Moderating a Mystery Writers of America-NY Panel on Writing a Series: Getting It Started and Keeping It Going (November 11, Hoboken, NJ)
MEET THE PANEL
Annamaria Alfieri writes the Vera and Tolliver stories, which are set in British East Africa and explore the evils of colonialism. It began with Strange Gods, 1911, The Idol of Mombasa , 1912, The Blasphemers 1913. The fourth book in the series, A Death on the Lord’s Day, was released in 2024. The Richmond Times-Dispatch praised the series as having “the flair of Isak Dinesen and Beryl Markham, the cunning of Agatha Christie and Elspeth Huxley.”
Tom Coffey grew up on Staten Island. His first novel, The Serpent Club, was published in 1999 by Pocket Books and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. His second novel, Miami Twilight, came out two years later. In 2008, Toby Press published Blood Alley, which also earned a starred PW review. In 2015, the independent Oak Tree Press published Bright Morning Star.
In 2023, Coffey signed a three-book deal with Level Best Books. Public Morals is the first novel in The Devine Trilogy, which is named after the family at its center. The series examines the arc of law enforcement in New York from the 1980s to the present. The second book, Special Victim, will be released in late November.
Updated Workshop Schedule Through January
Workshops are currently 2 hours via Zoom unless marked ‘in person’
All times are eastern (New Jersey) – 2 HoursWednesday, December 18
Guided Autobiography 2 hour intro (free)
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
REGISTERMonday, December 30
Self-Publishing With KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) ($50)
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
REGISTERMonday January 6
Fiction Writing Essentials ($50)
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM
REGISTERNEW! 5 Week Guided Autobiography Workshop
Every Wednesday in April ($125)
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
REGISTERYour Write Path Podcast: Author Nev March Pursues Her Passion with Fourth Novel in Historical Mystery Series
I’m delighted to chat with author and fellow Mystery Writers of America (NY) board member Nev March. After a successful business career, Nev picked up her passion where she’d left off: writing superb historical fiction steeped in the sounds, sights and sensations of old Bombay. Join us for a conversation about her books, her writing, and her plans for the future.
Author Nev March is the first Indian-born writer to win Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America’s Award for Best First Crime Fiction. Her debut novel Murder in Old Bombay was an Edgar and Anthony finalist.
After a long career in business analysis, in 2015 Nev returned to her passion, writing fiction and now teaches fun courses on creative writing at Rutgers University, Osher Institute. A Parsee Zoroastrian herself, she lives in New Jersey with her family. She volunteers with local non profit Shine and Inspire and the Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York, ZAGNY. She is President of the NY chapter board of the Mystery Writers of America. She also writes screenplays for TV and film.
Nev’s books deal with issues of identity, race and moral boundaries. Her sequel, Peril at the Exposition is set at the 1893 World’s Fair, during a time of conflict that planted the seeds of today’s red-blue political divide. In Captain Jim and Lady Diana’s third adventure The Spanish Diplomat’s Secret they face a strange, otherworldly foe who causes Jim to question the nature of justice.
Nev is presently writing book #4: Diana’s brother Adi is accused of murder! Nothing less would drive Captain Jim and Diana back to the rigid social hierarchy of Bombay.
Nev is seeking representation from an agency a strong screen rights team and connections to film/TV production
Comments, questions or suggestions? Contact Mark AT YourWritePath.com
Your Write Path Podcast: An Interview with Steve Dolainski, Guided Autobiography Instructor
I’ve been friends with Steve Dolainski for over a decade. We co-edited and published Outer Voices, Inner Lives: LGBTQ Writers Over 50, an anthology that became a Lambda Literary Award finalist in 2014. I finally met Steve in person a year ago when we were visiting my sister in Ojai, California, and he told me about recently becoming a certified Guided Autobiography instructor. I was hooked by the description and what Guided Autobiography has to offer, and earlier this year I took the instructor’s training to became certified myself.
Enjoy this 15-minute interview recorded yesterday. It will be part of my weekly co-hosted Twist Podcast, but it stands alone very well.
GAB Gazette Features Guided Autobiography Instructor Steve Dolainski
Featured Guided Autobiography instructor Steve Dolainski, who introduced me to GAB. My own workshops and courses start this spring.
https://birrencenter.substack.com/p/featured-gabber-stephen-dolainski?utm_medium=email
“Stephen Dolainski was drawn to GAB after learning about it through friends in Oregon in 2022.
“I did some research on GAB and, as a long-time adult educator and writer/editor, I was intrigued with the concept and the methodology. I immediately knew that GAB was something for me to explore,” he said.
