deep carnivale:a celebration of words is set for september 27

July 6, 2008 at 1:34 pm | In Local Authors, Events, Libraries, Bibliophile Fun, Literacy, Florida Authors, Poetry, For Writers, Books, Tampa Bay Area | No Comments

Mark your calendars! Deep Carnivale:A Celebration of Words is now scheduled for Saturday, September 27, 10 a.m. — 5 p.m.

From the Deep Carnivale website:

The Artists and Writers Group, Inc., has scheduled the second annual Deep Carnivale literature festival for September 27, 2008, in Ybor City on the campus of Hillsborough Community College, at the Cuban Club, and along 14th Street between 9th Avenue and Palm Avenue and is free and open to the public of all ages.

This literary festival aspires to bring Florida authors, writers and poets and related vendors together to share in a celebration of literature and writing with the Tampa Bay community. Approximately 70 poets, fiction writers, and songwriters as well as visual artists presented work at the first event in 2007. There are events for all ages.

There will be four sound stages for readings and live music. Literacy and arts activities will be available for ages from 2 through middle school and workshops available to adults of all ages. The schedule is currently under construction and will be announced around September 1.

One goal is to excite all children and young adults about the pleasures of reading and using the written and spoken word creatively in its many wonderful and diverse forms. Another goal is to illuminate the numerous talented writers living in our community, and a third goal is to provide a new opportunity to emerging authors to develop their audience.

The festival will also have an outdoor live music stage featuring singer/songwriters including Ronny Elliott, Bunko Squad and Darrell House. Booksellers, small publishing houses and related vendors will attend the event. Related activities include street theater, food vendors and book signings.

The event is in partnership with Hillsborough Community College-Ybor City Campus, Ybor City Development Corporation, the Cuban Club, BAAMO, Cigar City Magazine, the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative, and Children’s Future Hillsborough.

The purpose of the Artists and Writers Group is to develop and nurture cultural events that contribute a positive and meaningful experience to our community.

As an organization open to all like-minded individuals, the Artists and Writers Group respects the creative and cultural diversity of our community and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. The Artists and Writers Group aspires to provide events and forums to serve the community through the exposure and sharing of these values.

Visit www.deepcarnivale.com for more as the schedule develops or to read about the 2007 festival.

Anyone interested in participating (authors, performers, food/book vendors, etc.) or volunteering is encouraged to contact Deep Carnivale director David Audet at daudet(at)hccfl.edu.

sadhguru jaggi vasudev book signing august 3

July 6, 2008 at 12:45 pm | In Events, Books, Tampa Bay Area | No Comments

Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, co-author (with Cheryl Simone) of Midnights with the Mystic will appear at An Evening with The Mystic — An Evening of Wisdom, Meditation and Bliss on Saturday, August 3, at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. The reception is at 6:30 p.m.; Sadhguru’s talk is at 7 p.m.; book signing is at 9 p.m. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required because space is limited.

A profound mystic of our time and a visionary humanitarian, Sadhguru traverses seamlessly from the ancient to the contemporary. He bridges the gap between the known and the unknown enabling all those who encounter him to explore and experience the deepest dimensions of life. An author, poet, and internationally renowned speaker, Sadhguru’s wit and piercing logic provoke and widen our perception of life. Above all, Sadhguru is an embodiment of overfull blissfulness which overwhelms all those around into nameless ecstasies, transporting them beyond limitations.

As a world spiritual leader and spokesperson, Sadhguru inspires international audiences with his spiritual and cultural views on human values. His speaking tours and media interviews provide a forum for him to address hundreds of thousands of people on the synthesis of spirituality and science and his vision for establishing a spiritual foundation in all dimensions of life. Sadhguru encourages people to evaluate and enhance their responsibility and contribution to society and the world. He affirms that it is only through individual involvement that we can change the world.

