OKLAHOMA—The writing group Prosateurs announces the
publication of the judged anthology Prosateurs:
Tales & Truth. The anthology features short stories, recipes, humor, memoirs,
poetry, devotionals, articles, and other works from the group’s members. It’s
now available from Prosateurs members and online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble,
BooksAMillion, and other retailers.
Author Kathy Akins won Best of the Book with a memoir of her
mother’s battle with dementia. “It was honest, sincere, and well-written,” said
Submissions Judge Gail Henderson. “A reader both sympathizes and learns from
it.”
Henderson co-wrote the poetry collection Undying. She collaborated with noted
Oklahoma photographer Michael Duncan to produce Bare, a book of poetry and photography that explores the enigma of
womanhood in the world. She wrote Red
Bird Woman, a collection of her poetry under the name Gail Wood. Her work
has appeared in Blackbirds First Flight,
Blackbirds Second Flight, Blackbirds Third Flight, Creations 2012-2014 and ByLine Magazine. She holds a Masters of
Education in English and Social Studies from East Central University. Currently
she serves on the Board of Directors for Lake Superior Writers, Duluth,
Minnesota.
For more information, visit Prosateurs.blogspot.com.
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The anthology authors include:
Kathy Akins has won several awards with her poetry,
devotionals, and short fiction. Her works were published in Blackbirds Third Flight and the Creations
anthologies 2014-2015. A love for history, family, and animals inspires her
stories. She lives in Oklahoma and shares her home with miniature long-haired
dachshunds and a rescued Catahoula. Her dachshunds assist her when she presents
educational programs for children in her capacity as an American Kennel Club
(AKC) Canine Ambassador. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.,
Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and American Christian
Fiction Writers. Visit kathyakins.blogspot.com.
Debbie Anderson wrote the novel Friend or Foe in 2018. A longtime storyteller, she has written
stories since she was a child. The oldest of eight children she used these
stories to entertain her siblings. She spent eighteen years in the travel
industry. As a result she has been to nearly every state and six countries. She
left the travel business after 9/11. Since then she has written business
documents such as manuals and procedures for the electronic and oil industries.
She writes short stories, memoirs, novels, children’s stories, and how-to
books. She has been published in Creations
2017.
Stephen B. Bagley co-wrote the poetry collection Undying. He wrote Murder by Dewey Decimal, Murder by the Acre, Tales from Bethlehem, Floozy
and Other Stories, and EndlesS.
He wrote the plays Murder at the Witch’s
Cottage and Two Writers in the Hands
of an Angry God and co-wrote Turnabout,
Hogwild, and There’s A Body in the Closet. His writings have appeared in Writer’s Digest, Blackbirds First Flight,
Blackbirds Second Flight, Blackbirds Third Flight, ByLine Magazine, Nautilus
Magazine, Tulsa World OKMagazine, and other publications. He graduated from
Oklahoma State University. He is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc.
Visit StephenBBagley.blogspot.com.
Kelley Benson is a pastor who has a passion for using
everyday opportunities to help people recognize how God works in their lives.
He and his wife Jade are raising their
children to see how God should be part of everything people do. Since
1997, he has participated in a wide range of ministries and been involved with
the investment industry, the insurance industry, teaching, and carpentry. He
published On Target, a book of
devotionals, and writes a weekly newsletter. His articles were published in
Creations 2013-2015. He is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. Visit kelleybenson.blogspot.com.
Nita Beshear began writing as a young child. If her family
wasn't moving from one state to another, they were moving across town. Stories
gave her continuity. Her friends in her stories went with her to every new home.
Beshear writes nonfiction, historical novels, and short stories. Her books
include Devoted to Quilting and Beyond the Grief: A Widow's Survival Guide.
Her fiction appeared in Romance-The Spice
of Life. She is a member of the Material Girls (the Allen Oklahoma
Quilters), McAlester McSherry Writers, Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc., and Duncan
and Okmulgee Toastmasters. Visit nitabeshear.wordpress.com.
Wendy Blanton published the novels, The Dragon’s Lady, Rogue Pawn, and Sword and Scabbard, under the name Elizabeth Joy. Her short stories
appeared in Blackbirds First Flight,
Blackbirds Second Flight, and Blackbirds
Third Flight. She writes novels and short stories in several genres. She graduated
from the University of Mount Olive, North Carolina, and served in the United
States Air Force. An apprentice bard, she tells Celtic folk tales at Scottish
Highland Games and other venues. She and her husband are members of the Clan
Campbell Society. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. Visit wendyblanton.wordpress.com.
