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  I've truly been blessed to meet, get to know, and even become friends with hundreds —possibly thousands— of writers over the last three decades. Many of those contacts have come through the Oklahoma Writers' Federation Inc ., SoonerCon , Yard Dog Press , and a score of other writing groups, writing conferences, and Sci-Fi conventions I've attended. Once upon a time, I was envious of how much more talent some of those writers possessed. I felt insignificant. I was a tiny drop of water in a giant sea. I was always struggling to keep my head above water, and always sinking farther and farther below more talented and more successful authors. When I retired from the theatre, nearly 35 years ago, I retired at a time when I was completely confident in my talent and abilities as an actor. I retired at a time when I was at my peak and knew I could have been a professional actor if I had pursued that career. Because of that confidence, I had the ability to walk away from...

For those who didn't even notice I was gone, I'm back. My husband was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer last February and passed away four months later June 21, 2013. I soldiered on the first few months fulfilling speaking engagements and attending conferences and conventions that were already on my schedule before crashing into the black oblivion of widowhood. The last few months I've wallowed in my grief. My mourning period is not yet over  but at least I've finally reached the point where I have accepted that it isn't necessary for me to roll over and die just because he did. Believe me the thought did cross my mind. I'm still bitter and have abandonment issues. When I realized I hadn't written anything or updated my own website or the Norman Galaxy website in over six months I also realized it is time to start breathing again. Yes, there is life after death. Life goes on for those our loved ones leave behind. So I'm crawling out from under...

Great Norman Galaxy of Writers ' meeting this morning.  Contest winners read their winning entries. Wow. Some of the stories blew me away; Especially, Katherine West's Short Story— "A Good Hand" filled with enough dark humor even I had to laugh aloud during the death scene.  Shelley Anne Richter's   Nonfiction Article— “Saddle Dwellers” taught me a few things I didn't know about cowboys. I grew up around rodeo stars –my dad was one of them. He was a calf roper and bulldogger. When he wasn't riding in the rodeo he was breaking horses for other people. We always had horses and I learned to ride –Western style- before I learned to walk. I have a friend that rides –English style- and trust me it's an entirely different type of horseback riding.  I thought I grew up as a cowgirl but Shelly's historical view of the real American cowboy tarnished my previously glamorous image of the olden day cowpoke and enlightened me to the harsh re...