October '09 Events

Here's what we've scheduled for October. Click to see November, December and January
Check back often because we update all the time with exciting new events.

Click on our Author & Musician Scrapbook link to get a peek at some past events.

WRC Creative Writing Salon — Thursday, October 15th, 6:00 — 7:30 pm

NOTE: DUE TO THE SEDONA BOOK FESTIVAL, THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE SALON SESSION SCHEDULED IN OCTOBER.

Normally, held on the first and third Thursday of each month, The Well Red Coyote Creative Writing Salon is for all those writing or wanting to write creatively – prose, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, songwriting, and all other written forms. Moderated by award-winning author and poet, Gary Every, each meeting will emphasize different aspects of the craft of creative writing, including writing exercises and group discussion.

The Well Red Coyote Creative Writing Salon is meant to provide a safe place for writers to share their work with other writers. What united them all is a passion for written and spoken word.

All writers, at all level, are welcome. Listeners are are also welcome

The Well Red Coyote Presents…Another Night of Music

Featuring: Sunny Heartley

Friday, October 16, 6:30 – 8:00: Back by popular demand — Sunny Heartley..Native American Flautist, Recording Artist, Producer, Composer, and sole craftsman of his own line of Native American Style Flutes, known as Sun-Heart flutes. He uses only his hand-made flutes exclusively, and in his performances, he might use up to fifteen flutes in his performances.Sunny’s music presents deep healing meditation with lush musical backgrounds embellished with Native American Flute melodies.

Sunny has been creating music for over 35 years. His background is as varied as you could imagine, from rock ‘n’ roll to the gentle and soothing style of his Native Flute CD's, he has done it all. The style of music he composes, he like s to call "Native Heart Music." His fans all describe it as relaxing and meditative. This multi-faceted musician has composed and recorded 14 CD projects over the last 10 years of his solo career and has been well received by fans of flute music and New Age music. Sunny's Keyboard skills and his ability to control his recording environment, give him ultimate flexibility and the time to create his music, music that spans all genres. His CD's are used by massage therapists, yoga instructors and dance DJ's.

The Concerts during the Fall Season of 2009 will be Celebrating Sunny's 15th CD release, titled MY HEART, but the show does not stop there. You will hear many compositions from his other CD's as well as a few surprises. Be ready for a relaxing evening of journey within yourself through the music of Sunny Heartley.

Sunny has recently gained national recognition, in the USA, as he received a Peoples Choice Award at the International New Age Trade Show for Best New Healing CD. He has also produced an educational DVD, "Be The Flute and Be The Music," a complete visual learning course on How to Play the Native American Flute, Flute Performances, and an introduction to the "Higher-Octave Flute System"

				Writing Workshop & Book Launch Party: Mixing Magic with Fiction —How to Weave the Supernatural into Your Writing 1:00 pm: The Book Launch Party begins (to be continued after the workshop) 2:00 pm: Workshop Saturday, October 17, 2 pm: Supernatural and fantasy elements in all forms of fiction couldn’t be hotter. But in crossing genres and fiction categories, there are endless pitfalls to avoid on the road to a publishable book. Kris Neri, author of HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE, which New York Times bestselling author, Diana Gabaldon, has described as, "...delicious; a funny, pell-mell romp of an adventure rife with psychics, FBI agents and clowns," will share the secrets of weaving the supernatural through all forms of fiction, providing a checklist of considerations to bring to your planning, and the mistakes you'll want to avoid. She will also discuss Urban Fantasy, the hottest genre at present. We’ll also be celebrating the publication of HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE, both before and after the workshop, with champagne, cake and goodies. HIGH CRIMES ON THE MAGICAL PLANE features fake psychic and scam ancient deity, Samantha Brennan. Imagine Samantha’s surprise when she encounters the real thing -- that’s right: an honest-to-heavens Celtic goddess, hidden beneath the steely exterior of FBI Special Agent Annabelle Haggerty. Yet Annabelle’s magical powers might not be enough America's sweet and sexy movie star, Molly Claire, is made the centerpiece of a gangland siege that brings the City of Angels to its knees. And if Annabelle and her family of deities are no match for the Demon of Darkness that she believes is masterminding LA's own Armageddon -- what chance does a poor little fake like Samantha have? Charlaine Harris, NYT Bestselling author of HBO's True Blood series says, "You’ll enjoy the unlikely twists and turns in this novel, and both characters are delightful.” Kris is also the author of the Agatha, Anthony and Macavity Award nominated Tracy Eaton mysteries, REVENGE OF THE GYPSY QUEEN, DEM BONES' REVENGE and the forthcoming REVENGE FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE; a standalone thriller NEVER SAY DIE and a short story collection, THE ROSE IN THE SNOW. Kris has published around sixty short stories and is a two-time Derringer Award winner and a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee for her short fiction. She teaches writing online for the Writers' Program of the UCLA Extension School, and with her husband, owns The Well Red Coyote bookstore in West Sedona.

		Special 90-minute Writing Workshop: The Big Three: Dialogue, Plot & Research Saturday, October 24, 2 pm: Join us for a special 3 part workshop that will deal with the three elements that can make or break your novel: Dialogue, plot and research. Libby Fischer Hellmann, author of DOUBLEBACK, a novel set in Arizona, and an award-winning suspense writer, will share her expertise in these three critical areas. In DOUBLEBACK, a kidnapped girl, Molly Messenger is returned, apparently unharmed. But then odd things begin to happen. First the brakes go out on her mother, Chris’s, car. And then it seems that Chris may have misappropriated three million dollars from the bank where she worked. DOUBLEBACK unites two of Libby’s protagonists, PI Georgia Davis and video producer Ellie Forman. The women track leads form Wisconsin to the AZ border, and they discover that you can cross a line, but sometimes you have to doubleback. Libby’s earlier novels include EASY INNOCENCE, PICTURE OF GUILT, AN EYE FOR MURDER, AN IMAGE OF DEATH, and A SHOT TO DIE FOR. The critics have raved about her books, with Publishers Weekly describing them as a: "masterful blend of politics, history, and suspense." A transplant from Washington, D.C., Libby has lived in the Chicago area thirty years. When not writing fiction, she conducts executive training programs in presentation skills, speech delivery, and media interviews. She also writes video scripts, articles, and speeches. She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MFA in Film Production from New York University. She spent eight years in television news, working at PBS and NBC.

The Well Red Coyote Presents…Another Night of Music Featuring: Vyktoria Pratt Keating Thursday, October 29, 6:30 - 8 pm: Back by popular demand! In honor of Halloween and the Autumnal Equinox, Vyktoria Pratt Keating will present an all-Celtic concert. Vyktoria's music has been described as “Some of the most free-handed, lithe and resilient music around” by The Washington Post. Vyktoria's exhilarating vocals and exquisite guitar artistry provide the sonic backdrop to her intelligent, poetic and often quirky lyrics, creating a new blend of progressive folk, acoustic pop and Celtic rock. The recipient of three WAMMIES (Washington DC Area Music Awards), Vyktoria toured and drove 700,000 miles from 1990-2002 with shows in 46 states. In 1999 she opened 42 shows for rock legends Jethro Tull, and subsequently recorded her 4th CD with their keyboardist, Andrew Giddings in England. In 2002 she won the Southwest Songwriter Shootout and her first CD, "Blue Apples" was nominated for a NAIRD (National Association of Indie Record Distributors) award. A compelling performer, her unearthly vocals and accomplished guitar work produce a lush, ambient sound, and her incisive wit, intelligent humor and skill for storytelling are an engaging part of her live show. Originally from Washington DC, Vyktoria has made her home in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, New Hampshire, Oxfordshire UK, Pietown, New Mexico and has been a long time resident of the Sedona/Verde Valley area. She performs music full time and has released 6 Cds including a Celtic CD and a Christmas CD. Her latest CD is THINGS THAT FALL FROM THE SKY.