D. E. Chandler wrote the thriller Bone Sliver. In 2013, her poem, “Oppenheimer” and her short story
“One Way Window” won honorable mention and publication in Outside the Lines. In
2015, her poem “Carroll After Dark” won first place and publication in the
Tulsa Review’s 2015 Spring contest issue. Her works were also published in Blackbirds Third Flight, The Green Country
Guardian, The Sapulpa Herald, and Sapulpa
News and Views. She graduated from Rogers State University. She lives with
her husband Tom in Oklahoma. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation,
Inc. and Oklahoma Women Bloggers. Visit dechandlerwrites.com.
Barbara Shepherd has received more than 300 writing awards.
She is the Oklahoma 2017 Voice of the Fair Poet, a Lone Stars Poet, a Woody
Guthrie Poet, and a former Nominee for Poet Laureate of the State of Oklahoma.
Shepherd served as a field editor for Taste of Home and contributed to other
magazines, including: Outlook, Oklahoma
D.O., Oklahoma Woman, Edmond Life and Leisure, Bella, and ArtBeat. Her books include: The Potbelly Pig Promise, River Bend,
Vittles and Vignettes, and Patchwork
Skin. Her writing appeared in: Women’s
War Memoirs, Heavenly Patchwork, Voices In Time, and numerous other publications.
Visit barbarashepherd.com.
Joanne Verbridge was born in Oakland, California, spending
her early life experiences in Northern California. Family brought her to Oklahoma
where she enjoys writing memoirs and crafting. She works to inspire her young
nieces to take an interest in story telling and writing. Her memoirs, short
stories, and articles have been published in Oklahoma newspapers and in the Creations
anthologies 2012-2015.
Okay, I can understand running out of blinker fluid. It happens.
Apparently. Let’s not get up on our high horse about that. After
all, when was the last time you had your car’s blinker fluid
level checked?
I just had a sudden insight that I’m sure may have escaped your attention.
Well, don’t feel bad. After all, I’m a genius, and you’re
not. But you have a sweet spirit and will probably be spared when
I crush the thrones of this earth under my booted heel. But that’s not a
promise. Stop being so needy.
This morning I got up at five and thought I’d watch the sunrise. As I watched the scarlet fingers of dawn stretch across the majestic vault of the sky, I thought, Hmm, it could do with a bit of dramatic music and maybe a car chase or two. By sharing that, you might think I’m blind to the wonders of nature. Not true. I just feel nature is better behind a TV screen, door, picture window, wall, moat, 20-foot-tall electrified fence with guard posts every 30 feet...because nature frankly never saw a human that it didn’t want to bend, fold, perforate, or eat.
Ordinarily in February, I make a few disparaging remarks about
Valentine’s Day, or “Passover” as I call it in my house, but
never within earshot of any of my Jewish friends as they do
get the joke, but they don’t think it’s funny, and I hate it when they go
all Samson on me.
I bought another fish recently to keep Churchill, my fancy goldfish,
company. It’s a fantail goldfish, and its name is Bo. The other fish
at the store had apparently heard of me. While my back was
turned, I quite clearly heard the phrase “aquarium of death” bubbled
around. I ignored them.
I’ve been accused of not paying attention more than once in my life. By teachers, parents, siblings, girlfriends, friends who are girls, just plain friends, fellow employees, teammates, etc., and who say I’m the poster child for Adult Attention Deficit Syndrome. I think it’s time to explain this once and for all—if I’m not paying attention, it’s because you’re not being interesting. If you’d step up your game, I’d be with you more.
You all know Hamlet by William Shakespeare is one of the greatest plays ever written. If you didn’t know, now you do, and you can go to bed knowing you learned one thing today.
I keep trying to learn French even though it’s obvious I will never master it with enough expertise to not horrify a Frenchman. I once had dinner in a French restaurant in Tulsa and attempted to impress the waiter with my French. With an expression on his face like he had a severe case of constipation, he attempted to repeat my order to me in bad English while I attempted to correct him in bad French. I would have gone hungry except the menu had pictures on it, so I was able to point at items and received excellent food. I’m not sure what it was, but it used a lot of garlic, cream, and butter, and how could you go wrong with that?
T’was a cold day in late December in fair London town in the meeting room of the Literary Works Explorers Club in the year 20— when Sir Neil “Nellybelly” Shanksview made a most audacious proposal: to mount an expedition of brave men to read the entire ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’ of the somewhat United Colonies of the Americas.
Whenever something terrible happens, you should always ask yourself, “Is Stephen okay?” If so, then it’s not that terrible. At least not for me, and I’m sure we all agree that’s what’s really important. Naturally, I’m concerned about you, too, and will do anything to help you—as long as I’m not greatly inconvenienced or busy or my favorite shows aren’t on TV. I have to have priorities, which I know you understand because I’m such a high priority for you.
My old computer died. You would have thought I lost a beloved pet by the way I moped around my house for a couple of weeks. During that time, my answer to any question was a sigh of despair with a hint of brave long-suffering and a touch of woe-is-me. It was one of my finest series of sighs.
