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March 30, 2008
Seven Archangels-Chapter 13
The story continues with chapter thirteen
Seven Archangels: Annihilation
by Jane Lebak
Chapter Thirteen:
Jesus and Raphael discuss Gabriel's condition, and Raphael is given Divine orders he never wanted to hear.
Posted by Selena at 01:04 PM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2008
"The Happening" by Valerie L. Smith
Sorry about the delay.
Here is a new story for you to enjoy.
"The Happening"
by Valerie L. Smith
In an abandoned city where life seems to have fled more quickly than the rats, and prayer is as rare as the rain, it would appear there could be no happy ending. But something’s just been carried in on the breeze; something that will change this place forever.
Posted by Selena at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)
March 26, 2008
The Big Two-Oh
I just realized that I’ve had TWENTY stories published!
I had to count them twice to be sure, but yep, there are twenty listed there on my main page.
So cool.
That's a big milestone for me. I guess the next big one is thirty stories. Or maybe one novel, just one. That would be huge.
But for today I'm just enjoying the accomplishment of twenty. :)
Posted by Selena at 08:08 AM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2008
"To D. M. Pinkwater" by Elizabeth H. Penrose
Welcome to New Poetry Tuesday. Here is the special...
"To D. M. Pinkwater"
by Elizabeth H. Penrose
Star Accordions!
Posted by Selena at 06:55 AM | Comments (0)
March 24, 2008
Story Published: "The Word"
I just had a story published. It's called "The Word" and is at Anathema, an online anthology that publishes stories written sympathetically from a contrary point of view. Being a Christian, I chose to write from a non-Christian point of view. I hope Christians won't find the story offensive; it's not meant to be.
This story is science fiction and short (under 2000 words). I think it's a humorous story about misunderstandings.
I'll hope you'll stop by and give it a read. I'd be interested to hear your reaction.
Here is the link to the story:
"The Word"
Here is the link to the magazine:
Anathema
A bit of trivia: I originally called the story "Visitors." The editor changed the title, with my consent.
Posted by Selena at 07:58 AM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2008
Seven Archangels: Annihilation - Chapter 12
Chapter twelve is now available. (Happy Easter!)
Seven Archangels: Annihilation
by Jane Lebak
Chapter Twelve:
After a fight among the lower Maskim, a half-sane Remiel returns home.
Posted by Selena at 07:37 AM | Comments (0)
March 21, 2008
"Lifeline" by Jonathan J. Schlosser
And now, some science fiction...
"Lifeline"
by Jonathan J. Schlosser
Two asteroid miners become trapped in their damaged spacecraft and realize that only one of them will be able to escape.
Posted by Selena at 06:57 AM | Comments (0)
March 18, 2008
"Dade's Special Lemon" by Jackie Gamber
Next up is a piece of flash fiction that is set in a carnival:
"Dade's Special Lemon"
by Jackie Gamber
Justine finds the courage to be honest...with a little help, of course.
Posted by Selena at 06:50 AM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2008
Quotes of the Day: from "Leap of Faith"
I didn't go to church today. I bugged out after Sunday School. But even before then, I had my own personal worship service going on courtesy of the movie soundtrack from "Leap of Faith."
Today the song I'm feeling most is "Change in My Life." Here is a sample lyric:
"Standing cold and scared on top of blue hill,
There came one moment when I lost my will.
I prayed for mercy, please Lord take me away.
Oh give me sunshine where I only see grey.
My past had a hold on me, it can't be denied,
And the changes don't come easily.
I've been lonely, I've been cheated,
I've been misunderstood
I've been washed up, I've been put down,
And told I'm no good
But with you I belong,
Cause you help me be strong,
There's a change in my life,
Since you came along."
I feel like I'm stuck in the downtrodden part of my life, knowing that God has changed my life, but waiting for that change to be made manifest. I guess God is trying to teach me patience. ;)
P.S. Actually, the next song on the album is a five-minute revival of its own. Who knew a song called "King of Sin Medley" could be so uplifting?
"The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?"
That right there, that feeling—that is what church is supposed to do to you.
Posted by Selena at 01:45 PM | Comments (0)
Seven Archangels: Annihilation - Chapter 11
The story continues with chapter eleven.
Seven Archangels: Annihilation
by Jane Lebak
Chapter Eleven:
It's bad-news/good-news when Uriel's first attempt to restore Gabriel leaves everyone convinced it's hopeless, but then they come up with another scheme that might help.
Posted by Selena at 01:33 PM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2008
"Wounds" by Hal Paxton
A new story for your weekend reading...
"Wounds"
by Hal Paxton
There's an element that taints creation and exposes man's wounds. Teenager Daniel Louis is the only one who can see it. Or so he thought. When an old man cursed like himself offers to show him the benefits of their ability, Daniel finds himself at a crossroads.
