New Orleans, LA
Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Loraine will be teaching a master class on Character Development in New Orleans Wednesday November 17 at the Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society Words and Music Festival.

She will discuss building a great character arc, looking at the role self image plays in successful storytelling and creating a story that puts a character's self image in jeopardy. She also will discuss using self-image to create the right character if the plot comes first or the right plot if the character comes first. The master class will cover building a multi-dimentional character by limiting character traits and keeping them consistent. Ms. Despres will show how to build an unforgettable villain or one we love to hate. And finally she will provide a hand-out and discuss ways to make an audience/reader identify with a character.

Words and Music is fun. Lots of authors, good food, great music. Y'all come.   

Order a book now and bring it with you - or pick up your book at the event. Can’t make the event or just don’t want to stand in line, call the book store before her appearance and Loraine will autograph a first edition with a personal dedication to you or your friends. It will be waiting for you or the store will send it out.

Loraine looks forward to meeting you.

Check back often for updates and additions to the schedule.

WINDSTON-SALEM, NC
September 15, 2005

Belle sashayed over to Winston-Salem, North Carolina where I spoke about her at the Southeastern Book Sellers Association (SEBA).

BEVERLY HILLS, CA
September 27, 2005

Belle debuted in style at Barnes and Nobles at the Grove in Beverly Hills, where over one hundred people showed up for a celebration of Louisiana. I donated half my royalties to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

MEMPHIS, TN
October 2-3, 2005

Belle’s tour began in earnest when I flew to Memphis.
Bright and early the next morning, I was dressed and smiling for “The Morning Show” on FOX 13 at 7:15 AM. Belle was of course ready, gazing beguilingly from the cover of her book. From there, we went over to WREG CBS Channel 3 where I was “Live at Nine.” That evening, at a wonderful bookstore, Davis Kidd hosted a “Bad Girls’ Night Out” with champagne and chocolates for Miss Belle.

BLYTHEVILLE, AK
October 5, 2005

I met Mary Gay Shipley and read at That Bookstore in Blytheville, one of the great independents in the nation. If you-all have the good fortune to be in Blytheville, drop in on Mary Gay and bask in her cultural oasis.

NASHVILLE, TN
October 6-9, 2005

The Southern Festival of Books greeted Belle with enthusiasm - too bad it was pouring down rain most of the weekend. But the wonderful people at the Festival gave me the auditorium for my speech. I met the delightful people at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, as well as some fascinating writers such as Juno-award winning singer-writer Connie Kaldor and and her husband, music producer Paul Campagne from Montreal, who were there with her children’s book and music. Belle and I joined Ray Brassfield at WKCT-AM for “Drive Time” - and I was able to visit the beautiful capitol building. It was a real thrill to walk around the Assembly Room where women finally got the right to vote.

BIRMINGHAM, AL
October 10, 2005

I began at “Good Day Alabama” on WBRC-TV (FOX) and spent the rest of the day with the delightful ladies of the Birmingham Junior League. My special thanks go to Juliet “Juju” Beale who accompanied me to all three bookclub meetings - and was too much of a lady to act as bored as she must have been when I was asked the same question for the third time!

ATLANTA, GA
October 11, 2005

My very social cousin, Joel Lowenstein and her husband Irwin, were kind enough to give me and bad girl Belle a book signing party before I went to the Chapter 11 Bookstore for my official book signing.

LOS ANGELES, CA
October 12, 2005

I flew back to LA, with the first leg of my book tour over.

AROUND THE COUNTRY
January, 2006

Connie Martinson Talks Books
Watch for Loraine on Connie Martinson's show, broadcast in cities through the US. Check your local cable company for times.

JEFFERSON, TX
January 19-22, 2006

Pulpwood Queens Girl Friends Weekend
Loraine will be speaking, signing, and dancing at the legendary Pulpwood Queens Girl Friends Weekend “Where tiaras are mandatory and reading good books is the RULE!”
For more information, go to the Queen of Queens and Founder of the Pulpwood Queen's Book Clubs, Kathy Patrick's website: www.beautyandthebook.com/

PALM SPRINGS, CA
Saturday, February 11, 2006
9:00 AM

Loraine will be speaking at the:
Women In Film Breakfast in Palm Springs

FULLERTON, CA
Saturday, March 4, 2006
8:30 AM to 2:30 PM

Loraine will be speaking at:
The Fourteenth Annual "A Day of Authors", sponsored by the Auxiliary of the National Assistance League of Fullerton, CA.
California State University, Fullerton
Titan Student Union
Proceeds will go to such worthwhile community groups as the St. Jude Medical Center's "Healthy Beginnings" Mobile Health Van and Operation School Bell (a national program to provide clothes, backpacks, and books for school children in need).

