Want to have a tiny little ninja do some texting for you? Go here.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Ninja Texting
I'm off today to do some writing. While I'm gone, here's a new and very cute way to text:
Want to have a tiny little ninja do some texting for you? Go here.
Want to have a tiny little ninja do some texting for you? Go here.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Sub Ops Ten
Ten Things About Submission Opportunities
Eibon Vale Press has an open call for their Caledonia Dreaming antho: "Glaikit, mockit, droukit, drouthy, couthy, scunner, thrawn – the Scots language is rich with words too gallus not to glory in, dialect terms that deserve better than to be boxed away as precious oddities. For us, those words aren't quaint parochialisms of a past preserved in amber; they're wild wee beauties, straight razors slashing keen to the quick of meaning. We want stories that wield them as weapons for today, for tomorrow. We want you to pick up one of these words and flick it open to gleam in the light of the 21st century. Play with it, work with it, give us a story that riffs on it with relish – the sound, the sense. Run wild with it, ye ramstouger rannigants, and send us the result." According to Ralan.com, payment is £15-£20; length is 1k-12k, no reprints, and electronic submissions only. Submission deadline is 31 May 2013.
White Cat Publications is looking for good quality fantasy stories for their bi-annual Conjurings: "We are interested primarily in good quality writing in the fantasy genre. We will consider stories of any variant of this genre. We do not accept poetry at this time. We desire First English Language serial print, audio and digital rights so that we might present your work in all formats within the magazine." Length and Payment: "Short Stories and flash fiction: We accept stories up to around 5,000 words in length, three cents per word up to 5,000 words. Reprints are paid out at one cent per word." Electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Winter deadline: December 20th, 2013.
Eggplant Productions wants to see some spec fic novella submissions: "All types of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction and horror) are welcome and reprints will be considered; however, you should query first with story and publication information before submitting a reprint. Short story collections, full length novels (40,000 words or more), poetry collections or non-speculative fiction novellas will not be considered for open submissions." Length: 20-40K; Payment: "$250 (USD) advance + 25% royalty of list price." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
The Fiction Desk is holding a ghost story competition: "Most of the stories we publish at The Fiction Desk are more or less realistic, but we try to stray outside that from time to time: some genre fiction should be part of any balanced reading diet. One genre that we'd like to feature more of in our pages is the ghost story. The competition is open now, to all English-speaking writers at the age of 16 or over. There's a first prize of £500, and a second prize of £100; both winners will also be published in an upcoming Fiction Desk anthology." Also: "Entries should be between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length. The entry fee is £6 for one story or £9 for two stories submitted together, and the closing date is 31 May 2013." [PBW notes: I'm not happy about the entry fee requirement but it's not outrageous, and the prizes are decent, so I thought it was worth listing.]
Goldfish Grimm is accepting short fiction submissions: "Short stories are like sushi. Sometimes, they make delicious appetizers. Other times, they’re a full course on their own. For all discerning tastes, Goldfish Grimm aims to please. Everything is on the table, so serve up your best. From hard sf and space opera stories to fairy tales and medieval yarns, we’ll consider it all. Don’t be afraid to take risks and show us something new. Cursing, sex, and violence will not offend us. Just make sure it has a point, okay?" What they want: "Goldfish Grimm’s Spicy Fiction Sushi wants fantasy and science fiction stories ranging from 100-7500-words. Each month we’ll be accepting two stories: one 1,000-words or less, one 1,001-words or more. Stories that fall around the 1,500-word mark will be published as flash or as the longer story based on the editor’s judgment and the overall theme of the issue. Preferred length for longer stories is somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 words." Payment: "$10 for flash fiction; $25 for longer works." See guidelines for more details.
The Lakefly Literary Conference is holding three different no-fee fiction contests for authors who reside in, attend school in Wisconsin, or register for the Lakefly Literary Conference May 10-11, 2013. Rather than list all the details I'll let you few who actually meet that criteria go to the submissions page and have a look.
Montag Press is accepting novel submissions: "Of primary interest are the following genres and sub-genres: Speculative fiction •Science fiction •Horror fiction •Subversive fiction •Utopian and Dystopian fiction •Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic fiction •Experimental fiction •Urban Fantasy •Dark Fantasy •Existential Horror •Paranoid fiction •Ex0-Fiction •Xeno-Fiction •Altered States [PBW notes there is a lot more they're willing to look at, too; go to this page for the full list.] Length: 40K+; Payment: "$100 advance; 30% net." The web site says no reprints but Ralan notes okay "if self published" [PBW suggests you query.] Electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
Stone Skin Press has an open call for an upcoming Gothic-themed anthology: "The Gothic is the most enduring literary tradition in history but in recent years friendly ghosts and vegetarian vampires threaten its foundations. This will be a collection of short stories which revisit the core archetypes of the Gothic, the rambling, secret-filled building, the stranger seeking answers, the black-hearted tyrant, and reminds us not to embrace but to fear the darkness. The focus of this anthology will be on fear and atmosphere, rather than graphic horror or full out action, and will draw on the themes of the Gothic so if you’re not entirely familiar with them, the wikipedia entry is a good place to start." Length: 3-6K; Payment: to be negotiated. No repints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: April 30th, 2013.
