Ronnie Blackwell

Last Saturday, I let my friend Valerie Wells talk me into “driving her” to a writing workshop in Jackson while her car is in the shop.  Happy to do her the favor, I grabbed my binoculars and gear bag and headed out.  I had no idea what was to come.

I enjoyed myself.  I found the workshop full of helpful advice, the moderator intelligent and happy to share her real expertise, the other participants interesting and creative.  It was pretty much unlike most writing workshops I’ve even done.

Okay, I’m an old dog…what can I say?

Here’s a link to our moderator’s column in today’s Jackson Free Press.  Yeah, I’m the ‘birding columnist’ she’s talking about….

http://www.jacksonfreepress.com/index.php/site/comments/editors_note_art_is_the_best_revenge_090209/

Posted by Lin Harper under Serve It Cold | No Comments »

It’s been a long, dry spring. Dry in more than one way. Especially dry where my blogging is concerned. Lin sometimes laments that she isn’t blogging much and seems to feel very guilty about it. I can seemingly go months without thinking about it because I’m working on other writing; then Lin mentions it and off we go.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she says, when what she means is that she’s said “yes” to too many projects, activities, invitations, and life in general, even though we both know she really does want to do it all. I guess I’m overwhelmed with the ideas bubbling in my head, the stories that call to me to revisit them, to write a few more pages. I’m overwhelmed, too, and although I never consciously choose to ignore the blog, it is clear that I choose to ignore it rather than spend my “writing time” writing here. And, no, I don’t feel guilty at all. If you want to hear my voice, read my columns, buy my book, or listen to the podcast. Until then, get outside and look at the sky and see what you can see. It’s what I do when overwhelmed, and I highly recommend it.

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Lin bought herself a tiny little videocam and is busily driving me crazy with it. We are back in town from a great weekend in Dauphin Island, AL. DIAL is a birding hotspot for spring migration and the list of migrating birds we saw is far too long to mention here. We will be posting it (eventually) in eBird, if you want to check it out.

As for now, here’s a new thing we’re trying.

CLICK HERE for a short video of me talking about a popular birding site on Dauphin Island, AL.

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Lin and I are working on the site. We’ve neglected it terribly with all other work we’re doing, but I just added a video of my reading at the Oak Grove (MS) Public Library in December. That’s also on my “Appearances” page, if you want to take a look. Michael DeVries, Librarian out there in the wilds of Oak Grove, did the video, so give him some snaps for that. Be patient with me — I’m not procrastinating (as Lin likes to say) – I’m WRITING! But I did want you to know I haven’t forsaken the site.

It’s spring. Keep an eye on the sky! Between bouts of reading SERVE IT COLD & SPITE, of course.

Posted by Ron under Serve It Cold | 1 Comment »

Dear readers,

And dear you are to me. I want to thank you for all the help, the messages of encouragement, and the patience that you have shown Lin and me this year. Your word-of mouth support has helped spread my readership all across the country.

This year, In addition to my two bird-watching columns in the Hattiesburg American(every other Thursday in the Home section) and the Biloxi SunHerald(every Sunday in the Outdoors section), I published the second book in my Jonny C Mystery series, Spite. And I’m thrilled to announce that my collaboration with Mobile artist, Georgia Godwin, The Legend of Crow-Baby, is now available from Lulu. This book is a tribute to my father and the young crow that came to live on the farm with Daddy, not as a pet, but as a friend.

In 2009 we are looking forward to audio versions of both Spite and The Legend of Crow-Baby to be produced by our friends at Dancing Cats Studios. I’m working on the third book in the Jonny C series, Cold Comfort, and we are also working on a compilation book of my bird-watching columns. Stay tuned!

You can find links to my columns at RonnieBlackwell.com. All of my books are available from my new Lulu storefront: http://stores.lulu.com/ronnieblackwell

Thanks, again.

I wish you a new year full of feathered angels!

Ron

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and just not that into it today. New post coming. I promise.

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it’s September! What happened to August?! Unbelievable!

Work is coming along on COLD COMFORT (8 chapters in). Martha and Paul are frantically working on scripting for SPITE, trying to get some of that done before lovely baby Eliza Rose arrives in early October. Lin has done an editing blitz on SPITE to clean up the few errors we found once we released it. And, I . . . well, I’m writing, when Lin doesn’t have me working on household chores, running errands, or generally dealing with life (i.e., my mother’s birthday, a doctor’s appointment, etc.).

Today, I took a break and went to the Hattiesburg Arts Council meeting at lunch, and now am home, settling in for an afternoon of reading, research, and writing. Gotta get that column for the Sun Herald ready for Thursday. Be sure to check both newspapers this week; I’ll have articles coming out in both the Hattiesburg American (Thursday) and the Sun Herald (Sunday).

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My second Jonny C mystery novel, SPITE is finally getting off the ground. Books are available from Lulu.com right now and they will soon be available from Amazon and other sources in the traditional distribution system. Those lucky enough to own a Kindle can download my both first Jonny C book, Serve It Cold and SPITE from the Amazon Kindle store.
This book is a ramble through the alternative reality of Catherine Mississippi and far beyond. The cast of characters introduced in Serve It Cold grows even larger in SPITE, and this time Jonny and Vera take the show on the road. From the blackwater swamps of Mississippi to the windswept highlands of Kauai’s Napali Coast, Jonny C his his motley crew battle mercenaries, legendart warriors, newspaper writers, rogue cops, drug kingpins, and a phalanx of lawyers. Along the way Jonny finds that the past cannot not stay buried and that dead men don’t always stay that way. But even running for his life can’t keep Jonny C from eating well and doing a little birdwatching along the way.

STAY TUNED FOR SPITE THE PODIOBOOK- FROM DANCING CATS

Posted by Ron under SPITE & Serve It Cold | 1 Comment »

The mailout got finished and mailed on Thursday, August 30…just in time for Lin’s deadline.

We had family all weekend with our god-children (and their parents) from Miami and a bunch of other people from all over the southeast.

We went birding in the Delta on Monday, looking unsuccessfully for the Jabiru.

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Click on the link to hear me on Writer’s Talking, hosted by Matthew Wayne Selznick. For an extra treat, Tee Morris, another Lulu author and Podiobooks veteran is on the show with us. Thanks for listening.

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