The Authors Guild of Tennessee will meet

December 11 at Mimi’s Cafe in Turkey Creek

We will hold our December meeting at Mimi’s, gathering at 6:00 p.m. for socializing before being seated for dinner by 6:30. Members have been invited to bring a guest.

After the meal, we will have a brief business meeting and President Cheryl Peyton will read her poetic tribute to AGT titled, “Writing off 2024.”

‘Smoking Guns,’ edited by Kaye George,

delivers tales of murder and more

Featured in the Books sections of the Knoxville News Sentinel on Sunday Dec. 8, this anthology from the East Tennessee Sisters in Crime offers a dozen “original tales of crime and mystery” that take readers into the dark corners of humanity.

The writers, with backgrounds ranging from newsrooms to the CIA to underwater naturalist education, share sinister stories of murderm poisoning, theft, stalking, and violent jealousy.

One of the columnist’s favorites is “Fences, Neighbors, and a Gun” by Kaye George intrigued him with its domestic depravity. In the story a tree falls on an elderly woman’s yard leading to a dispute over the cost of the damage that escalates to a chilling level. The story ends up in court, but even the judge’s ruling doesn’t end the matter that leads to neighbors retaliating against one another in unexpected ways.

Creative Writing Contest

Lenoir City High School

First Semester 2024- 2025

 Angela Crabtree, teacher of the junior/senior writing classes at Lenoir City High School has released the first semester winning short stories in the Creative Writing Contest sponsored by the Authors Guild of Tennessee. Ms. Crabtree explains that the students were allowed to submt their favorite short story from those had written in various fiction genres. The students had researched and written about superstitions, zombie apocalypse, modern monsters, as well as historical, comedic, fairytales and folktales.

The first-and second-place winners in Ms. Crabtree’s two classes are linked under this notice.  Three have a dark tone and one is inspirational. All are well-written and worthy of their awards.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ui=2&ik=5bd369cc01&attid=0.1&permmsgid=msg-f:1816091235841622506&th=19340d5b600a41ea&view=att&disp=inline&realattid=f_m3nfzjtw0&zw

Victoria Winifred’s New Releases

When their winter sleep is interrupted by hunger on Christmas Eve, Papa Jed and his family let the North Star guide them on a magical journey through the Smoky Mountains. Alongside creatures of all kinds, they meet and learn about legendary bears and a special human whose story fills their hearts with wonder. After sharing a feast with their forest friends, they return to their den with a deeper sense of community, the true spirit of Christmas, and renewed hope for the future, thanks to the timeless tale of a baby born in a manger.

In the spirit of timeless read-alouds like An Angel for Solomon Singer, Miss Rumphius,    and Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, this heartwarming Valentine’s Day picture book  is a thoughtful choice for classrooms, nurturing the traits of respect, empathy, and kindness.

Immerse  yourself in one of the Bible’s most renowned stories with this beautifully illustrated book.  Each page features vivid artwork that brings Joe Guadagno’s dynamic song, Jonah, to life.  The lyrics, which form the heart of this captivating picture book, are brought to life through striking images of Jonah and the whale, capturing the essence of the wayward journey and the redemptive return.

Ideal for family reading, Sunday school classes, and anyone interested in biblical narratives, this book integrates the actual verses of Jonah and includes a QR code that allows readers to listen to the song for a fully immersive experience.

Gayle Curtin’s New Release

Gayle’s second book is a personal memoir titled Wiser Now. 

Gayle is cash-strapped, lonely, and becoming desperate when she answers a personal ad in the local newspaper. During the short courtship with Jake, Gayle sees differences in their respective lifestyles and values but sets her concerns aside. During their two-year relationship, she has to deal with a controlling spouse, infidelity, emotional abuse, and encounters with alcohol-fueled rage.

Amazon reviewer wrote, in part, “The author’s writing style is engaging, authentic, and keeps the reader in anxious anticipation of the next chapter.”

Art Stewart’s New Release

“Yes, but…” explores how each of us negotiates life through a never- ending series of responses to a question, posed, oddly, as a brief quote from a scientific treatise titled Stream Fish Community Dynamics: A Critical Synthesis. The quoted question is simple: “What’s it all mean, Bill? What’s it all mean?” Each of us struggles with this question daily, minute by minute, second by second. “Yes, but …” is about how we dance that dance of reconciliation–cause and effect, while learning to learn.

Susan Kite Wins Special Award for her Latest Book

Susan Kite’re most recent book, Planet of Outcasts, Moon Crusher 2, was awarded gold at the Royal Palm Literary Award ceremony in Orlando, Florida. Congratulations to her for this high honor.

