Flowers, Trains, and Mines & Links

Time for the final set of photos from my trip to Georgetown. On my last day, I did some sightseeing by driving Guanella Pass (twice, inadvertently) and taking the train out to do a mine tour. They had just opened an extended portion of the tour, courtesy of two of the guides actually clearing deeper into the mine where it had collapsed or been covered previously. One of the coolest things in there were insanely deep pools of water that went several levels down into the mountain and preserved footprints on the stone from the silver miners. There are still active veins of silver in the mine, but it's officially shut down and can no longer be mined. We even saw liquefied silver running down one of the walls from all the water!

First, here are some wildflowers growing on Guanella Pass (there were a ton, but it's a mountain pass, so you can only pull over at specific pull-offs.) Below the flowers is the view of Georgetown from one of the pull-offs. It's a super small, cute town.

Now for the train!

And the mine. Of note, on the first picture below you'll notice a faint green. That's one of the super deep holes full of water. I believe this one was about 34 feet deep, but I may be mis-remembering (one was that depth). While mining, they ran pumps to move the water out. We had water running along the route we walked down. Water everywhere!

The second picture above was the site of a bit of a mining war. A second mining company tried to undercut their claim, coming in through the hole they blasted in the back. Miners from the proper claim chased them out with rocks then used dynamite to blow up their tunnel, which has since been reopened. On the right, though it's hard to see, is another deep hole full of water (it's not distinctive in color or I would have left it). This one was deeper than the first.

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

Accepting Submissions:

Splickety Magazine is seeking humorous Christmas stories for their December "Wreck the Halls" theme. 300 to 1000 words. Pays $.02/word. Deadline September 22.

Recompose is seeking poetry and flash fiction that blends speculative fiction with literary. Up to 1000 words. Pays $.06/word. Deadline September 30.

Nashville Review is seeking fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Up to 8000 words. Pays $100 for prose, $25 for poetry. Deadline September 30.

Books and Boos Press is looking for horror comedies. 4000 to 8000 words. Pays $50. Deadline September 30.

Tribe is an anthology seeking pieces from single/widowed/divorced women of 55+. Prose, poetry, memoir, personal narrative, etc. 1200 to 3000 words. $25 CAN, plus possibility for royalties. Deadline September 30.

Chicken Soup for the Soul is seeking stories with the theme "My Crazy Family." Nonfiction. Up to 1200 words. Pays $200. Deadline September 30.

Edge is seeking speculative fiction stories involving trains for the anthology Fantastic Trains: An Anthology of Phantasmagorical Engines and Rail Riders. There are several "locomotif" elements they want the writer to choose from and include. Up to 5000 words. Pays $50 to $150. Deadline September 30.

Have you ever been on a train? What kind? How about a mine tour? Gold, silver, coal? Any of these links of interest? Anything to share?

May you find your Muse.

Fun With Funkos & Links

We're creeping up on Halloween. Almost halfway there!

Some of you know that I collect Funko Pop villains for each story I place. Last time I posted a picture, they were on one shelf, and it wasn't full. I got to add a few recently, so I thought they should say hi.

I can't wait to have to add shelves. Not sure where they'll go yet, but THERE WILL BE MORE SHELVES!

I just placed a short story in Space and Time Magazine yesterday. No release date just yet, but I'll let you know when it comes out. In the meantime, I'm awaiting release dates on two anthologies I have short stories in, as well as edits on a short story set to be released in a magazine next month. It's an exciting time! Now someone make me get back out there and writing again.

Alright, link time. Bear in mind that I am not endorsing these links, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence to research publications and contests before you submit to them.

I ran across a lot of October blog hops when I was visiting folks during IWSG, so this week's links are a tad blog hop heavy. They sound like a lot of fun!

Accepting Submissions:

Sky Warrior Books is taking submissions for the anthology The Dragon's Hoard, which will be edited by Carol Hightshoe. Speculative fiction involving dragons and their hoards. PG-13 rating. 500 to 7000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline November 15.

World Weaver Press is taking submissions for the anthology Sirens. Speculative fiction involving sirens/Sirens. Up to 7500 words. Pays $10 and a paperback copy. Deadline November 15.

