Glendale Chocolate Affair

If you've never attended this FREE event, you simply must this year.

Downtown Glendale on Friday and Saturday January 30 & 31st 

I'll be there signing along with dozens of amazing authors. Stop by and see us as you make your way through a maze of chocolate vendors and dancing revelers.

We'll also have free workshops for writers going on all day Saturday. Ig you've been thinking about writing or want to improve your craft, you don't want to miss any of them. The schedule is below.

10 AM Workshop:
Isabelle Clayton
Bio: Isabella Clayton is a psychic medium, paranormal investigator, writer, artist and speaker.  She has seen human spirits, non-human entities and things that go bump in the night since childhood.  Her psychic abilities have always been a part of her.  At three, she would speak with relatives or friends on her play telephone and tell her Mom when they would be having company.  Mom always made sure she scrambled to clean the house. 
Throughout the years, Isabella has continued to develop her abilities so that she could help people.  She has helped people (adults and children) with night terrors, with any kind of haunting, readings or by speaking with friends/family that have passed to the other side.  
A few years ago she wanted to understand the science side and has since joined several paranormal investigating groups.  This has helped her with debunking skills, and has increased her exposure with the spiritual possession. 
When she’s not traveling around the country with her guy, she’s at home with her cats, friends and family having the time of her life.

Workshop: Separating Fact from Fiction in the Paranormal World
Avoid the pitfalls when writing about the paranormal world. We'll explore the differences in the entities and explain the latest investigation techniques.

11AM Workshop: Hips Don't Lie by Carolyn Hughey/K.T. Roberts
SYLLABUS 
Communication is at the very heart of everything we do regardless of whether it's verbal or non-verbal. In this inter-active workshop, K. T. Roberts focuses on teaching you how to read signals to help you make your characters jump off the pages of your next novel.

BIO
Multi-published author Carolyn Hughey aka K. T. Roberts has a varied background where from time-to-time, public speaking played a role. From training cooking classes in her home, to teaching young chefs how to operate their businesses, she enjoyed sharing her knowledge with her students in a fun-filled classroom environment. 

12PM (Noon) Workshop: Ethan Erway

Biography:

Ethan Russell Erway is the author of the ADVENTURES OF MICHAEL BELMONT, a young adult fantasy/adventure series, THE BLEEDING STAR CHRONICLES, a Science Fiction adult novella serial, and BLOWING OFF STEAM, a Western Steampunk adventure series.  He has been a #1 amazon bestselling author in several categories, including Young Adult Religious Fiction and Science Fiction- Space Opera.

Ethan has been a life-long fan of science fiction and fantasy, and began writing short comedic stories in middle school.  He published his first novel in 2011.  He is a regular participant in Phoenix Comicon and other sci-fi/fantasy conventions.  He is currently the Minister at Agua Fria Christian Church in Humboldt, AZ where he lives with his wife and children.


Blurb
Movie Arcs for Novels- How to Write the Best Stories in Your Genre

Have you ever been watching your favorite movie and thought, "I wish I could write something this great"?  The good news is, you can!  Join #1 amazon bestselling author Ethan Russell Erway as he discusses how to extract essential plot points from your favorite works of fiction, whatever the genre.  From Romance to Action/Adventure, from Paranormal Romance to Science Fiction, you'll learn how to mix the essential ingredients to form your own best selling work of fiction.

1PM Workshop Cathy McDavid

Bio: In the third grade, NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Cathy McDavid made it her goal to read every Walter Farley book ever written. Who knew such an illustrious ambition would eventually lead to a lifelong love of all things western and a career writing contemporary ranch stories for Harlequin American? Much too active in her local Romance Writers of America chapters for her own good, she currently resides in Tempe, AZ, where she gets to pen stories about good looking cowboys riding the range or busting a bronc. It a tough job, but she’s willing to make the sacrifice.

Workshop: Riveting dialogue, let's talk about it!

They say (no pun intended) that dialogue is one of a writer's best tools to maintain a reader's interest. Dull dialogue, or a lack of it, can slow the story's pacing to a crawl. Learn to make the most of your dialogue in this hands on workshop.
SPEAKING OF WHICH...
Riveting dialogue, let's talk about it!

2PM Workshop: Tina Gerow

BIO: Tina Gerow has always had a passion for romance and anything paranormal. 
And even in school, was encouraged to put her writing skills to good use, but always with the admonishment to ‘stop writing the weird stuff and tone down the sarcasm.’ But what fun is that?! So, in 2003, she finally decided to try her hand at writing a novel, but still firmly embracing the ‘weird stuff and the sarcasm.’ Her first book, Into a Dangerous Mind, won the award for Romantic Times Best Small Press Contemporary Paranormal for 2006. 


