Just Released from Mozark Press: That Mysterious Woman

Earlier this month I received an early Christmas present -- my check and contributor copies of That Mysterious Woman.

The book with the striking cover is part of the award-winning Shaker of Margaritas Anthology series from Mozark Press.

That Mysterious Woman includes mystery tales ranging from cozies, soft-boiled mysteries, suspense tales, capers, and whodunnits, with emphasis on character, plot, and good old-fashioned storytelling -- each with a female protagonist. Topics covered in the anthology are tales of: "murder, retribution, paranormal activity, thievery, strange disappearances, deception, and other mysterious situations."

The anthology includes short stories from 27 writers who hail from coast-to-coast across the United States.

Contributing writers are: David K. Aycock, Paula Gail Benson, Steven Clark, Lisa Ricard Claro, Karen Mocker Dabson, E. B. Davis, Caroline Dohack, Eileen Dunbaugh, Linda Fisher, J. D. Frost, Jodie Jackson Jr., Mitch Hale, Cathy C. Hall, Sharon Woods Hopkins, Jennifer Jank, Suzanne Lilly, Mary Ellen Martin, Edith Maxwell, Carolyn Mulford, KM Rockwood, Martha Rosenthal, Georgia Ruth, Harriette Sackler, Rosemary Shomaker, Susan E. Thomas, Donna Volkenannt (that's me), Kari Wainwright, and Frank Watson.

For more information about That Mysterious Woman and to find out about future calls for submission, visit the Mozark Press site.

Call for Submissions: A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman

For all you mystery writers out there, here's a paid submission opportunity from Linda Fisher, publisher of Mozark Press.  

Mozark Press is seeking short mystery fiction for the popular Shaker of Margaritas series. 

This issue is called A Shaker of Margaritas: That Mysterious Woman. 

For this anthology, the editors are looking for mysteries with female protagonists. 

Send them your cozies, soft-boiled mysteries, suspenseful tales, capers, or whodunits with a strong emphasis on character, plot -- but most of all good old-fashioned storytelling.

Submission deadline: July 25, 2014

Word Count: Between 2,000 and 3,500 

Approximately 20-25 stories will be selected for the anthology

Previously unpublished work only

One entry per person

No poetry

Keep it clean - PG stories only

Upon publication, authors will be paid $20 

Authors whose work appears in the book will be given a one-time opportunity to pre-purchase books at 60% of retail price + postage.

Author will receive one free copy of the book with his/her story in it -- if author pre-purchases a minimum of one additional copy at the author’s discount.

Electronic submissions only

E-mail to publisher@Mozarkpress.com with subject line: "That Mysterious Woman"

Click here for the complete submission guidelines and publisher's tips for success.

From personal experience, I can attest that Linda is a thorough editor who does a top-notch job with any project she is involved.

Good luck if you submit! 

Bad News: Cardinals Lose World Series; Good News: Well Versed Deadline Extended

My nieces who live in Western Massachusetts -- not to be confused with my niece from St. Charles who is a Cardinals fan and got to go to Game 2 of the World Series -- are no doubt celebrating last night's Red Sox victory in the World Series.

But, if you're a St. Louis Cardinals fan like me you're lamenting the fact that the Red Birds lost the World Series to the Boston Red Sox. At least it took six games this time and not four!

A good way to get over disappointment is by writing, which brings me to the good news.

This morning I received an e-mail from Linda Fisher, managing editor of Well Versed, that the submission deadline has been extended.

Here is an excerpt from her e-mail:

"I’m extending the deadline to November 10. Electronic copies must be received before midnight on the 10^th. You do not have to postmark your hard copies until November 12. I’m not sure if the post office is open on the 11^th.
 

Visit our website for complete guidelines and prizes. Please read through the guidelines carefully. A section has been added to help you format your manuscript. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me at wellversed2014@gmail.com.

You may submit five poems and three prose pieces. We do require both electronic and paper versions of each submission.

As always, CCMWG members pay no entry fee. Nonmembers pay a small fee, or can join CCMWG for $15 and pay no fee. Each edition of Well Versed is filled with outstanding prose and poetry, and we look forward to having your pieces considered for the 2014 edition.
 

