Dear Friends,

    The busy season is upon us for all things to do with writing, books and publishing. With that said, it is the perfect time to put pen to paper and fill in the squares on your favorite calendar. The Peppertree Press has many events to share with you in regards to conferences, book signings and so much more.
    The plans are in full swing for the Peppertree Press mini-conference and book fair to be held November 8, 2008, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the South Gate Community Center here in Sarasota. The event, Writing the Wave, will incorporate knowledge from a panel of experts in a variety of fields, such as writing skills in all genres, publishing, marketing, promotion and Web design. Tickets are $25, which includes a fabulous lunch from Panera Bread. Peppertree Press authors will be discussing and signing their books throughout the conference. There also will be a chance to win fabulous door prizes. For more information, please contact our office at 941-922-2662. To sign up for this event, please fill out the form on the back of this issue and mail it to our office.
    The Florida Writers Association (FWA), a nonprofit statewide professional organization, will hold its seventh annual conference November 14 to 16, 2008, at the Lake Mary Marriott in north Orlando. The three-day conference will provide opportunities for attendees to sharpen their writing skills, make professional contacts and learn new ways to get their work published. The Peppertree Press book publishing company will be the platinum sponsor for this event. What a perfect way to introduce our company to the expected 300 attendees, so they, too, can turn their manuscript into a masterpiece. For additional information on this conference, visit the FWA Web site at www.floridawriters.net, or contact Chrissy Jackson at chrissyj@earthlink.net.
    The second annual Children’s Garden Reading Festival will be held Sunday, November 23, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1670 10th Way, Sarasota, Florida. This is a free event and will be a great way to celebrate all of our authors and illustrators in the community. This year the festival will be sponsored by the Rotary Club of Sarasota, the Y and Comcast. If you are an author or illustrator and would like to participate in this event, please call Joan Marie, author of Snuffy the Dragon, and reserve your table. The Web site is www.sarasotachildrensgarden.com, or call 941-330-1711.
     The Peppertree Press and Sarasota Literacy Council have now permanently inked our next lunch and learn, to be held February 26, 2009, at Michael’s on East in Sarasota. This event celebrates authors and illustrators in the community and will benefit the numerous literacy programs for adults and children. For more information, please contact the Sarasota Literacy Council at 941-955-0421 or by e-mail at LCSauthors@yahoo.com. 
    Calling all teachers! The Peppertree Press, A Book Publishing Company appreciates all that you do for your students, school and community. We know deep down that you have a story to tell, to share and to publish. We would like to gift you $200 off your publishing fee for your book, whether you have written a children’s book, a novel, poetry or a memoir. It is time for you to shine! For more  information,  please contact our office at 941-922-2662, or e-mail us at peppertreepublishing@yahoo.com. 
    The Peppertree Press would like to present a campaign that will bring out the hero in all who participate. Presenting Bringing Heroes to Life, a campaign that incorporates elementary students’ artwork and ideas to be published in a worldwide-distributed book. The original AC Heroes characters were created by students from Lamarque Elementary, developed by Ron Knight and published by The Peppertree Press. Now is the time for your school and student to participate in this program and not only become a published author, but also raise money for your school at the same time. For more information, please e-mail us at peppertreepublishing@yahoo.com.
    It is our hope that we see all of you at the upcoming events. There is so much to look forward to when it comes to words. So keep reading, writing, creating and sending in your stories to be published in this amazing magazine. By the way, we are celebrating our fourth year in print. A happy anniversary to The Pepper Tree magazine. Thank you to all who have been submitting all these years. It is all good stuff!

Until we chat next time …

Sincerely,

Julie Ann Howell
Publisher/Founder
“Always Planting Seeds”