Monday, February 22, 2010

writers giving advice to aspiring authors and screenwriters today at the university of tampa

Received via email:

WRITERS TO GIVE ADVICE TO ASPIRING AUTHORS/SCREENWRITERS AT UT

The movie theaters are filled with films that were adapted from books. But how does one write a book that will end up on the silver screen?

UT Assistant Professor of Journalism John Capouya knows. On Monday, February 22, he'll share his secrets at an event called From Book to Movie: Two Writers Tell a Gorgeous Story, at 6 p.m. in the Reeves Theater on the second floor of the Vaughn Center at the University of Tampa. Capouya and screenwriter/actor John Posey, who is adapting Capouya's book on Gorgeous George for a feature film, will discuss narrative storytelling and the craft of adaptation.

"I got very lucky, including the fact that they are including me in the film and script writing process," Capouya said. Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrester Who Created American Pop Culture tells the story of George Wagner, who created an outrageous image that would later influence Muhammad Ali, James Brown and Bob Dylan. With his regal capes and feminine hairdo, George challenged traditional concepts of masculinity and created a following for the "heel'' or villain in wrestling. Reviews of Gorgeous George appeared in The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Sports Illustrated and The Wall Street Journal.

The event is free and open to the public.

The University of Tampa is a private, residential university located on approximately 100 acres on the riverfront in downtown Tampa. Known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience in its undergraduate and graduate programs, the University serves 6,300 students from 50 states and approximately 100 countries. Approximately 70 percent of full-time students live on campus, and more than half of UT students are from Florida.

For more info, call 813-253-6216.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

upcoming events at inkwood books

There are lots of events coming up soon at Inkwood Books (216 S. Armenia Ave., Tampa):

EVENT: Ernest Hooper with Dr. Keith Berry and Paula Stahel
DATE: February 18

Celebrating with St. Petersburg Times columnist Ernest Hooper, honoring the publication of his grandmother Ann Nixon Cooper's book, A Century and Some Change:My Life Before the President Called My Name, at Inkwood Books on Thursday, February 18, at 6 p.m. Hooper will be joined by Dr. Keith Berry, HCC history professor, providing context for Cooper's story spanning a century of historic change, and Paula Stahe, immediate past president of the Association of Personal Historians and owner of Breath and Shadows Productions, sharing experience helping individuals and families capture life stories as legacies for the future.

President-elect Obama mentioned Cooper in his acceptance speech, bringing fame to the 106-year-old beloved matriarch. Her life story began before there were cars or planes, when both her gender and her race kept her from voting, and she lived to see a black president - and the first copy of her book - before she passed away. The daughter of a tenant farmer, wife of a dentist, and respected Atlanta elder has left a lasting legacy for us all.


EVENT: Lisa McMann
DATE: February 25

New York Times best-selling young adult author Lisa McMann will discuss and sign her newest book, Gone, at Inkwood Books on Thursday, February 23, at 7 p.m. McMann’s compelling paranormal thriller series features Janie, a strong but vulnerable female protagonist who gets caught in the dreams of others. Following Wake and Fade, and this new installment continues the series with McMann’s trademark blend of mystery and romance, recommended for grades 8-11.


EVENT: Johanna Moran
DATE: March 4

Meet Johanna Moran, author of The Wives of Henry Oades, a paperback original novel based on real events in the 18th century, at Inkwood Books on Thursday, March 4, at 7 p.m. The author's father, a law professor, found an abstract of a controversial court case, and her mother hoped to write about it someday, but passed the idea on to Moran. The book tells the story of Henry Oades, who migrated to New Zealand where his wife and children were abducted by Maori and given up for dead. Grief stricken, Henry sailed to California and was remarried when his lost wife and surviving children appeared on their doorstep. They take them in, attempting to adapt while townspeople disapprove, and Henry is charged with bigamy, punishable by hanging. As their legal troubles mount, the relationship between the two wives, each with a lawful and righteous stake, forms the heart of this astonishing tale of marriage - certain to become a bookgroup favorite.

Visit www.inkwoodbooks.com for more info.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

author connie may fowler is coming to tampa

Award-winning author -- and Tampa native -- Connie May Fowler is coming to town. She will hold a novel-writing seminar on March 27 in Tampa in collaboration with the Henry B. Plant Museum and the Arts Council of Hillsborough County.

