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Saturday, August 23, 2014

Library hosts holiday open house; authors should apply by Oct. 17

Following from Jennifer Compton with St. Charles City-County Library

Dear Local Author:

You are invited to participate in the St. Charles City-County Library District’s Sixth Annual Local Author Open House!

This year’s Open House will be held on Thursday, November 13th, at the Middendorf-Kredell Branch Library, 2750 Highway K, O'Fallon, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Each holiday season, the Library District offers an opportunity for our local authors to connect with our customers. As an author participant, we will be able to provide you with a small "booth" or table. We will offer refreshments and a festive atmosphere and visitors can stroll through, chat, purchase your book and have it signed. We ask that you sell your own books, please. Our goal is to foster connections between the many authors in the area and our many readers. The open house is also a great way to network with other authors.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to the growing success of this event (53 authors last year!) and limited floor space in the branch, this year we are are only able to make booths available to authors who have published a book in the past three years or who have not yet had the opportunity to participate in the Local Author Open House.

If you would like to participate, please email us with the following before Friday, October 17th:

Name:

Title of your book(s):

Phone Number:

Email address:

Publish Date:


If you are unable to confirm by October 17th we will not be able to guarantee that your name and book title will appear on the promotional material but we may still be able to reserve a booth for you.

If possible, please attach an image of your book cover for publicity purposes.

Please feel free to spread the word to any others who may want to participate, we would love to have them.

Cheers,
Jennifer & Sara

Monday, August 18, 2014

Free writers’ conference Aug. 23 offers tips for kids & adults

If you’ve never been to a writers’ conference, St. Louis Writers Guild’s fifth annual writers’ festival in Kirkwood Park is the perfect way to start. The free mini-conference will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 23, at Lions Amphitheater in Kirkwood Park, 111 S. Geyer Rd. No pre-registration is required.

Created to honor the Guild’s 90th Anniversary, the day includes free workshops led by industry professionals, books from local authors, and food for all to enjoy. 

This year the Guild is proud to present: 
  •       New York Times bestselling author Heather Brewer 
  •       New York Times bestselling author Angie Fox 
  •     Award-winning author Sarah M. Anderson 
  •     STL Books owner Robin Theiss 
  •     Writer, illustrator and cover artist Jennifer Stolzer

Presenters for the Young Writers workshops will be:
  • YA/MG author Margo L Dill—for 4th-8th grade students 
  • YA authors Cole Gibsen and Sarah Bromley--for high school students 
  • Carol McAdams Moore, who writes for tweens and beginning readers, will host a Make-A-Book table
The popular “Buy a book, get a sandwich” promotion will return, featuring sandwiches from 6 North CafĂ©.

Writers in the Park 2014 is sponsored by a generous gift from Commerce Bank. 

In case of extreme heat or rain, the conference will move indoors at the Kirkwood Community Center. Click Here for the Kirkwood Parks website. View the full event schedule on www.stlwritersguild.org.


Saturday, August 2, 2014

An Interview with Linsey A. Daman

One of the great marvels of modern technology is the ability to meet and learn about people you may never have had a chance to. Sometimes they are across the globe. Sometimes they are in your own backyard. I got to meet--online anyway--Linsey A. Daman. She is an entrepreneur, dancer, and fellow writer. I don't know many people who do not overcome obstacles. But, oddly not everyone chases their dreams. Linsey has not allowed her obstacles to stop her from chasing her dreams--something we all should learn to do. 

Writers' Lens: When you started working on Bridging St. Louis: One Cultural Step at a Time St. Louis' Dyslexic Entrepreneur, what was the focus of the book?

Linsey A. Daman: Encouraging all women to achieve their professional objectives and personal aspirations was my prime focus of my first book, Bridging St. Louis.  As a woman entrepreneur, the odds aren’t always in our favor so this book demonstrates several examples of how to turn the tables on gender stereotypes in the workplace, while providing tips on overcoming the “glass ceiling” often placed on women in the office.    

WL: What kind of obstacles did dyslexia throw into your way growing up? How did you overcome them?

LD: Repeating a grade based on my reading scores was threatened; luckily this never came to pass.  A special reading instructor was assigned to me for the year and after proving my capability all moved on without further ado. 

WL: How do you encourage others to overcome the barriers in their lives?

LD: Eventually I could see myself serving on a board for fellow dyslexics but for now hopefully the examples mentioned in Bridging St. Louis would serve as motivation. 

WL: What attracted you to writing?

LD: Enrolled in both French composition and French literature at Webster University, St. Louis is when it became clear that I enjoy composing my own literary work.  I’ve always known I enjoyed creative writing but these two courses solidified my desire to be an author in any language.     

WL: What kind of writing do you like to write?

LD: Poetry would be my favorite being relatively short, crisp and most often directly to the point or alluding to the point.  Prose and short stories would then follow, again being fairly condensed and easy to read when pressed for time management.    

WL: What do you like to read or watch for entertainment?

LD: LOST TV Series is my all-time favorite television show!  Anything island-themed or tropical is fair game in my opinion.  Historical documentaries are also top of my list therefore Channel 9 is often found playing on my set.   

On occasion, I’ll listen to audio books regarding business management, social networking and financial planning.  I’ve also been known to listen to short stories while walking hence two birds, one stone.   

WL: You are a professional dancer? What is your favorite kind of dance? What draws you to dancing and art

LD: Bollywood dancing (Indian-themed dances) is my new favorite form of dance but I also incorporate ballet into my workout as well.  Periodically, I’ll include some Flamenco Spanish dance into my routine, but typically I float between the first two mentioned.  I’ve been dancing before I could practically even walk so clearly dancing is in my blood.  Regarding Bollywood, I’m drawn to the musical, performing and cultural elements that are found in this style.  It is one of the most artistic dances that I’ve seen to date.   

WL: What kind of books are you working on now?

LD: A Belizean-themed action and murder mystery is what is cooking for my next book.  Based loosely on my travels to Altun Ha, the ancient Mayan ruins found just outside of Belize City is the enigmatic setting for my twelfth publication.  

WL: What are your current projects?

LD: Expanding my company to the east coast is my prime objective.  Continuing with higher education is essential for me so this seems like the most logical transition while actively perusing my academic career.  

WL: What is your writing schedule like?

LD: Honestly it’s hit and miss due to being an entrepreneur.  Basically, I try to write when I can which basically goes for all current projects, tasks, etc.    

WL: If you could have coffee with an author from any time period, who would you choose and why?

LD: Canadian Author, Gordon Korman author of “Son of the Mob” written in 2002 would be my first choice for a coffee date.  Residing in New York, he has sold more than 17 million copies of his 85 books in a career spanning three decades.  Clearly he knows a thing or two about book sales!  Perhaps we could discuss over a cup of joe his background and motivation for composing such a story. 

WL: How could my readers learn more about you?

LD: As most entrepreneurs, I have a professional site which can be found at http://cacstlouis.com.  LinkedIn is another great way to connect with me; feel free to add me to your professional network.   

Personally speaking, I’ve launched a specialized site titled “Single Successful CEO”  http://singlesuccessfulceo.com which doubles as a single’s site.  Accompanied by a blog http://singlesuccessfulceo.blogspot.com containing additional photos, interviews, etc.  


Please visit www.davidalanlucas.com and www.thewriterslens.com. You can also follow me on twitter @Owlkenpowriter and the Writer’s Lens @TheWritersLens.  You can also find me on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/DavidAlanLucasAuthor.

Also, check out Write Pack Radio at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/writepackradio or on Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/pages/Write-Pack-Radio/258130144353624 or on twitter @WritePackRadio. Write Pack Radio brings Pop Culture, Writing, and Publishing together and throws them into a crucible of humor, clarity, and passion.

Fiction is the world where the philosopher is the most free in our society to explore the human condition as he chooses.