Wednesday's Writing Update

It’s Wednesday again. I swear the weeks fly by too fast.

Bess Weatherby and Bill Blume still need to contact me about their prizes.

I don’t know where to start with this post exactly. My mind has been preoccupied with my cat Romeo. Yesterday, he wasn’t doing well, so I took him to the vet. The last time I went to the vet for a sick/injured visit I was eight or nine years old. We had to put my cat Midnight to sleep, so those thoughts were running through my head as I waited to be called back. It turns out Romeo has crystals in his bladder and urinary tract. They put a catheter in yesterday. They should take it out today, see if he’ll eat and pee for them. I should be able to bring him home tomorrow. He’ll have to be on a special diet from now on. He won’t like it, but tough. The poor boy does like to eat, though. *frowns* I’m glad he’ll be fine, but I’ve been worried about him. I hand-raised him from the time he was three to four weeks old, and he turned one in April. He’s my baby boy, so I’ve been sad that he’s not doing well.

As for writing news, “Mage Game” was rejected, but I’m still pleased it made the short list for Sword & Sorceress XXVI. I sent it back out to have it rejected again, but that’s okay. I’m debating whether to keep on submitting it or wait until I can write seven to eight more stories based on the land of Foxwick and create a short story collection from them. I already have “Lady Death” written, which takes place before “Mage Game.” I’m enjoying their world, although I have no plans for a larger piece for them. Short stories would be good, though. I’ll give it more thought.

I finished writing “Folding Hope” just in time on Sunday for the deadline. I have one more short story I’d like to finish before the end of the month.

Rewrites for Virtuoso are going at a glacial pace. I’m now taking it in five chapter chunks. I’m editing a hardcopy version of the first five chapters right now. Then I’ll go from there. I still hope to make my self-imposed deadline to query agents by October.

Of course, I still have two editing assignments to do for PWP, but I did finish the one for Hazard Editing. The author seemed very pleased with my work, which was great.

I really can’t think of any other writer news from me at the moment. What does everyone else have?

Wednesday's Writing Update

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Don't forget about the giveaways I'm having. You have a chance to win Nicole Zoltack's Woman of Honor and other prizes here and Aubrie Dionne's Nebula's Music here.

My short story "Soul Drinker" is featured on Raven and the Writing Desk today. Our theme this month is renewal.

Since April has come and gone, I have my stats. Here they are:
Submissions: 1
Rejections: 0
Acceptances: 0
Stories Written: 2
Total Word Count: 14,861
Submissions Still Out There: 4 

I received my first May rejection for "Sweet Vengeance." I plan to submit it to a contest in the next few weeks.

I submitted "Mage Game" to Sword & Sorceress XXVI yesterday. I think it might've been short listed because a few hours later I got an email saying that they were holding it for further consideration (last year the only email I got back from them was a rejection). I'm really trying not to get my hopes up because I know that market is nearly impossible to get into, though.

I'm behind on Virtuoso rewrites and edits. *sighs* I hope to get back to them at least by next week.

I have my first editing assignment as a Hazard Editing freelance editor. I already started working on it, and it's a good read.

I have some short stories to write and some other things here and there.

We're about to start our summer schedule at the library, so I'm looking forward to having weekends off and getting home between 5:30-6:30 most nights. Downside means I have to get up earlier, but it shouldn't be too bad. I hope to get a chance to get more writing done in the evenings. *crosses fingers*

So what is everyone else doing? How is writing going for you?

Wednesday's Writing Update

Wow! Yes, folks, a week has already flown by, and it's time for another Wednesday's Writing Update. I actually have updates today, but I can't say they're all good news.

Yesterday, I received my rejection for "Lady Death" from Rogue Blade Entertainment's Assassins anthology. The editor loved my opening, but he felt the story fell short in the end. He thought I should go back through it and explore the premise of assassinating Death. He said that the story would likely double in word count, if I did so. I have to say that I agree. I loved my beginning, too, but perhaps I rushed the rest of the story. I let the story and myself down. Next year, I plan to return to this story and make it the story it should be. Perhaps then it'll find a home.

Today, I received my rejection for "Melek Katili" from the More Scary Kisses anthology. It was a brief form rejection. I had sent them an email about my story submission yesterday, too, since I hadn't heard from them since I submitted through their online form. They hadn't received it, but then it was rejected. I'll have to find another place to send it. Does anyone know a place that accepts 2600-word paranormal romance stories? I really can't focus on sending it out right away, since I'm gearing up for NaNoWriMo, but it'd be nice to know of some other places.

