Please join us on Saturday, August 27, for a slate of virtual activities in lieu of our in-person annual conference.

Admission is free for AWC members and contest winners, but registration is required. You can register via Eventbrite using this link. The Zoom link will be sent in a series of reminders starting on Saturday, August 21. 

Here’s the schedule of activities:

12 p.m. – Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones’s Keynote Address: “Poetry as a Path to Reparations: The Role of Art in the Justice Struggle”

1 p.m. – AWC Contest Winners Announced

2 p.m. – AWC Annual Business Meeting (all members encouraged to attend, as we’ll be electing new board officers)

Hope to see everyone there!

The AWC Board of Directors recently met to discuss the viability of this year's in-person conference as it is currently planned. For what are likely a variety of reasons, our registration numbers are down relative to pre-Covid conferences. Unfortunately, projected costs for the conference are the same or higher. In the interest of fiscal responsibility, the board voted to alter our plans for this year's conference with an eye toward positioning the organization to host a well-attended and dynamic in-person event in 2023, which is our 100th Anniversary year. 

Here are the changes we decided are necessary for this year:

• We will no longer meet in person at the O'Neal library later this month.

• We will promptly refund all conference registration fees already paid.

• The annual writing contest will proceed as planned (with winners announced virtually on August 27, as enumerated in the next bullet point).

• In lieu of an in-person event, we will instead host a smaller virtual event on Saturday, August 27. We'll kick off at 12 p.m. with Ashley Jones's keynote address, "Poetry as a Path to Reparations: The Role of Art in the Justice Struggle," followed by the announcement of the AWC contest winners at 1 p.m.. Then, at 2 p.m., we will hold our annual business meeting, at which time the membership will elect incoming board officers.

• Admission to the virtual events on August 27 will be free and exclusively available to current AWC members and contest winners (though registration will be required -- stay tuned for details on how to register). We will proceed with the free agent pitch sessions and manuscript consultations as planned for those registrants who have already signed up for them, still on a first come, first served basis.

• We are in the process of reaching out to all panelists and presenters to reschedule them, either for next year's in-person conference or as part of a series of virtual events to be scheduled in the coming months.

• We will use these virtual events as a way to "nurture and engage" our membership (for free or at low cost to them) and to promote the in-person conference next year, which will double as a celebration of the organization's centennial.

• We will announce the dates and location of the 2023 conference on August 27.

Thank you for your patience and understanding. Our main goal is to offer value to our members while being good stewards of the organization's limited resources. We believe this is the best way to do that. While we will miss the opportunity to see everyone in person later this month, we're excited about what's in store for the coming year. 

We’re two weeks away from the start of our first in-person conference since 2019! We’ll be at the O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook, Alabama, from August 26 through August 28. If you haven’t registered already, here’s a link to our conference page where you can get the complete schedule and scroll to the bottom to register online. The deadline for Full Registration, Full Student Registration, and Saturday Specialty Admission Only is Monday, August 15 at 5:00 p.m. 

Here’s a link to a great feature article posted this morning in al.com, with all kinds of great quotes and information about the conference. Please read and share it!  

We’re really looking forward to seeing folks in person again. Our keynote speaker with be our very own Ashley M. Jones, and we’re excited for our panel celebrating the life and work of E.O. Wilson, along with other presentations from Sue Walker, Jennifer Horne, Jackie Trimble, Don Noble, Lee Rozelle, Tina Mozelle Braziel, Heidi Carroll, Karim Shamsi-Basha, Charlotte Pence, Brooke Champagne, and others! We’re also looking forward to announcing the winners of this year’s contest, including the brand new Roger Williams Peace Award for Writing, which goes to writing of any genre that best promotes peace among human beings and carries with it a prize of $1,000!  

Questions can be directed to conference chair, JJ Jones (jjsayspoetryplz.com).

Hope to see you in Mountain Brook in a couple of weeks!

Debra Goldstein is a short story writer and the author of the Sarah Blair mystery series. It was a treat to be able to talk with Debra about her journey to her writing career, her interest in mystery writing, and, of course, her latest release (Five Belles Too Many):

Bradley Sides: First of all, thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions for us over at the AWC. Before we get into your latest novel, Five Belles Too Many, do you mind talking about your journey to becoming a writer? When did you know you were going to write books?

