vickeymalonekennedy.com Blog

Can’t believe I haven’t already promoted my latest story ‘Silver Slippers’ published by Yard Dog Press in the anthology “I Should Have Stayed in Oz”.

It’s a great collection of stories about Dorothy’s misadventures after her first adventure in Oz by some fantastic authors including; Me of course, vickey malone kennedy,Steven-Elliot Altman, Malyssa Childs-Wiley, Claudia Christian, Sherri Dean, Rhonda Eudaly-Simpson, Tim Frayser, Trina Jacobs, , Traci Lewis, Tracy Morris, Selina Rosen, Susan Satterfield, Bradley H. & Susan P. Sinor, Glenn R. Sixbury, Allison Stein, and Laura J. Underwood

Edited by Selina Rosen and with cover art by the amazing award winning Brad Foster.

You can buy a paper back copy online directly from Yard Dog Press or an e-version at Amazon.com

Recently I discovered an exciting new writing concept, created by Ron Gavalik and his cohorts, reminiscent of the old pulp fiction novels.

They’ve developed a new type of serial e-book. Combining thrilling, dramatic, and intriguing writing, with abstract, expressionistic art, designed to stir deep emotional responses within the reader, Gavalik has developed an intellectual art form that required the creation of a new description; Emotobooks. The name is derived from the intended affect of the books.

Each Emotobook will be a 10 episode series with the release of one episode per month. The first 3 episodes of their premier project, ‘Grit City’, are now available on line.

‘Grit City’ is the gritty tale of freelance journalist Dillon Galway’s struggle to survive in a dark world where evil’s ugly head has reared and is blocking out the light of hope for the denizens of the city. Aided by a sexy hit-woman, Alyssa Stephano, Dillon investigates a mysterious mass murder, in a mystifying world, shadowed by mystic possibilities.

Gavalik’s writing is exquisitely powerful and the artwork is interesting and intense. Emotobooks are destine for success.

I recently met an amazing writer; Paula Sophia. I was very impressed with her work which can be found all over the internet including The Oklahoma Gayly, Diversity Pride and Girls with Insurance

So far my favorite is Paula’s short fiction Hystericus which can be found at Etopia Press Paula weaves personal experience, fiction, imagery and emotional ambiance together like an ancient Navajo blanket; colorful, warm and perfect in spite of the Navajo tradition of intentionally including at least one flaw in their weaving to avoid insulting the Gods. If there is a flaw to be found in Hystericus it is that isn’t a full length novel. I want more.

If you’ve never caught a Yard Dog Press Roadshow at a science fiction convention you need to go out of your way to attend a convention where the Yard Dog Press authors will be performing entertaining interpretive dance routines behind less than serious readings, comedy routines, semi-musical productions and masterfully manipulative murder mysteries.

You never know what the doggies might do when they are turned loose on an unwitting audience. But if you can’t get to a convention to catch the full frontal frolicking then jump over to http://tracysmorris.com/ and catch a nearly as good as being there episode of the Yard Dog Press Pod Cast.

I haven’t blogged in ages and should be blogging on a regular basis. But I’m lazy by nature.

A lot has happened and there is a lot happening over the next few months.

My short story “Bobbie Sue Almost Got Married” published in the anthology ‘A Bubba in Time Saves None‘ by Yard Dog Press won The 2011 Darrell Award for Best Midsouth Short Story!

I’m off to Artfest at Fort Worden, Port Townsend, Washington in a few days. Still not certain if I am going to make it to Sparks and La Push. May have to practice my puppy dog eyes to talk Bird and D into making the detour.

The 2011 OWFI conference is just around the corner followed immediately by ConDome and then SoonerCon.

FaceOff’s Tate Steinsiek coming to SoonerCon 20!

We’re also doing a writers’ workshop at SoonerCon with Lynn Abbey.

Friend Ty Drago’s new book “Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses” was released today.

At the moment I’m chilling at P Bread with my minions. I’m never going to finish this Werewolf book. Can’t seem to stop editing it.

You can now pre-order A Bubba In Time Saves None

an anthology of Bubba’s lost in Time stories including ‘Bobby Sue Almost Got Married’ by me!

I’ll be at Norman Galaxy of Writer’s meeting May 15, 2010, 10 AM University Lutheran Church, 914 S. Elm St, Norman, Ok

I doubt that I will make it to Literati Indie Book Fair Sat. May 15, 2010. But I know Bev Hale and a couple of other really great Oklahoma authors will be there.

The last few weeks have been amazing.

Had a great time at Conestoga 14 hanging out with Michele Bardsley She put up a fantastic blog that was -as it should be- all about me. Well, not all about me, but a bunch about me, and a not too horrible photo of me. She also put in a nice plug for the Bubbas of the Apocolypse books from Yard Dog Press.

Michele, Kristi and I went to Applebee’s for lunch on Sat and had the best Mango Sangria ever. Will be going back for that.

Michele is the best. Love her. Love hanging with her. Love her books.

Shared a room with Yard Dog Press’ Selina Rosen & Lynn Stranathan and Tyrie. They were excellent roomies. Selina never ceases to amaze me. She knows more about Kabbalah than I would have ever imagined she would have had enough time to learn, considering how busy she is. Very interesting and educational.

Selina made me read on the Yard Dog Panel. I didn’t mind at all, seeing as how I’m an exhibitionist by nature. But I wasn’t scheduled to be on the panel, so I was completely unprepared. I followed William R. Eakin reading from Redgunk Tales from the Kudzu. A word to the wise. Never follow Bill when reading on a panel. He blew me away. He read Lawnmower Moe so brilliantly that I was ashamed to call myself a writer in his presence.

The following weekend at Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Inc 2010 Conference I spent a lot of time in the bar with Cherry Weiner. She seemed very interested in seeing Emmen Seed as soon as it is finished.

