Not every monster started as human.

In this anthology of eleven original tales - ten by DFW Writers' Workshop members - the undead are never quite expected. From sinister feline mummies to ravenous zombified cars and any and all things in-between, the living dead have returned from their graves, junkyards, and even the war torn skies to haunt the lands of the living. With stories horrific, funny, and weird, Strange Afterlives has a little something for everyone who has ever wondered what terrible secrets could be lurking in that rotting tree or broken toy.

Edited by former DFWWW board member and "a pretty cool guy (according to his mother)", A. Lee Martinez, STRANGE AFTERLIVES is available on Amazon for $0.99.

Buy it now see firsthand why you should join the workshop, if you haven't already.

Stories included in this anthology:

Mouse Trouble by A. Lee Martinez

After the Invasion by Russell C. Connor

Seated Woman with Child by Rosemary Clement-Moore

Roots by Brooke Fossey

The Late Mrs. Buttons by Sally Hamilton

An Undercover Haunting by Kristi Hutson

GImme Shelter by David C. Whiteman

01001110 by Nik Holman

The Runner by John Bartell

Night Witch by Shawn Scarber

The Scavenger Hunt by John Sanders Jr.

STRANGE AFTERLIVES will terrify and amuse. You may never look at a rusted automobile the same way again.

And be sure to join us any Wednesday night at 7:00 pm at The Simmons Center in Euless to see how DFWWW authors keep producing wonderful stories like the ones in this anthology.

Good news continues to roll in for DFWWW!

Congratulations to workshop member, Harry Hall!

Harry's book, The Pedestriennes: America’s Forgotten Superstars earned the Bronze Medal for History (US) from IndependentPublisher.com.

According to the announcement from Independent Publisher, "Gold, silver and bronze "IPPY" medals will be awarded in 78 national, 24 regional, and ten e-book categories, chosen from nearly 6,000 entries from authors and publishers in all 50 U.S. states, eight Canadian provinces, and 34 countries overseas. The winners make up a reading list that is extensive and diverse, featuring new voices and viewpoints passionately expressed through soulful memoirs, insightful self-help books, and penetrating critiques of our social and political systems."

More about the book:

"The Pedestriennes: America's Forgotten Superstars" tells the little-known story of a handful of late 19th century female athletes who dazzled America with their remarkable performances in endurance walking. Frequently performing in front of large raucous crowds, pedestriennes walked on makeshift tracks set-up in reconfigured theatres and opera houses. Top pedestrennes often earned more money in one week than the average American took home in a year. Newspapers reported on their achievements and interviewed the champions. Their walking outfits became fashion plates, their pictures were sold in stores and they made personal appearances as national celebrities. The pedestriennes' exploits reshaped the country's attitudes about what women could accomplish and established the foundation for modern sports, the revival of the Olympic Games and the suffragist movement.

More about Harry:

In his 20 year writing career, Harry Hall's work has appeared in several publications, including Runner-Triathlete News, Mayborn magazine and The Dallas Morning News. Along the way, Harry interviewed celebrities such as Robin Roberts, Earl Campbell, Jim Courier, and Chuck Norris. He's covered a variety of amateur and professional sporting events, including the Byron Nelson Golf Tournament, US Olympic Track and Field Trials, and the Boston Marathon. A long-time public speaking instructor, he wrote a book on overcoming the fear of public speaking, "Help! Everyone is Staring at Me." A one-time syndicated columnist and radio talk show host, Harry was named the Texas Dietetic Association's Media Personality of the Year, and is a member of the Mayborn Author's Guild.

Congratulations again to Harry.

Join us any Wednesday night at 7:00 pm at The Simmons Center in Euless to see how DFWWW authors keep bringing home the wins.

DFW Writers’ Workshop is very proud to announce that the Euless Public Library will be hosting the 2015 DFW Teen Writers' Workshop on Saturdays from 2 until 4 (ish). The program starts on June 13 and enrollment is limited, so don't delay.

This program is 100% free and at least twice your daily recommended amount of fun. We've got a great line-up of speakers - this year we will even cover comics and graphic novels - and we are working on some fun extras to make this a summer to remember.

All participants must:
* Be between 13 and 18 and not yet graduated high school
* Commit to regular attendance (audit/drop-in spaces are available-- see registration page)
* Pre-register (Click here to register)

For more information, be sure to check out our Facebook page as well.

