Saturday, January 2, 2010

Welcome to Florida Book News


Happy New Year to all of you.
I hope you're looking forward to the many book events of the new year. I'll keep you informed.
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Here's to a happy and healthy new year... Thanks to all of you for supporting Florida Book News.

Art Adkins' scheulde, updates and so much more...


I received Art Adkins' newsletter this week. I couldn't help sharing this. I hope I don't embarrass him by quoting him, but this should come as inspiration to all of you. What a schedule he keeps. Every weekend his has multiple book signings in Florida and surrounding states. Here's the result of all that travel and all that work, in his own words:

"Eight months on my publisher’s bestseller list, fourth printing, increased hits on my website each month and on and on. There is no secret, except for one. It is the ugly four letter word that a lot of people do not want to engage in: work. I grew up on a farm and my father used to tell me that farm work would be the hardest thing I ever had to do. No matter how much you got accomplished on any given day, there was always something else to do on the farm. Not truer words were ever spoken. However, work on the farm gave me an outstanding work ethic which I have been able to capitalize on in any endeavor I have undertaken. Now, I have turned that work ethic to writing and marketing my books."

Here's Art's schedule of book events and signings for the next two months. Congratulations Art on making it happen...

January 3: Borders - Sarasota, FL
1:00PM

January 5: Delray Beach Library - Writing Workshop; Delray Beach, FL
6:30PM

January 8: Circle Books; Sarasota, FL
1:00PM

January 9: Books-A-Million; Ocala, FL
12:00PM

January 16: Borders; Tampa, FL
12:00PM

January 17: Books-A-Million; Venice, FL
11:00AM

January 20: Belleview Library; Belleview, FL
2:00PM

January 21: Beverly Hills Library; Beverly Hills, FL
2:00PM

January 23: Books-A-Million; Ft. Myers, FL
12:00PM

January 31: Books & Books; Capl Coral, FL
4:00PM

February 12: Circle Books; Sarasota, FL
1:00PM

February 13: Amelia Island Festival; Amelia Island, FL
9:00AM

February 21: Private Home; Vero Beach, FL

February 27: Sanibel Bookshop; Sanibel, FL
11:00AM

February 28: Borders; Winter Park, FL
12:00PM
For more information about his book, go to http://www.artadkins.com/

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Thursday, December 31, 2009

Author Ricky Roberts III Seeks to Connect Readers with Optimism, Inspiration









New Book Tackles Tough Life Questions

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Is there more to life? What is my purpose? Am I on the right path? St. Petersburg-based author Ricky Roberts III addresses these questions and many more in his third book, Where Did the Gift Go?

Suitable for readers of all ages and belief systems, Roberts’ new book is a journey inward. By using his own life experiences to draw the reader directly into the gift of life, Roberts shares his honest, heartfelt reflections with those seeking optimism and inspiration.

“Ricky Roberts III touches the pulse of what is unsaid in our mental conversation which is so important for the cultivation of our inner conversation,” said Tammy Taylor, host of Our Greatest Hour Radio Show.

In Where Did the Gift Go? readers will be inspired to rediscover parts of themselves that have been lost, or have never been found. Roberts says he realized a higher calling in his own life after being stabbed nine times at age seventeen, and he has been seeking that purpose ever since.

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, Where Did the Gift Go? is available at any bookstore nationwide or can be ordered through the publisher at http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore or by visiting http://barnesandnoble.com/, http://amazon.com/ or http://target.com/. This is also an eLIVE title, meaning each copy contains a code redeemable for a free audio version from http://tatepublishing.com/.

The author of three books: YOU, What Really Matters?, and Where Did the Gift Go? Roberts is devoted to following his path of service and is passionate about making a difference wherever he can. For more information, please visit http://www.rickyrobertsiii.com/ or contact Roberts directly at rickyrobertsiii@gmail.com, or (727) 433-1311.

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Sandollar Bookstore presents its Winter Schedule: Dorsey, Clement and Hall

Sanddollar Bookstore at 272 Miami Avenue West in Venice, Florida, has a great line-up of three author appearances so far for 2010. Be sure to put these events on your schedule and plan to attend if you are in the area.

January 2010 - James W. Hall

On Monday, January 25th, 2010, @ 1:00pm meet James W. Hall. He will sign copies of Silencer [9780312359591] at the Sanddollar Bookstore.

Book Description: (Baker & Taylor) After his father, Earl Hammond, is shot dead and two deviant contract killers kidnap Thorn, a family heir, it is up to Frisco Hammond and his brother's wife to solve the two crimes, an endeavor which pits brother against brother and wife against husband. By the Edgar Award-winning author of Hell's Bay.

What the critics are saying:

"...James Hall’s prose runs clean and fast as Gulf Stream Waters.” —New York Times Book Review

"A father’s murder and a son’s ruthless betrayal are at the heart of the new novel by 'master of suspense' James W. Hall." - Publisher's Weekly.

About the author: James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written four books of poetry, a collection of short fiction, and a collection of essays. This is his sixteenth novel. He and his wife Evelyn divide their time between South Florida and North Carolina.

For more information about James W. Hall visit http://jameswhall.com/


February 2010 - Tim Dorsey


Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 @ 4:00 pm : Tim Dorsey will sign copies of Gator A-Go-Go [9780061432712] at Sanddollar Bookstore.

Book Description: Everyone’s favorite, fun-lovin’ Floridian sociopath, Serge A. Storms, returns in Dorsey’s 12th novel, “Gator A-Go-Go.” After a Miami crime gang ruins his spring break by targeting a snitch's son, drug-addled Serge A. Storms and his equally bloodthirsty deputy, Coleman, aim to track down the gang members and take them out.

About the Author: This book is due out in January so reviews are not available, but you know that it'll be a great ride. Tim Dorsey was born in Indiana, moved to Florida at the age of 1. He grew up in a small town about an hour north of Miami called Riviera Beach. Tim worked for the Tampa Tribune for many years. He left in 1999 to write full time and has since written 11 novels. He currently resides in Tampa with his wife.

For more information about Tim Dorsey, go to http://timdorsey.com/


March 2010 - Blaize Clement


Saturday, March 13th, 2010 @ 1:00pm : Blaize Clement will sign copies of Raining Cat Sitters and Dogs [978-0312369569] at Sanddollar Bookstore.


Book Description: In this fifth installment of the wildly popular Dixie Hemingway Mystery series, a mysterious young girl is missing. Lieutenant Guidry, the hunky homicide detective, with whom Dixie has an on-again, off-again relationship, is trying to find the girl because she may be a material witness to a murder. Finally, Dixie must go it alone to confront criminals who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

About the Author: Blaize Clement doesn't like biographies. She has a passion for people. When speaking of writing, she says, "Good writing isn't determined by the subject matter, but by how well the writer keeps the reader fascinated and anxious." With a definition like that, who needs a bio. This book from the Dixie Hemingway Mystery series has to be a great read. Blaize Clement lives in Sarasota, Florida.

For more information about Blaize Clement, go to http://www.blaizeclement.com/

Watch for more events coming from Sanddollar Bookstore. If you have questions or want more information about these events, go to:

SANDDOLLAR BOOKSTORE
272 Miami Avenue West
Venice, FL 34285

http://www.sanddollarbookstore.com/

(941) 480-1930

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Mark Mynheir to speak at the Space Coast Writer's Guild 2nd Saturday meeting.


Does crime really pay? It does if you write about it; just ask Mark Mynheir. The Space Coast Writers’ Guild will hold its next 2nd Saturday meeting on January 9th at the Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Parkway (across from the Merritt Island High School).

The main meeting will start at 1:00 p.m. with networking and book signings. After that, the featured speaker will begin at 1:30 pm. The speaker for the January meeting is Mark Mynheir. His subject: Writing Crime Novels There will be critique workshops from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm.
Mark is a former Marine who has worked in law enforcement over twenty years. He began his career with the Cocoa Beach Police Department and shortly after that moved to the Palm Bay Police Department, where he currently works as a homicide / violent crimes detective. In his career, Mark has worked as a patrol officer, an undercover narcotics agent, a S.W.A.T. team member, as well as a homicide detective.

Mark has parlayed his police experiences into a successful speaking and writing career. He has written articles for Focus on the Family’s Breakaway magazine and Lookout magazine and is also the author of four novels: Rolling Thunder, From the Belly of the Dragon, The Void, and The Night Watchman. He and his family currently live in central Florida. You can visit Mark’s website at http://www.copwriter.com/.

For more information, email Jim Harris at scwg.jimharrid@gmail.com

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Monday, December 28, 2009

Kerouac Writers Weekend

KEROUAC WRITERS WEEKEND
Immerse yourself in the world of one of America’s most original and iconic writers:

• Write in the historic cottage where Jack Kerouac wrote Dharma Bums and learned On the Road would be published
• Stay in an historic art deco, period-furnished hotel
• See the original Dharma Bums manuscript
• Enjoy classic Kerouac spoken-word and jazz recordings
• Participate in a public reading
• Learn about one of the most prolific periods of Kerouac’s life from pop culture historian Bob Kealing, author of Kerouac in Florida: Where the Road Ends.

“Work and learn within the very walls where Jack Kerouac lived hand-to-mouth, plied his trade, and ultimately made literary history.” ~ Bob Kealing

$295 fee includes a 3-day seminar, 2 nights at the Wellborn Hotel, admission to the Orange County History Center, transportation between the hotel and the Kerouac House, and a copy of Kerouac in Florida. Meals are extra, at restaurants that are an easy walk on roads Jack Kerouac traveled. A portion of the proceeds will support the work of the Jack Kerouac Writers In Residence Project of Orlando, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Kerouac’s home and legacy in Orlando. (Cost sans hotel: $145.)

Friday-Sunday

February 26 – 28, 2010

For more information, call 407-312-3591 or go to: www.sunscribbles.com
Checks payable to: Scribbles, 3852 Albright Lane, Orlando, FL 32828

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Florida Book Awards deadline is Monday, January 4th.

This is a reminder that the final deadline to enter the 2009 Florida Book Awards competition is Monday, January 4th.

The link to the online submission form is here. Please look through the website and pass the information along to anyone appropriate.

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Monday, December 21, 2009

Annette Clifford to Sign Books to benefit the Space Coast Early Intervention Center

Join the Guild…

Tuesday, January 19, 2010
For
A Book Signing


Meet Annette Clifford
Annette Clifford is the author of World’s Toughest Job, a humorous perspective about parenting .
When: 11:00am -1:00 pm
What: Book signing and lunch

Anyone wanting to attend should contact Annette Clifford at acliff123@aol.com or Shelley Johnson at 729-6858.

Space Coast Early Intervention Center (SCEIC) is a non-profit therapeutic preschool for children with and without special needs. At SCEIC, we believe that children with and without developmental delays learning side-by-side allows all children to develop friendships; become leaders and role models, and learn acceptance and diversity. Space Coast Early Intervention Center relies on community support and volunteers in our effort to serve the families who need us the most. Please RSVP by January 12th (321) 729-6858 or Email Shelley Johnson at sjohnson@sceic.com

http://www.sceic.com/
Annette Clifford will donate a percentage of the day’s book sales to SCEIC

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

National League of American Pen Women to Exhibit at Upcoming 1st Thursday


Poets, Composers, and Visual Artists
Headline OMA's January Event

ORLANDO, Fla. - The National League of American Pen Women (NLAPW) from the

Orlando/Winter Park branch will showcase their diverse and award winning talents during the Orlando Museum of Art's (OMA's) 1st Thursdays event on January 7 from 6 to 9pm.

In addition to a display of visual art, published poets and music composers will showcase an eclectic line-up of performances including readings by Carol Leff, Carolyn Scully and Scottie McDaniell and musical selections by Christine Arens and Maveh Barker. Representatives from the Orlando/Winter Park branch will also be on hand to provide guests with information about the NLAPW, which was established in 1897.

Throughout the evening attendees will have the opportunity to dine on the extraordinary flavors of Vital Flair's cuisine and listen to the acoustic Americana sounds of Rick Birkbeck & Friends. Handcrafted beers from Shipyard and Seadog Brewing Co. and wine poured by Premier Beverage Co. will be available for purchase.

Admission to 1st Thursdays is $10, always free for OMA members, and includes access to the OMA's American, African and Art of the Ancient Americas collections. Parking is free at Orlando Loch Haven Park; overflow parking is available at the Orlando Science Center parking garage. For more information, call 407 896 4231 x260, or visit www.OMArt.org.

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Saturday, December 19, 2009

What’s Next…For You? by Robert and Patricia Gussin

Oceanview Publishing Announces the Forthcoming Release of

What’s Next…For You? by Robert and Patricia Gussin:
What’s Next for You will be available nationwide on February 1, 2010
Oceanview Publishing announces the forthcoming release of What’s Next…For You? The Gussin Guide to Big Decisions, Big Changes, and Big Fun by Robert and Patricia Gussin. What’s Next…For You? will be available wherever fine books are sold on February 1, 2010.

What’s Next…For You? (Oceanview Publishing, ISBN: 978‐1‐933515‐73‐1, Non-Fiction, $13.50) is the incredible story of Robert and Patricia Gussin, two “retirees” who watched with glee as long, successful careers in science and medicine gave way to writing, publishing, and winemaking. Much more than a memoir, and anything but a how-to-start-a-business guide, What’s Next…For You? is a remarkable been-there, done-that tale about taking chances and finding opportunity in even the most inopportune moments.

Through the engaging, first-person, he said/she said narrative, Robert and Patricia Gussin deliver an inspirational guide filled with advice on why it’s never too late to reinvent yourself, and why doing what you love (and loving what you do) is always within reach. What’s Next…For You? also includes insights on keeping priorities in check, facing change head-on as you move along life’s path, and how even the small changes can have a big impact.

A must-read tale of joyfully switching gears, changing careers, and overcoming “paralysis by analysis,” What’s Next…For You? is a clear, easy-to-understand guide to reinventing yourself from real experts—two people who did it themselves and lived to tell the glorious tale.

Whether you’re waiting for the “right moment,” feel you’re stuck in the wrong job, or guilty of procrastinating on a big decision, What’s Next…For You? provides the answer to that all-too-common question of how to get from where you are to where you want to be.

According to Dr. Philip Kotler, one of the country’s preeminent strategic marketing experts, “What’s Next…For You? is a book for two groups of people. Those who haven’t retired—and those who have.”

Board-certified in Family Medicine, Patricia Gussin practiced medicine and has directed medical research in her role as worldwide vice president for a leading healthcare company. She is the author of Shadow of Death, which was nominated for “Best First Novel” in the Thriller Awards, sponsored by the International Thriller Writers, Twisted Justice, and The Test. A native of Pittsburgh, Robert Gussin retired from Johnson & Johnson as Corporate Vice President of Science & Technology and Chief Scientific Officer in 2000. He is the author of Trash Talk. Robert and Patricia Gussin divide their time between Longboat Key, Florida, East Hampton, New York, and their vineyards in New Zealand.

Oceanview Publishing (www.oceanviewpub.com) is an independent press headquartered in Ipswich, Massachusetts. For more information, please contact Maryglenn McCombs – (615) 297-9875, or maryglenn@maryglenn.com

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

...Writing the Novel with Connie May Fowler...


Writing Below Sea Level
presents the second in a series

WRITING THE NOVEL

A One-Day Seminar
with Acclaimed Author

Connie May Fowler

February 20, 2010
Summer Haven, Florida


Seminar Highlights Include:

  • How to Begin Your Novel
  • How to Develop Characters. Plot, Arc, and Conflict
  • Point of View
  • Your Novel is Written: Now What?
  • The Business of Writing

Work in the house that inspired Connie May Fowler’s The Problem with Murmur Lee
Limited to twenty participants

Admission: First Come Basis
Tuition (Includes the One-day Seminar and Lunch)
$150 before or by January 22, 2010
$160 after January 29, 2010
Seminars fill quickly so don’t delay!

Email your reservation to mail@writingbelowsealevel.com

Tuition must be received by the above dates. Mail checks (payable to Below Sea Level) to Writing Below Sea Level, PO Box 98, Panacea, Florida, 32346

For more information, including lodging options (http://www.cottagesforcoasting.com/), please contact
mail@writingbelowsealevel.com or go to http://www.writingbelowsealevel.com/

“If writing is a gift, then Connie May Fowler must have been bestowed with the gift of ten muses.”—Amy Tan

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Enjoy Florida history through author E. Lynne Wright


E. Lynne Wright has published three books of non-fiction. Her most recent ones include It Happened in Florida and Disasters and Heroic Recues of Florida. The new second edition of It Happened in Florida has just been published by the Globe Pequot Publishers and is available in book stores and online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The new edition includes some updated material and two new chapters.

It Happened in Florida.

From 1513, when Ponce de Leon discovered the Land of Flowers, then on into the new millenium, It Happened in Florida takes readers on a tour of some of the characters and episodes in Florida's vibrant past.

Read about the inventions of Gatorade and air conditioning, how The Mouse chose Orlando for his kingdom, and how the Nazis invaded Florida during World War II. A new chapter touches on Dan Marino's legendary football career and celebrates his all-out dedication to the health crisis of autism.

Sometimes inspiring, sometimes zany, always fascinating stories about events that helped make the Sunshine State what it is today. Easy-to-read, informative tales of some captivating moments from Florida's history.


Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida.

Humans are fascinated by disasters--- and uplifted by heroic rescues. These incredible, true Florida stories are a chilling reminder to expect the unexpected and respect the powerful, sometimes deadly forces of nature.

Some dramas covered are the Great Citrus Freeze of 1895 which ruined the crop for a decade, the 1935 tidal wave that obliterated a train carrying 577 storm evacuees, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge collapse of 1980, and two of our biggest space tragedies, the Apollo fire and the Challenger explosion.

These real-life stories pay tribute to the human spirit of survival and solidarity in the face of adversity.

Both books are available in most book stores and at Amazon.

About the author:

Lynne is a former nurse anesthetist whose short stories, nonfiction articles and essays have appeared in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Hartford Courant, Mature Lifestyles, Woman's Day, the Chicken Soup books, numerous anthologies and literary magazines. She has published three nonfiction books with the Globe Pequot Press: More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Florida Women, It Happened in Florida, and Disasters and Heroic rescues of Florida.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Sea Fare - A Chef's Journey Across the Ocean


“Delicious Memoir” by a Chef Stricken with Wanderlust
Takes Readers on a Cruise around the World on Board a Yacht

Exotic recipes, true love, and astonishing cultural discoveries
await a young Canadian chef on her odyssey around the world

Victoria Allman’s memoir, Sea Fare – A Chef’s Journey Across the Ocean, begins in Canada, where the young chef struggles to make ends meet while dreaming of the food in far-off places. When friends introduce her to the world of yachting, she agrees to travel as chef on board a yacht. Her subsequent experiences highlight the cuisine of the places she visits. Inevitably, they also highlight the cultures.

Her food-related adventures include buying fish from an “olive-skinned Italian wrinkle of a man,” traveling up a muddy river in Papua New Guinea past “wide-eyed, crusty-nosed children with bloated bellies to barter for bananas among women with breasts sagging to their bellies,” and snorkeling the Bombay-colored shallows of the South Pacific “in pursuit of one of the world’s deadliest creatures for dinner, led by a Tahitian man with dark tribal tattoos of tikis, turtles, and rays” running up and down his body.

Sea Fare is filled with colorful characters and food-driven escapades,” notes Victoria. “I wanted to bring to life the glamorous and adventurous world of yachting from the perspective of a chef responsible for buying and storing food at sea, catching and preparing fresh fish right out of the ocean, and procuring food – and recipes – from the natives in the places we visited.”

Victoria uses the food culture in each port as the focus of Sea Fare, but her tales will interest anyone who loves to read about travel, yachts, adventure, and above all exotic cultures and cuisine.

Sea Fare: A Chef’s Journey Across the Ocean is available at www.norlightspress.com, www.amazon.com, and at independent bookstores.

Sea Fare: A Chef’s Journey Across the Ocean by Victoria Allman; Nonfiction; $12.95 ISBN: 978-1-935254-01-0

When she isn’t catching fish on hidden islands, immersing herself in fascinating cultures, like Papua, New Guinea, or hanging out with colorful characters, she is serving up the most amazing meals.......... and sharing her recipes and secrets. Victoria Allman is as good a writer as she is a cook. I loved reading the book. I wish I could have eaten it.
--Rita Golden Gelman, author TALES OF A FEMALE NOMAD, Living at Large in the World.

Acting on wanderlust breeds fantastic discoveries. Making it a lifestyle puts dreams into reality. In Sea Fare, Victoria presents a global collage of unscripted culinary experience that offers the reader an honest portrayal in the school of life.
-- Chef David Shalleck, author of MEDITERANNEAN SUMMER

Chef Victoria Allman became hooked on travel following a trip to the Bahamas more than 10 years ago. Since that time she’s caught, sautéed, simmered and served her way through the Caribbean, Mediterranean, North America, Europe, Africa, and the South Pacific from Australia to Tahiti. Sea Fare – a Chef’s Journey Across the Ocean is her travel memoir of food, lust, finding true love and high seas adventure.
--Tina Koenig, MiamiARTzine

About the Author: Victoria Allman has been following her stomach as a yacht chef for ten years. Culinary trained at the Stratford Chef School in Canada and the Culinary Institute of America in New York, each new destination adds recipes, deepens her knowledge of world cuisine, and contributes to her ever-growing arsenal of fascinating food-related stories. She writes a monthly column for Dockwalk magazine and blogs about her travels at www.victoriaallman.com.

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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Amelia Island Book Festival features Sonny Brewer


Festival Focus
A series of reviews of books to be featured at the Amelia Island Book Festival – 2010. Reviewers represent a broad spectrum of community readers and writers.

Author Sonny Brewer will be a featured author at the Festival, Feb. 12-13, 2010.

The Poet of Tolstoy Park by Sonny Brewer
Reviewed by Attavia Facciolo

One would not expect to find a “Tolstoy Park” in the sleepy, southern town of Fairhope, Alabama; but it exists there, today, as a monument to its builder, Henry Stuart. Stuart, the inspirational hero of Sonny Brewer’s novel, The Poet of Tolstoy Park, lived, between 1925 and 1944, in the round house he build on a bluff overlooking Mobile Bay.

A few years ago, Brewer, a writer, editor, founder of the Fairhope Center for Writing Arts, and founder of Over the Transom Bookstore, became interested in Henry Stuart and his unusual house. His research into the Fairhope “character” led him to move, part-time, into the tiny house where he wrote Stuart’s story.

Henry Stuart was a 67-year-old retired professor and widower living in Canyon County, Idaho when he was told, by his doctor, that he probably would die within a couple of years, but that moving to a more temperate climate might extend his life. Henry researched locations and decided on Fairhope, AL versus Arizona. He gave away most of his possessions and set off for Fairhope against protests from his grown sons and his friends. Brewer discovered from Henry’s journals that, among the items he packed into the two valises he carried with him were “ a Russian language copy of Leo Tolstoy’s A Calendar of Wisdom and another thin volume of Tolstoy’s work, What Men Live By and What Shall it Profit a Man...... He also took a book of sonnets by Rainer Maria Rilke, 2 pairs of pants, 4 shirts, a set of suspenders, 4 handkerchiefs and 2 dark woolen vests, a large sweater knitted for him by his wife Molly, a small rug he had knitted for her, and a journal.” By the time Henry reached his destination, he had given away his boots, his hat and his coat. He was ready to begin the rest of his life.

Stuart lived in the round house, of his own design and construction, for nearly another 20 years. He named the house and surrounding property Tolstoy Park. Although he was called by some a “hermit,” “some kiney crazy old poet,” and a “sideshow,” according to the guest books he kept, he was visited by over 1,100 people, including multiple visits by Clarence Darrow.

Poet is most definitely an engaging and inspiring read. Sonny Brewer’s prose is like Henry Stuart’s life in Tolstoy Park – elegant in its simplicity.
Best selling author, Pat Conroy calls “The Poet of Tolstoy Park “...one of those unique and wonderful books that sings a hymn of praise to the philosophical and spiritual part of daily life.”

Pulitzer Prize winning author Rick Bragg says: “Sonny Brewer writes the way people think and talk, if, of course, those people are poets. The language in the novel is lovely where it needs to be and gristle-tough where it is called for...I loved this book because I love to read, and because I love to write, and I envy the skill in this as much as I loved the story that the writer’s skill embraces.”

Other books by Sonny Brewer include A Sound like Thunder, Cormac–The Tale of a Dog Gone Missing, and Brewer’s latest, The Widow and the Tree.

The reviewer, Attavia Facciolo has been a resident of Nassau County since 2002, when she and husband, Jim, came here from Jacksonville. Attavia worked in advertising as a media specialist for over 20 years. She was the Volunteer Coordinator for The Salvation Army-Northeast Florida from 1996 to 1999. From 2002 to 2008, she worked as a legal assistant at Hayden & Facciolo, P.A. She has been a director on the board of the Amelia Island Book Festival since 2007. As an advocate for education and literacy, Attavia volunteers as a tutor for Communities-in-Schools. She enjoys the many cultural and historical aspects of this community, and tries to participate whenever possible.

For information about the festival go to: http://www.ameliaisandbookfestival.com/
or contact Executive Director - Dickie Anderson at www. dickie.anderson@gmail.com

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Sleuthfest: Save the dates... February 26-28, 2010

Sleuthfest is the 3-day writing event put on by the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America. The 2010 conference is scheduled for February 26-28, 2010, at the Hilton Deerfield Beach/Boca Raton. Thursday February 25, 2010 is designated Third Degree Thursday. It's an optional workshop.

This year the Guests of Honor are David Morrell and Stephen J. Cannell. You can read about them here. They will be speaking at the conference. In addition, there will be speakers on many topics of interest to mystery writers as well as agents and editors.

For more information, visit their website at http://www.mwaflorida.org/sleuthfest.htm

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Attend the Book Signing: Sea Turtles A-Z: Loggy, Greeny, & Leather by Mara Uman Hixon during Candlelight Shopping

Candlelight Shopping
Saturday, December 19
At Giftique
919 East New Haven Avenue
Historic Downtown Melbourne
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm



Mara Uman Hixon will appear at The Giftique at 919 East New Haven Avenue in Historic Downtown Melbourne for a booksigning during Candlelight Shopping on December 19, 2009 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.

Hixon will sign copies of her newest book, Sea Turtles A-Z: Loggy, Greeny, & Leather and meet and talk with her readers. Sea Turtles A-Z : Loggy, Greeny & Leather is a charming book with a message. The warning in the book says, "Warning: This book may cause environmental awareness." It's true, you'll fall in love with Loggy Greeny and Leather and come away wanting to help perserve them and their environments. This is the perfect gift for readers of all ages.

Be sure to stop by between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm to say hello and to pick up a copy of Hixon's latest book.

See you there!

For more information about books by Mara Uman Hixon go to: http://www.seaturtlebook.com/

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Oceanview Publishing releases Dead Air by Linda Reid and Deborah Shilan


Oceanview Publishing is pleased to announce the release of Dead Air by Deborah Shlian and Linda Reid. Dead Air is now available wherever fine books are sold.

A timely and topical novel, Dead Air probes the controversial question of what happens when universities struggle to make ends meet and start developing partnerships with industry. Who’s left running the show?

An outspoken, brash, native New Yorker, Sammy Greene isn’t afraid to ruffle a few feathers at Ellsford, her ultra-conservative New England college. The host of The Hot Line, a talk-radio show on campus station WELL, Sammy tackles the toughest, most controversial issues facing Ellsford’s student body. When Sammy discovers the body of Dr. Burton Conrad, one of Ellsford’s most esteemed professors, her journalistic drive kicks in and she sets out to find answers to what happened to the beloved professor. But when several Ellsford students mysteriously disappear, Sammy realizes she’s uncovered the seamy, terrifying underbelly of this prestigious institute of higher education.

With the entire campus in peril and demons from her past close behind, Sammy Greene must race to find answers. Along the way, she’ll discover some unlikely allies—and even more unlikely enemies. If Sammy isn’t careful, someone is going to make sure that she signs off—for good.

TCM Reviews calls Dead Air “a chilling tale guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat.”

John Driver, Broadway playwright, director, and author of Hunger of the Beast, says Dead Air is “a medical thriller on steroids, an antibody for boredom, the Rx-read you've got to fill.”

We hope you will enjoy Dead Air. Please visit authors on the web at: www.sammygreene.com

As always, thank you so much for your support. Please stay tuned; we have more great books coming your way!

Oceanview Publishing
Bob & Pat Gussin, Susan Greger
www.oceanviewpub.com

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Kay Williamson wins Writers One Flight Up Contest

Congratulations to Kay Williamson from Brevard County. Writers One Flight Up has selected her as the winner of the Pulse Magazine contest. Her story will be in the next edition of the magazine. Watch for her story Bacon, Eggs, and Regrits when it is published.

http://www.partnersincrimepublishers.com/
http://www.writersoneflightup.com/

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Friday, December 11, 2009

Artists' and Writers' Crawl in Orlando

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Ameilia Island Book Festival

Book Festival Announces 2010 Keynote Speakers

The Amelia Island Book Festival announces the keynote speakers for its ninth annual event-filled weekend scheduled for Feb. 11-13, 2010.

Southern writers and best-selling authors Rick Bragg and Sonny Brewer are keynote speakers at the Writers’ Workshop, Friday, Feb. 12, while M J Rose and Jeff Shaara share the podium at the festival’s annual luncheon at the Atlantic Recreation Center on Saturday, Feb. 13.

In addition to Rose and Shaara, luncheon attendees will have the opportunity to share a table with other featured authors such as Janis Owens, who once again returns as a featured festival favorite.

Bragg, author of the best-selling novel All Over but the Shoutin’, won a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing while working for the New York Times. Bragg says he learned to tell stories by listening to the masters, the people of the foothills of the Appalachians. His Prince of Frogtown was named the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA) 2009 non-fiction book of the year.
Bragg received more than 50 writing awards during the past 20 years, including the prestigious American Society of Newspaper Editors Distinguished Writing Award twice. In 1992, he was awarded a Nieman Fellowship at Harvard University. (pictured here...Rick Bragg)
Brewer is a writer and editor and founder of the Over the Transom Bookstore in Fairhope, AL. His novels include The Poet of Tolstoy Park, A Sound Like Thunder, Cormac - The Tale of a Dog Gone Missing, and The Widow and the Tree.

MJ Rose is the international best-selling author of 10 novels, of which the latest is The Memorist. She is a founding member and board member of the International Thrillers Writers and the founder of the first marketing company for authors: Authorbuzz.com. Her novels include Lip Service, In Fidelity, Flesh Tones and The Reincarnationist.

Shaara, son of author Michael Shaara, was born in Brunswick, NJ and grew up in Tallahassee, FL. He wrote Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, the prequel and sequel to his father’s award-winning novel, The Killer Angels. Upon his father’s death, Shaara followed his in his footsteps by writing historical fiction and documenting the American wars. (pictured here... Michael Shaara)

Festival favorite Janis Owens wrote three novels set in West Florida: My Brother Michael, Myra Sims and The Schooling of Claybird Cats. Her latest writing endeavor is A Cracker Kitchen, a Cookbook in Celebration of Cornbread-fed, Down-home Family Stories and Cuisine, a memoir published by Scribner.

The festival is a nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization that promotes literacy among children and adults by showing that reading is fun and worthwhile and inspiring the appreciation of books. For information about the festival, refer to the web site at http://www.ameliaislandbookfestival.com/, or call Dickie Anderson at 904.556.6455.

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Space Coast Writers' Guild sponsors From Pen to Pixels

This writers' conference is scheduled for January 29 to 30, 2010 at the Holiday Inn Oceanfront in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Two full days of special workshops for all genres. Publishing tips from traditional to electronic e-books. Creative innovations for fiction and non-fiction, authors and aspiring authors, plus much more.

Author Davis Bunn and Debra Dixon. Publicity expert Bella Stander, Writer's Digest editor Jessica Strawser and many more. See http://www.scwg.org/ for more details.

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Florida Christian Writers Conference

The Florida Christian Writers Conference is scheduled for March 4th through 7th, 2010. It is the 23rd annual conference. It will be held at the Lake Yale Conference Center hear Leesburg, Florida.

The conference includes panels concentrating on fiction, non-fiction, children's writing, writing for magazines, agents and authors. The faculty of the conference is made up of freelance writers, agents, and editors. The emphasis of the conference is on mentoring and helping attendees with their manuscripts. Their website describes the event at designed to "be inspirational, instructive, and provide marketing opportunities for every level of writing skill, beginner through advanced."

For complete information, visit the conference website at http://www.flwriters.org/index.html

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Zora Neale Hurston Festival

What: The Zora Neale Hurston Festival includes museum exhibitions, workshops speakers, panel discussions and concerts. There is also a three-day Street Festival of the Arts, featuring literacy programs for children; performances by local, regional and national acts; juried art competitions; marketplace where visitors can purchase items from around the world, and an international food pavilion.

When: January 23 - 31, 2010

Where: Eatonville and throughout Orange County, Florida

Visit the website at http://www.zoranealehurstonfestival.com/index.html for more inforamtion about the schedule of events, tickets for certain portions of the event and formore detailed information about the many events surrounding this festival.

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Much Ado About Books Festival

The Jacksonville Public Library Foundation announces the 15th Annual Much Ado About Book Festival.

Upcoming Event, "Open a Book, Open Your World," to host workshops, panels and more.

Jacksonville, Florida (Dec. 2, 2009) - The Jacksonville Public Library Foundation will host its annual book festival, Much Ado About Books February 26-27, 2010. The events include a writer's workshop, breakfast with an author, panel discussions, Children's Chapter and keynote luncheon. Most events will take place at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville.

"It is with great pride that we are hosting this year's milestone event to benefit the Jacksonville Public Library," said Maggie Hightower, executive director of the Jacksonville Public Library Foundation. "Much Ado About Books is the cornerstone of our fundraising efforts and a meaningful contribution to Jacksonville's literary community."

The events launch on Friday, February 26 with a Writer's Workshop, sponsored by Winn-Dixie and hosted by guest authors Steve and Elizabeth Berry. Aspiring writers and those interested in learning more about the writing process will enjoy this intensive day-long workshop. The workshop is from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $100 in advance and seating is limited.

On Saturday, February 27, a private breakfast for 10 lucky guest will be hosted by a featured author. This event will take place at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel and tickets are $100 in advance.

Following the breakfast, the Much Ado About Books central event, the Book Festival, will be open to the public at the Main Library. The Book Festival highlights will include complimentary panel discussions with featured authors and a Children's Chapter, sponsored by Target. Children's Chapter events take place in the Children's Library and the Betsy Lovett Courtyard at the Main Library. Guests will meet children's authors and experience hands-on activities. The Children's Chapter will take place from 9 a.m. until noon.

The event will conclude with a spectacular keynote luncheon, sponsored by The Players Championship and featuring women's fiction author Mary Kay Andrews, who will entertain the audience with stories from her most recent book, Fixer Upper. Tickets to the luncheon are $50 in advance and $60 at the door.

Other featured authors throughout the weekend include Michael Crave, Michael Cavendish, Jacksonville natives Donna Deegan and Carla Harris, Kaylie Jones, William "Ron" Little, Tori Murden McClure, Katherine Hall Page, Andrew Gross, Michael Palmer, Chris Bohjalian, Carlla Cato and others.

Other event sponsors include WJCT, The Florida Times-Union and the Omni Jacksonville Hotel.
To purchase tickets or get more information about the schedule of events and guest authors, visit the event website at http://www.muchadoaboutbooks.com

Follow the event updates on Facebook and Twitter by visiting http://www.bit.ly/JaxBooks or http://www.twitter.com/jaxbooks

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Friday, December 4, 2009

Florida Writers' Foundation Auctions

Florida Writers Foundation has two 10-day auctions going on eBay (ending Dec. 13):

* OPEN AIRLINE TICKETS for 2; MANY VACATION Destinations
A trip for two to fly anywhere AirTran flies within the continental United States, San Juan Puerto Rico, or Montenegro Bay (including San Francisco, Las Vegas, Seattle, Dallas, New York, Portland . . . and many other exciting places)!

Win this auction and you and a friend will be charting your own course with AirTran Airlines!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320457908990

and

* GulfStream Racing Park and Casino: DAY AT THE RACES
at GolfStream Park, in Hallendale for up to twenty people

Presidential Suite Box seats during the 2010 Race Meet with $10 betting vouchers for slots and poker per person, and fine-dining dinner cruisine provided by Christine Lee's.

Have a group of co-workers, family, neighbors, or all of above get together for this event. Invite people as a gift or have them chip in. You decide. You have the fun! With this great starting price, you can have FIVE people attend for only $20 each! For more than a $2,000 value.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320457910206


Thank you,
Florida Writers Foundation
http://floridawritersfoundation.wordpress.com/

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Congratulations to the Cape Canaveral Branch of the National League of American Pen Women

The Cape Canaveral Branch of the National League of American Pen Women swept the awards at the Florida State Association 2009 Conference in Sarasota last weekend. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Cape Canaveral Branch, and this is a great way to celebrate.

Art:

Carmen Beecher - Award of Excellence for "The Graduate"

Music:

Melany Duquin Smith - First Place Music (Vocal) "Keep on Growing" AND she also won a Special Award: American Pen Women Scholarship for Continuing Education.

Letters:

Annette Clifford

- First Place (Short story) "The Children's Lesson"

- First Place (Unpublished Adult Fiction) "Menopause Rocks"

Elizabeth Fay Picardi - First Place Free Form Poetry "Stretching Curtains"

Mary Dall - First Place (Unpublished Young Adult) "Bob!"

Diana Etheridge - Second Place "Cook-n-Rhyme with Kids"

Anna Flowers - Second Place "Wanton Woman"

Newsletter - Only one award was given. It went to the Cape Canaveral Branch for an overall superior newsletter and the one that served its members best (Other branches asked for copies in hopes of improving theirs!). The judges especially liked the lively colorful format, Focus-On pieces and electronic delivery.

For membership information, contact Bev Huttinger at bevhutt@cfl.rr.com.

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Melissa and Pat Conroy Event - New Information

Conroy Event Moved to Saturday, Feb. 13

Amelia Island, Fla. (Nov. 23, 2009) – The Amelia Island Book Festival is pleased to announce that the scheduled Melissa and Pat Conroy event, A Night With Poppy, has been moved to Saturday night, February 13, 2010 at 7 p.m. and to a larger venue, the Old First Baptist Church in historic Fernandina Beach.

Tickets, at $50 each and limited to two per person, are available at the Visitor Center/Train Depot in downtown Fernandina Beach, Books Plus and the Golf Club of Amelia.

Tickets available by mail:
AIBF/Poppy's Pants
PO Box 824
Amelia Island, FL 32035

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Haiku for You by Nancy Clark


Nancy started writing in elementary school, where she had her first poem published in a school magazine. Her love of writing continued into her years in junior and high school, where she was on the school newspaper staff. She entered college with plans to major in journalism; as the story goes, things change. She married her high school sweetheart, and for the next 20 years they moved from the U.S. to Europe and back again. When her husband retired from the military, they settled in Palm Bay, Florida.

After many years away from writing, Nancy has written her first book. As well as being her initial book, it is her first attempt at the fine art of Japanese Haiku. The photos in the book are those she has captured on vacations with her husband over the past few years.

You can order Haiku For You by following the following link: PublishAmerica to secure your copy of the book, then click Add to Cart. We typically ship within 24 hours. If you would rather call, please contact PublishAmerica at (301) 695 1707 (business days, hours only).

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Saturday, November 21, 2009

Writing the Novel: A seminar with Connie May Fowler

Writing Below Sea Level
presents

WRITING THE NOVEL
Writing Below Sea Level is presenting a one-day seminar, Writing the Novel, with the acclaimed author Connie May Fowler on January 30, 2010, in Summer Haven, Florida.

Seminar Highlights

How to Begin Your Novel

How to Develop Characters. Plot, Arc, and Conflict

Point of View

Your Novel is Written: Now What?

The Business of Writing

~~
Work in the house that inspired Connie May Fowler’s The Problem with Murmur Lee
~~

The seminar is limited to twenty participants. Admission is on a first-come basis.

Tuition (includes the one-day seminar and lunch):

$150 before or by December 10, 2009
$160 after December 10, 2009

Deadline: December 15, 2009

Email your reservation to mail@writingbelowsealevel.com

Tuition must be received by the above dates. Mail checks (payable to Below Sea Level) to Writing Below Sea Level, PO Box 98, Panacea, Florida, 32346

For more information, including lodging options, please contact mail@writingbelowsealevel.com

“If writing is a gift, then Connie May Fowler must have been bestowed with the gift of ten muses.”—Amy Tan

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Writing Below Sea Level: The Cedar Key Project, Winter 2010

Writing Below Sea Level:

Full Immersion Workshops for
Serious Writers

Announces
THE CEDAR KEY PROJECT
Winter 2010

Two Exclusive, Three-day, Workshop-Intensive Writing Conferences with Connie May Fowler (fiction) and Zilpha Underwood (creative non-fiction)

When: February 25--28, 2010 and March 25—28, 2010
Each manuscript-intensive workshop is limited to six people and will be held in beautiful, historic Cedar Key, Florida.

Conference Details

Tuition: $500.
Admission: by application only.
February applicants will be notified as to the status of their application by January 12, 2010.
March applicants will be notified by February 2010.
Conference Application
Your application must include:

1. An original manuscript no longer than twenty pages (see manuscript guidelines below).
2. A $40 application/processing fee made out to Below Sea Level. Past participants need
to apply again. If you attended the workshop in 2009, the application fee is waived.

3. A single sheet containing the following information:
-- Your full name.
-- Your E-mail address.
-- Your phone number.
-- The best time of day to call.
-- What workshop you are applying for (you must choose one):
----*Fiction workshop with Connie May Fowler
----*Creative non-fiction workshop with Zilpha Underwood.
-- Indicate which conference you are applying for:
----*February 25—28, 2010
----*March 25—28, 2010
----*Either (note your preference)
----*Both
4. Mail your application packet—postmarked no later than January 5, 2010—to

Writing Below Sea Level
PO Box 98
Panacea, Florida 32346

Manuscript Guidelines:

1. You may submit up to twenty pages of fiction or creative non-fiction. Please indicate which genre you are applying for (the manuscript should be written in the genre of the workshop you wish to attend).

2. The material should be unpublished works in progress.

3. Manuscripts must be double-spaced, with one-inch margins, rendered in 12-point Times Roman font.

4. Each page must be numbered and your name should appear on each page.

5. Please do not print double-sided pages.

6. If your manuscript submission is part of a longer work, please indicate this. A one page
(rendered in manuscript style) synopsis is acceptable for such submissions.

They are unable to return submitted manuscripts. Application packets must be postmarked by January 5, 2010. If accepted, you may submit for the workshop critique material other than your application manuscript.

More 2010 dates announce soon. Please visit http://www.writingbelowsealevel.com/ for more details.

"Below Sea Level was the most transformative event of my creative writing career. The manuscripts were simply amazing, as were the women who wrote them. I feel certain I developed friendships and relationships that will last a very long time. The faculty offered advice and encouragement both personal and professional, and made sure each one of us left the workshop with a clear plan of how to move forward with our writing careers. I returned home happily exhausted, but with a renewed commitment to myself and my future, and with high hopes of continuing to work with such talented, extraordinary women." Tricia Booker, 2008 St. Augustine Project Participant

“I can say sincerely: Cedar Key wasn't just valuable for my writing. It was fun!” Geri Throne, 2009 Cedar Key Project Participant

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Thursday, November 19, 2009

Woman Artist Changed History of Florida: Read about it in a book by Deborah C Pollack


Did you know it was a woman artist who changed the history of Florida? Laura Woodward (1834-1926), was a professional artist--one of merely a handful of female members in the Hudson River School.

Woodward came to Florida in the 1880s and from ca. 1888-1896 became one of the most extensively traveled artists in the state. She braved the alligator, panther and bear-infused jungles to depict Florida’s natural landscape in beautiful watercolors and oils. Woodward painted the Ocklawaha, Tomoka, Indian, St. Lucie, Banana, Withlacoochee and many other rivers. She was the one of the first professional women artists to paint in Miami and the Everglades and the inspiration to Henry Morrison Flagler in his development of the most magnificent resort in the world—Palm Beach.

Having been brought up in the Victorian tradition of modesty, she remained publicly silent about her accomplishments and it is only now that the breadth of her importance is finally known—as Florida’s greatest nineteenth-century woman artist and one of its greatest publicists.

Book Details:

Title: Laura Woodward: The Artist Behind the Innovator Who Developed Palm Beach

Author: Deborah C. Pollack

Published: with the Historical Society of Palm Beach County by Blue Heron Press

Price: $39.99
Length: 264 pages
Photos: 83 color, 118 B/W
Maps: 6
Format: Hard Cover
Size: 11 1/4 x 8 3/4 inches
ISBN: 0-9778399-1-5

For more information please visit www.laurawoodwardartist.com/woodwardbook.html

Available in Florida at the Gift Shop of the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum, Classic Bookshop, Main St. News, Lightner Museum Store, Jupiter Inlet Museum Shop, Museum of Florida History, Past Perfect Florida History, Inc., Henry Morrison Flagler Museum Store, Historical Museum of Southern Florida, and other shops as well as online.

“An engrossing and beautiful book” --Florida Monthly Magazine

Author biography:

Bestselling author, lecturer, and art dealer, Deborah C. Pollack began fine-art dealing as a hobby at the age of sixteen and graduated with honors from Temple University with a B.A. in Art History in 1973.

In 1981, Deborah married and merged her fine art business with husband Edward Pollack in New York. They eventually left their New York location in 1995 to establish a permanent home and gallery in Palm Beach, Florida.

Deborah is the author of Inspired Whimsy: The Genius of Orville Bulman (1904-1978), the best-selling monograph, Orville Bulman: An Enchanted Life and Fantastic Legacy; and the best-selling biography, art and history book, Laura Woodward: The Artist Behind the Innovator Who Developed Palm Beach.

Magazine articles include the March 2010 issue of Antiques and Art Around Florida, THE Challenge magazine, a forthcoming Tequesta, and others.

She has curated and hung art exhibitions at the Society of Four Arts and the Delray Beach Historical Society, and has presented various art lectures throughout Florida and in the Midwest. Deborah will be presenting Laura Woodward: The Artist Behind the Innovator Who Developed Palm Beach at several venues including the Museum of Florida History in conjunction with their Voices of Florida Women Exhibition.

To contact the author: Deborah C. Pollack

205 Worth Avenue, Suite 202
Palm Beach, FL 33480; 561-655-1425; dcpollack@bellsouth.net

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Music Made Simple - The BabyStep Method


Mikayla Morin, a second grader along with her brother, Alex Morin a kindergartner, both students at Indialantic Elementary School in Brevard County, are conducting several book signings for their newly released book Music Made Simple-The BabyStepMethod www.wbc.fit.edu/bbsteps at Florida Institute of Technology and local libraries in Brevard County, in the hopes of generating enough funds. The sales of the book will to be used to purchase keyboards and books for children with life threatening illness that are hospitalized during the Christmas holiday season.

Last year the duo and their parents, gave 20 keyboards and 20 DVDs with hand-written notes to twenty children in Arnold Palmer Hospital oncology department. This holiday season they will give to Arnold Palmer again and also to Florida Hospital. The Morins objective is to add one hospital each year.

Jade Smith of the Child Life Program at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando said of their endeavor, "The gifts you brought for us will provide lots of enjoyment for the hospitalized children but more importantly, it helps them know there are people who care about them. This sense of caring and comfort gives them encouragement throughout their stay at the hospital. Giving something to help others is a rewarding thing to do. You should feel good about your good deed."

The book will be sold at all the Florida Tech home games and at the following book signings:

at 6:00pm on Dec. 10th at Martin Luther King Library; 955 East University Blvd.; Melbourne, Fkriuda 32905

and at 1:00pm on Dec 12th at the Melbourne Beach Library.

For more information, go to http://www.wbc.fit.edu/bbsteps

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Monday, November 16, 2009

News from The Scribblers of Brevard

The Scribblers of Brevard are having a Presentation of
Their 2009 Anthology, The "Driftwood."

When: December 3rd, 2009
Where: 'Patrick Paperbacks' Book Shop
1680 Highway A1A # 3
Satellite Beach, Fl. 32937 (321) 777 0170
Time: 12:00 noon - 2:00 PM

Meet some of the writers and hear their readings. Discussions about writing and creativity. Invitation to visit EauGallie Meetings.
Contact: veridian@cfl.rr.com or (321) 259 4131 for Information.

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Saturday, November 14, 2009

Thanks to the Amelia Island Book Festival

Florida Book News thanks the Amelia Island Book Festival for placing an ad. You'll find it in the column at the right. Please click on it and read all about the festival.

The festival is scheduled for February and has many talented authors and interesting activities planned.

Thanks for your support.

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Writers' Workshop with Yvonne Mason

On November 17, 2009, Yvonne Mason is holding a writers' workshop at the Jupiter Library at 705 Military Tr Jupiter Fl. from 6:30 pm-8:30pm

She will be discussing writing and marketing skills in the 21st Century. She will have handouts for the workshop and her books will also be available. Mason is the author of Brilliant Insanity, Tangled Minds, and Silent Scream as well as others.

It will be a great evening. As of right now there are over 20 signed up including one 13 year old whose mother insisted he attend the workshop.

The event is free and open to the public.

For more information about the event, contact the library at 561-744-2301

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“Art for Books II” Celebrates Children’s Literacy Programs

Prize-winning Titusville area artists will join the Friends of the Titusville Library and the Dick-Doc Duo on Sunday, December 6, 2009 to raise money for the Friends’ children’s literacy programs. “Art for Books II” will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Titusville Public Library, 2121 S.Hopkins Avenue in Titusville. The indoor event is free to Friends of Titusville Public Library ($5 memberships will be available at the door, and earlier at Titusville Public Library). Refreshments will be served.

Award-winning local artists will display their work while guests enjoy elegant desserts and live music by violinist Marshall Frank and pianist Jay Barnhart. Artwork will be available for sale in all price ranges, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the children’s literacy programs at the Library.

The Dick-Doc Duo is a highly entertaining collaboration between Frank, a homicide detective, and Barnhart, a medical examiner. The two transitioned together in retirement from murder in Miami to music in Brevard County. Their eclectic repertoire includes gypsy, tango, Broadway, movie themes, ethnic and classical music.

“Our children’s programs are even more important as parents struggle in this economy,” says Library Director Pamela Boddy. “The Friends of the Library make it possible to continue to offer high-quality reading programs for our children at no charge.”

Long-time FOTL board member Sara Ann Conkling is thrilled that the first “Art for Books” event was so successful that the community immediately requested a repeat for the holiday season. “Hundreds of people enjoyed our last event and were able to bring home some beautiful, affordable art, while helping our children continue to improve their reading skills,” reports Conkling. “This year’s event will be even more special as we add the panache of the Dick-Doc duo, and a silent auction of high-quality donations from our participating artists.” Conkling is chairing the event with Joe Dunn, FOTL Vice-President who is himself a Titusville artist.


For more information, call the Titusville Public Library at 321-264-5026 and ask for the Library Director.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Amelia Island Book Festival - Jeff Shaara


Amelia Island Book Festival - Author Focus
February 11-14 – 2010

Festival Focus
A series of reviews of books to be featured at the Amelia Island Book Festival – 2010. Reviewers represent a broad spectrum of community readers and writers. Author Jeff Shaara will be a featured author at the Festival, Feb. 11-14, 2010.

