I Survived Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Awards Dinner 2023

Well, this year for some reason the Florida Writers Association was not selling a Day-Only attendance for me to attend on Saturday, they were offering the full weekend which cut into my work schedule (and honestly I cannot afford). So I missed the conference presentations and discussion groups.

I did pay to attend the Royal Palm Awards banquet as I was a Finalist this year in the Nonfiction - Published Blog or Article category and I had high hopes for my submission "All Which Wicked Designs" this year.

Checking in before the dinner.

It seemed to be a smaller crowd than last year's, but well attended.
Only a handful were finalists, the rest were there for the good food
and the friendships.

People at my table wondered why the dessert was out first.
I suggested the possibility the cheesecakes were frozen served,
and the servers put it out early to warm up to room temp.

Nice mix of zucchini, mashed potatoes, and a chicken/steak combo.

I have to admit this photo is 7 years old, I may need a new
Author headshot.

And... well...

SQUEE

I received GOLD in the Blogging category!!! 

As I already planned to include the article in the collected essays book I'm currently putting together, I will need to include the update for it.

I did not receive printed stickers this year, because someone must have realized as an online article I had nothing physical to place stickers upon. I should get an image file shortly.

Yay.

I Survived Florida Writers Conference 2022

And I have documented evidence that they didn't survive me. BWHAHAHAHA. Ow stop hitting me.

Okay. TO THE PHOTOS.

I have my Batman logo t-shirt on, but
my blue button-shirt is in the laundry
so I wore a white-blue beach bum shirt
instead. I masked for much of the day
because yes COVID IS STILL OUT THERE...

One of the two writing sessions I attended.
The FWA organizers hosted a smaller program this year,
again due to COVID and people still being wary of
public places...

The lunch gathering.

The dinner gathering. They switched out the tablecloths,
obviously. ;-)

One thing at FWA was the backlog of annual anthology
publications offered for FREE. I'm guessing they were
clearing out storage space somewhere.
AS A LIBRARIAN I CANNOT RESIST
FREE BOOKS!!!!! This was just the one I brought with me
to the dinner. There was a huge pile of volumes
back in my car...

I changed out to a more professional look for the dinner,
because I was a Royal Palm Literary Award finalist in the
Nonfiction - Blogging/Articles category. I know this isn't
Oscars-worthy fashion, but WORK WITH ME HERE.

Hark! A Blogger Approaches!

HOLY FORKING SHIRTBALLS.
I WON SILVER (2nd) WITH THE 
"Irrational" ARTICLE FROM MY POLITICAL BLOG!
BRING TO ME THE FINEST CHEESES OF THE LAND.

There may be more photos and prize stickers forthcoming. Long day, satisfying night. 

Update: Here is the official event photo of me accepting the award!

Keep on blogging, you beautiful bastards!

 

FWA Finalists for the 2022 Royal Palm Literary Awards

HOLY FORKING SHIRTBALLS.

Two of my blog article submissions to the Best Non-Fiction Short/Blogging category have reached FINALIST status!!!

The submissions still in it to win it are:

Hark! A Ranking of Nirvana Albums

Irrational

I'm a bit surprised The Tragedy of Surfside did not reach Finalist status, as it was both a somber (and non-partisan) article as well as something of regional (Florida) interest. Irrational, after all, was rather partisan (anti-trumpian) in tone. Hmm. The judging does depend on how the readers view the quality of it, alas.

Still and all, NOW I have to go get a day pass to attend this year's FWA Conference to be present for a hopeful award win. I know now the rules about Finalist grading does NOT guarantee a win - there can be more than three Finalists, hell there could be more than TEN Finalists for the top three awards - so I will be more guarded about my hopes.

Good luck, all.

Update on the FWA Royal Palm Submissions in 2022

Well, started getting the word back from the Florida Writers' Association on the Royal Palm Literary Awards, where I had submitted five articles from my political blog this year for consideration in the Non-Fiction - Blogging category.

Sad news is that two of them - "The Big Lie and the One Truth," and "Strange Days Inside the Job Lines" - did not make the Semifinalist cut.

