On Nov. 16, the San Diego Chapter of Romance Writers of America (RWASD) held its annual Literacy Bash. According to Sylvia Mendoza, 2013 President of RWASD, “The annual RWA San Diego Literacy Bash event was sold out to capacity in November. Because of the hard work of the committee, the presentation by NY Times best-selling author CJ Lyons, and the generosity of members and guests, we were able to bring in a good amount of money and turn around and make a donation to not one, but two, local literacy organizations. READ San Diego will receive $500 and Words Alive! will receive $300.”
RWASD members conducted a book signing in conjunction with the Literacy Bash. Sorcha Mowbray, who organized the e-book portion of that signing, said, “The event was a great opportunity for traditional and digital authors to share our love of the romance genre with like-minded readers. It is always exciting to meet readers and interact with them one on one, add to that the ability to support literacy based charities? Total win!”
“As a journalist and author,” said Mendoza, “I believe in the power of the written word. Literacy is important because reading and writing well is empowering. It changes lives. Opens doors. Makes dreams a reality. Creates opportunity. And brings readers pleasure and enlightenment.”
Nicole Daniel, Development Associate for Words Alive!, said, “We’re excited to hear that we are a beneficiary of this event. It’s such a natural fit because we’re in the business of creating the next generation of readers. We were honored to be selected by the RWASD board.”
Mendoza added how proud she is of the chapter members. “The generosity of our members at this Literacy Bash is uplifting, the celebration is just plain fun, and we give back to the community’s literacy efforts. I can’t think of a better way to end my year of service as president of RWA San Diego than with all this positive energy.”
More information
Romance Writers of America, San Diego has been around for more than 30 years. It has a strong foundation that is built on professionalism, camaraderie, learning the craft and business of novel writing—and giving back to our community. Learn more at www.rwasd.com.
READ/San Diego is a free literary instruction service for adults 18 years and older. If you are interested in learning more about READ/San Diego, visit them at http://http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/services/outreach/read
Words Alive! opens opportunities for life success by inspiring a commitment to reading. They provide volunteer-led reading experiences for children and youth, education opportunities for parents, scholarships for continuing education, and access, and ownership of quality reading materials. More information is available on their website at www.wordsalive.org.
Sylvia Mendoza is an award-winning journalist and author of “The Book of Latina Women: 150 Vidas of Passion, Strength, and Success.” Her website is at www.sylvia-mendoza.com.
Sorcha Mowbray writes erotic romance. Learn more on her website at sorchamowbray.com.
