President’s page – July 2020
Summer is half over and we continue in this COVID-19 crisis. Schools are in confusion about when and how to return, hospitals are overflowing with patients and limiting non-essential surgeries and businesses are partially open or closed. We, as writers, have many different stories to work on to help folks deal with all the anxiety. Are you including anything about these times in your stories or articles?
Are you creating, as our late great Representative and statesman John Lewis said, “Good trouble?” Because of the First Amendment, we writers have a responsibility to speak. and write to inspire others to make certain of justice for all as people in Arizona and throughout the nation peacefully protest the denial of rights and free speech.
I have been inspired by Lewis’ life and work from his time as a teenager on the lunch counters to old age at the Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington, DC, where he never stopped speaking up for the rights of all peoples.
We would be celebrating the successful completion of another Payson Book Festival by now, but must wait until next year. We have been enjoying APW virtual meetings from Central with excellent speakers. Anne Videan regaled us with her ghost writing tales and the research involved. She gave us some great information about what to charge and what to include in a contract. Next month, Susan Anderson will share what it takes to write and illustrate children’s books. Rim Country members enjoy sharing their current projects. Be sure to take a look at what ASU offers to writers each month as I send information about their programs to you.
I spent some time walking and breathing in the clean, fragrant air of the pine forests in Northern Arizona this month with Mac and our dog, Louie. We even had the good fortune of watching some wild horses and yearlings nibbling grass in the meadow with the protective stallion eyeing our every move. A great time to refresh and renew.
Keep writing,
Marie A. Fasano
President
Arizona Professional Writers
In the Spotlight: Nancy Pellegrini
Nancy Pellegrini
A member of PEN (Professional Editors Network), Nancy Pellegrini, who spoke at the December 14, 2019 Central Chapter meeting, was featured in their June 2020 PEN Networking News.
Originally from Long Island, New York, Nancy Pellegrini lived in England, Ireland, and South Korea before spending 18 years in Beijing, China. For more than 15 years, she was the stage editor and writer for Time Out Beijing and Time Out Shanghai magazines; she also edited United Nations policy papers and has written and edited for Penguin Books. She started regular editing in 2011 and today runs Nancy Pellegrini Editorial Solutions, LLC, a writing and editing services company. She lives in Phoenix with her fiancé (COVID-19 postponed the wedding a year) and their three cats.
Read the rest of the Nancy Pelegrini PEN spotlight 6-20 interview here as Nancy talks more about editing, what it entails and how it fits into her life. Very interesting is how travel contrasts with her normal life!
July 11 Zoom speaker Ann Narcisian Videan shares secrets of Ghostwriting!
How Ghostwriting Books Led to the Mutilation of Marilyn Monroe
Don’t worry about masks, social distancing or driving anywhere. Join us in your jammies, grab a latté and fire up your computer for the next Zoom-at-home presentation as Author Ann Narcisian Videan explores this intriguing topic!
You can even sleep in! The meeting will start a 10.a.m., Saturday, July 11, 2020. RSVP via email to Jaimie Bruzenak We’ll send out the Zoom link the day prior.
ANN NARCISIAN VIDEAN
Ann Narcisian Videan
See this grin? That’s me, sharing creative works and ideas with you, and a cup of tea.
Book Shepherd, editor, author, illustrator, composer Ann guides peers through the writing, editing, publishing and word-of-mouth marketing of both fiction and non-fiction titles.
A professional writer since 1981, she opened her own award-winning home-based marketing firm, vIDEAn Unlimited, LLC, in 1996. She has served as an editor for corporations, visionary entrepreneurs, and national publishers. She is also a novelist and is just starting a new business—Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals & Other Whimsy—inspired by the Fae characters in her Song of the Ocarina novel. She composed and recorded an original music soundtrack to accompany her first novel Rhythms & Muse.
