Guest Speakers

17 April 2021 | Featured Speaker: Dean James (Pen name: Miranda James) | “How to Kill People for Fun and Profit”

March 20, 2021 By Natalia Corres

Penning the murder mystery or How to kill people for fun and profit

If you enjoy curling up with a hot cocoa in one hand and a great who-dunnit novel in the other, you will want to attend the next Writers of Kern Monthly Meeting.

Scheduled for Saturday morning, April 17, 2021 and presented online free of charge via Zoom technology, WOK will feature best-selling cozy mystery author Dean James, better known to his fans as Miranda James. James will be sharing his fun and informative presentation, “Killing People for Fun and Profit”!

This will be a great opportunity to gain insight into the mystery writing and publishing worlds as James draws from his success both as an author, and 30 years of experience as general manager of Houston’s renowned mystery specialty bookstore, Murder by the Book. Even if writing mystery stories is not your thing, all writers and would-be authors could benefit from attending this workshop.

Attendees at this event will learn about:

The basics of strong writing regardless of genre
The basics of writing for publication
How to juggle writing multiple mystery series
How bookstores operate and how small presses and self-published authors can best work with them

Register for this free event by going to Eventbrite (CLICK HERE)

James has authored and co-authored several mystery series under various pen names including:

The Southern Ladies series as Miranda James
The Cat in the Stacks series (featuring librarian Charlie Harris and his famous Maine Coon cat, Diesel) also writing as Miranda James
The Simon Kirby-Jones series as Dean James
The Wanda Nell Culpepper series as Jimmie Ruth Evans
The Emma Diamond series as Honor Hartman

James is currently a medical librarian at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. In addition to his award-winning success as the author of 30 mystery novels (his books have appeared on the New York times and USA Today bestseller lists several times), he has published articles on library science, the history of science and medicine, as well as co-authoring or co-editing six mystery reference titles and one short-story anthology.

To find out more about Dean James and his books, you may want to explore the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/dean.james1
https://www.facebook.com/mirandajamesauthor
https://www.facebook.com/DieselHarriscat
https://www.facebook.com/Cozy-Mystery-Share-A-Palooza-1438002186419017

20 March 2021 | Featured Speaker: Mara Purl | “Giving Your Book a Voice: Audio Book Production and Distribution”

February 16, 2021 By Natalia Corres

Audiobooks are the newest kids on the block in the world of book publishing. They provide writers with another avenue to expand their readership, utilizing the latest technology to support book sales. If you’re considering turning your book into an audio book, you probably have questions about the whole process. With so much information out there, where do you start?

This is where our next Writers of Kern speaker comes in. On Saturday, March 20, 2021, award winning author and professional audio producer Mara Purl will share her insights and knowledge of the audio book industry with our members and guests. Besides her twenty plus years as an audio producer, her radio series “Milford-Haven USA” became the first American radio serial to be broadcast on the BBC, where 4.5 million listeners tuned in. Her company has also produced audio books for fiction and nonfiction projects.

Mara’s workshop, “Giving Your Book a Voice: Audio Book Production and Distribution,” will pull back the curtain on audio book production. Here are some of the concerns and questions she’ll address:

Why you should add an audio book to your list of book products to sell
How an audio book can increase your readership and following
How to choose the right narrator
Facts regarding the current marketplace conditions of audio books
Technical details and audio styles of audio book production
And much more

If you’re ready to take your book further, or even if you don’t have a book yet, this information is sure to help you make the right decision if or when you decide to add audio books to your product list. Join us on Saturday morning, March 20, 2021 for this free virtual event. Preregistration is required, and spots are limited.

To register at Eventbrite, click HERE.

You can learn more about Mara Purl on her website: http://www.marapurl.com

You can connect with her on the following social media channels:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MaraPurl

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marapurl/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mara.purl/

20 February 2021 | Featured Speaker: Leslie Zampetti (Literary Agent) | “Finding the Right Agent”

January 24, 2021 By Natalia Corres

If you are a writer, you may want to consider acquiring the services of a literary agent. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, these professionals can help you to get your writing into the hands of book publishers or theater and film producers. An agent can also provide invaluable assistance representing your interests when negotiating publishing contracts.

The Writers of Kern will be offering a free online workshop on the topic on Saturday morning, February 20, 2021. Literary agent, Leslie Zampetti will be the special guest speaker at this event. A writer and also a former librarian for twenty years, she has become an expert at matching readers with writers and building relationships with publishers. Currently, Leslie is an agent with Dunham Literary, representing quality fiction and nonfiction writers, as well as some illustrators of children’s books.