I have written quite a bit this past week. I've written 3049 words, which isn't too bad. I finished writing my flash fiction for October. I wrote part one of the three part story I do on Raven and the Writing Desk with Lisa Rusczyk and Aubrie Dionne; it'll be on the blog Monday. I also went back to "They," a post-apocalyptic short story I originally planned to send to Pill Hill Press's 2013: The Aftermath anthology. I still might finish it up and send it. The deadline is November 5th. Perhaps I can get to it this weekend. *crosses fingers*

Then, I've been planning for NaNoWriMo. I writing this novel very differently from anything else I've written. I'm trying to go into it with all the research done. I've written blurbs, an outline, timeline, and a synopsis so far. I'm working on character sketches (including the flash fiction pieces for my blog), and I hope to do some world building sketches. Then, I do have some research, particularly concerning missing children and newspaper articles. Typically when I write a novel, I may have a brief outline, but then I run with it. If I don't know something, I look it up quickly on Google and then begin writing again, but I wanted to see how the more planned approach works for me. I'll keep you updated.

It looks like for the rest of October that I'll be planning my NaNoWriMo novel and perhaps finishing up "They." I still have four submissions out there (one in revisions, two short listed, and one contest entry). I need to submit more, but I want to go back through my old short stories and do some edits/revisions on them before I send them back out. It'll have to wait until after November and most likely until sometime next year, since I have a short story to write in December and revisions/research/edits to do on Virtuoso.

I tell you...a writer's work is never done.

But, that's okay. I'm willing to do the work.

Now, off to work on more character sketches. Yay! Not really. *grins*

Rejection

Well, I got my first rejection today of September. Pill Hill Press rejected "Government Project 103-1-10" for their Monster Mash anthology. I was a bit worried that they might because the story probably wasn't scary enough for what they were looking for. They were kind enough to mention that Living Dead Press is doing a similar anthology. Unfortunately, my story is 2300 words, and they were looking for stories 3500-10,000 words. Although I could extend the story perhaps, I don't want to. Frankly, I like it as is.

So what are my plans for "Government Project 103-1-10?" If Raven and the Writing Desk's theme for October is horror/monsters/Halloween, then you'll be able to read it for free in October. We haven't decided upon the theme yet, but I would love to put it up there as a free read. I enjoyed writing the story. Plus, it would give me one less thing to write in October. *winks*

I also received a couple blog awards, but more on that in the next post. *grins*

In like a lion...

Well, I received my first rejection for the month. I figured that I would be getting one, but it still stings a little. They were really nice, though, although it didn't give much criticism, so I can improve the story. Here is what Pill Hill Press said about rejecting "The Golden Staff":

Thank you for your recent submission to Pill Hill Press' The Quest for Atlantis: Legends of a Lost Continent anthology. We have reevaluated our  short list, and unfortunately, have decided to pass on your story.

We received over 200 submissions for this anthology and many of the stories (including yours) were well-written and interesting. With only limited space available in the anthology, we were forced to set aside stories we enjoyed.

We truly hope you find another home for your story and that you continue to submit to Pill Hill Press (www.pillhillpress.com) in the future.

Best wishes in all of your writing endeavors,
Alva J. & Jessy Marie Roberts



It is the nicest rejection email that I've received from Pill Hill Press, not that any of them were mean. To take away with what they said, they enjoyed my story, thought it was well-written and interesting, but it just didn't quite make the cut. I'm waiting to hear about my two friends' stories, and I wish them better luck than I have.

Now, I'm off to find someplace else to send my story. I like it pretty much as is, so maybe I'll find a home for it soon.

UPDATE: I submitted "The Golden Staff" to New Myths and "Breaking Bifrost" to Fantasy Magazine today. I'm not expecting much from it, especially Fantasy Magazine, but I thought I should give it a chance. You never know.

Writing Lethargy

I haven't written much lately, either in the blogs or in my writings. I've been rather lethargic about it, particularly since my last rejection. I received a rejection from Parsec Ink for my story "Breaking Bifrost," which I had submitted for their End of the Rainbow anthology. Personally, I thought "Breaking Bifrost" was one of my best written stories, but they disagreed. They said that the prose was dry and kept the action from becoming tension. It's one of the first rejections that I've gotten that was due to my writing more than the story idea. I don't even know what they thought of my story idea. And, to top it off, they called me Mr. I'm not a man. Cherie is a feminine name. Because of the 'e' at the end of Cherie, that further makes if feminine. For my female gender, I was upset that they assumed I was a man because "Breaking Bifrost" is a story centered around war, heroism, bravery, and courage. Women can write about these things as well!