Sadhguru is a member of the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, which he attended at the United Nations in 2000. As an active supporter of the World Council of Religious and Spiritual Leaders’ efforts to relieve suffering, foster harmony, and promote the dignity of all life, Sadhguru works to introduce people to essential changes in thought and action that support peaceful possibilities. His initiatives for world peace and his outreach programs for life-term prisoners, destitute children and rural rejuvenation are internationally renowned. By working in harmony with all spiritual traditions, Sadhguru helps transform individuals as a lasting way to establish a peaceful and prosperous global society.

Click here for the registration page. For more info, visit www.ishafoundation.org or call 813-413-1661.

terri garey’s book signing july 12

July 6, 2008 at 12:27 pm | In Local Authors, Fiction--Horror, Events, Fiction--Mystery, Books, Tampa Bay Area, Fiction--Humor | No Comments

Local author Terri Garey (Dead Girls Are Easy) will sign copies of her new book A Match Made In Hell on Saturday, July 12, from 1-3 p.m. at the Westshore Plaza Waldenbooks.

A spooky old house and a closet full of family skeletons leaves unwilling “ghoulfriend to the dead” Nicki Styx wondering if her life will ever get back to anything approaching normal. Things go from bad to worse when the Devil himself shows up, on the lookout for a hot new girlfriend with the power to help him harvest lost souls. Demons may be a ghoul’s best friend, but with this particular hottie, it could be a match made in hell! A Match Made In Hell is the sequel to last year’s hauntingly funny Dead Girls Are Easy (currently nominated for Best First Book and Best Paranormal Romance by Romance Writers of America).

Visit www.tgarey.com for more info.

book clubs in the st. pete area???

June 29, 2008 at 10:27 pm | In Book Clubs, Books, Tampa Bay Area | No Comments

Someone emailed me recently to ask if I know of any book clubs in the St. Pete area. Unfortunately, I don’t. If anyone reading this knows of any, please post a comment with the info. Thanks.

update about local author ann turner cook

June 29, 2008 at 9:39 pm | In Local Authors, Events, Fiction--Mystery, Bookstores, Books, Tampa Bay Area | No Comments

I received an email from the Tampa Writers Alliance about local author and TWA member Ann Turner Cook. Micanopy in Shadow, Cook’s fourth murder mystery in the Brandy O’Bannon series, has just been published. She’s got some book signings coming up: Saturday, July 12, from 6-8 p.m. at the Carrollwood Barnes and Noble (11802 N. Dale Mabry Hwy.), and Tuesday, July 22, at 2 p.m. at the auditorium at University Village (12401 N. 22nd St.).

For more info, visit www.annturnercook.info.

news and notes:haase, smith, darling, mize, lynsky

June 21, 2008 at 7:37 pm | In Local Authors, Fiction--Mystery, For Writers, Books, Tampa Bay Area, Audiobooks | No Comments
  • Local filmmaker and author Eric Haase recently received some well-deserved attention from the Tampa Tribune.
  • Local author Joy V. Smith interviewed Nancy Fulda, creator and editor of Anthology Builder, in the June issue of Expressions.
  • Local author and Tampa Writers Alliance president Michael Darling (Hoplite Renegades) is trying to build an organization that “pairs non-profits with local authors for a win-win situation. During these times of economic uncertainty, charitable organizations find it harder and harder to raise the funds they need for community programs. Local authors are often looking for effective, inexpensive methods to sell their books and get exposure. Authors can help organizations draw interest to what they are doing. Organizations can help authors obtain more exposure and sell books.” For more info on Darling’s idea, contact him at darling(at)HopliteRenegades.com (h/t JimSam, Inc.)
  • Local author William Mize is recording an audiobook of his book Resurrection Angel one chapter at a time. Check it out at www.williammize.com/audiobooks.
  • Author Ed Lynskey wrote to let me know that his third P.I. Frank Johnson mystery, Pelham Fell Here, is due out this month from Mundania Press. Here’s the synopsis: “MP and part-time gunsmith Frank Johnson finds his cousin Cody Chapman killed by a twelve-gauge shotgun. Enraged, Frank wants some answers, and fast. Was Cody involved in an arms smuggling scheme? The mystery grows when a pair of murderous deputy sheriffs ambush Frank. Killing them in self-defense, Frank must take it on the lam while he continues his investigation. Eventually he discovers a group of Neo-Nazis, holed up at a remote castle, who may be behind his cousin’s murder. Luckily, a couple of bounty hunter pals throw in with Frank to even up the odds.” For more info, visit www.mundania/com/books-pelhamfellhere.html.

