[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Oregon Sunset & Links

I've still got a ton of Oregon photos to go through, but when I was scanning through the photos a set of sunset photos caught my eye. I took these on the way to Portland as we drove through the Columbia River Gorge, which separates Oregon from Washington. The one with more yellows was taken from a moving car, the pink one at a pullover. I just loved the vivid colors.

As much as I love where I live, I'm actually too close to the mountains to see a really good sunset. Go figure, eh? If I drive clear across town to the plains, I can see a great view of a sunset.

Now for some links.

(Note: I pass along information I find online. I have not researched, nor am I personally vetting, any of these publications. Please do your own research on these publications before submitting to them or entering any contests.)

Accepting Submissions:

Ellipsis Literature & Art has an open submission window through November 1. They take poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction. They pay $10 for poetry, $50 for prose. They also take art submissions through February 9, for which they pay $10.

Timeless Tales Magazine is seeking short fiction with the theme of Puss in Boots. Deadline November 1. Pays $15 flat fee per piece, plus a free year's subscription.

Politics & Prose has put out a call for submissions for District Lines, Volume 2. The focus should be on Washington, D.C. and surrounding metropolitan areas. They seek poem, essays, short stories, comics, etc. They're also seeking artwork and photography. Deadline November 1. Pay unknown.

Girl's Life is open for freelance article submissions year-round. Pay unknown. Query first.

Collca takes queries for several Bite Size series (history, biography, travel, etc.) year-round. They pay 50% of royalties monthly.

Contests:

Pikes Peak Writers annual fiction contest, The Zebulon, closes for entries on November 1 at noon MT. The prize is a free conference or cash. This one has a different spin than usual.

Blog Hops:

David Powers King, paired with several fellow bloggers, is hosting the All I Want For NaNo Blog Hop November 1-3 in order to bring attention to their anthology The Spirit of Christmas. All proceeds from the book will go as a donation to NaNoWriMo.

Of Interest:

Tor is giving away a free Kindle e-book collection of some of their best short stories. Carrie Vaughn has a piece in there, among many other awesome authors. You can pre-order it now.

If you've posted anything on bullying and would like to submit it for Rachel to share at When a Lion Sleeps, Let it Sleep, you can email her at pertinax_puella [at] Hotmail [dot] com. She has a page on which she'll share a link to your post in an effort to bring attention to the gravity of bullying.

Have you enjoyed a sunset lately? Any of the above peak your interest? Anything to share? Any publication news for you this week?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Spring Bunnies & Links (TONS OF LINKS)

For [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, I thought I'd share a spring bunny. There are several living under part of my porch. There's a teeny baby I can't quite catch on film (he/she is quick and I don't want to crowd him/her).

Now for some links (I'm going to have to apologize, because this is going to be a loooong list due to my not having done this last week, and to my finding so very many things with deadlines of 5/31).

Writer Beware:

Stant Litore, author of The Zombie Bible series, posted a writer beware about Anthony (Tony) Giangregorio and his presses: UnDead Press, Open Casket Press, and Living Dead Press. Please read the post (it's not long) and always do your best to research any publication you're submitting to. (Please feel free to pass his post along, as well, so writers are warned).

Free E-books:

Petronela Ungureanu has made her book Lost in the Seven Worlds available free on Amazon Kindle for the next two days in celebration of the upcoming release of her second novel.

Fellow Colorado Springs writer, John K. Patterson, is offering his short story, Escaping, free on Amazon Kindle, also in celebration of an upcoming release.

Contests:

Vocabula is hosting their annual Well-Written Writing Contest. 200-500 words. Deadline is May 31, but the next year's contest begins June 1 (with a deadline of May 31, 2014), so there's no need to scramble. Fiction and non-fiction accepted. No poetry. $200 first prize.

The Wolfe Pack is holding a contest for the Black Orchid Novella Award. Must conform to the tradition of the Nero Wolfe series. 15,000-20,000 words. $1000 first prize, along with publication in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. May 31 deadline.