*sighs* I do plan to read through the story again when I get a chance and try to add some more emotion without making it melodramatic and a few more metaphors/similies in attempts to making the prose less dry.

On other writing news, I really haven't written as much as I hoped. I've worked a little more on the first chapter of The Phoenix Sorceress. I am writing more on the new chapter two of The Phoenix Prophetess as well. For book one of the Phoenix Trilogy, I've decided to combine the first two chapters into a prologue and take the story off from there. It's slow going doing these rewrites and edits, but it's worth it. I'm even coming up with more ideas for the first book to add as well as ideas for book two that I'm slowly writing. I still hope to finish the rewrites for book one by the end of March and writing book two by June. We'll have to see, though, especially if I can't get out of this current writing slump.

The next short story I plan to write is called "Grave Mistakes." It is a thriller story, and I plan to submit it to Emerald Tales "It was a bright and sunny day" issue.

I don't talk too much about my life beyond writing, and it's mainly because I don't have much of a life beyond writing. Sad, but true. I go to work (as a library assistant). Then, I come home, watch some tv, and write. That's pretty much it. I also write at work, too. Shh! Don't tell. Of course, I enjoy playing games, such as Age of Mythology or Farmville on Facebook. If you have Facebook, look me up. I'd be happy to have you as a friend.

Anyway, I thought I would mention a few things about my life beyond writing every so often. And, that one thing for today is my cat Cinderella or Relli for short. She's an amazing little creature, who is a lot like me. I would eventually like to create a blog for her because she does the cutest little things, even if it is something like waking her mommy up at 2:00 AM to eat, which she does every so often....or how she is terrified of strangers, particularly men. She hides in the closet if anyone comes to our house besides me, my mom, my dad, and my sister. Anyway, I think she is the cutest, greatest kitty ever...of course, everyone probably thinks that about their pets. *laughs*







By the way, I also have a guinea pig named Abby and a blue rat named Persephone, for those that didn't know about them.

Good News and Bad News

Well, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?

I'm going to tell the bad news first. "Cat and Mouse" was rejected by Emerald Tales. I really like the editor, Diana Lyles, and I understand what she told me in the rejection letter. Here is what she said:

Thank you for submitting your story for consideration in Emerald Tales magazine. I regret that I must pass on your story.

Cherie, you're a very talented writer. The reason that I am passing on this story is because the MC of the story wasn't sympathetic to me. I didn't care what happened to her. This story reminded me of The Thomas Crown Affair. I think that it's a good idea, but needs somethingat the beginning of it to make the reader care about the MC.

Also, there's an interesting dynamic going on between the husband and wife. She completely changes her appearance three times, but he catches her anyway. How does that work? Then there's the whole thing with her spending more time with him now that she is stealing paintings, than she did while she was a housewife.

I think you could expand this into a longer work.

The next theme for Emerald Tales is "It was a bright and sunny day". That should be the first line of the story. The deadline is March 1,2010.

Looking back at the story, I can see why the protagonist might not be sympathetic to the reader. As the writer, I know her background, but I didn't convey that quite as well to the reader. I must admit that I was thinking a lot of the Thomas Crown Affair when I wrote the story, but I added the twist at the end, so it wasn't exactly like it either. Eventually, I plan to take Diana's advice and fix the problems in the story, thus making it a longer work.

On the bright side of the rejection letter, she said that I'm a very talented writer. It means so much to me that she thinks so. I feel like I'm still in my infancy when it comes to writing, especially since I've only been doing this for a year. I've been crawling along, and I want to get up and run with it, but I'm still going to fall down sometimes. I do get better with each story, and I hope to continue to grow as a writer.

The next short story I write will be for Emerald Tales "It was a bright and sunny day" issue. I am hoping to get to it next week.

In good news, I am ready to begin writing book two of the Phoenix trilogy. I plan to start writing the first chapter this week. I still have to do rewrites for book one, but I know where I am heading with them, so I can start the second book.


I've been thinking about future projects. One of the things I'm considering is adding some steampunk to my Moonlight Murders mystery novel. I need to read some steampunk before I completely decide, but I think it could be fun.

I've started researching literary agencies. I've found a lot where I could send Moonlight Murders, but it's harder to find ones for fantasy for my Riverwood Trilogy and Phoenix Trilogy. I still have a lot more work to be done before I even submit to agents, of course.

I still have a list of places I want to submit new short stories to. February's short story will be for Pill Hill Press's Atlantis anthology. The tenative title of my short story is "The Staff of Zeus."

