The Rogues’ First Friday Book Signing Event – Tomorrow Evening!!

The Rogues Gallery Writers will be at Anastasia Books on Friday, November 2 from 7 – 9 PM. Anastasia Books is located on 812 Kings Street, St. Augustine, FL.

The Rogues will be meeting and greeting our fans during this special First Friday event. We’ll also be autographing copies of The Method Writers. Refreshments and light appetizers will be provided, so please come out and eat, drink and be merry with the Rogues!

Suspense/adventure author, Ron Harrington, will also be present for this event.

We hope to see you there!

Lights, Nights and Other Things…

How about my buddy Marty, isn’t he something?? And Georgie Mae’s written a short story that will rock your world! Did I tell you she’s in the frozen Great Lakes region for a few weeks? I really miss that girl.  Even David’s been busy with moving into some new digs, as well as working on his Kenny Black sequel.  And of course, our novel The Method Writers is making great progress, too, though editing is NOT for the faint of heart!  Don’t forget to stop in at www.themethodwriters.com and leave us an update on what YOU’RE doing these days!!

Me? I’m writing a lot of things, but not working on the novel much. With Thanksgiving just three days away, I’m getting myself into listening mode. I love to listen to the sharing that families do this time of year; funny tales, dramatic memories, and those precious “back in my day” stories meant to teach us what life is REALLY all about.

Guess that’s why I love writing. The stories have inherent power, but the telling of them, the choice of words, the phrasing, the pace, all tools for the writer to employ so the stories are memorable and shared again and again. Yes, like the Wizard of Oz or A Christmas Carol – tales and lessons that live on and on.

Here in North Florida, St. Augustine has kicked off the holiday season by launching their Nights of Lights festival. Trees and light poles are decorated in ropes of greens dotted with the occasional red bow or ribbon. Every building for miles and miles is decked out in tiny white lights, as though together they can keep the short, dark days from forcing us to hibernate.

In addition to the great food and fun presents, enjoy the gift of the stories you hear. Write them down or share them with others. The memories of the past and the dreams of the future are, like personal faith, parts of us that no one can take away. The economy cannot dampen them, the bank can’t repossess them, and as long as we have them, we have hope and energy and a chance at real joy.

So enjoy the tales, the food, the laughter – and know that I wish you and yours a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!

Dorian

Halloween, Pirates and Rogues

Hello, everyone!! Hope you all had a great week. Mine flew by and before I realized it, wham, it’s the weekend again. But not any weekend – the weekend before Halloween!

The nice thing about Daytona is that you can get to almost everywhere from here. The hayrides and harvest festivals in Elkton which is near St. Augustine, attract thousands of people during mid-October. Bikers from all over the country descend on the region in good-natured revelry to celebrate Biketoberfest. And, in St. Augustine this weekend, they hosted the Pirate Festival and that was terrific fun. Pirates young and old paraded along San Marco Blvd, then ate, drank and made merry during the daylight hours, and pub-crawled (adults only) after dark.

I’ve turned in my articles on fall festivals, taken a thousand photos and travelled many miles this month. And as I was relaxing this afternoon on the balcony of my apartment, I thought of some similarities between the pirates I’d met this weekend, and the Rogues.

The Rogues are law-abiding, well-intentioned, talented writers who test the rules because sometimes rules need to be tested. Because sometimes it is better to challenge the status quo than to blindly follow it. What they lack in judgement on occasion, they make up for in courage, that bunch. Hats off to the Rogues Gallery Writers as they gallop toward the finish line with their novel, THE METHOD WRITERS!

Don’t forget to support them – and get yourself a piece of Rogue History!! Visit KICKSTARTER.COM and make your pledge today – you won’t be sorry! And if you really want a three-cornered hat with a feather, they just might get you one!

Have a great week!
Dorian

Pumpkins, Witches and Ghosts

Writing is often something that a writer cannot refrain from doing. Be they journalist, poet, instructor or fiction writer, the words they produce change their world.

Yesterday, after attending an Florida Writers meeting in St. Augustine, I stopped into a local art gallery named Simple Gestures. There it seemed, were a gazillion children and adults alike, making scarecrows. These artful pieces featured pumpkins with various expressions, witches in festive colors and even a few requisite ghosts, most resembling Casper-of-the-friendly smile.

I thought of my friend Jack, an old-time journalist, and thought of what his British wit would do with the gathering, then shook my head. Best not to go there.

But what would THIS journalist do with such a magical gathering? In my heart I captured the gleeful laughter of children of all ages as their scarecrows were applauded. I watched as pumpkins were decorated by young and old and carried to local homes and vehicles by urchins barely able to manage their large orange prizes.

I think this month of October marks the beginning of the most powerful season of the year, at least in the USA. Our imaginations are set free with stories and tales of the supernatural beings of Halloween; to be followed with tales of family stories told around the Thanksgiving table in November; to culminate finally in the story of a son, born to a woman forced to deliver him in a stable, sent to save the world.

This sharing and imagining and encouraging makes my heart feel good. My writing will be more empathetic and passionate, I’ll bet. And I wish thatvitality for you too. Enjoy the stories you hear and the ones you create while you enjoy the next few months of magic. And don’t forget to record them somehow!

See you next week – oh, and don’t forget to visit Kickstarter and donate some money to THE METHOD WRITERS project!

Be safe out there.

Dorian

WHAT A SUPER WEEK!

Wow, we’ve had a very newsworthy week!! We did indeed, click-as-one on Thursday night and launch our baby on http://www.kickstarter.com. The Method Writers novel is only weeks from being a wonderful reality after months of work and planning. We love it! And we know you will too, so be sure to get on board RIGHT NOW and become a supporter – and get a great reward as well as great book! We only have a few weeks to make our goal, so get your pledge in today at kickstarter.com! And then come brag to the Rogues!!

Also, our multi-talented Rogue,Bridget Callahan, had an impressive art debut on Friday, Oct 7 at Simple Gestures in St. Augustine, Florida. Her fabric art is unique and emotional and I have no doubt will be worth a great deal more in the future. I was totally and completely blown away by the power her art conveyed. Way to go, Ms. B!

So, hope you had a great week too and if you’d like to tell us about it, just drop us a comment! We’d love to hear from you. Be well.

Dorian