A total of 382 Cisco College students will receive associate degrees or career certificates in three different ceremonies on May 1 in Cisco and May 11 in Abilene, according to Shae White, College Registrar.

The graduation ceremony at the Cisco campus will be at 2 p.m. Friday, May 1, at the Harrell Fine Arts Auditorium.

Two more ceremonies at Abilene will be held 10 days later on Monday, May 11, at the Abilene Civic Center. At 5:30 p.m., graduation for the Health Sciences as well as the Career and Technical divisions will take place. At 7:30 p.m., commencement for Abilene Associate degrees as well as all Dual Credit graduates will occur.

Across both campuses, a total of 328 degrees and 54 career certificates were to be awarded.

At Cisco on May 1, a total of 127 students are scheduled to receive their graduation credentials, including 88 receiving Associate of Arts degrees, 12 Associate of Science degrees, 3 Associate of Applied Science degrees, one student receiving both an AA degree and an AS degree, and 23 Career Certificate recipients. Cisco College as a whole awards career certificates in fields such as cosmetology, welding, industrial, HVAC, automotive, and real estate.

Among the Cisco graduates will be four international student athletes from France, England, and Russia.

In Abilene, at the 5:30 p.m. ceremonies on May 11, a total of 45 Health Sciences graduates will include 14 in Licensed Vocational Nursing (LVN), 12 in Surgical Technology, 10 in Respiratory Technology, and 9 in Pharmacy Technology.

The 5:30 graduation will also include Career and Technical Education (CTE) divisions, with 10 students receiving career certificates.

The 7:30 p.m. ceremonies on May 11 will present 88 graduates receiving degrees, including 56 Associate of Arts degrees, 15 Associate of Science degrees, 16 Association of Applied Science degrees, and one student receiving both an AA and an AS degree.

Finally, a total of 112 Dual Credit graduates will receive their degrees and certificates as part of the 7:30 p.m. commencement on May 11. The 91 degrees to be awarded include 38 Associate of Arts, 2 Associate of Science, 51 earning both AA degrees and AS degrees, and 21 Career Certificates.

All graduates should arrive at their ceremonies at least 30 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony to allow time for check-in and line-up, Registrar Shae White stated.

“We are proud of our students in their achievements in reaching this milestone, in earning their degree or certificate from Cisco College,” White said.

“Graduation day is an

exciting time seeing

the students all smiles that they did it!”

“We wish our graduates much success

as they take their next step—whether they continue their education, or apply the knowledge and skills they have gained at Cisco College in their chosen careers.”

(Submitted by Linda Spetter)

The revitalization project is the result of an intensive, cross-departmental collaboration between the Art and History departments, spearheaded by faculty and students dedicated to preserving local heritage. The project was made possible through a generous grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

The Mystery of the Spider Rocks The Spider Rocks are a series of enigmatic, carved stone maps discovered in the early 20th century near Clyde, Aspermont, and Rotan, Texas. For decades, they have captivated treasure hunters and historians alike, featuring intricate concentric circles, Roman numerals, and cryptic symbols believed by some to be Spanish trail markers or maps to lost riches.

'This exhibit isn't just about the legend of treasure; it’s about the tangible history of our region,' says Staci Shupe, History Professor at Cisco College. 'Our students have worked tirelessly to document and research these artifacts, ensuring that the story of the Spider Rocks remains accessible for future generations of Texans.”

Event Details The reception serves as a celebration of student and faculty scholarship. Highlights of the event include:

• Exhibit Viewing: See the newly curated Spider Rock artifacts and detailed schematic diagrams.

• Student Presentations: Learn about the historical research and artistic techniques used to revitalize the display.

• Community Celebration: Refreshments will be served. Students, faculty, staff, families, and friends of the college are all encouraged to attend.

The event is free and open to the public. As the reception follows the 2:00 PM Cisco Campus Commencement at the Harrell Fine Arts Auditorium, it offers a perfect opportunity for graduating families to celebrate their students' academic and creative achievements.