As for the short stories already written, I plan to just leave them be for now. I have three submissions out there. I would like to have more, but I feel that my previous stories need more work, and I don't want to take away from new works to go back to the old ones yet. When I have more time, I'll pick a story and fix it. The only plans right now that I have for the old ones that will require any real length is "Bella's Battle." I plan to eventually revise and add on to it. I would like to get it to novella length (20,000-40,000 words) and submit it to an epublisher. Of course, these things will take time.


Right now, I'm going to focus on writing The Phoenix Sorceress, rewrites/edits for The Phoenix Prophetess, and new short stories.

Otherwise, I hope everyone has a nice Monday, even though it is Monday. It's going to be a long six-day work week for me.

Acceptance and Rejection

Today I received a message from Diana Lyles, who is a multi-talented person, who runs Scribblers and Ink Spillers. My historical horror short story "Io Saturnalia" was accepted into the third issue of Emerald Tales, and it will be published on December 1, 2009. I am so excited that "Io Saturnalia" was accepted. For one, after receiving a rejection letter yesterday, it is always nice to receive an acceptance letter the next day. For two, I really loved writing "Io Saturnalia." It is most likely my best short story to date. For three, the "Winter Solstice" edition of Emerald Tales comes out on December 1 of this year. It means that people can buy and read one of my stories before 2010 when my ebook and YA fantasy short story are published. Here is the link to Emerald Tales: http://www.scribblersandinkspillers.com/emeraldtales.html. I'll put up another blog post and everything to remind people when it comes out. "Io Saturnalia" will be in print and electronic versions, and it'll only cost $5 for the magazine. It's definitely worth it!

Unfortunately, I had to mention my rejection letter. My horror story "Wishes" was rejected from the Dead Bells anthology. I had made it until the end of the final, final cuts. Here is what was said:

Good morning, Cherie,

I want to thank you again for your submission of "Wishes" to the Dead Bells Anthology, and for the work you put into the story. It has certainly been a hard decision making process for this anthology.

Unfortunately, we won't be including "Wishes" among the those in Dead Bells. The story was definitely close and I enjoyed reading it both times, but when it came down to it, it just didn't fit with what we are working towards.

Best of luck with your future endeavors.

Sincerely,
--
Jodi Lee
Belfire Press - http://www.belfirepress.com
The New Bedlam Project - http://www.newbedlam.com
Dead Bells - http://www.jodilee.ca/deadbells


I wasn't quite as disappointed as I originally thought I would be, and I wish the anthology success, even though my story wasn't accepted. "Wishes" is a great story though, and I hope to find another place for it elsewhere.

I currently only have a few stories out there that I'm waiting to hear back from, including the Eve anthology, Sorcerous Signals, and Abandoned Towers. I should have already heard back about "Hell Has No Fury" and "Eclipse," but the editor of the Eve anthology and Sorcerous Signals seems to have disappeared from the earth, since I've heard nothing from her since June. I need to send out my stories elsewhere, but it'll have to wait until after NaNoWriMo.

As for NaNoWriMo, I am still doing very well, I think. I am part way through finishing chapter nine, and I have around 21500 words written in nine days. I haven't done my writing for day 10 yet, but I'll keep everyone updated on the status of my novel.

Acceptance, Rejection, and NaNoWriMo...oh, my!

Yes, I do have a lot to update today, and I wanted to get it all out of the way before my life becomes devoted to NaNoWriMo.

Today, I heard back from Wild Child Publishing about my 10,100-word horror story titled "Once Upon a December Nightmare." My story was accepted, and I am working on sending the contract to the editor-in-chief. I do not know when it will be out though. Although based on what I think I can do with revisions and such, it could be out as soon as late March, early April. I will have to discuss things with the editor to know more.

Here is the blurb about ONCE UPON A DECEMBER NIGHTMARE:

After their night of a movie and dinner is a bust, Cassie, her best friend Mary, Mary’s sister Denise,and Denise’s boyfriend James all decide to go joyriding on an old mountain road. A tree blocks their path back to the main road, so the four turn the truck around in an eerie clearing where four deer carcasses are placed. Thoroughly spooked, the four begin the seven-mile journey back to civilization. When the old truck’s lights go out, they decide to brace the cold December night and walk back to the mainroad. Their cell phones don’t work, the truck is broken down, and they aren’t the only ones out there in the forest. Something or someone is hunting them. Will they get out alive or will the ominous message of the dead deer happen to them too in their December nightmare?