Debra Goldstein: As a child, I enjoyed writing/telling stories and creating plays for my friends to act out. In college, I toyed with the idea of becoming a journalist or a writer, so one of my majors was English. I deliberately graduated a term early and two days later went to New York with two goals: obtain a job in publishing and get on Jeopardy. While I job hunted by day, I typed law school applications at night. I was lucky to achieve my goals but decided I didn’t want to be at the bottom of publishing so in the fall I went to law school. Throughout law school and during my career as a litigator and judge, I wrote boring briefs and decisions, any skit needed for a party or organizational project, and talked about writing. Finally, after being challenged to write or stop talking about it, I wrote Maze in Blue, a mystery set on the University of Michigan’s campus in the 1970’s. It was published by a small press in 2011 and received a 2012 IPPY award.

For the next few years, I tried to keep my writing and judicial careers separate. Just before my second book, Should Have Played Poker: a Carrie Martin and the Mah Jongg Players Mystery, was set to be released, an attorney and his client appeared before me. At the end of each hearing, I’d ask, “Is there anything more?” and the well-trained lawyers would answer “No, your honor,” before I did a standard closing. On this particular day, the attorney did what he was supposed to do, but his client said, “Yes, your honor. There is one more thing.”

I glanced at the attorney to give him time to control his client, but he put his hands up in the air indicating that was an impossibility. So, I asked the client, “What is it, sir?”

When he replied, “No matter how you rule, I’m going to buy your book,” I knew it was time to decide between my passion for writing and my lifetime appointment. I chose passion. Oh, and he probably didn’t buy the book because I ruled against him.

BS: Reading is a big part of so many writers’ lives. Is this true for you?

DG: Yes, I have always been an avid reader. I don’t read quite as much since I began writing, but I try to take a month off between my books to catch up on my pleasure reading.

BS: Five Belles Too Many is the fifth novel of your Sarah Blair Mystery. For readers who aren’t familiar with the series, what’s it about?

DG: Sarah Blair was married at eighteen, divorced at twenty-eight. The only thing she got out of the marriage was her Siamese cat, RahRah. In One Taste Too Many, she is finding herself and wishing she were as goal oriented as her twin sister, Chef Emily. When Sarah’s ex-husband is murdered by what appears to be a taste of Emily’s award-winning rhubarb crisp, Sarah must find the true killer or take her sister’s place in a food exhibition. For a woman who is more afraid of the kitchen than murder, Sarah has incentive to clear her sister’s name. As the series evolves, so does the amateur sleuthing and the character of Sarah. The series is meant to be light – a beach, bedside, or airplane read – and fun, but with a whodunit that will always keep the reader guessing.

Woman’s World Magazine picked One Taste Too Many as a cozy book of the week. Two Bites Too Many, Three Treats Too Many, and Four Cuts Too Many were all Silver Falchion finalists. I am excited about newly released Five Belles Too Many because it is one of my favorite books in the series. In Five Belles, Sarah is forced to be her mother’s chaperone when her mother is one of five finalists in a reality TV competition to win the perfect Southern wedding. To make matters worse, the contestants and chaperones must stay at a bed and breakfast run by Sarah’s greatest nemesis, Jane. When the television show’s producer is found dead, with Jane crouched over the body, Sarah must either help her nemesis or chance more of the cast and crew being permanently eliminated.

BS: What draws you to mystery writing?

DG: I’m drawn to mystery writing by the challenge of crafting an enjoyable whodunit.

BS: I’m interested in the approach to writing when working with a series. Does the story tend to unfold as you get to each novel? Or do you already have most of the series planned out—and use that outline to shape each book?

DG: Although I have a one paragraph premise for each book, I’m a pantser so the story unfolds as I write. Usually, once I start a book, I have an idea where it will go, but I can’t force it. I need to listen to the characters to get each book right.

BS: I’m drawn to books that are set in and work around the culinary world. For you, is this a world you are already familiar with, or did you have to do a lot of research to make sure you were getting the feeling right?  

DG: I am as clueless in the kitchen as Sarah. Takeout and her recipes that include pre-made ingredients, like Jell-O in a Can and Spinach Pie made with Stouffers frozen spinach souffle, are the limits of my cooking ability. Because we eat out a lot and I have several friends who are chefs in Birmingham, Alabama (quite a foody town), I let them teach me about their kitchens, utensils, and the interaction of those who work in a restaurant. My lack of knowledge gave them a lot of laughs and their patience enabled me, I hope, to get the feeling of the culinary world right.

