[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Golden Scale & Links

For today's [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, I want to give a shout-out and a big thank you to Al Diaz, aka Father Dragon. I'm sure many of you are familiar with him, but if you aren't, I encourage you to check out the Dragon Cave. The Dwarves are very welcoming.

This week, Al gave a lovely tribute to a number of the blogging community. I was flattered to be included in it. The Dragon is a wonderful friend to have made here in Bloggy Land, and I'm delighted to have made his acquaintance. He's warm, welcoming, sincere, creative, and clever.

When he offered up the Golden Scale Award, he did so with the following words:

"Displaying the Golden Scale Award on your blogs implies that you've promised to become your own hero. It means you won't wait for any special thing to happen so you can be happy (i.e. when I get this or that I'll be happy; when I no longer suffer this or that, I'll be happy).

The Golden Scale Award is not for the things you did, but for the things you'll be doing to be happy on daily basis. It's for the courage you promise to show when facing adversity. The determination you promise to have when standing for your dreams and for what you believe in. It's the wisdom of knowing life is sometimes way too difficult but overcoming those difficulties is the only way to grow into a better person and to learn something. We face our fears to find ourselves and our own worth.

There is no wisdom without experience, and knowledge is empty without wisdom. Accepting this award means you are willing to work hard to start working miracles in your own life. I want to make clear I am not suggesting you stop believing on a High Power. I believe too. I am just inviting you to take responsibility of your life, like I did, and release all your true potential.

This promise I ask of you is not to me, but to yourselves. I won't know if you keep it or not. I will go on with my life and fight my own battles, seeking to win my personal wars. But if there is any kind of Father Dragon's essence I can give you, this is it. It's up to you to take it or leave it."

Thank you for the tribute, Al! I'm only too happy to accept the requirements.

Now for some links.

Accepting Submissions:

The Dreadful Cafe is putting out their second anthology, Thresholds, and they're looking for submissions of fiction and art. Specifically, they'd like something that crosses genres and meets the theme of crossing boundaries/thresholds. Short stories pay $125, novelettes pay $250. Art pays on a scale. Open deadline, but will close when the desired number of entries has been reached.

Weird Tales just opened for submissions this last week. They're seeking entries with the theme of either Nikola Tessla or Ice. They will also be holding a flash fiction event online soon. Pays $.03 per word.

Writers Market has put out a call for entries for the 2015 Guide to Self-Publishing. They're taking pitches for topics through December 15. They aren't seeking writing craft pieces, rather the how-to's and tips for self-published writers. They pay competitive wages.

Red Paint Hill Quarterly is seeking poetry for their next issue. Deadline December 15. They also have an upcoming anthology focusing on relationships with mothers. Poetry, deadline February 1. I'm not sure about payment at this time.

Contest:

This is a contest with an honorable backing. Story Share is holding a writing contest to find low-literacy stories to support beginning readers of all ages. Cash prizes for 11 winners.


Apex Publications is holding A Merry Little Apex Christmas Flash Fiction Contest. These should be Christmas stories with a dark Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror theme. Deadline December 16. 250 words. All entrants will receive a copy of Apex Magazine. The winning piece will be published on the Apex blog, with the winner getting a short story critique, payment of $.05 per word, and a year subscription to Apex Magazine.

Blog Hops:

Brenda Drake is holding the Pitch Wars, Mentor Wishlist Blog Hop. This blog hop allows you to submit a query and the first five pages of a manuscript for mentoring. There is a 24 hour submission window open on December 2. There will also be an associate Twitter Pitch Party. Thank you to Samantha Redstreake Geary for bringing this Blog Hop to my attention! 

I hope all my fellow Americans have a Happy Thanksgiving, eat tons of yummy food, and spend more time with your families than out shopping the Black Thursday sales. And to all my non-American friends, I hope you have tons of yummy food and family time, too! Because who says it has to be Thanksgiving for us to enjoy those things?

Anything of interest above? Has anyone submitted to these publications in the past? Anything to share? 

May you find your Muse.