A Lil Switch-A-Roo...

Hello again all!  Just a quick note that I will be changing my blog from the current one you are reading to http://bcbrownbooks.blogspot.com .  This is my new home, and the name I will be writing under on a permanent basis now.  After much, much, much consideration I've decided to bump myself up on the alphabetical bookshelf a tad! :)  The bad news is that now I need to rebuild my website and blog and notify everyone of the change; the good news is that for all of you who have anything signed B.B. Walter - it is now a one-of-a-kind first and last edition!  Pretty good silver lining, if I do say so myself.
I will repost periodically on here as a reminder that I can be found on my new blog instead, and to let followers (new and old) know that I have a permanent home under the name B.C. Brown.
For instance, I have two great articles posted on my new site!  Both are dedicated to writing and how to better ourselves as writers, as well as a peek into the mindset of a writer for those of you who don't.  So click on by and show me the same love and support you've given me here!
Sincerely,
B.C. Brown
(previously B.B. Walter)
http://bcbrownbooks.blogspot.com
www.bcbrown.webs.com

Writing Contests

Greets and well meets again, friends! Here I am on a nearly sunny, almost warm Sunday afternoon to bring you a little information I've dug up recently on the wonderfully wacky world of writing.

Before I do that, however, I'm going to fill a few of you in on how my last little blog episode went - Me learning to cook!

Shopping for the ingredients for my garlic butter and herb roast chicken was a bit challenging to begin with. Fennel seeds are NOT your every day cooking item. And in a small town where fennel seeds are almost never an item (more like never) served on the dinner table, they proved to be impossible to find. So I ~cringe~ made the executive decision to ditch the seeds and make the dish without them. I thought maybe the dish had enough other spices - rosemary, thyme, and sage, for instance - that the fennel seeds would go unnoticed as missing. By the end of the dish, I was right.

I am pleased to announce that my roast chicken went off smashingly well! I received six thumbs up out of seven. The six thumbs were three teenagers (one of them remarkably picky about what they do and don't eat), my sisters (who made sure I stayed on track while cooking the recipe), and myself (who was surprisingly shocked to see the dish turned out so well). The seventh thumb neither gave me a thumbs up or a thumbs down; a very particular eight year old who liked the chicken but didn't like the potatoes I decided to make with chicken as a side dish.

All in all, I was very happy with the dish. There were some ~ahem~ interesting moments, however, with the creation of my first ever real attempt at cooking from scratch. The biggest one being the garlic moment. :)

Having gone to the store and collected my ingredients for my dish, I collected 14 cloves of garlic like it called for... ~laugh~ However, at no point in my life have I ever been told or shown what a "clove" of garlic is. So, like most cooking-ignorant individuals, I purchased exactly 14 of the little balls of garlic you find in the vegetable section of the grocery store! Thank goodness for big sisters paying attention to little sisters learning something new. (Thanks Beck!) I now have learned the very valuable difference between a "head of garlic" and a "clove of garlic". ~sheepish look~

So, that is the update on my teaching myself how to cook. Recipe 1 went off without too much fuss or trouble, having learned my valuable lesson about garlic, so I'm on to Recipe 2 - Caribbean Roast Pork. Think I'll try to get around to that sometime this week and see how it goes...Now onto the reason I'm blogging today.

I've been doing a little research on publishers and agents but ran across a couple of writing contests I thought to share with everyone.

Please note: Only a small amount of research has been done into these contests to verify their validity. If you choose to enter one of these contests, please do your own research PRIOR to entering! I am not responsible for the legitimacy of any of these contests.

The first contest I ran across was: Annual Women Who Write Poetry and Short Prose Contest

DEADLINE: May 30, 2010


Entry Guidelines


* Open to women writers 18 or older.
* Women Who Write will retain one-time publication rights, after which, all rights revert back to author.
* Entry must be previously unpublished.
* Prose limit 3,000 words.
* Each poem or story must include a cover page with title of work, author name, address, home phone number, and valid e-mail address (if applicable).

* To identify each page of your work, use the title set in the header along with the page number. For example: This is my Title - 1
* Other formatting:
o Prose and Poetry
+ Microsoft Word .doc format
+ Times New Roman font, size 14
+ Double-spaced
o Prose Only
+ text justified
+ indent paragraphs one tab
+ double-spaced
+ no extra space between paragraphs
+ only one space after period at end of sentence
+ default on all other MS Word settings
* $10 entry fee for initial poem or story submitted; additional entries in the same category are $5 each.
* Postmark deadline: May 30, 2010
* Winners will be notified by mail or e-mail in August.
* Members of Women Who Write are ineligible.
* Submissions will not be returned.




