. The festival moves back to St. Peters campus with a full day of presentations, panel discussions and book signings featuring authors like Steve Berry, Louis Bayard and Laura Moriarty,plus 22 more authors.  Click on Amelia Island Book Festival for full details.

Until next time, keep writing and I'll see you at the Florida Heritage Book Festival.

Vic

No Summer Doldrums, Please

As if we needed any extra distractions, summer brings with it reams-full of sizzling reasons to get away from your home office, away from your computer, away from your writing. Try to resist whenever possible. Because summer is also a great time to rework your plan for the rest of the year, find motivation to keep writing, and complete any projects you've been putting off. I actually used an approaching anniversary to write a short story I'd been thinking about for a while and presented it to the dear wife the morning of our anniversary. She seemed to appreciate the effort I'd made, but wondered where the diamond earrings were.

You won't have to dig for long to find value in the FWA area chapter meetings, which continue without a vacation during the summer months. So let's get right to the important dates.

• River City Writers Chapter brings back the always effervescent Terri Ridgell offering The Perfect Pitch, an interactive workshop on how best to pitch your fiction or non-fiction work to an editor or agent. Terri, by-the-way, is the director of the upcoming Amelia Island Book Festival, October 3 - 5, and the author of a number of suspense romances. Go to Amelia Island Book Festival for more details. The River City Writers, led by Judy Connolly, judy.connolly@comcast.net, meets tonight, Tuesday, July 8 at 7:00 p.m. at the SE Regional Library at 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd.
• The Amelia Island Chapter meets on Tuesday, July 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Florida House Inn, 31 S. Fourth Street in Fernandina Beach. Chapter leader Maggie DeVries, maggie1948@yahoo.com, will have G. W. Reynolds as guest speaker this month. Bill is the author of the Jetty Man series, as well as owner of High Pitched Hum Publishing.
• The Ancient City Writers meet on the third Saturday of each month at St. Augustine's main library at 10:00 a.m.  If you've lost your calendar, that's July 19. Those of you scratching your heads trying to figure out how to handle the many marketing tasks it takes to launch a new book should attend this month's meeting to hear my presentation of Book Promotion 101, which will take you along the meandering marketing path where I'll point out which obstacles to avoid and which roads lead to more consistent sales. Here's a picture of a young author listening to my last presentation. Actually, that's my new granddaughter Alessa reacting to one of her grandfather's jokes. Everyone's a critic.
• And the final FWA meeting offering this month takes place at the Ponte Vedra Library on Saturday, July 26 at 10:30 a.m. The Ponte Vedra Chapter offers a timely subject for those of you wondering if you should publish your own book and what's involved. We'll reveal the mysteries of independent publishing with a panel of three independent publishers from the area—Jeannine Auth, author of Emmy's Question, Frances Keiser, author of the Pelican Pete series, and Jewel Kutzer, author of Memories of Mayberry and Mayberry Mamma's Food for the Body and Soul. Each has established themself as a successful publisher of their own books, and will share with you everything necessary to do the same in a presentation they're calling, Look Before You Leap! What You Don't Know Can Hurt You. Come armed with your questions.

Let's see what else is happening in the writing world.

• Writing contests offer new (and old) authors the opportunity to have their work published in a wide variety of publications. You know about short stories, and short-shorts, and maybe you've tried your hand at Flash Fiction, but here's a chance to stretch yourself with an extreme 7-line contest. That's right, 7 lines. Opium Magazine offers a $1,000 prize and publication in Opium 7 on October 6 for the best work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry in 7 lines or less. Deadline is July 23rd and there's $10 fee. Click on Opium Contest for more details. 
• Short story writers have an opportunity to make a little bread while making the reader smile in the new SmileVino Writing Contest by wine maker SmileVino. In 1,500 words, make the judge smile with a story about a woman who makes a difference, and you may be the winner of the $500 top prize. Deadline is August 5. 
• Crime writer Marshall Frank will speak at the PV Library on Monday, July 21 at 6:30 p.m. Marshall is a former Miami-Dade police captain who turned his real-life cases into crime novels, but he'll be discussing his new autobiography, From Violins to Violence, at the library's monthly Book Talk Cafe program. In his fascinating biography, he bares all about transitioning from classical violinist, dancer and stepson of a Miami Beach mobster to becoming one of Miami-Dade County's premier homicide detectives. 
• First Coast Romance Writers meets on the second Saturday of the month at the Jacksonville West Regional Library. On Saturday, July 12 at 11:00 a.m. the speaker will be Tracy Montoya discussing the differences in the way men and women talk. First Coast Romance Writers. Watch your mouth.
• The next meeting of the SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators) is Saturday, July 19 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the SE Branch Library.  Three speakers will cover the various age groups— picture book, middle grade and YA. For details, contact Janet Walter at jgwalter@comcast.net.
• Don't forget the deadline for entering the Royal Palm Literary Competition is August 1. In past years, writers from NE Florida have taken home many top prizes, so let's keep up the tradition.  You'll also want to make your reservations for the 7th Annual FWA Conference, November 14 - 16 in Lake Mary, FL. Do it before July 31 and save $50. Go to Florida Writers Association for conference and competition details.
• The First Annual Literary Legends Awards is scheduled for Saturday, August 16 at World Golf Village Convention Center. A component of the new Florida Heritage Book Festival, the dinner and ceremony will feature Florida Secretary of State Kurt Browning as a speaker and honor Jack Hunter, Stetson Kennedy, and Patrick Smith. Tickets for the event are $50. Call 940-0194 for reservations or information.

KUDOS

• Jeannine Auth's book, Emmy's Question, Morningtide Press, is a winner in the Childrens/Juvenile Fiction category for the 2008 Indie Next Generation Book Awards. The winners and finalists were announced at the recent Book Expo America in Los Angeles.
• To Maggie de Vries for publication of her historical romance, Amelia's Secrets, AuthorHouse. 

Send me news of your awards, achievements, new books, etc.

Until next time, I'll see you on the book shelf.

Best,

Vic