I'm going to be using this BLOG to do something different. I'm going to answer questions people have sent me and give household handy hints on things from cleaning, to the yard to health issues like I did in the newspaper. This should be fun. Each week, starting the week of November 2nd, I'll be adding some new handy hint--for example, you can use canned shaving cream to spot clean a carpet. It works wonders.

I may also have some cooking suggestions. One for example that was asked "Is Propane actually hotter than natural gas? The answer is yes and gas is easier to cook with than electric ranges.

More to follow.

Oaky, it's been a long time since I added anything. What's new you ask?

Well, we started the 2009 - 2010 Georgetown Library Writer's College and it looks like it is going to go well.

We may take our writing classes "on the road" to other libraries around central Texas.

I finished my latest Virginia Davies mystery but need the synopsis or "book back material". Hopefully I'll have this done soon.

Started a new Adam Thomas Mystery. More on this later.

Setting up a consulting business with another firm and now have a blog for it http//Ciambroneandassociates.blogspot.com. I'll be setting up a website as well soon.

Got the Texas Mystery Book of the summer 2009 from the Dallas Book Guild.

Also joined a gym. For a change-- I like it!

I'll be teaching mystery writing for the writer's college soon and will be giving a talk in Feb. 2010 for the Austin, TX section of ASQC.

Will be on a panel in Feb for Sisters in Crime and later give a talk on Sherlock Holmes.

I promise to add more to this and the new business blog shortly.

It is now mid June. I have just finished teaching a class in Poisons at Southwestern University for Sr. University. We are doing the initial planning for a second writer's college at the Georgetown Library starting in September. Also this September I have started with the Library Foundation to institute adult education classes. This should be fun and something the community needs and inexpensive but also help the library. Both these functions take effort and we have a good team set to do them.

San Gabriel Secret got the Dallas Writer's Guild Summer 2009 Mystery Book of the summer award. (Publisher please take note). 

Going to Montana shortly to visit friends and sight see. Driving so the trip will be interesting as well. 

Just finished another Virginia Davies novel but it needs a title and I haven't got one yet. Working on it. 

Update from Dr. Poison

It has been a while. I have three new books out:

Effective Transition from Design to Production  (management book)

Poison Handbook for Writers

San Gabriel's Secret -- start of a new mystery series with a Sr. Citizen for a hero! 

I also taught a class at the Sr. University here in Georgetown, TX and will be teaching another on in June on poisons.

Will be an instructor at the University of Texas this fall on writing.

I have a couple of interesting lectures I give one is called Vintage Aprons and I have some real examples and my own portable clothesline! The second is The History of Mysteries.  also do a talk on Sherlock Holmes -the man and one on forensics for writers and one called Murder 101-what really happens when you kill someone. 

I am now a member of the Georgetown Library Advisory Board, on the Board of Directors of the Writer's League of Texas, VP of Sisters in Crime (Austin, TX) and President of the San Gabriel Writer's League.

My newspaper column called Ask Uncle Dave is still running and a lot of fun to do. 

 A number of us authors put on workshops on writing in conjunction with the Georgetown Library called the Library Writer's College. It was a gig success!!!  We are now starting the planning for another college this fall. To go along with it-we are planning an adult education series called Georgetown Learns. This will be a lot of work but it should do well. 

I have also started anew mystery with Virginia Davies again. It is in work as we speak (or write). 

More pots soon-I promise

August update

Boy have we been busy! I have been to California twice for talks on poisons and selling books. The first trip was to LA and the Mystery Writer's of America chapter. Got to see some old friends as well. The second trip was to Orange County to Sisters in Crime (my old chapter). It was great and again go to see some old friends and made some new ones. I'll be teaching some classes for the Georgetown, TX public library Writer's College this fall and winter and doing some speaking around the area including at the University of Texas. Going to Port Aransis this October for some R&R (needed) and to Virginia to see my folks. I have also been in Fort Worth at the Sisters in Crime and at Frisco, Texas at a very successful book signing. The new book in a new series San Gabriel Secret will be hopefully out December 2008. I have a new Virginia Davies mystery adventure in work. The newspaper column, Uncle Dave, is going strong. So we have been busy but having fun!

Award-new book to publisher and new book in work

The job of a writer never stops. When you are not writting, you're selling or talking or ??? This is crazy but we keep doing it. This is because we love to write and when you have a great editor and publisher, you are really motivated. Well, so much for the intro. It's been that kind of week -this past week I mean. I did a class in writing a mystery over three evenings at Barnes and Noble. It was a success but I was glad it was done. Sunday I got the Barbara Burnett Smith Mentoring Author"s SAGE Award. It is beautiful and the event last Sunday was fun and boy did I get roasted. The President of our chapter of Sisters in Crime works at a bakery and had sugar cookies made that had the picture of my latest book on them. That was really nice and she's a great lady. It was a fun event. My book with Adam Thomas as the new lead character is at the publisher and I've started a new book with Virginia davies as the lead again. Have some talks coming up ranging from Poisons to forensics to Aprons. Don't ask. I'm setting up more signings and talks this summer.

Mystery in Three Parts

I am going to be teaching mystery writing the end of September on the writing cruise (see earlier blog) but now, as part of winning the Sage award, I will be teaching mystery writing at the WastLake Barnes and Noble bookstore in Austin, TX the 14th thru the 16th of May. This should be fun and a dry run for the cruise course. This is fortunate but now I have to get ready on top of a number of speaking engagements the Library Board, fixing a broken pipe and taling care of some grandkids while their parents are away for a while on top of normal tasks like cutting over an acre of grass and yard work. For this I retired??? I'm busier now than when I worked in California but without the murderous commute.
So, if anyone is interested in free class, come to the Westlake Barnes and Noble and take the course. If nothing else, we can have fun and the Customer Relations Manager is wonderful!

I'll be in Houston, TX at the Sisters-in Crime chapter this Saturday and at the Sisters-in Crime chapter in Austin, TX on Sunday. On the 19th of April I'll be at Hill Country Books in Georgetown, TX (north of Austin at 3pm to speak to a mystery readers group and in Ft. Worth on the 27th. So much for April. May looks worse but who's complaining? The people I get to meet are really nice and they usually purchase books and the travel is fun.