Sword and Laser has an open call for their first anthology: "Sword and Laser’s first anthology is intended to be a celebration of scifi and fantasy fiction. What are we looking for in a story? Diversity. Not helpful? OK. Here are some better guidelines. Interesting characters. They can be evil or nice or mean or stupid, but they should be worth spending time reading about. Original settings, point-of-view, and voice. Not necessarily within your story, although that’s important too. But we want lots of different kinds of stories in the anthology. Hard for you to manage when you’re not reading all the other stories, but suffice to say if you’ve seen a story like yours before, it’s less likely to get chosen. Unique experience. We’re not going to ask you to ‘write what you know’ and also expect stories about aliens and dragons... form most of you... but situations and reactions drawn from your unique experiences that expose us to something new, will definitely be a plus. Stuff happening. Believe it or not, some people write stories where nothing happens. Please don’t be one of those people. Have a central, compelling idea or conflict. We want exciting ideas and character growth. At least a little. Love, laughs, fights, philosophy, insight are all also welcome. It needs to be in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. We define this pretty loosely of course. Not every story has to have spaceships or castles. We hope they don’t! But the farther you stray from the center of the sword or laser styles, the less likely we’ll want the story. That said, you’re not restricted in how you tell your tale. All styles, all settings, and all tones are welcome. Write the very best story you can, and do your best to surprise us with a new take on the genre!" Length: "We recommend a length of 1,500 – 7,500 words. We may choose to print shorter or longer stories in some cases, but this should be your target word count." Payment: "We pay $200 (US) upon acceptance." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: May 15th, 2013.
Third Flatiron Publishing has an open call for an upcoming themed antho: "We are now seeking stories for the Summer 2013 anthology, which will have a "Playing with Fire" theme." [PBW notes: there's very little info on this op, but I found the following description on another page at the site: "Fires and backfires from inventions (Greek fire?), culture clashes, climate change, comets and meteors, Hephaestus, and so forth." Also, the editor detailed the sort of stories she'd like to see in a blog interview here.] Length: up to 3K; Payment: "Please note that we've raised our pay rate to 3 cents/word." Appears they don't want reprints and I'll assume they want electronic submissions only. Deadline: March 31, 2013.
Eibon Vale Press has an open call for their Caledonia Dreaming antho: "Glaikit, mockit, droukit, drouthy, couthy, scunner, thrawn – the Scots language is rich with words too gallus not to glory in, dialect terms that deserve better than to be boxed away as precious oddities. For us, those words aren't quaint parochialisms of a past preserved in amber; they're wild wee beauties, straight razors slashing keen to the quick of meaning. We want stories that wield them as weapons for today, for tomorrow. We want you to pick up one of these words and flick it open to gleam in the light of the 21st century. Play with it, work with it, give us a story that riffs on it with relish – the sound, the sense. Run wild with it, ye ramstouger rannigants, and send us the result." According to Ralan.com, payment is £15-£20; length is 1k-12k, no reprints, and electronic submissions only. Submission deadline is 31 May 2013.
White Cat Publications is looking for good quality fantasy stories for their bi-annual Conjurings: "We are interested primarily in good quality writing in the fantasy genre. We will consider stories of any variant of this genre. We do not accept poetry at this time. We desire First English Language serial print, audio and digital rights so that we might present your work in all formats within the magazine." Length and Payment: "Short Stories and flash fiction: We accept stories up to around 5,000 words in length, three cents per word up to 5,000 words. Reprints are paid out at one cent per word." Electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Winter deadline: December 20th, 2013.
Eggplant Productions wants to see some spec fic novella submissions: "All types of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction and horror) are welcome and reprints will be considered; however, you should query first with story and publication information before submitting a reprint. Short story collections, full length novels (40,000 words or more), poetry collections or non-speculative fiction novellas will not be considered for open submissions." Length: 20-40K; Payment: "$250 (USD) advance + 25% royalty of list price." Query on reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
The Fiction Desk is holding a ghost story competition: "Most of the stories we publish at The Fiction Desk are more or less realistic, but we try to stray outside that from time to time: some genre fiction should be part of any balanced reading diet. One genre that we'd like to feature more of in our pages is the ghost story. The competition is open now, to all English-speaking writers at the age of 16 or over. There's a first prize of £500, and a second prize of £100; both winners will also be published in an upcoming Fiction Desk anthology." Also: "Entries should be between 2,000 and 5,000 words in length. The entry fee is £6 for one story or £9 for two stories submitted together, and the closing date is 31 May 2013." [PBW notes: I'm not happy about the entry fee requirement but it's not outrageous, and the prizes are decent, so I thought it was worth listing.]
