Dear Writers,

Our GCWA members are getting their books published at a brisk clip.

Several members attended the launch party for Patti Walsh’s new Celtic-inspired fiction, Hounded. This middle-grade novel combines martial arts, mythology and magic, with a strong protagonist in the character of a teenage boy.

Ginger Wakem’s new novel is Trust No One, Promise Nothing [subtitled A Tale of Family, Vengeance & Atonement]. It left me breathless. And after her flash sale on Amazon, it rose to #1 only a few days after launch!

Linda Saether’s What We Can’t Forget [subtitled Beyond the Blood Road] is a novel of WWII and beyond, set first in Europe, then in postwar New York. Its characters see what the world doesn’t want to remember and what these young protagonists can’t forget.

Sam Withrow has written an award-winning entry in her Forbidden Tears Series, Ruled by Fate. It tells the story of a young nurse besieged by a supernatural attack and saved by an equally supernatural guardian angel.

What a vast talent pool we have in our Gulf Coast Writers membership. After hearing Richard Drummer’s winning short story at our September meeting, I bought his first book, Arthur Blade and the Red Tide, a tricky spy thriller in the tradition of John LeCarre.

Jeanne Meeks, one of our most prolific authors, is also our Membership Chair. She has just published her youth novel, Freaks, Inc. It’s the story of Wyatt Best, whose powers cause bullies to puke on their shoes while he protects his people.

Ed Donlin’s work in progress is a sci-fi thriller, The Brain Invaders. All we know so far is that it’s an interplanetary battle, with a protagonist determined to save the Earth.

Who else is on the verge of publishing? Let us hear from you. Give us a hint as to your subject, and update us on your journey.

We are eagerly looking forward to our first social event in years. Please join your fellow Gulf Coast Writers for an afternoon gathering on Friday December 6. If you didn’t get your online invitation, let us know. We need a headcount soon, so please RSVP ASAP. There’s a silent auction in the works, so bring cash to score excellent prizes.

Two of our members – Mary Lou Williams and Mary Charles – are participating in the annual storytelling event called Tellabration on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, November 23, from 2 to 4 pm at the Masonic Hall/Peace Community Church. The address is 17671 Pine Ridge Road, just north of Fort Myers Beach. Admission is free. Come and support your writer/storytellers.

We will not meet in November. We’re saving our energy for the December social. See you then.