Gothamite Monthly Film Award, December 2024

 

 

I'm excited and honored to announce that my screenplay, Summer Darkness won the award for Best Original Short Film Script from the Gothamite Monthly Film Awards for December 2024. This is the second award that Summer Darkness has won.

Carol

2024 My Year in Review

Like last year, I took part in Goodreads Reading Challenge. I increased the goal this year by trying to read eight books. I'll post how I did below.

January 2024 started out on a bad note as I had to put my beloved cat down. She was a wonderful companion to me and I miss her.

My goals for 2024 was to write, write, write, and boy did I. 

In March, I took part in a screenplay pitch event online. Unfortunately, nothing came from it, but I received some great "likes" and comments from my screenwriting peers.

On March 30, I took part in a booksigning at From the Ground Up Books in Lagrange, Kentucky with my sisters from the Derby Rotten Scoundrels, Jeanette Pope and Elaine Munsch. We all sold books and had a wonderful day.

In April, Indiana was at the heart of the solar eclipse and I wasn't going to miss it. My town was only in the partial eclipse zone, so I took my camera, packed a lunch, and drove an hour north so I could experience the full eclipse. I was not disappointed.

May 20, 2024, I finished writing Exposure, book one in a new mystery series. I started edits the following day. After going through three rounds of edits, I sent it to a beta reader, who proceeded to tear it apart. I was so devastated that I put the manuscript away, thinking it would never see the light of day again.

The Derby Rotten Scoundrels, my Sisters-in-Crime group, visited the Jefferson County, Kentucky Coroners Office where the coroner gave us a very informative presentation about her job. It was invaluable for us as mystery writers, a bit gory, but so good. 

On June 15, I was able to mark something off my bucket list after I got to meet Josh Gates from the Discovery Channel's Expedition Unknown television show. He made a stop in Louisville, Kentucky giving a talk to practically a full house at the Palace Theater. I rarely miss Expedition Unknown and he was so entertaining and he signed his book that I had.

The fourth book in my Nathan Perry Mystery Series, Murder in Mystic Hollow was released on June 24. It's loosely a modern-day retelling of Washington Irving's, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, one of my favorite short stories.

Every July, I attend the Imaginarium Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. This year was special for me because I won the Imajin Award for Best Screenplay - Short Format for my screenplay, Summer Darkness. It was a complete surprise for me to win.

 

In August, I attended Bouchercon at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. I had looked forward to attending this convention for a long time. I was excited to get to meet Andrew Child, who authors the Jack Reacher series with his brother, Lee Child, and get my book signed. I also met author Reed Farrel Coleman, who had written a few of Robert B. Parker's Jesse Stone books. I wasn't aware that Mr. Coleman was going to be in attendance and didn't bring any of his books to get signed. Other than meeting those two authors, I had a terrible time. The Opryland Hotel is huge and my room was probably the farthest away from the convention area that it could be. Soooo much walking and in the August heat, it was no fun. I ended up coming home early.

In the Autumn of 2024, I sold books at several Holiday Craft Fairs. It was wonderful getting out to meet people and sell books. I always have a great time doing that.

In October, I finally pulled out that book from the new series I had finished writing earlier in the year and began edits again. While I still wasn't  happy with the way my beta reader had reviewed it, not all of her remarks was wrong. I finished the edits and several weeks later, I submitted it to my publisher.

In November, a film producer showed interest some in Summer Darkness, my screenplay that I won at Imagiarium with. She asked to read it, but unfortunately, she eventually passed on it, but it's a start.

Another accolade came my way on December 6, my feature length screenplay, Homecoming to Murder, adapted from my first Nathan Perry Mystery, was accepted in The Maximum Z '24 Winter Showcase. It was a great honor for it to be included. See previous blog post below to learn more about what that means.