Ann showed up in this world with a pen in her hand, a song in her heart, and the desire to share with you. She adores creativity of all types, and especially the people who live it. She “gathers” friends like flowers, including authors, musicians, and artists. The Colorado native lives in Mesa, Arizona, with her husband, two-grown-up children, and numerous invisible friends including mythical creatures and story characters.
Marketing Career Highlights
- 2007: Selected by peers for the Public Relations Society of America’s top honor: the PERCY Award
- 2005: Selected by a national panel for The Crown Jewel Award (top U.S. home-based business)
- 2004: Served as the catalyst to reintroduce white rhinos to the Phoenix Zoo 1996: Enticed 15,000 extras to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, AZ, to film football movie scenes for Jerry Maguire
- 1995: Earned a Gold Quill honorable mention from the International Association of Business Communicators, for RealTime tabloid news magazine
The Books
- In 2016, Ann wrote and illustrated Absolutely Wild! Enchanted Faerie Portals Coloring & Creative Writing Pages, inspired by the Fae characters in her first sci-fi/fantasy novel Song of the Ocarina.
- Song of the Ocarina, Ann Videan. Her 2014 fantastical adventure Song of the Ocarina, is book 1 in the Delfaerune Rhapsody series. It tells the story of Lark, a New Zealand teen, who discovers she’s the “Maestra” in the realm of Delfaerune, and the only Noble Fae with the musical prowess and Earth connection to save humans from Dark Fae magic. She’s up against mythical creatures and Dark Fae who pattern themselves after burned-out rock stars.
- Ann is also the author/singer/songwriter of a 2011 women’s fiction novel Rhythms & Muse, along with its complementary soundtrack of five original songs inspired by the story. You’ll follow Grammy-winning vocalist Alex on her journey toward fulfillment when dreams guide her to forego her glamorous, yet stressful, Hollywood lifestyle and return to her roots and first love in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
Contact Ann:
602-769-8316
anvidean@videanunlimited.com
Ann online: itsmyurls.com/avidean
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- Enchanted Faerie Portals
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- Song of the Ocarina
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- Rhythms & Muse
Communicator of Achievement Award – Connie Cockrell
Connie Cockrell was named “Communicator of Achievement” for 2019, APWs highest award. Her certificate and original “storyteller” carving made by a Pueblo Native American were displayed at our virtual State Conference in May. Connie was also honored at the virtual awards NFPW Awards Ceremony. She will receive a stipend to attend the 2021 NFPW Awards Ceremony.
“Local writer wins Communicator Achievement Award,” written by Marie Fasano, tells more about Connie and the award and appeared in the 6/30/2020 issue of the Payson Roundup. Photo by Randy Cockrell.
Connie Cockrell, winner of the Communicator of Achievement Award
President’s page – June 2020
Our APW Annual meeting was a success. We had a quorum and were able to make some important decisions. If you were there, thank you, if you missed it, try again next year.
We honored our Arizona APW Communicator of Achievement, Connie Cockrell, and gave her a gift of the Native American Storyteller doll. Connie has done so much for the Rim Country chapter as Chapter Director and coordinating the Payson Book Festival for six years. She started writing novels in 2011 with a NaNoWriNo project and now has 20 to her name! Congratulations to Connie.
We purchased a ZOOM PRO virtual account that members can use for their own promotion. All you need to do is let me know when you want to schedule an event to promote yourself and your work. Since someone had to be the Administrator of the account, I got the job. This is an excellent perk for members. I am willing to schedule a one-on-one with any member if they want to learn the process. It worked really well for the APW Annual meeting with shared documents, a power point presentation and discussion among those present.
We have updated the Bylaws so they are consistent with our current goals. Go to the website to the member-only section. You will need the code to get in and can contact Jaimie Bruzenak, website coordinator, or me for the latest code.
We are promoting our book, Skirting Traditions. The book, written by APW members, has wonderful accounts of early women Arizona writers. It is available on Amazon and from other booksellers. In addition, members can purchase copies for personal use or for resale at a discounted price by contacting your Chapter Director or Marie Fasano. One idea to promote the book would be to give a copy to your local library.