Tampa is also the site of the launch of Fowler's new book How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly at Mise en Place (Lafayette Room) on April 3 from 4-6 p.m. Inkwood Books will handle book sales.

Here's the press release:

Acclaimed author Connie May Fowler will be in Tampa March 27, conducting a one-day novel writing seminar. Held at University of Tampa’s Reese Theater in the Vaughn Center, the seminar will cover many topics, including how to begin your novel; how to develop characters, plot, arc, and conflict; handling point of view, and the business of writing.

Fowler, who grew up in Tampa, has written seven highly lauded books—one memoir and six novels. Her latest, How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly, will be published April 2, 2010. The nationwide launch takes place in Tampa on April 3. Fowler is best known for Before Women had Wings, her award-winning novel set in Tampa, which Oprah Winfrey produced into an Emmy-winning film. Fowler penned the screenplay.

The seminar is being held in collaboration with the Henry B. Plant Museum and the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. Tuition is $150 before or by February 28 and $160 after that date. To reserve a spot (seating is limited), email your reservation to mail[at]writingbelowsealevel.com.

Fowler told me via email that when her publisher asked her where she wanted to launch the book, "for some reason--just something in my heart--told me that I needed to launch it in my hometown."

For more info on either the seminar or the Tampa launch of Fowler's new book How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly, visit www.conniemayfowler.com.

the joy of reading

I'm back home now after spending a few days in Georgia with my mom following her heart attack last week. Thanks for the emails and messages from those of you who saw my posts on Facebook. (My mom's doing well, all things considered, and is back at home.)

Over the last few days, I've come to appreciate and enjoy my love of reading more than ever before. Reading has always been a comfort, a hobby, a routine, a passion, a part of my every-day life, but recently I realized how thankful I am for the benefits of reading. I read while sitting next to my mother's hospital bed, passing the time until she woke up. When my mom was awake, I'd entertain her by reading her the latest Hollywood gossip from some trashy tabloid magazines. When I'd exhausted all of those, I looked up her favorite actors online and read her their biographies. When hospital visiting hours were over, I walked the aisles of the local bookstore to cheer myself up. When I couldn't sleep late at night, I'd crack open one of my recent bookstore purchases.

The past few days would have been far more miserable, lonely and boring if I didn't love to read as much as I do. Thanks, Mom, for passing your love of reading on to me.

Monday, January 11, 2010

january book releases

Thanks to the Book Swap of Carrollwood's monthly newsletter, I now know about some of the books being released this month:

HARDCOVER:

January 5:
Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler
Impact by Douglas Preston
The Wolf at the Door by Jack Higgins
Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

January 12:
The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova
I, Sniper by Stephen Hunter
Treasure Hunt by John Lescroart

January 26:
Blood Ties by Kay Hooper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ADVENTURE/SUSPENSE:

January 5:
Innocence by Hosp, David
A Knife Edge: A Thriller by Rollins, David

January 26:
Dearly Devoted Dexter by Lindsay, Jeff
Max: A Maximum Ride Novel by Patterson, James
Still Life by Fielding, Joy
The Scarecrow by Connelly, Michael
The Silent Man by Berenson, Alex
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BEST SELLER:

January 5:
Renegade by Mann, Catherine
Sexy as Hell by Johnson, Susan

January 26:
Chasing Harry Winston by Weisberger, Lauren
Curse of the Spellmans by Lutz, Lisa
Dead by Midnight by Barton, Beverly
Down River by Harper, Karen
McKettricks of Texas: Tate by Miller, Linda Lael
On Fire by Neggers, Carla
One Day at a Time by Steel, Danielle
Original Sin by Brennan, Allison
The Cinderella Deal by Crusie, Jennifer
Crossroads by Plain, Belva
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HISTORICAL ROMANCE:

January 5:
Lessons from a Scarlet Lady by Wildes, Emma

January 19:
The Truth about Lord Stoneville by Jeffries, Sabrina

January 26:
A Highlander's Homecoming by Mayhue, Melissa
Angel's Peak by Carr, Robyn
Ravishing in Red by Hunter, Madeline
To Tame a Dangerous Lord by Jordan, Nicole
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PARANORMAL ROMANCE:

January 5:
Bone Magic by Galenorn, Yasmine
Come Hell or High Water: A Broken Heart Novel by Bardsley, Michell
Death's Mistress: A Midnight's Daughter Novel by Chance, Karen
Inked by Chance, Karen
Naked Dragon: A Works Like Magick Novel by Blair, Annette
Smolder by Morel, Melina
The Taking by McCarthy, Erin
Wicked Enchantment by Bast, Anya

January 19:
Succubi Like It Hot by Myles, Jill

January 26:
Nightwalker by Graham, Heather
Spider's Bite: An Elemental Assassin Book by Estep, Jennifer
Twice as Hot by Showalter, Gena
Bone Crossed by Briggs, Patricia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NON-FICTION:

January 5:
Women & Money: Owning the Power to Control Your Destiny by Orman, Suze

So many books, so little time!

