My Essay on How I Met My Husband is in Sasee's October Magazine

Photo, Oct 17 Sasee Magazine

"Melodies and Memories"

Cover Artist: Mike Daneshi

If you're curious how a nineteen-year-old teenage girl from St. Louis met a twenty-year-old airman/immigrant who was born in the German Bavarian Alps, you can read about it by following the link below.

My essay titled "Living the American Dream" appears in Sasee's October 2017 issue with the theme "Melodies and Memories." The beautifully vivid and evocative cover art is done by Mike Daneshi.

If you're a writer interested in submitting to Sasee, here's a copy of their guidelines.

Hope you enjoy!

Note: Next week I will begin posting interviews I've received from contributors to Mysteries of the Ozarks, V.

SELF-e Self-Publishing Opportunity from Library Journal




Image from the St. Louis County Library website

If you're a local author hoping to get your work into the St. Louis County Library's (and other libraries') e-book collections, here's something you might want to check out. 

According to the SLCL website, SELF-e is "a discovery platform designed to expose your ebook(s) to more readers via public libraries locally and nationwide."

This initiative is a collaboration between Library Journal and BiblioBoard. Depending on the outcome of a rigorous review process by Library Journal, the SELF-e program permits local authors to upload their e-book: into Library Journal's SELF-e Select collection or (if not selected for the Library Journal's SELF-e Select collection) into the Indie Missouri collection.

Note: From what I read in the FAQs, there is no cost to participate -- but authors do not receive royalties either.  The chief benefit is getting your work recognized.

So, if you're looking for exposure (other than from frostbite) for your e-book, you can find complete details in the FAQ section, along with a link to the terms of agreement.

More Notes from OCW: Tiffany Schofield on "The Unexpected Journey"

During Tiffany Schofield's second session at OCW in Eureka Springs, she talked about her unexpected journey into the world of publishing with Five Star and how her journey can parallel that of a writer.

Her discussion focused on three traits she believes writers need to succeed:
* Tenacity
* Dedication
* Community

* As an example of tenacity and persistence, she pointed out mystery writer Agatha Christie, who was rejected for five years, but who ultimately has had two billion books in print (second only to Shakespeare). Tiffany shared a story about a conversation she had during a writing event with best-selling author Jeffrey Deaver, who told her he received 138 rejections for his first manuscript. One rejection letter was even marred with boot stamps, as if someone at the publishing house had walked on his printed submission. Yet, Deaver never gave up. And the boot-stamped manuscript? It eventually got published, as did scores of other of his novels.

* To be dedicated, Tiffany said that a writer must do more than dream of becoming published -- a writer must "leap off that cliff and get started."

* For community, Tiffany encouraged writers to engage in fellowship with others with similar attitudes, interests, and goals. She suggested that writers connect with their readers, attend conferences (like OCW), join or start a critique group, give back to the writing community, and be part of something more.

She wrapped up with a few quotes from Benjamin Franklin. Here's one I jotted down: "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

To encourage writers to "leap off that cliff and get started," she directed writers to pick up copies of handouts with Five Star's submission query guidelines. I picked up a copy and have summarized them below.

Five Star Publishing, a part of Gale/Cengage Learning:

* Does not accept or review a project based on a query only.
* Accepts and evaluates completed manuscripts that are unsolicited, as well as agented submissions, in the following genres:
  ** Mystery (set in any time period; manuscripts within 65,000-100,000 word count range). (Mystery subgenre examples: cozy, hard-boiled, private eye, traditional, psychological, crime, police procedurals, suspense, thriller, historical, humorous, contemporary Western mystery, romantic suspense, etc.).
  ** Westerns (set during 1800-1899; manuscripts within  55,000-100,000 word count range). (Western subgenre examples: traditional, lawman, action/adventure, etc.).
  ** Frontier Fiction (set during 1700-1920; manuscripts within 60,000-130,000 word count range). (Subgenre examples: historical thriller, frontier mystery, frontier romance, frontier women's fiction, frontier fiction with YA crossover ability (coming-of-age themes), alternate history, frontier SF/fantasy, pioneer settlers, etc.).
* Does not accept previously published materials (including print or eBook).
* Does not accept simultaneous submissions.
* Only accepts author's own original work.

** Five Star does not accept: nonfiction, poetry, memoirs, autobiography, short story collections, or children/YA literature.