The Steel Wave by Jeff Shaara
Reviewed by Cal Atwood

Jeff Shaara is a name to be reckoned with. Readers probably came across him early on when his first book, Gods and Generals, arrived on the scene as a major motion picture—released by Warner Brothers in 1995.

Shaara comes by his literary legacy honestly. His father, Michael Shaara, won a Pulitzer Prize in 1975 for his classic novel The Killer Angels, which became the motion picture Gettysburg in 1993. Readers may have seen Shaara’s fine baseball story, starring Kevin Costner, For Love of The Game.
So, it seems like we are always looking for another good book to read. If you like action locked into a history background, you might just want to light up your reading lamp and dive into a book by Jeff Shaara. He has written some mighty sturdy books about the Revolutionary War, the Mexican War, Civil War and World Wars I and II. I have read most of his works and found them always to be a sterling read.

The Steel Wave, of Shaara’s three books on World War II, begins with a commando raid in January 1944 to get sand and soil samples from the Normandy beaches. Later, we zoom into preparations for the invasion, the invasion in June, and continue on in battle form to the death of Rommel in September, 1944. Freighted with action, this novel centers around the parachute drops of the Airborne Divisions, the 81st and the 101st, behind enemy lines at Normandy. The reader is mesmerized by the terrible terrain of the landing zones and the extreme hardships of the drops. Dozens of vicious and deadly skirmishes take place against the formidable German troops within a few miles and in St. Mere Eglise. If anyone thinks they might want to wear the wings and boots of a parachutist, it would be a good idea to read this book first---the glamour disappears in a flash.

The terrain behind the lines is extremely dangerous as is Shaara’s voyage into the minds of some of the troopers on the ground: Adams, Thorne, Scofield, and Unger. Even more dangerously, we also visit the minds of combat leaders as they make pivotal decisions. For example: Gavin, Ridgway, Rommel, Patton, Eisenhower. Shaara is challenged to get in the minds of those in combat, difficult if not impossible to do.

Shaara obviously did the voluminous research and possesses the skill and power to present his characters in eminently believable form.

The reviewer, Cal Atwood, lives on Amelia Island with his wife Carol Ann. As a marine serving in WW II, he landed on Iwo Jima. He is active in the Marine Corp League. He was president of both the North Carolina Poetry Society and the Georgia State Poetry Society and currently serves on the board of the Amelia Island Museum of History. Atwood enjoyed a distinguished career as an educator and influenced many with his own life experience.

For more information about the Amelia Island Book Festival visit: http://www.ameliaislandbookfestival.com/


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Patricia Marlett Releases Second Novel

COCOA, FL – Mystery and romance abound in local author Patricia Marlett’s latest book, Passionate Promises, a novel about two sisters whose only living relative is dead and has left a surprising legacy to the twin girls. As Sabrina comes to terms with the sudden unexplainable death of her beloved Aunt Millie – and shocking revelations about her aunt’s life – she feels no choice but to take a brief sabbatical from her fast-paced career as a photojournalist, allowing her to experience something she's never felt before: loneliness.

Ben, a local bachelor, would like to fill this place in her heart, but can Sabrina juggle her career and a relationship? To top it all off, Sabrina is plagued by a soft voice whispering messages in her ear and feels the presence of someone nearby, always with her. And then the dreams begin. These unusual experiences are daunting to Sabrina, but she remains determined to uncover the meaning held within the legacy. Marlett reveals who is trying to get Sabrina’s attention and why in this compelling novel.

Published by Tate Publishing and Enterprises, the book is available at any bookstore nationwide or can be ordered through the publisher at http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore, or by visiting http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, http://www.amazon.com/, or http://www.target.com/.

The book is also available as an audio book. It is an eLIVE title, meaning each book contains a code redeemable for a free audio version from http://www.tatepublishing.com/.

The Florida native is retired from a professional career in medical management and currently resides in Cocoa, Florida. She is also the author of The Talking Tee Shirt. To contact the author directly, you can reach her by email at patricia@patriciamarlett.com or visit her website at http://www.patriciamarlett.com/.
November 14, 2009
Georgetown, Texas

Patricia Marlett will be in Georgetown Texas on November 14 for two book signings. she will be signing copies of The Talking Tee Shirt, Young Reader Novel, at
Hill Country Book Festival
“Unleash the Magic”
402 West Eighth Street
Georgetown, Texas 78626
November 14, 2009 9:00 - 4:00 pm

and later that day, she will sign copies of
Passionate Promises, Adult Fiction Novel at
Hill Country Bookstore
719 South Main Street
Georgetown, Texas 78626
November 14, 2009 4:00 - 6:00 pm

For more information, please contact Terry Cordingley, Marketing Representative, at (888) 361-9473 or send an email to terry@tatepublishing.com.

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Monday, November 9, 2009

Mysterious Woman on the Train by Kay Williamson


ADC abilities surge to forefront in new novel
Experienced author shares entertaining murder-mystery
Wisconsin college professor David Martin never knew he had the ability to communicate with those that had passed over. But in the Mysterious Woman on the Train (published by iUniverse) his psychic ability on board a train, on the anniversary of a murder, propels him into the mystery solving world.

Author Kay Williamson’s personal experiences, including those with her father after he passed over as well as interviews with friends and acquaintances weave the Mysterious Woman on the Train into a novel where psychic abilities play a key role in leading Martin and his mother, Kathleen, to the murder of Rosalind La Page.

“I believe this book will appeal to any murder mystery aficionado, and it will have extra appeal to readers who are interested in ADCs (after death communication) and psychic phenomenon,” Williamson said. “After I finished my novel, I read a book in which over 353 men, women, and children had shared their ADCs with the authors. I felt this book helped to authenticate the experiences that my friends had shared with me and my own experiences as well.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kay Williamson, a former elementary teacher, has had numerous romantic suspense and murder mystery novel published including: Ghostly Whispers, Time after Time, Bridge to Nowhere, Listen to the Heart and Murder at the Starlight Pavilion. A playwright and published songwriter, she wrote and successfully produced a romantic, musical comedy, "What’s Going on at the Mansion?" in Iron Mountain, Michigan where she and her husband, Don, spend their summers.
Residents of Florida, they display their watercolor paintings in juried shows during the winter months. A second marriage for both, they have seven grandchildren.
Visit http://www.kaywilliamson.com/ to see more of Kay's books.

May be ordered from http://www.amazon.com/, or your local book store.

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Sunday, November 8, 2009

Thanks to the Book Xchg

A group of writers from the Space Coast Writers' Guild has been meeting at the Book Xchg on Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village on the first Saturday of the month for quite a while.

Sadly, the Book Xchg will soon be closing . They are in the process of a final sale -- all books $1.00.

It's a sad sign of the times when we lose these friendly neighborhood bookstores. Today, I want to thank the Book Xchg for their wonderful support of writers, for allowing us to meet there, for showing our books so prominently and for befriending all of us. We will miss you.

Thanks for everything.

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Saturday, November 7, 2009

Pat Conroy and Melissa Conroy at the Amelia Island Book Festival


Amelia Island Book Festival Announces Father/Daughter Book Event –
Pat and Melissa Conroy – A Night With Poppy

Amelia Island, Fla. (Nov. 7, 2009) – The Amelia Island Book Festival has announced a special appearance by best-selling author Pat Conroy for Friday, February 12, 2010. Conroy will appear with his daughter Melissa Conroy, author of Poppy’s Pants at 7 PM in Historic Fernandina Beach. A Night With Poppy will offer readings by the two authors followed by a book signing. A private reception will be held at a home in the historic district for Book Festival Sponsors and Donor Friends.

Conroy’s has gained fame with his novels, Lords of Discipline, Prince of Tides, Beach Music and The Great Santini. His most recent book, South of Broad, is enjoying great success.
Melissa Conroy began sewing at an early age and displaying her talent with a needle by repairing torn pants belonging to her father, Pat. She went on to develop the WoOberry line of dolls. Each doll had a story to tell. Sought after by publisher, Blue Apple, Melissa said that the concept of writing and illustrating a book was a natural and exciting progression. As a result, “Poppy’s Pants” was born. A series of books is planned.

Joining Pat and Melissa Conroy at the 2010 Amelia Island Book Festival are Pat’s wife novelist Cassandra King and close friend and novelist Janis Owens, who will be participating in the Friday Writers’ Workshop and a breakfast event Saturday morning.

Tickets for “A Night With Poppy” will be $75. Tickets will be available to Sponsors and Platinum and above level Friends of the Festival. Remaining tickets will be determined by a drawing to be held January 1, 2010. Drawing requests should be made to Poppy’s Pants, Amelia Island Book Festival, PO Box 824, Amelia Island, FL 32035 or to info@ameliaislandbookfestival.com. Requests must be accompanied by name, address and e-mail.


Lila, her mother Melissa Conroy and her grandfather Pat Conroy

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Boca Raton Writer Deborah Shlian Wins Prestigious RPLA Awards

Florida Writer Deborah Shlian wins Prestigious RPLA Awards, Announced at Statewide Florida Writers Association Conference

The Florida Writers Association (FWA) has announced that Deborah Shlian of Boca Raton, Florida, won two prestigious Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLAs). Dr. Shlian’s winning entries, Rabbit in the Moon and "Second Chance" both won First Place awards for Published Thriller (the novel was co-written with her husband, Joel Shlian) and Published Short Story, respectively.

FWA is a statewide nonprofit trade association with some 1,000 members. Ms. Bridgman’s award was announced at the awards ceremony at FWA’s recent three-day annual conference in Orlando, Florida. The conference attracted nearly 300 member-attendees and offered a mix of workshops and opportunities to network with a faculty of agents, acquisition editors, publishers, and industry professionals from across the United States. The ceremony was the conference’s crowning event.

Other RPLA winners included Chris Roerden’s educational/information book, Don’t Sabatage Your Submission, and Erwin Wunderlich’s historical novel, Salvos on the Backwater, tied for 2009 Published Book of the Year.

This competition was RPLA’s eighth, and to date it is the largest. Some 236 entries were submitted for 23 categories of writing, including book-length nonfiction (six genres), short nonfiction (two genres), poetry, book-length fiction (twelve genres) and short fiction (two genres). Awards were given separately for published and unpublished works.

“RPLA is special.” said Chrissy Jackson, FWA’s vice president. “Like all writing competitions, it recognizes excellence, but this competition also provides comprehensive, constructive feedback to all entrants. I don’t know of any other competition that guarantees that at least three judges will read and thoroughly comment on all entries.”

This year, RPLA had 64 active judges, the largest number in its history. Each read an average of 12 submissions, for a total of 776 rubrics completed. The judges are current or retired teachers, librarians, professional editors, college professors, published authors, former RPLA winners, journalists, and leaders of writing and reading groups. A good percentage have advanced degrees. Most are Floridians, but others hail from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York. All entries were blind.

“The judging was first-rate,” said Chris Coward, RPLA’s 2009 chairperson. “Collectively, the judges donated thousands of hours of time to this competition, and because they’re anonymous, they got absolutely no public recognition for it. They truly live the FWA motto, ‘Writers Helping Writers’.”

The Florida Writers Association, 1,000 members strong and growing, is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization that supports the state’s established and emerging writers. Membership is open to the public, and membership forms are posted on FWA’s website, http://www.floridawriters.net/.

The Royal Palm Literary Awards 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.

For additional information about FWA, visit the FWA website: http://www.floridawriters.net/. For a list of 2009 RPLA winners, complete with submission summaries and author biographies, visit http://www.floridawriters.net/uploads/Awards_WWE_posting.pdf.

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Building Trusting Relationships

Over the past two years, Marc O’Brien, a former South Florida Hunter/Jumper Association member and New Jersey Monmouth County Park System Special Person To Ride program student, has completed an interesting horseback riding novel that should be a must read for junior riders and an informative trip down memory lane for equestrians everywhere.

Special Person To Ride is a unique story that takes the concept of therapeutic horse back riding, mixes it with extracurricular activity ingredients to create a childhood relationship recipe that evolves into a communication dish that is very healthy to taste.

“Like riding, horse education can evolve through communication in a way that may not be in a text book,” said the author who spent nearly a decade and a half learning basic English horsemanship and represented the Garden State twice in National Competition. “This novelette allows the reader to understand what goes into understanding trusting friendships.”
As the tail spins Leprechaun 6 Equestrian Members Katie, Michelle and CC are handed a challenge from their horse trainer Mr. Hawthorne ‘to teach a special person to ride’.

“The three equestrian friends Katie, Michelle and CC only know Jason Michael Bates from school and the girl’s best friends, the horses, provide the setting for everybody to get to know each other,” said the disabled gold medalist who parlayed the experience into an opportunity to attend Barry University in Miami Shores, Florida and graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts.

For other readers, that may include students and health care professionals, the simple social saga can provide a thoughtful message that may include remembering the importance of interaction between others in a relaxing situation.

“I really hope the book will allow college students, parents and health care professionals to reflect and interpret the story in varying ways in order to understand that life is just a book filled with conflicts while the climaxes are the ending until another episode begins,” said O’Brien whose equestrian life started with a leader and two side walkers then saw the final chapter played out on the South Florida Hunter/Jumper Association circuit while attending college. “Just as a good piece of art should evoke questions and thoughts, Special Person To Ride allows the reader to understand how to deal with simple sensitive scenes like riding a horse that can be very challenging for some students and easy for others.”

Books can be ordered @ www.bluenotepublishing.com or @ http://www.marcobrienauthor.com/.

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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

“Cracks in the Sidewalk” Royal Palm Literary Award Winner


Florida Writers Association names
Cracks in the Sidewalk
Royal Palm Literary Award Winner
The Florida Writers Association (FWA) announced that Bette Lee Crosby of Port Saint Lucie, Florida, won the prestigious Royal Palm Literary Award for her novel, Cracks in the Sidewalk, in the category of Published Women’s Fiction.

Crosby’s award was announced at the FWA conference in Orlando, Florida. According to Chrissy Jackson, FWA’s vice president, “This competition was the largest the association has hosted to date. We had 236 entries and 64 active judges, many of whom are authors or professionals in fields of journalism and education.”

Cracks in the Sidewalk is Crosby’s second novel and follows on the heels of Girl Child which won the First Place Award for Published Fiction at the 2007 National League of American Pen Women Florida Biennial.

Crosby’s award-winning novels are based on female characters who are easy to like; women who have big hearts and strong backbones, women who have the reader rooting for them from word one. Claire McDermott, the storyteller in Cracks in the Sidewalk is just such a woman. In this touching story about a grandmother’s search for her missing grandchildren, Crosby delves into the dark secrets and painful experiences that exist in many family relationships. “Sometimes,” she says, “A loss destroys a family, sometimes it destroys a person, and sometimes it leads a person to discover the truth of what being a family really means.”

To say Cracks in the Sidewalk is inspirational is tantamount to calling Mount Everest a hill. The ending will leave you with a tear in your eye and an overwhelming amount of joy in your heart. It will most certainly have you scurrying off to hug your children as you remind yourself how fortunate you are to have them, despite sibling arguments, bad report cards and endless loads of laundry. According to Crosby, the novel is based on a true story that happened to a friend of hers, but as she explains, “everything an author writes, is colored by their own experiences and observations.”

Readers can visit Crosby’s website at http://www.betteleecrosby.com/ to learn more about the books she writes or read an excerpt from either of these award-winning books.

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David W. Stewart launches his novel: Psychic Redemption, Spiritual Quest for Truth


About Psychic Redemption
Psychic Redemption absorbs the reader in suspense as a sixteen-year-old girl, Julie Gustafson, returns from the dead to find the baby she never saw. It is a novel, riveting and intimate, capturing the possibility that a restless spirit could possess a human soul to complete its journey.
Psychic Redemption opens when Bonnie McConnell suffers an unexplained seizure. After diagnosis, a psychiatrist and a hypnotist confirm that the seizure resulted from the invasion of Bonnie's soul by Julie's spirit. The search for Julie's baby leads Bonnie into escapades with a dangerous gang, The Swamp Rattlers, and the gang's leader, Cody Wilkins.
When the search concludes, Julie's quest is complete but Bonnie's life changes forever. Psychic Redemption is a gripping novel about spiritual fulfillment, child's innocence and a mother's love.

About the Author
David W. Stewart is a Florida author, resident since 1941. He based the character Julie on his daughter who was murdered in 1979. Stewart began writing in 1967 and has received several awards. The American Biographical Institute included him among leaders of world influence for the new millennium.
You can order Psychic Redemption through Ingram's Books in Print Database, directly from the publisher at http://www.trafford.com/ or through the book order hotline at 888-232-4444.

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Monday, November 2, 2009

Nominations Sought For Lifetime Literary Achievement

Gov. Charlie Crist in March 2010 will present the first Florida Lifetime Literary Achievement Award to honor a living, nationally and internationally known Florida author. The annual award will recognize a distinguished body of work that has had major influence on the lives and thinking of Florida residents.

January 4, 2010 is the deadline for nominations, which may be made by publishers, agents, book sellers, or colleagues knowledgeable about the author’s accomplishments and influence. The author’s work can be academic, fiction, or nonfiction – or any combination of the three. Self-nominations will not be accepted. The honoree must be a writer living in Florida; residency will be determined by Florida driver’s license, voter address, and/or IRS filing.

“This award will honor authors who have dedicated their lives to telling Florida’s stories and inspiring readers throughout our world,” Crist said. “Florida’s beautiful landscape and diverse cultural influences create a rich environment that has inspired a wide variety of writers.”

The Florida Humanities Council will oversee the nomination process and convene a panel of judges who will recommend the award winner to the Governor. For details and a nomination form, visit the FHC website, www.flahum.org.

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Sunday, November 1, 2009

Local Writers Win Prestigious RPLA Award, Announced at Statewide Florida Writers Association Conference.

The Florida Writers Association (FWA) has announced that four local writers won prestigious Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA). Martha Powers’ Conspiracy of Silence won Second Place for Published Thriller. Shara Pendragon Smock’s winning entry, Is This My Baby? won Second Place for Unpublished Essay. Kathryn Taromina’s The Legend of the Yule Log won Second Place for Unpublished Children’s Book. John White’s Prodigious Savant won First Place for Mainstream (unpublished) and an honorable mention for Talonfire for Unpublished Flash Fiction.

In addition, Karen Lieb earned the Vice President’s Award “In recognition of her commitment, boundless energy, and endless enthusiasm for FWA, With love and appreciation, Chrissy Jackson, Vice President, Florida Writers Association.” FWA is a statewide nonprofit trade association with some 1,000 members. The awards earned by the Melbourne writers were announced at the awards ceremony at FWA’s recent three-day annual conference in Orlando, Florida. The conference attracted nearly 300 member-attendees and offered a mix of workshops and opportunities to network with a faculty of agents, acquisition editors, publishers, and industry professionals from across the United States. The ceremony was the conference’s crowning event.

Other RPLA winners included FWA’s Northeast Florida Regional Director, Victor DiGenti, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, whose mystery, Matanzas Bay, won the award for Unpublished Book of the Year. This was the first year this award was made, and literary agent Elizabeth Trupin-Pulli of JET Literary Associates, a faculty member at the conference, has already expressed an interest in the book.

Chris Roerden’s educational/information book, Don’t Sabotage Your Submission, and Erwin Wunderlich’s historical novel, Salvos on the Backwater, tied for 2009 Published Book of the Year.

This competition was RPLA’s eighth, and to date it is the largest. Some 236 entries were submitted for 23 categories of writing, including book-length nonfiction (six genres), short nonfiction (two genres), poetry, book-length fiction (twelve genres) and short fiction (two genres). Awards were given separately for published and unpublished works.

“RPLA is special.” said Chrissy Jackson, FWA’s vice president. “Like all writing competitions, it recognizes excellence, but this competition also provides comprehensive, constructive feedback to all entrants. I don’t know of any other competition that guarantees that at least three judges will read and thoroughly comment on all entries.”

This year, RPLA had 64 active judges, the largest number in its history. Each read an average of 12 submissions, for a total of 776 rubrics completed. The judges are current or retired teachers, librarians, professional editors, college professors, published authors, former RPLA winners, journalists, and leaders of writing and reading groups. A good percentage have advanced degrees. Most are Floridians, but others hail from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York. All entries were blind with judges not knowing names of the writers.
“The judging was first-rate,” said Chris Coward, RPLA’s 2009 chairperson. “Collectively, the judges donated thousands of hours of time to this competition, and because they’re anonymous, they got absolutely no public recognition for it. They truly live the FWA motto, ‘Writers Helping Writers’.”

The Florida Writers Association, 1,000 members strong and growing, is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) organization that supports the state’s established and emerging writers. Membership is open to the public, and membership forms are posted on FWA’s website, www.floridawriters.net.
The Royal Palm Literary Awards 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.

For additional information about FWA, visit the FWA website: www.floridawriters.net. For a list of 2009 RPLA winners, complete with submission summaries and author biographies, visit http://www.floridawriters.net/uploads/Awards_WWE_posting.pdf

The next local meeting open to the public is Wednesday, Nov. 18, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the West Melbourne Library.

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NaNoWriMo Has Started

Here's to all of you who have taken the plunge and are writing a novel in 30 days. Whether you have a plot all planned out or are just going to wing it, Florida Book News wishes you luck and speedy words in your endeavor. Feel free to tell us how you are doing by leaving a comment on this post.

If you don't know what I'm talking about, visit the site and learn of the hundred thousand of us attempting to write a 50,000 word novel in the month of November.

Good luck to all.....

"She Knew, Finally" by Cindy Michaud is available at Art and Antique Studio


The first printing of Cindy Michaud’s book “She Knew, Finally” was a sell out! The painting project that turned into a book has a special appeal to “women of a certain age” and everyone was stocking up for birthdays and Christmas at the Opening held on October 2. Friends and fans will be happy to know that the $12.00 book has been re-printed and is now available at the Art & Antiques Studio located at 1419 Highland Avenue in downtown Eau Gallie.

Meanwhile Cindy is off to do “book chats” in Williamsburg and Washington, D.C. as well as a special appearance at “Books & Crannies” a bookstore in Middleburg, VA. Contact Cindy at inquiry@cindymichaud.com if you know of a place you would like to have her discuss the project.

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Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Launch of Wyatt's Revenge by H. Terrell Griffin coming soon


Award-winning Florida novelist H. Terrell (Terry) Griffin will celebrate the release of his latest mystery, Wyatt’s Revenge, at The Muse Bookshop (112 South Woodland Boulevard; Deland; Phone: 386-734-0278) on December 4, 2009 from 6:00 until 9:00 pm. The public is invited to attend.

The latest in Griffin’s acclaimed Matt Royal mystery series, Wyatt’s Revenge (Oceanview Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-933515-53-3, Hardcover, Mystery, $24.95, Release date: November 16, 2009) is a hard-hitting, action-packed tale about good versus evil, justice versus revenge, murder, and redemption.

On balance, retired trial lawyer turned beach bum Matt Royal is a pretty laid-back fellow. But when Laurence Wyatt, one of Matt’s best friends, is murdered, Matt trades in his easy-going ways for a hard-hitting quest for revenge. Matt knows the Longboat Key police will do their job investigating, but for Matt, finding Wyatt’s killer isn’t a job; it’s personal.

Determined to do whatever it takes to solve Wyatt’s murder, Matt takes matters into his own hands and embarks on a clandestine investigation. Soon, Matt finds himself in hot pursuit of a cadre of remorseless criminals and trained killers. But the tables turn and Matt becomes the pursued. Faced with mounting danger, Matt calls for backup from his buddies Jock Algren and Logan Hamilton.
Matt Royal would go to the ends of the earth to exact revenge for Wyatt’s murder, but will he go outside the law? Expect the unexpected in this wild and dangerous ride from Longboat Key, Florida, to Frankfurt, Germany, because hell hath no fury like Matt Royal scorned.

Susan Greger, Publisher at Oceanview commented, “We are thrilled to announce the upcoming release of Wyatt’s Revenge by H. Terrell Griffin. Wyatt’s Revenge has it all—non-stop action, a winning plot, and the irresistible Matt Royal.”

Award-winning novelist H. Terrell Griffin is a board-certified trial lawyer who practiced in Orlando for thirty-eight years. He and his wife, Jean, divide their time between Longboat Key, Florida, and Maitland, Florida. Griffin is also the author of Blood Island, Murder Key, and Longboat Blues. Blood Island was named an award-winning finalist in the 2008 National Best Books Awards, Fiction & Literature: Mystery/Suspense category.

Wyatt’s Revenge will be available wherever fine books are sold on November 16, 2009. Oceanview Publishing (http://www.oceanviewpub.com) is an independent publisher headquartered in Massachusetts. Oceanview is a proud member of the International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America. For more information, please contact Maryglenn McCombs by phone (615-297-9875) or by email (maryglenn@maryglenn.com).
For a complete list of book signings and appearances, go to: http://hterrellgriffin.com/about/appearances.html

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Saturday, October 24, 2009

Miami Book Fair International 2009

Are you going? It's one of the largest book fairs in the country. The Miami Book Fair International is scheduled for November 8 through 15, 2009, with the Street Fair portion from November 13 - 15....

The website ... http://www.miamibookfair.com ... has complete information including lodging info and a fairgoer's guide. With such big names as Ray Blount, Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oats and Wally Lamb listed as confirmed authors of the couple hunder authors on this list, you may want to plan a trip to southern Florida for the event.

If you go, have a great time.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Pulse Contest 2010

January Issue #14

Attention prose and poetry writers. Writers One Flight Up is sponsoring a new contest. Winner will be selected by Writers One Flight Up and published in Pulse, the Magazine of Mount Dora, Eustis and Tavares.

Prose limited to a maximum of 650 words. Poetry not more than 50 lines.

We seek original creative short, short stories and poetry based on the prompt. Entries that do not relate to the prompt will not be read. The prompt for the contest is: “Bacon, Eggs and Re-grits.”

All entries must be electronic. Send to infow1fu@writersoneflightup.com. Do not put your name on your entry. Your name should appear only on your title page/cover sheet. The Title Page should also include your contact information (Name, email and phone number(s). Entries must be typed in 12 point Times New Roman or Arial and submitted as a word document.

Individuals are limited to a maximum of three entries. Each entry must be sent separately via email.

Contest deadline is midnight, Sunday, December 6th. The winner will be notified on Wednesday, December 9th. The winning selection will be published in the Winter Issue (Issue #14) of Pulse, due out mid-January.

Pulse is a slick, four-color, advertiser supported magazine published quarterly with a circulation in excess of 4,000 copies.

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Saturday, October 17, 2009

NANOWRIMO -- Are you in this year?

Two weeks until National Novel Writing Month... NANOWRIMO. In case you don't know what that is, listen up. For the last two years (for me-- longer for others) I have accepted the challenge and written a 50,000-word novel during the month of November.

It is truly an exercise it forward movement. No time for revision or even correction. For the month, you just put one word after another.... You win by reaching 50,000 words in 30 days.

There are thousands of people (over 100,000) writing each year. Come join us...

If you want to learn more about it go to http://www.nanowrimo.org/.

If you are a participant and want to send in your statistics as you go along, feel free to email them to me at Lou@LouBelcher.com and I'll be glad to post them. Be sure to tell me how you want your name included (okay to use a pen name if you want) and tell me your current word count. I'll update the list as often as necessary.
Lets all cheer for each other in the comments section of the post....

For now, get going on thinking up a great plot, but don't start writing until 12:01a.m. on 11/1/09.
See you there....

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Sandy Lender, Choices Meant for Kings


About the book: There's no doubt: Chariss is in danger. Her geasa is hampered by the effects of a friend's marriage. The dashing Nigel Taiman hides something from her, yet demands she stay at his family's estate where he and her wizard guardian intend to keep her safe. But the sorcerer Lord Drake and Julette the Betrayer know she's there, and their monstrous army marches that way.

When prophecies stack up to threaten an arrogant deity, Chariss must choose between the dragon that courts her and the ostracized kings of the Southlands for help. Evil stalks her at every turn and madness creeps over the goddess who guides her. Can an orphan-turned -Protector resist the dark side of her heritage? Or will she sacrifice all to keep her god-charge safe?

Choices Meant for Kings is available in hardcover and as a Kindle book at http://www.amazon.comf/ if you don't make it to the signing.

Other news from Sandy Lender: There's a new fantasy magazine out in print these days. The inaugural issue of Winter's Night is now available for ordering at http://www.lulu.com/wintersnight. Florida Fantasy Author Sandy Lender was selected to be included with the paranormal/fantasy short story "A Legacy Protected."

Winter's Night is going to be published at least once a year, possibly twice. Folks can get information about submitting short stories from Richard Bray, the editor. You need to be a member of the FantasyWriting critique group on Yahoo Groups, which is free to join and a nice community of writers helping each other hone their craft.

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Book Festival Partners with Florida State College at Jacksonville for Writers’ Workshop

The Amelia Island Book Festival and Florida State College at Jacksonville Writers’ Workshop is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 12, 2010 at the Betty Cook Center, Yulee. Tickets are now available for the workshop, which includes writer sessions, hands-on workshops, and a panel discussion on “Putting the South in Southern Writing.”

Authors headlining the workshop sessions include: Rick Bragg, Sonny Brewer, Cassandra King, Janis Owens and Jeff Shaara, as well as many more authors, local writers, professors and industry professionals.

The cost for the workshop and lunch is $90 for sign up by Dec. 15. After this date, the cost increases to $95. Florida State College at Jacksonville and area high school students are free but they must pre-register.

Registration information is on the web site: www.ameliaislandbookfestival.com
Make checks payable to: Amelia Island Book Festival , PO Box 824, Amelia Island, FL 32035.

Writers’ Workshop Schedule
8 a.m. — Coffee and registration
9 a.m. — Workshops begin
Two sessions in the morning offer a variety of hands-on workshops.

Lunch — Keynote speakers:
Sonny Brewer, Poet of Tolstoy Park
Rick Bragg, Pulitzer Prize winning author of All Over But the Shoutin’

Two sessions are scheduled for after lunch, offering a wide variety of presenters and topics.

3 p.m. — Panel — Best-Selling Authors: Putting the South in Southern Writing,
Cassandra King, Janis Owens, Sonny Brewer and Rick Bragg

The festival is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that promotes literacy among children and adults by showing that reading is fun and worthwhile and inspiring the appreciation of books. For information about the festival, refer to the web site at www.ameliaislandbookfestival.com, or call Dickie Anderson at 904.556.6455.

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Book Festival and Micah’s Place Partner for Savory Southern Breakfast Event

The Amelia Island Book Festival has added a breakfast event to its annual book festival and will partner with Micah’s Place, Nassau County’s only certified domestic violence center. Two popular novelists, Janis Owens and Cassandra King, will be the featured speakers at the 8 a.m. February 13, 2010 breakfast event at the Fernandina Women’s Club.

“This February’s Festival has an incredible selection of best-selling authors. Cassandra King and Janis Owens are best friends and dedicated to women’s issues, what better marriage then to partner with Micah’s Place”, said Dickie Anderson, festival executive director.

Micah’s Place Auxiliary has produced a cookbook, Savory Place, Culinary Favorites of Amelia Island that will be available for sale in late November. The cookbook will help generate revenue to support the many programs Micah’s Place offers. Marie Smith, president of Micah’s Place Auxiliary, said, “What a perfect event to sell our cookbook and bring our supporters together to enjoy a good old fashioned southern breakfast, raise money for our shelter and listen to two inspiring authors.”

Breakfast tickets are $30 each and are available at The Purple Dove, Books Plus and the Golf Club of Amelia. For cookbook or breakfast ticket information go to www.asavoryplace.com.

The Amelia Island Book Festival, scheduled for February 12 – 14, 2010, will offer a full schedule of events, including a Writers’ Workshop, Authors In Schools Program, Friday night concert, a free all-day Readers’ Festival and its popular Lunch With Authors. For more information go to www.Ameliaislandbookfestival.com.

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Midnight Harvest: Living in the Moment of Love by Frank Hajcak, PhD and Tricia Garwood, MS

Midnight Harvest: Living in the Moment of Love is an insider’s view of two hearts preserving the intensity of love in a lifelong relationship by courting the soul along with the heart. Inspired by Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning, the authors began exchanging simple love notes when they met, which evolved into poetic dialogues. As marital therapists, Frank and Tricia have been using them as a template to inspire couples to pursue soul mate commitment.

The authors explained that, “Courting the soul as well as the heart pushes the boundaries of emotional love into the metaphysical/spiritual realm. Love becomes driven by the desire to love more, opening the door to living in a moment of love that remains untarnished by events and undiminished by time.”

In a culture where divorce and affairs are commonplace Midnight Harvest: Living in the Moment of Love is a timely must read.

One advance endorsement said, "The authors remind us of the impact poetry like that of Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning can have on a world hungry for lifelong romantic love."

Frank and Tricia’s first book on intimate relationships was the main selection of the Psychology Today, the Behavioral Science and the Psychiatric and Social Science Book Clubs, featured in GLAMOUR magazine and has been translated into French, Polish and Estonian.

Tricia and Frank have many publications in art and photography and have also written three other books including a children’s environmental picture book which Tricia illustrated. Their photos and art work highlight many of the verses.

Their book can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com

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Saturday, October 10, 2009

Congratulations to Jennifer Swanson

I just received word that Jennifer Swanson's new book Penny and rio: The Locked Doghouse Mystery won a Mon's Choice Award for excellence in family friendly media. You can see the link at http://momschoiceawards.com/celebrate09.php#JL1

For more information and to see the book brailer, visit her website at http://www.pennyandrio.com/

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News from the Space Coast Writers' Guild

1. The registration form for the January Conference is now available online at www.scwg.org. You can copy the registration page and mail it back to us. You get a discount if you pay your 2010 dues at the time of registration.

2. There are still openings for volunteers. If you want to volunteer to work for 4 hours (can be divided into 2 shifts) at the conference, you name will be entered in a drawing to win a Netbook computer. (If you win the Netbook and don't want it, I'll bet there are plenty of takers!)

3. Don't forget our fiction writers' workshop, next Saturday Oct 17, 9 am at the West Melbourne Library. The regular monthly meeting is also that day at 1 pm.

4. Finally, congratulations to Stephen Blythe on the publication of his first book, and to Melanie Rotenberg, who has just received a contract for her first book.


Joyce Henderson

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Thursday, October 8, 2009

Oceanview Publishing releases The Test by Patricia Gussin




Oceanview Publishing announces the forthcoming release of The Test by Patricia Gussin. The Test will be available wherever fine books are sold on October 5, 2009.

Gussin, nominee for the Thriller Award for “Best First Novel,” and author of such acclaimed books as Shadow of Death and Twisted Justice, delivers a rich and suspenseful saga about the complexity of family relationships, the corrupting power of wealth, and the danger of good intentions in The Test.

In The Test (Oceanview Publishing, ISBN: 978-1-933515-19-9, Hardcover, Suspense, $24.95) Gussin, whom the Lansing State Journal says “skillfully handles a complex plot with amazing dexterity,” introduces the Parnell family, an incredibly complicated, fabulously wealthy, and extraordinarily dysfunctional family.

Patriarch Paul Parnell, a renowned philanthropist and billionaire, had reached the pinnacle of monetary success, but not without cost. As he faced the end of his life, Paul took time to reflect on his triumphs, his perceived failures, and wondered: had he put too much emphasis on work, and spent too little time with his family?

Determined to leave something far more valuable than money to his six children, Paul left behind a most unusual last will and testament. This unorthodox will, which stipulated that the lion’s share of Paul’s two billion dollar estate be divided among the heirs who pass “the test,” was Paul’s last hope of creating a lasting legacy. Paul Parnell had only the best of intentions—inspiring his children to give back to society and embrace a code of moral values—but could his good intentions mean the worst of consequences for his beloved family?

The six children—Rory, Frank, Dan, Monica, Carla, and Ashley—have only one year to make a difference. But what a difference one year will make. As the story unfolds, these six siblings will be tested in every way imaginable. When lives unravel, and a dangerous outsider threatens to fracture this fragile family, what was meant to bring them together may only succeed in tearing them apart. With a vast fortune at stake, evil in their midst, and time running out, they’ll be forced to face their personal demons, and the incredibly evil influence that could claim one of their own. In the end, this test may be much more than a matter of pass or fail. This test could be a matter of life—or death.

Susan Greger, Publisher at Oceanview, commented, “We are thrilled to announce the release of Patricia Gussin’s third novel, The Test. A seamless, sensational, and suspenseful story about family, value, and choices, The Test is an exquisite tale of one family fractured by the very thing meant to bring them together.”

Board-certified in Family Medicine, Patricia Gussin practiced medicine and has directed medical research in her role as worldwide vice president for a leading healthcare company. She is the author of Shadow of Death, which was nominated for “Best First Novel” in the Thriller Awards, sponsored by the International Thriller Writers, and Twisted Justice. She and her husband Bob Gussin divide their time between Longboat Key, Florida, East Hampton, New York, and their vineyards in New Zealand.

Oceanview Publishing (www.oceanviewpub.com) is an independent press headquartered in Ipswich, Massachusetts. For more information, please contact Maryglenn McCombs – (615) 297-9875, or maryglenn@maryglenn.com


Patricia Gussin, M.D. was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She attended medical school in Detroit after which she did an internship and pediatric residency at Tampa General Hospital. Board Certified in Family Medicine, Pat, known to colleagues as Dr. Patricia Stewart, has practiced medicine and has directed medical research in her role as worldwide vice president for a leading healthcare company.

A graduate of Aquinas College, she received a M.D. degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine and an MBA from Columbia University. Pat’s former academic affiliations include the University of the Sciences of Philadelphia as Chairman of the Board of Trustees; University of Pennsylvania Dental School, where she was a member of the Board of Overseers and an Associate Trustee of the University; and membership on advisory committees of several universities. She has an Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from Duquesne University. She also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Sarnoff Corporation in Princeton, N.J.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Pat is a member of the American Academy of Family Medicine, and a former member of the American Pain Society, Past President of the Drug Information Association, and a former officer of the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Pat is also the author of Shadow of Death and Twisted Justice. Shadow of Death was nominated for Best First Novel in the International Thriller Writers “Thriller” awards.

One of six children, Pat has seven children and sixteen grandchildren. Pat and her husband, Dr. Robert Gussin, a renowned medical researcher, divide their time between Longboat Key, Florida, East Hampton, New York, and their vineyards in New Zealand.

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Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Rose Padrick to speak at Book Xchg on November 7, 2009


Rose Padrick a contributor of a letter to The Art of Grandparenting will speak at the Book Xchg on Novembe 7, 2009. The public is welcome. (Judy Mammay also contributed to The Art of Grandparenting.)

Padrick was born in New York City and raised in Merritt Island, a childhood of having one foot in the big city and one running free in pre-air-conditioned Florida affords her a unique perspective. She also draws on her experiences as a mother and a grandmother as inspiration for her column ‘Rose’s Room’. In a Florida Today newspaper readers' survey it was voted as one of two most popular columns in the entire newspaper. After a successful three-year run in the communities section of Florida Today newspaper ‘Roses Room’ is now running in the Boca Raton newspaper and Brevard County Woman magazine. ‘Rose’s Corner’ column ran for a year in Seniors Today magazine, and she writes weekly threads for Brevard County Moms website.

She has also had short stories published in Senior Life monthly magazine, The Best Of Times monthly magazine, Camping Today monthly magazine, Literary Liftoff – the official magazine of the Space Coast Writers Guild, Coastal Angler monthly magazine, Quiltworks monthly magazine, and her second appearance in Woman’s World Magazine was a two-page spread with pictures in the November 13, 2007 issue, with several short stories to come out soon.

Her yet-to-be published children’s book has been running as a monthly chapter feature in the Pet Gazette magazine since 2004, and previously ran as a weekly cliffhanger in the Deland Beacon newspaper. She hopes to change ‘Sparky’s Adventures’ status from ‘yet-to-be published’ to ‘recently published’ soon. Her ‘Open Letter to New Grandparents’ was a contribution to the newly published The Art of Grandparenting (Nightengale Publications). Padrick's short-short story is included in the upcoming collection of short stories attentively titled 'Wisdom from experience' by Miles To Go Productions.

"Shaving time from my 40 hour a week job and busy weekends to write isn’t easy," she says, "but my love of storytelling keeps me at the computer till the wee hours. Rewarding myself with a ‘Grammy fix’- grabbing a hug or a walk on the beach with one or more of my 15 grandchildren – keeps me in stories…and in smiles."

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Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Amelia Island Book Festival - 2010

Festival Focus
A series of reviews of books to be featured at the Amelia Island Book Festival – 2010. Reviewers represent a broad spectrum of community readers and writers.. M.J. Rose, author of The Memorist, will be a keynote speaker at the Book Festival luncheon, Feb. 13, 2010.


The Memorist by M.J. Rose
Reviewed by Joani Selement
International best-selling author M.J. Rose is attractive, articulate, and an expert on reincarnation, the jumping-off point of her attention-getting, two-part series, The Reincarnationist and The Memorist. Fox Network has bought a pilot one-hour drama based on The Reincarnationist, raising the expectation that reincarnation may soon go mainstream.
Or is belief in reincarnation already mainstream? Ms. Rose heads many chapters of The Memorist with explanatory quotes from serious thinkers such as Count Leo Tolstoy, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jack London, and Socrates, as well as The Kabbalah. Each quotation states that in one way or another the soul survives death to live again and again in different times, in different forms, behind different faces, but always trailing the unresolved problems of the past as the soul strives to “develop all the perfections.” [from The Kabbalah].

Still, no one needs to believe in the possibility of memories bubbling up from past lives to enjoy Rose’s The Memorist. Simply close your eyes and recall being young and in love, dancing to the romantic strains of “Stars Fell on Alabama”. Or hum the theme to the 1975 movie “Jaws” and let the tingles climb up your spine all these years later. Remember how music evokes memories in all of us, suspend your skepticism for a time, and pick up The Memorist ‘s riveting tale of Meer Logan, who lives with a sketchy, haunting melody that inconveniently -- and without warning -- plunges her into the intimate thoughts and happenings of a life [or two] that she’s lived centuries before.

Early in the book, Meer is presented with two pieces of paper: a drawing of a wooden box, one she drew from memory as a child, and a page from a current auction catalog showing the identical box and identifying it as one owned by a friend of Ludwig van Beethoven. Is there any way she could have known about the box as a child? What connection could it possibly have to her? Did she or did she not actually live as Margaux Neidermier in 1814, meet the musician Beethoven, and become the link to an ancient, lost flute inscribed with a melody that could open up past lives to those who hear it?

Steve Berry promises, in a cover blurb, that The Memorist is a “riveting and suspenseful” mystery. The Washington Post calls Rose “an unusually skillful storyteller,” adding, “Her polished prose and intricate plot will grip even the most skeptical reader.” Rose uses short chapters, shifting time frames, and multiple sets of characters to move from present day Vienna to Vienna in 1814, then back to ancient Egypt. Like all good tales of ancient-secret codes, M.J. Rose’s The Memorist provokes reflection.

The reviewer, Joani Selement, is one of the founders of the Amelia Island Book Festival and an adjunct professor at Florida State College, Nassau Campus.

For information about the book festival:
or contact Executive Director - Dickie Anderson at
dickie.anderson@gmail.com

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Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Dr. Stephen Blythe’s book “Uninsured in America” is published!

Patients without insurance pay up to ten times the insurance rate for health care, asserts Dr. Blythe in this new book. His local hospital charges $332 for an EKG for which insurance companies pay $30. A CT scan can cost an uninsured patient $3,000 at the hospital – but if they know where to go, they can get the same scan for $450. Some specialists charge $420 for a new-patient consultation, whereas Medicare pays no more than $180 for the same visit. Doctor’s visits, lab tests, prescription medications, and x-rays all cost the uninsured far more than insurance pays for the same services.

In this informal book Dr. Blythe shares examples from his practice of how uninsured patients are ripped off by our health care system – often without even knowing it. He shares the advice he offers his patients about how to get lower-cost services and how to negotiate fair prices. He shares tips on finding the rate that Medicare pays for medical services. His theory is that since few insurance companies pay more than 20% above this, physicians, hospitals, and other providers should be more than happy to accept Medicare plus 20% in cash or by credit card. After all, for the cash patient they don’t have to pay anyone to do billing and collections, there are no billing disputes later on, and they don’t have to wait months for payment.

Dr. Blythe was the Democratic candidate for congress in his district in 2008. “I proposed an “Uninsured Americans Protection Act” which would guarantee that no patient in the ER or hospital could be charged more than 20% above Medicare for the same services, and that all providers would need to make available to the public their cash charges for services and the Medicare fee accepted for the same service” says Blythe. “This would at least put the uninsured on a level playing field and help prevent medical bankruptcies”.

Although his book will also be valuable to those with high deductible plans, Dr. Blythe says he is hopeful that his book will not be needed by anyone in a future when all Americans have health coverage.

Uninsured in America is available at Outskirts Press website, and can also be purchased through Barnes and Noble or Amazon.com.

To contact the author, send an e-mail through the website http://www.uninsuredinamerica.org/
ISBN: 978-1-4327-4379-6

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Saturday, September 26, 2009

New Sponsor Ads

Florida Book News has two new Sponsor Ads this week. One is from Art Atkins. He wrote The Oasis. Thanks to Art for supporting Florida book news. Click on his ad and read about his book and about him.

The other is from Jennifer Swanson. She writes the Penny and Rio Mystery Series. Thanks so much for your support of Florida Book News, Jennifer. Please click on her ad and read about these wonderful books for children.

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They're Back... Cross the Atlantic Summary

Bob and Ralph Brown have returned from their voyage. For those of you who followed their progress on this blog or on theirs, Ralph has sent a summary of their voyage across the Atlantic in a flats boad. Enjoy the commentary. Click here to read it:
crosstheatlanticsummary.pdf

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Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Quick Note... from Lou

All my favorites seem to be launching books within days of each other. I haven't read them yet, but I'm a fan of these authors. So, we're about to play, If you liked...


Here goes:

  • If you liked... The Da Vinci Code, you might like... The Lost Symbol. It came out 9/15/09. With it came a hefty promise, "All will be revealed." Some of you have had time to read it by now. What did you think?
  • If you liked The Time Traveler's Wife, you might like... Her Fearful Symmetry. Six years ago, The Time Traveler's Wife was Audrey Niffenegger's first novel. After I read it, I gave it to everyone. I have high hopes of doing the same with this new novel. (Release: 9/29/09).
  • If you liked The World According to Garp, you might like The Last Night in Twisted River. John Irving's intriguing plotting never disappoints. I am waiting anxiously for this one. (Release: 10/27/09)

    Happy reading to all of us and leave comments on what you think.

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Saturday, September 19, 2009

ArtWorks of Eau Gallie 2009

Florida Book News extends its appreciation to ArtWorks of Eau Gallie 2009 for the sponsor ad they placed this week. Click on their ad and read all about this wonderful art festival. Mark the dates on your calendar and plan to attend.

ArtWorks is scheduled for November 21 and 22 in the Eau Gallie Arts District on Highland Avenue. It's a wonderful show where artists demonstrate their art throughout the festival.

Thanks to the committee of ArtWorks for supporting Florida Book News.

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Thanks to Carol Jose for adding a Sponsor Ad to Florida Book News

Thanks goes out to Carol Jose for her sponsor ad on Florida Book News. It is linked to information about her book You Are Not Forgotten.

Florida Book News appreciates the support.

Click on her ad to learn more about her book and her writing. Thanks to Carol for helping support out efforts.

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Thursday, September 17, 2009

Beyond Salvation by Darcia Helle


A teenage runaway disappears from the streets. The only people who care, or even notice, are her two best friends who are also runaways. For reasons of their own, they can't go to the police for help.

They seek out Michael Sykora, a software designer by day and hit man by night. Known on the streets as The Ghost, Michael has a reputation for taking on the twisted criminals. Rapists. Child molesters. He has never been hired to find the lost. Until now.

Michael teams up with ex-prostitute Nicki and full-time hit man Sean. Together they bend the rules of the justice system in order to find a young girl few people care about. In the process, they uncover a world where salvation comes with a price tag and God's words are used to incite fear in a congregation of believers.

Beyond Salvation is the sequel to Darcía Helle's earlier novel, No Justice. This story follows Michael Sykora as he once again seeks to destroy the bad guys. While Beyond Salvation is a sequel, it can easily be read on its own.

*****
About the author: Darcía Helle lives in the Tampa Bay area with her husband, younger son, and four very spoiled animals. Her books are available in paperback, as well as in Kindle format, on http://www.amazon.com/. You can also find her books, along with contests, her blog, and her
monthly newsletter - Guilty As Charged - on her website: http://www.quietfurybooks.com/.

Visit soon. The characters await you.

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Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Author Profile - Anne Bonner

Bonner is a fifth generation Floridian, born and raised in Brevard County. Realizing that children were not learning Florida history, especially the Civil War in Florida, she set out to write books that were entertaining and interesting, while providing a learning experience for middle school students. She succeeded and is on her fourth book.

The Civil War books were to be a trilogy. However, Sue Ella now has a following and Anne decided to write the fourth book in order to answer questions that the children kept asking about the heroine. Therefore, Shattered Dreams at Pine Haven has just been published to add to the trio.

Anne has been awarded the Jefferson Davis Gold Medal from the United Daughters of the Confederacy for her Southern history programs presented in schools and has also been recognized by the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution for Outstanding Achievement in Historic Preservation. The first two books of the Civil War trilogy have received "Most Outstanding Published Book Award," and she hopes the third book will also be recognized by the UDC. Anne is an award-winning essayist and poet, her chapbook of poetry, BACK HOME IN FLORIDA, was released in 2004.

Secrets at Pine Haven, Civil War Comes to Florida is a story of Sue Ella, aged 12-14 who lived on an estate outside of Jacksonville when the city was occupied four times by Union forces. She received her first kiss, taught slave children to read and write, and unwittingly became a Confederate spy. The book is full of unforgettable characters, Southern traditions and is action packed with raccoons, gators, wild turkeys, and a dragon.

Intrigue at Pine Haven, Civil War in Florida tells of Florida's two big battles: The Battle of Olustee, near Lake City at Ocean Pond, and the Battle of Natural Bridge, near Tallahassee. They were both Confederate victories. J.J. Dickison,
Florida's Swamp Fox was the only one to sink a Federal warship off the coast of Florida.

Sue Ella is 16-17 years old in Intrigue at Pine Haven, Civil War in Florida. In this book she was nearly kidnapped, someone wanted to kill her, deaths of family members left her emotionally drained, and Pine Haven's taxes became outrageous. Sue Ella celebrated her 17th birthday and decided her life's partner.

Beyond Pine Haven, After the Civil War is about Sue Ella at 18 when she traveled to New York City and experienced not only culture shock but a kidnapping, a storm at sea and a snubbing at home. This is a heartwarming story dealing with the aftermath of a horrible war and a young maiden's heartache.


Anne's new release in the series is Shattered Dreams at Pine Haven. In it, Sue Ella is 19. In the story, there's a wedding, a ghost encounter at St. Augustine, a hurricane, tornado, yellow jack fever, and a gigantic disaster at sea. This one's a thriller.

Meet Anne at the Brevard Author Book Fair on March 7, 2009, and take a look at all her wonderful books. It's at the Central Brevard Library, 308 Forrest Ave, Cocoa, Fl.from 1:00 to 4:00. Meet her and see all her wonderful books.

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Partners in Crime added a Sponsor Ad

Thanks so much to Partners in Crime and Jody Rehman for adding a Sponsor Ad to Florida Book News. Your support of Florida Book News is greatly appreciated.

