Dark Thoughts and Devious Schemes and Dogs, Oh My!

         What do you get when you take four women with only an ounce of deviousness between them, a trip to the Dollar Store gone soooo wrong, and you add Linda O'Connell's birthday to the mix? You get last night's WWWP writing critique night.

       Because Linda's birthday fell on one of our meeting nights, and because Lynn has a steeljaw trap of a memory, we all conspired to surprise her. 

       Unfortunately, when Lynn went to the Dollar Store to find something to decorate the birthday cheesecake with, she was arrested for overly "handling" the merchandise. (Relax--we pooled our resources together and bailed her out in time.)

         And as is always the case, we learned a great deal as we worked on honing our writing skills...

• Tammy learned of a high-calorie liquid diet she might consider trying sometime (when it comes back into style). She found out about it from Beth who is a maniac when it comes to exercise and physical fitness, to the point she even has her own personal trainer...
• Getting outside of your writing box and working in a different genre is sometimes scary, but it can also be quite rewarding. I'm working on a story about Big Foot for a High Hill Press collection. (3,000 word limit, deadline is August 15, can be fiction or nonfiction...and no, you cannot write a funny story about your big hairy feet. I already pitched that idea...my size 11's cannot be the star of the story. Sasquatch needs to be the highlight of the tale.)  My story did not put anyone to sleep (although we were hopped up on Lynn's cheesecake) so that's a good sign.
• Laughter is good for the soul. The experts say it's more powerful than some medicines and if that's the case, the five us will never be plagued by a serious disease. Our twice-monthly "therapy" sessions will keep us healthy...I'm sure of it.

       This week I got notice that two of my dog stories have made it through the initial round of judges for the Publishing Syndicate's NYMB. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that these two memoirs don't come slinking back home with their "tales" between their legs...I'm hoping they make it through all the rounds with the judges.

         One of these stories being considered tells about the time I stole a dog. Yes, well-behaved, always-serious me. Aren't you intrigued? You'll have to buy the book to find out what happens...  

         There are several deadlines for future Not Your Mother's Book collections coming up this summer--but dozens more that are still looking for submissions and don't even have a deadline yet.  Check them out--it could be another (or another several) publishing credits under your belt...  

I'm Topless...and My Son's in a Speedo

     My story "Half Right" has made it over the first hurdle at Publishing Syndicate. It takes place during a trip I took to France with my teenaged son...and the tale involves me going topless and my son having to wear a speedo. Doesn't that make you want to gouge your mind's eye out run out and buy a copy, once it's available?

    Of course, it might not make it through the final rounds. And that's okay, because this post is to encourage more submissions.  There are several calls for submissions, and the deadlines are coming up soon.

• On Being a Woman--July 1
• On Dogs--July 1
• On Holidays--July 1
• On Travel--August 1
• On Being a Stupid Kid--August 1
• On Family--October 1
• On Being a Mom--October 1

       Most of the bloggers I follow are women, so I know you have countless stories to share. Most of the people I like are dog people (or cat people--there's an anthology for them, too). Everybody has had whacky or screwed-up or warm holiday memories. Everybody did stupid things when they were a kid. Now's your chance to make some money and gain some notoriety over your antics, to counteract the trouble you got into decades ago. Look at the titles. Think "edgy." Look at the guidelines, and submit...