Old Mountain Press (OMP) is accepting submissions for, "Wish You Were Here: A Poetry and Prose Anthology", Deadline for submissions March 6, 2016

Old Mountain Press will publish a collection of poetry by a number of poets. Their goal is to gather enough quality poems and flash fiction for an estimated 50 to 90 page book with the theme being anything travel related to places you have been or would like to go: the place, the people, the food, etc.

OMP are accepting submissions February 6th to March 6, 2016.
Here are the guidelines and the link to an online submission form:

• Author must have rights to the poem (previously published OK, but not in an OMP anthology).

• Poem may not exceed 36 lines (including title, author's name and blank lines). Poetry lines that exceed 55 letters and spaces will wrap and count as two lines.

• Flash fiction may not exceed 325 words (bottom line is that it must fit on a 8.5"x5.5" page).

• Only one poem/flash fiction per writer, so give it your best shot:-)

• Submissions accepted from a former contributor or someone recommended by a former contributor

http://www.oldmp.com/anthology/wishyouwerehere.htm

Staci Lynn Bell speaks on Wolves and Writing

Staci Lynn Bell and her dog, Echo

Staci Lynn Bell is a new member of NCWN West. She lives in Clay County, NC with her two beloved dogs. Her poems have been published online in Wild Goose Poetry Review.

Recently Staci submitted a poem and a short fiction piece to an anthology, WOLF WARRIORS II, The National WolfWatcher Coalition.  Both the poem and prose piece fit perfectly and both were accepted. All proceeds from this book go to the charity, the WolfWatcher Coalition, and used to protect wolves.  

         

We decided to ask Staci some questions about her enthusiasm for wolves and how those of us who care about the work being done to keep wolves from becoming extinct can purchase the book.

Thank you, Staci for taking time to answer our questions.

GCB: When did your attachment to wolves begin?

SLB: Well, wolves and dogs were interchangeable to me as a child, so the attachment has always been inside of me. The original reason I have favored the German Shepherd Dog is due to their close resemblance to wolves.

GCB: You have a deep empathy for dogs and wolves. You feel what they seem to feel. Have you studied these animals in a way most people do not?

SLB: You mean besides devouring every book about dogs and wolves as a child, starting with Albert Payson Terhune’s short stories? Yes, it has and continues to be a lifelong passion of mine to study animal behavior. I don’t want to just look or interact with them with my “human” brain. I want to know theirs. I am more comfortable with their behavior than with most people.      

GCB: Your poem and story were both accepted for the anthology, Wolf Warriors II. You are the only person who has two pieces in the book. How do you feel about that?

SLB: I still can’t get over that my name is in a table of contents of a book , let alone that two pieces were published! I feel grateful and validated as a writer. I am humbled to have two pieces that are so close to my heart chosen for a book where all the proceeds benefit wolves.

GCB: Why is having your work published in this anthology so important to you? 

SB: Animals and their welfare are my passion. The plight of wolves is becoming catastrophic. Since the majority of humans can’t or won’t understand their language, I can speak for them.

GCB: You have spoken and written about the difficulties in your personal life from childhood into adulthood. Is writing about the plight of the wolves today, their being misunderstood and the battle between the ranchers and those who want to save the species, a way for you, as a writer, to express some of your emotions about your own life?

SLB: Absolutely. It is difficult for me to write about the atrocities I suffered as a child. Writing about the plight of innocent animals is safer. Of course the circumstances are different, yet chillingly similar.

GCB: What do you think about a wild animal like a wolf being shut up in a cage for months or years? 

SB: It is not natural, any more than it is natural to keep Dolphins in tanks. Wild animals are not here for humans to decide their importance or fate. Have you looked into the eyes of a caged animal or one that lives in a zoo setting, even if it is open like Busch Gardens? Their eyes tell a story. It is not one of hope. The confusion, sadness and isolation are unbearable for any being.

GCB: Is it better to keep a wolf caged for his protection or let him run wild with the chance of being shot?

SLB: I abhor hunting and the thought of any animal dying by the hands of humans infuriates me. That being said, locking a wolf in a cage takes away his spirit. That is a fate worse than death.

GCB: You are a poet and a writer of fiction and personal essay. What is your favorite way to express yourself?

