May 2021 Newsletter

Name This Newsletter See details on page 4 WLOV Newsletter for May 2021 www.writersleagueofthevillages.com

Who lived here? (Page 12)

Above, WLOV’s Barnes and Noble kick-off on April 10. See more starting on pages 6.

Scary Musings Event (Page 4) Wine and Words (Page 10) The Nation’s Greatest Songwriter (Page 16)

…and so much more. Scoll down for the T of C.

Table of Contents for May 2021 Page → → Click on any item to go right to that item.   Message from Your Newsletter Editor 2-3 Upcoming Events 3 Scary Musings Event - Call for Submissions 4 Name This Newsletter Contest 4 Message from Your President 5 July Beach Book Bonanza 6 WLOV Authors in Barnes & Noble – Books & Pictures 6-8 Writing-Related News 9-11 Mark Newhouse speaks at Holocaust Remembrance Day WLOV Authors at All Booked Up The Wine and Words Club The Villages Songwriting Club Print News Items about WLOV Members Remembering Brenda Shea 11 Which Famous Author Lived Here? 12 Recurring Items of Interest 13 Great Courses Videos Pay 2021 Dues Online WLOV Book Catalogue New WLOV Business Cards Writers of the Villages Group on Facebook Village Neighbors Magazine Cartoons 14-15 Appendix: Songwriting and Irving Berlin 16-17 *** Message From Your Newsletter Editor By Larry Martin [email protected]

August 11th! We are getting closer to a live meeting, currently planned for August 11th, at Laurel Manor. Meanwhile, we’ve been busy with Zoom and a couple of local ‘get togethers’ at Barnes & Noble in Lake Sumter Landing.

In the coming months it’s likely all critique groups will be meeting live. Wannabes, Rick Greenberg’s Monday morning critique group. has been doing hybrid sessions for the past two months; on May 3, Wannabes will resume in- person-only meetings, at Lake Miona Rec Center.

WLOV’s April 14th general meeting was attended on Zoom by 36 people. After a short business meeting we were treated to a great talk by Becca Syme, on “Seven Productivity Myths and Why You Should Stop Believing Them.” If you missed her talk, click here to see her slides and for other “Links for WLOV.”

As to links, the is the first newsletter where every item listed in the T of C and on the cover is linkable to the that specific item inside the newsletter; it works with a single mouse click. The links have been tested in the pdf format on my pc, but it’s possible they may not work on some other devices. If you have difficulty with any link, please let me know, and include the specific link and which device it does not work on. There will be a newsletter hiatus until August, when WLOV will have its next general meeting. In the meantime, if you have something for this newsletter that you think will interest our members, please send it to me.

Upcoming Events

• Wednesday, May 12, 9-11 am via ZOOM. General Meeting. Shutta Crum, author, storyteller, keynote speaker and educator, will present: “Oh those Voices – Finding your Writer’s Voice.” • Monday, May 17 at Colony Plaza, 10 am (also on Zoom) Monday, May 24 at Savannah Center, 10 am (in-person only) Civil Discourse Club of The Villages. Presentation on “Self-Publishing: The Good and the Bad,” by Larry Martin, WLOV’s Newsletter Editor.

• July 25-31 - BEACH BOOK BONANZA – Online book promotion. For details see page 6. • Wednesday, August 11, 9-11 am – General meeting, Laurel Manor Rec Center • Wednesday, September 8, 9-11 am – General Meeting, Laurel Manor Rec Center • Thursday, Sept 30 – 6 pm - SAVE THE DATE! Scary Musings (See Page 4) Laurel Manor Rec Center. The evening event will also feature a silent auction. • Sunday, Jan 30, 2022 – Book Expo – Tentative location will again be Eisenhower Rec Center

Call for Submissions: Scary Musings Event By Rita Boehm, WLOV President

Sharpen those writing quills and channel your inner Edgar Alan Poe or Alfred Hitchcock. Maybe even find a raven for inspiration… whatever it takes to create a scary poem or short story. Something you’d read at night with all the lights on…because you never know what might be lurking in the dark.

