Time for a Writing News Update

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Last weekend was my semiannual writers' retreat where I get together with approximately a dozen other ladies who share my passion for the written word and spinning a compelling tale. We spent four days tucked away at a campground in rolling hills of Newton County, Missouri, with the focus of writing. Many fine novels have been written at the retreat. I accomplish more during retreat weekends than any other time of the year.

We love our retreat, and I hope we can continue coming for many years.

It's been quite a while since I updated you on my writing endeavors. I'm still hard at work writing the sequel to Sally's Secret Legacy. The second in the series is Christy's story. If you read Sally's tale, you know Christy is an interesting character who has been through a great deal. She has been on the struggle bus for years. I thought it would be nice if I wrote a book for her to work toward a happily ever after of her own. Christy is a complex character, and I'm happy to say that her life improves greatly by the end of the last chapter.

Thanks to several upcoming conferences, I'm also working on short stories for contests. As I've heard more than once over the past few days, "Contests wins are where you make your money." Plus, they are a lot of fun!

I love entering writing contests for the challenge of writing a good story while staying within the parameters of the contest and the thrill of a chance to win. Even if I don't place in a contest, I have the satisfaction of trying.

With the effort comes growth. Creating short stories for the various categories helps me improve my overall writing. I'm sure you've heard the old adage that practice makes perfect. It's true for writers, too. The more we write, the better we become. I was once told I was a good writer, but I had the potential to become a great one. That's the goal.

I am honored to have three pieces--two short stories and a haiku--published in the newly released anthology, Beyond Mystery! Thriller, Horror, Mystery, Cozy...and more. There are some amazing stories in that anthology by insanely talented authors, and I am beyond blessed to have my stories and poem nestled among them.

The book is available on Amazon in paperback and e-book. If you are a Kindle Unlimited member, it's free to read. You can check it out here: https://amzn.to/4bsUKA1.

"Nightcaps and Nightshade" and "Fixated" are short stories I wrote for contests a few years ago. I have enjoyed some nice prize money from them and now have the sublime satisfaction of seeing them in print. I hope the short mysteries bring joy to many readers.

My haiku, "A Lethal Taste," is a poem I wrote for a contest based on a Christmas cozy mystery for which I have written a rough draft. Polishing and editing that book is a project for later. At the moment, my steamy paranormal romantic suspense novel takes precedence. When that's finished, I can concentrate on my Christmas cozy mystery.

Audio books are currently in production for my two books, Moonbeams and Ashes and Sally's Secret Legacy. I hope they are well received once they become available. If so, I will probably see about having my next novel made into an audio book, as well.

Finally, I'm ready to tell you the big news. I wrote a children's book. I'm still early in the process, but I'm very excited to see how far it will go.

Of course, I still work full-time at my day job where I help low-income folks live a little better. I don't talk about it much to protect the privacy of my clients, but it is rewarding work. I'm blessed to be part of my community action agency where we make a difference.

Now that you're caught up with me, tell me what you've been doing.

Thank you for reading Ozarks Maven! If you’ve enjoyed my little seeds of wisdom and joy, please join me again next week for more Ozarks Maven.