Leonard Nimoy - In Memoriam

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Nothing more than this:

 

Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015 Read: http://t.co/pw7zYRRlts

— Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) February 27, 2015

 

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Pangaea Sci-Fi Kickstarter

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Update: This project was funded on March 8, 2015!

The final tally was:
306 backers
$9,176 pledged of $8,000 goal

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One of the writers I see on a semi-regular basis around the Mid-Atlantic region is sci-fi author Michael Jan Friedman. He, with a group of other writers, has started a Kickstarter project for an anthology called Pangaea. The idea behind the book is described on the Kickstarter page as "14 top science fiction and fantasy authors explore a world in which mankind lives--and always has lived--on a single super-continent! " Sounds like it might be interesting!

If you'd like to donate to support this effort (and get rewards!),

please visit their KICKSTARTER PAGE.

Update!

From the Kickstarter page update #15!

Here's something you don't see every day...

The Modala Imperative is a landmark artifact in the annals of Star Trek lore. A trade paperback compilation of two 1991 four-issue comic book mini-series, it features the first-ever crossover between the Original Trek characters and those of the Next Generation--predating both the Unification two-part episode and Scotty’s appearance in Relics--graced by a lovingly rendered Sonia Hillios cover. Our backers will receive a copy of The Modala Imperative signed (inside or outside) by series writers Michael Jan Friedman and Peter David as well as series editor Robert Greenberger. Just add $25 (including postage/handling in the U.S.) to any reward level of $25 or more. Outside the U.S. add $35 (including postage/handling). Then just send me a message letting me know and I'll take care of the rest.

Best regards,

Mike

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Curses! Foiled Again!

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A little while back, I submitted two pieces to Purple Passion Press, a start-up press putting out their first anthology.

Purple Passion Press is pleased to announce our first call for submissions. We’re excited about our anthology on the theme of “the dead.” We’re seeking poetry and literary flash fiction dealing with the dead that walk alongside us, the afterlife, ghosts, spirits, hauntings and the supernatural—the theme is open to interpretation.

Seemed like a natural for me.

So, I submitted a flash piece called Grief and a short poem called Among the Stones. The flash submission was a longer version of an idea I'd done for Five Sentence Fiction called Tears of Stone. The poem was one I'd originally submitted to Scarlett River Press. When I never heard from them (they sort of disappeared), I put it on the back burner waiting for a chance like this.

Unfortunately, they did not accept any of my work. I got the e-mails this morning.

Dear K Smith,

Thank you for your submission "Grief". While we can’t include this piece, we enjoyed reading it and wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere.
Please know that this is not a reflection on the quality of your writing. We received many fine pieces, but could not accept all of them.

Sincerely,
The Editors
Purple Passion Press
http://purplepassionpress.com

Dear K Smith,

Thank you for your submission "Among the Bones". While we can’t include this piece, we enjoyed reading it and wish you the best of luck in placing your work elsewhere.
Please know that this is not a reflection on the quality of your writing. We received many fine pieces, but could not accept all of them.

Sincerely,
The Editors
Purple Passion Press
http://purplepassionpress.com

I hate it when people repeat themselves.

Thus a couple more pieces are placed (or returned) to the back burner. If this keeps up, I'm going to have to get a bigger stove...

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P.S. I saw this on Twitter and had to add it...

A very short story.. see its possible. For those that struggle with ideas. Lol From@bookbear #amwriting #writing pic.twitter.com/gMIBsZ9dcL
— Carin Maehr (@carinmaehrtweet) February 19, 2015

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Forgotten

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Forgotten

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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A short and somber one this week...

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Treasure Hunt



Forgotten Umbrella
By רנדום (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons

     The few residents of this part of the city, long abandoned by all but the hopeless, voiced no complaints when Bernie tossed the paper he had dug from the trash can onto the sidewalk. As a few drops of rain dotted the pavement, he looked up briefly, then went back to scrounging. He laughed as he pulled out a tattered prize, and said, "Somebody forgot their umbrella today!" But no one was listening. He had been forgotten, too.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

The Reviews Are In!

