Speaking and Other Events

 

Though we are primarily authors, there are a number of speaking and other events we are happy to undertake on a limited basis. To arrange any of these events, please contact us directly by clicking HERE.

 

Women's Events with Neta

When I (Neta) speak, I team-teach with my ministry partner, Pam Sullivan. We are co-leaders of the women's Bible study that inspired the Yada Yada novels (and she inspired my "Avis" character—smile). Pam is an anointed woman of God, with God's heart for teaching about praise, prayer, and worship. She and I have been speaking together as a team at various women's retreats for the past six years. Our themes so far have centered around "going deeper in prayer" and "going higher in praise," as well as some of the other themes growing out of the Yada Yada novels, including "our identity as daughters of the kingdom," "the ten commandments of sisterhood," "the meaning of Yada" (God knows my name), and others.

I can send you a more extended list of topics upon request. Also our bios, photos, statement of faith, and references if needed.

 

Events with Dave and Neta

Together the two of us have most frequently spoken to book clubs, done writing seminars, and taught at writer's conferences. In addition to talking about our books and our writing process, we have spoken on the following topics: Authenticity in Your Writing, Self-Publishing Pros and Cons, Writing as a Team, Your Character's Character—the Key to Plot Development, Whose Point of View?, Show, Don't Tell—Three Essentials of Dramatic Writing.

 

Phone Conferences with Book Clubs

Phone conferences have become an increasingly popular option for book clubs, writer's groups, and college writing classes. If you can arrange for a speaker phone that the whole group can hear, we are happy to participate on our end ... even by video conferencing.

 

Book Club Visits to Chicago

Our Chicago-based novels are highly realistic in terms of settings and locations. While our characters' homes and places of work are usually fictional, the streets, businesses, parks, and other places "around" them are very real. When our characters eat in a restaurant or go to other public places, those places are there for you to visit as well. Chicago is a beautiful city with many things to do and sights to see. Numerous book clubs have taken advantage of this to schedule a Yada Yada excursion, staying in a local hotel and visiting places and events featured in our books. We can provide suggestions for these outings and (depending on our deadlines) can usually arrange to meet with you at a Yada Yada coffee house or restaurant or take a walk with you through the park where Gabby first met Lucy or show you the bus stop where Harry Bentley saved Philip's life.

 

Writing Seminars for Kids

We've done scores of writing seminars for kids—usually sponsored by homeschool groups or Christian schools. These are highly effective in engaging kids in the creative process of creating stories. Our seminars are very interactive, multi-disciplinary, and incorporate various teaching methods that usually end up capturing the interest of even the most recalcitrant student.

Can your school or homeschool group afford to bring in a couple professional authors for a whole day? The answer is usually yes when you share the expenses with other nearby groups or schools. We even spent a month teaching in China when various groups and schools cooperated in this way.

To find out more, click HERE to go to our Trailblazer Books web site. Then click on "Seminars" on the bottom navigation bar.

Speaking & Travel Schedule

2013

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• Feb. 16, Neta & Pam
  Lincoln Avenue Baptist Church,
  Jacksonville, IL