Goldfish Grimm is accepting short fiction submissions: "Short stories are like sushi. Sometimes, they make delicious appetizers. Other times, they’re a full course on their own. For all discerning tastes, Goldfish Grimm aims to please. Everything is on the table, so serve up your best. From hard sf and space opera stories to fairy tales and medieval yarns, we’ll consider it all. Don’t be afraid to take risks and show us something new. Cursing, sex, and violence will not offend us. Just make sure it has a point, okay?" What they want: "Goldfish Grimm’s Spicy Fiction Sushi wants fantasy and science fiction stories ranging from 100-7500-words. Each month we’ll be accepting two stories: one 1,000-words or less, one 1,001-words or more. Stories that fall around the 1,500-word mark will be published as flash or as the longer story based on the editor’s judgment and the overall theme of the issue. Preferred length for longer stories is somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 words." Payment: "$10 for flash fiction; $25 for longer works." See guidelines for more details.
The Lakefly Literary Conference is holding three different no-fee fiction contests for authors who reside in, attend school in Wisconsin, or register for the Lakefly Literary Conference May 10-11, 2013. Rather than list all the details I'll let you few who actually meet that criteria go to the submissions page and have a look.
Montag Press is accepting novel submissions: "Of primary interest are the following genres and sub-genres: Speculative fiction •Science fiction •Horror fiction •Subversive fiction •Utopian and Dystopian fiction •Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic fiction •Experimental fiction •Urban Fantasy •Dark Fantasy •Existential Horror •Paranoid fiction •Ex0-Fiction •Xeno-Fiction •Altered States [PBW notes there is a lot more they're willing to look at, too; go to this page for the full list.] Length: 40K+; Payment: "$100 advance; 30% net." The web site says no reprints but Ralan notes okay "if self published" [PBW suggests you query.] Electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details.
Stone Skin Press has an open call for an upcoming Gothic-themed anthology: "The Gothic is the most enduring literary tradition in history but in recent years friendly ghosts and vegetarian vampires threaten its foundations. This will be a collection of short stories which revisit the core archetypes of the Gothic, the rambling, secret-filled building, the stranger seeking answers, the black-hearted tyrant, and reminds us not to embrace but to fear the darkness. The focus of this anthology will be on fear and atmosphere, rather than graphic horror or full out action, and will draw on the themes of the Gothic so if you’re not entirely familiar with them, the wikipedia entry is a good place to start." Length: 3-6K; Payment: to be negotiated. No repints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: April 30th, 2013.
Sword and Laser has an open call for their first anthology: "Sword and Laser’s first anthology is intended to be a celebration of scifi and fantasy fiction. What are we looking for in a story? Diversity. Not helpful? OK. Here are some better guidelines. Interesting characters. They can be evil or nice or mean or stupid, but they should be worth spending time reading about. Original settings, point-of-view, and voice. Not necessarily within your story, although that’s important too. But we want lots of different kinds of stories in the anthology. Hard for you to manage when you’re not reading all the other stories, but suffice to say if you’ve seen a story like yours before, it’s less likely to get chosen. Unique experience. We’re not going to ask you to ‘write what you know’ and also expect stories about aliens and dragons... form most of you... but situations and reactions drawn from your unique experiences that expose us to something new, will definitely be a plus. Stuff happening. Believe it or not, some people write stories where nothing happens. Please don’t be one of those people. Have a central, compelling idea or conflict. We want exciting ideas and character growth. At least a little. Love, laughs, fights, philosophy, insight are all also welcome. It needs to be in the genres of science fiction and fantasy. We define this pretty loosely of course. Not every story has to have spaceships or castles. We hope they don’t! But the farther you stray from the center of the sword or laser styles, the less likely we’ll want the story. That said, you’re not restricted in how you tell your tale. All styles, all settings, and all tones are welcome. Write the very best story you can, and do your best to surprise us with a new take on the genre!" Length: "We recommend a length of 1,500 – 7,500 words. We may choose to print shorter or longer stories in some cases, but this should be your target word count." Payment: "We pay $200 (US) upon acceptance." No reprints, electronic submissions only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: May 15th, 2013.
Third Flatiron Publishing has an open call for an upcoming themed antho: "We are now seeking stories for the Summer 2013 anthology, which will have a "Playing with Fire" theme." [PBW notes: there's very little info on this op, but I found the following description on another page at the site: "Fires and backfires from inventions (Greek fire?), culture clashes, climate change, comets and meteors, Hephaestus, and so forth." Also, the editor detailed the sort of stories she'd like to see in a blog interview here.] Length: up to 3K; Payment: "Please note that we've raised our pay rate to 3 cents/word." Appears they don't want reprints and I'll assume they want electronic submissions only. Deadline: March 31, 2013.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Saturday, March 09, 2013
Friday, March 08, 2013
Peru in 2:36
Take a gorgeous 2-1/2 minute tour of Peru with Cole Graham (some background music, for those of you at work):
a few weeks in Peru. from Cole Graham on Vimeo.
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Handy Mystery
Today I'm over at Disechanted & Co. talking about how this artwork solved a big problem for me -- to find out more, stop by.
