Beth Cato's Blog, page 152
January 25, 2013
A Month of Letters
This year, for the second time, I'm going to participate in A Month of Letters. The goal is simple: mail at least one personal piece of correspondence each mailing day of February.
Even if you're not participating yourself, I'd like to mail more people. Are you willing to get a letter from me? It may be an encouraging note, or a goofy Valentine--something simple to let you know you're thought of. You're under no obligation to reply, though I wouldn't mind if you did.
If you want to send me your address, you can email me at Beth.L.Cato at gmail dot com, or privately message me through Twitter or Facebook.
Even if you're not participating yourself, I'd like to mail more people. Are you willing to get a letter from me? It may be an encouraging note, or a goofy Valentine--something simple to let you know you're thought of. You're under no obligation to reply, though I wouldn't mind if you did.
If you want to send me your address, you can email me at Beth.L.Cato at gmail dot com, or privately message me through Twitter or Facebook.
January 23, 2013
Bready or Not: Rolo Snickerdoodle Bites
In this second month of cookies, there's been one prevalent theme. No, other than the cookies! And the sugar. And the tastiness and general unhealthiness of everything. No, no, everything has been baked! So it's time to do some non-baked goodies that you can throw together in a hurry.
Sugariness, tastiness, and unhealthiness are all still part of the theme.
If you love cookie dough, this is an especially dangerous recipe because there's no egg involved--you can nibble away on as much dough as you want without any worries of microscopic menaces.
Like I let microscopic menaces stop me, anyway. Pfft.
This recipe is flexible. You can stuff the dough bites with just about any small candy--Kisses, halved fun-size bars, even mini Oreos. If you have any leftover holiday candy around--or are buying some for Valentine's Day--this is a good use for it. Beyond, you know, eating it plain.
The original recipe called for heavy cream, which isn't something I keep around that often. I used vanilla almond milk and it came together just fine. You could also use milk, half and half, or soy milk, and I bet no one would notice the difference.
I used my teaspoon scoop to form the dough and it made 35 balls.
Rolo Stuffed Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites
modified from Cooking Classy
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 generous tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 Tbsp heavy cream/milk/almond milk/milky thing
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
30-35 Rolo candies, unwrapped
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
1) In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside.
2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter, brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cream of tartar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Stir in cream or milk and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix until combine.
3) In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp granulated sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon. Scoop dough out a teaspoon at a time, then press one Rolo into the center of scooped dough and seal the bottom with a tad extra dough.
4) Roll each dough ball into cinnamon sugar mixture. Chill or serve immediately. Store cookie dough bites in refrigerator. Makes about 30-35 balls.
OM NOM NOM.
Sugariness, tastiness, and unhealthiness are all still part of the theme.
If you love cookie dough, this is an especially dangerous recipe because there's no egg involved--you can nibble away on as much dough as you want without any worries of microscopic menaces.
Like I let microscopic menaces stop me, anyway. Pfft.
This recipe is flexible. You can stuff the dough bites with just about any small candy--Kisses, halved fun-size bars, even mini Oreos. If you have any leftover holiday candy around--or are buying some for Valentine's Day--this is a good use for it. Beyond, you know, eating it plain.
The original recipe called for heavy cream, which isn't something I keep around that often. I used vanilla almond milk and it came together just fine. You could also use milk, half and half, or soy milk, and I bet no one would notice the difference.
I used my teaspoon scoop to form the dough and it made 35 balls.
Rolo Stuffed Snickerdoodle Cookie Dough Bites
modified from Cooking Classy
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 generous tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 Tbsp heavy cream/milk/almond milk/milky thing
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
30-35 Rolo candies, unwrapped
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
1) In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, set aside.
2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter, brown sugar, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cream of tartar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Stir in cream or milk and vanilla extract. Add dry ingredients and mix until combine.
3) In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp granulated sugar and 3/4 tsp cinnamon. Scoop dough out a teaspoon at a time, then press one Rolo into the center of scooped dough and seal the bottom with a tad extra dough.
4) Roll each dough ball into cinnamon sugar mixture. Chill or serve immediately. Store cookie dough bites in refrigerator. Makes about 30-35 balls.
