GIVEAWAY Winners!

Thanks to everyone who entered our book giveaway! Davin pulled the winners this morning using Random.org, and the winners are:

CINDERS goes to Mmm!

GENRE WARS goes to AlphaChick!

and OPIUM Magazine goes to Paul Greci!

Winners, please send your address to Michelle at ladyglamis (at) gmail (dot) com. We'll need to hear from you soon so we know you've accepted your prize. We'll get your book out to you as soon as possible. Thanks!

Book Giveaway!

Today we're celebrating some of the talent in our very own blogging community by giving away three publications by our authors and regular commenters!

First, Michelle Davidson Argyle's Cinders, an emotional and adventurous tale of Cinderella after the happily ever after.

Second, our Genre Wars Anthology Volume I, containing a mix of great short stories from several different genres. Writers include Frances O'Brien, Anne Gallagher, Loren Eaton, Simon Larter, C. N. Nevets, and others.

Third, Opium Magazine's Opium 9, The Mania Issue, which contains our ambitious collaborative story written by 18 different writers including yours truly, Scott G. F. Bailey, Michelle Davidson Argyle, Natalie Whipple, Kathy Fish, Mary Miller, and Kuzhali Manickavel, among others.

If you'd like to be entered into a random drawing for each of the books, just leave a comment below to let us know. I'm taking this opportunity to tell all of you how wonderful it is for me to be surrounded by so many talented writers with such a passion for writing.

Thank you all for reading our posts and for having this daily conversation with us here at The Literary Lab.

Otherwise, please know how grateful I am to have been able to interact with all of you over the last year and several months. And, of course you can buy any of these books on your own. E-book versions of Cinders and Genre Wars Volume I are also available.

Also, remember about our Notes From Underground contest! Less than two weeks left to take a shot at having your work included in our next anthology.

Cinders by Michelle Davidson Argyle

I'm proud to announce that one of our Literary Lab authors has published her first book! Cinders, by our very own Michelle Davidson Argyle, tells the story of Cinderella after the happily ever after.

For those of you who may not be familiar with Michelle's fiction writing, it's always rich in vivid detail and emotion. Cinders is no exception. I had the honor of reading a pre-published version of this novella and finished it over the weekend.

Michelle uses enough of the details of the classic story to bring it back to life while also making use of her own imagination to provide us with something new. And, on a personal level, I know the genuine excitement with which Michelle approached this project. Never have I seen her so happy and passionate, and that energy comes through in the story...and in the beautiful production of the book. Not only did Michelle write it, but she's responsible for the cover photo, even arranging for the dress to be custom made.

I hope you'll help spread the word to readers who might enjoy Cinders. And, if you'd like to read it yourself, there's a link over to the left.

So, please join me in congratulating Michelle! I deeply admire what she's accomplished. AND, come back tomorrow for our own little celebration. We'll be giving away a free autographed copy of Cinders, along with some other publications by fellow bloggers.

Mowing Grass and Other Random Things

I've been reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and before I started I finished a Young Adult book. Talk about a difference in writing styles! If anyone ever asks me what "literary" means I tell them I have no idea. I've been in the debate one too many times to even care any more. McCarthy is spoken of everywhere as a literary genius. Maybe he is. I've enjoyed his book on so many different (not better, just different) levels than I enjoyed the Young Adult book. The Young Adult book I couldn't put down. I read it in a day. It was fun and fast and had depth, but The Road...it's like a rich dessert and it's getting hard to swallow at some points. That's not a bad thing. It just means I have to read it slowly.

For me, any writing that makes me feel this way is great (not better than other writing, just greater for me) writing. I don't run across it too often, but when I do it's a treat. If I feel like I want to read the book again to catch more of that dessert I missed the first time around, that's great writing. If it makes me jealous, that's great writing. If it makes me want to stop reading and go write something, that's great writing.

That's all for me, though. You may be different. So there's a thought for Friday. And now for some random.

Don't miss the writing contest going on over at The Clarity of Night!

Don't forget to vote about where the proceeds for our Notes from Underground anthology should go. It's down below on Thursday's post.

Don't forget to check out the fun giveaway on my author site for the release of my novella, Cinders. (Yes, that's a shameless plug)

I'm house/dog sitting for my parents while they're gone for two weeks, and I just mowed the lawn. I haven't mowed grass for years. Oh, the smell. It's the essence of summer. That, and some watermelon. I'm savoring it before the months of snow return. What's your favorite summer thing?