The first week of February slapped me silly. Like knocked me down, tickled me until I couldn’t breathe, and even smooshed lots of snow in my path! I received three acceptances for three separate pieces in three separate online literary journals. This is the industry. Crickets for months, even years, then WHACK! “We love you!” So you enjoy it while they do. Because then they don’t. 

The three pieces that will soon be pubbed and where:

Gumballs (poem) Horse Egg Literary

Thanksgiving (short essay) Burnt Pine Magazine

Iggie the Writer (micro fiction excerpt) Vines Leaves Press

In the meantime I also received an invitation to revise and resubmit my memoir project called Italian Bones in the Snow for Vine Leaves Press. Basically I had to write fifty more pages worth of material and format the collection so that it makes sense. I will be handing that in early April. The editor for VLP told me that I am a voice for Gen X women. I swooned. That was huge for me. I’m finding a lot of satisfaction in exploring all kinds of small presses, then sending out all kinds of random pieces that I write. 

Black Licorice is moving well, but slowly, as my publisher, Inked in Gray, has much on their plate and only so many hands to work on those projects. Nothing about this stretched process is bizarre in this industry. Solid novels take time. Timelines are often extended. 

My middle grade novel is being reworked too, and I will be sending that out in its new title and new format this spring to agents that requested rewrites. The name of it is no longer Embolden Girls, but Friendships and Floods. It’s no longer in verse. It’s now a third person prose novel. 

My girls and I recently discovered the amazing walkable trail behind our house, so it’s been a really beautiful snow covered month of walks. Lots of pine needle pictures. 

Regarding Ancestry, I learned I am over 90% Italian. Shocker. It is cool to see the regions on the map, though.

If you are a praying person or thinking person or a meditating person, send the good stuff to my friend as she is fighting for her life…because the people in her life didn’t follow CDC guidelines. Instead they used their “best judgment”. It’s not okay. If you’re not a scientist, don’t make those decisions on your own. Err on the side of extreme. PLEASE.

I saw a Tarot reader recently. She’s a lovely woman I have known for a few years now, and I like to see her every four months or so. There’s a particular card that has been repeating itself to me, so now, naturally I must infuse it into a new novel. 

I hope many of you are finding vaccination opportunities. Your families too. I hope you are well and remaining hopeful. 

Yes. I believe heartily in science and other invisible energies. You can be both.

Be well and say I love you. —E