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
The Write Stuff
I'm always looking for unusual writer junk, and on my last office supply run I made some neat little finds that I wanted to share.I picked up this quartet to the left at BAM. Here are more details on each, clockwise starting at the little green journal:
One Word A Day Mini-Journal by Knock Knock -- This is a palm-size hardcover that gives you 365 opportunities to "choose any word to describe your day and write it down." Journaling doesn't get any simpler or more concise than that, and there's even enough room to write a few more words if you want to say more; $12.59 with my discount card.
Small Edgewise Journal by Orange Circle Studio -- this flocked turquoise little beauty of a journal has 144 white and soft pastel ruled pages, interesting edge tabbing plus an elastic ribbon to keep it closed. The binding allows it to lay flat as you write in it, and it's small enough to tuck in a purse or a large index card holder; $3.60 (on sale at 50% off.)
Origami Sticky Notes by Suck UK -- 100 sticky notes imprinted with picture diagrams so you can fold them into ten different origami critters. Office notes will never be the same; $3.59 with my discount card.
A Year of Fortunes (without the cookies) by Knock Knock -- I bought one of these little hardcovers during the holidays to give to a family friend; it contains 365 preforated, dated fortunes with wry sayings on one side and lucky numbers on the other; $14.85 with my discount card.
I also rummaged around the bargain bins at BAM and found two unusual journals:
You have to peek inside to see wwhy they're unusual:
The Tri-Coastal Script Journal offers widely-spaced ruled pages that give you about twice the writing room as a standard journal (perfect for scribes like me who don't have tiny handwriting); the Pepper Pot journal on the right with the starburst cover design has graph-ruled pages with color-striped edges. The fact that I got them for $4.50 and $6.73 (50% with an extra 10% off for my discount card) respectively was a nice bonus.
From BAM I went to Target to look for some notebooks and binders and see what they had on sale. They have a new line of "Sunwashed" office supplies under their own brand that I really liked with dreamy photo designs and lovely colors. When I'm working on a particular project I like to color-coordinate my writing stuff so I can find everything with a glance, so I picked up a binder ($4.99), legal pad/clipboard padfolio ($8.99), journal 3-pack ($5.99) and pencil box with pencils ($4.99):
I also found a lot of notebooks and journals marked down for clearance, and scored an 8" X 6" 80-page Mead notebook with those lovely dot-gridded pages instead of lines ($2.65) as well as a slightly smaller, 80 page Horizon groovy hues ruled notebook with a front pocket and an elastic closure ribbon ($1.98):
I got an additional 5% discount off everything for using my Target Visa at checkout. Target also had every 2013 pocket planner, desk blotter, wall blotter and so forth heavily discounted, and clearance prices on some nice smash book and scrapbooking supplies, so if you're in the market for any of those it maybe worth a trip to check them out.
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Calm & Cool
I've always wanted to design a motivational poster for writers, and now I have:
Want to customize your own version of the Keep Calm poster? Go to the TheKeepCalm-o-Matic and do it for free online.
Want to customize your own version of the Keep Calm poster? Go to the TheKeepCalm-o-Matic and do it for free online.
Monday, March 04, 2013
Bucket List Ten
Ten Things I'd Like to Write Before I Kick the Bucket
Advertising Copy: I've written plenty of my own advertising as well as cover copy for many of my novels, but someday I'd like to do that for someone else's product (one that I personally believe in, naturally.) It could be any sort of ad, jingle or even a one-line quirky mission statement, ala Kashi's Seven whole grains on a mission. You know that Kashi thing is kind of catchy. Maybe author Sofie Kelly needs one like Two magical cats and a librarian on an investigation. Or author Jeff Somers could use Two tricksters and a rune-covered chick running from Armageddon. Sofie, Jeff, call me before I die, okay?
Dear Prez: I do dream of writing a letter to the President of the United States that is so powerful and persuasive that the President himself reads it instead of the Secret Service and/or one of his flunkies, and then is so moved he actually does something about it. I should get a fifth grader to coach me; they do it just for homework and get a response.
Grafitti: Nope, I've never written it once in my entire life. Why? Because I knew my mother would find out and kill me. Don't laugh, that woman has eyes everywhere. Maybe I could write it somewhere on my house. That still counts, yes?
Liner Notes: I might just do this for my own album collection someday; you know, just rewrite all the liner notes. It's not illegal, and like Linkin Park is going to come to the house and inspect my CDs.
Memorable Limerick: Limericks are hard to write; I've penned a couple but they weren't very good. I'd like to write one that would forever more be considered a classic. Probably would have to be really funny, or really filthy. Or both!
My Phone Number on Someone's Hand: It looks so cute in the movies, doesn't it? Never ever did that because I'd use the notebook in my purse. That's the problem; there's always a notebook in my purse.
