tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74119813859835659862024-03-27T02:37:50.199-04:00The GalleonNews from RWA Ancient City Romance Authors, St Augustine, FloridaAncient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-70160817503842374772014-06-05T12:50:00.000-04:002014-06-05T12:50:14.136-04:00Why We Need Creative Challenges<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxGBr60GEtvgvfSJC27BPo5d4aRtrthmoWaN6Xr8xLCmU4HmEG0ZX0uhyphenhyphenPe5_F4S9z4CPdaKknwLNp3g8viIsqp3WohS5BkFbWeH7ncYtVTUB8LURqXa9je_fSokvrt4y2dzg6PxhdxE/s1600/P1020129+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrxGBr60GEtvgvfSJC27BPo5d4aRtrthmoWaN6Xr8xLCmU4HmEG0ZX0uhyphenhyphenPe5_F4S9z4CPdaKknwLNp3g8viIsqp3WohS5BkFbWeH7ncYtVTUB8LURqXa9je_fSokvrt4y2dzg6PxhdxE/s1600/P1020129+comp.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Connie Mann with her son Ben Klopfenstein,<br />showing off their Audience Choice for Best Feature<br />award for CATCH OF A LIFETIME.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><i>by Connie Mann</i></b></div>
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<i>Note: Connie Mann is a much-loved friend of the Ancient City Romance Authors. and we look forward to seeing her beautiful smile at our conference each year. When we heard the news of her novel-turned-screenplay-turned-film, we were so excited for her that we had to share with all our friends.</i></div>
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One of the great struggles for writers, especially those who
write commercial fiction, is to write, “the same, but different.” We scratch
our heads, trying to make sense of it. How do we keep fitting our writing into
accepted norms, while still making it new and fresh?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I learned, quite by accident, how writing something in an
entirely new genre ignited my creativity and passion for writing all over
again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Several years ago, my son Ben Klopfenstein, who works in the
movie industry, asked me if I had any stories that might work as a screenplay.
He had several requirements: it had to be set locally, couldn’t have too many
characters and couldn’t have oodles of locations. (All things that keep a movie
budget tight.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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After he read what I gave him, he said, “Could you turn it
into a screenplay?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Could I? I thought about it, gulped, a lot, and said,
“Sure.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then I went scrambling for information, because screenplays
and novels are two completely different animals. In a novel, you can have a
character think for pages on end. How do you show that on screen? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjgn4AUDsSpx2Tfsfc8-Mj8LjgZK02mTiGOsQ0G8RPEfgWSJ2qBxoT7DVpBSErYYxnQoiZQk3sY7zOX_Xc88JPXqaiGYfyuLP0d9ZQGYaBQCamIw-CqfHNBArh_zhjUy410gWCtZUkVc/s1600/SSIF_Catch_Winner+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjgn4AUDsSpx2Tfsfc8-Mj8LjgZK02mTiGOsQ0G8RPEfgWSJ2qBxoT7DVpBSErYYxnQoiZQk3sY7zOX_Xc88JPXqaiGYfyuLP0d9ZQGYaBQCamIw-CqfHNBArh_zhjUy410gWCtZUkVc/s1600/SSIF_Catch_Winner+comp.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></div>
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It took six intense weeks to take Catch of a Lifetime from
novel to screenplay, followed by months of tweaking and pre-production work. I
was privileged to be one of the producers and our house become movie central
for several weeks, with props stored in every available location, the cast and
crew being fed out of our kitchen, make-up applied in the hall bath. It was
crazy and intense, but the most amazing part was seeing my words brought to
life on screen. There is no thrill quite like it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My son spent another year and a half (yes, you read that
right) editing, tweaking, adding music and doing all the other magic that makes
a movie wonderful! Ben submitted Catch of a Lifetime to the Silver Springs
International Film Festival and we were thrilled when it was accepted. It was shown
at a local theater a few weeks ago, so we all got to see it on the big screen
for the first time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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We were even more thrilled when, at the awards ceremony,
Catch of a Lifetime was named Audience Choice for Best Feature! This mama
couldn’t have been more proud of her very talented son! <o:p></o:p></div>
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I was also incredibly glad I’d accepted that creative
challenge and tried something new.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Connie Mann</b> loves
stories of suspense, adventure and second chances. She encourages busy women through
her blog: <a href="http://www.busywomenbigdreams.com/">www.BusyWomenBigDreams.com</a> and is
the author of Trapped!, Angel Falls, and Catch of a Lifetime. She’s also a USCG-licensed boat captain, so
when she’s not writing, she’s usually on Central Florida’s waterways with local
schoolchildren or her fabulous family. Please visit her online at: <a href="http://www.conniemann.com/">www.conniemann.com</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Catch of a Lifetime: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/titl%20%0d">http://www.imdb.com/titl
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Silver Springs International Film Festival: <a href="http://www.springsfilmfest.com/">http://www.springsfilmfest.com/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-82628150697619040402014-05-17T13:54:00.000-04:002014-05-17T13:54:11.808-04:00May Meeting - Tight Writing, with Abigail Sharpe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcW4qEw2hv2VCIITI-I6W6E6PIg1Ww8baqi6ib1vCM0AtgrNgnuxmzd611TdMXdFkb3nmAtQVqNxvQ4BhiZPwv5kJ9a88LABkSDzfuiCtINlonB7KUHfHqBQi0zsDBprSVER9d0HmUSys/s1600/A+Sharpe+photo+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcW4qEw2hv2VCIITI-I6W6E6PIg1Ww8baqi6ib1vCM0AtgrNgnuxmzd611TdMXdFkb3nmAtQVqNxvQ4BhiZPwv5kJ9a88LABkSDzfuiCtINlonB7KUHfHqBQi0zsDBprSVER9d0HmUSys/s1600/A+Sharpe+photo+comp.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Join us on May 24 for a workshop on Tight Writing. Abigail
is a Boston-bred Yankee now eating grits and saying "y'all" in North
Central Florida. She dreamed more of being a stage actress or joining the CIA
than being an author. While she still enjoys participating in community theater
productions and singing karaoke, the secret-agent career was replaced by hours
at her computer, writing passionate and playful contemporary romance. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Her
first book, Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy? was a 2010 Golden Heart finalist in
the contemporary single title category and was released by Grand Central in
2013. Who Wants to Marry a Doctor? releases July 1.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0in;">Abigail
lives with her husband, two kids, and one crazy princess puppy. You can keep up
with her on Goodreads or on Facebook at </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0in;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/AbigailSharpeBooks" target="_blank" title="http://www.facebook.com/AbigailSharpeBooks">www.Facebook.com/AbigailSharpeBooks</a> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0in;">or
on her website - </span><a href="http://www.abigailsharpe.com/" style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0in;" target="_blank" title="http://www.abigailsharpe.com/"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">www.abigailsharpe.com</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0in;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">ACRA
meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library,
10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your
lunch and socialize from 12:30 - 1 pm, followed by a workshop.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-17206480498301878852014-04-18T11:47:00.000-04:002014-04-18T11:47:29.674-04:00Upcoming Meeting & Workshop with Diane Burke ~ April 26, 2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Ut7iaGx28o_N3QHyu65jHr62S-D_FFSpatoGgIz-T09n6QVHDy5anbz3p9DVM7e54mxdERj5zAanP134U1hl_O2Y6onvG3hNVbGNVYC37SMeYyfKRyeEdyebrh5pIvaVtfOuVSEWe44/s1600/Diane+Burke+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Ut7iaGx28o_N3QHyu65jHr62S-D_FFSpatoGgIz-T09n6QVHDy5anbz3p9DVM7e54mxdERj5zAanP134U1hl_O2Y6onvG3hNVbGNVYC37SMeYyfKRyeEdyebrh5pIvaVtfOuVSEWe44/s1600/Diane+Burke+comp.jpg" height="200" width="170" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Diane Burke will join us
this month or present Gems From the Treasure Chest, words of wisdom from herself
and other successfully published authors. She'll share tidbits of information
on plotting, characterization, and other topics she has picked up from her own
experience as well as a variety of authors with whom she has formed bonds.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Diane is a multi-published
author who has won several awards such as first place in the Daphne du Maurier
Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She was one of three finalists in the
prestigious ACFW Carol Award (previously book of the year).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Diane lives in Florida
nestled between the excitement of the theme parks and Daytona raceway and the
quiet historical streets of St. Augustine. When she isn’t struggling with
never-ending writer’s block and procrastination, she spends her time,
preferably on windy or cold days, at the beach when few people are nearby and
she can just sit and appreciate the peaceful beauty of nature.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0in;">She loves to read, is
learning to crochet, has dabbled in painting with watercolors, and hopes to
someday travel the country teaching classes, meeting people, and helping them
make their dreams come true.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; text-indent: 0in;">ACRA
meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library,
10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your
lunch and socialize from 12:30 - 1 pm, followed by a workshop.</span></div>
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Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-6241101312244495312014-03-14T13:47:00.002-04:002014-03-14T13:47:52.579-04:00Turn Passive Writing Into Active Reading<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgrhe4M5Y_4qZtO0jFsjFyNSKPiYX-YbXzCZ-t585p9hjsyLyciZddJeqPt_i81b_fDhMsKFNIDiaCw7EAvasBl59Kf4w6aN7B4q7B-Fyb1MG85NucestepN51gg8QF0FwWxTZH7JJd0/s1600/Cheri+Norman+IMG_0251+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWgrhe4M5Y_4qZtO0jFsjFyNSKPiYX-YbXzCZ-t585p9hjsyLyciZddJeqPt_i81b_fDhMsKFNIDiaCw7EAvasBl59Kf4w6aN7B4q7B-Fyb1MG85NucestepN51gg8QF0FwWxTZH7JJd0/s1600/Cheri+Norman+IMG_0251+comp.jpg" /></a></div>
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The March 22, 2014,
workshop <b>TURN PASSIVE WRITING INTO ACTIVE READING</b> <span style="text-indent: 0in;">addresses the ubiquitous
rookie mistake of telling instead of showing. Through examples
and exercises, Cheryl Norman shows you the red flags of telling and teaches the
author's bag of tricks in revising passive writing into an engaging story.
Cheryl bases her workshop materials on years of contest judging and editing, as
well as her experience in leading novel writing and self-editing workshops. </span></div>
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Cheryl Norman
grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where she wrote her first mystery at the age
of 13. She earned a BA in English at
Georgia State University in Atlanta. After a career in the telecommunications
industry, she returned to fiction writing and won the 2003 EPPIE award for her
contemporary romance, <i>Last Resort</i>. Her debut with Medallion Press, <i>Restore
My Heart</i>, led to a mention in Publisher's Weekly as one of ten new romance
authors to watch. <i>Running Scared</i>, a romantic suspense set in Jacksonville,
Florida, and Washington D.C., received a Perfect 10 from Romance Reviews Today.
Reviewer Harriet Klausner calls her writing "Mindful of Linda Howard ...
" She just signed a six-book contract with Turquoise Morning Press for a
category “sweet” romance e-book series. The first, <i>Return to Drake Springs</i>,
will be available in October, 2014.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Her non-fiction
writing includes four cookbooks and an award-winning blog, Hasty Tasty Meals. In
addition to writing, Cheryl works with breast cancer survivors to raise awareness
about early detection and treatment of the disease. She also helps writers with
grammar via her Grammar Cop blog, newsletter articles, and workshops. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Visit <a href="http://cherylnorman.com/" target="_blank">Cheryl's Website</a>, connect with her on <a href="http://twitter.com/cherylnorman" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/cherinorman" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and check out recipes on her award-winning blog, <a href="http://hastytastymeals.com/" target="_blank">Hasty Tasty Meals</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ACRA
meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library,
10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your
lunch and socialize from 12:30 - 1 pm, followed by a workshop.</div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-78873158291442836272014-02-17T10:49:00.000-05:002014-02-17T10:53:14.633-05:00Come and Share Some Chuck Wagon Grub With Us This Saturday!<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; text-indent: 0in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GF4J876k2coTQEpuHAvOQGqUFtBWNDpHcXmQTcQdyQVXPCB6yzZDQLQGt3a5E9nV5TO3qWQP0odJe2Ou_A2gAwKcbomBsn2UmYNrUQqlJg_xhHOIZOq70nlnZ1HU4-pY0X2GtCBpnTE/s1600/Dolores+smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GF4J876k2coTQEpuHAvOQGqUFtBWNDpHcXmQTcQdyQVXPCB6yzZDQLQGt3a5E9nV5TO3qWQP0odJe2Ou_A2gAwKcbomBsn2UmYNrUQqlJg_xhHOIZOq70nlnZ1HU4-pY0X2GtCBpnTE/s1600/Dolores+smile.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a><br />
The February ACRA meeting will be held at member Dolores Wilson's home north of Jacksonville.<br />
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PLEASE NOTE - this is for the February 22, 2014 meeting only. In March, we'll resume meeting at the library as usual.<br />
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The theme is "Dixie Cowboy." Casual dress is welcomed. Jeans, boots, and Western hats encouraged!<br />
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Plan on an 11:30 am arrival. A "chuck wagon grub" lunch will be served at noon.<br />
<br />
If you plan to attend, <a href="mailto:djwilson77@aol.com" target="_blank">please email Dolores</a> to let her know, and for directions. This is important for two reasons:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: 0in;">S</span><span style="text-indent: 0in;">o Dolores knows how many of us will be there to consume her fabulous cooking, and she makes enough for everyone;</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: 0in;">So you know how to get there. (It's easy to find.)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">Please email Dolores for directions.</span><br />
<br />
Dolores and her pal Vickie King will present a surprise program.<br />
<br />
This would be a good time to bring a friend who has admired what you do, and expressed an interest in writing. Joining ACRA (via RWA) is a great first step for anyone who wants to write. Everyone is welcome, but we ask that only those 18 or older attend our meetings.<br />
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See you there!<br />
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PS: Dolores will make a surprise announcement at this meeting. If you love her writing, you do not want to miss this.<br />
<br />
PPS: Seriously, you do not want to miss this! (See Dolores smiling in the above photo? She's going to smile bigger than that when she shares her news.)<br />
</div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-87718866174109419572013-11-11T11:30:00.000-05:002013-11-11T11:30:57.451-05:00Thank You ~ from member Skye Taylor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUqVzg8J1dtOp7RxfJY6HLlBsieUuuCpzY-2_1RkDAJNToF_nkrJStPbcrT_eHuGddvNNaS3BUW5NhGOprKVr1xPhWP1nUiYVKsvJJGVFzXLEu2k3ncozBk3IlGV7VI0b7Gov5OD1ipg/s1600/Philip+star.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfUqVzg8J1dtOp7RxfJY6HLlBsieUuuCpzY-2_1RkDAJNToF_nkrJStPbcrT_eHuGddvNNaS3BUW5NhGOprKVr1xPhWP1nUiYVKsvJJGVFzXLEu2k3ncozBk3IlGV7VI0b7Gov5OD1ipg/s1600/Philip+star.jpg" /></a></div>
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A year ago my heart and life were torn apart by disbelief
and anguish when my little grandson, Philip was killed in a freak playground
accident. I had already lost one grandson to SIDS and I couldn’t believe this
was happening again to my family. </div>
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For the second time, I had to look into the
devastated eyes of my own child and know there was nothing on earth I could do
to take away their pain. Two beautiful little boys taken from us far too soon.
Two little boys who barely got a chance to live and love and laugh and play and
who would never grow up to be men. </div>
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It has been a difficult year. All those
firsts without Philip – Thanksgiving, Christmas, his birthday, Mother’s Day,
and family vacations. And as September approached and the anniversary of his
passing arrived, we were all reminded anew of the outpouring of love and support
we received from so many. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The members of Ancient City Romance Authors were
there for me and it meant more than words can say, even for someone who puts
things into words every day. And now our annual conference approaches and I am
reminded of last year’s event when I arrived, still reeling with shock and just
beginning to grieve. And of the gentle, acceptance from all of you as you
wrapped me in your arms and said, “I’m sorry.” </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thank you for your patience with
me then and in the weeks and months that followed. Thank you for Philip’s star
and for the little silver charm to wear in his memory. And thank you most of
all for being the wonderful caring community you are. <o:p></o:p></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-85267414289352447922013-09-16T15:10:00.001-04:002013-09-17T22:38:06.285-04:00Q&A with JSO Detective Tommy Herrington ~ September 28, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQr9TzGHd5iUg4JPI238fwXid3eb7pkf6-grnaxxyhAQK_BNq9FkDv5yBYdcsRBjfWBRNkjcRK-dBAomWJP_LZJN87eXrpj27ys-jzBdEwSHBeljGTio24uMipV8dmoQ7gq3CUOXKfvI/s1600/Detective+Tommy+Harrington+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgQr9TzGHd5iUg4JPI238fwXid3eb7pkf6-grnaxxyhAQK_BNq9FkDv5yBYdcsRBjfWBRNkjcRK-dBAomWJP_LZJN87eXrpj27ys-jzBdEwSHBeljGTio24uMipV8dmoQ7gq3CUOXKfvI/s1600/Detective+Tommy+Harrington+comp.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
Detective
Tommy Herrington was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida and
is a graduate of Andrew Jackson High School. In 1991 Detective Herrington
joined the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office as a Correctional Officer working at
the Duval County Jail. In 1993 Detective Herrington joined the department's
police force as a street patrolman. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="mso-pagination: none; text-indent: 0in;">
After
working five years on the street, Detective Herrington joined the Detective
Division as a Sex Crimes Detective. Throughout his career Detective Herrington
has been a detective in the following divisions: Homicide, Undercover
Narcotics, Undercover Vice, Major Crime Narcotics (Wire-Tap Investigations),
Integrity Unit (Investigating crimes committed by police officers), and was a
media spokesman for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Detective
Herrington has currently been employed with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office
for 22 years. He is married to his wife Tina and has six children.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ACRA
meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library,
10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. PLEASE NOTE: the meeting time for this month ONLY is 11 am - 3:30 pm..Bring your
lunch and socialize from 11 - 11:30 am, followed by the workshop.<o:p></o:p></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-65313245507676567252013-08-13T10:54:00.000-04:002013-08-13T10:54:16.469-04:00Editing the Way an Editor Sees It ~OR~ Don't Shoot the Messenger!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL0l3VCgjQ5loiqFtXZR0m9I-r0oifhzSrPuVmDf7SZLpIawTtdk8wYmV4gWIn79ORbN4z2K2Yj1BrdKamRE5a6bd_KbE1YmZk3Rh8Kr6YmenCoEQ2hLRlj9RwcoayjOAFCV1vAtK2nk/s1600/Katphoto+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqL0l3VCgjQ5loiqFtXZR0m9I-r0oifhzSrPuVmDf7SZLpIawTtdk8wYmV4gWIn79ORbN4z2K2Yj1BrdKamRE5a6bd_KbE1YmZk3Rh8Kr6YmenCoEQ2hLRlj9RwcoayjOAFCV1vAtK2nk/s200/Katphoto+comp.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">On August 24, Kat McMahon will share her insights on editing that got her first Young Adult
paranormal novel named as a finalist in the GA Romance Writers 2013 Unpublished Maggie
Awards.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
Kat is a longtime member of Ancient City Romance Authors, <span style="text-indent: 0in;">a member of Romance Writers of America, Young Adult Romance Writers of America, and Savvy
Authors. Kat has taken online courses through both these organizations, which
have been integral to her success.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">We're eager to have her share some of the valuable knowledge
she's learned about editing from her studies in the last two years.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast
Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone
(904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30 - 1pm, followed by a
workshop.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .4in; mso-add-space: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-85082552453902275122013-07-29T15:55:00.000-04:002013-07-29T16:03:27.568-04:00Major Tracy Provenzano - Air National Guard 125th Fighter Wing Medical Group<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2fDMeiTSwkx_LEAD6mmd_2RF5lBF_s0zu3ftuUWdP2koLTi4gKVhO11trCawQUPkxuo7PmkzZEdkDp8lffpKoQZmDA_kH4CUi-yc3HrSqwsIRLjKYLTQo5kkuIEyOZwio3stp9kNobE/s1600/Maj+Tracy+Provenzano+Jacksonville-20130727-00213++3+hazmat+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2fDMeiTSwkx_LEAD6mmd_2RF5lBF_s0zu3ftuUWdP2koLTi4gKVhO11trCawQUPkxuo7PmkzZEdkDp8lffpKoQZmDA_kH4CUi-yc3HrSqwsIRLjKYLTQo5kkuIEyOZwio3stp9kNobE/s200/Maj+Tracy+Provenzano+Jacksonville-20130727-00213++3+hazmat+comp.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Major Tracy Provenzano<br />
in her HazMat gear.<br />
