Mallory M. O'Connor, first author to present in new "Local Author Series"
2017-09-16 14:30 - 15:30 (America/New_York) | Alachua County Library Headquarters, Meeting Room A, 4th Floor, Rm. A, 401 E Univ. Ave., Gainesville, FL, 32601
Mallory M. O’Connor is first on the program for the Alachua County Library’s new Local Author Series.
On 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.
O’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.
She 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.
O’Connor resides in Micanopy and currently serves as vice president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville.
This program will be held in Meeting Room A, Fourth Floor, of the Headquarters library, 401 E. Univ. Ave., Gainesville, FL.
The Local Author Series will feature a new author each month.

Use Your Family Stories to Write a Historical Novel
2017-08-13 14:30 - 16:00 | Millhopper Library, Meeting Room A, 3145 NW 43rd St,, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
Nick West’s presentation

– Summarized by Bonnie Ogle –
On August 13, novelist and local businessman Nick West spoke to the general meeting of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville about using family stories to create a historical novel. A fifth generation Floridian, West has a plethora of family stories, which he has used as the basis for his four novels. Raised by grandparents with no television, West was entertained by his grandmother’s recounting stories about a family that traveled with the circus and weathered the American Civil War.
Audience members chat with author Nick West.
With that kernel of information, and inspiration from circus posters, West sought out other descendants of circus members to hear their stories. Learning of his great grandfather’s circus friend Master Duffy, he sought and found Duffy’s family. Duffy was a former slave who ran away when his sister was sold and their mother died of a broken heart. He became the “African Prince,” riding a horse in the show, using the job as a cover to search for his sister.
Pithy incidents retold to successive generations show up in West’s books. He had heard from his grandfather that the circus people split between north and south when war broke out. The circus owner’s parting words to the troops landed in one of West’s novels: “I hope the next time we meet, it’s not at the end of a barrel.”
As a child living in Archer, West frequently found arrowheads in the yard, amassing a large collection. He wondered, Who was the last human to touch this? Taking several pieces to the Florida Museum of Natural History for carbon dating, he was surprised to learn they were 6,000 years old. At the museum, he met anthropologists who were familiar with the first people, the Potanos, who lived in the area.
This sparked enough interest that he created a Potano couple for his main characters. Studying ancient peoples of Florida gave West many ideas. He incorporated the people’s customs such as marrying outside their tribe and trading with coastal tribes. When his hero traveled to the coast he saw a “great ship.” This event evolved from historical accounts West found while studying first encounters with Europeans.
Nick West speaks to a packed house at the Millhopper Library.
The author advised fellow writers, “The internet is a wonderful resource for you to get information about the locale, daily life, and current events of the time in which you set your story.” He cautioned writers, however, to use two or three sources to verify information. He reported spending half his time on research and twenty-five percent on editing. He recommended getting everyone you know to beta read your material, particularly if you are self-publishing.
West’s presentation, laden with anecdotal adventures and self-deprecating humor (“I am a non-profit organization – a self-published author”) piqued the audience’s interest in his four books, all available on Amazon. They include The Great Southern Circus, The Long Ride Home, The Sandspur Special, and To Light a New Fire.
The Great Southern Circus (2010) entertains with stories of Orton and Older’s Great Southern Circus, which performed in eighteen states from Wisconsin to Florida, just before the Civil War. The author weaves together the tales passed down from his great-great-great-grandmother, Miranda Madderra, one of the circus performers.

His most recent book, To Light a New Fire, chronicles the lives of a young Timucua native Floridian during the period of first European contact in the mid 1500’s. The book is based on the Potano village that existed for over 12,000 years on the edge of Paynes Prairie.

Fun on Sunday at Sal's Place!
2017-06-25 14:00 - 17:00 | Sal’s Place, 5109 NW 39th Ave, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
In a private room at Sal’s Place, a sports bar and restaurant in Northwest Gainesville, thirty-seven audience members enjoyed music performed by Janet Barrett Suggs and Ken Booth and readings by Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG) authors, along with food and drink.
Janet Barrett Suggs
The program was open to the public, with no admission or cover charge. Sal’s Place, 5109 NW 39th Avenue in Gainesville, was pleased with the turnout and has offered their private room for future WAG events.
A big thanks to Wendy Thornton who coordinated this program and who promises to plan another! Here’s her post on facebook:
Ken Booth
“Thank you to all the writers who came out for our Writers Alliance reading at Sal’s. It was wonderful! Mary Bast, J. W. Fishhawke, David B. Maas, Timothy Shamrock McShane, Eddie Suggs, Ann~Marie Magné, Susie Baxter, Jessica Lyn Elkins, Richard Gartee, you all were fantastic. We got great feedback from everyone. And thank you to Janet Barrett Suggs for providing musical entertainment and especially to Ken Booth for music and set up for our readings! And to the fantastic audience. Big success and we will plan another in the near future!”

Ronald W. Haase: The Good, the Bad, and the Surprising of Self-Publishing
2017-05-07 14:30 - 16:00 | Millhopper Library, Meeting Room A, 3145 NW 43rd St,, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
Professor Emeritus Ronald W. Haase, who taught architecture for twenty years at the University of Florida, shared his experience of transitioning from the college teaching environment to creating fiction, while incorporating his respect for and knowledge of architecture. In his presentation, Haase explored with good humor the good, the bad, and the surprising of self-publishing.
In retirement, Haase is writing fiction with the same sense of structure and design. His hybrid first novel, The Last House, incorporates the journey of a husband and wife and their love of building houses, examining four different regional architectures of Florida. The decades’ long journey introduces the reader to the ghosts of several notable Floridians who come along in support of the ride. Readers appreciating fine pen-and-ink drawings will enjoy viewing and studying Haase’s architectural designs illustrating the book. Haase is a Fellow in the American Institute of Architects.

Haase discussed his first book, Classic Cracker, published by Pineapple Press. The press did the editing, designed the book, provided the cover, and did the marketing. The book won an award and sold twenty thousand copies. Haase was very pleased with the job the press did and hoped to work with them again.
Haase’s second book, The Last House, started as a non-fiction essay on four iconic Florida architectural styles: North Florida Cracker, Sarasota School Mid-century Modern, Art deco, and Spanish Colonial. But Haase felt it would be more interesting if he fictionalized the story about a couple who built a house in each style over the course of their marriage. He illustrated the story with sixty-five drawings of the various architectural styles. He pitched the book first to Pineapple Press and then to a number of publishers, but all said they didn’t know “how to market it” since it wasn’t a conventional genre and he was a first-time fiction author. So Haase decided to look into self-publishing.
He explored Create Space and found that publishing costs would be $1,185. He felt the costs included several things that he could do himself, such as the book cover. Ongoing disagreements and problems getting refunds eventually caused him to withdraw from the relationship.
He then tried Book Baby. Despite having to pay for editing and designing, and agreeing to do most of the marketing, he moved ahead with the project. There were some frustrations such as having to change the illustrations from color to black and white due to production costs.
Marketing was a big challenge but Haase used a network of friends to organize events such as book signings. He also engaged members at his church, friends at GFAA and the Melrose Bay Gallery, local libraries, and other professional contacts to assist with the marketing effort, including getting endorsements from his architectural friends. Although his son has urged him to use social media to promote his book, Haase isn’t yet comfortable with that strategy.
The book costs $8.00 to publish and sells for $19.95. Through the Book Baby agreement, Haase gets 50% of net sales. It was an expensive investment and might not be a financial success, he said, but he has been generally pleased with his experience with Book Baby. And it was an adventure he preferred over a trip to Sweden.
A book signing followed the informative program.

WAG thanks Mallory M. O’Connor for summarizing this talk.

