The Hallo-wiener

Shari Randall's recent post on Writers Who Kill introduced me to a wonderful children's book by Dav Pilkey. The Hallo-wiener is about a dachshund named Oscar who attends obedience school and looks forward to having a fun costume for Halloween. Unfortunately, his mother, who calls him her "little Vienna sausage" makes him a hot dog bun with mustard on top. This outfit meets with derision from his classmates. At first, Oscar is downcast, but when he has the chance to save the day, with the help of his costume, he becomes the hero. Thanks, Shari, for this great howliday read!  

Congratulations to E.B. Davis and Shari Randall!

E.B. Davis

Congratulations to two fellow bloggers on Writers Who Kill who have short stories in and are celebrating the launch of the anthology Homicidal Holidays this weekend.

E.B. Davis, who asked me to join WWK, has been my online critique partner since I joined the Guppies. Her story, "Compromised Circumstances," involves college roommates dealing with diplomatic immunity for a crime that occurs on President's Day 1979 near Washington, D.C.

Shari Randall

Shari Randall, a writer and librarian, has modern-day teenaged library volunteers resolving a 1970s crime from clues from donated library books and recycled vintage clothes. Both stories make for excellent anytime reading.

KN's Short Story Panel

PGB, Robert Mangeot, Debra Goldstein, Warren Bull, Kaye George

Our short story panel at Killer Nashville gathered together friends Warren Bull, Kaye George, and Debra Goldstein for a lively discussion of shorter crime fiction. Robert Mangeot, our excellent panel leader, has published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and this year’s MWA’s Ice Cold Anthology. Debra is celebrating acceptance of her story to The Killer Wore Cranberry 4; Kaye’s Fat Cat series, that she has written as Janet Cantrell, debuts in September; and Warren and I, both Writers Who Kill contributing bloggers, met for the first time in person. We had a wonderful, receptive audience and thoroughly enjoyed the event.

Arriving at Malice Domestic 2014

Hyatt Bethesda, MD

On May 2-4, 2014, I attended my eleventh Malice Domestic and had a wonderful time. The convention took place at the Hyatt in Bethesda, Maryland, about a half hour’s drive from Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.

A few years ago, I met cab driver Aziz Rakla, who helped several of us take a writer to the hospital. He gave me his card. Now, each year, I call and he provides my transportation at Malice.

 

Aziz Rakla

In the evening, I gathered with fellow WWK bloggers at La Madeleine (French restaurant) where we had our group picture taken by manager Godi Serge.

WWK Bloggers and Friends

Kara Cerise's Zombie Writing

My talented blogging partner, Kara Cerise, alerted me to this phenomenon. According to her message on: http://writerswhokill.blogspot.com/2013/10/zombie-writing.html, Carolyn Book Chick City, a book review site of urban fantasy and romance, declared a new genre called, Zombie-Apocalyptic Romance.

Kara took this concept to a different level. After learning that “a zombie is an undead person incapable of fatigue who will persist at any cost; a rote automaton powered by a supernatural force,” Kara embraced “zombie writing.” She pledged to give up distractions and concentrate on finishing the stories languishing on her computer. I congratulate Kara and attempt to follow her footsteps!