You know you have a vibrant organization when the president is down for the count, and things continue without a blip as we usher in spring! As some of you know, I had major spinal surgery on February 23. I had no idea that three weeks out, I’d be in pretty severe pain and barely able to function. As John Lennon famously said, “Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.” At any rate, I appreciate all of the get well wishes. I treasure every one of them.
VP Lynda Rees did a great job running our March chapter meeting. Two of the fourteen attendees are new members, and I want to say a special welcome to Pam Hirschler and Sherry Youngquist. We’re thrilled to have you both on board!
Carol Preflatish has been doing a great job posting chapter members’ news on Twitter and encourages everyone to like and follow chapter posts.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DerbyRotten
Facebook: https://www/facebook.com/Derby-Rotten-Scoundrels
Following the business meeting, Miki Reilly-Howe did another superb job of leading a discussion on Janet Burroway’s craft book, Writing Fiction. And if you’re looking for a writing prompt to get your creative juices rolling, Mikki has provided a host of terrific prompts at the end of her talk (the video of which is posted on youtube: Miki Presentation). We are so grateful to Miki for her excellent presentations (including Power Points to die for!).
In April, in lieu of our regular chapter meeting, several of us will participate in the Kentuckiana Independent Author Fair’s in LaGrange, coordinated by Tony Acree. This is a fun fair, a great place to meet regional authors and readers. We hope to see lots of you there.
And in May (drum roll please), we will have our first face-to-face (combined with Zoom) meeting in more than two years!
On May 14 at the Middletown Library, we will host guest speaker Kathy Stearman, a former FBI agent and author of IT’S NOT ABOUT THE GUN. We’ll have refreshments on hand and copies available for sale of Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon, co-edited by Susan Bell and Elaine Munsch. The anthology includes stories by many of our chapter members and is an especially fun read as we approach the Kentucky Derby.
In other news, the national organization of Sisters in Crime has awarded our chapter a $400 grant to use as needed. I can hardly wait for the lively discussions we’ll have as to how to spend the money!
Member News
In case you missed it, Carol Preflatish’s fourth Nathan Perry Mystery, WITCH HUNT, is out!
Carol was a guest on the Star Chamber Show podcast on February 23 talking about her book and her writing:
https://www.blogtalkradio.com/starchambershow
Former DRS President Beth Henderson continues to get rave reviews on her work.
Her newly released RAVENS EDGE, written under the name J.B. Dane, was awarded a 5 ++ stars rating by Mrs. N. at NN Light’s Book Heaven who described the book as a brilliant “mash-up of urban fantasy, paranormal mystery and comedic mystery.”
All for now! We hope to see many of you at the Kentuckiana Independent Authors Fair! Hours are 10-4 PM at:
La Grange Community Center
307 W Jefferson St, La Grange, KY
The video of our February guest speaker, Erv Klein, is now available on Youtube, see link below. Erv gave a wonderful talk to our group about his latest book, Squat, hist first book, Subterfuge, an historical fiction mystery, and how he came to be a fiction writer late in life.