By Heidi Simmons
Forty local authors shared their work at the Desert Writers Expo. This is one of my favorite annual events. Whether professional or amateur, published or self-published, these writers all have interesting stories to tell.
Sponsored by the Rancho Mirage Library and the Palm Springs Writers Guild, the Expo is an effort to give valley authors the opportunity to meet the public and sell their books.
“We, the committee and the Writers Guild, consider this a workshop,” said Diana Miller-Castells, President of the Palm Springs Writers Guild. “It teaches writers how to talk about and display their books. They learn what works and what doesn’t and what they’re comfortable with. Writers are not always good marketers, so this helps give them confidence.”
Miller-Castells moved to the CV from Connecticut. She has lived in the valley for a decade and has been a member of the PS Writers Guild for five years. She hope’s she’ll be published one day.
“I write humor essays and short stories, but I’m afraid to show them to anybody,” said Miller-Castell. “Since I’ve been in the guild, I learned what I should and shouldn’t do. I know my options. It’s been an education. There are skills you need to learn. I think I’ve been a writer for a very long time. I just didn’t put it together that I was a writer.”
The Expo is free to attend and is free for writers. “You don’t have to be a member of the Writers Guild to participate,” said Miller-Castells. “Eighty percent are members. Often the other 20 percent become members.” Space for the Expo was filled in ten hours after its posting. “A lot of writers are looking to sell their books.”
Here is a sample of authors and their books:
Advanced Kindle Book Marketing: How to Sell More Ebooks Online With New Amazon Promotions and Kindle Bestseller Tips by Lucinda Sue Crosby and Laura Dobbins. The second in a series, this book focuses on important strategies and marketing techniques to improve ebook sales on Amazon. The book is well-organized, easy to read, provides examples and useable online sites.
Co-author Lucinda Sue Crosby also had her novel, The Cancer Club: A Crazy, Sexy, Inspirational Novel of Survival that is based on a close friend. Crosby is a songwriter, a journalist and was once a professional athlete.
Not Happy? Get Happy! by Elizabeth Schadrack, is a straight forward self-help book with lots of categories with easy-to-read wisdom. Schadrack had an 18-year career with IBM. Her definition of Love: The desire to do with and for without expecting anything in return.
Author Denis LaComb writes about a love affair during the 1960s in his novel Love in the A Shau. LaComb had a career as a television producer, writer and director for 25 years in Minnesota.
The Incredible Adventures of Doc Atlas by Michael A. Black and Ray Lovato, is about a soldier of fortune who moves through history’s big events. Lovato has lived in the CV for 21 years. He moved from Chicago to open the Palm Springs nudist resort Desert Shadows Inn.
The Teen Wytches Saga by Ariella Moon, (actually Karen Morrison-Knox), is a series of clean teen reads. She wrote the first book for her daughter who is now a successful electrical engineer. Morrison-Knox is also a professional shaman and Reiki master.
Steve Schullo, co-author of Late Bloomer Millionaires, has a new special interest book called Fighting Powerful Interests: Educators Challenge Tax-Sheltered Annuities and Win! An educator in the LA Unified School District for years, Schullo offers a free PDF download of the book. From his own experience, Schullo fought LAUSD and won!
Our local poets have an incredible voice. In the Mojave by Cynthia Anderson, her poems capture the changing seasons of the desert. Each poem is accompanied by beautiful photos, which were taken by her husband.
Another terrific collection is Reruns: Poetry and Prose by Donna Marie Fitzgerald. There is a sense of nostalgia and longing in her crisp and clean writing style. Fitzgerald taught English at Cathedral City High School.
Marj Charlier’s series of books: Second Life, Hacienda: A South American Romance, Drive for Dough and Putt for Show are popular with book clubs. The stories are about middle-age women who find ways to move forward with they’re lives.
All That Mattered Was Him by Cecilia Scott (actually Cynthia Mascott), was published by Harper Collins UK. Mascott considers the “Shades of Grey” series a disgrace to the genre. Her book delves into the psychology of sexual obsession. Mascott’s background is in healthcare.
Thunder Mountain Brides by Amanda Brooks is a series of ten western romance books. Brooks published her first book in 2006. She says, “The books are a cross between Little House on the Prairie and Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman — with steam.”
Author Irene Tritel’s novel Rosie’s Gringo Palace is about a woman who helps change the direction of her community. Tritel is from the Bronx and has won five short story contests.
Marion Brooker’s Tadeo’s Search For Circles is a children’s book about a boy who travels the world to discover the best place is home. Booker has two non-fiction books: Hold the OXO and Noreen and the Amazing No-Good Horse.
TV comedy writer and cartoonist Jack Mendelsohn displayed his bright and colorful book, Jacky’s Diary, which is the complete collection of his popular syndicated comic strip from the 1960s.
Michael Tennesen’s The Next Species: The Future of Evolution in the Aftermath of Man will be released in April by Simon and Schuster. He traveled all over the world doing research examining what comes next.
Membership in the PS Writers Guild is open to everybody. “It’s a really nice group of people and they are very encouraging,” said Miller-Castells. “I’m a voracious reader. So knowing people who write books is important to me. I have a lot of respect for writers and I like to be around writers.”
The Desert Writers Expo is just one of many interesting events the organization sponsors. For more information and how to join the Palm Springs Writers Guild, go to www.palmspringswritersguild.org
