Just a Hint ... 25 Words or Less

I never thought I’d buy a book of fiction where each story is 25 words or less. But yeah, I ordered it and can hardly wait for it to get here. It’s Hint Fiction: An Anthology of Stories in 25 Words or Fewer, compiled by Robert Swartwood and published by W.W. Norton & Company. I submitted my own Hint Fiction – after I figured out what hint fiction really is. In a nutshell, it’s the hint of a bigger, more complex story, and other than that, I don’t have a clue because my submissions were rejected.

Hint fiction was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s six-word story — “For sale: baby shoes, never worn” —

I suppose the bigger, more complex story can be anything we want it to be—something sad or something happy. Most people read that and think sad, but I’ve been known to purchase things that don't don't work out for one reason or another, and never return them to the store. They end up in a garage sale. And that goes for baby shoes ... I remember. :)

I haven’t read any hint fiction as good as Hemingway’s so how do we know when it’s good? Is there a trick to writing it? What makes it bad? Is 'beauty' in the eye of the beholder?

Here are the two “stories” I submitted to Swartwood’s Hint Fiction anthology. We were supposed to title these stories too, but I'm incredibly horrible at choosing titles.

Mr. Fix-it and The Kindergarten Teacher
She didn't have a headboard in her bedroom. Didn't matter. In high school he'd been elected 'Most Creative Guy.' He grinned. He liked this challenge.

(A hint-crit partner said I was a romantic, but actually, I was thinking of something much more sinister.)

View from a Bridge
The cherry Popsicle dripped down her arm and onto the sleeve of her white blouse. He sucked in his breath, pulled the camera closer. Gotcha.

The story below was written for the Gotham contest but I forgot about it and missed the deadline. Shows how organized I am. I like this one much better than the other two.

I Thee Dead
The groom stood before the wedding guests, knowing the bride wouldn’t show, wondering how long he should wait before he wept.

I like hint fiction. I may not be too good at writing it but it’s fun to try, and I know Swartwood’s anthology will be a good read.

One Reviewer wrote: The stories in Robert Swartwood's Hint Fiction have some serious velocity. Some explode, some needle, some bleed, and some give the reader room to dream. They're fun and addictive, like puzzles or haiku or candy. I've finished mine but I want more. (Stewart O'Nan, author of Last Night at the Lobster )

I can't wait! I can't wait!
You can order your copy HERE. Or, Robert is giving away the Ultimate Flash Fiction package

HERE.

Flash Fiction Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered my flash fiction contest and signed up as a follower. I recruited three judges and they have spoken. My judges liked the energy and voice in the winning entry as well as the use of dialogue. So the winner is:

 A Halloween Collar by Wayne Zurl

Wayne Zurl is a retired New York police officer who lives in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee with his wife, Barbara. Wayne has been getting good reviews on his Sam Jenkins mystery series so it isn’t  surprising that he can also whip out a little flash fiction. His latest release, A New Prospect, was named the year’s best mystery at  the 2011 Independent Publisher’s Book Awards. To learn more about Wayne, visit his website HERE.  My friend Sylvia Ney did an interesting interview with Wayne HERE.  And he was a guest blogger for Sylvia HERE.  If you like series characters, check out Wayne’s books on Amazon and make note: they’re print, some are audio and some are digital.

Now, read Wayne’s winning entry:

A HALLOWEEN COLLAR

“I’ve had a wonderful time, but this wasn’t it,” I said, and smacked the kid on the back of his head.
The ghoul mask fell from his hand to the floor.
“Up yours,” he said.
I grabbed his nose and put my face an inch from his ear. “The next time I hit you, sport, you’ll lose your teeth.”
His eyes strained to look at me. I removed my fingers from his beak.
“I chased you four blocks,” I said, “and ripped my pants going over that fence. I am not a happy policeman. I’ll ask again. Where did you get those fireworks?”
“I forget.”
I smacked him again, this time a little harder.
His hand went defensively to his head. “I’ll have your badge for that, man.”
“I doubt that. Blowing up a mailbox makes you guilty of a felony. Where did you get the M-80s?”
An arrogant smirk crossed his face. “From my father, the chief inspector.”

