Wednesday, April 6, 2016

Welcome to Sortilege Falls Cover Reveal, IWSG, & Links

Before we jump into the IWSG, I want to welcome Libby Heily for her cover reveal of Welcome to Sortilege Falls!


Sixteen-year-old Grape Merriweather has just moved to Sortilege Falls and already she knows something isn't right. A small pack of teenage models, too beautiful for words, holds the town in their sway. The models have no plans on making Grape's life easy. But no matter how cruel they are to Grape and the other “Normals”, no one can stay angry with them for long.


Grape's life changes for the better, or so she thinks, when Mandy, the only “nice” model, befriends her. But that’s when the trouble truly begins. Mandy's friendship places Grape smack in the middle of a medical mystery that has the entire town on edge. One by one, the models fall ill from an incurable disease. Grape quickly realizes that the models' parents are hiding a secret, even as they watch their children die. To save her only friend, Grape will have to find the truth–and that means putting her life in danger.

Due out in June from Fire and Ice YA Publishing

Find it on Goodreads

Look for Libby in the following places:


Now it's time for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! Created by Alex J. Cavanaugh, this group exists to air your insecurities, get support from fellow writers, and lend support right back. Anyone can participate. Go here to sign up



My insecurity this month involves creating a query letter to pitch with at the Pikes Peak Writers Conference next week. I haven't had time to sit down and put one together yet, so I need to get on that ASAP. I'm excited to get feedback on it, whether I get an ask or not, because I can use that feedback to improve the query. And then I have no excuse not to start querying agents! ACK!

As part of my IWSG post each month, I like to keep myself accountable by reporting my submission stats. 

In March, I:

Submitted 4 pieces
Got 5 rejections
Got 0 acceptances
Had 1 piece published
Finished writing 1 novella (only to decide I've got more story to tell in a second POV, so I'm making it a novel)

Not a busy month in terms of writing, but this month that's okay. I need to get more productive next month when conference is done!

Now for some links! Please bear in mind that I'm not endorsing any of these, merely passing them along. Always do your own due diligence before submitting.

Accepting Submissions:

Part II of The First Line is open for submissions. The first line for this summer issue is "By the fifteenth month of the drought, the lake no longer held her secrets." Each story must begin with that first line, but you can do with the story what you like. 300 to 5000 words. Pays between $5 and $50, depending upon submission type. Deadline May 1.

Sirens Call Publications is open for submissions for their anthology Monster Brawl. They want monsters fighting each other. 4000 to 8000 words. Pays $25, plus a print copy of the book. Deadline May 1. (Note: I have a short story coming out in one of their anthologies soon, and they're incredibly friendly to work with!)

Disquieted Dreams Press is open for submissions of horror comedy Skeptics Must Die. 5000 to 7500 words. Pays $20 per story. Deadline May 1.

Hy Bender and Will Paoletto are putting together the anthology Ghosts on Drugs. The title tells you what they're looking for, though it's broadly defined. No specific word limit. Will pay $.15/word up to 2500 words, $.06/word after that. Deadline May 1.

The Lorelei Signal is open for fantasy short fiction with strong/complex female characters. (You are not required to have female characters, but if you do, they must not be weak or window dressing.) They accept short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. Up to 10,000 words. Pays between $2 and $7.50. Deadline May 15. (I've met this editor at a con, and she is very friendly.)

Lamplight Magazine is open for submissions of horror. Up to 7000 words. Pays $.03/word. Deadline May 15. 

Bracken is open for submissions of speculative fiction. Up to 2500 words. Pays $.02/word. 

The Stoneslide Corrective is open for submissions of stories of all kinds. Short fiction, narrative nonfiction, and flash fiction. Pays between $50 and $125, depending upon submission type. 

What are your insecurities? What do you think of Libby's cover? Any of these links of interest to you? Anything to share? Publishing news?

May you find your Muse.

31 comments:

Jennifer Lee Rossman said...

That cover is beautiful! Colors go very well with the name Grape. I kind of wish my name was Grape suddenly.

Ugh. Query letters. Why can't we just pinky swear that our story is good and tell them to read it? :D

Murees Dupè said...

That is a great cover. I really like it. Good-luck with your query letter. I know you will do great. You can do it.

Unknown said...

Thanks! I'd be lying if I said I didn't love the color purple. :)

Unknown said...

Thanks! Glad you like the cover!

Unknown said...

Thanks Shannon for hosting my cover reveal!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

You've got a good attitude regarding that query. You'll get it done, and if it doesn't rock for this conference, the feedback you'll get on it will make it rock for those future subs. :)

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You still have a week - make it so! And Madeline is right. You have a great attitude toward it.

Crystal Collier said...

I love Libby's cover.

You've totally got this query thing, woman! You're going to rock it.

Crystal Collier

cleemckenzie said...

Good luck with that letter! If you're at the conference seek out Darby Karchut. She's a super person to know if you don't already, and she writes some darned good books.

Julie Flanders said...

Wow, I love Libby's cover! Excellent! Congrats, Libby!

And I think query letters are so hard to write but you will rock this, no doubt. Good luck!!

Yolanda Renée said...

Love the purple, love Grape! Congratulations Libby!

Wow, Shannon, you are one busy lady, have fun at the conference. Good luck on the query. Just google it and find a plethoria of information on how to write, but ask someone like L. Diane, she will probably give sage advice.
Thanks for the links

Susan Kane said...

Normally, I would say that I am absolutely secure in what and who I am. Now, not so sure. In a time of change at the moment.

Chris Votey said...

There is always something to do, and never enough time to do it. It's tough, but in the end worth it. Best of luck to you.

Unknown said...

Thanks Crystal!

Unknown said...

Thanks Julie! I appreciate it!

Unknown said...

Thanks Yolanda!

Anonymous said...

Nice cover! Love the colors.
Shannon, good luck with your query letter!

Christine Rains said...

Congrats to Libby! Queries unnerve me too. Good luck. And thanks for the links! :)

Mark said...

She's got a neat cover! And I see you got something published too, power to you for keeping at it:)

Shannon Lawrence said...

Query letters are hard, but synopses are evil!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I was happy to!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I'm all about having a good attitude about writing stuff! We need something to keep us going.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I made it so, number 1! Wait. Wrong guy.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I love the combination of colors on her cover!

Shannon Lawrence said...

I do know Darby! I don't think I ran into her, though. I've noticed you guys know each other. Small world, isn't it?

Shannon Lawrence said...

You'd think as writers we'd have an easier time writing queries and synopses, but nope!

Shannon Lawrence said...

If you like purple, you'd like my hair right now! ;)

What's funny is that I judge query letters for a writer's contest, but when it's my own, I have trouble. Then again, it's no so odd, considering I also can't tell what kind of clothing I look good in. It's like I have a brain fog over anything having to do with myself.

Shannon Lawrence said...

I hope everything works out for the best, Susan, and that you're back to your old self confidence soon.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you! It certainly seems that way.

Shannon Lawrence said...

Queries are rough. I think I've spoken to one person who enjoyed them, and they must have not been right in the head. ;)

Shannon Lawrence said...

Thank you! I'm in a lull the last couple months, so pushing, pushing.