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Merry Christmas, all!  As some of you who follow my comic might have noticed, I took a bit of a break from penning Toddler Times during the fall. Life has just been a bit too hectic recently. But one of my New Year's resolutions was to resume, and the above photo (which was one of my MANY attempts at taking a picture for our annual Christmas card) inspired this comic:  And there will hopefully be many more moments of silliness to capture in the new year.
Have a great holiday season, and see you in 2020!!!
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I'm so thrilled to announce that The Rose Queen has recently gotten some amazing recognitions.
First off, it was named as a fantasy finalist for IAN's (Independent Author Network) 2019 Book of the Year. I'm very thrilled to have my book in such great company as other indie authors and finalists A.M. Manay, Suzie Plakson, Geoffrey Saign, Michael Lynes, Michael G. Munz, and Kathleen McClure. Next, it was ALSO named as a finalist for the 2019 Literary Classics Book Award (winner to be announced on November 15th). I'm so excited that my debut novel is doing so well! The publication of Book 2 in the series has been delayed, but will be coming out next year. It's even bigger and badder than Book 1, so stay tuned! Looking for some tips on writing and getting published? Come join me and fellow Fairfield Scribes' writers and editors Gabi Coatsworth and Edward Ahern, in addition to the Poets' Salon's poets Edward Ahern, paul Bluestein, David Boston, and Jack Powers, in some practical workshops this weekend on how to write and edit your work for publication. The conference is this Saturday from 9am-4:30pm, with some great panels by various local authors, including us. It's completely FREE to attend, but requires registration, since space is limited. You can sign up to attend the conference HERE. Hope to see you there!   I just took a look at my website and realized it's been a couple months since I last posted anything. The sound of crickets is deafening here! LOL.
But that doesn't mean things aren't running full steam ahead. It just means I haven't had time to write any blog posts because of Big Happenings going on behind the scenes. I've had a few acceptances since I last posted, several books in the works on the authoring side, and several books in the works on the editing side. The kids and I took a couple trips during the summer - once to California, once to Eastern Canada, so we've been keeping busy. The big news for this upcoming week is that a number of the Fairfield Scribes' authors and editors (including me) will be at the Saugatuck StoryFest on Friday (September 27th) and Saturday (September 28th). This weekend, I'll post more info about where to find us. Next week is also a big birthday for me - I'm turning the big 4-0. I doubt it'll be wildly different than 39, but my oldest daughter (who is studying factors in school) would be the first to tell you that it's a more versatile number. So here's to a versatile year! Thanks for reading, and I hope everyone had a happy and productive summer.  The Westport Library is doing "30 days of library" in honor of their newly renovated space. July 2nd (tomorrow) is exploring the Writing Center at the library, so please join WestportWRITES and the Fairfield Scribes at 7 p.m. for readings from our brand-new anthology, Imagining Monsters: A Collection of Short Stories Inspired by Frankenstein. The reading is free, and all proceeds from book sales of Imagining Monsters benefit the Westport Library. Drinks and snacks will be served.
Authors who will be reading include Corrine "Mitzy Sky" Taylor, Elizabeth Chatsworth, V.P. Morris, Gabi Coatsworth, D.J. Whitney, Edward Ahern, Sheryl Kayne, and me! So stop by, listen to some fantastic fiction by local writers, and have a chat with the writers afterwards while nibbling on some snacks. Hope to see you there!  I'll be at the Westport Library's Grand Re-Opening on Sunday afternoon (tomorrow) with the Fairfield Scribes as we lead two writing workshops in the brand-new library.
FROM 2PM-3PM in the Writing Center: Join local poets Ann Cefola, Ralph Nazareth, Neddy Smith, Jerry Johnson, Edward Ahern, and me as we read our poetry and lead a short workshop on the process of writing and submitting poetry for publication, including an opportunity to write a poem of your own! We'll also do a "drive-by poeting" at the end of the session, where we will be happy to hand-write a personalized poem for volunteer participants to take home with you. Kids are very welcome to join in! FROM 3PM-4PM in Brooks Place Seminar Room (next door to the Writing Center): Join me with several of the editors and authors of local small press publisher Fairfield Scribes as we lead an interactive workshop on how to write, edit, and get published a flash fiction story (250 words and under). There will be an opportunity to roll up your sleeves and do some writing of your own, in addition to the opportunity to get your story professionally edited on the spot, and receive a list of suggestions on where to submit your work for publication. There are also many fun and creative activities for all ages, from live performances to a hands-on maker's space, so check out the Library's events page HERE for a full listing. The Grand Re-Opening goes from 11am-4pm. Hope to see you there!  Those of you who know me will know that the only quiet time I usually have in the day is after my kids go to bed - from about 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. I actually had someone comment recently on the time I sent out an email, which was about 2:30 in the morning. And since I've been neglectful of posting updates on my website, I figure I'll remedy that... at 2 a.m.
There is a LOT of news to share, actually. I'll start out with the big one - the new anthology from the Fairfield Scribes, working in partnership with the WestportWRITES program of the Westport Library, has been published!!! It's called Imagining Monsters, and it's an anthology of fiction inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. This was a HUGE time crunch in order to get it done in time for the library's opening (this Sunday, June 23rd). But all the authors rallied and worked tirelessly at editing their stories, and together we ended up with a damned good book, if I do say so myself. The print book is currently on sale on Amazon HERE, with the eBook to follow shortly. I was lead editor on the project, and the anthology also carries my short "Herstory," which is a dystopian look at a future run by genociders who have killed half the population of the planet. In addition to that huge project getting published, I've had a number of stories/poems published/accepted. I'll start out in order. PUBLICATIONS: "Liquid" - Quail Bell Magazine "Forgotten" (short story) - America's Emerging Literary Fiction Writers anthology "On Algid Shores" (short story) - America's Emerging Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers anthology "The First Snowfall" (short story) - America's Emerging Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers anthology ACCEPTANCES (to be pubbed soon): "The Princess Prevarication" - Ghosts on Drugs anthology "Lost Under a Golden Song" (poem) - Polar Borealis Magazine "Hate" (poem) - Elephants Never "Starting Over" (poem) - Voice of Eve "Sultry" (poem) - Voice of Eve "Littoral" (poem) - Voice of Eve Also, the lead story in my new collection of short stories, "Enchantress of Books" was recently excerpted at the magazine Bewildering Stories. You can read the full story HERE. There's more news a-brewin' behind the scenes, so there might be another 2 a.m. update soon. Stay tuned! To all the veterans out there, including the many veterans in our own family, wishing you the best on this Memorial Day - thank you for your service! Here are my girls at our local parade this morning.   I'll be doing a reading and writer chat with my fellow Fairfield Scribes authors Elizabeth Chatsworth and Gabi Coatsworth, and we'll be joined by local sci-fi author Roman Godzich. The event will take place from 7pm-8:30pm in the aptly-named Steampunk Library in The Storyteller's Cottage at 750 Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury, Connecticut. From the Storyteller's Cottage website:
We're going to be reading an eclectic mix of speculative fiction - from steampunk to fantasy, from science fiction to magical realism. So there will be something to interest everyone who loves a good story! Go HERE to register for the event - there's a $5 cover charge to attend. I hope to see you there.  |
