First Acceptance of the Year. I am celebrating!

Remember this post? 


I do.  I know what it's like to feel rejection.  I also know the sweet pleasure of getting accepted for publication.  Wooo!  I got my first acceptance letter for the year this morning at 8:14.  I am so happy.  It just made my day.  This is my eleventh story to be published.  I am ecstatic. 


The story they picked is called "The Present."  It is a story about a very bored gentleman and the power of education.  I had the idea for this story when I read about Frederick Douglass,  a leader of the abolitionist.  Douglass was taught to read by the wife of one of his slave owners.  When I read that statement, a story formed in my mind.  It will be in the Spring 2012 edition of The Helix Literary Magazine.  You can see their website here.  They are an awesome publication.  I encourage you to check them out.  I am honored to be featured in their magazine. 


My goal for 2012 is to have twelve pieces published this year.  That is double what I did last year.  I hope I can make it in time!  One down, eleven to go.

2012 Countdown

Stories Published: 1

Stories written: 3

Stories submitted: 100

Stories rejected: 27

Plenty of Reading Material around this House Tonight

I had a very good day today. 

In the mail I received not one, but two, magazines that contained my work!  The first one was Nuthouse magazine.  The second one was The Nocturnal Lyric. 

The Nocturnal Lyric published my story, "The Subsequent Existence Corporation."  Nuthouse published "One,"

which is part of my short story collection, Almost Midnight.  It is a very surreal experience to re-read your work in the printed form.  I can't wait to someday hold a book in my hands that I wrote.  Short stories are great, but a novel would be so much sweeter.  But I am not complaining.  In this moment, I will enjoy this success.   

Because, right now, I am feeling very proud and accomplished!

Amazing News!

Today I got the biggest thrill any writer could ever want.  Another acceptance letter!  My short story, "One" is being published in Nuthouse Magazine.  I am THRILLED!!!!  "One" is part of my short story collection, Almost Midnight.  This is a really special event for me because I wrote this collection for my husband, and it is my goal to get all eleven stories published in the next five years.  Why the time frame? Because in five years it will be out eleventh wedding anniversary, and we plan to renew our vows.    So, when I get one of these stories published, I am happy. 

:o)

On the writing front, it's ok.... not great, but not bad either.  September is such a busy month for me, writing always takes a backseat.  The studio opens and our kids go back to school.  And just because we like to make it FUN at my house, one of our children is home schooled and the other attends public school (and one is still in diapers), plus we have family that is getting married this year... so... yeah.  I'm busy.

But.. shhhh... I'm working on a poetry project.  Don't tell anyone!

Housekeeping

It was a dilemma tonight.  Should I tackle a few house keeping chores around my blog or around my house?  The blog won.  (Just don't eat off my kitchen floor.)  I fixed my "current work" section, my "publications" section, and my list on the right side of the blog for "publications around the web."  Why, you ask?  "Cause I've been published again!  I have two short shorts published in the second issue of 5x5 Fiction.  Yippee!!!!  Check them out, and tell me what you think.

Talk about a major plot hole!

               So yesterday’s post had a glaring omission—I was published twice during the month of April!!!  Squeeeee!  Talk about an oversight!  My story, Eleven, is featured in the May edition of the on-line journal Foliate Oak.  I wrote this as part of my short story book called Almost Midnight.  I’m hoping to have this book out by this summer.  (This was the short romantic story I talked about here and here.) 

                The other story I had published is titled The Subsequent Existence Corporation and will be published in issue #71 of The Nocturnal Lyric, coming out in late November 2011.  And, no, I do not have a link to their website.  I don’t think they have one. 

                The odd thing about this—I got both acceptance letters on the same day.  It was a wonderful, surreal day for me as an author.  I kept walking around saying, Hey, I might have a chance at this!  This was the boost I needed.  The last time I had gotten anything accepted was back in January, so I was feeling pretty low.  This was a super-duper boost.

                Now, looking forward.  I finished two stories for this call to submissions.  Editor has corrected one of them and has to look at the other.  There is no limit to how many stories you can submit, so I’m pretty excited.  I like the concept and I have four solid ideas, so I’m going to write them all!!!  Two down, two to go.

                I also started working on something very cool today.  I don’t want to go into it too much, but I’m thinking about having a contest on my blog very shortly, as in mid-June.  I started making the prize today, but I can’t say what it is just yet.  It’s a secret.  Shhhh!

                So, to all my writing buddies out there… happy writing!