Oh, yes, one more bit of good news. My Valentine's Day flash fiction made it into the SouthWest Writer's Association Newsletter, Sage. It's on page 5. They even found a site with a copycat recipe! For those who are not aware, Zulu King Cake is an Ambrosia Bakery original.
https://www.southwestwriters.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/FebSage2024.pdf
So excited to announce that I have signed a contract for the publication of Fried Chicken Castañeda with Artemesia Publishing. Anticipated release date is Spring 2025.
What this means is that I've removed the self-published versions from sale at Amazon and B&N. Any of you who purchased a copy now have a collector's item. 😂
Will the title change? Maybe. I kind of hope not, but I'm not going to argue about it. Will the cover change? I certainly hope so! I am not now nor have I ever pretended to be a graphic artist. Will the contents change? I would imagine so, to some extent, to make it more marketable. But the characters, setting, and basic plot will remain the same.
It also means that while my book will eventually return to Amazon and B&N, it will also find a place in real, live, honest-to-goodness bookstores! Something I could not do on my own.
In the mean time, work continues of French Toast a la Santa Fe. My writing group continues to provide valuable feedback and to catch all those internal contradictions. I'm starting to plan the next two books, in broad, general terms. The next book will be set at the Alvarado with a side trip to Taos -- I think. The fourth book will pick up right after Prudence finishes her training. The details of the training are of interest to me, but they do not a compelling story make, and it will be time for her and Jerry to resolve their relationship.
I haven't forgotten about a Fred Harvey cookbook for the 21st century, either, but that is definitely a post-retirement project. Did I mention that I'm retiring May 18? And that we will be moving to Albuquerque just as soon as we can sell the house here? Well, I am and we are! So many changes coming up!