SB: Did you say favorite or easiest? I would have to say personal essay. It is easier for me, that’s for sure! It is also my favorite way to write. I love detail. Fiction I rarely write and if I do there is more truth than not in the piece. Creative non-fiction is also one of my favorites. Poetry is more of a challenge for me, although writing poetry was one of the ways I coped during my childhood. I consider myself a storyteller and a wordy one at that. I have to say though that even though it’s more effort for me to write a poem, writing poetry has taught me a huge lesson in accepting re-writes and revisions. 

GCB: Do you find some subjects work better in prose than in poetry?

SLB: Oh, of course, but I really can’t say which subjects. It depends on what I am writing about and how I feel my message will come across the strongest. I usually just start writing and see where it takes itself. Sometimes I can do both. In other words the story can be written just as effectively in a poem as in a piece of prose. 

GCB: You had a career in radio for a number of years. How did that help you with creative writing?

SLB: Sometimes I think it was a hindrance, and other times I feel it helped. Having to write 30 second and 60 second ads certainly helped for poetry. To be effective, creatively, in a very short amount of time, teaches you to choose each word carefully. Being an on-air personality taught me the same thing. You basically have 60-90 seconds to tell a story, be entertaining, and again you must be able to tell a story with as few words as possible. Paint a picture, which is what a writer does, especially in poetry. The flip side is that I used almost no punctuation, grammar, proper nouns, etc. I have had to relearn how to structure sentences. Radio and television for the most part is ad-libbing. That is, of course, not the case in writing.

GCB: You are single now and you live in Hayesville, NC with your two beloved dogs. You recently bought your first home. You have joined the North Carolina Writers' Network which automatically gives you membership in NCWN-West. This is a major change in your life. How do you see yourself in the coming year? Will we be seeing more of your writing published and hearing you read your work more often?

SLB: I certainly hope so. It has been a struggle adapting, as my divorce is still recent and I marvel at the universe that seems to know what is better for me than I most times believe. In all honesty, I don’t know how I see myself in the coming year, but my plan is to keep on writing and moving forward. One of the reasons I stayed in this area is the incredible support of our unique writing community here in the Western North Carolina Mountains.  

GCB: Thank you so much, Staci, for your candid answers. We look forward to seeing more of your writing in journals and books.

Learn more about the plight of wolves:

The Wolfwatcher Coalition

North American Wolves

Wolf Warriors II: TheNational Wolfwatcher Coalition - This anthology captures the various faces of the wolf: from the fantastic to the horrific, from the snow-capped mountain peaks to the moonlit lake in the trees. The howls of these warriors will make you smile, make you cry, and, most of all, make you want to raise your own howl to join the chorus.

Curiosity Shop Bookstore, Murphy, NC, to host book signing Sat. 11/28/15, 11 AM to 3 PM for: It’s All Relative: Tales from the Tree, from 50 WNC Women Writers

Celia H. Miles and Nancy Dillingham, are co-editors and contributors of a new anthology by 50 women writers from western North Carolina, entitled: It’s All Relative: Tales from the Tree – celebrating the lives of women and their connections with their families.

Celia Miles, a native of Appalachia, was a long-time English instructor at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College. She is retired and living in Asheville, does freelance editing and writing in various genres.

Nancy Dillingham is a writer, educator and a sixth-generation native from Big Ivy in Western North Carolina. She currently lives in Asheville, NC.

Local authors who contributed to It's all Relative, are from Clay County, Glenda Council Beall, M.C. Brooks, and Blanche L.Ledford. Cherokee County authors who contributed are, Lucy Cole Gratton, Mary Rickertson, and Peg Russell.

The Curiosity Shop Bookstore in Murphy, NC will host the book signing this Saturday, 11/28/2015, from 11 AM to 3 PM. Please come out and show your support for these local authors!

Glenda Council Beall, a Georgia native, lives in Hayesville, NC, and is the owner and director of 'Writers Circle Around the Table', a studio for writers. She also teaches writing in the continuing education department at Tri-County Community College in Murphy, NC. Her poems have appeared in numerous journals and in anthologies. Beall has also published short stories and personal essays. She has a poetry chapbook, entitled: Now Might as Well be Then, and a family history book Profiles and Pedigrees.
 
M.C. Brooks was a student in one of Glenda Council Beall's memoir writing class at Tri-County Community College in Murphy, NC.