Wayne will receive a print copy of Southern Writers Magazine. Thanks everyone!

Flash Fiction Contest - 159 Words! (CLOSED! CLOSED!)

The contest is closed. Thanks to everyone who entered my Flash Fiction contest and signed up to follow my blog. I had eleven entries and they're all so much fun to read. A couple made me laugh out loud. One made me cringe in pain. Some made me look over my shoulder when I was in the house alone.

I'll be shooting them off to the judges and will get back with you soon. I hate, hate, hate choosing just one winner, but those are the rules. 


Winner will be posted soon -- I hope!
Jess

I’ve enjoyed reading (and writing for) the new Southern Writers Magazine . The pages are packed with encouragement and advice from voices of experience. The articles and interviews share secrets of success by experts in book marketing, promotion, branding, blogging, screenwriting, songwriting, conferences and more—all with a touch of Southern hospitality, of course. I want you to sample this great magazine so I’m hosting a writing contest. The winner will receive the latest issue of Southern Writers Magazine—a print issue because I want you to see just how wonderful it is. The color is vivid. The pages are thick. The print is comfortably readable.

Contest Rules:

"I’ve had a wonderful time, but this wasn’t it."

Using the Groucho Marx quote above as your first line, write a story in 159 words or less. (The quote serves as the first nine.) No profanity because I don’t like it. No erotica because you need to keep that good time to yourself. Put your name and email address below your story then post your 150 words in the comment section. There must be a minimum of ten (10) entries and you must add yourself as a follower of my blog. Deadline: October 31^st.

All entries will be judged by selected members of my Bayou Writers lunch bunch. Sorry, only one winner will be chosen. The winning entry will be posted on my blog with gushy, flattering comments from the judges.

I repeat—in a nutshell:

You must add yourself as a follower of this blog if you aren’t already.

Your first line should be: "I’ve had a wonderful time, but this wasn’t it." (No modification)

Story must be 159 words max. Any kind of story—romance, western, scifi, fantasy, horror, etc. No profanity/No erotica.

Post your story in comment section with name and email.

A minimum of ten entries or contest is cancelled.

Deadline: Midnight, October 31^st

Winner announced November 4^th (or shortly thereafter)

Winner will be published on my blog and receive the November issue (print copy) of Southern Writers Magazine. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email me at jessy31writer (at) aol (dot) com

This will be the first contest I've hosted -- hope it's fun!

Just One of Those Moods (5 syllables)

Our neighborhood is two streets--East and West. There's only one way in and out. Walking the complete circle is about a mile. During Halloween, we have approximately 300 kids and families come through. We close our streets to traffic, park cars at the entrance and youngsters walk door to door trick or treating.

The last time I sat in the front yard and handed out candy, a young guy about 10 years old dressed in flashy clothing and gaudy jewelry came by. I asked what he was.

“I’m a pimp,” he answered.

“A what?” I was sure I hadn’t heard right.

“A pimp.”

That was about five years ago. I haven’t participated in our neighborhood trick or treat ritual since. Something about a youngster dressing like a pimp ruined my Halloween spirit. Plus, kids never say trick or treat anymore. They just hold out their open bags and grunt.

This morning I got an email from our neighborhood association with information about our cookie exchange. It states: Please bring 5 dozen of your favorite holiday cookies wrapped in ½ dozen packages and 10 copies of the recipe. In exchange, you will bring home 10 different packages of holiday cookies!

Honestly, I can’t think of anything worse than being in the kitchen, baking and decorating holiday cookies. (Okay, you literalist, I know there are lots of things worse) I was being dramatic.

I guess I’m feeling old today. I still have much shopping to do. We don’t have one Christmas decoration up unless you count the wrinkled wrapping paper and wad of ribbon on the floor from last Saturday’s BWG gifts. {sigh} And I can't figure out why I'm thinking of a 10 year old pimp with a halloween bag. I think I need a good shot of holiday spirit--and I don't mean the liquid kind!