OM NOM NOM.
January 22, 2013
2013: the Year of the Poem?
I've been good about sending out short stories for a number of years now, and most rejections don't bother me anymore. For some reason, poetry rejections did. Maybe it's because poems felt more personal, or because there are so few paying markets. Whatever the case, I'd send a poem out once or twice, then never again.
Last year, I made a major push to write and send out more speculative poetry as part of a conscious effort to work through this submission phobia. I participated in April and November Poem A Day, and also wrote at least one new poem a month as part of my Write 1 Sub 1 goals. This translated to a goal of keeping out a minimum of 20 poems at any time, though for a brief period this month, I had 40 out.
I'm not fond of math, but this is a basic equation I've learned as far as my writing: the more you submit, the more likely you are to get accepted.
All of my acceptances so far in January--five--have been poetry. Three of those in the last two days, and to different publishers. I have eleven poems due to be published this year, and two of them were published this week.
Those two silly urban fantasy poems are in issue 36.1 of Star*Line. "The Truth About Unicorns" and "A Hairy Issue" started something of a series for me, wherein I disclose some unknown truth about a mythological creature. I'll have another poem on the theme in the next issue of Star*Line.
Submit, submit, and submit again. You can't earn an acceptance without taking that risk.
Last year, I made a major push to write and send out more speculative poetry as part of a conscious effort to work through this submission phobia. I participated in April and November Poem A Day, and also wrote at least one new poem a month as part of my Write 1 Sub 1 goals. This translated to a goal of keeping out a minimum of 20 poems at any time, though for a brief period this month, I had 40 out.
I'm not fond of math, but this is a basic equation I've learned as far as my writing: the more you submit, the more likely you are to get accepted.
All of my acceptances so far in January--five--have been poetry. Three of those in the last two days, and to different publishers. I have eleven poems due to be published this year, and two of them were published this week.
Those two silly urban fantasy poems are in issue 36.1 of Star*Line. "The Truth About Unicorns" and "A Hairy Issue" started something of a series for me, wherein I disclose some unknown truth about a mythological creature. I'll have another poem on the theme in the next issue of Star*Line.
Submit, submit, and submit again. You can't earn an acceptance without taking that risk.
January 20, 2013
Sunday Quote wonders where the month has gone
“Constant work, constant writing and constant revision. The real writer learns nothing from life. He is more like an oyster or a sponge. What he takes in he takes in normally the way any person takes in experience. But it is what is done with it in his mind, if he is a real writer, that makes his art.” ~Gore Vidal
January 18, 2013
Resolutions and Writing
Most articles and blog posts on resolutions hit the first week of January. "Being timely" and all that. It's silly, really. People start the year all motivated. By February or March, reality sets in. Those helpful articles on losing weight will be replaced by advertisements for chocolate.
No matter what writing goals you set, take heart! All is not lost (unless your hard drive died, in which case it IS lost, but don't let that kill all of your motivation to write).
1) Set a new start date.
January 1st is not the only day you can set as a start date for goals. Look at the excitement that builds for NaNoWriMo every November 1st. It's a set date when the magic happens. Make your own magic, even if it's February 22nd, March 2nd, or April 13th.
2) Make your writing goals specific.
This is one goal that resolution mumbo-jumbo writers like to harp about, but it carries truth. There's a world of difference between saying "I'm going to write this year" and "I'm going to write at least 30,000 words of shorts stories and keep at least two on submission at all times." Goals are designed to keep you accountable, so if your goal is wishy-washy, it gives you too many excuses to be wishy-washy.
This is one reason I like Write 1 Sub 1. It gives you a specific time span to achieve your goal: one story written and submitted each week, or one story and written and submitted each month.
3) Reward yourself for a job well done.
Look at this one on little scales and big scales. Meet your weekly goal? Get yourself a treat--Starbucks, an evening out, a new writing journal, something. If you meet your big goal--say, finish NaNoWriMo with over 50,000 words--go big. Get yourself a new monitor, or Scrivener. Something cool, something useful. If money's tight, make your reward an experience--a day trip or a visit to a friend or teacher you haven't seen in forever.