E-mail submission query requirements:
* Send an e-mail to FiveStar@cengage.com
* In the subject line type: SUBMISSION QUERY, Your book title by Author Name
* MUST include in body of your e-mail:
  ** Your full name (pseudonym if applicable)
  ** Address/contact info
  ** Manuscript title
  ** Manuscript word count
  ** Specific subgenre of your submission
  ** Short synopsis about your project

If you have any questions about Five Star's submission guidelines or need clarification of the above, e-mail FiveStar@cengage.com 

Five Star Publishing is located at 10 Water Street, Suite 310, Waterville, ME 04901

Back to Tiffany's presentation. In addition to tenacity, dedication, and community, I believe writers need talent, patience, and timing to succeed.

How about you? What traits or qualities do you think writers need to be successful?

Special Announcement: Compass Flower Press Uncertain Promise Anthology Deadline Extended

Have you ever wanted to be published in a professional, theme-driven anthology?

Have you ever wanted to win a big prize for your writing?

Here's a chance to do both.

How? AKA Publishing and Compass Flower Press are actively seeking submissions for their Uncertain Promise anthology contest, and they have extended the deadline until June 9.

What are the editors looking for in submissions? Fiction and Creative non-fiction, but not poetry. 

How big are the prizes?

First place is $1,000; Second place is $500; and third place is $200.

What is the word limit? 3,000 words.

What does the theme Uncertain Promise mean?

Here are some examples from the AKA website: an unexpected outcome (joy, satisfaction, renewal, despair, emotional growth, etc.) from an otherwise routine or mundane circumstance. The uncertain promise might be an unspoken commitment from a friend or lover falls through due to misunderstanding or unforeseen happening, a career failure or future crashes--or ascends--depending on the outcome of a single event. These are some of the editor's ideas, but writers are welcome to use their imaginations and interpret the theme broadly. 

May I submit something that's already been published? No. Unpublished submissions only.

How about simultaneous submissions? Yes, but please note that on the entry form and give immediate notification if your entry is accepted elsewhere.

How are the entries judged?

Fiction and creative nonfiction submissions are read and evaluated anonymously by two editorial boards. Submission does not guarantee acceptance; acceptances that make the final cut are forwarded to independent judges for possible award of cash prizes. 

Each published contributor receives one free copy of the anthology.

How much does it cost to enter? 
Non-refundable entry fees ($US) for each category are $18 for electronic submission (paid on website) or $15 for mailed submission (paid by check or on website.) Compass Flower Press and AKA-Publishing are imprints of the independent and self-supporting publisher, AKA:yola, LLC.

How many times may I enter? No limit on submissions, but each entry requires a separate entry fee.

Where is AKA Publishing located?

315 Bernadette Drive, Ste 3; Columbia, Missouri 65203

Where can I find more details? Visit the AKA website for complete details and entry instructions.

Who can I contact for more information? 
E-mail: compassflowerpress@gmail.com OR click through the contact email on the website (be sure to note “Anthology Submission” in the subject line.)

What else do I need to know?
All submissions—both snail mail and e-mail—will be notified via e-mail upon receipt.

Prize winners and entries selected for publication will be posted on CompassFlowerPress.com.

Note: As a board member of AKA Publishing, I get to help spread the word about this opportunity to fellow writers.

Contest Announcement/Call for Submissions: Uncertain Promise, a Literary Anthology

The editors of Compass Flower Press, an imprint of AKA-Publishing in Columbia, MO, are sponsoring a contest and seeking submissions for a literary anthology to be published this fall.

Full disclosure: I am a board member of AKA Publishing

Here is some basic information about the call out. For complete guidelines, visit the AKA-Publishing website:

* Fiction and creative nonfiction submissions only (no poetry)

* Word limit: 3,000 per entry (sections from larger works will be accepted)

* First place $1,000

* Second place $500

* Third place $250

* No previously published work

* Submissions are read and evaluated anonymously by two editorial boards

* Deadline: May 10, 2014 NOTE: Deadline extended until May 25, 2014
 

* Planned publication date: October 2014

* Working title/theme: Uncertain Promise. Examples of uncertain promise: an unexpected outcome (joy, satisfaction, renewal, despair, emotional growth, etc.) from an otherwise routine or mundane circumstance; an unspoken commitment from a friend or lover falls through due to misunderstanding or unforeseen happening; a career or future crashes—or ascends—depending on the outcome of a single event. These are the editor's ideas, with encouragement for those submitting to "use your imagination and please interpret broadly."
* Submission does not guarantee acceptance

* Each published contributor receives a free copy of the anthology

*Non-refundable entry fees:

*Electronic submissions $18 (US$) per entry (paid on website)

 or 

*Mailed submissions $15 (US$) per entry (paid by check or on website) 

Entry form for the 2014 Anthology/Contest may be downloaded at AKA-Publishing.com and must be completed and accompany each entry.  

