Address:
Fifty Forward
108 Donelson Pike
Nashville, TN 37214
Prospective members and guests are welcome to attend up to two meetings prior to joining.
Individuals must hold membership in Romance Writers of America in order to join Music City Romance Writers.
February 2019
Stepping into your Character’s
Shoes, Balancing Emotion and Pacing or Unforgettable Fiction, Tackling the
On-Going Search for Discoverability
Presenters: Priscilla Oliveras
Location: Montgomery Bell State Park
Cost to attend: $25, registration open November 19th
March 2019
Death and Loss . . . from a Mortician’s Point of View
Presenter: Daisy Bordeau
Location: Fifty Forward, 108 Donelson Pike
Daisy Bordeau experienced loss at a young age when her
mother passed away. From that moment she knew she wanted to help other people
deal with these hard feelings. As a teenager she volunteered with hospice and
helped her grandmother who is a hospice nurse. In junior college she worked
part time at a funeral home and fell in love. During that time, she felt God’s
call on her life and knew she was right where she was supposed to be. She
changed her major and became a Mortician. Since then she’s been gathering
stories and information and is ready to share them with you. For any
writer interested in the topic of death or grief, but with a twist of humor,
you won’t want to miss this presentation!
Bio: Daisy Bordeau’s long red hair, green eyes, and fair skin doesn’t fit
the average person’s picture of a mortician—neither does her fun-loving, sunny
disposition. Yet her passion for helping people at their time of loss comes
from a darker time in her own life. She lost her mother when she was only nine
years old, and the funeral director’s kindness planted a seed that has
grown into a full-time career.
Her
desire to help people in grief grew when as a teenager she volunteered with a
hospice, assisting her grandmother who is a hospice nurse.
Her
fascination with science and anatomy drew her to pursue a degree in forensic
science, but while attending college classes she worked part time for a funeral
home, and though she only helped with small tasks: moving flower arrangements
and passing out obituaries, she knew this was where God wanted her to be, so
she changed her major and finished school with a degree in mortuary science.
Her
love and care for people keeps her passion alive as she does everything she can
for grieving families to make that hard time a little easier.
April 2019
You’ve Got the Look: Branding Strategy
Presenters: Kim Killion, Jennifer Jakes
Location: Fifty Forward, 108 Donelson Pike
Your brand is more than your logo, name or slogan — it's the
entire experience you create for your target audience (readers). Your brand
defines what you represent and the personality you portray to your readers.
Ultimately, building a brand — at least in the publishing world — is building a
relationship that feels as close as family with the people who love your books.
Bios: Kimberly Killion is the CEO/Art Director of The
Killion Group. They represent 2,000+ clients, publishing houses and agencies in
the publishing world. She has nearly 25 years of experience in design and
communications. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts, a Certificate in Web Design,
and she is an ACE (An Adobe Certified Expert). In addition to the paperwork,
she also taught Graphic/Web Design for over a decade. Kimberly is also a RITA®
nominated, award-winning author who is traditionally published as well as
indie-published.
Jennifer Jakes has been with The Killion Group since 2011.
She spent her early days formatting for eBooks and now handles all formatting
and uploading for authors. When not formatting, Jennifer runs the Editing Dept.
for The Killion Group. Aside from being the Chief Operations Officer, her other
skill (or quirk) is writing Back Cover Copy for clients. She assists at
Photoshoots with costumes and hair & makeup on models. Jennifer was not
only an RWA Golden Heart nominee, she was also voted Best Romance of 2011. Her
second book was a finalist in the 2012 International Digital Awards. She is
traditionally published as well as indie-published.
May 2019
POV From A to Z...
Presenter: Lizzie Shane
Location: Fifty Forward, 108 Donelson Pike
First, third, deep, limited, alternating, omniscient...what
does it all mean? In this workshop, we explore point of view,
establishing a POV vocabulary and building on that as we dig into the most
commonly used POV in romance novels - deep third - and some tools to help us go
deep with our characters.
Bio: Award-winning contemporary romance author Lizzie
Shane calls Alaska home and uses the long winter months to cook up
happily-ever-afters (and indulge her obsession with reality television).
A three-time RITA finalist and Golden Heart winner, she also writes paranormal
romance under the pen name Vivi Andrews. Find more about Lizzie, visit
her website at www.lizzieshane.com.
June 2019
Once Upon a Time . . .
Presenter: Sela Carsen
Location: Fifty Forward, 108 Donelson Pike
A writer decided that the world needed more fairy tales.
That meant that more writers needed to know about how fairy tales are put
together. So she made a workshop…
Covering narrative structure, as well as themes, archetypes,
style, and interpretations, we'll spend our time dissecting fairy tales all the
way from OUAT to the HEA.
Bio: Sela Carsen was born into a traveling family,
then married a military man to continue her wandering lifestyle. With her
husband of 20+ years, their two teens, her mother, the dogs, and the cat, she's
finally (temporarily) settled in the Midwest. Between bouts of packing and
unpacking, she writes paranormal and sci-fi romances; steamy, sweet, or in
between; with or without dead bodies. Your pick.
July 2019
Forensics for Writers
Presenter: AJ Scudiere /Savannah Kade
Location: Fifty Forward, 108 Donelson Pike
This workshop will cover a basic Q&A of how to deal with
death and bodies in your books. It's a must for mystery and suspense writers
and something you probably need for most other genres as well. I'll cover what
happens after death and how scientists and investigators determine time and
manner of death. We'll figure out how to get away with murder, unless you're
writing the detective? Then we'll make sure you catch them! This workshop will
let you know what TV got wrong, what actually works, and where the science is
going in the next decade. Hopefully it will spark some creative ideas and get
you going on your next book!
Bio: AJ
is a believer that magic is just science we haven’t yet figured out. She holds
an MS in Human Forensic Identification as well as another in Neuroscience/Human
Physiology -- or as she calls it “nerdgirl.” A firm believer that the best
suspense relies on clues that were there all along and characters who stay
smart all the way through the story, AJ works hard to get readers to “turn just
one more page.” With over thirteen books out, AJ’s works have garnered Audie
nominations, options for tv and film, as well as over twenty Best Suspense/Best
Fiction of the Year awards.