Third Wednesdays
Metro Cafe Diner
1905 Rockbridge Rd, Stone Mountain, GA 30087
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Chapter Leader:
Charles de Andrade
1905 Rockbridge Rd, Stone Mountain, GA 30087
6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Chapter Leader:
Charles de Andrade
Scribblers,
Please find attached to this e-mail the announcement of the potential Book Signing opportunity for Scribblers. The Dekalb Library System is having its annual Book Signing opportunity on March 30, 2019 at the Tucker Library. It appears to be open to all authors based in Georgia, and not just to Dekalb authors. I have registered to come up for the book signing as the leader of Scribblers based in Georgia. I am not sure whether they will allow me to be there yet, but I am sure lobbying to be there. Having said that, please let me know if you are registering for the book signing. I went in 2017 and more than covered the $25.00 registration fee, although it was not a "huge" success and I just broke about even with my costs. Also, when you register if you would let the folks know you are part of Scribblers Christian Writers group. I have asked them to put us together in an area, so we can use some of the banners etc for the group. Please do confirm that you receive this e-mail, and be looking for another e-mail related to the Decatur book festival tomorrow or Wednesday. Also, there will be additional news related to the use of the library for future meetings. Thanks Grace and Peace, Charles ![]() Join Pat Smith for the signing of her first book! Snowball Investing tells the tale of when Pat Peoples Smith was suddenly faced with a family member’s health crisis, she was confronted with her own crisis: as a single woman, she was unprepared for retirement or any unforeseen health crisis that might come knocking at her door. Snowball Investing traces Pat’s financial footprints as she digs her way out of debt and begins to rebuild her future portfolio one financial snowflake at a time. Sprinkled with childhood stories and the school of hard knocks, she shares the exact path that she followed to pursue her goal. Pat invites you to follow her onto the slopes and allow the lessons from blizzards, mud, and perfect strangers help you: Confess the Financial Mess; Defeat the Debt Alien•Find Millions in the Mud; Build a Sizable Financial Portfolio for Retirement; Even Discover Spiritual Riches Beyond Your Imagination!…and don’t forget your shovel and a big brown sack! Her Book Signing will take place: 1-3pm, Saturday, February 16 Beans & Butter Coffeehouse River Oak Plaza, 851 Oak Rd Lawrenceville, GA 30044 We'll See you there!! Meet Georgia's Version of Elliot Ness in Claire Hertzler's book The High Sheriff of Greene County The True Story of the Legendary Lawman L. L. Wyatt Saturday - March 16 11am to 2pm The Southern Pen Bookshop (located inside the Monroe Mercantile) ![]() Georgia was knee deep in moonshine during prohibition. It flowed as freely as the mountain streams of North Georgia. But, the capital for moonshine was located in Greene County. A rural county east of Atlanta. It supplied Atlanta with the fiery white liquid that whetted the taste for alcohol and line the pockets of those on the wrong side of prohibition and a few that were suppose to be upholding the law. All of this changed with a young sheriff named L.L. Wyatt. Claire Hertler's book, The High Sheriff of Greene County tells both the myth and the legend of this one man's efforts to clean-up Greene County despite the threats and dangers against him. Welcome All Scribblers! 2019 is upon us!
