Writers' Notebooks and Welcome

If you're like me, you love writing notebooks and journals. Like pens, I have notebooks sprinkled all over my house. I keep one in my purse and another in my car. I have several different notebooks tucked in tote bags for when I attend writing events. Never know when an idea might strike. Some journals are neatly filled in; others have ideas jotted down. Some--I have no idea what I meant to write--but I hope to figure it out eventually.

Last week I was thrilled when I received a Celtic journal in the mail. It's exactly like the one at the left, from Peter Pauper Press (say that three times--dare you!).

I won this elegant journal over on Lisa Ricard Claro's "Writing in the Buff" blog a couple weeks ago. Thank you, Lisa!

What I really like about my new journal, besides being free, is its "intricate knotwork and serpentine animal forms evoking the rich Celtic legacy." Just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

I visited the Peter Pauper Press site today to check out their journals. The one I have is now out of stock and won't be available until mid May. Bummer!

Today I also received my Real Simple Daily Finds e-mail. Today's finds are ten noteworthy notebooks. I found a few that I really like. Most are affordable, others are expensive--at least for me. Included among the journals is a "My Quotable Kid" journal to record funny things that pop out of kids' mouths. How fun is that?

So, if you're looking for a journal to record your thoughts and ideas, jot down dialogue you don't want to forget, or spark creativity and make you feel special, check out the Peter Pauper Press site or Real Simple Daily finds.

Today I also want to welcome my newest follower: MILO JAMES FOWLER.

Thanks for signing up as a follower, Milo. Hope you enjoy the ride. To my other followers and regular visitors, if you get a chance, check out Milo's blog, in medias res.

Call for Submissions - How the West Was Wicked

I'm not sure how I came across this call for submissions, but the "How the West Was Wicked" title of the anthology lassoed my attention.

Pill Hill Press is looking for submissions for an anthology of "weird Western fiction" with elements of horror that takes place in the American Old West.

Now there's an usual combination. But not unexpected, given the fact the publisher is located in a haunted house.

According to submission guidelines, the editors encourage writers to think "haunted house on the prairie" or other dark and weird tales in Wild West setting.

Deadline: March 31
Word count: 1,500-15,000
Payment: 1/4 cents per word

If that anthology doesn't appeal to you, there are other submission call outs. The common thread seems to be dark or horror elements. Generally not my cup of tea, but a challenge to stretch the writing muscles.

For complete details, check out their writer's guidelines.

Count Down to Lent - Rosenmontag

In you've never heard of Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), don't feel alone. I'm married to a German immigrant, and I didn't hear about Rosenmontag until I lived and worked in Germany (in the Rheinland-Pfalz state) in the 1980s. My husband is a German immigrant from the predominately Catholic German state of Bavaria, where they celebrate Fasching before Lent.

Back to Rosenmontag, which has nothing to do with roses. Rosenmontag is a day to get crazy during the German Karneval (carnival) season leading up to Lent.

At the office where I worked in Kaiserlautern, the local German women took charge and made a big production of cutting the ties off of men who wore them to work on Rosenmontag. The men, of course, took it all in good fun and knew to wear old worn-out ties on that day.

In addition to the cutting of ties, there was lots of eating and drinking of wine and beer and schnapps (for its medicinal purposes, of course).

Prosit! (a German toast to your good health)

Good News and An Opportunity from Silver Boomer Books

Earlier this week, a writer friend and I had lunch with Becky Haigler, one of the principals of Silver Boomer Books. Becky is editor of FLASHLIGHT MEMORIES, a Silver Boomer anthology that accepted my true story "Read Away Vacation," as well as stories from a couple blogger buddies--Linda O'Connell and Cathy C. Hall.

Becky and her husband recently moved to the St. Louis area, so I thought it would be a good idea to welcome her to the writing community. Lunch was entertaining and enlighting. We talked about writing, publishing--and of course family.

Becky is excited about the soon-to-be-released FLASHLIGHT MEMORIES anthology. She told me the anthology should be going to the printer soon. When I asked about the cover, she told me it is a photo her dad took of her reading a book.

Shortly after I got home I searched to find an image of the cover and discovered it (photo above) on Sharpwriters.com, the website of Silver Boomer Books partner Barbara B. Rollins. Isn't the cover wonderful? I can't wait to hold the anthology in my hands!

Becky is also excited about Silver Boomer Books' latest call for submissions. The editors are accepting stories for a Patriotic/Military Anthology to be published later this year. The deadline is March 31.

If you have something that might fit, read the submission guidelines and submit by the end of the month.

If you submit, good luck!

!Welcome!

Today is a great day!

It's a bit cool, but the sun is shining. I made it through another Zumba class without embarrassing myself or hurting anything. Some of my muscles are a bit sore, but it's a good feeling because they're ones that haven't been used in awhile.

More sunny news.

Welcome! Welcome! To my newest followers:

Aron White

J. C. Martin

Julie

Gaurab Sinha

Thanks for joining the Donna's Book Pub. I hope you visit often and feel free to leave comments or questions.

For my regular visitors, please check out Aron, J.C., Julie, and Gaurab's blogs (at least the two I was able to link to) when you get a chance.

Cougars on the Prowl Deadline Extended

Good news for procrastinating writers--ahem, that would be me.

Yesterday I received an e-mail from Linda Fisher, publisher of Mozark Press, a small press located in Central Missouri.

Last year one of my short stories ("Criminal Minds") was included in Shaker of Margaritas: Hot Flash Mommas, published by Mozark Press. It's a lovely anthology, and from the publisher's reports, it sold better than expected.

With the success of that anthology, a few months ago Linda put out a call for Cougars on the Prowl. Here's the good news from Linda:

"We have extended the Cougars on the Prowl submissions deadline to March 31. Although we've received some excellent entries, we do not have enough to make selections for the anthology. It is important that only the judges' top picks will be published in the book."

Payment for selected short fiction stories between 1,500 and 3,000 words set in modern times is $20 and one contributor copy. Contributors also may purchase additional books at a substantial discount.

Here is a link to the guidelines. Be sure to read the guidelines because they are quite specific, especially for the main character.

To be honest, because of the title I wasn't going to submit. I let the original deadline pass. I'm not a prude, but I'm not the "cougar on the prowl" type either.

But, after carefully reading the guidelines I've decided the content in this "cougar" publication is tamer than I originally tought. So I'm going to get busy and try to come up with an acceptable story by the end of the month.

It definitely will be a work of fiction!

Marching into March and Two Winners

Yay! February with its weird weather is behind us.

Okay, let's recap what this shortest month of the year has delivered: Snow, sleet, freezing rain, near-record-breaking temperatures (highs and lows), flash flooding--what am I missing--oh, yeah, thunderstorms and tornadoes on Sunday night. Whew.

I say WELCOME March, which "comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb." Today is not so lion-like. It's sunny but cold, expected to reach the high 50s later today.

Now, on to our WINNERS. Thanks to all my followers who left their comments to enter to win the ARC giveaways.

I wish everyone could win, but I only have one copy of each ARC . The names of two followers who left comments were selected at random--one for each book. Here are the winners:

* THE HEART IS NOT A SIZE - LISA

* HIGHWAY ROBBERY - MADELINE

Lisa and Madeline, if you haven't alredy done so, please e-mail me at dvolkenannt (at) charter (dot) net with your mailing address so I can get the ARCs to you.

If your name was not selected, take heart. I will announce another contest this month with two more ARCs and some other goodies.

Thanks again for visiting Donna's Book Pub!