Since then, Tina has published several more books, including her latest release, Sleeping With Shadows, the popular Maiden series, the Seduction Series for Kensington’s Aphrodisia line as Cassie Ryan, and the Sisters of Darkness series with Berkley, also as Cassie Ryan. 

Workshop: The Art of Writing Love Scenes

Writing love scenes is so much more than describing whose lips are where, doing what. Good love scenes should read smoothly and clearly, and communicate who is doing what to whom as well as when and how, but without sounding like a How-To manual.
It should convey emotions and passion, and reveal new insights into the characters as well as advance the plot. Sound like brain surgery or rocket science? Nope - no Doctorate degree required - I promise! So hold on tight for some no-nonsense discussions about how to thread all of this together into love scenes that readers will devour, and you will love to write - regardless of if you write sweet or smokin' hot. 

3PM Workshop: Kiki Swanson

BIO: Kiki grew up happily, playing the piano, working in a library and close to her church. Near-by Chicago offered enriching opportunities. With degrees from Smith College and San Francisco Theological Seminary she taught high school English and Journalism. The family arrived in Scottsdale in 1959. While Don owned businesses and served on the school board, Kiki traveled as a capital campaign consultant for the national church. 
Most recently she directed the senior adult ministry in Valley Presbyterian Church living in Scottsdale with her husband and close to three sons and their families.

Kiki’s novels revolve around a strong woman who reminds readers of their relatives or neighbors or school friends. Their life stories come out in conversation and their relationships to others. She weaves in historic research, her own love of music, cooking and sewing, and geographic settings from her own life.

Workshop: Writing your Memories

Start right now to record some of your precious 
memories for your heirs! You will find ideas and 
inspiration in this group, guided by hand-outs to 
keep you writing until next year! There are 
several approaches to the project, and it is 
guaranteed to start your creative thinking. You 
will want to take notes, so bring a pen! However, 
no tests or grades. 

4PM Workshop: Maria Crimi Speth

BIO: Maria Crimi Speth, a shareholder in the law firm of Jaburg & Wilk, P.C., practices in the areas of intellectual property, internet law, and commercial litigation, representing clients throughout the United States. She is in the Top Lawyers list published by Arizona Business Magazine and the American Trial Lawyer’s Association. She has been practicing law for 25 years and is admitted in dozens of state and federal courts around the country. Maria is the author of Protect Your Writings: A Legal Guide for Authors and Apple v. Samsung, The Balance Between Patent Rights and the Free Market.. She has numerous published articles and dozens of published court cases. 

Workshop: Protect Your Writings

It's the weekend of the big game, in the host city, surrounded by the delicious taste and aroma of chocolate.  What better setting to learn the sweet lessons of legal offense and defense to best protect your manuscripts, articles, blogs and other writings?  If you think copyright law is boring, you haven't heard it taught by Maria Crimi Speth, Intellectual Property attorney and author of Protect Your Writings.  Join us for a comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand, presentation of applicable laws that affect writers and their creative work. You will learn everything you need to know about the laws relating to writing, including how to AVOID making common, costly legal mistakes. This will be a sure touchdown!

5PM Workshop: Caris Roane

BIO: Hi, Everyone!  Caris Roane here!  I’m a USA Today Bestselling Author and I write super-sexy paranormal romance fiction designed to be as much an adventure as a soul-satisfying experience.  With every book I write, I try to give a taste of real life, despite the fact that I’m writing about hunky vampire warriors.  You’ll come away engrossed in the lives of my vampires as they wage war, as they make love, and as they answer the tough questions of life in terms of purpose, eternity, and how to raise a family!  I began my career with Kensington Publishing writing Regency Romance as Valerie King.  In 2005, Romantic Times Magazine honored me with a career achievement award in Regency Romance.  I’ve published fourteen paranormal novels to-date, some self-published and some for St. Martin’s Press!  I’ve also branched out into Contemporary Romance with A SEDUCTIVE PROPOSITION!  

Workshop: The Hero's Journey
Ever wonder why the myths of old are still with us today or why STAR WARS became such a hit? Want to know how the answers to these two questions can impact your novel in an amazing way? Come hear my thoughts on the Hero's Journey, what it is, why it will always be relevant to storytelling, and how to apply these concepts to the unfinished novel hiding under your bed.