I hope that you all had an absolutely marvelous Christmas! 2019 is right around the corner, and with it comes excitement over what the new year will bring for all of us. But first, an update coming out of our December meeting, since so many folks were already on the road or attending Christmas related events. Joining us for the meeting was Sarah Grimes. Sarah does graphic arts and is proficient at creating Book Covers for authors who need that type of assistance. She can be reached at either [email protected] or 404-539-5937. Her graphic arts side is a part time work, so please leave her a message and she will get back to you. Sarah comes to the group through Luanne Scrogan, one of our authors. I personally know how important it is to have a quality cover for your books. Part of what Scribblers is about, is bring to all its members the different expertise that a traditional publisher would provide for an author. In this new world, especially when so many authors self-publish, having the resources available is important. Thank you, Luanne, for recommending Sarah to our group. We are still in the need for proof readers, editors, and other artists to aid us all with our books, and with our marketing. If you have any recommendations, please invite them to our meeting, and let me know who you know that can help us. I am speaking with Joe at Trinity Press, and he has a good editor that I hope to be introducing to everyone soon. Also joining us for the meeting was Tony Miller. Tony was recommended to us by a new member David, who I met while attending the book signing at Southern Pen last month. Tony is a retired library administrator, who is amazingly aware of what the library systems look for in placing books on their shelves, and he is a writer as well. Please welcome Tony to the group as well. Attached to this e-mail you will see the Scribbler 2018 plaque each member was given at the December meeting. If you did not receive a plaque, please see me at the January meeting to get yours! I look forward to us growing as a group of writers, and this plaque is a reminder that you were a Scribbler in 2018! Our next meeting will occur on Thursday January 17. 2019 at 6:00 PM at the Crossings Restaurant in Norcross GA. I have asked for the side room, behind the bar, with the hope that as we grow larger that location will permit us all to hear one another better. For the January meeting we will be adding a new section to the meeting. What I am calling: “Author Focus” will give two/three authors the opportunity to share current works they are working on for the group to comment on. It will also be the opportunity for the author to share what they need from the group in order to help them succeed. For the January Meeting the following authors will have the 10 minutes “in the Sun”. Mike Owens, Luanne Scrogan, and Charles de Andrade will be speaking. Anytime an author wants a review of something new they are working on, we will circulate a selection of their project to everyone about 2 weeks before the meeting. For my section, I will be talking about Marketing and the plan to use the Amazon platform to our advantage as authors. Please be looking forward to the next e-mail that will come out shortly after the New Year starts. I you are interested in "Author Focus" for February, please let me know. Finally, I would like to gather each of your goals for 2019 at the January meeting. This will give us all the opportunity to share what we are working towards in 2019. I shared my goals with you for the December meeting. Please write out your goals for the meeting and provide me with a copy. I look forward to seeing everyone in January. Please let me know if you are able to make the January meeting, so I can provide the Restaurant with the correct head count. See you in the new year! Grace and Peace, Charles Scribblers!
You ever have one of those days, where you are writing, and your forget to save what you are writing, and then the computer glitches, and all the work simply disappears into the digital abyss, never to be found again! Ah yes…it happened twice to me today. E-Mails are notorious for that! So, a lesson…save often, or have a photographic memory of what you were writing! Anyway, this Thursday December 20th, 2018 is our last Scribblers meeting for 2018! We will be meeting at the Crossings Restaurant in Norcross at 6:00 PM. This is our third Christmas as a formed group and we have much to celebrate, and a lot to look forward to in 2019. Please let me know if you are coming, so I can give the Restaurant the right head count. I know that some of you are already traveling, like Pat and Anthony Smith, who I believe are on their way to sunny Florida! If you can not make the meeting, I want to thank you personally for 2018. Each of you have added considerably to the joy of this year. As we look forward to 2019, I have some goals for us as a writer’s group.
On the personal side, I also believe it is good to have goals for yourself for 2019. Here are mine related to my own writing:
Anyway, if you each would write out you own goals for your writing for 2019, I would like to collect those, so we can follow-up with each other to see how we are doing at achieving those goals. Finally, attached to this e-mail is the current prayer letter from Bill and Noy Peeler. As normal, it is a wonderful reminder of the work of our Lord in every corner of this world. Our value as human beings is not in how much we own, or how much we can earn, where we live, or what we do for a living but in that amazing life we are given by the Lord, who is bringing us into his kingdom. Please do read the letter, as it helped me again focus on what is really important this season. I am looking forward to Bill and Noy’s return in 2020 and seeing these letters formed into a book. Well, thanks, and hope to see you all on Thursday. Grace and Peace, Charles Hello Scribblers!