Click on the Partners in Crime ad in the column to the right to see that it's all about. Partners in Crime Publishers is a niche publishing company specializing in one-on-relationships with authors. Partners in Crime Publishers belong to Independent Book Publishers Association and Florida Publishers Association.

Thanks again to Partners in Crime for their support of Florida Book News.

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Monday, September 14, 2009

Scribbler's of Brevard: Writer's Group Open to All

The Scribbler's Of Brevard, Area Writer's Group, has openings for those wanting to network and wishing to be published in their yearly anthology Driftwood.

The next meeting: Saturday September 26th, 2009

Time: 9:30 AM- Refreshments
10:00 AM- Meeting
11:30 AM- Meeting over

Library: EauGallie Public Library; Pineapple Ave.; Melbourne, Florida

For information, contact: President- I. Jean Pastula PhD,
email: Veridian@cfl.rr.com or phone (321) 259-4131

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Saturday, September 12, 2009

The Art of Grandparenting -- Grandparent's Day is Sunday 9/13/09

Celebrate Grandparent's Day today (9/13/09) with a book about the art of grandparenting. Give a copy of this new book to new grandparents help celebrate the day.
Rose Padrick and Judy Mammay writers from Brevard county have 'letters' to new grandparents published in The ART of Grandparenting, which is being released in time for Grandparent's Day on September 13, 2009.

Here is the information about the book...

Grandparenting is a tough job for new grandparents. It is an awe-inspiring experience and in many ways baffling. The ART of Grandparenting (ISBN978-1-933449-79-1 $19.95) is an anthology of witty, wise and wonder-filled stories by professional writers from all over the USA and as far away as Israel. Insight abounds in these stories and are re-capped in short lists of advice in the Tips & Tricks after each essay.

New grandparents will find helpful, humor-filled guidance in this book, due to release in time for Grandparent's Day 2009 on September 13, 2009. Go to http://www.nightengalepress.com/ and enter the New and Forthcoming Titles section of the STORE to order yours.

The book's website is
http://www.grandparentingbook.com/ Visit it to find out more about the book as well as other information of interest to grandparents. As a social and video networking site, this will be a place for grandparents to gather to talk about their role in the lives of their families, share their own tips and tricks, brag about their grandkids, enter photo contests, and much more. Of course, the book will be for sale at http://www.grandparentingbook.com/ , http://www.nightengalepress.com/ , http://www.amazon.com/ , http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ , and the websites of all the contributing authors.
Happy Grandparent's Day to all.

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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Festival Focus: Jack Riggs Featured Author at Amelia Island Book Festival


A series of reviews of books to be featured at the Amelia Island Book Festival – 2010. Reviewers represent a broad spectrum of community readers and writers. Author Jack Riggs will be a featured author at the Festival, Feb. 11-14, 2010.

WHEN THE FINCH RISES By Jack Riggs
Reviewed by Anne Entriken

Jack Riggs’ debut novel of two struggling young boys coming of age in a small mill town in North Carolina is cleverly woven like the finest of threads among world events in the pivotal year of 1968. That year was one that changed our culture forever. Since Riggs grew up during that time of political assassinations, civil rights, and the Viet Nam war, it was the perfect backdrop for his first effort.

It is the tale of twelve-year-old Raybert Williams and his best friend Palmer Conroy who cling to each other in the closest of friendships, as blood brothers, while living in their parents’ real world existence on the edge of poverty, mental illness and complete dysfunction.

The boys dream and plan a permanent escape to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in a 1965 Pontiac Catalina convertible belonging to Palmer’s deceased father, and all the while, Palmer’s short legs barely even reach the pedals. Their heroes are GI Joe, The Lone Ranger, and especially Evel Knievel when they witness the famous jump over 20 buses that he successfully made and some of us remember well.

Through real, raw emotion and growing momentum, Riggs spins a tale filled with young sensibilities, redemption, grace, salvation, and the absolute assuredness that anything is possible.

Riggs, who teaches at Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta and who was named Georgia Author of the Year – Fiction 2009 for his second novel, Fireman’s Wife, developed an interest in writing detailed character development and began by writing short stories for literary publications. It became apparent those stories could be part of a much larger work. Parts of those original stories are brilliantly used to enrich the novel itself. In the case of When The Finch Rises, Riggs brought the boys to life and allowed them to live their story as only he could tell it.

“Refreshingly different…Clear-eyed and fair…Riggs pulls everything together with honesty and grace, the fate of each character seeming both unexpected and inevitable.”
---The Charlotte Observer

“Riggs conjures up the mysteries of a mill town summer, vividly depicting the lights and shadows of ordinary events and horrors…deeply satisfying portrait of a troubled family.”
---The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Readers will be taken with narrator Raybert’s vivid and poignant recollection of and reflection on his childhood, and appreciative of the choices Riggs made in bringing it to life.”
---Richmond Times Dispatch

The reviewer, Anne Entriken, is active in island book clubs, Micah's Place Auxiliary and is an avid reader as well as writer. A long-time Amelia Island resident, Entriken grew up Virginia where she attended high school and college. She worked for the Smithsonian Institution, US Office of Education and Department of Agriculture and as a corporate wife has lived all over the country. She and her husband Sam have two children and three grandchildren.

For more inforamtion about the Amelia Island Book Festival: www.ameliaislandbookfestival.com
or contact Executive Director - Dickie Anderson at
www. dickie.anderson@gmail.com

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Charlie L. Simms -- New Book -- Official Launch on September 20

Charlie L. Simms is the author of two (2) books of poetry and is currently living in Orlando, Florida.

His first book, Secrets Of Love And Lore and other scarytales, was published in 2005.

His new book, Sometimes I Believe In You and more scarytales, was published in 2009. (new)

This poet has had the privilege of participating in the 8th Annual Poetry Super Highway Great Poetry Exchange in 2009 with his 1st book "Secrets Of Love And Lore and other scarytales".

The poem, "Soldier No More", was selected as an entrant in the War Poetry Contest in
2009 and is now included in the new book, " Sometimes I Believe In You and more scarytales".

The author also has been accepted as a member of the "World Poet and Writers Registry" in 2009.

These books may be reviewed and purchased online at: www.scarytales13.com .

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Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Carol Ann Didier launches Navajo Night


Carol Ann Didier belongs to the romance Writers of America and has been writing for ten years. She has serve as both secretary and vice president of her local chapter of RWA.

Apache Warrior was her debut novel in April 2008, published for Kensington's Zebra line. Navajo Night will be out in September 2009 and promises to be another romance filled with carefully researched historical facts and the culture and beliefs of the Navajo Indians.

Carol Ann has bee publishes in Charisma and Literary Lift-Off magazines. She also writes inspirational vignettes, verses for greeting cards, and stories for her grandchildren. she makes her home on the east coast of Florida.

Navajo Night

Can a Navajo Holy Man with a crippled heart heal a white woman with a crippled foot?

Notah Begay loses his young wife while performing a healing sing for her, for a stomach ailment he cannot name. He is forever haunted by his failure and has sworn never to love that deeply again. At least, not until he meets the gentle JoAnna, and his vow flies away on her lilting laughter and sweet smile.

JoAnna is captivated by the Holy Man's devotion to his twins and his tribe. She feels someone as perfect as he will never look at someone as imperfect as she.
Events:
Carol Ann Didier will have a book signing for her book at Barnes and Noble on 192, September 11, 2009 at 7:00 p.m.
She also will speak at the Franklin DeGroot Library on November 15th at 2:00 p.m. on researching her novels and characters.
For more information, visit her website at http://www.carolanndidier.com/

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Friday, September 4, 2009

The Art Of Medicine at Elaine Baker Gallery

The Art of Medicine exhibit will open on the evening of September 10 and will hang for one month. The opening reception is from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The event and exhibit are at the Elaine Baker Gallery at 608 Banyon Trail in Boca Raton, Florida. Be sure to stop by to see this show if you are in the area.

See information about the exhibit and examples of the work at http://elainebakergallery.com

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Joseph Richardson to speak at the BookXchg

On September 5, Joseph Richardson, author of "Fire Angels," spoke at the Book Xchg in Cocoa Florida.

Joseph Richardson is a native Floridian who was born and raised on a farm outside a small town quite similar to the fictional town of Walako in "Fire Angels." Richardson graduated from St. Petersburg Florida High School and earned a B.S. from The University of Alabama. He retired from NASA at Kennedy Space Center after more than 35 years government service. "Joe" is an army veteran of the Korean war. He has two grown sons and lives in Titusville, FL with his wife of 54 years, Joan, and their five "rescuesd" pets. Richardson has received several awards for his works in short story contests. This is his first novel (read the review below).

Next month, Carol Didier will speak to the group.

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Author Discussion on the Criminal Justice System


This just in from Marshall Frank:

"FYI - For anyone with nothing better to do on Wednesday evening, Sept. 9th, at 7 p.m., there will be a book discussion about the many ills of the criminal justice system, at the West Melbourne Library. The author is a handsome, dynamic, wealthy, icon and world famous authority on the justice system, having walked the walk, talked the talk for 500 years...hey wait. That's me.

Stop in if you can."

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Wednesday, September 2, 2009

What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us by Laura van den Berg


Announcing the publication of What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us (Dzanc Books, October 2009)

Containing work reprinted in Best Non-Required Reading 2008, Best New American Voices 2010, and The Pushcart Prizes 2010, the stories in Laura van den Berg's rich and inventive debut illuminate the intersection of the mythic and the mundane.

A failed actress takes a job as a Bigfoot impersonator. A botanist seeking a rare flower crosses paths with a group of men hunting the Loch Ness Monster. A disillusioned missionary in Africa grapples with grief and a growing obsession with a creature rumored to live in the forest of the Congo. And in the title story, a young woman traveling with her scientist mother in Madagascar confronts her burgeoning sexuality and her dream of becoming a long-distance swimmer.

Rendered with precision and longing, the women who narrate these starkly beautiful stories are consumed with searching -- for absolution, for solace, for the flash of extraordinary in the ordinary that will forever alter their lives.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Penny and Rio: The Locked Doghouse Mystery


Penny and Rio: The Locked Doghouse Mystery is the latest adventure of the crime-fighting dog duo, Penny and Rio. A sequel to the award-winning Penny and Rio: The Mysterious Backyard Meeting, this book finds the dynamic canine detectives heavily involved in another case.


Squeaky the mouse desperately needs their help to recover his precious belongings from a locked doghouse next door. But will Hobbes, the Great Dane, who lives in the yard object? After a futile search through the yard for an elusive key to the doghouse, the detectives are faced with an insurmountable challenge. Penny, the ever-resourceful canine, decides to chew off a newly planted tree in hopes of prying off the lock. But when that plan fails, she is at a loss. Through an inventive plan, the quick-witted pair strive to solve this mystery. Can they recover Squeaky’s belongings before the doghouse is destroyed? Follow along as the determined detectives, Penny and Rio, discover that they can do anything, as long as they work together.

This book is available at http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ or through the author’s website at http://www.pennyandrio.com/. Also look for this title in the fall launch of the Ripple Reader.

About the Author: Jennifer Swanson is a middle school science instructor and mother of three. A huge dog lover, the Penny and Rio characters are based on her own real-life dogs. She donates a portion of her proceeds to http://www.greatrescue.org/, a Jacksonville golden retriever rescue organization and also to http://www.pawsitivepets.org/, an organization that teams dogs with children to improve their learning skills.

Visit Jennifer’s website at http://www.pennyandrio.com/ for more information or to schedule a school visit. You may also find her on Facebook and Twitter. Currently she is working on a third Penny and Rio book, with help from her pet dogs.

Friends Forever Series by Marilyn Martin

Marilyn Martin is the author of the young reader's readers book series set in Colorado and entitled: Friends Forever. It also includes book #2- Friends Forever Adventures and book #3-Friends Forever New Trails.

Marilyn reports she is close to the completion of book #4 in the series for ages 8 to 13.

Also, Marilyn has finished an anthropomorphic story for ages 7-10, entitled: Jeramiah, the White-footed Mouse. Set in the town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Jeramiah Mouse has many friends at his place of work: The Christmas Barn. Jeri also has a fierce enemy in Bosco Bloodhoud who dogs his every move! Jeramiah is a rollicking, frolicking, story filled with tons of fun, some pathos, and a heartwarming Christmas Eve surprise!

Marilyn is currently seeking a publisher and agent since her publisher retired in January. Stay tuned to Marilyn's website http://www.mmartinbooks.com to learn more about BOTH of her new books!

Thanks to Marilyn for her Sponsor Ad. Please click on her ad to read more about her books.

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Usher Orlop Mystery Series by Kee Briggs

Space Coast author Kee Briggs has published twelve books. Some are in the science fiction genre and others are mysteries. The Usher Orlop Series of books are mysteries centered around sculptor Usher Orlop. Briggs weaves an engaging story around Orlop and the art he is commissioned to sculpt.

For example, in The Golden Janus:

Usher Orlop is commissioned to create a silver death mask of a slain boy. His serious doubts about the direction of the police investigation lead Usher and his jeweler friend, Anasette, to get involved. Since artists view the world a little differently, they find threads that suggest alternate scenarios.

To read more about Kee's books visit his website at http://www.keescapes.com. And to read little bits from Usher, visit his twitter site at http://www.twitter.com/usherorlop.

Thanks to Kee Briggs for his Sponsor Ad on Florida Book News. Click on his ad for a fast trip to more information about Kee and his books.

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Friday, August 21, 2009

The Legend of Jimmy Gollihue by George LaCas


The Legend of Jimmy Gollihue, a novel set in an imaginary Appalachian town and on the rough road to New York City, was published in January of 2009. It's available on http://amazon.com/ both in trade paperback and in Kindle e-book format. In addition, the book is available in multiple e-book formats through http://smashwords.com/.

In the story, a young pool hustler named Jimmy falls in love with Iris, the new waitress in his pool room. Suddenly he's in a world of trouble, and Jimmy is forced to hit the road on a Greyhound bus, putting his pool game to the test. Iris waits for him back home, and she weaves witchy tapestries that help Jimmy in his journey. Which is a good thing, for Jimmy's about to meet his match ... and maybe his Maker.

George LaCas grew up in the Southeast and has lived in Florida for the past 12 years. He's a graduate of Florida State University with a B.A. in English. One of the new breed of Internet-savvy writers, George spends much of his work-day online promoting his book and maintaining his author platform. "It's become not simply a novelty, but a necessity, for writers to maintain an online presence," he says. "In fact, many publishers won't touch an unknown author unless he has a certain number of fans already."

In this spirit, George LaCas maintains two blogs--on Wordpress and Blogger-- where he posts book trailers and talks about writing, and a website dedicated to The Legend of Jimmy Gollihue. Currently he's at work on a second novel (about art versus government) and a volume of poetry. George makes his home in the Tampa Bay area of Florida's west coast.

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Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Seven Challenges to the Practice

Don't miss the writing event everyone will be talking about!

Seven Challenges to the Practice:
A dialogue & writing intensive with
Lezlie Laws & Philip F. Deaver
Join Lezlie Laws and Philip F Deaver as they address some hard issues faced by writers, such as:
  • getting started
  • when things go wrong
  • what are the rules
  • fear of the truth

They'll share their individual perspectives and talk them through. Their conversation will be accompanied by seven writing prompts to open new vistas and send you into new work.

For the what, when and where of it all, go to http://www.madaboutwords.com/ and click on the link at Seven Challenges to the Practice.

Act now, this is coming up on September 19. Regsiter early.

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Saturday, August 15, 2009

Art Adkins -- The Oasis Project


Art Adkins book The Oasis Project is the 2008 winner of the Detective-Suspense from Books-and-Authors.net Award. Here's a little about his book and about him...

Why were they murdered? Shirley Waterbury knows her father was too meticulous and too cautious and knew the sea too well to attempt to sail during an approaching hurricane. The sea was his life and he would never jeopardize the welfare of her mother and her brother, Billy. She knows they were murdered, but with no indication of foul play. No one will investigate a tragedy classified as an accident.

Enter Slade Lockwood, a decorated twenty-year veteran of the LAPD, who returned to Cedar Key to find what escaped him in law enforcement: himself. His reluctant acceptance to investigate the deaths of Shirley's family members will take him on a journey across America. During it, he finally finds what he lost while also unraveling the mystery behind the murders. Slade discovers the motive behind the deaths, an invention which could revolutionize the environment, and a prize so priceless, a family was killed for it. The face of the world could change as a result of the invention, and billions are at stake as Slade races against time to bring a ruthless killer to justice.

About Art Adkins. Art Adkins has been in law enforcement for the last twenty-nine years and worked as a police officer on the Ft. Lauderdale Police Department, as a sergeant on the LAPD and is currently a lieutenant with the Gainesville Police Department. His knowledge of police procedure is vast, and he has woven these details into The Oasis Project, an environmental thriller dealing with a topical issue confronting Florida and the world today. Adkins has recently completed his second novel, Power Grid, which will be in stores soon and is currently writing, Mind Games, the third novel in the Lockwood series.

Adkins is currently on a book tour.
Here is his schedule for Florida and Georgia

September 04, 2009

5:00-9:00 p.m.
St. Augustine Photographic Art
35 Hypolita St., Casa Del Hidalgo #105,
St. Augustine, Florida

September 10, 2009
7:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Columbia County Public Library – 50th Anniversary
308 NW Columbia Ave
Lake City, FL

September 13, 2009
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Borders – Brookwood Place
1745 Peachtree St. NE
Atlanta, GA

September 19, 2009
September 19, 2009
11:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Clay County Public Library –
Authors Roundtable
1895 Town Center Blvd.
Fleming Island, FL

September 20, 2009
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Borders – Athens, GA
196 Alps Road
Athens, GA

September 25, 2009
12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – CNN Building
One CNN Center
Atlanta, GA

September 26, 2009
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – North Point Mall
1224 North Point Mall
Alpharetta, GA

September 27, 2009
12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – Mall of Georgia
3333 Buford Dr.
Buford, GA

October 3, 2009
10:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Books at Park Place
3619 49th ST. North, St.
Petersburg, FL

October 4, 2009
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – CordovaMall
5100 N 9th Ave,
Pensacola, FL

October 10, 2009
12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – Wellington Green
10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.
Wellington Green, FL

October 11, 2009
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Borders – Kennesaw, GA
790 Cobb Place Blvd,
Marietta, GA

October 18, 2009
12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Borders – Marietta, GA
7745 Roswell Rd. East
Cobb, Marietta, GA

October 24, 2009
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Borders – Northlake Mall, GA
4800 Briarcliff Road NE
Atlanta, GA

October 25, 2009
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Borders – Douglasville, GA
6594 Douglas Blvd.,
Douglasville, GA

October 31, 2009
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – Kissimmee, FL
3105 W. Vine St,
Kissimmee, FL

November 8, 2009
12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Borders – Plantation, FL
12171 W. Sunrise Blvd,
Plantation, FL

November 14, 2009
12:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Borders – Austell, GA
1605 East West
Connector, Austell, GA

November 15, 2009
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Borders – Parkway Pointe, GA
3101 Cobb Parkway
Atlanta, GA

November 28, 2009
11:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – Valdosta, GA
Valdosta Mall
Valdosta, GA

December 5, 2009
1:00- 3:00 p.m.
(Creative Writing Workshop)
Waldenbooks, Valdosta, GA
Valdosta Mall, Valdosta, GA

December 19, 2009
12:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – Hilton Head, SC
24 Shelter Cove Lane
Hilton Head, SC

December 20, 2009
11:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Waldenbooks – Charleston, SC
120 Market St,
Charleston, SC

January 8, 2010
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Circle Books – Sarasota, FL
478 John Ringling Blvd
Sarasota, FL

February 12, 2010
1:00 5:00 p.m. Circle Books – Sarasota, FL
478 John Ringling Blvd
Sarasota, FL

February 13, 2010
11:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Sanibel Book Shop – Sanibel, FL
1571 Periwinkle Way
Sanibel, FL

March 12, 2010
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Circle Books – Sarasota, FL
478 John Ringling Blvd
Sarasota, FL

April 2, 2010
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Circle Books – Sarasota, FL
478 John Ringling Blvd
Sarasota, FL


For more information, visit Art Atkins' website at http://www.artadkins.com/

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Greg Hart's Rather Unfortunate Demise by Bill Allen

The Harry Potter series received countless accolades for getting young people (and old) interested in reading again. Now, that we have reached the end of the series, how do we keep our kids interested in reading? Bill Allen's Greg Hart Trilogy is a set of humorous fantasy adventure books intended to do just that....

Greg Hart's Rather Unfortunate Demise:

When Greg receives a letter telling him not to go to Myrth, he is all too happy to oblige, especially since he is destined to die there if he returns. But Greg knows prophecies cannot be denied. If it has been foretold that he will lose his life, then he will surely do so, and each minute he delays may cost the life of one of his friends.

This time it is Witch Hazel Greg must face, and she holds the Amulet of Tehrer, an artifact of unimaginable power that lets her bend the will of dragons. Greg's only hope of defeating her is to elicit help from a man from the strange land of Gyrth, and then move on to the Netherworld, where children's body parts draw a high price for use in spells of Dark Magic.

Greg has already survived two trips to Myrth, but how can he be expected to survive a third? He can't, of course. The unalterable prophecy has already foretold his doom.

For more information about books by Bill Allen visit: http://www.billallenbooks.com/
Other books in the trilogy are Greg Hart Dragonslayer? and The Hero who Slayed Ruuan.

Ruuan is a very large dragon. Greg, on the other hand, is neither large nor a dragon. He's barely much of a boy. Unfortunately, such trivialities could never stop the people of Myrth from believing Greg will rescue King Peter's daughter from Ruuan. After all, Greg has been named in a prophecy, and no prophecy has ever been wrong before. Why, Greg wonders, does he have to be at the heart of the first one that is?

The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan. The Canarazas are fierce razor-toothed warriors who can run much faster than a man, or more to the point, much faster than Greg. Soon they will attack Pendegrass Castle, and according to prophecy, the "Hero who slayed Ruuan" will fight with the strength of ten men and make the difference that leads the king to victory. But no one slayed Ruuan. Greg knows the prophecy can't possibly be true -- except, of course, for that one little bit about him having to fight the Canarazas. Read more about all of Bill Allen's Books at http://www.billallenbooks.com/

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Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Just Released -- America Reborn

America Reborn by Lee Boyland with Vista Boyland
The final book in the Clash-of-Civilizations Trilogy

Now, the rest of the story,

President Alexander begins the process of electing a new U.S. Government. But first he must take the nation back to its Constitutional roots. He recommends forming new political parties and establishing term limits. Political opponents plot to thwart his plans. The story begins with the destruction of the heart of the Islamic Empire, Operation Brimstone, followed by the invasion of Egypt, Yemen, and Saudi Arabia. A British Royal becomes a hero. Women Army Rangers battle the Mutaween in Saudi Arabia and rescue twelve-year-old Julie Summers from being stoned and she steals Americans’ hearts. Drug cartels are destabilizing Mexico and expand across the border. Political intrigue, treason, military battles, gangs, patriotism, love of God and country—the final novel of the trilogy describes America’s rebirth into a world forever changed by events following the terrorists’ sneak nuclear attack.

ISBN 978-1-60145-912-1

President George Alexander ends the war with the Islamic Empire and concentrates on leading America back to its place as the world’s greatest nation. To reach this goal, he must inspire the people to rediscover the nation’s roots—the true meaning of the Constitution and the wisdom of the Founding Fathers. After ending the war with the Islamic Empire, Alexander is confronted with: opposition from liberals, who oppose his hard line approach; a plot instigated by government officials and two Hollywood personalities, who attempt to destroy his presidency; and drug cartels, led by Hector “The Hulk” Gomez, who are destabilizing Mexico and attempt to bring South America violence into the U.S.

America Reborn, the third book of Lee and Vista Boyland’s Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy is a political-military technothriller that will keep you up late at night turning the pages.

Like Behold, an Ashen Horse, America Reborn is a complex, multifaceted exciting story that is almost impossible to put down. The story begins where Behold, an Ashen Horse ends. Leaders of the Islamic Empire have assembled to watch live video feed of the launching of two nuclear armed missiles, Allah’s Fist, against the Crusaders (American troops) in Libya and Israel. Their celebration is interrupted by an American propaganda video, followed by President Alexander giving a speech announcing his intention to deliver the death blow to the Islamic Empire.

A few days later, Phase III of Operation Brimstone, the invasion of Egypt, begins. An Egyptian general has planned an ambush, and Prince Harry’s recon squadron leads the British tanks into the trap. An exciting tank battle ensues.

Phase IV of Operation Brimstone, the invasion of Yemen and Saudi Arabia, follows. U.S. Army Rangers find an American girl, twelve-year-old Julie Summers, about to be stoned. Little Julie becomes America’s sweetheart and has an important role in the story.

Teresa Lopez continues her adventures, this time in France where a copy of America’s top secret war plan was leaked to a French newspaper. While Teresa looks for the source at the U.S. Embassy, General Simpson and Martha Wellington take a more direct approach and send a SEAL team to interview suspects—but be assured no waterboarding is employed.

Alexander turns to rebuilding the America Government. He wants to take the nation back to the principals of its Founding Fathers. His first task is to define what went wrong, and then propose solutions: new political parties and term limits are but a few of his suggestions—none of which find traction with liberals. Several liberal governors make an end run and try to appoint Congressional representatives before Alexander is ready for elections. Colonel Gordi gets another call to arms, making his governor’s day.

President Alexander has to deal with an out-of-control drug gang problem, and a southern neighbor about to become a drug cartel state. Homeland Security’s interdiction of drug shipments angers the cartel bosses, especially The Hulk and El Verdugo, who plans to teach the president a lesson. U.S. citizens are kidnapped and held for ransom, Border Patrol agents are shot, a police official is assassinated, MS-13 is out of control, and Zetas massacre a local California drug gang. Alexander dispatches "hostage negotiators" to explain why kidnapping Americans is a bad idea. One cartel boss gets the message.

Teresa meets the two Rangers who rescued Julie: Captain Erika Borgg and First Sergeant Melissa Adams. Two women a mugger would never want to meet.

There are several more exciting subplots woven into riveting story of America rediscovering its roots and preparing to be reborn. Although America Reborn ends the trilogy, the story is far from finished.

Available at all on-line book sellers. Price $21.95
Amazon Kindle $9.95
E-book $9.95

Details and links to booksellers at http://www.leeboylandbooks.com/americareborn.html

Librarians, order ISBN 978-1-60145-912-1

Order from publisher for fast delivery http://www.booklocker.com/books/4198.html

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Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Release of Fire Angels by Joseph Richardson


Fire Angels, A Florida novel by Titusville resident Joseph “Joe” Richardson has been published and made available effective June 12th, 2009.

The novel follows the lives of David and Sara Cooper and their son, Noble, from 1915—1925, years made difficult by financial hardship, separation during World War I, and tragedy brought on by the influenza epidemic of 1918.

The Coopers live on a subsistence farm outside the small town of Walako, Florida, where David works at a seed and feed store owned by German immigrant Wilhelm Strow. Tension rises against Strow when the United States declares war on Germany in 1917. Hardware store owner Sid Guthrie has developed power in the town by intimidation and violence. He is suspected of lying about his military service and his involvement in several local crimes including two murders.

Young Noble Cooper, a savant, and his black playmate and mentor, “Little Jack” Harris, are instrumental in solving the murder of the local sheriff and the lynching of “Little Jack’s” father.

The author is a native Floridian born and raised on a small Central Florida farm outside a town quite similar to the fictional town of Walako in Fire Angels. A veteran of the Korean War, Richardson retired from NASA, Kennedy Space Center after more than thirty-five years federal service. He resides in Titusville with his wife of fifty-four years, Joan, and their five “rescued” pets. They have two grown sons.

Richardson has had a number of articles published and has received awards in eight short story contests. Fire Angels is his first novel. He graduated from St. Petersburg High School and The University of Alabama.

Fire Angels is available at Amazon.com (search for: Fire Angels, Richardson) and at Createspace.com3378621. The 387-page book is priced at $15.95 plus shipping.

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Monday, August 3, 2009

2009 ‘FLORIDA BOOK AWARDS’ COMPETITION BEGINS WITH CALL FOR ENTRIES


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Book Awards has kicked off its fourth annual competition with a call for entries in seven categories.

Established in 2006 and now the most comprehensive state book awards program in the nation, the contest recognizes and celebrates the year’s best books penned by full-time residents of the Sunshine State (with the exception of submissions to the Florida Nonfiction category, whose authors may live elsewhere).

The Florida Book Awards competition is coordinated through the Florida State University Libraries, with the support of professors and librarians across the FSU campus. “In our first year we had 71 entries; our second, 85; and in 2008 we rocketed up to 135. I think it's fair to say Florida authors now know about the Florida Book Awards and that our future looks even brighter today then when we launched the project,” said Florida Book Awards Director Wayne Wiegand, a professor of Library and Information Studies and American Studies at FSU.

Co-sponsors of the competition –– 14 high-profile humanities organizations from across the state –– include the Florida Center for the Book; State Library and Archives of Florida; Florida Historical Society; Florida Humanities Council; Florida Literary Arts Coalition; Florida Library Association; Governor’s Family Literacy Initiative; Florida Association for Media in Education; the Program in American and Florida Studies at Florida State University; Florida Reading Association; Florida Center for the Literary Arts; Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America; Friends of FSU Libraries; and “Just Read, Florida!”

The contest categories include General Fiction, Young Adult Literature, Children’s Literature, Florida Nonfiction, Poetry, Popular Fiction, and Spanish-Language Book. Entries, which can be submitted by anyone (e.g. publisher, author, or literary agent), must be professionally published and have both an original publication date between Jan. 1, 2009, and Dec. 31, 2009, and an International Standard Book Number (ISBN).

Although all entries must be received no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, 2010 (this is not a postmark deadline), applicants are encouraged to submit their books into competition any time during the 2009 calendar year, and as soon as possible after books are officially published. Three-person juries –– including members of co-sponsoring organizations, subject experts from the faculties of Florida colleges and universities, and previous Florida Book Award winners –– will choose up to five finalists in each of the seven categories.

The 2009 winners will be announced in early March. Gold Medal Award winners will be acknowledged at the Historic and Cultural Awards Ceremony sponsored by the State of Florida’s Division of Cultural Affairs and held on March 24th at the R.A. Gray Building in Tallahassee. In addition, all Florida Book Awards medalists will be recognized at a banquet hosted by the Florida Library Association at its annual conference on April 7-9 in Orlando. Winning books and their authors will be showcased in the summer issue of FORUM, the statewide magazine of the Florida Humanities Council, and also will be featured at book festivals and association conferences throughout the year and across the state.

For general information and the entry form, requirements, and instructions for the 2009 Florida Book Awards, visit http://floridabookawards.lib.fsu.edu/

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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Chick O'Brien author of Dierdre, A Woman from Clare



Don't miss seeing Chick O'Brien at the Orlando Public Library in the Albertson Room on Saturday, August 8 at 12:30 pm. He will be talking about his new novel Deirdre, A Woman from Clare.
The book is a historical romantic tale of two people in love, torn apart in war-laden 1915 Europe. Through this novel, explore the different kinds of love we experience: love for one's homeland, love for family, and love between and man and a woman.

The Orlando Public Library invites you to celebrate National Romance Awareness Month and learn about what it takes to become a fiction writer. There will be a book sale and signing following the program.
A little about the novel from Chick: Deirdre: A Woman From Clare is a historical romance wrapped around a mystery. It explores the many loves we enjoy: lustful love between a man and a woman, trusting love with parent/child and family. It also explores our strong love for the land and the place of our birth.

Set in 1915 while Europe is aflame with war and Irish rebellion close at hand; Jay O'Neill and Deirdre DalCas meet and fall in love on a train in Russia. She disappears in Paris and Jay is frantic. He enlists the aid of MacGregor, his father's friend to find her. Is she really a member of the secret Irish Republican Brotherhood? The sinking of the Lustatania adds a twist and Jay goes to Ireland to find his father and Deirdre.

Chick O'Brien has a lifelong interest in history, politics and all things Irish. He and his wife Grace packed up their four children and moved to Ireland. They settled in Cork County, which became the setting for this story. Today they live in Orlando Florida.
To order the book, go to http://www.PublishAmerica.com

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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Running for Fun by Jonathan and Robert Brown

Bob Brown just sent me a one-liner that his new book is out. Here it is. I don't have all the details at this point as Bob and his brother Ralph are still on their voyage crossing the Atlantic in a flats boat. I'm amazed he got word to me at all. Until he returns and I can replace this with more complete information, suffice it to say that he's written a book with his son Jonathan about his son's love of running.

The title of the book is Running for Fun: High School Runner, Jonathan Brown. It's a book about Jonathan's love of running and it shares through his running experiences the lessons he has learned.

You'll find the book at Amazon ..... Watch for more information later.

In the meantime, take a look at the book and also don't forget to check in on the progress of Ralph and Bob on their voyage by clicking here.

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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

New Spiritual Nonfiction on the Trinitarian Doctrine

In his new spiritual nonfiction book, "Understanding" the Trinity: Three Persons vs Three Manifestations: A Revolution in Christian Thought and Philosophy, Will Daniels seeks to dispel the myth of traditional trinitarian training, which proclaims the existence of three persons under one Godhead: The father, the son and the holy spirit.

Based solely on evidence derived from the King James Version of the Bible, "Understanding" the Trinity takes readers from the passages of Genesis to Revelation, in its quest to prove the absolute nature of God, "Understanding" the Trinity encourages readers to undergo a paradigm shift in their thinking, challenging previously held beliefs, doctrine and practice to reach a better understanding of God and the mystery of the gospel.

"Understanding" the Trinity seeks to clarify the inconsistencies of the trinitarian doctrine, which are imperative for readers’ understanding of God and salvation, and an enlightened step in the right direction for anyone wanting to understand the oneness of God and the revelation of Christ.

Will Daniels his wife, Dorothy, have three adult children. He graduated from Youngstown State University and is a Vietnam veteran. He retired as an industrial engineer.
For more information, please visit: http://www.understandingthetrinity.com/.

Understanding the Trinity can be ordered worldwide by phone or by Internet. You can order by the following methods:

1.
www.understandingthetrinity.com

2. Authorhouse Publishing 1-888-280-7715
3.
www.Barnesandnoble.com
and www.Amazon.com In the search box, Put Understanding the Trinity Will Daniels
4. Go to any book store of your choice and ask for Understanding the Trinity by Will Daniels. The book will be ordered and sent you.

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Friday, June 26, 2009

How far would you go to right a wrong?


For Michael Sykora, killing started as blind rage. Then it became something he's good at. To most of those who know him, Michael is a softwaredesigner, a smart but average guy with a workaholic nature. To a chosen few, Michael is a part-time hit man whose specialty is eliminating hard-core criminals.

Michael has managed to keep his two personas separate. Until now. When Nicki, a close friend, gets into trouble, Michael steps in to help. Having lost his fiance to a brutal crime, Michael will do whatever necessary to keep from losing another woman in his life.

At one time or another, don't we all wish we could do the things our Justice system cannot or will not? What would it take to push you over theedge?

-----Darcía Helle is a native of Massachusetts. She now lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida with her husband, teenage son, and a house full of spoiled animals. No Justice is the first in a mystery/suspense series starring MichaelSykora. This book, as well as others by Darcía Helle, is available on Amazon as a trade paperback or in digital form for your Kindle reader.

All of Darcía Helle's novels are also available for purchase on herwebsite: http://www.quietfurybooks.com/. There you will find excerpts, contests, Guilty As Charged - a montly newsletter, her blog, and much more. Visit soon. The characters await you.

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Fabric Collage Artist Offers “Personal Workshop” Ebooks

For over a year, Melbourne artist Ellen Lindner has been successfully offering her classes online. She has found this format to be easy and lucrative for her, as well as inexpensive and convenient for her students.

When potential students missed her classes due to scheduling conflicts, they often asked “Do you have a book?” This made her think and she got busy converting two of her classes to ebooks. Ebooks are not printed. Instead, they come to the buyer as a digital file, easily downloaded from Ellen’s website.

Most of Ellen’s classes and ebooks are geared toward traditional quilters who’d like to become more artistic. However, her classes on color and design have a much broader appeal.

Ellen has written her ebooks as though they’re one-on-one workshops. Thus the series title, “Personal Workshop.” Thus far, she has written “Personal Workshop: Adventures in Color,” which is appropriate for artists in all media, and “Personal Workshop: Double Reverse Appliqué™,” which is an easy and accurate raw edge appliqué technique for quilters and sewers.

Ellen Lindner’s work can be seen on her website http://www.adventurequilter.com/. A directory of her ebooks, classes, and free articles can be found at
http://www.adventurequilter.com/e-Learning/main_page.html

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Thursday, June 18, 2009

Enemies and Playmates by Darcia Helle

When the abused decide to fight back, the abuser’s world might just shatter. Lauren Covington's family maintains a grand facade that belies the life they live behind closed doors. Alex Covington, Lauren's father, keeps a tight hold on his family through dominance, abuse, and obsessive control. Consequently, Lauren doesn't believe she could ever trust a man, much less fall in love with one.

When Lauren meets Jesse Ryder, her carefully constructed protective wall shatters. She falls hopelessly and completely in love. It's only fitting that Jesse is a private detective who had once worked for her father, had defied him, and was now the subject of Alex Covington's wrath.

Amidst devastating loss, betrayal, and her father's destructive pursuit of Jesse, Lauren finds the trust and love she had always longed for.---

Darcía Helle lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida with her husband, son,and a house full of spoiled animals. She has three published novels, all in the mystery/suspense genre. Enemies and Playmates is her first novel, which has recently been revised and given a brand new look. All of her novels are available on http://www.amazon.com/, as well as Darcía's website http://www.quietfurybooks.com/.

The website is the creation and domain of Darcía Helle. All of Darcia's novels, as well as contests, monthly newsletters, and more, are available on her website. Visit soon. The characters await you.

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Florida Book News - Annette Clifford Wins Humor Category in 59th Annual Green Eyeshade Awards

59TH ANNUAL GREEN EYESHADE AWARDS

Lane DeGregory of the St. Petersburg Times took top honors in the 59th Annual Green Eyeshade Awards, a journalism contest that recognizes excellence in 11 Southern states. DeGregory won “Best of Show” for her feature story, “The Girl in the Window.” DeGregory also won first place in the daily division of the annual Green Eyeshade Awards contest, which drew more than 500 entries from media outlets in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Humorous Commentary...

1st Place: "Parenting” Annette Clifford, Florida Today

2nd Place: "Internet puts some in ticklish situations, Burgers and fries?, VP Palin?” Geoff Calkins, The Commercial Appeal

3rd Place: "Kelly Kazek's Columns” Kelly Kazek, The News Courier25.

Congratulations Annette.

Annette is the author of World's Toughest Job.

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Sunday, June 7, 2009

Cindy Rella from Carmen Beecher


When the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery had their Hopes and Dreams show to benefit Genesis House, artists were asked to submit, along with a painting, a board book of their own creation. Carmen Beecher did a little storybook with cartoon illustrations titled The Story of Cindy Rella. It is a tongue-in-cheek version of the old fairy tale, with a different variation on the message.


Several people wanted to buy the handmade original book, so Carmen published it on Lulu.com. Lulu submitted The Story of Cindy Rella as part of a pilot program with Amazon.com. The book may be purchased by going to Amazon.com and Googling Carmen

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Author Profile - Darcia Helle


Would you trade your sanity in order to forget? Sanity is not something you lose, like your car keys or that elusive sock in the dryer. That's what Ian believed before his mother stepped over the edge from sane to crazy.
No one is able to give Ian a reasonable explanation. Corinne suffers from severe memory loss, odd behavior, and paranoid delusions. Or at least Ian had been told they were delusions. After all, who would be hiding outside watching his mother? And why?
Ian hires private investigator Lucianna Martel to retrace the events of his mother's last sane day. During Lucianna's investigation, she and Ian learn that Corinne may not be so crazy after all.
About the author...
A native of Massachusetts, Darcia Helle now lives in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. She is married, with two grown sons and a house full of spoiled animals. Hit List is Darcia's third novel. She is currently working on a sequel to her second novel, No Justice.
All of her novels are available on her website: http://www.quietfurybooks.com/. Hit List is now available on Amazon.com! Quiet Fury Books is an independent book publisher for fiction by DarciaHelle. The website is the creation and domain of Darcia Helle.

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Cross the Atlantic for Wounded Warriors

No, Cross the Atlantic for Wounded Warriors is not a book title... It's real life. Fellow author Bob Brown and his brother, Ralph Brown, are embarking on another daring adventure. They are launching their flat boat for another big voyage.

Last time, 2007, they made it into the Guinness Book of World Records with their trip from the coast of North Carolina to Bermuda and back. This time they are crossing the Atlantic. Bob wrote about their first adventure in his book pictured here. (The photo on the cover will give you an idea of the size of the boat they use for these challenges.)

Go to http://crosstheatlantic.com to see for yourself.

Usually we think as writers that the written word is pretty special, but this time pictures really bring home what they will be doing. Watch the videos on the site and see what they have challenged themselves to do. In addition to their sailing goal, they have set another monumental goal: to raise $3,000,000 for scholarships for the children of fallen soldiers and for their families.

There is information on the site for potential sponsors, too. Buy a t-shirt to help.
I'll keep you up to date on their progress, so check back to hear how they are doing.

Go look at the short video... at http://crosstheatlantic.com and I'm sure you'll be coming back to see how they are doing. Thanks.

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Monday, June 1, 2009

Charlie Love

Charlie Love's book Trilogy in Fear has been selected to be among this week's Book of the Week selections. Click here to see it... http://www.publishamerica.com/alltop10.htm.

Charlie is also the author of 243 and Other Short Stories. It is a combination of four different genres: mystery thriller, sci-fi, horror, and a young adult story.

Congratulations to Charlie.

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Friday, May 29, 2009

The Dyodyne Experiment awarded a Gold Medal

The Dyodyne Experiment, by James Doulgeris and V. Michael Santoro is a Gold Medalist in the 2009 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY Award) for the Popular Fiction Category! http://www.dyodyneexperiment.com/

The Dyodyne Experiment is a fiction thriller that personifies the collision of conflicting ideologies and unproven scientific advancement with the insatiable greed for money and power. The issue of guarding civil liberties at all costs or temporarily relinquishing a portion of those rights for protection against terrorism is a difficult one. Concerns of pushing the envelope on genetic research run deep as well. Should scientists alter the human genetic blueprint to achieve unproven scientific advancements?

The Dyodyne Experiment captures life in the early 21st century – a time of hope and achievement that is challenged and complicated by greed, radical idealism and self-serving political ambition. Although the book is a work of fiction, the foundation of information that comprises the book was found freely on the Internet. During their research, the authors found
some of this information fascinating because of the scientific possibilities; and much of it could pose a deep and dangerous threat to society and humanity as a whole.

The authors' goal for writing "The Dyodyne Experiment" is to encourage our global community to put common sense before radical ideology. This novel is apolitical, but with a powerful point - that with freedom comes responsibility and accountability.

Book Summary: A research team at Dyodyne Labs has developed a remarkable new technology: a microscopic computer system with the ability to secretly track people with pinpoint accuracy. The system, code-named DaNA, is transmitted as a benign virus that passes the tracking system to all who come in contact with its host. The government sees the system as the perfect way to track down a criminal's accomplices, making it invaluable in bringing down the drug cartel. But when the biggest terrorist attack in U.S. history devastates New York City, the Department of Homeland Security orders the team to launch the untested system to find those responsible. What they uncover is unthinkable - six nuclear bombs hidden in six major cities. And the bombs, controlled by a powerful underground alliance, are part of a much larger global conspiracy. As the team at Dyodyne rushes to track down the terrorists holding the country hostage, they discover yet another threat: DaNA is mutating and may be impossible to control…

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Dan Anderson wins award for Bad Vibrations


Dan Anderson, Orlando author, has just been informed that his humorous mystery, Bad Vibrations, has been awarded a prestigious 2009 Independent Publishers Book Award (the IPPY) — a Silver Medal in the Regional Fiction category. This is the 5th literary award captured by Bad Vibrations (published in 2008), the other awards being:

  • The Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Award—First Place, Published Mystery 2008

  • The Books and Authors Murder Mystery Book of the Year 2008

  • The Rockway Press International Writing Competition Best Novel 2006

  • The Florida Writers Association Lighthouse Book Award—Mystery/Suspense 3rd Place

Dan can be reached through his web site www.murdermayhemmalice.com or at wwwldananderson305@gmail.com

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Monday, May 18, 2009

You Are Not Forgotton wins First Place in History Category

Carol Jose has just received word that her book You Are Not Forgotten was named the winner in the History/Historical Non-Fiction category of the 2009 Next Generation Indie Book Awards by the Independent Book Publishing Professionals Group and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

Congratulations to Carol Jose.

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Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Author Profile - Wade Arnold

Today....Cocoa Beach Then and Now

Cocoa Beach Then and Now

Cocoa Beach welcomes millions of visitors every year, but the city has always managed to keep a small town atmosphere. In 1940, it was a cozy little waterfront town with less than 50 people. A few years after World War II, America’s space race began, and the city was never the same. Author Wade Arnold compares pictures of Cocoa Beach’s past to photos taken today. Many of the vintage photos have never been published before and come from private collections.

Wade Arnold writes for Florida Today, where his column “On the Town” reaches more than 80,000 readers a week. Arnold is a member of the Florida Historical Society and his writing and photography have also been featured in many other publications.

http://www.cocoabeachthenandnow.com/

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More News

News

Congratulations to Deborah and Joel Shlian. Their latest novel just won the Gold Medal for Genre Fiction for the Florida Book Award. Rabbit in the Moon is an international thriller that takes place primarily in China during the short-lived student democracy movement of 1989 that ended with the Tiananmen massacre. The book is also a finalist for Book of the Year from ForeWord Magazine.

Deboarah and Joel will be honored on May 7th at a banquet and book signing sponsored by the Florida Library Association for all the winners in all categories of the book award. For more information about their book, the website is http://www.shlian.com/.

Rita Milios recently released Dream Share from Rose Heart Publishers. It's a paranormal novel for middle graders (8 - 12) with a non-fiction section at the end.

It's the story of a twelve-year-old who accidentally enters the comatose state of his older brother and the two begin exploring the mystical realms between life and death. Fun soon turns to fear as the boys find themselves fighting for their lives. Each is forced to confront their own demons in order to survive.

In addition to being a psychotherapist with a spiritual bent, Rita Milios has been an educational writer for more than 20 years with more than two dozen non-fiction/curriculum children's books published. Flor more information, visit the upcoming website (May 09) at http://dreamsharebook.com/.

Congratulations to Annette Clifford on Her New Book


Book launching of World's Toughest Job by Florida Today writer Annette Clifford.
Satellite Beach resident Annette Clifford announces the birth of World's Toughest Job, a collection of her best columns about motherhood and family life published in Florida Today since 1998.

Clifford's columns have appeared in newspapers nationwide and capture the joys, trials and endless absurdities of parenthood today. Her hilarious yet thoughtful writings draw laughter from readers and smiles of recognition from moms and dads glad to know they're not alone in the chaos of raising young kids.

The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors and the Florida Press Club have both honored Clifford's work.

World's Toughest Job, according to Clifford, will renew your energy to meet the challenges of parenthood and running a house full of children and makes a great Mother's Day present for the mom in your life.

Clifford is also an editorial writer and author of travel guides. Her fiction has appeared in magazines and journals. Her award-winning story "We eat our peas for the souls in purgatory" was included in Microfiction:An Anthology of Really Short Stories, from W.W. Norton, Inc.

She is available to speak for club and group meetings.

For more information or to order a copy of World's Toughest Job, go to
http://www.worldstoughestjob.com/. Clifford can also be contacted at acliff123@aol.com or at 321-779-0664.

JoAnna O'Keefe. In celebration of National Poetry Month, poet JoAnna O'Keefe spoke about Embraced, her new collection of poems, at the National League of American Pen Women's meeting on April 25 at 1:30 p.m. at the Satellite Beach Public Library.

O'Keefe's poetry reaches a wide and diverse audience. Senator Bill Nelson's wife, Grace, read "Come to the Garden" at the 51st National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C.

In 2007, for the commissioning of the USS Mesa Verde in Panama City, Florida, O'Keefe's poem "courage" was emblazoned on parchment along with a quote by Andrew Carnegie and a statement by President George Washington to represent the ship's motto "Courage, Teamwork, Tradition." The parchment was presented to the ship's captain, officers, and dignitaries as a memento of the occasion.

O'Keefe has been a member of Pen Women since the early eighties. Pen Women is an organization of professional writers, artists, and musicians who support the arts and charitable works around the Space Coast.

To submit news to Florida Book News send it to me at Lou@LouBelcher.com

Florida Book News - Sections

Featured Books

New author Manish Chary’s book on India

Manish Chary’s new book India: Nation on the Move presents illuminating insights into India, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Once dismissed as a slumbering elephant for its slow economic growth, India has now emerged as the darling of the West. India is a regional power, nuclear power, space power, military power, and, now, a major economic power. This book is an all-in-one reference manual with facts, figures, and a practical introduction to India’s people, culture, history, economy, foreign relations, and myriad of other topics. Topics covered include India’s unique caste and marriage systems, transition from a government-controlled economy to a market-oriented economy, India’s emergence as an information technology superpower, and emergence of Indian American community as one of the most successful immigrant groups of America.

Read the preview of the book on Google Books:
http://books.google.com/books?id=vjI6IZt8tuwC

The book is available for purchase on Amazon.com (ISBN: 9781440116353) http://www.amazon.com/India-Overview-Culture-History-Industry/dp/1440116350/

Manish Chary obtained his MBA from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He currently lives in Melbourne, FL with his wife and two children. You can contact Manish Chary at Ph: 321-426-4663 or
manish_chary100@yahoo.com


Pat McDonough has a new book

From Rough to Ready, an Editor's Tips for Writers by Pat McDonough gives tips for manuscript style, grammar, and formatting. It's a must have for the serious writer. Even published authors will find worthwhile information. It's published by Terra Sancta Press. It's offered for $10.00 and can be ordered by contacting Terra Sancta Press at books4you@clf.rr.com or calling 321-254-9672.

Pat McDonough is a professional copyeditor at McDonough Consulting since 1986. She is also owner of Terra Sancta Press. Her book Without Keys, My 15 Weeks with the Street People is a comprehensive assessment of homelessness and has been instrumental in bringing about legislative and policy changes. The book was a semi finalist in the 1996 Pulitzer Prize competition. With Kazimierz J. Kasperek, Pat co-authored Kazik's Polish Navy a Pulitzer Prize contender in 2009, along with Strangers Brothers which she co-authored with Raymond F. Flaherty. Pat was copyeditor on Ray's first novel, He Didn't Say Good-Bye, and of Mary Robsman's book What Made Us Who We Are Today, World War II Oral History.

Now, Pat has added From Rough to Ready, an Editor's Tips for Writers to her list of books. This one is sure to help writers on style, grammar and formatting.

To obtain a copy of her newest book, contact her at Terra Sancta Press at
books4you@clf.rr.com or calling 321-254-9672.

Rabbi Ed Weinsberg of Sarasota has a new book out

Designed to be an inspiring physical, emotional, and spiritual guide for prostate cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones, Conquer Prostate Cancer: How Medicine, Faith, Love and Sex Can Renew Your Life, empowers boomer and senior men to face diagnosis with dignity, explore their options realistically, and tackle recovery with optimism and determination.

