Today’s question:
Let's play a game. Imagine. Role-play. How would you describe your future writer self, your life and what it looks and feels like if you were living the dream? Or if you are already there, what does it look and feel like? Tell the rest of us. What would you change or improve?
I wouldn’t say I’m living the dream, but if I went back 20 years and told a younger me I’d be a professional speaker and own a publishing company, my younger me would freak.
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Today we announce the winners of The Insecure Writer’s Support Group anthology contest.
These ten stories and authors will appear May 5 in Voyagers: The Third Ghost:
The Third Ghost by Yvonne Ventresca
The Ghosts of Pompeii by Sherry Ellis
Dare Double Dare by Louise MacBeath Barbour
Return to Cahokia by L.T. Ward
Simon Grey and the Yamamba by Charles Kowalski
The Blind Ship by Bish Denham
Winter Days by Katharina Kolata
Feathered Fire by Roland Clarke
A World of Trouble by Rebecca M. Douglass
The Orchard by Beth Anderson Schuck
I’m excited to work with three returning authors: Rebecca M. Douglass appeared in Tick Tock: A Stitch in Time, Yvonne Ventresca appeared in Hero Lost: The Mysteries of Death and Life, and Sherry Ellis is the author of Bubba and Squirt’s Big Dig to China and the upcoming Bubba and Squirt’s Mayan Adventure.
I’m just as excited to work with the new authors and help them along their author paths.
Keep an eye on Dancing Lemur Press LLC and sign up for our newsletter (bottom right corner of home page) for more updates on Voyagers: The Third Ghost.
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December Special!
Buy any print book directly from Dancing Lemur Press LLC and get two eBooks or audio books free.*
To get your free eBooks or audio books:
Purchase directly from Dancing Lemur Press’ website and state in the comments your free book selections and eBook format (if required.)
Full details here - Dancing Lemur Press LLC
(*Multi-book eBook sets or audio book sets not available.)
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Christmas always kicks off for us with our annual Trans Siberian Orchestra concert.
This was year #15-16? We’ve lost count!
But it was incredible for two reasons:
Our first ever front row seats.
My brand-new iPhone 11 Pro with the most amazing camera ever.
Here is what we enjoyed:
How would you describe your future writer self?
Do you want some free books?
Have you ever seen Trans Siberian Orchestra?
Those are great pictures! Wow, front-row seats!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to the winners!
We've had second row twice before, but front row was a real treat.
DeleteThanks for the concert pictures. Trans Siberian Orchestra is the best!
ReplyDeleteYay!!! I'm so excited for these winners. All the pieces were fabulous. Can't wait to see this all put together. Congratulations, everyone!
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are so sharp. Looks like an amazing show!
ReplyDeleteGreat line up of authors for the anthology. Congrats to all. Looks like another excellent instalment!
So happy for the anthology winners! Very neat that three of them have been in previous anthologies. Can't wait to read their stories.
ReplyDeleteThe anthology will rock!
ReplyDeleteSo do those photos.
I think you're living the dream. You've really created a fantastic small press.
ReplyDeleteI think you're living a lot of people's dreams. My dad LOVED the Trans Siberian Orchestra. How awesome you got to see them in concert.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the anthology winners - looks like a great lineup!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see the TSO live!!
I'm not sure if either troop tours Canada, but if they do, go.
DeleteI did get to see the TSO many years ago and loved it. My daughters adore their music video of Sarejevo and this year, my younger one got to learn the music on her violin and is playing it in her school concert next week. So cool.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners of the anthology contest!
That's one of my favorite songs. What a treat she can play it.
DeleteWow how wonderful that you had such great seats! Congrats to the anthology winners. Sure to be another fantastic collection of stories.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family!
A great way to kick off the season! I'm looking forward to the next anthology--it has a lot of super stories.
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, I knew that you owned a publishing house but I didn't know about you being a professional speaker. Wow, you are an inspiration Diane.
ReplyDeleteThe IWSG anthology rocks, all the stories were wonderful. Congratulations to the winners.
I started over 20 years ago and am a National Speakers Association member. I love it.
DeleteCongrats to them all. It looks like it'll be a great book. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
Congratulations to the winners! I'm so jealous that you go to that concert every year. They are fun to listen to...and in person?
ReplyDeleteIt's our early Christmas gift to each other.
DeleteI haven't been to even one concert yet. I need to do something about that. Oh, what I could tell my younger self, his mind would be blown! Congrats to the winners! Merry Christmas! :)
ReplyDeleteOne TSO concert or one concert in general? I've seen at least fifty.
DeleteWoot for the winners. Wow, those are some good shots of the concert! I've gotten to see them once, and I needed binoculars to even get a glimpse of the stage. At least they were good to listen to!
ReplyDeleteOur first TSO concert we sat in the nosebleed section, but once we joined the fan club, it's been row 12 or better every year.
DeleteWhat an exciting way to start the Christmas season. The concert must have been fantastic. All I've ever been to are school concerts. Oh, well, they're good too. Looking forward to the next anthology. Sounds like a good one. Have a good rest of the week.
ReplyDeleteThe concert looks amazing. It's fun to get a new phone, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteWeirdly enough, I'm not good at imagining things that might ACTUALLY happen. I have no idea what a future writer me would be like.
ReplyDeleteWow, front row!
Hi, Diane! Isn't it good that we can't actually see the future? You are an inspiration! Thanks for all that you do for the IWSG and writers! I'm glad that your Christmas season started with a traditional concert for you! I've never heard of the Trans Siberian Orchestra, but I will check them out. I'll be forever grateful to Alex for introducing me to Ayreon. I'm so grateful you're helping this newbie along! btw, I went to your authors' page and saw my bio and photo on it just now. I didn't expect that until May! I almost did another backwards dive out of my high chair at the kitchen counter ~ LOL Enjoy the rest of your IWSG Day!
ReplyDeleteDon't fall out of your chair!
DeleteWell it would be a little fun to freak one's past self out, wouldn't it?
ReplyDeleteCONGRATULATIONS! to all the writers. How awesome. I hope all the books sell ten fold!
ReplyDeleteAnother great anthology! Congrats to all the winners. And yes, I'd say you're living the dream.
ReplyDeleteYour concert photos are amazing. What fun.
Wow, those pictures are great!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all of the anthology winners!
Congrats to all the winners!
ReplyDeleteI must get a better phone, if only for the camera ;)
That's why when my phone died a couple weeks ago, I splurged for the iPhone 11 Pro. It takes the best photos.
DeleteYa, yeah, it's better that our younger selves remain ignorant of what our older selves got up to. ;)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners. TSO appears at Hershey Arena ever Christmas and it's only a few miles from my house. And I've never been to it! I've thrown hints to my husband that I want to go. I listen to their music all season long. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteSusan, just buy tickets and go.
DeleteWell lets see, I'd be living the dream in San Francisco where Clint Eastwood made all his Dirty Harry movies, what a moviestar. I'd have my own mansion filled with bikini babes tip toeing around massaging my temples, haha and I'd have several screen plays under my belt with movies in production, listed on IMDB with meetups scheduled with Hollywoods top movie studios. Sorry for ahem getting carried away but you did ask :)
ReplyDelete*giggle*
DeleteMy younger self would be surprised as well. Congrats to all the anthology winners!
ReplyDeleteMy sister and brother-in-law were recently talking about what an amazing show Trans Siberian puts on. I'd love to see them perform.
ReplyDeleteSandra, they also do a show in Greensboro, which is closer to you.
DeleteHmmm.....I'll have to give that some thought for next year.....
DeleteGreat to see your amazing snaps of what sounds like an amazing concert. No, never heard of them.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures looks like so much fun. I'd like to see them in concert one day.
ReplyDeleteWow, awesome photos. They are a fabulous group and I’d love to see one of their concerts one day. Congrats to the winners.
ReplyDeleteI bet that concert was awesome!! I hope the holidays slow down for you and you get some time for yourself, aka, writing time or reading time or nap time.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a fun concert! And I'm excited for the anthology. :)
ReplyDeleteFirst, congrats to all! Great job! Second, front row seats! Had to have been a blast - literally, no? I play their music at full volume until my ribs vibrate. LOve them. Happy Holidays!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun! The concert! Big congrats to the anthology winners.
ReplyDeleteI dunno. Sounds to ME like you're living the dream. You just didn't realize what your dream was... (Plus, you've helped lots of others realize their dreams, which makes it even better!)
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteIt sounds like you are definitely living the dream! :)
ReplyDeleteThe anthology is going to be great!!!
Congratulations to all!
Congratulations to that amazing crew.
ReplyDeleteMy future writer self is my present writer self - juggling lots of things. I don't want to ever be a full-time writer; that would be too isolating.
Cheers, Diane.
I want some free books but I don't want to do any work to get them.
ReplyDeleteYou ARE living the dream. You're always such a great voice in the IWSG community - we're lucky to have you.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the anthology winners!
Congrats to all those selected for this anthology. Looking forward to the read. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of the Trans Siberian Orchestra but never seen them. Those photos are neat, though! I'd like to check out their music.
ReplyDeleteWe are so lucky to have you as part of the IWSG community, and running Dancing Lemur Press! And I feel so lucky to get to be part of the IWSG anthology again.
ReplyDeleteI love Orchestral music but have never heard the Trans Siberian Orchestra. Maybe I'll check out a clip on youtube.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all that you do for the writing community, Diane.
Have a Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Sorry it took so long to stop by here.
ReplyDeleteYou inspire me to pursue my dreams.
I love Trans Siberian Orchestra but have never seen them in concert.
That looks like a phenomenal experience
ReplyDeleteHappy Holidays. Got your shopping done?
ReplyDeleteI still have not seen the Trans Siberian Orchestra. Would love to! Trouble is, this time of year I'm performing just like they are.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to all the winners of the anthology! I'm so excited to be included with them and can't wait to read their stories!
I've always wanted to make one of their shows. What fun! Did you set out to own a publishing company, or did you make your way here in a roundabout way?
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and a Wondrous New Year.
ReplyDeleteiPhone Cameras are the best.
ReplyDelete