Random Linkages/Random Videos

These Old Spice Guy videos crack me up - and he's not hard to look at either. This one is for you Librarians out there!



For some reason I have bookmarked "10 Horrible Deep Sea Creatures" and have no memory of why - but, probably for research on something I may have wanted to write for Ocean Magazine; who knows. Also in my bookmarks (both listed under "writing research") I have "Moral Insanity: A Brief History" - huhn, who knows what I was looking for when I found that. Okay, well, Enjoy! *laugh*


I am trying to decide whether to do a 'trailer' for SWEETIE. I did one for Tender Graces and for Secret Graces. But, I'm just not sure if people look at them or if they are 'worth' doing or if they add anything to the process or enjoyment of my books, etc. They're fun to make, but they do take a bit of time. Bellebooks did TG for me, and I asked if I could do SG and that was my first attempt. I'm on the fence about doing one for Sweetie. What do you think? Any opinions/suggestions?






Also, speaking of SWEETIE - I have one review trade paperback sized copy left. If you are a book blogger/reviewer, I will send you this proof - it is an uncorrected galley proof (for those who don't know what that is - it means it's an early version printed out before all the errors are caught and fixed), and is for reviewers only. Contact me at my hotmail or gmail addresses (you can go to my website or look at my blogger profile to get an email) if you are interested in reviewing Sweetie. I only have one, so first one to email me I will send it on.

I will remind everyone that Bellebooks/Bell Bridge Books will be accepting new manuscripts for literary/women's fiction beginning November 1. They are growing and it's exciting!

I came across The Best Damn Creative Writing Blog "getting your literary life," and am exploring it, and enjoying it, thoroughly. Just scroll the front page and you'll see plenty of nuggets to click and read.

I'll miss the Cathy comic. I'm glad they will be having Cathy Classics, but still, I'd love to see where else her life leads her. Well, things have to end sometimes, don't they?

I've been enjoying "Blind Pig & The Acorn" blog - recipes, posts about Appalachia and its writers and people and music. Love it.

And as always, Teresa Frohock has written a thought-provoking blog.


The Return of Buffalo Horse. If you've read SG, you know there is a 'scene' where Virginia Kate opens replica of Ponokamita (or Pono-Kamita) - the Buffalo horse - from Miss Darla. It's one of my favorite scenes with so much symbolism and nature and power.

Tartitude bought a pen like mine! She fell in love with it just as I did - love love this pen. My son, Daniel, bought me one for Christmas and it's one of my prized possessions. I use it for signings, etc.

Y'all have a great day!

Two Give-Aways: A mag subscription & a book

I'm in the mood for a give-away, or two!


UPDATE! TITUS HAS WON THE SUBSCRIPTION TO OCEAN MAGAZINE! CONGRATS TITUS! I'VE ORDERED THE SUBSCRIPTION FOR YOU. I'LL MAKE THIS PART OF THE POST SMALLER SINCE IT'S DONE - THE BOOK GIVE AWAY BELOW IS STILL GOING ON.


First give-away:


I want to give away a subscription to OCEAN Magazine. Diane Buccheri is the publishing editor of OCEAN and DOLPHIN magazines-both of which I have subscriptions to. I adore Diane and her efforts for our oceans.


OCEAN is delivered via mailbox, and DOLPHIN is delivered via electronic mail. Both are worthy magazines and the money goes to: OCEAN is a not for profit organization dedicated to celebrating and protecting the earth's ocean and its creatures.




The value of an OCEAN magazine subscription is $32.00, of which I will pay in entirety to the winner of the give-away--that means you receive a year's subsciption (4 issues a year) in your mailbox as a gift from me *ain't I sweeeeeeeet*.
 
[If the winner prefers to receive a subscription to DOLPHIN magazine through electronic mail instead (value $16.00), please let me know your preference (just one, not both!).]




To win a copy of OCEAN (or DOLPHIN), go to the OCEAN  magazine website and click around until you find the DOLPHIN magazine cover  - describe what is on the cover --both the image and the text that is on the front cover of this issue's DOLPHIN magazine. Then, next, you must also mention OCEAN magazine in a blog post (however you wish to do this is fine).