This Thursday we have our normal Norcross Scribblers meeting. We have a lot to go over, as we prepare for the December 1, 2018 book signing at Newsong Church. Hopefully you have seen the advertisement placed in the "Places To Go, Things to Do" in the Hometown News. We will talk about getting out to our Sphere of Influence over the next two weeks, to see how many folks we can encourage to come to the church for the book signing. Also, in conversations with both Rodney of Best Seller Management, and with my publisher, the importance of getting book reviews up on the Amazon site was stressed. Also, there is real value in being a certified buyer of the book when you leave a review. I am think of a program designed for each of us to get each other to leave certified buyer reviews. More on that when we are together but here is the outline: 1) We each commit to buying 1 book on Amazon from one of the Scribbler Authors. a) That will produce both a spike in the books position in the Amazon software, and then we will each leave one review for one author every month. b) This will mean we are each committing about $15 - 20 each month to buy an authors book, and then the time to read and review the book. c) But we should get $5 - 10 back from Amazon or our publisher in royalties from the sales that are occurring each month as well. d) If enough of us are doing this, it should mean each month you will have at least one sale registering with Amazon, e) and by the end of a year, we will have sold 12 books, left review for 12 books, and bought 12 books. Anyway, I am really interested in seeing how this might raise our authors awareness to the Amazon API (software systems). I would like to spend time thinking through the resources we can get to help support our chapters. Right now we have three paying resources, and that covered the October fee for the web site and also helped defray the cost of the November advertising in Hometown news for the book signing. I would like to get another 7 resources, so that they will cover both the monthly fees for the website, and the monthly advertisements we are doing. I am interested also in find us all good resources we can use for our books. For instance, editors, cover designers, graphic artists, website creators, etc. If you know of anyone you have worked with that I could speak to about being a resource please let me know. I plan to speak to the Restaurant we are meeting in each month about being a resource for us as well. That may entail us leaving a food review on yelp, but more on that after I meet with them. I want to review everyone's schedule for December. The third Thursday in December is December 20th. And the 4th Wednesday is December 26th. (Day after Christmas). Will you be available for the meetings at your respective chapters if we hold to those dates? I need to know, so I can confirm everything with both the restaurant in Decatur and for the Hometown News for the advertisements. It is my hope that the December meetings will also be a bit of a Christmas celebration for us. 2018 is the third Christmas for Norcross Scribblers and the first Christmas for the Decatur Scribblers. We have so much to be grateful for and to celebrate. A big "Thank you" for all who came out to support Mike and Leda Owens last Friday at their Book Signing at Southern Pen. My network of folks said that the weather was terrible last Friday in Atlanta, so many thanks to those who made the extra effort. I did speak to Mike and he sold a number of books, and was in good spirits about the signing. Please remember that I have a book signing at the same store this Saturday from 10:30 - 2:00 PM. Any visitors would be greeted warmly! Finally, be writing down who you will be approaching to attend our book signing event at Newsong on Saturday December 1st. I look forward to seeing everyone this Thursday. Grace and Peace, Charles Book signing season is fast approaching!
Mike and Leda Owens, two of the Norcross members, have a book signing this Friday at the Southern Pen Bookshop in Monroe. If you can, stop out to support them. I have a book signing at the same location on Saturday November 17th! Again, if you are in the area, please stop on by. Finally, we will have the Scribblers Book Sign at NewSong Church on Saturday December 1, 2018 in Monroe. I have attached to this e-mail the copy of the advertisements that have been run for the various book signings and meetings. I have circled each of the advertisements that have appeared in all of the November Hometown News magazines. Much thanks to our "resources" who have helped defray the cost of the advertisements. I have also attached an invitation sheet that Luanne made for the event. Please begin circulating this to all of your "sphere of influence" folks. If each of us can reach 100 - 200 friends, family, church members etc, and if even a small % show up, it will be a real success. A good part of our meeting on the 15th will be spent preparing our marketing plan for our book signing event. Also, I will give a report on the work I am doing with RebellBooks - Rodney Bell's group, marketing my books. Please let me know if you are able to attend the meeting. I need to advise the restaurant again of the number of seats to set up for us. Regards, Charles ![]() Though this is her first book, Claire is uniquely qualified to write The High Sheriff of Greene as she grew up in the Wyatt culture of Greene County, GA. “There goes Wyatt and Taylor,” she remembers hearing as the sheriff whizzed by in a cloud of dust with his deputy. Claire has written the story of this legendary sheriff from over 30 oral interviews and numerous newspaper accounts. She has brought Wyatt alive again to those who knew him and for those who wished they had. In this little gem of a book, Claire Hertzler has preserved a story sure to captivate and inspire. A blogger, Claire’s blog site: www.justclairefying.com deals with current issues, observations about living, and profiles of folks inspiring others. Her other writings include the following published articles:
In addition to writing, Claire enjoys cooking, gardening, fashions, and travel. She holds degrees from Mercer University, Southwestern Seminary, and GA State University. She has professional experience in the fields of public education, Christian education, volunteer services administration, and non-profits. She was one of the first activists fighting human trafficking in Atlanta, an interest she maintains. She is active in the North Avenue Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. Claire enjoys living in Decatur, GA with her husband, Eugene. She especially enjoys the mornings they go for cappuccino at one of their favorite coffee shops in Decatur. And the Decatur Book Festival. Claire delights in the people she has met on her author’s journey. She is available to book clubs, book-signings, author panels, media interviews. Claire Underwood Hertzler, 129 Mimosa Drive, Decatur, GA 30030 ![]() Dr. P. K. Wayne is an adult educator and freelance writer. She graduated from Spelman College and continued on to earn a Doctorate in Education. Wayne is the founder of The Write Aide, a non-profit organization advocating literacy. Wayne currently resides in Decatur, Georgia with her husband and three children. When she's not swimming with mermaids or dueling with dinosaurs, Dr. P. K. Wayne is brainstorming her next goofy kid adventure. Her daily life with her three kids serves as the source of inspiration for her children's books. Wayne awes audiences with funny stories sure to tickle the hearts of little ones everywhere. Dr. Wayne has released her debut novel, Strings Attached. And for younger readers, she has penned three children's books titled, A Bad Hair Day and Booger Bites: A Nose Picker's Battle with an Icky, Sticky Habit and A Dinosaur in Decatur. Dr. Wayne loves to hear from readers.
