'm going to be at Gourmage in New Braunfels, TX on Nov. 30th 4 to 6 PM to do a book signing for the Trashy Gourmet. There will be things to do and Trashy Gourmet recipes given out free. If you are in central Texas then stop by and say Howdy.

New newspaper column and other stuff.

Okay, it's been too long between posts. I have some news:

1. I'm now a columnist for the Georgetown Advocate and my column is called Professor Dave. First column appears in the first november issue. This will be fun.

2. I'm giving two training sessions at Love is Murder mystery conference in Chicago next February1,2&3. This will be fun. The conference was a blast last year and was just the right size to have good speakers etc and small enough to meet new friends. Sold a lot of books too. (Also deductible).

3. Got a publicist to help market The Trashy Gourmet. I'm hoping for lots of good things to happen.

4. Quilters are asking about my next book that is due out soon titled Dangerous Threads. Marketing to the quilters and others will be a lot of fun.

5. Going to Killer Nashville next year and to Bouchercon. Both mystery writing conferences. (Also deductible).

6. Finished the Coroner mystery and now working on another Virginia Davies novel.

         Here is a teaser about the coroner book:

                                                               Chimera

                                                                     By

                                                           David Ciambrone

            Eleven thirty in the overcast evening, a man of medium build, with thinning brown hair and wearing wire rimmed glasses, dressed in U.S. Army work camo uniform, with a major’s rank insignia Velcroed to the front, entered the outer section of the Biosafety Level-4 (BSL-4) suites within USAMRIID. Following a carefully laid out plan, he stole the stainless steel thermoses of the particular samples he was after.

            Dr. Jack Turner, a Ph.D. chemist is the Coroner of San Sebastian County, California and a reserve Lt. Colonel in the army attached to USAMRIID. He watches his life change forever when an alarm goes off and emergency protocols lock down one of his autopsy suites. The “customer” in the lab had smallpox. Not just any smallpox, but weaponized smallpox from a chimera. It’s supposed to be extinct, but there are samples still around, at the CDC and the army. But, some of the Army’s is missing from Ft. Detrick, the home of USAMRIID. To add to Dr. Parker’s problems The army presents Dr. Turner with orders from the U.S. Army Adjutant General activating his reserve commission to active duty and authorizes him to act as a law enforcement special agent of the army, to the displeasure of the FBI and local Sheriff, who he must work with. Adding further complications, he has to work with Nancy Cartwright of the Department of Public Heath. Their objective-find the source of the Chimeras and smallpox, find the perpetrators and stop anyone from using it as a terrorist weapon and causing a pandemic, especially with all the military bases, defense contractors and tourist destinations in Southern California.  He has to stop an attack worse than an atom bomb.

            With the clock running down, Jack and Nancy, using their wits, cunning and, slightly bending the rules and the law, entangle the reader in a rapid-fire adventure racing headlong into a series of macabre organizations and locate the smallpox and stop the continuous murders by a group of terrorists. 

Now it's back to work on my new column. Have a safe and fun Halloween!

My new book, The Trashy Gourmet- cover

The new cover for my next book THE TRASHY GOURMET is above. The book should be out in a couple weeks. 

Note the comment about it from an advanced edition:

The Trashy Gourmet

An Adam Thomas Mystery

The story pacing here is superb; just fast enough to make the reader want to keep reading and turning pages to see what happens next without totally overwhelming the reader. Character involvement and plot layering techniques are good, with sharp dialogue and interesting subplots. It reminds me of Jack du Brul and early Clive Cussler.

--Barb Wilson--
Freelance Editor

LeciCon 2012 in Denton, TX

Went to LexiCon in Denton, Texas last weekend. Was a great conference, good speakers and panels and very friendly people and great mixing and networking. I highly recommend going next year.

Just got done with my first year with the Williamson County Appraiser's Review Board. It is a Legal appeals board. I am a hearing officer. We get trained by the State of Texas and act as hearing officers (judges) on tax appraises. It was fascinating, educational and we did a lot of work. Will have a few scattered hearings later in the year and will hit the deck running next May, June and July.

I'm also on the Chisholm Trail Special Utility District (water district) Board of Directors. It  covers parts of three counties. Things with this district are heating up as well. Interesting job.

Had a thought about writing to share. This is about ideas for a book discussion group:

                                       

                                                   Items for a Book Discussion Group

The following is a set of guidelines for use during book discussions at a book club. It is a start for the users to build upon. Feel free to add or subtract as you feel the need. The following is based on a discussion by a number of writers and readers and parts of various articles. I wish I could credit all the participants but I don’t have names. But whoever you are, thanks for the contribution.

Discussion topics:

After you read the book, how did you feel?

Did you enjoy the book? Why or why not?

If you picked up one idea that is central to the book, what would you say it is?

What problems or issues are raised?

How realistic were the main characters?

Would you have made the same or similar decisions in their place?

Were there characters you identified with? If so, how?

Did you feel you were experiencing the time and place which the book was set?

Is the story’s time period critical to the story and why?

How would it have been different if placed in a different time and location?

Did the plot pull you in?

How did the story make you feel?

What emotions did the story evoke?

Did you learn anything from the story?

Did the book end the way you expected?

If you could change anything about the book, what would it be?

Describe what you liked and disliked about the author’s style.

Would you read another book by this author?

Just wanted to update this blog with some good news.

1. Still keeping the weight I lost last year off. Learned that walking 4 to 5 miles a day can be not just good exercise but a lot of fun and clears the mind.

2. Just got back from Lexicon in Denton, Texas. Nice book conference. Lots of fun, good sessions, great people and great interactions and networking. Recommend it for next year.

3. The Trashy Gourmet will be coming out soon.. Good news.

4. Dangerous Threads (a Virginia davies Book) is being edited at the publisher. Good news here too.

5. Met the publisher from Whitebird Publications. She is really nice and has some great ideas and seems easy to work with. I recommend anyone looking for a publisher to contact her. (Evelyn Byrne).

6. Met a literary agent who does more than just represent. She also edits and helps her authors. The company is Writer's Ink / Media and her name is Pat Haarhaus.