{"id":2572,"date":"2024-03-07T04:18:05","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T04:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?p=2572"},"modified":"2024-03-07T04:18:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-07T04:18:05","slug":"2024-so-far","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?p=2572","title":{"rendered":"2024 So Far:"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The new year isn’t new anymore. 2024 has had some haps. Here’s a few things going on, writing-wise.<\/p>\n

Murder, Neat<\/em><\/h4>\n

\"\"A few years ago, the Sleuthsayers blog collective set out on a plan. An anthology plan<\/a>. The Sleuthsayers ranks includes a few dozen terrific writers all with a love for short crime fiction. A group like that could, you know, pull together something as a group. The idea was stories set in or about bars. Booze is a crime fiction trope–but for good reason. Bars and booze are natural habitat for crime stories. The question is how stories play within that space, and we set out to play. <\/p>\n

My offering is “Noble Rot.” I’ll go into its whats and whys in my March 9 post over there. All the contributing authors are posting about their contributions all month. It’s pure fun, and as a writing nerd, I’ve enjoyed hearing the stories behind the stories. This labor of love is several years in the making. Much thanks and respect to our editors Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman. Likewise to our collective leaders Rob Lopresti and Leigh Lundin. Much appreciation also to Level Best Books for believing in the project.<\/p>\n

Mystery Magazine<\/em> and Other Stuff Inbound<\/h4>\n

\"\"If you detect a smile in my words, it’s from a long-time idea getting over the line. A few years and a way different project ago, I tossed a powerfully silly Nashville PD detective onto a draft page. Powerfully silly. That project collapsed, but the great ideas behind it stuck with me. Including Det. Powerfully Silly. After fits and starts and pauses, I’m proud and delighted Mystery Magazine<\/em> liked this over-committed guy, too. “Someone Went and Killed Tickly Thomason” meets the world in their March 2024 edition.<\/p>\n

Another upcoming story is also in an anthology, this one led by Sisters in Crime’s Knoxville chapter. No publication date yet, though it’s on its way some time this year. The last one queued up will be in Black Cat Mystery Magazine<\/em>. <\/p>\n

There Were Tapas<\/h4>\n

I’ll save the full travelogue for another time, but last October we jaunted across Spain. Toledo, Sevilla, Cadiz, Madrid. A pass through Gibraltar, as well. So much history. I got to walk in the footsteps of Cervantes, Byron, and Hemingway. It does rain in Spain, and not merely on the plain. It fell on me. No complaints. This is the joy and story of travel.<\/p>\n

Ah, Spain. The food isn’t as good as you might’ve heard, though. It’s better.<\/p>\n

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Closer to Home<\/h4>\n

My few conference and speaking appearances on the radar have a theme. I’ll be part of this June’s Bill Peach Franklin Book Festival right here in my home town. In August, I’m doing the conference double of Killer Nashville and the Nashville Bouchercon the very next week. If you’re headed to either gathering, let me know.<\/p>\n

