First Story Publication!

I have had a contemporary story, “The Season for Death,” accepted for publication in this year’s Desert Sleuths’ mystery anthology, SoWest So Wild: Desert Justice. I’m thrilled with this first publication for me. I’ll quote my wonderful editor, Sally Smith, about my tale. “It’s a good story, sad and troubling, but good.” and “The Season for Death is a touching story with well-drawn characters and will be a fine addition to this year’s anthology. You should be proud.” I’m definitely proud. Many thanks to Diane Benitez and Amy Dominy who offered essential help to my early drafts. You can’t write without friends and I have the best of friends. Book launch of the Anthology will be August 11. I’ll post ways to buy it then. (The photo of globe mallows above is a clue as to the “killer” in my story.)

Desert Sleuths is our local chapter of Sisters in Crime, a writers association created to assist women mystery and thriller writers overcome the bias against them throughout the publishing industry. There are now many “misters” amidst the sisters because, of course, being a woman’s organization it quickly became known for being incredibly supportive and helpful in building writers’ careers. I love my fellow sisters and regularly organize our conferences and other events. I’m presenting (with Pascal Marco) on the subject of plot and structure this Saturday at our “Nuts and Bolts of Mystery Writing” workshop at the Civic Center Library from 10 to 4. All welcome.

By the way, for those of you scratching your heads thinking, doesn’t she write historical fiction set in the Trojan War? What’s all this mystery stuff? I do have a completed manuscript set in the Trojan War, Hand Full of Fire, which is not a mystery. I’m still looking for an agent to represent it. I’m also working on a mystery set in the Hittite Empire with Queen Puduhepa as my “sleuth.” I have been distracted from my mystery lately with revisions to Hand Full of Fire, but once those are complete, I’ll be back in the mystery biz. I love writing both kinds of fiction and hope to do both for years to come. Anyone know a good agent??