BS: Before I let you go, can you tell us what you are working on next? Another Sarah Blair Mystery novel?

DG: I write long and short. Consequently, I’m working on several short stories – three of which are scheduled for publication in 2022. My long work in progress is a suspense novel rather than a Sarah Blair cozy mystery.

BS: Thank you again, Debra, for your time, and congratulations on the release of Five Belles Too Many!

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Judge Debra H. Goldstein writes Kensington’s Sarah Blair mystery series (Five Belles Too Many, Four Cuts Too Many, Three Treats Too Many, Two Bites Too Many, and One Taste Too Many). Her short stories, which have been named Agatha, Anthony, and Derringer finalists, have appeared in numerous periodicals and anthologies including Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, Mystery Weekly, Malice Domestic Murder Most Edible, Masthead, Murder by the Glass, and Jukes & Tonks. Debra served on the national boards of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America and was president of the Guppy and SEMWA chapters. Find out more about Debra at https://www.DebraHGoldstein.com .

On the final weekend of August, the Alabama Writers’ Cooperative will partner with the O’Neal Library in Mountain Brook, Alabama, to host the venerable literary organization’s first in-person annual conference since 2019. Conference activities will begin on Friday, August 26, and end on Sunday, August 28, with most events taking place at the library.

The conference’s keynote speaker, Alabama Poet Laureate Ashley M. Jones, will present a talk entitled “Poetry as a Path to Reparations: The Role of Art in the Justice Struggle.” Winners of the AWC’s annual literary contest will be announced at the awards banquet on Saturday evening, following the keynote address.

Jones, whose most recent collection of poetry is Reparations Now!, was selected unanimously by the AWC membership at last year’s virtual conference to serve as Alabama’s thirteenth poet laureate. Jones says that, for her, the personal and the political always intersect. With that in mind, her hybrid lecture and poetry reading will examine the ways art is a necessity in any struggle for freedom, whether individual or societal. “The ideas of ‘justice’ and ‘reparations’ are sometimes abstract and difficult to tangibly conceptualize,” she says. “Through my life, however, art—poetry in particular—has opened a door to my own self-esteem, cultural pride, and passion for social justice.” AWC president TJ Beitelman says the organization considers Jones’s keynote address at this year’s event as a way to publically celebrate her historic appointment last year as the first Person of Color and the youngest person to ever hold this position in Alabama. “Ashley embodies everything that is good and hopeful about the literary arts in this state. We’re lucky to have her as an ambassador, and we’re very much looking forward to her keynote address.”   

Another highlight of this year’s conference will be a panel discussion celebrating the life and work of renowned naturalist, author, and Alabama native E.O. Wilson, who passed away late last year. Moderated by UAB researcher Maggie Amsler, distinguished panelists Dr. James McClintock (UAB), Dr. R. Scot Duncan (Birmingham-Southern), Alabama Poet Laureate emerita Sue Brannan Walker (University of South Alabama), and Jimmy Stiles (Auburn) will discuss Wilson’s legacy as both a scientist and as a writer.   

Other featured faculty in this year’s conference are former Alabama Poet Laureate Jennifer Horne; Don Noble, host of Alabama Public Television’s “Bookmark;” decorated poet and director of UAB’s Ada Long Creative Writing Workshop, Tina Braziel; and recent NEA Fellowship-winner and director of the Stokes Center for Creative Writing at the University of South Alabama, Charlotte Pence.

In addition, panels and talks will cover topics as diverse as writing for television and film; writing about the natural world; and writing horror fiction. AWC members who register for the conference will also have the opportunity to pitch book concepts to literary agents and to submit samples of their original works in progress for free manuscript consultations with working writers and editors.  

Established in 1923, AWC is one of the longest-standing writers’ organizations in the United States. Its mission is to nurture and engage a diverse community of Alabama writers, and its annual conference is its primary means of fulfilling that mission for writers and poets across Alabama and beyond. Since 1931, it has also been the organization responsible for selecting the state’s Poet Laureate.  

For more information and to register for the AWC Annual Conference, visit https://alabamawriterscooperative.org/2022-conference.