18th Wall Productions is taking submissions of novellas about Sherlock Holmes for a monthly series of novella releases that will then be combined into an anthology at the end of the year. 15,000 to 35,000 words. Payment in royalties. Deadline November 15. They're also taking submissions of short stories that combine urban legends and mysteries for their anthology All the Petty Myths. 3000 to 25,000 words. Pays in royalties. Deadline October 31.

Contests:

Scarborough Fair and Minds Matter Magazine are holding a creative writing contest. Flash fiction, poetry, non-fiction. Cash prizes and publication.

Blog Hops:

Toi Thomas of the ToiBox of Words is trying out a new book hop for the joy of reading and writing. The first #BooktagsBlogHop begins October 19, and will be held the third Monday of each month. Choose a book, post the cover, include an excerpt and a write up of why you're sharing it.

Denise and Yolanda are back with the WEP (Write... Edit... Publish) Blog Hop Halloween Challenge. Post between October 21 and 23. 1000 words or less. Flash fiction, poetry, non-fiction, artwork, photos. This month's theme is Youthful Frights vs Adult Fears.

The Cover Girls are holding their 4th Annual Spooktoberfest. Post between October 24 and 28th. Flash fiction, 400 words or less. You have to use all 13 Scattergory items (found in the post) in your story.

Bish Denham is holding The Listing Hop. Post a list of your choice on October 26. Easy peasy!

Wittegen Press is holding the Share a Scare Halloween Blog Hop. Post October 31. Share a scary story, fictional or true; give away a book; create scary art.

Of Interest:

One Stop for Writers is a new resource available online. In their own words: One Stop for Writers is a powerhouse online library like no other, supplying writers with inspiration, education and unique description resources.

Any of these of interest? Anything to share? Will you be participating in any of these October blog hops? Have you heard of One Stop for Writers? 

May you find your Muse.

What's a Girl to do in an E-Pub World?

My dreams of being published have always involved holding a book or magazine in my hands to flip through the pages and see my name in print. However, the world has changed over the years, and now we're living in an e-pub world, which means most of my publications so far have been in e-form. While I'm excited to be published in any form, I've only had the opportunity to hold a book that includes my writing once, with Sunday Snaps: The Stories. That book rests on my shelf, there to be picked up whenever I want to hold it. I don't know about you, but my Kindle doesn't provide that tangible sensation a book made of paper does.

Up to this point, I have gotten a Funko Pop villain as a physical representation of my stories (I have more than in that photo now), and as a visual reward for each of my publications. However, other than reading the e-copies of the books/magazines, I've had no other interaction with my stories.

What to do?

This evening I sat down and printed up the covers of the anthologies and magazines that include my work. I haven't worked out the details yet, but I'll be putting them in a binder so I can flip through and see the covers. This is also where my contracts will be kept. Yes, I kill trees and print them up. I like to have the physical forms in front of me, and always have better reading comprehension with something on a piece of paper vs. something on a screen. So I print them up to review them before signing/agreeing, then I file them.

I'm deciding whether to print up my stories to keep in the binder behind the covers. I keep the e-books/magazines on my Kindle so I have the closest to a physical copy of the book or magazine possible.

I'd like to hear what everyone else does with their e-books. I'd love to steal your great ideas (but only the ones that involve how to best treasure your e-publications.)

How do you save your e-books/publications? Do you print up the covers? Do you display them? If so, how? Do you keep hard copies of your e-published stories? What do you do with them? Where do you keep the e-copies?

May you find your Muse.

Making Your Blog Your Author Website

I've been pondering how to change up my blog to make it more of an author website. A couple months back, I added the "Publications" and "Guest Posts & Interviews" tabs. Now it's time to go a step further and concentrate less on blog related information, such as the "Awards" and "Blog Hops" tabs.

The question becomes, what do I add and what do I take away? What makes a good author website?

About Me Page:

There was a discussion on Facebook recently. I believe it was on the IWSG Facebook page, but I can't say for sure. Several people were talking about the necessity of an "About Me" page on their blog/website. Apparently, a lot of people see heavy traffic on their "About Me" page, which makes me think I should add that tab.

The "About Me" page should say something interesting. Probably something different than your bio. I've seen some interesting ones on blogs, but can't think of an example right now. Some have included Q&As or bits of trivia. You should also have your other social media links there and/or on the front page of your blog/web page.

