Schedule and Location

Our group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month at the Nokomis Fire Station. From Sarasota or North, proceed a few blocks south of Albee Road on US 41 (past Matthews-Currie Ford) to Pavonia Road. Turn right (West, toward the bay) at the Fire Station's flashing yellow caution traffic light. From the south on US 41, we are two blocks north of Dona Bay. Turn left onto Pavonia Road at the flashing yellow caution light. At the Fire Station, drive to the fire hall's far end or west side; PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DOORS! We gather in the training room at the far end of the complex for a meet and greet at 6:00 pm but call the Meeting to order at 6:30 pm and take a Ten-minute break at around 7:50 pm. Meeting Adjourns: 9:00 pm

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Borders Enters POD Market

Borders announced on Valentine's Day that it is now entering the "publish it yourself" independent publishing market with their new BORDERS PERSONAL PUBLISHING imprint. They will be working with Lulu and will also offer editorial support, book design, printing, e-commerce, and other features, for a fee, either bundled or ala carte.

One of the most attractive features of this program is this. Borders Personal Publishing books can also become eligible to be carried by Borders both online and ON THE SHELVES of hundreds of Borders stores. A recent press release stated, "By using the strength of its worldwide chain of bookstores, Borders is offering writers the potential of getting their work featured on the shelves of real bookstores -- a very attractive feature, compared to services that only make books available to order online. Basic prices start at $299 to $499."

For details, go to http://publish.bordersstores.com/?u-pub.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

ARTICLE RE PROS AND CONS-AMAZON SHORTS

Author J.A. Konrath (http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/) has an article over at http://writersdigest.com/articles/konrath_amazonshorts.asp
those of you with books for sale on Amazon might be interested in. Check it out!

Madeline Mora-Summonte
www.MadelineMora-Summonte.com

Friday, February 08, 2008

Excellent Crime Writer's Book

With the publication of POLICE PROCEDURE & INVESTIGATIONS by Lee Lofland, Writer's Digest Books has a sure-fire winner on their hands. The subtitle for this book indicates that it was written primarily for the writers of crime books and crime-related short stories. But that is a much-too-narrow focus. This book is for anyone who is interested in police work, criminal investigations, and all of the aspects that fit under those two general categories. And it delves into these areas to a much greater depth than the ever-popular and every-growing list of television programs that claim to be "reality-based" crime shows.

Nearly everyone is now familiar with terms such as crime scene investigation, autopsy, the exclusionary rule, blood spatter analysis, flash-bangs, DNA evidence, and the Miranda warning. But if you want to know what kind of equipment crime scene investigators need, what kind of training goes on in police academies, how long rigor mortis effects a corpse, what a "sally port" is, what kind of chemicals are used to make meth, or the difference between ASPs and shock sticks, this is the book for you.

Author Lee Lofland is well known to writers of crime-related books mainly because of his expertise in the field, but also because of his clear, concise, and jargon-free writing style. He is a writer's writer, but he is also a reader's writer. His prose is clean and direct, his organization logical, and his coverage comprehensive.

I highly recommend this book for anyone--writer or non-writer--who wants to know what REALLY goes on during a criminal investigation, inside a courtroom, or behind prison walls.

Russ Heitz
www.russheitz.com

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

FWA FORUMS

Writing is often a solitary endeavor, but as a member of the FWA, you are not alone. Go on over to www.floridawriters.net and check out the FWA Forums. Some of the forums include topics such as Self Publishing, Traditional Publishing, Query Questions, and Goals & Process. Reach out to a fellow Floridian writer! Offer some encouragement, advice or expertise, and get some in return. We're all in this together, after all!

Madeline Mora-Summonte
www.MadelineMora-Summonte.com