Rules for submission Eligibility: Limited to Members of WLOV Submission period: June 1 through July 31, 2021 Submit to: [email protected] You will receive notification of receipt within 2 days. If you don’t receive notification, please resend to [email protected]. Again, you should receive notification within 2 days of receipt. Your Name: Do not include your name on actual entry. However, make sure your name and the title of your entry are included in the email. Entry Definition: Short stories and poems appropriate for a scary Halloween reading Length: Short stories – maximum 1500 words; Poetry – maximum 1000 words Format: MS-word (single or double-spaced) Note: This is not a judged contest event. Selections will be chosen based on a) appropriateness for this particular event; and, b) time limitations. There are a limited number of selections that can be read in the allotted time frame. Save the date: THURSDAY, SEPT 30, 2021 TIME: 6 – 8 PM Location: LAUREL MANOR RECREATION CENTER

*** “NAME THIS NEWSLETTER” CONTEST By Paula Howard, WLOV Past President

You could win a spotlight interview and a gift card prize if your name is picked! The WLOV Board of Directors is looking for a name for our newsletter. Names should be no longer than 20 characters and be a positive reflection of our organization. Submit up to five (5) entries along with your name and email address to [email protected] no later than June 15, 2021. Send each entry with NEWSLETTER CONTEST in the Subject Line of your email. Just remember, you are ALL winners with us!

Message From Your President Rita Boehm

Hi everyone: Wow! What a busy month it’s been. Hard to find time to take a breath, but I’m thrilled to be able to report on exciting news about Barnes & Noble. I hope you’ve had a chance to visit the Lake Sumter Barnes & Noble store over the last few weeks. We’ve developed a mutually beneficial relationship with the store that’s allowed us to feature eight of our authors thus far. Managing and nurturing this relationship has been time-consuming. It’s also incredibly gratifying to see our talented local authors featured in the store. Our first event ended on April 23rd and featured WWII-themed books. A total of 27 books were sold. Our current two-week event featuring thriller and crime novels ends on May 7. The kickoff get together for this event was a phenomenal success! Initial inventory of books by Mel Harrison, Phyllis Walters, J.J. Clarke and Ann Heathman sold out quickly and had to be replenished twice. See more about Barnes & Noble, incuding pictures, starting on the next page. There will be a two-week hiatus, so our next book display at Barnes & Noble will begin on May 28th and will feature memoirs. Stay tuned for more info. Participation is restricted to WLOV members. This is just one of the many benefits of membership.

General Meetings: April 14th meeting: Turn-out for Becca Syme’s insightful workshop on Seven Productivity Myths and Why You Should Stop Believing Them was the highest we’ve had for a Zoom meeting. Becca provided a link for access to her presentation slides which I’ve shared on our Facebook page (It’s also on our website). May 12th meeting: Shutta Crum, author, storyteller, keynote speaker and educator, will present: “Oh those Voices–Finding your Writer’s Voice.” Don’t miss it! Check out the FWA blog for more info about this very important topic for all writers: https://floridawriters.blog/oh- those-voices-part-1.

SUMMER HIATUS – There won’t be any meetings – or newsletters - in June and July. However, we are not folding our tents and stealing away to the beach. Your Board will still be working hard. July 24-31 we will be holding our online Beach Book Bonanza (see page 6). Throughout June and July we will be accepting your stories and poems for our September 30th SCARY MUSINGS event. Information about how to submit your work for this event is provided on page 4, and will also be sent out via email. When next we meet again it will be IN PERSON! I’m looking forward to seeing all of you at the Laurel Manor Recreation Center on August 11th at 9 am.

New Year’s Resolution Member Challenge: Don’t forget my New Year’s Resolution Member Challenge. Go to https://writersleagueofthevillages.com, select a book from one of your talented fellow WLOV authors, read the book and write an Amazon review. I just finished reading Mel Harrison’s exciting thriller, The Ambassador is Missing (book two of the Alex Boyd series)

5 and I’m in the middle of Dick Stoebel’s enjoyable memoir, I’m Almost History. I highly recommend both of them and will be writing reviews soon. New Book? If you’ve released a new book, please remember to forward the pertinent information to Paula Howard at [email protected] for inclusion on the website. I welcome your ideas and comments. Please contact me either at my personal email at [email protected] or at [email protected].

Stay safe. Happy writing. Rita

GET READY FOR JULY BEACH BOOK BONANZA! By Paula Howard, WLOV Past President WLOV is having our second book promotion this summer: BEACH BOOK BONANZA online from July 25 to 31 at writersleagueofthevillages.com All members are allotted one book to be listed at no charge as a member benefit. Then, you can have as many more books as you desire listed for $10 each additional book listing. Registration forms will be sent out to your email in May. Then, send your second, third, and more book listings with the registration form and a check or credit card info to WLOV, PO Box 1607, Lady Lake, FL 32158. Deadline is June 30 for the event to be held July 25-31 See you online!

WLOV Authors in Barnes & Noble – April-May 2021 By Rita Boehm

We placed two sets of books into B&N last month, each display for two weeks: April 10-23 and April 25-May 7. For the inaugural event, starting April 10, the theme for these books was World War II. April 10-April 23 Jenny Ferns, Ripple Effect Mark Newhouse, Book 1 of The Devil’s Bookkeepers Rita Boehm, One Soldier’s War Linda Lee Keenan, With Love From Poland

The group photo on page 1, and the top five pictures on the next page, are from April 10. Those that follow are from April 25. On both ‘kick-off’ days, many WLOV members showed up to support our authors. The woman standing with me in the upper left photo on the next page is B&N store manager Edicsa Lugo, who has been most helpful in getting this project under way.