Schedule and Speakers:
June 13  The Art of Critique taught by Melissa Lenhardt
June 20  Narrative Non-Fiction taught by Pamela Skjolsvik
June 27  Comics & Graphic Novels taught by David Doub
July 4     No Class
July 11   Self-Publishing taught by Russell Connor
July 18   World Building taught by Tex Thompson

July 25   TBD

Aug 1     Dialogue taught by Kat Cook
Aug 8     Hands-on Anthology Work

See you then!

This week marks the eagerly awaited release of long-time DFWWW Member, Jenny Martin's debut novel, TRACKED!

Jenny's release celebration will be held this Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Irving Public Library.

There will be food, book signing, swag, and lots of happy tears.

More about TRACKED:

The Fast and the Furious gets a futuristic twist in this action-packed debut!

On corporately controlled Castra, rally racing is a high stakes game that seventeen-year-old Phoebe Van Zant knows all too well. Phee’s legendary racer father disappeared mysteriously, but that hasn’t stopped her from speeding headlong into trouble. When she and her best friend, Bear, attract the attention of Charles Benroyal, they are blackmailed into racing for Benroyal Corp, a company that represents everything Phee detests. Worse, Phee risks losing Bear as she falls for Cash, her charming new teammate. But when she discovers that Benroyal is controlling more than a corporation, Phee realizes she has a much bigger role in Castra’s future than she could ever have imagined. It’s up to Phee to take Benroyal down. But even with the help of her team, can a street-rat destroy an empire?

According to Publisher's Weekly:

TRACKED is "a wholehearted adrenaline rush when it comes to the thrill of the run, making it easy to get drawn into a fast-paced, high-stakes story."

Congratulations, Jenny!

Remember, that's:

Date: Saturday, May 9th, 2015

Time: 5:00 PM

Location: South Irving Library Program Room

601 Schulze Dr.
Irving, TX 75060

Each year, area authors submit their first ten pages of their novel to the Henery Press First Chapter Contest, sponsored by the Frisco Public Library. Henery Press, an award-winning local publishing company, reviews the entries and selects the winner.

And for the second year in a row, a DFW Writers' Workshop Member has claimed first prize.

The 2015 First Chapter Contest winner is...(drum roll please)...our president and fearless leader... 

Brooke Fossey!

For those who don't know her, Brooke is a hard-bitten literary gunner who holds a Bachelors in Engineering from Texas A&M and a Masters of Technical Management from Embry Riddle, both of which she’s holstered in favor of raising her four kids with her hubby, Matt. She is also a blogger for Carve Magazine. Find Brooke on Twitter as @BAFossey.

Brooke's first chapter from her book, The Parting Hour, will be featured at friscolibrary.com and professionally reviewed by Henery Press. She joins last year's winners and DFWWW members, George Goldthwaite and Melissa Lenhardt.

Join us any Wednesday night at 7:00 pm at The Simmons Center in Euless to see how DFWWW authors keep bringing home the wins.

Two of DFW Writers' Workshop's own -- Rosemary Clement-Moore and Jenny Martin -- will join with 40+ other authors at this year's North Texas Teen Book Festival on March 7th, 2015 at the Irving Convention Center.



"The NORTH TEXAS TEEN BOOK FESTIVAL strives to connect our reading community, adding dimension to the reading experience through diverse author panels and dynamic discussions in a safe and fun environment."

Visit Rosemary and Jenny and the rest of your favorite YA and Middle Grade authors for a day of panel discussions and book signings*.

(* Click to see the festival's signing policy.)

A good day for a member is a good day for us, and Jenny Martin just gifted the workshop with a whopper. To start the New Year, she’s released her first official book trailer and landed on a national publication’s must-read list.

Dial Penguin will release Jenny’s book, Tracked, in May of this year. We’ve been anxiously awaiting its arrival, and it turns out we’re not the only ones.

Huffing Post recently listed Tracked on their shortlist of the most anticipated YA debuts for 2015. Catch the article here.

And while you’re waiting until May to get your hands on the goods, watch the book trailer and join Tracked’s official crew. Jenny has swag, exclusive content, and prizes for the team…one we’re proud to be a part of.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg5ZyIVNiEE[/embed]

Just because the year is petering to an end doesn’t mean DFWWW members hit the brakes. It has been (and will be) a busy finale to 2014.

