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December 16th 2007

Today we held our December meeting at Bella Cafe in Park Rapids. The next meeting will be on Sunday, January 20, 2008 from 12:30 to 3 PM at Bella Cafe in Park Rapids MN.

Present today: Luke, John, Tarah, Sharon, Elaine and Bryan.

TALKING STICK 16
The TS16 books are selling fast. Out of 9 boxes, we have less than 2 left. Tarah installed PayPal on the website so that it is easier for people to buy books.

BOOK RELEASE PARTY
We had a great day at our Book Release Party for TS16 in November. We had over 55 people in attendance. Lots of people read. We sold lots of new and old TS books. Beagle Books had other books there to sell too, in particular, books by the 3 celebrity judges for this TS16 book.

We had some good news articles written about our book release party. Review Messenger, Northwoods Press. We have been interviewed for others from Scandia MN where Peter Schwarz lives and from Battle Lake where Luke Anderson lives. Great publicity.

UPCOMING EVENTS
April 5, 2008 Bloomington Art Center Writers’ Festival. We hope to have some members in attendance to sell books and read. 9:30 am to 3 pm. Contact: Kate Pettit lpettit@gowebway.com for more information. Workshops, panels on writing topics, lunch available. Richard in the cities has offered to help.

BUSINESS MEETING
A couple of weeks ago, we had a business meeting to discuss writing events for 2008. We are going to do the next call for submissions (for TS17) very early. The deadline will be March 1 instead of May 1. This is so we can have the Book Release Party combined with the Annual Celebration and do them early, probably in September.

We are already lining up workshops for 2008. Tentative: children’s books, time management for writers, business side of writing or genre decisions. We are working on the judges for next year’s book too.

We are planning on having 20×20 next year. Twenty artists and 20 authors matched up. Tentative date: early August, probably at Jackpine Java.

Benefit Golf Tournament at Fair Havens Golf Course again in June.

In 2009, we are hoping to have a writers’ retreat weekend, possibly at Village of Smokey Hills.

RECENT EVENTS
John attended Marine on St Croix, a poetry reading night. This was a local poetry group sponsored by Arcola Mills.

Several writers read what they are working on and received helpful comments and criticism. Good meeting for this busy time of year.

Hope to see you all next time!!