Tampa Book Buzz

news and notes:tbabj’s new website, griot awards, beazel, smith

• The Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists has a new (and much easier) website: www.tbabj.com. It looks better too (although the old site looked just fine). Update your bookmarks, everyone.
• Speaking of the TBABJ, St. Pete Times media critic and TBABJ member Eric Deggans had a great post on his blog a while back about the Griot Awards that I’ve been meaning to link to. You can read it here.
• Local writer/director Michael Beazel “has written a short screenwriting article titled Character Studies for Film and Television and he is making it available for anyone who wants a PDF copy. For a copy, email MBeazel(at)tampabay.rr.com.” (h/t to local filmmaker Paul Guzzo)
• Local author Joy V. Smith’s short story Paulie is in the December 2007 issue of Art and Prose. “It’s an offbeat story with a hint of SF at the beginning, but it’s about a man needing to find redemption. Art and Prose includes lots of art, stories, articles, poetry, interviews, tutorials, and more.” Visit www.artandprose.com/blog for more info.

man booker prize longlist

The Man Booker Prize longlist has been announced.  Here’s the list:

Darkmans by Nicola Barker (4th Estate)
Self Help by Edward Docx (Picador)
The Gift Of Rain by Tan Twan Eng (Myrmidon)
The Gathering by Anne Enright (Jonathan Cape)
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Hamish Hamilton)
The Welsh Girl by Peter Ho Davies (Sceptre)
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (John Murray)
Gifted by Nikita Lalwani (Viking)
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (Jonathan Cape)
What Was Lost by Catherine O’Flynn (Tindal Street)
Consolation by Michael Redhill (William Heinemann)
Animal’s People by Indra Sinha (Simon & Schuster)
Winnie and Wolf by A.N.Wilson (Hutchinson)

The 2007 shortlist will be announced on September 6 and the winner will be announced on October 16.

edgar award winners

This is a few months old, but interesting nonetheless, via the Award Winners Blog: 

The Edgar Award winners have been announced. The Edgar Allan Poe Awards (the “Edgars”) are named after Mystery Writers of America’s patron saint, Edgar Allan Poe, and are awarded to authors of distinguished work in various categories of the genre. Here is a list of this year’s winners:

• Best Novel: The Janissary Tree by Jason Goodwin (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
• Best First Novel by an American Author: The Faithful Spy by Alex Berenson (Random House)
• Best Paperback Original: Snakeskin Shamisen by Naomi Hirahara (Bantam Dell Publishing - Delta Books)
• Best Fact Crime: Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson (HarperCollins - William Morrow)
• Best Critical/Biographical: The Science of Sherlock Holmes: From Baskerville Hall to the Valley of Fear by E.J. Wagner (John Wiley & Sons)
• Best Short Story: The Home Front - Death Do Us Part by Charles Ardai (Hachette Book Group - Little, Brown and Company)
• Best Juvenile: Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers)
• Best Young Adult: Buried by Robin Merrow MacCready (Penguin YR - Dutton Children’s Books) 

Visit www.theedgars.com for more info.

webby award winners

Congratulations to these book- and writing-related winners of the 11th Annual Webby Awards:

Winner, Associations: www.poetryfoundation.org

Winner, Copy/Writing: www.howstuffworks.com

Winner, Magazine: www.mediastorm.org

Winner, Newspaper: www.guardian.co.uk

(Thanks to the Award Winners Blog)

winner of the inaugural melissa nathan award for comedy romance announced

Received via email:

The winner of the inaugural Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance 2007 was announced Wednesday night at a reception held at the Magic Circle Headquarters in London. The winner was Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes (published by Michael Joseph).

Melissa Nathan’s novels are both heart-warmingly romantic and very, very funny. Her books The Nanny and The Waitress were also Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers. Melissa’s second novel, Persuading Annie, will be re-issued by Arrow on August 2, 2007.

Visit www.melissanathan.com to learn more.

inaugural melissa nathan award for comedy romance

I received the following email about a new, unusual and very sweet British book award:

SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE FIRST MELISSA NATHAN AWARD FOR COMEDY ROMANCE 2007

The Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance is the first of its kind.  This new prize will be awarded to a writer who has combined in a novel the magic, life-enhancing elements of both humour and love.  The award has been set up by Melissa Nathan’s husband, Andrew Saffron, in honour of Melissa, who died from cancer at the age of just 37, in April 2006. 

Based on criteria which Melissa drew up herself shortly before she died, the prize is open to writers of any age or gender who have written a book first published in the UK during the calendar year 2006.  This is the first time that a literary award has been established to recognise the genre of ‘comedy romance’. Its aim is to reward authors who can draw the two sections – ‘comedy’ and ‘romance’ – together in a way that is both compelling and natural.  The winner will receive a trophy and a cheque for £5,000 at an awards ceremony at the Magic Circle Headquarters in London on Wednesday, 13 June – Melissa’s birthday.

The judges for The Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance - comedian Jo Brand, author Joanna Trollope, actress Jessica Hynes (née Stevenson), Head Book Buyer for Tesco Gaynor Allen, and author Sophie Kinsella – declare the shortlist to be:

• Barefoot in the Dark by Lynne Barrett-Lee (published by Accent Press) — This title is a modern twist on Cinderella. Radio Wales DJ Jack Valentine finds a lost trainer on a station platform. With echoes of Cinderella, he appeals on his show for its owner, Hope Shepherd, to come forward. Hope handles publicity for a Cardiff based charity, Heartbeat. Encouraged by colleagues to secure Jack Valentine to raise the profile of an upcoming fun run, she reluctantly heads for the studios. The attraction between Hope and Jack is immediate but, bruised and battered by their recent divorces, they are reluctant to risk romance again.
• The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook by Matt Dunn (published by Pocket Books) — “It’s not me - it’s you. You’ve let yourself go, so I’m letting you go too.” When Edward Middleton hears those words from Jane, his girlfriend of the past ten years, he knows he’s in serious trouble. Determined to get her back, Edward must learn how to make women fancy him again. But what makes for a good boyfriend nowadays? Right now, he’s the kind of man who puts the ‘ex’ into ’sexy’. One thing is certain: if he’s to be Jane’s Mr Right, he needs to turn himself into a bit of all right. From Atkins and Botox, Edward begins working his way through the makeover alphabet. But can cuddly Teddy really become sexy Eddie? Can he rise from the ranks of discarded exes? Or has his journey of self-discovery taken him in a different direction entirely?
• The Cinderella Moment by Gemma Fox (published by HarperCollins) — If life’s a ball, then Cass needs an invite. A warm and funny romantic read in which the course of true love doesn’t even come close to running smooth…While off to seek her fortune, Cass meets Prince Charming in a carriage - a railway carriage, that is. That chance conversation, and the apparent good luck of finding a mobile phone, turns her whole life upside down. But, what if Prince Charming turns out to be the big bad wolf after all? A summer job in Brighton, an ex-husband who makes pumpkins look bright, and a very unlikely pair who double as fairy godmothers when not on the pull or drinking themselves into a stupor, take Cass on adventure which is almost more nightmare than fairytale. So when midnight strikes, will everything vanish, or will the real Prince Charming be revealed? This is a must-read for everyone who loves a good warm romantic read with plenty of twists and turns, who’s wanted to take a risk - or who’s answered a mobile phone call and wished they hadn’t… 
• Anybody Out There? By Marian Keyes (published by Michael Joseph) — ‘I had to go back to New York and try to find him. There was a chance he mightn’t be there but I had to give it a go because there was one thing I was certain of: he wasn’t here.’ Anna Walsh is officially a wreck. Physically broken and emotionally shattered, she lies on her parents’ Dublin sofa with only one thing on her mind: getting back to New York. New York means her best friends, The Most Fabulous Job In The World and above all, it means her husband, Aidan. But nothing in Anna’s life is that simple anymore! Not only is her return to Manhattan complicated by her physical and emotional scars - but Aidan seems to have vanished. Is it time for Anna to move on? Is it even possible for her to move on? A motley group of misfits, an earth-shattering revelation, two births and one very weird wedding might help Anna find some answers - and will change her life forever. Hilarious, heartbreaking and life-affirming, Marian’s unforgettable new novel is as epic as it is entertaining.
• Making Your Mind Up by Jill Mansell (published by Headline Review) — Lottie Carlyle isn’t looking for love when she meets her new boss, Tyler Klein. Living in a beautiful cottage with her two adorable - sometimes - kids in an idyllic village in the heart of the Cotswolds, on good terms with her charming but hopeless ex-husband and with friends all around, she’s happy enough with her lot. But Tyler’s perfect for Lottie and quickly she falls for him - and he for her. Unfortunately, there’s a problem. For reasons that are totally unfair, Lottie’s children hate Tyler. When a rival for Lottie’s affections comes on the scene in the shape of charmer Seb, the children adore him, and he’s certainly a distraction. But he’s not Tyler - and he’s not even at all what he seems. Lottie’s got a problem - but thanks, in classic Jill Mansell style, to a tobogganing accident and a delicious series of mix-ups, all will be revealed and true love will find a way. 
• The Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy by Polly Williams (published by Little, Brown) — One woman’s battle to fit back into her old self. Amy Crane is in crisis. Six months after the birth of her baby, Amy still looks pregnant and can’t remember the last time she had a wax, or an orgasm. Motherhood is stirring up disturbing questions about her own childhood. And she suspects her boyfriend is cheating. Enter Alice, yummy mummy superior, on a mission to transform Amy’s body, and love life. As Amy swaps breast pads for Botox and climbs out of a vortex of self-doubt, her libido awakens from its long nap and things get rather more complicated …A wonderfully well-written, funny and sharp novel about the trials of playing hip happy families and the contradictions at the heart of modern motherhood.

Melissa Nathan’s novels are both heart-warmingly romantic and very, very funny.  Her books The Nanny and The Waitress were also Sunday Times top ten bestsellers.  Melissa’s second novel, Persuading Annie, will be re-issued by Arrow on August 2, 2007.