For more information about the Spider Rock exhibit and K-12 educational resources, visit https://www.cisco. edu/spider-rock.

Writing a Ghazal

In this last week of National Poetry Month, also known as April, let’s talk about a not-so-common form of poem called the ghazal. The ghazal was originally a 7th-century Arabic love poem. It was addressed to a woman and included the poet’s name in the last line (as a signature for his beloved). Today’s ghazals can be about any subject, and often there is no signature line.

I wrote my first ghazal in 2025. I learned that modern English ghazals have either 11 or 15 syllables per line (the poet chooses).

All lines stick with the chosen 11 or 15 syllables.

Furthermore, the poem is an aggregation of couplets (two-line poems) and can go on for as few or as many couplets as the poet likes. They are standalone couplets in that the second line of each couplet never bleeds into the first line of the next couplet. Also, there is no overall story plot from the beginning of the poem to the end, just separate images like a collection of photographs.

Lastly, the final word in each couplet is the 47

PG-13

12

same throughout the poem, and the next-to-

the-last word in every couplet rhymes.

Confused? Try an internet search for “Tonight” by Agha Shahid Ali. Ali’s poem is a famous and

excellent example of a ghazal, and it’s free to read online.

My first ghazal was kind of pitiful, but it was great fun to write, and I’m ready to try another one.

Nancy Robinson Masters is a poet as well as a prose writer. She is the speaker at the May meeting of the Cisco Writers Club. It’ll be interesting to find out if she’s ever written a ghazal. Masters is known for encouraging writers in their writing journeys. We’ll meet at 7 PM on Thursday, May 7, in the Hilton Room classroom inside the Myrtle Wilks Community Center, Cisco.

BRING A DOLLAR OR TWO to donate toward new books for children in protective care, and take home some books from Nancy’s bundle of bargain books she recently received from her publishers. Plus you’ll get some FREE books! Visitors are welcome!

Priscilla Bettis is secretary of the Cisco Writers Club. She is the author of Whispers of a Southern Moon.

5-mile radius of Cisco. If you are in need of this service, please give us a call at (254) 442--

5420.

If you are interested in joining our organization, we would welcome your participation. We meet on the first Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m. at the First Christian Church in Cisco.”

Four Cisco College students who listed

Eastland County Today

as their hometown newspaper were among recipients of the President’s Outstanding Student Award at a banquet last week at the Cisco campus.

The students are Jadie Johnson of Ranger, Owen Kilpatrick of Cisco, Skye McCown of Eastland, and Hanna O’Donnell of De Leon.

Each of the students received a medal and

a certificate from Dr.

Jerry Dodson, Vice President for Student Services at the college.

Jadie Johnson is the daughter of Jared and Laine Johnson of Ranger. She is a Dual

Credit first-year student

and was nominated for her outstanding work in the World Civilizations course by History Professor William Hagood.

Owen Kilpatrick is the son of Brent and Desiree Kilpatrick of Cisco. He is a Dual Credit student from Cisco High and was nominated by his U.S. History professor, Clint Petree.

Skye McCown is the daughter of Carol McCown and Roy McCown of Eastland. She was nominated for her Library Student Worker award by Librarian Terri Widener.

Hanna O’Donnell is the daughter of Mark and Lanessa O’Donnell of De Leon. She was nominated for her award as the top English 1302 student on the Cisco campus by English Professor Bethney Jacobs.

Other students who received awards at the banquet included * Cheyenne Hebel, Albany High Dual Credit, American Literature (Prof. Linda Spetter); * Adrian Wren, Albany High Dual Credit, English Composition II (Prof. Linda Spetter); * Nathan Nickerson of Anna, Texas, Cisco campus, Business and Management (Prof. Seth Barnett); * Kirby Rice of Nashville, Georgia, Cisco campus, Rodeo (Coach Pam Eddleman); * Rolando Serrano Jr. of Abilene, Cisco campus, Sculpture Art (Prof. Anna Ford); * Isela Martin of Clyde, Cisco campus, Cross Country (Coach Amanda LeCroy); * Arina Dzhuldieva of Moscow, Russia, Cisco campus, 3 awards in Lab Tech (Prof. Felicia Barron), Biology (Prof. Lauren Hatton), and Journalism (Prof. Linda Spetter); * Anna Bheatriz Jacinto Yoshida Borghi, Cisco campus, Elementary Statistics (Prof. Kyndall Kaska Stanslav).