"Show, Don’t Tell" About Social Issues in Your Fiction
2017-04-09 14:30 - 16:00 | Millhopper Library, Meeting Room A, 3145 NW 43rd St,, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
Kassandra Lamb, retired psychotherapist turned mystery writer, presented seven lessons she has learned about including social issues in fiction: show, don’t tell; do your research; make readers care about the character; don’t stereotype; keep it balanced; expect some push back; and be open to learning from your characters.
“Authors must show readers how a social issue affects people’s lives,” she said, “rather than tell the author’s opinion on that social issue.” She noted that telling may annoy a reader who has a different viewpoint. She said no author wants his or her book to be put down in disgust—not over the development of the fictional situations and characters but—by the author’s offering personal opinions.
Kassandra Lamb signs books following her talk.
Lamb urged the careful development of a character who espouses an opinion on a contentious social issue. If the issue is one of contemporary importance and significant polarization (e.g., future of Obamacare, Trump, immigration, or who bears the burden of a tax reform), this is especially important.
If the reader agrees with the viewpoint in the book, he/she may not care whether the opinion comes from a character in the book or the author. But the reader is more likely to accept an opposing viewpoint if the character in the book has the standing and credibility to speak to the social issue—such as a farmer who needs immigrant workers discussing immigration or the head of a hospital discussing health care.
Lamb is the author of the Kate Huntington mysteries and the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries. She has also published a guidebook for novice writers, Someday Is Here! A Beginner’s Guide to Writing and Publishing Your First Book. You can find out more about Lamb and her books at http://kassandralamb.com. She blogs about psychology and writing at http://misteriopress.com.
Thanks to M. W. Gordon for summarizing this talk.

Book Discussion at Matheson Museum
2017-04-08 16:00 - 17:30 | Matheson History Museum, 513 E University Avenue, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States
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.
The 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.
O’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.
The MATHESON HISTORY MUSEUM ’s hours are 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., Tuesday–Saturday.

Writing a Romance Novel for Fun and Profit
2017-03-12 14:30 - 16:00 | Millhopper Library, Meeting Room A, 3145 NW 43rd St,, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
Rebecca Heflin, Gainesville author of contemporary romance, revealed many secrets of writing for fun and profit in her March 12 PowerPoint presentation. Too bad we cannot include all of them here.
She stressed the importance of voice, saying that “a bad editor can take away the author’s voice; don’t let that happen to you.”
Heflin dreamed of writing romantic fiction from the time she was fifteen, after reading Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss, but she didn’t begin writing until she was in her late forties, after she’d gone to law school and practiced law for fifteen years. She is now the author of six romance novels that are racking up awards — eleven to date.
“Hook the reader with your opening line,” she said, and provided examples like this one: “What a waste of smooth, shaven legs.” (Boss Man, by Vi Keeland)
The opening scene should:

convey the time period
introduce the setting (small town, big city, another world)
introduce one or both of the main characters
include the inciting incident
generate empathy for the character(s)
reveal the external conflict
reveal the internal conflict
set the tone (comedy, thriller, etc.)
propel the story forward

“Avoid ‘sense’ words like felt, smelled, thought, wonder, etc.,” Heflin said. “Instead of saying ‘Becky felt the snake slither up her leg,’ say ‘Becky’s skin crawled as the snake slithered up her leg.'”
For audience members, the author provided copies of her entire PowerPoint slide presentation as well as a Vocabulary sheet. Two words that jumped out: BLACK MOMENT, the scene toward the end of the book when the romance seems hopelessly doomed. PURPLE PROSE, text that is extravagant, flowery, or ornate and detracts from the story; typically characterized by extensive use of adjectives, adverbs, and metaphors — something to avoid.
Assistant Director of Research at UF by day, Heflin said, “I must set deadlines and goals for my writing.” She cannot follow instructions that tell you to sit down at the computer every day and write any damn thing that comes to mind. Instead, Heflin said she arranges her schedule to write in a focused way, one day a week.
Heflin’s readers look forward to her new book, Winning Dr. Wentworth, available in June 2017, and Educating Dr. Mayfield, available in September 2017.
She is a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), Florida Romance Writers, RWA Contemporary Romance, Savvy Authors, and Florida Writers Association. Follow her at http://www.rebeccaheflin.com/

Summary by Susie H Baxter.

