DONIS CASEY: Write Errant

Guess where I’ll be from May 1 to May 3? At the Oklahoma Writers Federation International annual conference in Oklahoma City! It’s the first time I’ve been back to the Motherland in nearly eight years. I’m privileged to be one of the speakers. Come say hello. Friday May 2, at 3:30 p.m.- The One Thing I Wish Someone Had Told Me About the Writing Life, and Saturday May 3, at 11:00 a.m.- How to Commit Murder. At 1:30 p.m. – The Plot Thickens.

This annual conference is a big one, and covers all types and genres of writing, so if you’re serious about your craft, this is the place to be. Everything you need to know is spelled out here.

Last weekend’s Nuts and Bolts writing seminar, sponsored by Desert Sleuths Sisters in Crime, was a big success. I haven’t heard how many people attended, but it looked like a big crowd to me. I talked about creating compelling characters. I don’t know if I qualify as the world’s leading expert, but I do have some strong opinions about the topic, and the group seemed to like it. Lots of good speakers. Kudos to Desert Sleuths for putting together a great event.

The in June the new Alafair book comes out. Early reviews are very good. In fact, the book received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly, which is the premier publication for bookstores and libraries. I couldn’t be happier about that. I’ve copied the review below.

Pretty dramatic cover, too!

A huge tornado brings unexpected trouble to the people of Boynton, Okla., in Casey’s excellent seventh Alafair Tucker mystery (after 2012’s The Wrong Hill to Die On). One day in the summer of 1916, a twister blows Jubal Beldon’s body into a field, but no one is very sorry, since he was a most unpleasant man. When it’s discovered that Jubal was murdered before the tornado, suspicion falls on 17-year-old Ruth Tucker’s beloved music teacher, Beckie MacKenzie. Alafair, a farmer’s wife, uses her innate knowledge of human nature to help, while Sheriff Scott Tucker and his deputy, Trenton Calder, follow their own theories. As the action builds to a surprising denouement, Casey provides an engaging portrait of the close-knit society that was commonly found in the rural Midwest at the time. Alafair Tucker, her large family, and their friends are a pleasure to spend time with. Publishers Weekly, April 2014

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