January 25, 2025: Organizing Your Author Business Workshop 10AM-1:00PM - Four speakers on scheduling projects for the year and time management, sales tax and financial tracking, sales booth 101 and presenting your work at festivals, booth bling and the dreaded newsletter sign-up.
February 22: New York Times & USA Today Best Selling Author Lynn Cahoon on What it Takes to Write a Series. As the author of seven mystery series, Lynn Cahoon's expertise on the subject of writing series is enlightening, entertaining, and a must-attend.
March 1: Rose Glen Literary Festival Appalachian WordFest: Smoking Guns' Board of directors will present a panel on The Day in the Life of a Writer. Smoking Guns will have a joint booth. Leanne Tyler, Kelley Griffin, Ernie Lancaster, Jeffrey Philips, and Elle Andrews Patt will also have booths.
March 22 : Andrea Merrell discusses the writing and editing tips she presents in her book: Murder of a Manuscript: Writing and Editing Tips to Keep Your Book Out of the Editorial Graveyard. She also has tips and encouragement at The Write Editing.
March 22 : Andrea Merrell discusses the writing and editing tips she presents in her book: Murder of a Manuscript: Writing and Editing Tips to Keep Your Book Out of the Editorial Graveyard. She also has tips and encouragement at The Write Editing.
April 26: Jessica Barna is a business coach for fiction authors and the founder of Author Achievement. Her company is dedicated to providing strategy, community, and accountability to help authors build successful careers... whatever that means to them. She will present her Author Success Planning workshop, which is designed to deliver. Gain clarity on your priorities, focus on key strategies that make an impact, and walk away with a roadmap to move your career forward in big ways over the next 12 weeks.
May 23-30: Open Nominations for Board of Directors
May 24: No Meeting - Memorial Day Weekend
May 31-June 7: Elections
May 24: No Meeting - Memorial Day Weekend
May 31-June 7: Elections
June 7/8: Lenoir City Arts and Crafts Festival - Smoking Guns will have a joint booth. Kelley Griffin, Leanne
June 28: Anniversary Celebration plus Erika Engelhaupt discusses AI for Writers. Learn the basics of AI and how writers can harness it in ways that help them without compromising their work.
June 28: Anniversary Celebration plus Erika Engelhaupt discusses AI for Writers. Learn the basics of AI and how writers can harness it in ways that help them without compromising their work.
July 26: How To Write a Synopsis: Presented by Laura Andrews, this workshop will teach you exactly what a synopsis is, what it's not, and will help you narrow your gazillion word book of allll the things down to a long, medium, and short synopsis suitable for agents, publishers, and book contests. Come prepared to work and share.
August 23:
- Q and A with Knox County Sheriff K9 Deputy and her K9, Tyson. Lunch on site.
September 27: Cumberland Gap Harvest Moon Festival Booth!
October 15: 2nd Annual Smoking Guns November Writing Challenge prep and rules! ONLINE at Facebook
October 25: Field Trip to the Alcatraz East Crime Museum
October 25: Field Trip to the Alcatraz East Crime Museum
November 1: 2nd Annual Smoking Guns November Writing Challenge Begins! ONLINE at Facebook
November 22: Writing Challenge Celebration and 2026 Goals and Speakers Planning Meeting: Members discussion about the future of Smoking Guns—what do we want to learn about in 2026 from speakers, what events/workshops would we like to plan and host?
November 22: Writing Challenge Celebration and 2026 Goals and Speakers Planning Meeting: Members discussion about the future of Smoking Guns—what do we want to learn about in 2026 from speakers, what events/workshops would we like to plan and host?
December 13 : HOLIDAY PARTY
January 24, 2026: