Wednesday, January 3, 2018

IWSG - 2018 & Flaming Crimes Blog Hop

It's the first Insecure Writer's Support Group of 2018!


Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the IWSG's purpose is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

To join, simply sign up by clicking on Alex's name above and adding your name to the linky list. Then post the first Wednesday of each month and visit your fellow bloggers to lend your support.

This month's co-hosts are Tyrean Martinson, Ellen @ The Cynical Sailor, Megan Morgan,Jennifer Lane, and Rachna Chhabria!

This month's optional question: "What steps have you taken or plan to take to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?"

I used to be able to keep a writing schedule, but it's simply not realistic for me anymore. The closest I have to a schedule is that I try to block out either a full Saturday or Sunday for writing time. I fell off that schedule over the holidays, but am hoping to get back to it once the kids are back in school. Other than that, I write at night when I can.

Next week I'll be doing my annual wrap-up and goal setting.

Before I get to the links and my December submission stats, it's time for the Flaming Crimes Blogfest!




What is something ridiculous you would save if there was a fire?

I did actually have to pack up to flee a wildfire (Waldo Canyon), and I was trying to remember if there was anything weird I packed. I can't remember anything weird, but I did take four tiny urns I have with the ashes of family members. Actually, I forgot them at first, but a friend who came to help us evacuate grabbed them for me. I figure some people would think having them in the first place was weird, let alone evacuating with them.




Series: Disaster Crimes #4
Page Count: 304 
Digital Price: 4.99 
Print Price: 16.99
Rating: Spicy (PG13) 

BUY LINKS:

BLURB: Beth and Donovan are now happily married, and what Beth wants more than anything is a baby. Her dream of starting a family is put on hold as fires burn dangerously close and Donovan becomes a victim of sabotage.

Donovan escapes what could've been a deadly wreck. Their past enemies have been eliminated, so who is cutting brake lines and leaving bloody messages? He vows to find out, for the sake of the woman he loves and the life they're trying to build.

Amidst a criminal mind game, a fire ignites next to their home. They battle the flames and fight to keep their house safe from the blaze pressing in on all sides, but neither of them expects to confront a psychotic adversary in the middle of the inferno.

Their lives may just go up in flames…



About the Author: Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept blending romance, crimes, and disasters. She’s partnered with the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and runs their Goodreads book club. She’s also an editor for Dancing Lemur Press.

Author Links:





***

Stat time! Each month I post my submission stats to keep myself accountable. In December I had:

6 submissions
5 rejections
1 withdrawn from a market I think has gone under
0 acceptances (until the 1st of January, but that's for next month!)
Sent 0 novel queries (I won't be again until February because of the rush of NaNo submissions.)
0 novel query rejections
I have a total of 12 submissions out for short stories
I have a total of 5 novel queries out to agents

***

Now for some links. Bear in mind I'm not endorsing these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence when submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Carrion Blue 555 is seeking work inspired by "The Garden of Earthly Delights." Accepting fiction, poetry, plays, and other formats you might want to try. Up to 7000 words. Pays a half cent per word. Deadline January 31.

Nashville Review is seeking fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Up to 8000 words. Pays $25 or $100, depending upon submission type. Deadline January 31.

NonBinary Review is seeking poetry, fiction, essays, and art that relate to "The Little Prince." Up to 5000 words. Pays $.01/word. Deadline January 31.

Hyperion & Theia is seeking fiction, poetry, and art with the theme Rebus. Word limit varies per type of submission. Up to 7499 words for short stories. Pays royalties. Deadline January 31.

Nightscript is seeking strange tales for Volume IV. 2000 to 7000 words. Pays $20. Deadline January 31.

The Writers Circle is seeking short stories and poetry for their anthology. 500 to 10,000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline January 31.

Alchemy Press is seeking horror short stories that pervert reality for their Book of Horrors. 3000 to 6000 words. Pays .5p/word. Deadline January 31.

Do you have a writing schedule? What's your writing insecurity? How does Chrys's new book sound? What about that cover? Any of these links of interest? Anything to share? Are you submitting?

May you find your Muse.


48 comments:

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

That's great you have 12 short story subs out! I need to get going on that myself. :)

The Cynical Sailor said...

I laughed when I read your question about what's your writing insecurity. What isn't my writing insecurity :-)

I don't have a writing schedule, just a high-level plan. Hopefully, I can achieve it this year.

All the best for the New Year.

Tamara Narayan said...

I need to start submitting queries again now that the holidays have passed.

It makes perfect sense to save a loved one's ashes from a fire considering what they represent, but it also seems very strange. What would happen to ashes in a fire?

Jennifer Hawes said...

I love having time off with my family, but when they return to school, I dive into writing too. Good luck!

Yolanda Renée said...

Congratulations to Chrys! Her theme for this series is awesome!
Schedules? I prefer goals!
Happy 2018!

Chrys Fey said...

You should check out the book we're reading for the IWSG Book Club...The Weekend Novelist by Robert J. Ray. It might inspire/help you. :)

Saving love ones' ashes is a sweet thing to do. I did have the same though as Tamara, though. lol

Thank you for participating in my blog hop!