Leslie’s workshop, Finding the RIGHT agent, will address some common concerns that writers have when considering representation by an agent including:

How to consider your own needs as a writer before selecting a literary agent
Why and how to target an agent for the type of writing you do
Where to find agents and helpful resources
Understanding “agentspeak” terms such as “character-driven,” “genre-bending,” and “intersectional”
How to effectively query a potential agent or switch agents

If you would like to have your work published and might be interested in seeking professional expertise, then mark your calendar for Saturday morning, February 20, 2021. This event is free of charge and open to all, but preregistration is required.

To register at Eventbrite, click HERE

You can learn more about Leslie Zampetti by checking out her website at Dunham Literary, Inc.

or on Twitter at @leslie_zampetti

16 January 2021 | Featured Speakers: Bill and Mia Belew | “How to Find and Engage With Readers For Your Books”

January 2, 2021 By Natalia Corres

by Susan Baker

Just as readers are hungry for the next great read, authors are always seeking an audience for their stories. Writer and content marketing specialist, Bill Belew and his 12-year-old daughter Mia understand this well. They were frustrated by what they found to be “a lack of books for preteens that challenge the young reader with new vocabulary and ideas worth thinking (about) but without diving into mature content.”

So, they decided to team up to create their own books. Together, they have coauthored three titles, The Giant Forest, The Heliuna Academy and The LoGlas Theater. which together make up the Growing up Aimi trilogy. Described as chapter books featuring realistic and thought-provoking situations that will appeal to middle school readers, these stories can also be enjoyed by their parents and grandparents.

Next, father and daughter had to find the best way to get their stories into the hands of their intended audience. With little if any expense, but with some work and determination, they built an online platform to successfully launch their book series. Through the creation of an author newsletter which they shared with only 20 friends and family members back in March 2020, the Belews started promoting their work. Since then, their newsletter subscriber base has grown to more than 3,500 subscribers and is expanding daily! The duo even reached the #1 ranking on Amazon in 3 separate categories, including Children’s Historical Action and Adventure. Their fourth title in the series, the Floating City, will soon be published.

Bill and Mia are eager to share what they know about matching your writing with eager readers. They will be the featured guests at the next Writers of Kern Monthly Meeting to be held virtually on Saturday, January 16, 2021. Their presentation titled, How to find & engage readers for your books will focus on the benefits of creating an author newsletter, and then building and growing the newsletter subscriber base

Attendees will learn:

How to get “eyeballs on your books”
How to choose an email client to help manage your mail
How to build a subscriber base
How to create an engaging newsletter all about you, your brand, and your books
How to effectively promote and sell your books

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT ON EVENTBRITE

As a sought-after expert at content marketing for multinational companies as well as aspiring authors, Bill offers a wealth of experience. Additionally, his three professional blogs, RisingSunOfNihon, PanAsianBiz, and TheBIZOfKnowledge, all found on KNOWMORE Media, has drawn millions of views!

Mia, is a busy 7^th grader at a leading edge, project-based, self-paced public charter school located in Silicon Valley. Like her father, she is also a blogger.

21 November 2020 | Featured Speaker Jack Peters | “The Goldfish That Barked: Seven Actions to Distinguish Yourself for Success”

October 17, 2020 By Natalia Corres

You may already know Jack Peters as the Explosives Specialist from the Discovery Channels’ Treasure Quest. You might even say that Jack’s dynamite personality really makes him stand out from the rest of the crowd! He will be the featured guest speaker at The Writers of Kern “virtual” monthly meeting on the 21^st of November. And just in case incendiary devices make you nervous, don’t worry because Jack has plenty of other ideas to help you to distinguish yourself from the pack.

Writers can use some daily encouragement as they struggle to remain focused on their craft day after day. To help writers to stay on track and to expedite their careers, Peters will illustrate his hard-fought successes drawing from real-world examples. His presentation titled, The Goldfish that Barked, seven actions to distinguish yourself for success, is practical, entertaining. vital and will help to empower other authors to make a living with their writing. This will be an interactive presentation held online via Zoom. A handout will be provided to help participants apply these principles in their own careers.

During the presentation, Peters will share his simple and effective actions designed to help writers to stand out and get discovered. These include:

Building your brand
How not to fall into traps
Educating yourself
Learning to communicate
Discovering your superpower
Giving thanks
Finding your mission

Participants will also learn what Jack has learned as both an author and media professional including:

How to get motivated
How to take action
How to focus on profitable projects
How to market your work

Click here to register for this meeting and presentation on Eventbrite

In addition to his involvement in television and movie production since 2004, Jack W. Peters has been a professional speaker for sixteen years. He presents on topics including leadership, teamwork, innovation and faith. The highlight of his career was becoming a Discovery Channel tv personality as an explosives and GPS specialist. This presentation will be based on his most recently published book, The Goldfish that Barked.

To learn more about Jack W. Peters, check him out at: