SHOP (AND READ) LOCAL

You hear a lot about buying locally, and with good reason. It's great to be able to support your friends and neighbors by purchasing local made foods, beverages, and arts and crafts items. The same is true of reading material. I submit to you that your Mississippi bookstores have literary treasures on their shelves penned by authors who may not have a national contract and a huge advertising budget behind them -- but in many cases have written novels and memoirs and works of non-fiction that are every bit as good as what hits the national bestseller lists. Keep that in mind as you do your last-minute holiday shopping!

John Floyd and a new fan, young Brandon Bailey, at Bay Window Books of Brandon, MS

The Dreamland tour rolls into 2017 as our Derringer-award winning short story author visits the Starkville Public Library on January 12 and the Bryan Public Library in West Point on January 26. A whole lot of folks will unwrap signed copies of Dreamland on Christmas morning, and if you want even more Floyd, pick up a copy of The Strand Magazine at your local bookstore and enjoy John's great new short story, "Jackpot Mode." It is, dare I say, right on the money!

John and H.G. Wells in the same magazine? Wow!

In the same way that a good bookseller can get you excited about reading a book (as our Mississippi booksellers do so well), good dust jacket copy does the same thing -- how often have you read the flap cover and said, "Gosh, I've GOT to get this!" With that in mind, here's the dust jacket copy for Susan Cushman's debut novel, Cherry Bomb, which I can't wait for us to roll out next October:

            By the tender age of sixteen, Mary Catherine Henry has lived through enough horror to last a lifetime. Sexual abuse at the hands of her cult-leading father, abandonment by her drug-addicted mother (who nicknamed her Mare), and several spirit-crushing years with a dysfunctional foster family convince her that life on the streets will be easier, somehow, than what she’s always known.

What keeps Mare going is the budding artist inside her, and the sleepy Southern town of Macon, Georgia, doesn’t know what hit them when colorful graffiti “bombs” begin appearing on abandoned buildings—Mare even dares to decorate a Catholic church with a highly provocative message. The young runaway signs her work CHERRY BOMB, attracts the attention of the local media, and is soon caught—but not by police.

            A photographer for Rolling Stone learns of Mare while on assignment, finds her, and befriends her. So does a reporter for The Macon News and, eventually, the priest of the parish whose walls Mare defaced so angrily. Their efforts help earn her a scholarship at prestigious Savannah College of Art & Design, where she studies under legendary Abstract Expressionist painter Elaine de Kooning. It’s a wonderful mentoring relationship … until Mare and Elaine discover they have much more in common than a love of art. And that bond, which forces both women to deal with pain and anger from their repressed pasts, threatens to tear them apart.

With a mix of remarkably visual characters and an intricate, compelling plot rich with intriguing religious imagery, Mississippi author Susan Cushman has penned a powerful debut novel that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page. You’ll never forget Mare and Elaine … and you’ll never look at religious icons—and street graffiti—the same way.

Wow! Doesn't that make you want to read the book? And you can support Susan before then by picking up a copy of Tangles and Plaques (A Mother and Daughter Face Alzheimer's), which will be released in several weeks by eLectio Publishing.

Coming in January ... and Cherry Bomb is coming next October!

My friend Perry Dew and me. Enjoy your trip to Oakdale, Perry!

This is a lovely sight on bookstore shelves ...

...this, well, not so much. Buy a book instead!

We sincerely appreciate your support in 2016! It has been a good year for Dogwood Press, and I hope you've added lots of new titles to your bookshelves -- and maybe even had to add a new shelf or two for all your new reading material! If your material is stored on your Kindle these days, we have you covered there, too! Here's what's available from us, download-wise, through Amazon Kindle:

VALERIE WINN - Forsaking Mimosa

JOHN M. FLOYD - Dreamland (coming January 1, 2017)

JOHN M. FLOYD - Fifty Mysteries

JOHN M. FLOYD - Deception

JOHN M. FLOYD - Clockwork

JOE LEE - Director's Cut

JOE LEE - Last Chance Texaco

JOE LEE - The Long Road Home

JOE LEE - The Magnolia Triangle

JOHN LEE - The Legend of Roger (great for your middle-schooler!)

RANDY PIERCE - The Peter Bay

RANDY PIERCE - Pain Unforgiven

RANDY PIERCE - Magnolia Mud

Thanks for your time! Visit www.dogwoodpress.com for more information about what we do, and have a great day!