opposition research:stealing the white house by d.r. spice and j.b. azneer

June 21, 2008 at 3:26 pm | In Local Authors, Fiction--General, Books, Tampa Bay Area, E-Books | No Comments

Clearwater physician J.B. Azneer and Tennessee journalist D.R. Spice (past resident of St. Pete) wrote recently to tell me about their new book Opposition Research:Stealing the White House. It’s “a fictional work drawn from the political maneuverings of recent presidential elections. Flawed candidates and voting problems seem to pop out of the pages of the daily newspaper and into this book. The lead character is a former state investigator from Florida, a state that is no stranger to election irregularities. Barron Childress is hired to do background checks on opposing candidates by a North Carolina Senator who seeks the Oval Office. What Childress soon learns is that not only is his boss trying to throw the election, but other candidates are doing the same thing.”

J.B. Azneer said “We wanted to write a novel about the presidential election cycle, and we wanted to create characters that mirrored the imperfect and often contradictory personalities we’ve all seen strutting on the political stage.” Adds co-author D.R. Spice, “I think many of us have voted against people more than we‘ve voted for a candidate. We’ve written a novel, but the scary truth is that all of this could happen.”

Opposition Research:Stealing the White House is available in soft cover and e-book formats from Barnes and Noble (online), Amazon, and select local booksellers. Visit www.oppositionresearch.info to learn more about the authors and their characters.

case study by local author c.r. cardin

June 10, 2008 at 9:34 pm | In Local Authors, Fiction--Mystery, Books, Tampa Bay Area | No Comments

Local author C.R. Cardin has a new book out:

THE SCIENCE OF CSI… THE INTRIGUE OF ALIAS… THE SUSPENSE OF 24…

Suspenseful Thriller Follows Forensics Professor’s Dangerous Hunt for Abducted Child

Childhood fantasies and pop television heros came together to influence author C.R. Cardin’s powerful female lead character, Dr. Taylor Case, in her acclaimed debut mystery novel Case Study (ISBN 97809741265, Evolution Press, 2008).

The unsolved childhood abduction of her brother has left Taylor scarred, desperate for her father’s redemption and denying her own desire to find love. Now, armed with an arsenal of tools and weapons to complement her forensics knowledge, she lives a secret double life tracking down child predators ensuring justice is served–one way or another.

When her nephew’s friend, Kevin, is abducted, Taylor becomes determined to find the boy, no matter what stands in her way. Taylor’s efforts toward saving the missing child draw her further and further into a chilling international web of child brokering. In her dangerous attempt to rescue Kevin, she finds herself the hunted, captured by a vengeful killer who intends to silence her permanently.

C.R. Cardin offers readers a likeable, yet enigmatic protagonist and an engaging cast of supporting characters. Taylor is passionate, yet quiet; shy, but assertive; self-sacrificing and indulgent. Above all, she is dedicated to her family and students, and driven to put herself at risk to save childrens’ lives. When she meets the intriguing Dr. Alex Haas she discovers she needs more than lab work to live a fulfilling life.

Case Study is not only a suspenseful mystery, but also an enlightening look at a woman’s journey to forgive herself for a childhood tragedy that continues to shadow her daily life…a great start to an exciting new series.

About the Author: C.R. Cardin earned her bachelor’s degree in computer science from the University of Florida–where she also played in the all-girl rock band Gossip–and a MBA. When not writing, she indulges her passions for collecting wine and travel. She is currently working on the next book in the Taylor Case mystery series as well as a second series to follow it.