A reviewer wrote of the book: I was excited to find it lived up to the action and suspense in Moon Crusher. Diego, with his foretelling dreams and creative problem solving, leads his ragtag crew in new adventures on a distant planet. Old friends return and new loyal companions are added to the mix as they fight to free a civilization from evil alien oppression. Kite leave the door open for book 3, and I can’t wait. (Book 3 is in the editing stage.)

New release by Stan Borgia

Spies and traitors at the highest levels of the U.S. Government. The President establishes the Sanction Authority and approves a hybrid CIA/FBI assassin with expanded rules of engagement to solve the problems with a surprising outcome.

New Release by Bill Barbour

As a retiring Air Force fighter pilot, Ray Spencer steps into the civilian world which he soon finds is fiercely competitive rather than the cooperative comradery of the military. He performs well above expectations at his new job in strategic planning. When a seemingly upright senator offers him a position in Washington D.C., Ray finds himself embroiled in a tangle of deceit that culminates in a terrorist attack on the American electrical grid. Can Ray successfully confront this new reality as he is involved in a relationship with a young lady coworker while being betrayed by others around him?

A Community of Tennessee Writers, Readers & Passersby

In “Hope Is the Thing” Poet Danita Dodson reflects on the loss of her father.

Danita Dodson’s most recent collection of poetry, Between Gone and Everlasting, explores the many facets of grief after the loss of a parent. Dodson focuses on the death of her father and discusses grief and its impact across all facets of her life. The voice of the collection is childlike and hopeful, conveying a reverence for the dead and the process of dying and grieving, as well as a love for the natural beauty of the world and the signs of life below the surface. Dodson’s collection captivates with its focused narrative arc, using the extended theme of grief to tell a story of one man’s life and one family’s reaction to the loss of that life.

Go to this link to read Danita’s interview on this online publication:  https://chapter16.org/hope-is-the-thing/

“Trails of Wrathful Waters” by David Curran

now available in the online journal AppalachiaBare

This is a delightful chapter from the author’s book Hiking for Fun and Pain.  Leaving his comfort zone of sylvan serenity, Dave agrees to join his fearless brother-in-law in white-water rafting on the Ocoee River, followed by calmly rowing down the Missouri, then hopping in a funyak to take on the turbulent Nolichucky River.  The result is a tale of high adventure laced with humor. To read this entertaining account, go to AppalachiaBare, click on highwaysandbyways, then on Wanderings — recent posts.

“Daisy”

                       by Russ Fine

a short story on the online journal Appalachia Bare

This is the heartwarming story of a small brown dog who was adopted by a lonely man at the request of its homeless owner. The good deed turns into a blessing for the new owner whose life is enriched by the company of this loving animal.

Between Gone and Everlasting

Danita Dodson’s New Poetry Book

Published May 6, 2024

Danita Dodson writes with emotive transparency about loss, the passing of generations, and the love of a father whose memory becomes a source of light after his death. Between Gone and Everlasting pans the perimeters of mourning with a phenomenal scope: heartrending reflections on grief, tender odes of remembrance, stunning elegies about Appalachia’s fading past, and stirring psalms of spiritual awakening amid loss.

Creative Writing Contest

Lenoir City High School

2nd Semester 2023-24

In the second semester of the 2023-4 school year, Angela Crabtree, teacher of the junior/senior writing classes at Lenoir City High School, selected poetry as the literary form for the Creative Writing Contest sponsored by the Authors Guild of Tennessee.

The first- and second-place winners in Ms. Crabtree’s two classes are linked under this notice. Again, the students were not assigned particular subjects but were encouraged to write from their personal experiences and viewpoints. The poems are honest and personal and sometimes reflect harsh realities in each student’s life. They are all well-written and create word pictures of place and time.

The Authors Guild of Tennessee is proud to publish these outstanding literary accomplishments on our website with parental consent for students who are minors.

Creative Writing Contest

Lenoir City High School

1^st Semester 2023-24

In the first semester of the 2023-4 school year, Angela Crabtree, teacher of the junior/senior writing classes at Lenoir City High School, selected poetry as the literary form for the Creative Writing Contest sponsored by the Authors Guild of Tennessee.

The first- and second-place winners in Ms. Crabtree’s two classes are linked under this notice. The students were not assigned particular subjects or themes but were encouraged to write from their personal experiences and viewpoints. As you will see, the poems are honest and personal, and sometimes reflect harsh realities in each student’s unique perspective on life. They are all well-written and skillfully create word pictures of place and time.

The Authors Guild of Tennessee is proud to publish these outstanding literary accomplishments on our website.

Daddy’s Little Girl – Kara Gresham

A Broken Soul – Abner Alvarado

The Mother – Reagan Griffith

Home – Christopher Lopez