December 18 was a busy day for me. My publisher, Seventh Star Press offered me a three-book contract after reading my submission. Exposure, will be the first book in The Coyote Canyon Mystery Series and should tentatively be released by mid-summer 2025. That night, I was a guest on the Star Chamber Show Podcast. Again see, previous blog post about how you can listen to my appearance on the show.

Here we are at the end of 2024 and I haven't touch the book I started reading last month. It's a pretty thick book and there's no way I'll be able to finish it by the end of the year. So, the total books read for my Goodreads Reading Challenge is thirteen books. 

That's pretty much is how my year went. My plan for 2025 is to finish writing the second book in my new series, it's about 2-3 chapters away from being done. I'm hoping to complete the next Nathan Perry book. I'm only at chapter two right now. I also want to finish the new screenplay I'm working on. Hopefully, I will have a lot more stories to write.

Carol

 

The Star Chamber Show with Carol Preflatish

I had such a wonderful time on The Star Chamber Show last night with Stephen Zimmer and Holly Marie Phillippe. Thank you to them for having me. If you missed it, the episode has been distributed to all these platforms:
YouTube - https://youtu.be/-37NDxhmuWw?si=T3p7w9hORaLigJpx
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/episode/5kbJV84YG095MiJYmKPhY2
iHeartRadio - https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1323-the-star-chamber-show-179129714/
PodBean https://starchambershow.podbean.com/e/the-star-chamber-show-443-a-visit-with-carol-preflatish/
Thanks to everyone that tuned in last night.

Big Announcement!

 

On December 18, 2024, I signed a three-book contract for a new series with 7th Star Press, The Coyote Canyon Mystery Series. The first book will be Exposure, with a tentative release date by mid-summer 2025.

 

Sheriff Sam Winslow, the youngest sheriff ever elected in Colorado, settles in his office for what he hopes will be a quiet Sunday night. Then, the 911 line starts ringing: Lost boy on Black Bear Mountain. With the temperature dropping, Sam works fast to deploy his deputies, the fire department, and the search and rescue teams to the mountain.

 

Fortunately, the boy is found, but a member of the search team finds a dead body at the bottom of a nearby cliff. Sam immediately starts the investigation, but it quickly gets complicated. The boy and his two friends eventually tell Sam they found thousands of dollars in an old silver mine on the mountain near where the body was found. With this news, the sheriff fears the boys’ lives are now in danger. 

 

Before Sam knows it, an FBI agent shows up to claim jurisdiction and wants to take over the case. But not without a fight from Sam.

 

 

It's always exciting to release something new, but also a bit scary that readers won't like it. I really hope you'll love the residents of Coyote Canyon as much as I do. 

 

I'm not ending my Nathan Perry Mysteries. Hopefully, I'll be able to alternate releases between Nathan Perry and Coyote Canyon. I'm working on the next Nathan Perry book now.

Carol

 

The Maximum Z Winter '24 Script Showcase

 

I'm honored and excited that my screenplay, Homecoming to Murder has been included in The Maximum Z Winter '24 Script Showcase, http://maximumz.blog/2024/12/06/the-maximum-z-winter-24-script-showcase/ This is a very exciting time in my screenwriting career.

Carol

The Star Camber Show podcast

 

 

On December 18, 2024, I'll be a guest on The Star Chamber Show held on the PodBean app at 9 P.M. ET. I'll be discussing my Nathan Perry Mystery Series, screenwriting,  a new series that will be released next year, and anything else that might come up. If you can't make it to listen to the live broadcast, it's usually available the next day on various audio networks. Check back afterward and I'll post the links.

Carol

 

From the Ground Up Books signing

 

 

On Saturday, December 7, 2024, I'll be signing my books in Lagrange, Kentucky at the From the Ground Up Books. I'll be there from noon until 4 p.m. That day is also Light Up Lagrange from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. It will be a fantastic day.

From the Ground Up Books is located at 205 Main Street, Lagrange, Kentucky.

Pick up some great books and gifts that day in Lagrange. I hope to see you there.

Carol