It's sometimes nice to have a deadline right before a vacation; that way you can work yourself into a frenzy, get it done, and then give your brain a break.
If you don't make that deadline? Go home. See #1.
4) Accept that writing time isn't just about writing.
A writer should spend the bulk of time writing, yes, but there are other essential parts of a writing career: filing, blog posts, research, revisions, critiques (giving and receiving), industry blogs, market research, etc. I have spent whole days on Duotrope, looking at poetry markets. I classify this as writing time. It's something that needs to be done. It's also something I might use as a semi-break after I do something like spend three days on a short story rough draft. Then the next day, I can proceed with revisions.
5) Keep a writing day planner.
One of the best ways to know what you need to do is by knowing what you're already done. Every year I get a day planner to use for my writing. I can use it to plan ahead for goals--market closures, scheduled blog posts, personal deadlines--but most importantly, I write down what I do each day. That includes places I submitted works, how many words I've written, what I have edited, etc.
For example, today is a lighter day of writing for me because I did errands and my son has a shorter day of school. This is what I have listed:
X - Bready or Not post: Chewy Raisin Cookies [scheduled]
- Write Chicken Soup holiday story [1100 word max]
- Blog prep
What I'm doing now is classified under blog prep, but I also went on LJ and scheduled three forthcoming posts on my blog. I have the opening of the Chicken Soup story done, but I'll have the rough draft by the end of the day and note that word count. The Bready or Not post was scheduled, and I verified that it posted, so I checked it off.
Writing can be discouraging at times, especially when it feels like you're not making any progress. It makes me feel better to look back and see I edited so-and-so, sent off submissions, wrote a poem, and started on a new story, all in a week. If you're just starting out, it's great to just start by doing one writing-related thing each day.
6) Accept that life happens.
Goals are great. Being kept accountable by a planner is great. But life is mean and nasty and crappy things happen. You get sick. The kids gets sick. Your hard drive dies. Your cat is deathly ill. There's a horrible deadline at work. You're on a road trip and it's just plain not feasible to write.
There are valid reasons to not write. But if you feel that itch to tell a story, you know there are even more valid reasons to write. Take care of yourself, your family, the job that pays the bill. Then take care of your soul and tell those stories.
No matter what the day of the year it is, go back to #1. Reset your goal. Find where you saved last. Resume the journey.
No matter what writing goals you set, take heart! All is not lost (unless your hard drive died, in which case it IS lost, but don't let that kill all of your motivation to write).
1) Set a new start date.
January 1st is not the only day you can set as a start date for goals. Look at the excitement that builds for NaNoWriMo every November 1st. It's a set date when the magic happens. Make your own magic, even if it's February 22nd, March 2nd, or April 13th.
2) Make your writing goals specific.
This is one goal that resolution mumbo-jumbo writers like to harp about, but it carries truth. There's a world of difference between saying "I'm going to write this year" and "I'm going to write at least 30,000 words of shorts stories and keep at least two on submission at all times." Goals are designed to keep you accountable, so if your goal is wishy-washy, it gives you too many excuses to be wishy-washy.
This is one reason I like Write 1 Sub 1. It gives you a specific time span to achieve your goal: one story written and submitted each week, or one story and written and submitted each month.
3) Reward yourself for a job well done.
Look at this one on little scales and big scales. Meet your weekly goal? Get yourself a treat--Starbucks, an evening out, a new writing journal, something. If you meet your big goal--say, finish NaNoWriMo with over 50,000 words--go big. Get yourself a new monitor, or Scrivener. Something cool, something useful. If money's tight, make your reward an experience--a day trip or a visit to a friend or teacher you haven't seen in forever.
It's sometimes nice to have a deadline right before a vacation; that way you can work yourself into a frenzy, get it done, and then give your brain a break.
If you don't make that deadline? Go home. See #1.
4) Accept that writing time isn't just about writing.
