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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190504T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190504T150000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180612T154354Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190429T022226Z
UID:10390-1556974800-1556982000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Marketing Coalition Meeting
DESCRIPTION:The Marketing Coalition of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville (WAG) will meet on Saturday\, May 4\, 2019\, 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. at the Library Partnership\, 912 NE Sixteenth Ave. Gainesville\, FL. \nJulie Robitaille will be talking about the things to put in place before you start advertising\, like reviews\, etc. She will give an overview of advertising options with links to sites where you can learn about specific advertising opportunities. Come ready to learn the ropes of promoting your book! \nMembers of the Marketing Coalition meet monthly to discuss and share successful marketing ideas and strategies for their books. If you are a WAG member interested in promoting your book(s)\, we invite you to attend to see what the Marketing Coalition is all about. \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/marketing-coalition-meeting/
LOCATION:The Library Partnership: A Neighborhood Resource Center\, 912 NE 16th Avenue\, Gainesville\, Fl
CATEGORIES:Meeting
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190427T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190427T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20190317T233245Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190325T205918Z
UID:20086-1556375400-1556379000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Fran Sweeney to Talk at Library Headquarters
DESCRIPTION:Fran Sweeney will read from her novel\, The Royal Carpet\, a humorous tale of romance\, at 2:30 p.m. on April 27\, at the Alachua County Library Headquarters. \nQueen Elizabeth’s small entourage gets displaced during a summer thunderstorm while driving from Miami to North Central Florida to buy horses. Her car ends up disabled outside a sixty-acre farm in Alachua County. That’s when the fun begins. Over a two-day period\, a romance develops between local resident Fiona and a secret-service guy. The queen carves out a bit of life for herself\, and Fiona’s feisty aunt from Ireland joins the ensemble and attempts to right a wrong from the time of the “troubles” between England and Ireland. The Royal Carpet is fast paced action in a humorous tale of romance and the unexpected. \nSweeney lives in Alachua County\, Florida\, on “a bit of land” with her dog companions and a murder of crows. The crows entertain her at a window bird feeder as she sits at the computer making up stories.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-fran-sweeney-to-talk-at-library-headquarters/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Sweeney.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190414T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190414T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20190304T015221Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190415T231623Z
UID:17983-1555252200-1555257600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Literacy – The Foundation to Success
DESCRIPTION:Jeremy Merritt\, Literacy Program Specialist for the Alachua County Library District (ACLD)\, discussed on April 14th\, 2019\, the types of literacy services available to patrons at library branches throughout the county. He described the ACLD program that helps adults learn to read for enjoyment and learning through one-on-one and small-group situations. The program extends to English-as-a-second-language tutoring. \nIn the tutoring program\, trained volunteers are a key component for implementing a neuroscience-based teaching sequence to establish reading skills in learners. WAG members may be particularly effective volunteers and were encouraged to apply (see https://www.aclib.us/literacy-programs-adults for details). \nAt the close of the session\, Jeremy fielded intriguing questions from WAG members\, including details about being a tutor and whether the library would appreciate WAG authors developing adult-oriented “easy-read” books. \nWe can admire the library system and its programs as an important resource for all of us in Alachua County\, and we should appreciate that our WAG members have great potential as volunteers and authors for our fellow citizens. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/literacy-the-foundation-to-success/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Literacy-The-Foundation-to-Success-e1555370165845.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190323T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190323T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
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:20190303T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190303T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20190123T150747Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190304T223638Z
UID:13808-1551623400-1551628800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:How to Apply for a National Endowment for the Arts Grant
DESCRIPTION:Sandra Gail Lambert\, a 2018 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellow\, explained the nuts and bolts of qualifying and applying for an NEA grant and shared how the Fellowship benefited her writing career. \nEstablishment of the NEA Fellowship \nFederal programs supporting arts began in the 1960s with the formation of the National Endowment for Arts. Literature is the only art form where individual artists are given this award. Literature consists of poetry or prose (fiction and creative non-fiction). There is a two-year cycle\, so if poetry is featured one year\, prose is featured the next. (There is also a Translation project\, but Lambert’s talk focused on writing.) \nApproximately 1\,500 enter annually\, and only one fellowship is awarded per year; $25\,000.00 is awarded to the Creative Writing Fellow. \nProse Eligibility \nYou are eligible to apply if you have published: \n\nAt least five different short stories\, works of short fiction\, excerpts from novels or memoirs\, or creative essays (or any combination thereof) in two or more literary journals\, anthologies\, or publications that regularly include fiction and/or creative nonfiction as a portion of their format\nOr a volume of short fiction or a collection of short stories\nOr a novel or novella\nOr a volume of creative non-fiction\n\nAlthough the eligibility rules do not say so in so many words\, self-published books are not