(Submitted by Linda Spetter)

Phi Kappa Phi was founded in 1897 under the leadership of undergraduate student Marcus L. Urann who had a desire to create a different kind of honor society: one that recognized excellence in all academic disciplines. Today, the Society has chapters on more than 300 campuses in the United States and its territories. Its mission is to 'cultivate a community that celebrates and advances the love of learning.'

11:30 to 12:00. Bingo at 12:00. Myrtle Wilks Community Center (Mountain Top Church) in Cisco

You’ve written your first book, and it's time to find a literary agent. What will you list for your publishing credits as you send out query letters? If you have publishing credits, an agent is more likely to give your book a closer read. But how do you get publishing credits when this is your first book? Answer: magazines and journals, in print or online.

Writing short pieces for magazines and journals in whatever genres they feature will not only give you publishing credits, but also it'll give you a break to recover from the mammoth writing project (your book) you just finished.

In addition, the act of writing short stories and articles strengthens your writing muscles. It teaches you to write to guidelines and deadlines, helps you learn how to respond to an editor's direction for rewrites, trains your brain to come up with catchy titles, and (especially!) expands the range of possibilities for your writing. You thought you were a contemporary suspense novelist, but then you wrote a historical short story for a literary magazine, and it turned out

fabulously.

To find magazines that want to publish your work, I recommend three entities that list publications looking for short stories and articles: Publishing … And Other Forms of Insanity, Authors Publish Magazine, and Submittable . (Do an internet search on any of these, and you'll find their website.)

I suggest only seeking magazines that require zero or very low (five dollars or less) reading fees. Also, be sure you meet the magazine's requirements, and be sure they meet yours.

Regarding Submittable , it is the platform that Cisco Writers Club uses to receive submissions for the club's Annual Writing Contest. Our

2026 Submittable link is not active yet, but it will be the first week of June. Are you ready? Check out the contest categories and guidelines at ciscowritersclub.org; look for the Annual Writing Contest tab at the top of the home page. Get those entries ready, and good luck!

Priscilla Bettis is secretary of the Cisco Writers Club. She is drafting a novella set in Alaska.

3-1-26 Shelly Grissom, 52 of Breckenridge Tx, was arrested by Officer Sanchez for Driving While Intoxicated

3-4-26 Cecil Flores, 61 of Cisco Tx, was arrested by Officer Purpura for Harass Public Servant

3-8-26 Noah Hutton, 17 of Cisco Tx, was arrested by Officer Purpura for Aggravated Assault and Interfere with 911 Call

3-10-26 Kelly England, 59 of Carbon Tx, was arrested by Officer Purpura for Driving While Intoxicated

3-12-26 Lindsay Woodall, 47 of Ranger Tx, was arrested by Sgt. Gunstanson for Possession of Controlled Substance PG1 Less Than 1G 3-14-26 Troy Moore, 18 of Cisco Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Warrant- Consumption of Alcohol by Minor

3-14-26 Ricardo Xol Xol, 41 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer

3-14-26 Edison Tzul Choc, 20 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer

3-14-26 Rigoberto Tiul Cugua, 32 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer

3-14-26 Byron Chun Coc, 34 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer

3-16-26 Connor Trapp, 28 of Rising Star Tx, was arrested by Officer Thomas for Parole Warrant and Failure to Identify Fugitive from Justice 3-19-26 Robert Willen, 65 of Cross Plains Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Driving While Intoxicated

3-19-26 Samuel Morales Fonseca, 46 of Granbury Tx, was arrested by Lt. Risdon for Immigration Detainer