The book is also an insightful resource for their wives or partners, family, friends, doctors, and other healthcare providers. As the author and his wife share the most intimate details of their prostate cancer journey, readers learn how to become an active member of their medical team, reduce pain and stress and renew vitality, overcome impotence and incontinence, enhance intimate relationships, and draw strength from faith, family, and friends.

The first book to emphasize robotic surgery for prostate cancer from the perspective of an informed prostate cancer survivor and healthcare educator, Conquer Prostate Cancer discusses the latest research and advances in treatment, and profiles twenty patients who chose various treatment options.

Prominent robotic surgeon Dr. Robert Carey discusses medical and patient-care concerns and the author's wife shares her thoughts about how she and her family coped with the disease and its effects.

Conquer Prostate Cancer was recently granted the 2009 Nautilus Silver Book Award for its innovative approach to health, healing, medicine and energy. This highly competitive award recognizes new leading edge books that underscore conscious living and positive social change, combining new ideas with religion and spirituality.

The author, Rabbi Ed Weinsberg of Sarasota, started writing his book just days after his successful prostate cancer surgery. Conquer Prostate Cancer is available at http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.conquerprostatecancer.com/. Rabbi Ed's website also offers a wealth of information and resources for prostate cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones.

Here's a book you might want to check out

I have just heard from Francine Silverman that her book, Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get Invited (McFarland & Co, 2009), is about to be published. She'll be in Wellington in N. Palm Beach the first part of her trip to Florida between February 24 and March 7 and in Hollywood during the second half of that week.

The book isn't available yet, but should be by the time she visits Florida. Here's a blurb about the book:

Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get invited (McFarland & Co. 2009) seeks to bridge the gap between show hosts and prospective guests, providing a reference guide to roughly 700-talk radio shows from the U.S. and around the world. Entries are organized under categories of show themes, including religion, travel, addiction and recovery, sports, entertainment, and many more. The book also includes information on many of Talkers Magazine's Top 250-Radio Talk Shows, interview tips for radio guests, and tips for conducting a radio interview over the phone.

Author Francine Silverman is an on-line publicist and radio host who lives in Riverdale, New York. Her book is available for pre-publication ordering at
http://www.amazon.com/. And she has a website at http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com/ that may be of interest to authors and artists attempting to market their work. There are articles available there.

Rainbows, Cutthroats and the Prince of Bhutan, Fly Fishing Adventures Around the World

252 pages, 66 color photographs, $25.00.

Bill Sargent, Retired Outdoors Editor of Florida Today, wrote about Perkins' new book. "Those of us who call ourselves fishermen often dream about adventurous and far away places of the world where we'd give just about anything to fish and explore. Costa Rica, Australia, Belize, new Zealand, maybe even the Seychelles are at the top of many lists.

"Unfortunately few of us ever get the chance to so much as wet a line at such distant destinations. But we keep dreaming.

"Frank Perkins is an exception. He's a quiet, friendly, small-statured man with a passion for fly fishing who made up his mind years ago that he would travel and fish the world.

"A career as an electronic engineer with assignments in many countries - and helped by the fact that he was an Earthwatch Institute volunteer - took Frank to many of the world's most beautiful and exotic places.

"Frank made it a point to never leave home without his fly rod. Come to thin of it maybe a half dozen fly rods! Needless to say he fished a lot.

"Over a period of 23 years he traveled to 25 countries on all seven continents and caught practically every fish in the book, from the black waters of the Amazon to the waterfalls of Iceland....

"The 'fishing stories' never stop in this one-man's travelogue. It goes without saying that Frank's book is a must read for us dreamers."

You can get a copy from
http://www.frankperkins.com/, or by contacting Frank at fap1217@cs.com or 321-676-0863. It's also available at Harry Goode's in Melbourne and The Backcountry in Vero Beach.

243 and Other Short Stories by C.W. Love is a combination of four different genres: mystery thriller, sci-fi, horror, and a young adult story. It contains:

"243" a mystery thriller about a Vietnam era hit man who is charged with eliminating his death squad members to prevent incriminating papers from naming a presidential hopeful as a traitor.

"Journey" is a sci-fi story. A research doctor and a computer wizard develop the ability to locate and trace inherited genes and project video and audio onto a monitor. Complications develop and an evil is released in the community.

"Jack-in-the-Box" is a horror story. Kip's Bar becomes the focal point for local friends in a backwoods community. The bar talk centers around a strange wolf-like man who distributes the toy-like Jack-in-the-Box. People suddenly are missing as Kip calls Plant City for a police investigation only to have the policeman turn up missing.

"The Wanting Tree" is a young adult story. At a tribal ceremony, young Magway states that he will become the greatest of the braves and will be the one to find the legendary Wanting Tree. The legend of Magway carries on through time with the help of the Indian Affairs agent.

About the author: Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Charlie Love graduated from Norristown High in 1948. He married Elizabeth Differ in 1953 after serving five years in an Army Regimental Combat Team. He is the father of seven children and nineteen grandchildren. He entered the contracting business in Pennsylvania and later moved to South Jersey as general contractor for construction from Altlantic City to Cape May, New Jersey.

Charlie now lives in Cocoa, Florida, with his wife. His first book, Trilogy In Fear, was published in 2005. His second book, 243 and Other Short Stories, is now in print. Charlie has a children's book that will be released soon. He also writes poems and humorous articles. He is working on several additional fictional stories. Watch for them.

Copies of the book may be purchased by emailing the author at clove72531@aol.com, through the publisher at http://www.publishamerica.com/, or through Barnes and Noble and various book stores. ISBN: 1-60672-031-7

Joyce Henderson and Heather Tomasello go International

John Wiley and Sons, Inc. recently released a Thai translation of So You Have to Do A Science Fair Project, (ISBN 0-471-20256-8) by Joyce Henderson and Heather Tomasello. The book is also available in Basura, the language of Indonesia, and English.

The book is uniquely geared to the 1st through 6th grade students to help navigate the process of doing a science fair project from start to finish. It does not have cookie cutter experiments for the student to perform, instead it challenges students to select a project based upon the child’s interests. The book includes:
¨ Brainstorming activities for the student
¨ Examples of grade-appropriate experiments
¨ Tips for making a winning backboard
¨ Helpful hints for writing the final paper
¨ A discussion of what judges expect and how to prepare a presentation

For more information, contact Joyce Henderson at jehwriter@cfl.rr.com

Books to Inspire and Uplift

Positive Reflections: Inspiring Thoughts & Photographs From Around The World is a 128-page gift book with a special twist that is meant to encourage a positive outlook that will help you live life to it’s fullest.

"As a cancer survivor, I truly believe in living every day to the fullest and doing the things that make us happy. This book helps remind me to do that." Catherine Schweinsberg/Brevard County Library Services Director

"Beautiful! Not everyone is able to travel around the world but, with this book, you can imagine yourself there and start your day with a positive mindset." Nancy Robinson/Talk Of The Town Travel Agency.

The best of Hometown Heroes florida includes ten chapters of heartwarming and inspiring stories about people of all ages and backgrounds who are changing their communities, their state, and their world through their unique personalities and their desire to help others.

"They are great!" U.S. Senator Bill Nelson said.

"I wish you great success with the book -- you deserve it!" said Patrick D. Smith.

"The authors tell remarkable stories," said Gary Roen of Midwest Book Review.

Check out their website at http://www.sunnyharborpublishing.org/ for these inspiring books by Tom Routzong and Steven Skelley.

In these days when we need positive message so much more than what we hear in the news, Steven and Tom are meeting a need in all of us to be positive and to spread some positive thoughts of our own.

Peter Panda helps children

Author Marc O’Brien, a New Jersey native who now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year is the 20th anniversary of his graduation from college. His parents, Barbara and John O’Brien, live half the year in Indialantic, Florida. Marc is an adult who was born with, and deals daily with, cerebral palsy. He knows a great deal about dealing as a child with medical and surgical experiences, doctors, nurses and hospitals. He is also the author now of his first children’s book, Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s TM Playground. It is a blend of fiction and nonfiction.

Like many children, Peter Panda, the book’s hero character, has fascinating and fun life experiences with friends, nurses, doctors, and occasionally, as in real life, medical procedures in the hospital. Children can laugh and learn from him about medical and life experiences and realities.

Nurses hold a special place in this author’s heart. He says, “Peter Panda and his story came to life thanks to the rich and positive experiences I’ve had over the years with nursing professionals. So I dedicated my first book to all caring nurses who enhance the lives of those in their care, especially children.”

Peter the Peeteeatrick Panda’s Playground is a book for children ages 5 and up, where Marc shares with them the antics and experiences of his whimsical Panda Bear “Pandystriper” volunteer at the children’s wing of a hospital.

Marc often has a live Peter Panda character with him when he does programs and signings for children at libraries, clinics and hospitals, as he did recently at the Satellite Beach library when he and Peter Panda presented a lively reading program for kids and their parents there. He has also appeared at schools, civic groups, and hospitals with Peter Panda in tow.

The book teaches children about nurses, doctors, and hospital experiences through Peter’s often amusing antics on the pediatric ward. Children can laugh and learn with Peter and his friends Hoppy the Bunny and Jeffrey the Long-Necked Giraffe. As parents and medical professionals know, every kid may one day end up needing medical attention, diagnostic tests, or even a stitch or two, or a cast. Peter Panda removes the fear of the unknown for them, and helps parents explain various medical terms to their children.

For many children with more challenging long-term disabilities or diseases, like Marc’s, the kinds of experiences Peter and his friends deal with are more than just a passing event of their childhood. For children above 3, there is a Peter Panda finger puppet. For kids over 3, there’s a squeezable Peter Panda stuffed animal, as well as a Panda Pencil, which can add to the book’s appeal and help comfort and amuse sick kids. Some fun and easy learning exercises and puzzles are included as an educational part of each chapter.

Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s Playground is divided into four interesting, easy to read chapter stories, a total of 50 pages in all, and is delightfully illustrated in full color throughout by professional, Paris-trained artist Catherine Wicks of Melbourne, a lifelong friend of Marc’s family.

RN Ellen Walsh lauds Peter Panda: “This book is informative as well as entertaining for children of all ages,” (Walsh is a nurse with MPA, RNC, Neo-Natal Intensive Care and Information Technology credentials.)
Eleanor Gaffney, a retired teacher says that Peter Panda “…will help reduce anxiety and reassure [children] in a delightfully innovative way. Bravo Peter, and Marc O’Brien, Peter’s creator!”

RN/MSN Joanne Affinito calls this book, “A unique way to teach children about a hospital experience in a fun, non-threatening way.”

O’Brien hopes that businesses, civic organizations, and folks without children may wish to purchase this book for donation to special needs children, pediatric wards in hospitals, or for children with special needs whose families cannot buy them books. Marc and his family have donated books to several libraries and special children’s care charities. For example, cystic fibrosis kids each need their own book, because they cannot share items that others have handled. The O’Briens offer a substantial discount to those who purchase books as a donation to a non-profit charity organization for sick or disabled children.

Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s Playground is available from the Publisher, Blue Note Books of Cocoa Beach, FL. ISBN 978-1-878398-78-9; Telephone 321-799-2583 or go to

http://www.bluenotebooks.com/; it is online at amazon.com, or from the author (see below). Marc O’Brien is available for interviews or personal appearances. A wipeable laminate hardcover book with charming color Illustrations throughout; 50 pages, priced at retail: $19.95 plus tax and shipping. To learn more about Marc, and his friend Peter the Peeteeatrick Panda, or to order the book or the accompaniments,go to: http://www.marcobrienauthor.com/

Mary Doerfler Dall, Children Discover the Mass

Mary Doerfler Dall's book, Children Discover the Mass, continues to garnish a great deal of enthusiasm. Although the book has been out for a while, the resurgence of it's popularity speaks to the desire for parents and teachers of Catholic education to have a clear, concise and fun way to approach liturgical teaching. Mary's ability to make learning fun is evident in this book.

Children Discover the Mass provides wonderful hands-on learning of what Catholics say at Mass and why they say it. The parental references for each activity provide the instructor with a mini-overview of historical and liturgical background. Each activity, from constructing an altar and dressing the acolyte cut outs to making the completely illustrated children's coloring book type missal at the back of the book, is designed for maximum child-centered instruction.

While Children Discover the Mass can be used to teach the systematic order of the Mass, each activity stands on its own as a distinct activity allowing for complete flexibility. After several printings and strong recent sales to Australia, it is evident that this book is destined to become a classic. This is the perfect gift for a child preparing for First Communion and for a religious education teacher working with young children.


The book can be ordered directly from the publisher, Ave Maria Press and is available on Amazon. com and many Catholic education websites. Mary's website is mddall.com

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast:

Brevard county, stretching along 76 miles of Florida's Atlantic coast, is a recreational and cultural jewel -- one of those rare spots that is as much fun for residents as it is for visitors. This entertaining and informational travel guide showcases the best of Brevard. Author and resident Dianne Marcum shares firsthand knowledge of the finest lodging, dining, shopping, and recreation, with special attention to the best beaches and surf spots.

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast is published by The Countryman Press, an imprint of international publishing house W. W. Norton, as part of their Great Destinations series. You'll find detailed information about lodging, dining, shopping, recreational activities, a calendar of events, local history and more than 100 up-to-date maps and photos.

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space coast is available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and at DianneMarcum.com

About the author: Author Dianne Marcum is a member of the Cocoa Beach Writer's Workshop and Space Coast Writer's Guild, and a contributor to Space Coast Business and local anthologies. She lives in Cape Canaveral and serves as a member of the Cape Canaveral Business & Cultural Development Board. Dianne is a CPA, AARP Tax Aide associate, and the former Vice President of strategic and human resources planning for Walt Disney World.

Dianne is available to speak to groups on Brevard County Travel and Tourism, the history of Florida's Space Coast, and a variety of writing and business topics. Presentations are tailored to meet the interest of the audience. Contact her at DianneMarcum.com

News from Terra Sancta Press
Patricia A. McDonough and Terra Sancta Press have two titles accepted into the Pulitzer Prize Competition (April 2009) this year. They are:

Kazik's Polish Navy by Kazimierz J. Kasperek with Pat McDonough entered in the Letters Category of Biography, Autobiography, Memoir.

Strangers Brothers by MSG. Raymond F. Flaherty and Pat McDonough entered in the Letters Category of American Life (fiction of a historical nature).

In Strangers Brothers, two brothers from different cultures, raised separately by the same father, come together in the US Army Airborne Rangers in the invasion of Grenada. A secret is revealed and their lives unravel. Living in the same Georgia Town, how can two disparate families come to grips with one man's "other life."

This October is the 25th Anniversary of the Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada to rescue American medical students and their families.

Stranger's Brothers is the sequel to Flaherty's first novel He Didn't Say Good-Bye.

Kazik's Polish Navy is an eye-witness account of the action in major sea battles of WWII from the day that Hitler invaded. It reveals secrets how the deal was cut to allocate countries after the war. Kazik's story is of heroism, love, heartbreak, and beginning life anew in America. Even with ships being blown out from under him, with privations in a German POW internment camp and his escape, the betrayal of Poland, Kazik never lets go of his uplifting spirit and positive view of life. He was the most decorated Polish NCO in WWII, awarded 18 medals by 5 countries. After the war, his promotion came through as Lieutenant Commander.

You can obtain more information by sending an email to
books4you@cfl.rr.com and can purchase it by going to http://www.terrasanctapress.com/

Wanton Woman: Sue Logue, Strom Thurmond, and the Bloody Logue-Timmerman Feud by Anna Flowers

Wanton Woman is a true crime saga of the 1930-1940s era in a small, virtually lawless town in the deep south. It's the story of vivacious Sue Stidam who married into a violent Logue-Tiommerman family feud in Edgefield, SC ,when she married one of the Logue boys. She immediately learned how to manipulate her new family connections, to achieve her ambition of becoming a teacher, and in her social-climbing fervor, she became the favorite lover of political icon Strom Thurmond. The stormy relationship continues right up to Sue Logue's eventual, and final destiny. She becomes the first woman ever electrocuted in the state of South Carolina, and it is her former lover Strom who will escort her to the Death House.

The incredible string of events and murders leading up to her tragic fate are detailed by Flowers in this true narrative about the lawless swath these prominent families cut.

Steve Glassman in a review states, "Anna Flowers has produced a historical true crime book that is Southern Gothic in tenor and content. It is the sort of thing that Poe as well as a long line of Southern writers would look on with favor. Good going."

Maynard Allington, author of the critically acclaimed The Court of Blue Shadows, wrote: "In Wanton Woman, Anna Flowers is at the top of her game in the true crime genre. The case history of murder, which made headlines in the 1940s, has it all: human intrigue, wanton sex, and an ending that will hit the reader with the impact of a bullet. The attention to historical detail, coupled with the skill to tell a compelling, fast-paced story, make Flowers' account of murder and mayhem read like a novel."

The book is available at Barnes and Noble or at amazon.com.

Morning’s Light by JoAnna O’Keefe

An inspirational collection of poems integrated with spirituality and the journey to wholeness, reflecting the author’s education from the Pecos Benedictine Monastery Spiritual Directors School and Syracuse University. Vivid images and lyrical language describe and create the many emotions we all experience: love, despair, fear, courage, exaltation, joy and gratitude.
Cynthia Guarjado-Paul of the Space Coast Chronicle said of JoAnna's new book: "More than a collection of poems, Morning's Light is a glimpse into the journey of JoAnna O'Keefe, the author of the beautiful inspirational books Come to the Garden and The Path Less Taken.

"In the remarkable book of poems, JoAnna O'Keefe caputres, in strong images and precise lyrical language, the emotions we all experience: love, despair, fear, courage, exaltation, joy, and gratitude.

"These poems of love, transcendence and transformation reflect the solitary and difficult labors of the spirit on the journey to wholeness. The book is not only comforting to read, it encourages you to embrace the absolute joy of being who you are."

For more information, go to
http://www.joannaokeefe.com/

Behold, An Ashen Horse, second in the Clash-of-Civilizations triology, is out. It won the Military Writers Society
of America's 2008 Gold Medal. The first was The Rings of Allah (winner of the Military Writers Society of America's 2007 Silver Medal).

The Rings of Allah by Lee Boyland. Can terroists detonate a nuclear device in the U.S.? Lee
Boyland answers this question in his award-winning novel. The plan and attack are told through the terroist's eyes. Simple gun-type atomic devices are obtained and planted in American cities. The terrorists wait for the opportunity to simultaneously detonate them. Can America survive? The answer is found in the sequel -- Behold, an Ashen Horse.

"Lee Boyland's story of a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. hit the nail on the head. A plot that can happen today," says a retired brigadier general whose last post was the National Security Agency.

"A chilling techno-thriller. Accurate technical details and well drawn characters," Frank Perkins author of Travel Adventures on the Campany's Nickel and Whales, Termites and Dragons" Adventures on Volunteer Expeditions.

Behold, an Ashen Horse by Lee and Vista Boyland (Winner of the Military Writers Society of America's 2008 Gold Medal)
Blindsided by a sneak nuclear attack, America's central government is destroyed and its economy's spinning toward collapse. A world-wide jihad rages, and the Islamic Empire is formed. America must find the right leader in order to survive. George Alexander is that man. Thrust into the presidency, a job he didn't want, Alexander sets about saving the nation and then dispenses the retribution his angry nation demands.

This is the author's second novel in the Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy. The final novel, American Reborn, is under way.

Joe Weber, New York Times best-selling author of eight novels says, "Behold, an Ashen Horse is a stunning, riveting story plausible enough to be tomorrow's headlines. Buckle your seat belts...this is a nail-biting ride."

"Forget about Patterson, King, Grisham and company. If you want at long last to read a work that is intelligent, gripping, and truly terrifying, pick up a copy of Lee Boyland's Behold, an Ashen Horse. Mr. Boyland, who has an extensive background in nuclear engineering and national defense, is the rightful heir in American fiction to Tom Clancy," says Paul Williams, author of The Day of Islam, Osama's Revenge, The Al Qaeda Connection, Dunces of Doomsday, and The Complete Idiot's Guild to the Crusades.

About the Author: Lee Boyland, U. S. Army bomb disposal officer, nuclear weapons expert, special weapons designer, businessman, and author, and his wife and co-author, Vista, have written two award-winning novels of their Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy. He is a frequent contributor to The New Media Journal.us (http://www.newmedia journal.us). Links to his articles are posted on the author page of his website along with lots of other interesting information. For ordering information and more go to
http://www.leeboylandbooks.com/.

Apache Warrior by Carol Ann Didier.

A white woman and an Apache brave meet in the untamed West...

Apache Warrior is the debut novel of Carol Ann Didier. It's the story of an Eastern Baltimore belle and and an Apache brave caught up in a taboo love that has the power to heal or harm a broken people. Set in historical Arizona in the 1860's, Apache Warrior proves love knows no color, creed or race. It happens in the heart, when and where you least expect it, and if allowed to grow, can conquer differences in culture, hatred and personal loss. Cassie Edwards, New York Times bestselling author said, "A compelling story! Wonderfully authentic!"

Carol Ann Didier has been published in Charisma and Literary Lift Off magazines. She also writes inspirational vignettes, verses for greeting cards, and stories for her grandchildren. She now lives on the east coast of Florida.

For more information, visit her website at
http://www.carolanndidier.com/. You can purchase the book at her website or through http://www.amazon.com/.

Valerie Allen has just published Summer School for Smarties, a children's book for grades
three to six. In Summer School for Smarties, the main character, Jennifer, suddenly finds her long awaited summer vacation interrupted due to an end-of-the-year low grade in reading. She knows there has been a BIG mistake. Jennifer plans to be miserable throughout her summer school ordeal, but finds that remedial learning and new life experiences can sneak up on you when you least expect them. Valerie Allen has also published:

Sins of the Father
Suffer the Little Children
Bad Hair, Good Hat, Best Friends
Write, Publish, Sell!


Check them all out by going to her website at http://www.valerieallenwriter.com/ or email her at VAllenWriter@cs.com
for more information.

Kee Briggs has spent decades filling his experiential warehouses for the time when
he could use that material to create storylines. He has done that and more. He's the author of 12 books. The Silver Scepter and The Rhodium Dragon are two of his newest additions to The Usher Orlop Mystery Series. Start at the beginning of the series and follow the exploits of sculptor Usher Orlop and Anasette. In The Silver Scepter, Usher travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to execute a silver scepter for an unusual client. Usher finds his creation is used to bash in the skull of a woman. Usher rescues her tiny son and must find a way to get the tyke out of harm's way. In The Rhodium Dragon, Usher is provided with a magnificent jade box on which to mount a silver mask of a client's grandson. The surfacing of the lidless box precipitates multiple burglaries and murders, plus the involvement of a powerful Chinese tong and the Chicoms. Usher must sort through international intrigues to protect the lone survivor.

For more information about these intriguing books or to purchase any of Kee's books visit his website at
http://www.keescapes.com/.

You Are Not Forgotten: A Family's Quest for Truth and the Founding of the National League of Families of POW/MIA by Evelyn Grubb and Carol Jose with a Foreword by Henry Kissinger. This true story of enduring love and tragic loss, set in a deep and moving time of war and extreme socio-political upheaval, is an inspiring account of remarkable individuals, citizens, celebrities and politicians. Together they would create history. Each of them is a true American hero and they will never be forgotten.

In his review of the book Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd USAF (ret.) states, "You Are Not Forgotten should be read by every American citizen, politician, government bureaucrat, military family, and by every person who wears a U.S. military uniform, from the recruits to the top. The photos are riveting. The story is true, well-documented, superbly told. It should be in every American history class because the Vietnam War as a subject has been woefully neglected. Full of important national, military and strongly illustrated civic and moral human lessons, You Are Not Forgotten should become a classic.

"Authors Evelyn 'Evie' Grubb and Carol Jose collaborate to tell the story of 'Newk' Grubb, an American fighter pilot shot down on a reconnaissance mission early in the war....

"The story is told from Evie's heart, through her eyes. You won't forget You Are Not Forgotten. Don't miss it. I'd like to have known Evie. She says, in the Preface, '...the roughest experiences of life do toughen us up... but they do not make us immortal
...'"

For more information about You Are Not Forgotten contact publicist, Mike Daly at
md@csicreativesolutions or by phone at 1-877-843-8877. You can order the book online at http://www.yanfbook.com/ (Hardcover, 360 pp, illustrations, index; $24.95 + shipping) ISBN 13-978-0918339-71-3

Friends Forever New Trails is the third in a series of books by Marilyn Martin. If you've read the other two, you will catch up with your favorite characters as they continue their journey of life along new trails. You'll meet Alenxandra Tanner and her Navajo classmate, Skylyn Eaglefeather, young teens who have been pals from first grade. Their ranch life in Colorado is one of outdoor exploration. Marilyn was a teacher for eleven years. Her writing draws upon a deep love of the West, and her own American Indian ancestral background has led her to investigate the life and culture of the ancient Amerinds upon which she bases much of her writing. Friends Forever New Trails is published by Four Seasons Publishers and is now available at bookstores across the country and over the Internet at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com. ISBN: 1-932497-06-4; $12.95. For more information about books by Marilyn Martin go to
http://www.mmartinbooks.com/.

Alpha Rising by G.L. Douglas is receiving high praise and positive reviews and recently earne
d two Honorable Mentions at the Hollywood Book Festival, an Honorable Mention at the DIY Book Festival, and scored a perfect 20 out of 20 in plot, grammar, character development and cover design categories at the Writers' Digest International Book Festival. (Read more at http://www.alpharising.net/)

This thought-provoking work of speculative fiction opens at Kennedy Space Center in the year 2020 with a rescue mission beyond Earth's solar system. The effort only partially succeeds, landing six astronauts in a beleaguered future world where history repeats itself, future events cast shadows, few can be trusted, and the earthlings' DNA is of prime interest. By the merest stroke of luck, one astronaut escapes evil captors, and soon an epiphany on a mountain top sends him on a mission that fulfills prophecy.

From Violins to Violence: Memoirs of a Virtuoso Homicide Detective was named one of the best books of 2007 by Cathy Mathias of Florida Today.

Author Marshall Frank bares all about his transition from a classical violinist to an illustrious career as a premier homicide detective. In this compelling autobiography, Frank shares many personal and professional experiences. He looks at the power over corrupt officials by a family mobster; the struggles faced by homicide investigators; true murder cases and other criminal investigations; the arrest of five police officers for murder; the truth behind Miami's race riots of 1980; crushed marriages, alcoholism and drug addiction; and the influence of music in a life of turmoil.

For more information, visit Marshall's website at
http://www.marshallfrank.com/.

When Judith Mammay retired from teaching elementary special education, she started her second career as an author of children's books. She has written Knowing Joseph, a mid-grade novel, and It's Time, an early reader/picture book, both of which address issues of autism. She currently lives in Melbourne, Florida, with her husband and is an active member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the president of the Space Coast Writers' Guild (SCWG). Besides writing, she also enjoys nature photography, playing golf, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Knowing Joseph ... Brian would give anything to have a normal six-year-old brother -- one who doesn't scream, that normals sounds are not too loud for, or just a brother who would play with other kids. But no matter how often he pretends not to know him, Brian has to face that he doesn't have a normal brother. He has Joseph, who is autistic.

Life with Joseph isn't easy. Joseph needs order and structure, which is something other kids find weird. Brian constantly finds himself defending Joseph from kids who understand Joseph even less than Brian does. It takes a new friend and a school project before Brain can begin to truly know and accept Joseph.


It's Time... Tommy knew he was different. His doctor told him and his mom he had autism. He didn't know what autism was, but he knew some things were hard for him.

It was hard for Tommy to understand what people meant when they talked. It was hard for him to use words that would help others to understand him, too. Sometimes that made him scream.

Tommy liked things to be the same. He liked to do everything in the same order each day. It upset Tommy if the schedule changed.

Sometimes Tommy didn't like people to be close to him. And he didn't like loud noises and bright, flashing lights.

Even when Tommy tried his best, some days were hard. Some days he had problems.

Judy has presented in several venues, including schools, college classes, and at community meetings. She is available to do school visits on the topics of writing, conflict resolution, and disability awareness. Contact her at
jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com or through her website, www.judithmammay.com/.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River by Holly Fox Vellekoop. Holly is a former clinical instructor in psychiatric and mental health nursing for Pen State University.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is a murder mystery set in the small town of Danville, Pennsylvania. Follow state policeman Thomas Sheski and his partner as they attempt to solve the murder of the wife of a well-known psychologist who provides treatment for wealthy clients at his private mental hospital.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is available at
http://www.amazon.com/ or by emailing the author at hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com

Organizations and Meetings

Note: I know this is a partial list of organizations, and I know I haven't included all the information about meetings. I would love to list information about your group. Please send in the information you would like listed about your group to
Lou@LouBelcher.com. Thanks.

Cape Canaveral Pen Women

website:
http://www.capecanaveralpenwomen.org/. The goal of this group is to conduct and promote creative and educational activities in art, letters, and music.

Florida Writers Association

website:
http://www.floridawriters.net.

Brevard group: There is a regional group called Poets, Authors and Writers Share (PAWS). This group meets the third Wednesday of the month at Melbourne Public Library on Fee Avenue in Melbourne, Florida.

Scribblers

website:
http://www.geocities/brevardscribblers/index.htm. This group meets the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from February through October. During November, December and January, they meet the 2nd Saturday of the month. All meetings start at 9:30 a.m. at the Eau Gallie Library.

SCBWI Florida

website:
http://www.scbwiflorida.com/. This is the state chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

A local SCBWI critique group meets the second Monday of the month at Melbourne Library on Fee Avenue at 7:00p.m. Contact Judy Mammay at
jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com for more information. You can also go to http://www.scbwiflorida.com/

Space Coast Writers' Guild

Website:
http://www.scwg.org/ The monthly meeting of the Space Coast Writers' Guild is on the third Saturday of the month at the West Melbourne Library at 2755 Wingate Blvd (on the corner of Minton and Wingate). It starts at 1:00 p.m. For more information, go to http://www.scwg.org/ .

2nd Saturday with the Space Coast Writers' Guild is (obviously) on the 2nd Saturday of each month. This meeting is at the Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Parkway. The meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public and members.

SpacecoasT Authors of Romance (STAR)

STAR's purpose is to promote excellence in romantic fiction and advance the professional interests of career-focused writers. They do this in many ways but basically through the meetings. They open with a critique hour where two writers bring 12 pages of their manuscript and read aloud (they mush have taken part in this for a while before being allowed to read). Once finished, the reader remains mum, while those at the meeting offer editorial comments.

They then have their business meeting followed by lunch where they share their writing news, check their word count progress, and talk about industry stuff while they eat. The main program starts after lunch with a speaker of writing exercise or activity. On occasion, they have Super Saturdays with special writers or editors or agents who come in to meet with their members and allow them to pitch their material.

The meetings are on the 4th Saturday of each month at Piccadilly Cafeteria meeting room, Melbourne Square Mall (except for Super Saturdays when they frequently have another meeting place). Their meetings begin at 10:00 a.m. and usually last till 2:00 or 3:00 p.m.

Guests are invited to attend two meetings before joining STAR. Their annual dues are $20.00. Sometimes there is a charge for special activities. Because they are a recognized chapter of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) all STARs must also be members of the national RWA organization ($75). Members must also be 18 years of age. Contact them through the website at
http://www.authorsofromance.com/.

This and That including services

Florida Today: Chris Kridler put out valuable information for authors on the Space Coast. In an article in the paper she said, "Local authors have a new way to trumpet their new books. Space Coast authors can go to
www.floridatoday.com/authors and fill out the form there." The information will go to their writers. This is the way to get into the Sunday column on local authors. She goes on to say that authors should fill out the form two weeks in advance or as soon as you can when you have a new book. For more information, contact Kridler at 242-3533 or by email at ckridler@floridatoday.com.

Submissions to Florida Book News: Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com . Thanks.

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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Book Signing and Celebration at Vero Beach Book Center

This Friday, May 8th, there will be a book signing and wine and cheese celebration of the Florida Book Awards for Deborah and Joel Shlian. They won the Gold Medal for Popular Fiction for their book Rabbit in the Moon. The reception is also for Martha Powers. She won the Bronze for Popular Fiction for her book Conspiracy of Silence.

The event will take place at the Vero Beach Book Center from 4-6PM. The book store is located at 2145 Indian River Blvd in Vero Beach, Florida. The phone number is 772-569-2050. Be sure to stop by.

Also, Deboarah and Joel will be honored on May 7th at a banquet and book signing sponsored by the Florida Library Association.

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News from the Book Xchg - June

Annette Clifford to Speak at the Book Xchg on June 6 at 1:00p.m.


Annette Clifford is a journalist and fiction writer who lives in Satellite Beach, Florida. Her columns on family life are published each week in Florida Today and have appeared in scores of newspapers nationwide. The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors and The Florida Press Club have awarded her work. She is also an editorial writer at Florida Today, focusing on education, health care, and social justice issues.

She recently published World's Toughest Job, a collection of some of her best columns, which can be purchased at www.worldstoughestjob.com.

Annette is also the co-author of three editions of The Insiders' Guide to Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown.

Her story "We eat our peas for the souls in purgatory" appears in Microfiction: An Anthology of Really Short Stories, from W.W. Norton, Inc. Her stories have been published in many magazines and journals. Her poetry has also been published in a variety of journals, and she was awarded first prize in the Florida, Florida, Florida poetry contest sponsored by the Strawbridge Art League.

Come on June 6, 2009, at 1:00 p.m. to the Book Xchg and hear more about her new book. The Book Xchg is located at 604 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village, Florida. (321) 639-5624.

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Sunday, May 3, 2009

Annette Clifford -- Book Signing

World's Toughest Job author, Annette Clifford, will sign books Thursday night May 7 at the National Mom's Night Out event at the Melbourne Square Mall from 6 to 9pm.

The first nationally organized celebration of motherhood will pay tribute to moms while providing a great social networking opportunity with a live remote and prize giveaways by Lite Rock 93.3, style demonstrations, complimentary wine tasting, mini manicures, and much more.

National Mom's Nite Out at Melbourne Square Mall is sponsored by Imagine Schools; the event is free to the public. One of the highlights of the evening will be a drawing for a weekend getaway to the Gaylord Palms Resort in Orlando. Entrants must be present to win. Mom's Like Me magazine also will be giving away an assortment of prizes.

Melbourne Square Mall's National Mom's Nite Out participants include:
* Mary Kay Cosmetics
* Ideal Image
* Dr. Christie Thomas
* Perfumania
* Pampered Chef
* Hibiscus Gynecology
* Planet Kid
* Transformation Day Spa
* Chamber of Commerce
* Dream Weavers Salon
* Bear Factory
* Petals Florist
* Clow Chiropractic
* Let's Talk Real Talk

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Central Florida Book Signing on May 9


Romance writers sign books at Barnes & Noble.

Join local romance authors Catherine Kean, Dara Edmondson, Michelle Young, Shauna Hart, Terry Odell, Judith Gilbert and Cillian Burns as they sign their latest releases on Saturday, May 9 from 1 to 4pm at Barnes & Noble in the Dr. Phillips' area of Orlando.

Stop by, talk with the authors, and enjoy their books. In addition, they will be holding a drawing for a $15 Barnes and Noble gift card, too. No purchase is required to be eligible.

Barnes & Noble is located at 7900 W. Sandlake Road; Orlando, Florida 32819. The phone number for Barnes & Noble is (407) 345-0900.

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Florida Book News - May 3, 2009

Welcome to Florida Book News

Florida Book News is now using Twitter.com

As of this morning (5/3/09) Florida Book News had 151 followers on Twitter and the list is growing daily. Some of our followers include: Random House, Writer's Digest, LA Times Books, Little Brown & Company, and London Book Fair.

Follow Florida Book News on Twitter. If you're on Twitter, too, just go to www.twitter.com/FloridaBookNews, sign in and click the follow button. You'll be able to follow the latest notices and tips on interesting events happening around the state and country. Also, I'm going to use it to send people to your websites from time to time.
If you aren't on Twitter and you aren't even sure what it is, here's a quick rundown. Twitter is a social media network. It's free and nothing terrible will happen to you if you join. In order to join, you only need to type in a name and password (you make up both).

Once you sign up and click the follow button under the Florida Book News icon (the flowers at the left), you'll begin receiving short announcements on your Twitter page when Florida Book News sends them out. It could be an announcement of an event in the area or an opportunity for writers or just a friendly reply to another tweeter. In addition, I'm following some of the best publishing sites around the world. You can get to their Twitter pages from the Florida Book News page. So, go to www.twitter.com/FloridaBookNews and enjoy the tweets.


Florida Book News ... it's the place to announce your new book, to tell about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conference or convention. It's the place for anything of interest to others about writing and books. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

Inside this issue

  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)

Author Profile - Bob Brown

News from Bob Brown. Robert Brown, author of, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has just signed off on his second book, Running For Fun, High School Athlete, Jonathan Brown.

Robert Brown, the author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has a DVD presentation about his voyage from North Carolina to Bermuda and then back to New York Harbor. He has shown it at both the Cocoa Beach and Cocoa Libraries. It is 33 minutes long and starts off with a TV news clip and then shows them leaving Atlantic Beach, North Carolina and much of their return to New York starting off with the towing out to sea in Bermuda, Donna Lang's 28 foot sailboat as she completes her solo voyage around the world.

Most of the video is taken from their 21-foot flats boat as they complete their 1547 mile voyage unescorted. They come across trash hundreds of miles from shore, travel nonstop through the nights, and are visited by a school of white sided dolphin You experience what it is like entering New York Harbor by sea, going under the Verranzano Narrows Bridge and finishing at the Statue of Liberty. Bob then will answer any questions about their trip and tell about the next trip in the works. In addition he has written a book, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat. It is for sale for $15.00. To contact Bob Brown regarding his presentation, his book or both, call him at 321-243-7311 or email him at Bobbrown1408@aol.com.

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Sunday, April 26, 2009

Florida Book News - 4/26/09

Welcome to Florida Book News


Florida Book News is now using Twitter.com
Follow Florida Book News on Twitter. If you're on Twitter, too, just go to www.twitter.com/FloridaBookNews, sign in and click the follow button. You'll be able to follow the latest notices and tips on interesting events happening around the state and country. Also, I'm going to use it to send people to your websites from time to time.
If you aren't on Twitter and you aren't even sure what it is, here's a quick rundown. Twitter is a social media network. It's free and nothing terrible will happen to you if you join. In order to join, you only need to type in a name and password (you make up both). Once you sign up and click the follow button under the Florida Book News icon (the flowers at the left), you'll begin receiving short announcements on your Twitter page when Florida Book News sends them out. It could be an announcement of an event in the area or an opportunity for writers or just a friendly reply to another tweeter. In addition, I'm following some of the best publishing sites around the world. You can get to their Twitter pages from the Florida Book News page. So, go to www.twitter.com/FloridaBookNews and enjoy the tweets.

Florida Book News ... it's the place to announce your new book, to tell about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conference or convention. It's the place for anything of interest to others about writing and books. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

Inside this issue
  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)

News

Florida Tech Introduces Creative Writing Institute. The Florida Institute of Technology Department of Humanities and Communication presents the 2009 Creative Writing Institute. Classes will be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, May 18, 20, and 22, starting at 9:00 a.m. and continuing throughout the day until 10:30 p.m.

In its first year at Florida Tech, the program offers many classes in different genres of creative writing. Classes will include fiction (beginning and advanced) and science fiction writing, mystery, poetry, and script- and screen-writing, as well as writing for the mass media. There will also be class-time, or one time lectures on writing historical fiction, writing for independent film, fantasy and horror writing, and writing for adolescents and comic books. All classes are taught by college professors and published writers and are offered at a variety of times in order to accommodate the schedules of all those in the community who wish to participate.

A number of special events are scheduled, including lunch hour and coffee hour for authors' presentations, lectures, an evening showing of an original film, a poetry slam, and a publishing panel.

This year's keynote speaker is Phillip Deaver, writer-in-residence at Rollins College. His address is free and open to the public. He will launch the week's activities on Saturday, May 17, at 2:15 p.m. in the Gleason Performing Arts Center on campus. Deaver is the 13th winner of the Flannery O'Connor Award for short fiction for his book "Silent Retreats." His work has been recognized in Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards and by the Pushcart Prize. Deaver also writes poetry and his new book, How Men Pray, has earned critical acclaim. He has recently edited a book of creative nonfiction essays on baseball titled Scoring form Ssecond: Writers on Baseball.

The fee will be $99 for one three-day class; $49 for a second class; and $29 for a third class. The fees include all speakers, panels and events. Individual lectures are $49 each; bonus events are free to all participants. Early registration is encouraged. For information, visit http://411.fit.edu/cwi or e-mail dcaballe@fit.edu or call 321-674-7248.

Annette Clifford let me know that she will be on a publishng panel on May 18, 2009 at 3:30 during the institute. Others participating are Judy Mammay and Valerie Allen. If you are presenting at the institute, let me know at Lou@LouBelcher.com and I'll add you to the list.

News from Bob Brown. Robert Brown, author of, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has just signed off on his second book, Running For Fun, High School Athlete, Jonathan Brown. Congratulations to Deborah and Joel Shlian. Their latest novel just won the Gold Medal for Genre Fiction for the Florida Book Award. Rabbit in the Moon is an international thriller that takes place primarily in China during the short-lived student democracy movement of 1989 that ended with the Tiananmen massacre. The book is also a finalist for Book of the Year from ForeWord Magazine.




Deboarah and Joel will be honored on May 7th at a banquet and book signing sponsored by the Florida Library Association for all the winners in all categories of the book award. For more information about their book, the website is http://www.shlian.com/.

Rita Milios recently released Dream Share from Rose Heart Publishers. It's a paranormal novel for middle graders (8 - 12) with a non-fiction section at the end.

It's the story of a twelve-year-old who accidentally enters the comatose state of his older brother and the two begin exploring the mystical realms between life and death. Fun soon turns to fear as the boys find themselves fighting for their lives. Each is forced to confront their own demons in order to survive.

In addition to being a psychotherapist with a spiritual bent, Rita Milios has been an educational writer for more than 20 years with more than two dozen non-fiction/curriculum children's books published. Flor more information, visit the upcoming website (May 09) at http://dreamsharebook.com/.

Congratulations to Annette Clifford on Her New Book


Book launching of World's Toughest Job by Florida Today writer Annette Clifford.

Satellite Beach resident Annette Clifford announces the birth of World's Toughest Job, a collection of her best columns about motherhood and family life published in Florida Today since 1998.

Clifford will sign books on Saturday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Patrick Paperbacks at 1680 Highway A1A in Satellite Beach.

Clifford's columns have appeared in newspapers nationwide and capture the joys, trials and endless absurdities of parenthood today. Her hilarious yet thoughtful writings draw laughter from readers and smiles of recognition from moms and dads glad to know they're not alone in the chaos of raising young kids.

The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors and the Florida Press Club have both honored Clifford's work.

World's Toughest Job, according to Clifford, will renew your energy to meet the challenges of parenthood and running a house full of children and makes a great Mother's Day present for the mom in your life.

Clifford is also an editorial writer and author of travel guides. Her fiction has appeared in magazines and journals. Her award-winning story "We eat our peas for the souls in purgatory" was included in Microfiction:An Anthology of Really Short Stories, from W.W. Norton, Inc.

She is available to speak for club and group meetings.

For more information or to order a copy of World's Toughest Job, go to http://www.worldstoughestjob.com/. Clifford can also be contacted at acliff123@aol.com or at 321-779-0664.

JoAnna O'Keefe. In celebration of National Poetry Month, poet JoAnna O'Keefe spoke about Embraced, her new collection of poems, at the National League of American Pen Women's meeting on April 25 at 1:30 p.m. at the Satellite Beach Public Library.



O'Keefe's poetry reaches a wide and diverse audience. Senator Bill Nelson's wife, Grace, read "Come to the Garden" at the 51st National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C.

In 2007, for the commissioning of the USS Mesa Verde in Panama City, Florida, O'Keefe's poem "courage" was emblazoned on parchment along with a quote by Andrew Carnegie and a statement by President George Washington to represent the ship's motto "Courage, Teamwork, Tradition." The parchment was presented to the ship's captain, officers, and dignitaries as a memento of the occasion.

O'Keefe has been a member of Pen Women since the early eighties. Pen Women is an organization of professional writers, artists, and musicians who support the arts and charitable works around the Space Coast.

Contest: Pulse Magazine and Writers One Flight Up are sponsoring a writing contest. The winner's story will be published in the July issue of Pulse Magazine. It's a flash fiction contest. Submit fiction prose of no longer than 650 words written to the prompt "Firecrackers..." All submissions must be submitted electronically to infow1fu@writersoneflightup.com. The deadline is May 31st, 2009. http://www.writersoneflightup.com/

May Book Xchg Event. The next Book Xchg event is scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd at 1:00 p.m. The presenter for that event is Manish Chary, a new member of the Space Coast Writer's Guild. Manish is the author of India: Nation on the Move. It's a fascinating, comprehensive look at India, the Indian culture , and it's impact on the United States and the rest of the world.

Manish Chary was born in India. He arrived in the United States to pursue a master's degree in engineering. He worked for Ford Motor Company for 7 years, then went on to pursue his MBA. He has been working at General Electric Company and currently lives in the Suntree area of Melbourne, Florida, with his wife and two children.
Since arriving in the United States, Manish has watched with interest the developments in India as it embarked on its new journey as a market economy. Two years ago, he decided to organize his thoughts and research into a book.

His debut book, India: Nation on the Move, presents insights into India, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This book is an all-in-one reference manual with facts, figures, and a practical introduction to India's people, culture, history, economy, foreign relations, and myriad of other topics like India's unique arranged marriage system and it's emergence as an IT powerhouse.

Come on May 1st to the Book Xchg and hear more about his fascinating book. The Book Xchg is located at 604 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village, Florida. (321) 639-5624.

Nicholas Hopkins author of The Sunshine Dream Resort spoke at the last meeting at the Book Xchg. His book is about Odin Hobbs who has a heart attack and dies for a few minutes. As a result, Odin has vivid dreams for the rest of his life. When Oden and his wife visit the Sunshine Dream Resort in an effort to patch up their marriage, he learns the truth about his dreams.

Hopkins entertained the audience at the Book Xchg with the story of writing The Sunshine Dream Resort. He is currently writing a second novel. To read more about Hopkins and his books, go to http://www.nicholashopkins.com/.

Orlando Writer's Workshops announces a "Fast Track to Getting Published" series.
Each one-day writing intensive has a unique focus, so choose the ones that interest you -- and receive a discount when you register for multiple workshops. Sharpen your craft and learn the secrets of what it takes to get published in today's competitive market. Enrollment is limited and pre-registration is required. Reserve your seat today.

Workshops take place at either Swoope Studios in Maitland or the Maitland Garden Club at Lake Lily Park. There is breakfast/coffee and a meet and mingle beginning at 9:15 a.m. Classes begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. A delicious, chef-prepared lunch with vegetarian options will be served as well as late afternoon refreshments. Go to http://www.orlandowriters.com/ and click on Weekend Intensives for complete information.

Topics include:

April 26th - Literary Magazines and Contests Publishing Panel

May 17th - Imagery I: Sensory Detail as the Writer's Building Block

May 31st - Imagery II: the Magic of Misfit Details

June 7th - Revision Strategies: Point-of-View

June 14th - Writing about Place: The Spatial Gaze

To submit news to Florida Book News send it to me at Lou@LouBelcher.com

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Friday, April 17, 2009

Florida Book News - April 19, 2009

Welcome to Florida Book News

Florida Book News ... it's the place to announce your new book, to tell about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conference or convention. It's the place for anything of interest to others about writing and books. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

Inside this issue


  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)

News

Autism Talk: In honor of Autism Awareness Month, Judith Mammay, author of Knowing Joseph and It's Time, will be presenting, "What Does Autism Look Like" at the Melbourne Library on Fee Avenue on Tuesday, April 21, at 3:30 p.m. This presentation will be based on her book Knowing Joseph and is intended for children, but will also be good for adults who wish to know more about autism.

Judy will also be at the Autism Awareness Festival at Wickham Park on Saturday, April 25, representing the Space Coast Writers' Guild and will have her books on display.

Congratulations to Deborah and Joel Shlian. Their latest novel just won the Gold Medal for Genre Fiction for the Florida Book Award. Rabbit in the Moon is an international thriller that takes place primarily in China during the short-lived student democracy movement of 1989 that ended with the Tiananmen massacre. The book is also a finalis for Book of the Year from ForeWord Magazine.

Deboarah and Joel will be honored on May 7th at a banquet and book signing sponsored by the Florida Library Association for all the winners in all categories of the book award. For more information about their book, the website is http://www.shlian.com/.

Rita Milios recently released Dream Share from Rose Heart Publishers. It's a paranormal novel for middle graders (8 - 12) with a non-fiction section at the end.

It's the story of a twelve-year-old who accidentially enters the comatose state of his older brother and the two begin exploring the mystical realms between life and death. Fun soon turns to fear as the boys find themselves fighting for their lives. Each is forced to confront their own demons in order to survive.

In addition to being a psychotherapist with a spiritual bent, Rita Milios has been an educational writer for more than 20 years with more than two dozen non-fiction/curriculum children's books published. Flor more information, visit the upcoming website (May 09) at http://dreamsharebook.com/.

Congratulations to Annette Clifford on Her New Book

Book launching of World's Toughest Job by Florida Today writer Annette Clifford.
Satellite Beach resident Annette Clifford announces the birth of World's Toughest Job, a collection of her best columns about motherhood and family life published in Florida Today since 1998.

Clifford will sign books on Saturday, May 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Patrick Paperbacks at 1680 Highway A1A in Satellite Beach.

She'll also take part in an event in celebration of National Poetry Month on Saturday, April 25 at 1:30 p.m. at the Satellite Beach Public Library sponsored by the Cape Canaveral Branch of the National League of American Pen Women. The event spotlights Melbourne poet JoAnna O'Keefe and is free and open to the public.

Clifford's columns have appeared in newspapers nationwide and capture the joys, trials and endless absurdities of parenthood today. Her hilarious yet thoughtful writings draw laughter from readers and smiles of recognition from moms and dads glad to know they're not alone in the chaos of raising young kids.
The Florida Society of Newspaper Editors and the Florida Press Club have both honored Clifford's work.

World's Toughest Job, according to Clifford, will renew your energy to meet the challenges of parenthood and running a house full of children and makes a great Mother's Day present for the mom in your life.

Clifford is also an editorial writer and author of travel guides. Her fiction has appeared in magazines and journals. Her award-winning story "We eat our peas for the souls in purgatory" was included in Microfiction:An Anthology of Really Short Stories, from W.W. Norton, Inc.

She is available to speak for club and group meetings.

For more information or to order a copy of World's Toughest Job, go to http://www.worldstoughestjob.com/. Clifford can also be contacted at acliff123@aol.com or at 321-779-0664.

JoAnna O'Keefe to speak. In celebration of National Poetry Month, poet JoAnna O'Keefe will speak about Embraced, her new collection of poems, at the National League of American Pen Women's meeting on April 25 at 1:30 p.m. at the Satellite Beach Public Library. The event is free and open to the public. Light rrefreshments will be served.


O'Keefe's poetry reaches a wide and diverse audience. Senator Bill Nelson's wife, Grace, read "Come to the Garden" at the 51st National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C.

In 2007, for the commissioning of the USS Mesa Verde in Panama City, Florida, O'Keefe's poem "courage" was emblazoned on parchment along with a quote by Andrew Carnegie and a statement by President George Washington to represent the ship's motto "Courage, Teamwork, Tradition." The parchment was presented to the ship's captain, officers, and dignitaries as a momento of the occasion.