A writer should spend the bulk of time writing, yes, but there are other essential parts of a writing career: filing, blog posts, research, revisions, critiques (giving and receiving), industry blogs, market research, etc. I have spent whole days on Duotrope, looking at poetry markets. I classify this as writing time. It's something that needs to be done. It's also something I might use as a semi-break after I do something like spend three days on a short story rough draft. Then the next day, I can proceed with revisions.
5) Keep a writing day planner.
One of the best ways to know what you need to do is by knowing what you're already done. Every year I get a day planner to use for my writing. I can use it to plan ahead for goals--market closures, scheduled blog posts, personal deadlines--but most importantly, I write down what I do each day. That includes places I submitted works, how many words I've written, what I have edited, etc.
For example, today is a lighter day of writing for me because I did errands and my son has a shorter day of school. This is what I have listed:
X - Bready or Not post: Chewy Raisin Cookies [scheduled]
- Write Chicken Soup holiday story [1100 word max]
- Blog prep
What I'm doing now is classified under blog prep, but I also went on LJ and scheduled three forthcoming posts on my blog. I have the opening of the Chicken Soup story done, but I'll have the rough draft by the end of the day and note that word count. The Bready or Not post was scheduled, and I verified that it posted, so I checked it off.
Writing can be discouraging at times, especially when it feels like you're not making any progress. It makes me feel better to look back and see I edited so-and-so, sent off submissions, wrote a poem, and started on a new story, all in a week. If you're just starting out, it's great to just start by doing one writing-related thing each day.
6) Accept that life happens.
Goals are great. Being kept accountable by a planner is great. But life is mean and nasty and crappy things happen. You get sick. The kids gets sick. Your hard drive dies. Your cat is deathly ill. There's a horrible deadline at work. You're on a road trip and it's just plain not feasible to write.
There are valid reasons to not write. But if you feel that itch to tell a story, you know there are even more valid reasons to write. Take care of yourself, your family, the job that pays the bill. Then take care of your soul and tell those stories.
No matter what the day of the year it is, go back to #1. Reset your goal. Find where you saved last. Resume the journey.
January 16, 2013
Bready or Not: Cookies and Cream Cookies
There are times when normal cookies seem almost too healthy. I mean, flour is important in lots of foods. Butter is an awesome dairy product. Pure vanilla extract doesn't even have calories! And so, we must invent ways to make cookies just a little more naughty, a little more indulgent.
So hey, why not throw a partial pack of Oreos in there? It's indisputable proof that Oreos make everything better.*
[*Except bacon. Because bacon is so awesome it doesn't need improving. It's like cloning Chuck Norris.]
I modified this recipe by using Mint Oreos, which added a lovely fresh taste. Really, though, Oreos are like ninjas in these cookies. You can't see them since they are finely ground, but they really deepen the chocolate flavor.
Cookies and Cream Cookies
modified from Picky Palate
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips [I mixed mini semi-sweet and white chips]
1 cup cocoa powder
15 whole Oreo Cookies (mint, normal, or double-stuff), finely ground
1. In a mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat again.
2. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients along with cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, slowly mixing until just combined. Chill the dough for at least one hour, or your cookies will be very flat.
3. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease or line a large baking sheet.
4. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
OM NOM NOM.
So hey, why not throw a partial pack of Oreos in there? It's indisputable proof that Oreos make everything better.*
[*Except bacon. Because bacon is so awesome it doesn't need improving. It's like cloning Chuck Norris.]
I modified this recipe by using Mint Oreos, which added a lovely fresh taste. Really, though, Oreos are like ninjas in these cookies. You can't see them since they are finely ground, but they really deepen the chocolate flavor.
Cookies and Cream Cookies
modified from Picky Palate
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips [I mixed mini semi-sweet and white chips]
1 cup cocoa powder
15 whole Oreo Cookies (mint, normal, or double-stuff), finely ground
1. In a mixer, beat butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat again.
2. Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl. Add to wet ingredients along with cocoa powder, and chocolate chips, slowly mixing until just combined. Chill the dough for at least one hour, or your cookies will be very flat.
3. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Grease or line a large baking sheet.
4. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart from each other. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until cooked through. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
OM NOM NOM.
January 13, 2013
Sunday quote turns 33 today!
"I love books, by the way, way more than movies. Movies tell you what to think. A good book lets you choose a few thoughts for yourself. Movies show you the pink house. A good book tells you there's a pink house and lets you paint some of the finishing touches, maybe choose the roof style, park your own car out front. My imagination has always topped anything a movie could come up with." ~ Karen Marie Moning
January 12, 2013
Call for Submissions: Evil Girlfriend Media Anthologies
While at Cascade Writers last summer, I was in a fantastic critique group. No holds barred-style critiques! One of my peers is a very nice lady with a thing for zombies. Katie Cord has now started her own publishing company, Evil Girlfriend Media. They are accepting submissions for three anthologies with deadlines on the first of April, May, and June.
Also, they are holding a contest this weekend. If they get to 500 likes on their Facebook page, they'll give away one $25 Starbucks gift card.
Here's info on the anthologies. If you have any questions, Katie is very approachable. Feel free to drop her an email or a line on Facebook!
Roms, Bombs, and Zoms - Have you always dreamed of writing an explosive romantic zombie story? What about a war torn computerized society where everyone marches around drooling for RAM in 1987? We want stories involving a bomb (this can mean many things), romance, and zombies. Deadline April 1, 2013.
Witches, Stitches, and Bitches - What if you had the power to sew up the mouth of the evil bitch who called you fat in 10th grade? How would you deal with a curse that caused you to be infertile because you stole the heart of someone else’s love? Would you choose love or the ability to have children? We are looking for 13 stories involving a witch, a stitch, and a bitch. The stories will revolve around the witches’ calendar which begins with October. We would like five stories in the book to involve holidays (Samhain-we will take two- one to open the book and the other to close it, Yule, Beltane, and Mabon). If you plan to write a holiday story please identify this in your submission letter. Deadline May 1, 2013.
Stamps, Vamps, and Tramps - Have you always wanted to know what tattoos were used for in Roman times? What if a vampire was the one giving them out? How would a vampire prostitute handle her own with Jack the Ripper in foggy London while the local tattoo artist watched? We are looking for stories that include the history of tattoos (any time period), vampires (your preferred mythos), and tramps (whatever your definition of a tramp is). Human main characters are fine but vampires have to be in the story. There are 15 openings for this anthology. Submission deadline June 1, 2013.
Also, they are holding a contest this weekend. If they get to 500 likes on their Facebook page, they'll give away one $25 Starbucks gift card.
Here's info on the anthologies. If you have any questions, Katie is very approachable. Feel free to drop her an email or a line on Facebook!
Roms, Bombs, and Zoms - Have you always dreamed of writing an explosive romantic zombie story? What about a war torn computerized society where everyone marches around drooling for RAM in 1987? We want stories involving a bomb (this can mean many things), romance, and zombies. Deadline April 1, 2013.
Witches, Stitches, and Bitches - What if you had the power to sew up the mouth of the evil bitch who called you fat in 10th grade? How would you deal with a curse that caused you to be infertile because you stole the heart of someone else’s love? Would you choose love or the ability to have children? We are looking for 13 stories involving a witch, a stitch, and a bitch. The stories will revolve around the witches’ calendar which begins with October. We would like five stories in the book to involve holidays (Samhain-we will take two- one to open the book and the other to close it, Yule, Beltane, and Mabon). If you plan to write a holiday story please identify this in your submission letter. Deadline May 1, 2013.
Stamps, Vamps, and Tramps - Have you always wanted to know what tattoos were used for in Roman times? What if a vampire was the one giving them out? How would a vampire prostitute handle her own with Jack the Ripper in foggy London while the local tattoo artist watched? We are looking for stories that include the history of tattoos (any time period), vampires (your preferred mythos), and tramps (whatever your definition of a tramp is). Human main characters are fine but vampires have to be in the story. There are 15 openings for this anthology. Submission deadline June 1, 2013.
January 11, 2013
Call for Submissions: Cancer Anthology
My good friend and editor of Niteblade Magazine, Rhonda Parrish, will be editing a new anthology on the subject of cancer. It's a personal effort for Rhonda, as she recently lost her mother. She wants shorts stories and poetry. Here's the official call.