Questions should be directed to AWC Conference Chair JJ Jones at jjsayspoetryplz@me.com.

Kristina Howard-Booth is the author of Amazing Appellations: Discovering the Names of Jesus and Sojourner’s Journey: 70 Days of Encouragement During Times of Anxiety, Fear, and Depression. It was a pleasure to be able to chat with Kristina about her journey to writing, her desire to uplift with her work, and how she seeks to share hope with others:  

Bradley Sides: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us here at the AWC, Kristina. I’m always interested in how writers become writers. Do you mind talking about your journey to writing?

Kristina Howard-Booth: I feel as if I have always been writing; it was a way to untangle the myriad of thoughts in my head. I began journaling before I was in middle school. I tended to keep my writing to myself since I am dyslexic and did not want anyone to see how that displays itself in my handwritten journals. Praise God for computers and spellcheck. As my relationship with the Lord grew, I spent more time writing my thoughts on the Scripture I had been studying and sharing those writings with my family and close friends. About ten years ago, after walking alongside a friend as she developed an in-depth discipleship and coaching program, I wanted to write a devotional of encouraging Scriptures as a companion to the program. I did and used it with life coaching clients; then, during the early stages of the pandemic, the Lord led me to release it through KDP as my first book (which I am currently re-editing.) Through that journey, I found a real passion for devotional writing; it is a way for me to share the hope and love of Jesus with people I may never meet. I use my writing to uplift, encourage, and embolden those who read it and pray that I get to continue doing so.

BS: Your new book is Amazing Appellations: Discovering the Names of Jesus. For readers who aren’t familiar with your work, what can they expect to uncover in your latest release?

KHB: Amazing Appellations: Discovering the Names of Jesus walks through ninety of the names and titles of Jesus found throughout the Bible. They are broken down into five categories: Gospel Introductions, Prophesied Titles, Names Jesus gave Himself, Names the Disciples Gave Jesus, and Revelatory Names. Each name has a short devotional explanation and an accompanying prayer focusing on that specific name. The desire is for the reader to come away with a new and deeper understanding of who Jesus is.

BS: This is your second book, with both of your releases being devotional releases. What draws you to this space of writing?

KHB: Devotional writing is a way for me to share the Gospel with others, to show them the steadfast love and faithfulness of the Lord in a way they may not have thought about before. It is also a format that allows the reader to go as deep as they want to with it; for the busy mom, it may be that she only has time to read through it once and have it in her head for the rest of the day; or for the person that has more time they can read it and really ponder what is being said, maybe even do a bit more research on their own.

BS: What is your process like?  

KHB: My process tends to involve a lot of research and study. It is essential that I have my facts right when referring to Scripture because I do not want to take any verses out of context or mislead anyone; therefore, I spend a lot of time reading commentaries and comparing translations. Once I get to the actual writing part, I see what the Lord is saying to me in that Scripture and decide on how I would explain it to someone who may not have read it before. 

BS: I know you are active in various faith-based communities. I’m sure these experiences greatly inspire your written work, right?

KHB: Oh, yes, the Lord has allowed me to be a part of many different service organizations, locally and globally, over the years; and in every instance, the thing people needed most was hope. So learning how to share the hope found in Jesus with people in vastly different circumstances from me is the fuel for my writing. Moreover, the Lord continually shows me how to use it to encourage more than I could have ever imagined.

BS: As we wrap up here, what you are working on now? And how can our readers keep up with you?  

KHB: I am currently working on two projects: Songs of Steadfast Love, a walk through Psalms focusing on how the steadfast love of the Lord is seen in each of them, is for my weekday microblog; and I am in research mode for a study of Luke with a different slant. You can find me and my weekday writings on Instagram and Facebook @sojournersjourney20 or on my website www.sojournersjourney.net.

BS: Congratulations, Kristina, on your book’s release. I wish you much success with it and your upcoming projects!

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Kristina Howard-Booth has been a passionate Christ-follower for over thirty years. She began leading and speaking to groups while in high school, a trait that carried through college as an active member of the Baptist Campus Ministries at the University of Alabama. In 2003, Kristina and her husband were appointed by the International Mission Board to go into North Africa and the Middle East, since returning home they have been a part of numerous short-term trips in the United States and abroad. Kristina’s dedication to discipleship and encouragement has only grown over the last fifteen years; along with becoming a Certified Christian Life Coach, she has continued to lead youth and women’s church groups. Kristina is currently pursuing her Masters of Biblical Theology through Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.

