Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

Our Wednesday meeting, May 16th, was a special night for several reasons. Besides having a “Full-House,” we also listened to a special half-hour program given by the Chief of the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, Frank Palmer. Chief Palmer took center stage after our usual 6:00pm “meet and greet.” That was after our “Firetruck” quiz from Ed Ellis, which was a nice warm-up for Chief Palmer. Chief Palmer's program covered many aspects of community programs that are to be enhanced through a grant that will be written later this year. He asked for writing contributions from the group to help “seed” the project.

Susan Haley sadly announced fellow writer and group member Irv Newman is not recovering well from his recent cardiac event. Irv, author of “Living on House Money,”

(http://www.peppertreepublishing.com/book-detail?book_id=95) misses the group, and he is in our thoughts and prayers. Appreciation and Friendship Cards should be mailed to:

Irv Newman

8767 Midnight Pass Road

#407F

Sarasota, FL 34232

The meeting kicked off in earnest with Ed Ellis at the helm, minus the cow-bell he used last time. It wasn't needed as everyone had a great time and enjoyed themselves with another evening of eclectic writing. Richard Zimmerman of Athens, Georgia, attended as a guest of George Mindling, and we welcomed back writer and editor Patricia LaBarbera. 

Patricia announced she will hold a class on self-editing this coming Saturday, May 19^th, at the Selby Library. This free, open to all class will be at 1:30pm in the Conference Room.

Rod DiGruttolo started the evening's readings with a piece written by Malcolm Forbes contributed by Ed Lyman. Rod read the story about the infamous encounter with Mr. & Mrs Leland Stanford and the then president of Harvard that led to the establishment of Stanford University. Always a lesson in humility.

Next, Joanne Phillips continued, albeit not in sequence, with Chapter 17 of her book, “Memoirs of a Sea Hag.” This time evoking visions of lost treasures, well, at least $500 dollars worth, and of an overly amorous Porpoise. Joanne was disappointed she didn't draw serious criticism of her work. The discussion and critique then erupted just to make her happy. Good stuff.

Patricia LaBarbera then read a short story called “Big Mouth” that hooked everybody. Outstanding piece that broke her own rule about using inanimate or non-human subjects. Good writing.

Cecile Bell Kennedy's short story “Are You A Doctor?” about a young boy who has to give himself insulin injections was obviously rooted in personal knowledge and concern. The well written piece using dialog only brought another round of applause.

Don Westerfield read two of his excellent poems. The first, “When You Go” touched everyone who has raised children when those children finally leave home on their own. The great writing just keeps coming! The second poem, My Poem As a Painting” drew great response as well.

Kerri Dieffenwierth read “Ranch Hand” from her upcoming “Homemade Rodeos,” and once again showed her ability to use narrative, dialog, and description to pull the reader into her world. One of the longest sentences ever written, or at least one of the longest I have ever heard, worked like a charm and drew gasps of delight and appreciation. Good writing, Kerri.

Ed Ellis dipped into the past through his “Time capsule” and read two pieces he wrote back in his corporate world days. Ed co-authored an unofficial company newspaper for GE many years ago, and recently received an old copy from a friend. Reading from an old copy of the “Flair Facts,” the prophetic “Department of the National News” and the “Banana Award” for funny happenings showed Ed had the flair and the talent back then.

Susan Haley coaxed Rod DiGruttolo into reading his piece “Snakes, Spiders and Snails,” about Florida's denizens, all real but seen differently through the eyes of youth. A young boy capturing a snake with his bare hands had everyone's attention.

Peter Frickel read a piece that enthralled everyone, but didn't disclose the author until he finished reading. The great piece from “Log from the Sea of Cortez,” by John Steinbeck about the “virtue” of giving and the responsibilities of receiving caught everyone off guard.

Ed closed the meeting with the announcement the next meeting will be in three weeks. The after-meeting session was as much fun as the before-meeting session, but we eventually said goodnight, turned out the lights and went home.

See everyone June 6^th.

George

Tales2Inspire Winners

From Lois Stern, Director, Tales2Inspire (http://www.tales2inspire.com/HOME.html)

Tuesday, May 15th, 2012

I am so proud to announce that both Cecile Bell and Rod DiGruttolo are now the proud recipients of WINNER awards in the TALES2INSPIRE "Authors Helping Authors" project/contest.  Although I was rooting for them both, I did not enter into the judging process.  Each 'tale' was judged and scored by three other writer entrants and their scores were amongst the highest. I am thrilled for them both. See what talent you have in your little group!

Tales2Inspire will reopen later in Sept. and I hope more of you will enter then.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

We welcomed Peter and Barbara Frickel back after an extended absence, and we also welcomed guest George Worl to our first meeting in May. After the usual pre-meeting “catch-up” session, we began with Rod DiGruttolo once again holding the proverbial gavel.

Rod took a collection we donate semi-annually to the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department as a thank you for the use of their facilities for our meeting room. We ask everyone who would like to contribute to donate $5.00, and this evening we collected $65 as several members were more than generous with their donations. The Fire Chief will address the group at our next meeting, May 16^th, and we will present him with the donation at that time.

Rod discussed getting published, from short stories and articles to novels, great information for everyone! Again, editing came up as the primary requirement for publication. The dangers of self-editing were discussed as well.

Susan Haley was honored for winning The “Fox and Quill” poetry award. Susan's poems are at: http://foxandquill.com/vol_7_issue_5_page_3.htm. Congratulations, Susan, really beautiful poems.

Speaking of Poetry, Linda Neckel White was selected to read “Fidelis,” by Adelaide Anne Proctor, May 11^th at the Florida Studio Theater. Congratulations, Linda! Linda started the evening by reading “Oh, the Irony!” then read “Fidelis,” just for us.

We also welcomed back Kerri Dieffenwierth who read another piece of her work, “Homemade Rodeos,” with writing that stands alone called “Dearly Beloved.” Great work, social commentary intertwined with reflections of an old, past Florida. (I have in my notes: “discussion – champagne.” Means great discussion and review.)

We welcomed Peter back who did not fail us. He announced his work, “My Frog Sings,” will be available on Amazon soon, and then treated us to a piece of his 18 part upcoming work named “Lilies of the Vlei.” This is Peter's third work, and again, we can't wait for more.

For the first time since I've been a member of the group, someone actually asked to read following Peter. Ed Ellis soon showed why by reading his science fiction piece set in 1933 called “Flight to Reality.” The piece was written specifically for, and dedicated to, Peter. Another great piece of writing. Or, was that an illusion of a good story? How long to the stroke of midnight?

After our 8:00pm break, Joanne Phillips regaled us with another chapter of her book, “Memoirs of a Sea Hag.” Once again we sailed away, but this time with a different destination. Ice is nice... The discussions following Joanne's readings are always unique and entertaining.

Don Westerfield again showed his flair with “Bryant Park, from his “dark” file of work. Don is always entertaining, and never fails to add the unexpected to his works.

George read “Places, Everyone!” by Cynthia Mallick from The Florida Writer, the FWA magazine, and we closed the meeting with another nice reading by Peter.

Peter read “Nelly,” proving that friendship is a precious thing to have, even if one of the friends is a dog. Welcome back, Peter.

We wrapped up another great evening, said goodnight and turned out the lights. See everyone Wednesday, May 16th.

George

John Harnish book available as a free download

Greetings FWA Sarasota Writers Group


"My recent novella with all kinds of natural twists and turns is titled: “Blasting the Hell Out of Tornadoes: Pandora vs. Supercell.” This exciting ebook is available as a free Kindle Select promotion on Saturday, April 21st.


The President receives a bizarre proposal about how to snuff out tornadoes. He boldly acts to put the wheels in motion to make the creative concept a reality—without being encumbered by the blustering hot-air delays and nit-picking game playing of Congress.


