I Survived Avon Park Spring Book Binge, But Did Avon Park Survive ME...?

So I made it to Avon Park this morning to set up for their first Spring Book Binge at their community center. After the heartbreak of not selling any of my works at Gainesville, I was afeared of how things would go this time.

...

Well, I got better.

The drive went faster than expected given the distance - I worried I left too late in the morning - as there wasn't as much traffic that early on a Saturday. I got there just at 9am with enough time to get set up for a large table display. I was able to use the big book wire stand this time, for one thing.

Alas, the retractable banner I've had over the years just doesn't want to stay upright. I dread it has run its course. I will need to see about getting another author banner - or table covering - of some form.

I don't think I will ever get my hair figured out

The community center is about the size of my library's general meeting room, so it had decent floor space for the twenty or so authors appearing. Included in the mix is RM Hamrick, whom I've met for previous NaNo writing events before the controversies ended my tenure with NaNo.

The event ran from 10am to 4pm, and we had a decent cycle of turnout. I was able to promote my works - there were a lot of questions about the Strangely Funny anthologies - and even made a few sales.

(Doing a head count) Okay, I traded a Funny Locations with another author Nicole LaBrocca for her novella Shadows of Betrayal; sold three copies of Funny Locations, one copy of Strangely Funny VIII (after I wowed the customer with how the Murder Hornets story came to be), and my last print copy of Strangely Funny I (Sarah, Gwen, got any I can order in bulk???).

I did miss a purchase because my PayPal electronic account is outdated: the card reader no longer works and I'll need to get a chip reader to replace. I do hope the lady follows through and purchases the Mardi Gras Murder book off of the online retailers.

Also, Avon Park's Community Center is just across the parking lot from the Avon Park Public Library... and as a librarian, I am compelled to visit each library I see, during which I dropped off a two copies of my latest books to see if they were interested in adding them to collection.

Not in picture: the Amtrak train tracks to the left.
Apparently it's not too noisy, but the vibrations may shake
the bookshelves from time to time...

It's AVON PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY!
Support Your Local Libraries, Florida!!!

In all respects, today was a good day.

That said, on the drive back I swung through Frostproof - a small Polk County town that is way off the main highways - for several reasons: 1) when I studied Florida history in the second grade our history book used Frostproof as a model community to describe the state, so it's been in my mind for almost my whole life, and 2) it's one of the few Polk County libraries I've yet to visit (Polk City and Dundee remain on my to-do list). Alas, by the time I got to Frostproof the library was closed, but the ice cream parlor Frostbite was still open and I got a butterscotch sundae (yum).

If I do this book event again, I will need to write another book and get published soon...

(struggles to get the princess cheetah storyline back up to speed)

Avon Park: Spring Book Binge Local Author Event

Well, someone talked me into this: I've signed up as a local author to appear at the Spring Book Binge on March 29th in Avon Park FL.

...

...It's just north of Sebring.

...

...and it's south of Lake Wales. Sheesh, just drive down US 27 and keep your eyes open!

  

I'll be hawking Funny Locations and volumes of Strangely Funny! 

Please show up! At least let people you know in that area about this event, thank you!

Put It On the Calendar: Sunshine State Book Festival 2025 in Gainesville

I am proud to announce I will be among a ton of authors at the upcoming Sunshine State Book Festival in Gainesville the weekend of January 31st - February 1st 2025.

(squee)

This will be a personal delight because I will return to ye olde college stomping grounds of University of Florida, a quiet little nostalgic trip while reveling in my semi-consistent career as a short story writer of little renown.

(beat)

Yeah I gotta work on that.

The location is a little off from the center of Gainesville itself, so here's the street address you can plug into the GPS tracking to find your way:

Sunshine State Book Festival

January 31 – February 1, 2025

Best Western Gateway Grand

4200 NW 97th Blvd. Gainesville, Florida

I'll be promoting Funny Locations for the most part, but I'll bring along some of my other promo materials for the Strangely Funny anthologies to entice people.

 

Hope to see you all there, and a pre-emptive Happy New Year for this.

Okay fine Happy Turkey Sacrifice Day as well.

Bartow Authors Event, Saturday May 20th. BE THERE OR ELSE I WILL YODEL AT YOU. IN KLINGON. BACKWARDS.

Oh, I should have mentioned this sooner.

