Feb 6, 2012  Has anybody out there in Blog Land who sees this received a death threat via email?  I guess that makes me "somebody"?  The claim is that this person will receive a pile of money for doing me in.  I am not to contact the police as that will hasten my demise.  Sounds to me like a great opportunity for a short story.   Later today I'll get to work on it.

My main news this week is that on Wednesday, my humorous novel,  "Braving House Calls" will appear on Kindle.  Print copies will be available later in the spring.  This is kind of a sequel to my first novel, Something's Leaking Upstairs, published in 2005.  For those who do not know, both books  involve  a couple who retire from executive positions in Los Angles to fulfill his (George's) dream of owning a mini farm.  Claire's dream for their retirement is lots of travel.  Anyone who has ever raised small farm animals–even a garden–knows that a mini farm requires constant monitoring as do the eight tenants George and Claire obtain as a way to supplement mini-farm income. "Lots of laughs. . ." according to the members of my workshops who have heard (commented on most helpfully! ) chapters.

Here is a contest of possible interest: www.100wordsorfewercontest.com .  The contest requires a $15 entry fee but has two first prizes of $400.  Deadline is THIS MONTH.  Feb. 18.  Surely you can whip up 100 words of fiction about "Eating" or an "Uncommon Character " to fulfill the contest requirements.

Until next week, Willma

1-31-12: Long ago my Ex-Brit husband used to offer a strict commandment as we approached the first day of any month.  If , tomorrow (Feb. 1) you say "White Rabbits" before you utter or hear another word from anybody, you will have good luck all that month.  So I'm offering this good luck charm to blog readers out there with a special thanks to long-ago friend in California, Anne Schroeder, who responded to my last week's blog.  She is the chairman of the current NightWriters contest, an organization in San Luis Obispo California that I joined when I first moved there in 1997.   Within a year I founded two writer workshops there, High Hopes and Night Writers.  The first for writers of any ilk; the second for writers of books.  Both workshops are still flourishing. By last count, active writers there participate in a dozen such workshops, in addition to the club's monthly meetings.  For information about their contest (up to 750 words in a short story on the subject of "Forgiveness" or up to 40 lines of poetry on the same subject). For full details see www.slonightwriters.org.  Deadline is Mar. 31.

For another contest, the Flatt PrizeforLiterature, the theme is "Interrupted." Max words, 3000.  $1000 prize.  No entry fee. Details at http://flattprize.com/submission.htm

Good news for me:  A glowing review of my Iron Grip  by Susan Stewart of Atascadero, CA has already brought me a mail order for a copy.  Susan is an editor and reviewer, under the business name, "Say It Write."  I can put you in touch with her for expert help on editing, submitting your writing.

Until next week, Willma

1/23/12– Today's mail brought me two copies of the magazine Looking Back that carries my short article, "Dairymaid Woes."  This is a true account of my life as the daughter of a dairy rancher in the early 1940s.  A training camp for young men was established there in the boonies under the label, "Civilian Pilot Training Corps."  We high school girls were agog!  We had not seen such an influx of good looking, uniformed men in our small town ever before.  I was assigned to drive the milk truck to town for late afternoon delivery to the restaurant where the young men ate their meals.  They marched to town along the same road I drove the truck.  Of course, I could not be identified as a lowly dairy maid.  My challenge was how to get my job done without being seen by these young men.

Looking Back is a good market for any of you old enough to have happy or challenging memories of the 1940's thru 1960's. Email the editor, Mary Beth Weisenburger at LookingBackMagazine.com or mail your entry (under 1000 words) to her at 306 E. Parr Road, Berne, IN 46711

For those of you with recently-published self-published books, email Writer's Digest to learn about their annual contest "Writer's Digest Self-Published Book Awards."  Big money prizes.  Deadline, April 20, 2012.  See www.WritersDogest.com for full information.

Until next week, Willma

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