Great reads:

I visited the local Barnes & Noble while I was out of town recently and picked up a couple of journals that my hometown B&N doesn't carry. I love, LOVE the stories I found:

From the #6 - Spring/Summer 2010 issue of HOW Journal:

"Economics" by Aryn Kyle. I fell in love, all over again, with words while reading this story! I realize this sounds a bit strange because, really, words are just words, right? No! They are so much more. I found myself pausing as I read this, letting the beauty of the prose sink in. I even read a passage to my husband (whose reading list includes entrepreneur type publications, as well as sports magazines) because I was so enamored with it.

"Confabulated Stories: The Doctor's Wife, From 1960-1962" by Luis Jaramillo. The style is more sparse than not and the story is broken up into sections, each with its own subtitle. The wife/mother is never given a name, always referred to as "the Doctor's Wife." But all these combine into a charming, engaging story.

From the Spring 2010 issue of The Pinch:

"The Apple And Paradise Too" by Erica Johnson Debeljak. I slipped right into this story. The prose was colorful and warm; it enveloped and lured me in.

"High School And The Mysteries Of Everything Else" by David Borofka. Interestingly enough, this story is also separated into distinct sections, each with its own subtitle. David creates a very likable character in Leanne, one who is at once smart, witty, and vulnerable.

Fireworks!

I've been playing around with my camera (code for trying to learn how to USE it) and thought the fireworks presented a terrific opportunity to experiment with nighttime photography. I did lots of research beforehand, attempting to assimilate the various required settings and admit the most frustrating part was trying to figure out how to GET TO the "bulb" setting. But I found it! I was pleasantly surprised at how well the photos turned out - they look like actual fireworks! It was a lot of fun though fending off the mosquitos was not.

Bitter Oleander

Received an acceptance for a short-short of mine from editor Paul Roth of The Bitter Oleander. Woo-hoo!!! To say that I'm swooning over-the-top thrilled would be an understatement.

The fall issue should be out in October.

It was the nicest acceptance letter I've ever received. Did I mention how thrilled I am??