Humor can be appealing or appalling, but any writer can benefit from adding a little humor to their work. Humor writing is not easy, however, and print humor demands a lighter touch than verbal humor.

The first rule of humor writing is to know your audience. Identify with their background, upbringing, culture, age, location, or life experiences in order to get on their wave length. If you’re writing for a religious newspaper, skip the off-color jokes and sexual innuendoes.  Your readers must be comfortable with your humor.

The second rule of humor writing is to develop a unique comic perspective, the motor that drives your comic engine. Seinfeld focuses on the minutiae of everyday life. David Barry lampoons everyone in his column from politicians to toilets using his trademark, “I’m not making this up.” Comedienne Rita Rudner packs a wallop into every line such as “golf is a short word for a long game.” Analyze what makes you laugh so you can discover your own comic voice.

A third rule of humor writing is to use your imagination. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Humor is subjective so be prepared to fail occasionally. Create a quirky character for your story. Use exaggeration and/or understatement.  Focus on the illogical, the unpredictable, and the ridiculous. Try some satire or self-deprecating humor. Then add some verbal gymnastics or take an old cliché and twist it around such as W. C. Fields did in the following quote, “if at first you don’t succeed, then quit.”

Making people laugh is more difficult than making them cry, but it’s much better for their psyches. Humor eradicates hostile feelings and builds community. It’s hard to hate someone you’ve laughed with so lighten up. Loosen up. Then go write some humor.

(This essay originally appeared in the East Tennessee Newsletter (Knoxville Writers’ Guild))

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Judy DiGregorio is recognized as a Woman of Distinction in the Arts by the YWCA. She is also a Distinguished Alumna of New Mexico Highlands University. She has published hundreds of columns and essays in The Writer, Army-Navy Times, New Millennium Writings, the Chicken Soup books, and numerous anthologies and has worked as a humor columnist for The Oak Ridger, Anderson County Visions Magazine, Senior Living and EvaMag. Judy's collection of humorous essays, Life Among the Lilliputians from Celtic Cat Publishing , was featured at the 2009 Southern Festival of Books in Nashville. She also participated in the 2010 Southern Festival with her second book, Memories of a Loose Woman. Celtic Cat Publishing also released a CD, Jest Judy, read by the author and available on Itunes, and also published her third humor book, Tidbits, in the summer of 2015. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies, newspapers, and magazines. She has been featured on Channel 10 “Your Stories” by Abby Hamm and on WDVX Tennessee Shines Radio, Knoxville.  

Judy served on the Playhouse Board of Directors where she performed in 14 productions at the Oak Ridge Playhouse.   Judy has spoken at the UT Writers in the Library Series, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 National Security Complex, as well as numerous writing conferences and festivals including the Tennessee Mountain Writers’ Conference in Oak Ridge, Alabama Writers’ Conclave, and Chattanooga Writers Conference. In her spare time, Judy hangs out with her first (and last) husband and writes light verse and humorous essays, sings with the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Choir, performs Sephardic Hispanic music, and cuddles her great granddaughter.

You can visit her website at www.judyjabber.com.

It was a pleasure to talk with Emma Fox, author of The Arrow and the Crown. In our conversation, we discuss, among other topics, the appeal of certain genres, writerly inspiration, and Emma’s latest work. 

Bradley Sides: First of all, thank you, Emma, for taking the time to talk to us here at the AWC. Before we dive into talking about your recent books, do you mind talking about your writerly journey? Have you always been a writer? 

Emma Fox: Yes and no. I wrote constantly as a kid, using up reams of paper and dozens of three-prong folders. But after college, I worked for a decade as a private music teacher. It wasn’t until I was expecting my third child that I started fishing around for a more flexible side-career, and rediscovered my early passion for fiction-writing.

BS: You write and review YA Fantasy and Historical Fiction. What is it about these two genres that you love so much?

EF: I love the way that both these genres transport me to other times and places, whether in the real world or an imagined one. I especially enjoy the synergy that springs from combining a culture’s history and folklore. Historical fantasy is my sweet spot!

BS: So many writers are readers as well. What books have inspired you the most?

EF: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy and C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia ignited my early love of fantasy, while Robin McKinley’s lush, layered fairytale retellings inspired me to write retellings of my own. I also enjoy historical fiction with threads of near-fantasy, like Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See, and Marcus Zuzak’s The Book Thief.

BS: The Arrow and the Crown was your debut novel. For readers who haven’t uncovered it yet, will you give a brief synopsis?

EF: Arrow has echoes of Beauty and the Beast, but with new plot twists and a medieval German setting. From the back cover: Ever since Anna can remember, she has avoided the ancient Grünwald Forest, where her parents disappeared years ago. Everyone in the kingdom of Weissburg knows that the forest is haunted. Tales abound of vengeful spirits that lurk among the trees, and of a Beast that has taken the lives of peasants, knights, and the king’s own son. But when the Beast emerges after seven silent years to wreak havoc on the kingdom, Anna braves all her fears to confront him. She soon discovers that there’s more to the Beast than she realized…and more to herself than she ever imagined.

BS: How long did it take you to write The Arrow and the Crown? And what was your path to publication like? 

EF: It was a five-year process from the initial brainstorming to final publication. It took 14 months to research and complete the rough draft, but as every dedicated writer knows, that initial manuscript is only the first step! Next I waded through many rounds of edits, sorted through various publication options (I landed on self-publishing in order to have the most creative freedom), and worked for another year with my editor, cover artist, and graphic designer in order to get the manuscript just right. It was slow going, but the end result was well worth it!

BS: I know you contributed a story to the new anthology The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad. For you, do you find story writing and novel writing to be similar in process? Or are they two totally different undertakings?

EF: I outlined my short story in much the same way that I outline my novels, with a similar arc structure--just in a simplified and much more compact form! It was refreshing to complete a project within a short time frame: the Galahad story took about two weeks to research, write, and revise, while both the novels I’ve written have taken at least two years. I also enjoyed the collaborative aspect of the Galahad project, as our team of authors and editors worked together to create a diverse, yet cohesive, collection of tales.

BS: You have some events in store in the coming days and weeks. Can you give us the dates and locations for readers who would like to learn more about you and your work?

EF: I host regular writing workshops throughout the year at North Shelby Library in Birmingham. We’re kicking off this summer’s reading program with a Generation Celebration at Heardmont Park on June 1st, using storytelling and games to connect readers of all ages. I’ll also be teaching creative writing workshops through the summer at North Shelby Library for 8-12 year olds (6/15, 2pm), teens (6/23, 4pm), and adults (7/11, 6:30pm). Registration for each of these workshops can be found under the “Events” tab at https://www.northshelbylibrary.org/. Additionally, I’ll be signing and reading at Pipo’s Unique Books in the Irondale Pickers’ Market on June 18th from 10 am - 12 pm. 

BS: Before I let you go, do you mind sharing what you are working on now? Another story? A new novel? 

EF: I recently completed a new fantasy novel that weaves together Siberian history and folklore. The folktales of this region are a fascinating blend of European, Asian, and Middle Eastern cultures, and I’d like to help make them more widely known! 

BS: Thank you again, Emma, for your time, and congratulations on all of your recent successes!

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Emma Fox grew up in and around the legend-drenched city of Savannah, Georgia, where she fell in love with history and fantasy side by side. She now lives in “The Magic City” of Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, three kids, and an inordinate number of books that seem to mysteriously multiply overnight. Her debut fantasy novel The Arrow and the Crown has received multiple awards, including the Warren S. Katz Award for Juvenile Fiction from the AWC, and the Writer’s Award for Young Adult Fiction from the Southern Breeze chapter of the SCBWI. Most recently, she worked as a contributing author to The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad, newly-released from Rabbit Room Press.

Visit Emma at www.emmafoxauthor.com to learn more about her work, subscribe to her monthly newsletter, or read her blog reviews of other YA fantasy and historical fiction.  

As we start to gear up for our annual conference in late August, it’s time to also start thinking about selecting new members to our all-volunteer board of directors. Board elections will take place during the annual business meeting on the last day of the conference. 

