Category: Writing

Sucker Literary Magazine: Cover Reveal for Volume 3!

Today’s the day! Sucker Literary Magazine is revealing the cover for volume 3! This happens to be the edition that includes my YA paranormal novelette Just a Matter of Time.

What is a novelette, you ask. Well, you see, when a novel and novella love each other very much … no, really, it’s just a long short story.

Now, without further ado, I give you the gorgeous cover:

Sucker Literary Magazine Vol 3

Sucker Literary is a platform for established and emerging, hugely intelligent writers who have the grit and talent to create compelling, authentic young adult literature that both adults and teens can enjoy.

We are a literary enterprise dedicated to showcasing and promoting undiscovered and established writers who write for young adults (this is not to be mistaken for young adult writers). We are not affiliated with any writer’s organization or program and welcome writers at any stage of their writing career/ journey.

Now, for a little bit on what’s inside:

Bullied and alone, Ainsley seeks refuge in the arms of a strange boy. Time is slipping away for overachieving Sadie Lin, but reigniting an old flame might help. Scarred by a pressuring ex, Alexandra finally faces the rain. “Pasty and chubby” Charlotte makes a public play for the “Tan and Smooth” king. The beautiful girl in the black, lacy push-up bra says that it’s time for Brenn to stop lying . . . at least to herself. A halfway house is no home for Dawn—or is it? How will Dana survive knowing everyone at school thinks she’s a monster, when they just may be right? JJ and her crush finally get a moment alone—at his girlfriend’s hottest party of the year. Sixteen-year old Sarah prepares for her first day of school by chaining up her Mamí in her bedroom. Alyssa’s life is a well-rehearsed ballet until a tragedy sends her hurtling towards a fall. Loving a boy is as simple as chemistry . . . unless that boy is an unstable element.

Eleven stories that delve into the depths of our experience—driven by fierce and untouched love that makes us seek, lose, fear, desire, long, reflect, survive, steal, protect, fall, and confess.

Founding Editor:

Contributors:

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: the one where I fling about some roses

W1S1 2014 - Monthly ChallengeWhile I didn’t plan to match my submissions to my rejections this week, it worked out that way. Four back in, four back out, and I still have a few more to send out somewhere else, not to mention stories I need to get out the door for the first time. 

(Wow. That was a really long sentence. Take a breath.)

Lots of writing on the story that is clearly not a short story. We know this because I just reached the 30,000-word mark in the manuscript. I think what I have here is yet another accidental novel. But I’m not complaining.

My fun news for the week is I sold audio rights to  Toasted Cake Podcast for The Burden of So Many Roses, which appeared last year in the February issue of Kazka Press. Just because you’ve sold a story doesn’t mean you can’t sell it again.

Writing Work:

  • The Time After ~7,770 words

Submissions:

  • The Patron Saint of Lost Things
  • The Perfect Canvas
  • Ghost in the Coffee Machine (audio market)
  • Abandonment Issues

Rejections:

  • Five to Freedom
  • What Little Remains
  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies
  • Abandonment Issues

Acceptances:

Publications:

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: the one where I stray from the path

W1S1 2014 - Monthly ChallengeSo, I blew it this month, with Write 1/Sub 1. I did end up submitting a total of three stories for the month. That’s the good news. I wrote a total of 22,500 words. That’s also good news. However, those words were not in any short stories.

Not so good.

As I said over on the Write 1/Sub 1 website, sometimes I need to write a novel. The short stories will be there when I’m done.

Writing Work:

  • The Time After ~ 5,300 words

Submissions:

  • Five to Freedom
  • Doreen’s Muse
  • Like Bread Loves Salt

Rejections:

  • Inside Out

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: the one with a vortex of writing and rejections

W1S1 2014 - Monthly ChallengeMore writing on the story that is not a short story. Actually, quite a bit of writing. I didn’t realize how much until I looked up and discovered I’d passed the 5,000 word count mark for the week and then kept on going.

Also this week, there was a blizzard of rejections. Four within a twenty-four hour period. I used to post this sort of thing on Facebook, except my friends would tell me to keep my chin up. They mean well, but my chin is fine. I post this sort of thing because I think it’s funny. And four rejections within twenty four hours is funny. At least, I think so.

Next week I have plans for some of those stories. They’ll go out the door again. In the meantime, I’ll work on the story that is not very short.

