Valerie Allen News

Valerie Allen gave a presentation at the Space Coast Writers' Guild Conference. Valerie's topic was: Writing for Fun and Profit. She focused on the four aspects of being a successful authors: Write, Publish, Market, and Sell. She reviewed the different skill sets to accomplish each of these tasks to write for both fun and profit. 

ValerieAllenWriter.com

Elaine Viets Wins Argo Award

Elaine Viets receives Don Argo Award from Gene Davis, president of SCWG

             

Elaine Viets, popular South Florida humorous mystery writer, won the Space Coast Writer’s Guild (SCWG) Don Argo Award for Florida based fiction. Among Elaine’s 25 books are her Dead End Job series. Elaine actually took the dead end jobs that heroine, Helen, suffers through in the books.  Elaine, author and Emmy Award winning TV broadcaster, is doing a new radio series on Radio Ear Network interviewing people who, you guessed it, do Dead End Jobs.

            The Argo Award was a highlight of the Space Coast Writer’s “Celebrating Florida Writers and Writing” Conference held in the International Palms Convention Center in Cocoa Beach Friday and Saturday, the 27^th and 28^th of January. Other noted authors, including local Florida artists Davis Bunn, Mark Mynheir, Dianne Marcum, Cris Kridler, the Nardini Sisters, Joyce Henderson, and Bruce Cadle educated attendees with seminars, workshops, and individual presentations.

            Bethany Brown, Nancy Cohen, and Rachel Hauck led six hour mentoring sessions that gave writers an up close and personal opportunity to improve their writing skills and learn business tips for promoting their works.

The SCWG short story contest winners were recognized and awarded certificates at the Saturday night dinner for their works. Winners were:  First Place, Amy Demmy, The Ring; Second Place, Jaimie Engle, The Heist; and Third Place, Terry Lee Hess, Brazilian Back. Dr. Robert Taylor, FIT professor and historian, entertained and informed the audience with his talk “Writing Florida.”

The Conference was considered a “literary success” with over 90% of those responding to a end-of-conference survey rating most activities as excellent..

Lou's News...

Thanks to Doug Dillon. 

He's the author of  The Saint Augustine Trilogy

I was a guest blogger on his blog this week. Please stop by and check out his blog and leave a comment.

Click here.

                                                                                     Thanks,  

                                                                      Lou

Appreciation... to Kee Briggs

Thanks to Kee Briggs for his continued support of Florida Book News.

Please notice his new sponsor ad in the right column. Click on it and it will take you to see his new book Stainless Steel Sign. It's the latest in his Usher Orlop Series of mystery  novels.

Sunshine Highway by Ruth Francisco

About the book

 

Three sheets to the wind, Sheriff Bill Crocker drives home late at night on a country road, swerving into a woman and her young daughter, who sit in a parked car.  He knows the law, he knows what’s right, but in a panic—a moment of supreme stupidity—he takes off into the dark.

When he gets home Crocker realizes how devastating a hit-and-run will be to his career.  But he cannot begin to imagine the aftershocks that will ripple through his community.   He does the worst thing he could possible do—he tries to cover it up.  

Evocative and poetic, rich with Southern imagery, deep with emotion and humor, Sunshine Highway is an epic saga about the struggle of the South to shake itself free from a painful past to join the twenty-first century.

About Ruth Francisco

Ruth Francisco worked in the film industry for many years in production, screenwriting, and promotion.   Her first book, Confessions of a Deathmaiden was published by Warner Books in 2003, followed by Good Morning, Darkness and The Secret Memoirs of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.    

Sunshine Highway is available on Kindle.

Book News from James F. and Sarah Jane Kaserman

James F. & Sarah Jane Kaserman, authors of Florida Pirates: From the South Coast of Florida to the Keys and Beyond, will appear at the USF Bookstore to discuss the true facts about pirates, then and now, and to sign copies of their latest nonfiction book.  They will be signing from 11 a.m. until 12 noon on Thursday, February 9, 2012.  The bookstore is located at 4202 East Fowler Street in Tampa, FL 33620.  Phylis Smith is coordinating the event.  Her phone number is 813-974-5026 and her email address is phyllis@usf.edu

 

 Later that afternoon, Sarah Jane will be performing with her fiddle group at 2 p.m. at the Florida State Fair.

James F. & Sarah Jane Kaserman, Authors-Lecturers.  Check out their website at http://www.sarahjameskaserman.com

Love and Other Delusions by Larry Baker

Ice Cube Press (est 1993) is pleased to announce the May 1, 2012, release of Love and Other Delusions, the first novel in their new fiction imprint, Ice Tea Books. 

The Author:

Love and Other Delusions is the fourth novel of award-winning writer Larry Baker. His first Florida novel, The Flamingo Rising, was a Barnes and Noble top-three finalist in the “Great New Voices” competition of 1997, a Los Angeles Times "Top 100" novel for 1997, and was adapted by Hallmark for a television movie in 2001. 

It was also included in the American Library Association’s “Banned Books” list for 2010. His last Florida novel A Good Man was a Southern Independent Bookseller Association nominee for the Book of the Year in 2010.

The Story: 

In Alice’s world, it all made sense. She told her husband, “I stopped cheating on you when I started sleeping with Danny.” 

He finally understood, but too late. 

Alice Marcher is dying, but she is still trying to understand her life. She was thirty when she met Danny Shay. He was eighteen. Two years later, they were sleeping together. Twenty years later, they parted. Alice insisted, “It lasted so long, so it must have meant something, right? We weren’t a cliché, were we?” 

Katherine Arnett is Alice’s audience, or therapist, or ghost. Only when Alice dies is Katherine’s true identity revealed. The two women share a final moment in a room with a man who simply asks, “Who are you?” Only one woman knows the answer.

“A story came back to her as she died, fiction as real as her own life, and she herself finally understood it. A beast in a jungle had always been there for her, all those years with Danny. Her own incarnation of that beast, its breath finally upon her throat, had finally turned on her. She had done a very bad thing, falling in love with Danny, and the beast had always been waiting.”---page 60 

Peter Bartram is Alice’s husband. He has always known.

Love and Other Delusions will be published in April 2012. It can be pre-ordered at Amazon. 

Novel "Funnel Vision" takes an exciting look inside the world of storm chasers

It’s an era of billion-dollar weather disasters and storm chasers as television stars. Get a look inside what it’s really like to chase tornadoes — and insight into the people who chase storms — in a new novel by storm chaser Chris Kridler, Funnel Vision.

When brash tornado researcher Jack Andreas and photographer Judy Hale cross paths with each other, a host of obsessed storm chasers, Judy’s sultry sister and a hapless storm tour operator, they can only be on a road to disaster ... and dreams. With action, humor, sexy romance and rapturous skies, Funnel Vision takes you into the heart of Tornado Alley — and the hearts and minds of the adventurers who populate the nomadic, geeky, exhilarating world of storm chasing.

Kridler, a veteran journalist and photographer who has chased storms for 15 years, is available for interviews and can discuss storm-chasing culture, storms, tornado and lightning safety, weather photography, writing, and the novel Funnel Vision.

Kridler is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience who has worked at Florida Today, The Baltimore Sun and The Charlotte Observer. As a reporter covering space, she wrote about space shuttle missions, the Mars Rovers from California’s Jet Propulsion Lab, and a Soyuz launch and mission from Kazakhstan and Russia. She has written book, movie and restaurant reviews; countless news articles; and features on a variety of topics. 

Her photos have appeared in magazines and on book covers, she was featured in Popular Photography, and her video has appeared on numerous television shows. She won the Best Documentary award at the 2011 Melbourne Independent Filmmakers Festival for her short film “Chasing Reality,” about the realities of storm chasing. She has been interviewed in various media, including documentaries on The Travel Channel and The Weather Channel and on “American Variety Radio” on public radio. Originally from Pennsylvania, she went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lives on Florida’s Space Coast.

Funnel Vision is available as a trade paperback for $14.95 and in several e-book formats for $2.99, with a release date of Jan. 24, 2012. 

Visit http://chriskridler.com/books for more information about Funnel Vision, along with a high-resolution book cover image and author photos, a book trailer and a Q&A interview. 

You can also purchase the book at Amazon

Space Coast Writers' Guild Conference

Chris Kridler will be one of the speakers at the Space Coast Writers' Guild conference.   And, she'll  be among the authors signing books at the 1:15 p.m. signing session on Jan. 28. Several notable authors will be there, including some with local ties, including Davis Bunn, Mark Mynheir, Bruce Cadle and Dianne Marcum. The conference is at the International Palms Resort and Conference Center, Cocoa Beach (formerly the Holiday Inn), 1300 N. Atlantic Ave. Info: http://www.scwg.org/conference.asp

The Space Coast Writers’ Guild presents their Annual Writer’s Conference – Celebrating Florida Writers & Writing

Florida book news announces... Cocoa Beach, Florida – January 27 – 28, 2012. Enjoy two full days of hands-on conference workshops and seminars including one-on-one mentoring for fiction, non-fiction and self-publishing. Gain insightful publishing tips from authors, agents and publishers. Experience creative innovations and writing techniques for fiction and non-fiction authors, as well as aspiring authors.

Keynote aspeaker Dr. Robert Taylor, FIT; Internationally acclaimed author Davis Bunn returns with his popular workshop; Bethany Brown, Debora Coty, Michelle Dunn, Stephen Mettee and Elaine Viets begin a long list of guest speakers attending the conference.