I will be one of many local authors at the Bartow Writers' Block Party and Street Fair happening this Saturday May 20th from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Lemme get the details here:

All types of activities including, painting with a friend, kids coloring with a Klingon, a Jane Austen panel, guest speakers, music & so much more.

We are inviting people or their pets, to dress up as characters from books. This also includes your favorite author like Herman Melville, HG Wells, Mary Shelly, Edgar Rice Burroughs. The skies are the limit on who you want to be. It could be from a movie that was adapted from a novel or a character from the book itself, including the author.

It's a pet-friendly event, but make sure your alligator is emotionally prepared to attend.

There will be painting activities for kids and teens, I believe.

Food vendors will be in the area, so lunches and refreshments are available (bring moneys for books and food, don't eat the books eat the food).

I may have drink mugs and mousepad giveaways. I need to check supplies.

To the nine people I think follow me, hope you can make it to Bartow this Saturday!

Lake County Comic Con 2022: I Shall Be There

And I shall be square!

The annual Lake County Comic Con - located at the Trilogy Orlando, address 100 Falling Acorn Ave, Groveland FL, it's north of Clermont FL folks, check your GPS - will open Sunday November 20 from 10AM to 5PM, and I will be one of many vendors there offering our wares!

I will bring the latest volume of the Strangely Funny anthology series, copies of my short story collection Last of the Grapefruit Wars, and a special offer this time around.

 

For one book purchase at $10.00, you get a Witty Librarian mousepad!

For two book purchases at $20.00, you get a Witty Librarian mug!

Supplies are limited, so the deal won't last!

I might even bring my Royal Palm Literary Award for display!

Hope to see you there, drive safe. Mask up if need to, COVID is still out there, please get your booster shots. 

Lake County Comic Con Sunday November 21: Be There And Be Square!!! ...Wait is that how it works...?

 Hola and opa, faithful followers of this blog!

I will make an Author's appearance at the upcoming LAKE COUNTY COMIC CON this Sunday November 21st opening at 10:00AM! It's at Trilogy Orlando in Groveland, FL, (exact address is 100 Falling Acorn Ave, Groveland, FL 34736 so you can GPS it) with tickets going for $8 a person.

This is slightly to the northwest of Clermont (emphasis on north), where I've been to previous comic cons this time of year.

I'll be selling copies of my story anthology Last of the Grapefruit Wars as well as volumes of the Strangely Funny anthologies containing my works, especially the latest work "War of the Murder Hornets!"

This year I'm including Witty Librarian mousepads for sale, and I will be holding a raffle drawing of a Witty Librarian coffee mug!

Some lucky winner will get this official Witty mug!!!

I promise to be fully vaccinated for the event - getting a booster shot this week - masking up and socially distancing, and I hope to see you there with appropriate CDC-approved style!

Current Status of Bartow Public Library March 2020

With all that is happening in the world right now, one thing we need to do in Florida and the United States is to stay at home and avoid public places. A public library is as public as you can get, so my city of Bartow's library was ordered closed to the public back on March 17th. Sorry I haven't mentioned it until now.

(Staff is still coming to work because there are off-desk tasks we still need to perform to keep the library functioning. Until such time that the city orders us home if the COVID-19 outbreak gets any worse)

We still have a number of online resources available through our library webpage at https://pclc.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/bartow and we're trying to encourage people to use our Overdrive eBook access.

As for my previous workplaces Pasco County ( https://pascolibraries.org/ ) and Broward County ( https://www.broward.org/Library/Pages/default.aspx ) they're closed to the public until further notice, too.

Stay healthy, everybody!

I Love It When Libraries Offer to be NaNo Write-In Locales

Just a huge shout-out to

Lakeland Public Library

Winter Haven Public Library

Lake Wales Public Library

Haines City Public Library

and my own Bartow Public Library

for hosting various Write-Ins throughout the month of November for my fellow NaNoWriMo authors for the USA:Florida:Lakeland region.

Just wanna note the Lake Wales Library was very helpful in some background research about the local citrus industry when I wrote my story "Snipe Hunt" for my anthology Last of the Grapefruit Wars!

Prepping for NaNoWriMo 2015

It's a month away.

And as a Municipal Liaison, I have to get some things set up for November.