Visit her website or feel free to review the books on Amazon or GoodReads. The next meeting of the Decatur chapter of Scribblers is Wednesday, October 24th at MIssion Haven at 235 Inman Drive, Decatur, GA at 6:30 PM.
If you did not get to attend the last meeting, it was marvelous with six or more new writers coming for the first time to hear about Scribblers. Claire Hertzler will be leading the meeting. If you are coming to the Decatur meeting please park on Inman near 235. Someone will direct to the meeting room. You can reach Claire at 404-357-2108 if you get lost! The MIssion Haven facilities are actually a group of homes, and we meet in the basement of one of the homes. Once you have been there one time, it is easy to find. (Also Claire had put out signage with arrows directing folks to the right home, although some of us...that be me, were not that observant! ) So, if you are coming the first time and need help finding the room, please do call Claire. Please do let Claire know if you are coming, so she can be prepared for the number of seats needed. You can attend both the Norcross and Decatur meetings if you like. It is always wonderful to meet so many different writers and learn from their experiences. For those not in attendance at the Norcross meeting, the upcoming book signing opportunity will be reviewed as well. We will need the list of Decatur authors that will be attending the book signing on December 1, as well. Also, Claire has found a radio program where authors discuss their books. She is going to be on the program shortly, and you can find out more by attending the Decatur meeting, and by reviewing the upcoming events on the Scribblers web site. (www.Scribblersweb.com). I hope many of you will be able to make this meeting. Grace and Peace, Charles Southern Pen Bookshop - Charles de Andrade, one of our authors has a scheduled book signing at the shop on Saturday, November 17.
Book Signing Saturday, November 17 Monroe Mercantile Co. located at 113 N Broad Street Monroe, Georgia 30655 ![]() With two degrees from Georgia Tech, April rose to the executive suite, left the corporate world, earned an MDiv and DMin, and was ordained. Today she is writing a series called Disorderly Parable Bible Studies, including James in the Suburbs on James (2014), Dismantling Injustice on the Song of Solomon (2016), and St. Francis and the Christian Life on Galatians (2018). April lives with her husband and Great Dane in Atlanta, GA. Join us at 7:15 PM on the First Friday Of Every Month at the Decatur Library
Author Interviews by Author and Radio Host, Doug Dahlgren. Doug interviews four authors in person every first Friday evening. To attend this free and informative event, bring friends and park down on lower level of library. Walk inside from that level and to the auditorium where Author Interviews are held. Enter the drive to Decatur Library Parking from Sycamore Street (you're going between the library and the Recreation Center.) Doors open at 6:45 pm... bring a sweater. Any author can contact Doug and schedule an interview; he is booked for at least six months ahead. Scribbler author Claire Underwood Hertzler is one of the scheduled authors to be interviewed on December 7. The Doug Dahlgren Show is Available to Authors: Authors may schedule an hour long interview for your book alone on The Doug Dahlgren Show on Fridays at 11:00 am or tune in at that time to listen to the show. Again, he is booked for months ahead even though this interview requires a $50 fee. It is an online show which goes international and is posted for an author to refer folks to or to copy portions for promo. The interviews are done via phone from your home. You may go to this website below to listen to previous shows. Contact Info: [email protected] Website: www.artist.com/Dahlgren.htm ![]() Scribblers - Norcross Chapter September 20, 2018 The Scribblers Chapter met at the Crossing Restaurant in Downtown Norcross. It was our largest gather yet, with 15 in attendance. The meeting had several sections including: 1) Introduction of guest/new potential resources 2) Marketing Opportunity Reviews 3) Author submissions and review Section 1) Introduction of guests/ new potential resources a) Our guests for the meeting included Vickie Bley of the Southern Pen Bookshop and Turnip Press. Vickie Bley <[email protected]> https://www.southernpenbookshop.com Vickie came to us through Gary Pulliam who is also a publisher who has attended our meetings in the past and came with Vickie to this meeting as well. Thank you to Gary for exposing the Scribblers group to this potential resource for us. Vickie shared with us her unique bookstore concept, where independent authors can have their book shown and marketed for a "shelf space" fee that can be quarterly, semiannual or annual. The authors get to keep 80% of the collected payments for the books, and the authors get the ability to have signings and other exposure. Since the meeting several authors have explored the possibilities with Vickie, and at the Decatur Scribblers meeting the following week, Charles