My News
Please Vote
Thank you for visiting my page.
It’s Election Day. Please vote your conscience. For our republic to work, we must vote.
In the state of Florida, there are many amendments to consider. I’ve researched each one to determine whether to vote in favor or against the amendment. Like most voters, I’d have preferred one issue on each amendment.
What are your thoughts on gerrymandering? Do you think there is too much manipulating of the boundaries of electoral constituencies to favor one party over another?
Do you think we must continue to have more women representatives in our government? Should we have equal representation?
I’d love to hear from you.
Join me in Cocoa Village
BOOKFEST IN COCOA VILLAGE
Join me and other writers and book venders at the first Book Fest in Historic Cocoa Village. Here’s information to help you have a thoroughly enjoyable day!
Show hours are from 10-4 Saturday, November 3. Yes, that’s tomorrow!
Schedule of speakers is as follows:
10:00 AM Book Fest Welcome – Jim Nelson
10:30 AM Rachel Hauck
12:30 PM Mary Custureri (my publisher)
2:00 PM Anna Flowers
3:00 PM Jo O’Brien
RESTROOMS
- Oleander street just off Brevard Avenue (Handicap Access)
- Taylor Park, just off Delannoy and Harrison (Handicap Access)
FOOD
Breakfast in the Village:
Enjoy Breakfast in the Village on Saturday: Ossorio Bakery and Café opens at 8 AM; 321-639-2423. Wanderlust Café is open at 7 AM 321-349-3055.
According to the planning committee, Cocoa Village has many restaurants and coffee-houses. Some of the most popular are:
· Normans Raw Bar and Grill – Forrest Ave
· Ryan’s Village Pizza – Harrison St.
· Ossorio Bakery & Café – Brevard Ave.
· Café Margaux – Brevard Ave (Courtyard)
· The Village Ice Cream Shoppe – Harrison St
· The Tulip – corner Brevard & SR-520
· Pub Americana – corner Harrison & Delannoy
· Village Time Out – Florida Ave
· Wanderlust Café – 226 King St. (SR-520)
· Murdock’s – corner Brevard & Maryland Ave
· Simply Gelato – Brevard Ave (Courtyard)
· Cryderman’s BBQ – Florida Ave
Isn’t it cool to have a day dedicated to books?
Learning from Mistakes
Good Morning,
Thank you for visiting my blog.
No one is perfect. I’m living proof. As a Communication 101 lecturer and public speaking teacher, I cautioned my students to arrive at a speaking engagement early and practice with their visuals.
Sometimes one has no control over the height of the lectern or podium. Other times, the room is not available early. I attempted to practice with my AV materials before my workshops at the recent FWA Conference, but the room wasn’t available.
When asked to speak before the day’s activities began, there was no chance to change the height of the lectern. As you can see, my face was blocked by the lectern here. But it was worse than this in the room where I did my first presentation. I was standing on my tiptoes to deliver my presentation. To make matters worse, I attempted to use a Prezi presentation. The room wasn’t arranged for that type of presentation.
What did I learn? Don’t count on the venue to have the needed equipment. In the future, I’ll be prepared to work without visuals. After all what does a poet need a projector and screen for?
Have you learned from a mistake? I’d love to hear your stories. Please click Contact Melody on my home page and tell me of a lesson you learned the hard way. Thank you.
My first YouTube Video:Thank you, Philip Levin, MD
Thank you for visiting my blog. This is my first YouTube Video:
What do you think? How many of you have a YouTube Video?
Do you have a favorite YouTube video? What is it?
Please visit my blog again soon.
Thanks.
My husband, Barry Dimick, is with former Writer’s Digest editor and blogger, Chuck Sambuchino, at the 2018 Florida Writers Foundation Celebrity Workshop. Chuck is commenting on Barry’s query letter for his soon-to-be queried memoir about growing up in Vermont. Planning to submit a query? Have it professionally edited. Joan Leggitt, founder of Twisted Road Publications and speaker at the Florida Writers Conference, said she rarely purchases books with typos in the query letter.
Dessert at FWA conference.
Guess what the theme was.
Woohoo! I’m over the moon. My unpublished novel in verse, What Lies Beneath, captured first place in the Florida Writers Association (FWA) Royal Palm Literary Awards competition on Saturday night. The first time I entered the contest and won with my unpublished book, Backpack Blues, I wondered if it was just a fluke because the book is unique. Dr. Mary Custureri owner of Taylor and Seale Publishing took a chance on me. Backpack Blues: Inspire the Fire Within is now a published book available on Amazon.com.
My second win with a new manuscript has confirmed in my own mind that I’m legitimately a poet and writer of novels in verse.
Do you have a passion for writing? As Nike says, “Just Do It.” Believe in yourself. It won’t be easy. It will require writing, editing, revising, revising again, hiring a content editor, revising, hiring a copy editor, and revising a final time before submitting to a contest or publisher.
Entering contests makes you a better writer. At the end of the contest, every entrant receives a rubric from a minimum of three judges. These rubrics help writers learn how to make their works better. How do I know? Before writing winning novels, I wrote novels that didn’t win. The rubrics helped me to improve my writing.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Why Read?
What entices you to read? Could it make you both a smarter and a better person?
What’s a Girl to Do?
Who do we believe? The nominee for our next Supreme Court Judge appeared to be above reproach on the night his name was disclosed, but is Brett Kavanaugh the right man for a position he will hold for life?
Do we believe what he says or what the words next to his high school yearbook say about him? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/24/business/brett-kavanaugh-yearbook-renate.html.
Women know girls fear telling their parents when they’ve been raped. Our culture has taught us that women will be blamed for wearing too tight or too short dresses. They will be blamed for drinking.
Not fair. With a young man, we hear “Boys will be boys.” It’s our culture. So what is a girl to do if she is too afraid to tell her parents, “I disobeyed you. I went to a drunken party, and I was raped?”
Write. Yes, what I do. Write it in a journal. Write a letter to your parents or best friend, but don’t mail it. Keep it until you need it. Write fictional accounts for class assignments. Make it so there will be no question accusation you are just being political if you ever need to prove it.
Once you leave home, tell trusted friends. If this person did this to you, do you want him to be able to do it to another innocent woman?
Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser should have come forward the first time he was nominated to be a judge. Because she waited, many people consider her accusation to be political.
But those words in the high school yearbook make me question his version of the story. Keg Club officer? Sound innocent to you?
Accusers will be dragged through the mud, but is it the responsibility they must accept if they plan to stop a rapist from hurting others? Stash evidence if possible and write down all the details you will need. Ask your friends to write their memories of the party before they forget them. In a court of law or hearing, proof will be necessary.
Who is telling the truth? Brett Kavanaugh or his accusers? We will have an opportunity to listen to the evidence today. It won’t be easy to make a decision with the absence of details. We’ll have to rely on gut feelings. What will your gut say?
As the president of the Florida Writers Foundation, I’m promoting this workshop. If you’re seeking an agent, please join me on October 18.