Thomas and Todd to Sign Hot Flash Mommas at Hastings Books, Moscow, ID

Susan Thomas and Sonia Todd will be available to sign copies of A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas at Hastings Books,  Moscow, Idaho,  December 4, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Ms. Thomas’ humorous story, “The Business of Finding a Husband,” won first place in the contest associated with the anthology. Ms. Thomas lives in Moscow, Idaho, with her husband, Aaron, and their three children—Yesenia, Dakota and Novik. She loves to write, quilt, speak Spanish and help out at her Southern Baptist Church and at various local charitable organizations. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in philosophy at the University of Idaho and is president of an ACW writers’ group, called We Is Writers. She has previously written for Keys for Kids, The Secret Place and Focus on the Family.

Ms. Todd’story, “Mirror Image” was one of 25 stories selected for the anthology. Ms. Todd is a member of two writing groups and ACW. She lives with her husband and two sons in Moscow, Idaho. She blogs at http://myfirstlaunch.blogspot.com/.

Sylvia Straub Sells Hot Flash Mommas at Holiday Bazaar

Sylvia Straub gave permission for Mozark Press to share her November 21 email:

I wanted you to know that of the 20 books I ordered to sell at our church holiday bazaar, 19 have been sold. I have no doubts that the 20th will be snapped up. A member of the church bought a book prior to the bazaar and, after reading several stories (mine included), decided to take it to a reunion with her sisters. She wants each sister to read a story aloud to the others. Several people bought the books as gifts. The other box of books I ordered will be Christmas presents.

I hope sales are going well. By the way, my name, the names of the anthology and my story, and the publisher were printed in the Mystery Writers of America newsletter. I'm almost certain that alumni magazine will have a blurb about the anthology and my story. I'm going to email my sorority sisters from college and tell about my story and where they can purchase the book. They are scattered all over the country.

Sylvia Straub "Dog's Best Friend"

The Story: Maggie Boyd loves animals and will not tolerate abuse. Sylvia Straub's story, "Dog's Best Friend," details Maggie's mission to rescue animals from her neighbor, Jake. Of course, Jake is suspicious that Maggie took his dog Lucy, but the sheriff can't prove anything. When Jake replaces Lucy with Doberman-shepherds, Maggie's rescue efforts get slightly out of hand. Maggie feels a real need for a pot of Darjeeling (with five jiggers of rum) and several slices of her cranberry bread.

About the Author: Sylvia Straub turned to fiction writing following careers in academia and non-profit management. An earlier version of her novel-in-progress, Blood of the Shepherd, earned a second-place award in Shepherd University’s writing competition. “Dog’s Best Friend” was inspired by her experiences rescuing animals for a Humane Society in Indiana.

What Are People Saying about A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas?

 Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas: This anthology has just come out of Mozark Press, and it's brimming with wonderful stories about the forty or older woman and her search for happiness, or love, passion or perhaps revenge.

I’m not sure what each character is searching for because I haven't had time to read each and every story. But I've enjoyed the ones I've read so far. And I'm so glad that this story of mine found a home there. There's a little piece of me in that forty-something woman who bumps into a long-ago lover in the Senoritas. -Cathy C. Hall "The Funny Thing in The Bathroom at Casa Del Rio." You can read the the full blog post at http://cathychall.blogspot.com/2010/11/tooting-my-horn-tuesday-hot-flash.html

Holding my copy of A SHAKER OF MARGARITAS: HOT FLASH MOMMAS in my hand, I'm wowed by the sheer beauty of this printed book - it elevates words into art, and I'm so honored to be a part of it. - Kathy Holmes - "Viva Las Vegas"

It's an honor to have my story, "Criminal Minds," included in A Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas. The anthology is a professional publication from front to back cover, and I've enjoyed reading the stories inside. Thanks for letting me be a part of such a delightful publishing experience.

Cheers! - Donna Volkenannt

Found at http://eastgarrison.blogspot.com/

Why am I promoting it? There's a story called House of Wreckers that I wrote (many moons ago) in it. PLUS--After reading some of the shorts (I'm not through reading all of them cause my daughter swiped it from me), I have to say it's captivating, especially for women (even young girls). And it's not sleazy pornography, just good clean fun. . . . So...check it out. It may turn out to be the next Chicken Soup series. - Kaela Montano

I entered the Shaker of Margaritas anthology contest almost on a whim and didn't really expect anything to come of it. My story seemed to just about write itself while I was vacationing in a peaceful Tennessee state park last summer. Now I am published and have my own author's copy to prove it's real!  I've almost finished reading the book and I've developed quite a new appreciation for the judges, as well as further amazement that my story is included. I keep wondering "why didn't this one win" and then "why didn't that one win?" That is in no way a criticism of those great stories that did place in the top three, but just recognition that so many "winners" are in the book! Can't wait to see what follows!! – Kathryn Coit “Stepping out in Hope.”