de Andrade announced that he had placed his four books with the Southern Pen Bookshop, and had scheduled a book signing at the shop for Saturday November 17th. Charles visited the bookshop, and was impressed by the concept that Vickie is driving. Vickie also mentioned another book store based in Florida with a similar concept that Charles will be checking out for the group as well. Members are encouraged to check out how Sothern Pen Bookshop is highlighting Charles work, and Charles will keep the team informed on how the program is working. The Southern Pen Bookshop and Turnip Press has joined Scribblers as a "Resource" and will be supporting the group through the monthly payment to help defray the cost of the scribblersweb.com site. b) We also welcomed several new visitors including Stephanie Brown and her husband. Stephanie spoke about her book using the human body's wonderful complexity as a description as well of the church body. Stephanie has joined the Norcross Chapter, and more about her book can be found on the scribblersweb.com site shortly. QUICKENED! Made Alive Spirit, Soul, Body [as Stephanie Hughes] and self published it in 2002. In this book, the operation of the Church as the Bod y of Christ is aligned with functions of ten systems of the human body, its cells and blood cells. This book brings spiritual enlightenment to the Medical Profession, and Medical enlightenment to the Spiritual Community. A copy of Stephanie's synopsis of the book is also attached. Section 2) Marketing Opportunity Reviews a) On the marketing front we discussed the upcoming Scribblers Book Signing to be held on Saturday December 1st at : New Song Church at 628 Camp Lake Road, Monroe, GA 30655. Pastor Cameron at the Church offered the use of the facility for no charge, and he will also have his books on display as well. We can thank Luanne Scrogan of the Norcross Chapter for the connection. The book signing will start at 10:00 AM and go to 3:00 PM. Each Scribbler's author will have their own table, and the ability to display both their books and their banners. Scribblers will be checking on placing advertisements to promote the book signing event, and each author will be encourage to alert their sphere of influence about the event. We look forward to that event. b) We continue to look for additional marketing opportunities, especially in the holiday period. c) All Scribbler members are encouraged to check out their listings on www.scribblersweb.com. Please be sure the links to your books are there, as well as the information on where your books can be found for purchase. Section 3) Author submissions and review a) Mike Owens shared a chapter from a new book he is working on. Like so many of us have experienced, there are times the story seems to stop, seeking a direction to go. Mike was able to glean some thoughts from the different members about where the story could head. Going forward, we will be developing this portion of our meetings further, so that more writers can share what they are working on. The next meeting of the Norcross Scribblers will be on Thursday October 18th at 6:00 PM at the Crossing Restaurant. Here is the current agenda: 1) Welcoming of guests - No guest speaker is currently expected. 2) Marketing Update - a) Preparation for Book Signing on December 1 - Advertisement review 3) Author Submission - Bill and Noy Peelers latest Letter (attached here for review.) Bill and Noy are working on compiling these letters into a book Currently Bill and Noy are in Cambodia serving as missionaries. 4) Web Site updates 5) Florida Scribblers Chapter developing - Likely launch is January 2019 - North Lake Presbyterian is considering being the sponsor' ![]() Although a native Virginian, Pat has branded herself as a Georgia Peach for over 35 years. She acknowledges having no financial credentials, but is uniquely qualified to pen her first book, "Snowball Investing," on financial matters as a result of a family crisis and the knee-jerk urgency to transform her own finances. Using the principles of stewardship, she recounts in detail the steps taken to erase all debts and to create a comprehensive financial portfolio to outweigh unforeseen future expenses. Pat’s first published work appeared in the book, "In Search of a Match Black & White," by Dan Moore, Sr. She relives her journey with a perfect stranger, a leukemia patient in desperate need of a bone marrow or stem cell transplant. Their recollection of the donor/recipient process is highlighted from both vantage points. Over the last three decades, Pat has also penned an assortment of unpublished poems for personal encouragement and as gifts to friends. Pat’s college degrees in occupational therapy and counseling, as well as her past and present association with “helps” industries including real estate and the world-renown Reliv International, Inc., have given her a lifetime of opportunities to meet people in desperate and hurting places, and guide them towards a state of hope and purpose. Pat can be contacted via her website, www.snowball-investing.com, and followed on her Facebook page, Snowball Investing. She shares practical money-saving tips and articles of inspiration to encourage readers to rid themselves of the debt blob in order to protect ones’ greatest asset producer, their income. Pat enjoys reading, sewing, and travelling with her husband Sumner Anthony Smith. She is personally inspired each time she ministers at Gilgal, Inc., a faith-based drug and alcohol women’s transitional facility in Atlanta. She is also active in her home church, Berean Bible Baptist Church in Atlanta. Book Signing - Woodstock, Georgia 30188 - The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta: Saturday June 29th, 2019