Work Experience As Writing Resource
2017-02-12 14:30 - 16:00 | Millhopper Library, Meeting Room A, 3145 NW 43rd St,, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
“Write what you know,” Fiordalisi said. Accurate details of the business or industry in which your book is set will increase your book’s credibility. You may think your work experience unworthy of a story, but others will disagree. Secretaries, for example, have a wealth of knowledge they can base a story on. All professions have inside experiences—“seed nuggets” for stories.
Start your story after the phone rings, after a knock on the door. After that is when the action happens. A death notification might make a good starting point.
Fiordalisi, who had a career in law enforcement, told of police officers going to notify a man about the death of his wife. Normally, the officers would say they had come to deliver some bad news. But when this man answered the door and began yelling at them—“Why are you here again! You’re always coming ’round!”—the officers dispensed with their normal courtesies and said, “Your wife’s dead.”
Fiordalisi went on to provide a host of pointers for writers:

Use inside knowledge gained from your profession in your writing; rules govern most professions.
Keep a journal of the things you see and hear; your notes can provide a wealth of resource material.
Take writing classes and attend workshops.
Participate in a critique pod.
Do your research.
When writing fiction, stick to the facts; with factual information, you can write a believable story.
Don’t introduce errors that will make your reader say, “This doesn’t ring true.”
Create situations with emotions that will bring your reader into the story.
Pay attention to voice—mood and delivery.
Know and use work vocabulary and jargon. “Cops don’t say ‘handcuffs,’” Fiordalisi said. “They say cuffs.” Use the jargon of the industry you are writing about.
Understand that jargon may be different in California than it is in Florida; learn the jargon of the region you’re writing about.
Add small actions to a story to show how people feel. Fiordalisi mentioned what John Gardner, author of On Becoming a Novelist and other books on writing, tells writers, “You can tell a reader anything but you have to show feelings”— white knuckles, red faces, clenched hands.

Fiordalisi mentioned again the importance of critique and said, “If you have difficulty writing about a character of the opposite sex as I do, get a good beta reader of the same sex as the character to read your material and provide feedback.”
Fiordalisi’s talk was summarized by Roz Miller. If you would like to summarize a future program, email Roz at programs@writersalliance.org.

Five Common Mistakes Writers Make
2017-01-08 14:40 - 16:00 | Millhopper Library, Meeting Room A, 3145 NW 43rd St,, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
From looking at thousands of manuscripts over the last decade, Belea Keeney has identified the five most common mistakes writers make.
1. Problems with point of view (POV). The writer must establish with the reader which character’s head the writer is in. The omniscient narrator is out of fashion with publishers. Gone with the Wind would not get published today; publishers want only one point of view per scene.
Keeney provided handouts with examples. She explained that if Alice is describing the scene in a restaurant (we’re in Alice’s head), then Alice can’t say “a guy at the table became furious” because Alice does not know what is in that guy’s head. Instead, Alice can say, “The guy’s face turned red as fire.” Alice can see the red face, and when she tells the reader this, the reader can make the assumption that the guy is furious.
Another example illustrated how the writer can show different points of view for the same scene through well-chosen words and emphasis. Keeney’s two examples described Patty who was watching movies on a Valentine’s weekend. Members of the WAG audience gave their opinions of Patty, saying that in the first version she was a “hopeless romantic,” whereas in the second version of the same scene, she had a “real attitude!” Words that may have made the difference? First scene: “sighing, fabulous costumes, envying, happy, dance, romantic, perfect.” Second scene: “binge watching, rolling her eyes, damn people, constantly, a six-pack, headache.”

