Fun Facts about September

I usually post on Mondays, but since next week is Labor Day, I decided to post today. I have an awesome Author Spotlight for you all on Tuesday, so I couldn't very well wait too long to do a post on September. I wouldn't want you all to miss out on some fun holidays!

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September, the ninth month of the year, is one of four months that contain 30 days. September begins on the same day of the week as December, and no other month ends on the same day as September. 

In Latin, septem means 'seven.' September was the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 46 BC, when  the first month of the year was changed from March to January. 

September starts the academic year in many countries in the Northern Hemisphere, but I know a few states in the US that start in August. 

American Football starts the collegiate and professional seasons in September. (Go Steelers!)

Those born in early to mid-September are under the sign of Virgo, and those born in the later part of the month are born under Libra. 

September's birthstone is the sapphire, and the birth flowers are the forget-me-not, morning glory, and aster.

National Month for:

Potato

Chicken

Rice

Mushroom

Biscuit

Honey

Better Breakfast

Emergency Care

Sight Saving

Piano

Self-Improvement

Women of Achievement

Courtesy

International Square Dance

Cable TV

Classical Music

September is also 'Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month.'

Famous Author Birthdates:

September 1, 1875--Edgar Rice Burroughs

September 2, 1820--Lucretia Hale

September 13, 1916--Roald Dahl

September 15, 1789--James Fenimore Cooper

                                  Tomie DePaola

September 21, 1866--HG Wells

September 29, 1923--Stan Berenstain

Bizarre Holidays: (There are so many this month, but these were some of my favorites.)

2nd--National Beheading Day (Thankfully, we don't celebrate this one.)

3rd--Skyscraper Day

        Labor Day in the US

5th--Choose Pizza Day

6th--Read a Book Day

        Fight Procrastination Day

7th--Neither Rain or Snow Day (We'll see, won't we?)

9th--Teddy Bear Day

        Grandparents Day (I'll be celebrating this year!)

10th--Sewing Machine Day

          Swap Ideas Day

11th--911 Remembrance Day

12th--Chocolate Milkshake Day

          Video Game Day

13th--Positive Thinking Day

14th--The day Francis Scott Key wrote The Star-Spangled Banner

          Cream-filled Donut Day

16th--Stay away from Seattle Day

          Collect Rocks Day

          Step Family Day

          Women's Friendship Day

18th--Play-doh Day

19th--Talk Like a Pirate Day (Aaargh, Mateys!)

22nd--Hobbit Day

          Dear Diary Day

          Elephant Appreciation

23rd--Checkers Day

          Dogs in Politics Day

24th--Festival of Latest Novelties (this sounds like fun!)

25th--Comic Book Day

26th--Pancake Day

          Good Neighbor Day (Be a good neighbor and make pancakes for the lady next door.)

28th--Ask a Stupid Question Day

29th--Poisoned Blackberries Day (!)

30th--Mud Pack Day

There you have it. Lots of stuff going on this month!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend and don't forget to stop by on Tuesday to view this month's Author Spotlight!

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Stolen Time

(Sundial in Hampton Court Garden, UK)

I swore I wouldn't do the conference this year--I didn't have time! But at the last minute, I posted my work, The Clover Key. For two days, I obsessed over the con--stalking agents, entering events, reading and critiquing other writer's work, all while pretending to work at the shop.I received only a few, but nonetheless great, comments that I'll put to good use when I revise again. I even met another writer from Madrid whose work-in-progress is patiently waiting in my e-mail inbox for a critique.

After putting everything on hold to write a synopsis, craft a query, and doing some last minute revisions, I felt a little deflated. Not everyone loved my work, and none of the Ninja Agents that attended asked for a partial. They didn't even make any comments! I didn't win a professional critique or even a door prize, but my skin is another layer thicker. That should help, right?

WriteOnCon is over, but there are still things going on over there. All of the events are archived, so if you sign up, you can read interviews by authors and agents.

Do you know what else helps? Having my daughter Amanda come home for 10 days in between semesters. It was a spontaneous visit and those kinds of visits are always fun. She was ecstatic when she got to finally meet and hold her new nephew Caleb Robert. I think she enjoyed her visit--we did some shopping for baby clothes, bedding for her new mattress in her first-ever apartment, school clothes, and of course, school supplies. She got to see one of her best friends, and also got some pampering from Mom and Grandma.

