APW Central Chapter Zoom meeting with Katrina Shawver 9/13
Susan Anderson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Writing Lean – Make Every Word Count
Date: Saturday, September 13
Time: 10 a.m. Arizona
Join Zoom: Members have been sent the Zoom link. It is also posted in the Members-only section of the website. https://arizonaprofessionalwriters.org/members-only/apw-virtual-meetings/ Contact your chapter chairperson well in advance of the meeting if you have forgotten the sign-in or have lost your invitation.
Nonmembers are welcome to attend and should send an email to Marie Fasano mafasano1 @ gmail.com or Jaimie Bruzenak calamityjaimie @ gmail.com requesting the link, Please request the link by Wednesday, September 10.
Topic: Writing Lean – Make Every Word Count. From newspapers to novels, it’s critical to be frugal with words for maximum impact. Katrina will share tips and tricks to make every word count.
Author Bio:
Katrina Shawver is an experienced writer, speaker and long-time history geek. As a journalist, she wrote for The Arizona Republic, Arizona Parenting, Phoenix Downtown, and other publications for many years. In 2002, she met Henry Zguda, a Polish Catholic survivor of German concentration camps, and soon offered to write his incredible story. She spent over ten years researching Poland, World War II, and the Holocaust. Her award-winning book, Henry: A Polish Swimmer’s True Story of Friendship from Auschwitz to America, is available in English, Polish, and Czech.
Katrina is a seasoned Toastmaster and has presented to many audiences. She served as a writer in residence at the Glendale Public Library in Glendale, Arizona. In previous lives she worked as a project manager in software support, a paralegal, a tax preparer, answered phones for a forensic psychiatrist, hiked the Grand Canyon three times, and still wishes sweet potato fries counted as a vegetable. For more information, visit katrinashawver.com.
APW Typerider August 2025
Carol Osman Brown gave me a plaque that says, “The ultimate inspiration is the deadline.” That was never truer than this past week when I tapped my keyboard into submission. My A, S, and E buttons are blanks. It is time for a reset. A trip to the White Mountains is calendared into my future. Will I see you there?
Carol Baxter, APW President
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CHAPTER NEWS
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White Mountain
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White Mountain Festival of Books
There are still a few seats remaining for Take Your Writing to New Heights on Friday, August 8th. Click the button to register.
White Mountain Festival of Books
Shop the White Mountain Festival of Books on Saturday, August 9th.
Location: Elks Lodge, 805 East Whipple Street, Show Low, AZ 85901 
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For news from Rim Country, Payson Book Festival recap, Central, the Book Club and NFPW Convention, click here .
Typerider Special Edition 7-13-25
Let’s head to the Mountains!
Learn something, network with authors, and feed your hungry bookshelves.
Hello!
Is the heat dry enough for you? Looking for a getaway?
You know you want to come to Payson and support Arizona authors at the 10th Annual Payson Book Festival on July 19th, but a mere 3 weeks later, there is more joy available to grasp with your inky hands.
August 8th, I am headed to what I hope will be the cool pines of Show Low for the Take Your Writing to New Heights conference and White Mountain Festival of Books hosted by the White Mountain Chapter of APW.
Hope to see your smiling face at one or both events!
Carol Baxter, APW President
*** Send the code: CAROLSPECIAL in your registration paperwork
to get the $50 earlybird price. ***
All the classes will be in the Main Room, and at least three will be interactive with the audience. In addition to the speakers, the last event will be a panel of all the speakers. In every swag bag will be index cards where people can write questions for any of the speakers. You can put that question on a card, and the moderator will direct it to that specific teacher or the entire panel.
One of the keynote speakers, Bing Bruce, was on NewAZ, AP News, and BizNews.
APW Typerider July 2025
National Federation of Press Women
2025 Professional Communications Contest WINNERS
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- Jody Sharpe, At-Large -Arizona 2nd Place – Fiction for Adult Readers > 11B – Novellas for “The Dog Who Came For Christmas”
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- Chrisann Dawson, At-Large – Arizona 2nd Place – Fiction for Adult Readers > 11A – Novels for “Congo Ebola”
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- Carol Baxter, At-Large – Arizona 3rd Place – Public Relations Materials > 53 Catalog, Manual, or Handbook for “Day Tripping”
Congratulations to the winners!
Happy writing,
Carol Baxter, APW President
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CHAPTER NEWS
Rim Country
Central
BOOK CLUB CALL FOR AUTHORS
The APW book group was established to provide an opportunity for members to read, discuss, and post reviews of one another’s books. We generally meet via Zoom on the fourth Saturday of every month at 10 am, September through June. It’s a great way to support our journeys as authors and get to know each other.
Some people attend regularly, others not so much, or only a few times, and that’s okay. We are currently looking for APW members who would like to join our group, and potentially present their book for our reviews.
If interested, please contact Karen Shiffman Lateiner, or call 973-997-7204.
White Mountain
White Mountain Festival of Books
2025 NFPW Conference
Registration is now open for the 2025 NFPW Conference, hosted by Colorado Press Women Sept. 11–13 at the Denver Marriott West hotel in Golden, Colorado.
APW Rim Country Chapter 6-18-25 with Karen Lateiner
Connie Cockrell is inviting you to a hybrid in-person and Zoom meeting of the Rim Country Chapter. Meetings are held at 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month via Zoom and in-person in the chapel at Majestic Rim.
Let’s show our support for our member Karen Schifman Lateiner and join her at the meeting on Wednesday. invite your friends who have questions about gender diversity. Karen has sensitive information as a mother.
Guest Presenter: Karen Shiffman Lateiner
Date: Wednesday, June 18
Time: 1 pm AZ
Where: The chapel at Majestic Rim in Payons and on Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84817400687
Meeting ID: 848 1740 0687
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kHieummIS
Topic: Timeless Dance: A Story of Change and Loss takes you on Karen Shiffman Lateiner’s compelling and sensitive journey to understand the gender transition of her remarkable son, fully embrace the woman he becomes and, just two years later,
grapple with her child’s untimely death.
Join her on an unusual tour of a mother’s mind as she reflects on her own history in coping with her child’s transition and family’s loss. At a time when transgender issues were still hidden, she and her family educated themselves and their
communities, turning their grief to advocacy. More than a memoir, this story of change and loss is a tribute to her child’s legacy, and to the love and support of family and friends.
Bio:
Karen Shiffman Lateiner, M.Ed. Throughout her personal life and professional career as a developmental psychologist and mental health clinician, she has actively advocated for safe and nurturing school and home environments for all children, especially for those at-risk for marginalization and bullying. Karen served on the Affirmative Action Committee and LGBT Task Force of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, as well as the Phoenix Task Force on Bullying.
APW Typerider – June 2025
June 2025
Click here to see this month’s issue with the recap of the winners of At-large Communications Contest. our annual State Conference and to see coming events.
APW Central Chapter Zoom Meeting 6-14-25 Carol Baxter
Susan Anderson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Carol Baxter – At the Intersection of Wordsmithing and Art, One Woman’s Journey
Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81862254003?pwd=KFVyqUyfiQcc9yHzQkoAieOnCmCftQ.1
Meeting ID: 818 6225 4003
Passcode: 979135
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbFsjuLHKR
Topic- At the Intersection of Wordsmithing and Art, One Woman’s Journey
Peer inside the mind of an award-winning author who wears (too) many hats. Carol Baxter will regale you with how she went from crafting stories in her head, to being a features reporter at the Payson Roundup Newspaper, to writing grants, to curating content for art supply companies, to website creation, to writing memoirs for people to give to their children and future generations, to trying to crack the first draft of a novel. Carol has a fun, quick, writing exercise planned. You can download the PDF and print it out on your computer: https://www.talesofalifetime.net/memoir-starter-questions-examples-musings-carol-baxter-blog/my-lil-memoir-zine
Website: www.talesofalifetime.net/
Linked In: www.linkedin.com/in/caroljeanbaxter/
Blog: medium.com/@rainofstars.carol
Winners At-Large Communications Contest!
Congratulations to APW members who won awards in the At-Large Division of the NFPW Communications Contest this year! Arizona Professional Writers no longer has it’s own contest, but instead competes against entries from 20-some state affiliates that also do not have their own contest. Winning and placing is quite an honor! First place winners go on to compete at the national level contest. Winners of the national contest will be announced in June.
Carol Baxter
First place in Public Relations materials for “Day Tripping”
Chrisann Dawson
First place in Writing novels for adult readers for Congo Ebola
Jody Sharpe
First place in Novellas for adult readers for The Dog Who Came For Christmas
Nancy Marshall
Second Place in Writing novels for adult readers for Finding Zachariah in a Community Garden
Susan Anderson
Honorable mention in writing fiction children’s books for Cool, Cool Cactus Critters
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- Carol Baxter
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- Carol Baxter, At-Large – Arizona 3rd Place – Public Relations Materials > 53 Catalog, Manual, or Handbook for “Day Tripping”
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- Chrisann Dawson
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- Chrisann Dawson, At-Large – Arizona 2nd Place – Fiction for Adult Readers > 11A – Novels for “Congo Ebola”
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- Jody Sharpe
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- The Dog Who Came for Christmas – Jody Sharpe – https://www.amazon.com/Dog-Who-Came-Christmas/dp/0988562057/ref=mp_s_a_1_1
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- Nancy Marshall
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- Finding Zachariah
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- Susan Clair Anderson
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- Cool, Cool Cactus Critters
Photos from 5/17/25 State Conference
We had an excellent turnout at our 2025 APW State Conference. The speakers were excellent and we had fun playing Communication Bingo! Lunch was delicious too. Barbara Lacy, along with three of her four daughters, was guest of honor. Barbara is Artist of the Year for Paradise Valley and a number of her paintings were on display. Paradise Valley Town Hall was an excellent venue.
