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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200215T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200215T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190816T042942Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164351Z
UID:22594-1581777000-1581782400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Local Author Series - Ann~Marie Magné
DESCRIPTION:Ann~Marie Magné is excited to read from her book Almost Ticked Off\, the story of the rare medical condition that put her husband at the brink of death. A love story. A survival story. A memoir. \nAnn~Marie Magné \nAnn~Marie is a past vice president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville and a current critique-pod leader. She is the mother of one daughter\, step-mom to two sons\, and Grammy to seven. She loves living in Gainesville\, FL\, with her husband. This is her first memoir. \nAlmost Ticked Off \nA survival story. A love story. A memoir. Retired police lieutenant Lee Schwartz teeters on the edge of death as his brain and body are ravaged by an insidious bacterial infection. Afraid to leave his hospital bedside\, Lee’s wife Ann~Marie keeps a journal of every horrible moment. One doctor had a theory: a tick bite\, and began treatment immediately. Was he right? Would it be soon enough to save Lee’s life?
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/local-author-series-annmarie-magne/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Readings,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/MagneAnn_Marie-cover-e1565929770652.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200111T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200111T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190816T044821Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164351Z
UID:22605-1578753000-1578758400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Local Author Series - JW Robitaille
DESCRIPTION:Julie Robitaille will present Romancing the Crime\, the first book in her Gainesville female detective series. Cory Marin\, head of homicide\, is a strong woman with a diverse group of friends and a complicated love life. Her instinct and tenacity make her investigation into the murder of a young college professor a page-turner. Two of the novels in the series are finalists in the Royal Palm Literary Awards. Robitaille is a retired SF College English professor turned mystery writer. \nJW Robitaille \nJulie writes the Cory Marin Mystery series\, which features a strong female detective with a complicated love life and a diverse group of friends. Two of the four novels in the Cory Marin series are finalists in the 2019 Royal Palm Literary Awards. Julie has also published a number of literary novels and a book of short stories. In addition to writing\, Julie enjoys painting\, cooking\, gardening\, walking\, house restoration\, and travel. She lives in Gainesville\, Florida\, the setting of all her fiction. She has degrees in English from Emory University\, UNC-Chapel Hill\, and the University of Florida. \nRomancing the Crime \nSgt. Cory Marin\, head of homicide\, has her hands full. Not everyone on her squad is happy she’s in charge\, she’s still dealing with the break up of her marriage\, and wealthy residents are up in arms over the murder of a young professor in broad daylight in Ravine Creek\, a proposed city park where she jogs every day. Cory is convinced that what appears to be a random robbery gone wrong is premeditated murder. Her job is complicated by the appearance of Fletcher Manning\, a bestselling novelist who shadows her as research for a female detective novel he is writing. She has her guard up\, but as she gets to know him\, she softens and begins to fall for him.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/local-author-series-jw-robitaille/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Readings,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/RobitalleBOXSETA-e1565930890230.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191214T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191214T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190815T031644Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164351Z
UID:22562-1576333800-1576339200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Local Author Series - Gary Gordon
DESCRIPTION:Author\, musician\, and former Mayor-Commissioner Gary Gordon grew up in Gainesville. His first novel\, Crossfire Canyon\, was published by Zebra Books; his two editions of Southern California Travel Smart were published by John Muir. Set in Gatorville and published last year in paperback\, Chief Mican’s Revenge is the satirical tale of the clash between the Mican Indians and the Columbus-DeLeon Construction Company in what might be the first and last Great Mall & Indian War. \nGary Gordon \nGary grew up in Gainesville\, Florida\, worked as a waiter\, record store manager (at Hyde & Zeke Records)\, musician and activist after attending Emory U. and graduating with a journalism degree from Northwestern University in 1974. He served on the Gainesville City Commission and was Mayor-Commissioner from 1985 to 1986. He wrote and produced plays locally and produced the weekly Gary Gordon Comedy Hour on WUFT-FM. He was a writer\, musician\, spoken word artist and producer after moving to Los Angeles in 1991. Among his productions in L.A. was the critically acclaimed play “O.J. Law.” His first novel\, Crossfire Canyon\, was published by Zebra Books. He is the author of the first and second editions of Southern California Travel Smart\, published by John Muir. He is married and returned to Gainesville in October\, 2017. Chief Mican’s Revenge was published in paperback late last year. \nChief Mican’s Revenge \nChris Columbus is a developer with a passion to build malls. Appointed Admiral of the Ocean