APW Virtual Meeting 9/9/23 – Howard Gershkowitz
Susan Anderson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: APW Virtual Meeting 9/9/23 – “Time Management for Authors” with Howard Gershkowitztz
Date: Saturday, September 9, 2023
Time: 10:00 AM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84310351286?pwd=UDNpNTBrbHkrZGh2dGcxTElFaGRtQT09
Meeting ID: 843 1035 1286
Passcode: 477873
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Meeting ID: 843 1035 1286
Passcode: 477873
In this presentation, Howard gives tips for how to make good use of our time so that we have time to do more writing and focus on the things that matter. He includes a list of resource materials (books, blogs, websites) that he has found helpful over the years, as well as copies of the forms he uses to keep track of his writing projects, submission deadlines, etc. His goal is to share what he’s learned as a writer over the last fifteen years that helped him keep himself on track.
HOWARD GERSHKOWITZ: Howard lives in Arizona, though he hails from New York City. A Graduate of Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, New Jersey, he moved to Phoenix in 1981 to become a financial advisor. He enjoys volunteering in the community, traveling with his wife, Lisa, and watching his two grandchildren grow up.
He’s kept a journal for nearly forty years, accumulating a lifetime of material for fiction and poetry. He began submitting and publishing his work 12 years ago, and to date, more than three dozen poems and eight short stories have appeared in print or in online e-zines. His debut novel, The Operator, was published in 2018 by All Things That Matter Press. His second novel, Not on My Watch, was published in 2021, by the same publisher. Most recently, he was awarded first prize in the Tempe Library/ASU Creative Writing contest for his short story, ‘The Painting.” His poetry chapbook, “Observations and Distractions,” is available for a limited time by contacting Howard at gershwriter@cox.net.
APW Book Club 6/24/23 with Nancy Marshall
Karen Lateiner is inviting you to the June APW Book Club meeting on June 24 at 10 a.m. with Nancy Marshall’s new book, A Dry Hate.
Topic: APW Book Club – A Dry Hate: Power vs. the People with Nancy Marshall
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023
Time: 10 a.m. AZ time
Zoom: The Zoom link has been sent to Book Club members. All are welcome to join, however. Contact Karen at kslateiner@gmail.com
ABOUT THE BOOK
A Dry Hate began the morning a friend called Nancy Marshall to say, “They’ve thrown Jason in jail! What do we do?” A practicing attorney, Marshall offered to bail him out. Realizing that four activists had been jailed without justification, and defending one of them pro bono, Marshall decided to put the story into writing.
But the book goes way beyond that one arrest and trial. Nancy learned about the extent of abuse of power in the period of roughly 2000-2012, and she has included a lot of stories that have been “inspired by historical events.”
Nancy hopes that A Dry Hate: Power vs the People will have a broad readership with book and discussion groups and in high school and college classrooms. She has a deep and abiding belief that by continuing to educate ourselves, to think and talk about ideas and events, we will become a stronger democratic society. By opening ourselves to the interchange of ideas and knowledge we will be more able to combat propaganda, lies, abuse of power and threats of violence.
The book is available on Kindle.
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- Nancy Marshall
APW Book Club – 4/27/23 with RuthAnn Hogue
Date: May 27, 2023
Zoom Meeting link has been sent to members. If you’d like to attend, contact Karen Lateiner kslateiner@gmail.com for the link. Guests are welcome.
President’s letter – April 2023
President’s Page: April 2023
It’s nearly time for the Arizona Professional Writers Annual Conference. There are only 12 days before the conference! This is where we elect new officers, celebrate member accomplishments, honor those who have passed on, and hear some really good speakers! This doesn’t even mention the time we get to socialize with our fellow journalists, authors, poets, screenwriters, oh, well, you get the idea. Here is the info:
It’s time to register for our upcoming State Convention on May 6 at the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arizona-professional-writers-2023-state-conference-tickets-601839336657
Speakers: We have two excellent speakers, lunch and a chance to see the venue – the Phoenix Indian School. Elena Selestewa will not only be speaking but will later answer more questions and give us a tour. Our other speaker, Debra Utacia Krol, is a dynamic journalist with the topic of “On the beat – through the eyes of an indigenous reporter.” See https://arizonapresswomen.wordpress.com/2023-apw-state-conference for our speakers’ photos and bios.
Business meeting at 9:15: APW members should plan to arrive in time for our 9:15 business meeting. We have exciting ideas to share for the upcoming year plus election of officers. Be there!
Lunch: Choice of 3 kinds of salad, water and cookies.
Register: Register at Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arizona-professional-writers-2023-state-conference-tickets-601839336657 Members use APWmember10 as the promotion code to register for the member price of $50. Regular price is $60. Click on Get Tickets but then enter the code to receive the $50 price. If you’d prefer to pay by cash or Zelle QuickPay, contact treasurer RuthAnn Hogue at arizonaprofessionalwriters@gmail.com.Price at the door is $75. Students with student IDs are $25.
Share and publicize! Please share the APW FB post to your personal and writing or author pages as well as to any community or writing groups that you belong to. You can also help by asking them to post it on their calendar, if they have one. We also need your help posting copies of the flyer (attached) at your local library. If you have a relative that is a high school or college/university student here in AZ, ask them to take a copy to their English or Journalism teacher and invite their students to attend. The theme –Diversity – stories honor our many heritages– is a hot topic and could fit into many curriculums.
Location: The Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center is located in the Band Building, 300 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85012. Parking: free on the grounds. If you are coming from Payson, I have 2 seats left in my car. Call or text me at 928-951-0970 or email at connie.cockrell@gmail.com.
Morning coffee: Bring your own! Both some Starbucks and Dutch Coffee locations are within 3 or 4 minutes of the school.
For questions, contact Jaimie by email or by phone at 928-607-3181. (Text or leave a message) Contact RuthAnn Hogue at arizonaprofessionalwriters@gmail.com for questions about Eventbrite or to pay by check.
Go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arizona-professional-writers-2023-state-conference-tickets-601839336657 to register now!
More information at https://arizonapresswomen.wordpress.com/2023-apw-state-conference
From Marie Fasano, an opportunity: Take a look at our facebook page for APW. This is a great place to announce your newest book, magazine article, or speaking engagement. This is just one of the many perks you, as an APW member have, so take advantage! https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArizonaPressWomen
Finally, A reminder that the Payson Book Festival, this year called the Authors and Artists Festival, is July 15th at the Payson Mazatzal and Hotel ballroom. 9am – 2:30pm. Bring a friend!
Thank you everyone for your continued support of this historic organization.
Everyone stay safe, enjoy the upcoming warm weather, and hope to see you at the conference!
New book by member Marion Gold
MARION E. GOLD, a 28-year member of the National Association of Press Women—and long-time dual member of the Illinois Woman’s Press Association and Arizona Professional Writers—has launched her first novel, co-authored with acclaimed novelist Jerry Marcus. “Escape from Heaven” is a provocative and insightful in which Moses and Jesus meet in Heaven and decide to work together for the sake on all humanity. Gold and Marcus used a unique technique of vignettes as Moses and Jesus painstakingly discuss faith, tolerance, religion, and bigotry—and the evil committed throughout history in the name of religion. It is a novel where readers meet ordinary people who struggle with good versus evil, politics, friendships, religion, the Holocaust and anti-Semitism. It is about the every-day challenges of life and death, our relationships with God—and all facets of humanity that impact upon the human condition—including a debate about free will, how each individual has the potential to live a life of honest reflection, faith and good works.
Marion is the author of the award-winning “Top Cops: Profiles of Women in Command,” which was endorsed by former Governors George Ryan (Illinois), George Pataki (New York), and Janet Napolitano, former US Secretary of Homeland Secretary, and Governor of Arizona. She also wrote the “Personal Publicity Planner—A Guide to Marketing You,” and co-authored (wrote two chapters) published in “Skirting Traditions: ArizonaWomen Writers & Journalists 1912-2012”. Marion’s essay on “The Heart and Soul of Communications” was also published in the “Centennial Anthology” of the Illinois Women’s Press Association.
JERRY MARCUS is an award-winning author and is internationally acclaimed for his ability to create compelling fiction about thought-provoking issues such as anti-Semitism, political intrigue, and religious hypocrisy. Reviewers have called Marcus prophetic, provocative, masterful, compelling, original and creative – and even a heretic. Morton Teicher, Book Editor for The Jewish Floridian, compared Marcus to Chaim Potok, writing “Marcus caused us to care about the characters he created…” His first novel, published in 1982, was recommended by the American Jewish Congress—and is part of a special collection in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. “Escape from Heaven” was his seventh and final novel. Sadly, Marcus passed away before the book was published.
The book is available on amazon.com and at Brittany Publications, Ltd.
APW Virtual Meeting 4/19/23 – How to do audiobooks
Connie Cockrell is inviting you to Rim Country Chapter’s Virtual Meeting on April 12. The topic will be “How to do audiobooks” with author Karen Randau. The Zoom link is posted below.
Topic: How to do Audiobooks with Karen Randau
Date: Wednesday, April 19, 2023
Time: 1 pm Arizona Time
Zoom link: Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us j/82494669743?pwd=YWFpNU9BNTVRNFpraWQ4dWN0cFd3UT09
Meeting ID: 824 9466 9743
Passcode: 965559
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdBJdsj0a
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Karen Randau is a lifelong writer—for as long as she can remember, she’s processed all of her major life events by writing about them. She earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas, but one semester on the school newspaper convinced her she didn’t want to be a journalist. Instead, she worked in marketing communications, first in the high-tech industry and then for 27 years for an international non-profit that helps people in developing countries pull themselves from poverty.
She began writing novels after she confessed a particularly strange thought to a co-worker and asked if the co-worker thought Karen was going crazy. The co-worker said, “No, I think you have a novel in you that is screaming to get out.”
Her first five books were published by Short On Time Books in Karen’s Rim Country Mystery series. She decided to go indie for the next three series and now has 13 published books. The most recent is From Chaos, book 2 in the Peach Blossom Romantic Suspense series, which reached an overall rating on Amazon of just under 2,800 and was in the top 10 in several categories. She worked with a producer through ACX to develop an audiobook for book 1 in that series, Into the Fog. That book is a current finalist for a Selah award.
For audiobooks, she’s tried everything from letting her publisher handle the whole process, to trying to narrate and produce it herself, to working with a professional narrator. She learned a lot along the way about production, distribution, and marketing audiobooks, which she’ll share with us on April 19.
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- Karen Randau
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- Kayla Walsh Mystery Suspense Trilogy
APW Book Club 3/25/23 – Jody Sharpe
Jody Sharpe
Meteorologist and psychic Gayle Force proves a force to be reckoned with as she moves back to her beloved Mystic Bay. While sleeping, an angel sent her a message in a dream. Gayle realizes she must save an old man from drowning. But who is this old man? With the help of attorney Alex Knight, she finds they are caught in the middle of a future crime. But can Gayle and Alex solve the case and save the old man before it’s too late? With twists of intrigue and love they find angels are at the helm as they prove the bully never wins.
APW State Board Meeting 3/18/23
APW State Board Meeting
Saturday, March 18 at 10 a.m. via Zoom. All members are invited to attend. Regular business plus planning for the State Convention. Contact Connie Cockrell for the zoom link. connie.cockrell@gmail.com APW Book Club 2/25/23 – Robert Hershberger
Karen Lateiner is inviting you to a Zoom Book Club Meeting
SAVE THE DATE!
Topic: Diary of an Alzheimer”s Caregiver by Robert Hershberger
Date: Saturday, February 25, 2023
Time: 10 a.m. AZ time
Zoom: The Zoom invitation will be sent out to book club members the week before the meeting.
SUMMARY
This book is based on a diary about Deanna (Dee) Hershberger’s journey through Alzheimer’s disease from September of 2010 until her death on March 1, 2015 kept by Robert Hershberger, her husband and primary caregiver. It begins with a short introduction about Dee’s life before she contracted Alzheimer’s disease. It covers how she gradually lost her short-term memory while maintaining most of her physical and social abilities during the first two years of the journey. It then shows how she lost long-term memory, experienced psychotic episodes, had uncontrollable violent behavior, lost physical abilities, became incontinent and suffered from undetected illnesses through the last two years. It ends with the last two months of Deanna’s life when treated inappropriately in a psychiatric ward of a Phoenix hospital and caring treatment in an excellent memory care facility also in Phoenix. The book concludes with a brief summary of Dee’s life and a short note on ethics.
The diary also offers yearly reflections and advice that might help caregivers, family members, medical personnel, psychologists, church members, ministers, deacons and persons in families with a history of Alzheimer’s disease understand what to do and what not to do about extremely difficult behavior when caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease.
The author hopes that readers will gain a compassionate understanding about people who contract the disease and those loved ones who become their primary caregivers. It can be a tough slog regardless of one’s best hopes and intentions.
APW Book Club 1/28/23 – Mark Walker
Saturday, January 28 we will review Mark Walker’s book, My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road
Date: Saturday, January 28, 2023
Time: 10 a.m. Arizona time
Zoom: The Zoom link will be sent out to book club members before the meeting. APW members or guests who would like to attend and did not receive the link should contact Karen Lateiner at kslateiner@gmail.com for the link.
ABOUT MARK WALKER
Award winning author, Mark D. Walker has been recognized twice by the Solas Literary Awards for Best Travel Writing. His new book is part of his Yin & Yang of Travel Series. My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road, borrows its title from one of iconic writer, Moritz Thomsen’s works. It shines a sometimes-lovely, sometimes-piercing light on the countries he visits. In this captivating book, Walker reflects on his fifty years of travel miscalculations and disasters and how and why his travels changed over the years, as has who he traveled with.
Walker has received rave reviews from readers and reviewers such as Midwest Review. “My Saddest Pleasures” differs from most both in its size and in its succinct considerations of how travel changes not just self, but the environments that the traveler encounters. The combined flavor of wonder, new experiences, ecological and social reflection, and adventure brings with it a newfound opportunity to understand the traveler’s impact on a deeper level than most. Domestic and foreign experiences alike are outlined with these lessons in mind.
Please watch: Also, Mark would like participants to see an interview on the making of his book which just came out in Global Connections TV. This is his second interview and they’re seen on UN TV and in universities around the world. The 30-minute interview touches on why/how he wrote the book as well as important trends in the global publishing industry. Please watch this on YouTube before the meeting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IfdQ4D7DJs
Arizona Professional Writers 