Submission Opportunity from Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels in our Midst

Do you believe in angels? I do.

I love hearing stories about angels and seeing them depicted in artwork, like the statues on the left.

Last month I visited the Shrine of St. Joseph in St. Louis, the site of an official Vatican-sanctioned miracle. This photo is of the front altar--the altar of answered prayers.

I thought it would be fitting to use this photo to accompany this post about a submission call out from the editors of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels in our Midst.

The editors are looking for "101 miraculous stories of faith, divine intervention, and answered prayers."

Have you been visited by an angel?

Had prayers answered by an angel?

Received divine protection from an angel or guardian angel?

Witnessed a miraculous recovery?

Received news or a warning from an angel?

If so, you could have your true story or poem published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels in our Midst.

The editors want stories of "true wonder and awe from people who have directly encountered or received help from angels."

They do not want stories about "people who are angels because they do nice things or eulogies about loved ones who have died and are now angels."

Submission deadline is May 15, 2014. 

Expected publication date is October 2014.

Authors whose stories are selected will receive $200 and 10 free copies of the anthology.

For complete submission guidelines, including word counts and other details, visit the Chicken Soup for the Soul website.

Good luck!

My Ash Wednesday Morning Conversation and a Poem from T. S. Eliot

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season, a time that symbolizes our mortality and our need for repentance.

In our household it means giving up something we like, or doing something extra (like a chore) we don't like--oh, and not eating meat today or on Fridays during Lent.

Here's how my Ash Wednesday began.

My granddaughter, getting ready to leave for school: Can you grab me a bottle of water from the fridge?

Me: I put a cold Dr. Pepper in for you last night. I thought that's what you like for lunch.

Gd (in a sad voice): Um. Yep, I do. Thanks a lot for reminding me. I gave up soda for Lent.

Me: Oops. Sorry. I forgot. (I do that a lot in the morning--and the rest of the day for that matter.)

Gd: What did you give up?

Me: Candy.

Gd: But you don't eat that much candy. (She is so sweet.)

Me: I try not to, but put a box of Good and Plenty in front of me and I can't resist.

Gd, heading out the door to her car: Those things are nasty. Gotta go.

Me to Grandson, who's eating a bowl of cereal while I'm making his lunch: Is a peanut butter sandwich okay?

Gs: How about pizza rolls?

Me: Can't eat meat today.

Gs: Then I guess so. 

Me, as I make his lunch: What are you giving up for Lent?

Gs: I don't know.

Me: How about candy?

Gs: I don't know.

Me: How about soda?

Gs: I don't know.

Me, after he finishes breakfast: Did you remember to brush your teeth?

Gs: Yes.

Me: Do you have your study sheet for your Science test?

Gs: Yes.

Me: Did you dab your medicine on your face?

Gs: Yes.

Me, as he walks to the door: Did you decide what you want to give up for Lent?

Gs: Listening. (Ha. Ha)

Me: Instead of giving something up, why not do something extra around the house?

Gs: Maybe.

Me: How about taking out the trash?

Gs (grinning): Maybe. Or I could give up my X-Box.

Me: Seriously?

Gs, laughing as he walks out the door for carpool: Just kidding.

Me (wondering): What am I gonna fix for supper?

For all you poetry lovers, here's a link to the poem "Ash Wednesday" by T. S. Eliot.

That's What Friends Are For

At critique group on Tuesday a couple writing friends shared some good news I thought I'd pass along.

Drum roll, please . . . ! ! !

Marcia Gaye (our very own famous Marcia Gaye, not the other one) had a poem of hers included in the Top Fifty contest in connection with Writer's Digest. The judge/blog master is their poetry columnist and editor of Poets Market. His April Poem a Day challenge received more than 5,000 poems with more than 1,000 making the cut to the final judges. From that group he chose the best 50, and Marcia was in that top 50. Although we don't critique poetry, we do encourage poets, and according to Marcia, "being in our group is such a good push for me."