We have several opportunities available because quite a few standing board members are due to cycle off after their long and invaluable service to our members. Board involvement is a great way to network and build relationships with your fellow writers inside and outside the state, and -- because we have no paid professional staff -- it’s critical to the organization fulfillment of our mission to “engage and nurture a diverse community of Alabama writers.”

The following elected board positions are coming open for the next two-year term starting after the annual business meeting in August:

• Second Vice President (Membership Chair)

• Treasurer

• Alternate Treasurer

Please don’t let the term “elected” deter you from considering service in one of the roles above. Prospective board candidates typically run unopposed, and our nominating committee will guide the process toward “win-win” solutions all around. And outgoing board members are committed to making a smooth transition for their successors.

Article III of our amended bylaws describes these positions in more detail, but you can also feel free to contact AWC Board President TJ Beitelman if you’d like more information about a specific position.

We also have the following appointed (non-elected) position available:

• Publications Chair

Again, for more information or to express interest in serving in any of the positions above, please contact TJ Beitelman no later than June 1.  

It was a pleasure to be able to talk with Ramey Channell about her Moonlight Ridge Series (and also her just-released picture book, Mice from the Planet Zimlac). In our conversation, we discuss, among other topics, magic, the South, and good writerly advice:

Bradley Sides: Thank you, Ramey, for taking the time to talk with me. Before we discuss some of your recent work, I’d like to ask about you as a writer. Do you remember when you knew you wanted to write books?

Ramey Channell:  I knew at a very early age that I wanted to be a writer. I wrote poems and stories in elementary school. I remember writing a story about a rabbit and a fairy when I was in the fourth grade, and a “wild west” story in the fifth grade. In sixth grade I wrote an epic poem about a dodo bird! My mother and my grandmother were avid readers, and listening to their conversations about the books they were reading inspired my desire to write. I had poems and stories published in our high school literary magazine, VOX, and my first national publication was a poem in National Scholastic Magazine, when I was twenty years old. I’ve been working at it ever since.

BS: Reading is such a big part of many writers’ lives. Are you a big reader? If so, what are some of the books you love the most?

RC: I have so many favorite books, it’s hard to name them all. I like biographies because I’m intrigued by the lives of people who have impacted and helped shape our world. For fiction, The Bartender’s Tale by Ivan Doig because it’s lots of fun, and Dances With Wolves by Michael Blake for the beautiful characters and overwhelming emotion of the story. I loved reading The English Patient, because the language is poetic and like looking at a beautiful, intricate tapestry. I was so impressed and awed by Michael Ondaatje’s writing. I think Dracula by Bram Stoker is one of the best books ever written. People of the Whale by Linda Hogan is incomparable, absolutely perfect. I was impressed by Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad because it’s a story of a flawed individual who willingly sacrifices himself for others; Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole is one of my favorites because it’s absolutely crazy, and The Trees, The Fields, and The Town (The Awakening Land) by Conrad Richter because it’s the story of a strong, intelligent, competent woman. And a recent favorite is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, a science fiction novel with a lovable alien named Rocky.

BS: Let’s talk about your Moonlight Ridge Series. Currently, the first three books are out (Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge (2010), The Witches of Moonlight Ridge (2016), and The Treasure of Moonlight Ridge (2021)), and the fourth—and final—one is on the way. For readers who aren’t familiar with your series, do you mind sharing what it’s about? 

RC:  The Moonlight Ridge books are southern fiction, a mixture of fact and fiction based loosely on my childhood and stories I heard from my parents and grandparents. The stories are set in the 1950s Alabama backwoods and a small Alabama town called Eden, which for hometown people is actually recognizable as my hometown of Leeds, Alabama.  There’s a lot of adventure as the two protagonists, Lily Claire and her “twin” cousin Willie T., explore the woods, finding mystery, magic, and occasional danger. The first book, Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, introduces Lily Claire and Willie T., their parents, grandparents, and their multi-ethnic family and community. After discovering that the infant son of their neighbor has a map on his tongue, the two intrepid eight-year-olds embark on an adventurous search to see what they can find by following the map they have seen on Baby Junior’s tongue.  But when Baby Junior disappears, the two kids use the map they copied from the infant’s tongue to locate him, averting a tragedy in the small town of Eden. The Witches of Moonlight Ridge follows the two young sleuths, accompanied by their eccentric fourth grade teacher, Erskine Batson, as Halloween approaches and things get really spooky on the mountain. Then in book three, The Treasure of Moonlight Ridge, when winter weather on the mountain goes from unusually cold to undeniably arctic, a half-frozen stranger appears at the door, and a mysterious message from long ago brings intrigue, danger, kidnappers, mishaps, and a search for ancient treasure.

