September 12 Zoom meeting with Karen Shiffman Lateiner
Our Central District September speaker will be Karen Shiffman Lateiner, M.A., M.Ed., author of Timeless Dance: A Story of Change and Loss
Zoom call on September 12, 2020 at 10 am
Zoom details will be emailed closer to the date. If you are not on the email list, contact Barbara Lacy at barblacyapw@gmail.com to be added to the list and to receive details and a reminder.
Karen Shiffman Lateiner, M.A., M.Ed., author of Timeless Dance: A Story of Change and Loss, has nearly twenty years of experience as a psychologist and infant/child development specialist providing service to vulnerable, at-risk children and their families.
As the parent of a transgender child who came out in the mid-nineties, she quickly became an advocate for gender minority youth, serving on the Affirmative Action Advisory Council and LGBT Task Force of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), and the Stop Bullying AZ Task Force. Her book, part memoir, biography, and primer on gender diversity, has garnered many positive reviews, leading to speaking engagements in a variety of settings, from educational to corporate. Combining her love of the Sonoran Desert, and her desire to encourage and support other writers, she created and facilitates a Hike and Write program in Phoenix. Karen is a member of numerous organizations for writers and authors. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and baking sourdough bread.
See more about Karen at KSLateiner.com
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- Karen Shiffman Lateiner
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- Timeless Dance – Karen Shiffman Lateiner
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
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.
CANCELLED – Children’s Book Author To Speak at Central Chapter APW Meeting
Susan Claire Anderson
We will reschedule at a later time.
Want to write children’s books but don’t how to start? Picture book author Susan Clare Anderson will lead you through exercises that will get you started and lead you to the finished product at the March Arizona Professional Writers Central Chapter meeting.
DATE/TIME: Saturday, March 14 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
WHERE: Barbara Lacy’s home at 5425 E.Mockingbird Lane, Paradise Valley
COST: $15, which includes a light lunch. Pay at the door.
RSVP: by March 10 to Barbara Lacy- lacyarts@gmail.com or 480-620-1358. Members and nonmembers welcome.
Anderson has written, Illustrated and published three age-appropriate, fun-to read children’s books and will share her techniques in a hands-on session.
She used her knowledge of child development and teacher training in developing her books: “Metina, The Small Butterfly,” “Why the Rooster Crowed”, “Rattling Rocco” and her first chapter book, “Everything.”
It’s all about research! February Central Chapter meeting
Jan Cleere
Research is everything! When writing historical biographical books like our February speaker, Jan Cleere, it is easy to see how essential research is. But every book requires research—even fiction. 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 and material sources but would also like to hear how others find resources necessary for creating storylines. Our meeting will be a time of learning and sharing. We hope you can join us!
All about angels- January Central Chapter meeting
APW Central Chapter hosted Jody Sharpe in January on the topic of “The Angels On The Writer’s Shoulders.” Writing about angels became healing for Jody after losing her daughter. The valuable lessons learned about moving forward have set her on a mission to tell stories with love and spiritual awakening, which she shared with the attendees.
Central Chapter Director, Barbara Lacy, said of the meeting, “I have been thinking about ‘my’ Angel ever since!” Two memories came to mind. Here’s one of them in Barbara’s words”
“..two things that happened because of Amazing Coincidence’s. . .that I never could have imagined.
“In 1977, my family and I lived on the Navajo Reservation. I was working on a book about Navajo plant use—being careful to leave out anything about sacred plants. I even had a publisher.
“Then, the Navajo Medicine Men’s Association heard about the book and, as men who were charged with protecting the Tribe’s sacred knowledge of plants, they banned my book. I had finished my project by then. . .and left the Reservation that week.
“Almost 10 years later, a woman professor from Illinois who came to the reservation every summer to research Navajo music, walked into the (now defunct) Navajo Press Bookstore to see what was new. Sitting on the counter was my manuscript!
“’Oh,’ she said, ‘Are you publishing Nanise?’
“’We want to, but we can’t find the author,’ the clerk said.
“My friend (or Angel!) pulled her address book out of her purse and gave her my Phoenix address! (I had met her the summer I stayed behind, after my family had moved to Phoenix, to finish up book details. She spoke Navajo and had been in the room when the Navajo Medicine Men banned the book and told me of their decision right after the meeting. I knew her for all of three days that summer and had no contact with her once I left the Reservation.)
