APW State Conference Speaker – Howard Gershkowitz
May the Fourth Be With You –
“Time Management in the 3rd Dimension”
Keep track of storylines, deadlines, social media – it can get overwhelming. Howard Gershkowitz, our afternoon speaker, will speak on “Time Management in the 3rd Dimension.” An award-winning author, Howard has been busy writing, submitting and publishing short stories, poems and two novels.
Howard will share his helpful methods and tips for keeping track of it all. They are geared for the busy writer who is querying, writing, submitting and marketing. You’ll leave with useful tips for keeping you on track and leaving some time for family and fun!
See the State Conference page for Howard’s bio.
The conference is May 4. Details are on the State Conference tab or click on https://arizonapresswomen.wordpress.com/2024-state-conference.
You can register at Eventbrite or pay by check or Zelle. See the conference page for instructions and more details.
APW State Conference Speaker – Kathleen Osborne
May the Fourth Be With You!
“Writing Wisdom from the Galaxy.”
Kathleen Osborne, our morning speaker, will be sharing “Writing Wisdom from the Galaxy.” As a writer, she writes Science Fiction Romance and Alien Romance and will use Star Wars as a vehicle to illustrate how you can develop and strengthen all aspects of your story. She’ll cover themes like myths and archetypes in your storytelling, crafting characters, building epic worlds, and themes of hope, redemption and resilience. Even if you don’t write in these genres, these themes are applicable to all fiction and creative nonfiction works. Whatever you write, you’ll walk away with helpful takeaways. See the State Conference page for Kathleen’s bio.
The conference is May 4. Details are on the State Conference tab or click on https://arizonapresswomen.wordpress.com/2024-state-conference.
You can register at Eventbrite or pay by check or Zelle. See the conference page for instructions and more details.
APW Central Zoom – 3/9/24 – Bart Ambrose
Susan Anderson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
TOPIC: APW Central Speaker: Historical Author Bart Ambrose talks about his inspiration and writing process.
DATE: Saturday, March 9, 2024
TIME: 10:00 AM Arizona
ZOOM: Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86810532103?pwd=OElOMkRRNEFCRkVHdEJvdzBFRzhZUT09
Meeting ID: 868 1053 2103
Passcode: 352300—
One tap mobile
+17193594580,,86810532103#,,,,*352300# US
+12532050468,,86810532103#,,,,*352300# US
TOPIC- Historical author Bart Ambrose talks about his inspiration and writing process.
BART AMBROSE
Arizona native Bart Ambrose grew up on an Arizona cotton farm where he spent his nights reading novels and teaching himself to play guitar. He graduated from ASU and worked as a natural resource conservationist throughout the West and the Pacific basin. A second career took him to Nashville, writing and teaching songwriting and guitar. He relocated back to Arizona to pursue his writing interests with a focus on Arizona and the Southwest.
His first two novels are historical fiction set in early to mid-twentieth-century Arizona. Both take readers on vivid journeys and adventures in a fascinating era of the state’s history. Bart and his wife live near Tucson, Arizona. His hobbies include writing haiku, travel, and the pursuit of the perfect chili relleno. More information about Bart, his books, and his music is available on his website at BartAmbrose.com.
APW State Conference is May 4!
Save the date!
Our State Conference will be held May 4 from 8:30 to 2:30 in the Frances room at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale. We’ll have two speakers, and a full lunch menu and salad bar in their cafeteria. A short business meeting with elections will be held prior to our speakers and we’ll announce our scholarship winner.
Mark it on your calendars so you don’t schedule something else!
May the 4th Be With You!
APW Rim Country Chapter – 2/21/24 Writing a bio
Connie Cockrell is inviting you to a hybrid in-person/Zoom meeting.
The Rim Country chapter of the Arizona Professional Writers will meet on February 21st at 1pm in the Majestic Rim Living facility on E. Tyler Parkway, in the chapel off of the lobby.The speaker will be chapter president, Connie Cockrell. Her presentation will be on how to write a bio.