BS: One of my favorite genres of literature is magical realism. With your Moonlight Ridge Series, you embrace the magical side of the world. What inspired you to include magic in these books?

RC: Well, as my character, Lily Claire, says, “We have always lived with ghosts on Moonlight Ridge.” Living so close to nature, surrounded by seemingly endless woods, isolated woodlands, country folks who are constantly experiencing strange and unexplainable events, magical realism is a part of everyday life. There is magic all around us, all the time. In these environs, you don’t have to imagine or invent the magic, it happens all around you and there is just no way to ignore it. What we now call the supernatural or the paranormal, was so constant in my family as I was growing up, my stories naturally reflect magic, beauty, and mystery as I have always known it.

BS: Your series is firmly rooted in the South. Do you find it easier to write about a place you know so well? Or is it more challenging because of the closeness?

RC: I actually find it very easy and enjoyable to write about the places and the people I know best. There is such a rich inheritance of folklore and wisdom all around us in Alabama, especially in the often forgotten forests and old home places, under the trees and in the shadows of the mountains. Those are the places that have their own stories, and there’s nothing I like more than sharing the unexpected tales with readers. 

BS: With you finishing the final book of the series now, how do you feel to be closing your time with these characters and their world?

RC: These characters are real and beloved to me, both the ones based on people I’ve known and the ones that are altogether fictitious.  I’m just endlessly delighted by the eccentric, surprising characters of Moonlight Ridge. They’re so real to me, I’m pretty sure they’ll live on as an influence in my life, even after I’ve finished writing the series. Lily Claire and Willie T. are immortal!

BS: I know the Moonlight Ridge Series isn’t your only recent project. In 2021, you released the picture book Mice from the Planet Zimlac, which you wrote AND illustrated. Did you write the story first and later illustrate it? Did you do the two simultaneously? What was the process like as you put this book together?

RC: I wrote the story, Mice from the Planet Zimlac, several years ago, and started work on the illustrations soon after writing the story. So I had my characters defined, I knew what they looked like. Some time elapsed before I got back to work on completing the illustrations, and as luck would have it, that turned out to be fortunate. After a while, I was able to see the little Zimlacians more clearly in my imagination, and so I was better able to capture their quirky expressions and body language. It was actually a rather lengthy process. Definitely a labor of love, bringing those little space-mice to life on paper.

BS: Before I let you go, what is the best advice you’ve gotten as a writer that you would like to share with emerging writers?

RC: Try to write something as good as the books, stories, poetry, that made you want to write to begin with. This is advice from Brad Watson, who encouraged me in the beginning of Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge. At that point, I didn’t know that I’d be writing a series with a Moonlight Ridge book for each season of the year. But I was determined not to sell my characters short. I’ve also heard “Write what you’re afraid to write.” There have been a few themes and subjects that I just thought I couldn’t write about, no one would believe it. But those passages turned out to be some of the most defining and important parts of the Moonlight Ridge narrative. And, most importantly, reread, reread, and reread. Make sure that every sentence you’ve written actually says what you intended to say. Remember the reader can’t see what you’re thinking, they can only see what you put down on paper.

BS: Congratulations, Ramey, on all of your recent success, and thank you again for taking the time to answer a few questions for us over at the AWC.

RC: Bradley, thank you so much for this opportunity to share my love of writing with readers and AWC members.

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Ramey Channell turns family legends into fantastic fiction. A native Alabamian, Ramey Channell spent her childhood in the deep and enchanted woods surrounding her rural home in Leeds, Alabama, a small town near Birmingham. Her award winning poetry and stories have appeared in many journals and collections including Ordinary & Sacred as Blood: Alabama Women Speak, Belles’ Letters 2,  and Stormy Pieces: a Mobile Writers Guild Anthology. Her published novels are Sweet Music on Moonlight Ridge, The Witches of Moonlight Ridge, and The Treasure of Moonlight Ridge. Ramey’s picture book, Mice from the Planet Zimlac, is for children ages 2 to 6 years, and adults of all ages.