		Book Launch & Arizona Talk: The Cultures and Creatures Present in Arizona Friday, October 30, 7 pm: Gary Every, Sedona author and the leader of The Well Red Coyote Writing Salon, will debut his new book, SHADOW OF THE OHSHAD and present a talk on the cultural and natural diversity of Arizona. Gary will explore the wide variety of cultures who have inhabited the southwest, Apache, Mormon, Mexican, Texan, prospector, soldier, stagecoach bandit, Hopi, Navajo, conquistador, preacher, and wanderers. There will be stories about bears, horses, and jaguars. Being so close to Halloween, naturally there will be ghost stories too. We will also be unveiling his newest title, SHADOW OF THE OHSHAD. SHADOW OF THE OHSHAD is an anthology of the best of Gary Every’s columns written for the Southern Arizona newspaper, “The Oracle.” The book includes 45 of the best of his newspaper columns, beginning with the first story he ever wrote for The Oracle appearing in January of 2000, the title track SHADOW OF THE OHSHAD (OhshaD is the O’odham word for jaguar) which is also the first story in the book. The last story in the book is also about jaguars, including recent sightings of wild jaguars returning to Arizona and the southwest. The jaguar pictured on the cover of the book is the infamous Macho B, whose tragic capture in February just outside Tucson is told in detail. The 45 stories in the book cover a wide variety of the history, mythology, legend, and natural sciences of southern Arizona. Gary Every has won two Best Lifestyle Feature awards from the Arizona Newspaper Association, both times for articles about the Apache culture, “The Naichee Ceremony” and “Losing Geronimo’s Language” which are also included. There are pieces about other Native American cultures including the O’odham, Navajo Codetalkers, and the Hopi hero, Lori Piesetewa. No book about the southwest could be complete without stories about horses, gunfighters, prospectors or stagecoach bandits such as the infamous Pearl Hart. There are ghost stories such as the bandit El Tejano and the ghost of the conquistador Melchior Diaz. Learn about the legendary earthquake of 1887 when time stopped, geysers erupted and mountains exploded. Enjoy the flowers as you climb Francis Hill in Oracle to discover an illegal monument. Hear the saber toothed cats growl as you walk beside the first Arizonans - the mammoth hunters. With over 50 photographs, SHADOW OF THE OHSHAD is a stirring read covering the wide varieties of people and history in Arizona. Gary is also the author of CAT CANYON SECRETS, BARRIO LIBRE POEMS, INCA BUTTERFLIES and DRUNKEN ASTRONOMERS. Join us as Gary Every makes Arizona history come alive.

		Writing Workshop with Exercise: The Power of Effective Openings Saturday, October 31, 2 pm: Experts say you have mere pages, it not paragraphs, to engage an agent or editor. Nothing in your writing matters more than hooking the reader with an engaging openings. But too many writers simply don’t understand where they should start, or what they should or should not include, if they want to create a winning opening. New Mexican author, Susan Slater, author of 0 TO 60, will present a workshop on writing effective openings. Susan will share her take on openings, and invite attendees to do an opening exercise and critique them. Susan is the author of six mysteries—the highly acclaimed Ben Pecos series, PUMPKIN SEED MASSACRE, YELLOW LIES, THUNDERBIRD, A WAY TO THE MANGER—and two stand-alones, FLASH FLOOD and FIVE O’CLOCK SHADOW. PUMPKIN SEED MASSACRE was an international bestseller. She is also seasoned presenter and college instructor. O TO 60 features Shelly Sinclair, matriarch of the quintessential American family. Shelly’s life is perfect, one most women would envy a 35 year marriage to a successful doc, two grown sons, a beautiful home and the security of predictability. Without warning, this world collapses. Her husband of a lifetime announces that he’s asked someone to marry him a someone thirty-nine years his junior. And, oh yes, the mother of his four-year-old child. Alone. To start over. Sixty is a long way from sixteen. Is Prince Charming still out there? But isn’t there more? Her quest to find self is as endearing as it is enduring. Because maybe, just maybe these are the best years of her life. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY calls it, "Witty and absorbing."

		Girls’ Afternoon Out: Book & Post-Relationship Talk & Party Saturday, October 31, 4 pm: We were so taken with Susan Slater’s new book, O TO 60, that after she presents a writing workshop, we invited her to talk about her book and her own life, to other women who’ve suffered their own difficult break-ups, in a fun-party setting with wine and goodies. A bestselling mystery author, 0 TO 60 is Susan’s first women’s fiction novel. Calling it Fictionalized Autobiography, she capitalizes on events mirroring her own life—as she says, sometimes life is just too bizarre, too raw, too prophetic and too darned funny not to put on paper! Going through a divorce at sixty—her husband ran off with a 22 year old—the seed of a story was planted. O TO 60 features Shelly Sinclair, matriarch of the quintessential American family. Shelly’s life is perfect, one most women would envy a 35 year marriage to a successful doc, two grown sons, a beautiful home and the security of predictability. Without warning, this world collapses. Her husband of a lifetime announces that he’s asked someone to marry him a someone thirty-nine years his junior. And, oh yes, the mother of his four-year-old child. Alone. To start over. Remarkably, 0 TO 60, isn’t bitter, it’s fun and funny and filled with hope. Susan will talk about how she survived her ordeal, how she wrote the book, and how she moved on. Susan says, "Dreams are attainable at any stage in life—with tenacity, honesty, and enduring optimism. Time need not be an enemy. Tomorrow, in fact, might be our best day!" We’ll celebrate moving on with the women who have faced their own break-ups, with wine and food and talk. And since it’s Halloween, we’ll start early enough to get you home in time for your Halloween parties or for trick or treating.