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Elaine Ambrose

Bestselling Author, Ventriloquist, & Humorist

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Join Us for “Writing Against the Wind”

June 26, 2025 By Elaine Ambrose Leave a Comment

This writing workshop can help you gain the confidence as a writer to share your voice and believe in your message while ignoring bullies and critics. The event will be in Eagle, Idaho on September 20, 2025. Cost is $100 plus fees. Click here for details:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1403132369689?aff=oddtdtcreator

Are you hesitant to write and publish your work because critics will attack you? Have you posted comments on social media and received hostile reactions from bullies? Do you have self-doubts about expressing your authentic voice through your written stories? Do you appreciate the differences between writing humor, satire, and unnecessary nastiness?

This workshop is for you! Three established writers will offer advice, share personal examples, and describe writing exercises to help strengthen your confidence.

  • Learn from professionals who have survived the slings and arrows of misguided critics.
  • Write and read your work in a non-hostile environment.
  • Participate in engaging discussions and connect with like-minded individuals who share your desire to write against the wind!
  • Enjoy a lively discussion about the differences between humor and satire.
  • Receive one-on-one reviews with professional writers.
  • All participants will receive tote bags, books, and writing assignments. Lunch and afternoon appetizers are included.
  • Spaces are limited.

Please Notice: This workshop will be in a private residence in Eagle. The actual address will be emailed after receiving a paid registration.

Agenda

10:15 AM – 11:15 AM

“Fearless Writing” – Christine Flowers, Syndicated Columnist, Attorney

11:20 AM – 12:20 PM

“Tame Anti-Social Jerks on Social Media” – Donna Tagliaferri, Entrepreneur, Ghost Writer

12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Lunch and Table Topics

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

“Write from the Heart” – Elaine Ambrose, Bestselling Author, Humorist

2:30 PM – 3:30 PM

Forum – Speakers and Participants

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Libations and Laughter on the Patio

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-against-the-wind-tickets-1403132369689?aff=oddtdtcreator

Speakers:

 

Christine Flowers graduated from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania with a degree in French, and then Villanova Law School.  She has been practicing immigration law in Philadelphia for 30 years and writes a weekly column for the Delaware County Times, which is syndicated nationally through the Cagle syndicate.  She is a regular panelist on a political and cultural roundtable at Philadelphia’s local ABC affiliate known as Inside Story. One of her Super Powers: She smiles as she destroys online critics.

 

Donna Tagliaferri is a business owner of a fabulous catering company in Las Vegas. During her eclectic career, she has been a blackjack dealer, county planning commissioner, a ghost writer, a writer, and a charming dinner partner. She has been married for 47 years and is the mother of four and grandmother to seven almost eight. She has a talent for growing green plants in the desert. One of her Super Powers: She manages to remain positive on social media.

Elaine Ambrose is the bestselling author of 14 books in three genres with a dozen international writing awards. She is a writing coach, ventriloquist, viral blogger, humorist, and independent publisher. She’s an actor in the local community theatre and can cook a splendid chicken Parmesan. She is a third-generation Idahoan and lives in Eagle with her patient husband and near her children and grandchildren. One of her Super Powers: She can make crabby people laugh.

Filed Under: blog, events Tagged With: #confidence, #Idaho, #socialmedia, #writer, #WritingWorkshop

KMVT-TV to Celebrate 70th Anniversary

May 26, 2025 By Elaine Ambrose

KMVT-TV in Twin Falls, Idaho, went on the air on June 1, 1955, as KLIX-TV, a sister station to KLIX radio (1310 AM). I was hired in June 1973 as the State’s first female television news reporter and talk show hostess. I’ll be participating in the 70th Anniversary Celebration on Monday, June 2 in Twin Falls.

(Note: Our official photo for the news team attempted to portray a “happy family.” The hand on my shoulder wouldn’t be appropriate today.)