The prevailing thrust is to stop talking about hazardous weather and take some daring proactive steps to do something positive to abort the horrific supercells before they can spawn deadly tornadoes. Public support of the innovative idea is overwhelming. The USAF is assigned the mission of making it happen.


The question on everybody’s mind is will this really work or will Norman, OK, be blown away!!!"


Enjoy often...John

John Harnish author of: Blasting the Hell Out of Tornadoes: Pandora vs, Supercell Available as a free download from Amazon starting on 4/21/12

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

As our sun-birds depart for cooler climes, our core group of writers continues to show up with an eclectic collection of writings to keep us active and entertained. We miss our seasonal friends and wish them a safe and speedy return. We will miss Kathleen Schwartz this summer as she joins the seasonal exodus to the north. We missed Peter and Irv, both full-time residents who should both join us again soon. We wish them both speedy recovery.

Our Wednesday meeting started with Ed Ellis doing the honors as head of the meeting. Ed obviously meant business; he brought a blue, Tampa Rays cowbell (claimed it was his wife's) so he would have a way to “get attention.” Except for the break announcement, it was unneeded. Rod DiGruttolo took advantage of the opportunity and relaxed for a change. He'll be back up front for the next meeting. Ed kicked off with a 5 word test about synonyms and meanings. Myrtle? Really? All I could come up with was Wax or Crape...

George spoke a few words about blogging and the its benefits and will put together a quick instruction sheet for the next meeting on May 2nd. Susan Davis spoke briefly about about Eye Opening Films being shown at Aurora Physical Therapy, 1037 US 41 By Pass S. on Thursday nights. Upcoming films include “Tapped,” “Trashed,” Deep Green,” and “Thrive.” A $5 donation is requested, contact Susan at 941-486-0590 for details.

Kathleen led off the reading with her work about a 69 year old woman going on her first date in 43 years! “The Gal is Going Out,” showed not only her really great writing, but her powers of observation as well. Feedback was really great! Kathleen will be back this fall.

Rod got to read, something we often miss due to his usually being the M.C., and we were rewarded with his short story based on an old hit song, "The Grandfather Clock.” Again, discussion was overwhelmingly positive. Great writing! Susan Davis read from her as yet untitled work in progress about the baby-boomers, the “Old Hippies,” who are not powerless in spite of the frustrations and obstacles all around us. More great writing! Again, the group discussion was all positive.

Don captivated the group with a narrative based on an Air Force experience from 40 years ago. In spite of the heavy use of military jargon and phrases, everyone fully understood the pathos of the story without Don overly describing or explaining in layman's terms. The great writing just keeps coming! After the discussion, Ed got to use his cowbell and we took a quick break

Susan Haley started the second half by reading a poem she had earlier judged at a “Blind” reading. She loved the poem and told the writer exactly what she loved about the poem. Only then did she find out the poem, “My Good Life,” was written by our own Don Westerfield.

Ellen Magnuson read another chapter from her book “S'Truth,” her engrossing autobiography about emigrating to the U.S. From England as a young woman. Her description of sailing the North Atlantic in a former refugee ship that ended up with a cracked hull enthralled everyone.

Ed Ellis again provided more of his work in progress, being in a non-linear mode at the time, the piece will be fitted as the story about survival in a post nuclear terror attack develops. The metamorphosis of the characters in really engrossing.

Lee Taylor Franke read a developing piece that may have been considered poetry, but is evolving into poetical prose. “Pass it On” was well received, and received quite a bit of discussion, especially about the format.

Ed closed the meeting with the announcement of another writers group in Englewood. The meetings take place the 2^nd Thursday of every month at 233 Old McCall Road at 6:30 pm. If you need a landmark, it is across the street from Willie's Motorcycle Bar. 

With that, we wrapped up an said goodnight.

See everyone May 2^nd!

George

Footnote: Among the actual answers are these tidbits:

According to Babylon.com, this jewel is from the Harry Potter definitions: “Myrtle - A ghost who haunts the toilet in the girl's bathroom. She moans loudly and complains that no one likes her (which is probably true).”

According to UrbanDictionary.com, myrtle means “Surf Ambassador Hendo slang term for an attractive female whether her attraction is physical, creative, mental, psychological, or hypothetical. Basically, a stone fox!”

Wednesday, 4-4-12

Another evening listening to writing that covered a wide variety of styles. From a new chapter of a book in progress to several beautiful poems, the evening was fast and, as always, diverse.

Unfortunately, we started the meeting with the sad news of the passing of Dahris Clair, dear friend of Susan Haley. Dahris was a friend to many others in the Sarasota Writers Group, and the Florida Writers association as well. Dahris established the FWA writers group in New Port Richie, coordinated mini-conferences and local writing contests, and published the monthly e-zine The Infinite Writer. Dahris will be greatly missed.

Susan Haley also announced she will take things a little easier in the future and will take a different, less demanding role with the Sarasota Writers Group. Susan formed the group six years ago, but will turn the official FWA “link” to George Mindling who will be listed in the FWA information sheet as the contact for the Sarasota Chapter. Susan thanked Ed Ellis, who, among other things, has been the Internet contact for the group; Rod DiGruttolo, who faithfully and with great aplomb, runs each of the meetings; and Peter Frickel, and Russ Heitz, who have all been responsible for the success of the group. Susan will attend the meetings, of course, but she will no longer need to carry a briefcase that weighs as much as she does! George made a quick announcement, thanking Susan for her past efforts forming and maintaining the group, and that the only thing that changes is the name in the FWA data sheet.

Rod thanked the group for their contributions to the St. Judes' Bikathon that allowed his Grandchildren to donate $70 on everyone's behalf. And with that, we were under way.

Susan Davis presented an idea to the group about a project that may lead to road trips and an different approach to writing. New names for “New Age” or “Alternative lifestyles” will be welcome as she defines the Baby Boomers who may want to "clean up around us,” with inspirational messages, individual passions and personal empowerment. The old names just aren't right, nor accurate. Any suggestions?

We welcomed Susan McNeil to the group. Susan, a poet, was a guest of Cecile Bell Kennedy. Also returning was member Steve Cholby.

Rod opened with an Australian start. That's were the order is reversed and those who were last, go first, and we started with Joanne Phillips reading another chapter of her “Memoirs of a Sea Hag.” Last time we were hanging on for dear life in a tropical storm, this time we were curious about getting an octopus out of a snorkel! Joanne, of course, finished the main course with a racy poem that was all about technique! As always, the discussion that followed was interesting to say the least.

Don Westerfield read a short poem dedicated to the surprised Joanne, and then read “The Old Man.” a piece set in Appalachia that once again caught everyone off guard. Great stuff. Steve Cholby read two pieces to mark his return: “The Good Doctor” and an interesting narrative called “Philanthropy of the Mind.” Great to have Steve back, we look forward to more of his writing.

By then it was 8:00pm and time for a quick ten minute break.

We started the second half with Bill Elam's romantic prose demonstrating how our decisions affect those around us. Bill's writing will be part of a broader story. We would love to hear it in its entirety.
This was Bill's last meeting of the season and we will have to wait until fall to hear more.

Lee Taylor Frank read her rewrite of “The Colombian Experience,“ now 1914 words from the original 3200! The works is crisper and entertaining. We all held our breathe through the gunmen stopping the bus and the ensuing drama. Again, lively discussion followed, all good. The work is really turning out nicely.

George read his one page narrative “The Duel,” an exercise in describing an interaction between two unknown people over a canape, and we finished the night with Ed Ellis.

Ed read a poem written for his grandson's wedding entitled “Hearts and flowers.” A touching gift. No wonder Ed has been asked by Lemon Bay High School to address the senior class!

See everyone on Wednesday, 18th!

George

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

As the lightning flashes of spring's first thunderstorm lit up the sky behind the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department, the March 21st meeting of the Sarasota Writers Group got under way. After the greetings and catching up on all the latest news, of course.

