Free Book Alert!

Thanks for the info Donna V. I'm gonna have to hire you for the blog. Do you take payment in doughnuts?

"From now until October 15, the entire text of David Hewson's acclaimed  first Nic Costa novel, A SEASON FOR THE DEAD, is yours to read free.

Click here to view the book or download the PDF:  A SEASON FOR THE DEAD introduced Detective Nic Costa. The series includes The Garden of Evil, The Seventh Sacrament, The Lizard's Bite, The Sacred Cut, The Villa of Mysteries and coming in March 2009, Dante's Numbers. In the heat of a Roman summer, Nic Costa, a young, optimistic detective is  faced with a crime that reaches deep into the heart of the Vatican.

 The Dallas Morning News called it "A suspenseful, fascinating mystery."  The Washington Post praised it as "Intelligent entertainment...Hewson, far  more than most thriller writers, has a serious concern for character."Click here for an interview with the author about A SEASON FOR THE DEAD."

If anyone reads this in the next week, let me know what you think. I'm not gonna get to it for awhile. End of quarter grading looms. FYI Tor is also planning to give away more ebooks, so stay tuned.

I Heart "If I Can Help A Reporter Out"

I'm totally in love with Peter Shankman's website "If I Can Help A Reporter Out." He started it as a way to help reporters and other media find the sources they need to write articles.

Shankman says, "I built this list because a lot of my friends are reporters, and they call me all the time for sources. Rather than go through my contact lists each time, I figured I could push the requests out to people who actually have something to say."

Some of you know I've been working on a non-fiction survival guide for overweight teens. I put out a request for interviews on Sunday night, and by Tuesday I had around 14 people volunteer to share their wisdom about how to enjoy your teenage years, even while you're overweight. (If you're reading this and were or are an overweight teen, I'd love to interview you. Leave a comment on this post with your email or email me at TriciaGrissom@gmail.com).

As the logo says, we're all an expert at something. So I also signed up to receive requests from other reporters. They are often looking for people who've had specific experiences to share their stories.

I just received my first email this morning and they were looking for experts on technology, breast cancer, and coaching high school students in writing essays. They also wanted people who've taken on internships as an adult (over 30) and college women who are willing to share what's on their minds today.

So join up if you'd like to share your expertise, or if you need interview subjects, put in a request.

Be aware some on the list are pr agents trying to get publicity for their clients. You're supposed to pledge not to respond to a request unless your experience fits the guidelines, but you may still have to weed out a few off-base responses.

Dante's Heart Poetry Contest

Märchenbrunnen 1 (Snow White and Rose Red) by Nordelch Creative Commons

DANTE'S HEART POETRY CONTEST

Entries Due: November 1, 2008
Winners Announced: December 2008

• 1st Prize - $125 + Publication
• 2nd Prize - $75 + Publication
• 3rd Prize - Honorable Mention + Publication

Contest Judge:
Ever Saskya, Author of _The Porch is a
Journey Different From the House_
Entry Fee: $7 (USD)

What We're Looking For:
This contest seeks work that speaks to the mission of Danteʼs Heart.

Dante's Heart (http://www.dantesheart.com/) is an online venue looking for creative work that explores how myth and fairy tale define and are defined by the human experience(s). We want to celebrate the shock, wonder, bewilderment, suffering, and enchantment of myth, of the fantastic; we want to hear about rivers running with wine and ghosts jumping the Mississippi on motorcycles. We're concerned with the neglect of myth, with the blindness of a culture determined by myths it hasn't thought about; we demand (beg, entreat, scream) that myths be thought about, made and remade, handled with a delicate & angry/sad/ desperate/joyous exuberance.

Contest Rules
Submit poems by e-mail to editors@dantesheart.com.

Submit entry fees using the "Giving" page on our website (www.dantesheart.com), and e-mail us to specify that the funds are for the contest entry fee. Entries & entry fees must be received by November 1 in order to be considered for the contest.

Submit one entry only. An entry may consist of any of these:

• 1 poem of up to 7 pages
• A series of 2-3 inter-related poems up to 10 pages
• A series of 4 or more inter-related poems up to 15 pages

Send your best work. Please peruse our journal, Danteʼs Heart, at www.dantesheart.com, prior to submitting.

Adams Media Looking for Teacher Stories

"Teaching" by jmurawski Creative Commons

Thanks to Donna V for the heads up on this. The deadline is coming up fast at the end of this month, so get your stories in as soon as you can. (The bolding below is mine).

- CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS -
MY FIRST YEAR IN THE CLASSROOM
to be published by Adams Media (http://www.adamsmedia.com/)

I am looking for fifty true, inspiring stories by teachers remembering their first year in the
classroom.

Stories should run between 850 and 1000 words, and will be organized along the lines of the school
calendar, illustrating the learning curve experienced by new teachers.

PAYMENT: Writers will receive $100 for each accepted story as well as a complimentary copy of the anthology.

I look forward to reading your submission.

Stephen D. Rogers, Editor
MY FIRST YEAR IN THE CLASSROOM
DEADLINE: September 30, 2008

- Facing the first day

- Meeting the students

- Surprising the students

- Bonding with faculty and staff

- Being surprised by the students

- Watching the students bloom

- Saying good-bye

From the hilariously obsessive/compulsive pre-class preparation of a rookie English professor to the
poignant lesson one stalwart third grader and his peers teach their novice teacher about love and
acceptance, this moving collection is sure to inspire new and veteran teachers alike.

Stories should be emailed (inserted as a text file into the email or attached as a rich text file) to:
stephen@stephendrogers.com with the word "Submission" somewhere in the subject line. Please remember to include your full name and contact information both in your email and the story (if attached).

Oedipus Vegetable Video Clip

Poor Oedipus killed his father and married his mother.

This short video clip is a vegetable reenactment of the pivotal moment when Oedipus offs his father. Seriously, I didn't know broccoli could swagger.

Broccoli by Rick Harris Creative Commons

Best of Writer's Digest CDs

Anyone besides me have tons of old Writer's Digests lounging around the house? I'm starting to feel like one of those people who end up with a small path through mounds of paper.

But I often go back to them to reference things like the 101 Best Websites for Writers and other articles I've found useful. But they take up lots of space, and sometimes I can't find the article I want.

Now Writer's Digest magazine is offering several CDs collecting the best of their magazine content.

• The Writer's Digest 2007 Compilation CD has everything published in the magazine for 2007 - articles, interviews, columns - the whole shebang for $14.95 with free shipping.
• The Writer's Ultimate Resource Guide 2008 CD lists markets, websites, and agents looking for new writers. It's also $14.95.
• Writer's Digest Presents: The Best of WD Interviews CD collects interviews in the magazine's history, again for $14.95.

Don't get me wrong; I prefer flipping through the pages of the magazine itself. But they are starting to stack up. And since I do most of my work on the computer, I think I'll actually use them. If you don't use your computer much, it's probably just best to renew your subscription for the paper version for around $20 bucks.

Register Now for the Saturday Writers Fall Workshop!

Saturday Writers is doing a fabulous "Turn the Page" workshop on October 25, 2008. It's a great opportunity to talk to an agent and book and magazine editors. The early bird deadline is coming up October 1, 2008. You can also get a critique for $25 from literary agent Krista Goering, but manuscripts must also be in by October 1st.

Mea Culpa. I'm planning to go, but I need to get registered. You can pay with paypal! Or mail a registration form and check payable to Saturday Writers to:

Tricia Sanders
90 Westwood Trails
Foristell, MO 63348

• Early Bird (received by October 1, 2008): ___ Member $50 ___ Non-Member $60
• After October 1, 2008:___ Member $60 ___ Non-Member $70
• At the Door: ___ Everyone $75

(Sorry, lunch will not be provided for those who register the day of the workshop.)

Workshop Details From the Website:
"October 25 - SATURDAY WRITERS PRESENTS "TURN THE PAGE" WORKSHOP from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Peters City Hall, Room A, One St. Peters Centre Blvd, St. Peters, MO. (Note different location from regular meetings.)

Finished your novel or almost have it finished? Have new ideas for a smashing article? Well, turn the page and join us for an all-day workshop featuring Krista Goering, literary agent from The Krista Goering Literary Agency LLC; Susan Swartwout, professor, director of the University Press and editor of Big Muddy; Rebecca French Smith, Managing Editor Missouri Life, and Anna Genoese, Consulting Editor for Tom Doherty Associates, LLC."