Friday, January 22, 2010

Enjoy dinner and help solve a neighborhood mystery

Ricki Mortis is beginning to realize why he got his new home for a song; his neighbors are loony.

In the four months he's lived there, Ricki has been accused of stealing lawn ornaments, soliciting foolish relationships, disregarding the town building code, and murdering a beloved family pet.

Whether he is guilty of these crimes or not remains to be seen. Nonetheless, the damage is done:
The neighbors hate him.

In an effort to mend fences and reverse bad first impressions, Ricki invites the neighbors to a good old-fashioned dinner. But when the guests arrive, they find something quite unexpected. Ricki Mortis is dead.

You're invited to help solve help solve the mystery Saturday, Jan. 30, during "Welcome to the Neighborhood," a Mystery Dinner at the Arthur J. Moore Methodist Museum at Epworth by the Sea.


According to museum director Judi Fergus, selected dinner guests are assigned various roles in the story. "You won't know until it starts who is involved and who isn't," Fergus explained. "They're really a lot of fun."


Cost for the Mystery Dinner is $40 per person and includes three-course dinner and beverages. Seating is limited to the first 60 people. For information or reservations, please call (912) 638-4050.


Proceeds from the dinner help support the Moore Methodist Museum's educational programs.



Monday, January 18, 2010

Comedy, romance the focus of February writers conference

Comedy, romance and new trends in publishing will be the topics of presentations and workshops during the Scribbler's Retreat Writers Conference, Feb. 11-13 at the King and Prince Beach and Golf Resort on St. Simons Island.

In keeping with its mission to provide "world-class authors, speakers and lect
urers," the February conference will include these speakers:

Adam Davies
- Keynote speaker for the conference, this former Random House editor is the author of three novels including "The Frog King," soon to be a major motion picture with script by Bret Easton Ellis; "Goodbye Lemon," a family drama; and "Mine All Mine," which was purchased for film with the author to write the screenplay. His nonfiction has appeared in the New York Times and he has made many appearances on radio and TV including NPR and "Breakfast With the Arts" on A&E.


Haywood Smith - This delightfully funny writer is author of "The Red Hat Club" and "The Red Hat Club Rides Again," both of which have appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List. The paperback version of her novel, "Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch" appeared on USA Today's and New York Times' bestseller lists. Other books include "Traditions of Magnificant Mothers-In-Law," "Wedding Belles," "Highland Princess," "Secret in Satin," "Ladies of the Lake" and, coming this fall, "Waking Up in Dixie."

Daniel Black - An associate professor at Clark Atlanta University, he is the author of "They Tell Me of a Home," "The Sacred Place" and his latest novel, "Perfect Peace." He is the founder of Ndugu-Nzinga, a group whose focus is to instill principle and character in the lives of African American youth. His talk is entitled, "Way, Way Down South: African American Storytelling as Literature."

Scribbler's Retreat hosts four conferences per year, with a focus on scholarship students as well as professional and budding writers who wish to hone their craft. Each two-day conference features ten speakers. Conferences begin with an opening banquet and feature an "Evening with the Author" cocktail reception on Saturday.

Conference cost ranges from $395 without accommodations to $795 with accommodations, and includes the Opening Ceremony Banquet, all ten workshop sessions, "Evening with the Author" Cocktail Reception & Hors d' oeuvres, and the Closing Ceremonies and announcement of the "Challenge" prize winners.


A special "Day Rate" is available for residents of Brunswick, St. Simons Island, Sea Island, Little St. Simons Island and Jekyll Island.

For more information or to make a reservation, please call 800-996-2904. Or, visit Scribbler's Retreat online.

UPCOMING 2010 SCRIBBLERS RETREAT WRITERS CONFERENCES
  • May 13-15: Journalism, Novels, Creative Non-Fiction
  • Aug 12-14: Action Thrillers, Humor
  • Nov 11-13: Historicals, Fantasy