3-19-26 Mauricio Morales Penaloza, 19 of Granbury Tx, was arrested by Lt. Risdon for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Vicente Ponce-Pineda, 31 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Lt. Risdon for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Juan Vidal Concon Tajtaj, 30 of Tx, was arrested by Lt. Risdon for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Denis Eduardo Saloj Sal, 31 of Tx, was arrested by Lt. Risdon for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Edwin Sac-Tzeck, 35 of Tx, was arrested by Lt. Risdon for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Jose Leon Gonzalez, 36 of Garland Tx, was arrested by Officer Thomas for Immigration Detainer 3-20-26 Reynaldo Herndez Gomez, 47 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Officer Thomas for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Jose Manuel Gonzales Leon, 37 of Garland Tx, was arrested by Officer Thomas for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Carlos Martinez-Funez, 35 of Grand Praire Tx, was arrested by Lt. Risdon for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Arnol Fuentes Martinez, 30 of Tx, was arrested by Lt. Risdon for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Joel Arturo Contreras Galan, 30 of Tx, was arrested by Officer Thomas for Immigration Detainer 3-20-26 Jose Luis Contreras Mireles, 43 of Tx, was arrested by Officer Thomas for Immigration Detainer 3-20-26 Ruben Ramirez Contreras, 46 of Irving Tx, was arrested by Officer Thomas for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Daniel Rojas, 22 of Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Jose Isabel Rojas Garcia, 26 of Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer 3-20-26 Jose Jesus Rodriguez Collazo, 25 of Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer 3-20-26 Collazo Eliud Rodriguez, 20 of Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer 3-20-26 Adan Villasmil Virla, 33 of The Colony Tx, was arrested by Sgt. Gunstanson for Immigration Detainer

3-20-26 Eliezer Rios, 30 of Lehigh Acres Fl, was arrested by Sgt. Gunstanson for Immigration Detainer

3-21-26 Jhon Pirela Sarmiento, 21 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Officer Munoz for Immigration Detainer 3-22-26 Chris Eason, 46 of Cisco Tx, was arrested by Officer Purpura for Possession Controlled

Substance PG1 less than

1G and Tamper Physical Evidence

3-22-26 Condelario Cortez, 40 of Eastland Tx, was arrested by Officer Purpura for Disorderly Conduct

3-27-26 Richard Wuertemburg, 57 of Crowley Tx, was arrested by Officer Sanchez for Driving While Intoxicated

3-27-26 Kyle Haynes,

28 of Livingston Tx, was arrested by Officer Sanchez for Theft Less than $100, Driving While Intoxicated, Unlawful Carrying Weapon

3-29-26 Kadin Wright, 18 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Officer Purpura for Eastland Municipal Warrant- Speeding

3-30-26 Jesus Dorante Doran, 28 of Dallas Tx, was arrested by Officer Purpura for Immigration Detainer

The Writer’s Attention Span

My attention span has shrunk the past couple of years. I started to notice it when working on twisty plot problems and when reading difficult books. Apparently, I’m not alone. Johann Hari wrote a whole book about our shrinking attention spans. In Stolen Focus (Crown, 2022), Hari explains that short form content (like TikTok videos and X posts), social media in general, and ease of content (you don’t exercise your concentration if something’s too easy) have robbed us of our ability to think deeply and for long periods of time.

Additionally, Hari says our busy lives mean a lack of downtime to simply daydream. Daydreaming, ironically, helps strengthen the brain so it can focus more deeply when it is

working. Hari also says easier communication tasks (think: AI-written emails, informational videos, and such) mean we aren’t training our brains to engage in deep work. Dr. Cal Newport, an expert on deep thinking and the author of Deep Work (Little Brown, 2013), explains that we need tasks which are interesting and slightly hard; AI prompting doesn’t cut it, and neither does passively watching videos.