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Well, just one, actually. But it was obviously done by a person of superior intellect and wisdom.

Roughly translated, that means he liked my story. To be specific, I'm referring to The Fisherman and His Wife published in the recently-released anthology, Grimm and Grimmer III, by Fringeworks.

Here's what Patrick Bolingbroke* had to say on Amazon:

Let's get rid of the children. February 20, 2015

By Patrick Bolingbroke

Format: Kindle Edition

Colin Fisher sets out his stall from the very start when he writes, 'Let's get rid of the children.' Grimm and Grimmer strips away the Disney saccharine and tells this collection of eight stories, from different authors, as they should be told; for adults. I can only add that Aunt Nancy left me dangling and that I particularly liked the story of The Fisherman and his Wife which reminded me of the Welsh legend of the fisherman, Peregrine and the mermaid although the end of the tale was quite different and not what I expected. Enjoyable bite sized stories.

So, it reminds him of a Welsh Legend, eh? And he liked it. All I can say is, Go Cymru! Or something like that. I can only hope a few others share his enlightened opinion!

Grimm and Grimmer III is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback formats via these links:

    US Kindle
    US Paperback
    UK Kindle
    UK Paperback

List of authors and their story

    Colin Fisher, Editor
    John Haas, BB & The Pigs 
    Damon Cavalchini, If I Could But Shiver
    Kerry G. S. Lipp, Lizzie Knew What That Tongue Could Do
    James Ninness, Sweet Breads
    SMNilsen, That Murderous Thieving Bastard and His Beanstalk
    K. R. Smith, The Fisherman and His Wife
    Lesley McIntee, Wood of the World: The Grimms, Their Contemporaries, Their Age and Ours
    Julius Horne, Aunt Nancy

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* Just to be clear, I have never met Mr. Bolingbroke, nor have I provided him with any remittance for this review, despite the on-going rumors by family and friends—though that's not beneath me if it works. The fact that this was done for free is just the bee's knees. Or the cat's pajamas. Or whichever idiom you prefer.

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Grimm & Grimmer III - Finally!

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It's been a long journey!

I knew things were really starting to move when I saw this on the Fringeworks' Facebook page:

Way back on January 5, 2013, I submitted a story to Fringeworks. It was a remake of the fairy tale The Fisherman and His Wife. In a blog post on that day, I said, "I made the deadline by 1 day. Now the waiting begins..." I had no idea how true that would be.

It was accepted and was to go into Grimm & Grimmer Volume IV, but, for whatever reason, they needed an additional story for volume III. So, a few weeks ago, the editor, Collin Fisher, asked if I'd mind if they bumped me up to volume III. I pondered this deeply for about a nanosecond, then said, "Yes, yes, and, with all due consideration, yes." He was also concerned there might be additional delays for the following volumes, so it was an easy decision.

But all of the waiting is over and Grimm and Grimmer III is now available on Amazon!

    US Kindle
    US Paperback
    UK Kindle
    UK Paperback

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Open

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Open

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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I've had the lyrics from the song "All My Sorrows" by the Kingston Trio (yeah, I'm that old) running through my head lately.

Now there's one more thing
That troubles my mind
My love is gone, left me behind

All my sorrows soon forgotten
But it's too late, my love
Too late but never mind
All my sorrows soon forgotten

 

 That's what inspired this FSF story.

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Lonely View





     William never understood the powerful forces that consumed Miranda. How many times had he found her staring out the window into the seemingly empty distance saying, "Can't you feel it pulling you, drawing your soul away from this place?"
     "Feel what?" he would reply until, after a moment, she would shake her head, smile, and tell him it didn't matter.
     Only, one day, it did.
     Now, he sits alone by the window, foolishly searching the horizon for an illusive and amorphous entity which never existed farther away than Miranda's heart.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

A Compliment

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Just a reminder: It's okay to leave comments!