Press Kit:

Not such a necessity for me yet, but having been in charge of putting on writing events, which meant contacting authors to speak, I know the value of a simple press kit. It should include a long and short bio, headshot(s), contact information, agent contact information (if applicable), and blurbs about your most recent book release (again, if applicable). A downloadable summary of your publications with book images is a plus, as are downloadable versions of headshots and bios.

Publications:

If these aren't included on a different page, a list of your publications is a good idea. Include the cover image and purchase links.

In addition to this, I'm thinking it's a good idea to have these advertised along the front page (whether that's your blog or an actual website). I've seen some cool widgets that flip through cover images. If you have one you like, can you tell me where to find it in the comments? Chris Fey has a good one on her blog, and it looks like you can click on the bottom to get the widget for yourself.

Another thing to consider including on this tab/page is reviews. If you've received good reviews, get the reviewer's permission and post snippets of it or link to the larger review.

Appearances/Workshops:

Whether this is its own separate tab or part of either the Press Kit or About Me page, this is valuable if you're hoping to be asked to speak at events. When I was looking at an author as a speaker, I would often search around for information on what other workshops they had given, so I knew what topics they might be knowledgeable on. Someone I think has done this particularly well is Barbara Samuel. (Note: She also has downloadable bios, photos, book cover images, and a press kit.) She offers suggested topics, as well as a list of previous engagements. I also liked it when the author promoted their upcoming event with us through their social media/website while we were promoting on our end.

News/Press Releases:

I figure my blog works for this, as I can share any news in a post and have active content on the front page at all times. If you're doing an actual website instead of a blog, a "News" section is a good idea. Whether it's a separate page or the front page, make sure you have somewhere to keep people updated.

Book/Series Tabs:

Another thing that isn't yet an issue for me, but I always like to be able to check out different series on an author's page. If you have multiple series, make a tab for each so people can see what you have to offer, see other books in the same series, and even see what order they should be read in. As a reader, I've had to look up series I've started late on in order to read them in order. Make it easy!

Two people who do this are Christine Rains and Andrew Leon.

A couple other authors who use their blog as their website are A Beer for the Shower (Brandon Meyers and Bryan Pedas) and Alex J. Cavanaugh. And, of course, there are a ton more, all of whom I'm visiting to get some ideas.

Background/appearance are a whole different subject. And one I'm still working out. I love the image Jeremy created for me, but I don't know if it still works for my site, considering I'm primarily being published in horror right now. That change will take me a bit longer, anyway.

This is just a little of what I'm tossing around right now. I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback!

What do you think should be on an author website/blog? What do you like and dislike about author sites you've seen? What widgets do you adore? Do you have one widget for your social media or do you use their individual widgets? 

May you find your Muse.

*Both images by OCAL, clker.com

A Muddy Pig is a Happy Pig & Links

Further to the autumn season pictures, I've got pictures from a harvest festival we attended at Rockledge Ranch last week. This was just a piece of antique farming equipment in a field that I thought was cool.

The kids and I watched a pig meticulously digging a hold in the mud, much like a dog pawing at its bed to get it comfortable. In the end, the pig immersed itself in the mud and let out a contented sigh, again like you'd hear a dog make when it settles down for a nap.

Awwww, comfy.

Now for some links.

As always, please bear in mind that I'm not personally recommending any of these links. I am merely passing along information I've come across that I think might be helpful to others. Always do your due diligence before submitting to a publication or contest.

Accepting Submissions:

Everywhere Now Press is looking for your poems, creative non-fiction, memoirs, and essays on death for their anthology Death Where the Nights Are Long. Deadline November 1. Pays $250 on acceptance, another $250 at publication.

Unlikely Story is doing a bonus mini-edition in addition to it's usual three editions each year. This one is the Journal of Unlikely Coulrophobia. Don't know what that is? It's the fear of clowns! (I love clowns.) They're calling for flash fiction up to 1038 words. Reading period closes November 1. They pay $.06/word.

Ticonderoga Publications is seeking speculative fiction stories about kick-arse women for their anthology Hear Me Roar. 2500-7500 words. Deadline November 5. Pays AUS 2.5 cents/word, plus two contributor copies. Open world-wide.

Sky Warrior Books wants dragon stories The Dragon's Hoard anthology. Sci-fi or fantasy, as long as there's a dragon. Deadline November 15. Pays in author share. 