Or by snail mail: 

AKA-Publishing / Compass Flower Press
315 Bernadette Dr, Ste 3

Columbia, Missouri 65203

JUDGE: Von Pittman

For complete guidelines, including detailed official submission requirements, or for questions, visit the AKA website or e-mail: compassflowerpress@gmail.com 

Good luck if you enter!

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!

Call for Submissions: Not Your Mother's Book: On Senior Moments and Last Call: On Being a Mom and On Family

The Publishing Syndicate's Not Your Mother's Book organization has announced a call out for a new anthology: "On Senior Moments." The editors are looking for submissions from writers of (ahem) a certain age or one who can write about things that happened "from age 50 and up. Baby Boomers and beyond."

Now, there's a subject near and dear to my over-50 heart.

Suggested topics to write about "as an older person" include (along with my comments):

Working on your “bucket list” (Hmm. Need to think about that one.)
Embarrassing moments (I've got lots of those.)
Memory lapses/mind not working like it used to (Yep.)
Technology challenges (Heck, yeah!)
Midlife crisis moments (Check.)
The Big 5-0, 6-0, 7-0 and beyond (I'm in the middle of this one.)
Second careers or volunteering (Let me think about that.)
Surprising body changes (I didn't know they accepted horror stories.)
School reunions (Let's not go there.)
Trying to do the things you once did, but no longer can (What was that, again? I forgot what you said.)
Traveling (Just got back from vacation, so maybe.)
Taking care of aging parents (may dedicate a chapter to this topic) (Should be interesting.)

Visit the NYMB website for complete guidelines.

While you're there, check out the NYMB other submission opportunities.

Here are two with short deadlines that are edited by two of my writing friends who are actively seeking submissions:

On Being a Mom, edited by Dianna Graveman. The deadline of August 1 is quickly approaching. Read about Dianna and what she looking for in submissions.

On Family, edited by Linda O'Connell. The deadline for On Family is also August 1. Read about Linda and what she is looking for submissions On Family here.

Several of my writing friends have been published in the NYMB anthologies and have good things to say about their experiences, so fire up those laptops, writers!

NPR's Three-Minute Fiction Contest Now Open - Finders Keepers

Finders Keepers: Round eleven of NPR's Three-Minute Fiction Contest is now open.

Guest judge is Karen Russell, author of Swamplandia!, Vampires in the Lemon Grove, and St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.

Submissions for this edition of NPR's contest should be:

* An original short story

* No more than 600 words

* Can be read in about three minutes

* About a character who finds an object

* And has no intention of returning it

* Deadline is 11:59 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 12

* One entry per person

Winner will receive signed copies of Russell's novels and have his or story published in The Paris Review.

Click here for more details.

Call for Children's Chapter Books from Knowonder!

The other day I received an e-mail from an editor at Knowonder with a call for submission and guidelines for chapter books.

Here are highlights of what the editors are looking for in submissions:

* Imaginative, exciting, action-filled chapter book manuscripts for kids ages 7-9. Intended to be either read by kids themselves, or with an adult's help. The story should keep a young child's attention and move quickly.

* Beginning level chapter books generally contain up to 10 short chapters. Examples include The Magic Treehouse series, Junie B. Jones, and Ivy and Bean.

* Stories should be approximately 10,000-15,000 words in length

* Stories should fall within a first to third grade reading level. (Please provide the readability statistics from Microsoft Word or another similar program.)

* Stories must be fiction but can be any genre—fantasy, mystery, sci-fi, adventure, historical fiction, etc.

* Please submit a query letter and the first chapter of your work.

* Manuscripts should be double-spaced in a standard 12 point font such as Times New Roman.

* Allow up to three months for  response.

* Editors will contact author if they want to see the entire manuscript.

* Upon acceptance, author will receive a contract that explains in detail the terms of knowonder's royalty sharing program, which is competitive with industry standards.

* Chapter books will be published in both digital and print formats.

* If you're interested in submitting a chapter book to knowonder!, please follow these instructions.

* Go to this link to submit all chapter books: knowonder.submittable.com/submit
* Click on the "+show guidelines" link to see the detailed submission guidelines, or, click on the "submit" button to submit your book.

* Note that author will need to create an account with Submittable to submit a story. If editors decide they would like to use your story they will contact author and provide thier legal agreement for chapter books.