O'Keefe has been a member of Pen Women since the early eighties. Pen Women is an organization of professional writers, artists, and musicians who support the arts and charitable works around the Space Coast.

They include Florida Today writer Annette Clifford, who recently published World's Toughest Job, a collection of her best columns on family life, and who will also be present at the April 25th meeting.

Contest: Pulse Magazine and Writers One Flight Up are sponsoring a writing contest. The winner's story will be published in the July issue of Pulse Magazine. It's a flash fiction contest. Submit fiction prose of no longer than 650 words written to the prompt "Firecrackers..." All submissions must be submitted electronically to infow1fu@writersoneflightup.com. The deadline is May 31st, 2009. http://www.writersoneflightup.com/


May Book Xchg Event. The next Book Xchg event is scheduled for Saturday, May 2nd at 1:00 p.m. The presenter for that event is Manish Chary, a new member of the Space Coast Writer's Guild. Manish is the author of India: Nation on the Move. It's a fascinating, comprehensive look at India, the Indian culture , and it's impact on the United States and the rest of the world.

Manish Chary was born in India. He arrived in the United States to pursue a master's degree in engineering. He worked for Ford Motor Company for 7 years, then went on to pursue his MBA. He has been working at General Electric Company and currently lives in the Suntree area of Melbourne, Florida, with his wife and two children.
Since arriving in the United States, Manish has watched with interest the developments in India as it embarked on its new journey as a market economy. Two years ago, he decided to organize his thoughts and research into a book.

His debut book, India: Nation on the Move, presents insights into India, which is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. This book is an all-in-one reference manual with facts, figures, and a practical introduction to India's people, culture, history, economy, foreign relations, and myriad of other topics like India's unique arranged marriage system and it's emergence as an IT powerhouse.

Come on May 1st to the Book Xchg and hear more about his fascinating book. The Book Xchg is located at 604 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village, Florida. (321) 639-5624.

Nicholas Hopkins author of The Sunshine Dream Resort spoke at the last meeting at the Book Xchg. His book is about Odin Hobbs who has a heart attack and dies for a few minutes. As a result, Odin has vivid dreams for the rest of his life. When Oden and his wife visit the Sunshine Dream Resort in an effort to patch up their marriage, he learns the truth about his dreams.

Hopkins entertained the audience at the Book Xchg with the story of writing The Sunshine Dream Resort. He is currently writing a second novel. To read more about Hopkins and his books, go to http://www.nicholashopkins.com/.

Orlando Writer's Workshops announces a "Fast Track to Getting Published" series.
Each one-day writing intensive has a unique focus, so choose the ones that interest you -- and receive a discount when you register for multiple workshops. Sharpen your craft and learn the secrets of what it takes to get published in today's competitive market. Enrollment is limited and pre-registration is required. Reserve your seat today.

Workshops take place at either Swoope Studios in Maitland or the Maitland Garden Club at Lake Lily Park. There is breakfast/coffee and a meet and mingle beginning at 9:15 a.m. Classes begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. A delicious, chef-prepared lunch with vegetarian options will be served as well as late afternoon refreshments. Go to http://www.orlandowriters.com/ and click on Weekend Intensives for complete information.

Topics include:

April 26th - Literary Magazines and Contests Publishing Panel

May 17th - Imagery I: Sensory Detail as the Writer's Building Block

May 31st - Imagery II: the Magic of Misfit Details

June 7th - Revision Strategies: Point-of-View

June 14th - Writing about Place: The Spatial Gaze

Florida Tech is hosting a Creative Writing Institute.

Florida Institute of Technology's Creative Writing Institute is scheduled for May 17 through 22, 2009. Classes will be held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of that week from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday are days for writing.

Published authors and professors will provide a place where writers can express themselves. It will include a variety of classes for beginners and advanced writers of fiction, poetry, performance poetry, writing for mass media, scriptwriting, role playing writing, science fiction, writing for children and mystery writing.

For more information, contact mdenius@fit.edu, harrisj@fit.edu or jlavelle@fit.edu. There is also a website with the schedule. It is http://411.fit.edu/cwi/.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Author Profile - Marshall Frank

Marshall Frank launches new book

Criminal Injustice in America: Essays by a Career Cop is available and here are a couple of words from reviewers:

“Challenging and daring. Marshall Frank gives us all much to think about...." —David Waksman, author and Ass’t State Attorney, Miami, Florida

“Marshall Frank challenges conventional thought and policies that are not working. He uses the criminal justice system as a mirror of where our society has been, and a window of where we should be going. Buckle up for a thought-provoking episode of Frank talk.” Douglas W. Hughes, Retired Police Major, former Florida Drug Czar

In Criminal Injustice in America, Marshall Frank draws on his years of experience in and his vast knowledge of our justice system that is choking on injustice. In his own words, he points out how "...archaic thinking has produced a morass of social oppression that creates more crime than it prevents and serves a prison industrial complex that has grown into a cheap labor pool for corporate America."

The book covers the broad topics including:
  • The Failed War on Drugs
  • Prostitution
  • Capital Punishment
  • Sex Offenses
  • An Outdated Constitution
  • Cops, Courts and Prisons

Marshall Frank served for thirty years in law enforcement in Miami Date, Florida. For 16 of those years, he was in homicide/CSI and served as commander. He was called to Washington in 1980 to testify before a congressional sub-committee on violent crime in America. He knows his topic well.

This is not Frank's first book. Since he retired, Frank has authored five novels, four non-fiction books and over five hundred editorials. His books are in demand. And Frank is in demand as a guest speaker at libraries, civic groups, schools and conferences. Multi-talented, Frank speaks on a variety of law enforcement topics as well as on topics including writing and humor.

If you're lucky, he'll also play the violin for you. If you're really lucky, he'll bring Doc along and you'll be able to hear the Dick & Doc Duo. I've had the pleasure of hearing them. They provide a great time for all: music, humor... and much, much more.

The derivation of their name is obvious to those who know them. Violinist Marshall Frank is a retired homicide "Dick" and pianist Jay "Doc" Barnhart is a retired physician and forensic pathologist. Thus, Dick & Doc Duo...what a pair! You can find more about them on Frank's website.

And there's much more information about Frank's books as well as ordering information at his website, too. Go to http://www.marshallfrank.com/ to order an autographed copy of Criminal Injustice in America or any of his novels or books of non-fiction. Of course, you are welcome to go there just to read a little more about Marshall Frank, too.

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Author Profile - Kee Briggs

Congratulations to Kee Briggs... after many months of work and research he is venturing into the world of ebooks. He came up with a wonderful idea and he has just launched his new endeavor.
Kee Briggs’ latest mission is to inspire people to write to live longer. As a writer I understand the concept. My writing certainly gives me a reason to get up every day and to push myself to do more and more.
Kee's contention is that it’s important to keep your mind busy with a meaningful task. By doing so, you can lengthen your life or at the very least make your life more interesting.

Kee is on his umpteenth incarnation. During his life, he has traveled out of the Pacific Northwest, through the Far East and on south to Mexico before settling in Florida. As far as vocations go, his path has led him through college, military intelligence, linguistics, newspaper reporting, TV news, photography, law enforcement, real estate, construction, promotions, securities, insurance and teaching.

You might think that the list above would be enough to write about, but that's just the first part of his life. In addition, he has been a teacher of oil, acrylic and watercolor painting, life drawing, and sculpture. And he has applied his skills as an accomplished sculptor and painter. He expressed himself through his art, before he got hooked on writing.

With all those experiences under his belt, he began translating thoughts, experiences and impressions into tangible form by exploring the written word with a dozen novels. He has written a series of mysteries called the Usher Orlop Mystery series.
There are eight of them in all and more on the way. If you like mysteries, read them from the beginning and get to know Usher Orlop and his wonderful friend Anasette.

Also, Kee has two sci-fi novels that you'll find intriguing: Finders-Keepers and Losers-Weepers. In addition, he has written The Third Removed.

Now, he has added an ebook called Write to Live Longer to his accomplishments. This ebook is not just for writers, but it is geared for everyone.

Kee has an infectious attitude toward writing. He thinks that writing is not just for writers anymore. In his own words, “Writing is a wonder potion. If you are afflicted with boredom, loneliness, pain, worry or sleeplessness, a good dose of writing will ease these conditions.

“Pursuing the written word seems to annihilate time. I can leave the TV during the half-time report of an NFL game to add a few more words to my current novel, with the intention of returning to the game once play resumes. Many times my next awareness of the TV is hearing the theme music for the post-game show. With such time consumption, there is little time for loneliness. I feel no driving need to go out seeking entertainment or companionship. It keeps me out of the bars at night.

“However, writing doesn’t make one a recluse. Unless you are delving into string theory or nano-technology, social input is vital. Fiction is full of it. Writing seems to enhance one’s sociabilities. It hones your observational skills and burnishes your communicative acumen.”

Kee has convinced me. If I weren't already a writer, I'd be looking into this. It's never too late to adopt a stimulating activity.
Kee was prompted by the fact that his father died at 52 and he never knew any of his grandfathers. Therefore, he's been particularly interested in being proactive about his own longevity. The idea for Write to Live Longer grew out of his desire to take command of his destiny.

For information about Kee's novels, visit his website at http://www.keescapes.com/.

And to check out Write to Live Longer for yourself or for someone you think might enjoy it or profit from it, visit http://www.writetolivelonger.com/. For a limited time, those who buy Write to Live Longer will also receive a free bonus of an ebook edition of his novel The Painted War.

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Author Profile - Linda Wagner


Linda Wagner writes Lady Flatterley
~a book for children~

I am pleased to announce that Christian author Linda Wagner from Cape Canaveral, Florida, has written her first book for children with more to come. Lady Flatterley, published through Outskirts Press, is a story that takes children through the metaphorical journey of the transformation of Lady Flatterley the caterpillar to Lady Flatterley the butterfly. During the process, Lady Flatterley faces many fears, such as the fear of failure and the fear of change.
Now you have seen
How butterflies are made
Caterpillar to cocoon, then to butterfly
'Tis God's loving way

Through Lady Flatterley's journey from caterpillar to butterfly, Linda Wagner illustrates her message to children in a way they can understand. Wagner wants children to know that even though they may be shy and fearful of change, nothing should stand in the way of their dreams. Through Wagner's beautiful choice of words, Lady Flatterley gives her young audience the message that the journey is worth the effort. Your children or grandchildren will fall in love with this book.

About the author: Linda Wagner has been a registered nurse for 29 years and is in the process of writing other books. She considers herself a spiritual person and writes books that are not only educational and motivational, but that also reflect God's character in the story.

As a Christian mother, grandmother, and nurse, Wagner says that spending time with her grandchildren brings her joy because their little minds are so inquisitive and are like little sponges. "We have the greatest opportunity as adults to teach our children Christian principles and provide good reading material for them. My grandchildren have inspired me to write and this is what I enjoy doing."

You can read more about Linda Wagner and about Lady Flatterley at her website at http://www.lindawagnerbooks.com/. Her books can be purchased through her website by clicking on Lady Flatterley in the list of children's book titles. It is also available in the children's book section at http://www.amazon.com/.

Here is the information from the book

  • ISBN: 978-1-4327-3233-2
  • Format: 8 1/2 X 11 color paperback
  • Genre: children's books
  • Price $22.95 (at her website, it is $16.99)

Illustrator: Lady Flatterley combines the beauty of the text with the beauty of the illustrations. Children will love the caterpillar version as well as the butterfly version of Lady Flatterley. It's a plus to be able to see the story come to life through the colorful illustrations on the pages. Brevard artist Pearl Ollie created the illustrations. The rich color of them and the expressive drawings lend much to the book-reading experience. See other information about Pearl's work and how to contact her at http://www.sevenartists.com/pearl.htm

Layout design: A tricky part of the production of any book is the layout design, especially when combining illustrations and text. Jerry Hanzl is responsible for the beautiful layout of the book. Other examples of his work and his contact information are available at http://www.digitalartbyjerry.com/

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Sunday, February 15, 2009

Florida Book News - 2/16/09

Welcome to Florida Book News


Florida Book News ... it's the place to announce your new book, to tell about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conference or convention. It's the place for anything of interest to others about writing and books. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Inside this issue
  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)
  • Author Profile - Marshall Frank
  • Author Profile - Kee Briggs
  • Author Profile - Linda Wagner

News

Brevard Author Book Fair: Save the date... March 7, 2009

Don't miss this first annual Literary Event, where readers will have an opportunity to meet and greet up to 36 Florida authors and purchase signed books. All genres will be represented, including mystery, romance, children’s, science fiction, non-fiction and much more.

Also featured, prominent local authors will be giving lectures at designated times in a separate room. Susan Hubbard, Mark Mynheir, Lee Boyland and Roxanne St. Claire will be among the speakers.

When: Saturday, March 7th, 2009. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Central Brevard Library, 308 Forrest Ave, Cocoa, Fl.
Cost: Free

Authors participating include: Marshall Frank, Mark Mynheir, Holly Vellekoop, Valerie Allen, Jim Harris (for Don Argo), Lee Boyland, Pat McDonough, Kee Briggs, Frances Peterson, Andy Byers, Judy Mammay, Roxanne St. Claire, Susan Hubbard, Virginia Nygard, E. Lynne Wright, Yvonne Mason, Malcolm Mahr, Jenny Skylark Kuvin, Lura Zerick, JoAnna O’Keefe, Charles W. Love, Kay Williamson, Gene Davis, J.L. Rehman, Dr. Allen Bohl, Barbara Hall, Kasey Claytor, Anne Bonner, Dr. Mike Bortner, Nancy Weaver, H.V. Rhodes, Jeff Howe, and Dan Anderson

Many books will be sold at discount prices.

Refreshments will be served.

For informaion call 321-254-3398 or e-mail: MLF283@aol.com. This event is free and open to the public.

Today (February 16th at 3:00 p.m.): Linda Wagner interview on www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids. Don't miss it.

At the end of 2008, Linda Wagner published a child's picture storybook, Lady Flatterley. Pearl Ollie a local artist illustrated the book. This is a story that takes children through the metaphorical journey of the transformation of Lady Flatterley the caterpillar to Lady Flatterley the butterfly. During the process, Lady Flatterley faces many fears, such as the fear of failure and the fear of change.

Now you have seen

How butterflies are made

Caterpillar to cocoon, then to butterfly

'Tis God's loving way

Through Lady Flatterley's journey from caterpillar to butterfly, Linda Wagner illustrates her message to children in a way they can understand. Wagner wants children to know that even though they may be shy and fearful of change, nothing should stand in the way of their dreams. Through Wagner's beautiful choice of words, Lady Flatterley gives her young audience the message that the journey is worth the effort. Your children or grandchildren will fall in love with this book.

Recently, Linda Wagner was approached by a reviewer that has a radio talk show that specifically targets new authors. They like to give the new author a chance to give the audience an understanding of the book and why the book was written. This particular reviewer owns Book Bites for Kids. After they reviewed Lady Flatterley, they contacted Linda to see if she would be interested in participating in a radio talk show review about her book, and of course she said she would be glad to do the interview. It's not a local radio station, and that's why it's best to listen to it on the computer.

The broadcast will be on February 16 (Monday) at 3:00 p.m. EST. Just log onto www.blogtalkradio.com/bookbitesforkids. If you'd like to learn more about Lady Flaterley and Linda Wagner join them at 3:00 p.m. You'll not only learn about the book but about what encouraged Wagner to write the book in the first place.

February 7th Roundtable at the BookXchg

Holly Fox Vellekoop sent in this report of the happenings at the Book Xchg on February 7th... How to get published, designing a book cover and the writing process are just a few of the concerns of writers. Clearly, those issues were on the minds of people at the BookXchg in Cocoa on Saturday, February 7. Pat McDonough, Kee Briggs and other members of the Space Coast Writers Guild provided input about their experiences with such topics.

Pat brought her editing and publishing experience and expertise to the roundtable, answering questions from the attendees. She explained the publishing business from a publisher's viewpoint of getting and securing a contract to the finished printed product. Pat's publishing company, Terra Sancta Press, is located at 304 Royal Palm Drive in Melbourne and has published such Pulitzer Prize nominees as "Without Keys: My 15 Weeks with the Street People," and "Kazik's Polish Navy."
Kee Briggs, author of the Usher Orlop mystery series with "The Golden Janus" and "The Pewter Masks," books one and two of the series. Kee provided insight into self-publishing options. He also explained E-Books, Kindles and the future of the publishing industry as our technology advances.


Our meeting area, and coffee and cookies were generously provided by Rich and Angie Moore, owners of the BookXchg.

There will be no March meeting at the BookXchg because of a scheduling conflict with the Brevard Authors Book Fair which is being held on that date. Our April 4th, the gathering will feature SCWG member Lura Zerick, author, singer, and music composer. All are invited to what promises to be an interesting event.

Pat McDonough has a new book out...

From Rough to Ready, an Editor's Tips for Writers by Pat McDonough gives tips for manuscript style, grammar, and formatting. It's a must have for the serious writer. Even published authors will find worthwhile information. It's published by Terra Sancta Press. It's offered for $10.00 and can be ordered by contacting Terra Sancta Press at books4you@clf.rr.com or calling 321-254-9672.

Pat McDonough is a professional copyeditor at McDonough Consulting since 1986. She is also owner of Terra Sancta Press. Her book Without Keys, My 15 Weeks with the Street People is a comprehensive assessment of homelessness and has been instrumental in bringing about legislative and policy changes. The book was a semi finalist in the 1996 Pulitzer Prize competition. With Kazimierz J. Kasperek, Pat co-authored Kazik's Polish Navy a Pulitizer Prize contender in 2009, along with Strangers Brothers which she co-authored with Raymond F. Flaherty. Pat was copyeditor on Ray's first novel, He Didn't Say Good-Bye, and of Mary Robsman's book What Made Us Who We Are Today, World War II Oral History.

Now, Pat has added From Rough to Ready, an Editor's Tips for Writers to her list of books. This one is sure to help writers on style, grammar and formatting.

To obtain a copy of her newest book, contact her at Terra Sancta Press at books4you@clf.rr.com or calling 321-254-9672.

Rabbi Ed Weinsberg of Sarasota has a new book out

Designed to be an inspiring physical, emotional, and spiritual guide for prostate cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones, Conquer Prostate Cancer: How Medicine, Faith, Love and Sex Can Renew Your Life, empowers boomer and senior men to face diagnosis with dignity, explore their options realistically, and tackle recovery with optimism and determination.

The book is also an insightful resource for their wives or partners, family, friends, doctors, and other healthcare providers. As the author and his wife share the most intimate details of their prostate cancer journey, readers learn how to become an active member of their medical team, reduce pain and stress and renew vitality, overcome impotence and incontinence, enhance intimate relationships, and draw strength from faith, family, and friends.

The first book to emphasize robotic surgery for prostate cancer from the perspective of an informed prostate cancer survivor and healthcare educator, Conquer Prostate Cancer discusses the latest research and advances in treatment, and profiles twenty patients who chose various treatment options.

Prominent robotic surgeon Dr. Robert Carey discusses medical and patient-care concerns and the author's wife shares her thoughts about how she and her family coped with the disease and its effects.

The author, Rabbi Ed Weinsberg of Sarasota, started writing his book just days after his successful prostate cancer surgery. Conquer Prostate Cancer is available at
http://www.amazon.com/ and http://www.conquerprostatecancer.com/. Rabbi Ed's website also offers a wealth of information and resources for prostate cancer patients, survivors, and their loved ones.

Brevard Literary Festival

Throughout the month of February, there are numerous literary events at the 18 libraries in Brevard County. Here are a few highlights. Check with your local library for a complete list of events.

Marshall Frank will be speaking several times during the month of February. He will address the subject of criminal justice in America, exposing the injustices. His book, Criminal Injustice in America, covers the gamut, from war on drugs, prostitution, sex crimes, courts, prisons, etc. You can hear Marshall's lecture as follows:

Sat. Feb. 21 at 2:00 p.m. at the Titusville Library
Wed. Feb 25th at 3:00 p.m. at the Merritt Islcand Library
Sat. Feb. 28th at 3:00 p.m. at the Melbourne Library on Fee Ave.

For more about Marshall Frank go to http://www.marshallfrank.com/

Bob Morris is the author of a series of mystery novels. He spoke on Sunday, February 15 the Titusville Public Library. On Saturday, February 21 at 1:00 p.m., he will be the featured author at the Friends of the Library Chat and Snack with Bob Morris at Glenbrooke at Palm Bay Clubhouse. Tickets are available at the Franklin T. DeGroodt Memorial Library and at the Palm Bay Library. Tickets are $12 per person. Call 952-6317 for information.

Pen Women contribute to book on Lincoln

As members of the National League of American Pen Women (arts, music and letters) Association, members of the Cape Canaveral Branch contributed as writers and artists to the newly issued book Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln: a commemorative collage.

The NLAPW challenged membership to produce artistic, dramatic, literary and musical works that speak to Lincoln’s style of leadership, his contemplative character and his persuasive use of language. The following members of the Cape Canaveral Branch made significant contributions to this fascinating book that celebrates the 200th birthday of President Lincoln:

  • A poem, "The Ballad of Mary Todd's Wedding Ring” by Carol Jose
  • A drawing, "Young Mary Todd,” by Carmen Beecher
  • A drawing, "Abraham Lincoln," by Theone (Toni) di Rocco
  • An essay, "Why the Penny?" by Mary Dall
  • "Lincoln's Head Penny" drawing by Mary Dall, quotations by Valerie Allen, PhD
  • A short story, "Days of Dedication," by Marilyn Martin

Carol Jose will be speaking about the Lincoln Bicentennial at two talks in February--one at Beach Woods on Feb. 10th, where she will cut a Lincoln Birthday Cake; and two at local libraries: Cocoa Beach Library on Feb. 18th and Satellite Beach Library on Feb. 23rd.

The book is available for purchase through
http://www.nlapw.org/. Click on “Pen Women Press” option. Proceeds of book sales are used to award student scholarships.

Here's a book you might want to check out

I have just heard from Francine Silverman that her book, Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get Invited (McFarland & Co, 2009), is about to be published. She'll be in Wellington in N. Palm Beach the first part of her trip to Florida between February 24 and March 7 and in Hollywood during the second half of that week.

The book isn't available yet, but should be by the time she visits Florida. Here's a blurb about the book:

Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get invited (McFarland & Co. 2009) seeks to bridge the gap between show hosts and prospective guests, providing a reference guide to roughly 700-talk radio shows from the U.S. and around the world. Entries are organized under categories of show themes, including religion, travel, addiction and recovery, sports, entertainment, and many more. The book also includes information on many of Talkers Magazine's Top 250-Radio Talk Shows, interview tips for radio guests, and tips for conducting a radio interview over the phone.

Author Francine Silverman is an on-line publicist and radio host who lives in Riverdale, New York. Her book is available for pre-publication ordering at http://www.amazon.com/. And she has a website at http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com/ that may be of interest to authors and artists attempting to market their work. There are articles available there.

Frank Perkins launches new book

Rainbows, Cutthroats and the Prince of Bhutan, Fly Fishing Adventures Around the World

252 pages, 66 color photographs, $25.00.

Bill Sargent, Retired Outdoors Editor of Florida Today, wrote about Perkins' new book. "Those of us who call ourselves fishermen often dream about adventurous and far away places of the world where we'd give just about anything to fish and explore. Costa Rica, Australia, Belize, new Zealand, maybe even the Seychelles are at the top of many lists.

"Unfortunately few of us ever get the chance to so much as wet a line at such distant destinations. But we keep dreaming.

"Frank Perkins is an exception. He's a quiet, friendly, small-statured man with a passion for fly fishing who made up his mind years ago that he would travel and fish the world.

"A career as an electronic engineer with assignments in many countries - and helped by the fact that he was an Earthwatch Institute volunteer - took Frank to many of the world's most beautiful and exotic places.

"Frank made it a point to never leave home without his fly rod. Come to thin of it maybe a half dozen fly rods! Needless to say he fished a lot.

"Over a period of 23 years he traveled to 25 countries on all seven continents and caught practically every fish in the book, from the black waters of the Amazon to the waterfalls of Iceland....

"The 'fishing stories' never stop in this one-man's travelogue. It goes without saying that Frank's book is a must read for us dreamers."

You can get a copy from http://www.frankperkins.com/, or by contacting Frank at fap1217@cs.com or 321-676-0863. It's also available at Harry Goode's in Melbourne and The Backcountry in Vero Beach.

Book Signing...

Holly Fox Vellekoop, author of STONE HAVEN: Murder Along the River will be featured at a booksigning on February 21, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event is hosted by Goin' Postal, at the Bayside Lakes Shopping Center, 3450 Bayside Lakes Boulevard, Palm Bay. Besides writing novels, short stories, newspaper articles, magazine articles and poems; Holly is a board member of the Space Coast Writers' Guild. Goin' Postal is a full service mailing service, offering packing, shipping, business services, mailing and notary. For further infromation about the booksigning, call 733-9449.

Lecture

On February 18, 2009, Holly Fox Vellekoop will be speaking at the Cocoa Beach Library for Local Authors Day. The program features eight local authors and is from 1:00 p.m. to 4;00 p.m. Holly will be speaking on "The Writing Process." She will offer for sale and sign her book, STONE HAVEN: Murder Along the River, published by Avalon Books, a division of Thomas Bouregy, New York. In addition to STONE HAVEN, Holly has written seven other novels, and has had newspaper and magazine articles and a poem published.

Holly worked at an inpatient state mental hospital and then as a clinical instructor in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing for Penn State University. She lives in Palm Bay with her husband, Dr. Ronald Vellekoop.

From Jean Pastula ~~ Whispers

To those interested in Metaphysical Science Research. A group is being formed to be part of an upcoming "Journalized Book" titled Whispers. They will have monthly meetings at a location to be determined later. The group will explore all aspects of the phenomena of the mind's mysterious realms of wonder and bewildering occurrences. No fee to join, just a passion for the strangeness of altered states of mind. Artists, writers and the inquisitive are welcome. Please contact, founder, researcher and author I Jean Pastula, PhD at 321-259-4131 or veridaian@cfl.rr.com.

Bob Brown DVD

Robert Brown, the author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has a DVD presentation about his voyage from North Carolina to Bermuda and then back to New York Harbor. He has shown it at both the Cocoa Beach and Cocoa Libraries. It is 33 minutes long and starts off with a TV news clip and then shows them leaving Atlantic Beach, North Carolina and much of their return to New York starting off with the towing out to sea in Bermuda, Donna Lang's 28 foot sailboat as she completes her solo voyage around the world.

Most of the video is taken from their 21-foot flats boat as they complete their 1547 mile voyage unescorted. They come across trash hundreds of miles from shore, travel nonstop through the nights, and are visited by a school of white sided dolphin You experience what it is like entering New York Harbor by sea, going under the Verranzano Narrows Bridge and finishing at the Statue of Liberty.

Bob then will answer any questions about their trip and tell about the next trip in the works. In addition he has written a book, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat. It is for sale for $15.00.

To contact Bob Brown regarding his presentation, his book or both, call him at 321-243-7311 or email him
at Bobbrown1408@aol.com. His website is http://www.bermudachallenge.com/

See the holiday specials at their website!!
New Writing Workshops offer Craft and Creative Community.

Orlando Writers' Workshops offers creative writing workshops, retreats and manuscript consultation using the Amherst Writers & Artists method as well as craft workshops for writers with book-length projects in the works. Aspiring and seasoned writers alike will have a new and exciting writing opportunity available to them in January. While other writing workshops focus on discussion of drafts written prior and brought in for critique, this method effectively uses prompts to stimulate writers' imaginations and produce fresh work during the workshop session.
They offer sessions within the week as well as special sessions on the weekends. Coming up in January is a 6-week "Fast Track to getting Published" boot camp. Writers can attend all six sessions or register for just one. Check out the topics:


  • February 22 - Cross-Training, Cross -Genre

  • March 8 - Literary Magazines & Contests Publishing Panel

All sessions are in Orlando. Information about the boot camp sessions and for all the offerings of the Orlando Writers' Workshops can be found at http://www.orlandowriters.com/.

In sponsorship with the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Costa Rica Writers' Retreats has launched week-long intensive retreats at the luxurious 4-star, eco-friendly Docelunas Resort in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. Beginning and experienced writers working across all genres will immerse themselves in the tranquil, tropical surroundings and the creative process will begin. Writers will expand their creativity, enhance productivity, build confidence, maximize skills, sharpen craft, develop works-in-progress, and take part in talks on craft and publishing led by Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty. The retreat writing will follow the Amherst Writers & Artists Method TM (AWA). Specially themed workshops will be offered each week, such as "The First Page," "The 5 Ps of Fiction," Poetry Infusion," and "Stories, Essays, Poems: Get Published in the LitMags Now."

For complete information, visit http://www.costaricawriters.com/.

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats Announces Writers' Holiday in the Tropics Contest

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats in sponsorship with the Vermont College of the Arts and Orlando Writers Workshops is offering an exciting opportunity for one lucky writer to enjoy a luxurious one-week writing retreat at Docelunas Resort. Participants may enter on-line at www.costaricawriters.com/contest. No writing samples required.

  • No purchase required

  • Luck-of-the-draw contest

  • Open to current graduate creative writing students and alumni worldwide

  • Winner must provide proof of enrollment or graduation All entries must be made at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.

All entries must be received by April 1st, 2009 and the winner will be announced by April 5th, 2009.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Florida Book News - 2/2/09



Welcome to Florida Book News

Florida Book News ... it's the place to announce your new book, to tell about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conference or convention. It's the place for anything of interest to others about writing and books. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Inside this issue
  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)
  • Author Profile - Marshall Frank
  • Author Profile - Kee Briggs
  • Author Profile - Linda Wagner

News

Brevard Author Book Fair: Save the date... March 7, 2009

Don't miss this first annual Literary Event, where readers will have an opportunity to meet and greet up to 36 Florida authors and purchase signed books. All genres will be represented, including mystery, romance, children’s, science fiction, non-fiction and much more.

Also featured, prominent local authors will be giving lectures at designated times in separate room

When: Saturday, March 7th, 2009. 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Central Brevard Library, 308 Forrest Ave, Cocoa, Fl.
Cost: Free

Authors participating include: Marshall Frank, Mark Mynheir, Holly Vellekoop, Valerie Allen, Jim Harris (for Don Argo), Lee Boyland, Pat McDonough, Kee Briggs, Frances Peterson, Andy Byers, Judy Mammay, Roxanne St. Claire, Susan Hubbard, Virginia Nygard, E. Lynne Wright, Yvonne Mason, Malcolm Mahr, Jenny Skylark Kuvin, Lura Zerick, JoAnna O’Keefe, Charles W. Love, Kay Williamson, Gene Davis, J.L. Rehman, J.L. Rehman, Dr. Allen Bohl, Barbara Hall, Kasey Claytor, Anne Bonner, Dr. Mike Bortner, Nancy Weaver, H.V. Rhodes, Jeff Howe, and Dan Anderson

Susan Hubbard, Mark Mynheir, Lee Boyland and Roxanne St. Claire will be among the speakers.

Many books will be sold at discount prices.

Refreshments will be served.

For informaion call 321-254-3398 or e-mail: MLF283@aol.com. This event is free and open to the public.
Brevard Literary Festival

Throughout the month of February, there are numerous literary events at the 18 libraries in Brevard County. Here are a few highlights. Check with your local library for a complete list of events.

Marshall Frank will be speaking four times during the month of February. He will address the subject of criminal justice in America, exposing the injustices. His book, Criminal Injustice in America, covers the gamut, from war on drugs, prostitution, sex crimes, courts, prisons, etc.

You can hear Marshall's lecture as follows:
  • Wed. Feb. 4 at 7:00 p.m. at the Cocoa Beach Library
  • Sat. Feb. 21 at 2:00 p.m. at the Titusville Library
  • Wed. Feb 25th at 3:00 p.m. at the Merritt Islcand Library
  • Sat. Feb. 28th at 3:00 p.m. at the Melbourne Library on Fee Ave.

For more about Marshall Frank go to http://www.marshallfrank.com/

Brad Meltzer is the featured speaker at the annual Friends of the Library Book and Author Luncheon. He is the author of the #1 New York Times best seller The Book of Fate. The luncheon is on Saturday February 7th at 11:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn in Cocoa Beach. Tickets are available at the Cocoa Beach Public Library at $20.00 per person. Call 868-1104 for information.

Tim Dorsey is a favorite Florida author. His latest novel, Nuclear Jellyfish, is set in Florida as all his novels are. He is speaking as follows:

  • Tues. Feb. 3 at 2:00 p.m. at South Mainland Public Library
  • Wed. Feb 4 at 2:00 p.m. at Cocoa Beah Public Library
  • Thurs. Feb 5 at 2:00 p.m. at Titusville Public Library

Bob Morris is the author of a series of mystery novels. He will speak on Sunday, February 15 at 2:00 p.m. at the Titusville Public Library. On Saturday, Febraury 21 at 1:00 p.m., he will be the featured author at the Friends of the Library Chat and Snack with Bob Morris at Glenbrooke at Palm Bay Clubhouse. Tickets are available at the Franklin T. DeGroodt Memorial Library and at the Palm Bay Library. Tickets are $12 per person. Call 952-6317 for information.

Pen Women contribute to book on Lincoln

As members of the National League of American Pen Women (arts, music and letters) Association, members of the Cape Canaveral Branch contributed as writers and artists to the newly issued book Happy Birthday, Mr. Lincoln: a commemorative collage.

The NLAPW challenged membership to produce artistic, dramatic, literary and musical works that speak to Lincoln’s style of leadership, his contemplative character and his persuasive use of language. The following members of the Cape Canaveral Branch made significant contributions to this fascinating book that celebrates the 200th birthday of President Lincoln:

  • A poem, "The Ballad of Mary Todd's Wedding Ring” by Carol Jose

  • A drawing, "Young Mary Todd,” by Carmen Beecher

  • A drawing, "Abraham Lincoln," by Theone (Toni) di Rocco

  • An essay, "Why the Penny?" by Mary Dall

  • "Lincoln's Head Penny" drawing by Mary Dall, quotations by Valerie Allen, PhD

  • A short story, "Days of Dedication," by Marilyn Martin

Carol Jose will be speaking about the Lincoln Bicentennial at three talks in February--one at Beach Woods on Feb. 10th, where she will cut a Lincoln Birthday Cake; and two at local libraries: Cocoa Beach Library on Feb. 18th and Satellite Beach Library on Feb. 23rd.

The book is available for purchase through
http://www.nlapw.org/. Click on “Pen Women Press” option. Proceeds of book sales are used to award student scholarships.

Space Coast Writers' Guild Conference was this past weekend.

It's a great opportunity to hear learn from authors, editors and agents. And, it's a great place to make network contacts.

Here are a few shots supplied by Holly Vellekoop.

Pictures: Conference attendees making network contacts.
















Conference speakers Davis Bunn, Marshall Frank and Dianne Marcum.

























































For more information about the guild, go to their website http://www.scwg.org/

Here's a book you might want to check out

I have just heard from Francine Silverman that her book, Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get Invited (McFarland & Co, 2009), is about to be published. She'll be in Wellington in N. Palm Beach the first part of her trip to Florida between February 24 and March 7 and in Hollywood during the second half of that week.

The book isn't available yet, but should be by the time she visits Florida. Here's a blurb about the book:

Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get invited (McFarland & Co. 2009) seeks to bridge the gap between show hosts and prospective guests, providing a reference guide to roughly 700-talk radio shows from the U.S. and around the world. Entries are organized under categories of show themes, including religion, travel, addiction and recovery, sports, entertainment, and many more. The book also includes information on many of Talkers Magazine's Top 250-Radio Talk Shows, interview tips for radio guests, and tips for conducting a radio interview over the phone.

Author Francine Silverman is an on-lline publicist and radio host who lives in Riverdale, New York. Her book is available for pre-publication ordering at http://www.amazon.com/. And she has a website at http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com/ that may be of interest to authors and artists attemtping to market their work. There are articles available there.

Frank Perkins launches new book

Rainbows, Cutthroats and the Prince of Bhutan, Fly Fishing Adventures Around the World

252 pages, 66 color photographs, $25.00.

Bill Sargent, Retired Outdoors Editor of Florida Today, wrote about Perkins' new book. "Those of us who call ourselves fishermen often dream about adventurous and far away places of the world where we'd give just about anything to fish and explore. Costa Rica, Australia, Belize, new Zealand, maybe even the Seychelles are at the top of many lists.

"Unfortunately few of us ever get the chance to so much as wet a line at such distant destinations. But we keep dreaming.


"Frank Perkins is an exception. He's a quiet, friendly, small-statured man with a passion for fly fishing who made up his mind years ago that he would travel and fish the world.

"A career as an electronic engineer with assignments in many countries - and helped by the fact that he was an Earthwatch Institute volunteer - took Frank to many of the world's most beautiful and exotic places.

"Frank made it a point to never leave home without his fly rod. Come to thin of it maybe a half dozen fly rods! Needless to say he fished a lot.

"Over a period of 23 years he traveled to 25 countries on all seven continents and caught practically every fish in the book, from the black waters of the Amazon to the waterfalls of Iceland....

"The 'fishing stories' never stop in this one-man's travelogue. It goes without saying that Frank's book is a must read for us dreamers."

You can get a copy from http://www.frankperkins.com/, or by contacting Frank at fap1217@cs.com or 321-676-0863. It's also available at Harry Goode's in Melbourne and The Backcountry in Vero Beach.

-Book Event at the BookXchg
In January, Members of the Space Coast Writers' Guild gathered at the BookXchg, 604 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa, for a round table discussion of writing and the book industry. It was so successful that they are repeating it in February.

Members of the SCWG will host their monthly discussion meeting at the BookXchg, 604 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa Village on Saturday, Feb. 7, 1 p.m. They will discuss topics of interest to writers and hope that you will join them. Pat McDonough, writer and publisher/owner of Terra Sancta Press, will be leading the discussion.
Please come and join them and bring questions and suggestions. All are welcome. There will be no BookXchg gathering in March due to other scheduled SCWG events.

Book Signing...

Holly Fox Vellekoop, author of STONE HAVEN: Murder Along the River will be featured at a booksigning on February 21, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event is hosted by Goin' Postal, at the Bayside Lakes Shopping Center, 3450 Bayside Lakes Boulevard, Palm Bay. Besides writing novels, short stories, newspaper articles, magazine articles and poems; Holly is a board member of the Space Coast Writers' Guild. Goin' Postal is a full service mailing service, offering packing, shipping, business services, mailing and notary. For further infromation about the booksigning, call 733-9449.

Lecture

On February 18, 2009, Holly Fox Vellekoop will be speaking at the Cocoa Beach Library for Local Authors Day. The program features eight local authors and is from 1:00 p.m. to 4;00 p.m. Holly will be speaking on "The Writing Process." She will offer for sale and sign her book, STONE HAVEN: Murder Along the River, published by Avalon Books, a division of Thomas Bouregy, New York. In addition to STONE HAVEN, Holly has written seven other novels, and has had newspaper and magazine articles and a poem published.

Holly worked at an inpatient state mental hospital and then as a clinical instructor in Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing for Penn State University. She lives in Palm Bay with her husband, Dr. Ronald Vellekoop.

From Jean Pastula ~~ Whispers

To those interested in Metaphysical Science Research. A group is being formed to be part of an upcoming "Journalized Book" titled Whispers. They will have monthly meetings at a location to be determined later. The group will explore all aspects of the phenomena of the mind's mysterious realms of wonder and bewildering occurrences. No fee to join, just a passion for the strangeness of altered states of mind. Artists, writers and the inquisitive are welcome. Please contact, founder, researcher and author I Jean Pastula, PhD at 321-259-4131 or veridaian@cfl.rr.com.

Bob Brown DVD

Robert Brown, the author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has a DVD presentation about his voyage from North Carolina to Bermuda and then back to New York Harbor. He has shown it at both the Cocoa Beach and Cocoa Libraries. It is 33 minutes long and starts off with a TV news clip and then shows them leaving Atlantic Beach, North Carolina and much of their return to New York starting off with the towing out to sea in Bermuda, Donna Lang's 28 foot sailboat as she completes her solo voyage around the world.

Most of the video is taken from their 21-foot flats boat as they complete their 1547 mile voyage unescorted. They come across trash hundreds of miles from shore, travel nonstop through the nights, and are visited by a school of white sided dolphin You experience what it is like entering New York Harbor by sea, going under the Verranzano Narrows Bridge and finishing at the Statue of Liberty.

Bob then will answer any questions about their trip and tell about the next trip in the works. In addition he has written a book, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat. It is for sale for $15.00.

To contact Bob Brown regarding his presentation, his book or both, call him at 321-243-7311 or email him
at Bobbrown1408@aol.com. His website is http://www.bermudachallenge.com/

See the holiday specials at their website!!
New Writing Workshops offer Craft and Creative Community.

Orlando Writers' Workshops offers creative writing workshops, retreats and manuscript consultation using the Amherst Writers & Artists method as well as craft workshops for writers with book-length projects in the works. Aspiring and seasoned writers alike will have a new and exciting writing opportunity available to them in January. While other writing workshops focus on discussion of drafts written prior and brought in for critique, this method effectively uses prompts to stimulate writers' imaginations and produce fresh work during the workshop session.
They offer sessions within the week as well as special sessions on the weekends. Coming up in January is a 6-week "Fast Track to getting Published" boot camp. Writers can attend all six sessions or register for just one. Check out the topics:
  • February 8 - Creative Non-fiction 100 Yard Dash
  • February 22 - Cross-Training, Cross -Genre
  • March 8 - Literary Magazines & Contests Publishing Panel
All sessions are in Orlando. Information about the boot camp sessions and for all the offerings of the Orlando Writers' Workshops can be found at http://www.orlandowriters.com/.

In sponsorship with the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Costa Rica Writers' Retreats has launched week-long intensive retreats at the luxurious 4-star, eco-friendly Docelunas Resort in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. Beginning and experienced writers working across all genres will immerse themselves in the tranquil, tropical surroundings and the creative process will begin. Writers will expand their creativity, enhance productivity, build confidence, maximize skills, sharpen craft, develop works-in-progress, and take part in talks on craft and publishing led by Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty. The retreat writing will follow the Amherst Writers & Artists Method TM (AWA). Specially themed workshops will be offered each week, such as "The First Page," "The 5 Ps of Fiction," Poetry Infusion," and "Stories, Essays, Poems: Get Published in the LitMags Now."

For complete information, visit http://www.costaricawriters.com/.

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats Announces Writers' Holiday in the Tropics Contest

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats in sponsorship with the Vermont College of the Arts and Orlando Writers Workshops is offering an exciting opportunity for one lucky writer to enjoy a luxurious one-week writing retreat at Docelunas Resort. Participants may enter on-line at www.costaricawriters.com/contest. No writing samples required.
  • No purchase required
  • Luck-of-the-draw contest
  • Open to current graduate creative writing students and alumni worldwide
  • Winner must provide proof of enrollment or graduation All entries must be made at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.
All entries must be received by April 1st, 2009 and the winner will be announced by April 5th, 2009.

Labels: , ,

Friday, January 16, 2009

Florida Book News - January 18, 2009

Welcome to Florida Book News

Florida Book News ... it's the place to announce your new book, to tell about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conference or convention. It's the place for anything of interest to others about writing and books. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Inside this issue
  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)
  • Author Profile - Marshall Frank
  • Author Profile - Kee Briggs
  • Author Profile - Linda Wagner

News

Space Coast Writers' Guild Conference This week... Register Now
The Space Coast Writers' Guild Annual Writers' Conference is this coming weekend. Go to their website http://www.scwg.org/ and register now. This is a great conference... don't miss it.

There will be authors, agents and editors presenting information on a wide range of topics at the 2009 SCWG Annual Writers' Conference, From Pen to Print VI on January 23 and 24 in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Be sure to check out all the information about it at http://www.scwg.org/. The conference is a popular one in Florida with authors, editors, and agents giving presentations and meeting with writers.

The conference is scheduled for 1/23 and 1/24/2009 at the Holiday Inn, Cooca Beach. For information and to register, visit http://www.scwg.org/. You will find a registration form for it at the website. You can register ahead of time or at the door.

Here's a book you might want to check out

I have just heard from Francine Silverman that her book, Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get Invited (McFarland & Co, 2009), is about to be published. She'll be in Wellington in N. Palm Beach the first part of her trip to Florida between February 24 and March 7 and in Hollywood during the second half of that week.

The book isn't available yet, but should be by the time she visits Florida. Here's a blurb about the book:

Talk Radio Wants You: An Intimate Guide to 700 Shows and How to Get invited (McFarland & Co. 2009) seeks to bridge the gap between show hosts and prospective guests, providing a reference guide to roughly 700-talk radio shows from the U.S. and around the world. Entries are organized under categories of show themes, including religion, travel, addiction and recovery, sports, entertainment, and many more. The book also includes information on many of Talkers Magazine's Top 250-Radio Talk Shows, interview tips for radio guests, and tips for conducting a radio interview over the phone.

Author Francine Silverman is an on-lline publicist and radio host who lives in Riverdale, New York. Her book is available for pre-publication ordering at http://www.amazon.com/. And she has a website at http://www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com/ that may be of interest to authors and artists attemtping to market their work. There are articles available there.

Frank Perkins launches new book

Rainbows, Cutthroats and the Prince of Bhutan, Fly Fishing Adventures Around the World

252 pages, 66 color photographs, $25.00.

Bill Sargent, Retired Outdoors Editor of Florida Today, wrote about Perkins' new book. "Those of us who call ourselves fishermen often dream about adventurous and far away places of the world where we'd give just about anything to fish and explore. Costa Rica, Australia, Belize, new Zealand, maybe even the Seychelles are at the top of many lists.

"Unfortunately few of us ever get the chance to so much as wet a line at such distant destinations. But we keep dreaming.

"Frank Perkins is an exception. He's a quiet, friendly, small-statured man with a passion for fly fishing who made up his mind years ago that he would travel and fish the world.

"A career as an electronic engineer with assignments in many countries - and helped by the fact that he was an Earthwatch Institute volunteer - took Frank to many of the world's most beautiful and exotic places.

"Frank made it a point to never leave home without his fly rod. Come to thin of it maybe a half dozen fly rods! Needless to say he fished a lot.

"Over a period of 23 years he traveled to 25 countries on all seven continents and caught practically every fish in the book, from the black waters of the Amazon to the waterfalls of Iceland....

"The 'fishing stories' never stop in this one-man's travelogue. It goes without saying that Frank's book is a must read for us dreamers."

You can get a copy from http://www.frankperkins.com/, or by contacting Frank at fap1217@cs.com or 321-676-0863. It's also available at Harry Goode's in Melbourne and The Backcountry in Vero Beach.

-Book Event at the BookXchg


In January Members of the Space Coast Writers' Guild gathered at the BookXchg, 604 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa, for a round table discussion of writing and the book industry. It was so successful that we will repeat it next month on the first Saturday of February at 1:00 p.m. Please join us and add your knowledge to the discussion. to sell their published books at the Cocoa Village Holiday Craft Fair. The authors socialized and chatted with the public from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m, while enjoying a breezy Florida day.

There will be no BookXchg gathering in March due to other scheduled SCWG events.

Book Signing...

Holly Fox Vellekoop, author of STONE HAVEN: Murder along the River will be featured at a booksigning on February 21, 2009, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The event is hosted by Goin' Postal, at the Bayside lLakes Shopping Center, 3450 Bayside Lakes Boulevard, Palm Bay. Besides writing novels, short stories, newspaper articles, magazine articles and poems, Holly is a board member of the Space Coast Writers' Guild. Goin' Postal is a full service mailing service, offering packing, shipping, business services, mailing and notary. For further infromation about the booksigning, call 733-9449.

SAVE the DATE: March 7, 2009

That is the date of the Brevard Authors Book Fair. It will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Central Brevard Library in Cocoa, Florida. This is a first-time, direct sale, full profit event for authors to sell their book.s

Where: Central Brevard Library, 308 Forrest Avenue, Cocoa.

When: Saturday, March 7th, 2009. 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Who: Brevard County authors and invited authors from other Florida jurisdictions.

Cost $20.00 per table fee per author, to cover advertising, marketing and administrative costs.

How: All sales will be direct from author to customer. Authors are to bring their own inventory of books.

Selected authors will give talks in the adjoining room. For information, call 321-254-3398 or email jimharris@netscape.com.


Congratulations to Judy Mammay

Judy Mammay has just received a contract for her next book. The book is Ryan's Victory, an easy reader for grades K-2, to be published by Jason and Nordic Publishers (the publisher of It's Time). The release date for her new book is spring of 2009. Watch for more information about it as we get closer to the release date.

To take a look at other books by Judy Mammay, visit her website at http://www.judithmammay.com/

From Jean Pastula ~~ Whispers

To those interested in Metaphysical Science Research. A group if being formed to be part of an upcoming "Journalized Book" titled Whispers. They will have monthly meetings at a location to be determined later. The group will explore all aspects of the phenomena of the minds mysterious realms of wonder and bewildering occurrences. No fee to join, just a passion for the strangeness of altered states of mind. Artists, writers and the inquisitive welcome. Please contact, founder, researcher and author I Jean Pastula, PhD at 321-259-4131 or veridaian@cfl.rr.com.

Bob Brown DVD

Robert Brown, the author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has a DVD presentation about his voyage from North Carolina to Bermuda and then back to New York Harbor. He has shown it at both the Cocoa Beach and Cocoa Libraries. It is 33 minutes long and starts off with a TV news clip and then shows them leaving Atlantic Beach, North Carolina and much of their return to New York starting off with the towing out to sea in Bermuda, Donna Lang's 28 foot sailboat as she completes her solo voyage around the world.

Most of the video is taken from their 21-foot flats boat as they complete their 1547 mile voyage unescorted. They come across trash hundreds of miles from shore, travel nonstop through the nights, and are visited by a school of white sided dolphin You experience what it is like entering New York Harbor by sea, going under the Verranzano Narrows Bridge and finishing at the Statue of Liberty.

Bob then will answer any questions about their trip and tell about the next trip in the works. In addition he has written a book, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat. It is for sale for $15.00.

To contact Bob Brown regarding his presentation, his book or both, call him at 321-243-7311 or email him at Bobbrown1408@aol.com. His website is http://www.bermudachallenge.com/

See the holiday specials at their website!!
New Writing Workshops offer Craft and Creative Community.

Orlando Writers' Workshops offers creative writing workshops, retreats and manuscript consultation using the Amherst Writers & Artists method as well as craft workshops for writers with book-length projects in the works. Aspiring and seasoned writers alike will have a new and exciting writing opportunity available to them in January. While other writing workshops focus on discussion of drafts written prior and brought in for critique, this method effectively uses prompts to stimulate writers' imaginations and produce fresh work during the workshop session.
They offer sessions within the week as well as special sessions on the weekends. Coming up in January is a 6-week "Fast Track to getting Published" boot camp. Writers can attend all six sessions or register for just one. Check out the topics:

  • January 4th - Cross-Training, Cross Genre, AWA -style

  • January 18 - Poetry Powerhouse

  • January 25th - Short Fiction Sprint

  • February 8 - Creative Non-fiction 100 Yard Dash

  • February 22 - Cross-Training, Cross -Genre

  • March 8 - Literary Magazines & Contests Publishing Panel
All sessions are in Orlando. Information about the boot camp sessions and for all the offerings of the Orlando Writers' Workshops can be found at http://www.orlandowriters.com/.

