On December 4, eleven of us gathered at Olive Garden for our annual holiday luncheon. I can’t begin to describe how lovely it was to be together face-to-face! I actually got to meet (in person) two of our more recent new members, Leanne Edelen and Lynda Rees, which was a special thrill!
In addition to catching up with one another, we did manage to do a couple of important pieces of business. One was to honor Susan Bell, our Volunteer of the Year, who not only served as our secretary and webmaster this past year, but who also coordinated our playwriting efforts and served as co-editor with Elaine Munsch of the anthology, Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon. We are so grateful to Susan for her generosity in sharing her many gifts with Derby Rotten Scoundrels!
We also announced the results of our Board elections for the coming year:
President – Lynn Slaughter
Vice-President – Lynda Rees
Secretary – LeAnne Edelen
Treasurer – Patience Martin
Program Chair – Elaine Munsch
Webmaster – Susan Bell
Publicist – Carol Preflatish
We’re delighted to report that Mystery with a Splash of Bourbon made such a splash at the Kentucky Book Fair that Joseph Beth Booksellers in Lexington has invited Susan Bell and Elaine Munsch back to Lexington for an additional book signing at the store on Saturday, December 18, at 2 PM. The anthology includes stories from several chapter members and makes a great Christmas gift (hint, hint!).
As we look to 2022, one of the things on our wish list is to resume face-to-face meetings this spring, hopefully at a location which will have web access so that folks can attend the meetings via Zoom if they’re unable to attend in person. We also hope to continue to improve our offerings for members and friends in the New Year, and our Programs Chair, Elaine Munsch, has some great speakers planned for 2022!
In February, Erv Klein, winner of Imaginarium’s Award for best historical fiction and President of the Board of Louisville Literary Arts, will be our guest speaker.
Member News
Beth Henderson’s novels UNTIL… and MARKED RAVEN (Written under her pen name, J.B. Dane) were named finalists for best book of the year in the Historical and Fantasy categories by N.N. Light Book Heaven. This is an incredible honor, especially considering that 1800 books were reviewed! Meantime, Beth continues to collect glowing five-star reviews for her new comedic paranormal mystery series, Whichur-Wolfe Detection. The fourth and final book in the series is due out this month. Congratulations on all of your good news, Beth!
Lynn Slaughter will read from her recently released novel, Leisha’s Song, as part of Louisville Literary Arts’ InKY Reading series on January 13 at 7 PM.
https://www.louisvilleliteraryarts.org/
Pamela Turner’s novel, When Angels Threaten, a celestial supernatural thriller, is now available.
Pam also has a short story, “Onryo,” in the forthcoming anthology, Among the Headstones: Creepy Tales from the Graveyard. An onryo is a vengeful spirit that can harm the living. In addition, Pam’s short screenplay, “Cemetery,” is slated to begin production, and after meeting with the production team, Pam is very excited about the direction the project is taking. We’re thrilled for you, Pam!
That’s it for now, except to wish all of you a beautiful holiday season and joyful New Year filled with love, laughter, and lots of writing!