[Quick note for writers: be sure to check out my latest post at LitReactor, “When Writers Do It Wrong: The Top 10 Ways To Annoy Your Twitter Followers,” and the third and final part to my query series at Writer Unboxed, “Query Letters Part 2: The Extras.”]
Anyone who’s a writer or lives with or loves a writer knows what a hard road this is. It’s full of dropped hopes and rejections and failure and disappointments. It really is. It’s a lot (a lot a lot) of hard work for very little pay. It’s big dreams and usually small realities.
The best way I’ve found to not just survive, but keep the love, is to celebrate! It’s too easy to let the happy little things fly past without stopping to savor them, much less announce them. There’s always the next submission, the next big goal, the next deadline, but if we don’t pause to appreciate how far we’ve come, we burn out fast. I do, anyway.
So I’m celebrating. And what better way to celebrate than with a giveaway?
My absolute favorite thing to celebrate (besides maybe initial acceptances, which I usually can’t share) are contributor copies. It is so much fun to get my very own copy of a publication I have work in. There’s something extra special about holding a print copy in my hands, but even digital release days are thrilling.
Lately I’ve been lucky enough to get a handful of contributor copies in the mail all around the same time. It’s made me stop to savor even more. Big or small, all of these lovely books contain my writing in them, and I’m awfully proud and grateful. Just look at all the pretty copies:
What’s in the bouquet?
The Beauty of Death includes my sci-fi horror story “Vestige.” This one is more on the graphic side. Cool tidbit: this story was accidentally accepted at two different markets. (Market error; not mine, thank goodness.) I’m very happy with where it ended up. This anthology has tons of great horror by authors both famous and new. You can buy the ebook for $9.99.
The Texas Poetry Calendar is an annual favorite for many here in my home state. It’s packed with talent every year, and the upcoming weekly calendar is no exception. 2017’s edition includes my poem “Rocking” – sort of a free verse love poem to my husband. Texan yourself or just a poetry-lover: You can order your calendar from Dos Gatos for $14.95.
HWA Poetry Showcase Volume III includes my poem “The Shed.” This is one of my favorite creepy poems, and I’m happy to be included in the Horror Writers Association’s annual anthology for the third year running. It’s always a nice array of styles and content. You can buy the ebook for $2.99. And for the first time you can order a print version for $7.99 at Amazon.
Blurring the Line includes my weird short story “Honey.” I don’t know what to say about this one, honestly. It’s some of my craziest work, but so far several reviews have listed it as a stand-out. You can get a paperback for $14.81 or an ebook for $3.99 – now that’s a steal.
Strange Little Girls includes my short story “The Cottage of Curiosities,” which is – you guessed it – a strange little story about a girl in an eerie situation. This one is horror-ish but not too steep for most scaredy cats. You can get the gorgeous paperback for $16.95 or an ebook for $6.99.
And finally, it is always an honor to have work in the National Federation of State Poetry Societies’ annual prize anthology Encore. 2015’s includes my poem “Strolling in Iambic Pentameter.” Ordering Encore is a bit of a chore, but for the determined, you can find the order form and information on this page and get yourself a copy for $15.
Back to that celebratory giveaway! I’m giving out three copies: one paperback each of Blurring the Line, Strange Little Girls, and HWA Poetry Showcase Volume III. To enter, simply leave a comment below. Since I’m shipping these, you must be in the US to be eligible. I’ll choose three names at random; the first person drawn will get to pick their first preference, etc. If you’d like to comment but don’t want to be entered, just make that note. You have until 11:59pm (CST) September 18 to enter. That’s one week, so please do spread the word! I’ll announce the winners on the 19th.
Good luck, and thank you so much for celebrating with me. And to anyone and everyone who buys and/or reads any of my work: thank you, thank you! It means more than you know.
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