April 25-May 7 The genre for this two-week Barnes & Noble display is suspense/thrillers, with the four books by WLOV authors. Books are listed below, and are shown in the photo on right. Other pictures on page 8 are from WLOV’s April 25th get together at the store.

Phyllis Walters, Wives Who Kill JJ Clarke: Dared to Run Ann Heathman, Liv to Tell Mel Harrison, The Ambassador is Missing

Writing-Related News

Mark Newhouse discusses his family and award-winning book The Devil’s Bookkeeper, at Holocaust Remembrance Day, April 8, 2021 Click here to hear Mark’s talk. It starts at minute 20:18 of the video.

WLOV Members’ Books For Sale at All Booked Up, Colony Plaza, for May and June, 2021 By Bill Pullen, (352) 430-3006; email [email protected].

Fiction (3 books) - Judi Ciance - “A Black Rose” (Mystery) - Gerald Radacsy - aka J.R.Garcy - “Jolly Roger Girls” (Murder Mystery) - Julie Johnson - “Dared to Run” (Mystery) Children’s (1 book) - Ginger Sanders - “Fireflies” (Children Inspirational) Non Fiction - Memoir (1 book) - Jack Grubbs - “The Legacy of Maggie Dixon” Non Fiction/Other (1 book) - Judy Nieman - “How To Enter Online Sweepstakes and Win Prizes” Featured in The Villages Magazine (May) - Jack Ciotti - “Michael, What Page Are We On?”

Wine and Words - Speaking Opportunity By Rita Boehm

I recently had the opportunity to speak to a new club—Wine and Words—which meets on the first Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm at the Riverbend Recreation Center, Village of Monarch Grove. I read a selection from my book, Missing on Maple Street, and thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with the group’s members. Some of the club’s members bring wine, hence the club’s name. However, the focus is on words. There are typically three main presenters at each session and they cover a wide variety of topics and literary styles including poetry, essays, novels, stories, and even travel journals. The group leader, Frank Lancione (photo) meets with each author ahead of time to jointly curate what they will be presenting. At the actual session, presentations consist of a five minute or so interview in front of the audience to help participants learn about the author on a personal level and understand the genesis and context of what they will be presenting. Then, authors have roughly ten to fifteen minutes at the podium to present their work. The event ends with a full group discussion where audience members are able to ask questions and share comments and experiences of their own on the themes that were presented. The group doesn’t meet in the summer, so Frank is currently working on setting up speakers for the fall and winter. Please contact him at 703-626-7514 or at [email protected], if you are interested in speaking to this friendly group of people who enjoy discussing all things ‘words’.

The Villages Songwriters Club By Bruce Kanin, Club President

The Villages Songwriters Club has been in existence since 2018. It was founded by Jerry Durbin, a resident of The Villages until 2020 when he handed leadership to Bruce Kanin. The club is a venue for songwriters of any kind, i.e., from people who are interested but inexperienced ... to Grammy Award winners (we have none of the latter…yet). The club is a place where songwriters can enjoy the thrill of having an audience listen to their work and as well for people to hear others' songs. It can be a wonderful learning experience for songwriters and listeners. Members are encouraged to perform their homegrown songs at our meetings. Performances can be live (e.g., singing with a guitar or piano) or recorded (e.g., MP3 played on a computer or CD). A discussion ensues, including constructive criticism provided to the songwriter. The club roster has a little over 30 members. Fourteen people attended the most recent meeting at Seabreeze, including 2 new “walk-ins.” It was the first in-person meeting in over a year, due to the pandemic. For about a year the club met via Zoom. We meet on the second Thursday each month, 3PM ET. A second monthly meeting was instituted early this year, dedicated to discussing songwriting topics (no performances). That meeting is now on- hold until a rec center room can be scheduled. Feedback from members has been quite good. People enjoy playing their songs and hearing others’ play theirs. There is another venue called The Songwriters’ Showcase, run by one of the club

members; some of the club members have presented their original songs there in front of audiences. Net-net, The Villages Songwriters' Club members have a lot of fun! Anyone interested in joining should email me at [email protected]. The club also has a fledgling website, home page shown here.

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Print News Items About WLOV Members Click here to read the items.

