West Regional Library, 1425 Chaffee Road, Jacksonville, Fl 32221
When: Sign in begins at 10:00 AM unless otherwise posted.
* OUR MEETINGS *
We LOVE visitors! Unless otherwise stated, our meetings are held on the second Saturday of every month at the West Regional Branch Library in Jacksonville, Florida. The address is 1425 Chaffee Rd S, Jacksonville, Fl 32221.
Our Membership Dues is only $50 annually which includes all the workshops or you can pay $10 for any individual workshops throughout the year on Zoom. The public is welcome to come to the in-person workshops for Free for 2 learning sessions after which we ask that you pay the annual fee to join. To Pay for a Zoom Session CLICK HERE. Once payment is received you will receive an email with the Zoom link to attend the meeting you have selected.
Typically, we have a business meeting where you’ll learn about what we’re doing, followed by two workshops. When in person, we usually have lunch together at a nearby restaurant afterward. Romance writers know how to combine business and fun!
9:45AM log in to socialize and catch up with your fellow writers
10:00AM meeting called to order
10:40AM Meeting ends if it hasn’t already adjourned
10:40 5-minute break
10:45 First workshop (approx. 50 min)
5-minute break in there somewhere
Second workshop (approx. 50 min)
MEMBERS: If you need the Zoom link to attend, email the chapter president: president@firstcoastromancewriters.com You will be provided with a link. It is helpful if you have a free Zoom account prior to attending any of the ZOOM sessions as they can be viewed on your smartphone, tablet as well as through your laptop/computer. You can log in virtually for social time at 9:45am, and our business meeting will begin promptly at 10:15am.
Meetings Below
Don’t forget to share the upcoming workshops with your friends, family and fellow authors out there. We have a Facebook and a Twitter (X) button below each one that will allow you to share quickly and easily!
Writers Workshop with Lisa Kessler
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library and on Zoom
1425 Chaffee Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32221
Lisa Kessler is a bestselling author of passionate, page-turning paranormal fiction. She’s a two-time San Diego Book Award winner for Best Published Fantasy-Sci-Fi-Horror and Best Published Romance. Her novels have also earned the PRISM Award, the Award of Excellence, the National Excellence in Romantic Fiction Award, the Award of Merit from the Holt Medallion, and an International Digital Award for Best Paranormal.
Her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines, and her vampire tale Immortal Beloved was a finalist for the prestigious Bram Stoker Award.
In addition to writing, Lisa is a dedicated teacher and speaker for writers, sharing insights on craft, storytelling, and the business of publishing. When she’s not writing or teaching, she’s a professional tarot reader, manifesting coach, and vocalist. Her Practical Tarot Deck and The Practical Tarot Method: Learning to Read Tarot Cards Intuitively are now available worldwide. Learn more at https://authorlisakessler.com
Workshop1: Dark Moments: Make Them Earn Their Happily Ever Afters
Every unforgettable Happily Ever After is forged in the fire of a powerful dark moment. In this workshop, we’ll dive deep into pivotal dark moments from classic books and beloved films, exploring why they resonate so strongly with readers and audiences alike. You’ll discover the essential ingredients that make these moments believable and impactful — and learn how to craft your own dark moment to challenge your characters, reveal their true growth, and make your ending feel truly earned and unforgettable.
Workshop2: Dig a Little Deeper: Using All Five Senses for a Deeper Point of View
Want your readers to live your story instead of just reading it? In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore how to tap into all five senses to bring scenes and characters vividly to life. Through guided exercises, you’ll learn how to layer sensory details naturally and deepen your characters’ perspectives, so every moment pulls readers inside the experience rather than leaving them on the outside looking in.
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Happy Valentines Writers Workshop with Terena Bell
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library and on Zoom
1425 Chaffee Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32221
Terena Bell, Publicist
Terena Bell is a book publicist and writer. She's successfully secured clients coverage from "The Today Show," NPR, Good Housekeeping, Book Riot, New Books Network, and others. Her debut short fiction collection, Tell Me What You See (Whiskey Tit, 2022), was named one of the “best books of the century (so far)” by New York Society Library and a Ms Magazine must-read. The title story was a New York Foundation for the Arts grant winner and another from the collection has been optioned to become a feature film. Check out her website: http://terenabell.com
DESCRIPTION: Why do you really want publicity for your book?
