Great read:

I've just finished Aryn Kyle's collection Boys and Girls Like You and Me and, wow, it was fantastic.... and sublime and wondrous. I loved it. I took my time, savoring each story, delighting in how each made me feel: inspired, alive, connected to something larger than myself. I thoroughly enjoyed each one and the collection as a whole. My favorites: Economics, Take Care, Allegiance, Boys and Girls Like You and Me.

If you haven't read this yet, do. Rent, borrow or buy it: you'll love it.

(Chap)Book Heaven

I received a fantastic collection of (chap)books in yesterday's mail. Many thanks to Ethel Rohan. She hosted a giveaway over at her blog, and I won! I'm super excited to read these:

Ethel Rohan, Cut Through the Bone
William Walsh, Pathologies
Claudia Smith, Put Your Head In My Lap
Matthew Salesses, Our Island of Epidemics
Sean Lovelace, How Some People Like Their Eggs
Rusty Barnes, Breaking it Down
xTx, He Is Talking to the Fat Lady
Molly Gaudry, We Take Me Apart
Peter Schwartz, Old Men, Girls, and Monsters
Issue 2 of Sententia

I don't expect I'll get much writing done in the next little while as I'll have my nose buried in these books. But that's okay. Curling up with a great read (or 10!) is a soul-satisfying way to wile away the snowy days.

Ethel: thank you, thank you.

Star Trails

Here's my 1st attempt at star trails. I realize some folks look at these with a yawn, but I'm simply fascinated with the idea of capturing stars (and the movement of them!) with a camera. There is so much to learn and the conditions have to be just right... I tried on 3 different nights during a recent trip to Florida. I thought: Florida? Warm! Not so. The 1st night it was 32 degrees... my ankle-length pants and sweatshirt weren't nearly warm enough. By the 3rd night of staying up late (airplane traffic dies down considerably after 11 p.m.), I was practicing sleeping while standing up. I know there are lots of things to be improved for my next try, but I'm pleased nonetheless.

Another Acceptance

Received an acceptance yesterday (Christmas Day!) for a short-short from editor Clifford Garstang of Prime Number Magazine. First off: two acceptances in the same month is a first for me. It's a little sad when put like that, but, really, the important part is that it's very, very exciting. Secondly: the email was sent on Christmas Day. What an awesome Christmas present!! And what a hard working editor Clifford must be to be working on Christmas Day. I'm thrilled and very honored.

An Acceptance

Received an acceptance letter today for a short story of mine from Editor-in-Chief Kasey Bunner of The Evansville Review. I'm thrilled!!! I have to say that when I opened the envelope, I was expecting a rejection. So when I caught "pleasure" and "welcome" I did a double take. I started over from the beginning, reading slowly and then I read it out loud to my husband. The grin on my face lasted well over an hour. Did I mention how thrilled I am??

Great reads:

I've been reading again (in between watering my evergreen trees for the last time before the ground freezes, and hosting an engagement party for my daughter, and polishing up a story that's finally (yay!) out making the rounds, and and and... you get the idea). This is my long-winded way of saying that I've come across some wonderful stories, stories worth checking out:

From the Fall 2010 issue, #30, of Frigg: "Last Lilacs" by Clifford Garstang - and - "Blooms" by Kathy Fish. Both of these are full and rich and captivating.

From the October 2010 Special Issue of Foundling Review: "On A Date" by Ethel Rohan. This is tender and smart and a real treat.

From Issue 18 of Per Contra: "The Parking Victim" by Robert Kaye. I love the way an ordinary object takes on new meaning in this story. What I admire and what intrigues me about stories like this one is their ability to do something with an ordinary object that would never occur to me.

From the 26th Collection of The Year's Best Science Fiction: "N-Words" by Ted Kosmatka. Yes, this is sci-fi, but don't let that scare you. I love when sci-fi and literary worlds blend; the result is usually a well-written story about intriguing, creative possibilities. This story is no exception.

A Study in Fall Grasses

Some pictures I took last week (when the weather was exceptionally nice for these parts!) of the grasses in our backyard. These are ordinary grasses all summer long, but come fall - wow - they sprout wispy feather-like tops full of texture that move in the breeze.