It was a terrific afternoon of food, fun, good company, a pot luck, Open Mic and much more!

GLAWS was well-received at the Los Angeles Science Fiction and Fantasy convention where our authors were able to promote and sell their books to attendees. GLAWS also held a dinner where members could meet and pitch a literary agent on their projects. Additionally, GLAWS members Tim Powers, Diana Glyer, Denise Dumars, Tony N Todaro and Leslie Ann Moore appeared and spoke on various panels to attendees.  Special thanks to Neil Citrin, Leslie Ann Moore, Ace Hall and Mike Robinson for booth hospitality.

Authors Kevin Gerard, John Mehrmann, Gillian Lee Hutshing and John Weiskopf shares their experiences on how they promote themselves and their novels through libraries, on speaking tours, in book stores, and at signing appearances around the country. [ Details »

A discussion with Lisa Marguerite Mora, John Weiskopf, Pavarti Marcus and Tony N Todaroon how to edit your writing and what is involved when working with a professional editor.

GLAWS had a well-attended booth at this terrific one-day event in West Hollywood. Pictured are (L>R) Judy Weiskopf, Matt Palamary, Tony N Todaro, Neil Citrin, Charles Domokos (sitting) and John Weiskopf. In the background were Vibe Nystron and Elfie Rainals assisting at hospitality, talking to prospective new members and book buyers.

Literary agent, educator and novelist Denise Dumars presented an indepth discussion on how to develop a winning relationship with a literary agent, and shared her perspective on the modern world of publishing.

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GLAWS member/authors braved the crowds and July weather at the Hollywood Book Festival at the Grove sponsored by Barnes and Noble. It was an opportunity for each author to extend their platform to their fans, meet staff members of B&N, and sell and autograph some books. Authors included Matt Pallamary (pictured top left), Robin Reed (top right) with GLAWS VP Neil Citrin. Also appeared were authors Charles Domokos, Shelley Anderson, Aaron Mason, Doug Warr, Leslie Ann Moore, Barbara Schnell, and Enilde Ingles-Van Hook. Special thanks to Neil Citrin and Leslie Ann Moore for also handling new member outreach.

Xlibris Publishing executive Gregory Haigh spoke to a capacity crown and showed a video presentation on the latest options in self-publishing. His presentation showed how they focus on the needs of creative writers and how new technologies can be applied to the publishing industry. He also discussed how they provide authros with the necessary tools to publish a book, from editorial to marketing services.

Famed author/educator Tim Powers and Contest Director Joni Lubaqui of the Writers of the Future contest overviewed this international speculative fiction writers program to showcase new unpublished writers and reward them for their efforts. The contest is the largest and most successful of its kind in the world, as to date has discovered seven New York Times bestselling authors. WOTF also showed a professional video of the awards ceremony at JPL. Learn more here »

Executive Director Marcia Meier of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference presented an overview of this presigious event held for authors every June in Santa Barbara. She also showed a video presentation with photos from previous years. This is one of the nation's preeminent conferences for writers interested in improving their craft through workshops that focus on the reading and critiquing of each writers work. Learn more here »

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books was attended by over 100,000 despite the heat wave that cooked the UCLA campus both days of the event.

FIfteen GLAWS author/members showcased their novels, signing copies for their many new fans. The booth was crowded both days and the event so successful that GLAWS is already working with the LA TIMES for 2009, where we plan a larger presence to support our outreach to the writers community, and promote our author/members and their work.

See in-depth photos of the event »

An enthusiastic crowd heard award-winning author and educator Tim Powers discuss the methodology he uses for his novels, blending complex plots with historical characters in a unique and highly- acclaimed writing style.

Mr. Powers also shared the detail structural planning that goes into one of his works, from character development to scene order and more.

Tim was not only very informative, but possessed a great wit about his work and his fantastic worlds that charmed the attendees and members. His wife, Serena, was in attendance.

More about Tim Powers and his novels »

(L-R top) Tony N Todaro, TIM POWERS, Neil Citrin, Lillian M. Todaro, Matt Pallamary, and some attendees.

Los Angeles attorney Curt Steindler and CPA Joan Resnick discussed issues ranging from contracts to copyrights, to business deductions and properly filing taxes. It was aimed to help everyone get through the legal and financial maze of the business world, and proved to be an important event for many writers.

Both experts took questions and did a terrific job dealing with issues ranging from how publishers view contracts to how the IRS views deductions, and provided clear detailed information. They can be reached through the glaws info@ mailbox.

GLAWS hopes to present more business experts in the future to help members protect their works and their finances.

(L-R) Dan Lambert, Barbara Schnell, John Weiskopf, Maxine Thompson, Leslie Ann Moore, and Tony N Todaro were our guest speakers in a panel that revealed what writers need to know about authoring their first novel. Topics included How to Develop Ideas, Getting Organized, Writing a Synopsis, Character Development, Plotting and Pacing, Beyond the FIrst Draft, and Things I wish a Pro Had told Me when I First Started.

Marty and Alice Massoglia spoke on "Great Literature that Writers Should Read." They have been active in literary groups for over 35 years, and are considered experts in their field.

Marty's impressive knowledge of books and authors and near eidetic memory has earned him a significant reputation for extensive knowledge of the literary field. Alice is well-versed in the areas of mystery and science fiction, and both have developed a broad knowledge base through interaction with their many customers as well as with friends among the writing and publishing community.

They own and operate A & M Book Cellars, one of the largest pre-owned book outlets in Southern California, and can also be found under the name of Massoglia Books at many local and regional conventions throughout the Western Region.  A & M Book Cellars offers a wide variety of Paperback and Hardcover books in areas such as Science Fiction, Romance, Mysteries, Regency Romance, Horror, Westerns, Vampire novels, Sherlock Holmes material, TV tie-ins and Non-fiction. Other areas of interest are also represented, although in smaller numbers. Their goal here is to provide ready availability of the books that readers want, with strong emphasis on customer service and satisfaction. They also own Massoglia Books, which carries hard-to-find, collectible, autographed and just plain unusual titles to area conventions and also makes them available via the internet for local purchase or mail-order delivery to anywhere in the world.

Over the years they have received many requests from writers for books to be used as background reading or resource material. This, along with discussions with writers about the craft, has led them to form opinions as to what sort of reading writers might do to improve their skills and add to the enjoyment of the writing process.

A & M Book Cellars is located at 19801 Vanowen #D, Canoga Park, CA, 91306 (Near Corbin at Vanowen) Phone (818) 716-9259. You can also shop Massoglia Books online at:

http://home.pacbell.net/ambooks/

http://www.biblio.com/bookstores/Massoglia_Books.htm