Over the past few decades, I’ve written about my life’s experiences, ranging from humor to horribly hapless, and I’ve relied on my early journalism training skills including who, what, why, when, and where to tell a story. The “Why?” seems to be a recurring theme.

I wrote about my days at KMVT in my award-winning humor book, Midlife Happy Hour.

“In May of 1973, I packed all my worldly possessions into my Pontiac Firebird, inserted a John Denver cartridge into the car’s eight-track tape player and drove away from the University of Idaho with the idealistic enthusiasm of a college graduate who believed she could do anything and everything. More than five decades later, maturity and truth have tempered the exuberant optimism, but the outcome has surpassed my original expectations…

After spending a night with my parents in Wendell, Idaho, I drove to Twin Falls to find a job. I turned onto Elizabeth Boulevard and parked beside an outdated, flat-roofed, ramshackle white building with huge red letters that read KMVT-TV. I gathered my bulky resume and marched into the building.

“I want to apply for a job,” I told the receptionist. She had two pencils stuck into her beehive hairdo and she smelled of Avon’s “Unforgettable” cologne mist. My mother had the same perfume in a pink bottle with the gold collar and had used it only for special events since she received the gift in 1960. She never attended too many galas while down on the farm, so the pretty bottle remained full and fragrant on her dresser.

The receptionist peered over her reading glasses. “There aren’t any secretarial positions open now, but I can take your application.”

“I’d like to apply as a news reporter,” I said, blinking back the tears from my eyes. Her perfume was potent. After a painfully long silence, she spoke.

“We don’t have any openings right now, and we’ve never had a female on the news team.”

Those two facts should have sent me out the door, but I had a vision of living with my parents for the rest of my life and smelling like “Unforgettable” cologne mist as I rocked on the front porch, a knitted shawl in my lap.

“Could I interview with the news director?” I asked, mentally scrambling for any reason to get beyond the gatekeeper. I could tell by her negative expression that she wanted me to go away. I turned to leave and bumped into a man hustling into the building. He smiled and I noticed his nametag: Dick Tuninga, News Director. It was now or never.

“Hello,” I said, offering my hand. “Could I have just ten minutes of your time for an interview?”

He was in a good mood and invited me to his office. I felt Perfume Lady’s eyes burning holes in my back as I followed him down the hall. The newsroom had three metal desks beneath a bank of flickering television sets. Assignments were scribbled on a blackboard on the wall, and piles of video tapes and papers covered a battered credenza. The nearest television station was one hundred miles away in Boise, and this was the best news department in southern Idaho.

Mr. Tuninga was shorter than I was, so I hunkered down. He moved a box of supplies from the only guest chair and asked me to sit. I did.

“What brings you here?” he asked, hoping for a personal interview that could bring him some publicity.

“I want to be on your news team,” I said and offered him my portfolio. He looked disappointed.

“Well, we don’t have any job openings, and…”

“And you’ve never had any females in the news department. But, I promise you will never regret hiring me.”

He seemed amused by my cocky attitude and picked up the resumé. After reading several pages, he looked up and stared at me. I stared back.

“Have you ever been on live television before?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answered. It wasn’t a lie. When I was five years old, I had been a guest on thechildren’s show on KMVT with the host named Happy Holly. In college, I had concentrated on print journalism and had taken only one required class in Radio-Television but had neverparticipated in a live interview or telecast.

Another man entered the room and Tuninga introduced me to J.J. Alexander, the other person on the news team. He was short, too. “This little lady wants to work with us,” Tuninga said.

Alexander stared at me in the same manner as his boss, and I returned the look.

“We could be the first in Idaho,” he muttered. “Boise doesn’t even have a full-time female news reporter.”

That was my hook. For once, my gender was an asset. I worked it.

“It’s time you had a female on the air. I know the community, I have a proven portfolio, and I’m a good worker.”

