Poems, Dogs & Perching Precipitously

Since I last posted a blog, several fun things have happened. My niece from SF, Audrey, came and we flew together to St. Louis to visit my mom, dad, and brothers, nieces and nephews. While I was there, the summer online edition of The Barefoot Review went live and three of my poems are included! Also, beginning in August, I will become a nanny twice a week up in Estes Park! No, not a nanny to a human baby! A nanny to an Australian shepherd puppy. Her name is Montana and I can't wait to get my hands on her. Smile.

Once upon a time I had a pretty good gig going with Cultural Survival Quarterly. But, alas, that has gone by the wayside. However, instead of sitting around and mourning the loss of that gig, I am looking forward to creative writing. I finish up my summer semester at Regis University beginning of July and say goodbye to my wonderful prof., Harrison Candelaria Fletcher who is moving to Virginia. Then I begin a "poem-a-day" internet forum/class with Molly Fisk. And, I may be taking over some freelance writing gigs for a neighbor who is going to Peru for a month. And, last, but not least, my husband and I will be preparing for our anniversary trip to England in September.

I have a busy, full life and many manuscripts to work on. There are several open reading periods in July so I need to polish my poetry manuscript and start working on queries. Life moves so quickly, doesn't it? You get settled and comfortable in one role and suddenly everything changes. But hurray for changes; changes keep one young and forever perched precipitously on one's toes.

Ebooks, Erotica, and Exasperation

In the wake of the inexplicable and phenomenal success of that ebook, Fifty Shades of Grey, I just had to do it. I just had to try my hand at writing erotica. I sat down and wrote what many erotic publishers refer to as a "novella."It is 12,000 words, and an even 10 chapters long. In light of the fact that all of the submission guidelines asked for "well-developed" characters, I really, really tried hard to flesh out mine. It remains to be seen whether or not the five publishers I sent my manuscript to will think the characters are complex, their dialogue pithy and smart, and the plot sophisticated! Yes, these were all the elements asked for by the wonderfully open and inviting publishers of erotic ebooks.

If only mainstream and small press publishers would take on the friendly demeanor of erotic publishers!  And why do they take themselves so seriously anyway? Life is short, brutal, and beautiful. Sigh... why not try every form of writing at least once? This is what my masters program at Regis University has taught me. Be open and willing to write in nearly every creative form, and eventually you will find your niche. Writing does not have to be soooo exasperating. You can let down your hair. It is okay.