Valparaiso Fiction Review accepts story by Nancy Purcell

One of my dear friends and a member of Netwest for many years, is Nancy Purcell. She has been a devoted representative for Transylvania County throughout those years.

Today I am happy that one of her stories was accepted by Valparaiso Fiction Review. 

Nancy said she had submitted this story many, many times to other magazines, but she didn't give up. She believed in her story, The Unwrinkled Heart. It will be in their Winter 2015 issue. "I loved this story and put my heart in it and was determined for it to see print! There's a saying, It takes a lot of eyes before the right ones see your work." 

Guidelines for Valparaiso Fiction Review
Submissions to VFR should be original, unpublished fiction. Submissions should range from 1,000 to 9,000 words with possible exceptions. Please use 12 point font, double-space, and .doc, .docx, or .rtf formats. Please include name and email on the first page of each submission.

Please no novels, poetry (see VPR), or children's fiction unless otherwise noted. Excerpts from novels are acceptable only if selected piece operates as a stand-alone story.

Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but the author should notify VFR immediately should a submitted piece be accepted elsewhere. Response time for each submission is 3-4 months and will be sent electronically. Only stories submitted through VFR Submissions page will be considered. Please, no paper submissions.

There is no submission deadline. Submissions are considered on a rolling basis.

When VFR accepts a piece of fiction for publication, we are purchasing first-serial publication rights.

To submit fiction, one must setup a user account via Submissions.

For any additional questions, please contact one of the VFR editors, at vfr@valpo.edu.

For more information on submitting poetry, please visit our sister publication – Valparaiso Poetry

Congratulations to Nancy who lives in Brevard. She is a teacher and fiction writer with a number of publications under her belt. 

Michael Diebert, guest today, July 24, 4:30 PM, at: "Chat with a Poet" at Joe's Coffee House, 82 Main Street, Hayesville, NC

 Today Michael Diebert will read some of his poetry and enlighten us as to how he selects and edits poems for the Chattahoochee Review. Beginning poets will find his talk interesting and will be able to ask those questions you have been wondering about.

There will be some snacks furnished by Writers Circle and Joe's has great coffee and tea as well as a wine bar. There is no cost for the event, but Joe would like for you to pay for the coffee, tea or wine.

 

Michael will also teach a class on Saturday, July 25th, from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Writers Circle in Hayesville, NC.  The class is called: "Re-purposing Your Poems: The Art and Craft of Poetic Salvage".  

 

Please contact Glenda Beall at: http://www.glendacouncilbeall.blogspot.com/, if you are interested in attending this class.  There are still a couple of openings. 

 

Photos from Festival on the Square in Hayesville, NC

Deanna Klingel, Valerie Nieman, Joan Ellen Gage, Eva Mull Wike, Miriam Jones Bradley 

It was hot but we had fun and folks went home with books from our authors. NC Writers' Network West, a program of the North Carolina Writers' Network, sponsored this booth and volunteers staffed it both Saturday and Sunday. We handed out information about local events, registration for membership, and gave information about the Fall Conference in November in Asheville. We talked to people about NCWN, the state writers' group. www.ncwriters.org and gave away books twice each day of the festival. 

Val Nieman joins Joan Ellen Gage at the book table Sunday afternoon. 

Valerie Nieman, Joan Gage, and Glenda Beall 

NCWN-West at Festival on the Square

Our weekend at the Festival on the Square was delightful except for the high temperatures on Saturday. Deanna Klingel and Miriam Bradley drove down to Hayesville from Sapphire and from Hendersonville, NC. Both write books for children but have non-fiction books for adults as well. See their websites for more of their books. 

We all promote reading for children and it was heart-warming to see the kids visit Deanna and Miriam with their parents and then come back later with cash in hand to purchase the mystery series books from Miriam’s table or the Avery books from Deanna.

Deanna Klingel

Miriam Jones Bradley

Our many volunteers this year made it possible to have a booth at the Festival on the Square sponsored by the Clay County Historical and Arts Council. Deanna and Joan Gage carried tables and chairs and boxes as we loaded up Rob’s truck on Friday afternoon and set up our tent. I counted on Joan all weekend to help me and to be there when I could not.  She also presented her books of inspirational and motivating poetry for women. Water Running Down Hill, Empowering Your Inner Cheerleader and her most recent, A Redhead Looks at 60.

Joan Ellen Gage

Karen Holmes and Carole Thompson volunteered so that on Saturday and on Sunday we had someone at the main table to give out brochures, answer questions about NCWN and NCWN West, discuss writing with visitors and give them information about local literary events and places where they can receive instruction.

Carole Thompson author of Enough

Valeria Nieman visited with us Sunday afternoon with her new poetry book, Hotel Worthy and her very interesting novel, Blood Clay. We are always happy to see Val here in our neck of the woods.

I want to thank Don and Marti Long for their help on Sunday afternoon. Although we were tired by Sunday afternoon, I had fun with my two guests, Deanna and Miriam at my house for the weekend. It is always great to see so many local friends at the festival on a typical summer weekend in a small mountain town in the beautiful western NC mountains. 

Bill Ramsey asks, Who Reads and Why?

Bill Ramsey, author and recently appointed member of the NCWN Board of Trustees is from Henderson County, NC. He sent in this essay from an original collection entitled "What do you Think?" which is forthcoming in November 2015.

Who Reads and Why?

Reading a good book is enjoyed by many people. We could say most people but that might be stretching the truth. Some people cannot read and others simply have not done enough of it to find it enjoyable. 

Over time and with enough books having been read, folks come to favor one genre or two over others. They select from history, biography, self-help, psychology, science, medicine, cooking (paired with dieting), business, poetry or romance novels.

Polls indicate that the median number of books read per year is six. An avid reader reads many more, fifteen books or more per year. They have a book or two going most of the time. As shown at Vocabulary.com , Avid is from French avide, from Latin avidus, from avere "to desire, crave." Desire and crave would easily describe an avid reader. When waiting for an airplane, a doctor appointment, a major delay on a highway or any other several minute block of time, their books fly open.

How can we identify a reader? We don't have to see an open book in the hands of a reader. They don't have to say to us, "I am a reader." They don't need auto bumper stickers or lettered tee shirts to broadcast the fact. We know them when we converse with them because they are more broadly aware, well spoken, interesting and interested.

Writers are avid readers for additional reasons. They will tell you that reading the books of others is not only a form of enjoyment but is necessary in learning how to improve one's own writing. Reading the work of other authors builds vocabulary, style awareness and story line development. 

No legitimate writer reads the work of others to plagiarize or to copy anything about the approach used by others. To do anything like that would not only be unethical, it would not be much fun. Readers are aware when they are reading original and honest writing.

When I am not writing I am reading. When I am not reading I am writing. If given dual and parallel lives to live, one would be used to read and write and the other for everything else. Admitting to an addiction is step one in attaining a cure. See the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous . Like many people, I am addicted to reading and writing. There, I've said it. But don't look for me to seek counseling as this addiction is one I plan to feed.

Bill Ramsey

This copyright preview essay is from an original collection entitled "What Do You Think?" which will be available in November, 2015.