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February 20, 2007
Take the Wheel
Some days I don’t even know what to hope for. I find myself faced with a situation that could go one way or the other, and I honestly don't know which would be best.
Today is one of those days.
All I can say is "Jesus, take the wheel."
(Yes, that's a song by Carrie Underwood
Or, as I like to pray, "God, please grant me the wisdom to know the right road and the strength to walk it."
Here's hoping it plays out however God prefers.
Posted by Selena at 06:55 PM | Comments (0)
"The Naming" by Patricia Kelly
Patricia Kelly closes out February's issue with a poem.
"The Naming"
by Patricia Kelly
Tease:
...naming gives the named a potent power...
Get the print edition that includes this poem!
Also, don't miss our Fiction Contest Announcement.
Posted by Selena at 08:14 AM | Comments (0)
February 19, 2007
Winners All Around!
Many of the results from the Preditors and Editors poll have been announced. DKA did VERY well. So did other Double-Edged publications like The Sword Review and Ray Gun Revival.
Here are the winners from the DEP family:
Fiction Publication
1. The Sword Review
9. Ray Gun Revival
13. Dragons, Knights & Angels
Best Artwork
3. 'Repairman!' - A man wailed in panic and pain, E.J. Mickels, II
13. Gwyndowr, Rachel A. Marks
Publication Cover Art
1. The Sword Review, Rachel A. Marks
Short Story - Science Fiction
3. Tethered in Purgatory, Terry W. Ervin II, The Sword Review
4. Damage, Jane Lebak, Dragons, Knights and Angels
5. Servant of the Manthycore, Michael Ehart, The Sword Review
9. The Smoking Man, S.T. Forstner, Dragons, Knights & Angels
14. Voices from the Void, Mirta Ana Schultz, The Sword Review
17. Justice, L. S. King, The Sword Review
21. Shan’tir’ri, Scott M. Sandridge, Ray Gun Revival
23. '. . .in the waste howling wildenness...', John M. Whalen, Ray Gun Revival
24. Chariots, Matt Mikalatos, The Sword Review
24. The Short Bus, Marsheila Rockwell, The Sword Review
26. A Song of the Aelves, David R. Downing, The Sword Review
Poems
9. Into the Heart, Mirta Ana Schultz, The Sword Review
10. The Wishing Star, Marsheila Rockwell, The Sword Review
11. Monument, Mirta Ana Schultz, Dragons, Knights, & Angels
Magazine Editors
2. Bill Snodgrass, http://www.theswordreview.com/
19. The RGR Overlords, http://raygunrevival.com
20. Selena Thomason, http://www.dkamagazine.com
Fiction Magazine
1. The Sword Review
9. Ray Gun Revival
13. Dragons, Knights & Angels
Poetry Magazines
4. The Sword Review
6. Dragons, Knights, & Angels
Congratulations to all the winners!
And thanks to everyone who voted for DKA and its authors, artists and works!
I'd like to send a special shout-out to DKA editor Mirta Ana Schultz who won TWICE for best poem, as well as made the top 20 for Best Story. Way to go, Mir!!!!
Posted by Selena at 01:12 PM | Comments (0)
February 17, 2007
Double Decline Day
Well, the good news is that I got a lot done on the anthology today.
The bad news is that I got two declines. Two in one day. Uggh.
Posted by Selena at 06:25 PM | Comments (0)
DKA: "Breaking Ties" by Sheri Fresonke Harper
For your weekend reading pleasure, we have…
"Breaking Ties"
by Sheri Fresonke Harper
Tease:
Fourteen is awfully young to have a six-year-old sister in tow. After Bert saw the execution of his dad, he had no choice. In a world destroyed by disease and ruled by gangsters, survival is uncertain. Lucky for Bert, he doesn't shoot the white haired stranger in the candy store because this man will change his life.
Get the print edition that includes this story!
Posted by Selena at 07:58 AM | Comments (0)
February 13, 2007
DKA: "Crossroads" by Karen A. Romanko
It's New Poetry Tuesday, like most Tuesdays at DKA. Here's the latest offering…
"Crossroads"
by Karen A. Romanko
Tease:
"What marks the crossroads of time?"
Get the print edition that includes this poem!
You may remember Karen's previous poem in DKA, Bibliotheca Temporis. You can find more of Karen's work in The Sword Review.
Posted by Selena at 07:47 AM | Comments (0)
February 12, 2007
Two Good Articles
For your non-fiction reading, here are two interesting articles that I enjoyed reading today:
Study: Napping Regularly Fights Heart Disease
Any study that justifies my nap addiction is cool by me.
