Amazing weekend Feb. 7-9 at the Marriott in Oak Brook, Illinois, not too far distant from Chicago where I am now returned home. I was born extremely young...in Corinth (locals pronounce it KO-Rint, KO-rint!) Mississippi and pride myself on being able to spell Mississippi and not having to resort to MS...which I reserve for manuscript. My 9th book in the 11 book saga of Dr. Jessica Coran (M.E., FBI) won the coveted 5th Annual Love is Murder Conference Readers Choice Award and it is lovely, hefty, green (color of hope) marble and beautifully inscibed. I'll use sticky glue or label to "etch" my name on it.

The title that won, UNNATURAL Instinct won as best suspense thriller of 2002! This occurred as I waS SLEEPING at my dinner table and completely taken by surprise. But now the modesty has worn off and I am still taking bows. Thank you very much.

Going straight to Kansas City with my award which I am also putting up on my website here if I can figure out how to do it!

My future newsletters will give you some detail on each of the books beginning with the more recent and possibly never getting to the out of print titles. The YA history mysteries I write will be gone into. As will exciting projects in the works. I'll pass along what I know of book events and especially those I'm involved in and attempt to get you excited enough to attend if you can.

Since I am a teacher, I will likely be getting off on tangents of instruction on HOW TO...how to best do this, without ruining that, so to speak. I will draw on my best stories and lessons (not legends) for such topics.
More to come, more to come, more to come....many TRANSFUSIOMS ahead.

Once asked why don't I write a book that does as well as X's books, beat X out for the NY Times Bestseller list. All I can reply is that I can' write that badly no matter how hard I try. I have a natural abhorrence for stupidity but am continually surrounded by it, and I dearly hate injustice, but that has been my life's story, and I detest a grating voice but can forgive a too large nose on a woman for good reason.

My news letter may be irreverent at times, but never without laughs. I believe in the power of laughter and there's no greater laughter than that of God's at our expense.

Transfusions is coming your way. If you are a would be writer, you will enjoy the brief asides about how writing gets done and the nuts and bolts level -- literally. And how research gets done. ETC...

Watch for the first installments and know that they must get better. Meantime-- mean time -- I hope to see you at the "Show" of horror shows in the US, the World Horror-horror Conference of the Royal Academy of bird watchers in Maine.