Monday, January 15, 2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

There's lots to be excited about in 2024, beginning with a pair of outstanding novels coming soon from a pair of Mississippi Gulf Coast writers. Author Scott Lenoir's electrifying debut, The Amendment, introduces Blake Weaver, a most complicated protagonist with a big heart and a fervent desire to protect the people he cares about. When there’s a score to settle (and there's a big one in The Amendment), Blake will tap right into his law enforcement background to take care of business. 


Coming in August 2024


Candace Cox Wheeler's Sunset in the Sound might be the best volume of her trilogy, and that's saying something after the bar was set so high with Cradle in the Oak and Squall in the Gulf. Like the first two, Sunset takes place in the author's beloved hometown of Biloxi, and this time it's illegal gambling that drives a fast-paced plot that takes place in the early 1950s. Once again Candace does a masterful job of bringing forward cast members from her first two books, adding another level of interest to a truly fine work of Mississippi-based historical fiction. 


Coming in March 2024


I've had the honor of publishing short story ace John Floyd eight times in book form since 2006, and it's great to see him continue to receive national recognition for his stellar work. Case in point: the 25th anniversary of The Strand Magazine has been released, and it not only includes one of John's stories (along with a new story from bestseller Jeffrey Deaver and a recently discovered poem by the legendary Raymond Chandler), Andrew Gulli, editor-in-chief of The Strand Magazine, had this to say about John:


        "Every once in a while you'll find a writer whose style, stories, prose, and plots fit perfectly
        with your editorial vision. For the past quarter century, John M. Floyd has been just that
        writer--our 25th anniversary issue features the 26th story by the author who we consider 
        our Arthur Conan Doyle. His stories over the years were nominated for several awards
        and graced many anthologies. And on this Christmas Day, we're thankful to have such a
        star contributor."


Available NOW wherever magazines are sold!




As I've said before in this space, a good book is timeless, and Valerie Winn's 2010 debut, Forsaking Mimosa, continues to reach new readers every day. Or, in this case, two readers! These ladies from Alabama (yes, they're twins) appear to have similar tastes in books as well as attire.


By the way, the colorful bottles are also Valerie's creations!



Speaking of a good book being timeless, the delightfully-named Overbooked Book Club of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, made a road trip to Biloxi's Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum to discuss Cradle in the Oak with the author. What's better than discovering the first book of a trilogy or series and learning that there are other books by that author?

You ladies are all invited back in April when Candace signs Sunset in the Sound!



In case you haven't heard our Mississippi Book Festival has been moved from August to September for 2024. It won't exactly be winter in these parts by then, but we'll hope it's at least a little cooler than the inferno-like conditions we endured during last year's event. Put September 14, 2024 on your calendar and plan on joining us! 


It'll be here before you know it!



Thanks so much for helping make 2023 a very good year for Dogwood Press and the all-new Sunrise Press. Visit dogwoodpress.com to order signed copies of just about every title in our catalog. Have a great day, and stay warm!


Wednesday, December 13, 2023

LOOK AT THAT PRETTY SUNSET!

Here's your very first look at the cover of the soon-to-be-released Candace Cox Wheeler novel, Sunset in the Sound. Isn't it lovely? 

The pic was taken by Holly Cox, Candace's sister and an excellent photographer whose great work has adorned all three of Candace's book covers. The novel itself is really good and serves as a strong wrap-up to the trilogy. Set in the early 1950's in Candace's now-familiar backdrop of Biloxi, Mississippi, Sunset in the Sound brings forth another generation of fascinating offspring from the family tree that began with the romance between Carrie Burns and David Tauzin in Cradle in the Oak. While the rumrunning plot at the end of the Roaring Twenties made Squall in the Gulf so compelling, the entrenched gambling in Biloxi by the early 1950s might make Sunset in the Sound the most electric of the three novels. A final note about the photo: it was taken at the end of the old Broadwater Marina. When you read the book (coming in April 2024), you'll learn why that pier is important to the story.



I promise it will be worth the wait!