Topic: Connie Cockrell on how to write a bio.
Date: Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Time: 1 pm
Location: Majestic Rim Living in Payson on E. Tyler Parkway in the chapel off the lobby.
Also available on Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89936933937?pwd=anhpaHYrUE9GaVBhazVBNktESjdpUT09
Meeting ID: 899 3693 3937
Passcode: 671008
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbzqD6uyQ5
HANDOUT: Available at the meeting. It will be sent out to those attending on Zoom. Please print it before the meeting so you can follow along.
TOPIC: An author’s bio, while not long, holds a key spot in any author’s marketing and advertising work. Learn about the key parts of the bio and how to write them.
Connie Cockrell
BIO: Connie Cockrell is a 20-year Air Force career, a manager at a computer operations company, as well as wife, mother, sister and volunteer. All this experience provides a rich background for her storytelling.
She writes about whatever comes into her head so her books could be in any genre. She’s published 20 books, has been included in five anthologies and been published on EveryDayStories.com and FrontierTales.com. Connie’s always on the lookout for a good story idea. Beware, you may be the next one.
She can be found at conniesrandomthoughts.com or on Facebook at: Facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts or on Twitter at: @ConnieCockrell or on Amazon at amazon.com/author/conniecockrell
APW Central Zoom – February 10, 2024 – Paula Winskye
Susan Anderson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Paula Winskye will be speaking about marketing her books.
Topic: APW Central Speaker: Paula F. (Pfeiffer) Winskye
Date: Saturday, February 10, 2024
Time: 10:00 AM Arizona
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84015258039?pwd=RmcvWWd6Zk9ORzJuRERLZ2pzTFA3QT09
Meeting ID: 840 1525 8039
Passcode: 750457–
One tap mobile +16694449171,,84015258039#,,,,*750457# US
Topic: “An author with a fair book & a great marketing plan will sell more than an author with a great book & no marketing plan.”
Bio:
Paula F. (Pfeiffer) Winskye, a North Dakota native, began writing stories about horses at age 12.
More than 30 years later, in 2003, she published her first novel. Poachers in the Park is her 26th and her second book for younger readers. She is currently working on her 13th Tony Wagner mystery.
Winskye has also penned three Randy McKay mysteries, two Lunar Enforcement science fiction mysteries, three romances, and four volumes of the Collins family saga.
Winskye and her husband John live near Snowflake, Arizona, where she is a Navajo County Sheriff’s Auxiliary Volunteer.
APW Board meeting February 4
APW Book Club 2/24/24 with Connie Cockrell
Save the date!
Connie Cockrell has graciously agreed to present her book for our review. If you are interested in presenting, send Karen an email and she will put you on the schedule.
APW Book Group with Connie Cockrell and First Encounter
Date: Saturday, February 24
Time: 10 am
Zoom link to follow
First Encounter: A SciFi, Young Adult, Post Apocalyptic Story by Connie Cockrell
Book Blurb:
It took a month of hard travel to find their first survivor community. After a cool welcome and a meager feast, Alyssa and Kyra find that the community has very restrictive roles they expect women to take. Imprisoned and starved, a young woman befriends them at great risk to herself. When the woman tells them the men of the community are bidding on Kyra to take to wife, they form a plan to escape. Weak, hungry and afraid, will Alyssa and Kyra have the strength to escape certain slavery?
Connie Cockrell Bio
Connie Cockrell
A 20-year Air Force career, time as a manager at a computer operations company, wife, mother, sister, and volunteer, provides a rich background for Connie Cockrell’s storytelling.
Cockrell grew up in upstate NY, just outside of Gloversville, NY before she joined the military at age 18. Having lived in Europe, Great Britain, and several places around the United States, she now lives in Payson, AZ with her husband hiking, gardening, and playing bunko. She writes about whatever comes into her head so her books could be in any genre. She’s published twenty books so far, has been included in five different anthologies and been published on EveryDayStories.com and FrontierTales.com. Connie’s always on the lookout for a good story idea. Beware, you may be the next one.
