We Interrupt Our Regular Scheduled Posting for Something Different - good writing

QUEEN KLUTZ by Marti Lawrence

Several of my writing buddies have recently had their work published. This post will highlight their efforts and encourage (browbeat) you to check 'em out. Enjoy the break. I'll get back to posting from my novel in a few days.

Bayou Bill

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Queen Klutz

Marti Lawrence's blog, Enter the Laugther, http://enterthelaughter.com/ is an oasis of entertainment along the information highway. She's just released a compilation of her humor writing in, QUEEN KLUTZ, which she describes as:

"...a collection of essays about my misadventures. I write humorously about bad luck, being a klutz, cars that hate me, life, love and family. I’ve broken both ankles twice, amputated my right index finger and had it reattached. I’ve had the transmission fall out of a Dodge van while driving down the interstate. My teenage son wrecked my car, resulting in an E-Bay auction for the $2,000 French Fry, which caused the wreck. If I couldn’t write about this stuff being funny, I’d be in a rubber room. INCLUDES: Not the Best Kind of Breaking News - Gravity hates me - Mechanical Mayhem - How I cut off my finger and lived to tell about it - A Roaring Fire - Boy: 1 = Little Green Army Man: 0 - While My Flat-tar Gently Weeps - Square tires and bent rims - DMV: Or Diarrheal Mahatma Voodoo - Been to Hell: And Have the Lunch Receipt - Halloween Memories - Pirates of Hotpants

To quote the great Joe Bob Briggs, check it out.

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MUSCADINE LINES: a southern anthology

Muscadine Lines

In it's first year as a literary e-zine, Muscadine Lines: a southern journal, has built a reputation for publishing a broad spectrum of southern writing from high lit. drama to down home humor. Publisher Kathy Rhodes has now published some of the best work from that first year in, MUSCADINE LINES: a southern anthology.

In the spirit of full disclosure, it should be pointed out that I have had a couple stories appear in Muscadine Lines. It's a testimony to the quality of work appearing in this anthology that it contains neither of them. However, it does have entries by a couple writing buddies whose work I highly recommend: Gilda Griffith Brown and Lonnye Sue Sims Pearson

To learn more about this collection, including how to buy several (they make GREAT presents) go to, http://www.muscadinelines.com/

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Maui Madness

Dana Sieben, in her blog, Southern Gal Goes North, http://www.southerngalgoesnorth.blogspot.com/ shares the triumphs and travails of an Alabama native living in a Chicago suburb with her husband and two children. Obviously, a great sense of humor is a key ingredient to survival in such circumstances and Dana has loads.

The current issue of, Long Story Short, includes Dana's LOL short story, Maui Madness, http://www.alongstoryshort.homestead.com/MauiMadness.html.

For Doubting Thomas types, here's an excerpt:

The name of the company had even sounded safe; Aloha Bike Tours. It had lulled her into thinking that it would be a nice little ride, see some scenery, you know…relaxing, outdoorsy stuff, see some birdies then go back to the beach. But no, it had to be a non-stop, coasting-down-the-side-of-a-volcano-on-a-road-with-no-guardrails kind of excursion with a lean, browned, Hawaiian guide who was riding backwards, of all things. Backwards!

See what I mean? Now go check it out.

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Ramblin' Ray

Ray Maxie, aka Ramblin' Ray, the pride of Conroe, Texas, is a retired Texas law enforcement officer who can see both the humor and heartache of past times. The new issue of Muscadine Line: a southern journal, http://www.asouthernjournal.com/ includes his powerful article about enduring Hurricane Carla, Hurricane Winds Stripped Decal from Patrol Car Door.

Here's a short excerpt explaining that title:

The wind and blowing rain was unbelievably furious and strong. I could feel the gust rocking the car severely. Never in my life, before or since, have I seen such enormous amounts of wind and rain. The force was so strong it was similar to the car being sand blasted. The next day someone said, “Where’s your decal, trooper?” I then noticed the state highway patrol decal had been blown completely off the driver’s side door!

Those interested in reading more of Ray's writing should check out his bi-weekly, Stories of the Ark-La-Tex column in Texas Escapes http://www.texasescapes.com/N-Ray-Maxie/N-Ray-Maxie.htm

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Ol' Newt

Newt Harlan is another fine Texas life-form. For those blessed with some familiarity with Texas, he's from Humble. Those poor souls not so enriched must settle for the thought he lives down around Houston. Folks familiar with Old Newt know he can usually be found at "The Ol' Watering Hole" swapping true lies.

Whether any of them are included in his funny short story, Hoodoo Queens, which also appears in this month's issue of Muscdine Lines: a southern journal http://www.asouthernjournal.com/ , is anyone's guess.

Maybe you can get an idea from this excerpt:

We was four of us: me, Sister Etta Ruth, Sister Carrie, and Sister Mary Fay. All of us was members of the Greater Ebenezer Missionary Church Reformed competition chorus and were all full-blooded church members, exceptin' for Sister Mary Fay who is half-Catholic. There was four other sisters what sang with us, but they was high-falutin' heifers and didn't much stay with us when we wasn't singin'.

Newt does not blog, neither does he run a web site. He does, however, have a great semi-regualr newsletter, Pearls of Profound Wisdom and Other Misguided Thoughts. If you're interested in being added to the mailing list, let me know in a comment and I'll pass the word along.