In sponsorship with the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Costa Rica Writers' Retreats has launched week-long intensive retreats at the luxurious 4-star, eco-friendly Docelunas Resort in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. Beginning and experienced writers working across all genres will immerse themselves in the tranquil, tropical surroundings and the creative process will begin. Writers will expand their creativity, enhance productivity, build confidence, maximize skills, sharpen craft, develop works-in-progress, and take part in talks on craft and publishing led by Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty. The retreat writing will follow the Amherst Writers & Artists Method TM (AWA). Specially themed workshops will be offered each week, such as "The First Page," "The 5 Ps of Fiction," Poetry Infusion," and "Stories, Essays, Poems: Get Published in the LitMags Now."

For complete information, visit http://www.costaricawriters.com/.

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats Announces Writers' Holiday in the Tropics Contest

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats in sponsorship with the Vermont College of the Arts and Orlando Writers Workshops is offering an exciting opportunity for one lucky writer to enjoy a luxurious one-week writing retreat at Docelunas Resort. Participants may enter on-line at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.
No writing samples required.

  • No purchase required
  • Luck-of-the-draw contest
  • Open to current graduate creative writing students and alumni worldwide
  • Winner must provide proof of enrollment or graduation All entries must be made at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.
All entries must be received by April 1st, 2009 and the winner will be announced by April 5th, 2009.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Florida Book News - December 25, 2008

Welcome to Florida Book News

Happy Holidays to all...

Florida Book News ... it's the place to announce your new book, to tell about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conference or convention. It's the place for anything of interest to others about writing and books. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Inside this issue

  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)
  • Author Profile - Marshall Frank
  • Author Profile - Kee Briggs
  • Author Profile - Linda Wagner

News

Tune in this weekend: Carol Jose on C-SPAN Book TV

Carol Jose (http://www.caroljose.com/) the co-author of You Are Not Forgotten will be featured presenting the book and its fascinating record of history on C-SPAN Book TV this weekend. The schedule is as follows:

  • Saturday, 12/27/08 at 8:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, 12/28/08 at 2:00 a.m.
  • Sunday, 12/28/08 at 2:00 p.m.
  • Monday, 12/29/08 at 7:00 a.m.

"Newk" Grubb, an American fighter pilot is shot down on a reconnaissance mission early in the Vietnam War, photographed apparently in good shape when captured by the North Vietnamese, then vanishing into silence. Evie, Newk's wife and the mother of their four young sons, takes on the world. She and other military wives and mothers come together and stand up to every level of military command from sergeant to admiral, the American political establishment, foreign leaders and diplomats, and even the U.N.

Carol Jose teamed up with Evenly Grubb to write of this section of history. The book is complete with a foreword by Henry Kissinger. Be sure not to miss Carol's appearance on book TV and if you'd like a copy of the book, visit http://www.yanfbook.com/.

Frank Perkins launches new book

Rainbows, Cutthroats and the Prince of Bhutan, Fly Fishing Adventures Around the World

252 pages, 66 color photographs, $25.00.

Bill Sargent, Retired Outdoors Editor of Florida Today, wrote about Perkins' new book. "Those of us who call ourselves fishermen often dream about adventurous and far away places of the world where we'd give just about anything to fish and explore. Costa Rica, Australia, Belize, new Zealand, maybe even the Seychelles are at the top of many lists.

"Unfortunately few of us ever get the chance to so much as wet a line at such distant destinations. But we keep dreaming.

"Frank Perkins is an exception. He's a quiet, friendly, small-statured man with a passion for fly fishing who made up his mind years ago that he would travel and fish the world.

"A career as an electronic engineer with assignments in many countries - and helped by the fact that he was an Earthwatch Institute volunteer - took Frank to many of the world's most beautiful and exotic places.

"Frank made it a point to never leave home without his fly rod. Come to thin of it maybe a half dozen fly rods! Needless to say he fished a lot.

"Over a period of 23 years he traveled to 25 countries on all seven continents and caught practically every fish in the book, from the black waters of the Amazon to the waterfalls of Iceland....

"The 'fishing stories' never stop in this one-man's travelogue. It goes without saying that Frank's book is a must read for us dreamers."

You can get a copy from http://www.frankperkins.com/, or by contacting Frank at fap1217@cs.com or 321-676-0863. It's also available at Harry Goode's in Melbourne and The Backcountry in Vero Beach.

-Book Event at the BookXchg



December 6, 2008: Members of the Space Coast Writers' Guild gathered at the BookXchg, 604 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa, to sell their published books at the Cocoa Village Holiday Craft Fair. The authors socialized and chatted with the public from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m, while enjoying a breezy Florida day.

Space Coast Writers' Guild members represented were: E. Lynne Wright, author of It Happened in Florida, More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Florida Women, and Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida; Bill Allen, author of Greg Hart, Dragonslayer and The Hero Who Slayer Ruuan; Judith Mammay, author of Knowing Joseph and It's Time; Robert Brown, author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge In a Flats Boat; Pat McDonough, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Without Keys: My 15 Weeks With the Street People, and co-author of Kazik's Polish Navy; Jim Rootsey, author of numerous books including A Beginning Along the Way, The Men From Menahur, and Micraliens in Contro; Gene Davis, author of The Kissing Camels: Dromedarious & Camela; Jim Harris, SCWG board member who was selling Don Argo's book, Canaveral Light, Shara Smock, author of Living With Big Cats, Hooking the Reader: Opening Lines that Sell, and Calliope's Mousepad; new member Louis Tucciarone, author of The Farmer and the Tree, and Holly Fox Vellekoop, author of STONE HAVEN: Murder Along the River.

What's next: January 3, 2009, 1 p.m., at the BookXchg will be a roundtable discussion, led by Jim Harris, SCWG board member. Members of the guild will confer about questions from the panel and public. Included will be topics of interest to published and non-published writers such as struggles and successes with agents and publishers. If you have any particular subject that you would like discussed at this gathering, please E-Mail Holly at hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com. On February 7, 1 p.m., the BookXchg will again host the roundtable discussion. There will be no BookXchg gathering in March due to other scheduled SCWG events.

Congratulations to Judy Mammay

Judy Mammay has just received a contract for her next book. The book is Ryan's Victory, an easy reader for grades K-2, to be published by Jason and Nordic Publishers (the publisher of It's Time). The release date for her new book is spring of 2009. Watch for more information about it as we get closer to the release date.

To take a look at other books by Judy Mammay, visit her website at http://www.judithmammay.com/

Register Now

This is a great conference... don't miss it.

The 2009 SCWG Annual Writers' Conference, From Pen to Print VI, is coming soon. Be sure to check out all the information about it at http://www.scwg.org/. The conference is a popular one in Florida with authors, editors, and agents giving presentations and meeting with writers.

The conference is scheduled for 1/23 and 1/24/2009 at the Holiday Inn, Cooca Beach. For information and to register, visit http://www.scwg.org/.

Congratulations to Gloria Douglas

Gloria Douglas' novel, Alpha Rising, received Honorable Mention at the 2008 London Book Festival where a panel of judges evaluated it on the story-telling ability of the author and the potential of the work to win wider recognition from the international publishing community. Festival director Brush Haring said this was "...one of our toughest competitions to date."

Read more about Gloria's book in the section on Featured Books.


From Jean Pastula ~~ Whispers

To those interested in Metaphysical Science Research. A group if being formed to be part of an upcoming "Journalized Book" titled Whispers. They will have monthly meetings at a location to be determined later. The group will explore all aspects of the phenomena of the minds mysterious realms of wonder and bewildering occurrences. No fee to join, just a passion for the strangeness of altered states of mind. Artists, writers and the inquisitive welcome. Please contact, founder, researcher and author I Jean Pastula, PhD at 321-259-4131 or veridaian@cfl.rr.com.

Bob Brown DVD

Robert Brown, the author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has a DVD presentation about his voyage from North Carolina to Bermuda and then back to New York Harbor. He has shown it at both the Cocoa Beach and Cocoa Libraries. It is 33 minutes long and starts off with a TV news clip and then shows them leaving Atlantic Beach, North Carolina and much of their return to New York starting off with the towing out to sea in Bermuda, Donna Lang's 28 foot sailboat as she completes her solo voyage around the world.

Most of the video is taken from their 21-foot flats boat as they complete their 1547 mile voyage unescorted. They come across trash hundreds of miles from shore, travel nonstop through the nights, and are visited by a school of white sided dolphin You experience what it is like entering New York Harbor by sea, going under the Verranzano Narrows Bridge and finishing at the Statue of Liberty.

Bob then will answer any questions about their trip and tell about the next trip in the works. In addition he has written a book, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat. It is for sale for $15.00.

To contact Bob Brown regarding his presentation, his book or both, call him at 321-243-7311 or email him at Bobbrown1408@aol.com. His website is http://www.bermudachallenge.com/

See the holiday specials at their website!!
New Writing Workshops offer Craft and Creative Community.

Orlando Writers' Workshops offers creative writing workshops, retreats and manuscript consultation using the Amherst Writers & Artists method as well as craft workshops for writers with book-length projects in the works. Aspiring and seasoned writers alike will have a new and exciting writing opportunity available to them in January. While other writing workshops focus on discussion of drafts written prior and brought in for critique, this method effectively uses prompts to stimulate writers' imaginations and produce fresh work during the workshop session.
They offer sessions within the week as well as special sessions on the weekends. Coming up in January is a 6-week "Fast Track to getting Published" boot camp. Writers can attend all six sessions or register for just one. Check out the topics:

  • January 4th - Cross-Training, Cross Genre, AWA -style
  • January 18 - Poetry Powerhouse
  • January 25th - Short Fiction Sprint
  • February 8 - Creative Non-fiction 100 Yard Dash
  • February 22 - Cross-Training, Cross -Genre
  • March 8 - Literary Magazines & Contests Publishing Panel

All sessions are in Orlando. Information about the boot camp sessions and for all the offerings of the Orlando Writers' Workshops can be found at http://www.orlandowriters.com/.

In sponsorship with the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Costa Rica Writers' Retreats has launched week-long intensive retreats at the luxurious 4-star, eco-friendly Docelunas Resort in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. Beginning and experienced writers working across all genres will immerse themselves in the tranquil, tropical surroundings and the creative process will begin. Writers will expand their creativity, enhance productivity, build confidence, maximize skills, sharpen craft, develop works-in-progress, and take part in talks on craft and publishing led by Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty. The retreat writing will follow the Amherst Writers & Artists Method TM (AWA). Specially themed workshops will be offered each week, such as "The First Page," "The 5 Ps of Fiction," Poetry Infusion," and "Stories, Essays, Poems: Get Published in the LitMags Now."

For complete information, visit http://www.costaricawriters.com/.

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats Announces Writers' Holiday in the Tropics Contest

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats in sponsorship with the Vermont College of the Arts and Orlando Writers Workshops is offering an exciting opportunity for one lucky writer to enjoy a luxurious one-week writing retreat at Docelunas Resort. Participants may enter on-line at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.
No writing samples required

  • No purchase required
  • Luck-of-the-draw contest
  • Open to current graduate creative writing students and alumni worldwide
  • Winner must provide proof of enrollment or graduation All entries must be made at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.
All entries must be received by April 1st, 2009 and the winner will be announced by April 5th, 2009.

Labels: , , , ,

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Florida Book News - December 18, 2008

Welcome to Florida Book News

Happy Holidays to all...

Florida Book News ... it's the place to announce your new book, to tell about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conference or convention. It's the place for anything of interest to others about writing and books. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Inside this issue

  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)
  • Author Profile - Marshall Frank
  • Author Profile - Kee Briggs
  • Author Profile - Linda Wagner

News

Christmas Party... You're invited

You're invited to join the Local History Club for a potpourri of talent. Open mike includes story telling, readings, book presentations and live music. The lineup includes:


  • Dianne Marcum author of the travel guide Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida Coast. She will share great ideas for enjoying and exploring historical spots throughout Brevard County.
  • Sonny Witt will talk about the Canaveral lighthouse.
  • Brevard's Bard "Dub" will recite stories of local history.
  • Ray Osborne will give a slide presentation and talk about pictures from his book Images of America: Cape Canaveral...
  • and, there will be music by Chris Kahl.

The event if from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on December 18, 2008 at the Cape Canaveral Library, 201 Polk Avenue, Cape Canaveral, Florida. For more information, call Ray Osborne at 243-8097.

Special Sale from the Pieces of 8

The Pieces of 8 will have a show and sale of their paintings. They are ideal gifts for holiday giving. They will be on display during the evening shopping hours in downtown Melbourne on Saturday, December 20th on the second floor of the Arcade Building at The Studio, Suite 215-6, 909 East New Haven Avenue. For information, call Jini James at 536-9339.


-Book Event at the BookXchg

December 6, 2008: Members of the Space Coast Writers' Guild gathered at the BookXchg, 604 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa, to sell their published books at the Cocoa Village Holiday Craft Fair. The authors socialized and chatted with the public from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m, while enjoying a breezy Florida day.
Space Coast Writers' Guild members represented were: E. Lynne Wright, author of It Happened in Florida, More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Florida Women, and Disasters and Heroic Rescues of Florida; Bill Allen, author of Greg Hart, Dragonslayer and The Hero Who Slayer Ruuan; Judith Mammay, author of Knowing Joseph and It's Time; Robert Brown, author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge In a Flats Boat; Pat McDonough, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Without Keys: My 15 Weeks With the Street People, and co-author of Kazik's Polish Navy; Jim Rootsey, author of numerous books including A Beginning Along the Way, The Men From Menahur, and Micraliens in Contro; Gene Davis, author of The Kissing Camels: Dromedarious & Camela; Jim Harris, SCWG board member who was selling Don Argo's book, Canaveral Light, Shara Smock, author of Living With Big Cats, Hooking the Reader: Opening Lines that Sell, and Calliope's Mousepad; new member Louis Tucciarone, author of The Farmer and the Tree, and Holly Fox Vellekoop, author of STONE HAVEN: Murder Along the River.

What's next: January 3, 2009, 1 p.m., at the BookXchg will be a roundtable discussion, led by Jim Harris, SCWG board member. Members of the guild will confer about questions from the panel and public. Included will be topics of interest to published and non-published writers such as struggles and successes with agents and publishers. If you have any particular subject that you would like discussed at this gathering, please E-Mail Holly at hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com. On February 7, 1 p.m., the BookXchg will again host the roundtable discussion. There will be no BookXchg gathering in March due to other scheduled SCWG events.

Congratulations to Judy Mammay

Judy Mammay has just received a contract for her next book. The book is Ryan's Victory, an easy reader for grades K-2, to be published by Jason and Nordic Publishers (the publisher of It's Time). The release date for her new book is spring of 2009. Watch for more information about it as we get closer to the release date.

To take a look at other books by Judy Mammay, visit her website at http://www.judithmammay.com/

Register Now

This is a great conference... don't miss it.


The 2009 SCWG Annual Writers' Conference, From Pen to Print VI, is coming soon. Be sure to check out all the information about it at http://www.scwg.org/. The conference is a popular one in Florida with authors, editors, and agents giving presentations and meeting with writers.

The conference is scheduled for 1/23 and 1/24/2009 at the Holiday Inn, Cooca Beach. For information and to register, visit http://www.scwg.org/.

From Jean Pastula ~~ Whispers

To those interested in Metaphysical Science Research. A group if being formed to be part of an upcoming "Journalized Book" titled Whispers. They will have monthly meetings at a location to be determined later. The group will explore all aspects of the phenomena of the minds mysterious realms of wonder and bewildering occurrences. No fee to join, just a passion for the strangeness of altered states of mind. Artists, writers and the inquisitive welcome. Please contact, founder, researcher and author I Jean Pastula, PhD at 321-259-4131 or veridaian@cfl.rr.com.

Bob Brown DVD

Robert Brown, the author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has a DVD presentation about his voyage from North Carolina to Bermuda and then back to New York Harbor. He has shown it at both the Cocoa Beach and Cocoa Libraries. It is 33 minutes long and starts off with a TV news clip and then shows them leaving Atlantic Beach, North Carolina and much of their return to New York starting off with the towing out to sea in Bermuda, Donna Lang's 28 foot sailboat as she completes her solo voyage around the world.

Most of the video is taken from their 21-foot flats boat as they complete their 1547 mile voyage unescorted. They come across trash hundreds of miles from shore, travel nonstop through the nights, and are visited by a school of white sided dolphin You experience what it is like entering New York Harbor by sea, going under the Verranzano Narrows Bridge and finishing at the Statue of Liberty.

Bob then will answer any questions about their trip and tell about the next trip in the works. In addition he has written a book, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat. It is for sale for $15.00.

To contact Bob Brown regarding his presentation, his book or both, call him at 321-243-7311 or email him at Bobbrown1408@aol.com. His website is http://www.bermudachallenge.com/

See the holiday specials at their website!!
New Writing Workshops offer Craft and Creative Community.

Orlando Writers' Workshops offers creative writing workshops, retreats and manuscript consultation using the Amherst Writers & Artists method as well as craft workshops for writers with book-length projects in the works. Aspiring and seasoned writers alike will have a new and exciting writing opportunity available to them in January. While other writing workshops focus on discussion of drafts written prior and brought in for critique, this method effectively uses prompts to stimulate writers' imaginations and produce fresh work during the workshop session.
They offer sessions within the week as well as special sessions on the weekends. Coming up in January is a 6-week "Fast Track to getting Published" boot camp. Writers can attend all six sessions or register for just one. Check out the topics:
  • January 4th - Cross-Training, Cross Genre, AWA -style
  • January 18 - Poetry Powerhouse
  • January 25th - Short Fiction Sprint
  • February 8 - Creative Non-fiction 100 Yard Dash
  • February 22 - Cross-Training, Cross -Genre
  • March 8 - Literary Magazines & Contests Publishing Panel

All sessions are in Orlando. Information about the boot camp sessions and for all the offerings of the Orlando Writers' Workshops can be found at http://www.orlandowriters.com/.

In sponsorship with the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Costa Rica Writers' Retreats has launched week-long intensive retreats at the luxurious 4-star, eco-friendly Docelunas Resort in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. Beginning and experienced writers working across all genres will immerse themselves in the tranquil, tropical surroundings and the creative process will begin. Writers will expand their creativity, enhance productivity, build confidence, maximize skills, sharpen craft, develop works-in-progress, and take part in talks on craft and publishing led by Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty. The retreat writing will follow the Amherst Writers & Artists Method TM (AWA). Specially themed workshops will be offered each week, such as "The First Page," "The 5 Ps of Fiction," Poetry Infusion," and "Stories, Essays, Poems: Get Published in the LitMags Now."

For complete information, visit http://www.costaricawriters.com/.

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats Announces Writers' Holiday in the Tropics Contest

Costa Rica Writers' Retreats in sponsorship with the Vermont College of the Arts and Orlando Writers Workshops is offering an exciting opportunity for one lucky writer to enjoy a luxurious one-week writing retreat at Docelunas Resort. Participants may enter on-line at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.

  • No writing samples required
  • No purchase required
  • Luck-of-the-draw contest
  • Open to current graduate creative writing students and alumni worldwide
  • Winner must provide proof of enrollment or graduation All entries must be made at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.
All entries must be received by April 1st, 2009 and the winner will be announced by April 5th, 2009.

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Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Florida Book News - December 3, 2008

Welcome to Florida Book News

Florida Book News is open to writers, illustrators, book lovers, and writing groups and organizations. This is the place to announce your new book or tell us about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conferences or conventions...anything of interest to others about writing and books.

This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Inside this issue
  • News
  • Author Profile - Marshall Frank
  • Author Profile - Kee Briggs
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)
News

-Book Xchg - Don't miss the book sale on 12/6/08

Book Sale: Why not give a book by a local author for the holidays:

On December 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., SCWG published authors will be at the BookXchg to participate in the Cocoa Village Holiday Craft Fair, meeting the public and selling books.

They will be in front of the Book Xchg on Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village Florida. Don't miss this opportunity to meet and talk about the authors.

Round table
On January 3, 2009, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., SCWG published authors will be holding a round table at the BookXchg to discuss the joys and perils of publishing, marketing, and other related topics. The public is invited to come and hear what the writers have to say. Questions from the audience will be taken.

If you are a SCWG member and published author and wish to participate in the round table, please contact Holly Fox Vellekoop at (321) 733-9449 or hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com.

Congratulations to Judy Mammay

This just in.... Judy Mammay has just received a contract for her next book. The book is Ryan's Victory, an easy reader for grades K-2, to be published by Jason and Nordic Publishers (the publisher of It's Time). The release date for her new book is spring of 2009. Watch for more information about it as we get closer to the release date.

To take a look at other books by Judy Mammay, visit her website at http://www.judithmammay.com/

Children's Book Fair

On December 13, 2008, between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., the Space Coast Writer's Guild is putting on a Children's Book Fair at the Merritt Island Public Library. It will include books for children and young adults. For more information about the event, contact Jim Harris at scwg-jimharris@netscape.com.
Register Now

The 2009 SCWG Annual Writers' Conference, From Pen to Print VI, is coming soon. Be sure to check out all the information about it at http://www.scwg.org/. The conference is a popular one in Florida with authors, editors, and agents giving presentations and meeting with writers.

The conference is scheduled for 1/23 and 1/24/2009 at the Holiday Inn, Cooca Beach. For information and to register, visit http://www.scwg.org/.


Bob Brown DVD:

Robert Brown, the author of Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat, has a DVD presentation about his voyage from North Carolina to Bermuda and then back to New York Harbor. He has shown it at both the Cocoa Beach and Cocoa Libraries. It is 33 minutes long and starts off with a TV news clip and then shows them leaving Atlantic Beach, North Carolina and much of their return to New York starting off with the towing out to sea in Bermuda, Donna Lang's 28 foot sailboat as she completes her solo voyage around the world.

Most of the video is taken from their 21-foot flats boat as they complete their 1547 mile voyage unescorted. They come across trash hundreds of miles from shore, travel nonstop through the nights, and are visited by a school of white sided dolphin You experience what it is like entering New York Harbor by sea, going under the Verranzano Narrows Bridge and finishing at the Statue of Liberty.

Bob then will answer any questions about their trip and tell about the next trip in the works. In addition he has written a book, Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat. It is for sale for $15.00.

To contact Bob Brown regarding his presentation, his book or both, call him at 321-243-7311 or email him at Bobbrown1408@aol.com. His website is http://www.bermudachallenge.com/





New Writing Workshops offer Craft and Creative Community.

Orlando Writers' Workshops offers creative writing workshops, retreats and manuscript consultation using the Amherst Writers & Artists method as well as craft workshops for writers with book-length projects in the works. Aspiring and seasoned writers alike will have a new and exciting writing opportunity available to them in January. While other writing workshops focus on discussion of drafts written prior and brought in for critique, this method effectively uses prompts to stimulate writers' imaginations and produce fresh work during the workshop session.

They offer sessions within the week as well as special sessions on the weekends. Coming up in January is a 6-week "Fast Track to getting Published" boot camp. Writers can attend all six sessions or register for just one. Check out the topics:

  • January 4th - Cross-Training, Cross Genre, AWA -style
  • January 18 - Poetry Powerhouse
  • January 25th - Short Fiction Sprint
  • February 8 - Creative Non-fiction 100 Yard Dash
  • February 22 - Cross-Training, Cross -Genre
  • March 8 - Literary Magazines & Contests Publishing Panel

All sessions are in Orlando. Information about the boot camp sessions and for all the offerings of the Orlando Writers' Workshops can be found at http://www.orlandowriters.com/.





In sponsorship with the Vermont College of Fine Arts, Costa Rica Writers' Retreats has launched week-long intensive retreats at the luxurious 4-star, eco-friendly Docelunas Resort in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica. Beginning and experienced writers working across all genres will immerse themselves in the tranquil, tropical surroundings and the creative process will begin. Writers will expand their creativity, enhance productivity, build confidence, maximize skills, sharpen craft, develop works-in-progress, and take part in talks on craft and publishing led by Vermont College of Fine Arts faculty. The retreat writing will follow the Amherst Writers & Artists Method TM (AWA). Specially themed workshops will be offered each week, such as "The First Page," "The 5 Ps of Fiction," Poetry Infusion," and "Stories, Essays, Poems: Get Published in the LitMags Now."
For complete information, visit http://www.costaricawriters.com/.
Costa Rica Writers' Retreats Announces Writers' Holiday in the Tropics Contest
Costa Rica Writers' Retreats in sponsorship with the Vermont College of the Arts and Orlando Writers Workshops is offering an exciting opportunity for one lucky writer to enjoy a luxurious one-week writing retreat at Docelunas Resort. Participants may enter on-line at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.
  • No writing samples required
  • No purchase required
  • Luck-of-the-draw contest
  • Open to current graduate creative writing students and alumni worldwide
  • Winner must provide proof of enrollment or graduation
  • All entries must be made at www.costaricawriters.com/contest.

All entries must be received by April 1st, 2009 and the winner will be announced by April 5th, 2009.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Florida Book News - 12/3/08 Sections

Featured Books

243 and Other Short Stories by C.W. Love is a combination of four different genres: mystery thriller, sci-fi, horror, and a young adult story. It contains:

"243" a mystery thriller about a Vietnam era hit man who is charged with eliminating his death squad members to prevent incriminating papers from naming a presidential hopeful as a traitor.

"Journey" is a sci-fi story. A research doctor and a computer wizard develop the ability to locate and trace inherited genes and project video and audio onto a monitor. Complications develop and an evil is released in the community.

"Jack-in-the-Box" is a horror story. Kip's Bar becomes the focal point for local friends in a backwoods community. The bar talk centers around a strange wolf-like man who distributes the toy-like Jack-in-the-Box. People suddenly are missing as Kip calls Plant City for a police investigation only to have the policeman turn up missing.

"The Wanting Tree" is a young adult story. At a tribal ceremony, young Magway states that he will become the greatest of the braves and will be the one to find the legendary Wanting Tree. The legend of Magway carries on through time with the help of the Indian Affairs agent.

About the author: Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Charlie Love graduated from Norristown High in 1948. He married Elizabeth Differ in 1953 after serving five years in an Army Regimental Combat Team. He is the father of seven children and nineteen grandchildren. He entered the contracting business in Pennsylvania and later moved to South Jersey as general contractor for construction from Altlantic City to Cape May, New Jersey.

Charlie now lives in Cocoa, Florida, with his wife. His first book, Trilogy In Fear, was published in 2005. His second book, 243 and Other Short Stories, is now in print. Charlie has a children's book that will be released soon. He also writes poems and humorous articles. He is working on several additional fictional stories. Watch for them.

Copies of the book may be purchased by emailing the author at clove72531@aol.com, through the publisher at http://www.publishamerica.com/, or through Barnes and Noble and various book stores. ISBN: 1-60672-031-7

Bill Allen has two of three books finished... Check them out.


Bill Allen writes "humorous books for kids age nine to ninety." Greg Hart, Dragon Slayer? and The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan, the first two stories in his three-part Greg Hart series are now available. Greg Hart's Rather Unfortunate Demise, the final Greg Hart story is expected out in 2009.

Ruuan is a very large dragon. Greg, on the other hand, is neither large nor a dragon. He's barely much of a boy. Unfortunately, such trivialities could never stop the people of Myrth from believing Greg will rescue King Peter's daughter from Ruuan. After all, Greg has been named in a prophecy, and no prophecy has ever been wrong before. Why, Greg wonders, does he have to be at the heart of the first one that is?

The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan.
The Canarazas are fierce razor-toothed warriors who can run much faster than a man, or more to the point, much faster than Greg. Soon they will attack Pendegrass Castle, and according to prophecy, the "Hero who slayed Ruuan" will fight with the strength of ten men and make the difference that leads the king to victory. But no one slayed Ruuan. Greg knows the prophecy can't possibly be true -- except, of course, for that one little bit about him having to fight the Canarazas.

Read more about all of Bill Allen's Books at http://www.billallenbooks.com/


Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat by Bob Brown

This book is the incredible true story of two brothers on an unprecedented fifteen hundred mile, unescorted voyage across the treacherous North Atlantic Ocean…in a single engine twenty foot flats boat.

Bob's brother invited him to go from North Carolina almost 700 miles to Bermuda on his own designed flats boat called the Intruder 21. The catch was that the boat was really only 21 feet long and with only two foot sides before they loaded it up with nearly 2000 pounds of gasoline. Consequently, they were less than a foot above the waterline. They were also to go by themselves without any type of escort.

His plan was to make it to Bermuda, spend the night and return this time to New York Harbor. After topping off the original 288 gallons plus an addition 50 gallons of gas; the trip back would be about 100 miles further. That, was his plan! Read the book to find out what happened. It's an intriguing and exciting true story.

The book is available at http://www.bermudachallenge.com/. You can contact Bob Brown by email at bobbrown1408@aol.com


Joyce Henderson and Heather Tomasello go International

John Wiley and Sons, Inc. recently released a Thai translation of So You Have to Do A Science Fair Project, (ISBN 0-471-20256-8) by Joyce Henderson and Heather Tomasello. The book is also available in Basura, the language of Indonesia, and English.

The book is uniquely geared to the 1st through 6th grade students to help navigate the process of doing a science fair project from start to finish. It does not have cookie cutter experiments for the student to perform, instead it challenges students to select a project based upon the child’s interests. The book includes:
¨ Brainstorming activities for the student
¨ Examples of grade-appropriate experiments
¨ Tips for making a winning backboard
¨ Helpful hints for writing the final paper
¨ A discussion of what judges expect and how to prepare a presentation


For more information, contact Joyce Henderson at jehwriter@cfl.rr.com

Books to Inspire and Uplift

Positive Reflections: Inspiring Thoughts & Photographs From Around The World is a 128-page gift book with a special twist that is meant to encourage a positive outlook that will help you live life to it’s fullest.

"As a cancer survivor, I truly believe in living every day to the fullest and doing the things that make us happy. This book helps remind me to do that." Catherine Schweinsberg/Brevard County Library Services Director

"Beautiful! Not everyone is able to travel around the world but, with this book, you can imagine yourself there and start your day with a positive mindset." Nancy Robinson/Talk Of The Town Travel Agency.

The best of Hometown Heroes florida includes ten chapters of heartwarming and inspiring stories about people of all ages and backgrounds who are changing their communities, their state, and their world through their unique personalities and their desire to help others.

"They are great!" U.S. Senator Bill Nelson said.

"I wish you great success with the book -- you deserve it!" said Patrick D. Smith.

"The authors tell remarkable stories," said Gary Roen of Midwest Book Review.

Check out their website at http://www.sunnyharborpublishing.org/ for these inspiring books by Tom Routzong and Steven Skelley.

In these days when we need positive message so much more than what we hear in the news, Steven and Tom are meeting a need in all of us to be positive and to spread some positive thoughts of our own.

Peter Panda helps children

Author Marc O’Brien, a New Jersey native who now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year is the 20th anniversary of his graduation from college. His parents, Barbara and John O’Brien, live half the year in Indialantic, Florida. Marc is an adult who was born with, and deals daily with, cerebral palsy. He knows a great deal about dealing as a child with medical and surgical experiences, doctors, nurses and hospitals. He is also the author now of his first children’s book, Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s TM Playground. It is a blend of fiction and nonfiction.

Like many children, Peter Panda, the book’s hero character, has fascinating and fun life experiences with friends, nurses, doctors, and occasionally, as in real life, medical procedures in the hospital. Children can laugh and learn from him about medical and life experiences and realities.

Nurses hold a special place in this author’s heart. He says, “Peter Panda and his story came to life thanks to the rich and positive experiences I’ve had over the years with nursing professionals. So I dedicated my first book to all caring nurses who enhance the lives of those in their care, especially children.”

Peter the Peeteeatrick Panda’s Playground is a book for children ages 5 and up, where Marc shares with them the antics and experiences of his whimsical Panda Bear “Pandystriper” volunteer at the children’s wing of a hospital.

Marc often has a live Peter Panda character with him when he does programs and signings for children at libraries, clinics and hospitals, as he did recently at the Satellite Beach library when he and Peter Panda presented a lively reading program for kids and their parents there. He has also appeared at schools, civic groups, and hospitals with Peter Panda in tow.

The book teaches children about nurses, doctors, and hospital experiences through Peter’s often amusing antics on the pediatric ward. Children can laugh and learn with Peter and his friends Hoppy the Bunny and Jeffrey the Long-Necked Giraffe. As parents and medical professionals know, every kid may one day end up needing medical attention, diagnostic tests, or even a stitch or two, or a cast. Peter Panda removes the fear of the unknown for them, and helps parents explain various medical terms to their children.

For many children with more challenging long-term disabilities or diseases, like Marc’s, the kinds of experiences Peter and his friends deal with are more than just a passing event of their childhood. For children above 3, there is a Peter Panda finger puppet. For kids over 3, there’s a squeezable Peter Panda stuffed animal, as well as a Panda Pencil, which can add to the book’s appeal and help comfort and amuse sick kids. Some fun and easy learning exercises and puzzles are included as an educational part of each chapter.

Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s Playground is divided into four interesting, easy to read chapter stories, a total of 50 pages in all, and is delightfully illustrated in full color throughout by professional, Paris-trained artist Catherine Wicks of Melbourne, a lifelong friend of Marc’s family.

RN Ellen Walsh lauds Peter Panda: “This book is informative as well as entertaining for children of all ages,” (Walsh is a nurse with MPA, RNC, Neo-Natal Intensive Care and Information Technology credentials.)
Eleanor Gaffney, a retired teacher says that Peter Panda “…will help reduce anxiety and reassure [children] in a delightfully innovative way. Bravo Peter, and Marc O’Brien, Peter’s creator!”

RN/MSN Joanne Affinito calls this book, “A unique way to teach children about a hospital experience in a fun, non-threatening way.”

O’Brien hopes that businesses, civic organizations, and folks without children may wish to purchase this book for donation to special needs children, pediatric wards in hospitals, or for children with special needs whose families cannot buy them books. Marc and his family have donated books to several libraries and special children’s care charities. For example, cystic fibrosis kids each need their own book, because they cannot share items that others have handled. The O’Briens offer a substantial discount to those who purchase books as a donation to a non-profit charity organization for sick or disabled children.

Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s Playground is available from the Publisher, Blue Note Books of Cocoa Beach, FL. ISBN 978-1-878398-78-9; Telephone 321-799-2583 or go to

http://www.bluenotebooks.com/; it is online at amazon.com, or from the author (see below). Marc O’Brien is available for interviews or personal appearances. A wipeable laminate hardcover book with charming color Illustrations throughout; 50 pages, priced at retail: $19.95 plus tax and shipping. To learn more about Marc, and his friend Peter the Peeteeatrick Panda, or to order the book or the accompaniments,go to: http://www.marcobrienauthor.com/

Mary Doerfler Dall, Children Discover the Mass

Mary Doerfler Dall's book, Children Discover the Mass, continues to garnish a great deal of enthusiasm. Although the book has been out for a while, the resurgence of it's popularity speaks to the desire for parents and teachers of Catholic education to have a clear, concise and fun way to approach liturgical teaching. Mary's ability to make learning fun is evident in this book.

Children Discover the Mass provides wonderful hands-on learning of what Catholics say at Mass and why they say it. The parental references for each activity provide the instructor with a mini-overview of historical and liturgical background. Each activity, from constructing an altar and dressing the acolyte cut outs to making the completely illustrated children's coloring book type missal at the back of the book, is designed for maximum child-centered instruction.

While Children Discover the Mass can be used to teach the systematic order of the Mass, each activity stands on its own as a distinct activity allowing for complete flexibility. After several printings and strong recent sales to Australia, it is evident that this book is destined to become a classic. This is the perfect gift for a child preparing for First Communion and for a religious education teacher working with young children.


The book can be ordered directly from the publisher, Ave Maria Press and is available on Amazon. com and many Catholic education websites. Mary's website is mddall.com

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast:

Brevard county, stretching along 76 miles of Florida's Atlantic coast, is a recreational and cultural jewel -- one of those rare spots that is as much fun for residents as it is for visitors. This entertaining and informational travel guide showcases the best of Brevard. Author and resident Dianne Marcum shares firsthand knowledge of the finest lodging, dining, shopping, and recreation, with special attention to the best beaches and surf spots.

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast is published by The Countryman Press, an imprint of international publishing house W. W. Norton, as part of their Great Destinations series. You'll find detailed information about lodging, dining, shopping, recreational activities, a calendar of events, local history and more than 100 up-to-date maps and photos.

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space coast is available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and at DianneMarcum.com

About the author: Author Dianne Marcum is a member of the Cocoa Beach Writer's Workshop and Space Coast Writer's Guild, and a contributor to Space Coast Business and local anthologies. She lives in Cape Canaveral and serves as a member of the Cape Canaveral Business & Cultural Development Board. Dianne is a CPA, AARP Tax Aide associate, and the former Vice President of strategic and human resources planning for Walt Disney World.

Dianne is available to speak to groups on Brevard County Travel and Tourism, the history of Florida's Space Coast, and a variety of writing and business topics. Presentations are tailored to meet the interest of the audience. Contact her at DianneMarcum.com

News from Terra Sancta Press
Patricia A. McDonough and Terra Sancta Press have two titles accepted into the Pulitzer Prize Competition (April 2009) this year. They are:

Kazik's Polish Navy by Kazimierz J. Kasperek with Pat McDonough entered in the Letters Category of Biography, Autobiography, Memoir.

Strangers Brothers by MSG. Raymond F. Flaherty and Pat McDonough entered in the Letters Category of American Life (fiction of a historical nature).

In Strangers Brothers, two brothers from different cultures, raised separately by the same father, come together in the US Army Airborne Rangers in the invasion of Grenada. A secret is revealed and their lives unravel. Living in the same Georgia Town, how can two disparate families come to grips with one man's "other life."

This October is the 25th Anniversary of the Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada to rescue American medical students and their families.

Stranger's Brothers is the sequel to Flaherty's first novel He Didn't Say Good-Bye.

Kazik's Polish Navy is an eye-witness account of the action in major sea battles of WWII from the day that Hitler invaded. It reveals secrets how the deal was cut to allocate countries after the war. Kazik's story is of heroism, love, heartbreak, and beginning life anew in America. Even with ships being blown out from under him, with privations in a German POW internment camp and his escape, the betrayal of Poland, Kazik never lets go of his uplifting spirit and positive view of life. He was the most decorated Polish NCO in WWII, awarded 18 medals by 5 countries. After the war, his promotion came through as Lieutenant Commander.

You can obtain more information by sending an email to books4you@cfl.rr.com and can purchase it by going to http://www.terrasanctapress.com/

Wanton Woman: Sue Logue, Strom Thurmond, and the Bloody Logue-Timmerman Feud by Anna Flowers

Wanton Woman is a true crime saga of the 1930-1940s era in a small, virtually lawless town in the deep south. It's the story of vivacious Sue Stidam who married into a violent Logue-Tiommerman family feud in Edgefield, SC ,when she married one of the Logue boys. She immediately learned how to manipulate her new family connections, to achieve her ambition of becoming a teacher, and in her social-climbing fervor, she became the favorite lover of political icon Strom Thurmond. The stormy relationship continues right up to Sue Logue's eventual, and final destiny. She becomes the first woman ever electrocuted in the state of South Carolina, and it is her former lover Strom who will escort her to the Death House.

The incredible string of events and murders leading up to her tragic fate are detailed by Flowers in this true narrative about the lawless swath these prominent families cut.

Steve Glassman in a review states, "Anna Flowers has produced a historical true crime book that is Southern Gothic in tenor and content. It is the sort of thing that Poe as well as a long line of Southern writers would look on with favor. Good going."

Maynard Allington, author of the critically acclaimed The Court of Blue Shadows, wrote: "In Wanton Woman, Anna Flowers is at the top of her game in the true crime genre. The case history of murder, which made headlines in the 1940s, has it all: human intrigue, wanton sex, and an ending that will hit the reader with the impact of a bullet. The attention to historical detail, coupled with the skill to tell a compelling, fast-paced story, make Flowers' account of murder and mayhem read like a novel."

The book is available at Barnes and Noble or at amazon.com.

Morning’s Light by JoAnna O’Keefe

An inspirational collection of poems integrated with spirituality and the journey to wholeness, reflecting the author’s education from the Pecos Benedictine Monastery Spiritual Directors School and Syracuse University. Vivid images and lyrical language describe and create the many emotions we all experience: love, despair, fear, courage, exaltation, joy and gratitude.
Cynthia Guarjado-Paul of the Space Coast Chronicle said of JoAnna's new book: "More than a collection of poems, Morning's Light is a glimpse into the journey of JoAnna O'Keefe, the author of the beautiful inspirational books Come to the Garden and The Path Less Taken.

"In the remarkable book of poems, JoAnna O'Keefe caputres, in strong images and precise lyrical language, the emotions we all experience: love, despair, fear, courage, exaltation, joy, and gratitude.

"These poems of love, transcendence and transformation reflect the solitary and difficult labors of the spirit on the journey to wholeness. The book is not only comforting to read, it encourages you to embrace the absolute joy of being who you are."

For more information, go to http://www.joannaokeefe.com/

Behold, An Ashen Horse, second in the Clash-of-Civilizations triology, is out. It won the Military Writers Society of America's 2008 Gold Medal. The first was The Rings of Allah (winner of the Military Writers Society of America's 2007 Silver Medal).

The Rings of Allah by Lee Boyland. Can terroists detonate a nuclear device in the U.S.? Lee Boyland answers this question in his award-winning novel. The plan and attack are told through the terroist's eyes. Simple gun-type atomic devices are obtained and planted in American cities. The terrorists wait for the opportunity to simultaneously detonate them. Can America survive? The answer is found in the sequel -- Behold, an Ashen Horse.

"Lee Boyland's story of a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. hit the nail on the head. A plot that can happen today," says a retired brigadier general whose last post was the National Security Agency.

"A chilling techno-thriller. Accurate technical details and well drawn characters," Frank Perkins author of Travel Adventures on the Campany's Nickel and Whales, Termites and Dragons" Adventures on Volunteer Expeditions.

Behold, an Ashen Horse by Lee and Vista Boyland (Winner of the Military Writers Society of America's 2008 Gold Medal)
Blindsided by a sneak nuclear attack, America's central government is destroyed and its economy's spinning toward collapse. A world-wide jihad rages, and the Islamic Empire is formed. America must find the right leader in order to survive. George Alexander is that man. Thrust into the presidency, a job he didn't want, Alexander sets about saving the nation and then dispenses the retribution his angry nation demands.

This is the author's second novel in the Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy. The final novel, American Reborn, is under way.

Joe Weber, New York Times best-selling author of eight novels says, "Behold, an Ashen Horse is a stunning, riveting story plausible enough to be tomorrow's headlines. Buckle your seat belts...this is a nail-biting ride."

"Forget about Patterson, King, Grisham and company. If you want at long last to read a work that is intelligent, gripping, and truly terrifying, pick up a copy of Lee Boyland's Behold, an Ashen Horse. Mr. Boyland, who has an extensive background in nuclear engineering and national defense, is the rightful heir in American fiction to Tom Clancy," says Paul Williams, author of The Day of Islam, Osama's Revenge, The Al Qaeda Connection, Dunces of Doomsday, and The Complete Idiot's Guild to the Crusades.

About the Author: Lee Boyland, U. S. Army bomb disposal officer, nuclear weapons expert, special weapons designer, businessman, and author, and his wife and co-author, Vista, have written two award-winning novels of their Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy. He is a frequent contributor to The New Media Journal.us (http://www.newmedia journal.us). Links to his articles are posted on the author page of his website along with lots of other interesting information. For ordering information and more go to http://www.leeboylandbooks.com/.

Apache Warrior by Carol Ann Didier.

A white woman and an Apache brave meet in the untamed West...

Apache Warrior is the debut novel of Carol Ann Didier. It's the story of an Eastern Baltimore belle and and an Apache brave caught up in a taboo love that has the power to heal or harm a broken people. Set in historical Arizona in the 1860's, Apache Warrior proves love knows no color, creed or race. It happens in the heart, when and where you least expect it, and if allowed to grow, can conquer differences in culture, hatred and personal loss. Cassie Edwards, New York Times bestselling author said, "A compelling story! Wonderfully authentic!"

Carol Ann Didier has been published in Charisma and Literary Lift Off magazines. She also writes inspirational vignettes, verses for greeting cards, and stories for her grandchildren. She now lives on the east coast of Florida.

For more information, visit her website at http://www.carolanndidier.com/. You can purchase the book at her website or through http://www.amazon.com/.

Valerie Allen has just published Summer School for Smarties, a children's book for grades three to six. In Summer School for Smarties, the main character, Jennifer, suddenly finds her long awaited summer vacation interrupted due to an end-of-the-year low grade in reading. She knows there has been a BIG mistake. Jennifer plans to be miserable throughout her summer school ordeal, but finds that remedial learning and new life experiences can sneak up on you when you least expect them. Valerie Allen has also published:

Sins of the Father
Suffer the Little Children
Bad Hair, Good Hat, Best Friends
Write, Publish, Sell!


Check them all out by going to her website at http://www.valerieallenwriter.com/ or email her at VAllenWriter@cs.com for more information.

Kee Briggs has spent decades filling his experiential warehouses for the time when he could use that material to create storylines. He has done that and more. He's the author of 12 books. The Silver Scepter and The Rhodium Dragon are two of his newest additions to The Usher Orlop Mystery Series. Start at the beginning of the series and follow the exploits of sculptor Usher Orlop and Anasette. In The Silver Scepter, Usher travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to execute a silver scepter for an unusual client. Usher finds his creation is used to bash in the skull of a woman. Usher rescues her tiny son and must find a way to get the tyke out of harm's way. In The Rhodium Dragon, Usher is provided with a magnificent jade box on which to mount a silver mask of a client's grandson. The surfacing of the lidless box precipitates multiple burglaries and murders, plus the involvement of a powerful Chinese tong and the Chicoms. Usher must sort through international intrigues to protect the lone survivor.

For more information about these intriguing books or to purchase any of Kee's books visit his website at http://www.keescapes.com/.

You Are Not Forgotten: A Family's Quest for Truth and the Founding of the National League of Families of POW/MIA by Evelyn Grubb and Carol Jose with a Foreword by Henry Kissinger. This true story of enduring love and tragic loss, set in a deep and moving time of war and extreme socio-political upheaval, is an inspiring account of remarkable individuals, citizens, celebrities and politicians. Together they would create history. Each of them is a true American hero and they will never be forgotten.

In his review of the book Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd USAF (ret.) states, "You Are Not Forgotten should be read by every American citizen, politician, government bureaucrat, military family, and by every person who wears a U.S. military uniform, from the recruits to the top. The photos are riveting. The story is true, well-documented, superbly told. It should be in every American history class because the Vietnam War as a subject has been woefully neglected. Full of important national, military and strongly illustrated civic and moral human lessons, You Are Not Forgotten should become a classic.

"Authors Evelyn 'Evie' Grubb and Carol Jose collaborate to tell the story of 'Newk' Grubb, an American fighter pilot shot down on a reconnaissance mission early in the war....

"The story is told from Evie's heart, through her eyes. You won't forget You Are Not Forgotten. Don't miss it. I'd like to have known Evie. She says, in the Preface, '...the roughest experiences of life do toughen us up... but they do not make us immortal...'"

For more information about You Are Not Forgotten contact publicist, Mike Daly at md@csicreativesolutions or by phone at 1-877-843-8877. You can order the book online at http://www.yanfbook.com/ (Hardcover, 360 pp, illustrations, index; $24.95 + shipping) ISBN 13-978-0918339-71-3


Friends Forever New Trails is the third in a series of books by Marilyn Martin. If you've read the other two, you will catch up with your favorite characters as they continue their journey of life along new trails. You'll meet Alenxandra Tanner and her Navajo classmate, Skylyn Eaglefeather, young teens who have been pals from first grade. Their ranch life in Colorado is one of outdoor exploration. Marilyn was a teacher for eleven years. Her writing draws upon a deep love of the West, and her own American Indian ancestral background has led her to investigate the life and culture of the ancient Amerinds upon which she bases much of her writing. Friends Forever New Trails is published by Four Seasons Publishers and is now available at bookstores across the country and over the Internet at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com. ISBN: 1-932497-06-4; $12.95. For more information about books by Marilyn Martin go to http://www.mmartinbooks.com/.

Alpha Rising by G.L. Douglas is receiving high praise and positive reviews and recently earned two Honorable Mentions at the Hollywood Book Festival, an Honorable Mention at the DIY Book Festival, and scored a perfect 20 out of 20 in plot, grammar, character development and cover design categories at the Writers' Digest International Book Festival. (Read more at http://www.alpharising.net/)

This thought-provoking work of speculative fiction opens at Kennedy Space Center in the year 2020 with a rescue mission beyond Earth's solar system. The effort only partially succeeds, landing six astronauts in a beleaguered future world where history repeats itself, future events cast shadows, few can be trusted, and the earthlings' DNA is of prime interest. By the merest stroke of luck, one astronaut escapes evil captors, and soon an epiphany on a mountain top sends him on a mission that fulfills prophecy.

From Violins to Violence: Memoirs of a Virtuoso Homicide Detective was named one of the best books of 2007 by Cathy Mathias of Florida Today.

Author Marshall Frank bares all about his transition from a classical violinist to an illustrious career as a premier homicide detective. In this compelling autobiography, Frank shares many personal and professional experiences. He looks at the power over corrupt officials by a family mobster; the struggles faced by homicide investigators; true murder cases and other criminal investigations; the arrest of five police officers for murder; the truth behind Miami's race riots of 1980; crushed marriages, alcoholism and drug addiction; and the influence of music in a life of turmoil.

Take note: Coming in November is Marshall's newest release Criminal InJustice in America. For more information, visit Marshall's website at http://www.marshallfrank.com/.

When Judith Mammay retired from teaching elementary special education, she started her second career as an author of children's books. She has written Knowing Joseph, a mid-grade novel, and It's Time, an early reader/picture book, both of which address issues of autism. She currently lives in Melbourne, Florida, with her husband and is an active member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the president of the Space Coast Writers' Guild (SCWG). Besides writing, she also enjoys nature photography, playing golf, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Knowing Joseph ... Brian would give anything to have a normal six-year-old brother -- one who doesn't scream, that normals sounds are not too loud for, or just a brother who would play with other kids. But no matter how often he pretends not to know him, Brian has to face that he doesn't have a normal brother. He has Joseph, who is autistic.

Life with Joseph isn't easy. Joseph needs order and structure, which is something other kids find weird. Brian constantly finds himself defending Joseph from kids who understand Joseph even less than Brian does. It takes a new friend and a school project before Brain can begin to truly know and accept Joseph.

It's Time... Tommy knew he was different. His doctor told him and his mom he had autism. He didn't know what autism was, but he knew some things were hard for him.

It was hard for Tommy to understand what people meant when they talked. It was hard for him to use words that would help others to understand him, too. Sometimes that made him scream.

Tommy liked things to be the same. He liked to do everything in the same order each day. It upset Tommy if the schedule changed.

Sometimes Tommy didn't like people to be close to him. And he didn't like loud noises and bright, flashing lights.

Even when Tommy tried his best, some days were hard. Some days he had problems.