eligible. \nApplication \nThere is no charge to apply. Submit only one application for 2020 funding. For Prose\, apply between January 1\, 2019\, and March 6\, 2019. Always apply\, if for no other reason than it can help your writing career. “You just never know\,” Lambert said. \nIn the application process\, don’t get hung up on the Project Description. \nAward Benefits \nLambert said by the time she learned she had won\, she had completed the book she had proposed\, A Certain Loneliness\, and it had been published by the University of Nebraska Press. She used her award money\, which is not given out in a lump sum but as reimbursement for reported expenses\, to hire a publicist and pay for book-tour travel to promote the book. \nHow the Award Changed Her \n“One little piece of success can build into something more\,” she said. “I asked knowledgeable people\, ‘Do I say I was awarded the NEA Creative Fellowship or I earned the Fellowship?'” She was told\, “You ARE the Creative Fellow.” \nThe award has opened doors for her. \n\nA Certain Loneliness is a frank and funny memoir of Lambert’s lifelong struggle with isolation and independence after contracting polio as a child\, she probes the intersection of disability\, queerness\, and desire. Frustrations\, slapstick moments\, and grand triumphs are all couched in the long history of humanity’s relationship to the natural world. \nLambert grew up a military brat and spent most of her childhood in Norway with the exception of a stint at the Warm Springs Polio Foundation in Georgia. She was well into her forties before thinking of herself as a writer\, and her debut novel\, The River’s Memory\, was published when she was sixty-two. These days she lives in Gainesville\, Florida. \n  \nSummary of talk by Penny Church-Pupke. \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/how-to-apply-for-a-national-endowment-for-the-arts-grant/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/image002.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190224T050000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190224T190000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20190210T235851Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190211T000337Z
UID:16317-1550984400-1551034800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:ARTSPEAKS Courageous Young Voices
DESCRIPTION:  \n\nWAG will provide refreshments for this event.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/artspeaks-courageous-young-voices/
LOCATION:The Historic Thomas Center\, 302 N.E. 6th Avenue\, Gainesville\, Florida\, 32601\, United States
CATEGORIES:Readings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Artspeaks.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190223T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190223T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
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:20190210T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190210T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20190103T193025Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190212T140016Z
UID:11364-1549809000-1549814400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Writing to Heal
DESCRIPTION:Author Kassandra Lamb\, who served as a psychology professor for sixteen years and practiced psychotherapy for two decades\, spoke about the therapeutic aspects of writing. In her practice\, she specialized in trauma recovery. When a person has been through trauma\, she said\, almost any form of writing can help with the healing process; these forms in particular: \n\njournals\nletters\npoems\nmemoir\nblogging\nfiction\n\nLamb now writes fiction. Her first inspiration for writing fiction occurred when a special friendship ended. She had become friends with the lawyer of a client who was going through a traumatic divorce. “My client’s lawyer and I developed a close friendship. We were both happily married\, so it was a platonic relationship. But I was devastated when our friendship ended abruptly. And badly! Well if I couldn’t have a healthy relationship with a man in real life\, I decided\, I would write a story where it could happen! My first book\, Multiple Motives\, helped me vent my feelings\, and by the end of the book\, I liked my book friend more than the friend I’d lost in real life.” \nLamb went on to explain how and why writing helps. \nPsychotherapists often ask their clients to keep a journal about their feelings. This helps the client see how far they’ve come once the problem gets resolved. Anybody can use journaling to sort out their thoughts. \nLetter writing is also used in therapy. The letter might never be sent\, but writing it—venting—can help. A warning\, though: write the letter in Word\, not in email\, as you might accidentally hit send . . . I know. I’ve done it. \nRemember that emotions have an energy\, and keeping negative emotion and energy inside can cause physical harm to one’s body. Several things need to happen to expel the energy and emotion. Take anger\, for example. It must first be acknowledged. You must state what happened to cause the anger. You must express your feelings\, externally—but not to the person you’re angry at! And\, the situation causing the emotion must be resolved. \nPoetry can reach the very depth of emotion and can help you get to and resolve bad feelings. Memoir\, too. Telling one’s story is a way of being heard. \nLamb said she is currently coauthoring a memoir for someone whose father is a psychopath. “We are about halfway through his book\, now\,” she said\, “and the process is getting easier for him because he’s healing as he tells his story. Good stuff is happening for him.” \nBlogging is also good therapy because it can be like an ongoing memoir. People who have experienced a traumatic event often think they are alone\, that they caused it. Learning that another person experienced something similar can validate them. This can happen if someone responds to a blog post you’ve written. Hearing from others that your story helped them gives meaning to the pain you’ve experienced. \nAs a fiction writer\, you can also use your pain to write realistic characters. You can create characters able to pick themselves up and brush themselves off. This can inspire hope and educate others. \nAnother method therapists use to help a client overcome trauma is to have them imagine the outcome as coming out differently. If a child was made to keep his feelings bottled up\, for example\, have him imagine telling off the father he never stood up to. \nA lively question and answer session followed Lamb’s talk. \n\nLamb is the author of seventeen novels and six novellas\, plus a short guide for beginning writers. Her works include the Kate Huntington mysteries\, with a psychotherapist protagonist\, and the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries\, about a young woman who trains service dogs for veterans. She also writes darker romantic suspense under the pen name of Jessica Dale. \n\nSummarized by Susie H. Baxter \nIf you are interested in writing the summary of a future talk\, contact the program coordinator.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/writing-to-heal/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