Screenplay: Now here's a little known fact about Yours Truly: I did co-author a screenplay that made it to the semi-finals of the very first Project Greenlight. Since I also did the bulk of the actual writing on that one, I think I could swing one on my own. I'd even write one about Publishing, except they already did the Matrix movies.
Secret Book: I'd like to write one book without telling anyone about it, hide it somewhere with a big box of all that gold my grandmother left me. When I know the end is near I'd sprinkle around a few cryptic clues as to its location. Whoever finds it can use the gold to publish it, because of course that's what they'd want to do with gold. Stop giggling. Anyway, the first clue would be contained in a ten things list about things I'd like to write before I die. Kidding. Or maybe I'm not. Maybe I've already done it. I bet you're sorry you laughed now, aren't you?
Song: I have written lyrics a few times for songs composed by some musician friends, but I'd like to compose an entire song on my own. This one might be tough as I'm also the least musical person I know. Probably because I can't read or write music. Yeah, this one is going to be tough.
Wedding Vows: I personally always went with the traditional stuff whenever I got hitched. Did the Justice of the Peace thing, too. As I don't intend to ever marry again they can't be mine, but I wouldn't mind taking a shot at writing them for someone else. Or maybe a book of wedding vows for every occasion, i.e. first marriage, second marriage, tenth marriage, the marriage so one can get on the other's group health insurance, that vow-renewal thing they do just after barely avoiding a divorce . . . .
What's on your writing bucket list? Let us know in comments.
Advertising Copy: I've written plenty of my own advertising as well as cover copy for many of my novels, but someday I'd like to do that for someone else's product (one that I personally believe in, naturally.) It could be any sort of ad, jingle or even a one-line quirky mission statement, ala Kashi's Seven whole grains on a mission. You know that Kashi thing is kind of catchy. Maybe author Sofie Kelly needs one like Two magical cats and a librarian on an investigation. Or author Jeff Somers could use Two tricksters and a rune-covered chick running from Armageddon. Sofie, Jeff, call me before I die, okay?
Dear Prez: I do dream of writing a letter to the President of the United States that is so powerful and persuasive that the President himself reads it instead of the Secret Service and/or one of his flunkies, and then is so moved he actually does something about it. I should get a fifth grader to coach me; they do it just for homework and get a response.
Grafitti: Nope, I've never written it once in my entire life. Why? Because I knew my mother would find out and kill me. Don't laugh, that woman has eyes everywhere. Maybe I could write it somewhere on my house. That still counts, yes?
Liner Notes: I might just do this for my own album collection someday; you know, just rewrite all the liner notes. It's not illegal, and like Linkin Park is going to come to the house and inspect my CDs.
Memorable Limerick: Limericks are hard to write; I've penned a couple but they weren't very good. I'd like to write one that would forever more be considered a classic. Probably would have to be really funny, or really filthy. Or both!
My Phone Number on Someone's Hand: It looks so cute in the movies, doesn't it? Never ever did that because I'd use the notebook in my purse. That's the problem; there's always a notebook in my purse.
Screenplay: Now here's a little known fact about Yours Truly: I did co-author a screenplay that made it to the semi-finals of the very first Project Greenlight. Since I also did the bulk of the actual writing on that one, I think I could swing one on my own. I'd even write one about Publishing, except they already did the Matrix movies.
Secret Book: I'd like to write one book without telling anyone about it, hide it somewhere with a big box of all that gold my grandmother left me. When I know the end is near I'd sprinkle around a few cryptic clues as to its location. Whoever finds it can use the gold to publish it, because of course that's what they'd want to do with gold. Stop giggling. Anyway, the first clue would be contained in a ten things list about things I'd like to write before I die. Kidding. Or maybe I'm not. Maybe I've already done it. I bet you're sorry you laughed now, aren't you?
Song: I have written lyrics a few times for songs composed by some musician friends, but I'd like to compose an entire song on my own. This one might be tough as I'm also the least musical person I know. Probably because I can't read or write music. Yeah, this one is going to be tough.
Wedding Vows: I personally always went with the traditional stuff whenever I got hitched. Did the Justice of the Peace thing, too. As I don't intend to ever marry again they can't be mine, but I wouldn't mind taking a shot at writing them for someone else. Or maybe a book of wedding vows for every occasion, i.e. first marriage, second marriage, tenth marriage, the marriage so one can get on the other's group health insurance, that vow-renewal thing they do just after barely avoiding a divorce . . . .
What's on your writing bucket list? Let us know in comments.
Sunday, March 03, 2013
Saturday, March 02, 2013
Winners
I'm glad to see so many of you are trying new or new-to-you writers; I often do the same when I'm restless or in a reading slump (and thanks to your many recs I now have a list of new-to-me writers to try out.)
We got the magic hat to stop flirting with Her Ladyship's Hat Box -- man, I didn't even plan that -- and the winners of the Storm Warning giveaway are:
Michelle in Colorado Springs, who wrote Name in the hat please,this books sounds cool.
Kristen, who commented New to me author I can't get enough of is Chuck Wendig. Both of the books I've read from him kept me up way toooooo late. Now I want to start over and read them again.