---
Call for Submissions
Cancer scares us. It scares us and it intrigues us. There is so much we don’t know about it, but it’s out there, waiting to strike when we least expect it. Cancer is not all-powerful and many people beat it, but to those who don’t cancer is cruel. It doesn’t show them the kindness of a quick death but draws things out, taking their life away in slices.
(ANTHOLOGY TITLE)* will be a fantasy/sci-fi anthology all about cancer. The stories and poetry included could feature a character with cancer, be written from the point of view of cancer, or even be by someone with cancer. That being said, those which go a step further and dig deeper will be even better.
What if cancer isn’t a disease but an attack on the human race by aliens/demons/monsters/terrorists?
What if it’s sentient?
What if people wanted to get cancer?
What if…?
Cancer is the body turning on itself. It’s uncontrolled growth. It is invisible and indiscriminate. Submissions to this anthology are encouraged to explore metaphorical approaches to this theme as well as literal ones.
Due to the nature of cancer this collection will tend toward the darker side of the speculative fiction spectrum but we don’t want the entire anthology to be gloomy and depressing so the absolute best submissions will find a way to end on a high note, find something to be optimistic about, or evoke an emotion other than (or in addition to) sadness or dread.
A portion of the proceeds from this anthology will be donated to the American Cancer Society.**
The editor for this anthology is Rhonda Parrish.
How to Submit:
I are looking for stories up to 7,500 words long and poems up to 40 lines long.
Please follow standard manuscript formatting when submitting (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html) and send your submission to editor@wolfsingerpubs.com as an .rtf file.
Put ‘Cancer Submission – “the title of your submission” – your last name’ as the subject of your email.
No simultaneous submissions, please.
You may send up to five poems and one story.
No reprints.
Payment is $10.00 advance with an equal share of 25% of royalties.
Deadline: June 30, 2013
*The publisher and I haven’t settled on a title for this anthology yet, but if you have a super great idea we’d love to hear it. Wolfsinger Publications is holding a contest on their Facebook page to name this book. Best of all, if we choose your title you’ll receive a free copy of the book when it’s finished.
**If you’re like me you’re always a little suspicious of vague phrasing like ‘some portion of the proceeds’ when it comes to charity donations. The reason I can’t say specifically yet what percentage of royalties are going to charity is because each contributor will be given the option of donating their percentage of their royalties or not as they’d prefer. The royalty breakdown looks like this:
25% – American Cancer Society
25% – Editor (me)
25% – Publisher
25% – Shared between contributors
and I am donating my royalties as well. So that means at least 50% of the proceeds from this project will be going to the American Cancer Society.
Please help spread the word about this anthology and, if you’re a writer, consider submitting something too.
reposted from here.
---
Call for Submissions
Cancer scares us. It scares us and it intrigues us. There is so much we don’t know about it, but it’s out there, waiting to strike when we least expect it. Cancer is not all-powerful and many people beat it, but to those who don’t cancer is cruel. It doesn’t show them the kindness of a quick death but draws things out, taking their life away in slices.
(ANTHOLOGY TITLE)* will be a fantasy/sci-fi anthology all about cancer. The stories and poetry included could feature a character with cancer, be written from the point of view of cancer, or even be by someone with cancer. That being said, those which go a step further and dig deeper will be even better.
What if cancer isn’t a disease but an attack on the human race by aliens/demons/monsters/terrorists?
What if it’s sentient?
What if people wanted to get cancer?
What if…?
Cancer is the body turning on itself. It’s uncontrolled growth. It is invisible and indiscriminate. Submissions to this anthology are encouraged to explore metaphorical approaches to this theme as well as literal ones.
Due to the nature of cancer this collection will tend toward the darker side of the speculative fiction spectrum but we don’t want the entire anthology to be gloomy and depressing so the absolute best submissions will find a way to end on a high note, find something to be optimistic about, or evoke an emotion other than (or in addition to) sadness or dread.
A portion of the proceeds from this anthology will be donated to the American Cancer Society.**
The editor for this anthology is Rhonda Parrish.
How to Submit:
I are looking for stories up to 7,500 words long and poems up to 40 lines long.
Please follow standard manuscript formatting when submitting (http://www.shunn.net/format/story.html) and send your submission to editor@wolfsingerpubs.com as an .rtf file.
Put ‘Cancer Submission – “the title of your submission” – your last name’ as the subject of your email.
No simultaneous submissions, please.
You may send up to five poems and one story.
No reprints.
Payment is $10.00 advance with an equal share of 25% of royalties.
Deadline: June 30, 2013
*The publisher and I haven’t settled on a title for this anthology yet, but if you have a super great idea we’d love to hear it. Wolfsinger Publications is holding a contest on their Facebook page to name this book. Best of all, if we choose your title you’ll receive a free copy of the book when it’s finished.
**If you’re like me you’re always a little suspicious of vague phrasing like ‘some portion of the proceeds’ when it comes to charity donations. The reason I can’t say specifically yet what percentage of royalties are going to charity is because each contributor will be given the option of donating their percentage of their royalties or not as they’d prefer. The royalty breakdown looks like this:
25% – American Cancer Society
25% – Editor (me)
25% – Publisher
25% – Shared between contributors
and I am donating my royalties as well. So that means at least 50% of the proceeds from this project will be going to the American Cancer Society.
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reposted from here.
January 9, 2013
Bready or Not: Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Welcome to our second installment of 2013 Diet Sabotage!
I love baking for people--I love feeding people, period. I never go to my husband's work, but everyone there knows me. I have something of a reputation: I'm the one who's trying to murder them with delicious cookies.
Every so often, these people seek out their own demise. My husband came home from work one day and said, "A guy at work has a request for you. He wants a really good, chewy raisin and oatmeal cookie."
I took this on as a personal challenge.
I wanted a recipe that was highly rated, one that was reliable and oh-so-good. This also meant I needed the best ingredients, too. I'm from the great San Joaquin Valley of California, home of the California Raisins. On a 3rd grade field trip, we toured the Sun-Maid Raisin factory in the Raisin Capital of the World, Selma. I love me some good raisins--and by far, I prefer golden raisins.
These cookies are amazing. The raisins bake up like succulent nuggets of gold. The other key elements here are the high amount of brown sugar and that full tablespoon of vanilla. Oh, the flavor!
You know what? My husband's co-workers absolutely agreed.
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
from The Girl Who Ate Everything
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 heaping cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions:
1)Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat, or use seasoned stoneware.
2) Melt butter and let cool slightly.
3) Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4) In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the flour mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and nuts (if using). Mix until just blended.
5) Using a tablespoon scoop, place dough balls on pan. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown and the middle is still soft. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
OM NOM NOM.
I love baking for people--I love feeding people, period. I never go to my husband's work, but everyone there knows me. I have something of a reputation: I'm the one who's trying to murder them with delicious cookies.
Every so often, these people seek out their own demise. My husband came home from work one day and said, "A guy at work has a request for you. He wants a really good, chewy raisin and oatmeal cookie."
I took this on as a personal challenge.
I wanted a recipe that was highly rated, one that was reliable and oh-so-good. This also meant I needed the best ingredients, too. I'm from the great San Joaquin Valley of California, home of the California Raisins. On a 3rd grade field trip, we toured the Sun-Maid Raisin factory in the Raisin Capital of the World, Selma. I love me some good raisins--and by far, I prefer golden raisins.
These cookies are amazing. The raisins bake up like succulent nuggets of gold. The other key elements here are the high amount of brown sugar and that full tablespoon of vanilla. Oh, the flavor!
You know what? My husband's co-workers absolutely agreed.
Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
from The Girl Who Ate Everything
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 heaping cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions:
1)Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat, or use seasoned stoneware.
2) Melt butter and let cool slightly.
3) Mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
4) In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the cinnamon, vanilla, egg, and egg yolk for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy. Mix in the flour mixture. Add the oats, raisins, and nuts (if using). Mix until just blended.
5) Using a tablespoon scoop, place dough balls on pan. Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the edges are slightly brown and the middle is still soft. Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
OM NOM NOM.