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:20260619T202123
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:20260619T202123
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
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190119T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190119T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20181208T214723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181208T215518Z
UID:11260-1547908200-1547911800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Jay Hamilton's Talk & Book Signing
DESCRIPTION:As part of the continuing Local Author Series\, Jay Hamilton will discuss his book How To Buy a Car Without Losing Your Shirt at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday\, January 19. The talk\, at the Alachua County Library headquarters\, is free and open to the public. \n“When you walk into a car dealership to look for a car\, who do you think has the advantage?” Hamilton asks. This book will tell you what to watch out for\, and how the salesperson is trained to control the customer. \nHamilton was a freelance photojournalist specializing in motorsports through most of the 1970s. His work was published in national magazines\, such as Cycle Guide and Modern Cycle\, and in smaller publications. \nHe got into motorsports when his father gave him a Travis motorized bicycle after he obtained his driver’s license. That old Iver Johnson frame had been brazed several times because it could not stand the vibration of the Travis motor\, which mounted on the front fork and drove the front wheel with a “stone” held against the tire by the weight of the motor. He had to climb a mile-high mountain to get to school\, so he got a lot of exercise pushing the pedals fast enough to maintain 20-25 mph up that hill. \nHe then got a Honda CL360\, which he still owns\, along with a 1983 Honda Shadow 750 that he will proudly tell you is the bike which made Harley-Davidson cry “uncle.” They asked Uncle Sam to put a tariff on Japanese motorcycles over 700cc. A few years ago\, Hamilton rode the Shadow 750 over 3000 miles to a class reunion. \nHe is also a geek — has a Samsung Tab S 8.4 (wifi only)\, an old Gateway wide-screen laptop\, and a P4 Desktop he built from parts found online. He has several Calico cats\, and he misses his Chocolate Lab pup that was stolen a few years ago. He had a color photo lab in his home back in the day\, but now uses digital cameras and seriously wants one of those new Microsoft Lumia 950 phones from AT&T. He has an old Chrysler Town and Country van for general transportation and occasional sleeping quarters\, and he still has an old Honda Wagovan. He says his home is “wherever I happen to be.” He stays in touch mostly over the Internet. He has a small travel trailer which stays in a campground\, and the other vehicles are kept in a rented storage unit near his parents’ home.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-jay-hamilton-to-speak-at-the-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 Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/51TNUYAEprL.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190113T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190113T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20181208T145940Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190304T230022Z
UID:11241-1547389800-1547395200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:2020 Sunshine State Book Festival Presentation
DESCRIPTION:Sunday\, January 13\, 2019\, Sunshine State Book Festival chair\, Mallory O’Connor\, assisted by Richard Gartee\, presented plans for the festival to WAG members and guests. \n \n“The Sunshine State Book Festival is the largest project WAG has ever undertaken\,” Mallory told the audience. “To be the huge success we want it to be\, we need participation from the entire WAG membership.” \nThree days of events are planned for January 2020\, beginning with an opening reception Friday\, January 24\, the Book Festival January 25\, and ending on Sunday\, January 26\, with a caravan tour of sites associated with Gainesville’s Literary Heritage. \nWAG\, which is producing the festival\, has received support from Santa Fe College and the SF Foundation\, who are giving us use of the beautiful Santa Fe College Fine Arts Hall to hold Saturday’s Book Festival. The Matheson Museum will host the Friday night reception and is planning an exhibition on historical Gainesville literary figures. \nWAG authors will have first opportunity to register for festival exhibit space where they can sell and sign their books. Richard stated that online registration would open to WAG members February 1\, 2019\, and then to authors statewide a few weeks later. He urged those who want to sell books to claim their space as soon as registration opens. \nMallory gave audience members an idea of the scope of the undertaking as she presented a list of the various committees needed to pull off a book festival. “These are not one-person jobs\,” she noted. “Nearly every committee needs multiple volunteers.“ She listed committees where WAG members are needed and invited members to pitch-in: \n\nFunding: writing grants\, recruiting sponsors and community partners\nPublicity and marketing\n Social media\nOutreach: promoting the festival to book clubs\, schools\, teachers\, etc.\nAuthor registration\nBook raffle: (festival door prizes)\nPrinter coordinator (manage festival printing needs)\nDay of festival volunteer facilitator/ trainer\nChildren’s book area\, (storytelling\, craft activities)\nFestival set-up and take-down\nFestival follow-up/survey evaluation committee\n\nPlease select a committee where you can contribute your talents\, and contact Mallory to volunteer. \nRichard concluded the program with a demonstration of the festival website\, which is now up and running. For more festival details\, members were encouraged to visit www.sunshinestatebookfestival.com.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/2020-sunshine-state-book-festival/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Meeting,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screenshot-2019-01-13-17.13.29.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181209T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181209T163000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20181119T171838Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181218T203448Z
