Category Archives: Books

TulipTree Publishing

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TulipTree Publishing

TulipTree Publishing is a great new publisher looking for quality content for TulipTree Review, their literary journal; TulipTree Online, a separate online review; and TulipTree Books, printed works of authors, including anthologies. Editor, Jennifer Top, is looking for submissions and now’s a great time to submit. Plus, each quarter, $1000 will be awarded to first place winners in short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. 

From TulipTree:

TulipTree Review is seeking entries for its first round of contests for its inaugural issue! A first place prize of $1,000 will be awarded in each category of short fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Second and third place winners will receive $200 and $100, respectively. Winners and all those selected for publication will receive a free subscription to the new literary journal. The theme for the first issue is BEGIN. Deadline: March 9.

Check out TulipTree Publishing to learn more and be sure to Like them on Facebook. 

Good luck and happy writing!

Cover Reveal: Bobbing for Watermelons

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Bobbing for Watermelons by April J. Moore

As promised, here it is! Ain’t she a beaut? I am thrilled to bring you the cover of my forthcoming novel, Bobbing for Watermelons. If you’re like a lot of people, you might be wondering what the hell “bobbing for watermelons,” even means. First, I have my husband to thank for the title—it fits the story perfectly. I then added a short bit in the book explaining it: 

“Sometimes, finding happiness is a lot like bobbing for watermelons. We take on more than we can handle and can’t get a grip. Kinda like going for that watermelon and ignoring the smaller fruit in the tub.”

I will post tantalizing snippets here and there to hopefully wow and amaze you into buying a copy from Hot Chocolate Press come March. 

A Weekend of Writing

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A weekend of writing events, that is.

Folsom's 93: The Lives and Crimes of Folsom Prison's Executed Men

Yesterday, my publisher emailed me and asked if I could do a live, one-hour radio interview this Saturday to discuss Folsom’s 93. I thought, ‘Gee, I don’t know. An hour to talk about my book? Writers hate that stuff, right?’ I did have to cancel my luncheon with Beyonce, but she’s always calling to come over, so I’m sure we’ll reschedule. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to chat with George Yates, host of “Justice For All,” a radio show broadcasting out of Chesapeake, VA on WHKT. We go live at 2 p.m. EST/12 p.m. MST, but if you can’t tune in, don’t fret; it’ll be available online—I’ll update with a link. UPDATE: CLICK HERE to listen in.

Hot Chocolate Press Festival

Then it’s off to more book bliss with the Hot Chocolate Festival happenin’ Saturday evening from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. I will be joining other Hot Chocolate Press authors for readings and book talk. I’ll be revealing the cover for my women’s fiction, Bobbing for Watermelons, and I have to say, I love how it came out! (And I hear that Boardwalk Gallery will be decked out like a winter wonderland for the event . . . who’d want to miss that?!) Click the link for more information.

The Eclectic Reader Bookstore

The Eclectic Reader bookstore is having their first-ever Open Mic Night January 10th from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. The night will feature “Fragmentary Writing.” From their website:
“‘Fragmentary writing,’ what’s that?” you ask. Well, that’s what most of us do first (before we publish our Opus Majus). It’s bits and pieces of stuff, snippets, shards of thought, letters, diary and journal entries, short prose pieces, poetry, aphorisms, short essays, punchy letters to the editor and character sketches Oh, and songs…so music is welcome, too.
We’ll put out a money jar for a prize…winner takes all. Audience to be the judge.
Join us for some fun.
On the night of this frenzy of exposition, all books in the store will be 20% off.
Questions? Call 970-223-4019

Have a great weekend and happy writing!

Anthology, Conference, and Contest . . .Oh My

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So I have just a few reminders for you. . .

baby shoes

First, the Kickstarter for Baby Shoes: A Flash Fiction Anthology will be relaunching this Friday. In the meantime, check out the Facebook Page for it. My piece, “An Affair to Forget,” about a man who sees his imaginary girlfriend deep in conversation with his wife, will be nestled among 99 other authors who are participating, like Linda Needham, Joe Lansdale, Danika Dinsmore, and Walter J. Williams. This will be a great project to support, so I’ll keep you posted on the progress. 

10th Annual NCW Conference March 27-28 2015The Northern Colorado Writers Conference is open for registration. This is the 10th annual conference and as part of the Conference Creative Team, I can tell you, it’s going to be one hell of a party conference. 

NCW Top of the Mountain Book Award

And that’s a good segue into the 4th annual Top of the Mountain Book Award that we  give out at the conference. You don’t have to be an NCW member (or even a Colorado resident) to enter, and the contest is open to both published and unpublished authors. You also don’t have to attend the conference to enter. Submit the first 20 pages of your fiction or creative nonfiction manuscript, plus a 3-page synopsis by February 1st, and you could win $1000. It’s so easy it’s ridiculous.  

That’s it for now.

Happy writing!

Interview with Literary Fort Collins

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Literary Fort CollinsRecently, I’ve had the honor of being interviewed by Emily Wenzl of Literary Fort Collins. Wenzl discusses (as you might guess) everything literary about this fabulous Northern Colorado city. I talk about . . . ah, me pretty much. Okay, a bit about how friggin’ hard writing can be, and I also dote on my critique group a little too. Anyway, check out Wenzl’s great blog if you get the chance.

Happy New Year!

Hot Chocolate Press Festival

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I suppose it’s time to announce that my second book—this time, a novel, will be published in March 2015 by Hot Chocolate Press. Remember when I talked about what fun it is to revise an old manuscript? Well, it wasn’t all for naught. Bobbing for Watermelons, my women’s fiction is finally going to be  real book. If you’re in the area, stop by the Hot Chocolate Festival at Boardwalk Gallery in Windsor, CO January 10, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. for readings, art, and hot chocolate.
Hot Chocolate Press FestivalAnd if all goes well, I’ll be revealing the book’s cover as early as next week. In the meantime, check out (and Like) Hot Chocolate Press on Facebook. I hope you all had a great holiday and getting lots written. After two months of no snow, we received several inches last night, so I’m spending the day cozy-ing up and writing, well . . . editing actually. 
Colorado Winter

My view today.

Baby Steps

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Okay, we’ll get there; just not as quickly as we thought. Baby Shoes, the flash fiction anthology that I’m taking part in, didn’t quite get off the ground as expected, but we’re not giving up. This Kickstarter project will launch again in January, so be on the lookout for updates. (I’ll be making sure you won’t miss a thing. 😉 ) There are a number of talented authors—many of whom you probably know—who are taking part in this anthology, so you won’t want to miss out. Stay tuned.

kickstarter

 

The Power of Photoshop

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Usually when you hear “Photoshop,” you think of unrealistic waistlines and impossibly perfect skin tone. It’s always nice to see Photoshop being used for good, not evil. A few months back, I came across these remastered and colored Civil War pictures that I felt gave them a whole new meaning. Funny how color can do that, right? I don’t know if they used Photoshop, but you get where I’m going here. My son has been playing around with the program and wanted to see what he could do with one my Folsom’s 93 mug shots.

Folsoms 22I think it turned out pretty amazing. I’ve always found this shot to be particularly haunting. His name was William M. Gray, Folsom’s 22nd execution. Given all the research into Gray’s case, I’m not entirely convinced he committed the crime for which he hanged. I’ll leave you with his final words in 1906:


” . . . there could be no God, else an innocent man would not be hanged.”