Blanche L.Ledford is a native Appalachian poet, who co-authored the book Simplicity with her daughter Brenda Kay Ledford. Her work has been in many Old Mountain Press Anthologies, and the NCWN-West anthology, Echos Across the Blue Ridge. She also wrote the book, Planting by the Signs, which won the Paul Green Multi-media award from the NC Society of Historians, in 2012.

Lucy Cole Gratton, a native of Decatur, Georgia, has been writing for herself for many years, only lately seeking to publish with some success both nationally and internationally. She has been published in the Wild Goose Poetry Review, is the editor of the book, Red Fox Run, and has a chapbook published entitled, Inagehi.
 
Mary Ricketson has had her poetry published in many journals, has a chapbook called, I Hear the River Call my Name, and is the author of Hanging Dog Creek. She is also published in the NCWN-West anthology, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge and in the book, Red Fox Run. She also has a chapbook, I Hear the River Call My Name. Mary is the Cherokee County Representative for the North Carolina Writers Network-West and is the president of Ridgeline Literary Alliance.

Peg Russell is a poet and writer. She is the former Prose leader for the NCWN-West Prose Workshop and is published in the NCWN-West anthology, Echoes Across the Blue Ridge. Russell also writes short essays.

Old Mountain Press accepting submissions for anthology

Old Mountain Press (OMP) is accepting submissions for They Stood Alone from
PREVIOUS CONTRIBUTORS ONLY OR SOMEONE RECOMMENDED BY A PREVIOUS CONTRIBUTOR. 

Each contributor whose work will appear in this anthology can recommend ONE person to submit to this anthology. Someone whose work you would like to see included with yours–maybe right beside yours:-).




See http://www.oldmp.com/anthology/theystoodalone.htm here you will also find guidelines and the link to an online submission form.

View camera ready copy of all submissions accepted so far at http://www.oldmp.com/anthology/review/stoodalone.pdf

NOTE: As always this anthology may fill up before the close out date so don’t procrastinate.

They Stood Alone’s  THEME: Nature


OMP willl accept submissions until 12:00 15 November OR when I have at least 90 to 100 pages (includes table of content and authors’ bios 75 words or preferably less please) of quality poems and short shorts WHICHEVER COMES FIRST. 

If you wish to be considered for inclusion in this anthology, do not procrastinate. Get your work in now! Since this is a very wide topic, I expect the anthology to fill up well before the close out date.

There is no reading fee, no entry fee, and no requirement for a contributor to purchase this anthology. As always, contributors will be able to purchase copies at a reduced rate.

Old Mountain Press is owned by Tom Davis, a member of NCWN-West, and a supporter of WNC writers. 

Nancy Purcell's poem accepted for Anthology

Kudos to Nancy Purcell, former Transylvania County Representative for Netwest. Her poem, Hard Frost was accepted for inclusion in the anthology, Life is a Roller Coaster from Kind of a Hurricane Press. http://www.kindofahurricanepress.com/

Nancy’s prose has been published in various print media, and she teaches Creative Writing  at Brevard College in their Creekside program for adults. She also facilitates a writing group made up of her students.

A Southern fiction writer, Nancy has learned to tap into readers’ emotions and keep them riveted right up to the final sentence. As a student of relationships, she explores family dynamics that include romance, old age, deceit, even murder. She is also a prose judge for the Carl Sandburg Home Writer-in-Residence program at Flat Rock, NorthCarolina.

Congratulations, Nancy. We look forward to seeing more of your poetry. Visit Nancy online here.

Call For Submissions For a New Anthology, "Mountain Writings"

Submissions of poetry and flash fiction for the next anthology, Mountain Writings, part of the Old Mountain Press Anthology Series, will be accepted beginning March 1, 2013. 

The anthology’s theme is anything about the mountains, the people, the places, the activities or other applicable subjects. To submit, writers must have been previously published in an OMP Anthology or be recommended by a writer who has been previously published in an OMP Anthology. Names and bios of contributors can be found on any of the books' web pages which are linked to the OMP Anthology Books in Print web page, found here. 

Order online from Double Eagle Enterprises

NCWN West thanks member, William V. Reynolds, author and publisher, for listing Echoes Across the Blue Ridge on his website,
Double Eagle Enterprises.
This is one more place online to order the anthology which sells for only $16.00. William Reynolds has a listing of his many novels and other products from his online store. Click here.

