Sunday Submissions

Hello Readers, here’s another feature I’m adding for the new year called Sunday Submissions – here I’ll focus on Call for Submissions and Contests. 

Below is a Call for Submissions from Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing

 

NOW OPEN FOR SUBMISSIONS

EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing is delighted to announce that the Professor Challenger Anthology, is now open for submissions.

Submissions close May 31, 2012.

EDITORS

J.R. Campbell and Charles Prepolec.

WHAT WE’RE AFTER

A broad range of new and original stories built around Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s LOST WORLD character Professor George Edward Challenger. Stories derived from the aftermath of events in the Lost World are welcome however simply revisiting or rehashing the Lost World without good cause is not. Challenger is a man of science first and foremost, not an explorer. Mash-ups or crossovers with public domain literary characters are welcome.

For inspiration think X-files, Quartermass, DR. Who, cryptozoology, aliens among us, supernatural occurrences, science gone awry in a Dr. Moreau, Invisible Man, Dr Jekyll vein, nature run amuck, monsters large and small, world threatening cataclysm, Lovecraft mythos, think H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, E.R. Burroghs, John Wyndham, Nigel Kneale, alternate history, new lost places, steampunk, whatever — Be creative.

Mine the potential for all it’s worth! Push it out there, get weird, play, have fun!

SUBMISSION DETAILS:

 

• The anthology is part invitation and part open submission. Priority will be given to invited authors but an invitation to submit is not a guarantee of acceptance. A minimum of two slots will be held for open submissions. Acceptance is based entirely on suitability of story and quality of writing.
• The maximum length for stories is 10,000 words, with shorter works preferred.
• Deadline: May 31, 2012 – midnight).
• Do not query before submitting.
• Email submissions to: Charles@bakerstreetdozen.com
• Emails MUSTcontain the word “submission” in the subject line, or they will be deleted automatically by the server. Please also include the story title in the subject line.
• Submissions MUSTcome in an attachment: Rich Text Format (.rtf) or Microsoft Word (.doc) are the only acceptable formats.
• Emails MUSTcontain a cover letter in the body of the email; for security reasons, email attachments with no cover letter will be deleted unread and unanswered.
• Cover letter: include your name, the title of your story, your full contact information (address, phone, email), and a brief bio. Do not describe or summarize the story.
• Reprints (stories having previously appeared in English in any format, print or electronic, including but not limited to any form of web publication) will NOT be considered.
• Submission format: no strange formatting, colour fonts, changing fonts, borders, backgrounds, etc. Leave italics in italics, NOT underlined. Put your full contact information on the first page (name, address, email address, phone). No headers, no footers, no page numbering. DO NOT leave a blank line between paragraphs. Indent paragraphs. ALWAYS put a # to indicate scene breaks (a blank line is NOT enough).
• ALWAYSinclude your full contact information (name/address/email/phone number) on the first page of the attached submission.
• This is a professional market paying up to 5 cents per word plus a single copy of the book. Full rate to 7,500 words, half rate for balance to 10,000 words.
• Rights: for original fiction, first World English publication, with a two-month exclusive from publication date; for all, non-exclusive anthology rights; all other rights remain with the author.
• Spelling: the editors will consider stories using British, Canadian and American spellings.
• Response time: initial responses (no / rewrite request / hold for further consideration) will be prompt, usually within fifteen days. Please query if you’ve not heard back within 30 days.
• We do not advise that you submit more than one story.
• Simultaneous submissions are not encouraged but are acceptable. Should you receive a “rewrite request” or “hold for further consideration” response, please indicate immediately whether your story is under consideration anywhere else.
• Publication date: TBA (trade paperback & e-Book).
• Email submissions to: Charles@bakerstreetdozen.com

Double Trouble Tuesday!

Falling for Grace by Maddie James

Former ballerina Gracie Hart is now known as the Diva of Romance in small town Franklinville, KY. The owner of a successful, sophisticated boutique called Romantically Yours, she lives a quiet life, healing from the tragedy that took not only ballet from her, but her fiance, as well. Who would have guessed that she has no intention of ever falling in love again, no matter how loudly her biological clock keeps ticking?