<i>Photo by Sharon Drane.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks to Major Tracy Provenzano of the Air National Guard 125th Fighter Wing Medical Group for a great workshop on Saturday, July 27, 2013. Major Provenzano brought pictures of the disaster drills in which her group has participated.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />Also she discussed a multi-service humanitarian mission in which she participated. She discussed the conditions in which the military nurses live and work. <br /><br />She tried on her complete hazmat gear and her alternate gear. She explained each piece of equipment and its function. She also answered questions about her military work and her civilian job.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">What a great resource for writers! We appreciate Major Provenzano coming to speak to us, and we hope to have her back again.</span></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-70212537650666505982013-07-24T13:50:00.000-04:002013-07-24T13:50:25.902-04:00Medical Q&A Workshop, July 27: Critical Care, Pediatric Intensive/Neonatal, Trauma, Hazmat<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHy2udIJ0a-gmftzynvE1XjgaExPdhkYJyf1OlxKrlntDe8of1N8liZCg3brIub-k_X20uPMHTRCsbsSuu-0kwTS_DoE_4TEur_oCt3cR9XCJvrAwcd5bycLYC1GWK4QzXntg-cW2RXQ/s1600/ACRA+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQHy2udIJ0a-gmftzynvE1XjgaExPdhkYJyf1OlxKrlntDe8of1N8liZCg3brIub-k_X20uPMHTRCsbsSuu-0kwTS_DoE_4TEur_oCt3cR9XCJvrAwcd5bycLYC1GWK4QzXntg-cW2RXQ/s200/ACRA+logo.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Join us this Saturday as Tracy Provenzano answers your medical/trauma/pediatric writing questions!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tracy has worked as a nurse for 25 years. During
that time, she has worked in the following units: Pediatric Critical Care Team, Pediatric Emergency Center,
Pediatric Intensive Unit/Trauma Unit, General Pediatric Unit, Hospital-based
Gynecological/Infertility Practice, Neonatal Critical Care Unit, and Postpartum
Unit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She holds the rank of Major in the Florida Air National
Guard Unit, 125<sup>th</sup> Fighter Wing Medical Group. In the
Guard, she serves as a Critical Care Nurse in the group responsible for
pre-deployment and routine care of our nation’s airmen: The unit’s CERF-P
(CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Package) Team is responsible for all <span style="text-indent: 0in;">state and federal disaster/hazmat response.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Major Provenzano is the director of the BLS program for
over 600 personnel. As a CERF-P Team member, she is Hazmat certified and Hot
Zone Triage trained. She has completed the entire rescue training
course and is qualified to provide nursing care for all triaged levels of
Emergent Disaster Care.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-indent: 0in;">She lives with her husband, Paul in Ponte Vedra. Their
son, Paul attends University of Central Florida. Their
youngest son, Christopher, recently enlisted in the US Navy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; mso-hyphenate: auto; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast
Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone
(904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30 - 1pm, followed by a
workshop.</span></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-28160252936913021342013-06-10T12:53:00.000-04:002013-06-10T12:56:33.122-04:00PTSD & Service Dogs ~ June 22<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHM-A0amz66IWu6H6o9AuUgRxMx2S9zIIR3whyphenhyphenhlLNEhyTYYmhe5RKsbEIeD7D2gXjX1NHZt0F5XmZ21eFy59ZOKlFQOK8Zso3R7A0lqSL4SYXWrxP7XoensgKHSm-ASxg8BQB8ZKPX_I/s1600/Sheri+Martinez+&+Lola+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHM-A0amz66IWu6H6o9AuUgRxMx2S9zIIR3whyphenhyphenhlLNEhyTYYmhe5RKsbEIeD7D2gXjX1NHZt0F5XmZ21eFy59ZOKlFQOK8Zso3R7A0lqSL4SYXWrxP7XoensgKHSm-ASxg8BQB8ZKPX_I/s1600/Sheri+Martinez+&+Lola+comp.jpg" height="320" width="227" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheri & Lola.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Join us on June 22 for
a heartfelt discussion with Marine Veteran and Army Combat Veteran Sheri
Martinez of Jacksonville. She'll be talking about her life pre- and post-PTSD
and how her Service Dog, Lola, and <a href="http://www.k9sforwarriors.org/" target="_blank">K9s for Warriors</a> changed her life for the better.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sheri served in the
Marines from 1984 to 1986 and the Army from 2006 to 2009. During her 20-year
break in service, she raised a family of three children and received a B.A. in
English with a concentration in Creative Writing with a minor in Writing and
Rhetoric from Trinity College. Sheri is now medically retired from the Army and
spends several hours per week volunteering at K9s for Warriors to give thanks
for all that they have done for her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Originally from Hartford,
Connecticut, Sheri lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her best canine friend, Lola,
and companion, Oscar Rodriguez. When she’s not volunteering, she keeps busy
reading, playing online bingo, or watching NCIS.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 9.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast
Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone
(904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30 - 1pm, followed by a
workshop.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-90003002447684506132013-05-27T12:51:00.001-04:002013-05-27T12:53:12.931-04:00Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiExhQ4lTsM2zopI8VjnZ0AwNfltohtbLyg3200dKUkGv_uIT7TtNRkrgwKDdl9X2jMaMIPbSHpOJqINXwwaIQYsLEPlqPZydUR7o9o85T5XAGywDvGfSyfK8TtGK_OivDTm0-Pp1BEg/s1600/H+of+E+avatar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDiExhQ4lTsM2zopI8VjnZ0AwNfltohtbLyg3200dKUkGv_uIT7TtNRkrgwKDdl9X2jMaMIPbSHpOJqINXwwaIQYsLEPlqPZydUR7o9o85T5XAGywDvGfSyfK8TtGK_OivDTm0-Pp1BEg/s1600/H+of+E+avatar.jpg" /></a></div>
ACRA's Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Awards contest is ON!<br />
<br />
See that lovely trophy in the photo to the left? That could be on YOUR BOOKSHELF! But you can't win if you don't enter.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.acrarwa.com/Heart_of_Excellence.html" target="_blank">ACRA Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Awards</a><br />
<br />
Get your entries in now, as the deadline is June 15 and WILL NOT be extended.<br />
<br />
New this year:<br />
<b>Self-published entries accepted. </b><br />
<b>Digital entries accepted.</b><br />
Print entries always accepted!<br />
<br />
Contest is open to <b>RWA members</b> having an original copyright date of 2012, or First US printing date of 2012 from January 1 through December 13, 2012.<br />
<br />
Find out more, and enter here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.acrarwa.com/Heart_of_Excellence.html" target="_blank">ACRA Heart of Excellence Readers' Choice Awards</a><br />
<br />
Get those entries in now. June 15 will be here before you know it!<br />
<br />Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-48098047823366960932013-05-13T13:22:00.001-04:002013-05-13T13:22:35.157-04:00Write The Perfect Query<br />
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<i>"Some
people spend more time on their synopsis than they do the query letter they
send to an agent or publisher. Yet if your query doesn't get their attention,
the synopsis won't be requested. I'll be presenting a workshop on "Getting
the Most from Your Query." My query letter has been complimented by an
agent at The Knight Agency for being very professional and told by another
agent that it was exactly what they were looking for in a query letter."
Kathyn J. Bain.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
Yes, we
know you'd rather suffer a migraine while dropping an anvil on your foot
instead of writing a query, but you know it has to be done. Join us on May 25
as Kathy Bain guides us through painlessly writing the perfect query. You'll
enjoy a great workshop, plus you'll have a lot of fun!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjtxu6ZBSIzFmFTv_UrOadTkxsqxlM4T1zRErpr-DeCCeKrhgNl5DGUIyZSUgnuwX_Dwe5s9yh_-HGHcKGf_l-nLnVrvdGjRweYxvM-bQ0SdWgtTnW3fVduoBJPKZ08FJZyLDYTG3WqE/s1600/KB+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjtxu6ZBSIzFmFTv_UrOadTkxsqxlM4T1zRErpr-DeCCeKrhgNl5DGUIyZSUgnuwX_Dwe5s9yh_-HGHcKGf_l-nLnVrvdGjRweYxvM-bQ0SdWgtTnW3fVduoBJPKZ08FJZyLDYTG3WqE/s200/KB+comp.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
Kathryn J. Bain began
writing more than twelve years ago. Her fifth book, Beautiful
Imperfection, will be available September 29, 2012.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
She is
the former President of Florida Sisters in Crime and is currently the Public
Relations Director for Ancient City Romance Authors.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
To
survive and pay bills, she has been a paralegal for over twenty years and works
for an attorney who specializes in elder law.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in;">
She has
two daughters and a dog named Gretchen. Her first grandchild, Hope, arrived on
May 10, 2013. Kathryn grew up in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In 1981, she moved
to Boise, but it apparently wasn't far enough south, because two years later
she headed to Jacksonville, Florida and has lived in the sunshine ever since.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ACRA meets on the 4th
Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park
Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize
from 12:30 - 1pm, followed by a workshop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-7538957368239005632013-04-05T13:15:00.000-04:002013-04-05T13:17:51.752-04:00Valerie Bowman Joins Us for the April 27 Meeting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrTVUmJNU7O83LR1n_-wdW6BFeJaRRYyjrjYdLXl3JboCKO2UZiBTv7aKpnSz6tjJxp1L3rQVNlQLev8DYrbSCAhQuzfkTpTAwf5liwnqKk7ncnxeJyG5oMv3KBdQlIU-vSdPpG7cuXk/s1600/Official-Author-pic-239x298.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIrTVUmJNU7O83LR1n_-wdW6BFeJaRRYyjrjYdLXl3JboCKO2UZiBTv7aKpnSz6tjJxp1L3rQVNlQLev8DYrbSCAhQuzfkTpTAwf5liwnqKk7ncnxeJyG5oMv3KBdQlIU-vSdPpG7cuXk/s1600/Official-Author-pic-239x298.jpg" height="200" width="160" /></a></div>
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Join us on April 27 for a
fun workshop with author Valerie Bowman of Jacksonville. She'll be encouraging
aspiring authors and sharing her experiences with the publication of her <i>Secret
Brides</i> Regency series.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Valerie has a B.A. in
English Language and Literature with a minor in History from Smith College and
has been writing and editing professionally for over 15 years. She is a member
of Romance Writers of America (RWA), and a member of The Beau Monde, Regency
special interest chapter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRvbKniXRVWjUGjeTtV0OOshu8kFORMkiH63mSVQv-lRzgWIl_eC9txJWq5Ax_lxDLQDK9jp8_tRMenFcDZ1GIs8K-Qdj5i2LkpJwECzJYBztWZ7IYk_j2VqmmfMNiGxs94sGVV3E-qs/s1600/Secrets+of+a+Wedding+Night.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIRvbKniXRVWjUGjeTtV0OOshu8kFORMkiH63mSVQv-lRzgWIl_eC9txJWq5Ax_lxDLQDK9jp8_tRMenFcDZ1GIs8K-Qdj5i2LkpJwECzJYBztWZ7IYk_j2VqmmfMNiGxs94sGVV3E-qs/s1600/Secrets+of+a+Wedding+Night.JPG" /></a></div>
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Originally from Rantoul,
Illinois, Valerie lives in Jacksonville, Florida with her rascally dog, Roo.