Claudia Shelton received two major awards for her romance novels:

*Courage and Azaleas took First Place in Mainstream w/Romantic Elements from Finally A Bride Contest sponsored by OKRWA (Oklahoma Romance Writers of America).
*Please Be Careful was awarded Second Place in Romantic Mystery/Suspense Contemporary Series (Unpublished) for the Daphne Du Maurier Award sponsored by KOD (Kiss of Death Chapter, Romance Writers of America).

While announcing her good news on Tuesday, Claudia thanked our critique group for helping her improve her manuscripts. She also spoke about how encouraging our critique group has been to her and her writing.

Now, that's what friends are for!

To wrap up today's post, I welcome my newest follower, Conda V. Douglas I hope you will stop by often, Conda, and feel free to leave comments. Please check out her blog when you get a chance.

That's all for today. Hope you're staying cool in this hot July weather.

Memorial Day Remembrances and In Flanders Field Poem

On this Memorial Day please join me in remembering those who died serving our country.

I am remembering two friends of my youth who lost their lives in Vietnam.

James Donnelly, a classmate at Most Holy Name of Jesus School in North St. Louis, took me to the eighth-grade dance on the S.S. Admiral, and bought me my first corsage (pink and white carnations). The eighth-grade dance in 1962 was my first "official" date where a boy asked me to go out. Six years later James lost his life while serving as an Army soldier in Vietnam.

Mike Blassie was my escort to the St. Alphonsus (Rock) High School senior prom. Rock High was an all-girls' school, so we invited the boys--and Mike graciously accepted my invitation. That night he talked about how excited he was to be going to the Air Force Academy after graduation. First Lieutenant Michael Blassie's remains rested, for a time, in the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery before being returned to St. Louis in July, 1998.

Please take time today to remember James and Michael, along with all the fallen who gave their "last full measure of devotion" while serving our country.

If you've ever wondered the connection between the red poppies you see on sale around Memorial Day, read "In Flanders Field," the poem by Canadian Army Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae. The link to the Arlington National Cemetery also has an explanation about the writing of In Flanders Field.

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

April is the Cruelest Month?

In his famous poem, "The Wasteland," acclaimed poet (and St. Louis native) T.S. Eliot wrote:

"April is the cruelest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain."

In many ways, April 2011 has not only been cruel, but devestating. Mother Nature showed her raw fury on Good Friday with the tornado that caused damage and destruction in Missouri and Illinois. Thankfully, no one was injured. Sadly, the tornadoes that whipped through the South last week left death as well as destruction. All who have been affected by these storms are in my prayers.

I was also saddened to find out that last week, New York Times bestsetting author Beverly Barton passed away from a massive heart attack. Beverly was a "steel magnolia" from Alabama and a robust and sassy romantic suspense author whose books I've reviewed, as well as interviewed for Bookreporter.com. Although I never met Beverly in person, after reviewing so many of her books and reading her answers to my interview questions, I felt as if I knew her--and I respected her as a writer.

That's the sad news about this past month.

Now for the good news:

My lilac bushes by the front porch are blooming, and their sweet fragrance greets me every day.



This week, my husband and our grandson spent time out at our country place in Osage County. Our grandson is on spring break. With all the rain, the Gasconade River (which abuts our property) is up, but it didn't keep them from having fun. The found several pounds of morel mushrooms and saw turkeys and deer. I can't wait until they come home later today day so I can see all the pictures they took.


My granddaughter had a good month, too. In the middle of the month she traveled to Columbia after winning first place and the right to represent this district in a state-wide leadership conference. Her soccer team won 1st place in a local conference and her team was undefeated (until last night). The team that defeated them last night "played dirty," with slide tackles and faking injuries when our players had breakaways. And sadly, one of her teammates was injured and had to be carried off the field.

April was also a good month for members of my critique group.

Alice Muschany won a 1st, a 2nd, and a 3rd place award in the sponsor and chapter categories at the Missouri Writers' Group Conference. Marcia Gaye won a 1st and a 2nd place in the sponsor and category awards at the same conference.

