Jacksonville, FL

I’ll be offline Monday, July 30, and Tuesday, July 31, because my new home office is finally ready. I wish I were—I cannot believe how much paper we accumulate despite perceiving ourselves as a paperless society. From bookshelves to filing cabinets, the paper gluts every square inch. My goal: getting truly organized, deleting clutter (real-world SPAM!) and settling in so I can meet a mountain of deadlines.

I’m optimistically allowing 2 days to purge paperwork, cull through books and choose what’ll go to charity and what I’ll keep, and go through the hundreds of small slips of paper I seem to always write my passwords on.

I’ll return to regale you with tales of the move (and other things too) on Wednesday, August 1.

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Home Office, Getting Organized, Clutter, Books, Jacksonville Writer, Publish, Florida Writer

Deborah Hansen will talk with guests and sign her new book ‘Broken Strings: Wisdom for Divorced and Separated Families’ at the popular Jacksonville coffee house Truffles on August 11 from 6:30-8:00 p.m.

---

As Jacksonville author Deborah Hansen wrote her new book ‘Broken Strings: Wisdom for Divorced and Separated Families,’ she drew on personal experience. Every parent knows the pain of being time-challenged. Single parents get a double dose. So Hansen made her book user friendly. “Single parents are often subjected to endless lists of Dos and Don’ts with no real substance,” she says. “The only other alternatives are lengthy research studies that no single parent has time to read. Each chapter of my book is designed to be read in five minutes or less, and relates to a specific lesson I learned along the way.”

The book is a collection of Hansen’s personal experiences as a single parent, and is an offering to the families who are currently navigating a divorce or separation. The work has already received advance praise from Dr. David Brooks. “Excellent!” he said. “This is a must read book for everyone who is going through a divorce or for those counseling divorcing couples.”

Hansen’s experience isn’t confined to being a single parent. A veteran teacher, she worked with teenagers for fifteen years, and most recently has trained teachers, administrators, and parents on the importance of positive role modeling in raising children of character. She founded JDC Educational Enterprises, Inc., a consulting firm that focuses on parent workshops and providing support to school systems in the implementation of character education.

Hansen is also a veteran county court mediator and journalist. Her regular column, “Building Kids of Character,” appears monthly in First Coast Parent Magazine as well as on the Web. She has also written articles for Women’s Digest and Kids ‘n Sports, and she provides a monthly column on divorced parenting to attorneys. She is currently under contract with Young People’s Press in San Diego, California to write a literature-based character education curriculum for middle school students.

Hansen will launch ‘Broken Strings: Wisdom for Divorced and Separated Families” in Jacksonville at Truffles Coffee House, 11362 San Jose Blvd., on Saturday, August 11, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. The author will sign books and talk to guests. Music by Dot Wilder will be featured. The public is invited.

“This event is to thank all the people who made this book possible,” Hansen says, “and to introduce it to the public.”

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Divorce, Separation, Single parent, Divorced Parenting, Character Education

The Lighthouse Book Awards competition is sponsored by the Northeast Florida region of the Florida Writers Association. FWA-NE placed the top three entries in each category in the hands of legitimate acquisition editors working for major publishing houses. NE Regional director Victor DiGenti invites the public to the celebration of the awards competition this Saturday, July 28, at the Ponte Vedra Library (101 Library Blvd. in Ponte Vedra Beach) at 11 a.m.

All manuscripts have been returned from the acquisition editors who ranked the finalists. Names of the winners have been a closely-held secret for the past month. DiGenti says, “Contest Chair Terri Ridgell has refused to tell even me, saying she’s keeping the names frozen in a carton of Ben & Jerry’s Berried Treasure ice cream.”

Light snacks and drinks will be served. DiGenti invites you to come and cheer on your favorite writer or just be there for the party. Finalists are:

MYSTERY/SUSPENSE
Jean Osborn
David Pereda
Mary Kilgore
FICTION-GENERAL
Bill Barbour
John Holley
Leonard Emmel
YOUNG ADULT
Karen Harvey
Gertie Poole
Suki Litchfield
Bill Dougherty

DiGenti says finalists may bring family and friends and “pose for the paparazzi on the red carpet” before the awards ceremonies if they wish. First Place winners should also be prepared to make a brief “Thank you” speech.

DiGenti credits Terri Ridgell and all of the preliminary judges for making this first contest such a success. He says a special thank you goes to the three acquisition editors — Barbara Moore/Midnight Ink, Julie Doughty/Penguin Group and Andrew Karre/Flux.

RELATED LINKS

Visit FWA Ponte Vedra group on the Web: http://www.fwapontevedra.blogspot.com/

Visit FWA state organization on the Web: http://www.floridawriters.net/dnn/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Lighthouse Book Awards celebration, Florida Writers Association, NE Florida Writers Association, writing contests, writers’ groups

Literacy is a challenge for some Northeast Florida residents. This is a followup to last week’s story about Literacy Pros of Jacksonville. Volunteer Michelle Worley (center) talks with authors Victor DiGenti (left) and Dorothy K. Fletcher (right) during a recent event Worley coordinated at Barnes and Noble in St. Johns Town Center.

Literacy Pros of Jacksonville, Inc., held their very first fundraiser Saturday at Barnes and Noble in the St. Johns Town Center. Customers who picked up a book fair voucher from the organization’s display tables, or those who printed the form online, could present it to the cashier at checkout. Literacy Pros would then get a percentage of the sale.