Good news is that three of them - "Irrational," "The Tragedy in Surfside," and "Hark! A Ranking of Nirvana Albums" - DID make the Semifinalist cut, and I am hopeful that at least one of those articles can reach Finalist status as well.

I have to admit the new art logos for the RPLA awards are more eye-catching than the previous banners. Nice...

Getting Accepted for the Next Strangely Funny Anthology

Good news, people! A short story submission to the Strangely Funny anthology series has been accepted for 2021!

It's a 2020 story based on MURDER HORNETS. It might be the scariest story I've ever wrote.

LOOK AT THAT FACE!

The face of a Murder Hornet means business. And that business is MURDER. AAAAAAIIIEEEEEE.

Future updates on when and where the eighth anthology crops up are forthcoming.

The Award

It came today in the mail!

I have Mal lying in repose behind it so you can see the white text more clearly on his black fur.

(hmmm) (contented sigh)

It feels good, getting recognition at something artistic - painting, writing, photography, singing, performing - you enjoy doing.

Thank you, Florida Writers Association, for this accolade!

Royal Palm Literary Awards 2020: Award Ceremony

Having submitted a Finalist in the category of Short Nonfiction: Article or Blog, with "Seven Reasons NOT to Invade Iran" from my You Might Notice a Trend political blog, I waited and watched last night's Royal Palm Literary Awards via online presentation (hi, pandemic!) for the results.

Which was this:

They haven't published the full list of winners - which covers Fiction and Nonfiction, Poetry, Published and Unpublished works - but I'll update this site with a link when I can.

This is a good, nice feeling. For a writer, there is some satisfaction when you get a work printed even when it's self-published like on a blog because there's the enjoyment of having committed the writing to paper (so to speak) and put it out there for entertainment or enlightenment or both. There is a lot of satisfaction (well, depending on how much of a perfectionist the writer is) when any work is lauded by peers.

Thank you, Royal Palm judges. I know it's tricky to give accolades to politically-tinged writing, and I am grateful you are wise enough to be open-minded to judge a work on its quality.

Now, back to blogging! (writes op-ed about how gun nut militias are ruining PT Cruiser's reputation as a cool retro car) ...What?

FWA Royal Palm Update June 2020: Semifinalist Status

Notified today that in the Non-Fiction / Blogging category, my political article "Seven Reasons NOT to Invade Iran" made it to the Semifinals.

This is a good step from last year, when a submission or three then didn't even get any reply notification other than questions about my link formatting. I figured then I had improperly submitted the attempts, that's on me, my bad. This means that the formatting I did THIS year worked proper. Properly!

If you recall the previous attempts, what I have to wait on now is the Finalist decision (the grading gets tougher) and if I make that I'll get the invite to the awards / banquet (IF the association is holding a conference this year, given the uptick in pandemic cases I doubt October will be safe..).

Wish me luck, peeps.

Strangely Funny VI NOW IN PRINT and On My Bed

The publishers shipped the print copy for me, just got it today!

My short story "How a Vampire Gets a Tan," continuing the ongoing struggles of my heroine from "Minette Dances With the Golem of Albany," (in SFIII) is on page 121.

If you purchase a copy from Amazon.com, I encourage you to READ. INDULGE. DESTROY! And then leave a nice review on Amazon 'cause we're polite like that.

NaNoWriMo Planning 2019 And Other News

I've submitted working with NaNo this year to be the Municipal Liaison for the Lakeland region, as the lady who did it last year is moving away.

This may be relatively stressful due to ongoing concerns with work - we are still woefully understaffed at my library - but hopefully things can change between now and November.

I may try a run at the July Camp NaNo. I'm still recovering from falling apart during the April attempt. :(

In the meantime, I've been notified the latest volume of Strangely Funny VI release NOW in print, while encouraging my seven followers to spread the word that the Kindle ebook version is available right now! (P.S. PLEASE leave good reviews when you download).

