#IWSG Anthology: I'll Be The Judge Of That

WE HAVE NEWS!

But first...

It's September's Insecure Writer's Support Group event! Occurring on the first Wednesday of every month, writers post about their insecurities, or share news, and of course support our fellow writers. You can join HERE.

Many thanks to our host, Alex Cavanaugh, and to the many co-hosts that help make this event happen every month. This month's co-hosts are: Toi Thomas, T. Powell Coltrin, M.J. Fifield, and Tara Tyler! 

This month's optional question is: What publishing path are you considering/did you take, and why?

I chose self-publishing to begin with. It allows your work to get out into the world quicker and of course you have more artistic control over your work. It's also more work because you're in charge of everything from writing and editing, to formatting, book covers and then the dreaded marketing!

HOWEVER, after winning the 2017 IWSG Short Story Anthology Contest (Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime), and being published by Dancing Lemur Press, I became a hybrid author. I find dabbling in both self-publishing and traditional publishing very appealing--sort of the best of both worlds!

AND speaking of the IWSG Short Story Anthology Contest, guess who's been invited to judge this year's contest?! 

It's ME!

I am so thrilled and honored to be asked. And the company I'll be keeping? Let's just say that I am totally fangirling right now, but I'll try to keep it together lest I make a fool of myself like Lucy Ricardo. 

Check it out!

The 2018 Annual IWSG Anthology Contest

Word count: 3500-6000

Genre: Young Adult Romance

Theme: 

Masquerade

A Masquerade can be a false show or pretense, someone pretending to be someone they aren't. It can be a ball, a fancy dress party, it can be a mask. Open to interpretation.

Submissions accepted: September 5 - November 4, 2018

How to enter: Send your polished, formatted (Double spaced, no page numbers), previously unpublished story to admin @ insecurewriterssupportgroup.com before the deadline passes. Please include your contact details, your social links, and if you are part of the Blogging, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter IWSG group.

Judging: The IWSG admins will create a shortlist of the best stories. The shortlist will then be sent to our official judges. This year, we are honored to have seven incredible judges:

Author Elizabeth S. Craig

Author Elana Johnson

Agent Kelly Van Sant, Red Sofa Literary Agency

Author S. A. Larsen

Write Club founder, D. L. Hammons

Author Kristin Smith

Author and previous anthology winner, Gwen Gardner

Prizes: The winning stories will be edited and published by Freedom Fox Press next year in the IWSG anthology. Authors will receive royalties on books sold, both print and eBook. The top story will have the honor of giving the anthology its title.

Which publishing path have you chosen?

Will you be entering the #IWSG Anthology Contest?

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime cover reveal

My last Insecure Writer's Support Group post didn't come right out and say that I won a much coveted spot in their short story anthology contest. Instead I pointed to links and hoped you'd follow them to find out my good news. I think I was still in shock. Am still in shock. Someday I'll write a post about it. When I have words. But right now I'm still speechless.

I want to thank the Insecure Writer's Support Group admin for hosting this event and for being the go-to industry support and resource that writers need.

Also, many thanks to Dancing Lemur Press for publishing our stories. Their reputation is equal to the IWSGs and speaks for itself.

And, finally, thanks so much to the admin and judges who donated their time to read all the submissions.

* * * * *

And now, on to the cover reveal!

Take a look at this amazing cover. It makes me want to dig my hand into a bin of lemon drops! Or are those really lemons drops...?

The clock is ticking...

Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?

Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.

 Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting...

Release date is May 1, 2018!

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I read all genres of mystery, from procedural to cozy and paranormal.

Are you a mystery fan?

What is your preferred sub-genre?

IWSG: When is Make Believe Too Much?

It's the first Wednesday of the month, so you know what today is! It's Insecure Writers Support Group day! Thanks to our host Alex J. Cavanaugh and his helpers this month.

This is where we tell the world about our insecurities, and then bloghop around to our fellow writers blogs to lend support. You can sign up or see the list of participants HERE.

You may have noticed I've been MIA lately. That's because I've been working on a new project and my current insecurity, Second Death. It's a new novella series (An Indigo Eady Afterlife novella) off-shoot of my first series (Givin' Up The Ghost.) My protag, Indigo, is a teenage ghost whispering psychic who can see and speak to ghosts, which is instrumental in solving the murder of her friend's dad.

My new novella series was actually inspired by the second book in the series, A Guilty Ghost Surprised (not yet published). There is a scene where Indigo has a conversation with Franny, a Victorian ghost madam. Franny reveals to Indigo that there is a whole spirit community in Sabrina Shores (mostly Victorian) that basically is parallel to the living world. They have community meetings, court each other, and socialize as if they're still alive.

Second Death is...more fanciful, to say the least. It picks up from the conversation between Indigo and Franny about the overactive spirit community in Sabrina Shores and takes it a bit over the top. Indigo is basically drafted onto the Missing Paranormals Committee by a ghostly high court judge during court proceedings of the highly active spirit world. She must serve on the committee alongside other spirits.

The series will also introduce other such afterlife characters that have been mutated (my theme for the A-Z!)by what they had become in previous lives and other paranormal creatures and paranormal happenings. But I think it still encompasses the light paranormal characteristics of my first series.

So you see - Indigo becomes much more active in the spirit world, rather on the periphery. AND there are some pretty off the wall creatures.

I worry that it may be too over the top and wonder whether it will reflect on my original series in any way because I'm using some of the same characters.

What do you think?

Any thoughts on what's too much?

Will it reflect on my original series?

Fashion Intervention and Interview

Banner by the lovely Tara Tyler!

Thanks so much to Maria Zannini and JC Martin for opening their blogs to us yesterday. Your hospitality was much appreciated.

Today, the Partners are at Linda Jackson's blog being interviewed, Laverne and Shirley style. So which one's Laverne and which is Shirley? You'll have to stop by to see!

AND

We'll also be at Michelle Pickett's place for a fashion intervention (and we're not saying who) by the most fashionable nineteenth century ghost madam I know, Franny Bishop from Givin' Up The Ghost. She'll be joined by Indigo and Abby (Neverlove) in a brand new show you won't want to miss, called Franny 911. 

AND

Our teen characters, who should be blogsitting at PIP HQ,

are down in the seedier part of Blogtown. What are they

doing there? To find out, enter through this portal.

What are you wearing right now? Ever have a fashion intervention?