News and Tours

It was a long, warm summer, but a good one. On June 14 and again on August 2 during the famous pony round up and swim we had successful book signings at the Sundial Book Store on Chincoteaque Island in Virginia. Thanks for two great afternoons meeting people and talking about writing. And we will be back for another signing around Thankgiving. I'll post the dates as soon as they're set. Hope see you there.

A long, cold winter well spent: The first draft of my next novel

Red-Winged

Black Bird on a Joe-Pye Weed

Plot summary: Set in New England in the 1950s and 60s, an abandoned child and the nurse-midwife who raises him struggle to cope with the devasting legacy of war.

Next, the long process of re-writing and editing before it's ready for publication, maybe next spring.

Brothers of the Fire Star---2013 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards Finalist

  Brothers of the Fire Star has been selected as a finalist in three categories in

New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards: Fiction-Adventure, Fiction-Historical,

and Fiction-Young Adult. The final winners will be announced at the awards

banquet on November 15, 2013in Albuquerque.

Brothers of the Fire Star---2012 Book of the Year Finalist

   Brothers of the Fire Star has been selected by ForeWord Reviews as a finalist

   in the 2012 Book of the Year awards. ForeWord Reviews recognizes

   distinguished books from independent and academic presses nationwide.

With Jennifer Szunko of ForeWord Reviews at the ForeWord Reviews Award Ceremony in Chicago during the annual convention of the American Library Association

Core Curriculum Standards-Based Study Guide Now Available for Brothers

of the Fire Star

     A core curriculum standards-based study guide for Douglas Arvidson's novel Brothers

     of the Fire Star is now available on this website at no charge for teachers who would

     like to use the book in the classroom as part of their literature/reading curriculum.

     The guide was developed using the standards adopted by most state education

     systems in the United States. Brothers of the Fire Star is appropriate for students

     in middle school and high school although it also has a strong appeal for adult

     readers.

Douglas Arvidson Invited to be a Staff Writer for the Prague Revue

     The Prague Revue, a cutting-edge, online literary magazine, has invited Douglas

     Arvidson to join their team of writers and be a regular, monthly contributor to the

    Czech Republic-based journal.

    Stating that "The God of Wind and Sea," a short story of Arvidson's recently published

    in the Revue, was "a fantastic read," editor-in-chief Shaan Joshi said, " [The Prague

    Revue] aimes to build a trusted team of writers who can contribute essays about

    topics they care about.... We want to give writers the freedom to explore the issues

    that interest them and they feel will interest readers."

    1n 1996, in its hard-copy, paper format, The Prague Revue published one of

    Arvidson's early stories, "The Foreigner: An Incident at the National Gallery of Art."

   This past fall, as TPR was re-launched as an online magazine, that story was selected

    as one of their best and was re-published in the new format.

     Arvidson said that he is excited about writing regularly for TPR and feels it will allow

     him to expand and explore his literary and writing interests.

Douglas Arvidson In The News

                                                                        Photo by Ron Castro, Pacific Daily News

Douglas Arvidson Profile (on Google)

Douglas Arvidson Profile (on Amazon)

Douglas Arvidson can often be found on tour at various locations around the world and

you may see him in person during these tours. If you want to arrange for Douglas to

appear in your city, please contact him: darvid46@yahoo.com

Upcoming Events and Locations

       January 21, 2016 -- Wicomico Public Library, Salisbury, VA: 6:30 p.m. Slide

        presentation/lecture on the secrets of the ancient Pacific navigators. Book

        signing will follow presentation. This presentation dovetails with my novel

        Brothers of the Fire Star.

       October 28, 2014 -- Hill City Writers, Lynchburg, VA: 7 - 9:00 p.m., Fairview

       Community Center, 3621 Campbell Ave., Lynchburg, VA. I will be discussing my

       take on writing and the writing life with group members.

       Thanksgiving Holidays--Sundial Book Store, Chincoteague, VA: Watch here

       for date.

       August 2, 2014 - Sundial Book Store, Chincoteague Island, VA: Book signing

       from 10:30 to 12:30 during the famous Chincoteaque pony round up and swim.

       May 17, 2014 - Main Navy Exchange, Guam: Book signing from 10:00 a.m. to

       2:00 p.m.

       June 14, 2014 - Sundial Book Store, Chincoteague, VA: Book signing from

        6 - 8 p.m. as part of the Cultural Arts Stroll sponsored by the Cultural Arts Alliance

       Broadwater Academy, Exmore, VA, November 13, 2013-- Douglas Arvidson

       will be a guest author/reader.

       Albuquerque Hotel, Albuquerque N.M. November 15, 2013 -- Awards

       banquet for 2013 New Mexico Co-op Book Awards

       Norfolk Yacht and Country Club, Norfolk, VA, August 24, 2013 -- After-

       dinner presentation on the secrets of the ancient Pacific navigators. Book signing

       to follow.

       Guam, March 16, 2013 -- Douglas Arvidson will be the keynote speaker at the

       International Reading Association meeting at the Westin Hotel, 9:00 A.M. to 12:00.

       His presentation will focus on the his novel  Brothers of the Fire Star and how to

       inspire students to be successful and eager writers and readers. Brothers of the

       Fire Star will be available for purchase and and will include a free, standards-based

       study guide for teachers.During the week, he will visit schools on Guam talking to

       students about the book and the writing process.

       Southwest Book Fiesta May 9 - 13, 2013 Book signing and presentation on

       secrets of the ancient Pacific navigators, Albuquerque Convention Center

       Albuquerque, N.M.

       Boy Scouts of America, South Deerfield, Massachusetts, Nov. 8, 2012 --

       Presentation for Round Table Comissioners on star navigation methods used by

       ancient Pacific navigators.

       Guam, October 21 - 29, 2012 -- Douglas Arvidson will be "on island" promoting his

       new novel,Brothers of the Fire Star which is set on Guam and in the islands of

       Micronesia.

Cape Charles Christian School, Cape Charles, VA

May 17th, 2012  (Private seminar for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders on the writing process)

The Ancient Secrets of the Pacific Island Navigators and the War of 1812: The Star Connection

Eastville will be doing its part in the Opsail celebration of the War of 1812 and I will be giving a Powerpoint/slide presentation on the connection between the secrets of the ancient Pacific navigators and how mariners navigated in the early 1800s. Before and after the presentation, I will have a booth on the porch of the historic Eastville Inn. Stop by and we can talk about the ancient methods of navigation and I'd love to sign a copy of my new novel, Brothers of the Fire Star, for you.

Open to the Public , Eastville, Virginia - June 9, 2012    Presentation begins at 2:30 p.m.

 

Emerson College Barnes and Noble Book Store, 114 Boylston St., Boston, MA

June 2, 2012 -- Book signing/reading begins at 3:00

 

Science and Philosophy Group
Eastern Shore Community College, Melfa, Virginia - January, 2012

Classes for Budding Writers

Douglas Arvidson is passionate about helping budding writers learn the craft. He has prepared a program on writing designed for students. You can arrange to have him come to your school to talk to students about the writing process. Click here to learn more...