NEW AUTHOR

I'm very excited to announce that Memphis-based author Susan Cushman joins the Dogwood Press team with her forthcoming novel, Cherry Bomb. Watch for it in October 2017 and get ready for a highly-atmospheric Southern novel set in Georgia in the early 1980s that will remind you in some ways of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, with its religious imagery that plays a big part in the plot. You talk about characters that will get under your skin and stay there -- make a note of this one and be watching for it!

Welcome, Susan! Can't wait to launch your novel!

The John M. Floyd Dreamland tour is off to a great start after a fantastic launch at Lemuria Books in Jackson last month. This afternoon (November 4) John will be at The Bookshelf in Ridgeland, MS, from 3-5 p.m., at Books A Million of Meridian tomorrow (beginning at noon) and on hometown turf on Sunday afternoon in Kosciusko, MS at Amanda's for the annual Christmas Open House. You absolutely don't want to miss out on Dreamland.

Fran Gatewood with John at Lemuria ...

... and fellow author Jim Ritchie with John, also at Lemuria.

Great crowd for a Floyd event at Lemuria, as always!

John and I will be part of the Mystery Writers of America University workshop in Jackson on Friday, December 2, along with authors Carolyn Haines, Michael Kardos, Darden North, and more. Organized by John and fellow author Phil Hardwick, MWA University will be limited to 50 attendees and take place at River Hills Club of Jackson. Can't wait!

Valerie Winn at the Reading Between the Wines book club. It's five o'clock somewhere!

Come see us at book signings and talks, which you can find on the Dogwood Press web site (below). We're always happy to visit (and sign books, of course), and you already know this, but we can't sign a digital download. That said, we're delighted if you're preferred way of reading is on your Kindle -- here's what's available from our catalog:

VALERIE WINN - Forsaking Mimosa

JOHN M. FLOYD - Dreamland (COMING SOON)

JOHN M. FLOYD - Fifty Mysteries

JOHN M. FLOYD - Deception

JOHN M. FLOYD - Clockwork

JOE LEE - Director's Cut

JOE LEE - Last Chance Texaco

JOE LEE - The Long Road Home

JOE LEE - The Magnolia Triangle

JOHN LEE - The Legend of Roger (perfect for the middle-schooler in your life!)

RANDY PIERCE - The Peter Bay

RANDY PIERCE - Pain Unforgiven

RANDY PIERCE - Magnolia Mud

Thanks for your time! Visit www.dogwoodpress.com for more information about what we do, and have a great day!

AIR BRAKES

Yes, air brakes, as in the huge delivery truck announcing its presence yesterday, and with its arrival the shipment of Dreamland, the fantastic new short story collection from John Floyd. On a personal note, it's so stressful to watch a palette of books be removed from a truck. My nightmare, as I've said before, is that one of those shrink-wrapped groups of cartons -- which literally weigh almost a ton -- is going to tip over and crash. Then I would crash. But I digress ...

The good news is that Dreamland is here safe and sound, and I can promise you that it will be worth the wait, whether you join us at the official launch at Lemuria Books in Jackson, Mississippi, on Monday, October 10, or purchase your signed copy elsewhere. 

The opposite of all dressed up with no place to go. This man's signing calendar gets busier every day, seems like!

John just attended Bouchercon, the annual world mystery convention. It was held in New Orleans, so it wasn't a lengthy drive. But it was a memorable one, as he was presented with the pair of Derringer Awards he earned in 2015. Pictured here is John receiving the first of those awards (for Best Long Story, "Dentonville," from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine). The second was for Best Novelette ("Driver" from The Strand Magazine). Both stories are in ... wait for it ... Dreamland.

Congratulations, John! Photo taken by Hank Phillippi Ryan 

We had a really nice time at the second annual Mississippi Book Festival, which was held in Jackson on Saturday, August 20. John and Randy Pierce were both on author panels inside the state capitol building, which they thoroughly enjoyed, and we again met a whole lot of nice people and even braved a thunderstorm right after lunch before the weather cleared off again. Estimates by those in charge of the event put the attendance at over 6,000, which means the Mississippi Book Festival almost doubled in size based on the sheer numbers of folks who stopped by. There were many more authors and vendors this year, too! We already look forward to MBF 2017.

