Every little bit

This week, on the day that I received my very first royalty check from the Outliers of Science Fiction, I also received an email inviting me to be part of another fantastic anthology: The Best of Abyss and Apex, Volume 2. Back in 2010, Wendy S. Delmater published the very first story I ever wrote, “Sunlight,” with glowing compliments and encouragement. Abyss and Apex was the first market I submitted that story to and I couldn’t believe my luck to receive an acceptance. I jumped for joy several months later to have that same story selected as an honorable mention in Gardner Dozois’s The Year’s Best Science Fiction, #28. “Sunlight” is the little story that could and it’s such a boost of confidence and encouragement to hear that it’s going to be reprinted, in a physical anthology!

Although the Indiegogo campaign for the book has already finished, Abyss and Apex is still asking for donations to help publish the anthology that will include my story, as well as fiction from Cat Rambo, Robert Silverberg, C.J. Cherryh, Marie Brennan, and Lavie Tidhar. You can donate via PayPal by clicking the DONATE button on the front page of the website: www.abyssapexzine.com. As Wendy said in the campaign video, every little bit counts.

Although, summer break is upon us and my days are filled with summer camp carpools, running through sprinklers, eating lemonade popsicles, and digging in the garden, I’m still stealing brief moments here and there to write and edit. I’m waiting on a contract for another story acceptance to a online and print magazine that will be published in August of this year. The story is my first paranormal romance, and I’m so happy it’s going to be in print soon.

I laughed at Patrick the other evening that my pieces are being published faster than I’m able to write. Well, it was less of a laugh and more of a slightly hysterical manic Kermmit-flail. I’m hoping that this imbalance will change come fall when my youngest is in preschool five mornings a week. The promise of nearly three whole uninterrupted hours to put my brain in gear, apply butt to chair and WRITE is so seductive and unheard of in my life that it feels like a dream. Like I’ll have to continue to write using my tiny keyboard and iPad balanced on the towel bag on the bleachers at the rec center for 20 minutes during swim lessons forever. Or attempt to edit on my tiny phone in the parking lot at school 5 minutes before pick up. Or put on my head phones and block out the noise of bath time and pajama melt-downs just to grab a few seconds of child-free reading time.

But really, every little bit DOES count.

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