LOS ANGELES, CA
Thursday, March 9, 2006
8:00 PM

Loraine will give a workshop on "HOW TO CREATE GREAT MOMENTS IN FILM AND FICTION". This workshop will be of interest to writers, directors, development executives, and anyone who love film and want to learn what makes some movies great. Members of Northwestern Entertainment Alliance admitted free. Non-NUEA members pay $5.00 for admission.
RSVP required by Wednesday, March 8 to rsvp@nueawest.org or by calling 323-820-2349.
CAA Creative Artists Agency
9830 Wilshire Blvd.

MALIBU, CA
Friday, March 10, 2006
9:30 AM

Loraine will be speaking at:
Women In Film Breakfast
The Chart House Restaurant
18412 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, California 90265-5796
Phone (310) 454-9321
This event will be open to the public. Books will be available through Diesel Books in Malibu.

New Orleans, LA
Sunday, March 26, 2006

Loraine will celebrate Tennessee Williams birthday at Faulkner House Books as part of Femme Fest and The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society. Loraine will read a short excerpt from Suddenly Last Summer, satisfying her drama queen ambitions by playing the part of Mrs. Venable, one of William's monster mothers. For more information, click here.

LOS ANGELES, CA
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Loraine will join authors Rochelle Krich and Dora Levy Mossanen at the National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles for an intimate discussion. NCJW/LA, 543 N. Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles. For more information, please call Rachel Schneider 323-651-2930 ext.512

PALM SPRINGS , CA
Friday, April 21, 2006
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Loraine will be appearing on the Joey English Show on KNEWS- 940AM -1140AM - 1250 -AM
http://www.knewstalk.com/modules/news/index.php?storytopic=13

PALM SPRINGS , CA
Saturday, April 22, 2006
11:00 AM - 11:45 AM

Loraine will be on Real Life with Elli Tourje on KPSI Talk Radio - 920 AM
http://www.newstalk920.com/index.html

PALM SPRINGS , CA
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Palm Springs Festival of Books

Francis Stevens Park, Palm Springs, CA

Loraine will be interviewed at the Festival during the day by Norman Mark, Radio Host KNWZ-AM (970 & 1140) and KVON, Napa, 48 - 431 Alamonte Court Palm Desert, CA 92260

3:30 pm- Loraine will be on a panel:

THE TRUTH BEHIND FICTION

Moderator: TBA

Panelists: KATHRYN JORDAN, STEVE ALTEN, LORAINE DESPRES, KENNETH SPIVAK

Using the guise of fiction to expand on and tell a real-life story.

8:00 pm

Loraine will be reading and signing at Borders@The River in Rancho Mirage, CA

Contact Craig Lawver at 760.779.0979

LOS ANGELES, CA
Sunday, April 30, 2006
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Loraine will be signing books at the LA TIMES FESTIVAL OF BOOKS on the UCLA CAMPUS at the National Council of Jewish Women's booth.

WASHINGTON D.C.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
5:00-9:00 PM

Loraine will be speaking to The Jewish Book Network at:
The Historic Synagogue
600 I Street, N.W. Sixth & I
Washington D.C.

SAN JOSE, CA
Sunday, June 17-18, 2006

Loraine will be on hand to chat with readers and authors at the first Book Group Expo.

She will speak at A Salon of Storytellers of the South at 10:00 to 11:00 AM Sunday, June 18 with:

Ronlyn Domingue (www.ronlyndomingue.com)

River Jordan (www.roverjordanink.com)

Michael Morris (www.michaelmorrisbooks.com)

Moderated by the Queen of Book Groups, Kathy Patrick, of the Pulpwood Queens.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA
Sunday, June 17, 2006
10 AM- 6 PM

5th Annual West Hollywood Book Fair
West Hollywood Park, 647 N. San Vicente Blvd.

Loraine will be on a panel: Aces and Places
Breathing Life Into Characters and Their Stories with:

David Francis, Lisa Teasley along with one other guest TBA.

Moderated by Peter Gadol

West Hollywood, CA
Sunday, September 17, 2006
3:30 - 4:30 PM

Loraine will be at West Hollywood Book Fair:
West Hollywood Park
647 N. San Vicente Blvd.
Free Admission and Free Parking!!
www.westhollywoodbookfair.org

Loraine will be at THE FICTION PAVILION from 3:30 - 4:30 PM. She'll take part in the panel: FACES AND PLACES: Breathing Life Into Characters and Their Stories with Aimee Bender, Lisa Teasley, and David Francis. The panel will be moderated by Peter Gadol.

Beverly Hills, CA
Saturday, October 28, 2006
3:00 - 5:00 PM

The Women in Film Entertainment Forum 2006
Le Meridien at Beverly Hills
465 S. La Cienega Blvd.

Loraine will lead a panel on: "The Writers Life"

What's a writer?s life really like?  Do you get to sleep late?  Work only when inspiration strikes?  Ask Emmy-nominated Carol Mendelsohn, who has been the Showrunner/Executive Producer of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, highest rated scripted show on TV, since its pilot episode and is Co-Creator/Executive Producer of CSI: Miami and CSI: New York.  What's it like to work in different media?  Are novels or screenplays more satisfying?  Is directing the most fun of all?  Ask novelist-screenwriter-director Nicholas Meyer, whose screenplay for The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, based on his best-selling novel, was nominated for an Academy Award and who wrote and directed such films as Time After Time, based on his novel, and Star Trek II - The Wrath Of Khan among, many, many others.  How do you break into comedy and stay in?  What about those all-night table sessions?  Ask Janae Bakken, who after four years as an assistant sold two produced stories to Malcolm in the Middle and went on the staff of Scrubs, where after six seasons, she is now a Supervising Producer.  What's it's like to be married to your writing-producer partner?  What happens when you disagree?  Whose idea survives?  What happens to the marriage?  Which is harder writing or producing? Ask Gabrielle Stanton and Harry Werksman, Producer-Writers on top rated ABC show Grey?s Anatomy.  The panel will be moderated by best-selling novelist-screenwriter Loraine Despres, who wrote among many other things that icon of pop culture, the "Who Shot J.R.?" episode of Dallas and novels The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell and The Scandalous Summer of Sissy LeBlanc, which is now in its 21st printing.

The Women in Film Entertainment Forum 2006
Le Meridien at Beverly Hills
465 S. La Cienega Blvd.

Loraine will teach a workshop on:
How to Create Great Characters for Film and Fiction

Do you know how to create characters that audiences will take into their hearts?  How to build multidimensional characters that will attract a star?  How to generate new plots from the characters you have?  Best-selling novelist, screenwriter, and International Screenwriting Consultant, Loraine Despres will teach you some unique strategies based on the popular workshops she taught in Berlin, Cologne, Stockholm, and Los Angeles and at PILOTS in Sitges, Spain, a conference for writers and producers from all over the EU.  The workshop will include examples from great feature films as well as lively discussion.  You will leave with a "Dynamic Character Biography and Story Generator" to help you create the best characters for your story or the strongest story for your characters.  It can also be used on series TV to bring new staff members up to speed.  Loraine reminds us:  Writing is easy.  Only good writing is hard.

Faulkner House Books --Words and Music Festival A Literary Feast
Hotel Monteleone, Nouvelle Orleans Suite

Late Bloomers: Writing & Publishing Novels & Winning Prizes for Them

It Can All Come Together When You Least Expect It!

Led by Loraine Despres, successful screenwriter turned novelist, whose latest book is The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell; with Julia Glass, who published her National Book Award novel, Three Junes, "well after 40;" Pamela Binnings Ewen, whose debut novel Walk Back the Cat appeared this year following a long and successful career as a partner in one of the most important largest law firms in Houston.  They will be joined by  Marie Arana, whose primary career has been as a critic and editor of The Washington Post's review section, Book World. Ms. Arana has just published her critically acclaimed first novel, Cellophane, which draws heavily on her Peruvian family's heritage, as does her earlier book, a memoir, American Chica.

Nueva Orleans, Mi Amor

So You Want to Write For Pictures with her husband, writer-producer, Carl Eastlake

The Power of a City to Inspire Literature
Led by Loraine Despres, a Louisianian, and author of the new novel, The Bad Behavior of Belle Cantrell, and featuring Frederick Turner, whose new novel is Resurrection.  Both novels are set in similar periods of the city's history but from different perspectives. They will be joined by nationally noted poet and essayist Andrei Codrescu, whose latest essay collection is New Orleans, Mon Amour, and Tom Piazza, author of Why New Orleans Matters, a Katrina memoir about the city.

St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
10:30 AM

Jewish Book Festival
Carlyn H. Wohl Building
#2 Millstone Campus Drive
Creve Coeur

Women's Lit Panel
• Lynn Isenberg-THE FUNERAL PLANNER
• Loraine Despres-THE BAD BEHAVIOR OF BELLE CANTRELL
• Laura Zigman-PIECE OF WORK

For additional information, please contact:
Katherine Herring
HarperCollins
212-207-7185
Katherine.Herring@harpercollins.com