Category Archives: Poetry

I write poetry — sometimes it’s even pretty good. Anything poetry related will be under this section :)

Poetry, Published, Sale

Published: Confessions

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Confessions

First of all, can I just say I love this cover? Because I love this cover! I suppose you might have guessed that by the fact I’m posting it here full-size, but dude! I think it’s brilliant 🙂

This is Confessions: A Nightmare in Five Acts. It’s one long poem that is made up of a series of connected cinquains written by twenty-two poets, including myself. Confessions is the brain child of Joshua Gage who had the idea to create a collaborative poem using cinquains, organised everyone and went through all the effort of finding us a publisher, but find us one he did.

Confessions features the work of: William C. Burns Jr., Gary Blankenship, Michael L. Evans, Joshua Gage, Toni J. Gardner, Sandra Kasturi, Deborah P. Kolodji, David C. Kopaska-Merkel, Sandra Lindow, Terra Martin, Robin Mayhall, Karen L. Newman, Rhonda Parrish, Pamela Pignataro, Terrie Leigh Relf, Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell, Shanna, J. E. Stanley, Marcie Lynn Tentchoff, Gene van Troyer, Scott Virtes and Stephen M. Wilson. And best of all? It’s available now from Elektrik Milk Bath Press!

Confessions at Elektrik Milk Bath Press

 

(All proceeds from the sale of this book will benefit the Science Fiction Poetry Association)

Poetry, Recognition

Dwarf Star Nomination: Beneath

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ds13My poem, Beneath, is going to be included in the 2014 Dwarf Stars anthology. That means it is eligible for a Dwarf Star award!!1!

Let’s be honest here, my odds of placing in the top three are pretty freaking slim (I’ve seen the anthology, there is some amazing work in there), but dudes — my poem is included! I’m over the moon 🙂

The last time my work was nominated for an award or any sort of special recognition was five years ago when my poem Lovers was nominated for a Rhysling award. So it’s been a while.

This? This makes me happy.

(That cover is for last year’s Dwarf Star anthology. I’m not sure if I’m allowed to share this year’s cover yet so… )

 

Poetry, Published

Published: The Grotesque

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Bete Noire #15My poem, The Grotesque, is in the most recent issue of Bete Noire. I freaking love this cover. I’ve been in a few issues of Bete Noire but this is my favourite cover of them all. It might be my favourite poem too, but that’s a close call. I’m proud of all the works of mine Bete Noire has seen fit to publish.

There’s another cool thing about this issue. I get to share a table of contents with a lot of talented folks, including Marge Simon. Marge and I work together regularly for Niteblade, but we don’t often get to share a table of contents, so that’s just a nice bonus 🙂

Poetry, Published

Published: What Won’t Wait

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The Stray BranchMy poem, What Won’t Wait, is included in the current issue of The Stray Branch. Some of their stories and poems from this issue are available on their website for free. Mine is not among them LoL but they may give you an idea of whether or not you’d like to purchase the full issue.

It seems appropriate that this poem be published now. I wrote it as a part of a poem-a-month challenge, just like the one I’ll be starting on April 1st 😉

Poetry, Sale

Resale: Vampiric Fluff

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Sky Warrior BooksMy poem, Vampiric Fluff, has been accepted for inclusion in the forthcoming These Vampires Don’t Sparkle anthology from Sky Warrior Books edited by Carol Hightshoe. Carol and Sky Warrior Books are the same team behind Zombiefied! An Anthology of All Things Zombie a few years ago, which included one of my poems. Zombiefied is remarkable to me because it’s one of a very small number of anthologies I’ve been published in which has earned enough royalties that I received a royalty cheque in addition to my original payment.

Anywho… Vampiric Fluff was originally published back in 2007, so it’s been a while since it has been in print. I’m excited that it found a home with These Vampires Don’t Sparkle 🙂

Poetry, Published

Published: Hereditary Delusions

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Every Day Poets Logo

This Sunday’s prompt is a first line: “When the dust settled, a man stood there, clothed in white.”

I used the prompt right there (supplied by Beth Cato to NaNoLJers) to write a poem entitled Hereditary Delusions which was published today at Every Day Poets. As you’ll see when you read it, I didn’t use that exact line and I didn’t use it to start the poem but it inspired it nevertheless. Sometimes when I post story prompts and such at NaNoLJers people email me and say ‘Can I just change this–‘ Dude, they are just story prompts. They aren’t meant to feel restrictive, exactly the opposite, in fact. I think it’s important to know that it’s okay to bend the rules sometimes*–especially when it comes to finding inspiration.