(If the click doesn’t work, this is the link: https://writersleagueofthevillages.com/wp- content/uploads/2021/04/Print-News-Items-for-May-2021-Newsletter.pdf/) Barbara Rein and Mary Ann Weakley Dee Martin Joe Finch Linda Keenan Frank Antonucci Anne Dobkin Rita Boehm & Barnes & Noble Authors WLOV Authors at Barnes & Noble Paula Howard

*** Remembering Brenda Shea By Paula Howard, Past President, WLOV

It is with heavy heart that I announce the passing of WLOV member Brenda Shea on April 16. Brenda lost her balance at home and fell, hitting her head, and consequently passing away within 48 hours, in an Ocala hospital. She was 74. Brenda was a dynamic part of Writers League of The Villages, serving on last year’s Nominating Committee and this year’s Silent Auction committee for our upcoming September 30 Scary Musings & Silent Auction event. Brenda was vivacious, energetic, so full of ideas and charisma that you knew when she was in the room. She finished writing her children’s story titled “Bella: Dancing Feet,” two days before her fall. It will be published posthumously in the near future to honor her. Brenda Shea We will miss her very much.

Which Famous Author Lived Here?

 Answer to last month’s famous-author home: This was Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Florida Home in Cross Creek, FL, an hour north of The Villages. It is now part of the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park. On June 6, 2018, WLOV sponsored a field trip to the home. This is where she wrote The Yearling and her autobiographical novel Cross Creek.

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This month’s famous-author home is shown below. Who lived here? Hint: Unlike the last three famous-author homes, this one is not in the South.

Recurring Items of Interest The following items have all appeared previously, but bear repeating. To review past WLOV newsletters, go to https://writersleagueofthevillages.com/ and click on Newsletters in the top banner.

Great Courses Writing Videos - Thursdays at 10 am “Writing Great Fiction,” continues during May with Professor James Hynes. If you are a WLOV member and have not received an email notice from Paula Howard prior to these videos, email her at [email protected].

Pay 2021 Dues Online $20 a year; can pay via credit card or Paypal. To join or renew, go to www.writersleagueofthevillages.com. Click on “Join Now” then choose Join or Renew. If you encounter any problems email [email protected].

WLOV Book Catalogue If you’d like your book(s) in our catalogue, please send a picture of your front cover (jpg or png), a short description of the book, and a purchase link (usually Amazon), to to Paula Howard at [email protected].

New WLOV Business Cards If you want some of our new WLOV business cards, email request to [email protected].

Writers of the Villages Group on Facebook Click here for the WLOV FB Group. WLOV members are invited to post information about books, awards, book signings, and other writing or author-related topics.

Village Neighbors Magazine If you’d like to be featured in Mark Newhouse’s monthly Writing Bug column in Village Neighbors Magazine, email him at [email protected].

Cartoons

Appendix Songwriting and the Nation’s Greatest Songwriter By Larry Martin [email protected]

Popular songs have both melody and harmony, plus lyrics. If you’ve tried your hand at writing lyrics, you know it’s not easy. For many writers, I imagine writing a novel is easier than writing good lyrics. Yet, for some people…it comes naturally. That was true for the nation’s greatest songwriter, Irving Berlin (1888- 1989). He wrote well over 1000 songs in his long career, including such hits as:

White Christmas God Bless America Alexander’s Ragtime Band Blue Skies Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better There’s No Business Like Show Business You’re Just in Love Easter Parade Cheek to Cheek This is The Army, Mr. Jones

Unlike almost every other songwriter who wrote for movies and Broadway, Berlin composed the music and wrote the lyrics for his songs. This is all the more remarkable because he could not read music, and could only play the piano in one key, F#. Click here to read my review of this remarkable songwriter, and hear many of his most popular songs via one-click links to YouTube recordings. (A screen shot of my review’s first page is shown below.) The linked YouTube recordings include remarkable performances by Ethel Merman, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton, and other great 20th century singers and dancers. If you decide to try your hand at songwriting (the music and/or the lyrics) consider joining The Villages Songwriting Club (see page 10). It might also be helpful to review Irving Berlin’s “9 Rules for Writing Popular Songs,” published in 1920.

Irving Berlin’s 9 Rules for Writing Popular Songs 1. Melody must be within the range of the average voice of the average singer. 2. The title must be simple and planted throughout the song via use of repetition. 3. The idea and lyric must be appropriate for both sexes…so both will want to sing it. 4. The song should contain heart interest (i.e., pathos, appeals to the emotions of the audience), even if it’s a comic song. 5. The song must be original in idea, words and music…success is not accomplished by imitating the hit song of the moment. 6. Lyrics must deal with ideas, emotions or objects known to everyone. 7. The lyric must be euphonious – simple and pleasing to the ear. 8. The song must be perfectly simple. Simplicity is achieved only after much hard work, but you must attain it. 9. The song writer must look upon his work as a business, that is, to make a success of it he must work and work and work, and then WORK.