Another Foot in the Door!

Great news tonight ... I just found out that I've had 3 short stories accepted to an Erotica quarterly anthology called Daily Flashes of Erotica. These 4 books offer an erotic tale for each day of the year. Talk about starting your day with a tingle. LOL Just to increase my bookshelf, or decrease my cash *wink*, ... "Voyeur" is slated to be in the Apr-Jun, "Kiss of Leather" in Jul-Sep, and "Solace" in Oct-Dec! Here is a link to the first in the series that while it doesn't have any Mara smut, is currently available from Pill Hill Press / DFE.

Daily Flashes of Erotica

~ MM

Fifteen Books ...

A little bit of fun borrowed from the world of Facebook. Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen books you've read that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. 

Okay ... in no particular order ... 

1) Clan of the Cave Bear ~ Jean M. Auel

2) Kushiel's Dart ~ Jacqueline Carey 

3) Lord of the Rings ~ JRR Tolkien

4) The Bears of Blue River ~ Charles Major

5) Mrs Frisby and the Rats of NIMH ~ Robert C. O'Brian

6) Blue Adept ~ Piers Anthony

7) The Minds of Billy Milligan ~ Daniel Keyes

8) Dragon Riders of Pern ~ Anne McCafferey

9) The Wolf and the Dove ~ Kathleen Woodiwiss

10)Passions of the Realm ~ Joan Balser

11)The Black Lion ~ Jude Deveraux

12) Palomino ~ Danielle Steel

13) Anne of Green Gables ~ Lucy Maud Montgomery

14) The Sleeping Beauty series ~  Anne Rice writing as A. N. Roquelaure 

15) All the awesome HORSE books of my youth ... Pounding Hooves ~Dorothy Grunbrock Johnston, Fury ~ Albert G Miller, Man O' War ~ Walter Farley, Misty of Chincoteague ~ Marguerite Henry, The Black Stallion ~ Walter Farley, My Friend Flicka ~ Mary O Hara, and Black Beauty ~ Anna Sewell

LOL An eclectic list to be sure, ranging from childhood on up these are some of the tales that stuck with me. <3 

On a more serious note, doing this made me think of what I've read lately, and if it wasn't on-line, I haven't. I miss curling up with a good book. When did I get too busy to enjoy the simple things??? 

~ MM

When Blessings Hurt

My sister-in-law, Connie, passed away Saturday morning. She was only 40. Her life has been full of medical maladies ... Juvenile diabetes, a car accident that left her in a coma for a month ... she was never the same, Dialysis, kidney and pancreas transplants, then the kidney being unknowingly nicked in a "routine" biopsy ... she nearly died from the internal bleeding before they figured out they had screwed up, and then this past July she had a stroke.

She has spent the last 5 1/2 months bouncing back and forth between the hospital and a physical therapy center. For every step forward there were three steps back. She continued to have strokes. Finally the doctors told us that the anti-rejection medicine she has been on for years because of her transplants, had weakened the walls of her blood vessels. This meant the strokes would continue. There was nothing we could do, but wait for "the big one." I felt like we were at Talladega. *small smile* Those of you who aren't NASCAR fans might not get that, but it would have amused Connie.

Her passing was without question a blessing. She is in a better place. She is no longer suffering. So why then are we? Perhaps we are selfish wishing her here with us. Regardless, she will be missed. I pray she is happy and the pain is gone. I know that one day I will think of her and smile again. It has been a lot of years since I could say that.

Rest in peace little sister.

~ MM

It arrived today!!!

My copy of  Something from the Attic arrived today! It was an amazing feeling to hold a book in my hands and read one of my stories. I can't even imagine the thrill of those blessed with a book deal. I can't stop grinning over a short story!

Celebrate!

If you are not a follower already I highly recommend you check out The Alliterative Allomorph ! Not only is Jessica an incredible author, but her BLOG is fabulous AND ... as if that wasn't enough for us writers ... now she is giving away three Amazon Gift Cards!!!! All you have to do is be a follower to enter! As our amazing host has already pointed out ... Easy-Peasy!!! So check it out and tell her Mara sent you .... so she can say WHO? lol Just kidding!

Love,

MM

My First Time in Print!

I am proud, down right giddy actually, to announce that my first short story to make it to print is now available! My tale, MUSE, is included in an anthology, Something from the Attic, from Static Movement Press and is available through the Pill Hill Press store. Below is the cover art and a link if you are interested!

Love,

MM

Something from the Attic

My Writing Space

Summer @ ...and this time, concentrate! is hosting a BLOG fest to show off our writing work space. I've seen some enviable desks, dens, and creative havens today and I've seen cramped corners of love like mine. LOL Here is a couple shots of my corner in the living room taken tonight. Ignore the date stamp. LOL I need to figure out how to reset that!