Friday, January 8, 2010

great opening lines:how to love like a hot chick by jodi lipper and cerina vincent

The first thing we want to say to you is that you are a Hot Chick. Somewhere between the bastard who never called you after your fantastic first date and that old boyfriend whose head would do a complete one-eighty to check out any passing blond, you just forgot. Or maybe you never knew that you were hot. That’s okay. We forgot for a while there ourselves.

-- How to Love Like a Hot Chick:The Girlfriend to Girlfriend Guide to Getting the Love You Deserve by Jodi Lipper and Cerina Vincent

Monday, January 4, 2010

2010 resolutions

Ah, the new year. A fresh calendar, a clean slate, a new two-digit number to get used to writing on my checks. Traditionally, people make new year's resolutions about eating healthier, exercising more, saving more money and being a better person.

Blah, blah, blah. I make – and break – those resolutions every year.

This year, I’m making different resolutions. Fun, easy resolutions. I want to make up for last year's deficit of books, reading and fun in my life. So, in 2010, I plan to:

Attend my monthly book club meetings. Maybe even read the assigned book.

Read the Lord of the Rings books that I got for Christmas ten years ago and then promptly forgot about.

Read something by a classic author who I've never read before and am embarrassed to admit publicly that I haven't read (Jane Austen, *cough*).

Get involved again with the Florida Bibliophile Society and the Tampa Writers Alliance. Check out other groups that I’ve written about over the years but have never visited personally.

Stop whining about not getting magazines in the mail anymore and renew my subscriptions already.

Carry a book or magazine in my purse so I can sneak in a few minutes of reading here and there. There doesn’t seem to be a way to avoid waiting in lines, so I might as well get some reading in while standing there.

Oh yeah, and actually update this blog instead of just thinking about it.

Here’s to a good 2010!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

this just in

Look for a re-launch (of this blog, duh) on January 1, 2010. Promise and pinky swear.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

is it 2009 yet?

I give up.

Not in the jumping-off-the-Sunshine-Skyway-bridge kind of way. Nothing like that.

I mean giving up on trying to juggle a busy life AND keep up two blogs AND take care of myself and finish recovering from the Great Health Crisis of ‘08.

I can’t do all three successfully at the same time, it seems. I flipped a coin to decide between my blogs and my health. (I’m kidding! Well, mostly.) My health won the coin toss.

So I’m taking a leave of absence. Giving up blogging for a while. Taking a sabbatical. Running away. Taking care of myself. Kinda-sorta breaking up with you. Finally following my doctor’s orders. Boxing up the blogs. Putting away my keyboard. Going into semi-retirement.

To paraphrase that infamous Friends episode, “I think I need a break.”

Shall we get together again, say, January 1? A fresh new year, a fresh new start. Hopefully a fresh new me. A new blog. New books to talk about, new discussions to have, new arguments to start.

Keep your fingers crossed for me and circle January 1, 2009 on your calendar. Happy new year.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

april 2008 archives

The April 2008 archives will be posted soon.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

march 2008 archives

The March 2008 archives will be posted soon.

Friday, February 1, 2008

february 2008 archives

The February 2008 archives will be posted soon.

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

january 2008 archives

The January 2008 archives will be posted soon.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

december 2007 archives

The December 2007 archives will be posted soon.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

november 2007 archives

The November 2007 archives will be posted soon.

Monday, October 1, 2007

october 2007 archives

The October 2007 archives will be posted soon.

Saturday, September 1, 2007

september 2007 archives

The September 2007 archives will be posted soon.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

august 2007 archives

The August 2007 archives will be posted soon.

Sunday, July 1, 2007

july 2007 archives

The July 2007 archives will be posted soon.

Friday, June 1, 2007

june 2007 archives

The June 2007 archives will be posted soon.