An Update On My Submissions

---

I thought I'd post an update on my submissions so I (as much as anyone else) could get an idea of what is going on with my writing.

The Fisherman and His Wife: (Short story - humor/fairy tale) This short story was submitted (and accepted for edits!) to Fringeworks for their multi-volume Grimm & Grimmer anthology a long time ago. They've got the first two volumes out, and they are waiting for their cover artist to return for the rest. My story is supposed to published in Grim & Grimmer IV which was originally to come out in August. Then it was pushed back to October, and now, according to their latest newsletter, doesn't have a fixed publication date. It's listed as "editing in progress." The folks at Fringeworks seem to be trying to do a lot, and I hope they're not taking too much on. They have done their best to keep me informed, and do put out some nice work, so I'm still involved and hoping for a good outcome here.

Skarett's Treasure: (Short story - humor/horror/pirates) This was also submitted to Fringeworks for publication through their Knightwatch Press imprint to be included in their Dead Men's Tales anthology. It has not yet been accepted (or rejected! I have to be the optimist here...), but they've let me know they will soon be reading them to sort out which stories they want to include. They say they want to have this out in the September/October time frame, so I hope to hear one way or another soon.

Neersville: (Short story - horror/ghost) This was submitted to Burial Day Books via Submittable (the first time I've done this, and I rather like it) for their Gothic Blue Book III anthology. Submittable shows it to be "In progress."

The Ballad of Drunken Jack: (Poetry - horror) This was also submitted to Burial Day Books via Submittable, again for their Gothic Blue Book III anthology. Sumbittable shows it to be "Received."

 

 

Update 08/07/2013: Submittable now shows both Neersville and The Ballad of Drunken Jack to be "in progress."

Among The Stones: (Poetry - horror) This was submitted to Scarlett River Press quite a while back. Their web site keeps going up and down (at one point it came up with a screen from the host saying it was "suspended"). Right now, it's just full of "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet," and it hasn't changed for a while. Also, you can't see their Facebook site without logging in (I am not on Facebook, so I can't) and there hasn't been much twitter activity, so I think it's time to move on. If they ever get their act together, I may consider them again, but for now, thanks, but I have better ways to spend my time...

Miscellaneous items: I hope to get a story, Tinker's Damn (horror - flash fiction/steampunk, sort of...), ready for The Weretraveler's The Little Magazine of Magnificent Monsters issue - running out of time here. I'm also working on a poem (horror), as yet untitled, for submission to James Ward Kirk Fiction for their anthology, The Cellar Door. I would also like to finish my short story, Final Judgement (horror - short story), for the Horrified Press anthology, Tales of the Undead – Suffer Eternal Volume III.

I have perhaps a dozen other short stories and a number of poems in various stages of completion, so I have plenty to keep me busy!

---

Image "Feathered Quill And Ink Pot" by Simon Howden / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Monday Mixer - Overkill

---

This week's writing challenge from Monday Mixer ( The Latinum Vault ) Note: Original link no longer works

---

Back at the Monday Mixer again... #24, I believe.

Here are the choices for the location, thing & adjective (my choices in red):

Things:     1) kludge      2) gamut     3) postern
Verbs:      1) ululate     2) bruit     3) spraddle
Adjectives: 1) copacetic   2) tremulous 3) obstreperous

Just a little silly science fiction! And, yes, I know I said I wasn't going to kill anyone in my third straight posting, but, hey, things just seem to happen that way. What can I say? 

---

Overkill

     The entire apparatus was a kludge of mismatched parts, running the gamut from electrostatic ion generators to plasma channeling coils to something Nortrok couldn't even identify, but Chief Engineer Xilanx assured him this was the only instrument capable of destroying the enemy's immense starship. Once the device had initialized, those manning it began to ululate as the weapon hummed, and despite concerns bruited about of how the intense magnetic fields might kill them before they could attack, none left their post. 
     As the ship appeared overhead, Xilanx nodded that all was copacetic, and shouted out the order to fire. Once the blast subsided, nothing remained of the vessel but a quintillion quantum particles trying to reassemble themselves within the nebulous haze obscuring a silvery crescent moon.
     After staring at the sky for a moment, Nortrok turned to Xilanx, and in a tremulous voice asked, "Wasn't there a full moon tonight?"

---

Modified image "Darkness Of Apocalyptic" courtesy of "prozac1"/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

This Week's Photo - Flutterby

---

There are times when I get the camera out and take a few pictures, sometimes for art, sometimes just to enjoy. This week's photo (I hope to do this on a regular basis) is of a butterfly in my neighbor's garden.