UID:11174-1544365800-1544373000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Readings & Refreshments at the Rosa B. Williams Center
DESCRIPTION:WAG members and guests enjoyed an afternoon of readings and refreshments on Sunday\, December 9. Thanks to everyone who read: Charlotte Porter\, Eldon Turner\, Michael Correia\, Jess Elliott\, Peggy Cogar\, Mallory O’Connor\, Darlene Marshall\, Susie Baxter\, Jo Ann Lordahl\, Ed Suggs\, Ann~Marie Magné\, Pat Caren\, Maureen Malden\, and David Maas. \nMany who attended donated books and/or cash\, which will be given to Peaceful Paths\, a non-profit organization that helps children caught in the middle of stressful domestic-violence situations. Roz Miller organized the book donations and will deliver the goods to Peaceful Paths. \nThanks to Wendy Thornton for organizing the venue and the readings\, to Ken Booth for providing music and setting up the sound system (not to mention those mean meat balls he prepared!)\, and to Ann Bernert and Wendy who took dozens of photos. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/readings-refreshments-at-the-rosa-b-williams-center/
LOCATION:Rosa B. Williams Center\, 524 NW 1st St.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601\, United States
CATEGORIES:Party,Readings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Audience.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181202T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181202T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20181112T043230Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181112T043230Z
UID:11131-1543761000-1543764600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Cassie Dandridge Selleck to Speak
DESCRIPTION:The Local Author Series presents Cassie Dandridge Selleck.\n \nSelleck is the author of three novels\, including Amazon best seller The Pecan Man\, its sequel The Truth About Grace\, and the first in her Beanie Bradsher Series\, What Matters in Mayhew. A native Floridian\, originally from Leesburg\, Selleck is an avid reader\, storyteller and photographer. She and her husband Perry now live on the Suwannee River near Mayo. \nThe Pecan Man is a work of Southern fiction set in the 1970s in what locals recognize as Leesburg. Its protagonist Ora Lee Beckworth narrates the story of why an innocent black man dies in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. In the retelling Ora learns much about herself and what it means to be a family. The novel has sold over 200\,000 copies on Amazon\, has been chosen by book clubs across the country\, and has been optioned for film rights by BCDF Pictures. \nIn the summer of 1976\, recently widowed Ora Lee Beckworth hires a homeless black man to mow her lawn. The neighborhood children call him the Pee-can Man; their mothers call them inside whenever he appears. When he is arrested for murder\, only Ora knows what really happened in the woods where Eddie lived. But truth is a fickle thing\, and a lie is self-perpetuating. Ora and her housekeeper Blanche soon find themselves in a web of lies that send an innocent man to prison for the rest of his life. Twenty-five years later\, Ora sets out to tell the truth about The Pecan Man.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-cassie-dandridge-selleck-to-speak/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Headshot-HD-Selleck-e1541995250421.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181201T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181202T170000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20181111T133823Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164352Z
UID:11103-1543658400-1543770000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Book Sale at Downtown Festival
DESCRIPTION:WAG will participate in Gainesvile’s fabulous Downtown Festival & Art Show on December 1 and 2. Our booth will be C24 near the Hippodrome south stage. \nThe festival features about 240 booths of fine art\, crafts — and books! Plus live music\, performing arts\, and a spectacular array of food. Traditionally\, about 100\,000 fill the streets in downtown Gainesville\, from City Hall to the Hippodrome State Theatre. Hours are 10 – 5\, Saturday and Sunday. \nWAG members who wish to sell their books should email Kimberley Mullins and sign up to work in the booth. Members will work in two-hour increments. For example\, 9:45 – 11:45 a.m. The last day to sign up is November 24. \nThere will be a book drop off on Monday\, November 26 at the Millhopper library from 4 – 6 p.m. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/book-sale-at-downtown-festival/
LOCATION:Downtown Gainesville\, 111 East University Ave\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32627\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Sale
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Thornebrook-2017-e1541947307276.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181118T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181118T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20181106T030128Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181106T030250Z
UID:10977-1542551400-1542555000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Frank Fiordalisi to Speak at Library
DESCRIPTION:Frank Fiordalisi will read from and discuss his novel Ichabod Wolfe\, a page-turner filled with surprise and a deep understanding of the human condition\, on Sunday\, November 18\, 2018\, at the Alachua County Library Headquarters. \nIchabod Wolfe\, a thirteen year old boy\, is orphaned when his parents and siblings are murdered in the months preceding the War Between the States. While trying to avenge the death of his family\, Ichabod makes powerful enemies that vow to kill him. He journeys to a remote town on the Colorado frontier\, where he is mentored by the town’s sheriff and becomes a deputy. \nMatured and at the top of his craft\, Ichabod becomes the Chief Deputy Sheriff of Iron Horse\, a Wyoming cow town. Long a bachelor\, he falls in love with a green-eyed beauty married to another man. His longing for the love of his life and his thirst for justice\, mixed with romance\, humor and murder\, lead him into the modern era of law enforcement. \nFiordalisi was born in NYC and received a B.S. from St. John’s University. After teaching high school and a brief stint as a retail pharmacist\, he moved to Miami\, Florida\, where he joined the Miami-Dade County Police Department. He participated in a number of assignments\, retiring as a Detective Sergeant after twenty-nine years of service. He has a daughter Jacqueline\, and a son\, Francis. He currently lives with his wife\, Christine\, in Gainesville\, Florida. \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-frank-fiordalisi-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 Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Ichabod-Wolfe-e1538922178653.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181117T090000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181117T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20181113T132051Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181113T181454Z