Margaret Yang, who commented I haven't discovered anyone new and fun in a long time. Name in hat, please!
Susanne, who wrote Please put my name in the Magic Hat - the book sounds great!
Dunabit, who wrote Lou Morgan. I picked up her debut, BLOOD AND FEATHERS, and became an instant fan. Funny enough, I had the same response to Rob Thurman.
Winners, when you have a chance please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get your books out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in.
We got the magic hat to stop flirting with Her Ladyship's Hat Box -- man, I didn't even plan that -- and the winners of the Storm Warning giveaway are:
Michelle in Colorado Springs, who wrote Name in the hat please,this books sounds cool.
Kristen, who commented New to me author I can't get enough of is Chuck Wendig. Both of the books I've read from him kept me up way toooooo late. Now I want to start over and read them again.
Margaret Yang, who commented I haven't discovered anyone new and fun in a long time. Name in hat, please!
Susanne, who wrote Please put my name in the Magic Hat - the book sounds great!
Dunabit, who wrote Lou Morgan. I picked up her debut, BLOOD AND FEATHERS, and became an instant fan. Funny enough, I had the same response to Rob Thurman.
Winners, when you have a chance please send your full name and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get your books out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in.
Friday, March 01, 2013
Minding the Office
Can architecture dream? In this mind-bending video it can (and for those of you at work, there are some structural-type sound effects):
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Storm Warning
It seems almost appropriate that I started reading Jeff Somers's new novel Trickster during a tornado warning; I'm thinking we should issue one for this author. Not since I innocently and unknowingly picked up Rob Thurman's debut Nightlife have I been so blown away by a new-to-me urban fantasy writer.Trickster introduces us to Lem and Mags, a pair of magician grifters who barely subsist on the extreme outer fringes of society. Lem is skinny and clever and a screw-up; Mags is huge and not so clever and devoted to Lem. While running small cons (which they mostly botch) they stumble upon a girl named Claire whom they find tied up and locked in the trunk of a car. Even worse, someone has covered Claire's body from head to toe with runes, marking her as part of a very big, extremely dark and utterly mysterious ritual. Lem and Mags know enough about big, bad magic to understand they should run, not walk, away from Claire. When they don't, the ugly party really gets started.
Jeff Somers delivers this story with tenebrous style and sepulchral wit (which he employs mercilessly, I'll warn you.) Think Steinbeck, if he'd had a straight razor's edge and a real attitude problem. You shouldn't expect anything gruesome in this novel to be draped with a doily of politeness or shoved offstage; you definitely will be having tea and cookies with all the beasties in the good parlor. While the characters are demonstrating how unlikable they should be -- as Lem frequently observes about his sort in the story, We are not good people -- you'll be falling in love with them. I certainly have. Also, the magic involved isn't of the Tinkerbell variety; there are always consequences, and most of them are disastrous. The world of Trickster is grungy, bleak and filled with nightmares, and this novel gives you a front-row seat in the VIP section on the tour bus. I can't wait for the next ride, either.
As always, you don't have to take my word for it. In comments to this post, name a new-to-you author you've recently discovered and enjoyed (or if you're in a reading slump, just toss your name in the hat) by midnight EST on Friday, March 1st, 2013. I'll draw five names at random from everyone who participates and send the winners an unsigned copy of Trickster by Jeff Somers. This giveaway is open to everyone on the planet, even if you've won something here at PBW in the past.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Elsewhere with Hat Box
Today I'm over at Disenchanted & Co. to hold my first giveaway at the new series blog. Stop in, check out Her Ladyship's Hat Box (a distant cousin of the PBW magic hat) and you just might win whatever happens to be inside.Want a hint? Okay: It's definitely not bigger than a hat box . . .
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Three Sub Ops
Freedom Forge Press is open for novel and novella submissions: "We’re looking for novels, novellas, and nonfiction works of about 25,000 – 100,000 words. All works should fit the theme of freedom—freedom of thought, freedom of action, freedom of the individual. We are open to any genre (including nonfiction, general fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, young adult) with the exception of erotica as long as the work fits the theme of freedom. Excessive violence, sex, and profanity should be avoided, but these elements should be included when integral to the plot. Works for young adults should be limited to a “PG-13” rating. Works for children will be published under our Freedom Footprints imprint." Length: 25-100K, Payment: "20% royalty of cover price for print; 35% royalty of cover price for e-book." Query on reprints, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details.
Monster Corral e-zine is holding a monthly 1K monster story contest: "The prize is $50, a digital certificate suitable for printing and framing, and bragging rights. First Runner Up will receive $10, and only slightly less bragging rights. The 1,000 word limit is strict – stories of 1,001 words will not be published (unless we love it so much we’re willing to edit out a word or two to squeeze it in under the limit.) Any genre is acceptable, but the story must have an extreme antagonist (MONSTER) as the featured character. If the story doesn’t win either first or second place, we may seek to buy it as one of our regular stories at our usual rate of 1 cent/word. Submissions must be emailed by the last day of the month, and judging will be complete no later than the 10th of the following month. The First Runner Up story will appear on about the 14th of the month, and the winning story will appear on about the 17th of the month. Submit your story using the normal procedures for Monster Corral (click on the Submissions button to see our guidelines) but be sure to include the word ”Contest” in your email subject heading." [Note from PBW: It appears this contest centers on a theme image, too; see guidelines for this month's image.] Current Deadline: February 28th, 2013.