Also wik, I am submitting some shorts here and there, looking through a site called Submission Grinder to see what places are accepting and if anything I've got can generate interest... Updates on that front as responses bounce back.

In the Good News Category Regarding the 2019 FWA Royal Palm Awards

While one story did not fare so hot, another story did!

CONGRATULATIONS! Your entry, The Pumpkin Spice Must Flow, Short Story, is a semifinalist for the 2019 Royal Palm Literary Awards competition!

This was done under the category of Published Short, thanks to it being in the anthology Strangely Funny V!

You know, this book! Still available on Amazon!

So yay! If it was good enough for Strangely Funny, it's good enough for the state of Florida!

The thing is, there's still a Finalist stage to contend for, and then finding out if the story achieves top status as a Winner (First, Second, or Third Place). So there's still a few more nerve-wracking months until we get there.

In the meanwhile, I get to display this!

Writing Update Again: FWA Royal Palm Awards FINALIST Status

You read that right, kiddos. I got bumped up from Semi-Finalist Status to FINALIST Status!

That means "A Face In the Light" is in the TOP THREE submissions to the Short Fiction category for the RPLA this year!  it wasn't in the Top Three after all.

I even get a new GIF to show off. Why did they bother sending me this GIF?

Insert Snoopy Happy Dance as well!

No. No dancing.

Writing Update: FWA Royal Palm Awards

As a member of the Florida Writers Association, I am able to submit works to an annual competition for the Royal Palm Literary Awards. They have a category for Short Fiction (it does not break down by specific genre from there, alas), and I had an unpublished work "A Face In the Light" that I put in to see how it would do (critique/feedback is part of the review process). It's a personal story, it's one I think can be a good one if I can get the kinks ironed out.

I just received word from the judges that I reached the Semi-Finalist stage of the Awards.

Squee!

I'm not sure how many other stories I was competing against, and there is still no guarantee I will win outright. But getting THIS far in the competition is great news. It means that the story has enough style and oomph to win readers. It means I might actually be doing this writing thing right.

The finalists will be announced at the Annual Conference this October, so we will see then how I fare against the other good stories.

This is an unbelievably good way to brighten one's mood.

Strangely Funny V: COMING SOON

With many thanks to Mystery & Horror LLC, who accepted my short submission "The Pumpkin Spice Must Flow," their latest volume of the Strangely Funny humor/horror series is set to come out this month!

See? Even the gargoyle is hopeful! Or amused. Or plotting to eat my vital organs. It's multiple choice, people...

I should get more information on exact day of release, and there should be some blogging interviewing going around, so keep informed here!

I Survived the Clermont Comic Con... Mostly Because It's Not a Walk-A-Thon Up Them Hills

Have you ever BEEN to Clermont? You know, you can live a long time in Florida and get used to the idea of everything being flat or at least hilly, but by GOD you go to Clermont and all of a sudden you're dealing in VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS EVERYWHERE! If you had to bike from place to place your heart would give out by the ninth block, I SWEAR...


Anyhoo, here are some photos of my Sunday excursion to the Clermont Performing Arts Center for their annual Comic Con:

The Pikachu Car made it to Clermont! And was able to drive up those damn mountains!

There's Scott trying to keep things organized. Met Scott through City of Heroes and a couple of events he hosted at a comic book store he once owned in Clermont. If you wanna keep up with his antics, check out Florida Geek Scene!

Here's me getting set up at my table! Remembered the book display this time!

Getting all set up for the day!

Getting the cosplayers walking by my table! I am trying to time the photos so that the Clermont Comic Con logo will be on that screen.

There was a film crew working on a documentary at this convention.

WONDER WOMAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! P.S. Justice League is a good movie. Way better than the shoddy Batman v Superman.

Battle of the Planets! Sadly, no Voltron cosplayers!

The table next to me was selling vintage Star Wars action figures and toys.

OMG. There is a classic Chewie action figure WITH BOWCASTER RIFLE.

Yes. I bought it.

Another closeup of the display table, because...

I HAD A CUSTOMER BUY THE STRANGELY FUNNY Vol. ONE COLLECTION! WOOT.

