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Christian Writers Group Helps Aspiring Authors

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By BARBARA ROUTEN, Tribune correspondent

Published: November 10, 2007

BRANDON - The Brandon Christian Writers Group, a diverse and lively group of authors affiliated with the American Christian Writers Group, meets from 7 to 9 p.m. the third Thursday of each month at the Brandon Regional Library, 619 Vonderburg Drive. The next meeting will be Thursday.

"Published and aspiring-to-be-published authors ... learn the ropes from each other while offering encouragement and friendship," said member and published author Debora M. Coty. "... Everyone is invited, and no, we don't check your Christian ID at the door! ... We're a hard-laughing, welcoming bunch who would never dream of turning anyone away who was interested in seeing what we are all about.

"Most of us - men and women - are inspirational writers, but not necessarily for Christian periodicals. We are a small, quite diverse group, eight to 10 usually, some published many times, some not at all yet, a few poets, freelance magazine writers and ... several children's writers currently seeking contracts for their work."

"Through my connections," Coty said, "I was able to get four of the other writers 'auditions' for a series of devotionals Barbour Books is currently constructing. To our collective delight, that resulted in contracts for three of the writers - an honor to be chosen by such a large, prestigious publishing company."

"Writers need encouragement," said group founder and President Ruth Ellinger. "We teach everything from the mechanics of writing to how to get a manuscript ready for submission, and we critique each others' work each session. We bat around ideas about researching a subject, discuss grammar questions or work on characterization."

Each meeting opens with a prayer asking God "to help us all create something that would be a help to others," Ellinger said. She said what they "teach and what we present is from a Christian perspective and is Bible-based."

Ellinger, 62, who has been writing for 30 years, has just published her second novel, "Wild Rose of Promise." It is the second book in a trilogy called "The Wild Rose Series."

She will sign books from 2 to 4 p.m. Nov. 17 at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 122 Brandon Town Center Drive.

"I'm finding there are lots of late-blooming, aspiring authors out there," Ellinger said, "people who had other careers, or their kids now are grown. They have a lot of knowledge and experience in life behind them. We feel we have something here to help them."

Scheduling conflicts sometimes cause meeting cancellations. There will be no meeting in December. For information about the writers group, call Ellinger at (813) 685-7387 or e-mail her at writer@ruth ellinger.com.

Toy Run Needs Gift Wrappers

SEFFNER - The Cookson Hills Toy Run has been like Santa Claus to more than 1,800 eastern Hillsborough County children for the past 13 years. To get ready for this year's toy giveaway, co-founders Bill and Sheri Brown will hold gift-wrapping parties at 7 p.m. Nov. 17 and Nov. 30.

Volunteers can be groups or individuals, including students who need community service hours. Call (813) 643-5758 for locations and directions.

The gifts will be distributed to about 300 children at the toy run, which will start at 10 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial Museum and Park, 3602 U.S. 301 N., Tampa. At 1 p.m., participants will parade in a variety of vehicles and on motorcycles with a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office escort from the park to the Children's Home at Family Ministries of Florida, 131 New Legacy Drive, a residential child care facility in Seffner where the children will receive gifts.

Make It, Bake It, Sew It, Grow It

BRANDON - The Brandon Newcomers Club will hold its regular lunch meeting and annual "Make It, Bake It, Sew It, Grow It" auction at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Association, 619 Vonderburg Drive.

"I think it will be a lot of fun," Miriam L. Smith, club vice president, said in the November newsletter. "Bring several items for the auction if you can do so. The more money we make for the club, the more we can do to help other organizations, as well as offer scholarships for worthy students."

The club welcomes new members who just moved to the area or established residents willing to help others learn their way around - or who just want something to do. Activities planned for November are crafts Tuesday (call Vilma Hartley at (813) 689-2985); bunco at 7 p.m. Wednesday (call Anna Hensley at (813) 654-2029 for details); a jaunt to the Webster Flea Market on Nov. 19 (call E.J. Smith at (813) 689-3159); two events Nov. 29 - an outing to Hollis Garden in Lakeland at 9:30 a.m. (call Marcia Hunter at (813) 657-2305) and Gals' Night Out at 5:30 p.m. at Willie's Seafood Restaurant, 1912 Main St., Valrico (call Jeanne Archambault at (813) 684-8249 or Helen Lepre at (813) 651-0883).

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr .com or call (813) 657-4531.

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