New Anthology Combines Music with Fantasy/Sci fi!

I just saw a post on Live Journal in the specific markets section for writers about this new anthology. They are accepting submissions for a fantasy/sci fi story with a music theme!

It's called "Music for Another World." And here's the link.This anthology seems so perfect for me! I'm brainstorming ideas like crazy right now trying to come up with a way to use music as an integral part of a fantasy story. I'm thinking something along the lines of how music could magically be stronger than steel. My story title: Song of the Bard. I've played an actual piece of music called Song of the Bard, and it would be neat to set a story to it.



In other news, I'm not doing so well at NaNoWriMo. I have edits to work through for Nebula's Music and Chameleon's colors for my two ebook publishers this month, which has set me back. I like the way my story is developing, though it's slow going. I'm, also interested in Stephen's King's new book "Under the Dome." But I know if I buy it now, I'll get nothing done!

What do you think of this new anthology? How's your writing going?

What makes a story scary?

Lately I've been seeing a lot of anthologies for spooky stories: at least three zombie anthologies, Pandora's Nightmare, Day Terrors...the list goes on and on.

I wish I could write for these places, but I'm not good at writing scary stories! I love watching horror movies, I love love love reading Stephen King, but I can't write my own horror filled tales. The only scary story that I tried to write has yet to find a home. And I wonder why??

So it brings me to this question: What makes a story scary? What's the scariest story/novel that you've read and why? Or what's the scariest story you wrote?

Story Acceptance and Rejection

Good news and bad news today.

My short story, Darken, was accepted into the Winter Solstice sci-fi/fantasy edition of Emerald Tales! Here is the site if you are thinking of submitting to their next themed issue, Carnivale. They are a paying magazine!

Darken is based on the Mesopotomian 12 day Festival of Renewal in which offerings are designed to help the God, Marduk, tame the masters of chaos for one year. It is due to the ancient fear that the failing light will never return.

In other news, I'm having trouble finding a place for my post apolocalyptic thriller/horror story, Reverence. I orginally wrote it for the Dead Bells Anthology, and when they asked for a major rewrite I declined. I sent it to the Absent Willow Review, a really neat horror/fantasy based ezine with a beautiful site, but it was rejected last night. Today I sent it to the Abandoned Towers print magazine hoping to have more luck there.

Any suggestions as to where else I could send it if Abandoned Towers isn't interested? Here is the blurb and wht the story is about:
Reverence is a post apocalyptic thriller based on the ancient Mayan calendar that ends in the year 2012.

Mira, a newly appointed college professor, reluctantly accepts a gift from one of her colleagues at a New Year’s Eve party. When she wakes up the next morning to find everyone gone, she realizes the full potential of her gift. Did removing it from the ruins cause the apocalypse? Is she really the last one left?

Video of Dress Rehearsal

I finally figured out how to get this on You Tube! The video must be under 10 minutes, and the first movement was 11, so I had to cut the orchestra intoduction, and now it fits! Please watch and rate if you have a few minutes.

Pictures of the Concert!

I want to thank all of my friends for voting for the black and white dress a few days back. I went with a tiel and black dress along the same lines and I got a lot of compliments on it. Thanks for your votes. You helped push me in the right direction!

As you can see, we both picked matching dresses because it was a double concerto and the audience loved it! (btw I'm the blonde one on the right) The harpist is on the left.

I'll be posting video of the dress rehearsal, we couldn't take pictures or video of the concert though. Here's the pictures of the dress rehearsal:






The concert went so well! I'm 95% happy with my performance. There was a slip up in the first cadenza, but all went smoothly after that. Thanks to all of my family and students that attended!

My Dual Careers: Music and Writing

Sometimes it's really nice to have two things going. When flute is slow, I write, and when writing is slow, I work on flute. But sometimes they clash! Like right now. I have this major concert tomorrow night: I'm playing the Mozart flute and harp concerto in front of the Lakes Region Symphony, which leaves no time for NaNoWriMo. Yes, I'm way behind at 5,700 words. I'll need to do some serious catching up to make it to 50K by Nov. 30th.

How many of you out there are juggling two or more careers? And what do you do when they bump up against one another?

Winner and NaNoWriMo Update

By a random drawing, the winner of the Seasons of Fantasy conest is Angie Lofthouse! She has an awesome blog where she offers award winning free short stories every month. And let me tell you that I am in awe of her writing. This month's short story, Fidelity, kept me on the edge of my seat.

And now for the NaNoWriMo update: I'm alomost at 4,000 words, so I'm a little bit behind but hoping to catch up today. Yesterday I wrote the blurb for Desert Nomad and it came out better than I expected. Tell me, would you read a book about this?:



Aries is a Lifer: a fifth generation colonist living aboard the Ark, a deep space transport vessel destined for a paradise planet three hundred years away. Her purpose is to maintain the life support systems and marry Lieutenant Barliss, producing two genetically optimal children to take their place at the helm.

But Aries is tired of a predestined life. While cruising by a desert planet with minimal survival conditions, she manipulates an escape. Her flight pod crash lands and she is caught between the search and rescue teams of the Ark and the primitive hunters on the alien planet. While struggling to survive, she meets Striker, a space pirate exiled by his mutinous crew. Together they realize that a life alone is nothing compared to a life with love. With the search teams flying above and the hunters stalking them below, Aries is forced to make the ultimate sacrifice, her freedom for Striker’s life.

What do you think?