DARA has been growing romance writers in the Metroplex for 35 years.
Celebrate with a free, in-person breakfast meeting on Aug. 27. We're inviting all current, former, and future DARA members.
You can also get a limited edition 35th anniversary t-shirt, tote bag, or mug.
Finally, we're asking everyone to fill out a survey about DARA so we can celebrate our accomplishments and plan for our future.
Visit dallasarearomanceauthors.com to RSVP for breakfast (by Aug 13), order a t-shirt (by Aug 17), and fill out the survey.
If you’re writing fiction, chances are a legal thread runs through your story. On screen or on the page, legal issues are often central to plots and backstory.
In mysteries and thrillers, past crimes may surface with present ramifications. Law enforcement officers and P.I.s need to know what’s legal and what isn’t. Amateur sleuths—the chef, gardener, or librarian—may start digging because they fear police won’t investigate or will nab the wrong suspect.
The law figures in mainstream and literary novels, too. And legal plots don’t require a crime. With a good storyteller, civil law can be gripping. Think of the possibilities in adoption (Jacquelyn Mitchard’s A Theory of Relativity; Ann Patchett’s Run), inheritance (Dickens’ Bleak House), even insurance (Double Indemnity, Billy Wilder’s movie based on James M. Cain’s novella).
But the law can be confusing, too. It changes constantly, and varies from state to state. Information and misinformation abound. Plus most of us, thank goodness, live happy lives without facing serious legal trouble. What follows is one lawyer-novelist’s list of common mistakes—and tips on avoiding them.
Everyone is invited to join us on May 28 to hear Leslie Budewitz explain the mistakes authors make when writing about the law. Join us for a short social time at 9 am central time, followed by a brief business meeting at 9:30 am. Our speaker starts about 10 am.
DARA meetings are held the fourth Saturday of each month from January to October. We're currently meeting on Zoom -- to get an invite to the Zoom room, please contact our Membership Chair, Priya Ardis, at info@dallasarearomanceauthors.com.
About Leslie Budewitz
Leslie Budewitz blends her passion for food, great mysteries, and the Northwest in two cozy mystery series, the Spice Shop mysteries set in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, and the Food Lovers’ Village mysteries, set in NW Montana. She’ll make her suspense debut with BITTERROOT LAKE, written as Alicia Beckman, in April 2021. A three-time Agatha-Award winner (2011, Best Nonfiction; 2013, Best First Novel; 2018, Best Short Story), she is a past president of Sisters in Crime and a current board member of Mystery Writers of America. She lives and cooks in NW Montana.
Suspense Magazine calls her books “pure enjoyment.” Library Journal reviewer Lesa Holstine calls them “a treat for the senses.”
From Pumpkin Patches to Christmas Cookies: How to Write a Heartwarming, Hallmark-Sweet Romance
Join Hallmark author Teri Wilson in this discussion about the rising popularity of low-angst, Hallmark-style sweet romances and what specific elements set these stories apart. Participants will learn how to craft a Hallmark-style story, why these feel-good romances have such mass appeal and how to get them published.
Everyone is invited to join us on May 28 to hear Teri Wilson tell us about writing sweet Hallmark-type romances. Join us for a short social time at 9 am central time, followed by a brief business meeting at 9:30 am. Our speaker starts about 10 am.
DARA meetings are held the fourth Saturday of each month from January to October. We're currently meeting on Zoom -- to get an invite to the Zoom room, please contact our Membership Chair, Priya Ardis, at info@dallasarearomanceauthors.com.
About Teri Wilson
USA Today Bestselling Author Teri Wilson writes heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of whimsy. Three of Teri's books have been adapted into Hallmark Channel Original Movies by Crown Media, including UNLEASHING MR. DARCY (plus its sequel MARRYING MR. DARCY), THE ART OF US and NORTHERN LIGHTS OF CHRISTMAS, based on her book SLEIGH BELL SWEETHEARTS. She is also a recipient of the prestigious RITA Award for excellence in romantic fiction and a 2022 inductee into the San Antonio Women's Hall of Fame. Teri loves pretty dresses, Audrey Hepburn films and following the British royal family. Visit her at www.teriwilson.net or on Instagram @TeriWilsonauthor where she posts way too many photos of her Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.
