If there ever was a place to “see and be seen” for authors…. it is the Tucson Festival of Books.
This is Arizona’s largest literary event – and one of the top five book festivals in the nation. The fourth annual Festival will be held the weekend of March 10-11, 2012.
Covering nine acres on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, the Festival will feature 450 internationally acclaimed authors, book discussions, workshops for aspiringauthors, literary activities for the entire family, and great local food. Attendance and parking for the public are both free!
Last year’s Festival drew an estimated 100,000 readers and proved to be a very productive weekend for Five Star Publications and our participating authors.
Five Star Publications will be participating and we invite you to join us.
Due to the success we experienced last year, we are considering expanding to two booths. But we must know how many authors will be participating before we can commit.
Each booth is a 10' x 10' covered exhibit space with vinyl sides and back walls, and one 6” table. :
Here are the co-op options for your consideration:
If you would like to attend, you can reserve one half of a table, for both days of the Festival for $350.00. Fee includes a Five Star staff person to handle sales and set up for both days. You and your titles will be included in all press releases and promotion.
If you would to attend for one day, you can reserve one half of a table for one day for $200. Fee includes a Five Star staff person to handle sales and set up for the day. You and your titles will be included in all press releases and promotion.
If you are unable to attend and would like to have your books on display and sold, and be part of our publicity campaign, there is a co-op fee of $149.00 for the first title and $99 for each additional title.
Please let me know by October 24, 2011 if you would like to participate. Booth locations are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis and we want to be sure to have a great location.
Your payment is due at time you commit to having a space.
You are welcome to have your own booth at the Festival. You will need to contact the folks who are sponsoring the festival exhibitors@tucsonfestivalofbooks.org and pay the fee directly.
March 26, 2011, at 11:00 a.m. Costco Warehouse store, Lewisville Tex., 851 S. State Hwy 121,
A classic tale of love and passion, written by the noted film and TV actor, A Feather in the Rain is based on an event in Alex’s life.
Alex Cord began writing a journal after the death of his son. He says that soon after he started writing, the story took on a life of its own. His many western acting roles, plus a lifetime spent as an accomplished horseman, enabled him to create a background of gripping reality for A Feather in the Rain -- a love story of heart and passion.
The book signing event is open to Costco members.
"I thoroughly enjoyed reading A Feather in the Rain. I felt a real affinity with the characters and hope to one day see this book as a motion picture." Harrison Ford, actor
Ernest Borgnine, Academy Award-winning actor, says of A Feather in the Rain, "Alex has written one of the finest love stories I’ve ever read."
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alex Cord was stricken with polio at age 12, and confined to a hospital. He fought his way to recovery and at 13 was sent to a ranch in Wyoming to further his therapy and recovery. A few years later, he was on the rodeo circuit. When a rodeo mishap left him in the hospital for “too long,” he returned to high school, obtained his diploma and went on to study literature at New York University.
Alex starred in more that 30 feature films including Stagecoach and The Brotherhood. He has also starred in more that 300 television shows, among them Airwolf, Mission Impossible and Walker Texas Ranger.
Review copies of A Feather in the Rain are available.
Contact: Linda F. Radke, Five Star Publications, Inc.
Based in Chandler, Ariz, Five Star Publications publishes and promotes award-winning fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, children's literature and professional guides. More information about Five Star Publications, Inc., a 25-year leader in the book publishing/book marketing industry, is available at www.FiveStarPublications.com.
Contact: Linda Radke, Five Star Publications, Inc.
Phone: (480) 940-8182 - Fax: (480) 940-8787
E-mail: info@fivestarpublications.com
Royal Dragonfly Awards Launched to Give Wings to Extraordinary Books, Regardless of Print Date
CHANDLER, AZ – While a book contest is nothing new, it is extremely rare to come across one like the recently launched Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, which does not restrict the publication date of entries as long they are still in print. Sponsored by Five Star Publications, a multi award-winning company with close to 25 years of publishing expertise, the Royal Dragonfly Awards were created to honor published authors of all types of literature – fiction and nonfiction – in 50 categories, appealing to a wide range of ages and comprehensive list of genres.