Kudos! These two ladies made this year’s conference a special event. Our president, Carol Baxter planned and led the event, adding Communication Bingo – a great way to get to know our fellow attendees – and several prizes including a raffle for a fabulous Mystery Box, making it even more fun this year. Vice President Bobbie Bennett searched out venues, choosing Paradise Valley Town Hall where one of our former presidents and Central Chapter chairperson, Barbara Lacy, had many paintings on display. She also ordered an amazing lunch from Panera Bread.
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- Carol Baxter – President
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- Bobbie Bennett – 1st Vice President, organizer for event
Speakers – Our speakers were excellent. Michele Nelson spoke on her podcasting journey. Darlene Ziebell surprised us with the multitude of ways AI helps her market and can be used by writers and authors. “Rock,” her AI Assistant, put together her presentation based on her instructions. And, Roger Naylor entertained us with his stories of how he came to Arizona and to be a writer and the importance of location.
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- Michele Nelson on podcasting
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- Darlene Ziebell, AI in marketing
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- Roger Naylor, travel writer and the importance of location
Recognizing and honoring past president and artist, Barbara Lacy
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- Honoring Barb Lacy – daughter Jessica
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- On display at Paradise Valley Town Hall
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- Barb with turtle painting
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- Her little dog
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- Jill, Whitney, Jessica – Barb Lacy’s daughters. London was not able to attend.
Other officers and chapter chairpersons in attendance
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- Marie Fasano 2nd VP Membership
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- RuthAnn Hogue Treasurer & winner of the Mystery Box
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- Nancy Marshall
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- Connie Cockrell Past President and Chairperson of Rim Country Chapter
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- Carol Baxter with Kathleen Osbourne Chairperson of the White Mountain Chapter
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- Karen Lateiner APW Book Club
Other photos
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- Learning about podcasting
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- What AI can do for you
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- Location, location, location!
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- Delicious lunch from Panera Bread
APW Book Club 5/24/25 with Dr. Dawn Filos
Notes from Karen Lateiner, Book Club Chair
Turns out our author for our May Book Group is not ready, however one of our new members, Dr. Dawn Filos agreed to present her book, Saturday, May 24 at 10 am via Zoom.
Reminder: APW Annual State Conference will be held Saturday, May 17th. Information and registration can be found on the APW website http://www.arizonaprofessionalwriters.org. I hope to see you all there.
Our Purpose: The purpose of our book group is to hear wonderful presentations, read amazing books by members, and support each other by writing reviews on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Please take some time to acknowledge our authors.
Karen Lateiner is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Tales of A Pet Vet with Dr. Dawn Filos
Date: May 24, 2025
Time: 10:00 AM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84792846640?pwd=Qaf9qsoOeZ5xbbIQ95IubMz3zbPq2O.1
Meeting ID: 847 9284 6640
Passcode: 208050
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kjLmLAAh9
All are invited to attend.
Tales of A Pet Vet: Stories from the Clinic and House Calls by Dr. Dawn Filos (pen name)
Dr. Dawn Filos’s own menagerie of pets, including Willie the woolly monkey, primed her for a career as a veterinarian. With emotional honesty, Dr. Dawn shares her heartfelt, and often hilarious journey, from nervous novice to seasoned, self-assured doctor. This modern-day James Herriot finds her niche as a house-call vet, with unique, intimate access into the homes and lives of her beloved patients and their human families. She understands with all of her heart that no visit or emergency is too trivial to a pet parent. After reading Tales of a Pet Vet you will never see your own vet the same way.
BIO
Dr. Dawn Filos grew up in New Jersey, in a family of eccentric animal lovers, preparing her for a lifelong career spent with like-minded pet people. She spent most of her career in Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bucks County), where she remained after veterinary school for most of the last 32 years. She now splits her time between Scottsdale, Arizona and East Hampton, New York.
Her blog DrDawnThePetVet.com was originally started to augment pet first aid classes, and pet CPR courses she taught for years. It began as more informational and evolved to focus on the benefits of the human-animal bond, a topic which interests her and features prominently and often throughout the book. She has contributed several Medical Mystery pieces to the Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper, and hopes to pursue further writing in journals and other media, and is available for public speaking engagements.
dawnfmauro@gmail.com Dawn Filos 267-994-2415 via Zoom.
Arizona Professional Writers 