Donations are a necessity for this all-volunteer group, whether they come as cash or time. “We don’t have any staff,” says Michelle Worley. “We’re an all-volunteer group.”

The group trains individuals to effectively teach basic literacy skills, and to prepare interested tutors to become Certified Literacy Trainers.

A 1999 study by the Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. found the literacy rate in Northeast Florida hovered at approximately 53 percent. According to LPOJ, almost 50 percent of adults on welfare lack a high school diploma or equivalency certificate.

The biggest challenge for volunteers, says Worley, is the “time commitment.” Worley works full-time herself, at Wachovia Bank, but she says, “The other part of my life is literacy.”

As part of their fundraiser, LPOJ invited Jacksonville authors Dorothy K. Fletcher and Victor DiGenti to talk about writing and sign their books for guests. Dorothy has contributed to literacy in a big way—in addition to being an award-winning author, she taught English and writing in Duval public schools for 35 years.

DiGenti, also an award-winning author, is a key figure in the Florida Writers Association—he’s regional director for our area. FWA has about 800 members.

Literacy Pros has parnered with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office to provide workshops for inmates interested in becoming tutors. The group also works with worship groups on training tutors, as well as corporations and schools.

Literacy is one of the single greatest weapons a community can employ in dealing with poverty and the crime that often follows. If you’d like more information about Literacy Pros, visit the Web site.

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Literacy, Education, crime prevention, tutor, reading skills, Northeast Florida, volunteer, civic group, adult reading skills

Dorothy K. Fletcher heads into a Washington, D. C. hotel. Fletcher and I read together at the U.S. Library of Congress for “Florida Poets Arrive.” Fletcher appears at Barnes and Noble in St. John’s Town Center on Saturday as part of a Literacy Pros event.

Literacy Pros celebrates a dedication to adult literacy at Barnes and Noble in the St. Johns Town Center (10280 Midtown Parkway) on Saturday, June 16. The Bookfair runs from opening to closing, 9 a.m.-11 p.m., when a percentage of every sale made will be donated to Literacy Pros. Jacksonville authors Dorothy K. Fletcher (Zen Fishing and Other Southern Pleasures) and Victor DiGenti (Windrusher series) will talk with guests and sign books from 4-6 p.m.

That evening features music by Damien Lamar and Laurel Lee from 7-8 p.m. Lee has a great Web site; you can find out about the new CD Why don’t we get married featuring Laurel Lee and the Escapees. Lamar is well-known in Northeast Florida, and his selections offer a variety of styles. Visit Lamar’s Web site to learn more.

I’ve read with Fletcher on many occasions, and her poetry and prose weave stories of the past and present, illustrated by specific events and happenings in the South. She has a low-key sense of humor; she loves to talk writing. DiGenti is a key figure in writing events around Northeast Florida because he’s regional director for the Florida Writers Association. DiGenti’s first novel was praised by actress Betty White and it’s popular with cat lovers of all ages. Both are award-winning authors with several books in the marketplace and they enjoy talking to people.

The Web site for Literacy Pros says the organization was founded in 2003 by “a local group of dedicated literacy volunteers. These trainers and tutors were interested in finding new ways to deliver literacy training to the community.” A recent success story is the Prison Literacy Program in conjunction with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s office.

Events like this provide a great way to help worthy organizations and have some fun at the same time. So pick up a book, sip on some coffee or tea and enjoy the music on Saturday.

You’ll need a voucher to be sure the sale is tagged for Literacy Pros; for convenience, you may print one from the Web site. (photo and text by Kay B. Day)

Word Press, Technorati, Tags, Literacy in Jacksonville, Education, Reading, Authors, Books, CDs, Musicians, Northeast Florida support groups, Zen, cats, mystery, poetry, novels, volunteers, booksigning Jacksonville, memoir

First in a series of articles about Jacksonville writers

When I first moved to Jacksonville in 2002, I quickly realized the city is a magnet for writers. Our journalists and novelists cover the gamut–from private investigators to quirky cats. Our poets weave verse with themes like history and local places. Our online writers bring you entertainment news and commentary.

I’ve met so many talented writers here—among them, D. H. Eaton, author of the award-winning novel The Osceola Community Club , and poet Michelle Leavitt, who teaches writing at the University of North Florida. Eaton builds her novel around Southern history by way of a cookbook theme, complete with recipes. Leavitt’s work is featured in the Powow River Anthology.

I’ve often collaborated on programs with award-winning poet Dorothy K. Fletcher, whose latest book Zen Fishing and Other Southern Pleasures features poetry and creative nonfiction. Fletcher recently retired from teaching in Duval County Public Schools. She was prolific while she taught. I’m betting she’ll triple her output now that she doesn’t have all those high school courses to deal with. I had the pleasure of reading with her at the Library of Congress in Washington in December.

Victor DiGenti(photo at right), author of the Windrusher series, lives in the area, at Ponte Vedra Beach. DiGenti is regional director for the Florida Writers Association’s Northeast Florida area. Our area has four different FWA writing groups because Jacksonville covers a lot of ground. I had an email from DiGenti last week. He’s in cahoots again with that quirky cat hero Windrusher. The third novel in the series is slated for a spring, 2008, publication date. Windrusher fans can visit the blog With the Wind at My Back. DiGenti’s also tailoring a mystery novel manuscript based on one of the characters in the Windrusher series. That novel won the Josiah W. Bancroft Novel Contest. Windrusher is a favorite in Florida classrooms. (more…)