Feel free to use the picture as long as attribution is given. You can use the text below for that:

Image "Butterfly_2013_07_21.jpg" courtesy of K. R. Smith - www.theworldofkrsmith.com

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Shameless Plug - Going To Mars With MAVEN

---

Here's a shameless plug to vote for my entry in the "Going to Mars with MAVEN 'Message To Mars'" haiku contest:

  

Click on the link at the end of this text to vote for my entry (if you like it, that is...):  Message To Mars

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Let's Go Camping!

---

To be honest, I'm going to let you go by yourself...

Since it's almost time for Camp NaNoWriMo to start, I thought I'd post this notice so anyone who has the time (and happens to see this to remind them) can sign up!

In case you didn't know what Camp NaNoWriMo is about, this is from their website:

• What: Writing a novel from scratch in one month’s time.
• Who: You! (And about 20,000 other novelists around the world.) Let’s write some perhaps-awful, but definitely lengthy, prose together.
• Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era’s most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties.
• When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster. Writing begins at 12:00 AM on April 1, and again on July 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach your word-count goal by 11:59 PM on the last day of the month. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

I'm not really into these things, but I have nothing against any device a writer can use to jump-start a project!

Anyway, see ya in August--you'll be busy until then...

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Update #4: Grimm And Grimmer Submission - And More!

---

It seems like forever since the original submission of my rework of the Grimm Brother's fairy tale, The Fisherman and His Wife, to Fringeworks, but it's really only been a few months. It was originally scheduled to be published in August 2013, but has been moved back to October 30, 2013.

Public domain image, Fischer und Frau, from Wikimedia Commons

The reason for the change is so the cover artist can work on another project for a couple of months and then come back to the Grimm and Grimmer anthology series, keeping the covers consistent. While the delay isn't fun, I really like this guy's work and I do think it is a good idea to maintain the same look to the various volumes.

So, I have to wait a little longer to see the story in print. If you follow this blog, you'll know when it's out because I will be pushing it until you're sick of hearing about it. At the moment, it is supposed to be in Volume IV. Volume I and II are already out.

In the meantime, I've submitted another story to them for their Dead Men's Tales anthology which is to be published under the KnightWatch Press imprint. It's a pirate story titled Skarett's Treasure, and is told from the viewpoint of a dead character. No word yet on acceptance.

So far, despite the delay in publishing, the Fringeworks folks have been good to work with, and even if they don't accept Skarett's Treasure, I'll consider submitting to them again.

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Running Joke

---

This morning I went for a jog.

I hadn't been running for about six months due to work and other issues, and I was badly in need of some exercise. Well, the sort of exercise that gets my heart and respiration rate up to where they should be when you exercise.

At this point, you're probably wondering what this has to do with writing.

The answer is: not a lot.

To be honest, the woodland path I run on has a sign at the start with a verse from of one of Robert Frost's poems. As a matter of fact, it's this one:

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.  
But I have promises to keep,  
And miles to go before I sleep,  
And miles to go before I sleep.

It's titled Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening. It's an appropriate verse for a trail, even if it hasn't snowed for a while. But I had miles to go before I went back home to cut the grass, so I started my run. That's about as close as I can tie writing into this blog post.

The loop I ran today is a little over three and a half miles long, with lots of elevation changes. I ran about two and a half of those miles. I had to walk much of the rest because I'm a bit out of shape and the recent rains had rendered parts of the path submerged or slippery forcing me to make impromptu course changes more than once.

I suppose, too, that I like to take a look around when I run, so I stop often. I'm not training for the Olympics. Due to the cool, wet weather, the undergrowth appeared to be quite healthy and was full of wild geraniums and jack-in-the-pulpits. I don't think I've even seen a many there as I did today.

Wild geranium

Jack-in-the-pulpit

As a disclaimer, these pictures are ones I took last year along the same path - I didn't have a camera with me during my run. There were also a few bluettes out, and the wineberry brambles were quite healthy. I'll have to check them out in a June.

I'm not sure why bluettes are called that. They're white, not blue. Must have been named by the same guy that named the purple finch (which is red, not purple). Go figure.

Wineberries are an invasive species. They are, however, quite delicious as invasive species go, and I do my part to prevent them from spreading by consuming as many of their fruits as possible.

About a mile into my run, I passed three young(er) girls going in the opposite direction. I raised my hand and said, "Good morning," but they just cruised past, ignoring me.

I also encountered the three Japanese folks that I almost always see when I'm on the trail. I don't know how we time it like that, but they seem to like the peacefulness of the early morning woodland, as do I, so perhaps that is the common factor here. I again raise my hand and say, "Good morning." They smile and nod. I don't know if they speak English, but they understand.

