So, here are a few interesting reads around the interwebs to get you through the holiday (or weekend, if you are not located stateside or like me, already enjoyed our holiday yesterday).

1: The Horologist
Hankering for a little "Victorian clockwork madness"? Check out Katey's new piece in Vol.2 – Issue 2 of The New Bedlam Project

2. Burning Effigy
Toronto's small press Burning Effigy is featured on Torontoist. Great read – the passion of editors Monica S. Kuebler & Jeff Cottrill are palpable.

3. Help Build Stephen King's Empire
Stephen King wants you to help him build his empire! He's looking for photos of places, shops, and items that have names related to his books, stories and King himself. Check out the website for more details

4. Haven
I'm looking forward to checking out Haven, the new series based on King's "The Colorado Kid". And it was filmed in Nova Scotia (Canada for those not in-the-know). The show starts July 12 on Showcase in Canada and on July 9 on SyFy in the US

5. Honour the Troops
One of my articles this week was a call to fellow Canadians to write to their troops, either via message board or through the Share A Cup Campaign from Toronto EMS & Tim Hortons. I decided to share it again here. Wherever you hail from, I hope you will do the same for your own armed forces.

So, that's it! A little light reading, some fun stuff and a bit of patriotism.

Happy 4th to all the Americans reading. My Mom's a Texan, so I get to celebrate a 2nd holiday this weekend

From The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

She waited in the cold,
muttered, "You'll die out here…
your rotting body…
your bones".
Wait…..and think…..
"Just a stone,
The stone," she whispered,
"The remains".

My WIP pile is evidence of the creative chaos in which I work. With a billion and one projects on the go right now, it speaks a lot to my need for some sort of schedule.

When I am working on a story that doesn't have a specific deadline in mind, it's easy to get caught up in every minute detail or simply flit from one project to the next and never finish anything.

[ Photo: Ali Taylor  ]

So, when I heard about WeSeWriMo (Web Series Writing Month), I was instantly curious.

NaNoWriMo is good for me. Sure, it's a crazy undertaking, but having that specific deadline and daily word count to work toward is made for me.I've been wanting to offer some free/minimal payment content for a while now, and an online serial has always been on my to-do list.

So, I have decided to take up the challenge. I'm a bit worried that our annual camping trip might hinder my progress a bit – but then again I tend to get up early when we're camping – and what better setting to jot down some words than sitting lakeside every morning with my cup of brewed-over-the-campfire coffee?

Come August, I'm taking the plunge. Care to join me?

In other news, I've got a pile of stories to be read that rivals my mountain of WIPs. With tales from Jenny Hudock, Barry Napier, Aaron Polson, R. Van Saint, and Jason Tucker, to name just a handful, I've got loads of inspiration just waiting for me to partake.

I've also started reading Melissa Jones' Black Wreath. M is actually the culprit responsible for letting me know about WeSeWriMo in the first place, so if you are looking for a dark mystery with an exquisitely distinctive voice, check it out!

All in all, there is always a lot going on and that's how I like it.

My Current WIPS

• final edits to tweet-inspired tale, i.e. sprinkling it with Creep and Cringe
• lightbulb moment with one of the stories from my NaNo 2010 collection; plan to finish and submit it next week
• ideas brewing for WeSeWriMo

Fellow WIP Wednesday posse:

• Jamie Eyberg - Not enough coffee in the world
• Katey Taylor – Sensational!

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments! More info on the WIP Wednesday initiative can be found at Kate Karyus Quinn's blog.

Fellow members of The Creative Alliance:

• Jenny Hudock – Dark Journeys Returns: The Handyman
• Patrick Pillars – The Vigil 

My word count on fiction projects for 2010? Zilch.

So far, most of my time has been spent getting into the routine of writing articles for Examiner, promoting said articles, and working on my other websites (Indie Collective, styleFLASH & Outstanding Ink) as well as giving this one a bit of a facelift.

