Wednesday, August 31, 2011

New Releases, California Sunburns, and Jumping Back In

Let's begin with the latest releases of my work!At long last, Wicked East Press has released Twisted Fairy Tales V II! This was my third accepted story (I think.) It's been a while in the making, but I think the anthology will be well worth the wait. Also, my latest attempt at horror has been published at SNM Horror Mag for their September Silhouettes issue! It didn't place, but I was informed that I have tied with another gentleman for the most published authors on their website this year. Big happy grin from this girl.

The new links are posted in the sidebar. Keep an eye out for updates.

I just returned from a visit to my family and friends in California. It was exactly what I needed. A lot of hot sunshine, bad food (well, good food that's bad for you), and fun times with those I love. Five days wasn't long enough.

But it sure was long enough to make exercising torture again upon my return. It's going to take me a few days to get back to where I was. And my sitting bones are going to make me work for that. >.<

The hardest part about coming back from vacation is trying to catch up with all you missed at home, and getting back into the rhythm of routine. I have new routines to practice and a lot of emails to read.

I hope I can get back to writing soon. I miss it.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Drained

No, I'm not writing vampire stories. When I say drained, I mean I'm seriously drained of all energy after a weekend of intense training for certification in yet another group fitness class. This one is kickboxing, and it was definitely the most intense out of the four I've done. But I've been begging for this training for at least two years (martial arts freak that I am), so I'm glad it's finally happening.

I can barely keep my eyelids propped open, but I wanted to mention that I got another story accepted! (And as I write this, I wonder if I've written this announcement already and am too brain fried to recall.) This one was a lesson in "Never Give Up Hope" and "It Ain't Over 'til the Fat Lady Swan Dives Into a Wine Glass."

Or something like that.

I wasn't sure if they had received my submission, so I waited the amount of time they have listed on their website, even though this was for an anthology and not their regular publication. Turns out they had not received it, and though it was past the deadline, they would accept a resubmission.

A few weeks went by and I heard nothing, so I gave it up for rejection. I figured they probably had all the stories they wanted for their anthology already and mine wasn't spectacular enough to warrant fudging in.

Boy, was I wrong! They emailed me a contract. I think i sat in shock with my hands over my gaping mouth for several minutes. Or hours.

This business of writing and submitting stories constantly surprises me. I love that. :)

Monday, August 8, 2011

The "Bordello Secrets" are out!

My erotic romance tale, "Bordello Secrets" is up on the Breathless Press website! It's scheduled for official release on August 12, 2011, but you can pre-order if you're hot to get it now. The link is in the sidebar with links to my other publications. It is in ebook form only at this point. I'm not sure if Breathless Press does print form at all.

http://www.breathlesspress.org/Book/360

In other news, my husband and I rented a yurt to stay overnight at the Eagle River Nature Center in the Chugach State Park. It was a hike of about a mile and a half. The Rapids Camp Yurt sat overlooking the river, and had a shed for wood, an outhouse, a campfire ring, a deck, and a bear-proof storage locker for your food. The inside had a table and camp chairs, a wood stove, and a set of bunk beds. You can fit two to a bed, but I'll tell you right now it was an awfully snug fit. No room to stretch out. And the bunks are miserably hard!

We had a lot of fun hiking there and playing cards after eating our sandwiches and cookies. Bruno wore his pack full of the dog's water, travel bowls, food and cookies, so he actually behaved like a dog who was leash trained. I guess the extra weight made it hard for him to act up like he usually does! Uffda we let walk on her own since her hips aren't so fantastic, so it's better to let her go at her own pace. After a bit we knew we wouldn't be passing anyone else (it was getting late), and she always stays with us. It's cute how she'll stop and wait for me if I'm lagging behind.

The downside was the wind and rain. They were both rip-roaring that night. The yurt shook and rattled, and the dogs would bark every once in a while, waking us up. We didn't really get any sleep at all. And we had planned on taking the long way back around a loop we haven't hiked before. (It often gets closed because of bears fishing in the river.) But it was raining so hard and we were so tired in the morning, we took off and went straight for the Jeep.

It was a fun trip, even without the sleeping. I would definitely recommend it for families who like camping. It was $65 dollars for the night, and it included firewood. If you're staying one night, you can get in after 2 pm and check out is noon. Here is the website, if you'd like to check it out:

http://www.ernc.org/rapid-camp-yurt.html