UID:11140-1542445200-1542470400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Book Sale at Newberry Fall Festival
DESCRIPTION:Come join the fun! \nThe Newberry Fall Festival features arts\, crafts\, books\, music\, dancers\, a FREE bounce house for the kids\, face painting\, pony rides\, and a petting zoo. \nBe sure to stop by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville’s booth\, #22\, and check out the large array of books by local authors. \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/book-sale-at-newberry-fall-festival/
LOCATION:Downtown Newberry
CATEGORIES:Book Sale,Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/newberry-fall-festival-600x777-e1542113769357.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181109T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181109T193000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20181007T140124Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20181007T234052Z
UID:10967-1541781000-1541791800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Matheson Museum Sponsors Book Launch for Mallory O'Connor
DESCRIPTION:The Matheson History Museum is sponsoring a book launch for Mallory M. O’Connor\, the author of “The American River Trilogy” (Archway Publishing) on Friday\, November 9\, beginning at 4:30 p.m. (‘60s attire is optional!) \n American River: Confluence\, book three of O’Connor’s American River Trilogy\, is the culmination of a compelling historical drama about the lives\, loves\, triumphs and sacrifices of the descendants of three immigrant families who settled along California’s American River\, and who are called upon to put aside a decade full of grievances and betrayals to save the history and legacy of their ancestral home\, Mockingbird Valley Ranch. \nAward-winning author Mallory O’Connor is a writer\, an art historian\, and a musician. Raised on a ranch on the American River in Northern California\, she spent her childhood exploring the land along the river\, and the diverse cultures that were drawn to this beautiful and historic place. \nA book signing will follow her presentation.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/matheson-museum-sponsors-book-launch-for-mallory-oconnor/
LOCATION:Matheson History Museum\, 513 E University Avenue\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Party
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Screen-Shot-2018-06-16-at-4.41.53-PM-e1538955493420.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181104T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181104T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180923T223149Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180924T011213Z
UID:10944-1541341800-1541347200@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Bacopa Readings
DESCRIPTION:Come hear readings from Bacopa Literary Review 2018\, the print journal published by the Writers Alliance of Gainesville. \nHundreds of works are submitted to the journal from around the world\, and the journal editorial team narrows it down to what they consider the best of the best. Prizes have been awarded in poetry\, prose poetry\, short story\, and creative nonfiction. \nSelections will be read by local authors or journal editors. After the program\, enjoy refreshments and conversation with editors\, poets and writers. \nWAG members receive a free copy of the journal. Copies will be available for pick up by members and for those who wish to purchase a copy ($10). \nNote:  Daylight Savings Time ends at 2:00 a.m. Nov. 4. \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/bacopa-readings/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Readings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Bacopa.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181028T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181028T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180811T144425Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164352Z
UID:10682-1540737000-1540740600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:J. Elliott to Read at Downtown Library
DESCRIPTION:Just in time for Halloween\, author J. Elliott will read from and discuss her latest book of paranormal stories. \nTales From Kensington & Other Macabre & Unsettling Offerings is a collection of spooky stories\, sometimes amusing\, assuredly disquieting. Join a group of college kids telling ghost stories on Halloween night. Follow a famous photographer to an NPR-like radio interview. Why won’t he answer the big question: Why did he give up photography? A long-vacant home in a historic district is finally purchased. The owners plan to open a candy store. How sweet. What could be better?  Nurses in a hospital notice some unusual qualities about some of the patients—haunted people\, haunted houses. \n \nElliott is an artist and author living in Alachua\, Florida. Tales From Kensington is her second collection of ghost stories\, following Ghost Lite. She is working on a humorous women’s fiction series\, the “Haint Blue\, Adventures Along the Way\,” books set in High Springs\, Florida. \nThe author notes that Tales From Kensington is adult fiction and suggests the appropriate age is 17+.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/j-elliott-to-read-at-downtown-library/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book Sale,Book Signing,Readings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Tales-from-Kensington-e1533997532573.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181014T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181014T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180811T141538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180811T141538Z
UID:10673-1539527400-1539532800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Richard Gartee to Read from His Latest Book
DESCRIPTION:Skating on Skim Ice is a biography of a time traveler who has journeyed ninety-three years from the past—from the age of Prohibition to the age of smart phones. \nRichard Andrew Gartee\, known to friends and relatives as Dick Gartee\, is the author’s father. He was born in the Roaring Twenties\, survived the Great Depression of the thirties\, enlisted in World War II in the forties\, and raised a family and learned engineering in the Fabulous Fifties. He watched men walk on the moon in the sixties\, constructed factories in the seventies\, designed robotics for manufacturers in the eighties\, and served as a hospital chaplain in the twenty-first century. \nHis biography is more than the story of one man’s trials and joys. It is a lens into life during transformative decades that altered America. Dick is among the dwindling few of his generation still alive. The eras he not only witnessed but he also actively participated in inform the reader’s understanding of the radical paradigm shift he has seen occur in nearly every aspect of our society: economics\, agriculture\, transportation\, education\, manufacturing\, and communications\, to name a few. \nNo matter what your age\, you will be charmed by Dick’s story and discover a man you wished you knew.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/richard-gartee-to-read-from-his-latest-book/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Readings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Sk_96p500x750f-e1533996461702.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20181013T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20181014T170000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180716T104426Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220306T164352Z
UID:10532-1539424800-1539536400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Thornebrook Art Festival
DESCRIPTION:Books by WAG members will be sold at the Art Festival at Thornebrook\, October 13-14. WAG’s booth\, #128\, will be in the same spot as last year\, facing NW 43rd Street. \nThe festival features music\, food\, and the works of about 130 artists\, including writers. Mark your calendar now so you won’t miss this fun event! \nMembers interested in participating should contact Jess Elliott\, who is coordinating the book sale. WAG authors wishing to have their books displayed and sold in the booth must agree to work at least one shift and be willing to assist with set up and take down if needed.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/thornebrook-art-festival-and-book-sale/
LOCATION:Thornebrook Village\,  2441 NW 43rd Street\, Gainesville\, 32606
CATEGORIES:Book Sale
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/booth-128-for-website-e1541946595923.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180930T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180930T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180805T122525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180811T171804Z
UID:10601-1538317800-1538321400@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author and Musician Arthur Crummer
DESCRIPTION:  \nArthur Crummer will entertain the audience when he discusses his new book\, Floating Island\, on Sunday September 30\, 2018\, at 2:30 p.m.\, at the Alachua County Library headquarters\, meeting room A. He will read passages and poetry and perform songs written by characters in the new novel\, a metafictional mystery set in an area similar to Paynes Prairie. \nIn Floating Island\, Paul Bradley’s life is adrift. Disturbing rumors compel him to canoe onto his beloved Lake Lacuna. He capsizes near a floating island and sleeps free of mosquitoes under a layer of sand beside a misty Florida swamp. At dawn the island is gone. \nTwo weeks later his wife disappears. Blood-soaked parts of her shredded clothes float in Lacuna’s tannic\, gator-infested waters. But things aren’t as they seem: strange encounters . . . under surveillance . . .  disappearing journals . . . and then the phone rings. \nCrummer\, who holds a Ph.D. in mathematics and a BS in Mechanical Engineering\, has won numerous blue ribbons from music competitions. He performs with his band at folk festivals\, has authored instructional music booklets\, and since 1995\, has led music workshops in Dobro\, slide guitar\, Flat-pick and Finger-style guitar\, and gospel singing. He writes songs and poetry chapbooks\, and he won the Edward Lee Flemming\, Jr. Florida Old Time Music Championship Award in 2008\, presented by the Friends of Florida Folk. \nHe served as the second president of the Writers Alliance of Gainesville\, was published in the first edition of Bacopa Literary Review\, and was twice selected in the Hippodrome Theater’s monologue competitions. His first novel\, Wrestling God\, was published in 2013.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-musician-arthur-crummer/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ArtCrummer-e1533466987208.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180929T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180929T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180903T163258Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180923T223827Z
UID:10863-1538215200-1538236800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Character-Building Boot Camp
DESCRIPTION:The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) of Florida is sponsoring a Character-Building Boot Camp in several Florida cities\, including Gainesville\, on September 29\, at St. Leo University. For more information and to register\, go to Florida SCBWI website. \nPresenter: Margaret Mincks\, author of Payback on Poplar Lane\, her debut middle-grade novel. She’s also the former editor of Spider\, a literary magazine for 6- to 9-year-olds. \nCharacter Architecture: Building Your Characters from the Ground Up: \nThe basis for any good character is a solid foundation\, so break out your hard hats and drawing boards (don’t worry\, a laptop or old-school notebook will do) and delve into the art and design of character development. In this workshop\, Margaret will continue to annoyingly extend metaphors and share strategies for building solid\, interesting characters that come alive on the page\, enliven your plot\, push the action\, and define your character’s core conflicts. Bring either your work/characters-in-progress or simply your imagination and willingness to create exciting characters from scratch! \nDon’t forget to register! \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/character-building-boot-camp/
LOCATION:St. Leo University\, 4650 NW 39th Avenue\, Gainesville\, Florida\, 32606
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SCBWI-FL-Boot-camp-stamp-e1537742197531.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180923T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180923T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180729T220557Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180811T145045Z
UID:10587-1537713000-1537716600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Karen Porter\, Local Author Series