Posted by Selena at 06:46 AM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2008
"Seeing The Dragon" by Elizabeth H. Penrose
Here is a bit of poetry for you...
"Seeing The Dragon"
by Elizabeth H. Penrose
There are depths that drown fire.
Posted by Selena at 07:01 AM | Comments (0)
March 09, 2008
Seven Archangels: Annihilation - Chapter 10
Chapter ten is now available. Check it out.
Seven Archangels: Annihilation
by Jane Lebak
Chapter Ten:
After Saraquael and Zadkiel deliver their message to Satan, Mephistopheles encounters Remiel exploring the prison cell looking for Gabriel's soul-residue.
Posted by Selena at 03:39 PM | Comments (0)
March 07, 2008
"The Final Voyage of the Wilbee Pharr" by Lawrence Barker
Here is some science fiction for your weekend reading:
"The Final Voyage of the Wilbee Pharr"
by Lawrence Barker
Centuries of space exploration have turned up no sign of intelligent life. The trader ship Wilbee Pharr turned all that around. Only the aliens were not what anyone expected. Their last contact with Earthly life had resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs...
Posted by Selena at 06:54 AM | Comments (0)
March 05, 2008
Interesting Articles on "Me"-ness vs. Happiness
Sorry, I meant to blog about this days ago but forgot.
Recently, I came across this good article in The Washington Post about how me-centered thinking and entitlement make people miserable instead of happy.
Sounds like a no-brainer, right?
Then why do we as a society tend to teach our kids that they are the center of the universe and are entitled to get whatever they want?
It's fascinating and counter-intuitive that focusing so much on instilling self-esteem has backfired and may actually do more harm than good.
It reminds me of an article I recently read in Oprah Magazine called "The New and Improved Self-Esteem" (by Aimee Lee Ball).
Sadly, the article isn't available online. I checked. It was in the January 2008 issue if you can get your hands on it. (All the website has of the article is the sidebar, which is good but not the meat of the thing.)
Here are the two quotes from the Oprah article that I found most interesting:
"There's no question you get the best results from highly contingent praise and criticism," says [Roy] Baumeister [PhD, professor of psychology at Florida State University]. "That means praising exactly what you did right and criticizing exactly what you did wrong." [emphasis mine]
That makes sense to me. So why have we fallen so far away from doing that? I guess because we are so afraid of hurting someone's feelings. Key phrase: "highly contingent."
"[Carol] Dweck's studies clearly show that when children are told they're brilliant, they often start thinking of effort as a sign of stupidity."[Dweck, PhD, is professor of psychology at Stanford University.]
That explains a lot!
I encourage you to check out both of these fascinating reads.
Posted by Selena at 09:43 PM | Comments (0)
New Fav Song: "Problem Girl"
I have a new favorite song. It's "Problem Girl" by Rob Thomas.
Here is a sample:
"Don't let 'em get where they're going to
You know they're only what they think of you
…
And when the kids on the street say
What's your problem girl
…
When they all make you feel
Like you're a problem girl
Remember
You're no problem at all
You're no problem at all"
It's a sly profession of love. Not obvious like "I adore you." But more real. Because we are never problems to those who love us.
That's good stuff.
Posted by Selena at 09:18 PM | Comments (0)
March 04, 2008
"fire snakes" by scott virtes
Here is some new poetry for your Tuesday update. Enjoy.
"fire snakes"
by scott virtes
Posted by Selena at 06:43 AM | Comments (0)
March 02, 2008
Seven Archangels: Annihilation - Chapter 9
The story continues with chapter nine.
Seven Archangels: Annihilation
by Jane Lebak
Chapter Nine:
Remiel emerges from Hell only to be sent back again. Uriel consults Jesus as to their next move, and Michael becomes the subject of Uriel's first experimental attempt to manipulate heartstrings.
Posted by Selena at 01:28 PM | Comments (0)
March 01, 2008
A Good Day
I have already spent over four hours on writing today. (I've been working on fixing the un-fixable novel, the one I've been avoiding for a year or more.) It feels great to be writing and getting things done.
You know what I realized? That when I am really engaged in a task, I don't get tired as easily. Or resort to stress-induced snacking as much.
I breezed through the day with no nap at all, not even feeling like I needed a nap. That's a rare thing for me. Plus I managed to eat healthy all day, which is really rare, and walk 45 minutes on the treadmill.
That's a good day. That's being "in the zone." That's where I hope to spend more time.
Posted by Selena at 06:12 PM | Comments (0)
"The Gatherers" cover art by Marge Simon
To start off our March issue, here is a new cover from artist and poet Marge Simon.
"The Gatherers"
by Marge Simon
The children of Time search the universe for life.
Posted by Selena at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)