And hey, huge shoutout to John Crowther and his family as they were at the convention promoting their Rochelle series as well as their wrestling comic books.

So all in all, it was a good day.

One last thing: I need to try and show just how mountainous Clermont is.

Happy Turkey Pagan Sacrifice Day to ye all!

Update on Gent 8/7/2017

My co-worker Melissa let me know this afternoon that Gent found a hooman and a forever home.

Best of luck to you, Gent. I hope you're going to a safe, happy place with good hoomans and/or fellow kittehs.

/sniff

NEW Book Published - Surviving the Age of Obstruction

I may have mentioned from time to time that I had purchased a publication deal with Xlibris a few years ago. Well, ten eleven years ago, actually.

Long story short, I decided to just get the contract done with, take a sampling of essays/articles I write on my political blog You Might Notice a Trend, and put it into book form. It's doable: many a newspaper or media columnist collect their works in such a way - Molly Ivins for example - to have available as a collection. Sort of like a Greatest Hits album.

So, I went and put my political rants into something I can show to my friends and enemies. Surviving the Age of Obstruction: Notes on the Obama years.

It's a look back at eight years of political madness, a pro-Obama, anti-Republican work that delves into my apostasy and my observations on how Obama - and the nation - endured it all.

I submitted the final proofing two weeks ago. The book has been available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble's websites since last week. I just got a copy from the publisher this weekend.

There is something incredibly satisfying about holding a physical copy of your book. A tangible sensation of completion, of getting past a finish line. It's different than publishing an ebook, as there's a lack of a trophy of sorts - the printed book - to make that completion feel real.

Just to note, the process from submitting the rough draft to completed physical copy has sped up the last time I did this. Last of the Grapefruit Wars - my short story collection - took a few weeks to go through the editing and proofing process, and then took another two months for print availability (the point of Print-on-Demand is that the book is saved on file and physically printed on an order-by-order basis).

I know some of the people reading this blog may not know about my political ranting blog, but you can check that out, I have the link available above and over on the right menu lists.

Now all I need to do is ask about oh 500,000 people to buy my book. That shouldn't be too hard...

A Century of Beverly Cleary

Author Beverly Cleary turns 100 years young today.

I grew up reading the Henry Huggins books, and because of that also the Ramona books. I still don't get the idea that books at a certain age are "gender-specific": the Ramona books were still about growing up as kids, regardless of being a boy or a girl.

I didn't learn until years later that Beverly Cleary worked as a librarian in Yakima, Washington. Which for me as a librarian is a cool thing.

There's still a story in my head I have the title for - "Maybe Auburndale, Maybe Yakima" - that I have the urge to write. I have a reason for choosing Auburndale, FL (it'll be part of the story's theme) and when I found out where Beverly Cleary worked I added Yakima to finish off the title (and fits into the theme) so now you know where the title will come from.

I just want to say that it would be a bright and wonderful and perfectly appropriate thing if Beverly Cleary wins the Nobel Prize for Literature for her contributions to the children's literature and readership. If there's anyone on the committee I can talk to about this, please pass along their e-mail. Thank ye.

Award update: History and Mystery Oh My

If you'll recall last July I reported the anthology History and Mystery Oh My was up for a state-wide award with the Florida Authors and Publishers Association. I found out from the editor Sarah Glenn today that, yes, the book won silver with the President's Award for Short Story Form.

So today when I met with Sarah and her partner in crime Gwen Mayo to gather autographs - copies of some of the Mystery and Horror LLC publications are being donated to the Florida Library Association for 2016 Annual Conference this March - they brought along a medallion award for me to pose with.

If my mom ever sees this, I'm a dead man.

Trying to make a face like that while posing for a picture is harder than it looks...

In other awards news for this same anthology: The Agathas - a big-time "cozy mystery" literary award - nominated TWO shorts for 2015: “A Questionable Death” by Edith Maxwell, and “Suffer the Poor” by Harriette Sackler.

Congratulations to Edith and Harriette! The awards are given out this April, so we'll see how it goes.