It's A Party!

The day has come! This Saturday marks the debut of "Mountain Magic: Spellbinding Tales of West Virginia". Borders in Barboursville is hosting the premiere party for the book, along with "Legends of the Mountain State 4" and "Specters In Coal Dust", both featuring stories by yours truly. Also coming with be Mountain Magic authors Frank Larnerd and Karin Fuller. I will be bringing the books and the entertainment with my own special blend of magical performance. You've read my stories; now you'll have a chance to see my magic.

The festivities start at 4 pm and last until 6. I hope to see you there!

Pre-order "Mountain Magic"

Woodland Press has Mountain Magic: Spellbinding Tales of Appalachia up for pre-order. You can pre-order your copy at the Woodland Press website.

If you haven't been there, check out the Mountain Magic website at readmountainmagic.com. Bios, news, and all the latest on Mountain Magic can be found here.

A First Look At Mountain Magic

Coming October 2010

Mountain Magic: Spellbinding Tales of Appalachia

Coming October 9th...

Table of Contents

I am proud to announce the Table of Contents for "Mountain Magic: Spellbinding Tales of Appalachia":

• The Scotsman's Fiddle, Story by William Meikle
• Top Hat, Story by Frank Larnerd
• Margaret Rose, Poem by Kelly Ramsdell Fineman
• Fiddlelegs, Story by Steve Vernon
• The Ascension of Mercy Grace, Story by Jean Rabe
• Sin Tax, Story by Stephen Couch
• And this came straight from my student's mouth... , Poem by Joyce Richardson
• Glory Hand, Story by Joshua Reynolds
• A Silent Supper, Story by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy
• Dancing on a Stump, Story by Karin Fuller
• The Worm Conjurer, Poem by Wade German
• A Recipe for Rain and Rainbows, Story by Beth Cato
• The Passing, Story by Steve Rasnic Tem

More news on the way soon. Check back here or at readmountainmagic.com, the soon-to-be new home of "Mountain Magic".

Submissions

I've just sent out the last of the rejections as well as acceptances into the final round of consideration. If anyone has sent me a submission and hasn't heard from me, e-mail me at mountain_magic@verizon.net and let me know.

Thanks To Everyone

... who sent their fiction and poetry to "Mountain Magic". My plan is to have the last of the first round rejections sent out by the end of the week. Those authors with stories and poems that have made it to the next round should receive an e-mail from me by the first part of next week. I hope to make the final selections and have the Table of Contents set by mid-July. The decisions will be difficult, but I am excited about the quality of work I have to choose from.

Although the submission period is officially over, watch this blog in July for a special announcement concerning a possible second chance to submit to "Mountain Magic". Details coming soon.

"State of the Union"

We have reached the halfway point of the submission period. Just a little more than a month left to submit poems and stories. I've gotten some great submissions so far, but there is still room for more.

For those of you still working on stories, let me mention a few things:

1) I haven't received many stories that involve the performance side of magic. This could be a path for the writer who can explore this subject well.

2) Magic, in many of its forms, deals with themes such as transformation, secret knowledge, and initiation. Many of the submissions that have missed the mark also missed these themes.

3) When in doubt, it never hurts to re-read the submission guidelines.

Thanks to everyone who have submitted to me so far. I have some tough choices to make, but it wouldn't disappoint me at all if some other writers make it tougher. But the clock is ticking, folks, so let's see what you've got.

Now Open for Submissions

Today's March 20th, and I am now taking submissions for Mountain Magic. Nothing to worry about, though, if you haven't gotten started yet. Submission will remain open for the next three months, so there's still plenty of time to work on your story or poem.

Don't hesitate to e-mail me at mountain_magic@verizon.net with any questions, and keep checking Grimoire of the Mountains for progress reports and other helpful submission tips.

Now, amaze me...

Submission Period Start One Week From Today...

...but there's still plenty of time to get writing. Link to the guidelines are on the left.

Time to make the magic!

Quote #3

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science." - Albert Einstein

Quote #2

"The universe is not only stranger than we imagine, it is stranger than we can imagine." - J. B. S. Haldane

Quote #1

“Q: I know that there’s a lot of people who thought that what you do is real, that you can read people’s minds. So how do you respond to that?

A: Well, your question presumes that I can’t.
…If a person thinks that everything that I’m doing is exactly what it appears to be, then they’re wrong. On the other hand, if the person watching me assumes that everything I do is fabricated and fraudulent, they’re also wrong. Because what I’m doing is something in the middle. And exactly where in the middle is not my problem, is it?” – Max Maven, mentalist, from the documentary A Fabulous Monster

A little more inspiration

As an editor, I come from two worlds: the world of the writer, and the world of the magician. In the guidelines for Mountain Magic, I say that the magic in the story or poem can either be supernatural or performance magic. But what's the difference. really?

Below is a documentary about magician Eugene Burger, one of my teachers and a powerful inspiration of mine. When I first watched it, it pleased me to see many good friends included in the documentary. Most people have an idea what magic is, but very few know its meaning and history. This documentary will make that clearer, will aid you as a writer create magic in this and other stories, and will introduce you to one of my great heroes.

View this movie at cultureunplugged.com

New anthology

I am working on the on the submission guidelines now. But here's a little something to get you thinking...