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I was reading this blog post on The Last Krystallos about Lisa's latest project (Of Mist and Magic – Really Slow Motion), and had to comment. When I got a reply and read the last sentence, I knew I had to post it out here to remind myself that I do have some skill at writing, even though I'm still a beginner.

I've read some of Lisa's work, and she is a good writer. She has even published real books—something I hope to do eventually! When an author you respect says they love your writing, it really does mean a lot!

Please do check out her ebook. Of Mist and Magic eBook: Amazon UK, Amazon US

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Fleetwood Mac At The Verizon Center

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I went to the Fleetwood Mac concert last week at the Verizon Center in DC. I try to see them as often as I can because they're getting up there in years. You never know when they might decide that touring is too much to handle.

The sound was better than the last concert at Verizon Center, and when they sang or talked, they were much easier to understand. The show was much the same as the last time (same tour), but there were a few alterations in some of the songs. They did all of the standard Mac tunes, and the place was packed. It was a good show. Sadly, I could never get a good shot of Christine McVie. She was too far away and the lighting washed out the image.

Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks, 

John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, & Lindsey Buckingham
performing
Sisters of the Moon (at start of song)

Christine McVie, Stevie Nicks (at the mic, barely visible in black), 
John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, & Lindsey Buckingham
performing
Sisters of the Moon

Stevie Nicks and John McVie
(Those blue spots sure played havoc with my little camera!)

Mick Fleetwood and Lindsey Buckingham 

Backup vocalists:
Sharon Celani, didn't catch the second one's name, and Lori Nicks

Fleetwood Mac takes a bow at the end of the concert 

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© 2012-2014 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Villainous

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Villainous

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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A little fantasy this time. BTW, some folks really don't like their poetry critiqued...
  

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The Sorceress' Garden

 

(Because I'm not sure about the copyright on the image

for this week's prompt, please go to Lillie McFerrin's site 

to view the picture.)



     "Twining, tingling, intermingling,
      Evil arborous serpents grow
      Hanging, dangling, slightly strangling,
      Darkened limbs from seeds I sow."
      The knight stood in front of the sorceress, arms folded, a smirk on his face. "Do you really expect me to be frightened by some silly rhyme?"
      "If you don't like my poetry," she cackled, "perhaps you'll enjoy my gardening."
      From the arc traced by her arm, a handful of seeds flew from her fingers landing at the knight's feet. His annoying simper disappeared as the first tendrils snaked their way under his armor.

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As a side note, is Microsoft Word sexist?

 

It doesn't seem to understand the word 'sorceress' in my version and wants to replace it with 'sorcerer.' But sexist? Probably not. More likely just written by a fan of science fiction rather than fantasy. Or it never occurred to Microsoft that someone might want gender-specific language.

Still, it is rather annoying, especially since I'm working on a longer story about a sorceress. I can see the message now: "You have 8,423,302 errors..."

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

FSF Challenge - Bedtime

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This week's writing challenge
from

Five Sentence Fiction

( Lillie McFerrin Writes )
is based upon the prompt:

Bedtime

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week Lillie posts one word for inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word.

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It's difficult to keep a positive attitude when you're out on the street...
 

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Street Dreams


Click to see prompt image

     "I had a dream," the man said as he rearranged his blanket to capture the heat rising through a grate.
     "What about this time?" his friend asked after a cynical laugh. "That pretty girl you're gonna meet or a big table full of hot food for tomorrow's dinner?"
     "Both, but it all happened long ago. I don't dream about the future any more."
 

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

Three Line Thursday #16

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If you follow this blog, you know I like writing challenges! I participated in a new one last week. It was Three Line Thursday #16. Surprisingly, I took second place!

#3lineThursday Week 16 2nd Place @WOKRSmith lovely congratulations! https://t.co/1FCceOGV1Z
— Three Line Thursday (@3LineThursday) January 31, 2015

I'll have to try a few more of these. They're great for practicing haiku.

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© 2012-2015 K. R. Smith All rights reserved