Judy has presented in several venues, including schools, college classes, and at community meetings. She is available to do school visits on the topics of writing, conflict resolution, and disability awareness. Contact her at jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com or through her website, www.judithmammay.com/.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River by Holly Fox Vellekoop. Holly is a former clinical instructor in psychiatric and mental health nursing for Pen State University.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is a murder mystery set in the small town of Danville, Pennsylvania. Follow state policeman Thomas Sheski and his partner as they attempt to solve the murder of the wife of a well-known psychologist who provides treatment for wealthy clients at his private mental hospital.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is available at http://www.amazon.com/ or by emailing the author at hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com


Workshops/Conferences

Conferences around the state.

Florida Christian Writers Conference
where: Leesburg, Florida
when: 02/26/09 to 03/01/09
info: http://www.flwriters.org/

Sleuthfest 2009
where: Deerfield Beach Hilton
when : 02/26/09 to 03/01/09
info: http://www.mwaflorida.org/sleuthfest.htm

Space Coast Writers' Guild Conference
where: Cocoa Beach, Florida
when: 01/23/09 to 01/24/09
info: http://www.scwg.org/

Organizations and Meetings

Note: I know this is a partial list of organizations, and I know I haven't included all the information about meetings. I would love to list information about your group. Please send in the information you would like listed about your group to Lou@LouBelcher.com. Thanks.

Cape Canaveral Pen Women

website: http://www.capecanaveralpenwomen.org/. The goal of this group is to conduct and promote creative and educational activities in art, letters, and music.

Florida Writers Association

website: http://www.floridawriters.net.

Brevard group: There is a regional group called Poets, Authors and Writers Share (PAWS). This group meets the third Wednesday of the month at Melbourne Public Library on Fee Avenue in Melbourne, Florida.

Scribblers

website: http://www.geocities/brevardscribblers/index.htm. This group meets the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from February through October. During November, December and January, they meet the 2nd Saturday of the month. All meetings start at 9:30 a.m. at the Eau Gallie Library.

SCBWI Florida

website: http://www.scbwiflorida.com/. This is the state chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

A local SCBWI critique group meets the second Monday of the month at Melbourne Library on Fee Avenue at 7:00p.m. Contact Judy Mammay at jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com for more information. You can also go to http://www.scbwiflorida.com/

Space Coast Writers' Guild

Website: http://www.scwg.org/ The monthly meeting of the Space Coast Writers' Guild is on the third Saturday of the month at the West Melbourne Library at 2755 Wingate Blvd (on the corner of Minton and Wingate). It starts at 1:00 p.m. The next meeting of the Space Coast Writers' Guild will be on the third Saturday in February 2009. Due to the holidays, there is no December meeting and due to the conference, there is no meeting in January. See you in February.

There are other meetings within SCWG.

On the first Saturday of the month, the guild sponsors presentations by authors in conjunction with the Book Xchg on Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village. This is open to the public.

2nd Saturday with the Space Coast Writers' Guild is (obviously) on the 2nd Saturday of each month. This meeting is at the Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Parkway. The meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public and members.

SpacecoasT Authors of Romance (STAR)

STAR's purpose is to promote excellence in romantic fiction and advance the professional interests of career-focused writers. They do this in many ways but basically through the meetings. They open with a critique hour where two writers bring 12 pages of their manuscript and read aloud (they mush have taken part in this for a while before being allowed to read). Once finished, the reader remains mum, while those at the meeting offer editorial comments.

They then have their business meeting followed by lunch where they share their writing news, check their word count progress, and talk about industry stuff while they eat. The main program starts after lunch with a speaker of writing exercise or activity. On occasion, they have Super Saturdays with special writers or editors or agents who come in to meet with their members and allow them to pitch their material.

The meetings are on the 4th Saturday of each month at Piccadilly Cafeteria meeting room, Melbourne Square Mall (except for Super Saturdays when they frequently have another meeting place). Their meetings begin at 10:00 a.m. and usually last till 2:00 or 3:00 p.m.

Guests are invited to attend two meetings before joining STAR. Their annual dues are $20.00. Sometimes there is a charge for special activities. Because they are a recognized chapter of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) all STARs must also be members of the national RWA organization ($75). Members must also be 18 years of age. Contact them through the website at http://www.authorsofromance.com/.

This and That including services

Florida Today: Chris Kridler put out valuable information for authors on the Space Coast. In an article in the paper she said, "Local authors have a new way to trumpet their new books. Space Coast authors can go to www.floridatoday.com/authors and fill out the form there." The information will go to their writers. This is the way to get into the Sunday column on local authors. She goes on to say that authors should fill out the form two weeks in advance or as soon as you can when you have a new book. For more information, contact Kridler at 242-3533 or by email at ckridler@floridatoday.com.

Submissions to Florida Book News: Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com . Thanks.

End of Post

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Monday, November 17, 2008

Florida Book News - November 18, 2008

Welcome to Florida Book News

Florida Book News is open to writers, illustrators, book lovers, and writing groups and organizations. This is the place to announce your new book or tell us about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conferences or conventions...anything of interest to others about writing and books. This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

A Special Announcement: Yes... you saw this announcement before. The concert is this week, so I'll keep this article here until the benefit on November 23... It's such a worthy cause. Even if you're not going to go, send them a donation. It'll make you feel good, too. Thanks, Lou
Concert to Support the Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, Inc.
The Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded to provide special grants to young and mature artists in the fields of music, dance, and visual arts. To raise funds to help artists, the foundation is presenting "Sunday with the Performing Arts" on November 23rd, 2008, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Gleason Auditorium on the campus of FIT.
The audience will be treated to ten or more of Brevard's best, including a string quartet, ballet, singers, flute, piano, harp, with special performances by the multi-talented Deborah Moyer (violin and voice), Saverio Barbieri (vocalist who has performed at the Met) and prodigy violinist, Esther Muradov who has soloed at Carnegie Hall and who was the first recipient of a grant from the foundation.

Check the November issue of Brevard Florida Live magazine when it comes out for a more in-depth story of how the foundation was formed. For now, suffice it to say that it's providing needed grants to artists. Let's get behind this effort to help our own. You can help in two ways. Buy a ticket for $25.00 (tax deductible) for the concert. If you can't attend, you can still help by sending in a tax-deductible donation.

As a bonus, there will be a silent auction at the beginning of the evening. The silent auction will be filled with paintings and sculpture donated by prominent artists as well as jewelry worth thousands offered by Don Travers of My Private Jeweler in Suntree http://www.theprivatejeweler.com/) 321-757-0770.

Let's make sure there's a full house at "Sunday with the Performing Arts." Checks for tickets and for special donations should be made out to Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, Inc and sent to Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, Inc.; 1861 S. Patrick Dr. #117; Indian Harbor Beach, FL 32937. For information call (321) 254-3398.

Inside this issue
  • News
  • Author Profile - Kee Briggs
  • Author Prifile - Linda Wagner
  • Featured Books
  • Workshops/Conferences
  • Organizations/Meetings
  • This and That (services and misc. announcements)

News

Joyce Henderson and Heather Tomasello go International

John Wiley and Sons, Inc. recently released a Thai translation of So You Have to Do A Science Fair Project, (ISBN 0-471-20256-8) by Joyce Henderson and Heather Tomasello. The book is also available in Basura, the language of Indonesia, and English.

The book is uniquely geared to the 1st through 6th grade students to help navigate the process of doing a science fair project from start to finish. It does not have cookie cutter experiments for the student to perform, instead it challenges students to select a project based upon the child’s interests. The book includes:
¨ Brainstorming activities for the student
¨ Examples of grade-appropriate experiments
¨ Tips for making a winning backboard
¨ Helpful hints for writing the final paper
¨ A discussion of what judges expect and how to prepare a presentation

For more information, contact Joyce Henderson at jehwriter@cfl.rr.com


Marshall Frank's New Book due out this week...
Watch for the Author Profile of him later in the week.

Book Xchg
On Saturday, Nov. 1, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., members of the SCWG listened to Shara Smock and Jim Harris discuss books and the writing industry at the BookXchg.

Shara Smock, Secretary of the Florida Writers Association, is the author and/or contributor to “Living With Big Cats,” “Hooking the Reader, Opening Lines That Sell,” “Calliope’s Mousepad: Women Writers Online,” and “How I Got the Gig.”

According to Shara, her book, “Living With Big Cats,” took four years to write and was published by the National Zoological Society. The idea for this book came when she was watching David Tetzlaff train leopards at Jungle Larry’s at Caribbean Gardens in Naples, Florida. Shara was so impressed with the rapport between the trainer and his animals that she requested permission to write a book so others would know the trainer’s story.

Shara’s book, “Hooking the Reader, Opening Lines That Sell,” is a compilation of opening lines and shared insights about writing them. It boasts more than 100 contributing authors such as Jennifer Blake, Stuart Woods, and Michael Connelly.

Shara has been working on a new project about amusing tales told by garbage collectors and is writing short stories. For more information about Shara and her books, you can access her Website at http://www.sharasmock.com/.

Jim Harris spoke to the gathering about Don Argo’s book, Canaveral Light. Jim, a member of the Space Coast Writer’s Guild Board of Directors, has won numerous prizes for his writing and is currently writing a young adult novel, On Anna’s Time. Argo, a founding member and past president of the Space Coast Writers Guild, passed away recently. Canaveral Light, his historical Florida novel, was published by the Florida Historical Society Press in 2001. The novel spotlights the Seminole War while blending accurate Florida history and settings. Canaveral Light, can be purchased online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble or by contacting Jim Harris at scwg-Jim Harris@netscape.com.

Book Sale: On December 6, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., SCWG published authors will be at the BookXchg to participate in the Cocoa Village Holiday Craft Fair, meeting the public and selling books. On January 3, 2009, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., SCWG published authors will be holding a roundtable at the BookXchg to discuss the joys and perils of getting published, marketing, and other related topics. The public is invited to come and hear what the writers have to say. Questions from the audience will be taken. If you are a SCWG member and published author and wish to participate in the roundtable, please contact Holly Fox Vellekoop at (321) 733-9449 or hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com.

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Florida Book News - 11/18/08 Sections

Featured Books

243 and Other Short Stories by C.W. Love is a combination of four different genres: mystery thriller, sci-fi, horror, and a young adult story. It contains:

"243" a mystery thriller about a Vietnam era hit man who is charged with eliminating his death squad members to prevent incriminating papers from naming a presidential hopeful as a traitor.

"Journey" is a sci-fi story. A research doctor and a computer wizard develop the ability to locate and trace inherited genes and project video and audio onto a monitor. Complications develop and an evil is released in the community.

"Jack-in-the-Box" is a horror story. Kip's Bar becomes the focal point for local friends in a backwoods community. The bar talk centers around a strange wolf-like man who distributes the toy-like Jack-in-the-Box. People suddenly are missing as Kip calls Plant City for a police investigation only to have the policeman turn up missing.

"The Wanting Tree" is a young adult story. At a tribal ceremony, young Magway states that he will become the greatest of the braves and will be the one to find the legendary Wanting Tree. The legend of Magway carries on through time with the help of the Indian Affairs agent.

About the author: Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Charlie Love graduated from Norristown High in 1948. He married Elizabeth Differ in 1953 after serving five years in an Army Regimental Combat Team. He is the father of seven children and nineteen grandchildren. He entered the contracting business in Pennsylvania and later moved to South Jersey as general contractor for construction from Altlantic City to Cape May, New Jersey.

Charlie now lives in Cocoa, Florida, with his wife. His first book, Trilogy In Fear, was published in 2005. His second book, 243 and Other Short Stories, is now in print. Charlie has a children's book that will be released soon. He also writes poems and humorous articles. He is working on several additional fictional stories. Watch for them.

Copies of the book may be purchased by emailing the author at clove72531@aol.com, through the publisher at http://www.publishamerica.com/, or through Barnes and Noble and various book stores. ISBN: 1-60672-031-7

Bill Allen has two of three books finished... Check them out.

Bill Allen writes "humorous books for kids age nine to ninety." Greg Hart, Dragon Slayer? and The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan, the first two stories in his three-part Greg Hart series are now available. Greg Hart's Rather Unfortunate Demise, the final Greg Hart story is expected out in 2009.

Ruuan is a very large dragon. Greg, on the other hand, is neither large nor a dragon. He's barely much of a boy. Unfortunately, such trivialities could never stop the people of Myrth from believing Greg will rescue King Peter's daughter from Ruuan. After all, Greg has been named in a prophecy, and no prophecy has ever been wrong before. Why, Greg wonders, does he have to be at the heart of the first one that is?

The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan.
The Canarazas are fierce razor-toothed warriors who can run much faster than a man, or more to the point, much faster than Greg. Soon they will attack Pendegrass Castle, and according to prophecy, the "Hero who slayed Ruuan" will fight with the strength of ten men and make the difference that leads the king to victory. But no one slayed Ruuan. Greg knows the prophecy can't possibly be true -- except, of course, for that one little bit about him having to fight the Canarazas.

Read more about all of Bill Allen's Books at http://www.billallenbooks.com/



Bermuda Suicide Challenge in a Flats Boat by Bob Brown

This book is the incredible true story of two brothers on an unprecedented fifteen hundred mile, unescorted voyage across the treacherous North Atlantic Ocean…in a single engine twenty foot flats boat.

Bob's brother invited him to go from North Carolina almost 700 miles to Bermuda on his own designed flats boat called the Intruder 21. The catch was that the boat was really only 21 feet long and with only two foot sides before they loaded it up with nearly 2000 pounds of gasoline. Consequently, they were less than a foot above the waterline. They were also to go by themselves without any type of escort.

His plan was to make it to Bermuda, spend the night and return this time to New York Harbor. After topping off the original 288 gallons plus an addition 50 gallons of gas; the trip back would be about 100 miles further. That, was his plan! Read the book to find out what happened. It's an intriguing and exciting true story.

The book is available at http://www.bermudachallenge.com/. You can contact Bob Brown by email at bobbrown1408@aol.com

Books to Inspire and Uplift

Positive Reflections: Inspiring Thoughts & Photographs From Around The World is a 128-page gift book with a special twist that is meant to encourage a positive outlook that will help you live life to it’s fullest.

"As a cancer survivor, I truly believe in living every day to the fullest and doing the things that make us happy. This book helps remind me to do that." Catherine Schweinsberg/Brevard County Library Services Director

"Beautiful! Not everyone is able to travel around the world but, with this book, you can imagine yourself there and start your day with a positive mindset." Nancy Robinson/Talk Of The Town Travel Agency.

The best of Hometown Heroes florida includes ten chapters of heartwarming and inspiring stories about people of all ages and backgrounds who are changing their communities, their state, and their world through their unique personalities and their desire to help others.

"They are great!" U.S. Senator Bill Nelson said.

"I wish you great success with the book -- you deserve it!" said Patrick D. Smith.

"The authors tell remarkable stories," said Gary Roen of Midwest Book Review.

Check out their website at http://www.sunnyharborpublishing.org/ for these inspiring books by Tom Routzong and Steven Skelley.

In these days when we need positive message so much more than what we hear in the news, Steven and Tom are meeting a need in all of us to be positive and to spread some positive thoughts of our own.

Peter Panda helps children

Author Marc O’Brien, a New Jersey native who now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year is the 20th anniversary of his graduation from college. His parents, Barbara and John O’Brien, live half the year in Indialantic, Florida. Marc is an adult who was born with, and deals daily with, cerebral palsy. He knows a great deal about dealing as a child with medical and surgical experiences, doctors, nurses and hospitals. He is also the author now of his first children’s book, Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s TM Playground. It is a blend of fiction and nonfiction.

Like many children, Peter Panda, the book’s hero character, has fascinating and fun life experiences with friends, nurses, doctors, and occasionally, as in real life, medical procedures in the hospital. Children can laugh and learn from him about medical and life experiences and realities.

Nurses hold a special place in this author’s heart. He says, “Peter Panda and his story came to life thanks to the rich and positive experiences I’ve had over the years with nursing professionals. So I dedicated my first book to all caring nurses who enhance the lives of those in their care, especially children.”

Peter the Peeteeatrick Panda’s Playground is a book for children ages 5 and up, where Marc shares with them the antics and experiences of his whimsical Panda Bear “Pandystriper” volunteer at the children’s wing of a hospital.

Marc often has a live Peter Panda character with him when he does programs and signings for children at libraries, clinics and hospitals, as he did recently at the Satellite Beach library when he and Peter Panda presented a lively reading program for kids and their parents there. He has also appeared at schools, civic groups, and hospitals with Peter Panda in tow.

The book teaches children about nurses, doctors, and hospital experiences through Peter’s often amusing antics on the pediatric ward. Children can laugh and learn with Peter and his friends Hoppy the Bunny and Jeffrey the Long-Necked Giraffe. As parents and medical professionals know, every kid may one day end up needing medical attention, diagnostic tests, or even a stitch or two, or a cast. Peter Panda removes the fear of the unknown for them, and helps parents explain various medical terms to their children.

For many children with more challenging long-term disabilities or diseases, like Marc’s, the kinds of experiences Peter and his friends deal with are more than just a passing event of their childhood. For children above 3, there is a Peter Panda finger puppet. For kids over 3, there’s a squeezable Peter Panda stuffed animal, as well as a Panda Pencil, which can add to the book’s appeal and help comfort and amuse sick kids. Some fun and easy learning exercises and puzzles are included as an educational part of each chapter.

Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s Playground is divided into four interesting, easy to read chapter stories, a total of 50 pages in all, and is delightfully illustrated in full color throughout by professional, Paris-trained artist Catherine Wicks of Melbourne, a lifelong friend of Marc’s family.

RN Ellen Walsh lauds Peter Panda: “This book is informative as well as entertaining for children of all ages,” (Walsh is a nurse with MPA, RNC, Neo-Natal Intensive Care and Information Technology credentials.)
Eleanor Gaffney, a retired teacher says that Peter Panda “…will help reduce anxiety and reassure [children] in a delightfully innovative way. Bravo Peter, and Marc O’Brien, Peter’s creator!”

RN/MSN Joanne Affinito calls this book, “A unique way to teach children about a hospital experience in a fun, non-threatening way.”

O’Brien hopes that businesses, civic organizations, and folks without children may wish to purchase this book for donation to special needs children, pediatric wards in hospitals, or for children with special needs whose families cannot buy them books. Marc and his family have donated books to several libraries and special children’s care charities. For example, cystic fibrosis kids each need their own book, because they cannot share items that others have handled. The O’Briens offer a substantial discount to those who purchase books as a donation to a non-profit charity organization for sick or disabled children.

Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s Playground is available from the Publisher, Blue Note Books of Cocoa Beach, FL. ISBN 978-1-878398-78-9; Telephone 321-799-2583 or go to

http://www.bluenotebooks.com/; it is online at amazon.com, or from the author (see below). Marc O’Brien is available for interviews or personal appearances. A wipeable laminate hardcover book with charming color Illustrations throughout; 50 pages, priced at retail: $19.95 plus tax and shipping. To learn more about Marc, and his friend Peter the Peeteeatrick Panda, or to order the book or the accompaniments,go to: http://www.marcobrienauthor.com/

Mary Doerfler Dall, Children Discover the Mass

Mary Doerfler Dall's book, Children Discover the Mass, continues to garnish a great deal of enthusiasm. Although the book has been out for a while, the resurgence of it's popularity speaks to the desire for parents and teachers of Catholic education to have a clear, concise and fun way to approach liturgical teaching. Mary's ability to make learning fun is evident in this book.

Children Discover the Mass provides wonderful hands-on learning of what Catholics say at Mass and why they say it. The parental references for each activity provide the instructor with a mini-overview of historical and liturgical background. Each activity, from constructing an altar and dressing the acolyte cut outs to making the completely illustrated children's coloring book type missal at the back of the book, is designed for maximum child-centered instruction.

While Children Discover the Mass can be used to teach the systematic order of the Mass, each activity stands on its own as a distinct activity allowing for complete flexibility. After several printings and strong recent sales to Australia, it is evident that this book is destined to become a classic. This is the perfect gift for a child preparing for First Communion and for a religious education teacher working with young children.


The book can be ordered directly from the publisher, Ave Maria Press and is available on Amazon. com and many Catholic education websites. Mary's website is mddall.com

Writing Seminar: Author Sharon Miner will conduct a writing seminar at the Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Parkway (Rt 3) on Wednesday, November 19th from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The topics are:

  • The A, B, D's for The Craft of Writing -- Learn a simple formula to improve all your writing. Excellent for ten years and older.
  • The Publishing Industry Today -- Learn the difference between traditional houses and self-publishing options, such as vanity presses, subsidy presses and Print-On-Demand.

There will be door prizes and handouts and and author book signing. Contact the library to register for this free event. 321-455-1369. Visit http://www.sharonminer.com/

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast:

Brevard county, stretching along 76 miles of Florida's Atlantic coast, is a recreational and cultural jewel -- one of those rare spots that is as much fun for residents as it is for visitors. This entertaining and informational travel guide showcases the best of Brevard. Author and resident Dianne Marcum shares firsthand knowledge of the finest lodging, dining, shopping, and recreation, with special attention to the best beaches and surf spots.

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast is published by The Countryman Press, an imprint of international publishing house W. W. Norton, as part of their Great Destinations series. You'll find detailed information about lodging, dining, shopping, recreational activities, a calendar of events, local history and more than 100 up-to-date maps and photos.

Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space coast is available at Barnes & Noble Booksellers and at DianneMarcum.com

About the author: Author Dianne Marcum is a member of the Cocoa Beach Writer's Workshop and Space Coast Writer's Guild, and a contributor to Space Coast Business and local anthologies. She lives in Cape Canaveral and serves as a member of the Cape Canaveral Business & Cultural Development Board. Dianne is a CPA, AARP Tax Aide associate, and the former Vice President of strategic and human resources planning for Walt Disney World.

Dianne is available to speak to groups on Brevard County Travel and Tourism, the history of Florida's Space Coast, and a variety of writing and business topics. Presentations are tailored to meet the interest of the audience. Contact her at DianneMarcum.com

News from Terra Sancta Press
Patricia A. McDonough and Terra Sancta Press have two titles accepted into the Pulitzer Prize Competition (April 2009) this year. They are:

Kazik's Polish Navy by Kazimierz J. Kasperek with Pat McDonough entered in the Letters Category of Biography, Autobiography, Memoir.

Strangers Brothers by MSG. Raymond F. Flaherty and Pat McDonough entered in the Letters Category of American Life (fiction of a historical nature).

In Strangers Brothers, two brothers from different cultures, raised separately by the same father, come together in the US Army Airborne Rangers in the invasion of Grenada. A secret is revealed and their lives unravel. Living in the same Georgia Town, how can two disparate families come to grips with one man's "other life."

This October is the 25th Anniversary of the Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada to rescue American medical students and their families.

Stranger's Brothers is the sequel to Flaherty's first novel He Didn't Say Good-Bye.

Kazik's Polish Navy is an eye-witness account of the action in major sea battles of WWII from the day that Hitler invaded. It reveals secrets how the deal was cut to allocate countries after the war. Kazik's story is of heroism, love, heartbreak, and beginning life anew in America. Even with ships being blown out from under him, with privations in a German POW internment camp and his escape, the betrayal of Poland, Kazik never lets go of his uplifting spirit and positive view of life. He was the most decorated Polish NCO in WWII, awarded 18 medals by 5 countries. After the war, his promotion came through as Lieutenant Commander.

You can obtain more information by sending an email to books4you@cfl.rr.com and can purchase it by going to http://www.terrasanctapress.com/

Wanton Woman: Sue Logue, Strom Thurmond, and the Bloody Logue-Timmerman Feud by Anna Flowers

Wanton Woman is a true crime saga of the 1930-1940s era in a small, virtually lawless town in the deep south. It's the story of vivacious Sue Stidam who married into a violent Logue-Tiommerman family feud in Edgefield, SC ,when she married one of the Logue boys. She immediately learned how to manipulate her new family connections, to achieve her ambition of becoming a teacher, and in her social-climbing fervor, she became the favorite lover of political icon Strom Thurmond. The stormy relationship continues right up to Sue Logue's eventual, and final destiny. She becomes the first woman ever electrocuted in the state of South Carolina, and it is her former lover Strom who will escort her to the Death House.

The incredible string of events and murders leading up to her tragic fate are detailed by Flowers in this true narrative about the lawless swath these prominent families cut.

Steve Glassman in a review states, "Anna Flowers has produced a historical true crime book that is Southern Gothic in tenor and content. It is the sort of thing that Poe as well as a long line of Southern writers would look on with favor. Good going."

Maynard Allington, author of the critically acclaimed The Court of Blue Shadows, wrote: "In Wanton Woman, Anna Flowers is at the top of her game in the true crime genre. The case history of murder, which made headlines in the 1940s, has it all: human intrigue, wanton sex, and an ending that will hit the reader with the impact of a bullet. The attention to historical detail, coupled with the skill to tell a compelling, fast-paced story, make Flowers' account of murder and mayhem read like a novel."

The book is available at Barnes and Noble or at amazon.com.

Morning’s Light by JoAnna O’Keefe

An inspirational collection of poems integrated with spirituality and the journey to wholeness, reflecting the author’s education from the Pecos Benedictine Monastery Spiritual Directors School and Syracuse University. Vivid images and lyrical language describe and create the many emotions we all experience: love, despair, fear, courage, exaltation, joy and gratitude.
Cynthia Guarjado-Paul of the Space Coast Chronicle said of JoAnna's new book: "More than a collection of poems, Morning's Light is a glimpse into the journey of JoAnna O'Keefe, the author of the beautiful inspirational books Come to the Garden and The Path Less Taken.

"In the remarkable book of poems, JoAnna O'Keefe caputres, in strong images and precise lyrical language, the emotions we all experience: love, despair, fear, courage, exaltation, joy, and gratitude.

"These poems of love, transcendence and transformation reflect the solitary and difficult labors of the spirit on the journey to wholeness. The book is not only comforting to read, it encourages you to embrace the absolute joy of being who you are."

For more information, go to http://www.joannaokeefe.com/

Behold, An Ashen Horse, second in the Clash-of-Civilizations triology, is out. It won the Military Writers Society of America's 2008 Gold Medal. The first was The Rings of Allah (winner of the Military Writers Society of America's 2007 Silver Medal).

The Rings of Allah by Lee Boyland. Can terroists detonate a nuclear device in the U.S.? Lee Boyland answers this question in his award-winning novel. The plan and attack are told through the terroist's eyes. Simple gun-type atomic devices are obtained and planted in American cities. The terrorists wait for the opportunity to simultaneously detonate them. Can America survive? The answer is found in the sequel -- Behold, an Ashen Horse.

"Lee Boyland's story of a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. hit the nail on the head. A plot that can happen today," says a retired brigadier general whose last post was the National Security Agency.

"A chilling techno-thriller. Accurate technical details and well drawn characters," Frank Perkins author of Travel Adventures on the Campany's Nickel and Whales, Termites and Dragons" Adventures on Volunteer Expeditions.

Behold, an Ashen Horse by Lee and Vista Boyland (Winner of the Military Writers Society of America's 2008 Gold Medal)
Blindsided by a sneak nuclear attack, America's central government is destroyed and its economy's spinning toward collapse. A world-wide jihad rages, and the Islamic Empire is formed. America must find the right leader in order to survive. George Alexander is that man. Thrust into the presidency, a job he didn't want, Alexander sets about saving the nation and then dispenses the retribution his angry nation demands.

This is the author's second novel in the Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy. The final novel, American Reborn, is under way.

Joe Weber, New York Times best-selling author of eight novels says, "Behold, an Ashen Horse is a stunning, riveting story plausible enough to be tomorrow's headlines. Buckle your seat belts...this is a nail-biting ride."

"Forget about Patterson, King, Grisham and company. If you want at long last to read a work that is intelligent, gripping, and truly terrifying, pick up a copy of Lee Boyland's Behold, an Ashen Horse. Mr. Boyland, who has an extensive background in nuclear engineering and national defense, is the rightful heir in American fiction to Tom Clancy," says Paul Williams, author of The Day of Islam, Osama's Revenge, The Al Qaeda Connection, Dunces of Doomsday, and The Complete Idiot's Guild to the Crusades.

About the Author: Lee Boyland, U. S. Army bomb disposal officer, nuclear weapons expert, special weapons designer, businessman, and author, and his wife and co-author, Vista, have written two award-winning novels of their Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy. He is a frequent contributor to The New Media Journal.us (http://www.newmedia journal.us). Links to his articles are posted on the author page of his website along with lots of other interesting information. For ordering information and more go to http://www.leeboylandbooks.com/.

Apache Warrior by Carol Ann Didier.

A white woman and an Apache brave meet in the untamed West...

Apache Warrior is the debut novel of Carol Ann Didier. It's the story of an Eastern Baltimore belle and and an Apache brave caught up in a taboo love that has the power to heal or harm a broken people. Set in historical Arizona in the 1860's, Apache Warrior proves love knows no color, creed or race. It happens in the heart, when and where you least expect it, and if allowed to grow, can conquer differences in culture, hatred and personal loss. Cassie Edwards, New York Times bestselling author said, "A compelling story! Wonderfully authentic!"

Carol Ann Didier has been published in Charisma and Literary Lift Off magazines. She also writes inspirational vignettes, verses for greeting cards, and stories for her grandchildren. She now lives on the east coast of Florida.

For more information, visit her website at http://www.carolanndidier.com/. You can purchase the book at her website or through http://www.amazon.com/.

Valerie Allen has just published Summer School for Smarties, a children's book for grades three to six. In Summer School for Smarties, the main character, Jennifer, suddenly finds her long awaited summer vacation interrupted due to an end-of-the-year low grade in reading. She knows there has been a BIG mistake. Jennifer plans to be miserable throughout her summer school ordeal, but finds that remedial learning and new life experiences can sneak up on you when you least expect them. Valerie Allen has also published:

Sins of the Father
Suffer the Little Children
Bad Hair, Good Hat, Best Friends
Write, Publish, Sell!


Check them all out by going to her website at http://www.valerieallenwriter.com/ or email her at VAllenWriter@cs.com for more information.

Kee Briggs has spent decades filling his experiential warehouses for the time when he could use that material to create storylines. He has done that and more. He's the author of 12 books. The Silver Scepter and The Rhodium Dragon are two of his newest additions to The Usher Orlop Mystery Series. Start at the beginning of the series and follow the exploits of sculptor Usher Orlop and Anasette. In The Silver Scepter, Usher travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to execute a silver scepter for an unusual client. Usher finds his creation is used to bash in the skull of a woman. Usher rescues her tiny son and must find a way to get the tyke out of harm's way. In The Rhodium Dragon, Usher is provided with a magnificent jade box on which to mount a silver mask of a client's grandson. The surfacing of the lidless box precipitates multiple burglaries and murders, plus the involvement of a powerful Chinese tong and the Chicoms. Usher must sort through international intrigues to protect the lone survivor.

For more information about these intriguing books or to purchase any of Kee's books visit his website at http://www.keescapes.com/.

You Are Not Forgotten: A Family's Quest for Truth and the Founding of the National League of Families of POW/MIA by Evelyn Grubb and Carol Jose with a Foreword by Henry Kissinger. This true story of enduring love and tragic loss, set in a deep and moving time of war and extreme socio-political upheaval, is an inspiring account of remarkable individuals, citizens, celebrities and politicians. Together they would create history. Each of them is a true American hero and they will never be forgotten.

In his review of the book Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd USAF (ret.) states, "You Are Not Forgotten should be read by every American citizen, politician, government bureaucrat, military family, and by every person who wears a U.S. military uniform, from the recruits to the top. The photos are riveting. The story is true, well-documented, superbly told. It should be in every American history class because the Vietnam War as a subject has been woefully neglected. Full of important national, military and strongly illustrated civic and moral human lessons, You Are Not Forgotten should become a classic.

"Authors Evelyn 'Evie' Grubb and Carol Jose collaborate to tell the story of 'Newk' Grubb, an American fighter pilot shot down on a reconnaissance mission early in the war....

"The story is told from Evie's heart, through her eyes. You won't forget You Are Not Forgotten. Don't miss it. I'd like to have known Evie. She says, in the Preface, '...the roughest experiences of life do toughen us up... but they do not make us immortal...'"

For more information about You Are Not Forgotten contact publicist, Mike Daly at md@csicreativesolutions or by phone at 1-877-843-8877. You can order the book online at http://www.yanfbook.com/ (Hardcover, 360 pp, illustrations, index; $24.95 + shipping) ISBN 13-978-0918339-71-3


Friends Forever New Trails is the third in a series of books by Marilyn Martin. If you've read the other two, you will catch up with your favorite characters as they continue their journey of life along new trails. You'll meet Alenxandra Tanner and her Navajo classmate, Skylyn Eaglefeather, young teens who have been pals from first grade. Their ranch life in Colorado is one of outdoor exploration. Marilyn was a teacher for eleven years. Her writing draws upon a deep love of the West, and her own American Indian ancestral background has led her to investigate the life and culture of the ancient Amerinds upon which she bases much of her writing. Friends Forever New Trails is published by Four Seasons Publishers and is now available at bookstores across the country and over the Internet at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com. ISBN: 1-932497-06-4; $12.95. For more information about books by Marilyn Martin go to http://www.mmartinbooks.com/.

Alpha Rising by G.L. Douglas is receiving high praise and positive reviews and recently earned two Honorable Mentions at the Hollywood Book Festival, an Honorable Mention at the DIY Book Festival, and scored a perfect 20 out of 20 in plot, grammar, character development and cover design categories at the Writers' Digest International Book Festival. (Read more at http://www.alpharising.net/)

This thought-provoking work of speculative fiction opens at Kennedy Space Center in the year 2020 with a rescue mission beyond Earth's solar system. The effort only partially succeeds, landing six astronauts in a beleaguered future world where history repeats itself, future events cast shadows, few can be trusted, and the earthlings' DNA is of prime interest. By the merest stroke of luck, one astronaut escapes evil captors, and soon an epiphany on a mountain top sends him on a mission that fulfills prophecy.

From Violins to Violence: Memoirs of a Virtuoso Homicide Detective was named one of the best books of 2007 by Cathy Mathias of Florida Today.

Author Marshall Frank bares all about his transition from a classical violinist to an illustrious career as a premier homicide detective. In this compelling autobiography, Frank shares many personal and professional experiences. He looks at the power over corrupt officials by a family mobster; the struggles faced by homicide investigators; true murder cases and other criminal investigations; the arrest of five police officers for murder; the truth behind Miami's race riots of 1980; crushed marriages, alcoholism and drug addiction; and the influence of music in a life of turmoil.

Take note: Coming in November is Marshall's newest release Criminal InJustice in America. For more information, visit Marshall's website at http://www.marshallfrank.com/.

When Judith Mammay retired from teaching elementary special education, she started her second career as an author of children's books. She has written Knowing Joseph, a mid-grade novel, and It's Time, an early reader/picture book, both of which address issues of autism. She currently lives in Melbourne, Florida, with her husband and is an active member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the president of the Space Coast Writers' Guild (SCWG). Besides writing, she also enjoys nature photography, playing golf, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Knowing Joseph ... Brian would give anything to have a normal six-year-old brother -- one who doesn't scream, that normals sounds are not too loud for, or just a brother who would play with other kids. But no matter how often he pretends not to know him, Brian has to face that he doesn't have a normal brother. He has Joseph, who is autistic.

Life with Joseph isn't easy. Joseph needs order and structure, which is something other kids find weird. Brian constantly finds himself defending Joseph from kids who understand Joseph even less than Brian does. It takes a new friend and a school project before Brain can begin to truly know and accept Joseph.

It's Time... Tommy knew he was different. His doctor told him and his mom he had autism. He didn't know what autism was, but he knew some things were hard for him.

It was hard for Tommy to understand what people meant when they talked. It was hard for him to use words that would help others to understand him, too. Sometimes that made him scream.

Tommy liked things to be the same. He liked to do everything in the same order each day. It upset Tommy if the schedule changed.

Sometimes Tommy didn't like people to be close to him. And he didn't like loud noises and bright, flashing lights.

Even when Tommy tried his best, some days were hard. Some days he had problems.

Judy has presented in several venues, including schools, college classes, and at community meetings. She is available to do school visits on the topics of writing, conflict resolution, and disability awareness. Contact her at jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com or through her website, www.judithmammay.com/.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River by Holly Fox Vellekoop. Holly is a former clinical instructor in psychiatric and mental health nursing for Pen State University.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is a murder mystery set in the small town of Danville, Pennsylvania. Follow state policeman Thomas Sheski and his partner as they attempt to solve the murder of the wife of a well-known psychologist who provides treatment for wealthy clients at his private mental hospital.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is available at http://www.amazon.com/ or by emailing the author at hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com


Workshops/Conferences

Conferences around the state.

Florida Christian Writers Conference
where: Leesburg, Florida
when: 02/26/09 to 03/01/09
info: http://www.flwriters.org/

Sleuthfest 2009
where: Deerfield Beach Hilton
when : 02/26/09 to 03/01/09
info: http://www.mwaflorida.org/sleuthfest.htm

Space Coast Writers' Guild Conference
where: Cocoa Beach, Florida
when: 01/23/09 to 01/24/09
info: http://www.scwg.org/

Organizations and Meetings

Note: I know this is a partial list of organizations, and I know I haven't included all the information about meetings. I would love to list information about your group. Please send in the information you would like listed about your group to Lou@LouBelcher.com. Thanks.

Cape Canaveral Pen Women

website: http://www.capecanaveralpenwomen.org/. The goal of this group is to conduct and promote creative and educational activities in art, letters, and music.

Florida Writers Association

website: http://www.floridawriters.net.

Brevard group: There is a regional group called Poets, Authors and Writers Share (PAWS). This group meets the third Wednesday of the month at Melbourne Public Library on Fee Avenue in Melbourne, Florida.

Scribblers

website: http://www.geocities/brevardscribblers/index.htm. This group meets the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from February through October. During November, December and January, they meet the 2nd Saturday of the month. All meetings start at 9:30 a.m. at the Eau Gallie Library.

SCBWI Florida

website: http://www.scbwiflorida.com/. This is the state chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

A local SCBWI critique group meets the second Monday of the month at Melbourne Library on Fee Avenue at 7:00p.m. Contact Judy Mammay at jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com for more information. You can also go to http://www.scbwiflorida.com/

Space Coast Writers' Guild

website: http://www.scwg.org/ The monthly meeting of the Space Coast Writers' Guild is on the third Saturday of the month at the West Melbourne Library at 2755 Wingate Blvd (on the corner of Minton and Wingate). It starts at 1:00 p.m. The next meeting of the Space Coast Writers' Guild will be on the third Saturday in February 2009. Due to the holidays, there is no December meeting and due to the conference, there is no meeting in January. See you in February.


The Space Coast Writers' Guild also meeting the Second Saturday of the month at the Merritt Island Library. They meet there at 1:00 p.m. The November speaker will be Diane Marcum author of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast. She will speak about the Essentials of a Winning Book Proposal.Writing Brevard History. Take a journey through the colorful and distinctive history of Brevard County. This meeting is open to the public.

There are other meetings within the group.

On the first Saturday of the month, the guild sponsors presentations by authors in conjunction with the Book Xchg on Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village. This is open to the public.


2nd Saturday with the Space Coast Writers' Guild is (obviously) on the 2nd Saturday of each month. This meeting is at the Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Parkway. The meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public and members.

SpacecoasT Authors of Romance (STAR)

STAR's purpose is to promote excellence in romantic fiction and advance the professional interests of career-focused writers. They do this in many ways but basically through the meetings. They open with a critique hour where two writers bring 12 pages of their manuscript and read aloud (they mush have taken part in this for a while before being allowed to read). Once finished, the reader remains mum, while those at the meeting offer editorial comments.

They then have their business meeting followed by lunch where they share their writing news, check their word count progress, and talk about industry stuff while they eat. The main program starts after lunch with a speaker of writing exercise or activity. On occasion, they have Super Saturdays with special writers or editors or agents who come in to meet with their members and allow them to pitch their material.

The meetings are on the 4th Saturday of each month at Piccadilly Cafeteria meeting room, Melbourne Square Mall (except for Super Saturdays when they frequently have another meeting place). Their meetings begin at 10:00 a.m. and usually last till 2:00 or 3:00 p.m.

Guests are invited to attend two meetings before joining STAR. Their annual dues are $20.00. Sometimes there is a charge for special activities. Because they are a recognized chapter of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) all STARs must also be members of the national RWA organization ($75). Members must also be 18 years of age. Contact them through the website at http://www.authorsofromance.com/.

This and That including services

Florida Today: Chris Kridler put out valuable information for authors on the Space Coast. In an article in the paper she said, "Local authors have a new way to trumpet their new books. Space Coast authors can go to www.floridatoday.com/authors and fill out the form there." The information will go to their writers. This is the way to get into the Sunday column on local authors. She goes on to say that authors should fill out the form two weeks in advance or as soon as you can when you have a new book. For more information, contact Kridler at 242-3533 or by email at ckridler@floridatoday.com.

Submissions: Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com . Thanks.

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Sunday, November 2, 2008

Florida Book News - November 3, 2008

Welcome to Florida Book News

Florida Book News is open to writers, illustrators, book lovers, and writing groups and organizations. This is the place to announce your new book or tell us about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conferences or conventions...anything of interest to others about writing and books. This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

A Special Announcement: Yes... you saw this announcement before. It's going to stay in the #1 spot until the benefit concert on November 23... It's such a worthy cause. Even if you're not going to go, send them a donation. It'll make you feel good, too. Thanks, Lou

Concert to Support the Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, Inc.
The Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded to provide special grants to young and mature artists in the fields of music, dance, and visual arts. To raise funds to help artists, the foundation is presenting "Sunday with the Performing Arts" on November 23rd, 2008, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Gleason Auditorium on the campus of FIT.

The audience will be treated to ten or more of Brevard's best, including a string quartet, ballet, singers, flute, piano, harp, with special performances by the multi-talented Deborah Moyer (violin and voice), Saverio Barbieri (vocalist who has performed at the Met) and prodigy violinist, Esther Muradov who has soloed at Carnegie Hall and who was the first recipient of a grant from the foundation.

Check the November issue of Brevard Florida Live magazine when it comes out for a more in-depth story of how the foundation was formed. For now, suffice it to say that it's providing needed grants to artists. Let's get behind this effort to help our own. You can help in two ways. Buy a ticket for $25.00 (tax deductible) for the concert. If you can't attend, you can still help by sending in a tax-deductible donation.

As a bonus, there will be a silent auction at the beginning of the evening. The silent auction will be filled with paintings and sculpture donated by prominent artists as well as jewelry worth thousands offered by Don Travers of My Private Jeweler in Suntree http://www.theprivatejeweler.com/) 321-757-0770.

Let's make sure there's a full house at "Sunday with the Performing Arts." Checks for tickets and for special donations should be made out to Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, Inc and sent to Creative Arts Foundation of Brevard, Inc.; 1861 S. Patrick Dr. #117; Indian Harbor Beach, FL 32937. For information call (321) 254-3398.

Inside this issue

    • News
    • Author Profile - Linda Wagner
    • Events
    • Featured Books
    • Workshops/Conferences
    • Organizations/Meetings
    • This and That (services and misc. announcements)

News

Bill Allen has two of three books finished... Check them out.
Bill Allen writes "humorous books for kids age nine to ninety." Greg Hart, Dragon Slayer? and The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan, the first two stories in his three-part Greg Hart series are now available. Greg Hart's Rather Unfortunate Demise, the final Greg Hart story is expected out in 2009.

Ruuan is a very large dragon. Greg, on the other hand, is neither large nor a dragon. He's barely much of a boy. Unfortunately, such trivialities could never stop the people of Myrth from believing Greg will rescue King Peter's daughter from Ruuan. After all, Greg has been named in a prophecy, and no prophecy has ever been wrong before. Why, Greg wonders, does he have to be at the heart of the first one that is?

The Hero Who Slayed Ruuan.
The Canarazas are fierce razor-toothed warriors who can run much faster than a man, or more to the point, much faster than Greg. Soon they will attack Pendegrass Castle, and according to prophecy, the "Hero who slayed Ruuan" will fight with the strength of ten men and make the difference that leads the king to victory. But no one slayed Ruuan. Greg knows the prophecy can't possibly be true -- except, of course, for that one little bit about him having to fight the Canarazas.

Read more about all of Bill Allen's Books at http://www.billallenbooks.com/


Bermuda Suicide Challange in a Flats Boat by Bob Brown

This book is the incredible true story of two brothers on an unprecedented fifteen hundred mile, unescorted voyage across the treacherous North Atlantic Ocean…in a single engine twenty foot flats boat.

Bob's brother invited him to go from North Carolina almost 700 miles to Bermuda on his own designed flats boat called the Intruder 21. The catch was that the boat was really only 21 feet long and with only two foot sides before they loaded it up with nearly 2000 pounds of gasoline. Consequently, they were less than a foot above the waterline. They were also to go by themselves without any type of escort.

His plan was to make it to Bermuda, spend the night and return this time to New York Harbor. After topping off the original 288 gallons plus an addition 50 gallons of gas; the trip back would be about 100 miles further. That, was his plan! Read the book to find out what happened. It's an intriguing and exciting true story.

The book is available at http://www.bermudachallenge.com/. You can contact Bob Brown by eamil at bobbrown1408@aol.com

Books to Inspire and Uplift

Positive Reflections: Inspiring Thoughts & Photographs From Around The World is a 128-page gift book with a special twist that is meant to encourage a positive outlook that will help you live life to it’s fullest.

"As a cancer survivor, I truly believe in living every day to the fullest and doing the things that make us happy. This book helps remind me to do that." Catherine Schweinsberg/Brevard County Library Services Director

"Beautiful! Not everyone is able to travel around the world but, with this book, you can imagine yourself there and start your day with a positive mindset." Nancy Robinson/Talk Of The Town Travel Agency.

The best of Hometown Heroes florida includes ten chapters of heartwarming and inspriring stories about people of all ages and backgrounds who are changing their communities, their state, and their world through their unique personalities and their desire to help others.

"They are great!" U.S. Senator Bill Nelson said.

"I wish you great success with the book -- you deserve it!" said Patrick D. Smith.

"The authors tell remarkable stories," said Gary Roen of Midwest Book Review.

Check out their website at http://www.sunnyharborpublishing.org/ for these inspiring books by Tom Routzong and Steven Skelley.

In these days when we need positive message so much more than what we hear in the news, Steven and Tom are meeting a need in all of us to be positive and to spread some positive thoughts of our own.

Peter Panda helps children

Author Marc O’Brien, a New Jersey native who now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year is the 20th anniversary of his graduation from college. His parents, Barbara and John O’Brien, live half the year in Indialantic, Florida. Marc is an adult who was born with, and deals daily with, cerebral palsy. He knows a great deal about dealing as a child with medical and surgical experiences, doctors, nurses and hospitals. He is also the author now of his first children’s book, Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s TM Playground. It is a blend of fiction and nonfiction.

Like many children, Peter Panda, the book’s hero character, has fascinating and fun life experiences with friends, nurses, doctors, and occasionally, as in real life, medical procedures in the hospital. Children can laugh and learn from him about medical and life experiences and realities.

Nurses hold a special place in this author’s heart. He says, “Peter Panda and his story came to life thanks to the rich and positive experiences I’ve had over the years with nursing professionals. So I dedicated my first book to all caring nurses who enhance the lives of those in their care, especially children.”

Peter the Peeteeatrick Panda’s Playground is a book for children ages 5 and up, where Marc shares with them the antics and experiences of his whimsical Panda Bear “Pandystriper” volunteer at the children’s wing of a hospital.

Marc often has a live Peter Panda character with him when he does programs and signings for children at libraries, clinics and hospitals, as he did recently at the Satellite Beach library when he and Peter Panda presented a lively reading program for kids and their parents there. He has also appeared at schools, civic groups, and hospitals with Peter Panda in tow.

The book teaches children about nurses, doctors, and hospital experiences through Peter’s often amusing antics on the pediatric ward. Children can laugh and learn with Peter and his friends Hoppy the Bunny and Jeffrey the Long-Necked Giraffe. As parents and medical professionals know, every kid may one day end up needing medical attention, diagnostic tests, or even a stitch or two, or a cast. Peter Panda removes the fear of the unknown for them, and helps parents explain various medical terms to their children.

For many children with more challenging long-term disabilities or diseases, like Marc’s, the kinds of experiences Peter and his friends deal with are more than just a passing event of their childhood. For children above 3, there is a Peter Panda finger puppet. For kids over 3, there’s a squeezable Peter Panda stuffed animal, as well as a Panda Pencil, which can add to the book’s appeal and help comfort and amuse sick kids. Some fun and easy learning exercises and puzzles are included as an educational part of each chapter.

Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s Playground is divided into four interesting, easy to read chapter stories, a total of 50 pages in all, and is delightfully illustrated in full color throughout by professional, Paris-trained artist Catherine Wicks of Melbourne, a lifelong friend of Marc’s family.

RN Ellen Walsh lauds Peter Panda: “This book is informative as well as entertaining for children of all ages,” (Walsh is a nurse with MPA, RNC, Neo-Natal Intensive Care and Information Technology credentials.)
Eleanor Gaffney, a retired teacher says that Peter Panda “…will help reduce anxiety and reassure [children] in a delightfully innovative way. Bravo Peter, and Marc O’Brien, Peter’s creator!”

RN/MSN Joanne Affinito calls this book, “A unique way to teach children about a hospital experience in a fun, non-threatening way.”

O’Brien hopes that businesses, civic organizations, and folks without children may wish to purchase this book for donation to special needs children, pediatric wards in hospitals, or for children with special needs whose families cannot buy them books. Marc and his family have donated books to several libraries and special children’s care charities. For example, cystic fibrosis kids each need their own book, because they cannot share items that others have handled. The O’Briens offer a substantial discount to those who purchase books as a donation to a non-profit charity organization for sick or disabled children.

Peter the Peteeatrick Panda’s Playground is available from the Publisher, Blue Note Books of Cocoa Beach, FL. ISBN 978-1-878398-78-9; Telephone 321-799-2583 or go to

http://www.bluenotebooks.com/; it is online at amazon.com, or from the author (see below). Marc O’Brien is available for interviews or personal appearances. A wipeable laminate hardcover book with charming color Illustrations througout; 50 pages, priced at retail: $19.95 plus tax and shipping. To learn more about Marc, and his friend Peter the Peeteeatrick Panda, or to order the book or the accompaniments,go to: http://www.marcobrienauthor.com/

Writers gather in Cocoa for book fair.

Twelve members of the Space Coast Writers' Guild gathered in Cocoa villiage in conjunction with the Cocoa Village Fall Craft Fair on October 18th, 2008. They gathered at tables in front of the Book Xchg on Brevard Avenue. Pictured here are Holly Vellekoop and Valerie Allen, two of the participants. Others included E. Lynne Wright, Bill Allen, Pat McDonough, Jim Harris, Gene Davis, Kee Briggs, Mary Dall, Bob Brown, Hank Rhodes, and Mike Doran.

Also, on November 1, at 1:00 p.m., Shara Smock spoke at the Book Xchag about her books, including Living with Big Cats and Hooking the Reader: Opening Lines that Sell.

The plan for December 5, 2008, is for authors to sell their books in conjunction with the Cocoa Village Holiday Craft Fair. Watch for more information on this.

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Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Florida Book News - October 3, 2008

Welcome to Florida Book News

Florida Book News is open to writers, illustrators, book lovers, and writing groups and organizations. This is the place to announce your new book or tell us about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conferences or conventions...anything of interest to others about writing and books. This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com. The next issue will be posted on 10/18/08. News is due by 10/15/08.

