From Christmas Mess to Evil Leprechauns

I AM FINISHED WITH CANDY FOR 2010!

I have packed the excess chocolate that I ordered and place it in the deep freeze to be thawed out for my next maniacal candy making session.  The molds are cleaned and boxed and ready to go back into storage.  And half of the candy has been delivered (and consumed, if my hubster is to be believed), though I still have to deliver candy to a few friends and family members, but that's it! 

I don't know about y'all, but as much as I love Christmas, I hate the extra mess that happens (cards on the table waiting to be addressed and signed, the candy making stuff and now the packed boxes, the extra lights for outside when we blow fuses or bulbs, the dust that breeds around all the Christmas geegaws, the wrapping paper room, end of the year projects the child has for school, etc. etc.). 

I couldn't hold a party in my house even if I wanted to!--And trust me, I no wanna hold any stinking parties!

So what am I thinking about now?

Leprechauns, of course!

I probably told you about a website called Duotrope.  If I haven't told you about it, then it's high time that I did!  Duotrope is a free website that lists ALL the magazines out there, from paying to non-paying, from old established print mags to new fly-by-night electronic rags.  It's an incredible resource for writers.

Anyhoo, I was sitting in the car playing with my EVO phone the other day while the hubster ran into the pharmacy.  As I was perused my email, I saw one from Duotrope--I signed up for their updates and I get a weekly email.  Normally, I don't really 'LOOK' at them, but I had some time to kill so I scrolled down to their list of magazines that are looking for anthologies. 

There was a call for LEPRECHAUNS and FAIRIES! 

OH. MY. GOSH!

I had written a story about leprechauns last March! No fairies, but it does have pixies in it.  So I dusted off the story, reread it-tweaking it as I went along-and submitted it to Irish's Story Playhouse.  Oh, I could get rejected, but as my friend Cyndi said, "I won't be your first." And my response, "And it probably won't be my last." So my story is in the queue for the submission editor.  If the story gets bought, then I'll be the proud owner of $3.00--Yes, that's right, three bucks.  But more important than anything, I'LL HAVE A PUBLISHING CREDENTIAL!  And right now, that's more important to me than making a gazillion bucks . . . well, maybe not MORE important, but you know what I mean.  Once I get a publishing cred, I can use it when I query my stories, proving that I'm not just a hack!  Yay!

Until next week, Peeps!

I know y'all will probably have better things to do than blog hop, but I'll try to keep it interesting . . . even if I have to give out some more candy recipes!