“Love is in the air” with Christy Hovland
APW Central Chapter Virtual Meeting – February 13, 2021
Valentine’s Day is coming up! Nothing like a good romance novel to get you in the mood. Perhaps you’ve thought of writing your own. Our next speaker will help you get started!
Susan Anderson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. All are invited. Members have been sent the Zoom link. If you did not receive it and would like to attend, contact Susan and she will forward the link to you.
Date: February 13, 2021
Time: 10:00 AM Arizona
Guest Speaker: Christina Hovland
Topic: Love is in the air! Crafting Your Own Romance Novel
Love is in the air! 
Crafting your own romance novel
USA Today Bestselling Author Christina Hovland lives her own version of a fairy tale–an artisan chocolatier by day and romance writer by night. Born in Colorado, Christina received a degree in journalism from Colorado State University. Before opening her chocolate company, Christina’s career spanned from the television newsroom to managing an award-winning public relations firm. She’s a recovering overachiever and perfectionist with a love of cupcakes and dinner she doesn’t have to cook herself. A 2017 Golden Heart® finalist, she lives in Colorado with her first-boyfriend-turned-husband, four children, and the sweetest dogs around.
Find out more or subscribe to Christy’s newsletter at ChristinaHovland.com
January 9 Central Chapter with Marie Fasano
Join APW Central Chapter’s virtual meeting on Saturday, January 9 at 10 a.m. Featured speaker is our own APW President, Marie Fasano who will talk about interviewing for article writing.
Guest speaker: Marie Fasano, APW President
Topic: Interviewing for Articles
Date: January 9, 2021
Time: 10:00 AM Arizona
Both members and guests are invited to attend the Zoom meeting. If you did not receive the Zoom link, contact Barbara at lacyarts@gmail.com
Marie A. Fasano has been writing articles for over 40 years. She says the best part of her work has been interviewing people who have completed extraordinary tasks in their lives. Her articles have been as diverse as stories about places pilots fly for getaways and doing the PR for Air Shows to focusing on individuals who have helped others overcome challenges. Marie has enjoyed highlighting authors for the Payson Book Festival as PR Coordinator for five years. Currently, she writes a column for the Payson Roundup Newspaper titled “Roaming the Rim.” Her column is about anything that strikes her fancy. Some of her previous columns have been about nurses, the homeless, drones, sex education in the schools, telemedicine, and RBG.
Come join Marie to discuss the task of interviewing.
December 12 Central Chapter with Carolyn Neithammer
Are you a foodie?
Whether you love to eat or to write about food and cooking, join Central Chapter’s virtual meeting on Saturday, December 12 at 10 a.m. with author Carolyn Niethammer. She’ll talk about her latest book, A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary History, and her 50-year career of writing about Southwest food.
Date: December 12, 2020
Time: 10 a.m.
Zoom: Members and interested guests will be sent the Zoom link prior to the meeting. If you do not receive the link, email your request to Barbara Lacy at lacyarts@gmail.com
Carolyn Niethammer Bio:
Carolyn Niethammer learned to love and understand the West growing up in small-town Northern Arizona. She has spent her life writing about the foods and people of the Southwest in award-winning ethnobotanies, cookbooks and biographies. She began her career out of college as a newspaper reporter, then in the late Sixties spent a year going “back to the land” in Northern California where she learned about edible wild plants. For her first book, she traveled throughout Arizona and New Mexico interviewing Native American women on their use of wild plants. Other books followed on edible wild plants, Southwestern food, and Native American women. Her one novel is based on the life of a well-known Western cook.
Why She Knew the Story of how Tucson Became the first US UNESCO City of Gastronomy was Hers to Tell
Her latest book, her eleventh, is A Desert Feast: Celebrating Tucson’s Culinary History. In it she tells the 8,000 year story of how the residents of the Santa Cruz Valley subsisted on wild foods, learned to grow corn and eventually became expert farmers, and how today’s residents still grow and eat some of the same foods that nourished the local people so long ago. Carolyn has been writing about Southwest food for more than 50 years, so she had a good base of knowledge to tell the story of why Tucson received the UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation. But the most fun, was learning all the things she didn’t know.
November 14 meeting with Betty Webb
Join Central Chapter’s virtual meeting on Saturday, November 14 at 10 a.m. with mystery author Betty Webb! Betty topic is “How To Keep A Series Going.”
Betty at La Rotonde Cafe in Paris, doing research for her third series.
Betty Webb is the author of the popular Lena Jones mystery series: Desert Redemption, Desert Vengeance, Desert Rage, Desert Wind, Desert Lost, Desert Cut, Desert Run, Desert Shadows, Desert Wives, and Desert Noir. Betty shows her softer (and more humorous) side in the Gunn Zoo mysteries, set a fictional California zoo. The first book in the Gunn Zoo series was The Anteater of Death, followed (in order) by The Koala of Death, The Llama of Death, The Puffin of Death, The Otter of Death, and The Panda of Death. Despite their titles, no animals are ever harmed in these books, but unpleasant humans die like flies. Betty’s work at the highly-regarded Phoenix Zoo was the inspiration for this series.
Before beginning to write mysteries full time, Betty was a journalist. Writing articles ranging from hard news to features, she has interviewed everyone from U.S. presidents to astronauts who walked on the moon, as well as Nobel Prize winners, the homeless, the hopeless, the dying, and polygamy runaways. Her Lena Jones mysteries are based on stories she covered as a reporter. She has been a syndicated book reviewer for 30 years, and taught writing at the university level. Betty is a member of National Federation of Press Women, The Authors Guild, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime. She is starting a new mystery series, which involved a trip to Paris. The first book should be out next year.
You can learn more about Betty and her books at BettyWebb-Mystery.com and at BettyWebb-ZooMystery.com
APW members will be sent the Zoom link. Nonmembers are welcome to attend; request a link by sending an email to Central Chapter Chair, Barbara Lacy.
President’s Page – October, 2020
We hear so much on the news about the upcoming election. Whomever you choose, your obligation is to vote. As writers we have the power of our pen to bring out injustices where we see them and to voice our opinion in a civil way. So be sure to vote.
I wrote an article that was published in the local paper honoring Ruth Bader Ginsberg for all she has done for gender equality.
We have a responsibility from the First Amendment to speak the truth and not feel cowered by negativity. I have had my candidate’s sign torn down three times and then defaced. I just keep putting one back up. I refuse to live in fear.
The NFPW Communications Contest is on! Go through all your published writings for 2020 and pull up your best material to enter the contests. There are numerous categories from which to choose. I’m sure one fits your writing style. Several of our APW writers have won awards over the years. Although we do not have an Arizona specific contest, you can enter the At-large section. Check it out at NFPW.org
Let’s see how many members we will have this year in the contest. See our website ArizonaProfessionalWriters.org or our Facebook page for more information. In fact, you can subscribe to our APW blog so you get notification whenever something new is posted. You’ll see the latest blog entry when you go to ArizonaProfessionalWriters.org. Look on the right-hand side for the signup.
Monthly meetings: I don’t understand why more members have not taken advantage of all our virtual meetings. We have had two guests a month from either Central or Rim Country chapter with all members invited. From my viewpoint, most are outstanding. They have created much discussion on a variety of topics.
Recently at the last Central meeting a Book review group was created. See it on the 4th Saturday of the month. Again check out the info on FB and our website. You will receive the zoom invitation before the program.
2021 Membership: APW is alive and thriving. Why not take advantage of all we have to offer. Membership renewal will be due soon. You will be receiving a notice from Connie Cockrell, state membership chair, for state dues or from NFPW if you are a national member.
APW Board meeting: Our next APW Board meeting is scheduled for December 5.It will be a virtual one and all members are invited. More informatioin in November.
