Submission Opportunity: Not Your Mother's Series Anthology

I'm so excited to share some wonderful news from two St. Louis-area writing friends--Dianna Graveman and Linda O'Connell.

Linda and Dianna are two of the hardest working writers I know. Both ladies are award-winning, multi-published writers who deserve great success.

Their latest project sounds fascinating. Equally exciting is that they are actively seeking submissions from other writers!

Linda and Dianna are working as independent editors on two Publishing Syndicate anthologies in the Not Your Mother's series.

     * Linda is developing and seeking "sassy, snappy, sincere or humorous submissions" for, Not Your Mother's book on Family.

     * Dianna is seeking first-person "funny or downright embarrassing" submissions for Not Your Mother's book on Being a Mom.

While Dianna and Linda are collaborating on the promotion of both titles, they ask writers NOT to submit the same story to both books.

Hop on over to Linda or Dianna's blogs for their official Press Releases or to the Publishing Syndicate site for detailed submission guidelines.

I have it on good authority that submissions are already pouring in, so don't wait too long to submit--and good luck if you do!

My Essay "Take Your Clothes Off and Other Critique Group Advice" is Posted on The WOW Blog

I never dispense unsolicitated advice about critique groups. Um. That's not true.

I rarely express my opinions about belonging to a critique group. That's not true, either.

I have strong feelings about critique groups and have been known to express them freely. As my mom used to say, "Now we're cooking with some grease."

If you would like to read an essay I wrote about some of my critique group experiences, hop on over to WOW's The Muffin Blog, where I'm guest blogger today.

My Essay "Take Your Clothes Off and Other Critique Group Advice" is posted there. Leave a comment if you like, and please leave your clothes on.

Bookreporter Launches Twentysomethingreads and Hunger Games Contest

Last week I received an e-mail from Carol Fitzgerald, President of Bookreporter, announcing the launch of their new Twentysomethingreads site.

Twentysomethingreads is a website created for readers in their twenties, defined as, “A decade. A state of mind. An age. A lifestyle. A time for self-discovery. A new perspective. An attitude. A philosophy. Independence. Freedom. A time to re-discover reading for pleasure - and FINALLY - read what you want.”

Disclosure: I have been a book reviewer for Bookreporter for more than five years, and I'm thrilled to share this information with my blog visitors.

Here are some of features of the new Twentysomethingreads site: 

• Curated Bookshelf Collections --- 20 themed titles perfect for twentysomethings. Now Live: Great International Mysteries, Spring Break Suggested Titles, Cookbooks to Get You Started and Book Club Suggestions. Themed bookshelves will be part of each update.

• Contests : right now a chance to win all the Spring Break Bookshelf titles in a contest valued at more than $450 and a Hunger Games Contest with movie tie-in titles from The Hunger Games including a collector’s edition, The Official Illustrated Movie Companion, The Tributes Guide, and The Hunger Games movie tie-in edition.

• 20 Days of The Hunger Games --- in anticipation of the upcoming film release, there will be a special blog series starting on March 3rd , with 20 blogs to countdown to til this highly anticipated movie’s release.

• Booksellers’ Picks --- featuring reading recommendations for readers in their 20s, booksellers from around the country will be making suggestions as to what books to read.

* A featured author on the site is Lisa Lutz, whose latest novel, TRAIL OF THE SPELLMANS, I reviewed on Bookreporter. You can read my interview with Lisa Lutz here.

* Librarian Picks --- featuring reading recommendations for readers in their 20s, librarians from around the country will be making suggestions as to what books to read.

• Bookstore Tour --- this article series will highlight indie bookstores in the United States, from coast-to-coast, beginning with Bookstores in New York City.

• 20 Over 30 --- authors over the age of 30 will make reading recommendations, suggesting which book of theirs to start with, what book they would recommend to readers in their 20s, and what book they’re reading.

• 20 Questions: A Day in the Life of… --- This blog series will follow the writing --- and living --- habits of authors, as they answer a questionnaire about what it’s like to be them for a day.

Hope you'll check out the new Twentysomethingreads site. Even if you're WAY over 20, as I am, you're never too old to enjoy some of the books you'll find there.

Happy reading!