I could tell their main focus was to beat the Boise markets. I could have been a female one-eyed, pole dancer, but I didn’t care. I wanted the job. They led me into the studio and told me to read some copy in front of the camera. I performed like a pro. They introduced me to the General Manager Harold Hirte, and he echoed the same sentiment. “We’ll be first.” I nodded with conviction. I would lead the tiny station into glory and prestige.

He offered me a full-time job and said the station could pay $450 a month with a raise in three months. I shook his hand and agreed. The job would begin the next day.

I floated to my car, began driving back to my parents’ house, and pushed the music cartridge into the tape player. Elton John sang about sitting on the roof and kicking up the moss. I sang along at the top of my voice, “How wonderful life is when you’re in the world.” The title was “Your Song,” and this one was for me. I was 21 years old.”

Ad in TV GUIDE
Summer 1973

One of my most memorable assignments was to interview Senator Frank Church in Sun Valley. I drove alone on the two-hour journey from Twin Falls, set up and turned on the camera, moved in front to interview the Senator, turned off the camera, and drove back to the studio to develop and edit the film in the basement of KMVT. I wrote the script and delivered the B&W video and story live on air.

April 1974

Since then, I’ve enjoyed numerous other jobs and lived in 25 homes, in 11 towns, and in three states. I’ve retired to Eagle, Idaho, and continue to write stories and cause mischief. However, I’ll never forget that first job at KMVT-TV. It was, by far, my favorite job.

Filed Under: blog, events Tagged With: #author, #humor, #Idaho, #KMVT, #universityofidaho, career, news

How Community Theatre Improved My Health

April 22, 2025 By Elaine Ambrose

I grew up during the sixties on a farm near the village of Wendell, Idaho, when the population was 1,000. Our high school didn’t have a drama department, and any student productions were presented in the elementary school lunchroom. Acting was not regarded as a viable career, but I included the possibility on my bucket list of things to try before I died.

After five decades of raising children, working in various jobs, and retiring in Eagle, Idaho, I decided to audition for community theatre. I was 72 and recuperating from heart surgery due to cardiomyopathy. My new defibrillator was a physical reminder that my life and heartbeat were regulated by a device installed beneath my collarbone. I experienced shortness of breath with any activity, so I decided acting would be a fun way to experiment with breath control and complete my bucket list. I was correct.

Acting in the Eagle Theatre Company has improved my mental and physical health. Memorizing lines challenges my aging brain, and delivering the lines helps with breath control. The audience applause is a bonus advantage.

My first audition was a failure. I was given the role of Madam Arcati in “Blithe Spirit.” After rehearsing for a month, I admitted I couldn’t reach Act III and recite hundreds of lines because I ran out of breath. I relinquished the role. My next audition was for a smaller role, Miss Prism in “The Importance of Being Earnest.” I loved the role, and the play was a hit.

I loved the role of Miss Prism in “The Importance of Being Earnest.”

I’m currently playing Ozella Meeks in “Southern Fried Funeral.” The role only contains 100 lines, but I’ve tackled the character with all the sass I can muster. I’m thrilled with the positive response.

The high schools around Boise offer amazing theatre departments and professional stages with performance facilities that can seat hundreds of students. Young people have advantages to learn how to act and can utilize these skills in future professional capacities. It’s a long distance from the farming community of Wendell.

I intend to audition for future plays. There are several community theatres in the area, and I hope to find small but clever roles to play. I breathe better with every rehearsal and look forward to meeting new cast members and directors. Community Theatre provided the perfect anecdote to my aging attitude and challenged aptitude. This weekend at two sold-out shows, I look forward to when the stage manager says, “Take Your Places.”

Filed Under: blog, events Tagged With: #acting, #bucketlist, #cardiomyopathy, #communithytheatre, #EagleIdaho, #EagleTheatreCompany, aging

Write from the Heart – A Workshop for the Senses

February 25, 2025 By Elaine Ambrose

My interactive workshop titled “Write from the Heart” explores how to use emotions and senses to inspire your writing. Musical selections with prompts guide writers through various stages of their life. Participants can volunteer to read their work to the group.

