The Authors Page on WUOT radio

I’m so pleased to be featured on the weekly radio segment byJody Sims! This was broadcast on Sunday, 1/27, while I was out of town, so I just got to listen to it this morning.

The reviewer quoted in the broadcast is none other the M. K. Waller, whose stories are included with mine in the Austin Mystery Writers anthologies, MURDER ON WHEELS (Silver Falchion winner) and LONE STAR LAWLESS.

This broadcast is mostly about Tennessee writers, but the members of the Authors Guild of TN are featured once a month. Have a listen at some of the other broadcasts if you have time.

Projects, Projects, Projects!

I always think it’s better to have too much work than not enough. Maybe that’s why I get myself so involved in projects.

I’m very happy that my new agent is trying to find a home for a series I dreamed up awhile back, the Texas Festival Mysteries. I envision my sleuth driving her Cookie Cart (a cookie food truck) from one Texas festival to the next, selling cookies that are themed to the celebration. Let me tell you, Texas has enough strange and wonderful festivals to keep that series going for many years to come. Like this one!

Meanwhile, I turned the second Vintage Sweets mystery, DEADLY SWEET TOOTH, in to my editor at Lyrical Press. That series will also take place in Texas, but will mostly stay rooted in lovely touristy Fredericksburg, nestled in amongst a lot of wineries in picturesque Texas Hill country.

Meanwhile, I’m working on a short story to submit to an upcoming anthology with a deadline looming very soon.

Meanwhile, I need to tell you about an exciting event coming up the last Sunday of this month—a radio broadcast about me! A short piece about me and my work will be read by Jody Sims on WUOT, the local public radio station. The program is called TheAuthors Page and comes on at 8:35 am EST. But don’t worry, they shows are all recorded and can be heard any time.

Most of the programs are about famous TN writers. These were written by the member of the Authors Guild of Tennessee, of which I’m a member. (I wrote one of the scripts that will appear later.) Check out some of these while you’re there. The broadcasts are short, about five minutes. The last Sunday of the month, however, is devoted to telling you about the members of our group. And mine is coming up this month!

 all photos are mine

Busy Busy Busy

 I find myself in the midst of putting together 1 novel and 3 short stories at the same time. So this will be short and sweet.

This is an important day. It’s not only National Static Electricity Day, it’s also National Word Nerd Day!

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/static-electricity-day

https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun/word-nerd-day

Enjoy!

photos from morguefile.com

by

lisaleo

keyseeker

diannehope

Traveling on a New Road

morguefile photo from coachlaura

  I’m going down a completely new road this year! I have a new agent, Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency, LLC. I decided to try to pursue cozies plus other avenues that may not be so cozy, so wanted a change of direction, to have someone to handle my other writing as well as the cozies.

I’m excited about the change. The first project we’re doing together is humorous, Texan, and a little bit like my Imogene Duckworthy series. I hope we find a publisher so you can read it soon.

Meanwhile, HAPPY 2019, and may it bring you everything you hope for, plus a little more.

Happy Year of the Pig!

According to the Chinese Zodiac, which, for some reason, I always consult for the New Year, 2019 will be The Year of The Pig. 

by takeasnap

The official site says that Pig is the 12th and last of the zodiac animals. (In 2020  we start over with rats, so enjoy the pigs.)

The legend is that the pig has to be last because he was the last to arrive for the party that the Jade Emperor gave. I guess Jade gets to decide these things. Pig was last because he overslept, according to one version.

by KlausF001

I was surprised to see the other version: Pig was late because a wolf (not a zodiac animal, poor thing) destroyed his house! He had to rebuild it, but it must not have taken long, because he did make it to the party. My surprise is because of the similarity of our Three Little Pigs story, the wolf trying to blow down the pigs’ houses. Wolves really have it out for pigs!     

Anyway, I hope you have a bright and shiny New Year. Pigs are a symbol of wealth and good fortune, and I wish that for everyone reading this! (And for me. Why not?)

by Fidler Jan

all photos from morguefile.com

ANOTHER ANTHOLOGY

My fellow writers,

I’d like to draw your attention to the next tab, where I’m making a call for submissions. You can click on it, or I can repeat it here, since it’s short:

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Smocking Gun Short Story Anthology

Deadline June 1st, Stories in the form of 280 character tweets…

…Multiple tweets allowed, as long as you use the famous dots…..

…Three to five, I think, right?...

…Themes are smocking, boarder, covfefe, unpresidented, lasting peach, phone tapp, attaker, our deepest apologizes, Secretary of Educatuon, honered to serve, etc.….

…Some sources: https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-typos-spelling-tweets-unpresidented-2017-4#honered-to-serve-16…

https://theweek.com/articles/811762/what-are-smocking-brief-guide-trumps-many-misspellings…

…Standard Shunn formatting, 1 inch margins, double spaced, TNR 12 pt font, non-tab indents, please…

***If you’d rather submit a flash fiction story 1500 words or less, that would be great.

…Email submissions to kayegeorge at gmail com

////

via GIPHY

Do you think this is doable or not? I’m thinking some short little pieces, satire, irony, humor, that kind of thing. But a story, not just a joke.

I have no idea if it’s a good idea or not, which is why I added the alternative of a flash fiction piece, but one containing some of the infamous blunders we’ve all gotten so much amusement from, and have gotten so used to.

The deadline is set way out in June, since I have a whole bunch of stuff going on early next year and won’t be able to deal effectively with this until then.

Someone mentioned that they wanted to know what the payment was (LOL!). I’ll let everyone know what the terms are when I secure a publisher, but, until then, you can assume the payment is either a contribution to a charity or a percentage of the take. Since I want short pieces and will, I hope, be able to accept a lot of them, the pay probably won’t buy you a small order of fries. Consider the payment your satisfaction on a job well done—and exposure. We’re writers. We’re used to not making money, right?

Busy, Busy, Busy!

I’m going to take a short cut this week and refer you over to my Killer Characters blog. I’m running a giveaway that will end the night of the 6th, so you have time to enter!

http://www.killercharacters.com/2018/12/quincy-confronts-nigel-giveaway.html

While you’re there, check out some of the other giveaways that might still be current. Everyone on the blog is doing these for our Season’s Reading project. It runs until the 14th. A new one every day.

http://www.killercharacters.com/

I hope you’re surviving this hectic time of year! We can make it. We do every year.