I'm back -- again

For the life of me, I have no idea why I can't keep up with my blog postings. I try but then, I fall behind and let it go.

But I'm back -- yet again. And will try yet again to keep up with this.

Since I was last with you, my Sisters in Crime chapter published an anthology which I co-edited with Barb Miller, a Muncie, Indiana, school teacher. The anthology is called Decades of Dirt, includes 15 stories of death and mayhem, and was published last October. All the stories have an historical aspect to them, though not all involve murders. (Most do.) Reviews have been good and sales have been okay up until this point.

Though it was the chapter's fourth anthology, it was the first -- and currently, the only -- independently published work. The chapter wanted to give its members a taste of self-publishing, with all its pros and cons.

You can get a print copy of Decades of Dirt on Amazon for $9.99, while an e-copy is only $2.99. I have both, of course. I'm very proud of the effort. And it's the first book on which my name appears on the cover.

I have a story in the book. My story closes on the book, in fact. the story is called Miss Hattie Mae's Secret. I am particularly proud of the story and in the near future will post an excerpt.

The chapter decided to return to our previous publisher (Blue River Press) for our next anthology, which is called, The Fine Art of Murder. It's currently being edited. I can't remember how many stories there are but it's around 15, give or take. All the stories involve some aspect of fine art -- and, if the title is correct -- murder.

I also have a story in the anthology and it's called Callipygian. (I'll wait while you go look that up.) It's about an FBI criminal profiler named Kendall Hunter who, while on vacation in Indianapolis, is drawn into the investigation of an art theft, and the murder of the chief suspect. I enjoy the story and I particularly like the main character. She's an interesting character to write because I love discovering who she is.

While this is the fourth story I have written with her, it is the first to be published. When we get closer to the October publication date, or thereafter, I will post an excerpt. Perhaps even a video blog posting.

More health news but that will have to wait until next time.

That's it. Thanks for reading and keep writing.

Contests

Ok, so I have been away since October. It's hard trying to be interesting on a regular basis when you don't have a lot to say. At least I don't think I always have a lot to say. How to other bloggers do it -- blog everyday?

Anyway, I'm back, thanks to the inspiration of my great friend, Sharyn. Thanks, babe. You are the best.

In entered two contests over the weekend, with two separate novels. The first is the James Jones Fellowship Contest at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. This is the 22nd annual contest for an American with a first fiction work in progress, and is sponsored by the James Jones Literary Society.

"The award is intended to honor the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into modern culture exemplified by the late James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity and other prose narratives of distinction," sponsors of the contest said on the Wilkes University website. The top prize is $10,000, with two runner-up awards of $750.

The deadline, which originally was set for March 1, is March 15. To enter, you submit a two-page summary and the first 50 pages of the novel. An author who makes it past the first round will be asked to submit the original 50 pages along with pages 51-100. novel The winner will be notified in September and must attend the society's annual conference in early November. They normally set around 600 entries. Last year it was 558. 

For obvious reasons -- well, at least they were obvious to me -- I entered An Untidy Affair. It's a strong work and it's set in Pennsylvania, specifically in Philadelphia. I feel comfortable about my chances but that certainly doesn't mean I think I will win. Just that I think I have a legitimate shot.

The second contest I entered last weekend is the Dundee International Book Prize, sponsored by the City of Dundee in Scotland, and the University of Dundee. This is the ninth annual award.

I really like this one, if only because if I win I would travel to Scotland to pick of the award, which is 10,000 Pounds, or about $16,000 U.S. And unlike the James Jones, Dundee also awards a publishing contract.

The novel must be in English, which isn't a problem, and unpublished, although a work on Kindle or in an e-book format are acceptable.

"The winning books have showcased a diverse range of writing talent in a variety of genres," the contest website said.

While the contest is open internationally, the first three winners are from Dundee or have direct connections there. The others seem to be from Ireland, Scotland or England, except for last year's winner, New Yorker Jacob Appel. All of them seem like heavyweights compared with me and I would think this year's entrants will be the same. But I don't care. I have a good novel and I entered it.

The novel is The Last Tontine Survivor. I entered it because it is good and strong, and it is finished. Plus it isn't under consideration anywhere at the moment. (As an aside, I entered Tontine in ABNA this year and last year, and was shot down in the pitch stage. So, no one has actually looked at the entire manuscript.)

I also decided on Tontine because, while the novel is mostly set in New York, the climax is in Alexandria, Virginia, which, as it turns out, is a sister city to Dundee.

Angela helped me edit the 500-word summary, to get it down from 700 words. They required the summary and the entire mss.

The winner will be notified by June 1.

In the last day or so, I have given thought to entering Poison Pen Press' second Discover Mystery contest, which is open until March 30. I would enter an entirely different novel there, probably Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal. But I'm not sure. It would require a lot of work in a short period of time, it probably wouldn't get a second read by anyone and would require I come up with another title. So, I probably won't enter. But I may.

Well, that's it from me for now. I hope all the people in Russia who have been viewing my blog are enjoying it. And everyone else, too.

Thanks for reading.

Sorry I have been away

I am sorry, dear readers in Russia, China and Brazil (I get people from all over), that I have been away. It's been a busy time for me and I just haven't had a lot to say. Plus, once I got out of the habit of posting, even on a semi-regular basis, it was easy to allow work and everyday life to intrude further into this part of my writing life.

So, I am back again.

Probably won't have much more to say this week, but next week I will probably have a lot of my mind and will fill you in on things then.

Until then, have a good week. Thanks for reading and keep writing.