Send entries and entry fee to:


Women Who Write
P.O. Box 6167
Louisville, KY 40206



Awards and Recognition:


Short prose and poetry winners receive:


First Place..........$150 and five copies of the current anthology
Second Place.......100 and five copies of the current anthology
Third Place...........75 and five copies of the current anthology

Winners' work is published in Calliope, Women Who Write's annual anthology.
Winners read their poetry and selections from their stories at the awards program.


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

general rules


1. Participants must be above 18 years of age, or sponsored by such a person.

2. Any style accepted – rhyme, no rhyme, nature, family, erotica, personal, society, humor, etc.

3. We apply no censorship, however it is fair to tell you up front that poems encouraging hate, violence, pornography, derogation of others, drug abuse, and similar – have no chance of winning. Of course, if such aspects are relevant and necessary as part of the “story” – then there is no problem in using them.

4. The specific conditions of each individual contest must be adhered to.

5. Proven plagiarism will result in indefinite banning from the site.

6. Poems must be between 10 and 50 lines long, empty lines included. This limitation might change occasionally, if specified in the individual contest. Submissions should be in .doc format.




participation and prizes


1. Any number of entries per contestant, grouped in groups of 5 poems with each group priced independently (see pricing lower down).

2. Participation is charged at:


- first entry


$5

- second entry


$4

- third and fourth entry


$3 each

- fifth entry


free

To be paid uniquely by Paypal.

Please select the number of poems you wish to submit, and the relevant submission fee.

3. Prizes:


- 1st prize


$300

- 2nd prize


$150

- 3rd prize


$50

Paid out uniquely by Paypal.

The first 3 prizes will be posted indefinitely on our site, against the relevant contest.

The following 77 entries short-listed for a specific contest, will be posted on our site against the relevant contest, until the following contest is concluded.

The three winners and the 77 short-listed will be published with Lulu or Amazon. The three winners will receive the book free of charge. The 77 short-listed will be able to purchase it on the Lulu/Amazon site, and the commission paid to Aquillrelle by Lulu/Amazon on these books (one copy) will be passed on to them, via Paypal (against proof of purchase). Anyone else will be able to purchase it on the Lulu/Amazon site.



This is the contest I have on my list that has the soonest deadline date, so I am putting it out here first. I have a few more on my list that have deadlines coming up, but they are a little way off so I'll post those later. For now, though, I wanted to share at least one today.

In the same thread as usual...If you have any contests (or good recipes lol) you want to share, feel free to post them direct to here, or email me at bbwalter@bbwalter.com and I'll share your contest on my next blog.



B

Personal Oversight...

Afternoon to all! It's been a few weeks since I last blogged. Recently, I've heard
(and said) something more than once that I feel I need to address on a personal level. AS many of you know, I pride myself on my...um, idiosyncracies, my quirks and oddities, so to speak. But I've always lamented one of my quirks.

~audible gasps~

B.B. laments? one of her quirks?

I know, I know. It's so hard to believe; I am so near perfect that it's laughable, right? ~LOL~ And, quite rightly, I'd agree with you entirely. However, there is one small tidbit about myself that I've always wished for but never achieved.

riveted attention spans

I.Can't.Cook. There; I've said it. ~winces~

I know many of you are thinking, Is that all? Well, yes, it is. You see, I love food - all kinds of food. But I haven't the foggiest notion on how to prepare it. Or at least, haven't the foggiest on how to prepare something that is edible. Just ask anyone who knows me. ~embarrassed sob~ And, coming from a family of cooks and culinary experimentors, this is quite embarrassing. So, recently, I've decided that I need to learn how to cook.

My poor family. You just know they are going to be my unsuspecting victims during my trial and error attempts at learning how to cook. Of course, I'm going to have to master some of the basics that I never bothered learning all the way but, fortunately, I do have family to ask. And, since they already know I can't cook (yeah, because apparently Hamburger Helper is not cooking...And I thought I was doing so well all these years!), me asking questions won't be either embarrassing or a sign of ignorance.