Three cheers for Monica Walton, whose Advent Reflections For This Day has sold over 2,000 copies and gotten the all-new Sunrise Press publishing imprint off to a great start! Churches all over Mississippi (as well as places of worship in Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, and Illinois) have purchased copies of this wonderful little interdenominational devotional for congregants and small groups, and lots of folks have bought from Mississippi bookstores like Lemuria, Pass Christian Books, The Book Mart & Cafe, Lorelei, and Impression Books. Monica and I are both very grateful.

The idea behind the book, as I've explained previously in this space, was to provide all the spiritual nourishment in a weekly Advent devotional as you would find in a daily Advent study. The feedback has been excellent, and Monica is busy right up until very close to Christmas with small groups that have invited her to be part of their Advent studies. 


Monica signing at Books Along the Teche in New Iberia, LA

In addition to the new Wheeler book, Dogwood Press will roll out Mississippi Gulf Coast author Scott Lenoir's suspenseful debut, The Amendment, in 2024. You'll really enjoy it, as there's crime and suspense, romance, and a flawed, complex protagonist with a big heart who will not just drive this novel, but Scott's next couple of books. The Amendment is set for the most part in south Mississippi and along the Gulf Coast, which will make it even more fun to read! Also on the way, at dates to be determined, are novels by J. Stephen Beam and Valerie Winn.


Coming next August to a bookstore near you!



J. Stephen Beam visiting with the ladies of the Bonfire Book Club. 
What a neat place for a book talk!


Valerie Winn meets the most fascinating people! 
Many are interested in her first novel, the timeless Forsaking Mimosa.



John Floyd continues to write quality short fiction at a mind-blogging rate of speed. Two places for you to visit: John's own website, johnmfloyd.com, for a lengthy list of his latest published stories in a variety of national publications and sites, and John's weekly Facebook blog, Sleuth Sayers. You'll really enjoy the blog and learn something from each entry. As to the recent issue of Strand Magazine, sure, there's a previously unreleased short story by Truman Capote, and that's a big deal. But there's also a great new short fiction offering by John Floyd. For me, that's an even bigger deal! 


Pro tip: read John's story first!



J. Stephen Beam's The Death Letter remains a very hot item, and if you're weary of battling crowds as you do your Christmas shopping, make it easy on yourself by ordering a signed copy or two from the Dogwood Press website, dogwoodpress.com. That book and many first edition signed copies can be in your hands in just 2-3 business days. 

Thanks so much for your support during 2023. See you soon!


Monday, October 2, 2023

CHRISTMAS IS COMING!

See if you've heard this one before: "Books make great gifts!" It's true, and we have some wonderful ideas for this holiday season as well as updates on Dogwood Press titles that aren't far off.

Author J. Stephen Beam has signed The Death Letter all over Mississippi, visited Garden District Books in New Orleans last week, and will venture into Tennessee (stops in Knoxville and Franklin) this month. We've had many requests for a Beam signing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and here's a save-the-date: join him this Saturday, October 7 from 1-3 p.m. at Pass Christian Books. That's where the in-person signing will take place, but the book will be carried at the PCB store in Gulfport as well. 

You won't be able to put it down!





Meantime, the first release from the all-new Sunrise Press, Monica's Walton's Advent Reflections For This Day, is available at the following Mississippi bookstores: Lemuria Books (Jackson), Lorelei Books (Vicksburg), Pass Christian Books (Pass Christian and Gulfport), and The Book Mart & Cafe (Starkville). In addition to this wonderful little Christmas devotional being available on a retail basis, your small group at church might be interested in it for study. Find the book via the Sunrise Press tab on the Dogwood Press website, dogwoodpress.com.

All the daily spiritual nourishment you look for in a unique weekly format!



Candace Cox Wheeler can't wait for you to read Sunset in the Sound, and neither can I! It's the final volume of her Biloxi-based trilogy and set in the 1950s with illegal gambling driving another brilliantly researched plot that's full of local color and real people from the era. Watch for it in April 2024. And watch for The Amendment, the excellent suspenseful debut from new Dogwood Press author Scott Lenoir. It's set along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and in parts of south Louisiana. Watch for his book in August 2024.


Doesn't that look intriguing!!!