Prairie by Governor Job Sparky\, he’s all set to create his masterpiece on the vacant land just south of Gatorville. What he doesn’t know—what no one knows\, is that a Native American tribe has been living\, undiscovered\, in the woods by the prairie for over 200 years! When a Mican warrior shoots Columbus with an arrow\, the whole town\, the whole country soon find out\, and battle lines are drawn. And\, just like Romeo & Juliet\, Columbus’s assistant Zebulon Pike has fallen in love with Sarai\, Chief Mican’s daughter! \nChief Mican’s Revenge is the dramatic\, outrageous\, satirical tale of the clash between the Mican Indians\, the Columbus-DeLeon Construction Company\, and the citizens of Gatorville. Follow the exploits of Columbus\, Chief Mican\, Gov. Sparky\, Professor Paul Revere\, campus activist Sam Adams\, Sheriff Andy\, “Shotgun” Flora\, state legislators Speck and Manson\, banker D.B. Cooper\, renowned defense attorney Clarence Darwin\, and the young lovers as the national news media descends upon them to cover what could be the first\, and last\, Great Mall & Indian War.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/local-author-series-gary-gordon/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Readings,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Gordon-cover-e1565838005328.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191124T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191124T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190815T025439Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164351Z
UID:22558-1574605800-1574611200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Local Author Series - Cindy Bertelsen
DESCRIPTION:Just in time for Thanksgiving\, Cynthia Bertelsen will discuss the challenges of cooking with historic cookbooks\, using hands-on instructions from her book A Hastiness of Cooks and examples from the first American cookbook\, from 1796\, Amelia Simmon’s American Cookery. A skilled cook and culinary historian\, Bertelsen is also the author of Mushroom: A Global History. \nCindy Bertelsen \nTrained as an historian\, librarian\, and nutritionist\, Cynthia D. Bertelsen is the author of Mushroom: A Global History (Reaktion Books U.K.\, 2013) and A Hastiness of Cooks: A Practical Handbook for Use in Deciphering the Mysteries of Historic Recipes and Cookbooks (Turquoise Moon Press\, 2019). She has also published essays\, articles\, book reviews\, and photographs in numerous print and online publications. Volunteering with the Peacock-Harper Culinary History Group at Virginia Tech for over ten years provided her with a deep knowledge of historic cookbooks. And her cooking skills blossomed through years of living and working in various countries\, specifically Mexico\, Paraguay\, Honduras\, Haiti\, Morocco\, and Burkina Faso. Cynthia also attended cooking classes in Paris\, France\, at Le Cordon Bleu École de Cuisine et de Pâtisserie. In 2011\, the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) awarded her a Julia Child Independent Scholar grant to study the impact of immigration on the future of French cuisine.  \n­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­A Hastiness of Cooks: A Practical Handbook for Use in Deciphering the Mysteries of Historic Recipes and Cookbooks\, For Living-History Reenactors\, Historians\, Writers\, Chefs\, Archaeologists\, and\, of Course\, Cooks \nThanks to digitization\, hundreds of historic cookbooks are now available online. However\, several stumbling blocks―archaic language\, obtuse instructions\, bewildering ingredients\, etc.―prevent many dedicated cooks\, novelists\, historical reenactors\, researchers\, and others from benefiting fully from these resources. And that’s where Cynthia Bertelsen’s book comes in. A Hastiness of Cooks: A Practical Handbook for Use in Deciphering the Mysteries of Historic Recipes and Cookbooks\, For Living-History Reenactors\, Historians\, Writers\, Chefs\, Archaeologists\, and\, of Course\, Cooks shows readers step by step how to 1) recreate historic recipes and 2) analyze cookbooks for telling details that add hints of authenticity to the daily dinner table\, culinary reenactment at a Renaissance fair or historic site\, a banquet scene in a Tudor-era novel\, a Games of Thrones party\, or perhaps an unusual scholarly paper. Lavishly illustrated with black-and-white ink drawings by Chicago artist Courtney Nzeribe\, A Hastiness of Cooks brings the world of historic cookbooks to life. And to the kitchen.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/local-author-series-cindy-bertelsen/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Readings,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/BertelsenCover-e1565837569830.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191027T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191027T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190821T070450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164351Z
UID:22616-1572186600-1572192000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Local Author Series - James Williams
