STUCK WITH A RESOLUTION

I promised you and myself I would not be late with this letter in 2004. I believe you are reading this in January. Right?

I still haven't lost weight, but that wasn't one of my resolutions of course.

PROFESSIONAL BEGINNINGS

Oklahoma Mystery Writers recently hosted Phil Truman, author of WRITING HUMOR FOR MORE THAN LAUGHS, who compared two comic mystery novels for our group. A few days later he came to my house with our editor Dan Case, I told Phil he had done a creditable job.

He looked at me quizzically. "Was that my try-out, Peggy?"

I nodded. "Your audition went very well, Phil."

He understood that his persona and his voice had to please several listeners before he could ever hope for invitations to speak and sign for other venues. He passed because he came prepared, he could be heard, and he wasn't thrown off stride by a gaggle of little old women who kept trying to kick us out of the space so they could set up bridge tables. The card-carrying females unceasingly nattered sotto voce just behind the curtain where Phil stood. Several times one or the other of the "bridge players" would stick their heads through the curtain to threaten Phil or Jackie King (who was the closest audience member to the curtain other than Phil) or our whole group of twenty Mystery Writers. Phil never missed a beat. I'd say he appears to be ready for anything...and anything is what he'll get at the places where he will be signing.

ON TO TULSA NIGHTWRITERS

Editor Dan Case of AWOC Publishing, drove up from Denton, Texas, editor@awoc.com to hear Dusty Richards speak at TNW's first meeting with our new officers; Chuck Sasser, our new president; and Jackie King, our new Vice President. Jackie has already booked an entire year of GREAT speakers and Brad Smith who continues as our newsletter editor was at the meeting, Linda Harkey who has all our money looked prosperous. Donna Le, who makes jobs for herself, is our indispensable Greeter/ money maker who raffles our books. Their first meeting together went as smooth as silk.

Dusty was MAR-R-R-VELOUS as usual. We Tulsans love him except when he and his Arkansas writers steal OWFI prizes away from us.

Oh, yes, we were lucky in another way, since no bridge players intruded upon Dusty's inspirational presentation. You can come and visit us on the third Tuesday of every month at the Allee Beth Martin East Regional Library at 26th St., and Garnett Road in Tulsa. 7:00 p.m.

OTHERS AT TNW

John Davis, from Skiatook, Oklahoma has joined TNW. He was the person who was instrumental in putting me together with Barbara Bartholic years ago.

More recently Barbara has been paralyzed with fear since Dan bought and published my book about her. She hasn't talked to me since I told her AWOC was buying the book... because of her panic about what the UFO folks might do to her or her family. Well, now, all is well. John Davis once more brought us together. He had us to dinner and Barbara spoke to me quite lovingly. She appears to have overcome her fright. I'm so glad.

MISSING PERSONS WHO HAVE NOT TAKEN UP BY UFOs ONE HOPES

Barbara Rogers didn't have to prove that her name was Barbara. I know her as a fellow writer, the one who ram-rodded the great writers conference held at the monastery in Ft Smith, Arkansas a few months ago.

I sent Rogers a review copy of BARBARA but the post office returned it to me. The address I have for her must be wrong. Come on Barbara Rogers, if you want the book, BARBARA, you'd better send me your correct U.S. Postal address.

Oh, and I need to speak to Carol MacLoud of Oklahoma City. Please call, write or email me, Carol. We have a bit of rose business to discuss.

READING FOR LOVE

I have had a little (mental) sex this month. Dusty sent me his latest Jake Logan book, SLOCUM AND THE TEQUILA ROSE (#298). Wow! That old Arkansas boy sure knows how to put his hero Slocum on the trail toward the nearest woman. Even in the desert, miles from anything, Slocum can ride a few minutes and find a sexy female who welcomes him into her bed. Such a guy! as they say in New York City.

By the way, Dusty has a surprising new book coming out. It's a collection of beautiful short stories. He displays an almost feminine sensitivity in several of the pieces.

I've already put my bid in for the first copy of Dusty's anthology which comes off the press.

TOTTERING

I'm a bit better, I believe. A writer friend, Steve Scott, loaned me his Father's cane. I keep the cane in my house because I wouldn't want to misplace the little beauty. The handle is an ivory ram's head. Too bad I'm not an Aries. The ram is, of course, the symbol for the first sign of the zodiac and Mr. Scott's cane must be telling me his astrological sign. I can't really picture an ivory scorpion as a head on a cane and in fact would not really care to see such a thing... probably.

Steve says he is looking for a new job. He wants to work with animals somehow rather than eviscerate dead people as he has been doing in the pathology lab. I'm of two minds about this. I would not want to cut up bodies for a living. Too scary. But think what great stuff that sort of work would offer you for mystery writing, horror stories, psychological suspense, or perhaps even science fiction or fantasy.

Steve brought his dog to visit when we were talking about his job future and she explored the place. Suddenly she was backing toward us while barking furiously at the big green recliner in the corner of my living room. I felt like falling to all fours and joining her in her chorus. I have hated that monstrosity crouched in the corner of my parlor like a large, angry, green bull elephant. Hated it. But it is gone now so both Steve's dog Poopoo and I can relax and quit our yelps and whines. I've reclaimed the space with a nice little old wooden rocker. Hallelujah!

The horror has now taken over Susan Case's private bedchamber down in Denton, Texas. She says she loves it. Bless her heart. It appeared to be much too threatening to me. I never sat in the huge, ghastly, frowning thing.

AND SO GOODBYE

I'm writing a western and getting stuff ready for the OWFI (Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.) contest right now but will see you with good news in February, I hope.

I appreciate the great fan mail, especially a recent letter from Micheal Teal, "The Ancient One." He said he (or maybe she?) was a psychic. That rang a bell with me. Barbara Bartholic consulted a psychic and the woman foretold a huge cult following for my biography of Barbara.

Let it be so.

I also like "thank you" notes from people I have written about. Mystery writer, Marion Hill from Durant, Oklahoma, wrote a nice letter telling me she appreciated the Q&A interview I did with her in "Writing for DOLLARS!" The interview was in the November issue of the e-magazine if you'd like to look it up.

Until next month.

Love

Peggy