The story is loosely based off an event that happened to me and my friends when we decided to go joyriding one December night. Fortunately, our nightmare did not end as tragically and horrifically.

On to the rejection, I submitted "Hounded" to The Nautilus Engine on Tuesday. On Wednesday, I got my rejection. This is what the editor said:

Hello Cherie

Thanks for letting me read "Hounded".  Unfortunately, I see a few too many Philip Marlowe take-offs (I've even written one myself).  I'm going to pass on this one but I'd be happy to read any future efforts you'd care to toss our way.  Good luck! Thank You,

Ron Warren
www.thenautilusengine.com

I'm embarrassed to say, but I had to look up Philip Marlowe. I do suppose my story is in the same vein as his, but it is also quite different. I suppose I'll just have to find a place that takes those types of stories before I submit "Hounded" elsewhere.

Now, on to NaNoWriMo, for those of you that don't know what it means, it is National Novel Writing Month, which occurs in November. The brave writers out there attempt to write an entire novel (minimum 50,000 words) all in the month of November. I have decided to make my own attempts at NaNoWriMo this year. For those that are planning to participate, please add me. My username is bookworm0753. I have my laptop coming (hopefully by Halloween), and I have my outline set to write my novel VIRTUOSO.

Here is the blurb for VIRTUOSO:

Nadia Godunov is a violin virtuoso in her freshman year at Wyderly College in Ridgewood, VA. When her drummer boyfriend, Marcus Giovanni,and she have a terrible car accident, both will never be the same. A month after the accident, Nadia wakes up, finding that her left hand is broken and that her boyfriend is dead. While she copes with her grief, she finds that moving on is hard to do. When she dreams, she senses that her boyfriend is still with her. She tries to regain proper use ofher left hand, so she can continue being the violin virtuoso she once was. She even finds a new boyfriend, medical student Derek Smith. Yet, something isn't right with young Nadia. Lately, she has been having terrible headaches, and she has found she can move things with her mind. Best or worse of all, her former boyfriend just might not be as dead as she once thought, and he wants to win her back. What is a girl to do when all she wants to do is pick up the pieces and move on with her life?

VIRTUOSO is a YA Fantasy novel with a touch of romance. Honestly, I could see this book becoming a trilogy, but for now, I'm focusing on just starting and finishing it in November.

As for other writing news, I'm still waiting to hear back from several publishers. I will keep everyone updated as I can. November I'll mainly be focused on finishing VIRTUOSO though, so please don't expect quite as many updates, although I will keep updating where I'm at with NaNoWriMo. I'm getting excited about November.

Also, Happy Halloween!

Acceptance: Neptune's Treasure

I know that I have been a little frustrated and down the last few times I blogged, but today I am extremely happy. My short story "Neptune's Treasure" was accepted by Wyvern Publications for their Mertales anthology. Mertales is a print anthology that should be out in Fall 2010. I will let you know more details as I know them.

I had submitted "Neptune's Treasure" yesterday, so the response time was phenomenal. I did have to do some rewrites before the story was accepted.

Yesterday, I also submitted "Soul Survivor" to Abandoned Towers. They are a print (paying) and online (exposure) magazine. I wish that the story could be accepted in print, but they are already filled up through summer of next year, so I said it was fine to consider my story for the online magazine. I believe that exposure for "Soul Survivor" might be the best I can hope for concerning that story.

On Sunday, I received a rejection letter for "Hounded" that I sent to The Beast Within 2: The Beast Unleashed. The rejection email was quite short and your typical form letter:

Hi Cherie, Just finished up with Hounded.  I am going to pass though.  Thanks for your interest. Regards, Scott

Another friend submitted to them as well, so we obviously have no clue what they are looking for. I think "Hounded" can find another home though, so I'll be looking.

I still haven't heard from Wolfsinger Publications about my story "Hell Has No Fury" for their All About Eve anthology. Their deadline was August 31, so it has been well over a month. I'm not alone in not hearing back from them, so I'm going to email the editor today and see if I can get a response that way.

I haven't heard back from the few other things out there either, including Dead Bells anthology.

I would like to write some more short stories this month, if I get a chance. I am considering doing NaNoWriMo next month, if I get a laptop by November 1. NaNoWriMo is where you write a novel (50,000 words) in one month. I believe I could do it as long as I have a good idea and a laptop. I have the idea, but we'll have to see about the laptop. If I do it, then I'll have to push working on The Phoenix Prophetess rewrites and writing Moonlight Murders back. We'll have to see.

The main thing is that I finally have another story accepted. YAY!