My sincere appreciation to all who met the original deadline! To keep Well Versed on track, this is the only extension. Entries received after the extended deadline will not be used."

Good luck if you enter! Here's hoping one of you wins big!

Launch of Well Versed 2013 at the Unity Center in Columbia on July 14

 

The Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild has announced the launch date for release of the 2013 version of Well Versed. 

 

The launch will be Sunday, July 14 from 2-4 p.m. in the Founder's Wing of the Unity Center, 1600 W. Broadway, Columbia, MO. 

 

The Unity Center is tucked off of the main road in a residential neighborhood. Surrounded by trees, the Center is a peaceful place where wind chimes tinkle, squirrels scamper, and birds flit. Every time I visit the Center for a CCMWG event, I'm inspired to write. The Center is also easy to find.

 

 

The launch of Well Versed 2013 features:  

* author readings

* refreshments

* awards

* meet and greet of contributors

 

I'm honored that my essay, "Amo, Amas, Amat," was awarded second place in the Judge's Pick Essay category. I'm also excited to be in the same anthology with my writing friends from Coffee and Critique -- Marcia Gaye, Karen Guccione-Englert, and Jack Zerr -- as well as local writers Lynn Obermoeller and Sheree Nielsen.

 

Linda Fisher of Mozark Press does a fantastic job compiling and editing Well Versed. For a complete list of names of judges, contributors, and winners, visit the CCMWG blog.

 

If you're in the Columbia area and have some free time Sunday, afternoon, July 14, please stop by the Unity Center for the launch party.



Well Versed 2013 Cover Released

Hot off the press: Linda Fisher, managing editor of Well Versed, sent an e-mail yesterday announcing release of the cover (at left) for the 2013 issue. In her e-mail, she asked contributors to share the cover on their blogs.

Well Versed is an annual anthology compiled and published by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild. Each fall, CCMWG holds a contest inviting all writers (members and non-members) to submit short stories, essays, articles, and poems.

Judges for fiction, poetry, and nonfiction pick their top three selections, along with honorable mentions. In addition to the judges' picks and honorable mentions, other works of merit are selected for inclusion in the anthology.

For the 2013 issue, Velda Brotherton judged fiction submissions, Mark Pearce judged poems, and Deborah Marshall judged nonfiction entries. 

I'm honored that my essay "Amo, Amas, Amat" was awarded second place in the nonfiction category, and I'm excited to share ink with several writing buddies.

Three Coffee and Critique group members, who also belong to Saturday Writers -- Karen Guccione-Englert, Jack Zerr and Marcia Gaye -- have works in the anthology, as do Saturday Writers members Lynn Obermoeller and Sheree Nielsen.

The launch date for Well Versed 2013 is in June.

It's Not Too Late to Take Your Writing Career in the Write Direction

This Saturday, November 10, I'm excited to be giving a workshop at the "Write Direction" conference in Columbia, MO.

The annual conference, sponsored by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild,  kicks off at 8:30 and ends at 4 p.m.

The conference will be held at the Unity Center, 1600 West Broadway in Columbia.

CCMWG president Judy Stock, conference chair Carolyn Mulford, and everyone involved in planning the event have done a wonderful job obtaining presenters, laying out the agenda, and keeping the registration fee affordable.

Here's what you can expect:

Bill Clark, columnist with the Columbia Daily Tribune, will serve as the keynote speaker and inspire participants on The Joy in Taking the Next Step"

Other speakers and breakout session topics include:

Bridget Bufford on "Creating Characters through Archetypes"
Matthew Murie, English professor at Westminister College, on "Finding Your Perfect Pitch"
William Trowbridge, Missouri Poet Laureate, on "Humor in Poetry"
Dr. Edward Adelstein, anatomic and clinical pathologist, on "Every Death is a Short Story"
Donna Volkenannt on "Structuring Short Stories for Passion and Profit"
Linda Fisher from Mozark Press, Yolanda Ciolli from AKA Publishing, and Lou Turner from High Hill Press will participate in publisher/editor panels

Registration fee includes lunch, special-interest tables, book sales, and an afternoon tea.

Student discounts are available and Late registrations will be accepted at the door.

Hope to see you there!

Well Versed 2013 Open for Submissions

 

The other day I received an e-mail from Linda Fisher, managing editor of Well Versed.