* Please disregard the legal agreement on their website, which applies only to their short story collections.

If you have any questions about the submission  process, contact Kathy (kathy@knowonder.com) or Phillip (phillip@knowonder.com).

************
I've never written a chapter book, but one day I hope to give it a try.

 For any of my visitors with writing skills in this area, this call out might be an interesting opportunity.

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.

Cactus Country II Is Now Available

Last week, while I was getting ready to leave for the Erma Bombeck Workshop in Dayton, my good friend Lou Turner, who is the Publisher and Editor of High Hill Press, took time from her unbelievably busy schedule to drop by my house and deliver a copy of Cactus Country (Volume II).

Even though Lou is an award-winning writer and publisher, she is sweet and considerate like that.

Anyway, I'm so excited that my short story "Keeping Faith" is included in the Cactus Country Volume II anthology, along with stories, articles, and poems from some famous Western writers, as well as a few writing friends.

If you like reading about the West, or if you enjoy good writing, Cactus Country II is an anthology not to be missed. 

The anthology includes works from: Dusty Richards, Jory Sherman, Delois McGrew, Brett Cogburn, Lucia St. Clair Robson, Pat Carr, Claudia Mundell, Ellen Gray Massey, Regina Williams, W. E. (Bill) Mueller, and many more talented writers.

Yesterday at critique group two writers purchased copies from Lou then asked for my autograph. What fun!

So, I hope you'll gitty up, pony up a few bucks, and get yourself a copy of this anthology. 

Here's a link to the Cactus Country book store with information on how you can buy a copy, as well as a link to submission guidelines if you want to submit something for a future Cactus Country anthology.

Fairy Tales are Hot, So Why Not Write One?

Once upon a time, life was very grim.

In case haven't noticed, fairy tales are hot. In the fall television line up alone I've found two network programs that are about fairy tales.

NBC has Grimm on Friday nights. I've watched a few episodes, and I find myself strangely attracted to the show. One of the main characters is a St. Louis native, so that got my attention. David Guintoli plays Nick Burckhardt, a detective and "Grimm-creature profiler." So far in the series, we've seen Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and a Jagerbar. Okay. That's one I hadn't heard of before. The program is scary and so far interesting, but with some violent scenes. When those come on, I cover my eyes and peek through my fingers.

Over on ABC, there's Once Upon a Time. It's a modern-day adaptation of Snow White, Prince Charming, and the Evil Queen. The action takes place in Stonybrooke, where the mayor is a controlling, evil, well - witch. Then there's Mary Margaret, the sweet teacher, and Emma Swan, the stranger who comes to town, and don't forget Jiminy Cricket and Rumpelstiltskin. The series is more sugar-coated than Grimm, but so far it's been entertaining.

If you're into writing fairy tales, here's a call for submission for adult writers from Vestal Review that caught my eye (it didn't really catch my eye; my eyes are still intact, but you know what I mean). 

* Theme - A twist on classic fairy tales. "About the yet unheard adventures of Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, Snow White or any other well-known fairy tale character. Interpret the theme broadly and imaginatively, but incline toward a literary story."
* Flash fiction (limit 500 words)
* Deadline November 30, 2011
* State the source tale’s name before the title.
* No more than two submissions per author.
* Pay rates vary, depending on story length.
* "Stories of great merit receive up to $25 flat fee; 3 cents a word is a minimum pay in any case.”

** For complete details and to submit your story, click on their submission guidelines.

Good luck.

The End.

Blog Me Baby and Call for Entries from Voices Anthology

On this lovely June morning I would like to give a "blog me baby" welcome to the two latest followers of Donna's Book Pub:

Beth, from Beth's Banter She also contributes to Sleuth's Ink, a mystery writers' group out of Springfield, Missouri.

Karen Fisher-Alaniz has a blog called Write Now. Karen lives in Washington State.

I hope Beth and Karen visit often and join the conversations. They have pretty cool blogs of their own, so check them out when you get a chance.

Next, I want to share an e-mail reminder I received from one of the editors of the Voices Anthology of Short Stories Contest (Volume IV). The deadline is fast approaching--July 1--so I need to get busy and submit.

Here are the Contest Guidelines:
**

Unpublished short stories only to 3,000 words.

No essays or poetry.

Standard manuscript format, with cover sheet attached.

Times New Roman, 12-point font

Mail two copies of each entry, along with entry fee of $10 (check or money order). Make check out to Delois McGrew.