At the end of 2009, I toyed with the idea of re-opening my online boutique (I was a jewelry designer/knitter/crocheter for a long time). Who am I kidding?! I barely have time to sleep these days.

I'm starting to discover that I may very well be a workaholic. I can't seem to turn my brain off at night. The cogs keep turning, going over article ideas, stories I want to write, emails I need to send, etc.

So, the fact is, I haven't written anything new, other than articles. But at least I'm still writing. Unfortunately, the perfectionist in me isn't happy with that!

So, I've decided to take part in Inkygirl's 500 Words A Day Challenge!

The good news? I've been here before. Last year, I started my Writer's Accountability Chart and this week, I've been slowly getting back into the routine of not only using it, but using my blank board as motivation to work toward checking off some of the categories daily.

500 Words was one of my targets, and although I'd like to do more (told you…workaholic/perfectionist), I need to be realistic. With everything else that's going on, 500 words of fiction (on top of whatever daily articles I produce) seems like a good fit for now.

So, what are your writing goals for 2010? Or your life goals even? Besides reading and writing more, I'd like to write some letters, spend more time with family & friends, and continue to strive for my dreams.

If you’re a writer participating in WIP Wednesday, post a link to your blog in the comments!

Fellow WIP Wednesday participants:

• Jeremy Kelly – WIP Wednesday: The Driven Snow
• Katey Taylor: WIP Wednesday slides in under the line

[NWC]

Welcome to Week 2 of my series spotlighting independent publishers, presses, magazines and writers. While the name 'small press' suggests something tiny, mini or even wee, it won't take you long to see that there is an abundance of talent just waiting to be discovered. That's where I come in. I'm here to help. Let me help you discover something (or someone) new, or remind you of an old favourite…

Blood Routes – If you don't feel you've got the time to devote to an honest to goodness paperback, you can still get a healthy serving of the dark & twisted. The online serial Blood Routes is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the talents of Barry Napier. With a slew of recent publishing credits in the works, and his new comic Birdwatching from Mars also in the pipelines, Mr. Napier is going places – fast! Check out Barry's blog for updates & a sneak peak of some of the book art.

Bucket 'O' Guts – New on the scene, B'O'G recently put out a wonderful little chapbook, The Sour Aftertaste of Olive Lemon by Miss Cate Gardner. Don't let the dancing apples fool you – Cate knows how to wield her weird little pen with exquisite artistry. And she does so with dazzling results. See Cate blog at The Poisoned Apple. Don't forget to check out the Featured Gizzard at Bucket 'O' Guts for free monthly-ish fiction.

Got an independent press, emerging writer or indie publication you love? Share it in the comments!

[NWC]

But don’t let the moniker fool you. While the name ’small press’ suggests something tiny, mini or even wee, it won’t take you long to see that there is an abundance of talent just waiting to be discovered.

That’s where I come in. I’m here to help. Let me help you discover something (or someone) new, or remind you of an old favourite.

This week, I start with a few crafty Canucks…

Northern Frights – Set to release the Shadows of Emerald City Anthology on October 15, I have to say I’m particularly interested to see where JW Schnarr’s Northern Frights Publishing goes. I’m always ready to support fellow horror & speculative fiction writers, publications and presses. The fact that Northern Frights is also Canadian makes spreading the word that much more sweet!

Burning Effigy Press – Another of the Canadian Contingent, Burning Effigy Press is dedicated to bringing fringe fiction & poetry out from the shadows. They are set to launch two new titles at The Word On The Street Festival in Toronto this coming Sunday, including TEMPORARY MONSTERS by Ian Rogers and OPERATION DICKHEAD by Mike Bryant. If you’re a lover of cyberpunk, fantasy, horror and other forms of dark fiction, poetry & prose, head on down to TWOS or check out Burning Effigy’s website for an entire roster of dark delicacies.

Got an independent press, emerging writer or indie publication you love? Share it in the comments!
[NWC]