With COVID-19 cases increasing and hospitals ICU’s filling up, please stay well, wash your hands, wear a mask and encourage others to do the same. A friend gave me a button that I wear. It says,” I wear my mask TO HONOR AND PROTECT YOU.”
Enjoy your summer and keep writing.
Marie A Fasano
President
Arizona Professional Writers
Helen Ruth (DeFouw) Cornell 1933-2020
Helen Ruth Cornell
Long time APW member Helen Cornell passed away June 20, 2020. She was president of APW in 1980. In 1994 she was APWs nominee for the NFPW Communicator of Achievement Award. The Communicator of Achievement (COA) award is the highest honor bestowed by NFPW upon those members who have distinguished themselves within and beyond their field. Nominees are chosen for exceptional achievement in the communications field, as well as service to NFPW, the affiliate organization and the community.
A Memorial Service will be held later in the summer to celebrate her life. Anyone who is interested in receiving an update on this email her daughter, Kathy Hanrahan, at kchanrahan@yahoo.com
You can read her obituary at Legacy.com.
Rim Country Chapter June 10 Zoom meeting
Speaker Jan Cleere
We are inviting all members of APW to join us for our next meeting. Nonmembers are welcome too.
Join APW Rim Country for a virtual Zoom meeting on June 10 at 1:00 pm for a presentation by author, historian and lecturer Jan Cleere. Be sure to mark your calendars to save the date. The Zoom link will be forthcoming prior to the meeting.
Jan writes extensively about the people who first settled in the desert Southwest. She travels around the state presenting the stories of early pioneers who were instrumental in settling and civilizing Arizona Territory. Jan is a Roads Scholar with Arizona Humanities and her monthly column, “Western Women,” appears in Tucson’s Arizona Daily Star newspaper detailing the lives of Arizona’s early amazing women. Her freelance work appears in national and regional publications. Jan latest book, From Reveille to Taps: Military Wives on the Arizona Frontier is scheduled for release by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (TwoDot) in March 2021.
Research comes second nature to Jan Cleere who just completed her sixth historical nonfiction book, the stories of women who came west with their military husbands to live on early army posts. But whether you are writing fiction or nonfiction, every book requires research. What have you found helpful? Where do you find subjects or check important details of a location or time period? Jan will be sharing her research methods in locating important documents for her latest book but would also like to hear how others find resources necessary for creating storylines. Join in a round-table discussion of research tools and techniques that will benefit the writer of every genre.
RSVP to Marie Fasano The link for the ZOOM will be sent to your email address prior to the meeting.
Carol Gail Osman Brown 1941-2020
Carol Gail Osman Brown 78, of Payson, AZ, passed away peacefully on Friday, March 6, 2020, in Los Angeles, CA with her sons by her side. Carol was preceded in death by her husband James Carrington Brown III (Bing) on Friday, May 31, 2019, in Phoenix, AZ. Carol and Bing are survived by their two sons, James Carrington Brown IV (Jim) and Bryan Lee Brown, wife Ronda Doyle and grandson, Asa of Los Angeles, CA and extended family. Carol was preceded in death by her parents Sidney A. and Natalie Constance (Charipper) Osman.
Carol was born in Schenectady, New York on September 28, 1941, to Sid and Natalie Osman. Carol and her parents lived in New York City as a child but due to her severe asthma, moved to AZ and settled in Phoenix, Arizona around 1949.
Carol attended Kenilworth Elementary School and West High School in Phoenix and graduated from Arizona State University.
Carol and Bing met while they were summer camp counselors in Prescott, AZ and were later married on November 3, 1961, in Phoenix, AZ. Both Carol and Bing were longtime residents of Phoenix and then Payson AZ where they both were intricately involved in the journalism community.
An award-winning journalist, Carol was a strong advocate of children’s literacy programs. Her long-term leadership involvement with Arizona Press Women (now Arizona Professional Writers) allowed her to spearhead the very successful annual Payson Book Festival featuring Arizona authors from throughout the state and is held in July in Payson, AZ. Proceeds support a variety of children’s literacy programs.