Ruminate Magazine is reading for their spring issue through November 15. They are only taking poetry, visual art, and reviews for this issue. Pays $15 for poetry and artwork, and $15 per 400 words for reviews.

Martinus Publishing is open for submissions to their We Were Heroes anthology. 1500-10,000 words. Pays in royalties. This anthology is open until filled.

Writers Weekly seeks articles on making money as a writer for WritersWeekly.com and The Write Markets Report. Approximately 600 words. Pays $60 per article.

Contests:

Bold New Worlds is a speculative fiction short story contest for high school students. 1000 words or less. Deadline November 10. Cash prizes.

The Lindenwood Review is holding a flash fiction contest. Deadline November 15. 50-750 words. Winner receives $50, publication, and contributor copies.

Blog Stuff:

The 2014 Realms Faire is coming up, and M. Pax needs your help. November 10-14. Various people are hosting parts of the Faire. It's meant to get you exposure/visibility. There's the Joust, the Soak-a-Bloke or Drench-a-Wench, the Stockade Brigade, Dueling Bards, Riddle Me This, Phasers, Dragon Hunt, and Wisdom of the Creative Realms.

Have you hit any harvest festivals? Have any good ones in your area? Any of these links of interest to you? Anything to share? Publishing news?

May you find your Muse.

An Oldie, but a Goodie & Links

I haven't installed my photo programs on this new laptop yet, so in lieu of a new photo, I'll post an oldie, but a goodie, especially as I'm daydreaming of the beach right now.

Sigh. Salt spray, the sound of seagulls, soft white sand beneath my feet.

Good thing I love the mountains just as much!

Now for some links.

Accepting Submissions:

It can be kind of hard to find publications that don't say "NO Vampires" right on the main page, but Strange Musings Press is seeking humorous short fiction about vampires for an anthology, Vampires Suck. They've actually updated their requirements to being any sort of humorous speculative fiction, not just vampires. Deadline is February 1. Contributor copy and possible royalties. Reprints accepted for one less share of the royalty pool.

Aercastle Narratives Magazine is looking for submissions of all genres of speculative fiction for their first issue. Payment is $.02 per word, plus a contributor copy. Deadline is February 1 for a March issue.

Nashville Review is in their open review period through February 1. They take art of all different sorts, but the current window is for fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. Comics, film, dance, music, oral storytelling, and oral poetry are accepted year-round. Pay varies per submission type, but fiction and non-fiction are $100, poetry is $25.

Lightspeed is putting together a special issue of the magazine. Women Destroy Science Fiction is a tongue-in-cheek response to those who claim women can't write good science fiction. I would LOVE to see names I know in there! Deadline is February 14. Pays $.08 cents per word for original stories, $.02 for reprints. They also accept flash fiction at $.08 per word. Submissions will be considered for Lightspeed Prime, as well.

Horrified Press is looking for stories for Nightmare Stalkers and Dream Walkers. Deadline is February 20th. It pays in royalties and exposure. They accept flash fiction, short fiction, poetry, and reprints.

Ninth Letter is seeking submissions of fiction, poetry, and essays through February 28. Pays $25 per printed page.

Dark Continents Publishing has put out a call for Guns and Romance, an anthology. They're accepting any genre. Deadline is February 28. Pays $20 per story, plus royalties of the e-book.

Blog Hops (Don't read any further, Gary):

Arlee Bird and a passel of folks are doing the What Works...And What Doesn't...Online Marketing Symposium on January 20. Contribute your own experience as to what works in marketing online. Also, the A-to-Z is gearing up, so keep an eye on the A-to-Z blog for information as the time approaches.

Unicorn Bell has announced their upcoming blog fests, the first of which is the Love is in the Air Blog Fest, January 20-24.

Anything interest you on here? Anything to share? Publishing news? Where are you dreaming of being right now?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Ice, Ice Baby & Links

For [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday, how about a random pattern from the ice of a frozen pond? Just because.

And now for some links.

Please bear in mind that I'm not personally vetting any of these publications. I haven't research the validity of any of the below publications/contests/blog hops. Please do your due diligence before submitting to any publication or contest.

Accepting Submissions:

Mystichawker Press has reopened their anthology, Campfire Howls, for submissions until it is full. Combine the mystique of the cowboy with the terror of the werewolf. Pays $5, plus a contributor copy.

