Lou's Tip of the Day

Welcome to Florida Book News

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 21:15:00 +0000

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.

To all of you, if you know of someone who you think would like to receive notice when Florida Book News is posted, have them send me their email address at Lou@LouBelcher.com

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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...

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:52:00 +0000

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/

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:45:00 +0000

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.

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:42:00 +0000

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:40:00 +0000

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

Kerouac Writers Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:28:00 +0000

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

Florida Book Awards deadline is Monday, January 4th.

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 23:32:00 +0000

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.

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 19:03:00 +0000

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:38:00 +0000

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.

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 21:09:00 +0000

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:18:00 +0000

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

Enjoy Florida history through author E. Lynne Wright

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 11:04:00 +0000

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.

Sea Fare - A Chef's Journey Across the Ocean

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 20:39:00 +0000

“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.

Amelia Island Book Festival features Sonny Brewer

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 22:29:00 +0000

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 20:17:00 +0000

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

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

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 17:00:00 +0000

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/

Oceanview Publishing releases Dead Air by Linda Reid and Deborah Shilan

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:47:00 +0000

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

Kay Williamson wins Writers One Flight Up Contest

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:14:00 +0000

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/

Artists' and Writers' Crawl in Orlando

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 10:41:00 +0000

Ameilia Island Book Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:40:00 +0000

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.

Space Coast Writers' Guild sponsors From Pen to Pixels

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:39:00 +0000

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.

Florida Christian Writers Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:33:00 +0000

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

Zora Neale Hurston Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 10:07:00 +0000

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.

Much Ado About Books Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:26:00 +0000

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

Florida Writers' Foundation Auctions

noreply@blogger.com (Lou Belcher) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:56:00 +0000

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/