After taking the the training in November 2022, he wanted to work with LGBTQ seniors.
“When I received certification, I contacted the Los Angeles LGBT Center and proposed forming a GAB class,” he said. “In 2023, we offered three GAB 1 classes and one GAB 2 class. More classes will be offered in 2024.”
Stephen loves teaching GAB and talks about how it how much it benefits writers by sharing their truth.”
Coming in November! Your Write Path Podcast, Interviews On All Things Writing
Yes, I’ll be back doing interviews, but these will focus on all things writing: fiction, journaling, storytelling, life legacy writing, wordsmithing. I’ve been thinking about it for awhile, and it seems like a natural offering for Your Write Path and everything I’m doing here. My first interview with be with author (and friend) Bruce W. Bishop. Keep reading for my recent post about his new book. Bruce specializes in historical fiction. In keeping with the thrust of this podcast, I’ll talking with Bruce about this mysterious thing called writing, where it comes from for him, how he manifests it, and the ways it enriches his life. Listen up!
Featured Book: Grow up, Rory Rafferty: A Novel, by Bruce W. Bishop (Releases Oct. 31)
I discovered author Bruce W. Bishop’s terrific historical fiction a few years ago, including Unconventional Daughters, Uncommon Sons, and Undeniable Relations: A Novel, all books in his Families Storytelling series. His research is as impeccable as his writing, and he has the gift of bringing readers into a book’s world so completely you may find yourself startled to be back in your own when you turn the final page. I also had the great pleasure of meeting Bruce when I was on a cruise that stopped in Halifax. He’s as delightful in person as he is talented with a keyboard.
Client Book Just Published: The Wildflowers Within Her Heart (Poetry), by Tara Elizabeth Benedetti
One of the most rewarding things about working with people to publish their books is that I’m helping them achieve a goal. In this case, a mother’s desire to publish her daughter’s poetry. It was a labor of love for her, and I was able to help her bring it to fruition. Keep reading to understand why it matters to her, and why I feel privileged to help birth this gift from a mother to her beloved but challenged adult child.
The Wildflowers Within Her Heart
Tara Elizabeth Benedetti has written poetry since she was a young girl. Tara wrote a poem when she was 10 years old, in the 5th grade, and it was published when she was 12, in the 7th grade.
The poem “My Windows” was published in the 1993 Edition of the book “Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans.”
Tara was encouraged by her teachers beginning in the 5th grade, and it was always pointed out that she had a profound and rich imagination – the part that can’t be taught.
Tara graduated from Summit High School, in Summit, New Jersey. She obtained a B.A. Degree in Creative Writing and Photo Journalism, at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. She has a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickenson University in Madison, New Jersey.
Tara was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 28 years old, while teaching English in Boston. It has been 16 ½ years of a struggle for Tara. She is now 44 years old. All of her poetry was written before Tara was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Client Book Just Published: The Wildflowers Within Her Heart (Poetry), by Tara Elizabeth Benedetti
One of the most rewarding things about working with people to publish their books is that I’m helping them achieve a goal. In this case, a mother’s desire to publish her daughter’s poetry. It was a labor of love for her, and I was able to help her bring it to fruition. Keep reading to understand why it matters to her, and why I feel privileged to help birth this gift from a mother to her beloved but challenged adult child.
The Wildflowers Within Her Heart
Tara Elizabeth Benedetti has written poetry since she was a young girl. Tara wrote a poem when she was 10 years old, in the 5th grade, and it was published when she was 12, in the 7th grade.
The poem “My Windows” was published in the 1993 Edition of the book “Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans.”
Tara was encouraged by her teachers beginning in the 5th grade, and it was always pointed out that she had a profound and rich imagination – the part that can’t be taught.
Tara graduated from Summit High School, in Summit, New Jersey. She obtained a B.A. Degree in Creative Writing and Photo Journalism, at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts. She has a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickenson University in Madison, New Jersey.
Tara was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 28 years old, while teaching English in Boston. It has been 16 ½ years of a struggle for Tara. She is now 44 years old. All of her poetry was written before Tara was diagnosed with schizophrenia.
A First Testimonial from the Self-Publishing Workshop
I appreciate these things more than I can say.
“Mark McNease’s KDP workshop takes a potentially overwhelming path to self-publishing and makes it both practical and manageable. The workshop covers the most salient points for navigating the KDP site and addresses tips for avoiding glitches with fonts and formats. Mark provides materials to reinforce the presentation and tales of his own twelve-year journey in the self-publishing world. I highly recommend the experience for both beginning and seasoned writers.”
Victoria Short, author of Find Your Mini Pumpkin