Kim, in Baltimore, getting things together for the York Book Expo on November 2nd.
I always joke that because my dad was a homicide detective and my mother grew up in a graveyard, I was obsessed with death. I’ve spent countless hours watching shows about unsolved cases, police dramas, and anything that involves haunted houses. In addition to reading mysteries, I also enjoy writing them.
Dad would say I tried too hard, that I made my writing difficult. He wanted me to fictionalize some of his cases, and before he lived with me, would spend hours on the phone explaining them to me in great detail. After his death I found that I was in possession of his notebooks and a few case files. I’ve never used any of them.
Recently I’ve been writing more than just mysteries. I’ve dipped my toe into women’s fiction and romance. A lot of this change has come about during my fall and spring retreats with a group called The Mindful Writers.
We meet twice a year for retreat in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. The group consist of writers from all genres. During one of our retreats we decided to produce anthologies and donate all the proceeds to different charities. Our first collaboration was called “Into the Woods” and we chose the Children’s Heart Foundation as our charity. This year we published “Over the River and Through the Woods.”
All the proceeds of this anthology will be donated to the Ligonier Camp and Conference Center which holds summer programs for children and most of the work the LCCC does is geared towards children and their families. 
This year’s anthology contains twenty-one winter holiday stories written by some of the most entertaining authors I know. If you are a lover of short stories you may want to check this volume out. I will be giving away a copy to one lucky reader who comments below.
My story, Tidings of Comfort and Joyce, involves a woman named Joyce Pine. The name, or character rather, came to me before the story did. I knew Joyce was a lost soul who had tried to make the best of the bad choices she had made in her life. When the theme for the anthology was decided, I began to wonder how Joyce might be spending her holidays. I thought about the conflict that occurs during family holiday gatherings. How would Joyce avoid that? With that question as the jumping off point, the story practically wrote itself.
With family holiday gatherings in mind, does anyone care to share a funny or touching story of your own? Remember, your comment may win you Over the River and Through the Woods A Mindful Writers anthology.
Congratulations, Kim – and I love the title of your story! I have a Christmas book coming out next fall called Candy Slain Murder, in which a young man finds his birth sister and mother – and gets accused of murder for his efforts.
Thanks, Edith!
My funny story is already in this anthology, except it’s an essay about the pressures of the holiday season. It’s not funny but I think it’s touching–or maybe ironic. Participating in an anthology is such a wonderful bonding experience. The Mindful Writers are diverse and sensitive, amusing and wild, and all the good things you want a tribe of writers to be. I’m honored to be in the group, and in the anthology with you!
You’re story is really funny and sweet!
Hello, everyone! I’m sorry but I won’t have Internet access again until later tonight. I will reply to all of your comments this evening. Have a good day!
Congratulations on the stories, Kim. I don’t have many outstanding holiday memories, but there was the year my siblings and I walked out on my aunt’s Christmas dinner before dessert. She’d refused to invite our other set of grandparents (my dad’s parents) to dinner because “they weren’t family.” Well, they were our family! So after Christmas turkey, we went over for dessert. Fortunately, the town was small and we could walk.
Aren’t families funny? My father’s mother was sort of the same way. Once you married into the Norton clan, no one else mattered. They were your family now.
Congratulations on the new story! I can’t wait to read it.
Thank you, Sherry!
Congrats on the story in the anthology!
Thanks, Mark!
Love reading anthologies, would enjoy reading. No funny holiday stories to share.
Dianne, I probably have enough stories for all of us! š
Congrats! I’ll have to look for this, it sounds fun.
Thanks, Alicia!
My Uncle used to invite all kinds of people over for Christmas Dinner and as we all met at his house and he had at least 25 at one time it was no big deal. But this one Christmas as I came in I could hear playing in the L.R. from the Den and I went in. Uncle George played the harmonica, Dad the Banjo and a few other people and in the middle was Doc. Watson from The Grand Ole Opry playing away. My Aunt said he was in town recording and Uncle George brought him home for Christmas…
Congratulations Kim! I always look forward to reading your posts. This book will be on my holiday reading list for sure.