Events Calendar

If you are an Arizona Authors Association member and have a writing-related event to list, please contact the web administrator HERE. 

Desert Nights, Rising Stars Writer's Conference

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From the Website:

Desert Nights, Rising Stars (DNRS) is a teaching conference that values nurturing and facilitating a community of writers committed to learning their craft.  Our theme for 2024 is “Craft. Culture. Community.” We seek to create brave spaces where writers of all levels are empowered to uncover and share their stories.

Our 2024 keynote speakers are poets Nicole Sealey, originator of “The Sealey Challenge,” and Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award winner John Murillo.

Our conference has a number of ways to participate and engage so you can create the experience that works best for you: 

• registration is $275

• Single-day passes are available for $150

We offer several discounted rates:

• Seniors (65+), Arizona educators, active or retired military, and people with disabilities rate is $115

• ASU student, faculty, and staff rate is $50

• Non-ASU student rate is $75

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In addition, we offer a discounted rate of $50 under MFA Presents and Community Writers for those interested in presenting at the conference. We also offer emerging writers the opportunity to apply for the Conference Teaching Fellowship program, which offers writers the opportunity to teach alongside award-winning faculty and receive a free registration.

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The Piper Center is committed to making all reasonable accommodations that will allow attendees to participate in conference events.  ASU and the Piper Center comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and strive to make our conference accessible and inclusive of all participants.

View our accessibility page

• For more information, contact Sheila Black, Assistant Director, Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, at sheila.black@asu.edu​​​​​ or click on: https://piper.asu.edu/conference

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Arizona Authors Association Online Free Workshop

Writing Your Hard Stuff

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Saturday, October 12, 2024

10:00 AM MST

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Writing Your Hard Stuff, Your Trauma: Your Stories Have Healing Potential

You want to write your story and avoid lawsuits or family estrangement? In this free workshop we will address these questions, discuss how to write through the pain, and allow time for a writing exercise.

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Flagstaff author Mary Coday Edwards is a 2023 Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest winner for her published book, To Travel Well, Travel Light: An Adventure Memoir of Living Abroad and Letting Go of Life’s Trappings: Material Possessions, Cultural Blinders, and a Patriarchal Christian Worldview. The book also won a Silver in the 2023 Nautilus Book Awards, honoring works that support conscious living, green values, wellness, social change, social justice, and spiritual growth. She is a recipient of an Artist Opportunity Grant from the AZ Commission on the Arts, to develop a study guide for the second half of To Travel Well, Travel Light, which describes her inner, spiritual journey.

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Of the twenty years Mary Coday Edwards lived and worked abroad with her family, eight were in Pakistan, where she worked in Afghan refugee post[1]conflict repatriation and reconstruction projects. She is an internationally published author and worked as an editor for English daily newspapers in Jakarta and Mexico. With her BS in engineering, an MA in energy and environmental studies, and post-grad studies in ecological justice, abroad she worked and wrote on environmental sustainability issues at both global and local levels emphasizing the physical interconnectedness of all things. After living in Asia, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and Latin America, upon returning to the US she became a nonsectarian ordained minister through Denver's People House, where she has been a regular blogger for more than six years.

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To find out more about this FREE workshop open to Arizona Authors Association members and their guests, contact:

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arizonaauthorsassociation@gmail.com

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Desert Foothills Book Festival

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Saturday, October 19, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Desert Foothills Book Festival will take place at:

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The Holland Center
34250 N 60th Street Scottsdale, AZ 85266

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FREE ADMISSION FOR EVERYONE!

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Reading is Fun!

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It’s even better when you come meet the Award-Winning Local Authors who write the books you love to read! Have a blast talking all things book and don’t forget to get a signed copy of your favorite! It’s a great way to support local authors and our community. 

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The Arizona Authors Association will have a tent at the festival, hosted by Daniel Dickinson and Rodo Sofranac. Stop by and see them, and visit all the Arizona Authors Association members who will be showcasing their books at the festival, including:

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Elizabeth Ajamie-Boyer

Bart Ambrose

Dan Baldwin

Sally Bates

Patricia L. Brooks

Caren Cantrell

Daniel Dickinson

Mimi Francis

Earl Goldmann

Diana Grillo

AnnElise Makin

Nancy Hicks Marshall

Eileen Pieczonka

Barbara Renner

Rodo Sofranac

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See you there! 

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Anticus Workshop Series with Karen Odden

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USA Today Bestselling Author and  Arizona Authors Association member Karen Odden will be conducting a series of workshops at the Anticus Gallery/Book Store in Scottsdale.

The hands-on, interactive series will help developing authors to gain experience in a variety of topics, including:

Crafting Backstory: Monday, October 21 

Creating Secondary Characters: Monday, November 18 

Writing a Strong Query Letter: Monday, January 13 

Developing Unique Voices for Characters: Monday, February 24 

Composing those All-important Opening Pages: Monday, March 10

Finding Your People: Monday, April 14 

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All workshops begin at 6:30 pm MST

Registration is required and the cost for each workshop is $25 per session or $120 for all six. Call the gallery at 480-483-5663 to reserve your space or contact them through their website at info@anticus.com.

Anticus is open 7 days a week; call for hours. It is located at:

3922 N Scottsdale Rd.

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Here's a link to the workshop page:

https://anticus.com/post/10909-writers-workshop-series---with-usa-today-bestselling-author-karen-odden

To learn more about Karen Odden, please visit her website HERE. ​​​​​​

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Oro Valley Writer's Forum Author Signing and Sale

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Members of the Oro Valley Writers Forum are holding a small author signing and sale at Tohono Chul on Sunday, November 24th from 10 – 2pm. It began as just for "their" writers, but Tohono Chul is very eager to add more, so they have ten slots open for members of the Arizona Authors Association. They believe that this will likely grow into a much bigger event as years go by, but are starting small for now.

To apply for one of the ten slots available to Arizona Authors Association members, contact KC Cowan at: kccowmic@gmail.com. If you are not currently a member of the Arizona Authors Association, please first join on the JOIN page. Thank you.

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Arizona Authors Association Presents

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Holiday Book Fair 2024: Green Valley

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Saturday, November 30, 2024, from 9am- Noon 

The Holiday Book Fair will take place at:

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Desert Hills Lutheran Church
2150 S. Camino Del Sol
Green Valley AZ 85622

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EVENT IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!​

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Authors of every genre from the greater Tucson and Green Valley areas will be selling and signing their original works.

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Contact Bonnie Papenfuss for Information/Author Registration

Phone 520-576-6458 or email lbpapenfuss1260@gmail.com

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Arizona Authors Association Presents an Online Workshop

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If You've Got The Time, You Don't Need Money

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Saturday, December 14, 2024, from 10am- 11:30

The President of the Arizona Authors Association, Kathleen Cook, will conduct a workshop designed to teach new or little-known authors how to market their books, build a following, enhance their reputations on social media, and become successful authors on a shoestring or even zero-dollar marketing  budget. Your currency is time rather than dollars, and if you have a lot of the first and little of the other, or if you just want to save your hard-earned funds, this workshop is for you! The presentation will take place on Zoom and is free to all Arizona Authors Association members and their guests. 

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To register for this workshop, send an email to:

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arizonaauthorsassociation@gmail.com

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