We welcomed Stephen Aiken of Sarasota to his first meeting, and returning guests Don Westerfield and Kathleen Swartz. We reluctantly said goodbye to Lois Stern who is returning to New York for the summer. Rod DiGruttolo, as always did his masterful job of herding cats to make it another enjoyable meeting.

We started the meeting on a sad note as Susan Haley described the condition and determination of her friend and Pasco County FWA group leader, Dahris Clair, who has decided to drop life support and return home in peace and solitude. Our thoughts and prayers are with Dahris, her family and her many friends.

We resumed our regular readings, after Bill Elan told the “Amoeba story,” with Russ Heitz reading his great response to the “Dialogue Challenge.” Remember, “You're the one who wanted to talk.” Rod mentioned it is intimidating to follow any of our writers when its your turn to read. It is, but that doesn't stop us!

Lois Stern gave a great example by first reading a “Vase Challenge” poem by Jim Kelly, and then showing her writing virtuosity by giving no less than five different twists of her own on the challenge: a memoir piece, a fiction approach, historical non-fiction (!), mystery and suspense, and finally a humorous interpretation of the same challenge. Lois will be missed during her summer sojourn. Ellen Magnuson read a chapter from her book “S'Truth” that captured everyone. Of course she finished with “If you want to hear more, you'll have to buy the book!” (ISBN 13-978-1-4507-9327-0)

Bill Elan read his piece on continuing reflections of an old man, inspired by Cecile Bell Kennedy, who followed with a great poem called “Table Tart,” inspired by the “Vase Challenge.”

Joanne read her next chapter of her autobiographical “Memoirs of a Sea Hag.” The harrowing story of being caught in 20 foot swells in a 40 foot sailboat that had us all relieved when they finally made Dry Tortugas. A spirited 20 minute discussion followed that proved everyone had hung on to every word. A worn out audience then took a 20 minute break!

Ed Ellis kicked off the second half with a test of sorts. He delivered two different approaches to his up-coming book, tentatively titled “The Success Model.” His approach to the subject of thinking, good vs bad decisions, and ideas are time machines, all stirred the intense discussions that followed. Good stuff.

The delightful surprise of the evening was from newcomer Don Westerfield who read a touching piece about war titled, “Hello, Joe!,” and a poem entitled “The Passage.” The poem connected with every father who has ever walked his daughter down the aisle. This was Don's second meeting and we can't wait to hear more of his great writing.

Kerri Dieffenwirth read another chapter from her recently retitled work, now called “Homemade Rodeos, A Memoir,” that reached out and grabbed all the unsuspecting listeners. From light-hearted recollections of youth to the heart-stopping tragedy of a near fatal accident and its trauma on a young girl, wrapped and delivered in almost a single sentence. More great stuff! Great writing!

Susan Davis read her great interpretation of the “Dialogue only” challenge that was really nicely done. Susan can read anything she wants with her “FM” voice, we would all probably listen to her read the telephone book, but when she reads her own stories, it is really a great, entertaining experience.

We wrapped up the evening's readings with Kathleen Swartz, who also returned for her second meeting. Kathleen read part of Chapter 4 from her book “Jazzed at 69,” at least that's the working title, and again, left the group wanting more.

We'll have to wait 'til next time, April 4th, to hear more.

George

Calling All Authors!

Thanks to Susan Davis for the info!
_________________________________________________________
Calling All Authors!
Exciting Events
Saturday, February 25, at the VENICE LIBRARY

Yes, You! An Entertaining Autobiography in Three Easy Steps
Saturday, February 25, 2012 10:30 AM

Have you always wanted to share your life stories, but didn’t know where to begin? Would you like to leave a wonderful legacy to your family, friends, and descendents? Join Liz Coursen, Sarasota-based author of The Complete Biography Workbook, as she discusses how to create an autobiography as fun to read as it was to write. Learn what to do, and learn how to avoid common autobiography-writing pitfalls.
Program length: 1 hour, 15 minutes, with q&a to follow.

The Seven Steps to a Wildly Successful Book Tour
Saturday, February 25, 2012 1:30 PM
You may have written a book about war. You may have written a book about peace. You may have written a book about cheese that won’t sit still. You may have written a book with your prescription for life (or love) everlasting….What do you do next? You tell the world! Three-time author Liz Coursen, veteran of two very different book tours, will describe the steps necessary to organize an old-school, boots-on-the-ground book tour. This event will provide authors—whether traditionally published or self-published—with practical marketing tools they can implement themselves.
Program length: 50 minutes, with q&a to follow.

The events are free, and everyone is welcome.

Location:
Venice Library
300 Nokomis Avenue South, Venice, FL 34285
Contact:
Roland Marcotte
941-861-1330

Deadline Extended!

Due to a computer glitch, the Tales2Inspire website was down for about a week, but Lois (the contest organizer) wasn't aware of it until receiving messages from several confused people. To compensate for these difficulties, she has extended the deadline date to: MARCH 14, 2012, so lets buckle down and get those stories out of your heads and submitted according to guidelines posted at:www.Tales2Inspire.com. Click on the GREEN CONTINUE button at the bottom of each screen for all the details, how to's and what if's! If you have further questions, e-mail Lois at: tales2inspire.com.

Lois W. Stern
Author of:
SEX, LIES AND COSMETIC SURGERY
www.sexliesandcosmetic surgery.com

TICK TOCK, STOP THE CLOCK ~ GETTING PRETTY ON YOUR LUNCH HOUR
www.ticktockstoptheclock.com

Creator of TALES2INSPIRE contest
www.Tales2Inspire.com
tales2inspire@optimum.net

Featured author in 50 GREAT WRITERS YOU SHOULD BE READING by The Authors Show

Wednesday Feb 15, 2012

A warm, beautiful sunset welcomed the latest meeting of the Sarasota chapter of the FWA, followed by another entertaining evening listening to a wide variety of writings by an eclectic group of writers.

We welcomed back Kris Palmer, author of “Dancing With An Elephant,” (http://www.dancingwithanelephant.com/) and newcomer Lori Davis of Dayton, Ohio. Lori is currently in Englewood and looking for a publisher for her first book. She has already started her second, also in the Young Adult Fantasy genre.

After the usual, congenial half hour “Catch-Up” session, Rod DiGruttolo started the meeting with announcements by Lois Stern and Bill Elam. Lois mentioned her website, (http://www.tales2inspire.com/) has a problem but will be restored in the next day or two. The Tales 2 Inspire contest will be extended to compensate for the inconvenience of the web site being unavailable. Bill mentioned an article in USA Today by Jefferson Graham about ebooks. The article is available at
"http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/talkingtech/story/2012-02-14/ebook-self-publishing/53097762/1" at least for the time being. And that segued perfectly into Russ Heitz's presentation about e-publishing.

Russ shared his wealth of experience and savvy about e-publishing which is fast becoming the defacto method of getting new writer's material into the marketplace. He covered the different formats and how to approach both Amazon (Kindle) at https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin, and with Smashword at http://www.smashwords.com/. A quick list of e-publishing websites are included at the end of this blog.

George started the evening's reading with “What,” his 250 word exercise of Rod's writing challenge to use only dialogue to tell a short story, followed by Rod's reading of our soon-to-be-Centenarian Ed Lyman's work, “Amazing! Well, Not Exactly!” Barbara Frickell read her delightful interpretation of Rod's dialogue challenge titled “Tete-a-Tete,” obviously set in Paris. Lee Taylor completely engrossed the group with her gripping story “Easy Prey With Decals,” which everyone took as a factual story rather than the fiction it actually was.

Bill Elam read his great piece about pilots and airplanes too old to be useful, evoking memories about scrapbooks and memories. Cecile returned, reading her short, delightful one-act play about two baby girls wrapped in blankets in a nursery. Light hearted fun seen from a certainly different perspective. Lois Stern then read her piece for Rod's challenge, adapted from one of her inspiring tales. Amazing fluidity in compressing time using only dialogue.

Susan Davis read two great short pieces from her favorite poets. “The Silent Articulation of a Face” by the 13th century mystic poet Rumi, was followed by a poem by Pablo Neruda dedicated to his love Matilda. Susan has had the pleasure of visiting Neruda's house in Chile. Both great poems, and of course, well read as always.

Kris Palmer celebrated her return with two poems, the very beautiful “Wind,” and a limerick entitled “Lot Lizard.” Glad to have Kris back, even for a short while.

After a relaxing break, we resumed with the inimitable Joanne Phillips. Joanne came through as anticipated with “Rojo Mojo,” an ingenious poem about her last week's encounter with a red headed fireman. “I'm a Little. You're a Lot,” was followed by “Magic Moment,” a tender poem with a soft touch. Nicely done. Ed Ellis read part of a story under development, and under a cloud of secrecy, apparently, about personal confrontation between nuclear holocaust survivors, Great so far, we want to hear more.

Susan Haley was finally coerced into reading a great paragraph resulting from a challenge she received at a different writing group. Her challenge was to write a paragraph based on a single word. Her word was Karma and no one is better suited than Susan to write that paragraph. Nicely done!

We had a few minutes to go, so Kris graciously read her great piece, “My Escort,” and Bill wrapped up the evening's readings with a follow-up story about the lovers he introduced last meeting. Another enjoyable, entertaining, and informative night.

Next meeting will be on March 7th, see everyone then!

George

Kindle https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
Smashword http://www.smashwords.com/
Createspace http://createspace.com (For paper books)
Cover Photos http://istockphoto.com
Cover Photos http://www.dreamstime.com/
Cover Layouts http://createimagesonline.com/
ebook publisher http://publishing.booklocker.com/
ebook publisher http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/

ISBNs http://www.bowker.com/en-US/products/customer_type/serv_custype_author.shtml

Advertising "http://author-promotion.com/"
epub newsletter http://publishyourownbooks.com/

_________________________________________________________________
EVENTS

What, When & Where:

Mr. Philip Levine
United States Poet Laureate 2011-2012
Reading and Book Signing
7 p.m., Monday, April 9, 2012
Saint Leo University
Greenfelder-Denlinger Boardroom
Student Community Center
Saint Leo, FL 33574

Come and celebrate Poetry Month with the Poet Laureate of the United States! Mr. Philip Levine is the eighteenth United States Poet Laureate. His works of poetry include the 1991 National Book Award-winning "What Work Is," the 1995 Pulitzer Prize-winning "The Simple Truth," and his most recent "News of the World (2009)."

In the August 2011 announcement, the Librarian of Congress James H. Billington remarked, "Philip Levine is one of America's great narrative poets. His plainspoken lyricism has, for half a century, championed the art of telling 'The Simple Truth'...."

The event is co-sponsored by the Daniel A. Cannon Memorial Library, the English, Fine Arts, and Humanities Department, and Student Services. It is free and open to the public. Seating is first come, first served, however, for seating requests of 10 or more, and for directions and parking information, please call Ms. Tammy Hunt, 352-588-8294.

St. Leo, FL is approximately 90 miles north of Sarasota, east of I-75

Thank you, Kerri for the information, and thank you Ms. Hunt for your kind assistance

The Southwest Florida Writers Conference

From Dona Lee
Florida Writers Association Manatee Group Leader
Sarasota Fiction Writer's editor of "Plotting Success
_________________________________________________________________________________
The Southwest Florida Writers Conference begins on February 24th. It features a meet/greet dinner on Friday and a Super Saturday filled with workshops, books signings, and the opportunity to pitch your project directly to acquiring editors/agents. The line-up is fantastic. Three bestselling authors, five acquiring editors, and two agents. The first pitch is included for free and additional pitches are $20.00. This is an amazing chance to pitch your book to Whitney Ross (TOR), Leah Hultenschmidt (Sourcebooks), Jhanteigh Kupihea (New American Library), Leslie Wainger (Harlequin), Wanda Ottewell (Harlequin), Nicole Resciniti (The Seymour Agency), and Mary Sue Seymour (The Seymour Agency).
These editors/agents are acquiring across all genres (romance, mystery, sci-fi/fantasy, YA, MG, picture books, nonfiction)
When: Saturday, February 25th, 2012 (Optional dinner party Friday Feb. 24th; One-Day Super Event on Saturday)
Where: THE HYATT PLACE, Coconut Point Mall, Estero, FL.
23120 Villagio Way, Estero, FL 33928
239-495-1395
Cost: $85.00 (includes one pitch; $20.00 each additional pitch). More Info:
www.swfrw.org
Guest Speakers: Linnea Sinclair, Stacy Kade, and Keynote Jennifer St. Giles
Editor/Agent Panel and Open Q & A Session
Below is a listing of what each editor/agent is looking for:
Leah Hultenschmidt is a senior editor at Sourcebooks, acquiring single-title romance (paranormal, historical, romantic suspense, contemporary—and any combination thereof) for the Casablanca imprint and young adult fiction for the Fire imprint. In 2011, New York’s RWA chapter named her Editor of the Year. Leah has worked with a number of best-selling authors across multiple genres and has a particular fondness for kickbutt heroines, ice cream of any kind, and episodes of Bones.
Twitter: @LeahHulten
=============================================
Wanda Ottewell has been with Harlequin Enterprises for more than eleven years. During that time she has acquired for many of the company’s series programs. Now as Senior Editor for Harlequin Superromance she focuses her attention on finding those emotional, heartwarming stories readers want.
She is looking for: Contemporary romance stories with a strong, engaging central romance; Complex and well-developed characters with their own individual journeys through the story that weaves with the romance; Layered plots with true obstacles and conflicts, executed in a realistic and believable way
=============================================
Leslie Wainger joined Silhouette Books as an editorial assistant in August 1979 and was part of the editorial team that launched the company’s first series, Silhouette Romance, as well as numerous series since.
Her experience has brought her to her current position as Editor-at-Large, Single Titles. Over the years she has worked with a number of MIRA, HQN, Harlequin and Silhouette authors, including Linda Howard, Emilie Richards, Heather Graham, Maggie Shayne, Kathleen Eagle, Beverly Barton, Susan Krinard and Sharon Sala, and she continues to work with many of them today. She is also the author of “Writing a Romance Novel for Dummies” (Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2004), the 2005 recipient of Romance Writers of America’s industry award and a freelance book doctor.
“I’m looking for the strongest single title fiction, including YA, across all genres: romance and all its sub-genres (contemporary and historical, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, etc.); suspense, thriller and mystery; women’s fiction with a popular bent, including “lit lite;” paranormal; fantasy (from high fantasy to urban fantasy and anywhere in between); even science fiction and horror. I’m not specifically interested in chick lit, unless there’s something above and beyond character- and story-wise. The key for me is that the book must appeal strongly to a female readership, though a crossover readership – depending on genre, of course – is always a plus. Strong characters who drive a compelling story are also a must.”
=============================================
Whitney Ross is an editor at Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, publisher of Forge, Tor Books, Orb, Starscape, and Tor Teen. In her free time, she’s also a book collector, wannabe jet-setter, and Starbucks junkie, and enjoys competitive sports such as skiing and shopping. She is from Phoenix, Arizona, and is actively seeking science fiction & fantasy, urban fantasy, romance, historical fiction, and young adult novels.
==============================================
Jhanteigh Kupihea Associate Editor, New American Library at Penguin Group USA.
Specializes in genre fiction, including historical fiction, women's fiction, romance, and urban fantasy.
==============================================
Mary Sue Seymour is listed by Publishers Marketplace as one of the top deal-makers in the country. Mary Sue founded The Seymour Agency in 1992. Mary Sue is a member of the Author's Guild, the AAR, ACFW, WGA, and RWA.
Since opening her agency in 1992, Mary Sue has negotiated three-, four-, and five-book deals. She has launched the careers of many great authors, and she continues to promote the advancement of quality fiction and nonfiction material in both Christian and secular markets. Mary Sue is particularly interested in inspirational fiction and romances.
===============================================
- Nicole Resciniti is an agent at The Seymour Agency. In addition to working with Mary Sue to negotiate clients’ domestic and foreign rights, Nicole divides her time between NJ and Naples, FL where she has established The Seymour Agency’s Southwest Florida Office. Nicole has launched 9 debut authors in the last six months. She loves finding new talent and making literary dreams a reality. Nicole holds degrees in biology, psychology, and behavioral neuroscience. She is a member of AAR, RWA, ACFW, SWFRW, and MENSA. Nicole is currently looking for romance (all genres), mysteries/thrillers, sci-fi/fantasy, great YA/MG, and select non-fiction projects.