Rosemary Clement Moore just arrived back from the Sirens Conference, where she was the keynote speaker. She had only good reviews about the attendees, the hosts, and the atmosphere. The conference focuses on women in fantasy literature, and is both an academic and networking retreat. She’ll be there next year too, so join her and enjoy the company along with the Pacific Northwest weather.

Meanwhile, member Harry Hall is gearing up for his November 13^th book launch at the University of Dallas. Pedestriennes hit the shelves just this week, so grab your copy and catch him at his 7:00 pm reception and book signing in Haggar. An hour later, he’ll present in Lynch Auditorium and give away goodies from Luke’s Locker, Brooks, and Cassie’s Gourmet Popcorn. Details can be found here.

Finally, we will soon be waving our handkerchiefs at A. Lee Martinez as he departs on a quick trip to Chicago, where he’s the Guest of Honor at WindyCon. This conference, held November 14^th-16^th, is the oldest science fiction convention in the city and 1,200 attendees will pass through its doors to catch a glimpse of our very own.

So, there you have it…at least until Thanksgiving.

Since 1977, Carolyn Rae has been coming to DFW Writers’ Workshop to read, critique, and serve.  She's a founding member, and over the span of 35 years she’s held a number of board positions and been awarded a much deserved lifetime membership. But more than this, she has epitomized for us the sort of perseverance every writer needs to succeed in this business.

And succeed she has.  Long ago, she spun tales to entertain her little sister.  Now, she's entertaining us all.

We are very excited to announce the release of Carolyn’s debut novel,  Romancing the Gold, published by Muse it Up. It’s a romantic suspense with everything you could want – bullets flying, people dying, and a healthy serving a forbidden temptations and physical attractions.

Alongside the purchase of her book, you can catch a recent interview she did for Caroline Clemmon’s blog, A Writer’s Life. There she mentions one of her favorite quotes is by Marjorie Holmes: “You haven’t failed until you quit.” Is this any wonder?  Not for those of us who know Carolyn.  She's earned this one, and we cannot wait for the next.

When you see her, don't forget to shake her hand and congratulate her -- because word is that tenacity is contagious.  We've hung out enough with Carolyn to believe that's true.

Tony Skur, a longtime member of the DFW Writer’s Workshop and author of Christmas Help, More to Come, and One More Time, passed away on September 21. He was a true gentleman and patriot who will be sorely missed.

Tony was born in Ohio in 1931 and joined the US Marine Corps Reserve at the young age of seventeen. Three years later, he enlisted in the US Air Force and was accepted into the aviation cadet program in 1952. His first assignment was flying the F-86D Sabre Dog, an early all-weather swept wing jet interceptor.

 

Volunteering to serve in Vietnam, Tony flew in the Special Operations Wing, piloting one of the most bad-assed piston-powered aircraft ever built. The A-1 Skyraider, originally designed for the Navy in World War II, was the first airplane capable of carrying more than its own weight in ordnance. And carry ordnance he did. Where most planes of the era streaked across the sky at high altitudes, Skyraider pilots flew in the weeds, eyeball to eyeball with the enemy, providing close air support for our ground forces and performing rescue operations for downed airmen. He retired from the Air Force in 1978 with the rank of full colonel.

Tony wrote about flying and he wrote about war, but he also wrote about love, for it was love that filled his heart. While based at Perrin Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, he met the beautiful Kathleen Mayberry and proposed nine days later. Together they raised three sons and a daughter, living in wedded bliss for 59 years. During Kathleen’s later years, Tony lovingly cared for her as Alzheimer’s slowly took her. She passed away in September 2013.

A life of service is a life well lived. Not only did Tony serve his nation in war, he spent much of his time in service to others. While stationed in Tokyo, he helped keep an orphanage supplied with food, clothing, and school supplies. In Alaska, he was asked to prepare 30 children for their first communion, earning him the nickname ‘Pope Tony.’ Until his last days, he volunteered with Meals On Wheels, delivering food to senior citizens in his Keller community.

A month ago, Tony was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer. Even though he had a rough start with chemo therapy, he fought hard and kept his spirits high. Unfortunately, he passed away in his sleep Sunday evening, September 21, 2014.

Always a gentleman and a true gentle man, he will be sorely missed by his family and friends, but we can take solace in knowing he is forever reunited with his beloved Kathleen. Colonel Anthony Skur, my dear friend Tony, rest in peace.

-- George Goldthwaite, DFWWW Member since 2009