New Release by the Chota Writers Circle

The thirteen stories in this anthology reflect both expressions of patriotism on the occasion of our country’s 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The authors include the following members of AGT: Bill Barbour, Carmen Flores, John Forcum, Kathy Parr, Cheryl Peyton, and Chuck Roseberry. 

 The book opens with the story of Roger Sherman, one of the Committee of Five who drafted the document during the Second Continental Congress. He offered a compromise that determined the composition of our government.

       The stories that follow are often poignant. We are heartened to read of immigrants who came here seeking and finding a better life. We are moved by stories of soldiers who were willing to sacrifice themselves to protect our country and defeat our enemies. They often paid the ultimate price. Other stories celebrate the beauty of our country and the welcoming spirit of our people. 

This anthology is available on Amazon as both a paperback and an eBook.

Next Meeting of the Authors Guild of Tennessee

The AGT will meet next Thursday, May 14, from 10:30 a.m. to noon at the Faith Lutheran Church in Farragut.

AGT members Leoma Gilley and Bill Barbour will be our special speakers at this meeting.

Leoma Gilley brings a lifetime of experience with Wycliffe Bible Translators to her three books on prayer — exploring how the Bible itself can serve as a guide for crafting more meaningful, personal prayers. Leoma’s approach is refreshingly practical and deeply human.

Bill Barbour tackles a question that touches millions of people: why do so many walk away from church, and what does that mean for those who stay? His personal history and his book Barriers dig into the tensions, doubts, and disconnects that drive people out the door — and make a compelling case for what’s worth returning to.

Two authors. Two perspectives. One conversation you won’t want to miss.

As always, guests are welcome.

New Release by Susan Kite

The world’s only nuclear research submarine has been dragged into an alternate universe. There is no United States, no way home, and no other vessels like her. Captain Lee Zuved and the crew of Sea Dragon must forge a new existence in this strange and eerie world as they desperately search for a way back home.

But survival becomes complicated when they’re caught between warring nations, kidnapped by those who covet their technology, and forced into conflicts not theirs to fight. Then something far more terrifying emerges. Ancient earth spirits, awakened and merged into a single destructive entity, are bent on destroying all of humanity.

Sea Dragon faces an impossible choice. They can hide and wait for a way home that may never materialize. Or they can stand and fight for a world that was never theirs-knowing if they fail, there may not be a world left to save, in any universe.

New Release by Cheryl Peyton

Currently, there are 89.7 million pet dogs in the United States: purebred, cross-bred, and multi-bred. All of them trace their ancestry to a now-extinct grey wolf species. Today, all dogs still share 99.9% of their DNA with the modern grey wolf and belong to the same species, Canis lupus.

This book explores how the domestication of the wolf thousands of years ago led to the development of over 300 breeds of dogs worldwide. Why do we have so many breeds? What are their similarities and differences? Central to this study is the thesis that dogs have earned the title “man’s best friend” because of their significant impact on society and the countless individuals whose lives they have enriched.

New Release by Katherine Kirby Smith

(Katherine Parr)

Faith, hope, and betrayal. In 1860, Jane Burnett and her family flee poverty in Scotland to join the Mormon church, taking advantage of its fund to support immigrant settlers in Utah. Sailing the Atlantic, traveling by train to the Midwest, and joining a wagon train, the Burnetts finally arrive in burgeoning Salt Lake City. Jane marries Jim Smith, a successful rancher, and raises their children in the Promised Land. However, the promise is broken by a dark secret held by church leadership. Knowledge of that secret forces Jane and her family to leave Utah for Montana where the Indian Wars once again test her resilience.

Authors Guild of Tennessee Presents

Prizes to Winners of LCHS 2024-2025 Writing Contest

AGT president Cheryl Peyton and Writing Contest Co-ordinator Dr. Jerry Morton presented awards to the first and

second place winners at the Lenoir City High School Awards programs on Monday, May 5 at 11:00 a.m. for the Underclassmen, and on Tuesday, May 6 at 6:00 p.m. for the Seniors.  First Place winners received an engraved plaque and a monetary gift. Second Place winners received a Certificate of Achievement.

Underclassmen winners: 

1st pl., 1st period, Abby Holm for “The Teacup Cruiser”

2nd pl., 1st period, Vanessa Singletary for “Apocalypse on Zephyr”

1st pl., 5th period, Vinncent Taylor for “A Desperate Grasp”

2nd pl. 5th period, Xander Brock for “Plague”

Senior winners:

1st pl., 2nd period, Maxx Brown for “Appreciation”

2nd pl., 2nd period, Natali Ortega for “Eternal Summer”

1st pl., 4th period, Isabelle Mayes for “Superstitions — Here Comes the Tide”

2nd pl., 4th period, Ruby Bridges for “Dead Together Forever”

We congratulate all the winners and wish them much success in the future.

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.