She can be found at ConniesRandomThoughts.com or on Facebook at: Facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts or on Amazon at Amazon.com/author/conniecockrell
You can purchase the book at Amazon on Kindle ($.99) or in paperback.
President’s Page – January 2004
I’m excited for this new year in the Arizona Professional Writers organization.
Our annual conference planning has begun. Mark your calendars. It’s going to be May 4th, which prompted us, obviously, to make the theme: May the 4th be with You. We had to. Really. We’re finalizing the location which allows us to set the price per ticket. We’ll keep you posted on that.
The conference also means it’s election time for the APW. We have some tentative candidates. For President – Carol Baxter, Nancy Marshall is volunteering for VP. We’re still looking for a candidate for Secretary. Our treasurer, Ruthann Hogue is staying on. Marie Fasano likes being our Membership Director but if you love reaching out to people, you can talk to Marie and see if the position might be a fit for you. Bobbie Bennett has graciously volunteered to stay on as our Conference planner.
The NFPW Communications contest is close to closing. Look over your published work for 2023 and enter the contest right away. There are so many categories, I’m sure you’ll find one that’s just right for you. You can check out the contest rules and enter the contest at https://www.nfpw.org/professional-contest, You do not need to be a member to enter. However, if you win, they do encourage you to become a member.
Also speaking of NFPW, their annual conference for 2024 will be in St. Louis. I attended the 2023 event and had a great time and learned so much! Just ask Jody Sharpe. She attended the last day and took the opportunity to attend the awards dinner. What a great time. You can look at the details for 2024 at https://www.nfpw.org/2024-conference-st-louis. We’d love to have more of our Arizona people attend as well.
My calendar has February 4th, 10am, as our next APW State Officer’s meeting. The meeting is open to all members, and it’s being held via Zoom. Contact me if you’d like to attend.
Speaking of meetings, the Rim Country chapter has started holding in-person meetings again. We are back at Majestic Rim Living, 1pm on the 3rd Wednesdays of the month, in their chapel meeting space. The next meeting is February 21st and I’ll be talking about how to write a bio. This piece of writing is used in so many different applications that you really need to have a good one. We’ll talk about what that means and do some practice writing one.
I will also be the featured author at the February 24th, 10am APW Book Group. I’ll be talking about my Young Adult, Post Apocalyptic, SciFi book First Encounter. If you’d like to join the conversation, contact Karen Lateiner, kslateiner@gmail.com, to get on the Zoom link list. One more benefit of being an APW member.
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
Almost the best for last, we have a new chapter forming in the Show Low area. The organizer is Kathleen Osborne. She’s a small publisher and author and has several people in the White Mountains area who want to join the group. Kathleen has been a Payson Book Festival author for quite some time. Welcome to her and all of her new group.
And, it’s membership renewal time. If you have already renewed, thank you! If you’ve renewed via the National Federation of Press Women, let us know to look for your renewal there. If you still need to renew, click on the “About” tab and then “Join.” Thank you everyone for your continued support of this historic organization.
That’s it for now. Everyone stay warm and hope to see you at the next meeting!
NFPW Communication Contest deadline 2/7
|
Contest Entries Due at Noon on Wednesday, February 7
|
|
It’s deadline time for NFPW’s annual communications contests!
Other contest details:
Visit the Categories and Requirements page on our contest site (nfpw.org) for a complete list of categories and entry guidelines. Each category and subcategory has specific guidelines and requirements. We enter the At-Large Contest!Questions? Questions relating to professional contest entries and categories should be directed to Helen Plotkin, NFPW Professional Contest Director, at haplotkin@outlook.com Questions relating to contest entries and categories in the high school contest should be directed to Teri Ehresman, NFPW High School Contest Director, at islandpark723@gmail.com Questions relating to issues submitting the entries and issues with the online contest should be directed to Savannah Callan at contest@nfpw.org. |
Arizona Professional Writers 