Wednesday, August 13, 2014

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Spotted Baby (or Baby Spotted?) & Links

Did you guys know elk fawns (or whatever baby elk are called...?) are spotted just like deer? I didn't, though I can't say I'd thought about it before. Here's an elk fawn from a short two-day trip we took up to Estes Park a couple weeks ago.


This little one and two grown ups were right alongside a path we had to take to get back to our car in Rocky Mountain National Park. We all slipped behind some trees to go around and try not to disturb them, but it meant this caravan of people had all bunched up at the path and were going in single file around the trees. The little one was communicating with the two bigs through a series of fluting sounds that they'd return. I got photos of the other two, as well, and could have gotten a really good one of the last one we had to pass, because she happened to look up as I was going behind the tree across from her (I was last in line). She stared at me, and right as I raised my camera (stuck as I was while I waited for someone else to go), she started walking toward me. I figured my life, or at least intact bones, was more important than a photo. But it would have been a good one. In the end, she let me pass, waited until we'd all gone up the path a little, then resumed grazing.

Now for some links!

Accepting Submissions:

The November issue of Westerly closes for submissions August 31. They accept poems, essays, and stories. It sounds like they may prefer Australian authors, but it doesn't say it is limited to those. Pays rates from $75 to $150, depending upon type submitted.

Horrified Press and Rogue Planet Press are taking submissions for the anthology Sex Droids & Their Cyborg Toys. Deadline September 15. Flash fiction and short stories up to 6000 words. With Thirteen O'Clock Press, they are taking submissions for Steamworld through September 10. Flash and shorts up to 7000 words. Also with Thirteen O'Clock Press, they have an anthology named Killer Tracks that's open for submissions. No specific deadline, just until full. Word limit is 5000. Pay unknown for any of these, but my understanding is that it is a paying market.

Grinning Skull Press is open for submissions for Attack! of the B-Movie Monsters: Alien Encounters. Deadline September 15. 2500-10,000 words. Pays 1/4 cent per word, plus a print and digital copy. They are also open for submissions of novels and novelettes. In addition, they have an annual publication called Cranial Leakage-Tales From the Grinning Skull that takes 1000-7000 word horror stories. Return to Deathlehem is a horror charity anthology with a Christmas theme that closes August 31. And if you've got kids who enjoy writing, they have Little Monsters - Horror for Kids, by Kids. Open to kids ages 5-12. Will pay a $25 gift card to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Samhain Publishing has put out a special call for their Childhood Fears anthology. This is for novellas of 25,000 to 30,000 word only. Will be released as individual e-books first, then bound together in an anthology. Deadline September 15. I'm unsure of payment.

Bryan Thomas Schmidt has put a call out for his Kickstarter anthology World Encounters. This is alien themed. Deadline September 15. 3000-7000 words. Pays $.06/word.

Freeze Frame Fiction is looking for flash fiction of any genre, 1000 words maximum. Deadline September 15. Pays $10 per piece.

Sorcerous Signals, a fantasy e-mag, is open for submissions through September 15. Up to 10,000 words. Pays $5 for short stories, $2 for poems and flash.

Inkstained Succubus Press is open for submissions through September 15 for Candle in the Dark, a M/M erotic anthology. I'm unsure of payment.

The Were-Traveler is taking submissions of drabbles, flash, and short stories for Elves & Spacerockets, their general sci-fi and fantasy themed issue. Deadline September 15. Not a paying publication.

Crushing Hearts & Black Butterfly Publishing has put out a call for stories for their After Tomorrow. Post-apocalyptic stories. 2000-15,000 words. September 15 deadline. Pay unknown. Note that they are also still open for Funny Halloween stories through August 31.

Any of these interest you? Anything to share? Publication news? Did you know elk fawns were spotted? What do they call elk fawns, anyway?

May you find your Muse.

7 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Baby only because it was young I'm sure, not because it was small. Bummer you didn't get that one shot though.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Alex, it definitely wasn't small. Still cute, though.

Rachel said...

Best to have a story and your life than a picture. She was probably camera shy.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Rachel, she sure seemed offended by the camera!

cleemckenzie said...

You must appreciate those wild life photographers even more after this little meet up!

J Lenni Dorner said...

Great pic! Thanks for sharing.
Some intriguing contests. :)

A Beer for the Shower said...

Awesome picture! And it's great to hear your bones are still intact. Meanwhile, for all the times I've been camping/hiking/exploring, I've never seen one of these guys in the flesh. Maybe they can sense my idiocy from afar and know to stay away.