Sisters in Crime Middle Tennessee<\/h4>\n

I’ve been on the SinC Middle Tennessee board for ten years now. I was due to roll of as Past President. But you know what? They keep pulling me back in. Seriously, I love our local folks, and there was an opening that needed filling. I’m glad to stick around as Past Past President. What does such a role do? Past Past President stuff, like to mention the old ways and to nod knowingly during meetings. Or, on a good day, call on wisdom and experience and help on ideas. I’m glad to do it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The new year isn’t new anymore. 2024 has had some haps. Here’s a few things going on, writing-wise. Murder, Neat A few years ago, the Sleuthsayers blog collective set out on a plan. An anthology plan. The Sleuthsayers ranks includes a few dozen terrific writers all with a love for short crime fiction. A group… Continue reading 2024 So Far:<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[10,92,93,7],"tags":[9,100,130,5],"class_list":["post-2572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-crime-mystery-and-suspense","category-short-stories","category-southern-fiction","category-travel","tag-crime-fiction","tag-sisters-in-crime","tag-spain","tag-writing","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3CG0W-Fu","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1794,"url":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?p=1794","url_meta":{"origin":2572,"position":0},"title":"ForSleuth! I’m Onboard SleuthSayers.","author":"rtmcontrol","date":"October 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 I'm excited and honored as of this morning to join the SleuthSayers gang for a monthly blog caper. SleuthSayers is both a favorite blog I've followed and a well-respected collaborative of some seriously talented short mystery fiction writers. Special guests, crime fighters, the works. These folks are long-established across\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Crime, Mystery & Suspense"","block_context":{"text":"Crime, Mystery & Suspense","link":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/robertmangeot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Presentation1a-fingerprint-300x224.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1868,"url":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?p=1868","url_meta":{"origin":2572,"position":1},"title":"The Haps: Spring 2021","author":"rtmcontrol","date":"April 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Spring has definitely sprung, and just as it brought its usual host of pollen and fresh critters, I have a minor host of updates to report: LOWESTOFT CHRONICLE In March 2021, my story \"No Entiendo\" appeared in Lowestoft Chronicle #45. The piece follows an IT guy who takes a contract\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Awards and Honors"","block_context":{"text":"Awards and Honors","link":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?cat=14"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/robertmangeot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/Presentation1-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":968,"url":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?p=968","url_meta":{"origin":2572,"position":2},"title":"Derringer-ered!","author":"rtmcontrol","date":"April 13, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm incredibly proud\u00a0 that last year's\u00a0\"The Cumberland Package\"\u00a0(AHMM, May 2016) has been named a finalist for the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Derringer Awards.\u00a0 I mean, like busting-at-seams proud. Of being named, because the crime\u00a0space these days is terrific in\u00a0its voice\u00a0and depth. The\u00a0stuff that leaves me vibrating explores\u00a0in stark terms\u00a0human nature\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Crime, Mystery & Suspense"","block_context":{"text":"Crime, Mystery & Suspense","link":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":436,"url":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?p=436","url_meta":{"origin":2572,"position":3},"title":"Behind: “Death or Taxes”","author":"rtmcontrol","date":"August 24, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Behind the Writing Scenes of \"Death or Taxes,\" published in the July '14 issue of Mysterical-E. Summer 2011: it was that purplish state of dawn.\u00a0My eyes flew open.\u00a0My breath caught in my throat. Inspiration had come. It was ready to bubble out, like it or not. And I liked it.\u00a0In\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Crime, Mystery & Suspense"","block_context":{"text":"Crime, Mystery & Suspense","link":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2545,"url":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?p=2545","url_meta":{"origin":2572,"position":4},"title":"2023, A Funny Sort of Year","author":"rtmcontrol","date":"December 27, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"We all beat our drums about what's important to us. Humor is important to me, in life and in writing. Not surprisingly then, a drum I beat when talking writing is the serious business of humor. To write with humor's lens is to load more rocks into the burden sack,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Awards and Honors"","block_context":{"text":"Awards and Honors","link":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?cat=14"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/robertmangeot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Slide3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/robertmangeot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Slide3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/robertmangeot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Slide3.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/robertmangeot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Slide3.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":367,"url":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?p=367","url_meta":{"origin":2572,"position":5},"title":"It Was a Cold and Stormy Night","author":"rtmcontrol","date":"May 17, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"It was a cold and stormy night. A steady rain turned the New York streets slick and pattered the spring leaves.\u00a0Cabs sloshed past office workers huddled in raincoats hurried home. The rain kept on,\u00a0in streamlets down into the subway stations and turning the air into a glistening haze. Perfect\u00a0night for\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Crime, Mystery & Suspense"","block_context":{"text":"Crime, Mystery & Suspense","link":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/?cat=10"},"img":{"alt_text":"Mysterious Books 042914 for Launch Party","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/robertmangeot.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/Mysterious-Books-042914-for-Launch-Party-300x225.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2572"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2615,"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2572\/revisions\/2615"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2572"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2572"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/robertmangeot.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}