Cover for Echoes Across the Blue Ridge

After many hours spent pouring over the photos submitted for the cover of the NCWN West anthology, this photo by Philip Sampson of Young Harris, Georgia fits the recommendations of our book sellers and others who insist this book will jump right off the shelves into hands of readers when they spy this cover. The reflection of the mountains in the lake echoes the scene and fits the title ECHOES ACROSS THE BLUE RIDGE, Stories, Essays and Poems by Writers Living in and Inspired by the Southern Appalachian Mountains.
The book was titled by the editor Nancy Simpson. The cover design is by Katja Holmes.
Glenda Beall is marketing manager and is already promoting the book. A list of contributors will be posted here very soon. Read poems from the book on the blog of Nancy Simpson.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, the book will not be released until after the first of the year. Continue to watch this site for more information.

CONDOLENCES TO SHIRLEY UPHOUSE, PAST PROGRAM COORDINATOR FOR NETWEST

Our membership is saddened today to hear of the passing of Warren Uphouse, Shirley's husband of 37 years. To send condolences, you will find Shirley's address on your membership list. No service is planned.
Shirley served NCWN West as Program Coordinator for several years and was responsible for holding the Lights in the Mountains writing conferences in 2005 and 2006. She also was co-editor of the first NCWN West anthology, Lights in the Mountains, Stories, Essays and Poems by Writers Living in and Inspired by the Southern Appalachian Mountains.

Editors of Christmas Presence offer new opportunity

We are soliciting
Material from women writers in western North Carolina
For a second book project

Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham want your stories, memoirs, essays/reflections, poems for an anthology about the garments we wear—metaphorically, symbolically, literally---from hair bow to bra to Birkenstocks, from christening gown to prom dress, from waitress uniform to nine-to-five stiletto heels.

We expect an October 2009 publication date, in time to market the book alongside the 2008 Christmas Presence.

General Guidelines

i Submit no more than 2000 words
i Previously published material is fine–as long as you provide acknowledgments
i You retain all rights to your material
i Send in an email attachment (or contact us)–in Ms Word or RTF
i Formatting for submissions:

Double space with one-inch margins
Left justify only
Center or left justify title

Use 12-point font (Times New Roman preferred) for body and title

i Editing is a “given,” but we will try to ask about changes
i DEADLINE: MAY 2, 2009
i In return for your effort and creativity, you will receive

A complimentary copy of the book
An opportunity to buy additional copies at reduced cost
A publication party and potential readings/signings

i Contact Information:
Celia Miles (277-6910)> celiamiles@fastmail.fm
Nancy Dillingham (254-3143)> nandilly@earthlink.net

We are excited about compiling an interesting and entertaining collection of theme-related work from women writers in this region. We know you’re out there! So, we invite you to look into your clothes closet (past or present), and if you have a story to tell, a memory to share, a point of view to espouse, send it along. We promise to treat it with care.

Book Signings, Christmas, Dogs and Horses

Carole Thompson, author of the short story, A Bag of Sugar for Paula, at the Book Nook in Blairsville, GA. Her story is included in the anthology Christmas Presence, edited by Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham.

I awoke early today, Saturday, another rainy day, but delightful day for me. Shirley Uphouse and I had a date to sign books at the Mountain Valley Country Store in Hayesville, NC, a really neat place for animal lovers. Saddles, bridles, halters, and everything needed for horse owners. Dog food, dog toys, dog "clothes", and anything one might want for a beloved dog. Lots of cool clothes, leather, jeweled jackets, boots, and jeans and hats. Just the place to find folks interested in our books.

We sat up our table in a little spot out of the way and not easily seen by incoming customers, but since this was where the owner placed us, we were grateful to be there.
This morning I baked chocolate chip cookies and found an 8x10 photo of Barry riding his horse. My story, An Angel Named Amos, is about him and a very special horse. I placed a holiday plate filled with cookies and the framed photo on the table with my Cup of Comfort for Horse Lovers books.
Shirley brought her book, My Friends, My Dogs, and placed one on an
easel. Her book has an attractive cover with a Keeshond on the front.
Before I could get my books out, two writer friends, Nancy Simpson and Glenda Barrett, appeared to buy copies. I know that neither of them are horse enthusiasts, so I hope they give the books as gifts, (after they read my story). With friends like this who support my writing, I feel extremely blessed. Both of them already had copies of My Friends, My Dogs.