Writing Work:

  • The Time After ~ 6,800 words

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • Five to Freedom
  • The Perfect Canvas
  • Incriminating Evidence
  • Like Bread Loves Salt

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: the one with a nice surprise

W1S1 2014 - Monthly ChallengeIt was a quiet week on the writing front, with work on the thing that is clearly not a short story, since I’m up to +10,000 words on it so far. This is a story that’s been flitting about in the back of my mind for at least four years and watching it all come out is really kind of fun. 

I didn’t submit anything this week. Nothing came back to me, so there’s that as well.

But I did get a nice surprise from Kazka Press. Editor Michael Haynes named The Burden of So Many Roses as one of his favorite stories from last year. I am enormously pleased he thought so highly of it. You can click through to read (or reread) it. I recommend it for those who had a lousy Valentine’s Day.

Writing Work:

  • The Time After ~ 5,338 words

Submissions:

  • None

Rejections:

  • None

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: the one some Girl Scout cookies

W1S1 2014 - Monthly ChallengeSo …  the back of my car? Filled–filled I tell you–with Girl Scout cookies. I don’t suppose anyone would like to buy a box or ten. My weather widget says it’s zero degrees right now. Once it gets “warm” enough, we’re going to layer up and hit the streets. 

I started something new this week, something that is (clearly) not a short story, since it already has 5,000 words. I suspect it will go long, and I’m looking to write a flash sometime this month so I can have an official “write 1” for February. Ah, but the month is still young (of course, it’s short, so I don’t want to put it off for too long).

I’m beginning to think that if last year was the year I wrote short, this is the one where I go long. I guess we’ll see.

Writing Work:

  • The Time After ~ 5,000 words

Submissions:

  • Abandonment Issues
  • The Burden of So Many Roses (audio market) 

Rejections:

  • Abandonment Issues

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: wave goodbye to January (if not winter)

W1S1 2014 - Monthly ChallengeSo … I ended up with a novelette that wants to be a novella when it grows up. Once I told myself “screw the word count” I started writing faster and finished the story on Tuesday this week. I’m not sure what to do with it, other than let it “compost” for a bit and then take a second look. It’s really too long for most markets (especially since it’s YA) and too  short for a novel. 

That left me plenty of time for shaping up some new stories to send out. So, this week alone, I sent out four stories, three of them fresh submissions and one a re-submission.

I’m also still working on learning InDesign, which I continue to love. It’s so pretty. Sometimes I open the program just to stare at the interface. You have to understand, I normally work with XML authoring tools, where the interface manages to be both ugly and difficult to use. InDesign leaves me just a little be breathless.

All in all, this hasn’t been a bad start to 2014.

Writing Work:

  • Lawn Mower Serenade ~ 9,000 words

Submissions:

  • Like Bread Loves Salt
  • Abandonment Issues
  • Where Were You When the War Started
  • The Madness in King’s End

Rejections:

  • The Madness in King’s End

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: the one with a long winter

W1S1 2014 - Monthly ChallengeSo … I wrote a lot this week (but I’m not sure how much, I haven’t counted the words yet) and I’m this close to finishing my story. I still think I might not be writing as much as I could be. But then, I always think that. I could write an entire novel in a single week, and still think that. So. Yeah. 

I did do some revising work on another story and I hope to send that out in a day or two. 

I also spent a lot of time working through InDesign tutorials. I really love this program and I’m enjoying myself so much, but there’s a lot to learn as well.

In other news, I think we’re all officially sick of winter. You know things are bad when the kids are upset about missing school.

Writing Work:

  • Lawn Mower Serenade ~ still in progress

Submissions:

  • The Girl with the Piccolo (audio market)
  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies

Rejections:

  • The Girl with the Piccolo

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

  • None

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: the one with two publications

W1S1 2014 - Monthly ChallengeIt’s hard to complain when your week includes two publications. It’s even harder when the universe lines up those publications just so. This week I saw not one, but two, military-themed publications.

In writing news, I am seriously inching my way through my story, as you can see. It’s still a work in progress. I’m almost tempted to go back on the weekly challenge, except I am also learning/teaching myself Adobe InDesign.

So, I’m not slacking … yet. And I’m really loving InDesign. Plus, it all contributes to my plan to take over the world.

Okay, maybe not that.

Maybe.  

Writing Work:

  • Lawn Mower Serenade ~ still in progress–I am inching my way through this story.

Submissions:

  • Incriminating Evidence

Rejections:

  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies
  • Incriminating Evidence

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications: