Tampa Book Buzz

news and notes:tampa writers alliance, washington, barons, smith

• The Tampa Writers Alliance has changed locations for its monthly meetings. TWA meetings will be held at the Jimmie Keel Library, 2902 W. Bearss Ave., Tampa, FL 33618 and not at the John Germany Library downtown.
• Local author Valerie Washington (Soul Passion) will attend the African-American Book Expo in L.A. May 30 through June 1.
• New York author C.M. Barons wrote to tell me about his new book In the Midst Of. “In the Midst Of rekindles the 70s - an era of global hang-time. The 60s pendulum had swung as far as the silent majority would allow. Poised to back swing, the repercussions were unclear. As the world hovered in anticipation, the lives of Brian, Hollis and Nadine play out…guided by elements more personal and troubling than the clockworks of society and politics. Brian and his friends are students, free-wheeling youth ensconced on a college campus. Co-ed dorms, liberal drinking, casual drugs and casual sex.” Visit www.inthemidstof.info for more info.
• Local author Joy V. Smith recently had a few stories accepted by Anthology Builder. “I noticed that some writers and writing groups were putting together their stories in collections and anthologies, so I thought I’d experiment with a cover and a collection and ended up putting my collection Aliens, Animals, and Adventure in their library.”

local author k.l. nappier on tv show studio 10 tomorrow

Tomorrow (March 28) at 10 a.m., local author K.L. Nappier will appear live on Studio 10, the daytime show of CBS Tampa Bay area affiliate WTSP Channel 10. Nappier told me that she’s been invited on the show “to discuss the state of publishing today and talk about Full Wolf Moon, which was just launched February as a paperback by Aisling Press. For those who miss the live broadcast, they can catch the show later via video stream at www.studio10.tv.”

You can watch the new video trailer for Full Wolf Moon on YouTube, MySpace and DailyMotion.

florida published author tour group at usa flea market march 8 and 9

Received via email:

Local author Tiva Wallon presents The Florida Published Author Tour Group.

Books make great gifts too!

Wallon’s website is www.tivawallon.com.

local author tiva wallon looking for authors for march event

Local author Tiva Wallon is looking for authors to participate in her next event:

“I have a huge event planned for March 8 and 9 at the USA Flea Market at 11721 US 19 in Port Richey from 9 AM-ish until 4 PM. The help I need? Well this event is open to ALL authors. I am looking for authors of any genre to join us. There is a table charge of $10.00 per 4 x 8 table which can be split with other authors wanting to share a table. We will be advertised (for free) on their huge electronic billboard. What I am asking is for any and all authors wanting to join us, to contact me ASAP to let me know. This is a chance for authors to meet, to spread the word about our writing and to sell our books and CDs. All authors keep the money from the sales of their books. They will need to bring a chair and a table cloth and their books/CDs.”

Anyone interested should email Wallon at raven355(at)msn.com and put “USA Flea Market event” in the subject line. Her deadline is February 20.

local author k.l. nappier is having a book launch party on february 23 and we’re all invited

Local author K.L. Nappier’s supernatural thriller Full Wolf Moon will be in wide release as a paperback by the end of this month by Aisling Press. Full Wolf Moon was originally released as an e-book at Double Dragon Publishing (and will remain available as an e-book there).

What fun is a book launch without a book launch party? Mark your calendars for this one:

February 23 — 4-6 p.m.

Panera Bakery and Cafe at Feathersound
2285 Ulmerton Road
Clearwater, FL 33762

In addition to the book signings, there will be entertainment and door prizes.

No werewolves, though, thank goodness. (I checked the Farmer’s Almanac lunar schedule to make sure.)

Hope to see you there! In the meantime, you can watch the Full Wolf Moon trailer on Nappier’s website.

local author neal schupbach has died

It’s with great sadness that I share the news that local author Neal Schupbach has died.

Neal A. Schupbach 50, of Tampa, Florida, died Thursday, December 13, 2007, in Tampa. He was born in Lincoln, Nebraska on July 9, 1957, to Paul H. and Phyllis G. (Greer) Schupbach. He was a U.S. Navy Pilot, a graduate of the University of Nebraska Lincoln and served 21 years in the U.S. Naval Reserve, retiring as Lt. CMDR. After active Naval service, Schupbach served as a pilot for Pan Am airlines in Europe, then as a pilot for Eastern Airlines and completed his career at World Airlines. He authored the book Flying the Canyons of the Sky.

Condolences or personal reflections may be made online at Roper and Sons Chapel.

I never met Neal, but we had corresponded by email a few times and he sent me a copy of his book a few months ago. He was a very nice person who lived an interesting, adventurous life. He will be missed.

local author valerie washington

Local author Valerie Washington wrote to let me know about her new book Soul Passion, a compilation of the stories Forever and Queen of the Jungle. “Forever exemplifies pain and struggles, while Queen of the Jungle embodies passion and fantasy. In Forever, Washington shares her thoughts and knowledge of personal pain and struggle in hopes of giving insight and comfort to those experiencing their own personal fight for life.” Visit Washington’s PublishAmerica page here.

upcoming events from local publishing company jimsam, inc.

Local publishing company JimSam, Inc. has several events coming up in the next couple of months, both in the Tampa Bay area and in Sarasota:

• Wednesday, January 9, 2 p.m. — Karen Card presentation; Seminole Library, USF St. Pete
• Friday, January 18, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Karen Card book signing; Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-388-4379
• Sunday, January 20, 1-3 p.m. — Jan Gidley book signing; Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-388-4379
• Friday, January 25, 5-8 p.m. — Karen Card book signing; Wahoo Mortgage, 2433 Central Ave., St. Pete, FL 33713, 727-522-0039; complimentary refreshments provided
• Friday, February 8, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Jim Cheatham book signing; Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-388-4379
• Friday, February 8, 1-3 p.m. — PZ Power book signing; Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-388-4379
• Sunday, February 10, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. — Terri Vazquez book signing; Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-388-4379
• Sunday, February 10, 1-3 p.m. — Michael Darling book signing; Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-388-4379
• Sunday, February 17, 1-3 p.m. — Stefanie Cole book signing; Circle Books, 478 John Ringling Blvd, Sarasota, FL 34236, 941-388-4379
• Wednesday, February 20, 2 p.m. — Karen Card presentation; Gulf Beaches Library, Madera Beach

The Bay area events have been added to my Event Calendar page. Visit the JimSam events page for more info.

news and notes:harper, micklersmith florida book traders, sorey

• New York Times bestselling suspense fiction author and part-time South Florida resident Karen Harper (Black Orchid, Hurricane) recently wrote to say hello and to let me know that her suspense novel Below the Surface will be released January 29. “Besides being a thriller with a touch of romance, it tackles the eco-issue of clean gulf water.” Harper often sets her books in southwest Florida and her earlier books “also deal with preserving old Florida from the onslaught of tourists and weather.” Visit www.karenharperauthor.com to learn more Harper and her work.
• I heard through the grapevine that the Florida-centric St. Pete bookstore MicklerSmith Florida Book Traders has closed. Sniff, sniff.
• An excerpt of local author Barbara J. Sorey’s Florida Girl:Short Stories of Family, Community and History, 1804 to 1969 is available online. “Go to www.wusf.org, click on Learn More (under the Florida Stories logo) to hear excerpts” of Special Times, a holiday story from Sorey’s Florida Girl book.

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.