What Are You Up To?

Written by Gina Warren Buzby

Having finished the "book release" for our newest anthology, the East Beach Writer's Guild moves forward with promoting past, present and future books.  

Being a part of this group has been so rewarding.  I am in the middle of shipping out copies of both "By The Bay and By The Bay 2" to family and friends.  

Thank you all for ordering 
through me, Facebook and Instagram. The set of books is ideal to have in your guest room, give as gifts and take on vacation.  There are stories for everyone.  And, all of the profits go to literacy charities!

About the author: Gina Warren Buzby is the author of “Plein Mysterious” in By the Bay: East Beach Stories.  Her next story, “Plein Blackmail” will appear in By The Bay II: More East Beach Stories, to be launched in spring, 2017.  Gina is also one of three writers that collaborated on a story in the upcoming anthology.  The story is titled “The Proposal”.  Gina is (and writes about) a professional fine artist, working out of her Norfolk, VA studio.  Her website is www.GinaWarrenBuzby.com.

Meet The Nonprofit: Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation

Written by Jamie McAllister

When you pick up a copy of By the Bay: East Beach Stories and By the Bay 2: More East Beach Stories, you are getting more than two amazing beach reads. You are also helping to support grassroots organizations doing amazing things for people in Hampton Roads. 

A portion of the proceeds from both By the Bay anthologies are donated to nonprofits dedicated to literacy in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia. The anthology authors are proud to support groups that go above and beyond to encourage and promote reading in the communities they call home.

One of the nonprofit groups our anthologies support is Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation. Located in Virginia Beach, Virginia, SDF is a 501(c)3 that trains volunteers in Orton-Gillingham, an approach used to teach children and adults with dyslexia how to read. Tutoring is offered free of charge to individuals living in low to low-middle income households. The group offers up to 100 hours of free one-on-one tutoring with a volunteer. Many students work with their tutor for more than a year.  

Since 2014, Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation has 

* received 152 applications for free reading tutoring

* tested the reading levels of 70 students and

* matched 62 students with a tutor

Eighty-six volunteers have received specialized training from SDF, and the group proudly reports that 12 students have fully graduated. (To graduate, participants must meet or exceed average reading scores for their age or grade level.)

All of the By the Bay authors are proud to support Sinkinson in their efforts to bring the joy of reading to those with dyslexia.

To learn more about Sinkinson Dyslexia Foundation, visit their website at www.sinkinsondyslexiafoundation.org. Follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sinkinsondyslexiafoundation.

About the author: Jamie McAllister is the author of “The Mermaid” in the anthology By the Bay 2: More East Beach Stories, published in 2017. She is a freelance writer in Virginia Beach. For more information about Jamie and her work, please visit her website.

A Children's Gift In Progress

Written by Gina Warren Buzby

I try to attend art fairs whenever possible.  Taking along a few friends and tying in lunch make for a fun day of art awareness and shopping.  Being a Fine Artist myself, I can also consider it "professional development" as I like to see how various peers set up their wares and displays.  During one of my more recent outings I discovered a local Alpaca Farm had a tent that was selling some of the most beautiful wraps, scarves, and sweaters.  The Alpaca wool is buttery soft and warm.  Off to the side of the collection of colorful scarves was a box of small knitted items made to look like animals, characters and insects.  They were finger puppets.

East Beach Writers' Guild Annual Book Donation

By Jayne Ormerod

 Members of the East Beach Writer’s Guild are quick to admit that their grown-up desire to write began with a childhood love of reading.  So it seemed a logical undertaking for them to celebrate the season of giving by donating books to Toys 4 Tots in hopes of inspiring that same love for the written word in children in the Tidewater area. It’s an annual tradition (three years running) that at their November meeting each member brings a book to donate. 

Books For The Holiday

On November 20th the East Beach Writers Guild got together for their monthly meeting.  This month we brought children's books to donate to Toys For Tots.  Books can be a fantastic gift.  From toddlers to teenagers we donated books that we thought someone else would love.

Back Row: Gina Warren Buzby, Jayne Ormerod, Jenny Sparks & Patrick Clark
Front Row: Mike Owens, Skip McLamb, Mary-Jac O'Daniel, Karen Harris, Michelle Davenport & Will Hopkins