When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or watching Hoarders.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Valerie is represented by
Kevan Lyon of the Marsal-Lyon Literary Agency.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ACRA meets on the 4th
Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park
Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize
from 12:30 - 1pm, followed by a workshop.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-35250608948736428942013-03-07T10:17:00.003-05:002013-03-07T10:17:31.774-05:00Book Tour Spices Up and Sweetens Jacksonville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbD5xzpooVimJF2nHvnh_zs86Q5JYpcrj-h5gkYwfv1yUz-ifnlafnI63z9dsMaZAFk6NNWXYzNJ76sOEIMk4NcjM1Z0Cp6xI3YGDmB6N7EdOyhKCFZSRd64Uk1lKUoVpuU2BOeWdv7o/s1600/Shannon+&+Simone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLbD5xzpooVimJF2nHvnh_zs86Q5JYpcrj-h5gkYwfv1yUz-ifnlafnI63z9dsMaZAFk6NNWXYzNJ76sOEIMk4NcjM1Z0Cp6xI3YGDmB6N7EdOyhKCFZSRd64Uk1lKUoVpuU2BOeWdv7o/s1600/Shannon+&+Simone.jpg" height="320" width="141" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Join us on Saturday, March 23, as local award-winning novelist </span><a href="http://shannongreenland.com/" style="font-family: inherit;">Shannon Greenland</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and visiting NYT-bestselling author </span><a href="http://simoneelkeles.com/" style="font-family: inherit;">Simone Elkeles</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> team up for a library discussion and book signing.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />Award-winning young adult novelist Shannon Greenland and New York Times-bestselling author Simone Elkeles are bringing a little sugar and spice to town as the featured speakers at the Ancient City Romance Authors meeting from 1-3 p.m. March 23 at the Jacksonville Public Library’s Southeast Regional Branch, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd.<br /><br />Greenland, who lives outside Jacksonville, is the author of the five-book spy series “The Specialists” and her latest YA release “The Summer My Life Began,” which made the Barnes & Noble suggested reading list. The “sweet” writer has received such honors for her books as National Booksellers Best, Daphne du Maurier and Romantic Times recognition, National Readers Choice, CAPA Nominee, Aspen Golden Readers Choice Award, Holt Medallion and the Popular Paperback award from the American Library Association.<br /><br />New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Elkeles makes up the “spicy” half of this tour, best known for her “Perfect Chemistry” three-book series. The Chicago native has won the Romance Writers of America RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance, been named Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English, and had books chosen for the YALSA Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers and Illinois “Read for a Lifetime” Reading List.<br /><br />The ACRA meeting is open to anyone ages 18 or older. All ages are welcome to the book signing afterward at the library.<br /><br /><i>ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone (904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30--1 pm, followed by a workshop.</i></span>Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-27325697373667119972013-02-18T22:36:00.000-05:002013-02-18T22:36:53.866-05:00Brenda Jackson ~ Workshop Speaker February 23, 2013<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Join us this Saturday for an exciting chat with author Brenda Jackson!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Brenda
Jackson, </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">New York
Times and USA Today Bestselling author was born in Jacksonville, Florida. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in
Business Administration from Jacksonville University and worked in management
for State Farm Insurance where retired after thirty-seven years. She married her high school sweetheart,
Gerald, forty-one years ago and they have two sons, Gerald Jr. and Brandon,
ages thirty-five and thirty-three, respectively. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Her professional writing
career began in 1995 with the release of her first book, <b><i>Tonight and Forever</i></b>. Since then she has written over 95 titles,
which includes a made-for-television movie by <b>BET</b>, <b><i>One Special Moment</i></b>. She
has received numerous national and literary awards and has made many
trail-blazing accomplishments, which includes being the first African-American
author to make the New York Times Bestseller’s List and the USA Today's
Bestseller's List in the romance genre. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She was a 2012 NAACP Image
Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Fiction for her book, <b>A Silken Thread</b>, and was recently named
Romance Writers of America’s Nora Robert’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient
for 2012.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She has been featured in
several magazines including <b>Essence,
Sister-2-Sister, Today’s Black Woman, Ebony, Romantic Times, Good Housekeeping,
Woman’s Day and Cosmopolitan</b>. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Inspired by her love of
romance and dedication to her numerous readers, Brenda formed her own
publishing company, the <b>Madaris
Publishing Company</b>. She is proud of
her national book club – the Brenda Jackson Book Club – that has a membership
of over 2,500 readers. Brenda also joins
her readers every two years for a Madaris/Westmoreland family reunion cruise to
various destinations.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">One of Brenda’s entities, <b>Madaris Entertainment</b>, has joined
forces with her son Gerald’s production company, <b>Five Alive Films</b>, to bring viewers the best in romantic movies
based on Brenda’s award winning books. Brenda
has started work on another movie based on her book, <b>A Silken Thread</b>. Production
will begin later this year.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She added a director’s hat to
her list of accomplishment with her first movie titled, <b>Truly Everlasting. </b>It was a
huge success and has been picked up by Warner Brothers and was released to stores
nationwide on May 15, 2012. For more information
visit, <a href="http://www.trulyeverlasting.com/" target="_blank">Truly Everlasting</a>. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">She has received awards for
her community service from the AKA Sorority, the Delta Sorority, the Zeta
Sorority and the Clara White Mission.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A staunch supporter of higher
education, she established the Josiephine Threatt Scholarship Foundation at
Florida Memorial University in Miami, in honor of her grandmother. She has given over a $150,000.00 to this
scholarship foundation at FMU to grant college educations to students who might
not be able to afford one.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A listing of her books can be
found on her website – <a href="http://www.brendajackson.net/" target="_blank">Brenda Jackson</a>.
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> Visit her <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Brenda-Jackson/190796157619238" target="_blank">FaceBook Fan Page</a>,
and on <a href="https://twitter.com/AuthorBJackson" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the
Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone
(904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from noon-12:30, followed by a
workshop.</i></span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br /></span>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-88451991605111071992013-02-12T11:54:00.000-05:002013-09-25T12:19:02.939-04:002013 ACRA FICTION WRITERS’ CONFERENCE ON THE BEACH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">ANCIENT CITY ROMANCE AUTHORS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">FICTION WRITERS’ CONFERENCE ON THE BEACH</span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">"The best </span></b><strong><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">little </span></i></strong><b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">conference in North Florida"</span></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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This year St Augustine will soon be 450 years old, and the
Ancient City Romance Authors are helping to celebrate by offering our
conference attendees a pirate’s bounty to fill their creative writing
coffers. On October 25<sup>th</sup> and
26<sup>th</sup>, 2013, the “doubloons” will be plentiful and valuable. It’s our
hope that when you leave our conference your writer’s treasure chest will be
overflowing with goodies.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://positivelystaugustine.com/acra-2013-fiction-writers-conference/" target="_blank">TAKE ME TO THE REGISTRATION PAGE!</a></b></div>
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Our pirate ship will dock at <i>Hampton Inn St. Augustine Beach</i>, St Augustine, FL, on <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Friday, October 25<sup>th</sup>,
2013 and will remain through Saturday, October 26<sup>th</sup>, 2013.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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On board to help pass out those precious “doubloons” will
be:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><a href="http://sharonsala.net/" target="_blank">SHARON SALA</a> –
Bestselling Author<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Sharon is a long-time member of RWA, as well
as a member of OKRWA. She has 85 plus books in print, written as Sharon Sala
and Dinah McCall. First published in 1991, she’s a seven-time RITA finalist,
winner of the Janet Dailey Award, four-time Career Achievement winner from RT
Magazine, National Reader’s Choice Award, and Colorado Romance Writer’s Award
of Excellence winners five times each and has received the Nora Roberts
Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America. Her books are <i>New
York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly</i>, and Waldenbooks’ mass market
best-sellers. Writing changed her life, her world, and her fate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Sharon’s
Saturday workshops will be:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<i><b>10 Things I wish
I'd known Sooner About the Business of Publishing</b></i> - motivational<br />
<i><b>Show Me The Money</b> -</i> a hands-on
workshop about imagery and 'showing' not 'telling'<br />
<i><b>Learning the Ropes on Self-publishing</b></i>
- Info based <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://positivelystaugustine.com/acra-2013-fiction-writers-conference/" target="_blank">TAKE ME TO THE REGISTRATION PAGE!</a></b><br />
<br /></div>
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<b>AMIE FLANAGAN –
Agent, <a href="http://www.lexiumentertainment.com/sullivan-maxx-literary-agency/" target="_blank">Sullivan-Maxx Literary Agency</a></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Amie will be taking agent appointments and doing the
keynote luncheon speech – <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i><b>The Story and the
Agent</b></i> - She will lead our attendees
through the process of getting an agent, while writing a salable story.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>FRIDAY WORKSHOPS:<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://elizabethsinclair.com/" target="_blank">ElizabethSinclair</a> – </b>Best-selling romance author and
the best-selling The Dreaded Synopsis – <i>Writing
a Selling Synopsis<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b><a href="http://kathrynjbain.com/" target="_blank">Kathryn Bain</a> and
<a href="http://doloresjwilson.com/" target="_blank">Dolores J Wilson</a></b><i> – </i>Best-selling humor
authors – <i>How to Write Funny<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b><a href="http://ontargetwords.com/" target="_blank">Nancy Quatrano</a> </b>– On-Target Words: Coaching, Editing, Media Kits and
Press Releases that work!—<i>Editing Your
Book for the Big Sale<o:p></o:p></i><br />
<i><br /></i></div>
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<b><a href="http://positivelystaugustine.com/acra-2013-fiction-writers-conference/" target="_blank">TAKE ME TO THE REGISTRATION PAGE!</a></b><br />
<br /></div>
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<b>We also have some
special things planned, the kind that makes our conference the<i> best little conference in North Florida!<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b>Friday afternoon: </b>The
director of<b> </b><i><a href="http://www.thepiratemuseum.com/" target="_blank">The St Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum</a></i> is planning a special “Pirate
Adventure” just for us. <i>Ahoy, matey!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Friday evening:</b>
Our resident unparalleled chef, Dolores Wilson, is cooking up a delicious
reception for us, complete with lots of food that we promise you’ll be talking
about for days to come. <i>Yum, yum!<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<b>Also, Friday evening:</b>
We’ll be ending the day with a Treasure Hunt with amazing prizes for the