![]() Atlanta born and raised, Frannie earned her BS from Georgia State University and a Certificate in Bible from seminary. She served with a missions group in France. She worked in education, corporate, manufacturing, co-authored self-help book and an author of a novel. Frannie began writing professionally in 2008. Since then she has written and published three books: Two Christian Suspense Fictions and One Self-Help: Co-dependency and Addictions. She should publish her third Christian Suspense Fiction in 2019. She learned about emotional health as an associate - Worldwide Discipleship Association. She lives in metro Atlanta with husband Doug and dog Sally. Buy Frannie's books. ![]() Both Civil War re-enactors, Julie and Rick were extras in a short film on historical rural churches in Georgia which aired on Georgia Public TV in 2017. They have been researching Rick's family for over 20 years. Rick's ancestor, Dr. Noel D'Alvigny, was the role model for Dr. Meade in "Gone with the wind." This book is about the Doctor's daughter, Pauline (Rick's 3rd great grandmother), who grew up in Charleston before the family moved to Atlanta in the early 1850's. This includes Pauline's personal account, in her own words, of the War in Atlanta in 1864 when she was forced to leave her home near Peachtree creek. A farmer's wife, she became the matron of one of the hospitals in Atlanta. Julie, with the help of her husband Rick, weaves in and out of the past, and includes some of Clarke's re-enactments and modern day events in addition to the Civil War. Rick Clarke, this books historical advisor, is currently working on a book in Pauline's father who was from France, Dr. Peter Noel D'Alvigny. ![]() Bill and Noy Peeler are Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel serving the Khmer population of Cambodia in partnership with the Cambodia Baptist Union. Noy Peeler first heard the gospel in a refugee camp, and she has been telling others about Jesus ever since. Noy is a native Cambodian and former Buddhist, and understands both the culture and religion of many Cambodians. Bill is a U.S. Army veteran, fluent in the Khmer language and has experience in refugee relief work, public and adult English as a Second Language Education and as pastor of a Cambodian congregation. Bill and Noy seek to help pastors and church leaders achieve their ministry goals by participating in community projects of evangelism and training, working alongside the Cambodia Baptist Union to proclaim the Gospel in remote parts of the country and providing leadership and pastoral training. William and Noy Peeler are in the mission field In Columbia... their newsletters are some of the most touching real stories you could ever read. They are currently working with with a fellow Scribbler, Charles De Andrade, to turn these into a book. You can learn more and donate to their cause here. ![]() Mike has been writing since Middle School – short stories about friends and their adventures in strange and exotic places. Stories that would wind up, sooner or later, buried in some trash can by a mother who believed a neat and tidy room was next to godliness. It was no big deal at the time- a career in writing wasn’t in his thinking. It was just a fun thing to do while entertaining himself. As a senior in high school in Metairie, Louisiana, Mike won the Journalism Gold Medal Award; a prize he cherished - especially since he was competing against some of the smartest students in the class. Even at this point, he still never considered writing as more than a pleasurable pastime. He continued to write in college and was recognized for his attributes in writing, especially by his history professor, Dr. Thomas Howell. In his first job at Pinecrest State School in 1974 as a Speech Therapist,, he collaborated with Nathan Canella, the music therapist, to produce Eggs! Eggs! Eggs! an Easter musical that was performed at the school for many years afterwards. He also wrote his first instructional manual for teaching sign language to non-verbal students at the school. Later, as an Educational Consultant for the Department of Education in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he wrote numerous training manuals for special education teachers and administrators covering a variety of special needs students. In 1995, Mike traveled to Costa Rica and taught there for three years. He continued writing about the wonderful