DESCRIPTION:WAG’s 2018-2019 Local Author Series\, in partnership with the Alachua County District Library\, kicks off its new season on Sunday September 23\, 2018\, at 2:30 PM in the Story Woods room in the Children’s Department of the Alachua County Library Headquarters. \nChildren’s book author Karen Porter will read from the latest book in her Emotatude series\, designed to help children understand and deal with their emotions. So\, bring your children and grandchildren. \nAnne and Amy’s Anger is an imaginative tale that shows how two children honor their feelings and decide what to do with the anger they feel. You will see Anne and Amy allow their emotions to guide their actions\, while they give themselves time to decide what to do. Dr. Kich\, an imaginary doctor\, helps these children do this. \nKaren White Porter M.Ed. NBCT is a Director of Loga Springs Academy Homeschool Cooperative and a Nationally Board Certified Teacher. After graduating from Rutgers University with a Masters Degree in language education\, she started teaching children. It was then that she realized the importance of emotional intelligence among her students. From teaching around the world\, she gained insight into the importance of  emotional underpinnings of how people learn. She taught at East China Normal University in Shanghai\, P.R. China\, Hofstra University in Hempstead N.Y.\, Hillside Public Schools in New Jersey\, Saint Andrews University in Saint Andrews Scotland\, Belcher Elementary in Clearwater Florida\, The University of South Florida\, and The State University of Florida. She started her own school Loga Springs Academy Homeschool Cooperative in Gainesville\, Florida\, because she wanted to establish her own curriculum aimed at building children’s emotional intelligence.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/karen-porter-local-author-series/
LOCATION:Alachua County Library Headquarters\, Meeting Room A\, 4th Floor\, Rm. A\, 401 E Univ. Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32601
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/KarenPorterPhoto-e1532900880235.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180909T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180909T153000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180805T161440Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180910T180931Z
UID:10631-1536503400-1536507000@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Speaking to Self-Promote
DESCRIPTION:This summary provided by Connie Morrison. \nToastmaster award winners Terry Martin-Back and Roz Miller tag-teamed their way through a variety of questions and answers on “professional public speaking with the goal of selling books.” As members of the same organization\, they have competed against each other in numerous Toastmaster contests\, and they exhibited a rapport and camaraderie to which the audience quickly warmed. \nFirst\, they emphasized the importance of audience members being able to hear the speaker. All kinds of equipment are available for purchase\, and they felt that money is better spent on sound than advertisement. In advance of the program\, the speaker should test the audio system by walking around the room while listening to an associate talk. The speaker must also be seen. Center aisles are a hindrance. Two side aisles are better\, allowing the speaker to easily project to a large crowd. \nIf you are planning to give a slide or screen presentation\, limit the words on the slides\, and the audience will listen more to you. When drafting your speech\, write it down. You will remember it better. Rehearse in front of a camera. Practice with a recorder. Public speaking is a learned skill. You gain confidence by speaking. \nIf sound equipment is not available\, speakers must project their voices. Talk louder and make sure the people in the back can hear. Remember that your voice is your instrument. Speak with inflection\, and pace yourself; do not gallop. \nThe Toastmasters organization requires that a member’s first speech be given without notes\, and authors should do the same. Use keywords and do not read from your book. The audience wants to know about you. \nMake inquiries of area organizations such as Kiwanis\, Rotary\, and the Lions Club. Most meet weekly and need speakers. The library has a list of all the associations in Florida. Know your group in advance so that you can appeal to that audience. Open with a question to spark interest. Be sure to have business cards\, and if you use images or take photos\, obtain permission. You may be asked what you do\, so be prepared with a 5- to 30-second promo. Have a prepared answer to “Why did you write the book?” People want to know how your story relates to them. \nAt the end of your presentation\, ask the audience for questions\, or lead them with a question. Be sure to repeat audience questions so that everyone can hear. Do not engage in one-on-one conversations because once you lose your audience\, it is hard to get them back. \nOn a level of importance with your speech is your follow-up. Ask audience members\, who show an interest\, for their business cards\, and follow-up with emails inquiring how you may improve your presentation or whether the person bought your book—why or why not? Make use of a CRM (contact resource management) system such as Mail Chimp or Google Streak\, but be sure not to spam. Also\, be sure to send a highly-valued hand-written thank you to your host. \n\nTerry Martin-Back writes horror fiction and has published a number of nonfiction books\, including Networking the Right Way. A trainer and professional speaker\, he is a member of the National Speakers Association.  \nRoz Miller\, speaker\, storyteller\, artist\, writer\, and speech coach combines considerable promotional and speaking skills for effective self-promotion. \nCheck out Toastmasters International for personal development of speaking\, communication\, and leadership skills.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/speaking-to-self-promote/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/public_speaking_1533485426.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180901T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180901T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180813T111226Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180813T111226Z
UID:10693-1535814000-1535817600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Author Debra Segal to Speak in Melrose
DESCRIPTION:Author Debra Segal and the authentic Idylwild Cowgirls will give an entertaining book presentation at the Melrose Bay Art Gallery on Saturday\, September 1\, at 3:00 p.m. \nRefreshments and a book signing will follow.