Critique My Novel's 2013 Novel Writing Contest is taking entries until June 1. First prize is 2 agents reading your novel and commenting on it (they have the option to offer representation), $350 cash, $100 voucher toward a full critique, and Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass, along with the workbook.

Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers is holding their annual Colorado Gold Writing Contest. First prize is $100. They've got a great lineup of judges. Deadline is June 1. $30 entry fee per entry.

Accepting Submissions:

ChiZine Publications is putting out an anthology entitled Fearful Symmetries, to be edited by Ellen Datlow. THE Ellen Datlow!!!  Deadline is May 31. Horror and supernatural fiction. Short stories up to 10,000 words, but 7,500 or less preferred. Pays 7 cents per word.

Acappella Zoo is taking submissions for their fall issue. They accept fiction, poetry and black & white artwork. Pays with a submission copy, plus they choose best entries to receive a cash prize. Deadline May 31.

Wordrunner echapbooks is seeking poetry for their quarterly online collection. Current deadline May 31. They ask that you submit a minimum of 15 pieces, maximum of 24.

One Story is seeking short stories between 3,000 and 8,000 words. Deadline May 31. Pays $250 and 25 contributor copies. Any genre/subject.

The Gettysburg Review, published quarterly, is closing their submission window May 31 (to be reopened in September). Seeking poetry, fiction and essays. They also take submissions of full-color graphics year-round. Pays $2.50 per line for poetry, $30 per printed page for prose. Each get a contributor copy and a 1-year subscription.

Weave Magazine is seeking short and flash fiction. Submissions close May 31 and reopen September 1. Pays with a contributor copy.

Evil Girlfriend Media is accepting novel submissions in a variety of horror, supernatural, speculative, and fantasy genres. They're also seeking short story submissions for their anthology, Stamps, Vamps & Tramps. Pays $20, plus one contributor copy for the anthology pieces.

Medusa's Laugh Press is seeking pieces for two anthologies: Cadavre Exquis (fiction and poetry, up to 2000 words) and Miniature Book Micro Text (fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, up to 1000 words). Deadline is June 3. Pays with a contributor copy.

Anything to share? Interested in any of these, specifically? Are the bunnies breeding like...bunnies...around you these days?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Sunday Snaps! & Links

For [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, I thought I'd post the cover to the anthology I have a flash fiction piece in, as we have a release date of April 15! Yay!

I'm excited to have a publication date after a few delays! My piece is entitled "The Family Ruins."

Now for links.

Disclaimer: I do not sponsor these links, nor am I affiliated in any way with any of them (unless I mention the affiliation). I merely pass along information I've discovered. Please always check out any publication before submitting to them or becoming involved with them.

Accepting Submissions:

Chicken Soup for the Soul is accepting submissions for a multitude of possible titles. They pay $200 for your story or poem. Ongoing/no deadline.

Port Cities Review is seeking submissions for feature articles about great port cities of the world. Pays $50 per article. Ongoing/no deadline.

Dark Futures Fiction if looking for poetry and prose that fits the theme of dark futures. Pays a small amount based on length. Ongoing/no deadline.

The Journal of Compressed Creative Arts, via Matter Press, is looking for compressed fiction, non-fiction, poetry, mixed media and visual arts. Pays $50. Will close for submissions April 15.

Contests:

Cardinal Sins Journal has opened their annual flash fiction contest. The theme is "trespassing." No entry fee. First prize is $150 and publication.

Blog Hops:

DL Hammons has created the Blog Blitz. Sign up on the list and you'll participate in, and ultimately be blitzed by, your fellow Blitzers. A better explanation can be found at Cruising Altitude 2.0.

Free Books!

j.a. kazimer's Shank: A Wilde Crime, will be free March 22 to midnight March 24.

Bryan Pedas and Brandon Meyers have their co-written novels free on Kindle right now:
     The Sensationally Absurd Life and Times of Slim Dyson
     Dead and Moaning in Las Vegas
     The Missing Link

Part 17 in Andrew Leon's Shadow Spinner serial is free right now. Part 17: The Tree of Light.

Anything you might think of entering above? Anything you're excited about? How something to share?

May you Find your Muse.