winning “bounty hunters.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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In addition to all the above (not including the Pirate
Adventure which is $10.00 extra), registration includes lunch on Saturday, critique
raffles by published authors, agents and editors, our famous theme baskets and
a treasure chest filled with some fabulous goodies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">Special door
prize: </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">A complete CD set of</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #990000; font-size: large;">2012 RWA
Conference Workshop Recordings.</span></b><br />
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://positivelystaugustine.com/acra-2013-fiction-writers-conference/" target="_blank">TAKE ME TO THE REGISTRATION PAGE!</a></b></div>
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Visit the <a href="http://www.acrarwa.com/Conference.html" target="_blank">Fiction Writers' Conference on the Beach</a> page on our website.</div>
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Questions? Contact <a href="mailto:ESinclair1@AOL.com" target="_blank">Elizabeth Sinclair</a> or <span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="mailto:kathrynbain@comcast.net" target="_blank">Kathy Bain</a></u></span></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-68957358772568824832013-01-07T12:16:00.000-05:002013-01-08T23:10:00.022-05:00Maria Geraci ~ A Heroine to Root For<br />
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<b>Welcome to Ancient City Romance Authors in 2013! We hope you are as excited about a new writing year as we are, and we invite you to visit us, attend a workshop, get to know us, and hopefully join us. Here is our first workshop for the year, on January 26 at 1pm:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGJd6-Kla9npWs1c-lj1DEbcNw_KW9ei2VKBdCNY_AFZchmbOvSBZRX3tDWvAeLUBeJfuEKJoE8sgvaThzCyIWoSZ-r0FksRjufU7PAN6TmQZSbzmB-fRLJghbkoU7oPp2J2X7PCDs3M/s1600/Maria+Geraci+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGJd6-Kla9npWs1c-lj1DEbcNw_KW9ei2VKBdCNY_AFZchmbOvSBZRX3tDWvAeLUBeJfuEKJoE8sgvaThzCyIWoSZ-r0FksRjufU7PAN6TmQZSbzmB-fRLJghbkoU7oPp2J2X7PCDs3M/s200/Maria+Geraci+comp.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>A Heroine to Root For (or how not to be a Scarlet)</b></div>
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<b>Scarlet O'Hara might be one of literature's most famous characters, but she's not exactly the kind of heroine romance readers will root for. Learn how to create a heroine worthy of your plot (and your hero!).</b></div>
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Maria Geraci was born in Havana, Cuba, and raised on
Florida’s Space Coast. Her love of books started with the classic, Little Women
(a book she read so often growing up, she could probably quote). She writes
contemporary romance and women’s fiction with a happy ending. Her fourth novel,
<b>A Girl Like You</b>, was released last
August by Berkley, Penguin, USA. You can connect with Maria by visiting her
website, <a href="http://www.mariageraci.com/" target="_blank">MariaGeraci.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-73954193742725610102012-11-22T13:23:00.000-05:002012-11-24T17:50:13.486-05:002012 Fiction Writers' Bootcamp on the Beach - Part 2<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsDIFjjqqhRu-k9xK0Ps2yV63TIKeUOoazXtzyPl7haz0zf-9t7UI4p3wdQeCYmIl2viuf3t9vXGp2NCaVH_KGqUAw3L4qEL3sMz19POnCljHa-U81inI2RlxGg0mJi3M5nppUpupnXA/s1600/St_AugConf+015+hat+beads+book+Karen+H+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsDIFjjqqhRu-k9xK0Ps2yV63TIKeUOoazXtzyPl7haz0zf-9t7UI4p3wdQeCYmIl2viuf3t9vXGp2NCaVH_KGqUAw3L4qEL3sMz19POnCljHa-U81inI2RlxGg0mJi3M5nppUpupnXA/s320/St_AugConf+015+hat+beads+book+Karen+H+comp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo by member Karen Hudgins.</i></td></tr>
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<b>ELIZABETH SINCLAIR</b><br />
Having been the conference chair, for me to say this year’s conference was fantastic kind of screams <i>bias</i>. (But it was.) So instead I’ll talk a bit about what we are trying to do with our conferences and what is making them a new and unique experience every year.<br />
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This year, our theme was Mardi Gras. Aside from the fabulous workshops by Deb Dixon and the wonderful keynote by Deb Smith, we had a king cake with a surprise prize for the person who found the coin hidden in the cake. We had so many critique donations from published authors, editors and agents that everyone was able to leave with a critique. We also took a tour of the Whetstone Chocolate factory with free samples for everyone. Those are just a few of the unique things we offered our attendees this year. Next year, our theme is going to be <span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><i>(oops, can't tell you yet)</i></span>, so who knows what we’ll find in our <span style="background-color: #f3f3f3;"><i>(oops, can't tell you this either!)</i></span> for our attendees. <br />
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<b>SKYE TAYLOR </b><br />
First time I’d had a really good laugh in weeks was the Keynote address by Deb Smith. </div>
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Another impression was the warm, caring ladies from Belle Books on a one to one basis: <br />
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I had an appointment with Deb Smith that I’d been so looking forward to, but hadn’t yet prepared for when <a href="http://askyetaylor.com/blogging_at_the_beach/?y=2012&m=9" target="_blank">Philip was killed</a>. I had my laptop with me in NY and every once in awhile the thought passed through my mind that I needed to get it out and at least LOOK at the series proposal and the completed synopsis that I wanted to pitch, but it never got beyond the thinking. So, when the conference started, I told Elizabeth that if there was a waiting list for pitch appointments, to give mine to someone more prepared. But one of my tasks was to keep track of those appointments, and in a quiet moment between appointments, Deb asked me what I was working on. I’ve no real recollection of what I came up with off the cuff, but she said it sounded like something she’d be interested in seeing and to send it to her. Deb Dixon was just as sensitive to my current state of emotional exhaustion when I won a critique by her. She gave me an idea of what she was interested in and how to submit it, then told me there was NO EXPIRATION DATE, take my time. <br />
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And while the workshops remain just copious notes – thankfully the result of long years of habit, most of the conference is a blur of friends, both dear and new, smiles, hugs and support. I know that as a chapter and as familiar attendees of this particular conference, we are close and supportive of each other as writers, but this particular conference I felt supported well beyond my life as a writer. I tried not to bring my personal tragedy into the conference, but it was there in spite of me and everyone was generous in their love and caring and their willingness to listen. You’ve all seen cartoons of a broken heart with a Band-aid stuck across the hurt – well that’s what this conference was for me. Everyone who reached out to me, even with just a few words of acknowledgment or a hug, you’re all part of that Band-aid. I love you and thank God for putting you in my life. <br />
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<b>SHARON DRANE </b><br />
For the Boot Camp this year, I summoned my courage to pitch my book to Guest Speaker, Deborah Smith, Editorial Director of Belle Books. She offered ten minute appointments. When the schedule was announced, I was first…So, I fretted on the drive to St. Augustine, shaking inside and worrying about my ten minute window of opportunity. I arrived a few minutes early for the appointment on the opening day of the conference.<br />
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When I was taken to meet her, inside I was chanting “You-can-do-this! You-can-do-this!” I have a terrible tendency to rattle on when I’m nervous. It was the first time I ever pitched anything in person. She was wonderful, so kind and funny. I relaxed into the chair and answered her questions. The ten minutes flew by and ended with Ms. Smith requesting my manuscript. Whew!</div>
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After that, the conference breezed by. I met some wonderful writers and participated in some great workshops. And won two wonderful gift baskets in the raffle held at the end, as well as two opportunities with agents.<br />
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It was a great conference, the best I’ve ever attended. Next year promises to be spectacular! Here’s a hint: ARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!<br />
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<b>VICKIE KING</b><br />
I loved seeing the excitement of the authors as they came out of the editor appointments. You just knew the editor had requested a manuscript. Who could forget the oohs and aahs over the donated baskets or the critique evaluations by editors, agents and authors. It was an outstanding conference, and as one ACRA member said, it's the best little conference in North Florida. <br />
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<b>KATHY BAIN </b><br />
What was the best thing I got out of the 2012 ACRA Boot Camp? Only choose one? Impossible. As always, you paid a little and got a lot. <br />
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I would say there were at least two important things that will help my writing. The first was that if you only have conflict at the end of your book, you don’t have enough. With romantic suspense it’s easy to have conflict between the hero and heroine. Throw in a villain, and you ramp it up. However, when you write a book of suspense, you don’t have that romantic element to aid you. You have to come up with something else that causes conflict in your character’s lives. <br />
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The second thing I brought back was that sometimes the little details throw us from the deep point-of-view we as writers try for. Your heroine isn’t thinking, “I turned on the shower, now I’m stepping in. The water is cold” etc. We, as humans don’t think like that. It’s an everyday occurrence to turn on the shower. We don’t think about it when we do it. Instead we just “step into the shower. The freezing water jolted me awake.”<br />
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There were so many more things. It just makes me look forward to next year.<br />
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<b>KAREN HUDGINS </b><br />
Once again ACRA's Boot Camp on the Beach for Fiction Writers impressed me. The atmosphere was upbeat, the speakers willingly shared their knowledge, the raffle gifts and goody bag items were plentiful, and the food tasty. Also, the table decorations rocked. I had a wonderful time meeting new people and spending two days with writer friends in a writerly environment. Creative people meeting together like this always juices me up for more writing. Eating out in St. Augustine Beach added to my adventure. We stumbled upon Saltwater Cowboys, a rustic restaurant by the expansive, lush green salt marsh along the Intracoastal Waterway, makes seafood, etc. that floats into your mouth. </div>
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Speaking of food, much goes into making fine chocolate. (Very fine, indeed). Being tour guests of the Whetstone Chocolate Factory, we each donned a little white "hairnet" cap and observed the process up close and personal...with yummy samples. The conference was small, but mighty and powered by attendees who came from afar and close and with shared goals like better writing and learning more about the industry. Am already looking forward to next year for another chance to: Dare and share. Dare--to push myself again to new writing levels. Share--to give and receive ideas, techniques, and industry tips for keeping a writer's journey alive and fresh. Thanks for reading, and now back to my pages.... <br />
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<b>BETTY JOHNSTON</b><br />
This was my third ACRA Bootcamp. As the rookie in the group, I can honestly say they just get bigger and better. It was much more relaxing for me this year because my pitch was early on Friday morning and well received. I floated through the rest of the day but did come down long enough to enjoy Elizabeth Sinclair’s workshop on Character. I will never look at cardboard people again without trying to flesh out their story. <br />
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The theme this year was Mardi Gras which should have been festive and full of Yuks. Instead, I believe our hearts collectively were so full of love and empathy for our Skye that we may have missed the mark on raucous merriment, the underlying theme turned into one of encouragement and hugs. Skye was the second ACRA member to befriend me. She has a special place in my heart for sharing lunch at the 2011 Bootcamp with the rookie. So while we may have missed the mark on merriment we scored big on warmth and encouraging. <br />
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The very best part of Bootcamp is getting to know each other, I missed out on some quality bonding time by missing the chocolate factory outing. (My bad) <br />