Finally, I descend from the uplands to begin the return route along the river. Once again, the three jogging ladies pass by, and I give a greeting for a second time which is treated with all of the significance of the first. I had the same effect on girls back in high school. And yes, I know they're on their second loop and hardly out of breath. Bunch of young (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) (expletive deleted) show-offs.

Eventually I found myself at the end of my run and began the drive back to what those who know no better call "civilization." As an example, I give the person waiting in front of me at a stoplight. It was a young woman in a Miata (top down - on the car, not her) with a Pennsylvania license tag seat-dancing out-off-time to "Sweet Home Alabama" which was blaring from her sound system. Now, I have nothing against Miatas, "Sweet Home Alabama," and certainly nothing against young women. Pennsylvania - I'll have to think about that... Put them all together, however, with the out-off-time seat-dancing, and it becomes curiously disturbing. There must be a story in that.

Oh, well. Time to cut the grass.

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

National Poetry Month

---

Since it is National Poetry Month, I thought I'd post a couple of links of interest!

First, the link to the Academy of American Poets page about National Poetry Month.

Second, a link to the participants in NaPoWriMo (Like NaNoWriMo, but for poetry)


Here's my contribution ( In truth, I'd like to deny any knowledge of the following poem, and for those who insist upon associating my good name with this, a pox upon your house.)

If you don't have time
To make it rhyme,
That's fine;
You haven't crossed the line.

But if you do,
That's OK, too!
Just check with Frost
If you think you're lost

But write it either way
Because at the end of the day
You know darned well
It'll never sell.

---

Note: the artwork on this page are the property of their respective website and website owners.

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved - well, except for that stupid poem. If you want to claim that as yours, be my guest.

Welcome, Ukrainians! ( or Привіт, українці! )

---

Ласкаво просимо всім моїм читачам українському!

I sure hope the above translates correctly. I don't want to start an international incident...

For some reason, I get a lot of hits on my blog from Ukraine. I'm not sure if any Ukrainians are actually reading my blog or if they're just stumbling upon it by accident. On my statistics page, Ukraine comes up with the second highest number of hits. I understand that many Ukrainians speak English as a second languaage, so that might be part of the reason. I certainly don't mind them reading my blog, The more Ukrainians the better, I suppose!

If you're a reader from Ukraine, let me know! And maybe even tell me why you're reading! If you have an interest in writing, or have a question, please leave a comment below.

Thanks!

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Thanks For Reading!

---

This March is the first month I've had over 1,000 hits on my blog - and the month isn't over yet!

A lot of this is traffic from Five Sentence Fiction readers, and I appreciate the time every one of you have taken to read and comment.

Over 1,000 hits this month on my blog!

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Mum(mie)s The Word

---

The short story and drabble I submitted to The Were-Traveler webzine have now been published and available for your reading pleasure - or critique. This issue is all about mummies. I had to shorten the mummy story a little from its original length since it kept going over the 2000 word limit, so I'm hoping it didn't suffer too much. This is my second submission to The Were-Traveler, the first being my werewolf story, Going Home, published back in December 2012. They've been pretty responsive and helpful for a small webzine, so I'll probably consider them again if I have a suitable story.

In addition to the short story, I did the drabble because I'd never done one and wanted to see how hard it was to make a little story come out to exactly 100 words. It can be frustrating at times!

Sorry for the picture below, but I do write horror...

Latest issue of @theweretraveler is now live: The Wise and Ancient Dead—Mummies! wp.me/p1MMef-hr #horror #amreading #weblit
— The Were-Traveler (@TheWereTraveler) March 4, 2013

Here are the direct links to the stories:

• A Matter of Personal Taste (short story)
• Revenge (drabble 100)

Please let me know what you think about 'em!

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Scarlett River Press Website Update

---

It appears that the Scarlett River Press website is back on-line as promised. There doesn't seem to be anything new on it yet except that all of the submissions are marked "closed." So, I have that one little poem submitted to them - perhaps it still has a chance for publication!

I just updated my iPage website, check it out! scarlett-river-press.ca

— Scarlett River Press (@ScarlettRiverPr) February 17, 2013

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

I'm So Proud!

---

I found this on-line writing analyzer that is supposed to tell you which famous author your writing style emulates. I put in the story I'd written for the Five Sentence Fiction Challenge using the prompt "ringing" and it responded with this:

I write like
H. P. Lovecraft

I Write Like by Mémoires, journal software. Analyze your writing!

Without a doubt, a most remarkably accurate tool!

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Update #3: Grimm And Grimmer Submission

---

It seems my story, the remake of The Fisherman and His Wife, won't be in Volume 1, but it's nice to know  the anthologies are progressing! (There will be multiple volumes in this series.)

fringeworks.co.uk/blog/?p=283 News about the forthcoming Grimm and Grimmer anthology from @fringeworks with @williemeikle and yours truly!
— Theresa Derwin (@BarbarellaFem) January 27, 2013

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Update #2: Grimm And Grimmer Submission

---

I have received some news via e-mail on my Grimm and Grimmer submission to Fringeworks!

This is my remake of the fairy tale, The Fisherman and His Wife.

It reads:


Hi

I am writing to you regarding your submission to the 'Grimm and Grimmer' anthology. I am pleased to tell you that your story was successful and we would like to publish it in one of the volumes. I will be contacting you in the next month to discuss the next stage in the editing process. Thank you for your efforts which are much appreciated. I look forward to working with you.

Many Thanks


Theresa Derwin 


So, there is still work to be done, but if all goes well, the story should show up on the web (and possibly in print) at some point!

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Yes, I've Been Changing The Blog Around

---

I've been trying to keep the interface here a simple as possible, so I've:

• Moved my (rather short) excerpts page to a Google Document instead of making it a blog page (better formatting, easier to update)
• Moved the NovelRank page into the Writing Resources page
• Made a few other little tweaks, like removing the Google Recent Comments widget that was no longer working

I don't think I've deleted anything entirely, but if you're looking for something and it's not there, let me know. And if there's something you'd like to see and it's never been there, you can tell me that, too, and I'll see if I think it should be included. I don't mind you asking!

Thanks again for reading!

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Update: Grimm And Grimmer Submission

---

At least the Fringeworks folks have posted a tweet on the Grimm and Grimmer anthology to which I've submitted a short story (88 stories submitted?).

Currently editor @barbarellafem is reading 88 fairy stories retold for our Grimm and Grimmer anthology! Cool stuff
— Fringeworks (@fringeworks) January 18, 2013

No pressure, but I really think they should select mine...

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Update On The Poetry Submission

---

I've received an auto-response to my poetry submission, so I know that it was delivered somewhere... 

---

Thank you for your submission, inquiry, or response to Scarlett River Press.
It has been received, and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Please allow up to eight weeks for a response depending on volume of submissions. Our website is up but currently under construction, so wear a hardhat. You can check it out here: http://www.scarlett-river-press.ca.

Scarlett River Press
 Fuelling the Fire of Fear

Publisher
 Jo-Anne Russell

Editor
 Allen Jacoby

---

I hope there's a human being (or zombie, vampire, spiritual entity) checking this at some point - and that it doesn't really take 8 weeks!

---

For those with a compulsive spelling disorder, fuelling can apparently be spelled as "fuelling" or "fueling."

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

A Poem Submitted

---

I've submitted a short poem, Among the Stones, to Scarlett River Press in hopes it will be accepted into their poetry anthology (?), In Darkness Dwells ~ A Macabre Collection of Poetry. 

Scarlett River Press seems to be a small outfit up in Canada, just starting off, so I don't have great expectations (no pun intended) for this, but you have to start somewhere. It would be nice to say I've had a short story and a poem published.

The poem itself is a bit on the dark side, and not lengthy at all, with 18 short lines.

Now, more waiting - no word on my other story to Fringeworks yet.

But there's more to do - I still have to finish that mummy story for The Were-Traveler...  (but I have until February 15th). Until then, you'll just have to read my werewolf story there (shameless plug).

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Another Story Submitted

---

I've submitted another story, a rework of the Grimm Brother's fairy tale, The Fisherman and His Wife, to Fringeworks, under the same title.

Public domain image, Fischer und Frau, from Wikimedia Commons

Like the original fairy tale, it's a short story, but in a modern setting and with a different ending. It's more on the humorous side than from the dark places I usually reside.

From the Fringeworks website:


Grimm and Grimmer Submission Guidelines

We love to find new talent and to give writers the chance to get recognition for their work in the public domain. We are currently seeking submissions for a continuing anthology series entitled ‘Grimm and Grimmer’.

A number of short ebooks will be released throughout 2013, culminating in a limited print run hardback edition containing all of the stories published by this method. With each ebook purchased from selected websites, customers will receive a code to be put towards the purchase of a limited hardback edition.

We anticipate a total of five ebooks, each containing six stories.

Customers who collect codes for all five ebooks will be eligible to purchase the limited edition hardback for free, excluding p&p.

Submission deadline for this anthology is midnight on 6th January 2013.


I made the deadline by 1 day. Now the waiting begins...

In the mean time, I'll continue work on my mummy story for The Were-Traveler.

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

My Story Got Tweeted

---

... and not by me this time!

I just had to post the "Tweet" someone put out for my story. It was even re-tweeted by one of the other writers in the "Big Bad Wolf" issue of The Were Traveler.

@theweretraveler Read a werewolf in space story: Going Home by KR Smith wp.me/p1MMef-fW
— The Were-Traveler (@TheWereTraveler) January 1, 2013

Reading back through it, there are some awkward areas that I'd redo, but I was pressed for time as it was, so that wasn't an option. But I have a story out there, such as it is. Considering I'm not really a werewolf fan, it's not too bad!

More (and hopefully better) stories to come!

Oh, and please feel free to leave a comment / review / lambaste below. I'm working on that thick skin writers are supposed to have.

---

© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

The Christmas Miracle

---

I'm often told this is the season for miracles, and I'm beginning to believe it.

My short story, "Going Home," has been accepted for publication in the Were Traveler "Big Bad Wolf in a Big Bad Universe" issue. The Were Traveler is an online webzine dedicated to short fiction.

You can read "Going Home" by clicking on the title here or by finding it in my publication page (short though it may be). I think the link may change once the site puts the issue into "archive" status, and I'll post an updated link if that is the case.

P.S. To Ellora Bennett - you are now famous. Or you will be at some point in the future. You'll find a little "Easter egg" about half-way through the story!

---

Image "Wolf and Moon" courtesy of nixxphotography FreeDigitalPhotos.net

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

One Down...

---

Well, I've gone and done it this time.

I've submitted a short story.

It's a something-less-than-epic tale about a...

No, that's not the title. It's called Going Home. I'll try not to let my ego take over should it be selected for publication (on-line, and for recognition only). Maybe it's not quite A Tale of Two Cities, but you have to start somewhere. You can't start more humbly than this.

I remember the first time I saw the call for submissions via Duotrope. I thought, "You've got to be kidding." After thinking it over for a while, I thought, "You've really got to be kidding..."

What can I say? It's what they wanted.

I checked out the website, an it's one of those that ask people to send in writing for use in an on-line issue or e-zine, essentially another blog. You can check them out by clicking here.

Well, it's out there, all that's left is the waiting. I made it with just two days left before the deadline. If it isn't chosen, maybe I'll put it on here. Or print it and burn it, denying all knowledge of its existence.

To be honest, I'd be tickled if I just heard back from them.

      Dear sir and / or madam:

          We've read your submission, and, well, you've got to be kidding...

I'll keep you posted.

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Elly's Posts On W.U Hstry

---

Even though Elly hasn't had much time to work on her fantasy writing due to her schoolwork, she has been blogging at the W.U Hstry History Student's Blog. Here are links to two new posts:

---

A Very Brief Glance at Hair Combs in History

Pre-dynastic period comb
from W. U Hstry Blog

The Fall of the Aztec Empire

Cortez
from W. U Hstry Blog

Just to let you know she really has been busy:

Today, I spent nearly 11 hours in uni. Sleepy time. Also, still sad that I'm not NaNo-ing this month.
— Ellora Bennett (@ElloraBennett) November 8, 2012

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Book Reviews: Soul Stalker and Night of the Purple Moon

---

I've recently posted a couple of short book reviews out on Goodreads. Links to them are below.

---

Soul Stalker
    by Laura Kreitzer

Recommended for: Fantasy romance readers
Read from August 29 to September 13, 2012 — I own a copy, read count: 1


Soul Stalker by Laura Kreitzer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

---

Night of the Purple Moon 
    by Scott Cramer

Recommended for: YA
Read in November, 2012 — I own a copy, read count: 1


Night of the Purple Moon by Scott Cramer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

This Is Only A Test…

---

I’m trying to see how Microsoft Live Writer (part Windows Essentials) does for posting to Blogger. I’m using the Windows XP version for this test – I may see if a newer version for Windows 7 is available later.
 

I’ve been having some “issues” with their editing tools lately and I want to see if this is an option.

So far, it seems this version only allows for posting blog entries, but not pages…

I also have to do some things manually (like my horizontal rows) whereas Blogger does them automatically once they are set up.

There are some picture editing tools in Live Writer, but I have GIMP and Corel PhotoPaint already, so that’s not a big plus for me (might be useful for others!). There doesn’t seem to be a way to get a picture I’ve already posted to a Picasa library. Not so good.

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Elly's Latest W.U Hstry Post

---

Ellora Bennett has a new post on the Winchester University History Students Blog:

Check out my latest post for @wuhstry ! wuhstry.wordpress.com/2012/10/28/the… Next week I'll be posting about an everyday item and revealing its history!
— Ellora Bennett (@ElloraBennett) October 29, 2012

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

How Incredibly Exciting!

---

I've finally gotten around to updating the favicon for this blog. It's nothing more than the letter "K" in red on a white field using the Matura MT Script Capitals font. How original.

My new favicon for this blog

I know this is incredibly exciting, but try to control yourself. Please contact emergency services if you start to have heart palpitations.