DESCRIPTION:Author James F. Williams will discuss and read from his first novel\, The Pedestrians\, a wry\, social science-fiction thriller. Set in 2097’s Manhattan Island City\, a gated community\, data hunter Dale Evans tracks evidence to solve a brutal murder on Wall Street\, the city’s red-light district. A terrifying plunge from a flying taxi forces Evans to reconstruct his identity while working the brutal case. He and partner Jimmy Ha encounter lab-grown child clones\, fleets of self-assembling robots and an industrialist serial killer. Evans also finds love amidst masses of homeless Manhattanites\, which the immigrant one percent now mockingly call “the pedestrians.” \nJames Williams \nJames was born in Gainesville\, Florida\, and graduated from GHS with an Associates degree from UF before he began his travels. Since then\, he’s lived\, worked and published miscellanea in Wichita\, Kansas; Boston; New York City; and possibly Shanghai\, China. \nReturning to Florida\, he became writer and editor of The Lake Region Monitor (a Keystone Heights/Melrose weekly newspaper)\, serving for nine years. Since then\, he has served as stringer or substitute writer/editor for the Monitor\, the Bradford County Telegraph and the Union County Times until his semi-retirement in 2014. He writes occasional articles on business and local government. \nThe Pedestrians \nAuthor James F. Williams describes his first novel\, The Pedestrians\, as a wry social science-fiction thriller. He is proud to say it has all the clichés of 20th century sci-fi potboilers: flying solar cars\, robots\, clones\, mile-high buildings. Set in 2097\, thinly veiled\, the Big Apple is now Manhattan Island City\, rid of its needless boroughs. The Stock Exchange has fled to Washington to be near the power center and the national treasury. Crime and homelessness are rampant. \nData hunter Dale Evans tracks evidence to solve a bizarre murder on Wall Street\, the city’s red-light district. Moving around MIC\, a gated community\, Evans loses his identity and fights to regain it while encountering lab-grown clones\, fleets of robots and a murderous industrialist. Evans also finds love amidst the masses of homeless the immigrant one percent mockingly call “the pedestrians.” \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/local-author-series-james-williams/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Readings,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Williams-Book-Cover-e1566370664532.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190922T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190922T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190815T043055Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164352Z
UID:22571-1569162600-1569168000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Local Author Series - Gail Rose Thompson
DESCRIPTION:Note: Held in Meeting Room B of the Alachua Library Headquarters Branch \nGail Rose Thompson will present her nonfiction Iran from Crown to Turban\, relating tales of life in Iran during the time of the Pahlavi Crown\, the revolution and post-revolutionary times. Her images of the country are far different from what the press tells us. She lived there in the 1970s\, visited two years ago\, and is frequently in contact with friends living there now. Her entertaining stories depict a country of which we are misinformed. \nGail Rose Thompson \nGail grew up in Ontario\, Canada\, where as a young girl she became involved in riding and training horses. She graduated from Hamilton Teachers College and taught school for several years before she traveled to Iran\, where she worked for the Imperial Court of Shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi during the “Golden Years” of the 1970s. While there\, she witnessed the country’s development as the leading power in the Middle East. Upon her arrival in Richmond\, Virginia from Iran\, she opened a riding school which\, over the next forty years\, developed into a renowned training facility for Hunter/Jumper horses and riders. She returned to Iran in the fall of 2017\, where she met up with old friends and spent time touring and learning about the life in the Islamic Republic of Iran as it is now. She currently lives in Ocala\, Florida. Her memoir All the Shah’s Horses has been well received. \nIran From Crown To Turbans  \nPeople are curious about how life in Iran today\, under the Islamic republic\, differs from life as it was during the reign of Shah Mohamad Reza Pahlavi. Gail Rose Thompson\, who lived there in the 1970s and worked for the imperial court as the Shah’s horse trainer\, has many tales about life during that time and also about the way of life in the country post-revolution. She visited Iran in 2017 after an absence of forty years\, the first ex-employee of the Shah to return. She paints a picture of a beautiful historic country that dates from the fourth millennium BCE\, when the Persian Empire was the most powerful kingdom in the ancient world. Iranians are proud of their heritage and are polite\, hospitable\, and extremely family-oriented. Iran from Crown to Turbans is a fascinating book of stories that will enlighten the reader about a country that has been misrepresented.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/local-author-series-gail-rose-thompson/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, Rm. B\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Readings,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Thompson-front-cover-e1565842976481.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190518T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190518T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190418T114517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190420T013219Z
UID:22087-1558189800-1558193400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author D. A. Belmont to Speak at Library
DESCRIPTION:Author D. A. Belmont will discuss and read from his book Diamondacious! at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday\, May 18\, at the Alachua County Library District Headquarters in downtown Gainesville. \nDiamondacious! sparkles like a bodacious diamond. It’s the funny\, sexy\, gossipy\, tongue-in-cheek saga of Debbie DeVore\, who begins her journey as a plain brunette from the wrong side of town and rises to wealth as an icy\, blonde accounting wiz. Was it so bad she cut a few corners to get there?  \nThis frothy beach read begins in Fort Lauderdale but sweeps to New York\, Las Vegas\, and the capitals of South America. It will make you laugh\, make you cry\, and make you jealous. You’ll recognize some of the characters from the boldface names of newspapers if you read gossip\, the financial pages\, and even the political news. But you have never heard these stories with the spin D. A. Belmont gives them in this tautly rendered and remarkably nuanced page-turner. It’s an atmospheric and propulsive chronicle of a time\, a place\, and a way of life. \nDebbie’s friends are fascinating. Beautiful Arden Sloane lives a life of glamor and success but hides the saddest childhood a poor little rich girl could possibly know. Handsome\, brilliant\, ambitious Peter Pelligrino is both highly educated and accomplished. But his heritage holds him back from happiness with Arden. Karal\, a fabulous high-end hairdresser to the rich and infamous of Fort Lauderdale\, is the true friend who helps Debbie become a swan. \nDiamondacious! is a crazy\, sexy\, laugh-out-loud satire. It’s in turn shocking\, poignant\, and uproarious—written with an eye for detail\, an ear for dialogue\, and a knack for comic timing. It’s full of the straight story and the other one too. At the same time\, it’s never graphic\, and the good guys always come out on top—financially at least. Debbie is a woman who loves life and who reaches out to help herself (and her true friends) to all the world has to offer. \nD. A. Belmont knows Fort Lauderdale intimately\, what goes on undercover as well as under the covers. Belmont’s wisely squandered youth was spent in Florida’s “Venice of America” and wildly in other enthralling fleshpots north and south of the equator.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-d-a-belmont-to-speak-at-library/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/DABelmont-new-headshot-e1555587115893.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190323T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190323T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190223T170622Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190108T170713Z
UID:11417-1553351400-1553355000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Dwight Bennett (aka Sam Berretti) to Speak at Library Headquarters
DESCRIPTION:Dwight Bennett\, who writes under the pen name Sam Berretti\, will present the second in his Seekers Mystery Series\, Good Girl Gone at the Alachua County Headquarters on Saturday\, March 23\, at 2:30 p.m. \nDoris Watson works as engineer\, designing kitchen appliances such as microwave ovens. Ex-military\, she appears to lead a solitary life in Maryland\, surrounded by books\, a few close friends and her cat. When she gets an emergency late night message\, her mundane existence takes a decided turn into the bizarre and deadly realm of human trafficking as her secret\, second job summons. She is an on-call agent for a firm named Seekers Worldwide\, a front for a loose group of high-tech mercenaries\, managed by Della Jamay Charboneau and run by NSA agent Sam Namath. \nSomeone made the truly epic mistake of kidnapping Della Jamay Carboneau’s niece\, and Della is no ordinary aunt. She is an assassin with a very short temper and a very large arsenal. Doris Watson’s assignment from Sam: to handle her handler and keep Della’s body count low. Plagued by prophetic dreams and embroiled in Della’s most private matters\, rookie Doris finds herself in way over her head. Together they fight for their lives against ruthless New Orleans criminals and a mysterious Voodoo priestess claiming to be stealing souls with fire in this non-stop action story of family love versus true evil. \nDwight Bennett\, who writes under the pen name Sam Berretti\, was born and raised in the High Plains city of Lubbock\, Texas. Cotton was king\, and oil wells and cattle were close by. The land was as flat as his mother’s tattered ironing board\, and spring was always ushered in with dust storms\, tumble weeds and tornadoes. Dwight moved to Florida to attend the University of Florida\, met a woman who he says was gracious enough to allow him to marry her\, and raised two amazing children. Dwight is an avid naturalist and photographer as well as an author. Although writing started at an early age and took many forms\, mystery fiction has always been a favorite.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-dwight-bennett-aka-sam-berretti-to-speak-at-library-headquarters/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/bennett_photo-e1546966998796.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190223T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190223T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190126T155831Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190108T160645Z
UID:11407-1550932200-1550935800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Kassandra Lamb to Speak at Library Headquarters
DESCRIPTION:Author Kassandra Lamb will discuss To Kill A Labrador (no\, the dog does NOT die) at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday\, February 23\, at the Alachua County Library Headquarters. \nThe book is the first of her cozy mystery series about Marcia Banks\, who has both an unusual name (Marcia is pronounced Mar-see-a\, not Marsha) and an unusual vocation. She trains service dogs for veterans with PTSD. \nWhen a former Marine\, the new owner of Marcia’s first trainee dog\, Buddy\, is accused of murdering his wife\, Marcia gets sucked into an even more abnormal avocation—amateur sleuth. Called in to dog-sit Buddy\, a Labrador\, she’s outraged that his veteran owner is being presumed guilty until proven innocent. With Buddy’s help\, she tries to uncover the real killer. Even after the hunky local sheriff politely tells her to butt out\, Marcia keeps poking around. Until the killer finally pokes back. \nKassandra Lamb is a retired psychotherapist and college professor turned mystery writer. She spends most of her time with her characters in an alternate universe\, the magic portal to which (i.e.\, her computer) is located in North Central Florida\, where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her. In addition to her Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries\, Lamb is the author of the Kate Huntington mystery series and a guidebook for novice writers\, Someday Is Here! She also writes romantic suspense under the pen name Jessica Dale.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-kassandra-lamb-to-speak-at-library-headquarters/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1-Kass-Lamb-lighter-reduced.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190126T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190126T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190108T042206Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190121T192147Z
UID:11394-1548513000-1548516600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author K.E. Mullins to Speak at Downtown Library
DESCRIPTION:“Please join The Opinionated Ladies Book Club and The Friends of the Library\,” says Cynthia Chestnut\, “as we present Gainesville author K.E. Mullins\, on January 26\, 2:30 p.m. at the downtown library. \nMullins\, immediate past president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville\, will discuss her books\, Thinking Aloud: Dimensions of Free-Verse\, and her novels: The Friends and Family Connection: Get Unplugged\, In the Company of Strangers\, and Murder: Another Name for Revenge.  \nMullins began her writing career while in the Navy by venturing into poetry. Her first piece\, “My One Last Cent\,” was published in the literary journal\, Amistad. She currently works as a Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) Instructor in Gainesville.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-k-e-mullins-to-speak-at-downtown-library/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Kim-Mullins.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190126T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190126T150000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20190108T020341Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190122T174000Z
UID:11384-1548511200-1548514800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Vrinda Sheth to Speak at Downtown Library
DESCRIPTION:Join Author Vrinda Sheth on Saturday\, January 26\, at 2 p.m. in the Foundation Room of the Alachua County Library Headquarters downtown. She will discuss her latest book for young readers\, Shadows of the Sun Dynasty\, An Illustrated Series Based on the Ramayana\, \nAmazon describes the book as “A truly original reimagining of the classic Indian epic\, the Ramayana\, as told primarily through the eyes of the women behind the throne. Shadows of the Sun Dynasty reveals an entirely new perspective on an ancient story.”\n \nFrom Kirkus Review: “Sheth offers young readers a Ramayana with all the grandeur of myth but also with rounded\, relatable human characters who give the story some needed emotional weight. An impressive recounting of an ancient South Asian legend.” \nA graduate of the University of Florida\, Sheth was born in Sweden and raised on stories from ancient India. She began writing while studying classical dance in Kalakshetra\, South India. \nThe book is heavily illustrated\, thanks to Anna Johansson\, Sheth’s mother\, a watercolor artist. Johansson’s artwork is inspired by the mystical yoga tradition of ancient India. \nThe mother-daughter team has worked together on the Sita’s Fire trilogy for over a decade. Their first book won an Independent Publisher Book Award\, received an honorable mention at the New York Book Show\, and was a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-vrinda-sheth-to-speak-at-downtown-library/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Foundation Room
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/VrindaSheth-Sign-8.5x11-1-e1546911519781.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180421T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180421T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20180322T202851Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180322T211409Z
UID:8958-1524321000-1524324600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Daniel Blumberg to speak at Alachua County library headquarters
DESCRIPTION:Daniel Blumberg\, the author of The Rise & Fall of MechaniKalle will discuss and read from the book at the library on Saturday\, April 21\, at 2:30 p.m.\n \nKalle Talbot has always wanted to be a superhero. When her sixteenth birthday passes without her developing any powers\, she decides to create her own power armor suit. Follow Kalle as she grows as a hero\, all while attempting to keep things from blowing up around her. \n \n“Daniel Blumberg is incredibly imaginative and original\,” writes one reviewer. “Great premise. Refreshing to see a self-made superhero.” \nBlumberg has lived in the Gainesville\, Florida\, area since 1980 and enjoys fantasy and sci-fi. This is his second published book. Two to three times a month\, he works to save the world in weekly pen and paper superhero games. \nHis talk is part of the ongoing Local Author Series\, sponsored by the Alachua County Library and Writers Alliance. Join Blumberg at the downtown library in Meeting Room A\, fourth floor. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-daniel-blumberg-speak-alachua-county-library-headquarters/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Daniel_Blumberg-photo-e1518532171507.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180408T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180408T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013910
CREATED:20170724T173737Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180410T164809Z
UID:7455-1523197800-1523203200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Florida Book Awards Program by Drs. Noll and Gallman
DESCRIPTION:Summary of the April 8 program by Mallory M. O’Connor \nThe Florida Book Awards is an annual awards program that honors\, recognizes\, and celebrates literature by Florida authors and books about Florida that were published in the previous year. Established in 2006\, the program now gives awards in eleven categories with bronze\, silver and gold medals. According to Dr. Steven Noll\, one of two presenters on April 8\, it is the nation’s most comprehensive state book awards program. \nThe awards program is coordinated by the Florida State University Libraries and has a number of co-sponsors including the Florida Center for the Book\, the State Library and Archives\, the Florida Humanities Council\, and the Florida Writers Association. Submissions are read by juries of three members for each of eleven categories: Younger Children’s Literature\, Older Children’s Literature\, Cooking\, Florida Nonfiction\, General Fiction\, General Nonfiction\, Popular Fiction\, Spanish Language\, Visual Arts\, Young Adult\, and Poetry. \nThe jurors are nominated by the co-sponsoring organizations from across the state. Jurors are authorized to select up to three medalists in each category (one gold\, one silver\, and one bronze). The jurors are also authorized to make no selections in any given year. Winning authors from across the state are honored at an annual awards banquet in Tallahassee. Previous winners include such well-known authors as Cynthia Barnett whose book Rain: A Natural and Cultural History was a 2015 gold medal winner. \nAnother 2015 winner was J. Matthew Gallman. His book\, Defining Duty in the Civil War\, was a silver-medal winner for nonfictiion. Dr. Gallman spoke about how his book progressed from intended satire to a more nuanced account of the concept of “duty” among Northerners during the Civil War period. \nHe pointed out the problems faced by men and women as they grappled with the unprecedented decision associated with taking sides in a divided nation. He also discussed the issues of gender and ethnicity as women and African-Americans struggled to understand their role in the conflict. Dr. Gallman used a number of visual images in the form of political cartoons to support and augment his discussion. \nA juror in the non-fiction category\, Steven Noll\, PhD\, University of Florida\, is a master lecturer and author of three books including co-author of Ditch of Dreams\, a history of the ill-fated cross-Florida barge canal project. Dr. Noll was named one of the 300 best professors in the US by the Princeton Review in 2012. His writing interests include many topics of Florida history including sports history and the environment. \nJ. Matthew Gallman earned his PhD in American History from Brandeis University and taught at Loyola College\, Gettysburg College\, and Occidental College before joining the Department of History at the University of Florida in 2003\, where he teaches\, reads\, and writes about the American Civil War. \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/nollgallman-florida-book-awards/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Doc1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180317T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180317T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013911
CREATED:20180218T152525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180318T113223Z
UID:8956-1521297000-1521300600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Wendy Thornton Discussed Her Latest Book: Sounding the Depths
DESCRIPTION:Author Wendy Thornton discussed her latest book\, Sounding The Depths\, as part of the ongoing Local Author Series at the Alachua County Library headquarters on Saturday\, March 17. \n“Music creates memories\,” Thornton said\, “even for those who are on the verge of losing theirs forever. You hear an old song and it transports you back into the past.” \nThrough humorous essays and remembrances in Sounding the Depths\, Thornton has explored the past fifty years of music\, the way it has changed\, and the many ways it has remained the same. \n  Thornton\, signing a book for Mallory O’Connor\nNear the end of her talk\, Thornton said her all-time favorite musician is Gainesville’s beloved Tom Petty\, who died on October 2\, 2017\, at age 66. She mentioned the city’s plan to honor Petty and the possible options: rename a city street\, park\, or facility; add a statue to a city park or facility; host an annual concert or music festival; proclaim his birthday\, Oct. 20\, as Tom Petty Day; dedicate the month of October to his legacy. Want to vote? Go to www.surveymonkey.com/r/TomPettyMemorial. The survey ends April 16. \nA book signing followed Thornton’s talk and included her other books: Dear Oprah Or How I Beat Cancer and Learned to Love Daytime TV (2013) and a  mystery\, Bear-Trapped: In a Trashy Hollywood Novel (2015). She also had a number of journals on exhibit to show the opportunities that exist for writers. \nThornton’s stories and essays have been published in a variety of journals and books including Riverteeth\, Epiphany\, and MacGuffin. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize\, has been Editor’s Pick on Salon.com multiple times\, and has received numerous awards. Her works have been published in England\, Ireland\, Scotland\, Australia and India. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/wendy-thornton-speak-alachua-county-library-headquarters/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/WendyThornton-e1518533204443.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20171008T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20171008T160000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013911
CREATED:20170724T184824Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20171208T210330Z
UID:7541-1507473000-1507478400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:M. W. Gordon - Ask Not for Whom the Pen Writes . . .
DESCRIPTION:Summary of M. W. Gordon’s talk by Penny Church-Pupke. \nRetired UF law professor turned mystery writer Michael Gordon (pen name M.W. Gordon) presented a program entitled “Ask not for whom the pen writes\, it writes for me.” A published author of nonfiction and fiction\, Gordon’s debut novel Deadly Drifts\, the first of nine in his  McDuff Brooks mystery series\, won the 2014 Royal Palm Literary Award for Published Book of the Year. \nThroughout his talk\, Gordon used anecdotes from his life and gave writing advice gained through publishing his book series. Gordon said his writing grew out of his examination of his life’s interests including law\, sports\, boating and fly fishing. After his retirement at age 73\, he sifted through his work experiences of teaching\, lecturing\, consulting\, and writing in international law as well as civil law. At the same time\, he assessed his other interests—he was a boat builder\, a certified fly-fishing guide\, an oboe and English horn player\, and an owner of Shetland Sheepdogs. At leisure\, with no thought of writing\, he began reading fiction. Eventually\, he wondered whether he could write dialogue and if he knew enough to write a book\, using the knowledge he had gained during his life. \nTwo years later\, Deadly Drifts was complete. Now\, he wondered what he should do with his 300-page manuscript. He tried traditional publishing\, but the publishing agent he contacted wanted a contract of five years to search for a publisher. Gordon didn’t want to wait that long. On his own\, he tried the Big Five Publishing Houses—Penguin Random House\, HarperCollins\, Simon & Schuster\, Hachette Book Group\, and MacMillan—but they weren’t interested. Going to a subsidiary of the Big Five\, what Gordon called a “sub of a sub of a sub” wasn’t satisfactory. His alternative was DIY publishing (Do-It-Yourself). He suggested authors use the term Do-It-Yourself rather than self-published. Gordon confessed he had made lots of mistakes as he learned the ins and outs of publishing. In addition\, he said DIY publishing took lots of his time\, and required him to make lots of choices. \nHere are some of his recommendations. \nGordon suggested that authors not edit their works themselves; he added that it is important to know what kind of editing is being contracted (grammar\, punctuation\, content). Referring to DIY books\, he said writers should make use of templates—5.5 x 8.5 is a good size. Once a template it used\, it can be reused through copy and paste. Use 1.5 line spacing for your final submission since double-spacing makes it look like a draft. He advised forming your own publishing entity LLC (Limited Liability Company) or create a fictitious name so you can say you are “published by a small publishing firm in (location).” Also purchase your own ISBN (International Standard Book Number) so the number belongs to the writer not the publisher—it is\, he emphasized\, a matter of control. \nGordon discussed the differences between print-on-demand (POD) publishers like IngramSpark and Amazon’s CreateSpace. CreateSpace publishes only softcover (paperbound) books sold by Amazon or by the author.  One positive is that a Kindle e-book can be made with just a click of a mouse. However\, some bookstores do not like to work with Amazon since they take a 25% cut\, and books are not generally returnable. Gordon recommends not using Amazon Kindle’s special programs—Kindle Select/Kindle Unlimited—because this may require an exclusive agreement with Amazon and may lower royalties by 20%. In contrast\, IngramSpark will publish a softcover or hardcover and the company distributes to bookstores and makes the books available to libraries. For ease of use\, Gordon suggested going to IngramSpark first\, then CreateSpace. \nWhen writing a series\, Gordon said\, it is essential to have a timeline; the timeline he created for his series is about 25-pages long. Equally important is to have a list of characters. He found that characters are easier to write if they come from a dysfunctional family. In a similar vein\, he said children grow up fast—in other words\, how long can a child be credibly enrolled in high school or college? He said adults age much better. Gordon suggested it is a good idea for the main character to have a pet; that pet can be a minor figure\, or it can be another character\, but it should have some quirks. He added that his dog character\, Wuff\, has appeared in all his books and was even shot. In a series\, if the main characters are married or are a couple\, one spouse/partner can be killed. Likewise\, if a character isn’t working out\, or if the author is worried that the readers are getting bored\, characters can be killed. However\, he added\, don’t bring back a character who was killed. Gordon said\, it is good to have a sinister character appear throughout the series\, much as Professor Moriarty served as a nemesis to Sherlock Holmes. \nGordon’s book display at October 8 WAG program\nAs for marketing suggestions\, Gordon said book tours and lectures are usually not arranged by publishers. He found book tours did not give him a reasonable return; he sold only 2 copies the first time\, 12 the second\, and 25 the next month. The most he sold was 62\, this past year. In contrast\, he has sold 2\,000 e-book copies. He said\, book sales come after radio and TV interviews. Another marketing tip (good for bookstores) is to create a one-page handout\, with a photo of the book cover on one side and a description and contact information on the other. \nGordon provided a handout\, which said “Enjoy what you are doing.” If you don’t enjoy writing\, do something else. His final recommendation\, written in bold letters was Write for yourself. \nWhen not writing\, Gordon has been involved in Project Healing Waters in Montana\, where fly-fishing is taught to former military personnel who were combat wounded. Next summer\, he hopes to become involved in Casting for Recovery in Vermont\, where fly-fishing is taught to women cancer survivors. According to his handout\, he sailed in the America’s Cup on America’s contender “American Eagle” in 1967. \nGordon has degrees from the U.S.\, France\, and Mexico\, and except for a case of malaria\, he would have had another degree from the Netherlands. He consulted and lectured at U.S. Embassies in a dozen or more foreign nations and was consulted on cross border issues by the Departments of State\, Commerce\, and Justice. He primarily fishes in the U.S. and Canada and is on pro-boards in fly-fishing in Simms  in Montana and Orvis in Vermont. He has never kept a fish he caught; his first trout was caught in 1944 and was immediately released because he said\, he was struck by its beauty. And fittingly\, he uses barbless hooks whenever he fishes.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/m-w-gordon-writer-mysteries/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Gordon2.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170916T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170916T153000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013911
CREATED:20170826T210237Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164426Z
UID:7728-1505572200-1505575800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Mallory M. O'Connor\, first author to present in new "Local Author Series"
DESCRIPTION:Mallory M. O’Connor is first on the program for the Alachua County Library’s new Local Author Series. \nOn September 16\, O’Connor will discuss her debut novel\, American River: Tributaries\, which follows the entwined lives of three immigrant families as they settle along this river in Northern California during the turbulent 1960s. \nO’Connor\, who grew up in Northern California\, has degrees in art\, art history\, and American history and taught art history at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College. \nShe is also the author of the non-fiction book\, Lost Cities of the Ancient Southeast\, and she and Gary Monroe coauthored Florida’s American Heritage River: Images from the St. Johns Region.  \nO’Connor resides in Micanopy and currently serves as vice president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. \nThis program will be held in Meeting Room A\, Fourth Floor\, of the Headquarters library\, 401 E. Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL. \nThe Local Author Series will feature a new author each month. \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/alachua-county-librarys-local-author-series-feature-mallory-m-oconnor/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Book Signing,Readings,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Headshot-5.2-e1503839035552.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20170408T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20170408T173000
DTSTAMP:20260515T013911
CREATED:20170224T214350Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164426Z
UID:6261-1491667200-1491672600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Book Discussion at Matheson Museum
DESCRIPTION:WAG member Mallory M. O’Connor and her co-author\, Gary Monroe\, discussed their book\, Florida’s American Heritage River: Images from the St. Johns Region at the Matheson History Museum in downtown Gainesville at 4:00 p.m. on April 8. This event was held in conjunction with the museum’s  exhibit\, River of Dreams: The St. Johns and Its Springs. \nThe mighty St. Johns River flows from its headwaters near Lake Okeechobee north through central Florida to Jacksonville. The river and its tributaries have been part of the cultural landscape of the peninsula for thousands of years. From the Native Americans who first settled along its banks to the French\, Spanish\, British and American settlers who followed\, it has been a source of food\, water\, transportation\, industry\, agriculture\, and recreation. In 1998 the St. Johns was declared an American Heritage River\, the only one in Florida and one of only fourteen in the country to be so designated. \nO’Connor is professor emerita of art history at Santa Fe College. Monroe is professor of fine arts and photography at Daytona State College. The lecture was free and open to the public. \nThe MATHESON HISTORY MUSEUM
’s hours are 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.\, Tuesday–Saturday. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/book-discussion-matheson-museum/
LOCATION:Matheson History Museum\, 513 E University Avenue\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Discussion,Book Sale,Book Signing
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