Within this Issue:
  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Book Festivals/Workshops/Conferences
  • Book Signings and Lectures
  • Organizations and Meetings
  • Publishers and Book Stores

News

Florida Today: Chris Kridler put out valuable information for authors on the Space Coast. In an article in the paper she said, "Local authors have a new way to trumpet their new books. Space Coast authors can go to www.floridatoday.com/authors and fill out the form there."


The information will go to their writers. This is the way to get into the Sunday column on local authors. She goes on to say that authors should fill out the form two weeks in advance or as soon as you can when you have a new book. For more information, contact Kridler at 242-3533 or by email at ckridler@floridatoday.com.

Book Signing on November 8th. Don't miss it. The Art Gallery and Studio of Melbourne at 802 East New Haven Avenue in Historic Downtown Melbourne will host a book signing from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 8, 2008 for the writers of The Scribblers of Brevard. The event is a launch of their new edition of Driftwood, the anthology of poems, short stories and art, published yearly by the group of local writers and artists.

The artwork for the book cover is by Lori Knerick, member of the gallery. For information call 321-729-9368.

For information about Scribblers go to http://www.geocitiesbrevardscribblers/index.htm/

News from Terra Sancta Press
Patricia A. McDonough and Terra Sancta Press have two titles accepted into the Pulitzer Prize Competition (April 2009) this year. They are:
Kazik's Polish Navy by Kazimierz J. Kasperek with Pat McDonough entered in the Letters Category of Biography, Autobiography, Memoir.

Strangers Brothers by MSG. Raymond F. Flaherty and Pat McDonough entered in the Letters Category of American Life (fiction of a historical nature).
In Strangers Brothers, two brothers from different cultures, raised separately by the same father, come together in the US Army Airborne Rangers in the invasion of Grenada. A secret is revealed and their lives unravel. Living in the same Georgia Town, how can two disparate families come to grips with one man's "other life."
This October is the 25th Anniversary of the Operation Urgent Fury, the invasion of Grenada to rescue American medical students and their families.

Stranger's Brothers is the sequel to Flaherty's first novel He Didn't Say Good-Bye.

Kazik's Polish Navy is an eye-witness account of the action in major sea battles of WWII from the day that Hitler invaded. It reveals secrets how the deal was cut to allocate countries after the war. Kazik's story is of heroism, love, heartbreak, and beginning life anew in America. Even with ships being blown out from under him, with privations in a German POW internment camp and his escape, the betrayal of Poland, Kazik never lets go of his uplifting spirit and positive view of life. He was the most decorated Polish NCO in WWII, awarded 18 medals by 5 countries. After the war, his promotion came through as Lieutenant Commander.

You can obtain more information by sending an email to books4you@cfl.rr.com and can purchase it by going to http://www.terrasanctapress.com/

Wanton Woman: Sue Logue, Strom Thurmond, and the Bloody Logue-Timmerman Feud by Anna Flowers
Wanton Woman is a true crime saga of the 1930-1940s era in a small, virtually lawless town in the deep south. It's the story of vivacious Sue Stidam who married into a violent Logue-Tiommerman family feud in Edgefield, SC ,when she married one of the Logue boys. She immediately learned how to manipulate her new family connections, to achieve her ambition of becoming a teacher, and in her social-climbing fervor, she became the favorite lover of political icon Strom Thurmond. The stormy relationship continues right up to Sue Logue's eventual, and final destiny. She becomes the first woman ever electrocuted in the state of South Carolina, and it is her former lover Strom who will escort her to the Death House.

The incredible string of events and murders leading up to her tragic fate are detailed by Flowers in this true narrative about the lawless swath these prominent families cut.
Steve Glassman in a review states, "Anna Flowers has produced a historical true crime book that is Southern Gothic in tenor and content. It is the sort of thing that Poe as well as a long line of Southern writers would look on with favor. Good going."
Maynard Allington, author of the critically acclaimed The Court of Blue Shadows, wrote: "In Wanton Woman, Anna Flowers is at the top of her game in the true crime genre. The case history of murder, which made headlines in the 1940s, has it all: human intrigue, wanton sex, and an ending that will hit the reader with the impact of a bullet. The attention to historical detail, coupled with the skill to tell a compelling, fast-paced story, make Flowers' account of murder and mayhem read like a novel."
The book is available at Barnes and Noble or at amazon.com.
Morning’s Light by JoAnna O’Keefe
An inspirational collection of poems integrated with spirituality and the journey to wholeness, reflecting the author’s education from the Pecos Benedictine Monastery Spiritual Directors School and Syracuse University. Vivid images and lyrical language describe and create the many emotions we all experience: love, despair, fear, courage, exaltation, joy and gratitude.

Cynthia Guarjado-Paul of the Space Coast Chronicle said of JoAnna's new book: "More than a collection of poems, Morning's Light is a glimpse into the journey of JoAnna O'Keefe, the author of the beautiful inspirational books Come to the Garden and The Path Less Taken.
"In the remarkable book of poems, JoAnna O'Keefe caputres, in strong images and precise lyrical language, the emotions we all experience: love, despair, fear, courage, exaltation, joy, and gratitude.
"These poems of love, transcendence and transformation reflect the solitary and difficult labors of the spirit on the journey to wholeness. The book is not only comforting to read, it encourages you to embrace the absolute joy of being who you are."
For more information, go to http://www.joannaokeefe.com/
Behold, An Ashen Horse, second in the Clash-of-Civilizations triology, is out. It won the Military Writers Society of America's 2008 Gold Medal. The first was The Rings of Allah (winner of the Military Writers Society of America's 2007 Silver Medal).
The Rings of Allah by Lee Boyland. Can terroists detonate a nuclear device in the U.S.? Lee Boyland answers this question in his award-winning novel. The plan and attack are told through the terroist's eyes. Simple gun-type atomic devices are obtained and planted in American cities. The terrorists wait for the opportunity to simultaneously detonate them. Can America survive? The answer is found in the sequel -- Behold, an Ashen Horse.


"Lee Boyland's story of a nuclear terrorist attack on the U.S. hit the nail on the head. A plot that can happen today," says a retired brigadier general whose last post was the National Security Agency.
"A chilling techno-thriller. Accurate technical details and well drawn characters," Frank Perkins author of Travel Adventures on the Campany's Nickel and Whales, Termites and Dragons" Adventures on Volunteer Expeditions.
Behold, an Ashen Horse by Lee and Vista Boyland (Winner of the Military Writers Society of America's 2008 Gold Medal)
Blindsided by a sneak nuclear attack, America's central government is destroyed and its economy's spinning toward collapse. A world-wide jihad rages, and the Islamic Empire is formed. America must find the right leader in order to survive. George Alexander is that man. Thrust into the presidency, a job he didn't want, Alexander sets about saving the nation and then dispenses the retribution his angry nation demands.
This is the author's second novel in the Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy. The final novel, American Reborn, is under way.
Joe Weber, New York Times best-selling author of eight novels says, "Behold, an Ashen Horse is a stunning, riveting story plausible enough to be tomorrow's headlines. Buckle your seat belts...this is a nail-biting ride."
"Forget about Patterson, King, Grisham and company. If you want at long last to read a work that is intelligent, gripping, and truly terrifying, pick up a copy of Lee Boyland's Behold, an Ashen Horse. Mr. Boyland, who has an extensive background in nuclear engineering and national defense, is the rightful heir in American fiction to Tom Clancy," says Paul Williams, author of The Day of Islam, Osama's Revenge, The Al Qaeda Connection, Dunces of Doomsday, and The Complete Idiot's Guild to the Crusades.
About the Author: Lee Boyland, U. S. Army bomb disposal officer, nuclear weapons expert, special weapons designer, businessman, and author, and his wife and co-author, Vista, have written two award-winning novels of their Clash-of-Civilizations trilogy. He is a frequent contributor to The New Media Journal.us (http://www.newmedia journal.us). Links to his articles are posted on the author page of his website along with lots of other interesting information. For ordering information and more go to http://www.leeboylandbooks.com/.
Apache Warrior by Carol Ann Didier.
A white woman and an Apache brave meet in the untamed West...
Apache Warrior is the debut novel of Carol Ann Didier. It's the story of an Eastern Baltimore belle and and an Apache brave caught up in a taboo love that has the power to heal or harm a broken people. Set in historical Arizona in the 1860's, Apache Warrior proves love knows no color, creed or race. It happens in the heart, when and where you least expect it, and if allowed to grow, can conquer differences in culture, hatred and personal loss. Cassie Edwards, New York Times bestselling author said, "A compelling story! Wonderfully authentic!"
Carol Ann Didier has been published in Charisma and Literary Lift Off magazines. She also writes inspirational vignettes, verses for greeting cards, and stories for her grandchildren. She now lives on the east coast of Florida.
For more information, visit her website at http://www.carolanndidier.com/. You can purchase the book at her website or through http://www.amazon.com/.

Featured Books


Valerie Allen has just published Summer School for Smarties, a children's book for grades three to six. In Summer School for Smarties, the main character, Jennifer, suddenly finds her long awaited summer vacation interrupted due to an end-of-the-year low grade in reading. She knows there has been a BIG mistake. Jennifer plans to be miserable throughout her summer school ordeal, but finds that remedial learning and new life experiences can sneak up on you when you least expect them. Valerie Allen has also published:
Sins of the Father
Suffer the Little Children
Bad Hair, Good Hat, Best Friends
Write, Publish, Sell!


Check them all out by going to her website at http://www.valerieallenwriter.com/ or email her at VAllenWriter@cs.com for more information.

Kee Briggs has spent decades filling his experiential warehouses for the time when he could use that material to create storylines. He has done that and more. He's the author of 12 books. The Silver Scepter and The Rhodium Dragon are two of his newest additions to The Usher Orlop Mystery Series. Start at the beginning of the series and follow the exploits of sculptor Usher Orlop and Anasette. In The Silver Scepter, Usher travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to execute a silver scepter for an unusual client. Usher finds his creation is used to bash in the skull of a woman. Usher rescues her tiny son and must find a way to get the tyke out of harm's way. In The Rhodium Dragon, Usher is provided with a magnificent jade box on which to mount a silver mask of a client's grandson. The surfacing of the lidless box precipitates multiple burglaries and murders, plus the involvement of a powerful Chinese tong and the Chicoms. Usher must sort through international intrigues to protect the lone survivor.

For more information about these intriguing books or to purchase any of Kee's books visit his website at http://www.keescapes.com/.

You Are Not Forgotten: A Family's Quest for Truth and the Founding of the National League of Families of POW/MIA by Evelyn Grubb and Carol Jose with a Foreword by Henry Kissinger. This true story of enduring love and tragic loss, set in a deep and moving time of war and extreme socio-political upheaval, is an inspiring account of remarkable individuals, citizens, celebrities and politicians. Together they would create history. Each of them is a true American hero and they will never be forgotten.

In his review of the book Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd USAF (ret.) states, "You Are Not Forgotten should be read by every American citizen, politician, government bureaucrat, military family, and by every person who wears a U.S. military uniform, from the recruits to the top. The photos are riveting. The story is true, well-documented, superbly told. It should be in every American history class because the Vietnam War as a subject has been woefully neglected. Full of important national, military and strongly illustrated civic and moral human lessons, You Are Not Forgotten should become a classic.

"Authors Evelyn 'Evie' Grubb and Carol Jose collaborate to tell the story of 'Newk' Grubb, an American fighter pilot shot down on a reconnaissance mission early in the war....

"The story is told from Evie's heart, through her eyes. You won't forget You Are Not Forgotten. Don't miss it. I'd like to have known Evie. She says, in the Preface, '...the roughest experiences of life do toughen us up... but they do not make us immortal...'"

For more information about You Are Not Forgotten contact publicist, Mike Daly at md@csicreativesolutions or by phone at 1-877-843-8877. You can order the book online at http://www.yanfbook.com/ (Hardcover, 360 pp, illustrations, index; $24.95 + shipping) ISBN 13-978-0918339-71-3
243 and Other Short Stories by C.W. Love is a combination of four different genres: mystery thriller, sci-fi, horror, and a young adult story. It contains:

"243" a mystery thriller about a Vietnam era hit man who is charged with eliminating his death squad members to prevent incriminating papers from naming a presidential hopeful as a traitor.

"Journey" is a sci-fi story. A research doctor and a computer wizard develop the ability to locate and trace inherited genes and project video and audio onto a monitor. Complications develop and an evil is released in the community.

"Jack-in-the-Box" is a horror story. Kip's Bar becomes the focal point for local friends in a backwoods community. The bar talk centers around a strange wolf-like man who distributes the toy-like Jack-in-the-Box. People suddenly are missing as Kip calls Plant City for a police investigation only to have the policeman turn up missing.
"The Wanting Tree" is a young adult story. At a tribal ceremony, young Magway states that he will become the greatest of the braves and will be the one to find the legendary Wanting Tree. The legend of Magway carries on through time with the help of the Indian Affairs agent.
About the author: Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, Charlie Love graduated from Norristown High in 1948. He married Elizabeth Differ in 1953 after serving five years in an Army Regimental Combat Team. He is the father of seven children and nineteen grandchildren. He entered the contracting business in Pennsylvania and later moved to South Jersey as general contractor for construction from Altlantic City to Cape May, New Jersey. Charlie now lives in Cocoa, Florida, with his wife. His first book, Trilogy In Fear, was published in 2005. His second book, 243 and Other Short Stories, is now in print. Charlie has a children's book that will be released soon. He also writes poems and humorous articles. He is working on several additional fictional stories. Watch for them.
Copies of the book may be purchased by emailing the author at clove72531@aol.com, through the publisher at http://www.publishamerica.com/, or through Barnes and Noble and various book stores. ISBN: 1-60672-031-7
Friends Forever New Trails is the third in a series of books by Marilyn Martin. If you've read the other two, you will catch up with your favorite characters as they continue their journey of life along new trails. You'll meet Alenxandra Tanner and her Navajo classmate, Skylyn Eaglefeather, young teens who have been pals from first grade. Their ranch life in Colorado is one of outdoor exploration. Marilyn was a teacher for eleven years. Her writing draws upon a deep love of the West, and her own American Indian ancestral background has led her to investigate the life and culture of the ancient Amerinds upon which she bases much of her writing. Friends Forever New Trails is published by Four Seasons Publishers and is now available at bookstores across the country and over the Internet at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com. ISBN: 1-932497-06-4; $12.95.
Alpha Rising by G.L. Douglas is receiving high praise and positive reviews and recently earned two Honorable Mentions at the Hollywood Book Festival, an Honorable Mention at the DIY Book Festival, and scored a perfect 20 out of 20 in plot, grammar, character development and cover design categories at the Writers' Digest International Book Festival. (Read more at http://www.alpharising.net/)

This thought-provoking work of speculative fiction opens at Kennedy Space Center in the year 2020 with a rescue mission beyond Earth's solar system. The effort only partially succeeds, landing six astronauts in a beleaguered future world where history repeats itself, future events cast shadows, few can be trusted, and the earthlings' DNA is of prime interest. By the merest stroke of luck, one astronaut escapes evil captors, and soon an epiphany on a mountain top sends him on a mission that fulfills prophecy.

From Violins to Violence: Memoirs of a Virtuoso Homicide Detective was named one of the best books of 2007 by Cathy Mathias of Florida Today.

Author Marshall Frank bares all about his transition from a classical violinist to an illustrious career as a premier homicide detective. In this compelling autobiography, Frank shares many personal and professional experiences. He looks at the power over corrupt officials by a family mobster; the struggles faced by homicide investigators; true murder cases and other criminal investigations; the arrest of five police officers for murder; the truth behind Miami's race riots of 1980; crushed marriages, alcoholism and drug addiction; and the influence of music in a life of turmoil.

Take note: Coming in November is Marshall's newest release Criminal InJustice in America. For more information, visit Marshall's website at http://www.marshallfrank.com/.

When Judith Mammay retired from teaching elementary special education, she started her second career as an author of children's books. She has written Knowing Joseph, a mid-grade novel, and It's Time, an early reader/picture book, both of which address issues of autism. She currently lives in Melbourne, Florida, with her husband and is an active member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the president of the Space Coast Writers' Guild (SCWG). Besides writing, she also enjoys nature photography, playing golf, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Knowing Joseph ... Brian would give anything to have a normal six-year-old brother -- one who doesn't scream, that normals sounds are not too loud for, or just a brother who would play with other kids. But no matter how often he pretends not to know him, Brian has to face that he doesn't have a normal brother. He has Joseph, who is autistic.

Life with Joseph isn't easy. Joseph needs order and structure, which is something other kids find weird. Brian constantly finds himself defending Joseph from kids who understand Joseph even less than Brian does. It takes a new friend and a school project before Brain can begin to truly know and accept Joseph.

It's Time... Tommy knew he was different. His doctor told him and his mom he had autism. He didn't know what autism was, but he knew some things were hard for him.

It was hard for Tommy to understand what people meant when they talked. It was hard for him to use words that would help others to understand him, too. Sometimes that made him scream.

Tommy liked things to be the same. He liked to do everything in the same order each day. It upset Tommy if the schedule changed.

Sometimes Tommy didn't like people to be close to him. And he didn't like loud noises and bright, flashing lights.

Even when Tommy tried his best, some days were hard. Some days he had problems.

Judy has presented in several venues, including schools, college classes, and at community meetings. She is available to do school visits on the topics of writing, conflict resolution, and disability awareness. Contact her at jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com or through her website, www.judithmammay.com/.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River by Holly Fox Vellekoop. Holly is a former clinical instructor in psychiatric and mental health nursing for Pen State University.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is a murder mystery set in the small town of Danville, Pennsylvania. Follow state policeman Thomas Sheski and his partner as they attempt to solve the murder of the wife of a well-known psychologist who provides treatment for wealthy clients at his private mental hospital.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is available at http://www.amazon.com/ or by emailing the author at hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com


Book Festivals/Workshops/Conferences

Conferences around the state.

Florida Christian Writers Conference
where: Leesburg, Florida
when: 02/26/09 to 03/01/09
info: http://www.flwriters.org/
Fourth Annual Other Words Conference
where: St. Augustine Florida
when: 11/06/08 to 11/08/08
info: http://www.flbooktours.com/

Gulf Coast Writers Conference
where: Community College; Panama City, Florida
when: 09/20/08
info: http://www.gulfcoastwritersconference.com/
Sanibel Island Writers Conference
where: Sanibel, Florida at BIGARTS
when 11/06/08 to 11/09/08
info: http://www.fgcu.edu/siwc/

Sleuthfest 2009
where: Deerfield Beach Hilton
when : 02/26/09 to 03/01/09
info: http://www.mwaflorida.org/sleuthfest.htm

Space Coast Writers' Guild Conference
where: Cocoa Beach, Florida
when: 01/23/09 to 01/24/09
info: http://www.scwg.org/

Florida Writers Association Conference
where: Lake Mary, Florida
when: 11/14/08 to 11/16/08
info: http://www.floridawriters.net/

Book Signings and Lectures Send your announcements for this area to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Tim Dorsey is coming to the Space Coast: He'll be in Palm Bay, Florida, on Saturday October 25, 2008. Tim will be speaking at the Friends of the Libraries Annual Author Dinner. It will be held at Chekmarc's at 6:00 p.m. Don't miss this. It's always fun to hear Tim speak. (Checkmarc's is at 2164 Harris Ave. NE in Palm Bay, Florida.)
The cost of the event is $20.00. Tickets are available at the Palm Bay Library and the Degroodt Library or by calling 952-6317




Organizations and Meetings

Note: I know this is a partial list of organizations, and I know I haven't included all the information about meetings. I would love to list information about your group. Please send in the information you would like listed about your group to Lou@LouBelcher.com. Thanks.

Cape Canaveral Pen Women

website: http://www.capecanaveralpenwomen.org/. The goal of this group is to conduct and promote creative and educational activities in art, letters, and music.

Florida Writers Association

website: http://www.floridawriters.net.

Brevard group: There is a regional group called Poets, Authors and Writers Share (PAWS). This group meets the third Wednesday of the month at Melbourne Public Library on Fee Avenue in Melbourne, Florida.

Scribblers

website: http://www.geocities/brevardscribblers/index.htm. This group meets the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from February through October. During November, December and January, they meet the 2nd Saturday of the month. All meetings start at 9:30 a.m. at the Eau Gallie Library.

SCBWI Florida

website: http://www.scbwiflorida.com/. This is the state chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

A local SCBWI critique group meets the second Monday of the month at Melbourne Library on Fee Avenue at 7:00p.m. Contact Judy Mammay at jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com for more information. You can also go to http://www.scbwiflorida.com/.
Space Coast Writers' Guild

website: http://www.scwg.org/ The monthly meeting of the Space Coast Writers' Guild is on the third Saturday of the month at the West Melbourne Library at 2755 Wingate Blvd (on the corner of Minton and Wingate). It starts at 1:00 p.m. The SCWG newsletter reports that the speaker for October is Diane Marcum author of Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast. She will speak about Writing Brevard History. Take a journey through the colorful and distinctive history of Brevard County. This meeting is open to the public.

There are other meetings within the group.

On the first Saturday of the month, the guild sponsors presentations by authors in conjunction with the Book Xchg on Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village. This is open to the public. Although the event is usually on the first Saturday of the month at 1:00 p.m., for October, it is on 10/18/08.

2nd Saturday with the Space Coast Writers' Guild is (obviously) on the 2nd Saturday of each month. This meeting is at the Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Parkway. The meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public and members.

Publishers and Book Stores

First Saturday at the Book Xchg

Two published authors, members of the Space Coast Writers' Guild, Bill Allen and Ann Bonner presented their books on Saturday, Steptember 6, 2008, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Book Xchg, 604 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa Village, Florida.

Bill Allen is the author of Greg Hart, Dragonslayer? He spoke about his book and about writing humor. Ann Bonner, author of Secrets of Pine Haven, Intrigue at Pine Haven, and Beyond Pine Haven, spoke about her series of books. They were both available to sign purchased copies of their books after the presentations.

The next presentation at the Book Xchg will be at 1:00 on October 18, 2008. This event is usually on the first Saturday of the month, but due to the special book event in front of the Book Xchg on October 18th, the presentation date has been moved to coincide. So, come early.
The Space Coast Writers' Guild will be well represented at the upcoming October 18, Cocoa Village Craft Fair, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. A dozen local Guild authors will be available to see and autograph their published books, at tables in front of the Book Xchg, 604 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa Village. The public is invited to come and meet the authors and also to hear the writers present their books inside the book Xchg starting at 1:00 p.m

Also available at the Book Xchg are books by other local authors. For more information, call Holly Vellekoop at (321) 733-9449 or the Book Xchg owners (pictured here), Rich and Angie Moore, at (321) 639-5624.

Submissions: The next issue of Florida Book News will be posted on 10/03/08. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com by 10/01/08. Thanks.
Note: Florida Book News originally called Brevard Writing and Book News, but it seemed better for all if we increased the scope. Therefore, all Florida writers, writing organizations etc. are welcome to participate.

End of Post

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Thursday, September 18, 2008

Florida Book News - September 18, 2008

Welcome to Florida Book News

(This was originally called Brevard Writing and Book News, but it seemed better for all if we increased the scope. Therefore, all Florida writers, writing organizations etc. are welcome to participate).

Florida Book News is open to writers, illustrators, book lovers, and writing groups and organizations. This is the place to announce your new book or tell us about a book you continue to promote, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conferences or conventions...anything of interest to others about writing and books. This is a free service. If you would like to help support this endeavor, there is a button for donations to the right or if you prefer to use snail mail, send donations to Lou Belcher; P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida, 32905. Thanks

And now, the news.... Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Don't forget: send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com. The next issue will be posted on 10/03/08. News is due by 10/01/08.

Within this Issue:
  • News
  • Featured Books
  • Book Festivals/Workshops/Conferences
  • Book Signings and Lectures
  • Organizations and Meetings
  • Publishers and Book Stores
News

Congratulations to Lori Knerick. The Scribblers of Brevard chose Lori Knerick's altered photograph A Bright Voyage for the cover of their upcoming Driftwood anthology. The writers' group publishes an anthology of poetry, short stories, and pieces of visual arts each year.

For information about Scribblers go to http://www.geocitiesbrevardscribblers/index.htm/




New book: Valerie Allen has just published Summer School for Smarties, a children's book for grades three to six.

In Summer School for Smarties, the main character, Jennifer, suddenly finds her long awaited summer vacation interrupted due to an end-of-the-year low grade in reading. She knows there has been a BIG mistake. Jennifer plans to be miserable throughout her summer school ordeal, but finds that remedial learning and new life experiences can sneak up on you when you least expect them.

Valerie Allen has also published:

  • Sins of the Father
  • Suffer the Little Children
  • Bad Hair, Good Hat, Best Friends
  • Write, Publish, Sell!
Check them all out by going to her website at http://www.valerieallenwriter.com/ or email her at VAllenWriter@cs.com for more information.

Friends Forever New Trails is the third in a series of books by Marilyn Martin. If you've read the other two, you will catch up with your favorite characters as they continue their journey of life along new trails.

You'll meet Alenxandra Tanner and her Navajo classmate, Skylyn Eaglefeather, young teens who have been pals from first grade. Their ranch life in Colorado is one of outdoor exploration.

Marilyn was a teacher for eleven years. Her writing draws upon a deep love of the West, and her own American Indian ancestral background has led her to investigate the life and culture of the ancient Amerinds upon which she bases much of her writing.

Friends Forever New Trails is published by Four Seasons Publishers and is now available at bookstores across the country and over the Internet at Barnes and Noble, Borders, and Amazon.com.

ISBN: 1-932497-06-4; $12.95.

243 and Other Short Stories by C.W. Love is a combination of four different genres: mystery thriller, sci-fi, horror, and a young adult story. It contains:
  • "243" a mystery thriller about a Vietnam era hit man who is charged with eliminating his death squad members to prevent incriminating papers from naming a presidential hopeful as a traitor.
  • "Journey" is a sci-fi story. A research doctor and a computer wizard develop the ability to locate and trace inherited genes and project video and audio onto a monitor. Complications develop and an evil is released in the community.
  • "Jack-in-the-Box" is a horror story. Kip's Bar becomes the focal point for local friends in a backwoods community. The bar talk centers around a strange wolf-like man who distributes the toy-like Jack-in-the-Box. People suddenly are missing as Kip calls Plant City for a police investigation only to have the policeman turn up missing.
  • "The Wanting Tree" is a young adult story. At a tribal ceremony, young Magway states that he will become the greatest of the braves and will be the one to find the legendary Wanting Tree. The legend of Magway carries on through time with the help of the Indian Affairs agent.
Copies of the book may be purchased by emailing the author at clove72531@aol.com, through the publisher at http://www.publishamerica.com/, or through Barnes and Noble and various book stores. ISBN: 1-60672-031-7

Featured Books

Kee Briggs has spent decades filling his experiential warehouses for the time when he could use that material to create storylines. He has done that and more. He's the author of 12 books. The Silver Scepter and The Rhodium Dragon are two of his newest additions to The Usher Orlop Mystery Series. Start at the beginning of the series and follow the exploits of sculptor Usher Orlop and Anasette. In The Silver Scepter, Usher travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to execute a silver scepter for an unusual client. Usher finds his creation is used to bash in the skull of a woman. Usher rescues her tiny son and must find a way to get the tyke out of harm's way. In The Rhodium Dragon, Usher is provided with a magnificent jade box on which to mount a silver mask of a client's grandson. The surfacing of the lidless box precipitates multiple burglaries and murders, plus the involvement of a powerful Chinese tong and the Chicoms. Usher must sort through international intrigues to protect the lone survivor. For more information about these intriguing books or to purchase any of Kee's books visit his website at http://www.keescapes.com/.

You Are Not Forgotten: A Family's Quest for Truth and the Founding of the National League of Families of POW/MIA by Evelyn Grubb and Carol Jose with a Foreword by Henry Kissinger. This true story of enduring love and tragic loss, set in a deep and moving time of war and extreme socio-political upheaval, is an inspiring account of remarkable individuals, citizens, celebrities and politicians. Together they would create history. Each of them is a true American hero and they will never be forgotten.

In his review of the book Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd USAF (ret.) states, "You Are Not Forgotten should be read by every American citizen, politician, government bureaucrat, military family, and by every person who wears a U.S. military uniform, from the recruits to the top. The photos are riveting. The story is true, well-documented, superbly told. It should be in every American history class because the Vietnam War as a subject has been woefully neglected. Full of important national, military and strongly illustrated civic and moral human lessons, You Are Not Forgotten should become a classic.

"Authors Evelyn 'Evie' Grubb and Carol Jose collaborate to tell the story of 'Newk' Grubb, an American fighter pilot shot down on a reconnaissance mission early in the war....

"The story is told from Evie's heart, through her eyes. You won't forget You Are Not Forgotten. Don't miss it. I'd like to have known Evie. She says, in the Preface, '...the roughest experiences of life do toughen us up... but they do not make us immortal...'"

For more information about You Are Not Forgotten contact publicist, Mike Daly at md@csicreativesolutions or by phone at 1-877-843-8877. You can order the book online at http://www.yanfbook.com/ (Hardcover, 360 pp, illustrations, index; $24.95 + shipping) ISBN 13-978-0918339-71-3

Strangers Brothers. With October the 25th anniversary of the US invasion of Grenada, the release of Strangers Brothers is timely. Strangers Brothers is the story of the coming together of two brothers, from different cultures, and raised separately by the same father. While the brothers, both Airborne Rangers, are involved in Operation Urgent Fury - the invasion of Grenada - a secret is revealed and their lives unravel. Living in the same Georgia town, how can two disparate families come to grips with one man's "other life"?

Strangers Brothers is the sequel to Raymond F. Flaherty's novel He Didn't Say Good-Bye, which was a Pulitzer Prize contender in 2006.

Strangers Brothers is by Raymond F. Flaherty with Pat McDonough ISBN 976-0-965f3467-8-8 ($21.95) You can obtain more information by sending an email to books4you@cfl.rr.com and can purchase it by going to http://www.terrasanctapress.com/

Other books available From Terra Sancta Press are
  • He Didn't Say Good-Bye by Raymond f. Flaherty
  • What Made Us Who We Are Today, World WarII Oral History by Mary
    Timpe Robsman
  • Without Keys, My 15 Weeks with the Street People by Pat McDonough
Alpha Rising by G.L. Douglas is receiving high praise and positive reviews and recently earned two Honorable Mentions at the Hollywood Book Festival, an Honorable Mention at the DIY Book Festival, and scored a perfect 20 out of 20 in plot, grammar, character development and cover design categories at the Writers' Digest International Book Festival. (Read more at http://www.alpharising.net/)

This thought-provoking work of speculative fiction opens at Kennedy Space Center in the year 2020 with a rescue mission beyond Earth's solar system. The effort only partially succeeds, landing six astronauts in a beleaguered future world where history repeats itself, future events cast shadows, few can be trusted, and the earthlings' DNA is of prime interest. By the merest stroke of luck, one astronaut escapes evil captors, and soon an epiphany on a mountain top sends him on a mission that fulfills prophecy.

From Violins to Violence: Memoirs of a Virtuoso Homicide Detective was named one of the best books of 2007 by Cathy Mathias of Florida Today.

Author Marshall Frank bares all about his transition from a classical violinist to an illustrious career as a premier homicide detective. In this compelling autobiography, Frank shares many personal and professional experiences. He looks at the power over corrupt officials by a family mobster; the struggles faced by homicide investigators; true murder cases and other criminal investigations; the arrest of five police officers for murder; the truth behind Miami's race riots of 1980; crushed marriages, alcoholism and drug addiction; and the influence of music in a life of turmoil.

Take note: Coming in November is Marshall's newest release Criminal InJustice in America. For more information, visit Marshall's website at http://www.marshallfrank.com/.

When Judith Mammay retired from teaching elementary special education, she started her second career as an author of children's books. She has written Knowing Joseph, a mid-grade novel, and It's Time, an early reader/picture book, both of which address issues of autism. She currently lives in Melbourne, Florida, with her husband and is an active member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the president of the Space Coast Writers' Guild (SCWG). Besides writing, she also enjoys nature photography, playing golf, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Knowing Joseph ... Brian would give anything to have a normal six-year-old brother -- one who doesn't scream, that normals sounds are not too loud for, or just a brother who would play with other kids. But no matter how often he pretends not to know him, Brian has to face that he doesn't have a normal brother. He has Joseph, who is autistic.

Life with Joseph isn't easy. Joseph needs order and structure, which is something other kids find weird. Brian constantly finds himself defending Joseph from kids who understand Joseph even less than Brian does. It takes a new friend and a school project before Brain can begin to truly know and accept Joseph.

It's Time... Tommy knew he was different. His doctor told him and his mom he had autism. He didn't know what autism was, but he knew some things were hard for him.

It was hard for Tommy to understand what people meant when they talked. It was hard for him to use words that would help others to understand him, too. Sometimes that made him scream.

Tommy liked things to be the same. He liked to do everything in the same order each day. It upset Tommy if the schedule changed.

Sometimes Tommy didn't like people to be close to him. And he didn't like loud noises and bright, flashing lights.

Even when Tommy tried his best, some days were hard. Some days he had problems.

Judy has presented in several venues, including schools, college classes, and at community meetings. She is available to do school visits on the topics of writing, conflict resolution, and disability awareness. Contact her at jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com or through her website, www.judithmammay.com/.


Stone Haven: Murder Along the River by Holly Fox Vellekoop. Holly is a former clinical instructor in psychiatric and mental health nursing for Pen State University.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is a murder mystery set in the small town of Danville, Pennsylvania. Follow state policeman Thomas Sheski and his partner as they attempt to solve the murder of the wife of a well-known psychologist who provides treatment for wealthy clients at his private mental hospital.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is available at http://www.amazon.com/ or by emailing the author at hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com


Book Festivals/Workshops/Conferences















The Osceola Library System is having a reading festival on September 26, 27, and 28, 2008. The festival goals are to promote literacy, foster enjoyment of the written word for all ages, and to bring together all those interested in reading, writing and publishing. The festival will take place at the Hart Memorial Central Library at 211 East Dakin Avenue in downtown Kissimmee.

There will be an Author's Gallery to provide the community with the opportunity to interact directly with published authors and to purchase autographed copies of their work. Several authors from Brevard are participating. They are: Judy Mammay, Bill Allen, Pat McDonough, Joyce Henderson, and Valerie Allen.

Conferences around the state.


Florida Christian Writers Conference
where: Leesburg, Florida
when: 02/26/09 to 03/01/09
info: http://www.flwriters.org/

Fourth Annual Other Words Conference
where: St. Augustine Florida
when: 11/06/08 to 11/08/08
info: http://www.flbooktours.com/

Gulf Coast Writers Conference
where: Community College; Panama City, Florida
when: 09/20/08
info: http://www.gulfcoastwritersconference.com/


Sanibel Island Writers Conference
where: Sanibel, Florida at BIGARTS
when 11/06/08 to 11/09/08
info: http://www.fgcu.edu/siwc/

Sleuthfest 2009
where: Deerfield Beach Hilton
when : 02/26/09 to 03/01/09
info: http://www.mwaflorida.org/sleuthfest.htm

Space Coast Writers' Guild Conference
where: Cocoa Beach, Florida
when: 01/23/09 to 01/24/09
info: http://www.scwg.org/

Florida Writers Association Conference
where: Lake Mary, Florida
when: 11/14/08 to 11/16/08
info: http://www.floridawriters.net/

Book Signings and Lectures Send your announcements for this area to Lou@LouBelcher.com.

Organizations and Meetings

Note: I know this is a partial list of organizations, and I know I haven't included all the information about meetings. I would love to list information about your group. Please send in the information you would like listed about your group to Lou@LouBelcher.com. Thanks.

Cape Canaveral Pen Women

website: http://www.capecanaveralpenwomen.org/. The goal of this group is to conduct and promote creative and educational activities in art, letters, and music.

Florida Writers Association

website: http://www.floridawriters.net.

Brevard group: There is a regional group called Poets, Authors and Writers Share (PAWS). This group meets the third Wednesday of the month at Melbourne Public Library on Fee Avenue in Melbourne, Florida.

Scribblers

website: http://www.geocities/brevardscribblers/index.htm. This group meets the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from February through October. During November, December and January, they meet the 2nd Saturday of the month. All meetings start at 9:30 a.m. at the Eau Gallie Library.

SCBWI Florida

website: http://www.scbwiflorida.com/. This is the state chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Space Coast Writers' Guild

website: http://www.scwg.org/ The monthly meeting of the Space Coast Writers' Guild is on the third Saturday of the month at the West Melbourne Library at 2755 Wingate Blvd (on the corner of Minton and Wingate). It starts at 1:00 p.m. The SCWG newsletter reports that the speaker for September is Scott Tilly. He will be speaking about writing in academia. Tilley is Professor and Director of Software Engineering in the Department of Computer Sciences at FIT andis also a Professor of Management Information Systems. He is the author/editor of over 100 academic publications. This meeting is open to the public.

There are other meetings within the group.

On the first Saturday of the month, the guild sponsors presentations by authors in conjunction with the Book Xchg on Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village. This is open to the public. Although the event is usually on the first Saturday of the month at 1:00 p.m., for October, it is on 10/18/08.

2nd Saturday with the Space Coast Writers' Guild is (obviously) on the 2nd Saturday of each month. This meeting is at the Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Parkway. The meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public and members.

Publishers and Book Stores

First Saturday at the Book Xchg

Two published authors, members of the Space Coast Writers' Guild, Bill Allen and Ann Bonner presented their books on Saturday, Steptember 6, 2008, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Book Xchg, 604 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa Village, Florida.

Bill Allen is the author of Greg Hart, Dragonslayer? He spoke about his book and about writing humor. Ann Bonner, author of Secrets of Pine Haven, Intrigue at Pine Haven, and Beyond Pine Haven, spoke about her series of books. They were both available to sign purchased copies of their books after the presentations.














The next presentation at the Book Xchg will be at 1:00 on October 18, 2008. This event is usually on the first Saturday of the month, but due to the special book event in front of the Book Xchg on October 18th, the presentation date has been moved to coincide. So, come early. Watch for the next issue of Florida Book News for more information.

Also available at the Book Xchg are books by other local authors. For more information, call Holly Vellekoop at (321) 733-9449 or the Book Xchg owners (pictured here), Rich and Angie Moore, at (321) 639-5624.


Submissions: The next issue of Florida Book News will be posted on 10/03/08. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com by 10/01/08. Thanks.

End of Post

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Monday, September 1, 2008

Florida Book News - September 03, 2008

Welcome to Florida Book News (This was originally called Brevard Writing and Book News, but it seemed better for all if we increased the scope. Therefore, all Florida writers, writing organizations etc. are welcome to participate).

Florida Book News is a free service for writers, book lovers and writing groups and organizations. This is the place to announce your new book, a book signing, a meeting or presentation, your organization's meetings, conferences or conventions...anything of interest to others about writing and books.

This is the first issue. I have decided on several categories to provide organization to Florida Book News. They are:

  • News

  • Featured Books

  • Book Festivals/Workshops/Conferences

  • Book Signings and Lectures

  • Organizations and Meetings

  • Publishers and Book Stores

  • This and That

  • Max's Book Notes and Profound Thoughts
Enjoy and please comment if you are so moved. Send your news for the next issue to Lou@LouBelcher.com. The next issue will be posted on 09/18/08. News is due on 09/15/08.

Thanks, Lou.

News



New ebook by Kee Briggs...


Coming soon at http://www.writetolivelonger.com/ is a new informational ebook by Kee Briggs. Write to Live Longer is directed towards those seeking to extend their longevity and enhance their quality of life. This is the author's formula to dispel boredom, loneliness, hurting, worries and sleeplessness. The argument is free, but the starter toolkit (and bonus) costs $29.00.

Watch for it.


You Are Not Forgotten: A Family's Quest for Truth and the Founding of the National League of Families of POW/MIA by Evelyn Grubb and Carol Jose with a Foreword by Henry Kissinger. This true story of enduring love and tragic loss, set in a deep and moving time of war and extreme socio-political upheaval, is an inspiring account of remarkable individuals, citizens, celebrities and politicians. Together they would create history. Each of them is a true American hero and they will never be forgotten.

In his review of the book Maj. Gen. Don Shepperd USAF (ret.) states, "You Are Not Forgotten should be read by every American citizen, politician, government bureaucrat, military family, and by every person who wears a U.S. military uniform, from the recruits to the top. The photos are riveting. The story is true, well-documented, superbly told. It should be in every American history class because the Vietnam War as a subject has been woefully neglected. Full of important national, military and strongly illustrated civic and moral human lessons, You Are Not Forgotten should become a classic.

"Authors Evelyn 'Evie' Grubb and Carol Jose collaborate to tell the story of 'Newk' Grubb, an American fighter pilot shot down on a reconnaissance mission early in the war....

"The story is told from Evie's heart, through her eyes. You won't forget You Are Not Forgotten. Don't miss it. I'd like to have known Evie. She says, in the Preface, '...the roughest experiences of life do toughen us up... but they do not make us immortal...'"

For more information about You Are Not Forgotten contact publicist, Mike Daly at md@csicreativesolutions or by phone at 1-877-843-8877. You can order the book online at http://www.yanfbook.com/ (Hardcover, 360 pp, illustrations, index; $24.95 + shipping) ISBN 13-978-0918339-71-3

Strangers Brothers released yesterday. With October the 25th anniversary of the US invasion of Grenada, the release of Strangers Brothers is timely. Strangers Brothers is the story of the coming together of two brothers, from different cultures, and raised separately by the same father. While the brothers, both Airborne Rangers, are involved in Operation Urgent Fury - the invasion of Grenada - a secret is revealed and their lives unravel. Living in the same Georgia town, how can two disparate families come to grips with one man's "other life"?

Strangers Brothers is the sequel to Raymond F. Flaherty's novel He Didn't Say Good-Bye, which was a Pulitzer Prize contender in 2006.

Strangers Brothers is by Raymond F. Flaherty with Pat McDonough ISBN 976-0-965f3467-8-8 ($21.95) You can obtain more information by sending an email to books4you@cfl.rr.com and can purchase it by going to http://www.terrasanctapress.com/

Other books available From Terra Sancta Press are

  • He Didn't Say Good-Bye by Raymond f. Flaherty
  • What Made Us Who We Are Today, World WarII Oral History by Mary
    Timpe Robsman
  • Without Keys, My 15 Weeks with the Street People by Pat McDonough
Featured Books

Kee Briggs

Kee Briggs has spent decades filling his experiential warehouses for the time when he could use that material to create storylines. He has done that and more. He's the author of 12 books. The Silver Scepter and The Rhodium Dragon are two of his newest additions to The Usher Orlop Mystery Series. Start at the beginning of the series and follow the exploits of sculptor Usher Orlop and Anasette.

In The Silver Scepter, Usher travels to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to execute a silver scepter for an unusual client. Usher finds his creation is used to bash in the skull of a woman. Usher rescues her tiny son and must find a way to get the tyke out of harm's way.

In The Rhodium Dragon, Usher is provided with a magnificent jade box on which to mount a silver mask of a client's grandson. The surfacing of the lidless box precipitates multiple burglaries and murders, plus the involvement of a powerful Chinese tong and the Chicoms. Usher must sort through international intrigues to protect the lone survivor.

For more information about these intriguing books or to purchase any of Kee's books visit his website at http://www.keescapes.com/.

G.L. Douglas

Alpha Rising by G.L. Douglas is receiving high praise and positive reviews and recently earned two Honorable Mentions at the Hollywood Book Festival, an Honorable Mention at the DIY Book Festival, and scored a perfect 20 out of 20 in plot, grammar, character development and cover design categories at the Writers' Digest International Book Festival. (Read more at http://www.alpharising.net/)

This thought-provoking work of speculative fiction opens at Kennedy Space Center in the year 2020 with a rescue mission beyond Earth's solar system. The effort only partially succeeds, landing six astronauts in a beleaguered future world where history repeats itself, future events cast shadows, few can be trusted and the earthlings' DNA is of prime interest. By the merest stroke of luck, one astronaut escapes evil captors, and soon an epiphany on a mountain top sends him on a mission that fulfills prophecy.


Marshall Frank

From Violins to Violence: Memoirs of a Virtuoso Homicide Detective was named one of the best books of 2007 by Cathy Mathias of Florida Today.

Author Marshall Frank bares all about his transition from a classical violinist to an illustrious career as a premier homicide detective. In this compelling autobiography, Frank shares many personal and professional experiences. He looks at the power over corrupt officials by a family mobster; the struggles faced by homicide investigators; true murder cases and other criminal investigations, the arrest of five police officers for murder; the truth behind Miami's race riots of 1980; crushed marriages, alcoholism and drug addiction; and the influence of music in a life of turmoil.

Take note: Coming in November is Marshall's newest release Criminal InJustice in America. For more information, visit Marshall's website at http://www.marshallfrank.com/.

Judith Mammay

When Judith Mammay retired from teaching elementary special education, she started her second career as an author of children's books. She has written Knowing Joseph, a mid-grade novel, and It's Time, an early reader/picture book, both of which address issues of autism. She currently lives in Melbourne, Florida, with her husband and is an active member of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is the president of the Space Coast Writers' Guild (SCWG). Besides writing, she also enjoys nature photography, playing golf, and spending time with her grandchildren.

Knowing Joseph ... Brian would give anything to have a normal six-year-old brother -- one who doesn't scream, that normals sounds are not too loud for, or just a brother who would play with other kids. But no matter how often he pretends not to know him, Brian has to face that he doesn't have a normal brother. He has Joseph, who is autistic.

Life with Joseph isn't easy. Joseph needs order and structure, which is something other kids find weird. Brian constantly finds himself defending Joseph from kids who understand Joseph even less than Brian does. It takes a new friend and a school project before Brain can begin to truly know and accept Joseph.

It's Time... Tommy knew he was different. His doctor told him and his mom he had autism. He didn't know what autism was, but he knew some things were hard for him.

It was hard for Tommy to understand what people meant when they talked. It was hard for him to use words that would help others to understand him, too. Sometimes that made him scream.

Tommy liked things to be the same. He liked to do everything in the same order each day. It upset Tommy if the schedule changed.

Sometimes Tommy didn't like people to be close to him. And he didn't like loud noises and bright, flashing lights.

Even when Tommy tried his best, some days were hard. Some days he had problems.

Judy has presented in several venues, including schools, college classes, and at community meetings. She is available to do school visits on the topics of writing, conflict resolution, and disability awareness. Contact her at jmammaywrites@cfl.rr.com or through her website, www.judithmammay.com/.

Holly Fox Vellekoop

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River by Holly Fox Vellekoop. Holly is a former clinical instructor in psychiatric and mental health nursing for Pen State University.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is a murder mystery set in the small town of Danville, Pennsylvania. Follow state policeman Thomas Sheski and his partner as they attempt to solve the murder of the wife of a well-known psychologist who provides treatment for wealthy clients at his private mental hospital.

Stone Haven: Murder Along the River is available at http://www.amazon.com/ or by emailing the author at hvellekoop@cfl.rr.com


Book Festivals/Workshops/Conferences















The Osceola Library System is having a reading festival on September 26, 27, and 28, 2008. The festival goals are to promote literacy, foster enjoyment of the written word for all ages, and to bring together all those interested in reading, writing and publishing. The festival will take place at the Hart Memorial Central Library at 211 East Dakin Avenue in downtown Kissimmee.

There will be an Author's Gallery to provide the community with the opportunity to interact directly with published authors and to purchase autographed copies of their work. Several authors from Brevard are participating. They are: Judy Mammay, Bill Allen, Pat McDonough, Joyce Henderson, and Valerie Allen. This is open to published authors interested in participating. If interested, authors should download a participation form and submit it to the library by September 8th, 2008. For more information about the festival and how to participate click here.

Book Signings and Lectures

Pat McDonough had a book signing for Kazik's Polish Navy by Kazimierz J. Kasperek and Pat McDonough on August 15, 2008, at the Polish Cultural Institute in Winona, Minnesota. Find out about Kazik's Polish Navy (ISBN 978-0-9653467-2-6 $21.95) at http://www.terrasanctapress.com/

Organizations and Meetings

Note: I know this is a partial list of organizations, and I know I haven't included all the information about meetings. I would love to list information about your group. Please send in the information you would like listed about your group to Lou@LouBelcher.com. Thanks.

Cape Canaveral Pen Women

website: http://www.capecanaveralpenwomen.org/. The goal of this group is to conduct and promote creative and educational activities in art, letters, and music.

Florida Writers Association

website: http://www.floridawriters.net. There is a regional group called Poets, Authors and Writers Share (PAWS). This group meets the third Wednesday of the month at Melbourne Public Library on Fee Avenue.

Scribblers

website: http://www.geocities/brevardscribblers/index.htm. This group meets the 2nd and 4th Saturdays from February through October. During November, December and January, they meet the 2nd Saturday of the month. All meetings start at 9:30 a.m. at the Eau Gallie Library.

SCBWI Florida

website: http://www.scbwiflorida.com/. This is the state chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

Space Coast Writers' Guild

website: http://www.scwg.org/ The monthly meeting of the Space Coast Writers' Guild is on the third Saturday of the month at the West Melbourne Library at 2755 Wingate Blvd (on the corner of Minton and Wingate). It starts at 1:00 p.m. The SCWG newsletter reports that the speaker for September is Scott Tilly. He will be speaking about writing in academia. Tilley is Professor and Director of Software Engineering in the Department of Computer Sciences at FIT andis also a Professor of Management Information Systems. He is the author/editor of over 100 academic publications. This meeting is open to the public.

There are other meetings within the group.

On the first Saturday of the month, the guild sponsors presentations by authors in conjunction with the Book Xchg on Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village. This is open to the public and the next event is on September 6, 2008 at 1:00 p.m.

2nd Saturday with the Space Coast Writers' Guild is (obviously) on the 2nd Saturday of each month. This meeting is at the Merritt Island Public Library, 1195 N. Courtenay Parkway. The meeting starts at 1:00 p.m. and is open to the public and members. The next meeting of the 2nd Saturday group is on 9/13/08 and will feature NBC space reporter and best-selling author Jay Barbree. He is the only journalist to have covered every manned space mission in the United States.

Publishers and Book Stores

First Saturday at the Book Xchg

Two published authors, members of the Space Coast Writers' Guild, will present their books on Saturday, Steptember 6, 2008, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Book Xchg, 604 Brevard Avenue, Cocoa Village, Florida.

Bill Allen, author of Greg Hart, Dragonslayer?, and Ann Bonner, author of Secrets of Pine Haven, Intrigue at Pine Haven, and Beyond Pine Haven, will be the presenters on September 6th. Both authors will be available to sign purchased copies of their books after the presentations.

Also available at the Book Xchg are books by other local authors. For more information, call Holly Vellekoop at (321) 733-9449 or the Book Xchg owners (pictured here), Rich and Angie Moore, at (321) 639-5624.

This and That


Congrats to Marilyn Martin. Her story about Abraham Lincoln has been accepted by the National League of American PenWomen to be included in a published anthology honoring Abe Lincoln's bicentennial birthday. The topic is dear to her heart as her daughter-in-law is related to him through her dad.

Max's Book Notes and Profound Thoughts


Crunchies on the floor
That's what I adore
oh yeah...

Creativity is messy...

enjoy the mess.


Note: The Florida Book News is a free service for writers and book lovers. If you would like to make a donation to help support this endeavor, you may use the donation button toward the beginning of this issue on the right or send your donation to Lou Belcher at P.O. Box 61228; Palm Bay, Florida 32906-1228. Thanks.

The next issue of Florida Book News will be posted on 9/18/08. Send your news to Lou@LouBelcher.com by 9/15/08. Thanks.

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