Putting the finishing touches on preparations just before the gates opened

Randy autographing a book right after his author panel

Author Michael Kardos and John

Let me brag on Valerie Winn. Forsaking Mimosa is five years old now, and Valerie talks up her book and is just as eager to visit book clubs and take part in events like the Mississippi Book Festival as she was in 2012 and Mimosa was brand new. If you're dreaming of the big time with your own book, pay special attention to what Valerie's doing -- she never stops trying to open new doors and reach new readers, and it's something that I, as her publisher, deeply appreciate. And with all of that said, her sequel to Mimosa is almost finished!

        Valerie and members of  the Trinity Bookworms book club on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

MANAGER'S SPECIAL (which sounds like we're at the grocery store and slashing prices on fresh produce): During the month of September, three of John Floyd's books (Fifty Mysteries, Deception, and Clockwork) are priced for download from Amazon Kindle for only $3.99! That's a very nice savings, if I say so myself! Here's the entire Dogwood Press catalog, as available through digital download:

VALERIE WINN - Forsaking Mimosa

JOHN M. FLOYD - Fifty Mysteries

JOHN M. FLOYD - Deception

JOHN M. FLOYD - Clockwork

JOE LEE - Director's Cut

JOE LEE - Last Chance Texaco

JOE LEE - The Long Road Home

JOE LEE - The Magnolia Triangle

JOHN LEE - The Legend of Roger (perfect for the middle-schooler in your life!)

RANDY PIERCE - The Peter Bay

RANDY PIERCE - Pain Unforgiven

RANDY PIERCE - Magnolia Mud

As always, thanks for your time! Visit www.dogwoodpress.com for more information about what we do, and come say hello soon at a book signing!

  

MISSISSIPPI BOOK FESTIVAL 2016

We're just days away from one of Mississippi's crowning achievements: the literary lawn party known as the Mississippi Book Festival. Last year's event drew well over 3,000 folks and was, by all accounts, a huge success; organizers are talking about the possibility of a whopping 5,000 visitors this weekend at the Mississippi State Capitol. I put together a story about the festival -- and the wide range of self-published authors who will be in Authors Alley -- for The Clarion Ledger that will run in print and online this week. Look it up and enjoy!

The Dogwood Press tent will be set up and open for business and conversation when you arrive. John Floyd, Randy Pierce, Valerie Winn and I will again be there to visit and send you with an autographed book or two. We're really excited that both John and Randy will be on MBF panels inside the Capitol this year: Randy is on the Mystery/Thriller panel at 10:00 a.m., and John is on the Mississippi Noir panel at 1:45 p.m. Both are in State Capitol room 201 A. 

Last year, when John and I were setting up for the MBF. Can't wait for this year!

John took part in a Mississippi Noir group signing at Square Books in Oxford last week and was one of 12-13 of the authors present. All signed over 400 copies of the collection published by Akashic Books and edited by Tom Franklin. John's story -- one of the best in the book, of course -- is called "Pit Stop." There are also very good stories from Ace Atkins, Michael Kardos, Michael Ferris Smith and many more. Get yours today -- it's well worth your time.

A cool black and white photo of the Noir authors!

The new John Floyd story collection, Dreamland, is just weeks away. John will launch at Lemuria in Jackson, Mississippi, on Monday, October 10 at 5 p.m. And if you're planning on traveling to New Orleans for this year's Bouchercon world mystery conference (September 15-18), you'll have a chance to meet John and visit with him. Also, he'll sign books this Thursday evening (5-9 p.m.) at Sulm's on the Historic Square in Canton.

A thing of beauty -- inside and out!

That's bestseller Jeffrey Deaver accepting an award with a large cover of The Strand Magazine on the easel.
John Floyd is one of the authors listed on the cover. Good company!

A literary selfie -- having fun at the public library in Harrisville, Mississippi!

I really enjoyed being part of Neil White's "How to Publish a Book" workshop in Oxford at the end of July. I was part of an editor panel that included Larry Wells, who has published several Willie Morris books, and was impressed with the depth of the questions and comments from the 50+ participants. Neil, the author of In the Sanctuary of Outcasts and the creative director and publisher of Nautilus Publishing in Oxford, provides a true service to prospective authors through those workshops, which he hosts several times a year around the state -- it's truly an education you can't get in a textbook.

Learning made fun!

Valerie Winn and I are both working hard on our next novels and look forward to visiting with you about them at the Mississippi Book Festival. Valerie will speak and sign books when she visits the Trinity Bookworms Book Club in Gulfport on September 12, and John will sign, among many other places this fall, at Lorelei Books of Vicksburg on November 11.

MANAGER'S SPECIAL (which sounds like we're at the grocery store and slashing prices on fresh produce): During the month of August, as we get ready for Randy Pierce being on the mystery/suspense panel at the Mississippi Book Festival, all three of his books, The Peter Bay, Pain Unforgiven, and Magnolia Mud, are priced for download from Amazon Kindle for only $3.99! That's a very nice savings, if I say so myself! Here's the entire Dogwood Press catalog, as available through digital download:

VALERIE WINN - Forsaking Mimosa

JOHN M. FLOYD - Fifty Mysteries

JOHN M. FLOYD - Deception

JOHN M. FLOYD - Clockwork

JOE LEE - Director's Cut

JOE LEE - Last Chance Texaco

JOE LEE - The Long Road Home

JOE LEE - The Magnolia Triangle

JOHN LEE - The Legend of Roger (perfect for the middle-schooler in your life!)

RANDY PIERCE - The Peter Bay

RANDY PIERCE - Pain Unforgiven

RANDY PIERCE - Magnolia Mud

As always, thanks for your time! Visit www.dogwoodpress.com for more information about what we do, and come say hello soon at a book signing!

SWEET DREAMS

John M. Floyd has won three Derringer Awards for short mystery fiction, he was nominated for an Edgar Award in 2015, and James Patterson (yes, THAT James Patterson) bragged on his story "Molly's Plan" in the introduction to The Best American Mystery Stories 2015. 

So it's no surprise that there's a lot of anticipation for his forthcoming book of short stories, Dreamland, which will be released in October. And here, for the very first time, is a look at the cover:

Arguably the best Floyd collection yet ... and all are terrific!

Dreamland is packed with great stories ... a mix of humor, crime, fantasy, and more ... all with those great Hitchcockian twists and surprise endings that John is known for. The date to put on your calendar is Wednesday, October 12, when he'll officially launch at Lemuria Books of Jackson, Mississippi, at 5 p.m. Can't wait!

Before then, on August 4, John will take part at a multi-author book signing at Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi, for the Tom Franklin-edited Mississippi Noir, the compilation of short fiction written by a whole bunch of great Mississippi authors -- Ace Atkins, Michael Kardos, Michael Ferris Smith, John Floyd, and many others will grace the pages.

John's contribution is "Pit Stop." I've read it -- great stuff!

There's a new Floyd story in the new edition of Strand Magazine!

We're all excited about this year's Mississippi Book Festival. You know how successful last year's event was -- a smashing success for a first-time event. John will be on the Mississippi Noir author panel, and Randy Pierce will be on the mystery/suspense author panel. Both of them will join Valerie Winn and me in the Dogwood Press tent. Plan on attending and bringing your friends ... and arrive early to see the author panels and talks inside the Capitol. It was standing room only last year, and you don't want to be left out.

Come by and say hello!

Valerie Winn's next novel is in there.

Valerie's sequel to Forsaking Mimosa, isn't far away, either. Can't wait for that one, either -- you'll thoroughly seeing what she's done with Max and Adele and the rest of the Mimosa cast. 

I'll speak to the Mid Mississippi chapter of the Mississippi Writers Guild this Saturday, July 9. They meet at M7 Coffee House in Ridgeland, and we'll get things started at 2 p.m. -- next month the chapter honors Greg Iles with a Lifetime Achievement Award at their annual conference to be held in Natchez. I'm looking forward to being a panelist at Neil White's "Write and Publish Your Book" seminar in Oxford on August 30.

Visit www.dogwoodpress.com to order a signed book, confirm a book signing date, or with general questions. We're asked a lot about downloads -- here's what's available via Amazon Kindle:

RANDY PIERCE -- The Peter Bay

RANDY PIERCE -- Pain Unforgiven

RANDY PIERCE -- Magnolia Mud

VALERIE WINN -- Forsaking Mimosa

JOE LEE -- Director's Cut

JOE LEE -- Last Chance Texaco

JOE LEE -- The Long Road Home

JOE LEE -- The Magnolia Triangle

JOHN LEE -- The Legend of Roger (perfect for the middle schooler in your life)

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Fifty Mysteries

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Deception

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Clockwork

***JOHN M. FLOYD -- Dreamland (coming in OCTOBER)***

Thanks, sincerely, for your time. I really appreciate it, and we are honored when you buy one of our books. Come say hello soon at a book talk or signing, and have a great day!

JOB INTERVIEW

As Editor-in-Chief of a small publishing house, I receive queries each week from aspiring authors. That initial contact is the first impression the writer makes on me or any editor, small publisher, or literary agent, and it's absolutely crucial. Look at it this way: it's a job interview of sorts, with the goal being to get in front of that publisher or acquisitions editor with a fighting chance at being offered a publishing contract.

With that in mind, I tell folks at book talks and panels I'm on at conferences the obvious: words count (a lot), and to write that initial query and proposal the way you'd handle a job interview -- be totally prepared, totally professional, and proofread your query not just for typos, but read it aloud to make sure it sounds like something you'd want to say in person to a prospective boss. Lastly, follow directions. Yes, you know that already, but it's remarkable how few people actually do.

Here are a few things I've heard over the years that I recommend staying away from:

"I've written a manuscript that's gonna make you and me a ton of money." (Word for word.)

"I hate email. Why can't we talk about my manuscript face to face?" (From an unsolicited call.)

"No need to edit my manuscript. It's done. Just need you to publish it." (More than once.)

"For a back cover blurb, we'll use John Grisham. My wife's Sunday School teacher knows a man that used to live near someone whose cousin knows a friend of his." (I'm not exaggerating very much.)

I could tell you stories about some of the hideous mistakes I made as a teenager (approximately a hundred years ago) when I was trying to get hired in radio, which I did professionally for over a decade. My heart was in the right place, and nobody ever accused me of not being enthusiastic. But I wasn't always prepared, so my first impressions weren't always what they should have been. As the dandruff shampoo commercial said, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. So make sure your queries are Head and Shoulders above the rest!

I've been talking about the new John M. Floyd short story collection, Dreamland, for months, and we're only four months, give or take, from release! Okay, I'm a little biased, but it's a truly outstanding batch of what John does so well -- a mix of suspense, nostalgia, humor, romance, fantasy and more, all with those great Hitchcock-type reversals and surprise endings! Can't wait!

John selling copies of Fifty Mysteries in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, at Books A Million

Randy at the same Books A Million selling The Peter Bay

Randy Pierce continues to make tracks all over Mississippi to promote The Peter Bay and the re-released Pain Unforgiven and is getting very good response to the books. He sold several dozen copies at a benefit in late May for the George County Sheriff's Department in Lucedale, Mississippi, and he looks forward to visiting Evans Memorial Library in Aberdeen on June 15 at noon, where he'll speak to the Aberdeen Friends of the Library. That weekend, on Saturday, July 18, Randy will stop in at Books A Million in Biloxi. That's also a noon start.

Book clubs, Friends groups, and writing groups are absolutely essential to the success or failure of a book. Find me an author who packs ballrooms for every speaking engagement and I'll find you hundreds -- if not thousands -- of published authors who routinely speak to groups of anywhere from 10-20 people, and sometimes as few as half a dozen. I've said this many times, and it's something I stress to anyone I'm considering for publication: if you aren't happy to make a 300-mile round trip now and then to speak to a group of ten people and sell 3-4 books, you're putting yourself at a real disadvantage.

Valerie Winn spoke recently to a book club in Ocean Springs, Mississippi

I had a really nice time speaking to the Romance Writers in Flowood, Mississippi

Cajun Fest 2016, at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Madison, Mississippi

That's my friend Jacinda Roach and me, and she has been kind enough to buy all seven of my suspense novels for her mother, who lives in southeast Louisiana, and said that her mom has loaned them to several friends and that there's a little group of ladies in that area who look forward to my next novel. Music to my years -- any author's ears -- as was her telling me exactly where she was in my novel The Long Road Home and the different things she liked about the characters and the series. Comments like that are tremendously flattering and absolutely made my day. I truly love what I do.

I'll speak to the Rankin County Kiwanians in Brandon, Mississippi, next Wednesday, June 8, and John will visit the same group on June 15. John, Randy, Valerie, and I can't wait for the Mississippi Book Festival, which takes place at the Mississippi State Capitol on August 20. If you didn't get out there last year, bring the family, or a couple of friends. It was truly a historic occasion -- one of the best things about Mississippi is all the great writing talent we have -- and this year, I'm sure, will be even bigger and better (we're very excited about Randy Pierce being on the mystery author panel). 

If downloads are your thing these days, most of the Dogwood Press catalog is available for purchase through Amazon Kindle. For more information about book signings, how to submit a manuscript for consideration, or to order a signed book or two from one of our authors, please visit www.dogwoodpress.com. Thanks for your time, and have a wonderful day!

GO TELL IT ON THE (THACKER) MOUNTAIN

One of the highlights of Randy Pierce's tour to promote The Peter Bay was taking the stage at The Lyric Theatre in Oxford, Mississippi, to read from his new novel during a live performance of Thacker Mountain Radio on March 31. The show was broadcast locally on the public radio station serving the Oxford area that night, and re-broadcast statewide on Mississippi Public Radio on April 9. In case you missed it, find it online by visiting www.thackermountain.com and looking up the March 31 program in the archived shows.

Randy reads from his new novel just before performing "Stairway to Heaven."

Randy was also featured on The Clarion Ledger's book page on Sunday, April 17. Jana Hoops put together a wonderful Q&A that touched on a variety of topics, including the real place from Randy's childhood that inspired the title of his new book! Great stuff ... and in case you missed the Q&A, it can be found online at www.clarionledger.com. And we thank book buyers all over the Magnolia state who kept The Peter Bay in The Clarion Ledger's Mississippi Reads Top 10 for several weeks!

Just before showtime at the Bryan Public Library in West Point, Mississippi

Randy will be on the Mystery Writers panel at the 2016 Mississippi Book Festival!

Meanwhile, the clock is ticking toward our fall 2016 release of John Floyd's fantastic new collection of mystery/suspense short stories, Dreamland. Included are John's Edgar-nominated mystery “200 Feet”; two Derringer Award winners, “Dentonville” and “Driver”; “High Places” from the Bram Stoker Award-winning anthology After Death; and “Molly’s Plan,” which was selected by Otto Penzler and guest editor James Patterson for inclusion in The Best American Mystery Stories 2015.

In addition, John's "Pit Stop" is included in Mississippi Noir, the forthcoming collection of short stories edited by New York Times bestseller Tom Franklin. Expected in August, this book features original stories by Franklin, Ace Atkins, Michael Kardos, Chris Offutt, Michael Farris Smith, and more. What a great way to showcase a whole slew of talented Mississippi writers, and the stories all take place in Mississippi!

Can't wait for this one to come out!

John and I had great fun at An Afternoon with Mississippi Authors at the public library in Mendenhall on April 13. Sixteen authors answered questions from attendees and signed books, and as several of us pointed out, while media coverage is essential to the successful launch (and long shelf-life) of any book, it's crucial that librarians and patrons talk that book up, too. Whether it's The Peter Bay, my novel Director's Cut, or John's recent collection, Fifty Mysteries, a book being on the shelves of lots of public libraries means that over time, many readers will discover it long after all the interviews have been completed and feature stories have been printed.

Look for our books at your local public library, and ask your librarian to order them if you don't see them.

Joe speaking to the ladies of Delta Kappa Gamma at Madison Central High School

                                             

Valerie Winn is making good progress on her next novel, which is a sequel to Forsaking Mimosa. She'll join Randy, John, and me at this year's Mississippi Book Festival, which is set for Saturday, August 20 at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson. We have book signings at a number of places before then: John visits Books A Million of Meridian on April 23. Randy will be there the following Saturday (April 30), and he speaks at the public library in Bay St. Louis on May 3 and returns to be part of Second Saturday at Bay Books on May 14. I'll sign books once again at Cajun Fest, the annual festival at St. Francis of Assisi Church, on Sunday, May 15.

If you read from your Kindle these days, well, you're not alone ... I'm asked about e-books at just about every book talk I give. Here's what's available from the Dogwood Press catalog. All titles can be downloaded through Amazon to your Kindle almost instantly:

VALERIE WINN -- Forsaking Mimosa

RANDY PIERCE -- The Peter Bay

RANDY PIERCE -- Pain Unforgiven

JOE LEE -- Director's Cut

JOE LEE -- Last Chance Texaco

JOE LEE -- The Long Road Home

JOE LEE -- The Magnolia Triangle

JOHN LEE -- The Legend of Roger (perfect for the middle-schooler in your life!)

