Central Florida authors are invited to participate in Deltona’s Inaugural Authors Book Fair on October 9, 2010.

This is a fundraiser for Friends of Deltona Library, a 501 (c)(3) organization that raises money for library programs. For a nominal table fee ($25 or $50) we are providing an indoor venue, guaranteed media coverage, a pre-event reception for authors and sponsors, and an opportunity to meet your readers and sell and sign your books.

Deltona is the largest city in Volusia County (80,000) and our recently expanded library is the largest in the county system. We have a guaranteed media sponsor and The Muse Book Shop in Deland will be available to handle book sales upon request.

You can find out more information and register at our web site at www.friendsofdeltonalibrary.org

July 16, 2010, is the deadline for entries for the 2010 Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA), a competition sponsored by the Florida Writers Association (FWA), a nonprofit statewide professional organization. Winners in various categories of fiction and nonfiction will be announced at FWA’s Ninth Annual Conference October 22-24, 2010, at the Lake Mary Marriott in north Orlando.

The RPLA awards cover 25 categories of writing: book-length nonfiction, essays, poetry, novels, children’s novels, young adult novels, short stories, and flash fiction. In all categories, published and unpublished works are judged separately. The contest is open to FWA members only, but nonmembers may enter if they submit their membership applications before or with their entries.

Cost per entry is $40 through June and $50 if postmarked during July. Details are listed on the FWA Web site: www.floridawriters.net .

“This year, we’ve had more entries than we did at the same time last year, and last year was our largest RPLA ever,” said Chris Coward, the RPLA Chairperson. “We honor the winners at the FWA conference banquet on Saturday, October 23.”

The Royal Palm Literary Awards committee is accepting submissions until July 16, 2010. For additional information on FWA, the conference, or the RPLA contest, visit the FWA Web site at www.floridawriters.net.