Wow, it's July! Any remaining vestiges of spring are gone. Everything is green. The days are long and begin early. And it isn't just hot. The mornings are a veritable sauna as one walks the dog at daybreak or gets a bit of light exercise before the sun breaks out high in the pink sky. Thoughts on such days turn to something only Mississippi has, the state's one and only literary lawn party ...
We've had Saturday, August 17 marked on our calendars for an entire year as we've anticipated the fifth Mississippi Book Festival. It's safe to say that the big day will dawn a lot like every other summer day in this region of the country: hazy, humid, and full of promise. We can't wait, even though it means getting up well before dawn and having our Dogwood Press tent set up before the sun is good and warm in the sky.
Please save the date, and come say hello. Meet several Dogwood Press authors, including Janet Brown, whose wonderful suspense novel DEADLY VISITS is a perfect read for all the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer ahead--days you don't want to venture out into the heat if at all possible.
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| Makes a great gift! |
It remains an honor to have John Floyd on the team. I vividly remember the two of us carpooling to the inaugural Mississippi Book Festival and wondering many things: would it live up to the hype, would the weather hold up, would we find a parking place in Hinds County. John continues his great run of fantastic short stories in major publications, like "The A Team" in the July Saturday Evening Post. Grab on and enjoy!
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| A legendary publication, classed up even more with the presence of one John Floyd! |
John and Janet were included by publisher Johnny Lowe in a unique short story collection entitled
What Would Elvis Think? It features a cool book cover and is loaded with Mississippi stories from Mississippi writers, including several from former students of the aforementioned Mr. Floyd when he taught creative writing at the Millsaps College Enrichment Program. Below the cover is a picture from Lemuria at the grand opening--John is with old friends (and illustrators extraordinaire) Chuck Galey and Chuck McIntosh).
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| I think Elvis would approve!
Nobody is more creative than Valerie Winn when it comes to promoting books. To understand the idea behind this imposing little lady of the cloth, you need to read Forsaking Mimosa. Then, of course, grab a copy of Valerie's most-worthy sequel, The Dance Between.
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| Happy reading, kids! |
One more reason to attend the Mississippi Book Festival: While this is NOT a book Dogwood Press published, I had the privilege to serve as editor of Margerita's Gridiron Adventure and spent a lot of time with the author. Margerita is a Slovenian lawyer who came to Jackson for law school and studied under (among other law professors) my friend Mike Frascogna Jr. The Mississippi Sports Council is publishing this wonderful book, which is a fascinating account of Margerita's crash course in the sport of American football as well as her observations about all things Mississippi and living in the Magnolia State. She'll be on the sports book panel at the festival, and you'll be able to meet her and purchase her memoir!
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| Paced like a two-minute drill and packed with interesting insights! |
As I've said before in this space, we love autographing books, but I completely understand if you've shifted your reading preferences to a device in recent years. With that in mind, nearly all Dogwood Press titles are available for digital download through Amazon Kindle, including Deadly Visits. Get started clicking now, and be reading in a mere minute or two!
That's everything! Go put on the sunscreen, grab a quart of water or Gatorade, and go find a cozy spot to read, even if it's a foot from the air conditioner! We look forward to seeing you at the Mississippi Book Festival! Thanks for your time.
