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September 29, 2008
Story Accepted!
I just got a "yes" from Static Movement. They accepted my story "To Be King" for their October issue.
They even managed to respond within two days. That's a very impressive response time! I love that.
Posted by Selena at 09:02 PM | Comments (0)
"The Launch of Marcher Lord Press" by Scott Appleton
To close out September, here is a special treat.
"The Launch of Marcher Lord Press"
by Scott Appleton
An interview with Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press, a new publisher of Christian speculative fiction.
Posted by Selena at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)
September 26, 2008
"A Horse of Light" by Lawrence Buentello
Here is some new fiction for your weekend reading...
"A Horse of Light"
by Lawrence Buentello
The old king is haunted by the horse he lost in battle; it waits beyond the castle gates for his approach, but he fears it means to take him with it into the next life...
Posted by Selena at 07:19 AM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2008
Good News, Bad News
Well, the bad news is that I had to cancel my trip to DC at the last minute. And by "last minute," I mean literally at the airport, suitcase in hand. The reason why is the...
Even badder news: My mother-in-law passed away.
All that makes today's good news seem very pale, but here it is anyway: I just got an acceptance from a new print magazine called Sonar 4. My story “The Power of Suggestion” is scheduled for their April 09 issue. Yeah, good news, but pale indeed compared to the bad.
Posted by Selena at 02:22 PM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2008
"Ideal Heroic World - Oxford" by Steve Case
Here is a new poem to start off your week...
"Ideal Heroic World - Oxford"
by Steve Case
Tell her all I found was bones.
Posted by Selena at 08:30 AM | Comments (0)
September 20, 2008
"The Cat..." now at EDF
My story "The Cat Won't Stop Playing" is now available at Every Day Fiction. Please stop by and check it out if you can. Thanks.
Wow! There are three nice comments posted about the story already. :D
Posted by Selena at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2008
"Lights and Magic" by Jessica Van Dessel
Time for some fantastic fiction!
"Lights and Magic"
by Jessica Van Dessel
The best magic always happens in your mind. . . all it takes is somebody to give you a quick peek at what ‘impossible’ looks like when it’s backstage.
Posted by Selena at 07:53 AM | Comments (0)
September 17, 2008
To NaNo or Not to NaNo?
It seems that is a common question for this time of year. (For an explanation of my sense of déjà vu, check out this similar post from last year.)
I was thinking of skipping NaNo this year because I feel like I have neither the time nor the energy. (Oh, there's that déjà vu again.) But then I got my NaNo newsletter today and realized this is NaNo's tenth anniversary. There's even a cool commemorative T-shirt. I know, I shouldn't be swayed by that sort of thing.
But then there's this tidbit for the "pro" column: at least two of my recent short story publications grew out of last year's NaNo. Actually I suspect there were more, but I'd have to go back and scan the document to be sure. Anyway, the two I remember are actually two of my favorite stories ("Moon Ransom" and "The Word") and they probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been committed to writing every day as part of the NaNo challenge.
For the "con" column though, here's the big problem: I have no idea what to write about this year. I don't even have the slimmest idea for a book! It might be kind of fun to write a romance though. Maybe one in a restaurant since I like that setting so much. But really that's all I got. Not much to build 50,000 words on, is it?
Hmm. Decisions, decisions.
Posted by Selena at 04:58 PM | Comments (0)
New Fav Lily Pic
Here is my new favorite picture of granddaughter Lily. She's "rocking out" to a meowing birthday card I got. It’s hilarious how much fun she has with that thing.
Posted by Selena at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)
September 16, 2008
"Whew!" Plus New Music & TV
Finally, the results from Big Scary Tests are in and they are normal. Whew.
I'm so relieved. The funny thing is mostly I'm just relieved that I don't have to postpone my upcoming trip to DC. You'd think I'd be relieved about not having Really Bad Medical Problem, but...well, I guess it's just one more of the many ways in which I am weird.
To celebrate my clean bill of health I hit the "buy" button on my iTunes shopping cart and finally purchased the 14 or so songs that had been living there for who knows how long. Favorite song from the bunch: Leann Rimes' "Good Friend and a Glass of Wine."
Here is a sample lyric:
"Who died and crowned me everybody's everything
I'm even busting my butt through the weekend
By the time I get home there's not an ounce of sanity
Between the dogs, my momma's calls
Is it against the law
For me to get what I need
A good friend and a glass of wine
Someone to say it's gonna be alright
A good friend and a glass of wine
A little pick me up to get me through the night"
Well, I don't have dogs and I don't mind my momma's occasional calls, but I am RIGHT THERE with everything else and the whole spirit of the song. Truth be told, I could even skip the wine, it's really just the good friend I need. Too bad all my BFFs are at least a thousand miles away. (Although that does make sense of paragraph two, doesn’t it?)
You can give the song a listen over at YouTube.
Also in my shopping cart, the latest episode of my newest guilty pleasure: "Gossip Girl." (I know! I can hardly believe I'm watching it either. But my daytime soap, the once-great GH, has gotten so sucky that I had to look elsewhere for my dose of fabulous soapiness.) My DVR inexplicably cut off about half of the last episode, which I just couldn't handle. Especially after reading about the episode on EW.com. Oh yeah, "The Dark Night" was the episode NOT to miss! Can't wait to watch it.