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/author-debra-segal-to-speak-in-melrose/
LOCATION:FL
CATEGORIES:Book Signing,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Debra-Segal.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180812T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180812T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20180628T201728Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180822T140538Z
UID:10489-1534084200-1534089600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Poetry: From Basics to Brilliant
DESCRIPTION:Summary of presentation by Bob Crow and Joan Carter \nRukmini Kalamangalam demonstrated how to bring poetry from basic to brilliant\, showing her passion for poetry and using her dynamic style to inform and involve the audience. \nHer tips for enhancing poetry (and other writing): \n\nGet rid of filler words\nGo farther with everything (connections\, metaphors\, etc.)\nDon’t worry about everyone getting everything\nGo wild – do everything you’ve ever dreamed of\nGet it on paper\nREAD\n\nKalamangalam showed slides and read poems by a variety of authors\, including a standard poem followed by a prose poem\, a pantoum\, and a sestina. She described how the forms differed from each other. \nThe prose poem is easier than free verse because there are no rules about line breaks or form. It resembles prose but reads like a poem. \nThe pantoum\, initially created as a type of song\, consists of four-line stanzas\, the second and fourth lines of which become the first and third lines of the next. It’s an interesting way to play with the meaning of words\, with no need to stick right to the rules. \nWriting the sestina starts by picking six words These are the endings of your lines in six-line stanzas. The chosen words rotate from one stanza to the next—the word ending the first line in the initial stanza will end the second line in the second stanza\, etc. This form plays again with word meanings. It’s a cool way to get into a headspace which views words more carefully. \nKalamangalam encouraged us to make all of our writing more vivid\, breaking rules as poets do. She led us in exercises that challenged our creativity\, so we directly experienced major points she was sharing. First\, we wrote a poem (any poetry form) using nouns as verbs. Then we wrote about a favorite topic without employing our customary descriptive words. Several WAG members said they found this session very informative and fun. \nShe closed with a suggested reading list: \n“Afterland” – Mai Der Vang \n“Night Sky with Exit Wounds” – Ocean Vuong \n“Don’t Call us Dead” – Danez Smith \n“Virgin” – Analicia Sotelo \n“Silencer” –  Marcus Walker \nKalamangalam is a current freshman at Emory University. In 2018\, she was named Youth Poet Laureate of the Southwest and a National Youth Poet Laureate Ambassador. Prior to her induction as Houston’s Youth Poet Laureate (2017-2018)\, she was on Houston’s youth slam poetry team\, Meta-Four Houston. \nHer poem “After Harvey” was set to music by the Houston Grand Opera. She has been published by the Houston Chronicle\, ABC 13 Visions\, Houston Public Media\, Mutabilis Press\, and The Apprentice Writer. She has been recognized nationally by Scholastic Writing Awards. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/poetry-from-basics-to-brilliant/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Poetry,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Rukmini-Kalamangalam.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180804T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180804T150000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202123
CREATED:20170509T113518Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180822T143135Z
UID:6752-1533387600-1533394800@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Digital Marketing Strategy
DESCRIPTION:Award winning author Mohana Rajakumar presented a seminar on Digital Marketing Strategy at the WAG Marketing Coalition meeting August 4\, 2018\, at the Cone Park Branch Library\, 2801 E. University Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32641. \nRajakumar took attendees through the ins and outs of various platforms such as Facebook ads\, Google AdWords\, sponsored Instagram posts\, and she suggested questions to ask yourself while designing a marketing strategy for your book(s). \n\nMembers of the Marketing Coalition meet monthly to discuss and share successful marketing ideas and strategies for their books. If you are a WAG member interested in selling more books\, we invite you to attend a meeting to see what it’s all about. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/marketing-coalition/
LOCATION:Cone Park Library Branch\, 2801 E. University Ave.\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32641-6034
CATEGORIES:Meeting,Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Mohana-Rajakumar.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20180708T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20180708T160000
DTSTAMP:20260619T202124
CREATED:20180422T013059Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20180822T141701Z
UID:9948-1531060200-1531065600@writersalliance.org
SUMMARY:Turn Your Passion Into a Book
DESCRIPTION:Summary by Kimberley Mullins \nWe had the pleasure of having Elois Waters delight us with her passion for dance and writing. Hence the topic\, “Turn Your Passion into a Book.” Waters worked in Alachua schools for over thirty years with special needs students. To help them connect\, she incorporated dance in her classroom. Well—dance was the saving grace that helped the young people express themselves through learning and creativity. It was such a hit\, she created a dance group within the school. \nShe ventured out with her kids performing at various venues. As it grew\, so did her aspirations. Waters not only used dance in her classrooms\, but also in church ceremonies. Her daughters became involved along with their close friends\, and it caught on like wild fire. \nAfter retiring from teaching\, she continued growing her dance groups and eventually wrote her first book\, “Dancing Before God\,” a children’s book that teaches the basics of dance along with a workbook. Additionally\, she created a similar book for adults. Waters showed the audience costumes such as tutus she created for performances. Her daughters and their friend demonstrated some dance moves to conclude her presentation. \nWaters earned a degree in Special Education from the University of Florida. The founder and CEO of Expressive Song and Dance Ministries and author of four books\, she teaches dance through workshops and seminars and is active in dance ministry\, after school programs\, and theater throughout Central Florida. \n  \n  \n 
URL:https://writersalliance.org/event/turning-your-passion-into-an-article-or-book/
LOCATION:Millhopper Library\, Meeting Room A\, 3145 NW 43rd St\,\, Gainesville\, FL\, 32606\, United States
CATEGORIES:Speaker
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://writersalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/image002.jpg
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