Two ladies approached and said they had seen the article about our book signing in the local newspaper. One lady wanted two copies for two horse loving sisters.
Clay County poet, Brenda Kay Ledford bought a book and stuck around to take a photograph of Shirley and me.
By this time I had forgotten the nasty weather outside. It did not seem to slow the traffic coming into the store. Recently I read that the smell of chocolate increases the desire to shop, so I offered everyone a cookie. A few just followed their noses and ended up at our table.

Since I enjoy meeting and talking with people, I sold two books for Shirley, having to go find her at one point so she could sign one for the lady. I was having fun!

I only had ten copies of Cup of Comfort for Horse Lovers. I sold nine. One I gave away. Lorraine and Chip, owners of the store refused a commission on the books, which was extremely nice of them.

Yesterday, I kept Carole Thompson company while she signed copies of Christmas Presence at the Book Nook in Blairsville, GA. The store quickly sold out and Carole's husband had to go home and bring more books.

Could it be the season? Could it be the books and the subjects of the books? Christmas stories appeal to all of us, and make wonderful gifts.
Shirley's book and the anthology I signed appeal to animal lovers and almost everyone is a dog or cat enthusiast. In our area many are horse people. I met a teenager today who said her family owned twenty horses and three of them belonged to her. She brought her mother over to buy a book.

We have issued a call for submissions for our next NCWN West anthology. When it is published, we want to hold signings in every town in our area. We'll be sure to bake and serve chocolate chip cookies.

Christmas Anthology of WNC Women writers

Thanks to editors Celia Miles and Nancy Dillingham, forty-five western North Carolina women writers have had their Christmas stories, poetry, essays, or memoirs, published in an anthology titled "Christmas Presence." It is a beautifully bound book "filled with the unique voices of women writers who have roots in and connections to western North Carolina. These works add seasoning to the cultural landscape of a region already rich in custom and lore. Most of the writers are members of the NCWN and include Glenda Barrett, Celia Miles, Nancy Dillingham, Dee Dee Parker, Nancy Purcell, Susan Snowden, Barbara Ledford Wright, Lana Hendershott, to name a few. The book, "Christmas Presence," can be ordered from Catawba Publishing Company at (704) 717-8452 or http://www.catawbapublishing.com/. It will be available in local book stores and if not, they can get it for you. ISBN #: 978-1-59712-259-7. The stories will bring back fond holiday memories and the book would make a fine gift for a reading friend.

The signings are listed below--jus ignore the first two. We're hoping for an Osondu signing in Waynesville and one in Marshall.


AUTHOR EVENTS
10-12:00, Oct. 25, Highland Books, 277 N. Broad St., Brevard, NC ( 884-2424)---in conjunction with the college's homecoming, Celia with Nancy Purcell (and Lana Hendershott read) and former dean/author E. Roberts (sold 12 books and the store kept 8, plus sold 10 of my two novels)
10-3:00, Nov. 1, Sanctuary of Stuff, Farm N Art, Woodfin, NC---a first time, long-day event; come and see us

11-1:00, Nov. 7, AB Tech, Holly Library (254-1921)--refreshments

10-12:00, Nov. 8, Curiosity Shop, 48 Valley River Ave., Murphy (835-7433)---with Nancy Sales Cash; Carole, Barbara, Brenda, others in the area, please come and join us; also 1:00-3:00 in Andrews, Curiosity Shop.

6:00, Nov. 19, Accent on Books, 854 Merrimon Ave., Asheville, (252-6255)--Byron Ballard arranged this; all who wish to read, please let us know
1-5:00, Nov. 29, Mountain Made, Grove Arcade, downtown Asheville (350-0307)--come by and visit; we'll be outside the store--and at Mountain Lore in Hendersonville 10:00-11:30)

2-4:00, Dec. 2, Hendersonville Library--Sherry Austin will be moderating this event; refreshments offered; all you H'ville writers, let us know if you wish to read; a two-hour slot but an hour or so of readings should be sufficient. Susan Snowden is doing publicity in Henderson County.

12-3:00, Dec. 6, Book Fair, McDowell Public Library, Old Fort--this event was formerly held in the historic Carson House; Julia N. Duncan will read; others welcome

10:45, Dec. 10, Givens Estates, 2360 Sweeten Creek Road (274-4800)--Mary Lou Welther arranged this event; we're hoping those authors/storytellers nearby will participate

Authors' bios reveal they have more than 45 published books among them.




This article by Nancy Purcell, Netwest Rep from Transylvania County, Brevard, NC