http://www2.tbo.com/content/2011/jan/22/PANEWSO11-book-signing-scheduled/
Check me out! I'm in the Pasco Tribune Newspaper and the Tampa Bay Online!
Check me out! I'm in the Pasco Tribune Newspaper and the Tampa Bay Online!
Published: January 22, 2011
WESLEY CHAPEL - Florida Writers Association
Some background: Oceanview Publishing, a nationally recognized independent publisher based in Longboat Key, will send a number of representatives to the Feb. 5 meeting of the Wesley Chapel chapter of the Florida Writers Association. Also at the meeting, five FWA writers will sign and sell their works.
Community contributions: The FWA Wesley Chapel chapter, active since April 2009 and serving Hillsborough and Pasco counties, provides learning, sharing and networking opportunities through innovative workshops (pitch, query letter, first page and synopsis) presented by experts in the fields of writing and publishing. Monthly speakers range from professors, publishers and editors to published authors. Topics include marketing strategy and positioning yourself in today's fast changing industry. Publishing opportunities are available through the quarterly Florida Writer magazine and the annual FWA collection series. The group's meetings are free and open to the public at the Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass, off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel, 10 a.m. to noon the first Saturday of every month.
A little history: Founded in 2006 in Longboat Key, Oceanview Publishing publishes mysteries, thrillers and other genres and has received more than 30 awards and award nominations, including National Best Books Awards, Book Sense Pick and Florida Book of the Year Award.
What's next?: The Wesley Chapel FWA meeting will run from 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 5, with a book-signing from 2 to 4 p.m. Both events will be at Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass.
Get involved: To sign up for the event, contact FWA Wesley Chapel group leader Toni Martin at amartinfl@verizon.net with author, genre, and manuscript name. For information on Oceanview Publishing, visithttp://oceanviewpub.com.
Authors will be able to show off their work to representatives of a nationally recognized publishing house, and also to the public, at a book-signing Feb. 5 in Wesley Chapel.
Longboat Key-based Oceanview Publishing is a member of Mystery Writers of America and produces titles that have garnered more than 30 literary awards and nominations. And on Feb. 5, Oceanview publishers, editors and authors will provide a free critique of authors' books at the Wesley Chapel chapter of the Florida Writers Association.
Those interested are encouraged to bring the first page and a one-page synopsis (250 word limit) of their books to the FWA meeting from 10 a.m. to noon at Barnes & Noble at The Shops at Wiregrass in Wesley Chapel. First, though, they should contact Toni Martin, FWA Wesley Chapel group leader, with the author, genre and manuscript name to sign up for the event.
"All authors will read their first page and turn in the first page and a one-page synopsis at the meeting," Martin said. "After everyone has read, Oceanview will select one author who will be guaranteed a full manuscript read upon completion of their novel."
Martin sees this session as a rare opportunity for authors.
"I chose Oceanview Publishing because they have a presence in our regional area and are recognized in the industry as a pre-eminent independent publisher of original mystery, thriller and suspense titles. All their titles are carefully edited, marketed and promoted by their publishing team," Martin said. "This is a great opportunity because Oceanview does not accept unsolicited submissions."
Authors will read at the meeting in the order they have signed up, with members reading first and nonmembers afterward, time permitting.
"Their list encompasses genres which accommodate the majority of FWA authors," Martin said.
These include:
•Mystery-suspense: family justice, historical, humor, music-art, police procedural;
•Thriller: action-adventure, corporate, hi-tech, legal, medical, military-espionage, psychological, religious, series;
•General fiction: family saga, inspirational, humor;
•And nonfiction: essay collection, self-help.
Many FWA authors will sign their published works from 2 to 4 p.m. at Barnes & Noble, including Ami Blackwelder, an award-winning paranormal and historical romance writer who also writes poems, short stories and newspaper and magazine articles. She will present the historical romance "The Day the Flowers Died," the science fiction romance "Shifter Evolutions Saga," the fantasy romance "Guardians of the Gate Saga" and the "Elfin Romance" series.
Other authors include:
•New Tampa's Cindy Campbell, a supervisor for education interns at Florida State University who writes under the pen name Alison Oburia and who is co-author of the novel "Passion Fish";
•Evelyn Johnson-Taylor, founder of Women of Promise Ministries Inc. and author of the books "Identity Crisis" and "Seven Blessing Blockers," who speaks, teaches and preaches about women's issues;
•Susan Noe Harmon, whose first novel, "Under the Weeping Willow," is an Appalachian story rich in history and family values and whose memoir, "To Hide the Truth," deals with domestic abuse from a child's perspective;
•Paul Wartenberg, a New Port Richey librarian, magazine writer and award-winning author of the short story collection "Last of the Grapefruit Wars," "describing the more interesting things that happen to librarians, Floridians, and angels looking for tax forms";
•And Phillip L. Rice Sr., a retired Air Force colonel and New Tampa resident who has experience as a linguist, pilot (including Vietnam combat), diplomat, business consultant and university educator. He has written the book "Mixed Bag," "a detailed and entertaining description of how throughout careers in the U.S. Air Force, private industry, and academia, (he) dealt with childhood fear, insecurity and self doubt to accomplish extraordinary achievements."
Martin hopes the Oceanview session will benefit her members and other local writers.
"What I hope FWA writers get from this session is an opportunity for their work to be reviewed and critiqued by a publisher.
"Normally, an author must be represented by a literary agent or previously published by a traditional publishing house or invited by an Oceanview representative to submit," she said. "Whether presenting their novel or just attending, everyone will gain valuable insight into what a publisher looks for when they are considering a manuscript for publication."
