2025: Sisters in Crime Annual Writing Conference

Posted on March 2, 2025 by peggylchambers

The annual Tornado Alley Sisters in Crime writing conference will be held March 22, 2025, in Norman. There’s a great line up of presenters including the keynote speaker, Hank Phillipi Ryan.

Each year the club picks a charity to support with proceeds from the conference. Melissa Hearn, President of Tornado Alley SinC, provided the name of the charity this year. Here is what she had to say about it:

“Shelter for Friends in Norman. They are an outstanding institution, run completely by donations. They help people get on their feet as well as attend to people’s immediate needs.

They have temporary housing–priority given to women with children–counselling, a food pantry, two meals a day on site, and socks, dog food, diapers, and toiletries. There are volunteers who manage a free laundry service and a sign up for private showers. They help people find resources for clothing and transportation for job interviews and serve as an address for people to receive mail. Everything they do comes from the heart. “

This will be a great event and I’m sure I’ll learn from the speakers as well as help out a local charity. If you would like to donate canned goods, socks, or toiletries, bring them with you to the conference. They will be greatly appreciated.

The conference is at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church in Norman from 9:00 to 4:00 and lunch is provided. The cost is $45 for nonmembers or $35 for members, including lunch and there will be door prizes and a book table where you can purchase books of the speakers and members and have them signed while you are there.

We’d love to have you. To register, go to https://tornadoalleysinc.wixsite.com/tornadoalleysinc/2025-meet-the-speakers.

What are you reading, writing, or creating this week?

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2025: Tornado AlleySinC Conference

Posted on February 23, 2025 by peggylchambers

It’s almost spring, I know because the frozen tundra we’ve been living with is melting and the sun is out.

I often attend several conferences and workshops in Oklahoma during the year. I love the opportunity to hear different speakers and their take on writing and to mingle with like minds. But there’s a great one coming up in Norman on March 22, 2025.

Sisters in Crime is a national mystery and crime writing association which has local divisions. The Oklahoma chapter is aptly named Tornado Alley. They’ve been in existence for a few years and are growing. I joined a couple of years ago to learn all I could about mystery writing and to mingle with others who do the same.

The keynote speaker for this year’s conference is Hank Phillipi Ryan, Hank Phillippi Ryan – Wikipedia investigative reporter for Channel 7 News on WHDH-TV, a local television station in Boston, Massachusetts. She is also an author of mystery novels. Hank Phillippi Ryan – Book Series In Order. She will be speaking on “Conquering the Muddle in the Middle.” If you’ve ever attempted to write a novel, or any story, you know what she means.  I am looking forward to learning about her way of writing mysteries.

The other speakers include Peggy Doviak (Financial Tips for Writers) and Mel Odem (What Writers Need to Know about AI). There will be a panel discussion in the afternoon discussing The Artist versus the Professional—A Balancing Act with Alicia Dean, Mary Coley, Mark E. Jones, and Dianne McCartney.

The conference is at St. Thomas Moore Catholic Church in Norman from 9:00 to 4:00 and lunch is provided. The cost is $45 for nonmembers or $35 for members, including lunch and there will be door prizes and a book table where you can purchase books of the speakers and members and have them signed while you are there.

We’d love to have you. To register, click the QR Code on the poster or go to www.tornadoalleysinc.wixsite.com. We’d love to see you.

What are you reading, writing, or creating this week?

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2025: And it Snowed

Posted on February 16, 2025 by peggylchambers

I don’t know where you are but here in the mid-west we are once again snowed in. We have two inches of snow on the ground and that is enough for this old body to stay away from.  Tuesday we should get an additional three to six inches with single digit temperatures.  I think I’ll write, in the comfort of my own home.

In the writing world, it is contest and conference time. I have entries waiting on printing for my local club. There’s much to do. I have final edits to be completed on my latest Sandhill Island novel, Smugglers of Sandhill Island, and its soup weather.  So, I’ll complete my duties, stay in, and stay warm.

My 18-month-old dishwasher quit again, and it seems the repairman is busy with others, so I’ll wash my own dishes. My work is cut out for me just waiting to be stitched together.

I’ve never been a fan of winter.  I could live happily on a tropical island in a hammock with a drink in my hand, but that doesn’t seem to be in my future.

Maybe this is God’s way of getting me to complete my tasks. Patience is a virtue. Spring is about a month away. This cold snap should last about a week and then, knowing Oklahoma, will be replaced by 70-degree weather. By then all my indoor tasks will be completed, and I will be ready for that hammock. I will be thankful.

What are you reading, writing, or creating this week?

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2025: Whoopsie

Posted on February 9, 2025 by peggylchambers

This morning, I have my babies on my mind as I sit and wait for warmer weather. It was a lot of years ago that I was a young mother, but those days are still precious. Due to an assignment with my writing club this week, I needed a story with the title “Whoopsie.” I thought of this time with my young son and decided to share it with you. These “Roll Call” assignments are meant to make you keep your writing concise with only 150 words. Sometimes it is a chore.

