Friday, October 24, 2014

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

IMPROVING YOUR WRITING ON A BUDGET


 
 
 
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!
 
 INFORMATIVE WRITERS' CONFERENCES  FOR THE BUDGET MINDED.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THIS FIRST ONE IS FREE!!
PRESENTED BY JUDY HOWARD,
ONE OF AMAZON'S TOP RANKING AUTHORS.
OCTOBER 20TH
IN
 SUN CITY, CA.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
THIS ONE DAY CONFERENCE IS PRESENTED BY THE HIGH DESERT CHAPTER OF
THE CALIFORNIA WRITERS CLUB,
SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1ST IN
VICTORVILLE, CA.
 
 
 
Get ready for the HDCWC's . . .

Howl At The Moon Conference 2014

Our keynote speaker is Christopher Vogler, author of "The Writer's Journey." This book has sold 180,000 copies and 
is one of the classics that every writer should own.

We are ripe for an extraordinary “Howl at the Moon Writers’ Conference 2014” with internationally famous writer and teacher, Chris Vogler, leading off in the morning of Saturday, November 1st.

Christopher Vogler is THE expert in applying mythology to creative storytelling. Although he is a film executive and consultant, he is basically a literary expert on STORY, whether that be a novel or a movie. He is a Hollywood development executive best known for his guide for screenwriters and novelists: The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers. Vogler has worked for Disney studios, Fox 2000 pictures, and Warner Bros. in the development department. He has also taught in the USC School of Cinema-Television, Division of Animation and Digital Arts as well as at UCLA extension.

Vogler is President of the company Storytech Literary Consulting, founded in 1999. Its Vice President, Brad Schreiber, consults on scripts and books, utilizing Vogler's approach. Vogler studied filmmaking at the USC School of Cinema-Television, the alma mater of George Lucas. As with Lucas, Vogler was inspired by the writings of mythologist Joseph Campbell, particularly The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Vogler used Campbell's work to create the now-legendary 7-page company memo for Hollywood screenwriters, A Practical Guide to The Hero with a Thousand Faces . Vogler later developed his memo into the late 1990s book, The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers.


Today, Christopher Vogler continues to teach his techniques all over the world in leading Masterclasses.

 



Then . . . how would you like to really get to know the inside scoop of what goes on with agents? What’s the story? How do you get an agent, or should you go it on your own? We’ve got one of the top agents in Southern California to tell you all about it:

BJ Robbins opened her Los Angeles-based agency in 1992 after a multi-faceted career in book publishing in NY. She started in publicity at Simon & Schuster and was later Marketing Director and then Senior Editor at Harcourt. Her agency represents quality fiction, both literary and commercial, and general nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, biography, narrative history, pop culture, sports, travel/adventure, medicine and health.


A member of AAR and Pen USA West, Ms. Robbins has led workshops at UCLA Extension, UC Irvine Extension and at the Squaw Valley Community of Writers Fiction Workshop. On behalf of PEN, she has been guest speaker in numerous cities in the West as part of their Writers Toolbox program, including Seattle, Portland, Santa Fe, Dallas, Las Cruces, Flagstaff and Oakland. She was recently profiled in Writer's Digest and mediabistro.com.


The BJ Robbins Literary Agency works with both established and first-time authors and is looking for projects of literary merit that are fresh and original.



Ray Robinson - Founder of Dog Ear Publishing

The early days of Ray Robinson's career path found him between a rock and a hard place.

It was 1987, and this geology major had trekked to Wyoming only to discover that he didn't really like rocks... Six months later, back in Akron, Ohio, he found himself applying for a job at Waldenbooks.

That application led to both retail experience as well as assignments at the corporate headquarters in Stamford, CT. He eventually became a marketing director for Pearson Education, an Indianapolis company specializing in educational books.

Prior to forming Dog Ear Publishing, he worked for a book packager building products for traditional publishers.

"We spent a ton of time learning all kinds of technology in bringing books to market more quickly and economically," he said. "We began to see that those who really cared about their books were the authors. Why shouldn't authors have access to all the expertise and technology of the traditional publishing industry and be able to produce their own books?"

When Robinson first entered the publishing industry, authors relied on "vanity presses" to produce their work - many of whom would charge $15,000 or more and leave the author's garage filled with hundreds of books.

Ray, along with coworker Alan Harris, joined forces with Miles Nelson to create Dog Ear Publishing to provide the author community a self-publisher with a heart. The group's application of new technologies and publishing on demand reduced the cost of publishing a book to a fraction of what it had been for previous generations; authors now have the ability to publish a book in as little as six weeks and print as few as a single copy. "An author sees his manuscript in published form and thinks you've performed a miracle," said Robinson. "No one writes a book overnight. It's someone's passion that's been worked on for years."

