Good News, Everyone!

I haven't been doing much submitting--not even much writing, as a matter of fact--and so there has not been much to write here. That said, I did have a moment of delight; a flash piece published at Yellow Mama. My piece? It's titled "The Loop." I made myself go though the bits of writing I have managed and SUBMIT SOMETHING DANG IT recently. It's not that Yellow Mama had been holding it forever; I do not want to give the impression that they held it for years! I have been experimenting with a Midwestern Gothic kind of thing, and I think that this fits that oeuvre. The other piece I had published fitting this oeuvre, "Your Own Best Friend," was published at Smashed Cat, which seems to be gone now. Alas, the web is as unreliable as the world of print in keeping things available forever. I think I will leave the link in the contributions list, just as I left the one for The Flower That She Wears, because I want to remember it.

Sad News, Glad News

I have not been rewarded for my patience, and so, I have a sad, as the cats say these days: Wicked East Press has decided to return all the stories back to their authors and not publish the book. Of course, my contract had expired and so the rights were already returned to me, but I did not start shopping the story again, for I had hoped that WEP would get through their tough times and go forward. It would appear they did not. That's such a bummer. Small presses often have troubles, and sometimes, authors get caught in them. Still, I have nothing but nice things to say and I hope they can go back into production at some point in the future.

I did have a moment of happiness, too. Nothing as exciting as an acceptance, alas, but something that is gladsome none the less. I finished the third draft of a story that I have been working on for years, and have finally let someone else read it. It took me a long time to get that story through a rewrite that I felt put it over the "Will I allow anyone else to read this?" hump. I was glad all the way through when I did.

A reading and publication

And so, Not for Sale is currently on the top page of Fiction365! I have to say I like their choice. It's an excellent option for Black Friday. And the background is perfect. They did a good job, and I am thrilled to be a part of that site.

In other news, I had a good time at an open mic put on by one of my old post-seconday schools. I don't generally list publications in my ol' alma maters here because ... well, because. They are legit publications, they get better every year as the program get tighter, but I'm not ready to list those pubs because they don't fall into the genres upon which I focus. I'm trying to rebuild something that I lost, and so I try to be focused here.

That said, I completely enjoy being a part of that and I had a great time. I trotted out a piece I was experimenting with, and I know that folks were paying attention because there was a little call and response going on. The problem with an open mic is that the lights are shining in your face, and so if you are reading a piece to try to judge audience reaction, it's hard to get anything from non-verbal communication. That said, I got some bits and pieces of verbal response, and one of the things that I think is that it doesn't work as well as a performed piece as it does as a printed piece, but the piece itself remains an idea worth experimentation.

Wow, another acceptance!

I am so pleased to learn that Fiction 365 will be publishing Not For Sale! I really like that story, but once again, it's another romance gone wayyyy wrong. No date for publication has yet been assigned.

I do have to tell the Mister not to worry, though! I do have a couple of non-grim romances on My Slush Mountain; one is currently up in the Harlequin "So You Think You Can Write" contest, and the other is a kind of experimental piece--Midwestern Gothic. Don't let the genre fool you, it's definitely about a relationship, and no spooks enter into the process. I hope I can find it a home!

East Side Gloam

East Side Gloam has finally found a home. It's a little experimental story, in that there is a whole story within the vignette, but it requires the experience of the reader to be able to complete it--you have to know what it is to be in that situation. It was a little hard to find it a home because there are few markets for such a piece. The folks at Postcard Shorts are great!

Read it here!

Brief update

I've not been writing and submitting much over the summer, not because I have not wanted to, but because summer stole my writing time. I'm either in the garden or engaged in social activities that I feel duty-bound to keep.

Don't misunderstand me, I want to be in these social engagements, or I would not make them. But I have spent some of the summer thinking about the choices we make. It's more important to me to interact with my family, while the kids are young, because time will take the people they are now and replace them with grown-ups who have too much to do and no time for various relatives. However, I must also be true to myself; one day I will be too old to make any progress in my own ambitions.

So I made myself send out submissions today. Accepted or not, sending them forth is already fruit borne of my desire to write.

Read it there!

My piece is now up on the front page of Smashed Cat. Read the work here! It's pretty grim. Prepare yourself. As the Mister said, "Wow, honey, that's pretty dark." Yep. I'm pleased as punch.