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Fifty Mysteries

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Deception

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Clockwork

As always, thanks for the visit, and come say hello at a book signing. All of our author signings, as well as neat photos and information, are online at www.dogwoodpress.com. Have a great day!

BACK THE TRUCK UP TO THE DOOR

I've been asked before if I get nervous when popping open the first carton of books when the eighteen-wheeler rolls up and a new Dogwood Press title arrives, hot off the presses. Absolutely I do. The excitement never goes away, but I assure you it's a good kind of anxiety. By the way, know what ISN'T a good kind of anxiety? Watching a palette of shrink-wrapped carton of books that weighs over 1,300 pounds teeter on the edge of the lift gate as it's being lowered to the ground by the truck driver. Where's the Maalox when you need it?

But the good news is that the first printing of Randy Pierce's great new novel, The Peter Bay, is here (completely safe and sound), along with a revised and re-released edition of his out-of-print first novel, Pain Unforgiven. 

A classic Southern thriller!

This novel introduces protagonist Grant Hicks, who returns in The Peter Bay!

Sign right there, and make it snappy! Lots of pre-orders to fill!

Randy launches at Lemuria in Jackson, Mississippi, on Tuesday, March 8 at 5 p.m. That begins a tour that will take him all over the Magnolia State and into neighboring states, too. He's feeling the usual butterflies all of us writers with a pulse go through at the onset of a launch: Will readers like my new book? (Yes! I can personally attest to the fact that it is a very good read.) And he's also honored and flattered that so many folks are telling him how much they've been looking forward to The Peter Bay. That's one of the most rewarding aspects of being an author: hitting the road and getting to visit with folks who've read your work and make it a point to come get your new book when you stop in their town.

John Floyd was recently invited by the Yarn Spinners Book Club to take questions about his 2013 collection of short fiction, Deception, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Led by Jan Ballard and headquartered in Ackerman, Mississippi, it's a terrific group; John, Randy, and I have all had the privilege of a book of ours featured; we were invited to answer a whole slew of prepared questions by audience members and sign copies. Take a look at the poster hanging above Jan and John -- all three of us have been presented with posters like that. It's a very thoughtful and creative thing to offer an author.

                                                                     Mr. Floyd, did you really write that book?

I spoke to a big group of Lions this week. No, not the Detroit Lions, and not a group of wild animals at the local zoo. This was the Lions Club of Central Mississippi, and it was a delight to meet them and sign copies of Director's Cut and take them through the publication process of a book -- I told them to imagine all club members writing short essays about their most meaningful experiences doing community service, pooling those essays into one manuscript, and how the project would come together and eventually result in a delivery truck showing up with a shipment of books for them to sell. (I didn't mention anything about the palette of cartons teetering on the edge of the lift gate.)

        Michael Phillips invited me and convinced the membership not to throw food!

Valerie Winn is still working hard on her next novel (the sequel to Forsaking Mimosa), and she and Randy and John and I can't wait for this year's Mississippi Books Festival, which will held again in downtown Jackson (on Saturday, August 20). By then we'll be just weeks from debuting the great new John M. Floyd collection, Dreamland. Oh, man, is that book LOADED with fantastic short fiction!    

In the meantime, we'll all be making stops at libraries, independent bookstores, and chain stores here and there. See www.dogwoodpress.com for an updated listing of author appearances. And if you prefer an e-read these days, we have you covered there, too -- here's the list of available downloads through Amazon Kindle:

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Fifty Mysteries

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Deception

JOHN M. FLOYD -- Clockwork

VALERIE WINN -- Forsaking Mimosa

RANDY PIERCE -- Magnolia Mud

RANDY PIERCE -- The Peter Bay (COMING IN LATE MARCH)

RANDY PIERCE -- Pain Unforgiven (COMING IN LATE MARCH)

JOE LEE -- Director's Cut

JOE LEE -- Last Chance Texaco

JOE LEE -- The Long Road Home

JOE LEE -- The Magnolia Triangle

JOHN LEE -- The Legend of Roger (GREAT for the middle school kid in your life!)

You can download any (or ALL) of these titles right now and start reading, as they say, in sixty seconds or less! Thanks so much for your time, and come say hello at a book talk or signing!