Winters Friends of the Library invites anyone who likes to read—or has ever wanted to try their hand at writing—to a free writing workshop on Saturday, October 12th, 2:00-4:30 p.m. at the Winters Community Library. Participants will learn the ins and outs of writing humor, memoir, and mysteries from local authors.
This event, called Community Writes, is billed as a day to learn, laugh, and play with words. It is part of the fourth annual Indie Author Day, an international celebration of independent and self-published authors. Each year, libraries and organizations around the world welcome local authors and their communities in for a day of education, networking, and sharing their love of writing.
The workshop will include three sessions hosted by local authors. Each session will include opportunities to learn, interact with the author and other participants, and practice the craft of writing. Adults, teens, and mature middle graders are welcome. Participants should bring a pen, paper, or laptop, and a sense of adventure. (Actually, the organizers will have pens and paper, so that’s no excuse not to come!)
Marilyn Reynolds will lead the Memoir Workshop. A retired educator, she has written ten books of realistic teen fiction in the “True-to-Life Series from Hamilton High“ that deal with difficult issues and situations that teens face. She has also written two memoirs, including most recently Til Death or Dementia Do Us Part, a compassionate account of her husband’s first puzzling symptoms of dementia and the emotional, practical, and financial adjustments required as his disease progressed.
Eileen Rendahl will lead the Humor Workshop. Eileen is the national-bestselling and award-winning author of the paranormal mystery Messenger series and four “chick lit “novels. Her alter ego, Eileen Carr, writes romantic suspense. Her other alter egos, Kristi Abbott and Lillian Bell, write cozy mysteries. Her work has won the Lories Award and the Beacon Award in the Mainstream Novel with Romantic Elements category and the National Readers Choice Award in the Paranormal category.
Tamsen Schultz will lead the Mystery Workshop. Tamsen is the author of the romantic suspense Windsor Series. She’s an RWA Daphne Du Maurier Excellence in Mystery finalist and winner of the 2017 American Fiction Award (Mystery Category) for her novel A Darkness Black. She is currently at work on her first historical mystery, set in St. Thomas, the Danish West Indies, in 1884.
Kris Calvin will join Tamsen for the Mystery Workshop. Kris Calvin, a former local elected official and child advocate, has been honored by the California Assembly and Governor’s office. John Lescroart calls Kris’ writing “crisp and entertaining”. Catriona McPherson says “gasp-worthy twists” make Kris’ debut mystery thriller ONE MURDER MORE “totally satisfying”! Her debut novel was awarded the 2016 Silver Falchion national literary award in three categories: Best First Novel, Best Political Thriller and Best Female PI/Sleuth.
Author Spring Warren will also be joining the mystery panel. She is a writer with a penchant for art, furniture-making and gardening. Her novel “Turpentine” came out with Grove Press. Her nonfiction book “The Quarter Acre Farm” was published by Seal. Spring resides in California but hails from Wyoming, where her family has lived since the 1870s.
For a listing of more local authors, visit https://wfol.org/what-we-do/cultural-community/local-author-listing/
To learn more about Indie Author Day, visit indieauthorday.com.