…anyway, I’ve totally gotten off the point of this post which was that Hereditary Delusions is up and available online for you to read for free, so please take a peek and let me know what you think 🙂

*Those times never include when it comes to following submission guidelines though LOL

April PAD, Published

Published: Their Closet Existence

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I felt like I should go take a photograph of my closet to go with the announcement but after about half a second of thought I dismissed that idea LoL

My poem, “Their Closet Existence” was published today on Every Day Poets. On its surface this is a poem about mine and Jo’s closet, but on a deeper level I think it’s about who we are. Deep or shallow, I am really proud of this poem and I hope you’ll take a look and give it a read.

A is for Apocalypse, A Month of Letters, A to Z Challenge, Books, Editing, Fae, Goals, Hollow, Metastasis, Niteblade, Poetry

Goals for 2014

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Each year, like so many other people, I see the changing of the calendar as the perfect time to look back over the past twelve months and set goals for the next ones. It’s super helpful to me and I look back at my goals over and over during the year, whenever I feel myself going off course… They help keep me focused on the things I want to do, motivated when depression decides to rear its ugly head, and give me things to celebrate when I achieve them. Also? Posting them publicly helps make me feel accountable to someone (that would be you lol) and serves as motivation for the thing that is my motivation. Whee!

Because these goals are so integral to my life, I set them in a lot of categories, not just writing. It seems like a lot, but it works for me.

Health

  • No drinking pop. Period.
  • Lose 20 lbs
  • Lower blood pressure (bonus points if I get to reduce my medication)
  • Run 5k

School

  • This degree is taking a ridonkulously long time. I need to finish another course toward completing it this year. Bonus points if I manage two, but it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that this is honestly more of a hobby than anything and it must not negatively effect my work.

Editing / Publishing

  • Complete Fae and promote the hell out of it.
  • Pursue other anthology ideas
    • I am really, really, really enjoying editing anthologies right now and I’d like to have at least one more under contract with a publisher by the end of 2014.
  • Increase promotion efforts for Metastasis
    • I need to come up with a way to set actual concrete goals for promotion. Not only for Fae and Metastasis, but everything I edit and/or publish. Oh hey!
  • Figure out a way to set concrete goals for promotion. Set concrete goals for promotion.
  • Hold a successful fundraiser for Niteblade
  • Produce a NaNoLJers anthology if interest exists
  • Publish and promote A is for Apocalypse
  • Solicit writers for B is for (haha not telling yet!) and begin that process
  • Continue to edit and publish Niteblade, keeping it something I can be very proud of.
  • Complete the edits on Grammy’s book

Writing

2014 is the year of the novel. It is because I say it is, damn it!

  • Complete the novel currently known as ‘Hollow’
    • By ‘complete’ I mean have that sucker ready to start querying agents about
  • Complete the first draft of at least two other novels
    • One of these may be one of my pen name projects
  • Self-publish the zombie poetry book and complete my other plans for it
  • Write 350 words a day, five days a week. So 1,750 words a week.
    • Yes. A week. It’s not huge, but I’ve got a lot of other stuff on this list, damn it! :-p
  • Bundle up and self-publish more of my reprints
  • Complete sekkrit collaborative project
  • Participate in NovPAD and/or April PAD
  • Anything with the word ‘NaNo’ in the title is optional
    • …except NaNoLJers. Set up prompts for odd-numbered Mondays

Reading

  • Read at least 50 books.
    • Have 25% be non-fiction

Misc

  • Create a publishing website (company name, etc. but only to publish my own projects.)
  • Participate in A Month of Letters
  • Do the Blogging from A to Z Challenge
  • Blog at least once a week
  • Shoot at least one roll of analog film per month
  • Finish the ship cross stitch I started *mumble* years ago
  • Complete the top of the quilt I’m doing in memory of my mother and post it on JoFigure
  • Attend at least two writing conventions

Looking forward, with these goals to help me define the trail, I am really looking forward to 2014. I hope it builds on the momentum that developed in 2013 and just keeps getting better.

ETA: Some goals under Misc.

Just Stuff, Poetry

Wildfire

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I’m working pretty hard on the edits for Fae today, but I find that my productivity stays highest if I take little breaks in between to do other stuff. It keeps my mind sharp (ish LOL) and keeps the words from beginning to blur into one another.

One of the things I did today as a break from edits was to go through all the active* pieces I have and decide which ones were due to be trunked. The following poem is one of the condemned, but I like it well enough that I decided to share it here before moving it into the /Retired/Trunked folder. Sadly(happily?) I don’t have a schmexy photo to go with it.

Wildfire

Charred skeleton
reaches blackened limbs,
cutting lines, like lightning
through the slate sky.
From trunk to twig,
flashes of scarlet and orange
pierce and flicker,
marauding across its surface
as ashes drift,
and mingle with dirty snowflakes
which sizzle and snap
then vanish into nothingness.

*stories and poems I’m attempting to find a publisher for