Mail to: Voices, P.O. Box 9076, Fayetteville, AR 72703.

Submissions not following the guidelines may be rejected.

You may enter as many times as you like, but each entry must be accompanied by a $10 entry fee. No SASE required, manuscripts will be destroyed after the contest.

First North American Rights. Rights revert to author 30 days after publication.

No simultaneous entries.

Include a cover letter with all contact information, including e-mail address, and a 50-word bio, attached to each of the two copies of your entry.

Accept all genres, except erotica. No gratuitous sex or violence in your entries.

Winner receives $200 and publication for Best Short Story. Possible nomination for the Pushcart Prize.

Other winners will be published in the anthology and receive one contributor’s copy.

All winners may make a one-time purchase of the anthology at a discount price.

By submitting your manuscript to this contest, you are allowing it to be edited and considered for publication. If your work is chosen, you understand and agree with the conditions for publication. By submitting to this contest, you are giving permission to publish your work in Voices, An Anthology of Short Stories, Volume Four. No other contract will be required.

Deadline for entries: July 1, 2011.

Winners will be notified 60 days after submissions close.

For more information, contact deloism@gmail.com or louturn@aol.com.

**

Good luck if you enter!

Storm Country Anthology from Joplin Writers' Guild and MWG

As a follow-up to my recent posts about how Joplin residents and writers are helping heal after the May 22 F-5 tornado in Joplin, Missouri, I found information about the Storm Country Anthology on Claudia's Page. Claudia is the president of the Joplin Writers' Guild. Here's what I found on her blog:

"The Joplin Writers' Guild and the Missouri Writers' Guild are going to join forces to produce a small book of weather related stories and poems. The proceeds from the book sales will all go to the Joplin school system to buy books for the libraries they lost. Two grade schools, a high school, and a Catholic grade school were lost that I know of right now. Estimates are in the millions to replace these schools and the fall term is only three months away!"

Here's what they're looking for in submissions from Midwest writers for the Storm Country Anthology. (You can also find a link to the official guidelines on Claudia's blog or on Storm Country.)

Theme: Storms and severe weather in the Midwest, including tornadoes, floods, snow, ice, and wind.

Who can submit: Midwest writers**

What: Original work of Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry

* Maximum of three submissions per author/poet

* Fiction - Any genre up to 1,500 words

* Poetry - Up to 30 lines each

* Nonfiction - Features, essays, memoirs up to 1,500 words

When: Submission period is June 1-July 15, 2011

How: Submit typed Word document in 12-point Times New Roman font

* Include name, address, phone number, and e-mail address on first page of submission

* For prose, three-space paragraph indention and double-spaced manuscript

* For poetry, single-spaced manuscript

* Number pages

* Proofread carefully and check spelling and grammar

* Author retains all rights

* Include third-person author bio no longer than 75 words

Where: E-mail to joplinwritersguild@yahoo.com or

Mail to: Claudia Mundell, 1815 River Street, Carthage, Missouri 64836

Why: Proceeds from book sales will be used to buy books for school libraries damaged by the tornado.

**If you have any questions about the anthology, or for the official guidelines, including theme, format, or who is eligible to submit, please e-mail joplinwritersguild@yahoo.com

After the Storm Country Anthology is published (estimated pub date is at the end of the summer) I will post information here about how to purchase copies.

Telling Lies for Money - Best Fiction

When I was a kid, one of my mom's sayings was, "You can go to Hell for lying the same as you can for stealing."

Mom said that usually when she thought one of her little "angels" was telling a fib. Mom's strong words and seering gaze rarely failed. Whichever one of us had something to hide would spill our guts. If that didn't work, she used the ultimate threat--to tell our dad when he got home from work and get a spanking with "Dad's Army belt."

With mom's "look," the threat of a spanking, Catholic guilt from time spent on Saturday afternoons in the confessional--and being taught by nuns, who were experts on catching an untruth--telling lies does not come easy to me.

Maybe that's why I like to write fiction. It's liberating to lie without fear of getting in trouble--and getting paid to do it (sometimes). And that's why I get excited to find a fiction market that pays.

Best Fiction is a paying online publication of "brilliant stories" that is open for submissions of short fiction as well as photographs and art work.

Payment for short stories between 1,500 to 7,500 words is $25. According to their website, their tastes are fairly broad. For complete details, visit the Best Fiction submission guidelines section.

I found this market through Duotrope's Digest, which is a great resource for writers looking for markets for fiction, nonfiction, even poetry.