" Five Star realizes the avalanche of books released each year causes many wonderful reads to get overlooked," says Linda Radke, Five Star Publications' president. "Therefore, we do not impose a limit on the year of publication for entries, which means winning a Royal Dragonfly Book Award can breathe new life into an author's book marketing strategies and give the publication renewed attention and appreciation by the book industry and readers alike. There are some very deserving books out there that haven't won awards only because they were published before the deadline, and we wanted to remedy that with our contest."
One grand-prize winner is selected from all first-place winners to receive $300, and all first-place winners of each category go into a drawing for a $100 prize. In addition, each first-place winner in each category receives a certificate commemorating their accomplishment, foil award seals to place on book covers and mention on Five Star Publications' websites. A publicity campaign announces all winners and first-place recipients are placed in the Five Star Dragonfly Book Awards virtual bookstore. In addition to the aforementioned, the grand prize winner receives one hour of marketing consultation from Five Star Publications and $100 worth of Five Star Publications' titles. Second-place titles are recognized.
The Royal Dragonfly Book Awards are part of the family of Five Star Dragonfly Book contests, which includes the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, a competition currently being judged that recognizes excellence in children's literature; the Chocolate Dragonfly Book Awards, which honors food-related publications; and the Green Dragonfly Book Awards, which salutes books that create awareness of the environment and eco-friendly living. To learn more about the Royal Dragonfly Book Awards, visit www.royaldragonflybookawards.com.
Submissions postmarked December 1, 2010 or earlier that meet all submission requirements are eligible for the Early Bird reward: a free e-copy of "The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing or "Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show." Make your choice where indicated below. The final deadline for submissions is February 1, 2011; to be eligible, submissions must be postmarked February 1, 2011 or earlier. Submissions postmarked after that date will not be considered for an award, and books will not be returned; however, we will refund your entry fee.
· Categories
You may enter as many books as you like in each of the following categories. You may also enter single titles in multiple categories:
Fiction: Novel
Fiction: Collection of short stories
Mystery
Romance
Historical Fiction
History Nonfiction
Biography, Autobiography/Memoir
Fine Art, Photography
Performing Arts, Music, Movies, TV
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Multicultural, Gay/Lesbian, Cultural Diversity
Pets, Animals
How-To
Business & Finance
Coffee Table & Gift Books
Food-Related: Cookbooks, Food Travel, Food History, About Food
FIVE STAR eBOOK CONVERSION NETS $149 IN FREE ADVERTISING, PLUS PRICELESS VISIBILITY TO TARGET AUDIENCE
CHANDLER, AZ (September 14, 2010) - In addition to fast, professional eBook service, the first 149 authors or publishers to sign up for Five Star eBook conversion receive their choice of a free six-month "Featured" listing at www.AuthorsandExperts.com, a website designed to connect authors with the media and potential clients looking for speakers, or a six-month listing at www.SchoolBookings.com, created to promote authors to schools seeking presenters ($149 value each).
A Five Star eBook conversion transforms a PDF or Word file into an electronic file that is compatible with Amazon's Kindle and Apple's iPod, iPad and iPhone, and downloadable through Amazon.com and iTunes' iBooks.
"The writing's on the wall - or should I say screen," quips Linda Radke president of Five Star Publications, Inc. "Between young readers preferring to glean information off electronic devices and Amazon's earlier announcement that for the first time ever they sold more eBooks than physical books, any author or publisher that doesn't have eBook availability for their manuscripts could be losing a significant amount of retail sales."
Member benefits for both AuthersandExperts.com and SchoolBookings.com include searchable directory listings to help potential clients find them; automatic notification via email telling their target audience that their member profiles can now be found on the websites; the ability to manage and update their own listings; free 30-minute consultation with Five Star Publication's multi award-winning publisher/writer Linda Radke ($100 value). A&E's Featured listing also includes a free blog on the member's profile page, while SchoolBookings includes a free rotating two-line listing sound-bite with member photo and link to their profile page on the site's home page. For more about A&E, access www.AuthorsandExperts.com. For additional information on SchoolBookings, log onto www.SchoolBookings.com.
In addition to free A&E or SchoolBookings accounts, the first 149 authors or publishers to sign up for Five Star eBook conversion will receive the reduced rate of $1.75 per page from $2 per page. Visit www.eStarPublish.com for more information.
Chandler, Ariz. (January 5, 2010) – Two prestigious international book festivals recently honored three Five Star Publications’ authors.
The 2009 London Book Festival named Mila Bernadkin first place winner in the Teenage/Young Adult category for The Attitude Girl which follows outspoken, materialistic 17-year-old Vicky on her rocky road to adulthood.
