Saturday, April 23, 2011

Easter Bunny and Wiley Wabbit

Ever wonder where the Easter Bunny came from?  He arrived with German immigrants, the same ones who brought us Kris Kringle and the Christmas tree.  The "Osterhase" or Easter Hare follows the same rules as Kringle: He visits children's home the night before the holiday and leaves presents for good children only.

Traditionally, children built nests of clothing in corners or secluded areas of their homes where colored eggs would be found on Easter.  The nests evolved into the Easter basket which is often hidden Easter morning for children to search and find.

In honor of Elmer Fudd's "Wiley Wabbit"", this week's market is

WILEY WRITERS
http://www.wilywriters.com/blog/?page_id=1234

They publish only short fiction (1,000 to 5,000 words) that falls under the genre umbrella of speculative fiction: horror, fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal romance/mystery/adventure.  Monthly issues are themed and April through November 2011 themes are listed online. Pays $50 and up.

Thought for the week: Life is made up of small pleasures. Happiness is made up of those tiny successes. The big ones come too infrequently. And if you don't collect all these tiny successes, the big ones don't really mean anything. ~ Norman Lear

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

All Things Come to Those Who Wait

When trying to decide "Kindle or Nook", one of the things I liked about Nook was its ability to access e-books from public libraries.  I still went with the Kindle, partly because my local library did not participate in an e-book lending program.

Today,  I saw this Associated Press announcement:

"Amazon says its Kindle e-reader will get the ability to load e-books from 11,000 U.S. public libraries later this year.

Most U.S. libraries already provide e-books, which work with nearly all e-readers except the Kindle. They're also accessible on many smartphones and tablets like the iPad.

Amazon.com Inc. says it's working with OverDrive Inc., which runs the e-book systems of public libraries to make the system compatible with the Kindle."

Maybe by the time Kindle supports e-books, my library will be ready to lend them.

Thought for the week: Talent is long patience. ~ Gustave Flaubert 

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Recovery

Sorry I'm so late this week.  I'm still fighting "The Cough" which has been making the rounds here in Beaufort.  It laughs at cough drops but temporarily yields to Nyquil.  I hope I will soon be on the road to recovery.

Do you have a recovery or success story to share?  If so, the Soaring Above Essay Contest may be for you. The winner gets a hot air balloon ride for two as well as publication in Twin Feather Publishing's upcoming book. Two honorable mentions receive certificates and possible publication.  Submit your 1000 to 5000 word story by snail mail.

Thought for the week: "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow will be our doubts of today." ~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Is Your Character Strange?

Do you have a character with an obvious quirk? If so, check out the current contest at Reading Writers. This contest seeks stories in which the protagonist aggressively seeks a goal while those around him/her try not to react to the eccentricity. E-mail one unpublished short story up to 1500 words no later than May 15, 2011. The winner will receive $100 and be published in The Verb. Check out the link above for more details and even a bio of the judge.

Thought for the week and your quirky character: "We all want to be accepted, but in the end it is the truly original that are remembered."   Mary Moquin