Martian Migraine Press is open for submissions to their anthology, The Conqueror Womb: Lusty Tales of Shub-Niggurath. They seek stories that both titillate and terrify. Deadline December 15. Token payment of $10CDN.

Skye Warren is putting together an anthology: Take the Heat. Deadline December 31. Payment $100.

Angry Robot is opening up to unagented submissions. December 31 deadline. They're seeking novels in the genres of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and WTF. Novel-length. Paying market.

Kaleidoscope is a "crowd-funded anthology of diverse contemporary YA Fantasy." They have already attained the funding successfully, so this is a definite. Deadline December 31. Pays $.05/word.

The Midnight Diner is open for submissions through December 31 for short fiction, poetry, and artwork. Genre work with a Christian slant. Pays various flat rates, dependent upon type of submission. $60 for short stories.

Sirens Call Publications is taking submissions for several types of publication. Flowers Are Overrated, romance/erotic anthology, December 31, pays royalties plus contributor copy. The Odd & The Bizarre is a horror anthology, January 31, royalties plus contributor copy.

American Style Magazine accepts articles from art lovers. Fee is negotiable upon acceptance of article.

Contests:

Spinetingler Press is holding their 2013 Christmas Ghost Story Competition. 1st prize is 100 pounds and guaranteed inclusion in a future anthology. Deadline THIS FRIDAY, December 13.

Blog Hops:

Bullish Ink is holding their Third Annual Bad Santa Blog Hop. December 9-21. Judge's Winner receives a $25 Amazon GC; Reader's Favorite wins a $15 Amazon GC. Write a piece of flash fiction, up to 500 words, to air Santa's dirty secrets.

Any of these of interest to you? Seen any interesting shapes in the ice this winter? Anything to share? Publishing news to share?

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Cannibal Tomato & Links

So...my [Mostly] Wordless Wednesday photo is [Mostly] weird.

See, we put our tomatoes in the window to ripen, and one of them got forgotten, but rather than just get all mushy and rotten, this one apparently started reproducing and cannibalizing itself.

I don't know how well you can see these, but in the first one, the tomato is sprouting like crazy...from the inside!! And in the second one, you can see an entire root system within the tomato.

Am I the only one who's never seen anything like this before?! We're going to plant it, possibly after slicing the bottom open to let the roots free, and see what happens.

By the way, this one was store-bought, and is not a GMO product. I sort of want to cut it open and see what it looks like, but then we can't plant it. Or can we?

Now for some links.

Please bear in mind that I am not personally vetting any of these publications. I haven't researched the validity of these offers. Please due your own due diligence before submitting to any publication.

Accepting Submissions:

The New Ohio Review is currently in their open submissions window. This one closes December 15, then is open again from January 15 to April 1. Paying market. Literary market for prose and poetry.

Picayune Literary Magazine is taking submissions through December 15 of short or flash fiction, poetry, black and white photography, and black-line art. Pays with one contributor copy.

The Lindenwood Review is taking submissions through December 15. Accepts fiction, poetry, and essay. Pays in a contributor copy.

Strange Musings Press is seeking romantic stories that make you laugh. They can be any genre, as long as they involve a romance and are humorous. Deadline is December 30. Pays in royalties and an e-book copy.

The Apalachee Review is always open for submissions. Fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry. Pays two contributor copies.

Puritan Magazine is always open for submissions of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, interviews, and reviews. Paying market (pay differs per type of submission).

Martinus Publishing has a variety of anthologies taking submissions right now, with varying deadlines. The topics include: Veterans of Future Wars (December 31 deadline, pays in royalties); Altered America (December 31 deadline, pays in royalties); Life of the Dead (open until filled, pays in royalties); We Were Heroes (opens December 1, pays in royalties); To Hell With Dante (opens December 1, pays in royalties).

Of Interest:

Speaking of accepting submissions, here's a list of the "Hottest, Newest Lit Mags (Begun in 2012 or 2013)." This list was put together by The Review Review.

This one's been going around a lot lately, but in case you haven't seen it, here's a map of the Most Famous Book Set in Each State, presented by the Business Insider.

Any of these of interest to you? Any submission/publishing news? Anything we should know? Have you ever seen a tomato do this? Did any of the books catch you by surprise? How many did you guess?

May you find Your Muse.