Once I get those questions out of the way, I think I know what recipe I'm going to try first. It's not too out there, but it is ambition...Especially for me. Here is the recipe for Roast Chicken with Herb Butter, Onions and Garlic:

Ingredients:

* 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley plus 3 large sprigs

* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme plus 3 large sprigs

* 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary plus 3 small sprigs

* 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

* 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

* 1 7- to 71/4-pound roasting chicken, rinsed, patted dry

* 3 medium onions, peeled, quartered lengthwise (do not remove root end)

* 14 garlic cloves, peeled

* 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth

* 1/2 cup dry white wine

* 1 1/2 teaspoons all purpose flour



Preparation:

Mix butter, chopped herbs, fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in bowl; blend well. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.)

Position rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 400°F. Sprinkle main cavity of chicken with salt and pepper; fill with herb sprigs. Starting at neck end, slide fingers under skin of breast and upper part of legs, loosening skin. Spread 3 tablespoons herb butter under skin on breast and upper leg meat. Place chicken on rack in large roasting pan; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Scatter onions around chicken. Brush chicken and onions with 2 tablespoons herb butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast chicken 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Scatter garlic cloves around chicken. Brush chicken, onions and garlic with 1 tablespoon herb butter. Roast chicken and vegetables 30 minutes. Reserve 1 tablespoon herb butter for sauce; brush remainder on chicken and vegetables. Continue to roast until chicken is golden and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180°F, about 30 minutes longer. Insert wooden spoon into main cavity; tilt chicken so that juices drain into pan. Transfer chicken to platter; surround with onions and garlic. Tent with foil.

Set roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add broth and wine; bring to simmer, scraping up browned bits. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat; discard fat. Pour juices into medium saucepan. Stir reserved 1 tablespoon herb butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste. Bring pan juices to simmer; whisk in paste. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened, whisking occasionally, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with sauce.

Of course, this is VERY ambition for me. I mean, I've HEARD for fennel seeds, but I've never seen one...much less cooked with one. And the whole "sliding fingers under the skin of the chicken to spread a thin layer of herb butter"...Well, that part of the recipe frightens me, frankly. But I'm going to do it; I'm going to learn this eventually.

At least, I'm going to do it one mangled dish at a time, I avow. ~LOL~ Feel sorry for my test subjects...err, I mean, my family.

And now, since I like interactive blog articles whenever possible, tell me a little about your experiences learning how to cook, or about that one experimental dish that just didn't go quite right.



bb

March 2010 Publisher Spotlight - Samhain Publishing

Good afternoon, messires and maddams! (Ok, so I didn't take French as a foreign language.) Today, I am spotlighting a publisher I've recently ran across and gathered information on.

Samhain Publishing

Samhain—the Celtic New Year—signifies a new beginning, a rebirth.

Pronounced sah-vin by the Scots, sow-in (sow like cow) by the Irish and sam-hine in English, Samhain is the Irish word for November. And November 2005 saw the launch of Samhain Publishing, Ltd., founded with a goal of bringing to compulsive readers books that allow them to discover new worlds and be taken on adventures through the creative minds of today’s brightest authors.

Primarily an ebook publisher, Samhain has also segued into print books (anything over 60,000 automatically becomes a print and ebook). So, concerning cornering a large market, Samhain caters to both e-reader and traditional reader alike.

Now, from a writer's POV, Samhain offers many great guidelines as a publisher.

Firstly, is how highly recommended Samhain is by several well-known and established writer resource sites. Two of these sites include Preditorsandeditors.com and absolutewriterwatercooler.com.

Is Samhain right for me, however?

This is the largest question looming over writers' heads when they consider submitting for publication. And, then there's the lengthy process of trying to gather enough information to make certain this publisher is one you like...and one whom will like you. Here, I've complied a list of several items Samhain Publishing offers that, I think, will entice most wirters.

1) Payment - How does Samhain Publishing pay their authors?

From all the research I've done, it appears that Samhain pays their authors in both royalties and with 10 author's copies of their novel/la.

2) Submissions - How long do I have to wait to hear from Samhain? And, can I submit to other publishers at the same time to increase my odds?

While this publisher does ask for a 12-16 week response time to inqueries, they are open to simultaneous submissions (meaning - you are free to send to multiple publishers/agents while also sending to Samhain). The only item they request is that you notify the editors your manuscript is being considered as a simultaneous submission.

3) Recognition - Is Samhain Publishing recognized by any national literary organizations?

Yes, indeedy. Samhain Publishing is an RWA (Romance Writers of America) recognized publisher. Not sure if this is a big deal or not? RWA guidelines only recognize non-subsidy, non-vanity publishers; the publisher must release books via a national distribution campaign; and, the publisher must have sold (in one year) more than 1500 hardback/paperback copies or 5000 copies of any other format.

4) Genres - What genres/categories does Samhain accept?

This publisher, while primarily a romance/erotica publisher, has began to diverge into a large scale of titles, including science fiction and fantasy, romance and erotica, horror, paranormal fantasy, historicals, urban fantasy, mysteries and thrilles, and a ton of more genres. (Please, check publisher's submission page to see what titles they are currently accepting, if any.)

All of this builds up to a pretty reliable, large-small to medium sized publisher. But what was most important to me (as a writer and the one bringing this information to my friends and readers) was how genuinely happy Samhain's authors are with the press. Authors have made comments on many blogs regarding the helpfulness of their rejection letters, the artistry of the cover art, and the helpfulness of the staff and editors at Samhain.

To me, as a writer, this all stacks up to be a decent publisher. However, I understand that my research is not imperfect and my opinion not absolute (unless you're my husband reading this and then my opinion is absolute! LOL). If you have anything to add regarding this publisher, or you plain need any other information I may have collected during my research then, by all means, leave me a comment or drop me an email at bbwalter@bbwalter.com .

I'd also love to hear any feedback concerning other publishing houses you've found to be interesting (either good or bad). The more information we can put out there for writers to find, the better! Thanks, and I'll chat atcha soon.

BB Walter

Guilt and Debrox Drops

Hello again all. Today, I have a life experience to share with you all. It envolves Debrox ear drops.



My nephew had some serious ear wax built up when we took him in to see his pediatrician the other day. He recommended we take the child to see an Ear Nose and Throat specialist but, in the mean time, to flush his ears using the Debrox drops. My sister asked after the hole in his ear, and the doctor (based on his thirty-some odd- years experience with the product) said that he should be fine.



WRONG! Less than thirty seconds after administering the drops, my nephew was shrieking in pain. He hurt enough for his face to turn beat red and he collapsed on my sister's lap. Poor little guy! We all felt so bad (my sister, myself, and my niece). But I had tried the drops (had to show a worried little guy that they didn't hurt you, you know) and had no problems - actually, they worked great for me.



He screamed for over an hour while the drops drained out (along with the wax, btw - so it did work) and even had some pinkish discharge, quite possibly blood, along with it. However, after speaking with the doctor (who was confounded since he'd never had any problems with any patients using these drops over the years) said to keep a close eye on him. If his condition worsened or did not lessen within an hour, we should take him to the E.R. immediately. Fortunately, he seems to have calmed but is still complaining of pain and is in and out of sleep.



So, while these drops did work (my ears are clean, and the one ear we used them on for him is also clean now, despite his pain), I'm just posting on here for my friends (and blog followers, if any) that if you have ANY inner ear deformities or abnormalities/anomalies - DO NOT USE Debrox drops for ear wax issues. Now, if you don't have these problems, use away :)



[CR: The Realtor Murders by David A. Kaufelt; Cell by Stephen King; City of Bones by Cassandra Clare; and Contemporary Fiction - 50 Short Stories Since 1970 by assorted authors. TBRN: Her Majesty's Wizard by Christopher Stasheff and The Burning Land by Victoria Strauss]

To Freelance or Not to Freelance?

A portfolio of more than 300 short stories, 19 novels (complete and incomplete), and more poetry than one can count; a background strong in English with a focus for details; and a passion to make the written word better - to pick up the individual letters in a composition, polish them till they gleam, and put them back again...

So published author, literary tutor, and education major (and these are my Night Jobs)...Why am I seriously considering an addition of freelance editing/proofreading to my portfolio? Some might say that I've gone off the deep end. And maybe I have. But, after reading some of the papers that were recently turned into my friend's writing class (she's a professor at a nearby community college) and reviewing several manuscripts getting ready to go to publication, I've decided that the literary world needs me to be a little crazy. In fact, it needs me to swim clear out into the deep in and tread - for an eternity. LOL

Actually, a little more seriously, I feel my services could be used by friend and fellow writers who need a little help catching the things they might have missed. And as for the college students...? Um, they need all the help they can get. LOL

So in addition to everything else I do ('cause aren't I magnificent? lol), I've decided to add proofreading/editing services to my portfolio of greatness. Just my little part to beautify the world one letter at a time. Now all I must do is get the word out, build up a client base, and figure out what to charge...Easy-piezy, right? lol