UPDATE: I heard back from Dead Bells today as well. "Wishes" was short listed. I will know if it makes the final cut after October 15. 

It feels like a break up.

I received another rejection email today. This time it was about "Soul Survivor." Here is what was said:

Thank you for your recent submission to Pill Hill Press' The Bitter End: Tales of Nautical Terror anthology. 

After careful consideration, I have decided to pass on your story.  This is not a reflection of the quality of your writing, I just didn't think the story was a good fit for The Bitter End.

I hope you continue to submit your work to Pill Hill Press in the future.

Best Wishes,
Jessy Roberts

Frankly, it felt like a glorified break up. "It's not you, it's me." *rolls eyes* It is nice that they think my writing is decent, but I'm getting to the point rather I would rather something be wrong with my writing and that I'm just not what they are looking for but nice story, by the way. *sighs* I suppose I am just getting tired of not getting a single story accepted. I just want one. Is that so much to ask for? I think if I could just get one story published that it would be the boost I need. Oh, I'm not giving up. No, I can't do that. I'm just frustrated and ranting a bit. That's all.

In other news, I finished writing "Neptune's Treasure" tonight. I hope to submit it to Mertales anthology that my friend Aubrie told me about. I sent it to my critique buddies, so I likely won't be able to send it out until Monday.

I also added up my work count for September. I wrote 18,563 words of original work. It is almost 3,000 more than last month. I hope to increase the number every month or at least match it.

I have some other works in progress. I am in the editing/rewriting stages for THE PHOENIX PROPHETESS. I'm going to work on MOONLIGHT MURDERS soon, and I have a lot of plans for it, including creating a new first chapter for it. I also have a few short stories that I wish to write for various anthologies.

I still haven't heard back from the All About Eve anthology, Dead Bells anthology, Sorcerous Signals, Wild Child Publishing, and The Beast Within 2 anthology.

Rejection and Submission

I know I always seem to mixing the bad with the good. Today I received an email about "Bella's Battle." It was rejected for the Skulls and Crossbones anthology. Here is what was said:

Greetings, Ms. Reich--
Many thanks for submitting your story, "Bella's Battle" for consideration in this anthology. Unfortunately, we have decided not to include this piece in this volume. We received over 70 submissions, and as pleased as we were about that, we nevertheless had to make difficult choices. In addition to focusing on women pirates as either main characters or focus of the story, we were aiming for a wide range of pirating, in various settings and interpretations of piracy, and we were unable to include all the stories we wish we could have.
Although we found the premise of "Bella's Battle" intriguing, we would have liked to see more emphasis on Isabella's decision to becomea pirate. Certainly, a sibling at sea can be a powerful motivator, but she hadn't seen Juan Pedro in awhile and more background into the relationship the two of them had before he was "lost at sea" would have strengthened that element of your story. That said, we hope thatyou will consider us as a possible venue for your work should we be granted an opportunity to do another anthology of pirate stories.
Many thanks again and good luck to you with future endeavors, authorial and otherwise.
Best wishes,
Andi Marquette and R. G. Emanuelle
--
Mindancer Press can be found here:
http://bedazzledink.com/?page_id=35

I do believe that the story needed more information to fully work, but I was working with a 7,000 word limit, and the story was very close to it. They were very kind though, and I definitely would keep them in mind for the future, if they were to do another pirating anthology down the line. As for "Bella's Battle," I would actually like to expand it when I have time and add all they mentioned. I could easily see the story branching out into 20,000-30,000 words, so sometime down the line, I'll have to go back to it and continue writing.

In other news, I submitted "Hounded" today to The Beast Within 2: The Beast Unleashed anthology. They have a two-three week response time, so I should know something about the story fairly soon. I really do hope it has a chance and it is what they are looking for.

I also should hear back from the All About Eve anthology in the next couple of days. If I don't hear back from them by October 1, then I'll have to email them and see what is going on.

I did hear back from Wild Child Publishing about "Once Upon a December Nightmare." It was just an email to inform me that the submissions editor now has my story, and it'll take another six-eight weeks before I hear back on it. *sighs*

In other writing news, I plan to submit a story to Mertales. My lovely author friend, Aubrie, told me about it, and she recently had her story accepted to it. I hope to find time this week to write the story that is currently titled "Neptune's Treasure."