After you have mentioned Ocean Magazine AND found the image/text for DOLPHIN's cover, tell me about it in the comments section (be sure your blog is linked so I can see it) and after I confirm who has done this first, I have my winner!


So this is how it goes: Sally Smith comes to my blog, sees my give-away, she goes to the OCEAN site and clicks around to find DOLPHIN magazine and the cover - she notes the image and text on the cover. Then Sally Smith goes to her blog and mentions OCEAN magazine ("I heart OCEAN Magazine!-or whatever . . . ") then comes back here to the comments and tells me what is on the DOLPHIN cover and that she has mentioned/linked OCEAN magazine on her blog. Yes, it's not as easy as my usual give aways and I'm making you work for it a little harder this time, but, dang, it's also a really great give-away for a good cause: our oceans and the creatures in them!

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For the next give-away: THIS BOOK GIVE AWAY IS STILL UP FOR GRABS!

While I was at SIBA, I grabbed from my publisher's table (Belle Books) some book for give-aways. Some are final copies and some are review galleys. I just thought it would be fun to do a book give-away from time-to-time. This morning, I randomly grabbed one of the books out of the bag o' books I have, and here you go:

I'm giving away a copy of SUNRISE by Jacquelyn Cook -- an epic novel of love, family, faith, and war--set in 1849 antebellum Georgia.

To win a copy of this book, go to my website at kathrynmagendie.com and tell me who wrote the reader's guides for Tender Graces and Secret Graces, and as well, tell me where she is from, and what she does for a living. The first person to do this in the comments wins SUNRISE. That's it!

One caveat: please, the same person can't win both of these give-aways! So pick the one you want and try for it. I'd like to be able to give the prizes to two separate people. Thank you!

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My friend Mark Jones as Buddy Holly

And finally, GMR is in the play BUDDY HOLLY (he plays Hipockets) and the play received a great review in Asheville Citizen Times! yayy!

Presenting: Diane Buccheri of OCEAN Magazine

I first met Diane Buccheri when I submitted a short story to her magazine. She emailed me back a nice note: she didn't need the short story, but if I had any nonfiction prose, she would look at it. I sent in an essay comparing my misty mountains to an underwater experience, and she accepted it. What I didn't realize when I first submitted was that OCEAN, and Diane, live in the outer banks of North Carolina. We began emailing back and forth - talking about the ocean, the mountains: the connections of water. A friendship born of love of the ocean, mountains, creatures who live with us on this old world, and writing began.

This is one of the most beautiful of magazines I have the pleasure of subscribing to....and of having my prose (including a short story that did fit!), poetry, and photography published in. Diane loves the ocean and its creatures - she writes and publishes FOR the ocean - for its protection. Every issue of OCEAN is packed with beautiful writing from people from all over the world and from all professions - plain old writers like me, scientists, poets, fishermen/women, photographers, etc - I could go on, but if you love the ocean and its inhabitants, go take a look at OCEAN - read and comment on the website blog, submit, and more important, subscribe. I will be a life-long subscriber to this magazine--as long as Diane publishes OCEAN, and I hope that is "forever."

About OCEAN: Hurricane Isabel swept over the small ribbon of an island in the Atlantic Ocean where I live. And with that OCEAN was born. I walked out into my saltwater flooded yard, my front porch newly tilted by the wave that engulfed it, and looked at the sun shining on the water –– everywhere. Big letters appeared in my head: OCEAN. That was it! The idea that had been stirring, that I could almost touch, almost materialize for several years. I immediately went right to work producing the premier issue. Friends supported me upon receiving their surprise issue in the mail. They continue to subscribe to OCEAN, as do others who stumbled upon OCEAN and took it to heart, some since its very first issue, as more do with every ensuing issue, and become friends of OCEAN, become my friends....to read more, visit OCEAN Magazine's website

Diane wrote about Tender Graces: Kathryn's prose is poignant, tangy, sweet, loving, wanting, needing and so satisfying!