I'm not sure, but I think Mom would be proud to know her encouragement to tell the truth helped channel my tendencies to exaggerate or sometimes fib into something positive--writing short stories--and on occasion getting paid to do it.

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.

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!

Ghosts and Monsters and Dreams, Oh My!

Hey, Dorothy, you're not in Kansas anymore. This submission call-out is for southern writers. And forget about lions and tigers and bears. These editors want stories with ghosts and monsters and dreams, Oh my!

Submissions for Press 53's Surreal South '11 anthology need to be from writers associated in some way with the South--as in south of the Mason-Dixon line. (Border states like Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Maryland are sometimes included South of the line; others show them above the line.)

Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the editors of Press 53 have specific requirements on what they're looking for in submissions.

The submissions for Surreal South '11: Ghosts and Monsters should be surreal stories: "dream stories, horror stories, monster stories, insanity, magical realism, the distorted, the impossible, the irrational."

Story must have surreal elements
Word limit: 1,000-7,000 words
Author bio: up to 250 words
Deadline: March 15
Payment: One contributor copy and other goodies.

So, instead of clicking your ruby red slippers, click on this link for complete Press 53 submission guidelines.

And good luck, y'all.

An Early Christmas Gift and A Few Submission Opportunities

Last Wednesday I received an early Christmas gift from Silver Boomer Books out of Abilene, Texas. An e-mail from an editor informed me they would like to include "Read Away Vacation," in their Flashlight Memories anthology.

Yay! I'm excited because my essay is about how a program called "Read Away Vaction," put on over fifty years ago by the St. Louis Public Library , helped spark my life-long love for reading.

When I read an early draft of the essay to my Tuesday critique group last summer, they encouraged me to let loose and not to hold back my feelings. In my final revision I did just that. Once again, my critique partners proved how smart they are. (Thanks, guys and gals!)

For giving Silver Boomer Books approval to publish my essay, I'll receive a small cash payment and one contributor copy. I don't know the publication date, but after I find out I'll blog about it.

So, what does my good news have to do with you?

How about a link to the Silver Boomer Books Call for Submissions page with descriptions of anthologies they might (or might not) publish in the future:

* The Faith of our Mothers. This might not actually be your female ancestors, but it should be stories of faith of real women at least a generation older than you are. Of course people like Susanna Wesley fit, but look for the more obscure ones like Mary McKendree, the invalid mother of Bishop William McKendree, a physician, a general, and lots of other outstanding children.

* Out of the Kitchen. When Sarah T. Hughes (who much later swore in Lyndon Johnson as President) was suggested as judge of the 14th District Court of Texas in 1935, a senator made a comment about the need for her to stay in the kitchen and not take the job of a man. Women pioneers in all the professions faced this kind of obstacle. Do you have stories about them you want to tell?

* Life Spinning Moments. Sometimes a comment or an event pivots a life into a new and startling direction. What happened, and where did the spinning end?

For complete guidelines, including desired word count and proper format for speculative submissions, visit the Silver Boomer Books website.

Submission Opportunity - The Lindenwood Review

Last night at the local author's event at the Middendorf-Kredell Library in O'Fallon, I visited with several writers and other friends--and made some new friends, too. The staff from the St. Charles City-County Library District did an awesome job with the gala, especially Sara Nielsen, who planned and organized the evening.

During the get-together I spoke with Cindy, one of my writing buddies who is a poet, a photographer, a polo player, a pilot--and an MFA student at Lindenwood University. Cindy is one busy lady, who is about to get even busier. Last night she shared the exciting news that next semester she is going to be an editorial assistant for The Lindenwood Review, the literary journal of Lindenwood University in St. Charles, MO.

Cindy is excited about her new assignment and is looking forward to reading submissions. When I asked what kinds of submissions the editors hope to receive, she told me they are looking for fiction, poetry, and personal essays.


This morning I visited their blog for more details. The editors want fiction with believable characters and a vivid story; poetry with original, interesting use of language; well-crafted, honest essays; and mostly, work that moves them.

(The photo of the Cultural Center on the left is from their blog.)

The Lindenwood Review is a print journal published annually in the Spring. Their first issue will be published in Spring 2011.

Contributors receive two copies of the issue in which their work appears.

The submission deadline is December 15, 2010--so put down your Christmas shopping list, forget about writing out your Christmas cards for a couple weeks--and start writing!

Submission guidelines are available on The Lindenwood Review blog.

Happy writing, and good luck! Um, I was kidding about the shopping and Christmas cards. Have fun, kids!