Happy News For This Writer

My good news for today is that my story Off the Hook made it into a brand new Not Your Mother's Book... This one is filled with stories about being a mom. 64 stories that will make you smile, laugh out loud and nod your head in agreement--if you're a mom, or even if you had a mom.

The release date for this newest volume in the anthology series is April 8, 2014.

You can submit stories for other titles in the works and some yet to come. Read the submissions page carefully. You'll find book titles on the lefthand column. Take some time to click on each one to find some suggestions for the kind of stories the publisher is seeking.

Off The Hook is a story about my son. When he was about 11, something happened one morning that made me realize he was growing up, that he was taking notice of girls, that maybe it was time to have The Talk with him. And that brought back memories of how I learned how babies came to be--not from my mother or father--but from a classmate whose dad happened to be a doctor. Who was going to have this conversation with my son? Me or his dad? One guess as to who would do it.

I know I'm in good company with the authors of the other 63 stories in this soon-to-be-released anthology.

Looking For A New Market?

There have been several anthology series over the past few years. Chicken Soup for the Soul is probably the most successful with its name recognized in a flash by readers around the world. Cup of Comfort rode high on the success ladder for a number of years but quit publishing a year or so ago. Thin Threads published a few books which were just excellent but they, too, have ceased publications. Guideposts have had several series of anthology books with a Christian theme. There have been others, too, over the years that have published one or two books and then disappeared.

The newest series was developed by Ken and Dahlynn McKowen. Once affiliated with the Chicken Soup publishers, they decided to strike out on their own with a series titled Not Your Mother's Book... The rest of the title will be on various subjects. They wanted a book comparable to the Chicken Soup books but one in which an author could take a few liberties that other books might not allow, that would address subjects others didn't tackle. They wanted edgy, humorous stories. Don't worry--they aren't x-rated by any means.

As I told you yesterday, my story, There's A Small Hotel, is going to be in the newest release which deals with travel stories. I wouldn't consider this story to be edgy by any means, nor is it particularly laugh-out-loud humorous, but something appealed to the editor and I'm thankful for that. The book will be released on March 26th. Look for it on Amazon and in bookstores.

Check here for more about the NYMB series along with submission guidelines. Follow the guidelines carefully if you want your story to be considered. Read here to learn more about Dahlynn and Ken McKowen and the Publishing Syndicate they own.