On another note, I’ll share some writing news:

Months and months ago, BWG invited J. Bruce Fuller to speak and I purchased his book of poetry called 28 Blackbirds at the End of the Word. I really liked it, and J’s talk to us was encouraging. In fact, I was so inspired, I started my own book of poetry. About 8 more poems and the manuscript will be complete. Amazing how I can spend hours struggling over 17 syllables. I emailed five poems to an online lit magazine the other day--just test the waters.

Don't you just love playing around with book titles? In my mind, I call it My Life in Haiku but at other times, I call it, Here, Swallow My Soul. I'm sure the title will change a hundred times.

The point is ... when I first started writing, it was so much fun and that's what I'm searching for.-The fun. I've been playing around with flash fiction, short mystery fiction, poetry--just like in the so-called good old days of my writing roots.

But oddly, I've become totally consumed with Haiku. I find myself counting the syllables when I eavesdrop in restaurants (as I'm prone to do) and a particular phrase catches my ear.
Am I losing my mind? Maybe, but it's a heck of a lot more fun than baking cookies.

NOTE: Read my interview with J. Bruce Fuller HERE.

Why Aren't You Writing?

In one of my writing communities, some of the writers are making lists of why they aren’t writing. It caused me to look at my own reasons. It’s easy to let other things get in the way. You know, really there’s always a ten minute stretch of time we can use to jot a few words or a couple of paragraphs, or ideas about stories we’re working on. Flash Fiction can be pretty short. Hint Fiction, even shorter. So, realistically, there’s isn’t a good reason not to write a little something.

This week I had good intentions, and in all fairness to me, I did do a little writing. Revised and expanded a short story then sent it for critique. Got some excellent feedback for layering it even more which is what I wanted to do but didn't know how. I’m so bad at description. Probably because I often skip over it when I read; I go straight to the dialogue.

Got my ten pages put together to send to Harold Underdown for critique at our BWG conference. This is a story near and dear to my heart. Trouble is … it has been near and dear to my heart for 40+ years. That’s gotta hurt it. There’s still interest in the subject matter because I’ve Googled and researched it. What I’m worried about is that I can’t capture the right voice. This is a young adult novel and I’ve never had a YA voice. Considering another birthday has passed … well, you see where I’m going with this. I've heard Mr. Underdown is pretty straightforward so I'm sure I'll come away knowing exactly what to do with this piece. I just hope it isn't too painful. :)

I have several personal projects I’m involved in that take time and thought. Also I’m teaching my NF online class, doing some critiquing and contest judging for other writers’ groups, plus keeping up with some of my favorite TV shows. (I'm so 'into' Project Runway' this year. I can only imagine the stress!)

Our BWG conference, upcoming officer elections, putting Gator Bites pamphlets together, arranging and keeping tally of the BWG blog, contest judges and scores, and just preparing for the monthly meeting takes its toll. Yes, we do have competent officers, board members, conference coordinators, but I’m the prez. I figure the buck stops with me. Regardless.

I’m not whining. I’m musing. I’m assessing my writing life and projects. I have way too many things going. I’m about to add a few more.

Hey, you people out there who work full time jobs and write, and accomplish your goals consistently: you have my utmost respect and admiration. I honestly don’t know how you do it. Want to tell us?

Bayou Writers Group Conference Speaker - Editor

I am not a short story writer, but I wanna be. Does that count? I've always dabbled with short stories--and now Flash Fiction--but never been too successful at it. These days it's hard for me to identify good short stories. Seems the rules have changed. Just like they've changed for every thing else. I liked book stores before all the different genres hit. I liked the writing markets before the Internet. I love and miss traditional everything. Yep, I've fallen into that category of old person who says, "Awwwwww, the good old days when a book was a book, a short story was more than slice of life, and a literary magazine was something prestigious." For the first time in my life, I feel like an 'old dog' who can't learn any new tricks. Okay, I'd better tone it down or you might get an inkling of what I really think. :)

I get great joy out of introducing our next Bayou Writers Group Conference speaker: David LaBounty--not to be confused with the poet by the same name.

David LaBounty is editor of the literary magazine The First Line. His plays have appeared on stages across the country. His fiction has been published in various magazines including The Friend Magazine, Zu Zu, Young Salvationist, Hopscotch and Kids’ Highway.
The purpose of The First Line is to jump start the imagination-to help writers break through the block that is the blank page. Each issue contains short stories that stem from a common first line; it also provides a forum for discussing favorite first lines in literature. The First Line is an exercise in creativity for writers and a chance for readers to see how many different directions we can take when we start from the same place.

The First Line is the longest running, fully independent journal of 100 pages or less published in North Texas every three months.

Go to The First Line and take a look. Here is proof that we can all take the same sentence--even the same idea--and write hundreds of different stories. What fun! And The First Line is a great little literary magazine.

Guess what: The 2009 sentences have been posted. Check them out here:

My Life This Week

This week has gone by in a flash. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “If I’d known I would live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself.” I’ll amend that by saying: “If I’d known the years would fly faster in old age, I’d have chased my dreams in my youth instead of playing so hard.”

Things I’ve accomplished this week:

1) Drove to Beaumont to attend the Golden Triangle Writer’s Guild meeting. Author Wendy Lanier spoke to the guild on Writing for Hire. Wendy, her husband and daughter, and writer Kathy Haskins and I went out to eat and tried to solve the world’s writing problems. It’s always fun to hang with new writer friends. Kathy won first place in the 5th annual Warren Adler short story contest so her work will be published in an anthology. Wendy has been added to the BWG Conference staff.

2) I’m reading Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg. Love it. Quirky main character and quite different from the very graphic thriller writer I’ve been reading. Nice change for me.

3) Home Safe inspired me to begin a short story. Inspired meaning. . . I put the book down, grabbed my computer and wrote for about two hours straight. I haven’t finished it yet because I have two possible endings in mind. They both seem too predictable to me so I’m not sure which way to go with it. I’m not a short story writer; never been successful at it so we’ll see. (That sentence seems very misleading. What have I been successful at? Don't answer! Don't answer!)

4) On another note, I have a flash fiction piece that finaled in a contest. According to the congratulatory note, I "beat out" (their words-not mine) 200 other entries which means I’m in the top 100. Well, I don’t hold out much hope there but it’s a thrill, nevertheless. And it’s a first for me. I repeat: I’m not a short story writer.

5) I’m involved in another project that I can’t mention right now, but next week I’ll be able to discuss it. I’ll either be singing praises or ranting.

That’s it for me. What have you been doing this week? Any good news you want to share? Any short story advice? How about … just a hello?

For fun:

If winning isn't important, why do we spend all that money on scoreboards?" ~Chuck Coonradt

"If winning isn't important, why keep score?" from Star Trek: The Next Generation

"Ever notice that people never say "It's only a game" when they're winning?" ~Ivern Ball

Guest Blogger: Wayne Zurl on Audio Books and More

You may remember Wayne Zurl, my Flash Fiction winner. When I learned that Wayne sold novelettes to audio books, I invited him to be a guest blogger and share his experience. I hope you learn a lot, give this market a shot and check out Wayne's website.

 

 

Publishing Audio Books & eBooks at the Same Time

or

How to Sell Virtually Unsellable Novelettes)

            Playing second fiddle to James Patterson shouldn’t be all that troubling to a new author still trying to peddle his first novel. And for me, it wasn’t. It was educational.

            I finished my first book, A NEW PROSPECT, late in 2006 and began making the rounds, querying agents interested in mysteries and police procedurals. As the rejection letters trickled in, I wrote shorter mysteries for practice.

            The rejections just kept on trickling in and I kept writing. After I had a half-dozen stories stacked up, all of them in the 8,000 to 11,000 word range, I developed a bright idea. I’d try to sell them, too. So, I tried Ellery Queen, Alfred Hitchcock, Strand , and a couple others. No takers with the first one. Okay, says I, try a different story. Still no takers, but one acquisitions editor did have the courtesy to write back and tell me why no one wanted to buy what I was selling.

            He said most mainstream mystery magazines wanted short stories, preferably less than 3,500 words. What I submitted was a novelette. (Defined as between 7,500 and 17,500 words) He further stated, “Everybody writes novelettes and we do publish them, but only one a year.” That offered a little hope. Then he unloaded his full compliment of bombs. “But if we’ve got a bunch of them sitting here and it’s between you and James Patterson, who do you think we’re going to pick?”