Zero One Publishing has an open call for their upcoming Lovecraft-inspired antho Whispers from the Abyss: "This collection is the first ever H.P. Lovecraft themed anthology specifically tailored for the growing “commuter market.” These are people who do their pleasure reading on digital devices while riding home from work on the subway, or during a lunch break." Length: 150-3000 words; Payment: "One cent per word up to 3000 words and a copy of the anthology." Reprints okay, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: May 30th, 2013.
These three ops were found among the many market listings at Ralan's place.
Monster Corral e-zine is holding a monthly 1K monster story contest: "The prize is $50, a digital certificate suitable for printing and framing, and bragging rights. First Runner Up will receive $10, and only slightly less bragging rights. The 1,000 word limit is strict – stories of 1,001 words will not be published (unless we love it so much we’re willing to edit out a word or two to squeeze it in under the limit.) Any genre is acceptable, but the story must have an extreme antagonist (MONSTER) as the featured character. If the story doesn’t win either first or second place, we may seek to buy it as one of our regular stories at our usual rate of 1 cent/word. Submissions must be emailed by the last day of the month, and judging will be complete no later than the 10th of the following month. The First Runner Up story will appear on about the 14th of the month, and the winning story will appear on about the 17th of the month. Submit your story using the normal procedures for Monster Corral (click on the Submissions button to see our guidelines) but be sure to include the word ”Contest” in your email subject heading." [Note from PBW: It appears this contest centers on a theme image, too; see guidelines for this month's image.] Current Deadline: February 28th, 2013.
Zero One Publishing has an open call for their upcoming Lovecraft-inspired antho Whispers from the Abyss: "This collection is the first ever H.P. Lovecraft themed anthology specifically tailored for the growing “commuter market.” These are people who do their pleasure reading on digital devices while riding home from work on the subway, or during a lunch break." Length: 150-3000 words; Payment: "One cent per word up to 3000 words and a copy of the anthology." Reprints okay, electronic submission only, see guidelines for more details. Deadline: May 30th, 2013.
These three ops were found among the many market listings at Ralan's place.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Ampersand Ten
Ten Author Collaborations We'd Like to See
Bill Clinton & Dr. Phil: Not on a revised edition of Family First, obviously, but I bet they could write up a slamming self-help for men with toxic narcissism.
Janet Evanovich & Jane Austen: It is a truth universally acknowledged that Stephanie Plum needs to make up her damn mind and pick either Morelli or Ranger. Meanwhile, Lulu runs off with Mr. Wickham.
Sue Grafton & Dean Koontz: Kinsey discovers she has an evil twin who works at a carnival filled with monsters no one but she can see, but at least she finally gets a dog.
John Grisham & Rev. Rick Warren: What if The Firm had been Purpose Driven instead? Even creepier, am I right?
Stephen King & Danielle Steel: The body count wouldn't decrease much, but a collab rewrite of Lisey's Story would result in it actually becoming a romance (at least until the red shirt hero gets bumped off during a tragic car accident or being eaten by his car, whichever comes first.)
Suzanne Somers & Stephenie Meyer: There are all kinds of mutual benefits in this one: Sexy Forever wouldn't need a title change, Bella could stop being such a klutz, and no character would ever age again . . .
China Miéville & Lemony Snicket: Imagine the novels we'd get out of these two! A Series of Unfortunate Events in New Crobuzon. The unKind Kraken. Un Lun Dunce. Okay, this one might be suitable for my personal amusement only.
James Patterson & Joel Osteen: Alex Cross can be saved before he must die. Unless you buy the next book. (There's the script for your next commercial, James. You don't have to thank me.)
Anne Rice & Judy Blume: The first book has to be titled Are You There, God? It's me, Lestat. Has to be.
J.K. Rowling & Harper Lee: Three words: Scout at Hogwarts.
Bill Clinton & Dr. Phil: Not on a revised edition of Family First, obviously, but I bet they could write up a slamming self-help for men with toxic narcissism.
Janet Evanovich & Jane Austen: It is a truth universally acknowledged that Stephanie Plum needs to make up her damn mind and pick either Morelli or Ranger. Meanwhile, Lulu runs off with Mr. Wickham.
Sue Grafton & Dean Koontz: Kinsey discovers she has an evil twin who works at a carnival filled with monsters no one but she can see, but at least she finally gets a dog.
John Grisham & Rev. Rick Warren: What if The Firm had been Purpose Driven instead? Even creepier, am I right?
