TWO TAMPA BAY AREA AWARD-WINNING AUTHORS 

Fred Koehler presented at the Tampa Bay Times  Festival of Reading

on the USFSP campus today, Saturday, November 17, 2018.

For more on the middle grade novel GARBAGE ISLAND and Fred Koehler go to www.ilikefred.com

                       From left, Greg Neri, author of GRAND THEFT HORSE ( and many other award-winning books), presented at Tampa Bay Times  Festival of Reading. He and Fred Koehler, author of GARBAGE ISLAND (and author-illustrator of many  Picture Books), take a moment to let a friend and fellow writer snap a picture. Of course that request came from me. Both were at the festival to speak about their most recent published books. What a treat for the community and those who drove long distances to hear them speak.

                    For more on Greg Neri and his newest book check out: www.gregneri.com

Picture Books:The Next Level with Rob Sanders

What a treat to participate in one of SCBWI's Boot Camps. This one held at The Portico in Tampa and presented by author and teacher, Rob Sanders. Picture Books: The Next Level, brought writers from all over Florida, even one participant from Georgia. 

Rob's boot camp spoke to everyone from new writers to published PB authors and everyone had an opportunity to ask questions that mattered most to them. New friends were made. New ideas were spawned. I left feeling motivated and determined to revisit the PBs I've written. Okay, I planned to write a new one too. The boot camp turned out to be both inspiring and informative. Plus, we all had fun! Thanks Rob and thanks to SCBWI. 

Rob Sanders is a writer who teaches, and a teacher who writes. His picture books range from the Rodzilla to Ruby Rose Off to School She Goes to Outer Space Bedtime Race, all are funny and delightful reads to the empowering and educational books,  Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag to Peaceful Right for Equal Rights to his soon to be released, Stonewall: A Building, An Uprising. A Revolution.  Check 
out: wwwrobsanderswrites.com  


The Portico, 1001 N. Florida has community meeting rooms and a cafe. This is what is posted on its web site: Imagine a meeting and event space where every time you book an event, you impact the community in a positive way. Spaces for 4-400 people are available. 

Even the money we spent to buy lunch was funneled into helping the homeless. How great is that?

For more information about the space or the cafe check out:
theportico.org

Do you see what I see?

Ideas for stories and scenes pop up everywhere for writers. For me, that's especially true when I observe the nature that's always around me.

Walking through a parking lot outside a Target store, I spied these mushrooms in a patch of grass. They looked so delicate. They had such texture. I had to snap a photo. 

Can't you imagine this spot as a peaceful place for a fairy to sleep? Or could these mushrooms shield a Leprechaun from the blistering Florida sun? 

Look around wherever you are and you may find the next idea for a short story or a novel. 

Or maybe just revel in the moment and the beauty.

               Rob Sander's book, PRIDE: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag is on an endcap at the Boston Barnes and Noble, Prudential Tower 

The Writer's Digest: Flip Dictionary is a great adjunct for writers. I bought a used copy, which fit the budget. Sure I could switch to my phone, tablet or tap into my computer thesaurus for alternate words. This book lets you use a word you already know to locate one you don't know.  How great is that? 

                                                 Sweet Roxie. She loved books, well sitting on them. 
She loved reading, well touching the lines written on my computer screen. We had her or she had us, for 16 years and she was the most wonderful cat.  Until we meet again, sweet cat. 

Thanks to my loving daughter Jessica and her family who came Sunday morning with comforting hugs.

Thanks too for the thoughtful gifts from my sister and a good friend. 

The cat statue was originally from my dearest friend Carol P. who passed away in January. She brought it to me when our last cat, Quasimodo, died at age 17. Three months later, we adopted Roxie, a kitty scheduled to be euthanized.  Yep, the date was jotted on a paper taped to her pen! 

 I gave my sister Barb, the statue when her loving cat died. On Sunday, Barb drove to my house and handed it to me. 

Two good friends took time out of their day to send beautiful cards. They both understand how animals are members of your  family. As an aside, the cat  drawn on the card has a raccoon-ish tail, just like Roxie. One friend wrote of my cat: 

"I am picturing her settling in Carol's lap in heaven and purring." 

Did we hear teachers say they needed books for children to read? The answer was a resounding, yes. So, writers and authors started collecting books and still more books. 

 Pictured are a couple I donated to the stack of books sent by my friend and critique group member, author Augusta Scattergood. 

 Check out Augusta's books: GLORY BE; THE WAY to STAY in DESTINY; MAKING FRIENDS with BILLY WONG at www.augustascattergood.com

 Dream Editor

            I may have used eight lives, but I've finally discovered  

                           the two dimensions of plot in my story.

PRIDE: From a Writer Who Teaches and a Teacher Who Writes

                                  Book launch for PRIDE: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag.

www.penguinrandomhouse.com

www.robsanderswrites.com

Rob Sanders, a friend and one of the best PB writers I know, took time out from his book launch to pose for a photo with author Susan Barnhart and me. 

The event was held at the ArtsXchange, 515 22nd Street South, St. Pete 

www.warehouseartsdistrictsstpete.org

Book Launch in St. Pete

My friend and awesome picture book author, Rob Sanders, will launch his newest PB, 

PRIDE: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag on Thursday, April 12th, 2018.

See  below for details.

                                   www.robsanderswrites.comwww.robsanders.com

Rob's being sponsored by St. Pete's new independent bookstore, Tombolo Books.

Sign up for Tombolo's newsletter to keep in the know.

What? These gift bags aren't for me?  

A Sunset for the Skyway Writers' Retreat.

Two mega-butterflies alight near the lake. 

                                                    After a hard day at a desk, we sat for a feast. 

 We were all in for a  Skyway Writers' photo at our after-the-holidays party.