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It was very cool having a male author in our ranks and hearing his story at lunch. Maybe we can schedule in some intro time? (Or did I miss that giving the early pitch?)<br />
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The "Debs" from BelleBooks were the best. Class wrapped in humor and topped with professionalism. I loved it all!<br />
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All of Saturday and the KEYNOTE were super! The only thing I would like to see changed and again maybe I missed it (early pitch remember) is that we should announce and explain that the bags hold chances for author critiques and publisher reviews for newbies like me. Had no clue the first year until someone told me and didn’t even notice them this year until the end but . . . spoken in Uncle Si’s voice. . . HEY! I had the early pitch ya know!<br />
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When I first reached out to a writing group, I emailed three different groups. EMCBREEM (Ellen) at ACRA was the only one that responded. She took me under her wing at the Wilson’s that first year. Dolores and Marge had me join their table at the first boot camp I attended seems like someone in the ACRA group always looks out for the newbies to encourage them. Kellie has taken pity on me and explained her “e” speak more than once. Kathy, Sharon, Karen, Vickie, Kat, and so many others have reached out to make me feel welcome. They will welcome YOU as well. If you are new to this profession and plan to attend in 2013 look for me I will be there to welcome and encourage you, and I’ll bring all these wonderful ladies along beside me. </div>
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<a href="http://ancientcityromanceauthors.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-fiction-writers-bootcamp-on-beach.html" target="_blank">RELATED POST: 2012 Fiction Writers' Bootcamp on the Beach, Part 1</a></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-3910957990185546592012-11-22T13:02:00.000-05:002012-11-22T13:25:04.156-05:002012 Fiction Writers' Bootcamp on the Beach - Part 1<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsDIFjjqqhRu-k9xK0Ps2yV63TIKeUOoazXtzyPl7haz0zf-9t7UI4p3wdQeCYmIl2viuf3t9vXGp2NCaVH_KGqUAw3L4qEL3sMz19POnCljHa-U81inI2RlxGg0mJi3M5nppUpupnXA/s1600/St_AugConf+015+hat+beads+book+Karen+H+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNsDIFjjqqhRu-k9xK0Ps2yV63TIKeUOoazXtzyPl7haz0zf-9t7UI4p3wdQeCYmIl2viuf3t9vXGp2NCaVH_KGqUAw3L4qEL3sMz19POnCljHa-U81inI2RlxGg0mJi3M5nppUpupnXA/s320/St_AugConf+015+hat+beads+book+Karen+H+comp.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo by ACRA member Karen Hudgins.</i></td></tr>
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Autumn brings the promise of a magical season of
harvest, thankfulness, and giving, showcased in colors so brilliant they
sometimes don't even look real. Well, unless you live in Florida, in which case
you get the harvest, thankfulness, and giving, but you have to settle for white
beaches, blue ocean, and green palm trees. Yeah, it's rough, but someone has to
do it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you are a member of <a href="http://www.acrarwa.com/" target="_blank">Ancient City Romance Authors</a>, autumn also brings our annual Fiction Writers' Bootcamp on the Beach.
ACRA plans for this event at least a year in advance of the actual year it is
to be held, wisely choosing one member to turn possibilities into unforgettable
reality.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Qualifications for this position are simple. Our
Bootcamp Chair must have: <o:p></o:p></div>
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- extraordinary enthusiasm for the craft of
writing, <o:p></o:p></div>
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- nerves of steel, <o:p></o:p></div>
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- a willingness to give up those hours she wastes
sleeping every night.<o:p></o:p></div>
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- (A lifetime Prozac prescription is not a necessity,
but it helps.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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The ACRA member who possessed all the necessary
qualifications for 2012 was bestselling author <a href="http://elizabethsinclair.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Sinclair</a>. Having written
and published over twenty books in her career <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Forever-Fall-Elizabeth-Sinclair/dp/1611942039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350840194&sr=8-1&keywords=forever+fall+elizabeth+sinclair" target="_blank">(one of which was released about five minutes before the conference started</a>), Elizabeth is accustomed to mapping
out a project, organizing everything she needs to pull it off, and making it
happen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Elizabeth chose Mardi Gras as the 2012 theme and
decorated the conference room accordingly, in green, purple, and gold. Spirits
were high, and writers from near and far arrived in St Augustine on October 5 for
a weekend of education, preparation, and excitement. Attendees were totally
absorbed in every workshop, the only sound other than the speaker's voice being
the scratching of notes from pen to paper.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Deborah Smith, from <a href="http://www.bellebooks.com/" target="_blank">Belle and Bell Bridge Books</a> in
Memphis, TN, brought our keynote address. Thirty seconds into her presentation,
attendees were howling with laughter. If you've ever passed up a chance to hear
this woman speak, you have done yourself a great disservice. Debra Dixon, also
from <a href="http://www.bellebooks.com/" target="_blank">Belle and Bell Bridge Books</a>, offered workshops that many agreed changed
the way they approached their work. Elizabeth Sinclair offered workshops as
well, with a workshop on Characterization that made everyone see their
characters in a whole new way.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Deb Smith also met with authors to hear all about what
they were working on, and to see if it might be a fit for Belle and Bell
Bridge. Having never pitched a manuscript before, some of our writers were
uneasy and fearful of suddenly forgetting important details like their own
names and addresses. Deb made everyone feel as though they were simply sitting
down for a chat with a good friend who shared their love of writing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ACRA's hero, Cheryl Brooks, made the trip from Edgewater,
FL, to handle our conference bookstore again. Her bookstore, <a href="http://thebookrack.com/Edgewater" target="_blank">The Book Rack</a>, is
ACRA's "home" bookstore, and we are so grateful to her for her
support and her willingness to help us out like she does. We love her attitude,
her sense of humor, and her attachment to books.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ACRA is more than a chapter of Romance Writers of
America. ACRA is a family, and when one of us hurts, we all hurt. Our
conference this year was not only a source of creative renewal and fellowship,
it was also a gathering in which we held one of our own in our arms and shared
her sorrow. Our Treasurer (and former Conference Chair) <a href="http://askyetaylor.com/blogging_at_the_beach/?y=2012&m=9" target="_blank">Skye Taylor, lost her young grandson</a> in late September in an unfortunate accident that took his life.
Skye's conference experience was, of course, somewhat different from those in
the past, but the timing was helpful. It was good for us to all be together for
her at a time when she needed us most.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our raffle baskets, Kindle Fire giveaway, Kindle
Touch giveaway, food, and special Mardi Gras cake made for us by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carries-Cake-Delights-Statesboro-GA/106943316061100" target="_blank">Carrie's Cake Delights</a> of Statesboro, GA, added to the excitement of the weekend, as did the
tour of St Augustine's <a href="http://www.whetstonechocolates.com/" target="_blank">Whetstone Chocolate Factory</a>. Yes, we did tour a real
chocolate factory, and yes, there were samples, and yes, there was a factory
shop, and yes, we did spend a collective fortune on chocolate. Wish you'd been
there now, don't you?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our deepest appreciation goes to <a href="http://elizabethsinclair.com/" target="_blank">Elizabeth Sinclair</a> on her excellent organization and management of the 2012 ACRA Fiction
Writers' Bootcamp on the Beach, to those who assisted her, and to each member
of ACRA who contributed a basket, a critique, or a gift of their time to help
make this event happen. <o:p></o:p></div>
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So what does Elizabeth have up her sleeve for next
year? Oh, trust us . . . it's going to be the best ever. Seriously, you do not
want to miss this. Elizabeth and her staff are already deep into preparations
for it. Plans are still in the "secret" stage, so we can't reveal it yet.
But if you plan to attend, a parrot on your shoulder would be a nice touch . .
. .<o:p></o:p><br />
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RELATED POST: <a href="http://ancientcityromanceauthors.blogspot.com/2012/11/2012-fiction-writers-bootcamp-on-beach_22.html" target="_blank">2012 ACRA Fiction Writers' Bootcamp on the Beach - Part 2</a></div>
Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-16546065278834740082012-08-20T09:38:00.000-04:002012-08-20T09:42:38.958-04:00August Workshop & Meeting: Q & A With Keith Nazworth, Deputy, JSO <span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Join us for our August 25 meeting. This month's workshop will be a
Q&A with JSO Deputy Keith Nazworth. Jot down the questions you've always wanted to ask a law enforcement officer, and come be a part of what is sure to be a fantastic meeting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN">The Ancient City Romance Authors meet at the Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, in Jacksonville. Meetings are held each fourth Saturday of the month, January through October. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30pm - 1, then workshops begin.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicu_IzwLCXh-D-72jBc3PQALqA4_atAiTv6afhlzK9C1rq9wQiZEr3LzEBkXOHC1Nfe7T5uW_jXgWLyptVgiaD2iEEgWo5drRIapw_WSAt7ChMf1dNIPBAoSfeHmfJIx1QHZ3pVOCWUh8/s1600/Keith+Nazworth" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicu_IzwLCXh-D-72jBc3PQALqA4_atAiTv6afhlzK9C1rq9wQiZEr3LzEBkXOHC1Nfe7T5uW_jXgWLyptVgiaD2iEEgWo5drRIapw_WSAt7ChMf1dNIPBAoSfeHmfJIx1QHZ3pVOCWUh8/s400/Keith+Nazworth" width="400" /></a><br />
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<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Keith Nazworth</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Graduate of Andrew Jackson High School C/O 1983.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Attended college at FCCCJ.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Worked in the private sector prior to being hired by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in 1990.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Married for 20 years ( Teresa ) and have one daughter ( Shelby ).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Worked 2 years in Patrol, 10 years of Canine, 7 years in Marine Unit and currently assigned to Traffic Division ( Motor Unit ).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I attended 840 hours of training to obtain my basic law enforcement certification .</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Canine Certification was 640 hours of training ( dual purpose K9 – patrol/narcotics ).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I obtained my OUPV ( Merchant Capt License with a towing Endorsement ).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I completed the JSO Solo motorcycle program in July 2010 ( 120 hours ).</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I am currently assigned to Zone 5 in the traffic unit ( Northwest Jacksonville area ), my primary function is handling vehicle crashes and traffic complaints.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><i>I look forward to seeing you this weekend and will do my best to answer all questions or concerns.</i></span>Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-52812695384402959972012-07-17T13:21:00.000-04:002012-07-17T13:22:31.142-04:00An Actor Prepares – Become Your Characters<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_bZhO4BR-eShM0X-P4c-gbmTdTkQQ1Th9mqWMb-IxmmnND6X69GV7b_cXCWekxnm6na5Pxpsejg-hqxxKqG5rYROzo576ROI0mjW5cGSHSKjkP5OCfsF5vAS_61or8kwHR_-8jIc1ag/s1600/Sharon+Drane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-_bZhO4BR-eShM0X-P4c-gbmTdTkQQ1Th9mqWMb-IxmmnND6X69GV7b_cXCWekxnm6na5Pxpsejg-hqxxKqG5rYROzo576ROI0mjW5cGSHSKjkP5OCfsF5vAS_61or8kwHR_-8jIc1ag/s200/Sharon+Drane.jpg" width="150" /></a>Join ACRA on July 28 for a very special workshop on creating
unforgettable characters by becoming your characters, offered by member Sharon
Drane.<o:p></o:p></div>
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An award winning actor and director, Sharon Drane has
appeared onstage for over fifty years.
