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You Won't Want to Miss This Meeting


 

We have Mesa's Mobile Crime Lab coming to our meeting this Saturday!
I saw them at a conference and they are awesome! They pass around items for you to get an
up close look at the tools they use.

If you are into essential oils, you'll want to attend for a chance to win the fantastic wooden box and hundreds
of dollars?worth of oils I am raffling off.



MARCH 2025 NEWSLETTER
GENERAL MEETING on Saturday, Mar 15th - In Person

This month we are meeting in-person! Get out and network with your fellow VOS members and subscribers. What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, filling your writing well and learning something new.

Location: Embassy Suites (dining room),?4415 E Paradise Village Parkway S, Phoenix, AZ.?

Time: 12 noon to 2:30 p.m (ish)

As usual, the board will be meeting at 11:00 a.m. in the bar area. Everyone is welcome to attend.

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Our awesome presenters this month?are?Rebecca Winger and Robyn Travisano ¨C Get Up Close and Personal with a Mobile Crime Scene Unit.

This is an absolute must see presentation that will wow you with a first-hand look at how evidence is collected and processed at a crime scene. Bring your questions.

Rebecca Winger- Crime Scene Unit Shift Supervisor with Mesa Police Department

Born and raised in Arizona, Rebecca spent twenty-seven years at Fry¡¯s grocery stores, where she excelled as a cake decorator and later transitioned into training management and mentoring new decorators. At the age of 38, she pursued her passion for forensic science, completing coursework related to the field at Arizona State University. For the past thirteen years, she¡¯s brought her expertise to the Mesa Police Department¡¯s Crime Scene Unit, processing crime scenes and assisting in investigations. Beyond work, Rebecca cherishes time with her daughter and two grandchildren, savoring family moments. Any spare time Rebecca can carve out shes like to spend with a good mystery novel.

Robyn Travisano- Crime Scene Unit Shift Supervisor with Mesa Police Department
Originally from Hellertown, Pennsylvania, Robyn earned her Bachelor¡¯s degree in Criminal Justice from Mansfield University and later pursued a Master¡¯s in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University. Balancing a busy family life with her spouse and our four young children, Robyn has dedicated the past decade to serving with the Mesa Police Department¡¯s Crime Scene Unit. She has a passion for teaching and mentoring newly hired crime scene specialists, sharing her expertise to ensure thorough investigations and justice. When not at work, Robyn enjoys family time and cherishes every moment with her loved ones.

LUNCH MENU

Note: there is an increase in the cost of lunch from $22 to $25 due to a cost hike at the hotel. This is still a substantial discount as the actual cost per person?is closer to $37. VOS supplements the difference in order to make the lunch more affordable.?

For the general meeting lunch, send your $25 payment via Paypal to:?vostreasurer@...

In addition, add your drink and?meal selections to the notes section of your payment?or email those to:?vostreasurer@....

Beverage Selection: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Iced Tea, Water,
?Coffee, Decaf Coffee, Hot Tea

_____ House Garden Salad ___________ADD Grilled Chicken
Market Greens, Chef¡¯s Seasonal Vegetables, Croutons

_____ Chicken Ceasar Wrap
Fresh Romaine Lettuce, Croutons, Cherry Tomatoes, Parmesan Cheese, Caesar Dressing, Served with Fries

_____ Tatum¡¯s Cheeseburger _______Substitute Impossible Burger (Vegetarian)
Grilled 100% Beef Patty, Cheddar Cheese, Brioche Bun, Lettuce, Tomato, Red Onion, Pickle, Severed with Fries

_____ Cubano Ciabatta Sandwich
Pork Carnitas, Sliced Ham, Swiss Cheese, Dill Pickle, Spicy Mustard, Served with Fries

_____ Roasted Mushroom & Poblano Raja Quesadilla
Flour Tortillas, Oaxaca Cheese, Avocado Crema, Salsa Verde

VOS RETREAT UPDATE

Whoo-hoo, great news! Our summer retreat is coming together and is open now for registration!

The dates are confirmed for June 20-22nd, Friday afternoon?through Sunday 5:00 p.m.?We will kick off with?a casual get together on Friday starting around 4:00 p.m.?in the hotel bar hosted by?Cathy McDavid and Deloris Nash (drinks and food are buy your own). Everyone is welcome.

We will have two board rooms open Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. One room is?exclusively for (quiet)?writing sprints and the other for workshops, brainstorming,?and networking. At this time, we've confirmed a two-hour workshop on AI Narriating Your Audio Book, Creating Your Vision Board, and breakout one-on-one coaching sessions. If you have a workshop you'd like to present, contact Deloris Nash?at:??whiskey732@...

Cost of the retreat will be $75.00 which includes a buffet lunch on both Saturday and Sunday. We will have pizza on Saturday night, the cost of that is yet to be determined and will depend on the number of people interested. You can also have dinner on your own if you wish.

Hotel rooms will cost approximately $135.00 per night and can easily accomodate two people with queen beds - three people if someone wants to take the sofa bed in the living room area.? Remember, those staying at the hotel get a free buffet/omelet bar?breakfast in the dining room and free house drink in the bar during happy hour.

HERE'S THE BEST PART - 7 FREE RETREAT REGISTRATIONS WILL BE RAFFLED OFF

When former VOS member Sharon Swerenger passed away some months ago, she left VOS a?modest sum?to be used for assisting members/subscribers in their?writiing endeavors. The board voted to use this generous gesture by raffling off 7 free retreat registrations.?

To be entered in the raffle, you must email Deloris Nash by midnight on?April 19th. Her email?is?:?whiskey732@....?Winners will be notified by April 21st.? You do not have to have paid for the retreat in order?to enter, but if you have paid and? then?win, VOS will refund your $75 at the retreat.?If for any reason a winner is unable to attend the retreat, another name will be chosen from those who have already?registered and paid.?

So, don't delay.?Attendees are capped at 25 people.? Email Deloris Nash to enter the raffle. Or if you wish to secure your spot, you can pay the $75 now via PayPal to:?vosteasurer@...

OF INTEREST

The Tucson Festival of Books is March 15-16th. For more information, check out their website:


The Arizona? Renaissance Festival is going on now until March 30th. You can see all the happenings at:


Readerlink Will Stop Distributing Mass Market Paperbacks at the End of 2025

Weekly Write-Ins

Join us on zoom each week as we write together...separately in our own homes! Guests are more than welcome to attend these online write-ins.?

Monday Morning

11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Link:?

Meeting ID:?828 1783 4964

Passcode: 576217

Wednesday Afternoon

12-4 p.m.

Link:?

Meeting ID:?881 9878 5379

Passcode: 652609

Thursday Morning

11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Link:?

Meeting ID:?828 1783 4964

Passcode: 576217


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Tina McCright