Confessions of a Workshop Junkie

Austin Mystery Writers

by Gale Albright

My name is Gale and I am a workshop junkie.
Yes, I confess it freely. I love to attend workshops and take copious notes. That’s how it started out. But it’s a slippery slope. Now the addiction has escalated to organizing workshops. I’m standing on shadowy street corners, outside book stores, tempting the innocent to “Come hear the authors. Come to the workshops. It won’t cost you a thing…except your soul!!!”
Well, not really. Maybe I’m in denial, but if you love listening to writers talk about how they write, how they got published, and how they create memorable characters, it’s already too late for you. You are lost.
You are a writer. You are a reader. There’s no cure.
So join the other lost souls and come to a fabulous all-day free mystery writing workshop at BookPeople at Sixth Street and Lamar Boulevard on Saturday, May…

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Murder On Wheels

April 2015

HOTSHOTS! Sisters in Crime Heart of Texas monthly newsletter

This month’s program will be on the third Sunday, April 19, instead of our usual second Sunday presentation.

The Art of the Book Cover
featuring Rebecca Byrd Bretz

According to Scott Montgomery, crime fiction coordinator at BookPeople in Austin, authors should pay attention to their book covers. “People say ‘don’t judge a book by its cover, but nobody does that.’ A photograph is better than an ugly book cover with shoddy, computer-generated art. An ugly book cover is a source of embarrassment for your booksellers.”
On April 19, award-winning graphic artist Rebecca Byrd Bretz will speak at the Sisters in Crime Heart of Texas meeting about creating book covers. She will describe her process of working with authors and the elements of successful cover design. “Meeting authors to hear them describe their stories brings the visuals I need to present them back in print,” she says, “and that is how…

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Rebecca Byrd Bretz and the Importance of Book Cover Design