One warm day I took my toddler outside while I weeded the flowers.  He could play while I worked.

When the skies darkened, large drops pounded the ground.  I hated quitting, but I gathered my son, and we ran for the shelter of the porch. 

I sat him down and leaned over grabbing the weeds. The rain created a bog in the flowerbed, but we were dry.  He sat beside me and chattered while I worked. 

Suddenly there was a “splash!”  The toddler lay face down in the mud.  I jumped into the mess and snatched him up. Standing him upright I sighed in relief that there was no blood, then stifled a giggle.

He was muck from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. Then his eyes opened wide wailing. Clear blue eyes stared out of the brown body.

“I pull weeds!” he squalled.

 Whoopsie.

Children grow up quickly. Enjoy them while you can.

What are you reading, writing, or creating this week?

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2025: New Eyes!

Posted on February 2, 2025 by peggylchambers

I had cataract surgery this week. I guess when you get to be ___ years old it is the thing to do. My husband had it 5 years ago in the middle of the pandemic. I wasn’t far behind him. Now that we’re retired, we go to the dentist and optometrist together, we might as well, there’s not a lot to do and our schedules are flexible. But five years ago, when he was told he needed cataract surgery, the optometrist looked at me and said, “yours are slow growing.” I dodged that bullet. Until this last fall. We had appointments for our annual exam, and I knew I needed a new prescription. I wasn’t seeing as well as I had. No, I needed surgery.

I’ve seen people with cloudy eyes and knew they had cataracts. Both of my old dogs got them. They are a thing of life that you don’t avoid if you grow to an old age. But I was terrified. Knives and eyes don’t go together. The idea of surgery on my eyes did not set well. I talked to lots of people who said, “it’s simple and you’ll be very happy with the results.” I didn’t know. But it turned out they were right. I was in and out of the operating room in record time, it was easy, painless, and even the IV went in easily.

I’ve been wearing a cover over my eye at night and putting drops in endlessly! But in a few weeks, we will do the other eye. And I won’t be as terrified this time.

I’ve had surgeries before; some with anesthesia that lasted a long time. I survived. And this time, it was easier than I expected. Now I want to finish the job and get on with my life.

Old age and physical problems. They are endless. But I’m alive to gripe about them. Not everyone was given that privilege. Next time I see you, the vision won’t be so fuzzy—I hope.

What are you reading, writing, creating, or recovering from this week?

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2025: The Birds are Starving!

Posted on January 26, 2025 by peggylchambers

I don’t know if that title is correct, but the birds in my yard have eaten almost nothing from my bird feeder this winter. They were thick in the summer. I would have thought that in frigid winter when worms are deep in the earth and plants are not putting out seeds, they would need some supplement to their diet. I provided that with a suet feeder. But they weren’t interested. It is the same stuff they ate last summer, but no.

I read somewhere that in really freezing weather, like we had last week, they would enjoy some plain cooked oatmeal or cooked rice. We’ve had single digit temperatures, and the suet feeder hung unused. So, I cooked some oatmeal—one bowl for me and one for them. I let it cool and put it on a disposable pie pan and sat the container outside underneath the suet feeder. It didn’t take long for them to find it! I had birds all over the place. It looked like an Alfred Hitchcock film in my backyard. Obviously, I couldn’t get a good picture of the giant flocks swooping down, but this is a small sampling of the birds I’ve fed in the last week. And when the oatmeal was gone, they once more ate the suet.

The temperatures have come up and I don’t feed the birds oatmeal every morning, but they are once more eating the suet cakes they ate last summer. Maybe they just needed a change.

But I must agree, I am thankful for warm oatmeal on a chilly morning. It makes me feel all toasty inside. It’s hard to blame the birds. And something different in the diet is a welcome change.

So, stay warm and try something new. What are you reading, writing, crafting this week?

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2025: Blooming Greed

Posted on January 19, 2025 by peggylchambers

I am thankful to be writing for The Wild Rose Press. I have a great editor and design staff for covers and I am helped to make my craft the best it can be.

My latest book with them is Blooming Greed https://books2read.com/u/men5al. It is the sequel to Blooming Justice https://books2read.com/u/mggv9D and the main character, Erin, has grown into a woman, passed the bar, and is working at her dream job.

Erin Shipley grew up on Keystone Lake before moving to Tulsa and becoming an associate attorney. Now, she’s back representing a client who is concerned about the flooding and property values around the lake. Properties underwater are being bought and sold for pennies on the dollar by someone called T & H Realty. When her friend’s uncle, Jeff, dies mysteriously on the lake, Erin wonders if it has anything to do with the real estate scam and launches an investigation. The dam is old, and zebra mussels are clogging it, not allowing enough water to flow out. If the dam breaks, it will flood downtown Tulsa and areas around it. But that’s not the only danger…whoever killed Jeff isn’t finished with their diabolical plan, and Erin and those she loves are at risk from more than just a dam break.