"I've enjoyed the book industry," Robinson continued. "And since October, I can't think of a day that I've not been thrilled to be here. We want to be able to keep that sort of environment forever."
 
 
 


Saturday, November 1, 2014     9:00 am – 4:30 pm

High Desert Center for the Arts         15615  8th Street in Victorville


There will be a break for lunch, which is on your own.


Admission

General Admission:
 
$40 for CWC members

$45 for non-members


Full time student admission is $25


REGISTRATION APPLICATION AVAILABLE BY CLICKING HERE
HIGH DESERT CALIF. WRITERS CLUB CONFERENCE


AND FINALLY A NOTHER ALL DAY  FORENSIC WORKSHOP FOR YOU CRIME WRITERS!
IN LONG BEACH, CA.
NOVEMBER 12TH
 



SinC Into Great Writing 2014
 

 

 
SinC Into Great Writing VI!
Featuring Donald Johnson, Beatrice Crofts Yorker, Katherine Roberts, Elizabeth Smith, Cat Warren and Jan Burke
Wednesday ♦ November 12, 2014 7:30am - 4:30pm ♦ Long Beach, CA

Sisters in Crime is holding their annual SinC Into Great Writing 2014! one day prior to Bouchercon. Bouchercon registration is not necessary to attend this one day workshop. 
Hear from outstanding experts on processing crime scenes, trace evidence, medical serial killers, cadaver dogs, homicide investigation, and arson investigation.  Try your hand at going over a crime scene. All of our experts have experience in the fields they’ll be talking about. You don’t need a science background — just an interest in how scientists and investigators do their work! Sisters in Crime is sponsoring this all-day forensic science workshop for its members on the day before Bouchercon.  You’ll not only hear from these experienced experts, you’ll have opportunities to ask questions, learn how to get more information, and get tips on use forensic science research in your writing. A box lunch is included.  An all-day forensic science seminar, including a box lunch, for $50.00! The event will be held at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Long Beach.

Note Well: Because our speakers are human beings and because they may be called upon to handle cases or testify in court, program subject to change without notice.
A Forensic Science Day with Jan Burke
7:30 - 8:00 am:             Registration
8:00 - 8:10 am:             Welcome and introduction by Hank Phillippi Ryan. Logistics announcements by Jan Burke
8:10 - 9:00 am:             Session 1 -- Crime Scene Processing with Donald Johnson. Don Johnson is a professor of forensic science at CSULA and director of the criminalistics program there. He has both worked in the field and trained law enforcement and forensic science professionals to evaluate crime scenes and collect evidence.
9:00 - 9:50 am:             Session 2 -- Medical Serial Killers with Beatrice Crofts Yorker. Internationally recognized expert on medical killers, Bea Yorker is the Dean of of the College of Health and Human Services for CSULA, of which the university's forensic science programs are a part.
9:50 - 10:05 am:            Break
10:05 - 10:55 am:          Session 3 -- Trace Evidence with Professor Katherine Roberts. Like our other experts from CSULA, Dr. Roberts is an extraordinary forensic science researcher with practical experience. She will tell us all about the latest breakthroughs in this area of forensic science, and what can be learned from trace evidence. She is the interim director of the California Forensic Science Institute.
10:55 - 11:25 am:          Question and Answer Session for morning speakers
11:25 - 11:55 am:          Lunch Break (box lunch)
11:55 - 12:40 pm:          Session 4 -- Hands On Death Investigation: "Two dead at scene." You are the trainee detective called out to investigate a double murder.  Be on time! Be prepared! Bring your notepad and pen!  Veteran Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Homicide Detective Elizabeth Smith will provide an interactive experience for you in crime scene investigation.
12:40 - 1:30 pm:           Session 5 -- Cat Warren is a cadaver dog handler and the author of a fascinating book on working dogs, What the Dog Knows. Working with Dogs to Find Human Remains 
1:30 - 1:45 pm:             Afternoon break fruit/sodas/coffee/tea provided
1:45 - 2:35 pm:             Session 6 -- Arson Investigations.  Bob Cheng, Captain of the Arson Investigation Unit of the Long Beach Fire Department, will talk to us about the science of fire investigation.
2:35 - 3:15 pm:             Session 7 -- Question and Answer Session for afternoon speakers
3:15-3:30 pm                Break  
3:30-4:30 What Writers Need to Know about Forensic Science and How to Learn More About It This will be an interactive session. Jan Burke will talk to you about both the benefits of using forensic science in your writing and some pitfalls to avoid. She’ll tell you how to research forensic science and she'll spend time answering your questions.  She’ll also be available after the event to offer you further help. 
 