Her credits as an actor include everything from Shakespeare to
contemporary comedy, intricate drama, melodrama, mysteries, and musical
theater.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As an actor her favorite roles are Marilla Cuthbert in “Anne
of Green Gables,” Bloody Mary in “South Pacific,” and Juliet’s nurse in “Romeo
and Juliet.” As a director, her favorite
productions are “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Bus Stop,” and “Inherit the Wind.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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Trained in the Stanislavski Method of character preparation,
Sharon will present a workshop at the monthly meeting of Ancient City Romance
Authors on Saturday, July 28<sup>th</sup>.
The workshop is entitled “An Actor Prepares – Become Your
Characters.” Use of the Method will help
an actor or an author create emotionally realistic characters that catch and
hold the interest of the audience.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As an author, Sharon’s Regency novel, <i>Touch the Sky</i>, was named a finalist in two recent Romance Writers
of America sponsored contests, the Linda Howard Award for Excellence held by
Southern Magic Romance Writers and the GOTCHA contest sponsored by Silicon
Valley Romance Writers. As a result of
being named a finalist in the GOTCHA contest, <st1:city w:st="on">Sharon</st1:city>’s manuscript was requested by a
publisher.<o:p></o:p></div>
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ACRA meets on the 4th Saturday of each month at the
Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL. Phone
(904)-996-0325. Bring your lunch and socialize from 12:30-1pm, followed by a writer's
workshop and then by the regular monthly ACRA chapter business meeting.<o:p></o:p></div>Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-46894424145335631272012-06-16T12:05:00.000-04:002012-06-16T12:05:11.945-04:00The Making of a Young Adult Heroine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLfJgoYN8oxy0Iq8dmIu8tLshkrM3kUsJIweEXJSSdpTtpYvOtF_ESRf-e1C9wjYbXrVvMJ_2lXcyMMSWhNKagnPNjUHvgTGWUTv5RI5TYGqR0eYPIR0jC0IpFLjqEAVcytDUVTQQDMg/s1600/tracired+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrLfJgoYN8oxy0Iq8dmIu8tLshkrM3kUsJIweEXJSSdpTtpYvOtF_ESRf-e1C9wjYbXrVvMJ_2lXcyMMSWhNKagnPNjUHvgTGWUTv5RI5TYGqR0eYPIR0jC0IpFLjqEAVcytDUVTQQDMg/s200/tracired+comp.jpg" width="138" /></a></div>
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by Traci Hall</div>
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June 2012<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From Merriam Webster online
dictionary – HEROINE<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a</span></i><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> a mythological or legendary <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">woman having the qualities of a hero</span> <i>b</i><b>:</b>
a <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">woman admired and
emulated for her achievements</span> and qualities </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a</span></i><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">the
principal female character in a literary or dramatic work</span> <i>b</i><b>:</b>
the central female figure in an event or period </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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I write young adult stories that are mostly female centered.
I love it when girls get to be the ones with the power. Not that they should
use such power unwisely…I just want them to <i>have
</i>it. It’s fun. I grew up in a world that was riddled with Girls Wear Pink
and Boys Wear Blue rules. Boys are
stronger, more capable, worth more money.
Though my father might have thought so, my mother, thankfully, did not.
I was encouraged to wear whatever color I wanted. My daughter has chosen a
career in the male dominated Navy Aviation Structural Mechanics department and
I see an entire generation of girls kicking the rest of the Gender Doors down. What great heroines there will be to choose
from when it comes to writing fiction!<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a reader, I want excitement, drama, or romance, maybe
throw in some fear. I want to be sucked into emotion, where the stakes are
high, and my heroine has to work for that happy ending. I have a confession to make: I did not care
for Bella in Twilight. (ducking for cover) Let me explain! She fits the
description of a heroine, being the principal character in a literary work, but
for my personal tastes, I found Bella to
be overly melodramatic. She waited. She
sighed. She cried. I couldn’t identify with her. However, the brilliant and talented Stephenie
Meyer tapped into a market craving teenage angst, and she delivered – the hot,
sparkling vampire boyfriend was a bonus! And the gorgeous werewolf next door? Great
drama. The fact that Bella sighed, lost sleep, wasn’t happy, ever, made me want
to scream. But Ms. Meyer created the perfect angsty heroine. I just saw Kristen Stewart in Snow White and
the Huntsman. She did a lot of silent crying, waiting, etc. but the story was
good. Typecast heroine?<o:p></o:p></div>
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Hunger Games is an example of the heroine I like best. The character of Katniss Everdeen is clearly
motivated from the beginning. She’s a hunter, she’s a rule breaker, and she
loves her youngest sister enough that she volunteers for a death sentence so
her sister can be safe. There’s a teasing hint of love unrequited, and a
backbone of steel as she tells her mother to be strong. She needs all of these
character traits if she is to survive the games. The stories are amazing. If you haven’t seen
the movie, I highly recommend it – especially if you’ve read the books. The
producer/director people did a magnificent job of staying true to Suzanne
Collins’s story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In Zombyre, My Love, I’ve created a character, Lolita, who
–unlike Katniss, lol – is no hunter. In fact, there are no living creatures
around. Her world consists of hot, hot
days, comet showers, cold nights and curfews in a deserted town that rolls up
the streets at sundown. Her parents are infected with the zombie virus, her
best friends are infected with the zombie virus – she’s just waiting to get it
and die, too. She lives with death shadowing her like a dark cloud. Yet there is a light within her that shines
bright enough to attract a monster. Lolita cries, like Bella, she feels <i>angst,</i> but she also pops the zombie
trying to kill her over the head with a candlestick. She’s a survivor. <o:p></o:p></div>
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A heroine doesn’t have to wield a bow and arrow, or cry
pretty, silent tears. What makes a heroine
strong is their willingness to take on the enemy, or evil, to protect someone
they love, or an idea they believe in with all of their being. Katniss did
this, volunteering to take her sister’s place. Lolita combines a sassy mouth
with a huge heart, determined to love and live despite the bleak odds. Even
angsty Bella shows strength as she struggles to find the good within the
monster and justify her love.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There are many, many heroines in our lives, unsung
champions. Moms, sisters, daughters, friends. Take a second and give ‘em a hug,
a text, let them know you consider them a hero – talk about fun!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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xoxoxox<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Traci<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>Award winning author Traci Hall writes paranormal romances
for teens as well as historical romances for adults. She’s co authored a
non-fiction book about adoption, and written a coming of age story. Traci has been interviewed on the radio, web
tv, and Fox and Friends. She lives in South Florida with her husband and
children, reading, researching and writing.
<a href="mailto:tracihallauthor@aol.com" target="_blank">tracihallauthor@aol.com</a> <a href="http://www.traciehall.com/" target="_blank">www.traciehall.com</a>
<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Book 1 in the Mile Post 42 series : Zombyre, My Love<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i>Book 1 in the Queen’s Guard series: The Queen’s Guard:
Violet</i><o:p></o:p></div>Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-84563167298162539742012-06-05T11:12:00.000-04:002012-06-05T11:12:58.775-04:00Writing Inspirationals ~ June Q & A Panel<br />
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<span style="text-indent: 0in;">Join us
on June 23, 2012 for an informative workshop on writing inspirationals. Four
inspirational authors will be on hand to answer questions, provide insights,
and discuss the genre. Our speakers will be:</span></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oVissaYD9Y2uvUe-SeGom0rSeFuWdGCoSk38LXhkbw_uqXV-TJ82a_nIb7VJgGR1BuhTmeSGOPSgv203SpXbjQkfrPME5HvWEqt3Ptfh4o6nNYAYThZxMMfzISkPFb_-2MphkhLRv-E/s1600/LindaRondeau+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2oVissaYD9Y2uvUe-SeGom0rSeFuWdGCoSk38LXhkbw_uqXV-TJ82a_nIb7VJgGR1BuhTmeSGOPSgv203SpXbjQkfrPME5HvWEqt3Ptfh4o6nNYAYThZxMMfzISkPFb_-2MphkhLRv-E/s200/LindaRondeau+comp.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
<b>Linda
Rondeau</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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A
native of Central New York, Linda Wood Rondeau graduated from North Syracuse
High School and later Houghton College. She moved to Northern New York where
she met and married Steve Rondeau, her best friend in life, and managed a
career in human services before tackling professional writing. She has recently
relocated to Jacksonville, Florida to start a new adventure…leaving rural
America to live in a city of one million. <o:p></o:p></div>
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While
writing occupies a great deal of her time, the author takes greater pride in being
a wife of one patient man, the mother of three, and the grandmother of nine…not
to mention the owner of a very adorable cat. <o:p></o:p></div>
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An
award winning author, The Other Side of Darkness is Linda Wood Rondeau’s first
published novel. She is the winner Selah
award for best first novel 2012. She
also has a new release July 1st…America II:
The Reformation. Linda is the
founder of an on-line support group for writers called Pentalk. When not writing, Mrs. Rondeau enjoys
golfing, hiking, and Community Theater. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The
author enjoys receiving notes and questions from readers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Trailer:
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Me_jOBFVM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0Me_jOBFVM</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Website:
<a href="http://www.lindarondeau.com/">http://www.lindarondeau.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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Blogs:
This Daily Grind, Back in the Daze<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The Other Side of Darkness is available on
Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Books-a-Million.com, Christianbook.com,
Pelican Books, and wherever books are sold. It is available in both ebook and
softcover format.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypdcjkPp8hyphenhyphenQB6vRvySd12-1kDzIz63Pgafa9gEmjL3HGtn9ABosTxuXJOZoyNUwUn-yKZC2snCGjTVOYpegtfRIlHXjft16vhWJDfD-9Ts0uvSyvxjUO4tr6EekHE6HKlRPZQykjXR4/s1600/KB+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgypdcjkPp8hyphenhyphenQB6vRvySd12-1kDzIz63Pgafa9gEmjL3HGtn9ABosTxuXJOZoyNUwUn-yKZC2snCGjTVOYpegtfRIlHXjft16vhWJDfD-9Ts0uvSyvxjUO4tr6EekHE6HKlRPZQykjXR4/s200/KB+comp.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
<b>Kathryn
J Bain</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Kathryn
J. Bain has been writing for over ten years now. Her first release Breathless
came out January 13, 2012. Her novella Game of Hearts was released on March 1,
2012. Her third book Catch Your Breath will be released later this year. She
has two daughters, and is the former President of Florida Sisters in Crime.