(Amanda and I)

Then, last week, Amanda, my mother, my sister, and I took a road trip down to Virginia to see my brother and sister-in-law's new home and to meet their first child--my niece Jane Alexandra! We spoke in high sing-songy voices and coohed and aahed for a few days.

(Jane Alexandra, Amanda, and I)

On Friday, I brought Amanda back to the airport and cried while she went toward security. Once she was out of view, I dashed home to prepare for the next day. On Saturday, John and I invited his two sisters and his two Buchanan (yup, just like the Buchanans in my YA novel!) cousins, along with their significant others, for a get-together at our home.

Now, it's Sunday afternoon. Piles of laundry and mountains of mail stare at me while I write this post. It will all get done eventually. I'm exhausted. I crammed so much into the last 10 days.  I drove over 1000 miles, across 4 states. I spent too much money on babies, my daughter, and food. I got zero writing accomplished and my e-mail inbox has grown to over 800 messages. I just know there's a ton of paperwork waiting for me at the shop.

The past 10 days wasn't always fun. Amanda's flight to New Jersey was delayed. Again. We hit so much traffic on the way to Virginia that a 5 hour trip turned into 8 hours. I slept on sofas and air mattresses and spent way too much time in the driver's seat of our Suburban. When we returned to New Jersey, Amanda's iPhone was stolen which prompted a trip to the Bayonne Police Department. Stress and lack of restful sleep caused frayed nerves and snippy attitudes.

But I also received and gave lots of hugs. I sat around the table with both families, eating big meals and exchanging stories. I laughed almost to the point of crying. I met new people and snuggled with babies. All of those memories, ALL of them will last a lifetime.

I always complain that I never have enough time, but last week, I made time--I snatched it from thin air, and there were a few moments when I stopped it in it's tracks. No, there's never enough time to do everything we want to do, but time with family is so precious, sometimes you just have to steal it.

We've all stolen time. What did you do with yours?

FREE Kid's Literature Writing Conference!

That's right, I said FREE!!! You can pitch your novel, have an agent read your query, and have peers critique your work, all for FREE while sitting at home or in your office.

WriteOnCon is an online writing conference for Children's literature writers that is taking place this coming Tuesday, August 14th and Wednesday, August 15th. There will be workshops, interviews, live events, and agent panels.And Ninja Agents will be lurking around and reading queries! Who knows, your query may spark an agent's interest. They just may ask for a sample!

Now, I know this doesn't give you much time, but if you write novels for YA or MG, or picture books, you should register and try to get your work posted. Even if you don't have a completed manuscript, there are so many awesome forums to use. You can get a critique, critique others, learn from published authors and learn what agents are looking for. At this price, you can't go wrong!

Visit WriteOnCon NOW and browse. Read their Full Schedule. Register and learn. Find and friend me (denise616) I'll see you there!

My Idea of a Perfect Day

By the lake--

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Under the shade of a willow tree--

                                              (Source)

Reading a book--

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Or writing a story--

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Time is irrelevant.--

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What would your perfect day be like?

Spreading The News--Another Contest...

I received an e-mail this morning from The First Line Literary Journal. They are running a contest and I just had to pass it along to all my wonderful followers. Here you go:

The First Line First Line Contest

To celebrate our 15th year, we’re giving you a chance to inspire the world. Send us your best (original and unpublished) starter sentences, and we’ll pick four to use for next year’s first lines.

You have until August 31st to submit. The winners will receive $50 and five copies of the issue that was inspired by your first line.

The rules:
1. Sentences must be your ORIGINAL, previously unpublished creations.
2. You may submit up to two (2) sentences for consideration.
3. Send entries in the body of an email to: contest@thefirstline.com. Do not send attachments.

4. Include your email or mailing address for notification.
5. All entries must be received by 6 p.m. (EST) on August 31, 2012.

Oh yeah, there’s NO entry fee.

Good luck!

Fun Facts about August

Before I start this week's blogpost, I just want to share some really awesome news. We have a new addition to our family!

Caleb Robert Stanley

He was born 2 weeks early on July 29, 2012. He weighed in at 6lbs. 5ozs and measured 18.5 inches. Our first grandson is a healthy baby, and we're excited beyond belief. So yup, I'm a Grandma! I can't wait to read the little guy some bedtime stories.