The workshop also includes items to feel, see, smell, and touch. The goal of the two-hour workshop is for writers to follow their natural senses to create authentic paragraphs on a variety of subjects. All workshop attendees receive journals, pens, books, and heart-healthy snacks.

The February workshop was sponsored by Tesoro Valle Gifts in Eagle, and fees were $25. Future workshops will be announced soon.

Sense of Touch
Sense of Taste
Sense of Smell
Writing from the heart…

 

Filed Under: blog, events Tagged With: #heart, #music, #senses, #workshop, #writer

Cycling Without Age in Idaho

November 16, 2023 By Elaine Ambrose

Elaine Ambrose was the first “pilot.”

In 2017, I ordered a Triobike  Trishaw from Copenhagen, Denmark, and created the first Idaho chapter of “Cycling Without Age.”

John Davidson helped load and unload the delivered Trishaw from Denmark.

 

With the assistance of Eagle City Council Member Mary McFarland, we met with the Mayor of Eagle to secure permission to ride the bike on the streets and along the Greenbelt. We organized a premiere party in October and requested volunteers to be “pilots.” Several senior citizens enjoyed the rides, and the local media ran stories about the event.

Cycling Without Age is worldwide.

Mary McFarland, Eagle City Council Member, seated, Rob Hovey, Ken McKay, and Christy Hovey attended the event.

The Trishaw and the organization were transferred to Kalynn McLain in 2019. She collaborated with Grace Assisted Living in Meridian to create a program for the facility, and senior citizens appreciated rides around Kleiner Park. She partnered with five other facilities and soon provided hundreds of rides.

The Trishaw is retired through the winter and will undergo maintenance before activities begin in the spring.

Kalynn McLain is the main pilot and organizer of Cycling Without Age in Southern Idaho.

Filed Under: blog, events Tagged With: #cyclingwithoutage, #Denmark, #EagleIdaho, #seniorcitizens, #Trishaw, #volunteers

Writing Workshop – “Writing the Wrongs: How Experiences Create our Stories”

September 23, 2023 By Elaine Ambrose

A writing workshop titled “Writing the Wrongs: How Experiences Create Our Stories” is available on October 27 and will be repeated on November 3 in Eagle, Idaho. Bestselling author Elaine Ambrose will facilitate the morning sessions, and a panel of Idaho authors will end the workshop with a discussion and Q&A session. Participants will be encouraged to volunteer to read their works aloud to the group. The cost for the workshop is $80 and includes continental breakfast, lunch, all materials, and books.  A Zoom option is available for $40.

The focus of the event is to encourage writers to recall memories of personal angst, fear, or sadness. These raw emotions can create dynamic stories to heal the wounds of past trauma and drama. The Workshop includes continental breakfast, lunch, and materials.

The event is in a private home, so the address will be emailed after receipt of a paid ticket.

Elaine Ambrose

AGENDA

9:00 AM – Continental Breakfast

9:15 AM

Welcome and Introductions with Elaine Ambrose

9:45 AM

“Music as Muse” Exercise and Personal Writing Prompts will inspire participants to recall latent memories to spark emotions to enhance an original story.

10:30 AM

Participants Volunteer to Read

11:00 AM

“How to Discover and Improve Your Authentic Voice” – Interactive Exercises

12:00 PM

Break for Lunch and Personal Writing

12:45 PM

“How to Find Positive Affirmation as a Writer” – Panel of Local Authors

1:45 PM

Open Discussion and Readings

2:00 PM

Adjourn Workshop

Eventbrite link with more details and registration options: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writing-the-wrongs-how-experiences-create-our-stories-tickets-723702753417?aff=oddtdtcreator

Filed Under: blog, events Tagged With: #amwriting, #books, #Idaho, #writer, writers workshop

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