Currently, she is the Public Relations Director and Membership Director for
Ancient City Romance Authors. To survive and pay bills, she has been a
paralegal for over twenty years and works for an attorney who specializes in
elder law. She moved from Idaho to Jacksonville, Florida in 1983 and has lived
in the sunshine since.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Visit
her at her website at <a href="http://kathrynjbain.com/">KathrynJBain.com</a>
or on her author facebook page.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz0-2MemSw3T8c_7n34sfRxo-kNrH9FRkY4OxWA1BkbdIL0kpwfzzA2H3YBIeCEqw684uzWl70qq8TTTRdHDcDKrr7ah4f6WeSe9tsh3hMxyimc6J7EEMU8cPmv5Edx56Mtf4s3_Ymtk/s1600/Selena+Fulton+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPz0-2MemSw3T8c_7n34sfRxo-kNrH9FRkY4OxWA1BkbdIL0kpwfzzA2H3YBIeCEqw684uzWl70qq8TTTRdHDcDKrr7ah4f6WeSe9tsh3hMxyimc6J7EEMU8cPmv5Edx56Mtf4s3_Ymtk/s200/Selena+Fulton+comp.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
<b>Selena
Fulton</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Selena
started writing poetry at the age of nine and never stopped writing. She loves
anything to do with the ocean. She enjoys camping and making jewelry. A
multi-published, award-winning author, belongs to First Coast Romance Writers,
Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Ancient
City Romance Authors. She won the Golden Acorn Excellence in Writing contest,
and has finalled in the Unpublished Beacon and Finally a Bride contests. She
also has a couple short stories published. She believes in “paying it forward”
by working with fellow authors in her critique groups.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Her
first novella, a sensual time travel romance called Never Let Go, came out on
June 20 with The Wild Rose Press and is also available on Amazon.com. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Come
check her out on Facebook or go to her blog at <a href="http://selenafulton.wordpress.com/">Selenafulton.wordpress.com</a>,
because it’s all about the journey<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52Lx8jvEVDEBXWmeDxRHcyD0rtWkpO8phOdFwsJEyNd9dU4fBuIWM4V8TtXX6-5fUwXgaFH-ZLXokHgvimC1onbSxfoMyTRWRoYXr2oMnWAlMSyndgi3VGy5banq3U2AmUubgVtPlge0/s1600/Diane+Burke+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi52Lx8jvEVDEBXWmeDxRHcyD0rtWkpO8phOdFwsJEyNd9dU4fBuIWM4V8TtXX6-5fUwXgaFH-ZLXokHgvimC1onbSxfoMyTRWRoYXr2oMnWAlMSyndgi3VGy5banq3U2AmUubgVtPlge0/s200/Diane+Burke+comp.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>
<b>Diane
Burke</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Diane Burke, award winning
author, writes inspirational romantic suspense for Love Inspired Books by
Harlequin. She lives in Florida and loves everything from the hustle and bustle
of theme parks to walking on the beautiful beaches and swimming in the surf.
She loves to hear from her readers at: <a href="mailto:diane@dianeburkeauthor.com">diane@dianeburkeauthor.com</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you'd like to join us...<br />Where: Southeast Regional Library, 10599 Deerwood Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32256</div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0in;">Time: 12:30 to 4:00</span></div>
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(Bring your lunch and eat or socialize from 12:30 to 1:00, Workshop begins at 1:00, Break, then General meeting to follow.)</div>
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<br />Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7411981385983565986.post-82869349281585648122012-05-31T10:42:00.000-04:002012-05-31T10:42:23.733-04:00Getting The Most From Your Query<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjtxu6ZBSIzFmFTv_UrOadTkxsqxlM4T1zRErpr-DeCCeKrhgNl5DGUIyZSUgnuwX_Dwe5s9yh_-HGHcKGf_l-nLnVrvdGjRweYxvM-bQ0SdWgtTnW3fVduoBJPKZ08FJZyLDYTG3WqE/s1600/KB+comp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjtxu6ZBSIzFmFTv_UrOadTkxsqxlM4T1zRErpr-DeCCeKrhgNl5DGUIyZSUgnuwX_Dwe5s9yh_-HGHcKGf_l-nLnVrvdGjRweYxvM-bQ0SdWgtTnW3fVduoBJPKZ08FJZyLDYTG3WqE/s200/KB+comp.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">by Kathryn J Bain<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Membership Coordinator, Ancient City Romance Authors</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
query letter. The first way most writers have to make an impression on an agent
or publisher. And first impressions do count. It doesn’t matter how wonderful
your manuscript is if the publisher never gets to read it. <span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
main way to get your query noticed is to be professional. You are writing to a
business, so act as if you are a business owner when you write your letter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The
following are several steps that make a query noticeable. Since most queries
are now sent by e-mail, I have written this based on that fact. A letter sent
by postal service would be done similarly, but the contact information at the
top, like a business’ letterhead. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1.
One is keep your query short. No more than a page. A long letter will only make
the agent or publisher roll their eyes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2.
Does your query look like a third grader
wrote it? Proofread it until you are absolutely sure there are no errors in it.
Your query is one page long. One error might make an agent assume you didn’t
proof your manuscript any better. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3. Do not call the editor/agent by their first
name, even if you’ve met them. If her name is Sean Jones, the salutation should
read Dear Ms. Jones, for a man, Dear Mr. Jones. Make sure you know which also.
Addressing a letter to a man as Mrs. will not win you any points. I always do a
search on the Internet when I’m not sure. I have yet to know find out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. Use the first paragraph or two to give a
brief synopsis of the book. Make sure it’s a good hook. If you bore your reader
here, they’ll assume you’ll bore them with your book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">5. In the next paragraph, tell them why you’re
writing. “I’m writing in the hopes you would be interested in reading my
manuscript ….” Tell them the genre and how many words it is. If you do not know
the genre, you’re not ready to submit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6. Next, include a small writing resume. Don’t
tell me you don’t have one. They’re easy to get. Just volunteer in your local
writers’ group. The first job I ever did was to get guests for our local
Florida Sisters in Crime meetings. I called myself the Public Relations
Director. There was no such position. I made it up. You want a title, tell the
head of your group you’d like to bring snacks to all the meetings. Now you’re
the Hospitality Director. Put that in the resume section of your letter. This
lets an agent or editor know that you are willing to step out and be noticed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">7. The final paragraph of your letter should
thank them for taking their time. These are busy people. Thanking them leaves
warm fuzzies in their hearts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">8.
The last step is to sign your letter and include all your contact information,
including address, phone and your website, if you have one. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I
have gotten several compliments on my query letters for being good and
professional. Attached to this blog is a sample of the query for my latest
manuscript. Regarding this query, one publisher wrote: “I liked your query [a lot!] It was
professional and told me what I needed to know, and I look forward to reading
your <strong>complete</strong>
manuscript.” A possible sale because of a simple, yet professional query. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A publisher asking for
a complete manuscript puts you closer to a contract than one that never
responds. Please feel free to use the following query as a guideline, and let
me know how it works. And if you get published, all I ask for is a candy bar
(no nuts please) if we ever meet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">SAMPLE QUERY<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear ___________:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A name can mean a lot. You expect a Jasper to be the CEO of a
company. Name your son Phineas, well, he might get beat up a lot. However if
you chose to call your daughter Trúble, you get what you ask for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trúble Lawrence makes a habit out of discovering dead bodies. When
the police look to her as a suspect, she has no choice but to search for the
killer. If that’s not bad enough she has to deal with a grandmother who has
visions, a co-worker who makes the Wicked Witch of the West look like Shirley
Temple, and a guy who constantly reminds her that celibacy is hard when a hot
male's around. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am writing in the hope you will be interested in reading my
completed manuscript, <i>Trúble in Knight and Day. </i>It is a
humorous mystery and approximately 65,250 words in length. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My published works include: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>- Breathless, </i>an inspirational romantic suspense released January 13,
2012 from White Rose Publishing;<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>- Game of
Hearts</i>, a humorous novella released on
e-book March 1, 2012 through Astraea Press; and<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>- Catch Your
Breath</i>, the sequel to <i>Breathless</i> which is due to come out from White Rose Publishing in
2012. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also, my first release, <i>Breathless,</i> was the winner of the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award for
Inspirational Fiction.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was the President of Florida Sisters in Crime
from January 2010 – December 2011, and am currently the Public Relations
Director and Membership Director for Ancient City Romance Authors. I am also a
member of National Sisters in Crime, American Christian Fiction Writers,
National Romance Writers of America, First Coast Romance Writers, and Florida
Writers Association. During my spare time, I work as a paralegal for an elder
law attorney.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you for your attention. I look forward to hearing from you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sincerely yours,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kathryn J. Bain<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Writing
Clean Fiction with an Edge<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<a href="http://www.kathrynjbain.com/"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.kathrynjbain.com</span></a><br />
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<br />Ancient City Romance Authorshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18012276229302716573noreply@blogger.com1