Claudia Shelton, also a member of my critique group received outstanding news. She is a finalist in the Daphne Du Mauier Award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense. Her unpublished category suspense (Please Be Careful) was among the five finalists. Keep your fingers crossed.

April was a productive month for me personally:

* I won 1st place in the President's Award category for Best Short Story at the MWG conference this month for published short stories. My story, "Criminal Minds," had been published in Hot Flash Mommas, A Shaker of Margaritas by Mozark Press.
* My personal essay "Read Away Vacation" was published in Flashlight Memories by Silver Boomer Books.
* Two of my short stories have been accepted for anthologies to be published later this year.
* I finished three reviews and two interviews for Bookreporter.com and Teenreads.com.

And finally, who could not be swept up by the pagentry, drama--and yes love--of the Royal Couple, William and Kate, in yesterday's ceremony in London?



Now that April is behind us, with its mixed memories and desires, I wish you all a wonderful month of May.

Memorial Day - A Time to Remember

During the Saturday Writers open mic meeting on May 29, Jerrel Swingle read an essay that moved most of the roughly 30 attendees to tears. Before reading his piece, Jerry began with the quote "We who are left to die salute you." That phrase rang a bell, so when I got home I researched and discovered it was what gladiators said (in Latin) before entering the arena--it's probably familiar from reading about Caesar in high school Latin class.

Back to Jerry's essay. He described an encounter with an elderly veteran selling red buddy poppies in front of a supermarket. His poignant essay was also a tribute to those who have died in any war or who've came back from war broken, damaged, or changed.

Jerry spoke of the history of the buddy poppies after World War I, "the war to end all wars," and wove in the poem "In Flander's Field," written by Col. John McCrae of Canada. The poem describes blowing red fields among the battleground of the fallen.


In Flander's Field

by John McCrae

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.

On this Memorial Day I remember young men from my youth who, in the words of President Lincoln during the Gettysburg Address, gave their "last measure of devotion," fighting for their country. From the City of St. Louis, Missouri, the names of 260 men are on the walls of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Here are four I knew:

James Donnelly, a classmate at Most Holy Name of Jesus School in North St. Louis, Missouri, was a shy, smart, and handsome boy with dark hair and dark eyes. He took me to Holy Name's eighth grade dance in 1962 on the steamship Admiral on the Mississippi River. Jim gave me my first corsage. He died in 1968 as an Army soldier in Vietnam.

William June was also a classmate at Holy Name and grew up in our North St. Louis neighborhood.

Ron Imperiali, a friend of my sister Kathleen, grew up in our North St. Louis neighborhood.

Michael Blassie was my date for the St. Alphonsus (Rock) senior prom in 1966. He went on to graduate from the U.S. Air Force Academy and was sent to Vietnam. In 1972 he was declared MIA then KIA after his plane was shot down. His remains were buried for several years in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier until DNA proved the remains were his. His remains were returned home for burial in 1998. My husband Walt (also an Air Force Vietnam veteran) and I attended the ceremony at Jefferson Barracks.

Eternal rest grant them, Oh Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon them.

Six More Weeks of Winter

Today in St. Peters, MO: Cloudy, high 40 degrees

It may be cloudy in St. Peters, Missouri, but in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, Punxsutawney Phil (the famous groundhog) saw his shadow, which means six more weeks of winter. Bah!

Punxsutawney is in Western Pennsylvania, where Groundhog Day has been a big doings since 1886. The festivities on Groundhog Day center around Gobblers Knob. Here's a link to the news article and photos of the event. If you're curious about the history of Groundhog Day, here's a link to a site that can shed some light on the topic.

Before it was called Groundhog Day, Feb 2 was known as Candlemas Day . The Christian significance of the 2nd of February is that this date is forty days after Christ's birth at Christmas. I also found this poem about Candlemas day: "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May . . ."