Nicole Resciniti, AAR
RWA, ACFW and Mensa
The Seymour Agency
www.theseymouragency.com

Twitter: @niclitagent

....And One More Thing

"Does anyone in our group have a Hewlett Packard printer that uses a Tricolor cartridge #95? I have two brand new cartridges that I can't use because they don't fit the new printer I bought recently. These #95 cartridges cost around $25/$30+ at a computer store and I hate to throw them away. If you can use them I'll gladly give them to you at the next meeting. Let me know. Russ Heitz"

More...

More on the newly formed Sarasota Editors Association:
Patricia La Barbera mentioned the newly formed Sarasota Editors Group at the last meeting and has now announced their new web page at:
http://www.meetup.com/sarasota-editors-association

“Networking is an important tool for staying current with the publishing industry's standards. Join us to help sharpen your editing skills and share your knowledge. We'll have monthly lunch meetings at various Sarasota restaurants. Editors, guests, and those who'd like to learn more about editing are welcome. There's no charge, and the calendar includes our next lunch meeting (March 2 at 1 pm at Shakespeare's Pub in Sarasota). Let me know if you have any questions. Patricia La Barbera, patricialabarbera@live.com

Also...

Russ Heitz, author of Crosshairs, Dying in Deer Country, and Krazy Kritters of Florida, will do a presentation on publishing/uploading ebooks at the next meeting on Feb 15th. Several people at the last meeting seemed very interested in ebooks and Russ has graciously offered to share his expertise and experience.

Also...

The 2012 ROYAL PALM LITERARY AWARD COMPETITION is open for submissions February 15 through June 15, 2012.
The RPLA competition is a service of the Florida Writers Association established to recognize excellence in members' published and unpublished works while providing blind, objective, and constructive written assessments for all entrants. Entry fees are lowest at the beginning of the submission period, so don't delay. Download your entry package at..
http://floridawriters.net/RPLA.html

See you Wednesday, the 15th
George

SRO - Wednesday, Feb 1 2012

A great turnout Wednesday with many of our seasonal visitors joining our first meeting in February for a full house! Thanks to Kerri for grabbing a chair out of her SUV for the one extra chair we needed! As always, it was a fun “Greet and Meet” session before Rod used his imaginary gavel and got us underway. It must be like herding cats. He started by asking who had not had the opportunity to read at the last meeting as we had run out of time then. They would read first, going to the front of the list. Yours truly left the reading list from last meeting on his PC desk... Oh, well. Rod handled the situation with his typical grace and aplomb and after we got the announcements out of the way, we started on the list where we left off.

The brief announcements included Susan Haley, the leader and one of the founding members of the group, giving recognition and congratulations to Cecile Bell on her marriage to Douglas Kennedy, who graciously accompanied Cecile to his first meeting; Kerri Diefenwerth on completing her masters assignment in Maine (!); myself; and poet Jim Kelly.

Lois Stern presented the details and contact information about the Tales to Inspire (TALES2INSPIRE) contest. The web page is at: http://www.tales2inspire.com/HOME.html). The details are on the blog and on our Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/FWA-Sarasota-Writers-Group/232280536832439 (You do NOT have to be a member of Facebook to see the page!)

Lois can be reached at tales2inspire@optimum.net for more information about the contest.

Joanne started the session with an impromptu teaser about an upcoming poem featuring a handsome, red-headed fireman who met her in the dark as she searched for the soda machine. De-clawed cougar my eye! Rod gave a challenge to the group: write a 250 word piece using only dialogue. An exercise that some may have done in the past, but drew plenty of enthusiasm and we expect to see the responses in future meetings. Should be fun, especially with this eclectic group. Bill Elam had contact information about Print on Demand publishing using Amazon.com's service at Createspace.com. Russ will also put together info for a presentation sometime in the future about e-publishing.

Patricia LaBarbera announced a new editor's group to meet the first time this Friday (Feb 4) in Sarasota at “Word of Mouth” Restaurant at 1:00pm. Susan Davis recommended Anne Lamott's book, Bird by Bird for new writers, to Kerri's enthusiastic support, and we wrapped up the discussion part of the meeting.

Susan Haley got to read first with a beautiful short story dealing with a saving two siblings in a forest fire. They happened to be wolves. Good to hear from Susan again, she has chosen to sit and listen in the recent meetings rather than read her material. A great dialogue followed, and soon afterward, Ben came to the front of the room to read his rewritten first chapter of Newearth. The polish shows as the story smoothly develops with new rewrite. Bill Elam read two pieces: First, a flashback, backstory piece about romance between young war-time lovers, then the piece called The Chosen. Well written and well received!

George Mindling read a short excerpt from his book, Sleeps Two called Metamorphosis, showing the column writing style rather than the fiction genre recently undertaken. Rod read a humorous short piece from the inimitable Ed Lyman about a one-slice piece of bread sandwich and peanut butter, among other ingredients. Lee Taylor Frank read a rather remarkable piece of poetry written in 1988 that was well received by the group. Again, discussion was spirited and enthusiastic.

After a short break, we resumed with Joanne reading the 5^th chapter of her autobiographical “Memoirs of a Sea Hag.” The harrowing story of being caught in 20 foot swells in a sailboat was graphically and emotionally captured by her writing. Good job, Joanne! We're lucky no one needed Dramamine. Finally, Kerry got to wrap up the evening with the prologue to her memoir “Homemade Rodeos, Cocoanut Heads, Marshmellow Alligators, Growing Up Floridian,” and read her newly written chapter Winning Opal. Again, we can hardly wait for more. We understand she may have found a new “rocking” writing office.

We wrapped up at 9:00pm, and reminded everyone we will come back in two weeks (the 15th) and do it again.

George

_______________________________________________________________

Peter Frickel recently posted his Blog. It can be found at:
http://peterthinks.blogspot.com/

_______________________________________________________________

Fair and Festival Update

Englewood’s Dearborn Street Book Festival is almost here!

DATE: February 18/2012 PLACE: Pioneer Park, W. Dearborn St.

We hope you are planning to participate. Here’s how to reserve a spot:

1. Make your check of $25 to: SUNCOAST WRITERS/BOOK FESTIVAL

2. Send your check to:

DIANA HARRIS

1760 PARKER DRIVE

ENGLEWOOD, FLA. 34223

We are really excited about our book festival drawing near. We feel there is great interest being generated in it. We have gotten good PR so far and will be getting more. This year we will have a large banner across SR # 776 for several days before the festival, thanks to our main sponsor The Englewood SUN. Englewood’s two libraries, Elsie Quirk and Englewood Charlotte, also sponsors, have printed fliers and they have been distributed around town. The Suncoast Writers Guild is sponsoring the Writers Contest. There will be music by “SAX on the Beach.” Cafes are nearby for food take out.

SET UP TIME for the Authors will start at 9 am. The Festival will go from 10 am to 3 pm. Authors will be furnishing their own table/chairs and are free to decorate their tables or space as they wish. Tents are acceptable as we have plenty of room. There will be Porti-Potties in the Park. Leashed dogs are permitted as long as they are picked up after.

LOCATION: PIONEER PARK, is on W. Dearborn Street in the 300 block located between Mango Bistro and the Amherst Train Station shop. You will see a sign saying Book Festival at the front of the Park but please circle the block and enter the rear of the Park from the next street over, GREEN STREET. There will be a volunteer there to direct you. There is ample parking at the rear of the Park. Look for the check-in table and you will be guided to your spot.

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to e-mail me (diharris@comcast.net) or call me at (941) 474-5837. See you all soon.

Diana Harris

Venice Book Fair Date Changed

The Venice International Book Fair and Writers Festival has been changed from Feb. 11 to April 7. More information to come.

Information and a Recommend

Good morning all!

There is some information I need to share and I've been putting it off until I could obtain a more permanent address. Things keep changing and I don't feel I should wait any longer. Many of you know, or have been represented in Dahris Clair's ezine, The Infinite Writer. Dahris and her husband, Carl, visited our group when Jack Wolf came from San Diego. She and I started together in FWA six years ago and became dear friends.

Dahris was, until this year, was the Group Leader for the Pasco County Chapter and some of you attended the one day Mini-Conferences she sponsored in New Port Richey. Nearly two weeks ago on Saturday I received the call from Carl that Dahris had fallen and broken her neck. She already had several health issues so this was shocking to me. But, a fighter she is and the outlook was positive with rehab. I was waiting for a rehab address before announcing it so folks could send her get well wishes. That has not come to pass. Since being in the hospital, some other problems have developed and Dahris has now had a feeding tube inserted and is in the Cardiac Care Unit.

Several of you have asked for an address so I've decided to give the following where the cards will be delivered to her.
Dahris Clair
7844 Datura Lane
New Port Richey, Florida
34653-2208

Dahris is a dear lady of 82 and well wishes would so do her heart good. She did push herself past endurance providing a stage for authors with the Infinite Writer and working with aspiring writers through FWA dedication.

Next, I'd like to recommend one of our own that never speaks of his own accomplishments. He has taken over this blog and is doing a fantastic job. He sits at every meeting offering input and enthusiasm. Yes, I'm speaking of George Mindling who drives to our meetings all the way from Port Charlotte. Have any of you gone to his website link listed in the links section to your left? I've been researching some of the many articles he's produced over the last ten plus years. I continue to be amazed. He has two published books, one that shouts of his education and intelligence in aeronautics and a second that I have an idea is a humorous account called "Sleeps Two". I'm going to procure this one for my RV-ing son and daughter-in-law. George?

This past weekend, however, I discovered another blog site and was totally taken in. It's a tour through George and his wife's garden. You all know I am an avid Nature and animal activist. Wandering visually through this beautiful tropical setting was a joy. He won't talk about himself and I can relate to that, so I will do it for him. Check the link on the left and then go to:
http://www.mace-b.com/Garden/ I assure you that you will be impressed.

Next Wednesday we will have our first February meeting on the 1st. I look forward to seeing you all there and please send Dahris some cheer and check out the talent of George Mindling. If you have an inspiring tale to tell, check out, too, the Tales2Inspire contest sponsored by Lois Stern, who will be with us through March.

Susan

TALES2INSPIRE Contest

Non-fiction stories in any format written with an uplifting, thought provoking or touching message.

MAXIMUM LENGTH: 1200 WORDS

DEADLINE DATE: FEBRUARY 29, 2012

ENTRANCE FEE: $4.95 per story, per category

AUTHOR BENEFITS: The following two benefits, which are normally reserved exclusively for published authors, will also be available to non-published (aspiring authors) who take part in this contest through special liaisons I have made under the TALES2INSPIRE BANNER.

Each author submitting an inspiring “tale” accepted into this contest will have the opportunity to showcase it on novelist and host, Sylvia Massara’s Internet video LitChic Show (short for Literary Chic, not Chic Lit), where Sylvia has committed to a bi-monthly TALES2INSPIRE program to feature every contributing author.

Lois and Sylvia just went live to kick off the Tales2Inspire contest, so you might want to watch this video intro for more details:

http://www.litchickshow.com/2012/01/lit-chick-show-special-tales2inspire.html

A second new feature comes as a result of a liaison Lois has formed with award winning author, teacher and marketing guru Carolyn Howard-Johnson. Each author with an inspiring “tale” accepted into this contest will have the opportunity to have a review of their story placed on her popular book review blog under the Tales2Inspire banner

http://www.thenewbookreview.blogspot.com

Contest Guidelines, 'how-to's' and 'what if's' are detailed on the tales2inspire website:

www.tales2inspire.com

SUGGESTION: Start on the homepage and click the GREEN CONTINUE button at the end of each screen to get instant answers to all of your questions. You are welcome to contact me at: tales2inspire@optimum.net, but please understand that depending on volume of inquiries, it might take me several days to respond.

Warm regards,

Lois W. Stern

Creator of the TALES2INSPIRE Contest

Wednesday, Jan 18th 2012

We had a great dialogue about our format at the Wednesday meeting of the Sarasota chapter of the Florida Writers Association. We decided to continue just enjoying whatever each meeting evolves into, although the readings will continue to be the main focus of the meetings. We have readings by members at each meeting who usually read their own material, but often they read passages from favorite works or books of one particular favorite author or genre. Friendly reviews and even serious critiques usually follow each reading, and often we run out of time before we run out of readers. That format fits the wants of most members, and it is flexible enough to allow us to invite Hayward Hawkins to address the group sometime in the near future. Rod DiGruttolo did his usual great job of directing the group and we decided to allow anyone who didn't get to read at a meeting to go to the front of the list for the next meeting.

At Wednesday's meeting we welcomed newcomer Bob Dombrowski, retired firefighter from Detroit, and returning snowbird, or sunbird, depending on your point of view, Lois Stern. Bob has 38 years of great pent-up stories just waiting for an audience.

After twenty or so minutes of catching up and discussing the state of writing, we opened the floor and started with a reading by Rod, who had graciously passed on reading since last October or so. It was worth the wait. The Spaghetti Blight was a funny, 250 word work that captured everyone. Susan Davis read her short story based on Stephen King's On Writing exercise, “Action News at Three.” A great and worthy interpretation of the challenge from the Master himself that kept everyone glued to the story. Having an “FM” voice certainly doesn't detract from the story, either.

Ed Ellis read a humorous piece about close friends ribbing each other called “Blinders,” and the poignant response from the dear friend being ribbed. No critiques here, just thoughtful appreciation. Robin Thompson, who wrote at one time for comedienne Lily Tomlin, read her untitled piece, which I have dubbed “How can Robin be Dead?” A reflective piece about the finality of life and the inevitability of the passage of time, interspersed with humor and grace.

George Mindling read his interpretation of the Stephen King challenge, initially watching for eyes to glaze over. It didn't matter, he finished it anyway, another first attempt at writing for fun instead of doing technical or non-fiction work. That is what our group is about, writing for the sake of enjoyment and entertainment, and every piece is an expansion of that ability. Another short discussion followed, mainly about the use of punctuation in quotations.

Joanne Phillips read a great bit of short prose called “The Dog Days of August,” followed by two humorous short poems: “Dead Muse” and “I'm Little, You're a Lot!” Peter Frickel then read a series of somewhat gripping, but entertaining pieces beginning with “Silent Like A Soldier,” followed by “Banana,” “He Drank Like A Swan,” and a great piece about Vineyards. Several Haikus followed, and once again it was 9:00pm. A fast, entertaining evening, including a break with Bill Elam expanding everyone's horizons with his extraordinary knowledge about the origin of words we take for granted.