Yes, that's the big news for today...

At least it's more personal than the standard Blogger icon.

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Elly's Feeling Guilty

---

And for good reason...

I haven't blogged in a very long time. This makes me sad. I need to take my blogging duties more seriously.
— Ellora Bennett (@ElloraBennett) October 17, 2012

We know that you'll get back into it once things settle down (she's starting a new semester at "Uni").

BTW, this is the link to her Blogger blog.

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

October 2012: Project Update - Poetry Submission

---

This is an update to the post October 2012: Project - Poetry Submission.

I had emailed Scarlett River Press about the rights they were purchasing for their poetry collection ( In Darkness Dwells ~ A Macabre Collection of Poetry ) and they did respond!

---

From: Jo-Anne Russell ScarlettRiverPress@reborn.com

Rights
 
This use of the Work by the Publisher entails the assignment of First Worldwide Anthology Rights, (Electronic and / or Print,) for publication in the English language anywhere in the world for a period of six months, when exclusivity ends, and nonexclusive rights commence.

 Thank you for writing.
 Jo-Anne Russell

---

This doesn't get me any closer to being accepted, and I do want to rework the poem (that I had originally considered finished), but at least I now know what I'm getting into. And so does anyone else considering a submission...

Thank you, Jo-Anne, for your reply!

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Projects Update

---

I have three short-term projects going right now - well, maybe two and a half...

I'm about 90% done my "Werewolves In Space" short story, so it won't be too much longer before it is submitted. In truth, the story only has one werewolf, so I guess I should change this to "Werewolf In Space." In any event, the real title will be "Going Home". I still can't believe I'm writing this. I was just reading an article, however, that says writing outside you're comfort zone keeps you fresh. After this, I couldn't get much fresher.

My second project, to be submitted for Tales of the Undead - Suffer Eternal at Horrified Press, still has a way to go. It may be 50% complete. But the deadline is in February 2013, so not to worry. My submission will be called "Final Judgment". I did notice that they are posting an advance acceptance list that has five entries already - they didn't say how many they want, or even if they have a limit.

I'm not sure about my last project. I've emailed Scarlett River Press asking them what rights they are "purchasing," but I haven't received a reply. I'm not sure I want to proceed if they don't. Not that what I submit would be so earth-shattering, but I like to do business with people that state exactly what the details of the transaction are to be.

I also need to do some reviews on Goodreads. I haven't updated those as quickly as I'd like.

Another task I have in mind is to set up a Google Docs spreadsheet to track submissions and have it be accessible from this blog. We'll see.

Yes, I have some work to do...

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

October 2012: Project - Poetry Submission

---

I've found another one - and I already have an unpublished poem ready...



This project is from Scarlett River Press:

---

In Darkness Dwells ~ A Macabre Collection of Poetry

Deadline ~ January 31st, 2013

It matters not what hides behind the eyes, as long as it remains separate from the soul. Deep within us all, in our darkest place, dwells secrets we would rather keep hidden. Bring forth your monsters of the mind, and bask in the strange, the beautiful, the dark, and the macabre, as those secrets scorch minds and ooze down the pages of "In Darkness Dwells."

Format:

No more than 40 lines, any poetry style, size 12 font.
Must be dark! Cross some lines if you must, and give us your best.
Up to five poems per author.
No reprints! New works only.

Payment:

By line, one electronic copy, and one paperback copy, or $5.00 without paperback copy. (Per author, not poem.)

Send your submissions to: ScarlettRiverPress@reborn.com.

In the subject line please put: Poetry_your first poem title_last name.

Please attach your submissions. Do not put them in the body of the email.

Dig deep, and share your dark side.

---

Note: Image shown in this post was downloaded from www.freedigitalphotos.net

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Another Tweet: Quote Of The Day

---

I also happened to see this while checking out what was going on with Twitter:

It's #NationalBoyfriendDay -- is there going to be a giveaway?
— Terri Deno (@Terri84) October 3, 2012

This could be the subject of a very interesting story... either fiction or non-fiction!

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Even Big-Time Authors Have Problems!

---

I happened on this article by chance, and being that it is about my Mother's favorite author, had to pass it along.

This is what's going on with me. Not pretty. huff.to/QVPTpo
— Patricia Cornwell (@1pcornwell) October 2, 2012

Interesting story!

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

September 2012: New Projects

---

It's been a while since I've put anything out here, so I thought I should make some sort of update to the blog. And although I've been quite busy, most of it hasn't been with writing.

But I've found a couple of projects that interest me by checking out the Horror Tree web site.

---

#1 The Were-Traveler       "Don't be afraid, dearie, it's just a story."

When I first saw this, I thought, "Werewolves in space? They've got to be joking." Then I re-read the request, thought about it some more, and said, "They've really got to be joking."

At that point, of course, it became a challenge. So I have a story started, even though I don't really care for werewolf stories, and will submit it for publication. We'll see what happens...

Please don't laugh.

From the Were-Traveler web site:

The Were-Traveler: Big Bad Wolf in a Big Bad Universe

Drabble, Micro, Flash and Short (up to 2000 words). Deadline December 20ish. Where the crazy idea for this e-zine originally came from: a story in my head that is yet to be written. We’ll see what you can do with it. Accepting submissions for drabbles, micro, flash and short stories 2K or less on the following themes:

Lone Werewolf traveling. On the road. The man-beast (or woman-beast) with an itinerary. Werewolf or werewolves in space. I would LOVE a science fiction/horror werewolf story.

Their Duotrope page

---

#2 Tales of the Undead

Suffer Eternal, is open for submissions

From the Horrified Press website (WordPress Blog):

Eternal life, what does it mean to live forever? What is the cost of such a prize, and is it worth the price?

The scope of such a topic brings forth boundless notions for the budding author. Tales of the undead, and those who cheat the reaper give hope to a readership, or can just as easily take it away.

I want stories of Eternal life. Give me deals with the devil, illegal experiments, and mysterious miracles. Zombies, Vampires, and Spirits are welcome. Make them dark, make them decadent, make them scary – these should be the kind of stories that wouldn’t usually see daylight.

No taboos, just let your imagination run wild.

Dark fairy tales, bizarre, horror, surrealism, dark science-fiction are all cool here.

Submission guidelines:

Deadline for submissions  February 20, 2013.

Word Count: 1,000  3,000 words.

---

Just to let you know, there isn't any money involved here, just glory. And, no, I won't be writing any zombie stories. I'll keep you posted.

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

More News From Around The World

---

I've been a bit busy these last few weeks, but I thought I'd put a quick post out to keep everyone up on the news from the writers I follow.

---

First of all, Terri Deno has a new short story, Second Shadow, published in Luna Station Quarterly, a magazine focused on speculative fiction written by up and coming women authors. To check it out, you can click on one of the links here or go to their web site and find it in Issue 11.

If you like stories that are a little bit on the dark side, please give it a read.

You can find Terri's blog here: Truths of a Shy Writer

---

Not last (because I had to update this post!), and not least, Ellora Bennett has a new post on the Winchester University History Student's Blog. Her latest post is on Henry IV. This is what she does when she's not writing one of her fantasy novels.

U.S. public domain image of
the coronation of Henry IV

You can find Elly's blog here: Ellora Bennett. Fantasy Writer.

---

Now, finally! Sara Lundberg has a story included in a new horror anthology available on Amazon for $5.99 USD! It's called Shadows of the Mind. Here's a partial cover shot:

Since I'm a fan of horror, and it just so happened that I needed a new book to read, I've bought a copy which now resides on my Kindle. I'll read it and let you know what I think.

You can find Sara's blog here: Prospective Writer

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Terri Deno Breaks Internet: Film At Eleven

---

Goodreads is over capacity, Todoist has an internal server error... am I going to be the one to single-handedly break the Internet??
— Terri Deno (@Terri84) August 17, 2012

No, Terri, I got the Goodreads "over capacity" message, too. But just to make sure, maybe you should stay out of there for a while...

(So I can get in, of course!)

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Book Review: Edge Of Dark Water

---

Edge of Dark Water by Joe R. Lansdale

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







This book surprised me a bit. After reading some of the reviews and the blurb (I won’t copy it here – it’s available elsewhere), I wasn't really sure what to expect or if I'd like it. But I needed something to read and I was curious how this story could work. It only took a few pages before I got the feel of the story and knew it would be interesting.

When I read a book, one of the criteria I use to determine if I like it is whether I can picture the scenes and the characters as vividly in my mind as I could see them in a movie. With Edge of Dark Water, I had no problem. Perhaps because I’ve lived with people not too different from some of the characters and spent time in places at least somewhat similar to those described in the book, I can identify with the story more than some. In any case, it’s easy to like a heroine like Sue Ellen. She’s strong, but approachable, dealing with the situations she’s in as best as she can.

There are times when the speech can be as overdone as a catfish that’s been on the fire for a week, but most of time it works, and adds to the humor in the story. It’s hard to image how a story with a number of rather gruesome scenes can be funny, but it often is, and even at the same time. If a book written in dialect doesn’t work for you, this won’t be enjoyable. As for me, after reading the book, I just started talking a bit more slowly, had an urge for cornbread, and got real uneasy whenever I saw a small-town law enforcement officer nosing about.