            Enough said. These people are in the business of selling magazines not giving new guys a break unless they can make a buck at it. So, I took the hint, continued to try and interest someone in A NEW PROSPECT, and I kept on writing for practice.

            Then somewhere, I can’t remember where, I ran across Mind Wings Audio. They were looking for authors who could supply novelettes between 7,800 and 11,000 words destined to translate into fifty-five to seventy minute “commuter” audio books on compact discs. I blinked a few times and thought something had just been dropped from heaven.

            I looked at their retail website at www.mindwingsaudio.com and saw a list of CDs in many genres, my field of mystery & crime and detectives being only two. And not only did they offer these audio books as CDs, but also as MP3 downloads (I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but I learned) and more formats of eBooks than I knew existed.

            At that time Mind Wings was less than a year old, but I thought it looked promising and I had nothing to lose, so I jumped directly to their submissions site at www.miwishorts.com and began filling in the blanks on their submissions template. I gave them a 100 word summary, a short biography, and copied and pasted one of my Sam Jenkins mysteries called A LABOR DAY MURDER. Then I sat back and waited.

            A month or two later I received a greetings letter. No, I wasn’t being drafted again; I was being welcomed to the Mind Wings family and offered a contract. And yes, I accepted it.

            This is what I learned about the operation:

            Mind Wings is NOT an organization selling services to independent authors who want to produce audio books. They are a publishing business that only makes money if your stories sell. The literature they choose to produce is read by professional actors— members of AFTRA (American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and is simultaneously published and marketed in various eBook formats. The authors pays nothing to see their works as audios or electronic books.

            The process begins with a professional editor sprucing up your manuscript. Authors are asked for opinions on the corrections and suggestions made by the editor. Once the manuscript is finalized, a finished copy is sent to an actor to read and record.

Then the author reviews a “proof’ recording and comments on what he or she hears. This is the time to correct any pronunciation errors or make suggestions or requests on accents or other vocal characteristics.

During the edits and recording process, an artist draws up one or more possibilities for the cover art. Here again, the author has input on what’s used. I think the artist Mind Wings uses is exceptional and so far I’ve been pleased with all the covers assigned to my books.

After the CD is “cut” (notice how I’m getting into the industry lingo?) and the release date arrives, you receive a printed copy of your novelette and five complimentary CDs.

What happens next? Do you have to take your audio/eBook and format it and load it into a bunch of seller’s websites? NO. Mind Wings does that for you. They’re the professionals—you’re the writer. And remember, you don’t pay for anything. (Unless you want more than five CDs and then you may purchase them at an author’s discount) Remember, you only provide the writing and get paid 8% of the selling price after a purchase is made. I receive my checks faithfully every quarter and a 1099 form just before income tax time.

Why produce an audio book? Do people buy them? From my experience, yes. And I believe it depends on locale to determine how many will sell. People in New York, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Washington DC and other big towns spend hours in traffic going to and from work. Many of these commuters like to hear stories while they drive. They buy one hour audio books. People in Cody, Wyoming may only take ten minutes getting to the job. They may be content with the local news and weather.

My statements tell me people buy more MP3 downloads than CDs. They are less expensive and apparently everyone but me knows about this technology and has an MP3. The eBooks also sell very well. At less than two bucks a pop, these novelettes are a bargain. I’ve found mine formatted for Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony, iPod, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, blueberry, gooseberry, and other things about which I have no comprehension.

Getting listed on some sites takes longer than others. Amazon appears immediately. Kobo requires more than one title be submitted at a time, so that shows up later. But basically, sooner or later, my stuff appears at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Omni Lit, Books on Board, Apple, Sony, Smashwords, Kobo and maybe a few more.

Was it worth the effort? There was no effort—apart from writing the story and doing your share of the post-publication marketing. The more places your stories are sold, the more chances Mind Wings has to recoup their expenses and start collecting the full 92% of their piece of the pie. They have as much vested interest as you.