For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, as a crime in the British court system, has now been added to my meager pool of knowledge about the words I use on a daily basis. Next meeting will be the 1^st of February. See you then.

George

Paint the Town Re(a)d

From Russ Heitz
____________________________
Hello all,

Sarasota County Library System is planning the second PAINT THE TOWN RE(a)D; A BOOK LOVER’S CONVENTION, to be held at the Selby Public Library, downtown Sarasota, on Saturday, APRIL 7, 2012 (FROM 10AM TO 2PM). Honoring and highlighting reading experiences and book discussions, we are inviting all book clubs in our county to attend, and to be part of the event. If you belong to a book club or know of a friend who belongs to one, please let me know. We are inventorying all of them. We don’t want to leave anybody out !! Preliminary programs will be out sometime in February. Thanks !! Vera

Vera Neumann-Wood
Senior Special Collections Librarian
Selby Public Library1331 1st Street
Sarasota, FL 34236(941) 861-1175

Tales to Inspire

Our Long Island friend, Lois Stern, has come up with a contest that is a challenge for everyone. I wanted to give you a heads up on this announcement: A Special Authors Contest for writers and aspiring writers. Please check it out at: Tales2inspire.com.
Write up an inspiring tale to inspire others with the power and of your words. If you are a winner, your story will be published in an e-book along with your bio, an optional photo and the link to your website or blog.
Now, just negotiated, another special perk. Every author with a tale accepted into this contest will have the opportunity to showcase their story on Sylvia Massard's online video show, The Lit Chick Show. Sylvia will produce a bi-monthly segment exclusively for Tales2Inspire authors. She has featured some very serious authors on her program.
Even those who don't win will get some special perks. Get all the details on the Tales2inspire.com website. This is a great way to build your author's program and credential list. All this for an entry fee of only $4.95 per story, per category.
You are invited to catch the spirit, flaunt your talents and meet the challenge. Wishing you all good luck as you Travel with Lois Off the Beaten Path!

Best,
Lois Stern
P.S. Lois will be down and able to attend meetings in January - March and will be able to answer any further questions you may have.

Seasons Greetings!

We wrapped up the 2011 season with a half-party, half meeting, with coffee (Thanks, Kerri), sandwiches (Thanks, Joanne), and tons of Christmas cookies and brownies. Hannah Lee, our 16 year old guest from the last meeting returned bringing a double layer of homemade brownies that didn't last long. Thanks also to Peter for several tables of fresh fruit! Thanks to everyone who made this a really nice get-together. Everyone brought something and it was all appreciated. The table was piled with cookies, cheese, and far more than we could eat. We tried, though!

We spent an hour or so catching up with old friendships and starting new ones before we started our semi-official meeting. Before we started however, Russ passed out fortune cookies and everyone got to read their fortunes for the benefit of the other members. Some were humorous, and some were right on the mark! Rod commented he would like to write the fortunes stuck inside the little, crunchy nuggets.

After a fun round of fortune telling, we heard several good readings before we all wished everyone a Merry Christmas and closed the door on 2011. We started with Ben, who read from chapter five of his Science Fiction/Fantasy Newearth. He has about 80,000 words so far, about 20 chapters. A discussion followed, as is our normal activity, and everyone is waiting to hear more of the story. Peter read two short pieces, again from personal experience, and as always, both were spellbinding. The River and The Pathway, about the exodus out of Darfur, were not only well written, but also well read by Peter. He has new CD's out soon, three stories of Lothar, and the work My Frog Sings.

Kerri read Twirling, a short story about Rato, the famous cat, (dedicated to Jim) from her work, “Homemade Rodeos, Cocoanut Heads, Marshmellow Alligators, Growing Up Floridian,” work. Another great piece of writing. Also, Kerri gave me this listing from Gotham Writers Workshop:

http://www.writingclasses.com/mailing.php?id=2548&utm_source=Gotham+Writers%27+Workshop+List&utm_campaign=9ebb87770c-WEB_Dec21GG_NovelCont_Plot_Gifts&utm_medium=email

Joanne then expanded our horizons with a reading that had much to do with “rampant hormones,” chapter two of her autobiographical “Memoirs of a Sea Hag.” Needless to say, that was followed by humorous discussion and lots of feedback. Can't unbreak an egg, so to speak.

Jim, (AKA James Kelly) read another one of his great poems, appropriately titled “Kettle of Kindness.” His new book of poetry, “From the Embers,” is available contains 100 pages of his great work.

We wrapped up and cleaned up, and donated the remainder of the goodies (we tried to eat them all but failed miserably) to the Volunteer Firemen of Nokomis, who graciously let us use their meeting room.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or just Happy Holidays, we wish everyone a happy and festive season and a wonderful and healthy new year!

George, and Susan, and Rod, and Russ, and Peter, and Jim, and Ed, and Ed Lyman, too, and Kerri, and Kathy, Ben, Lee. Joann, Barbra, Susan, Linda, and everyone who makes this such a rewarding group. Keep reading and writing!

Our Facebook page is at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/FWA-Sarasota-Writers-Group/232280536832439

and is accessible to everyone. Stop by when you get a chance and give us a "Like"

Englewood’s Dearborn Street Book Festival - 2012

Plans are under way for Englewood’s 3th annual Book Festival. It will be held, outdoors, February 18, 10 AM to 3 PM in Pioneer Park on W. Dearborn Street. The park is located between Mango Bistro and the Amherst Train Station shop. There will be ample parking at the rear of the park.

Last year 32 authors participated talking about and selling their books. Several hundred people have turned out both years making this a most successful event.

Entry fee for authors will be $25 and they will be asked to bring their own table and chairs. Tents are acceptable.

This year the Englewood SUN will be the Book Festival sponsor and the Englewood Charlotte Library and Sarasota’s Elsie Quirk Library will be co-sponsors.

There will be a writing contest sponsored by the Sun Coast Writers Guild and cash prizes will be awarded. The deadline for the contest will be January 31, 2011.

For more information, to request contest writing rules or to be put on a mailing list please e-mail Diana Harris at <diharris@comcast.net>

Passing of an Icon

George Whitman, owner of the world famous"Shakespeare and Company Bookstore," died in Paris Dec 14th. See the article at

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/george-whitman-owner-of-paris-bookstore-shakespeare-and-company-dies-at-98/2011/12/14/gIQAFcVvuO_story.html?wprss=rss_local

for a complete look at his amazing story. If the link isn't highlighted, then copy the web site address and copy it into your browser.

Thanks to Susan Davis for the information about George Whitman.

George

Christmas Greetings

Hi Everyone!

For a couple of reasons, I don't mail out paper cards anymore. What I do is have my website master (and that she is) put up a Christmas greeting to all through pictures and music. Soon there will be a poem up by Jim Kelly called "Christmas In the Forest" so if it's not there when you visit, please go back again and again. It's a place where I share the beauty of the season through pictures, I'm not selling anything.
I wish you all a most blessed holiday season.
www.sucarha.com
Susan

December 7th, 2011

Once again we welcomed back several members who spent the summer in cooler climates, and four new guests as well. Welcome back to Joe Porter and Ellen Magnusun, and welcome first time guests Robin and Chuck Thompson, Leigh-Taylor, and special guest, 16 year old Hannah Meredith from Venice High School.

Two really great announcements: Cathy Marine's great book, “No Dead Fish For Ginger, The Story of a Sarasota Bay Dolphin” (ISBN 978-1-936172) is now for sale in the Mote Marine book store! Designed originally for Middle School Science, it is enjoyable by all ages. Being carried by the Mote Marine bookstore is an accomplishment in itself. Secondly, Ed Ellis has deservedly been named Director of the Suncoast Writers Guild for another year. Ed gave a quick run-down on the upcoming Book Fair in Englewood, with details to follow as soon as everything is formalized. We'll keep everyone posted as soon as we get the final information. For now, circle your calendars for February 18^th and keep an eye on this blog for updates.