Plus there's…
Plagued With Relationship Troubles? Blame Your Parents
I'm not one for blaming my parents for all my problems, but I found this a fascinating read anyway. (My parents have always been great, by the way.)
It's interesting how this study inverts conventional wisdom. Instead of those who try to cope on their own…
"It is the people who are confident enough to reach out to others for help -- and to whom help is given -- who become truly capable of independence."
Reason enough to phone a friend.
Posted by Selena at 08:25 PM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2007
On Revival and Not Giving Up
I've been a bit discouraged lately. I've been thinking about setting writing aside and dialing down my other responsibilities so that I can get a job waiting tables.
Seriously.
It should be noted that I worked in a restaurant for more than six years and loved it. So the waiting tables thing doesn't completely come out of nowhere. But what I really think it's about is that with most jobs, like waiting tables, you know at the end of the day if you have done what you came to do. You get a paycheck. You complete the tasks set before you. You get feedback from your boss and/or customers. There is concrete evidence of your daily accomplishments, both little and big.
Writing doesn’t usually give you that. It's hard to know at the end of the day if the work you did was good. You rarely, if ever, get paid. Often there is no one setting tasks before you, no one encouraging you to keep going, no one showing you how and letting you know you're on the right track. No one, that is, except for you. And that can be hard. Being your own boss has its benefits but some days I long for someone to give me a list of easily defined tasks with measurable results. I don't even care if the tasks are difficult, as long as the tasks and results are quantifiable.
So, I prayed on it. And here is what I think God had to say.
When I went to church today, first, it was pointed out to me that there was a note in the bulletin calling for writers to work on a church project. That was sign one. Then the pastor spoke on revival. "Revive thy work in me." That spoke to me. I need to be revived.
Then I was watching "Heroes," which I have recently gotten hooked on. In one episode, they repeatedly showed a computer screen with the message: "Are you sure you want to quit? [Yes] or [No]." I kept willing the character to click "No."
I don't know what it all means. But there it is. I think deep down, I am not ready to give up. I think maybe that instead of quitting, I am to be revived.
Posted by Selena at 05:05 PM | Comments (2)
February 10, 2007
DKA: "The Tressatops Egg" by Kristal M. Johnson
Next up is…
"The Tressatops Egg"
by Kristal M. Johnson
Tease:
"Stranded on a distant planet, a ferocious Terrasword named Stain plots his revenge against the father who banished him and the brother who’s stolen his birthright. But when he stumbles across the egg of the legendary Tressatops and its promise of immortality, he has to make a difficult choice: share the egg with his brother in order to escape, or face the possibility of being marooned for an eternity. In the end, Stain’s decision has lasting repercussions he could never have anticipated."
Get the print edition that includes this story!
Posted by Selena at 07:34 AM | Comments (0)
February 08, 2007
Too Busy to Blog: Houseguests, the Anthology, and More
I've been much too busy to blog, so here's what's been going on.
My mom and one of my aunts came to visit for a few days. Mom won at cards so often that we were convinced she was cheating. We just couldn't figure out how she was doing it.
We went to the beach one day, but it was so cold that we ended up sitting on the balcony under blankets.
After my houseguests left, I turned my attention to the upcoming DEP anthology, which I am editing. I've spent the last couple days pulling that together and sending out contracts. I love sending authors good news! It's a thrill because I know how exciting it is to get that sort of good news.
The anthology will cover fiction and poetry from DKA and SR. I'm really excited about the great work we're planning to include. Maybe once all the authors had responded I will post a list so you can know what you have to look forward to.
I also got my contributor's copy from The Literary Bone. It is a gorgeous, large-format, glossy-type magazine. Go ahead and buy one, you know you want to.
Plus, it's a great day because Entenmann's chocolate chip mini muffins are on sale at the store. Yippee! Just don't ask me how many of them I have eaten today 'cause I lost count hours ago.
Happy day, everyone!
Posted by Selena at 06:40 PM | Comments (0)
February 06, 2007
DKA: "Basho on the Back Road to Camelot"
Our first poem for February is…
"Basho on the Back Road to Camelot"
by Deborah P Kolodji
Tease:
"If Japan's greatest haiku poet was on the road to Camelot, what haiku revelations would result?"
Get the print edition that includes this poem!
Posted by Selena at 07:35 AM | Comments (0)
February 03, 2007
DKA: "The Parking Meter" by Nick Ozment
February's issue begins with a delightful story by Nick Ozment.
"The Parking Meter"
by Nick Ozment
Tease:
"Sometimes magic is found in the most mundane places: In an alley by a dumpster, for example, the last place you'd expect to find a parking meter...or a new lease on life."
Get the print edition that includes this story!
Posted by Selena at 07:37 AM | Comments (0)