“Did my Angel put the manuscript on the counter that day and direct my friend to the bookstore? Had that meeting almost ten years earlier been directed by my Angel?”
Next month we hear from Jan Cleere who researches interesting Arizona women and writes about them and will talk about sources for research.
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- Barbara Lacy, Central Chapter Director
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- Jan Cleere
First APW event of 2020! – Central Chapter presents Jody Sharpe
Author Jody Sharpe
Saturday, January 11, award-winning author Jody Sharpe will be speaking to members and guests of Arizona Professional Writers in Phoenix on “The Angels On The Writer’s Shoulders.” A light lunch will be served.
DATE/TIME: Saturday, January 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WHERE: the Fireplace Room of Shepherd of the Hills Church, 5524 East Lafayette Blvd., Phoenix, AZ., 85018.
COST: $15, which includes a light lunch. Pay at the door.
RSVP: by January 7 to Barbara Lacy- lacyarts@gmail.com or 480-620-1358.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Jody had a rewarding career as a special education teacher. Writing about angels became healing after losing her daughter. The valuable lessons learned about moving forward have set her on a mission to tell stories with love and spiritual awakening.
Says Jody about her writing, “I believe angels have always been guiding me. After my daughter’s death, experiencing messages in dreams, meeting a man who might have been a real angel set me on the spiritual journey of writing novels where angels live as humans, and no one knows the secret.” Books in her Mystic Bay Series are: “The Angel’s Daughter,” “To Catch an Angel” and “Town of Angels.”
President’s Message – November, 2019
President’s message for November, 2019
Marie Fasano
In November we start planning for the holidays. Some may have family members over to their home; others share the days with friends and neighbors. Lots of writing takes place even if it’s just in cards and email notes.
This year, my first Thanksgiving as president, I am writing to you, the members of APW, to say “Thank you” for your commitment to your chapter by attending meetings to share your writing stories and learn more from excellent speakers.
We have recruited several new members in Central and Rim Country Chapters. There are new ideas to get the word out about you as a writer and to promote APW. Jaimie Bruzenak, our webmaster, has sent out a call to see who might be interested in participating in developing a short video for YouTube or an audio Podcast. Let us know what you think about this idea.
We are excited to announce our plans for 2020 including:
APW representation at the ASU Desert Nights Rising Stars Writers Conference on February 22 by six members: Jan Cleere, Jody Sharpe, Susan Anderson, Jane Ruby, Mary Rechkemmer Meyer and Barbara Lacy. To help with the registration fee, each author will pay a small amount to participate with APW taking up the remainder of the cost. This is just one advantage of being an APW member.
Plans are in place for a spring conference on May 7 in Payson. More info later. Save the date.
Don’t forget Rim Country’s Payson Book Festival July 18, 2020. Sign up early in January to hold your place.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Keep Writing,
Marie A Fasano
President, Arizona Professional Writers
Nancy Pellegrini to speak December 14 at Central Chapter meeting
Imagine being paid to write in a foreign land! Like our late member Patricia Myers, who spent summers in Paris writing about the jazz scene, Central Chapter speaker for December, Nancy Pellegrini, spent decades writing from South Korea, China and Europe. She will share her experiences with members and guests.
DATE: Saturday, December 14, 2019
TIME: 10 a.m.
LOCATION: Shepherd of the Hills United Church of Christ, 5524 E. Lafayette Blvd., Phoenix.
LUNCH: A $15 lunch will be served.
REGISTRATION: Members and non-members are invited. Register for this event by sending an email Barbara Lacy or call 480-620-1358.
SPEAKER: Nancy Pellegrini
Nancy Pellegrini
Nancy Pellegrini, a journalist who spent decades writing from South Korea, China and Europe, will share her experiences with Arizona Professional Writers at APW Central Chapter’s December meeting.
Nancy wrote The People’s Bard: How China Made Shakespeare Its Own (Penguin), 2016 and more than 1,000 articles on performing arts in China. She copyedited and proofed Penguin manuscript, wrote United Nations policy papers, and created articles for publications like the Christian Science Monitor.
Nancy managed a Beijing-based North Korean art gallery and led 40 tours in the country. In her spare time, she volunteered at the Beijing Zoo on orangutan enrichment projects. Now in Phoenix, she has opened Nancy Pellegrini Editorial Solutions, LLC, an editorial solutions business offering writing and editing services, copy editing, rewrites, ghostwriting and feature stories.
