Hot New Release in time for Halloween & the Writer’s Journey by Tam Francis Time to Buy The collection of short stories, perfect for Halloween, is finally here and available on Amazon, Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords. But who besides yourself could you buy one for? Dance Teachers/Instructors Librarians October Birthdays Language Arts Teachers Friends Halloween […more…]
Remembering the First Camp Hollywood By Tam Francis In honor of this year’s Camp Hollywood, I go back in time, into the archives of Swivel: Vintage Living Magazine and tell you what is was like to be at Camp Hollywood that first year (1998)… The First Night Blinking lights beat the rhythm of the Hollywood […more…]
~ Making History Come Alive Through Vintage Sewing ~ by Tam Francis I recently had the honor of playing opposite my daughter in a charming period play called Chicago Gypsies, set in the early 1930s. Sometimes I wonder if they cast me because I know how to sew, but I was cast and given instructions […more…]
~ In Search of Sam Butera ~ by Steve Conrad edited by Tam Francis As I finish work on my ghost story collection I thought I would share an interview Steve Conrad did for my magazine Swivel: Vintage Living. Steve is a dance instructor, producer and deejay. He runs the successful Arizona Lindy Hop Society. […more…]
~ Don’t Be Cheap: Why You Should Spend Money on Your Novel’s Cover Art ~ by Tam Francis I’m on the verge of self-publishing my ghost story collection. This seemed like a no-brainer. Literary agents are not usually interested in story collections and although I found some small presses willing to publish collections, I have to […more…]
~ Short Story Compilation? Learn How to Write Back Cover Copy ~ by Tam Francis As I approach the publication of Ghostoria: Vintage Romantic Tales of Fright, I struggle with writing back cover copy, also known as, the blurb. Many blogs and sites have wonderful advice on writing blurbs, but very few talk about how to sell […more…]
Confessions of a Neo-Swing Dancer: Truth be Told by Tam Francis Writing Isn’t Enough I’ve written a fictional jitterbug novel, the first draft of a sequel and a ghost story collection of vintage, romantic tales of fright. I love old movies. I still wear vintage and sew from vintage patterns, but the truth is: since we […more…]
What’s your Swing Dance I.Q. ? Test your history and Lindy Hop Knowledge here. Are you Advanced, Intermediate, Beginner or Total Newbie? ♦ ♦ ♦ Which Dance Group was Frankie Manning NOT in? Congaroos Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers Rhythm Hot Shots Hot Chocolates The Ballroom Most Associated with Lindy Hop is? The Hollywood Palladium The Savoy […more…]