I decided to increase my attention span, or at least try to, and improve my ability to think more deeply. Two months ago, I turned my phone to grayscale to make it less attractive. I made sure I always had scrap paper next to me as I work so I could jot down and store random to-do’s (add bread to the grocery list), allowing me to continue with the main task at hand. I resolved to do one thing at a time so my attention wouldn’t be divided. I would draft more stories longhand instead of sitting in front of a computer screen. I unsubbed from virtually all YouTube channels, turned off Facebook notifications, and deleted my Instagram and X accounts. I decided to strengthen my foundation of literature: classics, Scripture, and more difficult contemporary fiction. I vowed to take breaks that don’t include a screen. I aimed to explore other analytical modes like history and science and philosophy.

Have I seen a difference? That first week I was fidgety and unable to do much. I think I was in typical digital-detox mode. After that, yes, I did notice a difference. I’m now able to read challenging books for longer periods of time. My vocabulary is improving. I can write more words and spend more time wrangling plot conundrums before I need a break.

I wonder what prolific author Nancy Robinson Masters does to protect her attention span. Masters will be the speaker at the May meeting of the Cisco Writers Club. Besides being an author, she is a pilot and known for encouraging others on their writing journeys. Come join us at 7 PM on May 7th at the Hilton Room classroom inside the Myrtle Wilks Community Center. Visitors are welcome!

Priscilla Bettis is secretary of the Cisco Writers Club. She is drafting a novella set in Alaska.

Area Qualifiers

Discus- Carra Arnold 3rd

Shot Put- A J Pevey 2nd; Autumn Fought 1st Triple Jump - Kensye Roark 2nd; Pyper Lee 3rd

Long Jump- Jayla Pittman 1st; Marli Speer 4th

Pole Vault- Pearson Hearne 1st; Rayleigh Hardman 2nd; Peyton

Whisenhunt 4th High Jump- Jayla Pittman 2nd

(Cisco Track & Field cont. from pg 5)

3200 m - Katelyn Bailey 1st; Emily Wilks 4th

4 x 100 Relay- Kynle Arnold, Jayla Pittman, Marli Speer, Morgan Hardman 1st 800 m - Lola Hart 1st; Kendall Bailey 4th

100 H- Kensye Roark

3rd; Jayla Pittman 2nd 100 m- Autumn Fought 1st; Morgan Hardman

1st; Marli Speer 2nd

4 x 200 Relay - Kynle Arnold, Maddy, Pyper Lee, Marli Speer 1st

400 m- Autumn Fought 1st; Avery Spigener 2nd 300 H- Pearson Hearne 1st; Peyton Whisenhunt 3rd

200 m- Morgan

Hardman 1st; Kynle Arnold 2nd

1600 m- Lola Hart 1st; Katelyn Bailey 3rd

4 x 400 Relay- Avery Spigener, Pyper Lee, Pearson Hearne, Lola Hart 1st

Ms. Tank’s Just For Fun BINGO Wed., April 29, 2026 Come eat, laugh, and enjoy the fun and fellowship! Lunch provided. Eat from

11:30 to 12:00. Bingo at 12:00. Myrtle Wilks Community Center (Mountain Top Church) in Cisco

by Priscilla Bettis Facebook@ PriscillaBettisAuthor Some of my favorite scene openers are philosophical and full of abstractions. “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” (Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina). But if used too often, these sorts of scene openers lose their impact and risk losing the reader’s interest, too. I was helping a writer friend out with a manuscript critique, and he had started scene after scene with Tolstoylike, quotable, cerebral sentences. “The night began before any darkness touched the sky” and “The private conversation no one heard had a long prelude” and “The fracture among the faithful announced itself most plainly not in theology but at supper.”

These kinds of sentences fail to launch the scene’s action or even give the reader concrete words to ground the scene, which is okay once in a while. But after many chapters’ worth of these introductory sentences, their biggest function is to call attention to themselves.

A better strategy is to use philosophical scene openers at one or two key points in the story, not every scene.

Or maybe the best strategy is to put words on the page regardless of what scene-opening strategy you use, at

least in the first draft.

