I've been side tracked for a few months with family illnesses, but now I'm back writing. Now Where Did That Come From? is a collection of some of my favorite tales. I added a paragraph or two after each story explaining where the seed idea originated. Some came from Christmas cards, others from newspaper articles or a story told by a friend.  In any case, children and adults often ask about the source of ideas to write about.

Now Where Did That Come From? is fiction. Family stories, however, are just as interesting and preserve the history of the family. People, young and not so young, enjoy telling stories  as well as listening to them. Writing them down is the next natural step. Written stories can then be shared with family and friends. The funny, heroic, and sometimes embarrassing stories found in every family should be recorded and published if only for the family and its future generations. These unique stories are told, laughed at, and retold over the years for everyone's enjoyment. But some of that history is lost with each passing generation unless it is recorded and published.  More on writing your family history later.

Now Where Did That Come From? can be purchased in paper back or kindle format from Amazon. Keep reading and consider recording those family stories for your children and grandchildren.

Undertaker Tales

Finished my last radiation treatment and have been reading books like crazy the last few weeks.
Wayne Bethard, a pharmacist, has a book of funny, thought provoking, stirring short stories with the startling and sometimes off-putting title, Undertaker Tales. I once asked a friend why anyone would choose to be a mortician. I still don't know the answer, but the Undertaker Tales sheds a whole new light on this group of men and women. Far from being the doleful, gloomy, stiff necked men and women living at the local funeral home ss sometimes pictured, Bethard portrays them and their families as people of unusual empathy for those hurting members of our communities. Undertaker Tales include stories submitted by morticians from around the world. One section includes tales of dogs and cats involved in the mortician's life and in the deceased's life.
Undertaker Tales can be purchased at Amazon in book form or downloaded to your kindle.

Fantastic Texas

We went to our monthly NETWO meeting Thursday night and heard an interesting speaker, Lou Antonelli. Lou is editor of our local paper, the Daily Tribune. In addition to his writing for the paper, Lou has begun writing short stories. He shared his source of ideas for various stories and his adventures in getting them published.
Naturally, Mr. Antonelli had copies of his books with him. Two found a home with us. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your point of view, he was out of his latest book. Fantastic Texas, a science fiction anthology, is a collection Texas tall tales made up of a mix of pure fantasy and 'it might happen' science fiction. The stories are short, making the novel ideal for those times we find ourselves waiting in a doctor's office, for children to come out of school, or for someone to return to the line after assuring you, "Your call is important to us."
Fantastic Texas can be purchased at most book stores or from Amazon. Mr. Antonelli, like most authors, usually has several with him and is willing to autograph those you buy from him.

Northeast Texas Writers' Conference 2011

April was a busy, exciting month with NETWO's (Northeast Texas Writers' Organization) annual writers conference May 29 - 30. Frank Carden from Las Cruces, New Mexico, was our Short Story winner with his story Iwo. Heath Dollar from Haslet, Texas, placed second followed by Elaine Pietsch from Ringgold, Louisianna, taking third place. Gail Reed from Mt. Vernon, Texas, placed fourth. There were several honorable mentions. At right above, I am giving Mr. Carden his first place award. Seated at left is New York agent Kathleen Ortiz.


This was NETWO's 25th conference. Camp Shiloh Retreat on Lake Bob Sandlin near Pittsburg, Texas was the place to be April 28 and 29th. Nine notable authors, agents, and publishers spoke explaining how they work, what they need in submissions, and why they need it in the format described on their web site and in their handouts. One on one visits with publishers and agents were made available. I can't begin to describe in this short blog the idea generating power the weekend turned out to be. For further information and pictures check out NETWO's website at http://www.netwo.org/

More later. Take care of each other.

heroes for my son

heroes for my son

by brad Meltzer

heroes for my son is a must for teachers, counselors, and youth leaders of every description. heroes for my son is a collection of fifty-two very short biographies of ordinary people who made incredible changes in our world. The heroes, spanning time and continents, include the famous and those not so well known. Mahatma Gandhi, Frederick Douglass, Miep Gies, Eleanor Roosevelt, Neil Armstrong, John Lennon, Amelia Earhart, Dr. Seus, are just a few of the heroes Brad Meltzer wrote about, men and women he wanted his son to look up to.

heroes for my son is perfect for short motivational talks, group discussions, and a starting place for research projects for history and civics.

Published by HarperCollins Publishers

heroes for my son can be purchases from Amazon, Hastings Book Stores, and most other book outlets.

ISBN 978-0-06-190528-5