Some of the scenes and situations may not be appropriate for young children, but other than that, it works for a large audience.

The story is more of an adventure than a mystery, but it does have elements of both. If you’re looking for a deep investigative mystery however (police procedural), this isn’t your best choice.

I’ve read in some of the other reviews that some feel this isn’t the author’s best work. That tempts me to read another of Lansdale’s books to see if that’s true. If it is, then his other books are very good. I would have given this book 4.5 stars if I could.


View all my reviews

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Welcome, Sara!

---

My first "official" follower.

I wish Blogger used some other word than follower. It doesn't really sound that flattering. Perhaps something like associate, member, or supporter. I'll have to put in a suggestion.

I hope to have posts interesting enough to make your efforts worthwhile. There are a few in the works, but my day job keeps interfering.

Speaking of which, I'd better get back to it...

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Book Review: Oracle by J.C. Martin

---

I just completed reading Oracle and put a brief comment out on Goodreads... It's a detective story based in London during the Olympics. I tend to like mysteries (if a good horror story isn't available), especially if they take place in England, so I thought I'd give it a read. Not bad! It has a good bit of action, so if you like that sort of thing, you may like this, too.

I was torn between 3.5 and 4 stars, so I rounded up. Well, they wouldn't let me do 3.5 stars anyway.

---

Oracle by J.C. Martin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars






Overall, it was a good book. Some of the descriptions concerning sex seemed a little overdone and didn't add to the story (having them in there wasn't the problem, they just went further than needed). And there were some parts that were predictable, but enough of it wasn't that it was fun to read.

The pace really seems to pick up about 1/3 of the way through, so if you're having concerns before that, try to get that far and you'll probably want to finish.

If J.C. Martin writes another book, I would consider reading it.


View all my reviews

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Terri Deno Has Published A Poem On "Full OF Crow"

---

Terri Deno has new a poem, Tuesday Morning Hangover, published on the Full Of Crow poetry web site, July 2012 issue.

You can read it by clicking HERE!

You can also visit Terri's blog, Truths of a Shy Writer.

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Summer Quote

---

Oscar Wilde

I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.

      Oscar Wilde

---

I have a couple of poems that are giving me the same problem...

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Camp NaNoWriMo

---

For those of you into insomnia, Camp NaNoWriMo is re-opening soon!

In truth, it opened up once for the month of June, but if you missed that, you can jump in for the second session starting August 1st to make your feeble attempt at writing a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.

I'm not entirely convinced about the usefulness of these sorts of events, but many people like them and it does give one a sense of accomplishment it they succeed. And there's no real down-side if you don't. Sometimes things happen, and even dedicated writers can have other priorities sneak into their schedule. I can also see how it could allow one to get a basic novel down so it can be polished up a bit later. If you have any thoughts on this, or just want to tell everyone about your progress (or lack thereof), please post a comment letting everyone know!

I'm going to follow a few folks who have entered (like you, Elly...) and see how they do.

For everyone else, don't worry if you miss out on this one, too. There's always National Novel Writing Month in November!

Good luck! And you might want to stock up on coffee...

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

Bethanne Strasser's New Book

---

Congratulations are in order for romance writer and fellow blogger Bethanne Strasser! After much hard work, she has a book coming out on June 8, 2012, which is entitled For Love or Duty.

My understanding of the story is that it concerns the interaction between an Army officer, Kevin Morgan, and a woman named Valerie Standish. Neither is quite intent upon having a serious relationship, but it may not work out as they had planned. I can't say more than that because I haven't yet read the book. And even if I had, I wouldn't want to spoil the ending. I'm feel certain, however, Morgan is an outstanding young man, as we happen to share the same first name. Seems an obvious choice for a hero, if I do say so myself.

Once the book is available, I'll post a link to where it can be purchased, so please check back. Or you can always find out more by visiting Bethanne's blog or her author profile on Goodreads.

Bethanne Strasser

At least somebody is getting published!

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith

It's Official

---

Today, I became a professional writer.

Did I get that big payout for the next great American novel?

Not quite.

I received two nicely worded rejections on a couple of short poems I had submitted.

Now I understand how that feels. And I don't like it.

I also now understand what it's like to receive rejections without any explanation as to why. I mean, the poems didn't even rhyme, for God's sake. From what I've been reading, that in itself is enough to be accepted by some people. Sorry, that's a bit of a pet peeve for me, if you'll pardon the expression. They did express their appreciation and asked me to submit again.

I will continue to write, of course, and may submit to them in the future, should I write something I believe is appropriate. And I'm holding onto those poems. I might rework one of them and submit it elsewhere.

Oh, well. I must keep my perspective and keep trying...

---

© 2012 K. R. Smith