I enjoyed writing this book because I am from Oklahoma, and I’ve owned land on Keystone Lake. I know the area and I learned a lot along the way about the lake’s history and the dam. As I sit here this morning looking out at 11-degree weather, I think of the warm water and the boating we used to do when we were younger. I love Keystone Lake and writing stories about it warms my heart.

Grab a copy and let me know what you think. Would you like to boat on Keystone Lake?

What are you reading, writing, creating this week?

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2025: Snow, New Novels, and Thankfulness

Posted on January 12, 2025 by peggylchambers

We’re in the middle of January and here in Oklahoma it means the middle of the coldest part of the year. I’m not a fan of wintry weather. I normally just hunker down and get through it. Today I may bake bread. I got a present with some bread mixes for Christmas, and I will make good use of it. It will be warm and inviting with Italian food tonight. But the sun is shining, and the thermometer is above freezing this morning. More frigid weather is on the horizon.

There’s been a lot of illness and death in my small circle of friends and family lately. I blame winter. It should be sunny and 70 degrees year-round. But we wouldn’t be thankful for life if it were always perfect. We need some good to go with the bad.

I am in the edit phase of the final Sandhill Island novel—Smugglers of Sandhill Island. I expect a galley to review this week. I haven’t seen the cover yet but when I do, I’ll show it to you! Next on the horizon is a novel set at another lake in Oklahoma. A Home Among the Sand Plums is about half finished and has to do with a lonely woman who takes in a child who needs a home only to find herself immersed in a life she could only imagine. The disappearance of Indigenous women has become epidemic of late, and it is in every corner of the world, not just Oklahoma.

So, I think I’ll get out in the sunshine today and bake that bread. I need to carve out some writing time, but next week the weather will be brutal again. And I have a funeral. Now the snow is melting and for that I am thankful.

What are you thankful for this week? And what are you reading, writing, or creating?

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2025: Thankfulness

Posted on January 5, 2025 by peggylchambers

Last week I talked about being thankful for my life and the things in it. Here on the Great Plains this morning it is 20 degrees with a howling north wind, ice, and snow. But my heater is working. The house is warm and cozy. And as is my habit in bad weather, I may bake. That is a habit I started when I had little kids, and I wanted to keep them occupied. Fill them with sugar! Maybe we should have played board games.

The phone rang early to tell me that my sister had fallen in the rehab center and was taken to the Emergency Room. She was x-rayed and returned to rehab, but they will call her surgeon in the morning. She has had a tough uphill battle.

But in writing about thankfulness, I did a little research on thankfulness vs. gratitude. Gratitude is a general appreciation of life, while thankfulness is a response to a particular event or experience. With the weather today and my sister’s experience overnight, I need a little of both.

Generally, I am an optimistic person. Like everyone else, I get down sometimes and overwhelmed by experiences in life. But my life, like my heater this morning, is good. Thankfulness takes a little more thought sometimes. Then I think I am thankful for the heater.

I am thankful that the winter storm should only last a few days. I have food in the house, a heater that works, and writing to do (always plenty of writing to do!). I know there are people who are not in as good a position as I am. I’ll say a prayer for my sister, it is all I can do.

I am optimistic that the winter storm will not last. I’ve seen enough Oklahoma winters to know things will change. You know the saying if you don’t like the weather, wait a minute, it will change.

We’ll all get through this weather. I’ll do laundry, write, and knowing me, I will bake. But most of all, I will be thankful for all I have. How about you? What are you thankful for? And what are you reading, writing, or creating this week?

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2024: Thankfullness

Posted on December 29, 2024 by peggylchambers

Christmas is over. We still have New Years next week, but the holidays are winding down. I have one more present to deliver today, but that is all. It has been an eventful season full of joy, sadness, and exhaustion. I’ve seen my kids a couple of times, and I received a couple of unexpected gifts. There has been illness and death in the family, but we came together and got through the tough times.

I got a new computer out of necessity (but I love it!) and my editor is happy that I FINALLY got that manuscript back to her. My sister is in a rehab center after major surgery and is finally doing well. I plan to make bread from my new bread mix I received and maybe make some soup to go with that. Soup is healing.

I spent an hour watching my new Roomba vacuum for me! It is a thrill watching something else clean for once. Now I can do something else while the floors get swept.

I’ve had a virus to add to the craziness, but I got through it and tomorrow I promise to get back to the gym. I’ll feel better getting back to my comfort zone.

But I am blessed. I am thankful for the opportunity to see family, and to have survived all that happened. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right? Sometimes, I’d rather not be so strong.

I think the tag line for next year’s blogs will be thankfulness. I need to concentrate on feeling blessed instead of stressed. I’ll think about that as I begin my blogs for 2025, BUT THAT’S ANOTHER STORY FOR ANOTHER TIME.

What are you reading, writing, creating this week?

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