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2019 Officers
2019 STAR Officers
Board of Directors
President – Jennifer Bokal
Secretary – Zara West
Treasurer – Rasha Selim
RWA Representative – Carol Henry
To contact any of our officers, please use our contact form
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2018 STAR Chapter Awards
~ STAR Awards ~
Presented at the STAR Annual Holiday Awards Luncheon
Membership Awards
20 years
Carol Henry, Karen Hendershott, Thea McGinnis
Yearly Write Awards
STAR Shine award – Most contribution to STAR in a year
2018 – Jen Bokal
STAR Attendance Award – Attended the most meetings in a year
2018 Rasha Selim
STAR Writing award – Most writing accomplishments in a year
2018 Sara Benedict, Michaele Stoughton
STAR Publication award – Publishing a novella/novel(s) in the year.
2018 – Jen Bokal, Sara Benedict, Zara West, Carol Henry, Rasha Selim, Selena Lindalh
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Report on the New Jersey Romance Writers Conference
~ Put Your Heart in A Book ~
The annual New Jersey Romance Writers Conference took place on October 19 and 20. Three members of STAR drove down to the conference: Jen Bokal, Joan Koster, and Rasha Selim. As always there were wonderful speakers and great workshops. The opportunity to pitch your books to editors and agents is always a great feature of the conference.
Hearing successful romance writers is one of the highlights of the conference. To start off, Melinda Leigh gave an overview workshop on writing romantic suspense, but which really covered writing any romance. On Saturday, Virginia Kantra gave the breakfast keynote and Jane Porter spoke at the luncheon. Rebecca Zanetti and Hope Ramsey also gave marvelous workshops.
Although, the meals have always been delicious, the food this year was served buffet style so attendees could enjoy a choice of offerings and not be held up by slow service. There was more than enough to eat and plenty of dancing and fun at the Roaring 20s party on Friday night.
Here we are with Rhonda Penders, editor of Wild Rose Press
If you missed the conference this year, consider going down with a group of us next year.
submitted by Joan Koster
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Enneagram Workshop
~ The Enneagram Window into Character ~
Coming on Saturday September 15th is a wonderful workshop offered free to the public by our chapter. Do you know what an enneagram is? It’s an amazing tool. It can help you understand yourself better. It can help you understand others. And if you are a writer it can help you develop complex characters with deep emotional ties to others.
Come and find out more. 10:30 to 1:30 at Barnes & Noble in Vestal NY.
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From the Desk of the President: 2018 Schedule
~ What’s Happening in 2018 ~
Hello and welcome to the new year for the Southern Tier Authors of Romance! I’m Jennifer D. Bokal, new president for STAR. For 2018 we are trying something new. Several of our meetings will be open to the public and have a fabulous speaker to help writers at all phases of their career. There’s still plenty of activities for members only, so check that out, too.
3/17 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Retreat
Location: Pumpelly House, Owego, NY ***Members only***
4/21 10:30 a.m. “Literary Devices” Joan Koster, PhD.
Location: Barnes and Noble, Vestal, NY
5/19 10:30 a.m. “Law Enforcement in Writing” Special Agent, John Paul Bokal, Jr. FBI
Location: Barnes and Noble, Vestal, NY
6/16 10:30 a.m. “Current Trends and Marketing” Veronica Parks, Literary Agent, Corvisiero Agency
Location: Barnes and Noble, Vestal, NY
9/15 10:30 a.m. Enneagram Workshop
Location: To Be Announced
10/13 10:30 a.m. Rhonda Penders, Publisher The Wild Rose Press. Topic TBA
Location: Barnes and Noble
November Retreat. ***Members only***
Location: To Be Announced
December Holiday Dinner. ***Members only***
Location: To Be Announced
Happy Writing!
Jennifer D. Bokal
President STAR
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2018 STAR Officers
~ 2018 STAR Officers ~
President -Jen Bokal
Secretary – Joan Koster
Treasurer – Michaele Stoughton
Pan Representative – Carol Henry
Webmaster – Joan Koster
Online Workshop Coordinator – Joan Koster
Questions? Comments? News? Contact our officers via this form:
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2017 Officers & Events
Our officers for 2017 are:
President: Emma Barron
Secretary: Jen Bokal
Treasurer: Joan Koster
PRO Liaison: Carol Henry
Officers will assume their offices in January at our Annual Meeting at the Edge of Thyme.
Congratulations to them all!
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2016 Officers
Our officers for 2016, elected by a unanimous vote are:
President: Emma Barron
Secretary: Jen Bokal
Treasurer: Joan Koster
PRO Liaison: Carol Henry
Officers will assume their offices in January at our Annual Meeting at the Treadway Inn.
Congratulations to them all!
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Enneagrams for Writers
Do you know what an Enneagram is and how it can help you write better heroes and heroines?
If not, come to our September 26 workshop.
Presenter: Linda Johansen
Time: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Place: Candor Masonic Lodge, Rt 96b Candor
Cost: Free for members/ $30 for non-members includes breakfast coffee and lunch
Deadline to register is September 15—there will be no registration at the door. Participants can register via PayPal, at STARPAY@gmail.com, or by sending a check to: STAR, c/o Carol Henry, 90 Dry Brook Road, Willseyville, NY, 13864. For more information about registering, contact Carol Henry, STAR Educational Program Coordinator at: carolhenry@frontiernet.net; (607)-659-7661.
Here are the details:
The Southern Tier Authors of Romance is hosting an Enneagram Workshop, Saturday, September 26, 2015. The workshop, given by Linda Johansen, will help writers develop their characters by understanding the nine basic types of human nature—or personality types, and ways of being in the world. The Workshop will be an introduction to the Nine Personality Types, including values, ideals, motivations, the highest manifestations of its nature, as well as the maladaptive expressions.
Johansen says that “each of the nine types has its own values and ideals that motivate and guide its choices. Some are attracted to goodness, others to love, still others to action, beauty, wisdom, loyalty, joy, strength, and peace.”
Discussion will also delve into each of the nine type’s own vulnerabilities arising from the disconnection to true nature. “We become very sensitive and protective when our values are discounted or threatened,” Johansen states. “Some are sensitive to criticism, others to rejection, still others to failure, abandonment, ridicule, betrayal, limitations, weakness, and conflict.”
Linda Johansen was a licensed social worker in Fargo, ND for 30 years before retiring in 2015. She studied the Enneagram with Don Riso and Russ Hudson at the Enneagram Institute in Stone Ridge, New York. She is a long-time traveler on the path to human development, having begun her own personal journey with a 12-step program in 1976. She has also participated in the Diamond Approach to spiritual development. It is her passion to create environments for people to come together and learn about the essential nature of life, including ourselves and other people. She believes this is the foundation for transforming our lives into the highest expression of what is possible.
The workshop will be held at the Candor Masonic Lodge, Rt. 96b, Candor, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Registration fee is $30.00, which includes morning coffee and a luncheon. Deadline to register is September 15—there will be no registration at the door. Participants can register via PayPal, at STARPAY@gmail.com, or by sending a check to: STAR, c/o Carol Henry, 90 Dry Brook Road, Willseyville, NY, 13864. For more information about registering, contact Carol Henry, STAR Educational Program Coordinator at: carolhenry@frontiernet.net; (607)-659-7661.
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Accounting and Taxes for Writers
Our next meeting is July 20 at 6:30 PM at the Tioga County Office Building. Carol Palmer, an accountant from Ithaca, New York, will explain how writers should manage their accounts, expenses, and income and understand relevant tax deductions.
Even if you have not yet made any money writing, you can still benefit from keeping proper records.
See you there!