Books Kenney recommends for learning POV:
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War, by Max Brooks; the main character interviews a large number of diverse people (doctor, Buddhist monk, etc.)
Harmony: A Novel, by Carolyn Parkhurst—has shifting points of view. The story is told from three perspectives.
Horse Heaven, by Jane Smiley. The horses become characters with human qualities, so they have their own points of view.
“Allison Lurie is also good writer,” Keeney said. “She has complete mastery of POV, pacing, and a good voice. Others are Thomas Harris, Stephen King . . . ”
2. Too much narrative. “We live in our heads a lot,” Keeney said, “but there needs to be interaction going on. Give your character a friend and have them interact.” Keeney’s handout illustrated the difference: The TV news anchor in the studio tells you the news, but the reporter on the scene shows you.
3. Too much backstory. Be careful with information, facts, and flashbacks. Ask yourself if a particular fact is needed. Is the flashback relevant? Is it important the aunt died in a certain year? Avoid flashbacks within the first 25% of your book, and if you use them later in the book, be sure to transition clearly.
4. Not understanding types of editing. Developmental editing looks at the big picture—at the structure, the forest—to see how scenes fit together. Copy editing looks at grammar, punctuation, spelling—the leaves on the trees; some publishers call it line editing. Proofreading comes last, technically, in galleys.
Before sending your work to an editor, make sure it’s as good as you can make it—work with it to improve it until you’re sick of it. And understand that voice-to-text systems such as Dragon don’t always get homonyms right (petal/peddle, bridal/bridle).
Trust your editor, and don’t argue about whether the spelling should be tee-shirt or T-shirt. That’s just a house-style thing. Sometimes, style questions come up that are not easy to answer. For example, if Merge refers to an important concept and is capitalized, should unmerge be capitalized? Each manuscript should have a style sheet showing the style preferred throughout.
If you feel strongly about some element on which you and the editor disagree, discuss it. For example, the editor might wish to take out your comma splices, but if they are important to the story, discuss it. If you have problems with an editor you can’t resolve, though, find another editor.
Books recommended to answer editing questions:
The Chicago Manual of Style—the one used by most publishers
The Elements of Style, by Strunk & White
Woe Is I, by Patricia T. O’Conner
5. Not knowing if you want to be a writer. Ask yourself if you really want to be a writer or just tell one story (e.g., write your memoir). If you want to be a vet, you go to school before you stick your arm up a cow’s butt. To be a good writer, you’re going to have to read, study, and write, write, write.
Q & A
Q: “How do you find a good editor?”
A: “Check the website of Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA). It shows specialties—medical, for example. I’m a member of EFA.”
Q: What do editors charge?
A: Some charge by the job, some by the page, some by the word. I charge 2 to 3 cents a word—or 4 to 5 cents a word if I’m working with a writer whose manuscript takes a lot more work. Most editors will edit a 3- to 5-page sample for you. I can tell in a page and a half if the person can write. By the way, you need to know how to use Microsoft Word’s “Track Changes.”
Editor’s Secret Bits of Advice

Tip 1: Start out by writing short. Don’t jump into a 400-page novel. Get rejections. Get published. “I wrote 35 short stories before writing a novel,” Keeney said. “Don’t start with a dream sequence. And don’t start with the character waking up in the morning. Don’t have the character look in a mirror to analyze appearance.” (Upon hearing these don’ts, an audience member commented that she’d have to toss out her entire manuscript and start over!)
Tip 2: Write what you know. Don’t get bogged down with research. While research is a good way to learn about a topic you’re interested in, it can bog down your writing. If you must look something up, make a note of it and keep writing.
“If you want to write for magazines or journals, study them before you submit. And try contests. This gives you a deadline for completing the manuscript. Look in Poets and Writers magazine—it lists contests in the back.”
Books on writing that Keeney recommends:
Self-editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Browne
Fiction First Aid, by Raymond Obstfeld
The Weekend Novelist, by Robert J. Ray
Manuscript Makeover, by Elizabeth Lyon
BookLife, by Jeff VanderMeer

Belea T. Keeney’s novel, The Tiger Whisperer, won the 2014 Cat Writers Association Best Book Award, and she has sold three short story collections. Her stories have placed in the Writers in Paradise Short Story competition, the 2010 Florida Review Editor’s Choice Award, the 2007 Left Coast Writing Contest, and the 2011 Saints & Sinners Literary Festival Short Story contest.
Keeney works as an editor for Samhain Publishing, JMS Books, and for a variety of private freelance clients. She especially enjoys working on paranormal, horror, romances, memoirs, and most anything written about animals. Find out more about her editing services and books at www.beleatkeeney.com.

Keeney’s talk was summarized by Susie Baxter and copy edited by Joan Carter. If you would like to summarize a future program, email roz57@cox.net.

How Do You Prepare for a Successful “Grit Lit Book Launch”?
2016-11-13 14:30 - 16:00 | Millhopper Library, Meeting Room A, 3145 NW 43rd St,, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
Hartley Stevens, author of the Tales of the Cable Counties Thriller series, presented the nuts and bolts of launching his first two books, Buck Wild and Absolute Bull. His April 2016 launch party, attended by more than 300 people, resulted in the sale of over 200 books.
His book-launch event was designed to introduce attendees to his Cable series and to engage them with the series’ themes—a fictional cohort of thirteen actual north central Florida counties where down-home residents “pool their resources to protect themselves from Florida’s panhandle Yankee tourists and the liberal sinners to the south.”
Stevens’ launch party goal was to help build his author platform and generate media interest beyond the event itself. After selecting a local brewery for the location, he solicited local and regional businesses and groups to participate, such as restaurants and musicians, in exchange for offering exposure to their products and services.
Stevens discussed the ingredients for his large-scale launch—including advance publicity and invitations as well as the value of book cover visuals, original music and games, and book-related food and drink. He also offered concrete ideas for small-scale, inexpensive book launch parties with suggestions such as book-related free or low cost locations—parks, churches, libraries, and retail sites.
He uses and highly recommends the website www.fiverr.com for a myriad of low-cost, customized promotional materials. He also suggested three books—Story Grid by Shawn Coyne, You Are A Writer by Jeff Goins, and The War of Art by Steven Pressfield—as motivating resources for writers to approach their craft as they would any other job: show up, work hard, don’t give up. And prepare to launch!
Stevens’ talk was summarized by Jani N. Sherrard.

Local Author Showcase
2016-09-10 10:00 - 16:30 | FL
The Alachua County Library invited WAG authors to participate in their “Local Author Showcase” held at the Headquarters Library in downtown Gainesville. WAG members Stephen Smitherman and Sandra Gail Lambert were among the five authors who spoke about their books during in the morning session, 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM. WAG members Hugh E. (Eddie) Suggs, Susie Baxter, Terri Depue, Sandra “Lee” Phillips, and Richard Gartee made up most of the roster in the afternoon session, 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM. A book signing followed each session.