You can always edit an awkward first draft, but

you can’t edit a blank page. With that in mind, happy writing!

Priscilla Bettis is secretary of the Cisco Writers Club. She is drafting a novella set in Alaska.

The Cisco FFA chapter was the high team in Horse Judging. Other winners from throughout the state are listed at the end of this article.

This is the 12th year for the CDE Invitational to be held at the college, according to Agriculture Professor Brandi Terry, who is also Chair of the Agriculture and Economics Division of the college.

The event has grown from 484 FFA students from 47 high schools in its first year to over 2,000 students registered in 15 events from 130 high schools across the state of Texas.

“We had teams from as far as Uvalde and Balmorhea,” Terry said. “We are grateful for our presenting sponsors, Cedar Gap Wealth Management, the Cisco College Foundation, and the Cisco College AgricultureDepartment for their financial contributions,” she said. “Proceeds from this event are used to establish an endowed scholarship for students pursuing an agriculture career.” The contest is designed to give students the opportunity to apply knowledge gained in agriculture classrooms in preparation for area CDE contests held at universities across Texas.

The list below of highest-scoring winners is in the following order: Contest name, High Individual and School, and High Team. Ag Mechanics: Leonel Vasquez of Bangs; High Team, Bangs.

Cotton: Anyssa Pena of Waco Midway; High Team, Waco Midway.

52 Entomology: Pierce McLendon of Waco Midway; High Team, Waco Midway.

Farm Business Management: Megan Boisvert of Allen; High Team, Allen.

Floriculture: Sarah Jetton of Clear Brook; High Team, Coahoma.

Homesite: Julianna Miller of Woodson; High Team, Woodson.

Horse Judging: A.J. Evans of Mullin; High Team, Cisco.

Land: Margie Szczurek of Hawley; High Team, Irion.

Milk Quality: Kennedy Buchanan of Haskell; High Team, Haskell.

Plant ID: Evelyn Halari of Stephens Co.; High Team, Stephens Co.

Poultry: Jaymes Rogers of Peaster; High Team, Peaster.

Range: Bret Bauman of Hamilton; High Team, Anson.

Vet Science: Miriam Weart of Allen; High Team, Frenship.

Wildlife: Grant Bauman of Hamilton; High Team, Hamilton.

Wool: Claire Corder of Kaufman; High Team, Kaufman.

(Submitted by Linda Spetter)

Review of

Assassination Attempt!

by Robert Workman

by Priscilla Bettis Facebook@ PriscillaBettisAuthor Assassination Attempt! by Texas author Robert Workman is a contemporary thriller novel featuring Nick Wolfe. Nick is a private eye, and someone has killed his longtime friend and gym owner, Jack.

Jack’s gym is modeled on the real-life, oldschool gym named Doug’s Gym that operated for 55 years in Dallas. The descriptions are so real that it’s like you’re inside the place along with the muscle guys and the sweat smells and the punching bags and the buzzing fluorescent lights.

As soon as Nick starts investigating the murder, he becomes a target. He gets beat up a lot, and the whiskey scene is particularly brutal, poor Nick! But he’s a tough guy and doesn’t renege on his promise to his dead friend to find the killer.

Meanwhile, there are rumors of an assassination attempt on the president. It’s almost the country’s 250th anniversary, and the president will be out in the open, speaking to the public, and vulnerable. Will Nick try to stop the assassination, or leave that to the many competent security forces around POTUS while he keeps trying to catch Jack’s killer?

Workman brings the murder plotline and the assassination plotlines together. The book takes a delightfully complex (but still easy-to-follow) turn.

Assassination Attempt!

is an intelligently plotted thriller.

Nightmarish scenes from one part of the book resurrect themselves to haunt Nick later on in the story. What’s more, a character from early on in the story turns out to be the ultra bad guy (or gal, no spoilers), the head of the bad guys, the puppetmaster, the Bondlike SPECTRE-type uber villain.