Appointments with Agents Jenny Bent, Lois Grayson, and Paige Wheeler. Publishers Stephen Mette, Pat McDonough, and Book Packager Bethany Brown. The International Palms Resort & Conference Center will host this spectacular writer’s conference in Cocoa Beach, Florida. For reservations call (321) 392-1630, ask for the writer’s conference special rate.

Barnes and Noble Booksellers will host the public bookstore and book signing. Celebrating Florida Writers and Writing is designed for all levels of writing instruction, from the beginning, intermediate and advanced writer to the published and non-published author.

Rate: $195.00 for both days includes meals, while other options are available. Appointments: $20.00 ea. or 3 for $50.00. For more information contact Joyce Henderson at www.jehwriter@cfl.rr.com, or visit their website at www.scwg.org.

P.S. Newly added to the lineup of the Space Coast Writer's Guild Conference Speakers: Bruce Cadle will offer a 2-hr session on Marketing and Stephen Mettee will hold a half-day interactive workshop on how to write a nonfiction book. The conference will have two full days of sessions, workshops, keynote speakers, contest awards and appointments with agents,

Holly Fox Vellekoop TV Interview on Wednesday

Holly Fox Vellekoop  did an interview about her latest novel, Justice and Revenge, with Angela Bozorth, host of the local television show, "Whats Goin' On."  The interview will be aired on Wednesday, January 25, 6:30pm, on Brighthouse Channel 49.

"Justice and Revenge" is for sale in paperback and for the Nook at barnesandnoble.com
and at amazon.com in paperback and for the Kindle.

Win a Free Manuscript Evaluation -

It’s MAD. They are giving it away for free.

You’ve finished your manuscript, but you don’t know if it’s ready for prime time. Or maybe you’ve made a good start, but now you’re stuck. What do you do now?

MAD about Words has a deal for you. Enter our first-ever contest, and you could win a free professional critique of your manuscript.

Contest Rules

The Prize: After a close reading of your manuscript (up to 50,000 words in length) Mary Ann de Stefano will provide you with a comprehensive evaluation of your manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses. A detailed editorial letter addressing the elements of craft specific to your genre, margin notes and sample line edits, and an in-person or over-the-phone meeting are all included in the prize. A professional critique like this one would normally cost hundreds of dollars.

How to Enter: Click here, complete the entry form, and you’re entered in the drawing.  What could be easier?

Deadline & Awarding of Prize:  One winner will be drawn from entries received by midnight, January 31, 2012. The winner will be notified by email and announced on the MAD about Words website and in MAD’s Monday Muse, our newsletter for writers.

The Fine Print: One entry per person. “Manuscript” is defined as one work of nonfiction or fiction, up to 50,000 words in length. Short story, essay, or poem collections do not qualify for the prize. If a meeting with the prize-winner can be arranged within 10 miles of MAD about Words world headquarters in Winter Park FL, the prize will be delivered and discussed in person. If not, the prize will be delivered electronically, and we will discuss it over it the phone.

In the know.... where are we heading with textbooks?

This one is via Kee Briggs. He brought this video to my attention. I thought it was worth sharing with the authors and book lovers out there.  It's amazing.. This is where we are heading. See how beautiful books can be.... 

http://www.apple.com/education/#video-textbooks

When you're finished watching it, just click on the back button to return to Florida Book News... Leave a comment... What do you think?

The Silk Charade by Gillian Townsend

The Silk Charade, first book in the Series, is available on Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook and Smashwords. Next in the Series…Canary Yellow is coming soon.

           

        Former Marine Lieutenant Derek Carter returns home from the grim war in Iraq to the gleaming sunshine of Naples, Florida─under the pretense of attending law school. In reality, Derek has enlisted with a covert government agency to impede global drug traffickers. Surrounded by his paradise, Derek falls in love… for the very first time with the beautiful, yet insecure Katie Winters.  A young lady so depressed by her past romantic failures, she reads from an imaginary woman’s journal of love.  The fanciful tale entitled My Whimsical Misadventures in Dating…where every bachelor has a number…weaves in and out of this storyline; the divorcee becoming so desperate to land a decent new beau, she invents a witchdoctor to resolve her malfunctioning love-life!

           

Derek’s assignment─to ensnare Angelo Natale; an Italian clothing designer who is smuggling opium within the pockets of inconspicuous silk garments manufactured in China.  The shipments continue to be off-loaded from the Miami Docks under the eyes of corrupt DEA Agents.  Both Derek and Katie’s families own competitive boutiques in Naples and were misleadingly sold the silk apparel, making Derek the perfect deception to unleash upon the criminal Natale.  

            However, Derek’s ruse twists dangerously for the lovers as he and Katie embark on a harried ride, filled with mistrust and uncertainty… through Venice, Italy. Here and impetuous Katie will try to aid Derek in subduing the evil Natale. Can the couple endure to exchange possible wedding vows, or will one return to Naples alone? If Derek does succeed, a final perilous challenge still awaits him-as a member of the counterinsurgency unit that rescued him from the clutches of the Taliban in Afghanistan, will keep trying to coax Derek into repaying that favor. 

About the Author

 Gillian Townsend was reared in the New York metropolitan area. She relocated to Naples, Florida, in her twenties.  She owned and managed small businesses in the area.  During the past five years, she has been writing a romance series, began work on a new mystery series, and cooked up a thriller.      You can find her on Facebook or contact her through her email at  gilliantownsendauthor@gmail.com

Justice and Revenge by Holly Fox Vellekoop

 
Holly Fox Vellekoop announces her latest thriller book Justice and Revenge, is now available in soft cover on Amazon as well as available on Kindle and the Nook.

Much of the book is located in the Palm Bay/Indialantic areas, with other locales such as Arizona and on the super yacht of the protagonist. In her latest novel, Holly asks the question, “How far would you go to gain justice for you and your family when a loved one has been harmed or murdered?”

From the Far East to Palm Bay and Indialantic, Florida, vicious criminals who roam amongst us are engaged in their final curtain call. They are guilty parties who beat the system through the courts, escaped custody or eluded authorities. Bringing justice to them is the goal of “The Theater Group,” which has the power to make it happen. With their Backer, a man with ties to world governments and wealth, the group gains justice.

A seemingly innocent teenager opens this tale, entangling an infamous serial killer into “The Theater Group’s” arena. From drug dealers and pirates to those involved in human trafficking, retribution is as close as a one-act play.

Will the Group survive a government mole from a task force designed to destroy them? Will their secrets be kept?

Justice and Revenge will appeal to those who enjoy a story of intrigue and justice, underwritten with the dilemma of questioning right and wrong.

This novel was a 2010 quarter finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award under a different title and will be available in soft cover soon.

Holly Fox Vellekoop is also the author of the award winning How to Help When Parents Grieve and STONE HAVEN: Murder Along the River.

Vellekoop will be doing some speaking engagements on the topic of "Justice and Revenge in the USA," in conjunction with the release of this new novel. She is scheduled to speak on this topic at the DeGroodt Library, Sunday, April 15, at 1pm.

Spring Brevard Authors Book Fair is Scheduled for March 31

The Spring Brevard Authors Book Fair has been scheduled for Saturday, March  31, 2012. It'll be from  10:00 AM – 4:00 PM at the Central Brevard Library and Reference Center at 308 Forest Avenue in Cocoa, Florida. The deadline for registration is March 25, 2012.

This is always a great event. If you're interested go to the Author For Authors website. You'll find a registration form there and all the information that you'll need.

Picture Book Illustration Workshop

P.S.: I'm Innocent by Steve Ruediger

Florida author Steve Ruediger has just published a new thriller, PS: I'm Innocent. which is now available through Barnesandnoble.com, Amazon, and hundreds of other sources. It comes in hardcover, softcover, and a Nook edition. It will soon be available for Kindle.

The novel begins on a Southwest Florida beach. As a new employee for the Sanibel Island Environmental Conservancy in Florida, Lizzie Grant thinks she has it made. She is helping to preserve wildlife and working on a Florida beach. Life is finally good – but it won’t stay that way for long.

One night while researching sea turtles on the beach, Lizzie sees illegal aliens being brought ashore by a smuggler. Her accidental observation leads to her being threatened and stalked by the smuggler until he suddenly shows up dead in her apartment, and Lizzie is wanted for his murder.

With the help of a semi-retired Mafia don named Joey, Lizzie tries to uncover evidence to clear her name. She eventually finds out the illegal aliens are being used as slave labor on a farm next to her boyfriend’s wildlife refuge, where he keeps Agnes, a friendly Florida panther, and other large cats, who are not so friendly.

Lizzie becomes a prisoner on the slave labor farm, where her life is in danger. But if she escapes from the farm she could face the electric chair.

Pursued by police and by men who want to kill her, Lizzie is running out of time. Will Lizzie find the strength and courage to fight her way free and prove her innocence?

About the Author

The author, Steve Ruediger, is a retired newspaper reporter who has worked for the Miami Herald, the Tampa Tribune, the Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, the Fort Myers News-Press, and the Sanibel Islander.

Just days ago, Steve Ruediger's website, www.stevetheauthor.com, was set up. It contains excerpts from the novel, information about future novels, and links to purchase the novel.

Talks by Steve Ruediger on Self Publishing in the Internet Age are scheduled for February 1 at 4:30 p.m. at the Captiva Memorial Library, 11560 Chapin Lane, Captiva, Florida; and for March 12 at 10 a.m. at the Sanibel Public Library, 770 Dunlop Road, Sanibel, Florida. Both talks will be followed by book signings.