Marco Island Writer’s Golden Angel Awarded

Just like there are clubs for reading books, appreciating animals, or playing cards, there are those for writers. One of these, Marco Island Writers, Inc. honored one of their pioneer members and current President, Joanne Tailele, at their annual meeting Wednesday, March 8, 2023 in the Bald Eagle Room, Mackle Park Community Center.

During the meeting, Ms. Tailele (pronounced in the musical way of the Hawaiian language, Tie-lay-lay.) was presented with the Marco Island Writers Golden Angel Award, a pendant symbolizing her appreciation for, and service to, the Marco Island community and its writers, as well as a talisman for her current life-challenging journey.  The Marco Island Angel is famous locally and she had even written a stand-alone article about it for the Coastal Breeze News, November 30, 2012, in addition to her then bi-weekly Book Remarks column.

Joanne’s active affiliations include the proverbial alphabet soup of writing and publishing organizations such as WFWA (Women’s Fiction Writers Association), FWA (Florida Writers’ Association), FAPA (Florida Authors and Publishers Association) and IBPA (Independent Book Publishers Association). 

With Marco Island Writers, Joanne has organized writers’ workshops and lectures; gathered and distributed writing-specific information to members; inspired and coordinated the publishing of the Marco Island Writer’s Anthology, currently at volume VI; and overseen local in-person book signings. 

Perhaps her most writer appreciated services can be summed up in one word: camaraderie. Writing is a lonely profession; authors sometimes toil for years writing and wondering if ridicule is about to pounce. Joanne has created an encouraging and inspirational community from which many books, articles, essays, poems or even simply better written memoirs or personal journals have flowed. No less than thirteen documented authors have received varying degrees of help toward the success of their printed works. Nine of those were published by Simon Publishing, LLC. Many more go unrecorded.

Ms. Tailele believes her own books, mother-daughter tales, women’s fiction, travel, children and biograph books have been enriched by brainstorming with other writers. So far, she has eight books in print, recently submitted another to the publishing process, and yet another, a departure into Scottish historical fiction, is awaiting pen to paper.  

The children’s series about local animals, begun with, March of The Sea Turtles, is in print and available at Rookery Bay Nature Preserve and Sunshine Book Sellers. The one about eagles will be out mid-April. Several more animals in the series are in various stages of development. Each contain an interactive hide-and-seek exercise for the pre-reader crowd.

Bravely, Joanne also stepped into the role of publisher, proudly owning Simon Publishing, LLC and offering a limited free-trial of her services. She and others of the Marco Island Writers’ club membership are quite often in the author book-signing booth at the Farmer’s Market, Wednesdays, until the end of April.

Some books may be obtained at Sunshine Book Sellers and Amazon. Her web presence is:  SimonPublishingLLC.com and a blog: WriterUnderFire.com. Whether as a general member in some years, or President in most, Joanne Tailele has been an outstanding leader, helping Marco Island Writers Inc. since 2011 and deserving of the Marco Island Golden Angel Award.