I hadn’t pitched it to anyone yet, because it isn’t finished. If it were done, I would have probably already pitched it to Yard Dog Press. Still will if Selina is interested.

A lot of great speakers at OWFI this year.

K.D. Wentworth graced my banquet table Friday and Sat night. I’ve known Kathy for years and was very glad to see her at OWFI. She’s the coordinator for Conestoga and the first line of judging for Writers & Illustrators of the Future Contests. Just a hint to contestants. She doesn’t like Elves.

Deborah LeBlanc joined us at our table on Sat. night. She does a ton of scary stuff for a living. Not to mention she is one of the most expressive and energetic speakers I know. I could listen to her talk about all the exciting things she does, besides writing books, for days. Her books are eerie, but not as eerie as her real life activities.

Of course my minions Dion Mayes and Lisa (what’s her name) Willis were at the table both nights and also shared a room with me. It was like a week-end long slumber party.

We had a couple of new people at the table Friday night. Including K.D. Wentworth’s shepherd Richard. But were joined by more minions on Sat. night. D’s husband Bird, Tom Barczak and his lovely wife Kayla, and Wizard Wayne Wyrick.

My boys Adrian Simmons, Neil Mavis, and Lance Hawvermale didn’t make it this year. Can’t imagine what could have been more important to them than seeing me, or attending OWFI. Neil gets a free pass. His wife just had a baby about 5 weeks before the conference.

I met some wonderful people at the conference. Especially Cherry Weiner, Josh Getzler,Terry Burns, Kelly James-Enger, and Nancy Robinson Masters.

Nancy Robinson Masters reminded me a lot of me. Instantly liked her. I think she’s my kind of person.

Spent this past weekend at ConDome. It’s an annual event for Yard Dog Press authors held at Selina Rosen and Lynn Stranathan’s house. This was my first year.

Their house is beautiful, amazing, and awesome. There are castles, fabulous floors, cabinets, and unbelievable artwork that Selina has made with her own two hands. Their house is a showplace. I didn’t want to leave. I wanna move in.

It was more fun than a barrel of Yard Dogs. Actually it was a barrel of Yard Dogs and goats and a really large, obnoxiously dangerous looking snake. Oh my.

Selina made me stand guard while she went for a shovel to kill it. She said if someone didn’t stand guard it would slither away as soon as she moved. I told her that if it moved I was gone. But I was a brave little dog and guarded the evil venomous viper, all alone, while Selina abandoned me. Thankfully she came back and rescued me before I fainted and was eaten alive.

Selina is an excellent cook and made some of the best baked beans I’ve ever eaten. Got to hang with three more of my favorite folks Bill and Sally Allen and Sherry Dean. There were so many talented people there, Tracy Morris, Dusty Rainbolt and her husband Weems -a phenomenal photographer, Zane and his wife Joy, Pop, Audrie, John, and everyone else I’m leaving out. But y’all know who you are and that I really enjoyed spending time with you.

Can’t wait for next year. Wanna see the progress on the castle, and the house. Also wanna spend more quality time with the Dogs.

Hoping to see a bunch of Yard Dogs at SoonerCon June 4th-6th in OKC. There will be Zombies and Yumbies and Bubbas, Oh my!

Y’all come. It’s the best time you can have with your clothes on. And there will be some folks there that will be having fun without most of their clothes on. The costumes are as far out there as a galaxy far far away. Hope there are Storm Troupers, Fedies, and Klingons. Oh my.

later
vck

This is my busiest time of the year.

Miss Rhylee’s brother Dallas turns 6 today. That makes both her brothers six years old for a month. Then Lane will turn 7.

Miss Rhylee, her brothers, her cousin Dalton and her parents went to the Medieval Fair today.  www.medievalfair.org

I have a Norman Galaxy of Writers’ officers’ meeting to go to tomorrow. www.nonprofitpages.com/normangalaxy

Then the SoonerCon Staff is meeting at the Medieval Fair on Sunday. www.soonercon.com

The deadline for the current quarter of Writers of the Future contest is March 31, 2010. Then of course the next quarter starts April 1, 2010. www.writersofthefuture.com

I’m working on a story to send in for the current quarter and will start the next one as soon as this one gets mailed sometime in the next four days.

My conference season starts in April.

Starting with Conestoga 14 April 23-25 2010 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. www.sftulsa.org

Then Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Inc. Conference: April 29 - May 1, 2010 at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. www.owfi.org

Followed by a Yard Dog Press Authors’ meeting May 7-9, 2010.  www.yarddogpress.com

Then SoonerCon 2010 A Bubba Odyssey - June 4-6, 2010 - Oklahoma City www.soonercon.com

As of this moment I don’t have any conferences or conventions schedule for after SoonerCon. But that is always subject to change. It all depends on whether I get invited to speak somewhere after that.

I’m just a tad disappointed that I don’t have any weddings to perform in June. That’s always a busy month for weddings. So if you live in Oklahoma, and you’re planning to get married, and you need some one to perform the ceremony, I’m pretty much available after June 6th.

Of course I’m always available to perform weddings during any of the conventions or conferences I attend.

This is my favorite day of the year. Kiss me, I’m Irish! Erin go bragh!

Celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, As always, at O’Connell’s Irish Pub & Grille www.oconnellsnorman.com/oindex.html -both the Campus Corner location and Lindsey St- in Norman Ok, is having it’s annual green beer and more party;

McNellie’s Abner Ale House at 121 E. Main St. is having a St. Paddy’s Day block party www.mcnelliesnorman.com

There is at least one other bar in Norman, Ok serving green beer but I haven’t found it yet.

Top of the mornin’ to ya, and the best of the rest of the day!