It is an intense read, but Workman adds humor to give readers a breather. Nick keeps butting heads with the police lieutenant, Happy Moynihan, and those scenes are hilarious.

The ending comes at you like a snowball rolling downhill, gaining speed and mass until there’s a full-on avalanche. Exciting ending, satisfying wrapup.

Highly recommended!

Assassination Attempt!

is available from all major booksellers.

Workman will be the speaker at the April meeting of the Cisco Writers Club. He will talk about what sets his books apart and share tips gained from his writing experience. Come join us; visitors are always welcome. We’ll meet at 7 p.m. on April 2nd in the Big Dam classroom (note the special location) inside the Myrtle Wilks Community Center. See ya there!

Priscilla Bettis is secretary of the Cisco Writers Club. She is writing a novella set in Alaska.

AI Emails

I’ve been carrying on an email conversation with a Young Adult author who is using AI to compose her emails. There were several clues that I wasn’t talking to a real person.

First she introduced herself by saying she loved Whispers of a Southern Moon, my Southern Gothic short story collection. It’s not at all like the Young Adult fantasies she writes. Why would she enjoy something that was so completely different from her genre? And she didn’t leave a review. (Not that every reader does. It’s just that authors know the importance of reviews, so authors almost always leave reviews for other authors.)

Next, she’s young, according to her bio, but she didn’t write her emails like a young person. No slang, no emojis, no LOL’s, no references to youngperson activities. She wrote with polite, full sentences. Even her email subject line was suspiciously polite.

Then there were the key phrases from my book’s description (not the book itself which she claimed “truly captivated me with its atmosphere and lyrical voice,” but the description on Amazon) along with key phrases from my own emails. Me: “Then the dust blew in and turned the sky orange!” Author-AI: “It’s unfortunate the dust blew.” Hm … I popped over to Amazon to read the introductory scenes from her latest book. Sure enough, her writing voice sounded nothing like her email voice.

I kept waiting to see what the author’s endgame was. Why was she keeping up with the charade? Finally, she sent a book-promo link this morning and (politely) asked me to share her work on my platform. Aha, her AIemail conversation was a marketing ploy. I’ll (politely) decline.

I’ve got to say, though, AI is getting better at writing. A year ago it was easy to spot AI in

the first sentence, not

halfway down the page on the third email. So, authors (and everyone else), read your emails judiciously.

Thriller author Robert Workman will be the speaker at the April meeting of the Cisco Writers Club. He eschews AI writing and writes all his own emails and books. Workman will talk about what sets his books apart, and he’ll share tips gained from his writing experience. Come join us; visitors are always welcome. We’ll meet at 7 PM on April 2nd in the Hilton Room classroom inside the Myrtle Wilks Community Center. See ya there!

Priscilla Bettis is secretary of the Cisco Writers Club. She wrote this column without using AI.

52

They also brought home an award for Sports Writing by a previous editor of the Wrangler Express, Rhiley Morgan-Montoya. She won second place in the Sports News Story category for her story “Two Cisco Cowboys Bring Home Nearly $150,000.” Morgan-Montoya was editor of the Wrangler Express in the Spring of 2025. A rodeo student from Colorado, she moved on to Tarleton State University after graduation from Cisco.

The Wrangler Express, formerly a print newspaper, is now Cisco College’s student-run social media publication on Facebook and Instagram. It is published daily during the fall and spring semesters by students in the Mass Communication and Journalism courses taught by Professor Linda Spetter.

Hundreds of students from across the state attended the TIPA convention. Begun in 1909 at Baylor University, TIPA is the oldest collegiate press association in the nation.

“I left TIPA feeling so much more confident in my own journalism skills and knowing where I fall in the industry,” Palomo said.

“I learned how to take on controversy in journalism, and that public relations may be my calling. This experience was truly a blessing and I am so thankful.” Palomo, from Corpus Christi, is a CC cheerleader when she is not editing the Wrangler Express.

Co-Editor Dzhuldieva, a basketball player who was sidelined this semester due to injury, is from Moscow, Russia. “I absolutely loved this conference. I had already fallen in love with sports photography before, but after listening to all the professionals, I’m now seriously thinking about developing myself in this sphere.”

“It was such an amazing experience, and I’m truly grateful for it. I met so many cool people and made new friends,” she said.

“It was also great to listen to professionals sharing their experience and insights,” Dzhuldieva said. “Overall, for me it was really more about networking and building connections!”

The students were accompanied by English Professor Kyle Smith of the Abilene campus of Cisco College.

(Submitted by Linda Spetter)

T.I. Lowe Has a New Book Out!

T. I. Lowe is an ordinary woman from the country who loves to tell extraordinary stories. She is the author of 21 novels, including the international bestseller Under the Magnolias (Tyndale, May 2021). She lives in coastal South Carolina with her husband and family. Cisco Writers Club scored a Q&A with Lowe regarding her latest novel, South of Somewhere (Tyndale, March 2026). The book features a widowed, young mom who is an alcoholic. Her name is Junie.

Q: What sparked Junie’s story? Lowe: Funny enough, I didn’t want to tell Junie’s story. It hit too close to home. I lost a loved one in 2022 to a fentanyl overdose, and it shook me. I turned to writing as I grappled with my grief, and through that, Junie’s story emerged.

Q: How did your own Southern upbringing influence the portrayal of Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, where the novel is set?

Lowe: Community is a big part of Southern culture. We look out for one another. I focused on this in the book, wanting to highlight that you don’t have to go through life’s struggles alone. Of course, food is always a big part of our culture too, so I had to include a few recipes in the book. Everyone needs to make the tomato cracker salad. It is oddly delicious!

Q: Will romance fans enjoy the book?

Lowe: Junie meets a man named Henry. It wasn’t insta-love, and I think romance fans will appreciate that. Chemistry and banter are must-haves when dealing with romance, and readers will find both in South of Somewhere.

Q: What do you hope readers will take away from Junie’s journey of rebuilding her life after hitting rock bottom?

Lowe: Everyone hits rock bottom in some form at some point in their lives, but as long as we breathe, there is hope. Don’t give up.

Q: What’s next for you, more coastal stories, more redemptive journeys, or something entirely new?

Lowe: Oh, something entirely new! I’m taking readers to the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina with abundant apple orchards and waterfalls. Readers will follow a group of friends facing life after losing one of them in a tragic accident. It’s heavy, as most of my stories are, but I promise the sweet moments will make it a satisfying read.

South of Somewhere is available from all major booksellers.

Thriller author Robert Workman also has a new book coming out 52 soon, Christmas Colt 45. At the next Cisco Writers Club meeting, Workman will talk about his writing process, his Nick Wolfe P.I. series, and Christmas Colt 45. Join us at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 2nd, at the Hilton Room classroom inside the Myrtle Wilks Community Center. Visitors welcome!

Priscilla Bettis is secretary of the Cisco Writers Club. She is writing her next book, a novella set in Alaska.

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Cisco Strong’s 7th annual Cookie Walk will be held Saturday, April 25th from 10 AM to 2 PM at Broken X Winery, Cisco

The project features 40 women over the age of 40, photographed in a magazine- style portrait series that highlights their individuality and presence. The exhibit will include 40 framed portraits, a slideshow, hors d’oeuvres, music, and time for guests to mingle. Most of the featured women will be in attendance. Photographer Tyler Clement created the project as a way to encourage women to step in front of the camera and create meaningful images. “I started photographing women after losing my mom in 2018,” Clement said. “She didn’t love being photographed, and I wanted to give other women a reason to get in front of the camera and create a legacy they’re proud of.” This is the studio’s largest exhibit yet. While each woman’s story is unique, Clement says they share a common thread of strength and depth.

“My hope is that people don’t just see portraits, they feel something,” he said. “Beauty doesn’t have an age limit.”

The event will also feature a raffle benefiting Women of Outstanding Achievement. The public is invited to attend. No RSVP is required.