That is, until her new tenants, Carson Price and his six-year-old daughter Izzie, arrive on the scene and proceed to wreak havoc in her life, and her heart. And when that happens, she has not only to face her past, but the future.

Speaking of Past and Future….

Slipping the Past

by: D.L. Jackson

Some love affairs last a lifetime…others never end.

Fifty years into the future, if you’re one of the damned, you don’t run for your life, you run to save your soul. Jocelyn Miller is wanted for crimes she committed before she was born. Homeless, blind and out in the elements on one of the coldest nights of the year, her desperation results in a bad decision. When Jocelyn and her brother Nate rob a convenience store, Jocelyn comes face to face with her worst nightmare and greatest love, a reaper named Gabriel.

Gabriel Solaris is an Enforcer, a genetically enhanced psychic often referred to as a reaper for his ability to take souls, and he’s charged with collecting Jocelyn’s. When he finds Jocelyn outside the store, he’s sure she’s up to something illegal. Proving it isn’t necessary. He holds a warrant and it’s all he needs. But the closer Gabriel gets to Jocelyn, the more he begins to question his duty and why he believes her claims of innocence. When Jocelyn tells him she loved him once, Gabriel loses control and kisses her. Instead of taking her soul, he gives her a week to prove innocence in her past-life crimes, something he has no authority to grant.

Saturday Sexcerpt – Blood Crystal by Jannifer Hoffman

Here’s our Saturday Sexcerpt given to us by Jannifer Hoffman From Blood Crystal:

Stephen and Dani are on the run. They don’t know the bad guys from the good guys.

Stephen dropped the towel he had in his hand and covered the four steps separating them. “Get your clothes off, baby cakes, we’re burning darkness.”

Laughing, Dani stood up to undo her jeans. “You do know how to romance a lady.” Both her jeans and underpants barely hit the floor when his firm body came against her. He pulled her into his arms and brought his mouth down on her lips with a need so hungry it stole her breath away. She ran her hands greedily over the taut skin on his back and arms. His body was warm and smooth and she couldn’t get enough of touching him.

He stepped back long enough to pull her t-shirt over her head, then laid her back on the bed. He was between her legs in an instant, reaching down to touch her.

“Dani, Dani, you are so ready for me. I love that about you. Someday we won’t be rushed and I’m going to take my time making love to you.” When he pressed into her, filling her with his rigid member, she gasped with pleasure. He started moving against her then stopped, suddenly motionless.

Her heart raced even faster than it had been. She thought he heard something. When he pulled out and reached for his jeans, she panicked.

“What is it?” she whispered.

“I forgot the condom.”

She drew her hands up and ran them through her hair. “Oh my gosh, you scared the daylights out of me.”

He had the little packet ripped open and he hesitated looking at her. “Would you rather have a baby? Say the word.”

“Will you just get that damn thing on and get back here. We can talk about procreating another time.”

Stephen chuckled and was back on top of her in three seconds. Then he was back inside of her, moving slow and easy, driving her out of her mind.

He kissed her eyes, her mouth, her cheeks, and worked his way back to her lips. “Oh honey, you feel so good. You’re so tight. So hot. You must have a furnace inside you.”

He continued making love to her with his body and his words. She wrapped her legs around him and drew him tighter and closer while his deliberate easy motion brought her to the verge of ecstasy and held her there for longer than seemed possible. She heard herself begging him to end it. His hands came under her, gripping her buttocks and crying out her name over and over when he found his release. The sound he made finally took her over the edge with him.

You can find more Jannifer Hoffman romances on her website:

www.janniferhoffman.com

See you on Tuesday with another Double Trouble!

Tina

AuThursday – Jannifer Hoffman

Please join me in welcoming Jannifer Hoffman to The Clog Blog.  Welcome Jannifer, we are so happy to have you back!  On to our questions…

Q: How long have you been writing?