Michelle Athy said...

Saving family members' ashes doesn't seem strange, but when you think about what fire does...

Sadira Stone said...

Thanks much for the links! May 2018 bring you clarity, peace, and lots of writing time.

Sherry Ellis said...

Someone else mentioned taking a loved one's ashes. So that isn't so weird. Glad you escaped the fire. That had to be scary!

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I think a lot of people would save a loved one's ashes. I would save my Minion collection.

cleemckenzie said...

Hope you can get back to your writing schedule! Have a great year of good words.

Andrew Leon said...

I already talked about what I'd take from a fire. I don't think there was anything weird.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Thanks for reminding us about this book Chrys - all the best to you for 2018 ... cheers Hilary

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Shannon ... good luck with the year ahead ... not sure what I'd remember to take with me ... my bag I guess and if lucky my back up disk ... and probably Hardwick = my Ma's 'dog' ... but he's back in storage in Eastbourne at the moment! Cheers Hilary

Juneta key said...

Good luck with the writing schedule. Congrats on the productivity. Happy 2018. Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

Cathrina Constantine said...

Happy New Year!! Wishing you all the best in all your endeavors in 2018!!!

dolorah said...

I write best at night too. Or at least in late afternoon.

I looked around my house to see what silly thing I might save, and decided it would likely be a spur of the moment decision. I seem to thrive on those.

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Shannon, hope you are able to meet all your goals for 2018, both writing goals and any other goals you have set for yourself.

Rachna Chhabria
Co-host IWSG
Rachna's Scriptorium

Jennifer Lane said...

Happy New Year, Shannon! I am the same with trying to write on the weekends. Your submission calendar appears already to be some structure for your writing life. Great work!

H. R. Sinclair said...

Sometimes schedules don't work and keeping it simple helps. Good luck with the submissions.

Olga Godim said...

I never ran from a wildfire, thank god, but I did emigrate from Russia. I didn't have an urn with ashes but I had a new broom packed in my carry-on, with its handle sticking out. I wonder what people thought of me then.

diedre Knight said...

Happy New Year, Shannon!
I decided sometime last summer to try my best to follow your lead this year and submit a lot more than say, hardly ever ;-) There are three I'm considering from this post - thank you!
For me the trouble with scheduling is that I tend to double-book myself ;-) However, deadlines are great fuel.
How exciting for Chrys! Flaming Crimes does indeed look like another good one.
Happy writing!

Cynthia said...

Looks like you've been busy with the submissions!

With kids, I also find it hard to stick 100% to a writing schedule.

Rebecca M. Douglass said...

Impressive lot of submissions for December, a month when many of us got little to no work done (at least, I'm hoping I'm not the only one!).

I plan to start submitting more stories this year (I also planned that last year and failed, but I've got a little extra umph this time).

And I think saving the ashes/urns makes sense.

DMS said...

I think the urns make sense to take with you! I know a lot of people who have them.

It sounds like you have a writing schedule that works for you. Definitely can be hard carving out time and working another job.

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2018!
~Jess

Shannon Lawrence said...

Good luck to you!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I hope you manage to achieve it this year.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Ha! Well, I guess I was worried the urns would be destroyed? Then the ashes would be lost. Not sure if they would; they're metal. My father-in-laws ashes are still in the original plastic dealy, because he wanted them scattered on Pikes Peak, which is technically illegal. One of these days...

Shannon Lawrence said...

Luck to you, as well!

Shannon Lawrence said...

It's a great theme! I don't do well with schedules.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I keep wanting to jump into the book club, but then I get so many emails that I go through and delete all the ones notifying me of stuff in Goodreads, Pinterest, etc. I've heard of this book, and should definitely check it out.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Makes more ashes, ha!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I hope it brings you the same!

Shannon Lawrence said...

It was! Probably the most frightening event in my life.

Shannon Lawrence said...

That makes me thing of my Funko Pop collection. I'd be so sad to lose it. I bet I'd pack that if this all happened again.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I didn't have anything weirder than the ashes. Everything else I grabbed had to do with my writing or family photos, really. And important documents. Family. Cats.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I am intrigued by this Hardwick. We actually filled two vehicle trunks (our car and our Jeep) with the important things, so we would have been okay.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Happy 2018!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I wish you the best, too!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I think for actually weird it would be spur of the moment for me, too. I know there were a couple things I regretted not having grabbed, so it was surprising to me to see what didn't seem important until later.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Happy 2018!

Shannon Lawrence said...

We gotta write when we have the time!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thanks!

Shannon Lawrence said...

That's a fun detail. Did you get weird looks?

Shannon Lawrence said...

I hope you get tons of submissions (and acceptances)!

Shannon Lawrence said...

It's hard. I know some people pull it off, but I figure progress is progress.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Oh, I'm certain you weren't the only one. Good luck with getting more submissions this year!

Shannon Lawrence said...

Happy and Healthy 2018 to you, too!