A Link to My Erma Bombeck Essay Posted on the Washington Centerville Library Website

Wow! It has been a whirlwind few days.

Thanks to everyone who called, e-mailed, or left comments and words of encouragement and support on my blog. Special thanks to my friends who posted about my win on their own blogs or on Facebook.

You are the BEST FRIENDS EVER!

Several people have asked to read my essay.

The Washington Centerville Library has posted all the winning essays on their website. Here's a link to their page. If you scroll down you can find mine as the First Place winner in the Global Humor Category. The website also lists statistics for entries in all categories. There were 525 overall entries from 49 states and 7 countries, including Ireland, China, and Spain. I don't know how many of those were in the Global Humor Category, but the contest coordinator told me on the phone there was a lot of competition.

As for the celebration and workshop in Dayton, my sister Kathleen is driving there with me next month. Walt is going to stay home to take care of the grandkiddos. What a guy!

After I return from Dayton I'll post about it here. Thanks again, everyone. It's been an exciting few days!

I Won the Erma Bombeck Humor Writing Contest!

I'm in shock.

This afternoon I received a call from the Erma Bombeck Contest Coordinator at the Washington Centerville Public Library in Dayton, Ohio, telling me my humorous essay, "Honey, Can I Borrow Your Garter Belt?"  won first place in the Erma Bombeck Writing Contest.

My hands are still shaking as I type this. I tried to write down the coordinator's comments, but I don't think I got them all.

In a nutshell, I won $500 and admission to the workshop in Dayton ($375 value) if I want to attend. My essay will be published in the Dayton Daily news, and press releases will be sent to local newspapers. My essay will also be printed in the program for the Erma Bombeck celebtation on April 18th.

The first-round judges loved the "hoochie grandma" line, and the final judge commented that "Strunk and White would be proud of this writer's economy of words."

When I find out more details, I will post them here.

Special thanks to my critique group for their suggestions to improve my essay.

And I'm still in shock.

Leap Day Trivia, Traditions and Legends

Growing up, most of us learned the rhyme (or a similar version of it):

Thirty days have September,
April, June and November.
All the rest have thirty-one,
but February stands alone
with twenty-eight, in line
Till leap year makes it twenty-nine.

Procrastinator that I am, I'm happy to have an extra day to meet a March 1 deadline tomorrow. Other than that, Leap Year/Leap Day has its own special trivia, traditions, and legends.

Did you know that:

* According to Irish legend, St. Brigid of Kildare approached St. Patrick on behalf of all women to complain they had to wait for marriage proposals from men. St. Patrick agreed that each Leap Year, specifically on Leap Day, the tables would be turned and women could propose to men.  

* In some countries, Leap Day is also known as "Bachelor's Day."

* In Scotland, a woman proposing on Leap Day should wear a red petticoat under her skirt--and make sure it's partly visible when she proposes.

* In Scotland, it was once considered unlucky to be born on Leap Day.

* People born on February 29, are called "leaplings" or "leapers."

* People born on February 29 are invited to join The Honor society of Leap Year Day Babies.

* In Greece it’s supposed to be unlucky for couples to marry on Leap Day.

Here's a link to read more Leap Day superstitons. If you type "Leap Year Superstitions" in Google search you can find even more.

Now I better get back to work on those pesky deadlines. Although after reading the Irish Leap Year legend, I have an excuse--procrastination is apparently a trait I inherited from Irish ancestors on my dad's side.

Monday is Pun Day

Sorry for my infrequent posts lately, but I have a few deadlines that I'm working on and need to finish.

It's been said that puns are the basest form of humor, but for some reason when I read or hear most puns, I can't help myself from laughing. And who can't use a dose of humor each day?

So, to brighten your Monday, I thought I'd share the rest of the puns sent to me by Barb, a teacher-friend.  The first one is dedicated to poets. 

* A backward poet writes inverse.

* Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana. (This one took a while to sink in.)

* Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

* Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: "You stay here. I'll go on a head." (Childish humor, but I chuckled.)

* I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me. (Got it!)

*  The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large. (No offense meant to any vertically-challenged folks.)

* If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.

* Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'

And I'm positive this is the last batch of puns--but if you have any you'd like to add, feel free.

Happy Monday!