I must admit that it is sometimes a little frustrating to get all these rejections. They aren't rejecting my writing skills though. None of them had said that I'm a terrible writer or that I should never submit again or anything like that. I just haven't found the right audience for my stories yet. I'm not going to give up, but it is frustrating at times to have a perfectly good story but to hear that it isn't just quite right for them. Oh, well. Hopefully I'll have better luck with the things I have out there now. *crosses fingers*

Rejection and Submission

"Soul Survivor" was rejected by Emerald Tales last week. Here is what was said:

I apologize for the delay in giving you an answer to your submission. It is with great difficulty that I pass on your story "Soul Survivor". It is a wonderful story, but it's not a good fit with Emerald Tales. Good luck submitting it elsewhere. It will find it's proper home.

Sincerely,

Diana Lyles

CEO Scribblers and Ink Spillers, LLC

I have to say that this is the nicest rejection letter I've ever received. I went back through the story, made some edits/rewrites. I changed the story from first to third person, and today I submitted it to Pill Hill Press for their The Bitter End: Tales of Nautical Terror anthology. The deadline is October 31, so I likely won't hear from them until the end of November. I do think my rewrites have made the story better, so we'll have to see. *crosses fingers*

I haven't heard from anywhere else yet about my stories. I should know by the end of next week about two of them ("Hell Has No Fury" and "Bella's Battle").

In other news, I'm working on "Hounded" for The Beast Within 2: Beasts Unleashed. I also have been thinking a lot about Moonlight Murders, and I hope to get to it soon. I have several more short stories planned for various anthologies, including another submission for Emerald Tales: Winter Solstice, which will be an ancient Roman horror story called "Io, Saturnalia." I will likely work on it after "Hounded," but we'll have to see how things go. Of course, I'll be working on the rewrites/edits for The Phoenix Prophetess in the meantime. Writing never seems to end, does it?

Rejection and other news

I got a rejection for "Eclipse" today from Shimmer. Here is what they said:

Dear Cherie,

Thank you for allowing us to consider "Eclipse," but I'm afraid I'm going to pass.

This hits the basic points of a fantasy story, but moves a bit slow and overall doesn't do anything that is new. We're generally not a good fit for otherworld fantasy. It's not right for us, but I hope you find a good home for it soon.

Good luck with your writing!

Best Grá Linnaea

Associate Editor

--

Shimmer Magazine

www.shimmerzine.com

Personally, I don't know if I agree with what was said. I am going to send it elsewhere, but I haven't figured out where yet. If I still have no luck, then I'll probably try to work on it some more before sending it out yet again.

As for other news, I did receive an email from Jodi Lee about "Wishes" for Dead Bells anthology. This is what she said:

Good afternoon, Cherie,

Thank you for your submission of "Wishes" to the Dead Bells Anthology.

It is my pleasure to let you know I would like to add it to our shortlist, pending a tiny re-write, if you are agreeable.

Unfortunately, I guess it wasn't clear that bodies wouldn't mummify immediately - they would mummify instead of rotting, over time. If you would change those areas in your story, I would be very interested in having a second look.

If you do so, please attach the file to a reply to this email, so it doesn't get lost in the submissions queue. Thank you, and I do hope to see "Wishes" again soon!--

Jodi Lee

Editing Portfolio - http://tinyurl.com/JodiLee

LeeLite Design - http://tinyurl.com/LeeLite

The New Bedlam Project - http://www.newbedlam.com

Dead Bells - http://www.jodilee.ca/deadbells/- Show quoted text -

So as soon as I got home, I made the necessary changes and resubmitted it to her. I'm really hoping "Wishes" gets in. I think it is really perfect for the anthology.

I haven't heard anything back about my four other stories out there. I should know about a few of them very soon. *crosses fingers*

Rejection and Submission

By the time I got home yesterday, I had received my rejection for "Eclipse" for Fantasy Magazine. They are really difficult to get into, so I was expecting the rejection, even though I was hoping otherwise. Here is what they said:

Dear Cherie,

Thank you for your story to our magazine, but unfortunately it isn't quite right for Fantasy. We hope that you continue trying, however, and look forward to many more submissions.

all the best,

Cat and Sean

Fantasy Magazine

www.fantasy-magazine.com

A very nice, simple rejection form letter. Sometimes it is frustrating to get so many rejections, but I'm not going to give up.

