Look What I Just Found:

I was just checking on a link repair, when I discovered they'd put up the cover for the first issue of Lakeside Circus:

 

 

It's odd - my stories are often labelled creepy, and yet I never set out to write creepy. It just sort of happens. Creepy.

All my Sequins are Polished, I'm Ready to Go.

I'm up!

I've hiked up my spangly tights, smoothed down all articles of clothing spandexy, warmed up with a few back flips and pranced into the ring to strut my stuff before a hopefully appreciative audience. So, should you require a quick read before the evening's festivities, my story Winds of Change is up for your perusal over at Lakeside Circus. Slated for December 13, 2013, it has only just now appeared in the main arena.

There have been a few teething problems with the new Lakeside Circus site (must send them an email about the a certain link at the end of my piece), but after much whip cracking to bring the internet lions into line and the glittery dust settling, you can now pop on over and enjoy a new story every few days.

End of the Month Report: November 2013

Submissions: 9 (3 to the same antho)
Rejections: 6
Acceptances: 0
Published: 1 (Winds of Change)
Stories out in the wild: 11
New stories completed: 1 (has already been sent out and rejected for the first time)
Mood: Slowly but surely, I'm getting more done writingwise. Will now slowly but surely get on with doing some more :)

Quicksteps

I'm usually a one speed person when walking - zip, zip, zip with an invisible, soundless horn that I mentally honk at the sloooooow people who always seem to be blocking my path. This is still my default setting the moment I step off the train and hit the pavements of Melbourne, and the one I ratchet up when doing medicinal laps of the local botanical gardens, but I noticed about six months ago that I'd finally developed a second speed for living in the country. It only took four years, but now, when I head off for local doings, I positively amble.

I'm very conscious of the change and quite enjoying it. I schedule more time to accommodate this more relaxed state. I used to stress out getting to the train in the mornings, but now I mosey along thinking things and admiring the gardens that line the streets. I used to step off the train at night and rush home so I'd have an extra five minutes for doing domestic whatevers, but now I potter along enjoying the stars, moon, creek sounds, trees in the darkness and whatever wildlife decides to jump out and scare me. Now, when I head off for a bills paying and shopping trip, I simply cannot make myself pour on the gas. This is good, as it also helps me blend in - I once met a local woman in Melbourne who, though a stranger to me, said she recognised me because she'd seen me speeding between shops as I went about my business in town.

So yes, I did some local ambling today, and thought about that ambling and what it meant, and also did much chatting with the girl in the fruit shop. I'm a Wednesday regular now. I did writerly stuff too - writing, of course, subbed 3 stories (one was a recent rejection which an upcoming antho held for close to seven months, almost took, but in the end decided it didn't fit the tone. I'm really starting to dislike that phrase. What's so untoney about my stories? Ah well, onwards...) and wrangled content for the great, individual contributor pages Carrie Cuin is busily setting up over at Lakeside Circus. For now, my page reads: This performer is still getting ready for the show. While you wait, try your luck at a game of chance. We hear the ring toss is not quite as rigged as some of the other booths. Issue One is out on Friday, so you can view my efforts then.

Roll Up, Roll Up for Lakeside Circus Short Fiction and Other Oddities

Over at Lakeside Circus, where they plan to publish 200,000 words of new flash fiction, short stories and poetry every year, they've started selling subscriptions. Get in early, and you get a great deal:

If you subscribe now, you can get our first year for only $20. Even better, if you purchase your subscription before November 15, our first issue will be delivered a week early. Before anyone else can buy the magazine or begin to read us online, you’ll have an entire quarter’s worth of short stories, flash fiction, and poetry, including work by:

Dean Fracis Alfar, C.S.E. Cooney, Trevor Shikaze, Ada Hoffmann, Mike Allen, Alan Baxter, Lucas Ahlsen, Cate Gardner, Jill Corddry, Rachael Acks, Conor Powers-Smith, Andrew S. Williams, Lisa Bradley, John P. Murphy, Dan Campbell, Gitte Christensen, Megan Arkenberg, Rich Larson, Jon Arthur Kitson, David Sklar, Andrew Gilstrap, Sarah Hendrix, F.J. Bergmann, Virginia Mohlere, Michael Haynes, John Skylar, H.L. Fullerton, Sofia Samatar, Eric Rosenfield, Jamie Lackey, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Bryan Thao Worra, and more!

 

Once the magazine is out, the yearly subscription will go up to $30.  You can read the details, and possibly click the button, here.

Notice my name tucked away in there amongst the others? :) :) There are so many writers here I recognise and admire. Needless to say, I'm extremely chuffed to keep company with them in this inaugural issue of what I'm sure will become a mainstay publication.

Third Time Lucky

Roll up, roll up, for the greatest sale on Earth :) :) :)

I've been tightly crossing my fingers for weeks for this one, and all the joint pain has paid off. I'm so happy to announce that I've sold my story Winds of Change to Lakeside Circus,  editor, publisher and writer Carrie Cuin's new online, speculative fiction magazine which will be published quarterly by Dagan Books, LLC.

I just had a feeling I might have a chance with them. They like odd stories, you see. And weird stuff. Many don't. I submitted a story to their anthology Bibliotheca Fantastica, didn't get in, but received good feedback, so when I read about LC's call for submissions, I hastily sent off one of my harder-to-place darlings. LC held it for consideration, but ultimately rejected it. Send more, they wrote. Fortunately, I had a back-up ready to go straight away, so off went Winds of Change (a.k.a. my "Berlin Wall" story. It's not a light piece, this one, but a dark, political ghost story featuring many bodies and bones.) 

Again, held for consideration. Again I waited. But this time - triumph!

Aaah, I'm so excited, I think I'll go for a walk. I need to skip off some of my just-made-a-sale energy.