Our donation to the Nokomis Volunteer Fire Department came out to $105, our sincere thanks to all who contributed to our hosts. And special thanks to Susan for bringing Holiday cookies to the meeting! It was decided we will have a meeting of sorts on December 21^st after all, but only people who bring unwholesome bakery goods, unhealthy candies or whatnot, will be allowed admission! Yes, it will be a holiday party more than a regular meeting, but be forewarned, readings just might take place! (Seriously, everyone is invited, cookies or not!)

We got under way with the readings after a brief “business” part of the evening. Unfortunately, Ed got caught off guard eating candy and had to pass his one and only chance to read before Peter. Returning Joe Porter got that honor and kicked things off with two original works, one about the tragedy of war and survival during World War Two, and a piece about Moonshiners and politics in Appalachia during the Second World War. Cathy Marine read the last two chapters of her aforementioned book, “No Dead Fish For Ginger, The Story of a Sarasota Bay Dolphin,” followed by Peter's reading from “Yerma,” from “Three Tragedies by Lorca” Luckily, Peter had the English translation. For us, that is. It probably wouldn't phase peter if it were in the original Spanish. He could read it in Swahili and we would still enjoy it. Joanne followed with the opening chapters of her autobiographical “Memoirs of a Sea Hag,” followed by discussion and lots and lots of feedback. Joanne's work always catches everyone's attention.

After a short break destroying Susan's cookies, Kerri enthralled everyone with an another excerpt from her intense saga about a young girl being raised in rural Florida. This was about a different viewpoint of Lexington Farms. Discussion followed as Kerri always captures everyone's imagination with her unique saga. Rod read a piece, always with the unexpected twist, from Ed Lyman, our senior writer, entitled “When the Grim Reaper Laughed.” Returning Ellen Magnusun read from her book, “S'Truth, Fear to Faith,” and reminded us to always collect our payment, no matter how distasteful the customer might be!

A special treat for us was 16 year old Hannah Meredith, a guest of Kerri Dieffenwierth, who read several original pieces, including a touching memorial for a classmate. One selection, “Life,” was written in geometry class, but we won't tell anyone! Hannah will be heard from in the future, we have no doubt. Richard read a chapter from his in-progress science fantasy, and once again we were out of time! It was a fun, fast evening, and those who wished to read but didn't get the chance will go first next time. Depending on how many goodies are served, of course, it will be the Christmas party. See everyone in two weeks!

Meeting Reminder

Just a heads up that Wednesday, Decemeber 7th will be our last meeting until January 4th. Hope to see you all there. I will be taking up the Christmas donation for the Fire Department for those who've not yet contributed.

Best, Susan

New Contest for Poems and Short Fiction!

Another contest for poems and short fiction.

Contest Rules

Submit poetry and/or flash fiction (less than 500 words) to the prompt On the Bay to Englewood's Dearborn Street Book Festival Contest, P.O. Box 5146 Englewood, Fl 34224.

All entries for judging and awarding of cash prices must be received at the P.O. Box no later than January 31, 2012.

You may enter up to three (3) submission/s per individual. Each submission requires three (3) copies of your poem or short story (typed) contained in an individual envelope (one entry per envelope).

Do not put your name on your entry. Place a 4 digit identification number on each copy of the entry and on the outside of your envelope under your return address.

Judges will base their decisions upon the following; Originality (40 Points), Theme (35 Points), and Presentation (25 Points).

Presentations will take place at the open microphone event at Elsie Quirk Library on February 18^th 2012 from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM main conference room. (You are not required to present your work, however you will not receive points for presentation).

First Place - $75.00
Second Place - $50.00
Third Place - $25.00

A walk in prize of $20.00 will be awarded to those who walk-in (one entry only per individual) and present a poem or short story (up to 500 words) to the prompt. Bring three copies of your work for the judges prior to your presentation.

Ed Ellis

Happy Birthday George!

One huge advantage to having a friend network on Facebook is the non-ending source of information if one chooses to share in it. That is how I found out that our new Blog Designer and Administrator, George Mindling, is having a birthday today!

Here's wishing you a great birthday, George. And, sending another big thank you for all your help and contributions to our writing group.

A heads up, too, to all of you who don't have a Facebook page. It's free and it's networking at its finest. Doesn't take tons of time and it is a great source of information. I've even found it a great place to take part in my 'animal and nature' activisim. NRDC's Biogems page is a wealth of knowledge and small things we all can do to help the Planet. Plus, there are levels of privacy and security facets that you can choose.

Best,
Susan

Englewood Book Festival

Hi Everyone,
I received an e-mail from Diana Harris that led to this exchange:
____
George,
Just wanted to let you know we will be having our 3th annual book festival in Feb. If you would like to be on our mailing list to receive more information please e-mail me back.
Hope you will be joining us.
____
So, I replied:

Hi Diana,
Yes, I'd like to be on the mailing list for the book festival. I'd like to share this with the Sarasota Chapter of the Florida Writers Association if this is OK with you. If it is OK, I'll post it on the FWA Sarasota blog.
____
...and she said:

George, That would be terrific. Thank you so much. We have had great response so far and will be holding the festival in a small park on Dearborn St. about a block away from where it has been. It will give us more room and authors can park near their tables, but more on that later. Thanks for your help.

Diana Harris
___
So, as I get more information I will post it for everyone's benefit. I attended the first fair as an "rookie" author and really enjoyed the experience. I may even have to write something just to be there.
George

Lemon Bay Fest - 2012

Lemon Bay Fest 2012
Whimsical Stories of Old Englewood

Contest Rules: Submit poetry and/or flash fiction (less than 500 words) to the prompt Whimsical Stories of Old Englewood to Lemon Bay Fest Contest, P.O. Box 5146 Englewood, Fl 34224.

All entries for judging and awarding of cash prices must be received at the P.O. Box no later than January 31, 2012.

You may enter up to three (3) submission/s per individual. Each submission requires three (3) sheets of your poem or flash fiction contained in an individual envelope (one entry per envelope).

Do not put your name on your entry. Place a 4 digit identification number on each copy of the entry and on the outside of your envelope under your return address.

Judges will base their decisions upon the following; Originality, Theme, and Presentation.

Presentations will take place at the open microphone event at Elsie Quirk Library on February 4^th 2012 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM. (You are not required to present your work, however you will not receive points for presentation).

First Place - $75.00
Second Place - $50.00
Third Place - $25.00

A walk in prize of $20.00 will be awarded to those who walk-in (one entry only per individual) and present a poem or flash fiction (up to 500 words) to the prompt. Bring three copies of your work for the judges prior to your presentation.

Thanks to Ed Ellis for the information

Thanksgiving Message from Susan

As I sit and look at the beautiful job George Mindling is doing with this blog I immediately have something to be thankful for. I'm sure if we all just look around us and focus on the beauty and friends in our lives, any ugliness will go away for at least one day.

I also want to thank everyone of you reading this for all the help and support given me over this last two years of fighting health issues. You've all been like family and the group would not continue to exist had you all not stood up to share in the burden. Thank you. I'm grateful.

I wish to congratulate each and every one of you who has put ink to page or paper in our group, those who have published books and those still with a dream toward that end. I'm quite convinced that we have more talent and diversity meeting in one group than is to be found anywhere. Again, I thank you all for sharing your work. It is appreciated by all who hear your words.

However you spend your day of Thanksgiving, I wish you the best it can be!

Sincerely,
Your humble so-called leader. I follow more around here lately than I lead. Thank you for that, too!
Susan