When does life ever slow down? We’re still living in the center of the cyclone, and the months of October and November aren’t even hinting at a reprieve.
In September we took off for ten days to join Kathleen’s best friend, Itrice Sanders, for a combined birthday cruise in the Mediterranean. The trip was filled with laughter, lots of classical archaeology, great meals, and good drink! Couldn’t post much about it because the frigging internet on cruise ship sucked. Nevertheless, we came home energized, infected with a rhinovirus, and filled with smile-laced memories.
So, what’s happening? The big news is the release of Switching Gears, our first short story anthology and our first self-recorded audio release of our work. Click on the link below to preorder your copy in Kindle, print, or audio!
Note that Switching Gears contains both of our Spur-Award winning stories, “No Quarter” and “Bad Choices” along with six new pieces we wrote just for this anthology. We’re particularly proud of this one. It’s an entirely new form of fiction for us, and we’ve found it not only challenging, but fun. We’ll look forward to your reaction.
Also out! Part 7 of the “People of the Longhouse” series! People of the Black Sun has just been released, and it’s the “No. 1 New Release” in Historical Fantasy Fiction! The final volume, Eclipse Dancer will be released on October 22nd. If you’re following along, enjoy. If you’ve been waiting, order them all…and binge!
Next on the list, we’re due to attend the Women Writing the West’s 30 year anniversary conference in Denver from the 9th to the 12th. Not only is Kathleen a founding member of the organization, but she’s a finalist the Laura Award for her short fiction story “Stalker.” We are both finalists for the Downing Journalism Award for an article we co-authored on bison genetic-engineering that was published in the Bison Review. We’ll get the chance to rub elbows with old friends, reminisce on years past, and celebrate the organization’s thirty-year landmark.
We’re barely back home before flying off to Fort Worth for the Will Rogers Medallion Awards where Michael’s After the Eagle has Fallen is a finalist in the Contemporary Fiction category. At the same time, his Spur Award-winning short story, “Bad Choices” set in the Wyoming Chronicles universe, is also a finalist in the short fiction category. We’ll find out how he did on the night of the 19th! We love the Will Rogers Medallion Awards and find to the most salubrious of Western writing conferences.
As always, every time we’re informed that our work is an award finalist or winner, we’re not only honored, but humbled.
To be recognized in the company of so many other fine writers is never taken for granted, and our congratulations go out to each and every one of them.
Outside of the marvelous weather we’ve been enjoying in Wyoming, what’s happening?
Currently we’re anticipating the re-release of the People of the Owl story. First published in 2003, the novel, set at the Poverty Point National Monument and World Heritage mound site in Louisiana, will be re-released in three parts: People of the Owl, The Masked Owl, and The Poison Bride. We’ve just seen the covers, and wow. For those who don’t know or can’t remember, People of the Owl is the story of young Mud Puppy, who everyone thinks is the village idiot. Only fifteen, Mud Puppy hears voices and talks to Masked Owl in his dreams. Despised by his renowned mother and Clan Matron, and overshadowed by his hero brother White Bird, Mud Puppy is happy to keep a low profile. When White Bird is killed, the competing clans force him to be made a man, renamed Salamander, and to marry his dead brother’s wives. By forcing Salamander to accept the title of Speaker for his clan, his political enemies hope to destroy Owl Clan. So does Jaguar Hide, an enemy war chief from the Swamp Panther people. He sends his daughter, Anhinga, to marry into Owl Clan with the express purpose of dealing them a death blow. Somehow, young Salamander is supposed to survive all of this, and it only gets worse as his mother falls into demented madness.
People of the Owl has long been voted one of our best books by fans.
As a reminder, if People of the Owl is already in your library, you don’t need to reorder. If not, for the first time in years, it’s newly available in Kindle and trade paperback. We hope that you’ll enjoy it.
What comes next?
We’re working on a new contemporary Western mystery/thriller, Buffalo Justice, set against the background of the bison industry. Someone taped a shotgun to a chair and tied a string to the triggers so that famed environmental attorney, Ryman Banks the Third, received both barrels when he opened his front door. Now the game is on as Jillian Masterson, a special investigator with the Montana Department of Justice hunts Banks’ killer. While she pieces together the clues, buffalo rancher John Cody is framed for the murder. After all, his hat was found at the scene. But the killer isn’t content to let things lie. One by one, people close to the case are murdered, each adding to suspicion that Cody is behind it. And, in the deadly game, a killer known only as the buffalo hunter, closes in. Right up to the night that he settles his crosshairs on Jillian Masterson as crosses a dark parking lot…and pulls the trigger!
We sincerely hope that this letter finds you well, in good spirits, and hearty. We’ve got a lot coming your way, so kick back, enjoy, and read in good health!
Michael and Kathleen