Stephen King & Danielle Steel: The body count wouldn't decrease much, but a collab rewrite of Lisey's Story would result in it actually becoming a romance (at least until the red shirt hero gets bumped off during a tragic car accident or being eaten by his car, whichever comes first.)
Suzanne Somers & Stephenie Meyer: There are all kinds of mutual benefits in this one: Sexy Forever wouldn't need a title change, Bella could stop being such a klutz, and no character would ever age again . . .
China Miéville & Lemony Snicket: Imagine the novels we'd get out of these two! A Series of Unfortunate Events in New Crobuzon. The unKind Kraken. Un Lun Dunce. Okay, this one might be suitable for my personal amusement only.
James Patterson & Joel Osteen: Alex Cross can be saved before he must die. Unless you buy the next book. (There's the script for your next commercial, James. You don't have to thank me.)
Anne Rice & Judy Blume: The first book has to be titled Are You There, God? It's me, Lestat. Has to be.
J.K. Rowling & Harper Lee: Three words: Scout at Hogwarts.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Pass the Catchup, Please
As I mentioned last week I'll now be spending Sundays reading and replying to comments -- see you in the threads.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Winners
The entries for the Nine Lives giveaway were really magical -- bravo to you all for making such marvelously creative suggestions (and the next time I adopt a kitty, I know who I'm asking to help me with a name.) We got the magic cat, I mean, hat, to do its thing, and the winners (along with the names they chose) are:
Anne V.: I might call a magical cat Dresden after a favorite wizard for hire.
Deb Salisbury: My most magical cat was Mystic, a little black queen from the California Gold Country.
bluebamboo: Rowan, a mash-up and slight spelling tweak of Rod and Owen from Shanna Swendson's Enchanted Inc. series.
SandyH: . . . I decided that our next cat would be named Darcy (yes, after that Darcy - my most favorite book).
Terri R.: Mistofeles, from the musical Cats
Bonnie (Bonz): Miss Minerva Delurvah!
Jennifer and Jeff: How about FNU? (Pronounced Fin-oo) It also stands for First Name Unknown.
Lisa954: Poof! would be the name I would give to a magical cat.
Na: I would like to name a Magical cat Whispers.
Winners, when you have a chance please send your full names and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get your books out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in and helping to celebrate our pal Darlene's NYT bestseller debut.
Anne V.: I might call a magical cat Dresden after a favorite wizard for hire.
Deb Salisbury: My most magical cat was Mystic, a little black queen from the California Gold Country.
bluebamboo: Rowan, a mash-up and slight spelling tweak of Rod and Owen from Shanna Swendson's Enchanted Inc. series.
SandyH: . . . I decided that our next cat would be named Darcy (yes, after that Darcy - my most favorite book).
Terri R.: Mistofeles, from the musical Cats
Bonnie (Bonz): Miss Minerva Delurvah!
Jennifer and Jeff: How about FNU? (Pronounced Fin-oo) It also stands for First Name Unknown.
Lisa954: Poof! would be the name I would give to a magical cat.
Na: I would like to name a Magical cat Whispers.
Winners, when you have a chance please send your full names and ship-to address to LynnViehl@aol.com so I can get your books out to you. My thanks to everyone for joining in and helping to celebrate our pal Darlene's NYT bestseller debut.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Bon Ton
This video manages to be wickedly clever, visually interesting and utterly hilarious (some music, and narrated in French with English subtitles):
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Poster Me
While image searching for some cover art for a large print edition of one of my novels (the few print copies I have came to me all dinged up) I found something I'd never seen in the results: two quote posters with my byline:
I traced the images back to The Quote Factory, which allows you to download "famous quotations" in low resolution (screen use) for free or higher resolution (for home printing) for a couple bucks. You can also create your own custom quotations, which is how I imagine the quotations from my books got there - I've seen both before on that Goodreads site.
Since I'm already quoted on the site I thought I'd try to create my own poster with something interesting I've said about writing, and with a few clicks produced this on the screen:
I then downloaded the free version of my poster, which comes out like this; pretty nice for a low-rez image. While anyone with a decent photoshop program can produce the same sort of poster themselves, the Quote Factory is a fun generator to play with (there are a few choices as to the type of background, font and layout.) I also like the option to download whatever you create for free -- just remember that whatever you create stays on the site and can be sold to others.
I traced the images back to The Quote Factory, which allows you to download "famous quotations" in low resolution (screen use) for free or higher resolution (for home printing) for a couple bucks. You can also create your own custom quotations, which is how I imagine the quotations from my books got there - I've seen both before on that Goodreads site.
Since I'm already quoted on the site I thought I'd try to create my own poster with something interesting I've said about writing, and with a few clicks produced this on the screen:
I then downloaded the free version of my poster, which comes out like this; pretty nice for a low-rez image. While anyone with a decent photoshop program can produce the same sort of poster themselves, the Quote Factory is a fun generator to play with (there are a few choices as to the type of background, font and layout.) I also like the option to download whatever you create for free -- just remember that whatever you create stays on the site and can be sold to others.
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