During her career, Carol drew public attention to other causes including historic preservation, education, health, Native American and women’s issues. She wrote for The Phoenix Gazette and Arizona Republic newspapers and taught journalism classes at her alma mater Arizona State University and Rio Salado College.
Her articles and photographs have appeared in numerous publications including Arizona Highways, Native Peoples, and Sunset magazines as well as publications of the United States Information Agency. She also worked for Associated Press and United Press International wire services.
She received a variety of awards throughout her 50-year career from organizations including the National Federation of Press Women, The Arizona Newspapers Association, the Public Relations Society of America, and Women in Communications.
Carol and her husband, Bing were a powerhouse couple in their community. They formed Carrington Communications LLC and worked as a team on writing projects that took them long distances throughout the United States, China, Mexico, Costa Rica, Africa, Australia, Europe and Canada. They were active on the Beaver Valley Water District board and the Arizona Association of Professional Writers.
Carol was born with severe Asthma and fought her lung disease her entire life. A lifelong commitment to researching her own medical condition, including using holistic medicine as a key component, enabled her to live a full, vibrant, and very productive life.
Due to the current Coronavirus (COVID-19), a Celebrations of Life will be held in Beaver Valley, AZ (Payson) and in Phoenix, AZ at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Payson Book Festival, Inc. or the charity of your choice.
See the home page of the Payson Book Festival website for details if you would like to donate to their children’s programs and literacy projects.
Welcome, Dianna DiMaggio!
Welcome to Dianna DiMaggio, new member, to the APW Rim Country Chapter!
Dianna DiMaggio
Dianna DiMaggio tells us that as a child her favorite pastime was to create and draw clothing for her paper dolls. At age 20 she had her own custom design dress shop. Later, at age 40 Dianna began painting in her spare time. She sold her early works and drew note cards to sell. She felt she had been accepted in the marketplace.
She enrolled in the Scottsdale School of Art and studied under Judi Betts and others. A patron of one of the paintings she sold asked Dianna to write the story of what she painted. She now has a notebook of her paintings and writings. She has incorporated two of her gifts. Currently, she pulls her autobiography out of her soul. She says, “We must not die with our music still in us.”
President’s Page – March, 2020
President’s Page
March 2020
Spring blossoms and wildflowers are beginning to bloom in the mountains of Payson, AZ. Usually, I find this time of year exhilarating- this month not so much. We stay home as much as possible to protect ourselves and others from COVID-19. I send healing energy thoughts to my family and friends and now include all the members of APW.
On March 6 we lost a long time member, Carol Osman Brown. Carol had been a member for many, many years, giving of her time and expertise to many of the members of APW. She wrote important newspaper articles and taught journalism with a passion. She and her husband Bing, who we lost last year, were a fixture at our meetings. She helped to start the Payson Book Festival, Inc. and worked energetically in getting sponsors. If you want to send a note of condolence to her sons please contact me and I will send you their address mfasano.apw@gmail.com
The APW Conference yearly planning has set May 30 as the date. It takes place at the Mazatzal Casino in Payson, AZ. This will be a time of gathering and reconnecting. We will have a guest speaker, Communicator of Achievement award, luncheon and a General meeting, including voting on the Bylaws and selection of new officers. Later in the afternoon we will travel to the Rim Country Museum and Zane Grey cabin. If we need to cancel due to the CDC guidelines, we will let you know.
The following members have agreed to run for office:
Marie Fasano- President
Bobbie Bennett –Vice President
Connie Cockrell – Second Vice President and Membership Chair
Cheryl Kohaut – Treasurer
Brenda Whiteside – Secretary
If anyone else has an interest please let Connie know at conniecockrell@gmail.com
So, since we are forced to stay at home, we can write more!
Keep Writing,
Marie A. Fasano
APW President
