Playing Tag!

Joyce Scarbrough tagged me in the Meme Game, so here are the rules, my answers, and the next six people who get to take on the challenge.

The rules:

If you’ve been tagged with the Meme Game from Twitter, you must post 6 things no one knows about you on your BLOG. Then you have to tag 6 more people. (Don’t forget to let them know they’ve been tagged.) Leave me a comment letting me know you’ve accepted the tag.

My answers:

1. I have webbed skin between the second and third largest toe on either foot.

2. My first kiss didn't happen until I was in college.

3. I have a severe weakness for blackjack.

4. I am anal-retentive about saving money (which coincidentally doesn't go well with #3).

Tag, You're It:

Laurel Johnson -- LAUREL JOHNSON BLOGS -- http://laureljohnsonblogs.blogspot.com/
Dawno -- NVNC ID VIDES, NVNC NE VIDES -- http://dawnonowyouseeit.blogspot.com/
Nancy Mehl -- NANCY'S NOTES -- http://nancymehl.blogspot.com/
Alphabeter -- GAFFS OF TRUTH -- http://alphabeter.blogspot.com/

Sorry, those are all the ones I can think of who actually still maintain their blogs...so to make up for it, I only posted 4 items about myself.

But in my defense, I didn't get this tag from Twitter. :-)

Guest Blogging

Be sure to check out my guest blogs over at The Writer's Vineyard and Wild on Books. Two blog commenters over at Wild on Books will be winning free copies of HEROES DIE YOUNG, so be sure to stop by!

Weekly Goals - September 23, 2008

Results for this week:

1. Revised one chapter of Death Brings the Victory
2. Completed the final draft of "Dirty Old Man" and submitted
3. First draft of "Some Assembly Required" in work

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Revise one chapter of Death Brings the Victory
2. Complete a final draft for a contest short story

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Profit and Loss" (market closed, re-submitted September 21)
(was "Greed")
"A Time for Trust" (since August 16)
"Lifeline" (rejected, back in edits)
"Dirty Old Man" (submitted September 22)
"A Thankful Heart" (back in edits)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 16 submissions)
6 queries remaining (was 7)
9 queries REJECTED (was 8)
1 partial REJECTED

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Le Sigh

As if it wasn't bad enough having to wait around for rejections to queries and stories, you also have to watch out for the outlets which close down without notice. I'd submitted a story back in May to a particular outlet, then decided to check on my submission this evening...only to find out that they'd closed down just a week ago. Oops!

Guess I'd better run through the story one more time (probably re-title it as well) and find a new home for it.

Weekly Goals - September 16, 2008

Doesn't seem like I got much done this past week, but apparently I met most of my goals. Time to increase the number of goals yet? No......

Results for this week:

1. Revised three chapters of Death Brings the Victory
2. Completed the final draft of "A Thankful Heart"
3. Not started

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Revise two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
2. Complete a first draft for another holiday blog story
3. Complete a first draft for a contest

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Greed" (since May 15)
"A Time for Trust" (since August 16)
"Lifeline" (since August 28)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 16 submissions)
7 queries remaining (was 8)
8 queries REJECTED (was 7)
1 partial REJECTED

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

Weekly Goals - September 9, 2008

It seems like only yesterday I was in here posting up my goals. But, it's been a full week and here the new ones...

Results for this week:

1. Completed final draft of "Borne Leadership"
2. Revised two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
3. Completed plotting of "A Thankful Heart" and a story to be named
4. Added an additional scene to Death Brings the Victory [added]
5. Completed the first draft of "A Thankful Heart" [added]
6. Submitted a query for Friends in Deed to two literary agents [added]

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Revise three chapters of Death Brings the Victory
2. Complete final draft of "A Thankful Heart"
3. Begin character profiles for The Cure

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Greed" (since May 15)
"A Time for Trust" (since August 16)
"Lifeline" (since August 28)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 16 submissions)
8 queries remaining (was 7)
7 queries REJECTED (was 6)
1 partial REJECTED

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

A New Trend in Bookstores?

[cross-posted from my MySpace blog]

Just visited a local independent bookstore this morning, and couldn't find the science fiction section. When I asked, they said it was all part of the "fiction" area.

(I'll forego a discussion of why they had mystery segregated out)

How is a person supposed to find new books in a genre they like, when (almost) all types of fiction are lumped into one area of the store? How is someone supposed to know whether a book is romance, science fiction, horror, thriller, or suspense (among others) based on the spine title?

Is this a new trend for the future of bookstores, or simply one store's lackluster attempt to conserve floor space?

Weekly Goals - September 2, 2008

With all of the excitement yesterday, what with my story "Obedience" being up on RGR, then not really being up, and now up again (whew!), I'd completely forgotten to update my weekly goals. So, here they are

Results for this week:

1. Completed initial revisions on "Borne Leadership" and completed final draft of "Lifeline"
2. Revised one of two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
3. Not started
4. Finished reading In the Dead of Winter
5. Began plotting a new story for an October 1 holiday blog deadline [added]
6. Began plotting a new story for a September 30 contest deadline [added]
7. Submitted "Lifeline" for an anthology contest [added]

And now the goals for the coming week:

1. Complete final draft of "Borne Leadership"
2. Revise two chapters of Death Brings the Victory
3. Complete plotting of two new stories (see above).

Submission status for the week:

Short stories:
"Entrapment" (since April 25)
"Redemption" (since June 14)
"Greed" (since May 15)
"A Time for Trust" (since August 16)
"Lifeline" (since August 28)

FRIENDS IN DEED/HEROES LAUGH LAST:
(Out of 14 submissions)
7 queries remaining
6 queries REJECTED
1 partial REJECTED

Aston West
novels
short stories
writing goals

"Obedience" Now Published in Ray Gun Revival!

Fresh on the heels of my novella's release from Champagne Books, I've just found out that my short story "Obedience" has been published in the September issue of Ray Gun Revival. Enjoy!

Heroes Die Young Now Available!

Check it out! My novella Heroes Die Young is now available from the fine folks over at Champagne Books, in both print and e-book formats!!! Check out the details over at AstonWest.com