The next J. Stephen Beam novel and the long-awaited Valerie Winn novel are also in the works, so be watching for firm launch dates for those books. And my favorite mystery/suspense short story author continues to write and publish at a dizzying rate of speed these days: John Floyd has stories in the current issues of Strand Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Woman’s World, and one in the newly released anthology Killin’ Time in San Diego (Down & Out Books). Upcoming are more stories in the next issues of Strand and Alfred Hitchcock and in the private-eye anthology Prohibition Peepers (also from Down & Out Books). And don't forget John's weekly blog, Sleuth Sayers, each Saturday on Facebook. Always an interesting read!


John Floyd and Truman Capote, finally in the same publication!



That's all the news that fits! Visit dogwoodpress.com for updated author appearances, and to order first edition signed copies of our titles. Thanks for your time!

 




Tuesday, August 1, 2023

YOU'RE INVITED!

Are you busy the morning of Saturday, August 19? Plans had already made for the Dogwood Press tent to be set up at the Mississippi Book Festival, and I swiftly said yes when offered an opportunity to serve as moderator for a Dogwood Press panel that will take place at 9:30 that morning in Room 204 inside the AIR-CONDITIONED (yes, that's very important) Mississippi capitol building.

I can't tell you how excited I am!

Joining me will be Dogwood Press authors John Floyd, Valerie Winn, Candace Cox Wheeler, and J. Stephen Beam. If you're already coming to the festival, please stop in and enjoy the discussion. It will be fun, lively, and give you something you won't get anywhere else at the festival: the story of how a home-grown, traditional publishing house has slowly but surely assembled a team of very talented fiction writers. And the four authors you'll meet that morning (as well as Randy Pierce, who'll join us at the Dogwood Press tent following the panel) are truly fine people as well.


Please invite a friend to join you!



The very first J. Stephen Beam book tour gets underway this week with appearances to promote The Death Letter at Except 4 Grace in Sumrall, Mississippi, on Thursday at 5 p.m. and in Hattiesburg at the Author Shoppe on Saturday at 11 a.m. Stephen also visits Lemuria Books in Jackson next Tuesday, August 8 at 5 p.m. and he'll travel to northeast Mississippi on August 17 for an 11 a.m. stop at the Itawamba County-Pratt Memorial Library. And that's only the beginning!



Coming soon to a bookstore, library, or festival near you!



We're also just weeks from the launch of the very first Sunrise Press title. Sunrise Press is a division of Dogwood Press and was created this year to publish select fiction and non-fiction faith-based titles. Our debut is a unique Advent devotional by Brandon, Mississippi-based writer Monica Walton. You know how busy you are during December, and often the best-laid plans to commit to a month of daily readings are derailed by everything from holiday travel and visits from relatives to Christmas parties and shopping trips. Advent Reflections for This Day is a WEEKLY devotional, providing all the spiritual nourishment you're looking for in a format that will work nicely with your busy December schedule. Monica will make a number of appearances in October and November in support of the book, so watch for her!

A wonderful little book to launch Sunrise Press!



I am very grateful to Janice Guido at Bay Life Gifts at Century Hall in beautiful Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, for carrying several Dogwood Press titles and providing such a warm welcome for Candace Cox Wheeler a few weeks ago. What a lovely area to shop!


Introducing new folks to the magic of Cradle in the Oak and Squall in the Gulf!


And a shout-out to my friend Nash Nunnery, the veteran newspaper journalist who has authored a very impressive non-fiction work about vintage high school football stadiums in Mississippi. I had the privilege of editing Magnolia Gridiron Cathedrals, and it's truly a coffee table book you'll return to again and again (as opposed to one that looks pretty and sits gathering dust). Nash will be on a sports panel at the Mississippi Book Festival late in the day on August 19, and as he says, if you're school isn't in his book, it could possibly appear in a second volume.


Just in time for football season!


Website orders for The Death Letter are pouring in right now, and we have plenty of signed copies. For that matter, visit dogwoodpress.com for signed copies of any Dogwood Press titles, and please come enjoy the Dogwood Press panel at the book festival. We promise a fun time, and we promise air-conditioning! What more can you ask?



Friday, April 28, 2023

SUNRISE PRESS

I've received some very good faith-based book proposals over the years, but because Dogwood Press publishes mystery-suspense fiction, I kept saying no and encouraged them to seek publication through faith-based presses.