Cost: $50 for SinC Members. Not a member? Join us at the Active or Professional level ($35/$40), and then return to complete your registration. You can return to this page and click "workshop registration".
When: Workshop check in begins at 7:30 am in front of the workshop room.  
Where: Renaissance Long Beach Hotel 11 E. Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90802. Room details will be sent closer to the event. You may stay at the Renaissance or stay at one of the other conference hotels and take a short walk to the Renaissance. The conference hotels will extend the discounted conference rate to you if you call them 1-562-437-5900 directly. Fly in Tuesday night and start the workshop on Wednesday.
Notes: Attending Bouchercon? Have you made your hotel reservations for Bouchercon yet?
Questions: If you have any questions, you may contact us at admin@sistersincrime.org
Presenters: 
Professor Donald Johnson has been actively involved in the forensic sciences for over two decades, both as a practitioner and academician. His career began with service to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office and the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner. He then advanced to senior criminalist at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where he was an ASCLD/LAB qualified DNA analyst and specialized in the forensic investigation of violent crimes. Professor Johnson continues to serve forensic laboratories as a consultant and trainer. Professor Johnson received his graduate degrees at the UCLA School of Medicine, and has published on research in neurobiology and criminalistics in scientific journals such as Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and the Journal of Forensic Sciences. His research has received National Institute of Justice research grants. Professor Johnson is additionally investigating the role and impact of forensic evidence in the criminal justice process under a National Institute of Justice research grant given to Drs. Peterson and Sommers of the CSULA School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics. Professor Johnson brings his casework and research experience to the classroom in his teaching of forensic science to undergraduate and graduate students at CSULA.

Katherine Roberts is a Professor at California State University, Los Angeles and the Director of the university's Criminalistics MS Degree Program.  She has served on the National Institute of Justice's Technical Working Group for Education and Training in Forensic Science. Dr. Roberts’ research interests relate to the development and application of analytical methods to enhance the value of forensic evidence. Her current projects focus on nuclear/mitochondrial DNA analysis and trace evidence analysis.
Beatrice Crofts Yorker is the Dean of the College of Health and Human Services for California State University, Los Angeles, of which the School of Criminal Justice and Criminalistics, and the university's forensic science programs are a part. She has both a juris doctorate from Georgia State University College of Law and master's degree in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco. She has published groundbreaking research on hospital homicides, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, and medical serial killers.
Elizabeth Smith is a homicide detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
Cat Warren is a former newspaper reporter and is currently a professor at the University of North Carolina, where she teaches a variety of reporting, editing, and science journalism classes. She is also a cadaver dog handler and author of What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs, about dogs who work in the military, in police departments, and by searching for both contemporary and historical missing remains. She'll talk about how cadaver dogs and their handlers are trained, the environments and conditions they work in, and what we do and don't yet know about how dogs find the missing dead.
Jan Burke is a lifetime member of Sisters in Crime and the recipient of MWA's Edgar Award for Best Novel. A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, she is also an active advocate for the improvement of public forensic science. She founded the Crime Lab Project and has been an invited speaker at meetings of the National Institute of Justice, the American Academy of Forensic Science, the American Society of Crime Lab Directors, the California Association of Criminalists, and other forensic science organizations. She is a member of the advisory board of the California Forensic Science Institute. With Dr. DP Lyle, she hosts Crime and Science Radio, an online program produced by Suspense Magazine.

 

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This year, the conference will be held in Indianapolis (rather than Muncie) at the historic Columbia Club on Monument Circle. Guest of Honor, John Gilstrap. Dinner speaker, International Guest of Honor, Robert Wilson.

Co-sponsors: Sisters in Crime New England, Mystery Writers of America New England
SinC members receive discounted admission to the conference.

10/24/2014 » 10/26/2014
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Friday, October 3, 2014

THE WRITINGS OF A WANDERING WIDOW: Gifts For Half the Price!!

THE WRITINGS OF A WANDERING WIDOW: Gifts For Half the Price!!: When you purchase the PRINT VERSION of  any of the following books, or  if you have  purchased them in the past, you can now take advantage ...

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Gifts For Half the Price!!

When you purchase the PRINT VERSION of  any of the following books, or  if you have  purchased them in the past, you can now take advantage of a 50% savings on the KINDLE VERSION.

  SAVE $4.00 
 Instead of   $ 6.99 - Enjoy the Kindle version of
 
MASADA'S MARINE

for ONLY  $2.99



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 Instead of  $4.99 - Read the Kindle version of COAST TO COAST WITH A CAT AND A GHOST for  ONLY  $1.99





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Instead of $3.99 - Own the Kindle version of GOING HOME WITH A CAT AND A GHOST for ONLY $1.99