The good news: the NaNo organizers created a Lakeland Region to cover the growing Polk County population of writers.  Now I need to get the word out to the writing groups that we can go with our own groups rather than farm out to Tampa/Brandon or Orlando.

(On a side note, I've seen they divided up Pinellas County into THREE SECTIONS.  Given that it's our smallest physical county and yet one of our most densely populated, this is still a bit surprising)

I have to get the Google Calendar set up for the Region (done) and managed.  I have some dates for Write-Ins already set with Lakeland, Bartow and Winter Haven: now I need to confirm some actual locations for Lake Wales to help cover the southeastern corner of Polk County.

And now I gotta think about which novel idea to follow through on.

I'm thinking either a new novel idea on:

1) An alternative history novel about the American Civil War where the South DOESN'T start it by firing on Fort Sumter so that they can secure French recognition... with the consequences playing out affecting the fates of Mexico, Virginia, and the border states.
2) That urban fantasy novel I tried starting this Labor Day (I can use NaNo to finish it).

I could bring back one of the earlier attempts, although I dread getting bogged down in the weeds where I keep getting lost on those works.  Best to see about something fresh, IMHO.  (although I keep thinking I can get something good out of Ocean Dancers...)

NANO ME BABY ONE MORE TIME.

Update: I've added a poll to this blog, over on the right, and if people are willing to vote please do.

Florida Libraries: Standards and Outcomes

I've been on the Standards Committee for the past year for the Florida Library Association, and what we worked on was a revision of existing standards - something in need of updates - to try and establish something that had outcomes that could be useful in getting libraries better funding and public support.

The Standards are up on a blog provided by the Orange County (Orlando) Library System at this link, and you can see for yourself how we're setting up what libraries are doing and can do to where the outcomes are clear and where our needs and support have to focus.

Documenting The Local Authors Event 2015

So, busy day today.  Driving in to Wesley Chapel for the Barnes & Noble Local Authors' Event.  Selling my wares, Last of the Grapefruit Wars along with the mystery anthologies Strangely Funny, Mardi Gras Murder and History and Mystery OH MY...

So.  Documenting the atrocities as it were. :)

Getting the selfie in as I set up at the table.

The store had tables set up on the second floor in designated areas.  I was set up in the Fiction area with two authors sharing the table and the conversations with the passers-by.  Take a bookmark, please!

Getting moral support from the editors in charge with Mystery & Horror LLC, publishers of the anthologies I had on display today.  Hi Sarah, Hi Gwen!

Sarah took a photo of me autographing Grapefruit Wars for her and Gwen.

The tree was sharing the table with us.  It had already sold all its books and was helping with the promotion of oxygen into the air.









Much of the event was spent sharing and chatting.  A few teens stopped by to ask about the writing method, getting published, stuff like that.  A few people took bookmarks.  Hopefully that means they'll download the ebooks sometime soon.

So how went your day?

(hurries off to finish writing some sci-fi shorts to submit somewhere soon)

Florida Library Association Conference 2015

I attended this past week, learning a few new things about the advocacy of 3D printing and makerspace planning for libraries.

I also attended as part of the Standards committee, where we presented the first draft of the revisions.  We are re-designing the guidelines to focus as much on outcomes as anything, and thinking of how the Public Library Association's planned revisions in 2017 will affect the various states (including our own).  I'd love to add a link to the first draft if I can find it... knew I should have written it down somewhere.

And if anyone's got pictures of the Standards presentation on Friday morning, please pass along.

Oh, and Ellen, I still owe you for the hot-spot Internet usage.

Local Authors Event, May 30

(Update: I just want to ask again for everyone who likes to read to swing by this coming Saturday, say hello to me and my fellow local authors, and take a look to see if there's anything you like.  Thank you!)

I've been invited back to the Barnes & Noble store at the Shops At Wiregrass mall in Wesley Chapel, FL (just north of New Tampa).

It's on Saturday May 30th (sadly not Memorial Day weekend tho) from 2 PM to 4 PM.  Location is:
28152 Paseo Dr
Suite 100
Wesley Chapel FL 33543
(it's at the corner facing the major intersection of SR 56 and Bruce B Downs Blvd)

I've got a link at Goodreads where you can tag if you'll attend, please and thank you.

Crash Writing

Sure I ought to focus on getting the NaNo novel continuing, but a writing challenge from a local group stirred up an old idea in my head and I'm charging into creating a short story to see about getting it epublished for the holidays!

Hint: it involves the couple from the "Welcome To Florida" story.

Be right back...

NaNoWriMo Update: Write-Ins For Florida>Elsewhere

Just a reminder, we've got a NaNo Write-In scheduled for Winter Haven Public Library this Thursday Nov. 6th from 5 pm to 7 pm.

There's a Write-In for people in Indian River County at the Indian River State College (Ft. Pierce) on Friday the 7th from 1 pm to 4 pm.  And then down I-95 and the Turnpike there's a Write-In at the Cummings Library in Palm City in Martin County from 5 pm to 7:30 pm.

And there's a Write-In on Saturday the 8th for east Polk County and surrounding communities at the Lake Wales Public Library from 1 pm to 3 pm.

Currently at 7300 words, give or take a misspell.  I should be well above 10,000 words before Friday, and the weekend should give me a word count boost.  I need to make sure I'm getting to the key points of my novel though...

So I Might Be Selling Stories After All...?

Just got this in the email:

Huh.  I earned about 10.00 for my NOOK Book sales.

The only thing I got plugged into NookPress is my short story "Welcome to Florida".  Selling that at about .99 a download.  So uh... hmm... I got over 10 people to actually buy/read that short story.

I need to login in and double-check the sales info.  Make sure there's not an accounting issue.

And yes, I do have to report this 10 bucks to the IRS.

You do not f-ck with the IRS.  Even the Joker does not f-ck with the IRS.

P.S. I may have another short story getting anthologized.  More later.

UPDATE: Actually, the NookPress service doesn't tally up any sales returns until a minimum of $10 is there.  And it's not the full .99 cents from the sale of each copy, so I've actually sold more than just ten... most of the sales were back in 2012 by the looks of the sales chart, just had two sales this year in June, ergo this financial quarter being the line-crossing.

At FLA 2014

I'm attending the Florida Library Association convention this week.

I'm here to learn about outreach, marketing our library services, and how to pose with cutouts of Daleks.

...what?

Tweet Me: Follow #LibJobShadowFL Today As I Library Up

Follow Me @PaulWartenberg on Twitter today!  I'm tweeting as I work to demonstrate what happens at libraries, what we do to help people, and more.

I'm teaching a class this afternoon on Basic Computing - Internet.  Can I get a Woot! (or is that a Whoop?  I got confused about it)

#LibJobShadowFL #NLW14 #Libraries

UPDATE: I finished my run today on tweeting about working at the Bartow Library. You can check it out on Twitter via this link here.

That said, some documentation is in order...

For some reason over Easter weekend, a pair of free-range RV Campers were abandoned on the driveway into the library and city civic center (the grassy area where the tents are is Mosaic Park). Someone wanted to blockade the library. The RVs were moved eventually, but the mystery surrounding this event remains unsolved...

On Monday afternoons I teach computer class. Basic computing skills for the community of Bartow and surrounding cities. Today was Teh Intertubes! Many thanks to the attendees for being patient while I tweeted a few time during class (got to teach them Twitter in the process).

Things I Learned At Florida Library Association Conference 2013

1) The hotel where the convention is being held sells $12 sandwiches.  Note to self: pack a lunch next year.

2) About half of the librarians I worked with between Broward County Libraries and UF Libraries are retired or going to retire this year.  I did not do a good enough job keeping in touch with a lot of them.  :(  P.S. if any of them cross this blog, please get in touch with me...

3) It's less a question of keeping up with new technologies - although you really have to - and more a responsibility to make sure you train your library patrons to be comfortable with said new technologies.

4) No, seriously, $12 sandwiches.  It's cheaper to walk down the street to the McDonald's.  Plus you get more exercise.

5) I decided against bringing my Nook eReader device with me (it functions as a tablet as well, although not as effectively as an iPad).  Turned out to be a bad move: I realized I was out of email communication with everyone for most of the day!  ...still shaking off the withdrawal symptoms...

6) The primary thing being discussed at the conference sessions - at least for this day when I attended - was community outreach, keeping libraries involved with their communities.

7) I saw a 3D printer for the first time.  I bowed and prayed to the Maker Deity, the provider of All Things Plastic.  And It made for us a miniature plastic Mayan temple.  Because It could.

Anyone got any questions about the conferencing experience?