Of Ink and Quille

Yipee! Finally the winners have been announced for the RCA awards. I won this year with my story Guy Talk and for my contribution to the Round Robin we had featuring Ice Cream! Here's the banners: The link to the story and it's series is as follows: http://www.wolverineandrogue.com/wrfa/viewseries.php?seriesid=29

I was chatting with my sister the other day and she said to me, '"now that you've got this book finished and sent away, guess that means you're an expert." I had to smile at that. Regardless of how many books you write, pubish, edit, or think of you are never going to be an expert. Prime example, a very generous lady offered to proof the full manuscript in its completed form for me. She sent back the first chapter with editorial suggestions...even though it's been looked at by two (count 'em Two) professional editors. Do I value her opinion, your darned right I do! I want this book to sell and if that means that I have to make more changes even though I've already submitted apartial, then I can make changes. Writing isn't about becoming perfect, its about learning to test yourself and others by creating something tangible that is magical. Only a few ever truly learn the true lessons behind writing...some give up long before they ever get to the end...

With life being so hectic of late, I need a break. So after looking through every link in the Canadian Directory I've decided on entering a few contests. One of those contests is through Ascent Aspirations Magazine. copied with permission****: Ascent Aspirations Magazine Ascent Aspirations Fall 2008 Poetry/Flash Fiction Contest Contest Open from January 1st to July 31 Contest open until July 31st, 2008 PLEASE READ GUIDELINES CAREFULLY AS SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE. The submissions will be judged in late August and the anthology will be produced in September with a publishing date hopefully no later than the middle of November, 2008. The publication will be a perfect-bound 120-page book with a glossy art designed cover. Since Ascent is a non-profit publication, offering the print edition as a contest will provide the funding for the book. This contest will run for six months and the print edition will appear in the Fall of 2008. At the same time Ascent will continue to...

Whoo, the second annual RCA's are drawing to a close. There are still five categories being voted on but the majority have been finalized and I've started doing the banners given out to the winners. This year we had two ties, which of course makes things interesting but hey that's part of the fun! Still, I'm going to be glad when they are done and I can get to work on next years awards. I figure if I start now I might get them done by the end of the year hehehe!

I did it! Doesn't sound like much does it? Until you actually do something that you've been waiting to do and then the nerves attack. Yesterday morning I hit the send button on my submission proposal to Champagne Books. I've got two weeks to finish polishing and then another week or two to wait to hear back from them. I'm hopeful that they'll buy the book but if they don't, I'll keep trying. Still, the nerves do get to you. So what do you do to relax after you've done something big and you're nervous and exciting and scared? Let me know!

With only a week left for voting on the Second Annual Reader's Choice Awards for one of my favorite fan fic groups I've really been pressed with time. This is the second year that I've organized and run these awards. This has been a major undertaking, and not something that is as easy as one might think. I've learned a great deal in the past two years, and not all of it has been pleasant. I was rather shocked by the responses I got from some. These awards were designed to showcase the skill and talent of the authors for a specific group, yet a lot of people figured it should be for anyone who had a story. Now, I have no objections to highlighting talent. Heck if we didn't do that we wouldn't have the Oscar's, what I do object to is when people refuse to participate because they don't archive their work in one place - which just happens to be the place that's hosting the awards. Which isn't to say that I don't think all the excellent author...

Just thought for today I'd do something fun, so here it is. Recently, my husband was gifted with about twenty pounds of Halibut (Fish) and we decided to do something a bit different. Instead of simply deepfrying it or pan frying, we decided to smoke some. Here is what we used: Maple Syrup Brown Sugar Sea Salt Hemlock wood chips Cedar chips Coat the fish in syrup, brown sugar and salt. Let sit over night, remove all excess brine. Place on cedar chips in a smoker, with the hemlock chips at the heat source. Apply indirect heat. Let smoke for at least twenty four hours, check sparingly. Sounds strange? It isn't. Turned out really good! Try it!