Posted by Selena at 01:46 PM | Comments (0)
September 15, 2008
"Xenomath" by Robert Borski
Here is some new poetry to kick off your week.
"Xenomath"
by Robert Borski
2 + 2 + ?
Posted by Selena at 08:03 AM | Comments (0)
September 12, 2008
"The City on the Rock" by A.J. Cooper
This update has lots of action, plus an accompanying illustration. Enjoy!
"The City on the Rock"
by A.J. Cooper
(A Student Contributor)
The magic of the invincible city of Baradon is dying away. Salan, captain of the Tower Guard, will soon find out that curing its ills is less simple than he thought.
Posted by Selena at 07:46 AM | Comments (0)
September 10, 2008
Quote of the Day
Today's quote is from an old Gary Chapman song called "In His Hand," which sadly is not available on iTunes. (Grrr.)
"There is no cause for fear, here in His hand."
It looks like there used to be a video of the song on YouTube, but sadly it's not there anymore. (Bummer.) I used to have it on video myself, but that was back in the days of VHS and who's got VHS anymore?
So, I guess I'll just have to sing it from memory as best I can to remind myself that in God's hands "there is only safety."
I'm also trying to keep this Bible verse in my head:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)
Or as I like to say when my life looks hopelessly screwed up: "Relax. God knows what he is doing and he has my best interests at heart."
Posted by Selena at 07:10 AM | Comments (0)
September 08, 2008
"Pluto’s Defense" by John Nichols
Welcome to New Poetry Monday. Here is the special of the day...
"Pluto’s Defense"
by John Nichols
Pluto speaks up for himself.
Posted by Selena at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)
September 07, 2008
Homesick
I am so homesick right now!
Here's a stream-of-consciousness list about some of the "things" I miss about living in the Washington Metro area:
I miss hanging out with my mom. I miss having lunch with Dad at Don Pablos most weeks. I miss being able to walk places like the grocery store, the library, the post office, a wide assortment of restaurants, and the Metro (gateway to most everywhere else I'd want to go). I miss breakfast at La Madeleine. (The yummiest egg, cheese, and bacon on croissant EVER.) I miss churches that consider "Godspell" an appropriate reference for a Sunday morning service. I miss that Indian place on Capitol Hill. (No, not that one. The other one.) I miss having dinner with my girlfriends and trading wacky stories of our wacky lives. I miss fitting in and being understood. I miss being on a train full of people either reading books or listening to iPods, sometimes both at the same time. I miss a theatre community so big and diverse that you could see a show every night (except Mondays, of course) and still not see them all. I miss art, and museums, and art museums. I miss The Awakening sculpture at Hains Point. (Huh? What do you mean it's no longer at Hains Point?! Bummer. Where's the National Harbor? Clearly I've been away too long.) I even miss confused tourists asking for directions.
Suffice it to say that I miss Washington.
Good thing I have a trip to DC planned soon. I can't wait.
Posted by Selena at 05:40 PM | Comments (0)
September 05, 2008
"Grubs" by S. A. Miller
Here is some science fiction to start off the month of September. This story is set in the same world as the author's previous story (at DKA) "Aliens in the Church." Enjoy.
"Grubs"
by S. A. Miller
The things a human can do with thirty-seven grubs...
Posted by Selena at 07:47 AM | Comments (0)
September 03, 2008
Speaking of "Happy Working..."
I spent the last few days working on a book-editing project (for pay!) and here's the revelation: I am so much happier, productive, and energetic when I am busy working on a project that I am interested in.
I didn't even need a nap once this week!
So, I guess the lesson for me is to fill my days with work that is meaningful to me, not just busy stuff that other people expect of me. I've realized that I tend to get bored (and then unproductive) when I don't have enough interesting stuff on my plate.
Gotta stay engaged. Gotta stay focused. Gotta keep working.
Posted by Selena at 09:01 PM | Comments (0)
I'm "Enchanted"
I just watched the movie "Enchanted." It was so cute!
But now I can't stop humming the "Happy Working Song."
Posted by Selena at 08:57 PM | Comments (0)
Grey's Anatomy Promo Ruckus
I can't stop laughing.
The brilliant folks at ABC have put together a promo for the new season that not only 1) enrages legions of fans who are sick of Mer&Der getting back together only to be pulled apart AGAIN, and 2) seems to contradict what show creator and writer Shondra Rhimes has promised fans. You can imagine how that went over with Rhimes and her fans.
Here's the scoop from TV Watch.
Talk about a marketing department that is out of touch with their product and their customers! Wow.
I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when Shondra Rhimes found out about the promo and made that call (or visit!) to the honchos at ABC. I bet it was one hell of a smackdown.
Posted by Selena at 08:18 AM | Comments (0)
September 02, 2008
Story Scheduled for September 20th
The September schedule for Every Day Fiction has been posted and my story is scheduled for September 20th.
I also notice some familiar names on the list. It’s always cool to share a Table of Contents with friends. :)
Posted by Selena at 08:53 PM | Comments (0)
September 01, 2008
"Salan versus Varthrax" by E.J. Mickels
To begin September, here is our new cover. Later in the month, look for the story that inspired this illustration.
"Salan versus Varthrax - An unexpected end"
by E.J. Mickels, II
Posted by Selena at 08:30 AM | Comments (0)