people he encountered while traveling around the country. The bug to write was still there, but the thought of becoming a published author, was not part of his life’s equation. It wasn’t until about five years later, after returning to the states, did the urge to publish take hold. It took almost ten years to finish writing two young adult books. It was after retiring, and a move to Georgia before he realized the opportunity to become published. Only after becoming a part of the Scribblers’ Christian writers group in Norcross did publishing his works become a reality. Mike gives much credit to Charles de Andrede, the leader of Scribblers, for his direction and encouragement to him personally in the completion of his first two published novels. A year and a half after arriving in Georgia, Mike married Leda Still, a budding artist with whom he collaborated to produce a third book jointly called “The I Hate Vegetables Book of Poetry for Kids” due out for Christmas 2017. Additional books, as well as Leda’s artwork displayed at Leda’s Loft, are in the works. As they become available, announcements will be made on this website and blog. For more on Mike, visit his website! ![]() Luanne was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. Where she completed high school in 1971 and married her husband, Ken in 1972 at Faith Bible Chapel at 9th and Acoma Street in Denver. Her first job, at the age of 14, was at a carnation greenhouse, where she spent her summer hours that year “disbudding” the flowers and carefully packing the ready ones for the florists. She says she still dearly loves carnations and their fragrance! Throughout the years, she has enjoyed various types of work, including, stocking and receiving, Nurse’s Aide, factory work at Jolly Rancher Candies, and much more. After giving birth to their daughter in 1977 she worked as a Fire Department Dispatcher which she said was one of the most enjoyable things she has done! Later, after completing the series of cake decorating courses at Mrs. Mayo’s Cake Decorating School, she spent much time making & decorating cakes for weddings and other occasions. She went on to teach classes at Mrs. Mayo’s and fill in for decorators at various other bakeries as needed, while still doing cakes out of her home. It was a fun and rewarding career for many years! In 1987, Luanne and her family moved to Atlanta, Georgia area and soon found herself increasingly more focused on her interests in whole-grains and nutrition. She began to sell her whole-grain breads for extra money and she experimented more with other whole-grains. Luanne has always been interested in culinary arts and nutrition. She has written numerous recipes, which she hopes to compile into a collection of recipe books in the near future! “I have always loved Wowing people with food. No matter where I am or where we go to church, the Lord always puts me to work in the kitchen!” she chuckles! She has been a valued resource of culinary and nutritional information by her peers and also offered instructional classes at church for over 35 years on subjects from basic cooking and reading labels, to nutritional balances and incorporating whole grains into your diet; and more recently gluten-free facts. Wherever they have been planted she has found herself in the position of coordinating kitchen activities at church for over 30 years and says that “since I have never had the ability to start my own restaurant, the church kitchen is my restaurant!” With joy she has planned and orchestrated scratch-made meals for various groups of 25 to as many as 400 and says, “I have loved every exhausting minute of it”! Currently, although her desire is to continue with the compilation of her cookbooks, she feels led to focus her strongest efforts on the promotion of her first published book, “Faith Standing”. As well as the continuance of writing the sequel, “Faith Walking”. Faith Standing is testimony and study of biblical truths to encourage one to stand sturdy and strong in faith, like the tree of old that does not up-root in the midst of winds and storms of life; but it just roots in deeper and continue to stand and trust! The purpose in Faith Standing, is that through the washing of the word and the testimonial examples therein; the reader might be encouraged to follow James 1:6 in: ASKING IN FAITH… WITH NOTHING WAVERING! Since the age of sixteen, when she solidly gave her heart to Jesus, it has been her heart to serve God to the best of her ability. However, as she says, “I am definitely a work in progress! God has seen me through so many experiences and He has helped me, increasingly, to mature and grow in His word and in my relationship with Him! I learn more as I go along, and He truly is my source of joy, peace and contentment. My hope is that in the reading of Faith Standing, the reader will find out how and why: “Faith dances with great joy at planting… in great expectation of the harvest’s increase!”
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Norcross/
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