I started Ceremony of Deception in 1974 (Yikes) after reading The Flame and the Flower and Sweet Savage Love.  The 1972 Robert Redford movie Jeremiah Johnson inspired it. I did spend 15 years in there were I gave up writing. I started again in 1998 when I did Secrets of the Heart.

 

Q: To date which of your books was the hardest to write and why? 

Definitely Ceremony of Deception.  Writing historicals takes a lot of research. But more important after the first two or three drafts I realized I didn’t know anything about writing. I joined a writers group and started taking every writing class I could find. Did I mention Ceremony probably had 25 drafts!
Q:  Which country would you most like to visit and why?

I’ve been on 26 cruises. So I’d have a hard time naming a country I haven’t been to. (Did I mention I love to cruise?) On second thought, I guess maybe Egypt. I haven’t seen the Pyramids. By the way, nearly all my trips were paid for by sewing.

 
Q:  Which author would you most like to meet and why?

Going to writers conferences I’ve met a lot of authors. I loved meeting Jennifer Cruise and Bob Mayer who did a workshop together. I would like to meet Susan Elizabeth Phillips. I even like yellow books after reading “Nobody’s baby but Mine” I guess that’s what inspired Random Fire.

 

I think Bob Mayer is a genius when it comes to explainining the biz and how to plot. 

 Q:  What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both? Do you use mood music, candles, no noise, when you write?

I can sit down and write in the middle of a wild party. I’m a pantser. I envy people who can do outlines. It just doesn’t work for me.  I do have some goals I head toward but they don’t go too far in advance. I read a quote the other day that I love. “Writing is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as the headlights but you can make the whole trip that way.” That describes me perfectly. I don’t remember who said it.

 

 Q:  What do you feel is the most important aspect for all new authors to remember when writing or creating their own stories?

Patience and perseverance and don’t quite your day job. And don’t expect to become rich unless you can come up with a gimmick like Harry Potter. It could take a long time to get to where Sandra Brown, Nora Roberts, etc, etc. are.  . I can’t believe myself I’ve written nine books. When people ask me how they should start writng I say, “One word at a time.”

 
Q:  What do you think is the biggest misconception in erotic romance fiction?

Frankly, I don’t understand the popularity of the genre. They must be geared for people who are younger than I am. They do sell is all I know. I have one planned for that reason, but I won’t be publishing it under my own name.

 

I understand perfectly…it’s the reason I have a pseudonym.  And I’m always happy the genre is popular.   🙂   

Q:  What is on tap for 2012?

I have one book due in February for a September release and another due in July for a December release.

 

 Q:  Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

I have a website:  www.janniferhoffman.com

Join me on Saturday when we read a Sexy Excerpt from Jannifer’s Book, Blood Crystal.

Until then…be Naughty,

Tina

Double Trouble Tuesday!

Dr. Jordan Scott is banking everything, including her life, that she can simply disappear into thin air, forget the nightmare she left behind in New York, and never be found again by her ex- fiance Caesar Santiago or his powerful family.

Detective Riley Donavan believes the pretty doctor knows more than she’s telling him. Can they work together to solve the murder of her brother, or will they end up the next victims of the crime lord?

Welcome to the future! The year is 3025, and humans are fast becoming extinct. Nizhoni of Mojave Earth Clan knows her spirit guide will protect by giving her the power of the wolf. When she unwittingly bites another human, she flees.

Michael of the Air Clan has searched for the woman he calls Beauty; the one who turned him into a creature of the moon. When he finds her living among the Mojave, he believes he can finally claim her. There’s only one problem. She’s already married.

Together Nizhoni and Michael must battle her former lover, the Yee Naaldlooshi, or feared skin-walker. The fate of their love and humankind hang in the balance. If Beauty can’t have her mate and save the world, she’s going to be a real Beast.

Do you have a Double Trouble?  Comment below and I’ll track you down for the Details

Tina

Saturday Sexcerpt – Leap of Faith by JL Wilson

Leap of Faith by JL Wilson

Dru Delaney, a planetary Leader on Delmorna, has her work cut out for her: save a hidden race of humans from a deadly virus, stabilize her shaky government, thwart a merciless woman’s scheme to take over the leadership, and avoid Jak Exo–her lover, her enemy, and a man-machine “blend.” Along the way she may have to fight a war, adopt a small child, be kidnapped, and escape…and discover her own humanity among the cloned humans she’s vowed to help.