Bernadkin chronicles Vicky’s struggles with bullying, financial setbacks, idealism, loss and forgiveness, as she navigates through her young life.
Bernadkin will be honored on January 21st in London at the competition’s awards.
The 2009 New England Book Festival awarded Honorable Mention to Linda F. Radke and Ray Lopez in the “How To” category.
Radke’s The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing unveils the secrets to successfully self-publishing and marketing new books.
With Inside the Minds of Car Dealers, Lopez provides an insider’s view to the world of car dealerships -- revealing their secrets.
Radke and Lopez will be honored at an awards ceremony in Boston on January 16, 2010.
Based in Chandler, Ariz. Five Star Publications has been publishing and promoting award-winning fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, children’s literature and professional guides since 1985.
CHANDLER, AZ (August 2009) – “Word art” enters a new frontier to boldly go where no book has gone before with the launch of Five Star Publication’s first Five Star Book Nook at Jerome Gallery at 240 Hull St. in Jerome, Ariz., a National Historic Landmark.
Five Star Publication’s mission is to encourage reading and heighten awareness of books as a written art form by offering art galleries and stores, specialty boutiques, museums and other cultural outlets that formerly didn’t retail books the opportunity to host
two types of satellite stations: Five Star Book Nooks, tasteful book niches for all ages like the newest one in JeromeGallery, and Five Star Book-A-Paloozas, which are fun, cozy reading alcoves for the younger generation.
“Although I didn’t think of it before Linda Radke from Five Star approached us with the idea, books are a perfect fit for the JeromeGallery,” says John McLoughlin, JeromeGallery’s owner, “Patrons who appreciate art typically have a refined edge and appreciate a well-written novel
or nonfiction book like the ones in the Five Star Book Nook. In addition, the gallery houses the Bitter Creek Winery, which offers wine tastings, and it’s fun for patrons to sip on our local vintages while browsing a unique selection of books.”
“JeromeGallery’s customers now have a special place to find just the right book,” adds Radke, president of Five Star Publications. “The Five Star Book Nook is a perfect complement to the leisurely pace of Jerome with its personal shops, relaxing B&Bs and exceptional restaurants.”
The JeromeGallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. During the first Saturday of the month Art Walk in downtown Jerome, the gallery stays open until 8 p.m. Call 928-634-7033.
For information about hosting a Book Nooks or Book-A-Paloozas, contact Radke at 480-940-8182 or info@FiveStarPublications.com.
Scriptapalooza TV has seen major success in their 10 years. Two writers won Emmys, numerous writers have gotten agents, managers and meetings.
The four categories include: Existing one-hour shows like "True Blood" and "Merlin" Existing half-hour sitcoms like "The Office" and "Two and a Half Men" Original pilots and reality shows (for reality shows, Scriptapalooza would like a one- to five-page synopses only)
Supported by the Writers Guild of America west and the Writers Guild of Canada.
In our never-ending search for novels that can be made into films, we are constantly disappointed by books that could have been, but aren’t, movie material because the author wasn’t thinking about the needs of the motion picture medium when constructing his or her book. Here are my top five considerations for “writing your novel to be a film”:
1) A CASTABLE PROTAGONIST. Movies require a character interesting enough to hold our attention for two hours, and the stronger the character the more likely it is that a bankable star will want to play it. Bankable stars are primarily male, and in the age range of 30-60.
2) A CLEAR THREE-ACT STRUCTURE. That’s what keeps us watching—a powerful beginning that hooks our attention, a second act that never lets it go, and a climactic third act that leaves us with a resounding feeling of finality.
3) AN AMERICANCENTER. Stories with foreign settings and concerns are made into movies of course—but not every day, and not regularly by the big studios. “The Bourne Identity” takes place all over the world, but its primary character and concerns are American-centered.
4) ACTION. Novels that are primarily introspective are difficult, if not impossible, to make into films. Make sure your book drives your characters into meaningful action, in which they change for better or worse.
5) AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT MATTER. “To write a mighty book,” Melville says in Moby Dick, “you must have a mighty theme.” Moviemakers love larger-than-life stories, ones that will capture the imagination of the global marketplace.
Next time you sit down to plan your novel, confer with me before you make a decision that will preclude it from being a Hollywood film!