Sarah Penner Book Launch - The London Seance Society
March 7, 2023
Oxford exchange, Tampa, FL
I am so excited for St. Petersburg’s own Sarah Penner to launch her second novel, The London Seance Society. I had the privilege of hearing Sarah speak about her New York Bestselling debut, The Last Apothecary, at the 2022 Tampa Bay Publishing Conference.
The London Seance Society is a spellbinding tale about truth, illusion and the grave risks women will take to avenge the ones they love:
May mercy be upon the man who finds himself the enemy of a vengeful medium…
1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.
Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…
Sarah’s story is also inspiring. After thirteen years in corporate America, she decided to follow her lifelong dream and wrote a book, one that happened to debut at #7 on the New York Times bestseller list. The Lost Apothecary skyrocketed to an international best seller, has been translated into over 40 languages, and is currently in the works as a drama series with Fox Entertainment.
Tampa Bay Publishing Conference
March 30 - April 2, 2023
Sanderlin Center, St. petersburg, fl
The four-day event includes authors sharing their personal publishing journeys and what they learned along the way, as well as tackling topics related to publishing and writing for poets, fiction writers, memoirists, and others.
Scheduled speakers include:
John Henry Fleming, author of four books of fiction, including “Songs for the Deaf,” USF creative writing program director, founder of Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art
Lisa Kirchner, author, memoirist, storyteller, filmmaker
Tamara Lush/Tara Lush, author of contemporary romance and cozy mysteries, journalist, Amtrak Fellow
Maria Ingrande Mora, young adult author, content strategist
Lorin Oberweger, bestselling author, editor, ghostwriter, literary agent
I attended the 2022 conference and found it informative and inspiring. I’m already registered for this year’s and am excited to hear from another great roster of speakers.
The Tampa Bay Publishing Conference is held by Wordier Than Thou, a literary arts nonprofit dedicated to supporting writers and readers in the Tampa Bay area and throughout the state of Florida.
Since 2012, Wordier Than Thou has supported Florida writers in numerous ways, including opportunities to meet and connect with other authors and readers, to share their work, to sell their books, and to hone their craft.
Florida WritersCon 2023
October 20 - 22, 2023
Hilton Orlando/Altamonte Springs
The Florida Writer’s Association Annual Conference is a weekend jam-packed with networking opportunities, workshops, awards, book signings, a Youth Summit, and more.
Activities include featured speakers, writing sprints, writing workshops, book signings, and an agent and publisher Q&A.
Past topics have featured fiction, non-fiction, screenwriting, poetry, craft instruction, and freelance opportunities.
Exhibitors will showcase character development, ways of giving feedback, screenwriting, comics, poetry, the power of story, and how to pitch an agent, Youth Royal Palm Literary Awards Lunch Banquet, Youth Collection Author Signing and much more.
Florida Writers Association (FWA) is a nonprofit 501(c)6 serving writers of all genres and all levels. FWA provides a professional atmosphere, a vast networking system, and valuable tools to succeed in today's publishing industry.
FWA continues to grow and encompasses some fifty chapters, two writing competitions, annual anthologies, a renowned annual writers conference, a program for youth writers, and more.
It’s motto, “Writers Helping Writers,” is demonstrated daily by their volunteers across the state of Florida and beyond. The Florida Writers Association embraces the diversity of its membership and faculty from across the State of Florida, the nation, and the globe.
Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading
November 11, 2023
The Palladium, St. Petersburg, FL
The Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading brings authors to St. Petersburg, FL for live author talks and book signings. The 2022 festival celebrated it’s 30th year, headlined by bestselling author and former St. Petersburg resident Dennis Lehane.
Other authors featured last year included:
Charlayne Hunter-Gault, an Emmy-winning journalist who has been in the field for over five decades and is well known as an anchor and correspondent for “PBS Newshour.” She has also written for the New York Times, The New Yorker and other publications.
Peniel E. Joseph, the author of several award-winning books on African American history, including “The Sword and the Shield” and “Stokely: A Life.” His latest book is “The Third Reconstruction: America’s Struggle for Racial Justice in the Twenty-first Century.”
Beth Macy, a Virginia-based journalist whose previous book, “Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America,” was a searing and deeply human look at the opioid crisis. She was an executive producer and co-writer on Hulu’s Peabody and Emmy award-winning “Dopesick” series. Her latest book is “Raising Lazarus: Hope, Justice and the Future of America’s Overdose Crisis.”
Lisa Unger, the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of 20 novels, including her latest, the worst-vacation-ever thriller “Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.” The local author’s twisted tale of secret identities, “Confessions on the 7:45,” is now in development at Netflix, starring Jessica Alba. With books published in 32 languages and millions of copies sold worldwide, she is regarded as a master of suspense.
I’m sure 2023 will be equally exciting and I can’t wait to see the line-up!