Case Study (ISBN 97809741265, Evolution Press, 2008) can be purchased through local and online bookstores. For more information, visit www.crcardin.com.

Publicist contact info: Sandy Lawrence, Perceptive Marketing, sandylawrence(at)perceptivemarketing.com, 281.807.1300

Cardin’s website offers a reader group discussion guide, a transcript of one of her interviews and her blog.

rick folstad and tim ohr at inkwood books june 12

June 10, 2008 at 8:10 pm | In Local Authors, Events, Bookstores, Books, Tampa Bay Area | 2 Comments

From the Creative Tampa Bay newsletter:

Booksigning: Rick Folstad and Tim Ohr
Thursday, June 12, 7 p.m.

On Thursday, June 12, at 7 p.m., two local authors share the spotlight at Inkwood Books. Boxer-turned-sportswriter Rick Folstad delivers his novel Cornered. The Tampa Tribune says: “the sweat, the anxieties and the fears all seem genuine…good enough to sustain interest from any general reader. Fight fans, though, are in for a particular treat.” Tim Ohr, widely published nature writer and author of three volumes of the popular Florida’s Fabulous series, brings his latest novel Under the Gun, the story of three very different young men from the same Florida town brought together in Vietnam.

Visit www.inkwoodbooks.com for more info.

music symposium homemade june 7

June 6, 2008 at 9:40 pm | In Events, Books, Tampa Bay Area | No Comments

This should be on your calendar for tomorrow, if it’s not already:

HOMEMADE:A Symposium On the Art, Business and Culture of Making Music

Presented by The Artists and Writers Group, BAAMO and Hillsborough Community College-Ybor City campus

Saturday, June 7, 2008
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

This free event will be a music conference and performance event with interactive educational music workshops. The core of this event will address the do-it-yourself aspect of the music business that is swiftly growing with the rise of the Internet. Self-promotion and production has always been necessary and important to the beginning and independent musician anyway—but now ‘taking care of business’ is ever more important and relevant to each musician.

Hillsborough Community College-Ybor City campus (Tampa) is a partner and will host the event in their new performing arts building located at Palm Ave and 14th Street, across from the Cuban Club.

The symposium is free and open to the public and is supported by a grant provided to the Artists and Writers Group from the Ybor City Development Corporation. The Bay Area Artists and Musicians Organization (BAAMO) is assisting with organizing the event.

Presentations, discussions and workshops will range from writing songs to making a low-cost video for the Net; from how to make an electronic press kit to improving live performance with acting techniques; from recording at home to booking a tour; from samples of the history of the American Songbook to playing for silent films; from how to tune and play a Irish bouzouki to making rock jazzy and jazz rock.

Presenters include: Ronny Elliott (Americana), Stan Arthur (Rock n’ roll -The Ditchflowers), David Pomeranz (Broadway and pop singer/composer), Rosa Rio (Silent era organist) Denise Moore (Jazz singer), Maggie Council (Singer/songwriter), Scott Leonard (Lead tenor-Rockapella), Lee Courtney (BAAMO), John McEwen-Judy Tampa-George Pappas (Folk rock - Bunko Squad), Ken Hanks (Jazz pianist and composer), Martin Dalmasi (Jazz sax, flute, percussion), Fred Smith (Drummer, music video), Keith Arsenault (Producer), Gloria Holloway (Concert promoter) Megan Voeller (Journalist), Paul Wilborn (Pop/American Songbook), Ray Villadonga (bassist, composer), Rob Constable—David Rogers (Experimental Rock – Handshake Squad)

Showcases: New World Brewery (13th Street and 8th Ave) will host performances from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tre Amici at the Bunker (19th Street and 8th Ave) will host performances from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Performers include Ronny Elliot, Maggie Council, Bunko Squad, Denise Moore, Handshake Squad. Admission is free.

For more info, visit www.artistsandwritersgroup.com or www.baamo.com.

— Next Page »