The final set of writing advice I received at the Berries, Bridges and Books conference in Hammond, LA came from June Shaw during the afternoon Mystery/Intrigue session. June lives in Thibodaux, LA and has represented Louisiana on the board of Mystery Writers of America’s Southwest Chapter for the past two years. She has written for several periodicals, including The Writer magazine, and she writes what she likes to call humorous mysteries. Deadly Ink nominated her first book, Relative Danger, for their David Award for Best Mystery of the Year.

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The third set of writing advice I received at the Berries, Bridges and Books conference in Hammond, LA came from Robin Wells during the afternoon general session entitled Novel Beginnings. Robin has written 16 critically acclaimed novels that have been translated into 18 languages. Her books have won the National Golden Heart Award, two National Readers’ Choice Awards, the Award of Excellence, the Golden Quill, and the Hold Medallion. Her latest book, Still the One, has been nominated for a Rita Award, the highest award given by the National Romance Writers of America. She teaches a course called “How to Write a Novel” at Southeastern Louisiana University’s Mandeville campus, which I plan to take starting in September. She lives with her family in Mandeville.

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THE GRAND ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE TWEETLY NEWS FROM THE ONE AND ONLY MOST FASHIONABLE PERSON IN WONDERLAND (EXCEPT FOR THE QUEEN, OF COURSE) –THE MAD HATTER!

May 15, 2011

Friends of the Mad Hatter: Tweeters of the Week

@elizabethscraig

@thebookmaven

Story of the Week

With Strings Attached by @Helenscribbles

The Mad Hatter’s Favorite Tweet of the Week

via @WritersRelief You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you. Ray Bradbury

Top News:

http://bit.ly/50UsflBlogs – 50 Useful Blogs for Writers via @Quotes4Writers

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He was there when she was born, and he would be there when she died. As 83-year-old Warren Johnson entwined his knotted fingers with those of his wife Alvine’s, all of the memories of their courtship in New Orleans during the 1930s and 1940s came flooding back to him. He sat in the antique rocking chair next to the mahogany four-posted bed where Alvine laid in the bedroom they had shared for 61 years. Warren gazed at the fragile woman before him. Despite her withering features, Alvine’s beauty still astounded him. Her skin was transparent and puffy, and her fine, silvery white hair was receding due to the radiation treatments. Her breathing was broken and ragged, but the sound of her sleeping still brought him comfort after all these years. Most people would look at Alvine and see a sad, dying figure, but Warren still saw the vivacious and spunky woman that he fell in love with and knew so well. She had bright, vivid brown eyes, long, flowing, loose black curls, and a grace that made her movements fluid and beautiful. Although she was unable to speak, he knew that she felt every small touch. He closed his eyes as he silently prayed for God to leave her with him just one more moment. He had never been without her, and the thought of having to live one day without the love of his life weighed heavily on his heart. He opened his eyes and saw the pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary that sat on top of the dresser directly across from him, and he lowered his head again to pray, this time for the Lord to take her pain away.

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