Now, on to this week's post:

August was named in honor of Augustus Caesar. The month of August was the time of several of his great triumphs, including the conquest of Egypt.

August is the eighth month of the year and has a length of 31 days. 

In common years, no other month starts on the same day of the week as August, but in leap years, February starts on the same day.

Those born in the beginning of August are under the sign of Leo, and those born after the 21st are born under Virgo.

The birthstone is the peridot or onyx, and the birth flower is gladiolus or poppy.

Important Days in August:

First Week in August--World Breastfeeding Week. 

                                     Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

                                     Indian Week for the Penobscot Tribe in Old Town, ME

                                     Pennsic War-a medieval gathering event of the Society for Creative Anachronism 

First Weekend in August--Twins Days. Celebrated in Twinsburg, OH.

                                            The Bon Festival. A traditional Japanese Buddhist custom which evolved into a family reunion holiday.

August 6--Wiggle Your Toes Day

August 13--National Left-handers Day (Thanks, Courtney!)

August 15--National Relaxation Day

August 26--Go Topless Day. Coincides with Women's Equality Day. The main rally will take place in Washington, DC this year, where they will present President Obama with a petition. Participants are welcome to go fully topless or to wear red tape over their nipples. (!)

August is the National Month for:

Immunization Awareness

Water Quality

Back to School (for some US districts)

American Adventures

Audio Appreciation

Happiness Happens

Panini

Catfish

Peaches

Harvest

Some Famous Birthdays:

August 1--Herman Melville (1819-1891)

August 2--James Baldwin (1924-1987)

August 4--Percy Blythe Shelley (1792-1822) Husband of Mary Shelley.

August 6--Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

August 12--Robert Southey (1774-1843) Poet laureate for 30 years, he penned the rhyme What are little boys made of?

August 22--Dorothy Parker (1893-1967)

                  Ray Bradbury (1920-2012)

August 24--Jorge Luis Borges (1899-1986)

August 30--Mary Shelley (1797-1851)

Spreading The News--July 2012

Wow! I haven't done one of these posts since April! I've been saving up so much good stuff for you. So, let's get right to it.


Markets For You:


Prime Number Magazine--Publishes distinctive fiction, non-fiction, poetry, reviews, interviews, and essays on craft, from both emerging and established writers.

Pedestal Magazine--(Deadline August 13) Looking for stories of 1500 words about Mark Nipple. Check out their website to read Mark Nipple's background. Pays $.05 per word.

Fiction Fix--An online journal that publishes short fiction, short-short fiction, and novel excerpts in traditional or experimental form.

Penumbra--Speculative fiction e-mag has their theme list for 2013 listed on their website. Pays $.05 per word.

330 Words--a blog for writers with a digital phone or camera phone. Take a photo and write a piece of fiction under 330 words.

Spellbound Magazine--This fantasy magazine for children, a Kickstarter project, is looking for poems and stories up to 2500 words. Pays 2.5 cents/word and $10 for poems under 8 lines!

Rainstorm Press--Publishes a variety of genres and also has a few anthologies they are looking to fill.

Writing Resources:


Writer's Digest Has a YouTube Channel--Subscribe to the channel to find tutorial video clips full of helpful information.

Creative Writing Exercises--This site has eight exercises designed to improve your writing quality and enjoyment.

Easy Street Prompts--Offers visual prompts and photographs to inspire you.

Plot Whisperer--Having a problem with your plot? Martha Alderson can help you with all your dilemmas.

Fun Stuff:
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words--Take Two Publishing is running a contest. Take a look at the picture, compose a short story of 1000 words, and you could win an interview promoted on Twitter and Facebook, a two minute YouTube video, a $25 Amazon gift card, and a 'Writer's kit.' Hurry! The contest ends August 31, 2012.

Cafe Press Writer's Gifts--Clocks, totes, magnets, decals, t-shirts...Lots of fun stuff for your favorite writer.


Brain Pickings--Browse their website and make sure you sign up for their awesome newsletter.

Upcycle Your Old T-shirts--Have some treasured t-shirts that you can't bear to part with? Why not upcycle them into a scarf, blanket or tote bag? Daily Grommet has some really great products. Sign up for their weekly e-mail and be in the know about their cool stuff.

That's all I've got for you right now. Have fun checking out these websites!