Sommer Marsden's Blog, page 102
June 29, 2011
Our garden(s)
We've had the worst luck with the soil at this house. We have a huge backyard and foresaw big lush gardens before we moved in. Then we discovered poor drainage and clay-riddled soil in the backyard. Many failed gardens later we have three little ones. A front garden and two sides. We are faring a bit better with them. But I swear, next year, I'm doing a raised box garden.
Why don't you grow a pair...heh
No comment
The man's version of anti-bunny patrol.
cheeky little zucchini, growing straight up with his festive flower still attached.
XOXO
Sommer
Why don't you grow a pair...heh
No comment
The man's version of anti-bunny patrol.
cheeky little zucchini, growing straight up with his festive flower still attached.
XOXO
Sommer
See it...
I'm in it. Isn't it pretty? *sigh* I think this is my fourth year in BWE edited by Violet Blue. And it's an honor every time.
I saw some of my esteemed company in my you made it to the finals email, but it's for them to announce, not me. However, it's no surprise, I'm nestled in amongst some mighty fine writers. :)
Woohoo!
XOXO
Sommer
June 28, 2011
June 27, 2011
So, all I can say is...
A while back I asked folks to post ratings/reviews etc if they had read my work and liked it. If they had read *anyone's* work and liked it. See, it sounds odd, but those little stars and ratings and comments really do make a difference in sales. Those few moments of your time to rate/review do the same for me in the earning department as your emails about your fave works do for my soul. They act as a gauge and a guide to potential readers and are actually priceless if you come right down to it.
I accidentally stumbled over a five star review from a reader for WE KILL DEAD THINGS tonight on Amazon and then fell ass backwards into seeing a five star for Schooling over there as well. So, the only thing left to say is THANK YOU. Thank you, thank you, thank you. To everyone who's not only bought my work but taken the time to post their rating on Amazon or Goodreads or Twitter or their blog.
I appreciate you. And I just wanted to say that. ;)
XOXO
Sommer
Seriously...
Wouldn't mind being the cream in an ass-kicker sammich. Just saying...
Now back to my zombies.
XOXO
Sommer
June 26, 2011
REVISED Call for Submissions: Newbie Writers
What I've decided regarding the newbie call...(and please pass this on if you passed on the original call for subs, thank you! :D )
I think I'm going to open this call to writers who have never been published or have had their first sale (paid or otherwise) within the last year. I've heard from several folks that intended to submit to me and since staring a story they have made their first sale (Mazel, by the way!). So, I sat and considered the length of time I considered myself a 'newbie'. And I can honestly say that I considered myself green for the first year. I was constantly asking questions, fucking up or having some kind person guide me in the right direction or help me fix an error or hone a skill. So, I'll pay that forward and be as fair as I can while still focusing on new writers.
New call will be for newbie writers either unpublished or freshly published within the last year (so let's say June 2010 is the cut-off. If you were published before that, then please wait for my next call). Beyond that, the call remains the same. Which is:
REVISED Call for Submissions
I want newbies, youngbloods, fresh meat, green around the gills
I am looking to put together another mini anthology. But this time, I want the writers that no one has had a taste of yet. Virgin blood. So you may submit to this anthology only IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN PUBLISHED OR FRESHLY PUBLISHED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR (please see note at the beginning of this post).
So what next?
Dirty stories from 2,500 and up (nothing over say 5K please) are eligible. Topics are open except the standard no-no's. Which I will spell out since you are new.
~~~~>No sex with the underaged (under 18), animals (shifters don't count), dead things or people (barring undead supernatural creatures). No scat. No snuff.
FORMAT: Word .doc or .rtf format if you must, double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point, set at .5 indentation for first line of the paragraph only. PLEASE DO NOT USE HARD TABS.
*If you do not format correctly, I will skip reading your entry no matter how good it is. Why? Because I'm super busy and if you sub to a publication, you need to follow the rules. Capiche?
Here's the most important part: PLEASE POLISH YOUR WORK. Read it, put it away. Read it again and put it away. Then read it out loud to yourself. Seriously. Your ear will hear your errors. Do I expect it to be perfect? No, said the woman who once put "He stroked her cheese" instead of "He stroked her cheek." I do not. But I do expect you to make it as close to perfect as you can.
DEADLINE: August 31, 2011. Release date is up in the air. If that bothers you, don't sub. This (as of right now) will be an ebook put out by my little press December Ink.
THE FINE PRINT:
I'll be using 10 stories max. December Ink takes 25% of the cut, the remaining 75% is split evenly among the ten contributors and each will receive an ebook copy (print too if it ever goes to that). You could make a bunch of money. You could make hardly a thing. I ask for 3 months exclusivity and then you are free to go ahead and sell your work elsewhere.
Your work stays in the book as long as it's for sale, and that means you receive royalties as long as it's for sale.
Submissions should be sent to decemberink@gmail.com marked SUBMISSION: [YOUR TITLE] BY [YOUR AUTHOR NAME]
In your email please put:
Your name
Your pen name
Your mailing address
your contact email
A short bio
Good luck! Any questions can be sent to the same email addy. :)
And now I really and truly am going to bed. I was under the weather, then climbed back on top of it, and now it's winning again. Damn weather.
XOXO
Sommer
I think I'm going to open this call to writers who have never been published or have had their first sale (paid or otherwise) within the last year. I've heard from several folks that intended to submit to me and since staring a story they have made their first sale (Mazel, by the way!). So, I sat and considered the length of time I considered myself a 'newbie'. And I can honestly say that I considered myself green for the first year. I was constantly asking questions, fucking up or having some kind person guide me in the right direction or help me fix an error or hone a skill. So, I'll pay that forward and be as fair as I can while still focusing on new writers.
New call will be for newbie writers either unpublished or freshly published within the last year (so let's say June 2010 is the cut-off. If you were published before that, then please wait for my next call). Beyond that, the call remains the same. Which is:
REVISED Call for Submissions
I want newbies, youngbloods, fresh meat, green around the gills
I am looking to put together another mini anthology. But this time, I want the writers that no one has had a taste of yet. Virgin blood. So you may submit to this anthology only IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN PUBLISHED OR FRESHLY PUBLISHED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR (please see note at the beginning of this post).
So what next?
Dirty stories from 2,500 and up (nothing over say 5K please) are eligible. Topics are open except the standard no-no's. Which I will spell out since you are new.
~~~~>No sex with the underaged (under 18), animals (shifters don't count), dead things or people (barring undead supernatural creatures). No scat. No snuff.
FORMAT: Word .doc or .rtf format if you must, double spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point, set at .5 indentation for first line of the paragraph only. PLEASE DO NOT USE HARD TABS.
*If you do not format correctly, I will skip reading your entry no matter how good it is. Why? Because I'm super busy and if you sub to a publication, you need to follow the rules. Capiche?
Here's the most important part: PLEASE POLISH YOUR WORK. Read it, put it away. Read it again and put it away. Then read it out loud to yourself. Seriously. Your ear will hear your errors. Do I expect it to be perfect? No, said the woman who once put "He stroked her cheese" instead of "He stroked her cheek." I do not. But I do expect you to make it as close to perfect as you can.
DEADLINE: August 31, 2011. Release date is up in the air. If that bothers you, don't sub. This (as of right now) will be an ebook put out by my little press December Ink.
THE FINE PRINT:
I'll be using 10 stories max. December Ink takes 25% of the cut, the remaining 75% is split evenly among the ten contributors and each will receive an ebook copy (print too if it ever goes to that). You could make a bunch of money. You could make hardly a thing. I ask for 3 months exclusivity and then you are free to go ahead and sell your work elsewhere.
Your work stays in the book as long as it's for sale, and that means you receive royalties as long as it's for sale.
Submissions should be sent to decemberink@gmail.com marked SUBMISSION: [YOUR TITLE] BY [YOUR AUTHOR NAME]
In your email please put:
Your name
Your pen name
Your mailing address
your contact email
A short bio
Good luck! Any questions can be sent to the same email addy. :)
And now I really and truly am going to bed. I was under the weather, then climbed back on top of it, and now it's winning again. Damn weather.
XOXO
Sommer
Let's talk about this newbie writer call, people...
I have one submission. Lot's of chatter but one submission. So...would we all feel better if I broaden the spectrum somewhat? Such as, if your first sale (paid or otherwise) has been within the last year you can submit? Would that open it up? I'd like to focus on new writers, but I'd also like to be fair and to be um...full. I would like an antho of at least ten stories.So what do you say? Any opinions? Speak up here, on twitter or on facebook. Once I get some feedback, I'll make a decision and put up a revised call (or not, depending on what I hear!)
XOXO
Sommer
No choice in the matter...
I woke up with the next book totally running like a movie in my head. I guess it's time to get on it, then. Sitting here with page three going and a cup of coffee. I figured I'd come in and share some good reviews while I'm thinking of it.
Tomorrow, I hope to be feeling up to stealing off to the local beach for a bit with the kiddos. It would be nice to push my toes into some warm sand and watch the water just...water...for a bit. :) Hope your Sunday is great and lazy.
XOXO
Sommer
We Kill Dead Things rec'd 4.5 stars from NOR. How great is that?
I want to know what happens with all four of these fighters, and I hope Ms. Marsden keeps them as likeable and smart as they are here....
Read the whole review here.
And Blank got four kisses from Top 2 Bottom Reviews. Mmm. We love kisses! The real kind and the chocolate kind too.
Blank is a short and powerful story, permeated by a sense of despair that is skillfully translated through Sommer Marsden's prose.
Read the full review here.
*Thanks, as always, to reviewers for taking the time to read me. :)
June 25, 2011
I've been saving this picture...
that I took back in May. I took it in our area right after a pretty brutal thunderstorm. I didn't know what I was saving it for, but now I do. A rainbow arched over a church steeple. How awesome is that? Bravo, New York. I guess this picture was for you.
I've been under the weatherish, but had to pop in and say that. Now I shall pop back out.
XOXO
Sommer