Scribes of the Sunshine State
2016-05-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Matheson History Museum, 513 E University Avenue, Gainesville, FL, 32601, United States
The Matheson History Museum and the Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG) teamed up to present the second “Scribes of the Sunshine State” program. Four distinguished authors — Mary Wood Bridgman, Jack E. Davis, Kate Dupes Hawk, and Darlene Marshall — shared how Florida inspired their writing. See their bios below.
This program was held in conjunction with the museum’s April – June, 2016, exhibition: “Liquid Gold: The Rise and Fall of Florida Citrus.”
WAG furnished refreshments, and a book signing followed the program.
Mary Wood Bridgman, a lawyer and former corporate executive, resides on the shores of Kingsley Lake in Clay County. Her professional writing has appeared in national, regional, and local publications, from Chicken Soup for the Soul to The Bradford County Telegraph. Mary has won honors from Writer’s Digest, the Florida Writers’ Association, and the Sandhills Writers’ Conference. She has taught writing courses at the University of North Florida and has frequently contributed to public radio (WJCT 89.9 FM in Jacksonville). She currently contributes to Our Town magazine and serves as Managing Editor for Bacopa Literary Review, published annually by WAG.
Jack E. Davis has taught history at the university level for nearly two decades. In 2002-2003, he taught on a Fulbright award at the University of Jordan in Amman. He is now a professor of history at the University of Florida, where his work focuses on U.S. environmental history. Davis prefers to write for an intellectually curious reader rather than an academic audience. His Race Against Time: Culture and Separation in Natchez Since 1930 won the Charles S. Sydnor Prize for the outstanding book in southern history for 2001. An Everglades Providence: Marjory Stoneman Douglas and the American Environmental Century, Davis’s latest book, received the gold medal for best nonfiction in the Florida Book Awards. Two Charlie Awards — first place for best feature writing and for best in-depth reporting — from the Florida Magazine Association recognized his 2011 article on the Gulf of Mexico, the subject of his next book.
Kate Dupes Hawk wrote Florida and the Mariel Boatlift of 1980, which won the 2015 Stetson Kennedy Award from the Florida Historical Society. The 1980 Mariel Boatlift was a profound episode in twentieth-century American history, impacting not just Florida, but the entire country. During the first twenty days of the boatlift, with little support from the federal government, the state of Florida coordinated and responded to the sudden arrival in Key West of more than thirty thousand Cuban refugees, the first wave of immigrants who became known as “Marielitos.” Hawk has also developed three museums for the Florida National Guard Historical Foundation and was awarded the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service medal for her work on the Camp Blanding, Florida, Museum of World War II.
Darlene Marshall writes award-winning stories of romance and adventure, featuring pirates, privateers, smugglers and the occasional possum. She lives in North Florida and loves being a writer because her work wardrobe is shorts, sandals and tropical shirts with flamingos. The best days are when she puts the convertible top down and cruises over to the beach to do research.The Pirate’s Secret Baby won the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers and the Readers’ Choice Award from New England Chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWA). Castaway Dreams won the Aspen Gold Reader’s Choice Award, and Florida-set The Bride and The Buccaneer received the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon Award for best historical. Her books are available in print, ebook format, Kindle editions, and also in German and Estonian editions.

Outlining the Book or Novel You Want to Write
2016-05-15 14:30 - 16:00 | Millhopper Library, Meeting Room A, 3145 NW 43rd St,, Gainesville, FL, 32606, United States
Three published authors, Darlene Marshall, Wendy Thornton, and Larry Brasington, discussed their outlining and writing styles. A book signing followed the program and Q&A.

Darlene Marshall writes award-winning stories of romance and adventure, featuring pirates, privateers, smugglers and the occasional possum. She lives in North Florida and loves being a writer because her work wardrobe is shorts, sandals and tropical shirts with flamingos. The best days are when she puts the convertible top down and cruises over to the beach to do research. The Pirate’s Secret Baby won the Award of Excellence from Colorado Romance Writers and the Readers’ Choice Award from New England Chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWA). Castaway Dreams won the Aspen Gold Reader’s Choice Award, and Florida-set The Bride and The Buccaneer received the First Coast Romance Writers Beacon Award for best historical. Her books are available in print, ebook format, Kindle editions, and in German and Estonian editions.

Wendy Thornton is a freelance writer and editor who has been published inRiverteeth, Epiphany, MacGuffin and many other literary journals and books. Her memoir, Dear Oprah Or How I Beat Cancer and Learned to Love Daytime TV, was published in July 2013 and is available on Amazon and Kindle. Her mystery,Bear-Trapped: In a Trashy Hollywood Novel, was published in February 2015 and is available on Amazon and Kindle. She has won many awards for her work including most recently, second prize in New York’s Literal Latte essay contest. She was nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and has been Editor’s Pick on Salon.com multiple times. Her work is published in England, Scotland, Australia, and India.

Larry Brasington likes to write stories with lots of action and strong story line. He most enjoys his Shane Ireland, Elf Detective series set in a world in which a quarter of the human race has mutated. He first published stories in 1972: “Temple in the Swamp” and “The Valley,” an H. P. Lovecraft-like tale. Many of his short stories have been featured in www.powdermonkey.biz, an online magazine for gamers. His latest book is Saving Sonya, a fantasy novel. Among his other novels are Alien Madness, Brandenburgers: Invasion of Russia (alternative history of World War 2), Nell’s Tavern (an alien invasion on a backwater planet), and Beyond the Wall (historical novel 169 AD); all are available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, or Smashwords.