Keep writing,
Marie A. Fasano,
President APW
October 10 Zoom meeting – change of plans
Central Chapter October Zoom Meeting
Saturday, October 10, 2020 —- 10:00 am
Our speaker, Martha Blue, had to cancel. Instead, we will have a round table discussion. Share what you are working on. If you have ideas for future meetings – speakers or topics – share those too. It will be fun to catch up and meet new and potential members too.
Please RSVP to Barbara Lacy. You will receive the Zoom link for Saturday’s meeting.
Join us at 10 a.m. this Saturday, October 10 on Zoom!
Barbara Lacy
Central Chapter Chair
PS – Martha’s talk will be rescheduled for a date in the spring.
Martha Blue
One of my favorite people, writer Martha Blue, will be our speaker at 10 a.m., Saturday, October 10, 2020. On Zoom, naturally!
Martha was one of our first friends when we moved to the Navajo Reservation in 1971 and although our lives and locations changed over years, our friendship was solid. Martha and her first husband came to the reservation as poverty lawyers and thus they worked with my husband who oversaw the Social Services office on the western side of the Navajo Reservation.
As we moved on with our lives we kept in touch when Martha had story ideas for me to follow up on. When my family moved to Phoenix in 1980, I took a full-time PR job with the state and regretfully did not follow up on her many of her ideas.
You can read more about Martha by click Martha Blue’s Resume . She’s amazing!
President’s Page – August, 2020
August is the month for Voting Rights. On August 26, 1920 the 19th amendment finally was ratified to give women the right to vote. Suffragettes worked for many years to achieve that right. A new book for middle school students titled, Finish the Fight written by the staff of the New York Times, remains a fascinating read for any age. It shows us how diverse the women were who helped make suffrage reality. It became, not only a white women’s struggle, as has been told in so many history books, but one for women of diverse cultures.
We learn that the Native American Haudenosaunee practiced a form of representative democracy that gave significant power to women. Mary Church Terrell, an African American championed both suffrage and civil rights. There were many other African American women, Latina and Chinese women who fought for the vote as well.
I suggest you buy a copy for all the young women in your families, one for yourself and one to donate to your local library.
APW Central has continued to present interesting speakers each month in Zoom format, so all members are invited to attend. APW Rim Country has monthly Zoom meetings and will be having speakers starting again next month.
Buckshot Dot just informed me that a long time Payson member, Rebecca George, has passed away. She was an author, book reviewer, philosopher, musician and naval veteran. We send her family our condolences.
Are you still practicing social distancing and wearing a mask outdoors? I hope so. I see others getting lax, but numbers of Covid cases continue to blanket our state and country.
Keep Writing,
Marie Fasano
President
Arizona Professional Writers
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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- Timeless Dance – Karen Shiffman Lateiner – https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Dance-Story-Change-Loss/dp/171743794X/
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
August 8 Zoom meeting with Susan Anderson, children’s book author
To All APW Members: Join the Central Chapter in their ZOOM meeting.
August 2020 APW meeting Writing and Publishing Children’s Books
Susan Anderson moved to the Valley to help care for her grandchildren 11 years ago. She did art projects, cooked, helped with school. .. It was perfect but after a while she needed to do something for herself. . to fulfill her own ambitions. .She enjoyed painting animals and fairies . . so she decided to use what she enjoyed and write and illustrate children’s books. Now she has written and published three picture books and her first chapter book. She also created watercolor illustrations for APW member and author Jody Sharpe. And she is not done yet. . .
She will talk to APW members and guests via ZOOM, from 10-12 a.m., Saturday, August 8, 2020.
Barbara Lacy is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. To join the ZOOM meeting, see below . .call or email Barbara Lacy: 480-620-1358 or lacyarts@gmail.com Members were sent the Zoom link in an email dated 7/21/2020. A reminder will be sent.
APW Central Meeting
Topic: Guest Speaker Susan Anderson – Writing and Publishing Children’s Books
Time: Aug 8, 2020 10:00 AM Arizona
Susan Claire Anderson
Arizona Professional Writers 