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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| A thing of beauty — inside and out!
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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! |
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| 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.
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| 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!
