Our first meeting in May welcomed ten attendees.
Ernie Ovitz is part of the judging procedure for the Royal Palm Literary Awards (RPLA). RPLA entries closed on April 30th, 2023. Ernie reported on the entries he read, stating, “The writing was top-notch, and most were worthy of an A grade.
After hearing from each of our writers about their current projects, we moved on to the reading portion of the meeting.
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Opening the reading with Chapter 56 of the third book in his trilogy about the Roman Emperor, Constantine, Ernie Ovitz took us back to January 325 AD . After traveling for eight days to reach Rome from the Eastern Empire, the Emperor’s spy arrived with news. Foremost among the revelations was that General Senecio, who was believed to be dead, was alive and protected by Licinius. Furthermore, the general was now considered to be “A Man of Honor,” signifying Senecio had been granted membership in the Arval Brethren. All this represents a danger to Constantine’s rule. He must take action, and does by ordering close surveillance of Licinius.
Dennis Cathcart has completed his sequel to his first book, Koulev depicting his adventures collecting reptiles in the tropics. Koulev II will continue those adventures, and is now in the hands of his editors and proofreaders, being made ready for publication. Tonight he read a piece he’d written several years past. Entitled, Cycles of Life, this piece talks of changes in the lives of everything and everyone. All must endure moving from the comfortable and familiar into the unknown and sometimes even terrifying. Here, Dennis points out how “change keeps things fresh.”
Reading for the first time, Gary Conkol speaks of developing the character of his work, Bimbly Clark. Bimbly is a skeleton but doesn’t know it, or maybe he doesn't know that he isn’t, in fact, DEAD. Feedback from the group was rife with suggestions. It appears all our attendees were fascinated by Gary’s concept. How is Bimbly received? Do people understand he’s a skeleton? How do they see him? Stay tuned for more.
Poetry is a big part of our group, and our poets seldom fail to intrigue us with exciting works. Richard Cope often writes prose and poetry, but his poetry came to the fore this week. Love befalls love, and in his work entitled Auld Lang Syne, he speaks of love and how it is not our last goodbye. Traditionally, little girls love their Daddys. A young girl grows older, asking, “Daddy, When Will You Be Home?” With each stanza, the question becomes more and more demanding as the girl reaches adulthood. Then, the longing for her father evaporates as she realizes Daddy was not as she dreamed he was.
In the follow-up novel to These Sacred Lands, our author, James H. Kelly, reprises his character Tremain MacKenzie as he follows the path of Shadow Hawk's son, Tremain. The young Lakota Sioux boy entrusted to the care of Shadow Hawk's friend and respected opponent in the wars, Joshua MacKenzie. Tremain follows in the footsteps of his father and grandfather in learning the ways of the Lakota, but he also loves and respects his adoptive father while learning the ways of the white soldiers. The warrior within him leads him to join Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders in their quest to defeat the Spanish in Cuba. Look for this adventure to join its predecessors on Amazon soon.
What Are Friends For asks Don Westerfield in the title of his short story about two lifelong pals. Have you ever had a friend or relative who did things and blamed them on you when they went wrong? Well Don’s characters, Joel Parker and Billy Baker, were friends for thirty-five years, and Billy was prone to blame Joel for things over time. A broken window as a thrown stone went astray, missing candy in the kitchen, who started the fight in high school gym class, were just a few minor violations for which Joel received unjust punishment. After a near disaster with flooding rain and an overnight stay in a barn, Joel again must explain. I hope you get to read this story sometime.
As Donna Serio took the stage with her poems, she read the public ode to her mother, There’s Something About Butterflies. A beautiful tribute to a loving and wise mother touched us all. Then, Donna read her private poem, Will I Feel It In Winter? This poignant work asks and answers a personal and compelling question to which only the writer knows the answer. Her third offering is an ode to her son, now an adult and living independently, entitled He Has Life.
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Well, that about does it for this meeting. I hope you all enjoyed it, and for those who couldn’t attend, I hope this blog helps you stay in touch with what’s happening in our little world. Remember, whatever happens in your life, KEEP ON WRITING.
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