Mind Wings has sent me contracts for ten Sam Jenkins mysteries. Eight are already in circulation and two more are in the hopper. Coincidentally, today I finished a 10,400 word story called HURRICANE BLOW UP which I’ll submit after proofreading it a couple more times. It’s a story about how east coast evacuees fleeing Hurricane Irene ended up in the Smoky Mountain region, the place where Sam Jenkins leads the eleven men and one woman of Prospect PD in their fight against the evils of modern crime. I coupled that concept with an actual incident where a detective I knew was murdered. I twisted the story a little, tossed in a red herring or two, embellished & fictionalized it. Of course, I transplanted it from New York to Prospect, Tennessee, and changed the names to protect the guilty. I hope the people at Mind Wings like this one, too.

Am I making a huge amount of money? No. But my royalty checks allow me to take my wife to lunch whenever I want. And my ego is constantly massaged. Thousands of people have heard what I have to say.

Three of my novelettes made it to the publisher’s best seller list. A MURDER IN KNOXVILLE remained there for thirteen months. SCRAP METAL & MURDER is there now and was the biggest seller yet, according to a recent royalty statement.

Would I recommend that other authors submit their stories to Mind Wings Audio? You bet. What have you got to lose? If you’re not selected, you spent only minutes on the computer—you haven’t spent a dime.

If you are one of those chosen, you can make a quick trip to the Office Depot and, with a clear conscience, get business cards printed calling you a published author.

By the way, A NEW PROSPECT was finally picked up by a small independent press and was traditionally published in hard copy and eBook. In May 2011, it won an Indie and was named best mystery of the year.

Insecure Writers's Support Group: Refresh Yourself

I love the Insecure Writers Support Group. You might want to join and take part. It is the brainchild of  Alex J. Cavanaugh, and I can honestly say, I wish I'd created it! What a wonderful brainchild!  The purpose of IWSG is to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of feeling foolish or weak.

Nothing encourages me more than writing (creating) something short, a piece I can begin and finish in a day or two—or a new market to submit to. Sometimes we need a break from our routine, from our long, on-going projects, don’t we? Often creating something different refreshes us.  When I want to do something different, I look at the Chicken Soup for the Soul site first. They always have call-outs.

If you’re feeling in a slump, discouraged, just down and out, try something new. Create a greeting card just for fun. What would you say to someone getting a divorce, a new college graduate, a new dad? Usually, what we would really say, we can’t find in a greeting card, right? (There’s probably good reason for that!)

I love writing short. I usually over-write, then start cutting to the specified word count. Cutting for me is so much easier than embellishing. I take a hard look at each sentence, each paragraph, then remove words that don't work, add nothing. Cutting always cheers me a little. It's like carefully peeling an apple, or carving a fish out of soap. It's so wonderfully methodical. It forces me to think.

There are so many ways to encourage ourselves, refresh our dreams—our point of view. Keeping submissions circulating is only one way, and writing shorts allows us to keep our work out there on a continuous basis. Poems, flash fiction, book reviews, recipes, greeting cards, personal essays -- There's absolutely no reason to ever give up our writing when there are so many avenues for us to take to publish.

A friend sent me a wonderful quote yesterday, one I need to post over my desk so I can look up and read it when I’m NOT feeling like a writer:

No man is born into the world whose work is not born with him. James Russell Lowell

Think about it, then get busy creating something short to get  “in the mail.”  Start with Chicken Soup. Remember, you have to go to their website to submit.

How do you refresh yourself when you're down and out, feeling blah? Share!

Devotional Stories for Wives
One of the biggest roles that a woman can take on in her lifetime is to become a wife. It takes commitment and dedication to remain loving as the years go by, especially when children and the busyness of daily life can sometimes be overwhelming. If you have a brief true story (up to 500 words) that shows how your faith in God has shaped your journey as a wife, please share it along with an applicable Bible verse and a 2-3 sentence prayer. You will receive $100 for each published devotion ($100 due to the shorter word count than our regular books). The deadline date for submissions is February 28, 2013.

