Flash! Friday: Prompt #2-29

This Friday marks the last week of Flash! Friday's second quarter, which makes it the last week for several months that my entry would be considered eligible in this contest.  On the plus side, though, Rebekah just announced a mysterious "Dog Day" contest that will take place in July, with more details coming next week.

Meanwhile, here's this week's prompt, with the required element of patience:

Silent Rejections and the Successful Author

Those who choose to pursue creative writing professionally learn rather quickly to expect walls of rejections. “Your work isn’t good enough,” is undeniably a painful thing to hear, no matter how politely it’s actually phrased. Worse, however, are the silent rejections.

The most obvious instance of silent rejection is the lack of response certain agents and publishing houses believe to be a sufficient reaction to a writer’s query, but the fact is, all authors – traditional or independent – constantly face silent rejections. Often, those sting more than the bad reviews, criticisms, or passes. After all, bad reviews sell more books than a lack of reviews, and rejections with explanations allow us to move forward, rather than wanting to scream, “Why??” into the silent void.

Flash! Friday: Prompt #2-28

In addition to this week's Flash! Friday story, I have some exciting news: I will be one of the judges for this year's 3rd quarter of Flash! Friday contests (starting July 4th)! Of course, this means my own stories for that quarter won't be eligible, so I may take a break from posting on a weekly basis, unless a specific prompt truly speaks to me.  I'm looking forward to seeing the contest from the other side, and I hope each of you will consider joining the weekly fun!

But, there are a couple more weeks left in the second quarter of the Flash! Friday year (yes, it goes on its own calendar), so here's this week's entry! 150 words (+/- 10) on the picture below, including the element of arrogance. 

"New crowns for old ones!" - Benjamin Disraeli presents Queen Victoria
the crown of India. Punch, 1876, by cartoonist John Tenniel.

One Whole Year!

I almost can't believe it, but it's been one whole year since the release of Life Under Examination, my award-winning collection of poetry!  I'm so grateful to everyone who has supported this collection, by reading and reviewing or by spreading the word — you guys rock!

To celebrate, I'm hosting a giveaway (below) for some limited edition keychains and a professionally hand-bound, autographed copy + an Amazon gift card!

AND for this week only, Life Under Examination is available for just $0.99 on Smashwords! Click here and enter coupon code:

PJ63Q

(Good through Sunday, June 22nd)

And now, the Giveaway!

Enter Here

Best Bad Query Contest

So you may have noticed, I skipped my customary Monday post yesterday.  That's because, just for fun, I've decided to participate in Sharon Bayliss' "Bad Query" Contest! To be clear, the idea is to write a horrible query, not to share a real query that didn't work out. Participants will be posting their bad queries on their blogs, and voting for the "Best" Bad Query will take place on Sharon Bayliss' site.

Check out my entry below, then hop on over to others' posts, and remember to vote!

Please remember, this is intended to be bad. Please do not write your queries like this!

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Dear Agent:

Have you been slogging through the slush in hopes of finding the next international bestseller? Well look no further! I guarantee you, agent, that in my fiction novel, you will see a future of skyrocketing sales and awards rivaling today's big names and sure to shoot your career to the next level. One of your current clients, who has asked to remain anonymous for now, agrees that you MUST read this book!

So what do you say, agent? Are you ready to leap into the future of publishing with this one-of-a-kind manuscript? I urge you not to miss out on the chance of a lifetime! But I do not fear, for I know YOU are the unique agent SMART enough not to pass up this golden opportunity.

You may be waiting for some more details before signing on, and I trust you, agent, so I will share some pieces of this absolutely unique work with you.

Told in seven perspectives, this revolutionary manuscript details the challenges and triumphs of vampires, werewolves, and angels, all battling each other in Los Angeles. (This story would also make a great movie!) With star-crossed lovers, brutal battles, and so much more, this fiction novel is one any audience will love! Though I have no formal background in writing, this manuscript has been expertly written and needs no modification before publication — it’s ready for the world NOW.

Worry not, I do also have several self-published books, just waiting to be discovered by the masses. And I feel in my heart (and those who have read it agree!) that this manuscript will propel all of my works to the top of every bestseller list, worldwide. So don’t miss out!

I know by now you are ready and excited as I am to negotiate your fee and sign a contract, after which I will gladly send you my 164,000-word manuscript.

Looking forward to your forthcoming call,

The Most Awesome Author You'll Ever Know

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Flash! Friday: Prompt #2-26

I'm cutting it close this week, but here it is — my Flash! Friday entry, based on the photo below and the  required element of fire.

Update!

It's been quite a while since I wrote about my current projects, so I figure it's about time for an update:

• Mending Heartstrings: Still set for publication, but nothing too exciting to report, though I'm told things will actually become quite crazy when we get closer to publication. Which, by the way, is scheduled for December!
• Muse: Is finished! It is currently out on submission.
• G&H: Is also finished! As this book is related to Mending Heartstrings, its future will be decided much closer to, or perhaps even after, that book's publication. 

Upcoming projects: 

Honestly, I do not know yet what my next project will be. I have quite a few ideas, for projects related to the world of Mending Heartstrings and ones entirely independent of it.  While all of these ideas have been whirling around, and hopefully developing, in my mind, I came across an interesting call for submissions.

Wyrd Romance is putting together an anthology of short romance stories, focusing on nerdy/geeky characters.  All the submission details can be found here.  I'm considering writing a short piece to submit, and I'm currently in the research / inspiration stage. Perhaps some of you would like to join me? 

What are your plans for this summer? Share in the comments!