But one of those proposals, submitted to me by Mississippi writer Monica Walton in January 2023, made an especially strong impression. While I immediately ruled out publication through Dogwood Press, Monica's book, Advent Reflections for This Day, will be the first title published by the all-new Sunrise Press, which is a division of Dogwood Press. The new press will consider, beginning immediately, selected fiction and non-fiction titles for publication. 

Copies of Advent Reflections for This Day will arrive in October 2023. It's an Advent devotional with a twist: instead of a 28-day format, four weekly devotionals nicely cover the Advent season. It's all of the spiritual nourishment a daily Advent devotional provides you, but covered in a time frame that alleviates the risk of getting behind on daily readings while attending Christmas parties, shopping for gifts, catching up with old friends in town, making sure the kids are studying for semester finals, and on and on. Please visit dogwoodpress.com and find the Sunrise Press tab on the website to learn more about the book, and be sure to inquire about the significant bulk discount we're offering.


Coming in October!

 
Meet Monica Walton, the very first Sunrise Press author!



Meanwhile, things certainly aren't slowing down at Dogwood Press. Can't wait for The Death Letter, a spellbinding suspense novel written by first-time Mississippi author J. Stephen Beam of Sumrall, Mississippi. Please plan on joining Stephen at Lemuria Books of Jackson on Tuesday, August 8, and he's one of several authors who'll join me under the Dogwood Press tent at the Mississippi Book Festival on Saturday, August 19.


What's inside that mailbox?


On the horizon are several more Dogwood Press releases:

In early 2024, watch for Sunset in the Sound from Candace Cox Wheeler. This is the sequel to Squall in the Gulf and set in Biloxi, Mississippi, in the 1950s.

Later in 2024, watch for The Amendment, a most suspenseful debut from Mississippi Gulf Coast author Scott Lenoir. It's set in several locations, but most of it takes place in coastal Mississippi.

Also in 2024, the second J. Stephen Beam novel will be ready. Like Stephen's debut, it will take place in northeast Mississippi and pick up right where The Death Letter leaves off.

Valerie Winn's new novel, A Glaring Error, which will update much of the cast from her 2018 novel The Dance Between, is on the way, and so is my sequel to Resting Place, my Oakdale series prequel from last summer. Resting Place was set in the year 1984; the next volume will be set in the year 1999.


That's Valerie with new a pair of new fans, and a great read!


Oh, and John Floyd keeps on keeping on, writing one excellent piece of short mystery fiction after another. His short story, "The Donovan Gang," which was published in the Sep/Oct 2022 edition of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, has been nominated for a 2023 Derringer Award. As I have said before in this space, the Derringer is a BIG deal, sort of the equivalent of a musician winning a Grammy or an actor earning an Oscar. Don't forget to find John's excellent and long-running blog, Sleuth Sayers, on Facebook every Saturday. It's good reading and very entertaining.

Have a look at the website, dogwoodpress.com, and visit the new Sunrise Press page to learn more about the upcoming Monica Walton book. Also consider ordering a signed copy of a Dogwood Press title or two. There are Mother's Day, Father's Day, and graduation gift options at your fingertips, and don't forget that most Dogwood Press titles are also available for download through Amazon Kindle.

Thanks for your time. Have a great day, and happy reading! 

 


Wednesday, January 18, 2023

COVER STORY

There's lots of news to report as we get 2023 underway, including another new Dogwood Press author, but let's first take a look at what you'll see on the cover of J. Stephen Beam's suspense novel The Death Letter. I absolutely love the colors and rustic setting, and I assure you that the novel will be just as intriguing. The Death Letter is set in rural northeast Mississippi, where a lot of fascinating stories seem to come from!

Sounds ominous, doesn't it? Looks foreboding, too. Coming in August 2023.


I'm proud to announce that Scott Lenoir, a writer based on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in Gautier, joins the Dogwood Press team with his debut novel, The Amendment. A retired Episcopal priest, Scott has written professionally for years and will mix a complicated but good-hearted protagonist with crime, suspense, and a unique, Coast-based cast of characters in his first novel. You'll have a chance to ratify The Amendment in 2024. 


What does this writer have up his sleeve?