Holiday Stories
We are collecting stories for our newest holiday book. Everyone has special memories and stories to tell about Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa - from inspirational and joyous, to heartwarming and humorous. We want to hear about your holiday memories and traditions. NOTE: Please make sure that the stories you are submitting to this book are NEW holiday stories that our editors have not read before. If you have submitted stories to our Christmas books in the past, we have your stories in our database. Also, please make sure your stories are "Santa safe" as we want to keep the magic alive for the young ones. The deadline date for story submissions is February 28, 2013.

Lemons to Lemonade
"When life hands you lemons... make lemonade!" And don't only make lemonade but squeeze every last drop of juice from that sour lemon to make the sweetest lemonade possible. We are looking for stories that show how you made the best of a difficult situation and how you turned what seemed like a negative into something positive. Did a change in your attitude help? Did a friend give you the boost you needed to get you past what seemed like a dead end? Tell us your success story and how you made it happen. The deadline date for story and poem submissions is February 28, 2013.

Messages from Heaven
We have heard many terrific stories about your own after-death communication experiences since our first Messages from Heaven book came out. It was a national bestseller so we have decided to make another edition, with the theme "Love Never Dies." If you have a story about receiving a sign or communicating with a loved one after his or her death, we would love to consider it. The deadline date for story and poem submissions is March 31, 2013.

Multitasking Mom's Survival Guide
Moms are the busiest people in the world! They juggle kids, husbands, jobs, housework, paid work, volunteer work, parents, pets, etc. How do they do it? Sometimes they are successful and get everything done. Sometimes... disasters happen! Busy moms - here is your chance to pass along your words of wisdom, your lessons learned, your funny or embarrassing moments. Pretend you're talking to a friend and share your wonderful stories with other busy moms. The deadline for story and poem submissions is June 30, 2013.

The Dating Game!
We're publishing a book on dating! First dates, blind dates, group dates... we want to hear about all of them. Meeting the family, embarrassing moments, break-ups and make-ups... we want all of your war stories. Did you meet your perfect match online? Did you have an office romance or start a relationship with someone who was just a friend? How about first dates after divorce, reconnecting with a person from your past, or even simply finding your happily-ever-after where you least expected it? Tell us everything from love at first sight to dating disasters. For this book, we prefer contemporary stories. They will be favored over stories about events that happened decades ago. We are accepting stories from men and women 18 years and older. The deadline date for story and poem submissions is July 15, 2013

Ideas Galore!

I need to shut off the ideas. I get frustrated when they pile up like my TBR stack. I have an idea file on the computer, but also jot them on napkins, in notebooks, and in my Blackberry. If an idea really grabs me, I’ll whip out a short synopsis or a rough draft of the first chapter. I have a lot of very rough first chapters. Frustration galore!

I wish I had learned early on to view my ideas as possible short stories. I just don't think that way, even though lately I'm having fun with flash fiction.

What do you do with your ideas? How do you hang on to them? How do you stay excited about them? I’m not going to ask where you get them—probably the same place I get mine. Newspapers, TV, eavesdropping and church.


I read in the August 25th issue of USA Today that “Budget cuts are forcing police around the country to stop responding to … .” Take a LOOK and see what you can do with it. Novel or short story? I have my idea. Uh oh, where did I stash it?

Wordless Wednesday

My friend Erica suggested I have a Wordless Wednesday, using a picture and inviting readers to supply a caption. I'll take it another step and suggest it can also be Warm-Up Wednesday just in case you want to write a flash fiction, or practice some dialogue. I imagine this little guy has a lot to say.

FORGET ME NOT by Vicki Hinze

Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze is a page-turning romantic suspense that will definitely keep your attention. The story grabs you from the first page. While Hinze has a talent for writing edge of your seat, page-turning fiction, what drew me to the book in the first place was her history: she comes to Christian fiction after numerous novels for the general market and is an active member of Romance Writers of America. That's a huge plus for me. Learn more about her HERE and go to here website HERE.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man—in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family.

Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help—a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife, Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith—and Susan’s necklace.

The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

Author Bio: Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of twenty-three novels, three nonfiction books, and hundreds of articles. Selected for Who’s Who in America in 2004 as a writer and educator, Hinze is active in Romance Writers of America and serves as a Vice President on the International Thriller Writers Board of Directors. Vicki lives in Florida with her artist husband, a retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. Visit HERE: