My Books Hidden Messages

When it comes to movies and television series, the below list all have at least one thing in common, that being some sort of Plot Twist or something that was a surprise and not expected. Their genres may not be the same, however the writers presented a story that provided entertainment coupled with an unexpected answer or event within the stories that in some manner gave us a sense of closure, justice, revenge, or just a sense of relief for one of the characters.

In my books “Forgotten Soldiers” and “Till the Cows Come Home,” plus book projects in progress, my intent is to provide similar plot twist, surprise, and unexpected outcomes that provide the reader with a sort of satisfaction with the stories ending. Another intent is to insert in a subtle manner identifying a hidden message that draws attention to an injustice within our society, injustices that

anger us and should not be ignored.

My intention is to entertain while drawing attention to either issues or events we should not forget, and social justice issues that should not be ignored due to political and social correctness.

I invite you to follow my Website, Facebook, Twitter, Google, and my Amazon Page and watch for future project releases.

American Psycho, Atonement, Devil, Dexter, Ex-Machina, Gone Baby Gone, Gone Girl, Last House on the Left (2009), Little Children, Mystic River, Planet of the Apes (Original), Psycho, Shawshank Redemption, Room, Sixth Sense, Sleepers, Split, Spotlight, The Departed, The Others, The Prestige, The Punisher, Usual Suspects, Westworld (Series), Without a Trace (movie)

Networking with the St. Louis Publishers Association

 Annual Vendor Showcase and Amy Collins Workshop

Over the past month the St. Louis Publishers Association (SLPA) had the opportunity to present two valuable events. Over 100 attended the August 8th event that featured editors, publishers, illustrators, printers, graphic designers, and coaches. Both the vendors and attendees had positive feedback and established new connections, exchanged ideas and concepts, and enjoyed an evening of positive interaction.   

 

2018 Participating Vendors:

Davis Creative Author Consultants / My Two Cents Editing / Mission Possible Press / Beeson Editing Services /HF Group Book Partners /Pen and Publish / Editwright / Art by Shelley /Graphic Connections Publishing /Nehmen & Kodner Design /Comma Queen Editing /Carolyn Vaughan Design / Record Printing & Publishing  / Michelle Aschenbrenner Editing  / No Waste Publishing 

Amy Collins Workshop
On July 21^st we had the honor to host Amy Collins, president of  New Shelves, who presented a workshop filled with information on the Ins & Outs of Amazon and How to Get Books into Bookstores. This workshop proved to be another valuable opportunity for networking and learning available tools for successful methods to market books.  

Alan Spector - A Writer's Journey

St. Louis Publishers Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 8, 2017

Lessons Learned: A Writer’s Journey from Baseball Fields to Battlefields  -- presented by Alan Spector

Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”

In that regard, in 2006, when I was developing the manuscript of my first book, I was at a family gathering and asked a would-be-author cousin how her book was progressing. She excitedly reported she was working closely with her agent and editors at the publisher toward a final draft. In return, she asked me how I was doing on my early draft and what kind of feedback I had received. “Feedback?”
She was incredulous, “You mean you haven’t shared your work with others yet? When are you going to get out of your cave?”
I immediately knew what she meant, and added “get out of my cave” to my list of things I was learning about being an author. Sure, I had interviewed people for my book and done a lot of research away from the confines of my computer, but I was enjoying the actual writing process so much I hadn’t reached out to others to get any critical feedback.
My next steps were to 1) join a local writer critique group, 2) register for a couple of writers’ conferences, and 3) develop a list of willing beta readers — the first of which was my wife, who is now the more-than-willing first-reader on all of my manuscripts and is ecstatic when she gets to wield her red editing pen.
My list of lessons learned continues to grow, and First Lady Roosevelt was right. I’ve been learning from others’ mistakes — because I’m out of my cave. And I’ve been making plenty of my own. Here are but a few of the lessons that I’ll be glad to share with you in more detail at the SLPA meeting on February 8:

• Don’t quit your day job… unless you already have.
• Grow thick skin… rejection is inevitable.
• Everyone will have an idea for your next book… and some of them are good.
• Self-published? Tolerate Amazon… but market to direct sales.

I also look forward to hearing what you’ve learned from your mistakes and those of others — oh, and from successes as well. If you’re like me, you’ve had both. I hope to see you and learn from each other on February 8.
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Our regular Monthly Meeting location
(the second Wednesday of every month)

THE HEIGHTS: Richmond Heights Community Center
Argus Room
8001 Dale Ave.
Richmond Heights, MO 63117
Here's a link to Google Maps for location and directions.
Doors open at 6:30 PM for networking. Business meeting begins at 7:00 PM and continues till 8:30 PM or so with networking continuing afterward till about 9.

Polish Your Pitch: The One-Minute Book Marketing Challenge

Join the St. Louis Publishers Association on December 14 for Polish Your Pitch, a unique opportunity for authors to practice their book-pitching skills and get invaluable feedback. Learn how to hone your "elevator speech" at this special SLPA book-marketing session, hosted by SLPA past president and book marketing master Bob Baker.
Make no mistake: Your ability to clearly communicate who you are and what your book is about will lead to more publicity, more readers, and more sales. As a self-promoting author, you need to learn this skill.
At the December meeting, one by one, authors will take the hot seat and have one minute to describe their book. A panel of experts will critique each pitch and make suggestions on how to make it more concise and enticing. Audience members will also be encouraged to offer feedback, as time allows.
Current SLPA members will be given preference for the author hot seat spots, then we'll take volunteers from the audience in the remaining time.
It's a great opportunity to polish your book pitch, whether you get direct feedback on your pitch or you simply observe the advice that other authors get. So bring your best pitch to the next meeting!
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Our regular Monthly Meeting location
(the second Wednesday of every month)

THE HEIGHTS: Richmond Heights Community Center
Argus Room
8001 Dale Ave.
Richmond Heights, MO 63117

Here's a link to Google Maps for location and directions.

Doors open at 6:30 PM for networking. Business meeting begins at 7:00 PM and continues till 8:30 PM or so with networking continuing afterward till about 9.

Monthly Meeting Admission

• Members – FREE
• Non-member Guests – $10 per person, cash or check at the door

(Guest fee will be applied to Membership if you decide to join at that meeting)

St. Louis Publishers Association (SLPA) Presents - FULLY FUNDED: A Panel Discussion with Successful Crowdfunding Authors

Crowdfunding helps entrepreneurs raise billions of dollars for their enterprises, sometimes before a single item is manufactured or any employees are hired. Authors can reap the same benefits of
advance fundraising for the sometimes expensive publication process, or even find the money to subsidize their writing, but it takes careful planning, strategic management, and trustworthy tactics.

On Wednesday, September 14, the St. Louis Publishers Association (SLPA) will host a panel discussion with three successful crowdfunding authors (Jamey Stegmaier, Susan Hacker Stang, and Bill Perry) to discuss their insights and observations about the unique challenges authors face in the crowdfunding arena and share advice from their own successes and failures.

Jamey Stegmaier is the CEO and co-founder of Stonemaier Games and has run eight Kickstarter campaigns, raising over $3 million. He is the author of A Crowdfunder's Strategy Guide: Build a Better Business by Building Community.

Susan Hacker Stang is an American photographer and was a professor of communications at Webster University for forty-one years. Her work has been collected by more than twenty-five major museums and libraries around the world and appears in numerous books and magazines. Her publications include Encountering Florence/Firenze un incontro; Kodachrome – End of the Run: Photographs from the Final Batches; Kodachrome Notes; and her recently published book, reAPPEARANCES, was funded by a Kickstarter campaign.

Bill Perry is an artist whose drawings, paintings, and sculptures can be seen at galleries, playgrounds, bike trails, and wildlife sanctuaries throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. He teaches drawing and painting at Central Visual & Performing Arts High School. His book, Road Trip: A Fold-Out Adventure, was successfully launched through a Kickstarter campaign

Join the SLPA on September 14 for a robust and lively conversation about crowdfunding, from the basics to insider knowledge, and bring your best questions for Q&A!

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Our regular Monthly Meeting location
(the second Wednesday of every month)

THE HEIGHTS: Richmond Heights Community Center
Argus Room
8001 Dale Ave.
Richmond Heights, MO 63117

Here's a link to Google Maps for location and directions.

Doors open at 6:30 PM for networking. Business meeting begins at 7:00 PM and continues till 8:30 PM or so with networking continuing afterward till about 9.