To prove that I'm not giving up, I submitted "Eclipse" to Shimmer today. They are a quarterly magazine that does in print and ebook form. I don't know what kind of chance I have, but I thought I would give it a shot. I still have a whole list of places that I can submit "Eclipse" to. The reason I picked Shimmer next was because they are just a paying place. I won't get rich off the story, but I might get around $10 and a copy, and that is good enough for me. Plus, I do think I have a chance there. We'll see. And, their response time is around three weeks. These longer response times are starting to drive me crazy! *laughs*

So, everyone wish me luck. I still have six things out there being considered, and I should know soon about all of them. *crosses fingers*

Rejection: Eclipse

I received a rejection email today from Beneath Ceaseless Skies for my short story "Eclipse." I am a bit disappointed by this rejection letter, but it also is exciting. The person actually mentioned a comment about the story. It is the first rejection letter that I've received that had something personal on it. The rejection letter said:

Thanks very much for sending this to _Beneath Ceaseless Skies_.Unfortunately, it's not quite right for us. Getting so much about Raven's past in the opening felt slower to me than starting with whatever her core burning goal might be, the inner thing that's driving her through the story.

I appreciate your interest in our magazine. Please feel free to submit again.

Regards,

Scott H. Andrews

Publisher and Editor-in-Chief

_Beneath Ceaseless Skies_

http://beneath-ceaseless-skies.com

He gave me something to think about for "Eclipse," and I'm going to rework the beginning of the story before I submit it elsewhere. Just getting the little bit of feedback can make it a better story. Now, when I'm going to get a chance to fix it, I don't know, but I will. Then, I'll send it elsewhere. *smiles*

Rejection and Disappointment

I received another rejection email. This time, it was for my fantasy/dark fantasy short story "Eclipse". Here is what was said in the rejection letter:

Thanks for submitting this story, but I'm going to pass on it. It didn't quite work for me, I'm afraid. Best of luck to you placing this one elsewhere, and thanks again for sending it my way.

------------------------------

--------
John Joseph Adams

Editor

The Way of the Wizard

www.johnjosephadams.com


I must admit that I am more disappointed by this rejection than the one by The Pedestal Magazine for "Only One". I really liked my story "Eclipse". I will try to find somewhere else for it. It is one of those stories that I can expand upon, so I might make it longer, so I can find another place to submit it. I don't know.

On other disappointing news, I found out that my publisher Mystic Moon Press is having some problems. I don't know if they are going to go under or find a way to work this all out. I figure for now I'll wait and see what is going to happen. I still plan to finish up Moonlight Murders, but I will be holding onto it once it is finished for either MMP to fix their problems or for two years until my contract is up or until MMP breaks my contract and the rights to Liam O'Hare revert back to me. I'll just have to wait and see. I'll keep everyone updated on what is going on.

Right now, I only have one other story out there. It is "Hell Has No Fury" for the All About Eve anthology. They are holding the story for consideration, but I'll have to wait until September likely to find out if it is accepted.

*sighs* It's all very depressing with what is going on, and I'm considering having ice cream for lunch to make it better. *laughs glumly*

Rejection

I received a rejection email today from The Pedestal Magazine about my short story "Only One". I actually thought it was a nice rejection letter. Here is what they said:

Dear Cherie:

Thank you for submitting your fiction to The Pedestal Magazine. We enjoyed reading it but regret that we cannot use it at this time.

We wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere and sincerely hope that you will submit other writing to us in the future.

Best,

The Editors

The Pedestal Magazine
http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com

So far, I think it is the nicest rejection letter I've received. I will submit "Only One" elsewhere, but I don't know where yet. I'll have to find some place for it.

Rejection - Only One

I got another rejection letter about "Only One" from Clarksworld Magazine. At least it was their nice rejection letter. I do hear that they have one that is a flat out rejection if they don't like it at all, but this was one where they have hundreds of submissions and only chose twelve a year rejection letters. I'll try to submit it to somewhere else this afternoon. I haven't given up hope for the story that is hard to place. I don't even know quite how to categorize it. It borders on the paranormal, and the ending could be considered almost horror. Perhaps that is why it is hard to pick up. Oh, well. I'll submit it elsewhere and try again. I'm still waiting to hear from MMP about "Once Upon a December Nightmare", and it'll be a few more months before I hear from Wolfsinger Publications about "Hell Has No Fury" for the All About Eve anthology.

Rejection

I got an email today from Abyss and Apex webzine. They passed on my flash fiction story "Only One". It is not the type of story for everyone, and I guess it wasn't their thing. The person was very nice about it. They thanked me for submitting it and then said to please submit something else at a later time, if I wished. They didn't give any reason why they passed on the story, but that's okay. I didn't know if it was something they were looking for. It is a difficult story to place somewhere. Perhaps I'll find another home for it somewhere else eventually.

At least, "The Case of the Tom Cat" is doing well so far. I still don't know about my other two stories out there, but we'll wait and see.