Pirates, Manatees, and Mysteries! Oh My!

Welcome to the world of Jane Wood’s books. Juvenile fiction author Jane R. Wood captures the imagination of young readers ages 9-14 through stories rich with mystery, adventure, and humor. Follow the escapades of the Johnson family, as 13-year old Joey hears voices in St. Augustine; 9-year old Bobby has a close encounter with a manatee; and 5-year old Katy meets a pirate on Amelia Island. Wood weaves the history and the environment of her settings into her storylines, making her books educational, as well as fun.

Mom’s Choice Award #4

April 01 2011

I was recently notified that my fourth book, Ghosts on the Coast: A Visit to Savannah and the Low Country, has received the Mom's Choice Award. This is a national award that recognizes "quality family-friendly products." I'm thrilled that all four of my juvenile fiction books have received this award.

April and May - On the Road Again!
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April 2 - I'll be on Amelia Island this Saturday, signing books and celebrating the Old Town Bicentennial. Old Town is featured in my book Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure. The organizers of this event have planned many activities to help make "history come alive" for kids and adults. Visit: http://oldtownfernandina.org/bicentennial/index.html

April 16 - The Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island will be shell-e-brating Earth Day and I'll be there! This is a great place to take kids! Activities will include games, crafts, demonstrations and stage programs. To learn more about the Center, go to: http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org


April 30 - With more than twenty other authors, I'll be presenting at the April is for Authors event in West Palm Beach. Teachers, students and families are invited to meet their favorite authors at this free event. If you live in the West Palm Beach area, check it out. For more information, go to: http://www.aprilisforauthors.org

May 12-14 - I'll be speaking at the Scribbler's Retreat and Writer's Conference on St. Simon's Island, Georgia. Sessions are designed for "budding authors and published authors of all ages" and include: Query Letter Writing, Historical Fiction, Point of View, Creating Credible Characters, Writing Poetry, Revving up your Narrative Drive, and How to Write a Novel in your Spare Time. I'll be speaking about Schools: A Niche Market. For registration information, visit http://scribblersretreatwritersconference.com

May 20 - I'll be joining other authors with books about the environment at An Evening at Whitney Labs at Marineland in Flagler Beach. Book signings will be held from 7:00-7:30 PM, following a program and other activities that begin at 5:00. http://www.scenica1a.org/EnvironmentalEducationForum.aspx

By Popular Request - Publishing Workshops Offered ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am often asked by aspiring authors if I would help them get a book published. I'm now in a position to offer them some support.

Frances Keiser, award-winning children's author, and I will be offering a series of courses through the University of North Florida's Division of Continuing Education. Our first course, The Business Side of Self-Publishing, will be offered on May 17, from 6:00-8:00 PM at the UNF campus. Two separate publishing courses will be offered on June 4 and July 28.

For details and registration information for these very affordable workshops, go to: http://www.ce.unf.edu/showcalendar.awp.

An Evening with Ernest Hemingway - May 21 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Florida Heritage Book Festival will bring to life the "Hemingway Era" by hosting an evening infused with music, drink and Cuban-inspired hors d'oeuvres. The entertainment includes a Hemingway look-alike contest and a Mojito-tasting competition! Book lovers will enjoy this special event at the Flagler College campus in historic St. Augustine, Florida. Early bird registration ends on April 21, 2011. For tickets, go to: http://www.fhbookfest.com

Educators: Schedule an Author Visit to Your School
If you're interested in having me visit your school, give me a call at 904-268-9572 or send me an e-mail at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Oh, the Places You and Your Kids Can Go!

February 01 2011

Spring is on the way and there are many upcoming events in Florida and Georgia over the next two months that relate to my books.

Many of them are free and great for families. Check ‘em out.

Amelia Island Book Festival, Feb 18-19
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The Amelia Island Book Festival is this weekend and I will be one of the presenting authors. I’ll be speaking about Self-Publishing: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with fellow author Frances Keiser at the Writer’s Workshop on Friday at 3:30 PM at the Florida State College campus.
I’ll also be part of the Children’s Chapter on Saturday from 9:00-3:00 PM. Amelia Island is located in Northeast Florida where my book Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess, and Buried Treasure takes place. Check out the festival at http://www.ameliaislandbookfestival.com for details.
The Manatee Observation and Education Center, Feb 26
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The Manatee Observation and Education Center in Ft. Pierce, Florida, is hosting its Nest Fest 2011 on Saturday, February 26, from 10:00-4:00 PM. I’ll be doing a reading from my book Trouble on the St. Johns River at 12:30 PM, and signing books throughout the rest of the day at this fun family event. To learn more about this facility and event, visit http://www.manateecenter.com.
 
Florida Heritage Book Festival Writer’s Workshop, March 5
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The Florida Heritage Book Festival is sponsoring a Writer’s Workshop and Luncheon featuring best-selling author Steve Berry on March 5, from 9:30-3:30 PM at the World Golf Village near St. Augustine, Florida. If you are an aspiring author, you can learn valuable information about the publishing world from Steve.
 
I’ve heard him speak many times and can highly recommend his presentation. For more information, go to http://www.fhbookfest.com.
 
The Children’s Chapter, March 19
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The Children’s Chapter, an event to benefit the Jacksonville Public Library, will be held on March 19, at the Main Library in downtown Jacksonville. I will be reading from my book Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess and Buried Treasure. This free event will also feature authors Catherine Burkee, author of Me and Green, and Katie Monnin, who will speak about Teaching Graphic Novels.
 
League of Environmental Educators in Florida Conference, Mar 24-27
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The League of Environmental Educators in Florida, an organization committed to environmentally educating Florida’s citizens, will host its annual conference on March 24-27, in Starke, Florida.  Fellow author Frances Keiser and I will be presenting a workshop called Read Them a Story! Introducing Environmental Education with Literature at 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 26.  For more details, visit http://leef-florida.org.
 
Old Town Fernandina Bicentennial Celebration, April 2
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Old Town Fernandina, which is featured in my book Adventures on Amelia Island: A Pirate, A Princess and Buried Treasure, was given the name of Fernandina by Spanish Governor Enrique White on January 1, 1811. This small community will celebrate its bicentenniel on April 2, with walking tours, archeological explorations, re-enactors, music, dancing and plenty of kids’ activities, including a treasure hunt, a pirate school and a pirates’ weapon display. For more information, visit http://www.oldtownfernandina.org.
 
Georgia Sea Turtle Center, April 16
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The Georgia Sea Turtle Center, located on Jekyll Island, Georgia, and featured in my book Trouble on the St. Johns River, will shell-e-brate Earth Day 2011 on April 16, from 11:00-3:00 PM. This is always a fun event for the whole family with earth-friendly games and crafts, an exhibitor’s venue, demonstrations and stage programs.  And of course, while you’re there, you can tour their educational exhibits and rehabilitation center to learn all about endangered sea turtles.  For more information, visit http://www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org.
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Educators:  Schedule an Author Visit to Your School
Visiting any of these places mentioned above is a great way to make history and learning about the environment come alive for kids. However, the next best thing is to see photographs of these places which is what I do during an Author Visit to a school.
 
If you’re interested in having me visit your school and share pictures of the places featured in my books, give me a call at 904-268-9572 or send me an e-mail at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

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