Summer is slow for a lot of writing groups. Ours was not. Since June, First Coast Romance Writers has hosted a New York Times bestselling author, a memoirist who has visited more than 75 book clubs, and two of our own members teaching craft; announced the winners of our annual published-book contest; published one anthology and opened submissions for the next; and set up a table at the Jacksonville Public Library’s Writers Day to meet romance authors who did not know we existed. Here is the recap, and a look at who is coming this fall.
NERFA 2026 winners
The Northeast Florida Romance Awards wrapped up in July. Judges read every finalist’s book in full, and winners were announced July 8. Congratulations to every finalist and winner; the full list is on the NERFA page. Watch our social channels for the winner videos.
Rainy Day Romance is out
Our spring anthology, Rainy Day Romance, is available now in ebook and paperback. And submissions are open for the winter anthology, Winter Wishes: snowed in, stranded, one bed, any holiday or none, 8,000 to 15,000 words. Release is November 17. Members can find the sign-up details on the members site and in the group email.
Three workshops worth the drive (or the Zoom link)
June: Ginny Myers Sain. The New York Times bestselling author of Dark and Shallow Lies and the Florida Book Award winner When the Bones Sing gave us two sessions: finding your author voice, and how to plot a murder. Her agent gets 850 cold queries a week, and voice, she said, is the simplest way to be the one he reads twice. The moment everyone talked about afterward: anyone can generate a 600-page novel overnight now, but what a machine will never have is the strange, specific thing that makes your pages yours. “It will not have your soul.”
July: Joan M. Griffin and Selling the Feeling. Memoirist Joan M. Griffin (Force of Nature: Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail) joined by Zoom to make the case that promoting other authors grows your own readership, with examples from cross-promotions, a shared booth at the American Library Association conference, and her 75-plus book club visits. Then one of our own members led a hands-on workshop on writing romance hooks that sell the feeling instead of the plot. Two lines the room wrote down: in your book you show, but in your hook you tell; and your story can be unique, your marketing cannot.
https://youtube.com/shorts/qsli7mgQJmY
August: Mari Freeman on deep POV. Romance author Mari Freeman (who writes mystery as J.D. Allen) walked us through the five levels of narrative distance, the filter words that keep readers at arm’s length, and the cases where telling beats showing, then put a page of her own manuscript on screen and edited it live. Also: the story of the 218 exclamation points her editor added to a novel she wrote without a single one.
https://youtube.com/shorts/zhZ4T56GyDE
Members can watch all three workshops in full, on the members-only site. Guests are welcome at their first two workshops free; after that, we would love to have you join.
Out in the community
FCRW members led a Writers Lab at the Jacksonville Public Library’s Mandarin branch this spring, and on August 22 we hosted a table at the library’s downtown Writers Day. Both drew romance writers who had never heard of us. If that is you, hello. Keep reading.
What’s coming this fall
September: Lana McAra, two sessions. Lana is a returning FCRW presenter, president of Northeast Florida Sisters in Crime, and founder of Vendela Publishing, which just celebrated its first year. Session one is Building Your Author Brand. Successful authors have a writing style that is unique to them: their genre, the tone of their stories, even whether they write happy-ever-after or heartbreaker books in the Nicholas Sparks mold. Attendees will work through a checklist to identify their own brand. Session two is a Live Editing Workshop, so bring pages.
October (Zoom): Bryn Donovan. Author, book editor, and self-described optimist with a background as an executive editor in publishing. Her motto: “Tell your stories and love your life.” Her session covers query letters and more.
November (in person): Shakira R. Thompson. Author and founder of Love Story 365. Shakira’s presentations explore how writing shapes relationships and creates lasting connections. Through interactive exercises and personal anecdotes, she focuses on writing from the heart, the mechanics of romantic storytelling, and the transformative power of being an “intentional romantic.”
December (in person): Frank B. Goodin II. Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, digital media innovator, and professor in the School of Communication at the University of North Florida. Session details to come.
Meetings are the second Saturday of the month at the West Regional Branch Library on Chaffee Road, with a Zoom option for members who cannot be there in person. The business meeting runs first, followed by the workshops.
One more thing
Every FCRW board position is open for 2027. This group runs on volunteers, and the current board would love to hand some of the work to new hands, with training and support. If you have ever thought about stepping up, or if you are new and want a fast way to get to know everyone, reach out. CONTACT Vickey Wollan
Not a member yet? Join First Coast Romance WritersBecome a Member and get the full workshop library, the anthologies, NERFA, a Discord full of writers who answer questions at odd hours, and a room of people who will tell you which line of your hook is working.