Is it to sell books or to be read? Or maybe something else? Coverage from something like "The Today Show" may sound great, but sometimes being in the local paper can sell more copies. PR — like any form of marketing — should come down to goals. So what's yours? For self-published or small press authors, sometimes publicity needs to attract an agent for the next book. Everybody's reasons are different, so their approaches to PR should be too. Together we'll help you articulate the reasons you want to promote your title and pinpoint easy steps to take accordingly.
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Super Saturday Writers Workshop with Margie Lawson
From 9:00 AM until 5:00 PM
At Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners
1071 Atlantic Blvd, Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
- A full day of writing workshops with Margie Lawson.
- Who: Excellent for writers in all genres.
- When: March 14, 2026, 9AM – 5PM
- Where: 1071 Atlantic Blvd, Atlantic Beach, Florida 32233
- Venue provided by Keller Williams Realty Atlantic Partners
- Cost: $55 members, $85 non-members. Includes boxed lunch.
- Registration closes Feb 28. No refunds after this date.
- Limited seating available. Reserve your seat now!
- Registration at: https://firstcoastromancewriters.com/super-saturday-writers-workshop/
Margie Lawson left a career in psychology to focus on her true passion—helping writers make their stories, characters, and words strong. Tired of the same old writing rules and tools? Try something new.
Using a psychologically based, deep-editing approach, Margie teaches writers how to bring emotion to the page. Emotion equals power. And power not only grabs readers, it holds onto them until the end. Many Margie grads have gone on to win awards, find agents, sign with publishers, and hit bestseller lists.
As an international presenter, Margie has taught over 200 full day master classes in the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and France. She’s also taught 5-day Immersion Master Classes across the U.S. and Canada and Scotland, and in seven cities in Australia too. Check out Margie's Website: https://www.margielawson.com/
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Scott "Scooter" West - Weaponry 2026
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32221
Scott "Scooter" West - Weaponry
Scott “Scooter” West has possessed an insatiable love of swords and sword-like objects since he was a child. After years of typical play with prized toys and whittled sticks Scott started formal fencing training and was introduced to theatrical combat in late high school. Scott developed a keen interest in the build, use and history of medieval and Renaissance weaponry and has now pursued this interest for an excess of 25 years. He has participated and lead any number of combat shows, historical reenactments, combat and choreography training sessions, and even a few lectures. Scott lives in Gainesville Florida with his very patient wife, two teenage kids, and a revolving door of Labrador retrievers that his family raises for Dogs Inc, where they will be trained as guide dogs for the visually impaired or other service jobs. Scott has written, directed, choreographed, armored, trained, presided over and anything else you can think of for Thieves Guilde Productions, a stage combat and improvised theater group in Gainesville. Professionally Scott is a Registered Nurse at UF Health Shand's Hospital, and also plays in the Celtic folk band Jig to a Milestone.
Writers Workshop: Fantasy Weapons and the Writer
A comprehensive overview of pre-modern weapons, terminology, tactics and historical thinking. This workshop will include physical examples of some of these weapons, discussion about and opportunities to handle these items. We will also discuss ways to more accurately describe combat with the written word. This workshop focuses on European based techniques and technologies. For example the Katana (samurai sword) and Japanese cultural combat traditions are not covered by this content. That being said, please feel free to submit specific questions to me (swordscooter@gmail.com) and I will come prepared to address them.
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Ginny Myers Sain - Finding Your Voice
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32221
Ginny Myers Sain - In Person
Ginny Myers Sain is the author of DARK AND SHALLOW LIES (2021), SECRETS SO DEEP (2022), ONE LAST BREATH (2024), WHEN THE BONES SING (2025), and the forthcoming THESE TWISTED HEARTS, all from Penguin Random House/Penguin Teen. Her debut novel, DARK AND SHALLOW LIES, is a New York Times bestseller, an Indie Bookstore Bestseller, a Barnes & Noble YA Pick of the Month, an Amazon Editor's Pick, and a 2022 CRYSTAL KITE award winner from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Ginny's books are available world-wide in ten countries and counting!
Although she comes from a long line of writers, Ginny's first love has always been the theatre. She has a degree in theatre and has spent most of her career teaching acting and directing plays and musicals. Ginny currently lives in St. Cloud, Florida, with her college-age son and a wild goldendoodle named Magnolia. When she is not working in the theatre or writing, you're likely to find her listening to true crime podcasts, taking pictures of alligators, eating tacos, traveling to spooky places, or hanging out at Walt Disney World.
Finding Your Voice: What makes your pages stand out from everyone else's? Most often, it's VOICE. Author's voice is one of the most often noted elements in agent and editor rejections AND acceptances. In this workshop, New York Times bestselling author, Ginny Myers Sain, will discuss how to discover and nurture your own unique author's voice.
How to Plot the Perfect Murder (Mystery): Mysteries are complicated! If you want to keep readers on their toes, you have to plant the right clues and red herrings,. In this workshop, Ginny Myers Sain, New York Times bestselling author of supernatural thrillers published by Penguin Random House, will share tips and techniques for planning the perfect mysterious adventure!
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Double Header with Joan Griffin and Abigail Sharpe
From 10:45 am until 1:00 pm
At Hybrid session On Zoom - and at the library
1425 Chaffee Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32221
Joan Griffin - Zoom Only
Joan lives under the spell of wanderlust. She takes wing, whenever possible, for actual destinations near and far and for literary locales in the pages of books. A native Californian and proud UCLA Bruin, Joan lives in the Northern California foothills of the majestic Sierra Nevada, a world she loves exploring. Joan navigated her way through two careers—marketing computers, then sailboats—before applying her love of storytelling to her dual passions of teaching and writing. Retired after 25 years of teaching middle school, Joan currently teaches classes in literature and women’s history at the Osher Lifelong Learning Program (OLLI) at both Sierra College and UC Davis. Joan’s adventure memoir, Force of Nature: Three Women Tackle the John Muir Trail, was published by Black Rose Writing. She is currently writing her second memoir about growing up adopted.
First Workshop - Lifting Boat & Climbing Mountains: Literary CitizenshipThough writers often work alone, successful authors are active members of a community. Literary Citizenship is about engaging, supporting, collaborating, and sharing with other members of the literary community for the benefit of all. How can we all be good literary citizens?
Editing for Authors - In Person with FCRW Member Abigail Sharpe
Join Abigail and FCRW volunteers for an explanation of edits. Abigail will give developmental edits and the volunteer will either accept or reject the edits, with both giving explanations as to why it was marked and why it was accepted/rejected. The goal is to show how others see your manuscript and how to expand where it may be lacking.
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Lana McAra Building Your Brand
From 10:45 am
At West Branch Regional Library
1425 Chaffee Road S. Jacksonville, FL 32221
Lana McAra is an award-winning author and ghostwriter of 48 titles with a million books sold. She has been teaching how to write fiction for 20 years. She is the founding president of Vendela Publishing, LLC, a publisher that helps indie authors go from online to on shelves in bookstores and libraries. Lana is the president of the Northeast Florida Chapter of Sisters in Crime and host of The Fiction Writer's Podcast.
Lana won The Christy Award, The Book Excellence Award and The Literary Titan Silver Book Award for her historical novel Reaping the Whirlwind by Rosey Dow and her mystery series, Colorado by Rosey Dow, sold more than 250,000 copies. This year she released How to Write a Novel That Sells: From Concept to Publication by Lana McAra, a training manual for aspiring novelists.
Go to https://www.LanaMcAra.com to download your free video and ebook: “Your Novel Notebook: How to organize your materials and take your novel to the next level.”
Building Your Author BrandSuccessful authors have both a writing style that is unique to them--their genre, the tone of their stories, and even whether they write Happy Ever After or Heartbreaker Books (like Nicholas Sparks). Attendees will work through a checklist that will help them identify their brand.
Live Editing WorkshopSubmit 500 words of your writing, and Lana will go through it (kindly) in the group, so we all learn together. This is her most popular session.
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