 

Well Versed is the anthology published by the Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers' Guild. The dandy logo on the left is from the chapter's website.

According to Linda's e-mail, the editors are now accepting submissions for Well Versed 2013.

Linda advises in her e-mail that the submission rules have changed this year, so please read the guidelines carefully. You can access them by clicking on this link.

The submission fees are modest, and prizes are awarded to winners in three categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. If your work is selected you will receive one contributor copy plus a nominal payment.

Last year the editors received a record number of submissions and published their largest volume to date.

The submission deadline for the 2013 anthology is October 31, 2012.

Personal Note: I had two nonfiction pieces in the 2012 anthology, which I found to be an extremely polished and professional publication.

Good luck if you submit!

Call for Submissions: Bad Hair Days, Travel and On Being a Stupid Kid

If you're looking for something to do during the sizzling days of summer, here are some submission call outs with red hot deadlines in July and August:

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Linda Fisher, publisher of Mozark Press, reminding me about the deadline for the Shaker of Margaritas: Bad Hair Day anthology. I'm not sure I can get something together by then, but maybe some of my visitors can. Here are the details:

The deadline is July 15. Linda is looking for humorous fiction stories about a bad hair day, "one of those days when things don’t go according to plan; in fact, it is as horrible as a bad perm or hair that turns green—unintentionally. Things go wrong, but with humor, stubbornness, and attitude—the female protagonist can survive any kind of bad hair day."

Approximately 20-25 stories will be selected for the anthology and will be paid $20 upon publication. For submissions guidelines visit the "Bad Hair Day" page on http://www.mozarkpress.blogspot.com/ or http://www.mozarkpress.com/

***

Last week in the comment section on my post about the Chicken Soup for the Soul dispute settlement, Dahlynn McKowen, editor of Publishing Syndicate, issued this invitation to my visitors:

". . . I have created a competing anthology -- "Not Your Mother's Book...[subtitle]." It's a new anthology for a new century and I invite you and your fans to submit stories! http://www.publishingsyndicate.com/ Thanks!"

The August 1 deadlines are for: On Travel and On Being a Stupid Kid. Here's a link to the submission guidelines  where you can also read details about compensation options.

Call for Anthology Submissions - A Shaker of Margaritas: A Bad Hair Day

Bad hair day? Don't fret. Write about it!

Mozark Press has just announced a call for humorous fiction stories (no poetry or essays) for A Shaker of Margaritas: A Bad Hair Day.

According to the publisher's e-mail announcement about the anthology, "a bad hair day is one of those days when things don’t go according to plan; in fact, it is as horrible as a bad perm or hair that turns green—unintentionally. Things go wrong, but with humor, stubbornness, and attitude—the female protagonist can survive any kind of bad hair day."


Submissions deadline is July 15, 2012
Approximately 20-25 stories will be selected for the anthology.
Contributors will be paid $20 upon publication.

For submissions guidelines visit the "Bad Hair Day" page.
I've had stories in two A Shaker of Margaritas anthologies and can attest that Linda Fisher does a first-class job as editor. The Shaker of Margaritas anthologies are fun to read--and the covers are lovely!
 
Good luck if you submit!

Tra La, It's May, the Lovely Month of May

Every year during the month of May, I think of the lyrics "Tra La It's May, the lovely month of May" from Camelot--one of my favorite musicals.

Like the song in Camelot, May is a month full of hope and promise.

For me, May is already starting off on a happy note.

This morning I opened an e-mail from Linda Fisher, editor of Mozark Press. Linda is attending a conference, but she took time to notify me that my short story, "Look Back, But Don't Stare," has been accepted for possible inclusion in "A Shaker of Margaritas: Cougars on the Prowl."

Thanks to members of my critique group for their suggestions and comments when I brought portions of the story in for critique. Special thanks to Marcia and Alice for detailed edits on the full story. I need to tweek the story a bit to adjust the characters' ages, but that should be an easy fix.

So, I just wanted to share my news before I go off and enjoy this beautiful day.

Wishing you a month full of hope and promises--and lovely surprises!

Interview with Linda Fisher, Publisher of Mozark Press

Today I have a special guest at Donna's Book Pub. Please welcome Linda Fisher, award-winning writer and editor, and publisher of Mozark Press. I've known Linda for several years through the Missouri Writers' Guild, and I was fortunate enough to have a short story of mine included in Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas, a recent anthology from Mozark Press.

I've co-edited a few anthologies, but I've always been curious about how the publishing end works and Linda was kind enough to answer interview questions about her press. I thought my blog readers would enjoy hearing first-hand from Linda about her publishing company.

DV: First, Linda, thank you for answering my interview questions. Besides being an editor and a publisher, you are an award-winning writer. Please tell us about some of your writing accomplishments.

LF: The first writing contest I ever entered was at our local bookstore and I won first place. That gave me confidence to enter other contests. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to enter contest through writing groups—Ozarks Writers League, Columbia Chapter of the Missouri Writers’ Guild, and the Missouri Writers Guild—and won prizes from each of them. I was thrilled to win the 2010 Best Book of the Year Award from Ozark Writers League for Early Onset Blog: Essays From an Online Journal. I accepted the other awards I won that night with dignity, but I jumped, hopped, and skipped forward to accept the Book of the Year award! Winning contests is not about the money for me, it’s about validation, especially on those days when my writing doesn’t measure up to my vision of the story.

DV: Wow! Winning Best Book of the Year is an impressive accomplish. Now, a question about publishing: With all the changes in the publishing industry, what inspired you to start Mozark Press?

LF: Not every author can find an agent or sign a contract with a major publishing company. The Shaker anthologies give authors a place to submit short stories for publication. I hope that Mozark Press opens doors for talented authors to see their work in print.

DV: That is so generous of you. I was fortunate enough to have one of my short stories included in Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas. The cover is wonderful and all the stories are great. What has been the response to this anthology?

LF: I’m pleased with the response to Hot Flash Mommas, especially since it was Mozark Press’s first anthology. My expectations were to break even and (yay!) we actually made a small profit. Some of the authors turned out to be fantastic at promotion and sales. Their enthusiasm was contagious. Everything worked for the book—attractive cover, great stories, and promotion from authors, bloggers, and the authors’ local media.

DV: It's wonderful that your first anthology was so successful. You have a submission call-out for a new anthology with a deadline of March 1--Shaker of Margaritas: Cougars on the Prowl. What is the focus of the anthology, and what kind of submissions are you hoping to receive? Where can writers find specific submission guidelines for Cougars on the Prowl?

LF: Cougars on the Prowl will be a fun anthology geared toward “women of a certain age.” I want submissions to tell a great story with a boomer aged protagonist and a younger man. I would recommend that writers don’t go for the obvious, but dig deep to pull off the unusual. The “cougar” portion of the story might be peripheral rather than the focus of the story. The complete guidelines can be found at http://www.mozarkpress.com/.

DV: I imagine you receive tons of submissions for your anthologies. What are some common mistakes you see in submissions?

LF: Among the common mistakes: stilted dialog, not enough dialog, too many characters for a short story, and sentences and paragraphs that do not flow. A lot of errors can be caught when the writer reads the story aloud. I appreciate authors who use one space at the end of sentences (not two) and paragraph indentions rather than tabs. The less time I spend formatting, the more time I have to edit.

DV: Thanks for that advice. Any other tips for writers who submit to Mozark Press?

LF: First, make sure you follow the guidelines. Have another author give you an honest critique of your story. Don’t send me your rough draft—write, re-write, and edit. One of the judges asked me to tell the writers to proofread, proofread, proofread. Here’s a clue—I don’t edit before I send the stories to the judges.

DV: I agree that getting another writer's opinion is so helpful. Beyond your most recent call for submissions, do you have any plans for more anthologies?

LF: I plan to have more Shaker anthologies in the future. They are a lot of fun and it is a pleasure to work with the authors.

DV: That's good news! As an author with a story in your first anthology, I have to say it was a pleasure to work with you. How can readers and writers contact you for more information?

LF: Email me at publisher@mozarkpress.com or become a friend on Mozark Press Facebook. More information can be found at www.mozarkpress.com and http://mozarkpress.blogspot.com.

Thanks again, Linda, for taking time from your busy schedule to visit Donna's Book Pub. I hope you get lots of wonderful submissions for your future anthologies.

Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas is available from Amazon and Mozark Press.