A year ago, most literary events had to comply with health protocols and adapt to a virtual setup. But now, the world has begun opening up again with around 60% of the US population having been fully vaccinated. Here’s a list of in-person events to put on your literary calendar for 2022. Just make sure to wear a mask and follow social distancing. EVENT DATES LOCATION F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival Jan 6-8, 2022 Daytona Beach, Florida Sunshine State Book Festival Jan 29-30, 2022 Oaks Mall, Gainesville, Florida Southwest Florida Reading Festival Mar 5, 2022 Fort Myers Regional Library, Florid ..read more

We have a little over a week before Christmas arrives. The decorations are twinkling, snow is piling up, and the gifts are waiting under the tree. All we need now is some music to set the mood. Here are a few playlists you can use to get a little writing done or simply lay back and relax after a writing session. Christmas Jazz Music Coffee Shop Ambience – Relaxing Christmas Jazz | Cozy Cafe 24/7 Play this if you want to create a coffee shop atmosphere in your own living room. Another round of eggnog, please! a vintage christmas playlist Perfect for chilling by the fire and reminiscing about ..read more

Xlibris Publishing introduces Anne Durand-Athy, author of Secrets of the Nire.   Please briefly describe your book: Secrets of The Nire is a fictional novel set both in modern-day and thirteenth century Ireland. The book centers around the Athy Clan, an ancient, Irish family with a secret to protect. A secret that when revealed, will surely cause the House of Windsor to fear for their survival as the British Monarchy. Set in the beautiful country of Ireland, the Athy Family were the predominate Clan of The Tribes of Galway, some of the very first to settle on the Emerald Isle. Documentati ..read more

Xlibris Publishing returns with the rest of 5 Plot Pitfalls.       Pitfall #3- Out-of-Character What do we mean by “Out-of-Character?” “… treat your characters like people, not like people-shaped plot-devices.” You write a character, particularly a central character like a protagonist or antagonist, establish their traits, values, virtues, and flaws. The reader comes to learn what this character will and won’t do, how smart this character is, and what drives this character’s actions and decisions. Then this character does something completely contrary to all of that. There is a ..read more

Xlibris returns with Rev. David Fly, author of My Life Under the Big Top.   WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THE BOOK AND HOW LONG DID IT TAKE? I actually began writing a eulogy for the circus because I was grieving the closing of Ringling Brothers/Barnum and Bailey Circus. As I did, I found myself wanting to tell my own story and, thus, the memoir. It took only three months to write, but had been a part of my presentations for some time. I had done a number of retreats titled “The Clown and the Christian.” So, the writing came easily.     MESSAGE TO READERS Beware of taking yourself ..read more

Xlibris Publishing introduces Rev. David Fly, author of My Life Under the Big Top.   BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF MY LIFE UNDER THE BIG TOP — REFLECTIONS OF A COMIC, CLOWN, AND PRIEST My Life Under the Big Top is part memoir and part theological reflection. David Fly, who has been an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church for over 50 years, began his comic career by winning a talent contest with a comic routine at the age of twelve, tells the story of his journey from standup comedy, to television clown, to the Episcopal priesthood. After three years as a clown with a five-day a week television ..read more

When writing a story, when constructing a narrative, there are things to avoid or perhaps only use sparingly. Xlibris Publishing shares 5 Plot Pitfalls– mistakes, traps, and writing devices that can throw off readers and hurt a story.     Pitfall #1- Plot Holes Great and Small Plot Holes are much like potholes… We start with plot holes. A general term that can incorporate some of the Pitfalls on this list, plot holes nonetheless merit their own placement on this list. At its simplest, a plot hole is when there is a disconnect between cause and effect, a failure in a story’s establish ..read more

Xlibris Writing Tips returns to continue sharing and discussing 6 Tips for Writing the Machine Uprising.   Tip #4- All Too Human Robots and Artificial Intelligence have appeared in a variety of forms throughout our media. The machine is made by humans, is it any surprise a sentient machine could have the same flaws and potential for evil? Then consider what such an entity is capable of doing. But such a robot or AI could be equally capable of good, just like humans.  In this fashion, an interesting approach to writing thinking machines is to write them as children to humanity, t ..read more

Xlibris Publishing returns with Tommie Artis and Paula Sherard Artis.   What inspired you to write your books, and how long did it take you to finish it?  Before we accepted Christ into hearts we had no idea that we were born with these gifts, after we invite Jesus Christ in to change our hearts, He made known to us these gifts and   He allow us to see His purpose for our lives.  We have been teaching and writing lesson plans since 1986 some of our writing, was birth from some of our counseling session and lesson plans as we taught in Bible College and Sunday School Te ..read more

Xlibris Publishing introduces Tommie Artis and Paula Sherard Artis, authors of O God Strengthen Our Hands and Marriage Beyond the Bed.   Please briefly describe your books. Our first book, O God Strengthen Our Hands was our prayer to God as we went through some of the most critical times of our lives it is based on a true story.  It was through these times when we had no one to trust, that we realize the Lord’s strength is able to help us in every walk of life, sustain, guide and comfort us as we fast and prayed to seek Him,  His Strength is infallible.  This book was writt ..read more