Nominations for the 2008 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance should be submitted by 1 December 2007 to info(at)melissanathan.com. Books published between January and December 2007 in the UK will be eligible. For further information, please contact Alex Hippisley-Cox at ahipcoxpr(at)btconnect.com.

You can also visit the website, where you will find details about the prize and about two competitions – one for  budding authors who can enter in the hope of getting their work assessed by two top publishing personalities, and one for readers who would like to win tickets to the award ceremony. 

Visit www.melissanathan.com to learn more.

florida book awards

The first-ever Florida Book Awards have been announced.  Click here for the list of winners.

tampa writers alliance

On Wednesday, January 3, the Tampa Writers Alliance announced the winners of the 2006 Annual Writing Contest. They are:

Children’s:

• 1st Place: Martha McIntosh, Timmy Gets His Wish
• 2nd Place: Jan Evans, Harry the Hedgehog
• 3rd Place: Ella Conarton, A Home For Mrs. Carolina Wren
• Honorable Mention: Angela Masterson Jones, What Goes Around

Fiction:

• 1st Place: Richard Aellen, Riding Backward
• 2nd Place: Jo-Ellyn Guggino, The Stamp Collection
• 3rd Place: Gregory McColm, Tall Grass
• Honorable Mention: Warner Conarton, Orderly, 1952
• Honorable Mention: Sandra Kischuk, The Legend of the Lupins

Ed Hirschberg Award for Excellence in Florida Writing:

• 1st Place: Kal Rosenberg, Out From Under The Bus
• 2nd Place: Sandra Kischuk, Clem’s Valet Service
• 3rd Place: Terra Pressler, Surrendering Names
• Honorable Mention: James A. Young, The Privy

Non-fiction:

• 1st Place: Warner Conarton, Dowsing Stonehenge
• 2nd Place: Judy Mancuso, Change of Heart
• 3rd Place: Angela Masterson Jones, One Degree of Kevin Bacon
• Honorable Mention: Terra Pressler, Gifts

Novel:

• 1st Place: Richard Aellen, Sleeping Dogs
• 2nd Place: Warner Conarton, Gatemaster
• 3rd Place: Sue L. LaNeve, The Adventures of Spanky McDougal
• Honorable Mention: Charrie Hazard Moscardini, Of Angels and Archangels

Script:

• 1st Place: Richard Aellen, Surprise Visit
• 2nd Place: Warner Conarton, Period Piece
• 3rd Place: Eugene Orlando, The Importance of Having a Good Handbasket
• Honorable Mention: Sandra Kischuk, What Was Your Price?

Poetry:

• 1st Place: Terra Pressler, Unburied
• 2nd Place: Evelyn Ann Romano, At the Back Door
• 3rd Place: Sandra Kischuk, Playground
• Honorable Mention: Dennis Pupello, Sea Sights Forged Like Gold Coins
• Honorable Mention: Lynn V. Sadler, Monkey Frowns
• Honorable Mention: Eugene Orlando, Swimmers and R and B

Science Fiction/Fantasy:

• 1st Place: Warner Conarton, Total Power Corrupts Totally
• 2nd Place: Dennis Pupello, Snake Eyes
• 3rd Place: G. Thomas Gill, An Ill Wind
• Honorable Mention: Eugene Orlando, The Great Red Spot

Bouncing Ball Books awarded the Tampa Writers Alliance/Bouncing Ball Books publishing contract to Uthaya Kumar for his anthology A Ticket to the Moon.  Finalists in the contest included Barry Newberger (Honorable Mention for Family Jewels), Sandra Kischuk (Honorable Mention for Lucky 13), Phillip Schneider (winner of the Ink Award for his anthology), and Jim Chaplin (Editor’s Choice winner for Meandering Thoughts of a Curious Mind). 

Congratulations, everyone!

At the February 7 general meeting of the Tampa Writers Alliance (7 p.m., John Germany Library), the Carrollwood Players will be on hand to read the four winning plays from the TWA’s October contest:

• 1st Place Script — Surprise Visit by Richard Aellen
• 2nd Place Script — Period Piece by Warner Conarton
• 3rd Place Script — The Importance of Having a Good Handbasket by Eugene Orlando
• Honorable Mention — What Was Your Price? by Sandra Kischuk

Visit www.tampawriters.org for more info.

random book news

*The Clearwater Main Public Library is looking for book donations.

*Protest or censorship at this San Antonio library? Read this and see for yourself.

*The winners of the Bram Stoker Awards have been announced.

random book news:gary mormino, michael sterns, tampa antiquarian books signing, rita de la torre

*Local author Gary Mormino’s book Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams recently won the Florida Historical Society’s 2006 Charlton Tebeau Book Award. Congratulations!

*Local children’s book author Michael Sterns’ book Kokopelli and the Butterfly outsold the Harry Potter books on several days over the past three years, according to the Publishing Basics newsletter. Read the story here. (Thanks go to local author and photographer David McRee for sending me this link.)

*On June 24 from 1-3 p.m., Tampa Antiquarian Books in Seminole Heights is hosting author J.B. Preston. (Thanks go to David at the Seminole Heights blog for sending me this info.)

*Local author Rita De La Torre’s novel Dark Dragon was released May 1st. Congratulations!