 

 

 

Here’s a snippet where Dru decides she might forgive Jak.

 “I haven’t slept with anyone,” she whispered. When she raised her eyes and met his, he saw tears making her eyes glisten. “Not since the night we slept together.”

“Neither have I.” He lowered his head. “I was afraid if I did…”

Their lips touched. I was afraid to lose the memory, she whispered in his mind.

The touch of her lips ignited something in him. Jak tightened his hold, her body melding against his. He was consumed by her nearness, her taste, her scent. Everything about Dru seemed to fill him until he was drowning in her.

“I can’t.” She drew back with a gasp. “Jak, I can’t. You lied to me. I don’t know—”

Jak pulled her gently toward the bed. “Please, Dru. Please.” He moved his hand under her shirt and touched her breast, so warm and soft in his palm. She moaned with pleasure and Jak remembered the feeling of his hands on her body. He leaned back and she went with him, falling back on the bed and staring at him with a look that reflected his own hunger and desire

Jak, she murmured, her voice like a whisper touch on his psyche.

He stared into her eyes and for a heartbeat he felt as if he’d lost track of himself. Something was happening to him as he touched her. He knew with a certainty that if they made love, his life would be forever changed. Her mind, her body, and her spirit would be meshed with his and his with hers. This would change them forever. Jak started to pull away then he saw the love and wanting in her eyes.

All rational thought flew out the window as a burning heat ignited in his belly. Hands fumbled with clothing and soon Dru was lying next to him on the bed, his hands caressing her now naked body, her hands caressing him. The need to experience her was overwhelming. He’d thought about this all during the long, cold season past. Jak started to prop himself up on his elbows to cover her when she moved down his body, tasting his chest, his stomach, his thighs. Her soft hair brushed against his chest then his stomach as her tongue and lips nipped at him.

AuThursday – JL Wilson

JL Wilson also writes for Resplendence Publishing.  Let’s get down to it shall we:

Q: How long have you been writing?

I’m a professional technical writer and I’ve been doing that for almost 30 years. As to fiction, I started to seriously write in 2004 and I sold my first book in 2006.

Q:  What books have most influenced your life most?

Different books influenced me at different times. My mother served on the Library Board in my town, so she was a buyer and she let me help select books (what a fun time that was!) She encouraged me to read outside my age group, and I did so, reading a lot of mysteries and science fiction when I was young.

In high school I read a lot of classics. Then I went to college and majored in English and I fell in love with William Dean Howells, William and Henry James, and Scott Fitzgerald. Along the way, I read a lot of mysteries and science fiction: John Creasy, Anne Perry, Robert Heinlein, Frank Herbert.

I think three books that influenced me most are Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I had never read a romance novel before reading that, and it opened up realms of reading to me. I read that book in 2003 and I realized, as I read it, that she wrote exactly the book she wanted and she got published. Maybe there was hope for me.

Another book was …And Ladies of the Club. This was written by an elderly lady and is a charming novel about life at the turn of the last century. Again: she wrote exactly what she wanted, persevered, and got published.

And lastly is Frank Herbert’s Dune. It was such a richly developed world with such strong characters.

All three of those books taught me to follow my heart in my writing and to write the story that I want to read. If I do that, the book will appeal to others.

Q:  What is your writing process? Do you outline, fly by the seat of your pants or a combination of both? Do you use mood music, candles, no noise, when you write?

I fly by the seat of my pants, mostly. I usually start with the germ of an idea. Here’s what I’m working on now: a woman’s late husband, a firefighter, was killed in a fire. His ghost comes back to haunt her when the investigation into his death is reopened. She feels guilty because the last words she spoke to him were to tell him she wanted a divorce.

Now: where will the book go from there? Who will the hero be: the late husband? Or the ex-cop whose wife was also killed in the fire and the man who requested that the investigation be re-opened. Where will it take place? When (spring? Summer? Fall?) Who’s the bad guy? Why was he killed?

What is her motivation for finding his killer? How will she manage her guilt? What kind of person is she? What are her habits, her loves, her dislikes?

Somehow, by the time I’m done, I’ve created the people, answered the questions, and had a lot of fun writing the book.

Q:  Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

I tend to get sloppy when I have an idea I want to get on the page. I repeat words, phrases, or my characters will often sound alike. I have to go back through and tweak it, looking for my ‘bads’ – I keep a list of words handy and I search for those to change them. And I make sure to read each character’s dialog separately from other dialog, so I can be sure it sounds true to the character.

Q:  Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?

I don’t travel to do research, but a lot of what I see on my travels ends up in my books. I do travel, though, on book-related business because I attend several writing conferences a year, and frequently speak on panels and give talks.

Q:  How much research do you do for a book?

For my historical books (the History Patrol series) I do extensive research. Those books involve time travel so I have to make sure my details are correct.

For my contemporary mysteries, I have to do a moderate amount of research. I usually end up talking to someone in ‘the business’ – a firefighter, a cop, etc. And of course I love to search the Web and find details, etc. I keep all of that sort of information in a spiral notebook, one for each book and it goes with me wherever I go.

Q:  Do you have any advice for other writers?

I teach a writing class, and I try to stress that your writing should be enjoyable for you. It should never become a chore, because if it does, that will come out in your words. Enjoy what you do, make time for your writing every day (even if it’s just carving out a few minutes), and keep learning. You can always take online classes, talk with other writers, join a writing group – think of yourself as a Writer and act accordingly.

Q:  What are your current projects?

I had 11 books release in 2011 (see my web site, jayellwilson.com, for the complete list). Some were new releases, some were re-releases, and some were print versions of previously released digital books. So in 2012 I’ll be promoting those books.

I’m planning on a mid-year release in 2012 for Twistered, my Oz-as-mystery story.  I’m now working on using Winnie the Pooh as the basis for a murder mystery (yes, my mind works in odd ways). I’m also working on a new History Patrol novel, this one set in 1897 and it involves the assassin of John Wilkes’ Booth (the man who killed Booth—true story).

Q:  How did you come up with the idea for your “New Human” series?

The series began as a conclusion to a 6-book series I’ve been writing, off and on, for a year or more. That series is set in an alternate America, and when I mapped out the final book in the series, I thought, “What am I going to do with my villains?” There is a rival group vying for power on Earth and I couldn’t just kill them all off. So I sent them to a new planet—Delmorna.

Once I got them on the planet, so to speak, I had to decide what to do with them. That gave me an opportunity to address what I perceive as many social problems: racial inequality, law enforcement issues, and poverty. This was a whole new world I could design myself. And I had a lot of fun doing it!

I think that’s why it appeals to people—they see a lot of our current problems ‘solved’ but other problems crop up along the way. I think it gives people hope that by working together, the big problems can be resolved.

Q:  Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

My web site is a good place to start since it has pointed to other spots: http://www.jayellwilson.com.

Or readers can find me at Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/jayellwilson ) or Twitter (@JLwriter).

Double Trouble Tuesday!

Welcome to the first Double Trouble Tuesday!  This is where I compare two items that are similar in this case it’s book trailers with something in common.

Alien Sex 101 by Allie Ritch

Over My Undead Body by Debbie Cairo

Join me for more Double Trouble next Tuesday!

Love,

Tina

Happy Naughty New Year!

New format for the New Year!
Tuesdays: Double-Trouble Tuesdays. Check out the first Tuesday of the new year to see what it’s all about.

I’ll also continue my free blog story at Nightlight.

I’ve taken over Editorial Blog at Evanston Writers Workshop as well.
AuThursdays are returning where we interview your favorite Authors
Friday (Night) Videos – I’ll post a video from our visiting author or one of my choosing.
Saturday Sexcerpt – for your weekly dose of Naughty.

I’ll continue writing the Second Wednesday of the month over at Nightlight and I’ve taken over Editorial duties at ShopNotes so check that out as well.

Love,

Tina