Also, a glaring error to report . . . that's actually the name of the next Valerie Winn novel! We don't have a release date yet, but I can promise you it's coming, and you'll be glad to know that characters from both of Valerie's previous novels, Forsaking Mimosa and The Dance Between, will populate A Glaring Error. For me as a reader, it's great fun when authors bring characters forward a number of years in new books, such as cute, quirky kids from one novel developing into complicated, well-drawn adults in the next volume. Valerie, like fellow Dogwood Press author Candace Cox Wheeler, does this very well.



A sampling of Valerie's artwork. FYI, art plays an important role in A Glaring Error!


Our resident short story craftsman John Floyd continues to place one great work of short fiction after another in widely-read national magazines and websites. Grab yourself a copy of the Jan/Feb issue of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and enjoy some fast-paced Floyd with a cool plot reversal at the end, or pick up a paperback copy of Shamus Winners (America's Best Private Eye Stories) Volume III 2010-2021. The Shamus Award is presented annually by the Private Eye Writers of America for best detective fiction, and this 300-page paperback, edited by Robert J. Randisi, represents the editor's favorite dozen P.I. stories from the last twelve years. Congratulations, John, for being included! 

  
This is what being totally engrossed in a magazine story looks like.



John's story, "Mustang Sally" is a wild ride! 


I'm proud to follow in the footsteps of Valerie, Candace, and Randy Pierce, all of whom have spoken to our friends at the Bonfire Book Club in south Mississippi. I'm headed that way next Monday evening, January 23, to read from my novel Resting Place and answer their questions about the book. Thanks again for the invitation, y'all! I can't wait.

That's all the news that fits. I really appreciate your time. Know that signed copies of the entire Dogwood Press catalog can be ordered and shipped right to your door in a few short days, so visit dogwoodpress.com when you can. Also, while we can't sign a download for you, most Dogwood Press titles are available through Amazon Kindle, if that's your preferred way to enjoy a good book. Have a great day!

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

WELCOME TO THE TEAM!

Greetings! I'm delighted to announce that Stephen Beam of Sumrall, Mississippi, is joining the Dogwood Press family of authors. I can't wait for the release of his first novel, The Death Letter, a who-dunnit set in rural northeast Mississippi that will hook you on the first page with a brief but haunting prologue. Suspense builds as several of the characters, you'll come to realize, are not what they seem. It's a novel absolutely soaked in small town Mississippi life, warts and all. Be sure to tell your friends!

Watch for The Death Letter in August 2023!



Thanks again to our wonderful friends at the Bonfire Book Club in McComb, Mississippi! Candace Cox Wheeler spoke in October, and I look forward to visiting in January and discussing my Oakdale series prequel, Resting Place. As I've said in this space more than once, books clubs are absolutely crucial toward getting the word out about what we do and the Bonfire group, which only began in the last year-plus, has a large membership and really rolls out the red carpet for their authors. 

Speaking of book clubs, Candace was delighted to learn that her fine debut novel, Cradle in the Oak, was selected a few weeks ago by the South Baton Rouge Literary Guild in neighboring Louisiana. That book club has been around for 23 years, and we really appreciate your interest!

Thank y'all!!!


In addition to book clubs, many public libraries are re-opening their doors to in-person author talks. Several weeks ago I thoroughly enjoyed a multi-author presentation in Sumrall that was surprisingly well-attended given the monsoon-like conditions, and librarian Nel Ducomb and her devoted Friends of the Library team in Kiln (known to Coast locals as "The Kill") are putting on terrific luncheons once again. I had a wonderful time there earlier in November, and Candace visits on December 7 at noon. She'll share background about the critical scene in Squall in the Gulf that took place in The Kill! 


Speaking in Louisville, Mississippi. A wonderful experience.


Also, watch for Candace this Saturday, December 3, at the Biloxi Main Street Christmas in the City event from 10-4. You'll be able to purchase autographed copies of both of her terrific novels!
 

Santa Claus is coming to the Coast. You better not pout!


You've heard much about Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday in recent days, and here's a way you can still take part in both: visit the Dogwood Press website at dogwoodpress.com and tackle the rest of your shopping list! All titles you order will be signed, and you'll have them in just several business days, leaving you plenty of time to get them wrapped and under the tree! If you do your reading through a device, we've got you covered, as just about all Dogwood Press titles are available for download through Amazon Kindle.

That's all the news that fits. Thanks so much for your time. Happy reading!