A Slice of Orange

Author Marianne H. Donley–a woman of many, many talents!!

December 2, 2020 by Jann Ryan in category Jann says . . . tagged as A Sweet Funny and Strange Anthology, Author Interview, Fur Feathers and Scales, Jann Ryan, new release

Marianne H. Donley writes fiction from short stories to funny romances and quirky murder mysteries fueled by her life as a mom and a teacher. She makes her home in Tennessee with her husband, son, and a new puppy. Marianne manages the multi-author blog, A Slice of Orange. She’s a member of Bethlehem Writers Group, Romance Writers of America, Music City Romance Writers,Sisters in Crime, and Charmed Writers.

You can find all her social media links at https://linktr.ee/mariannehdonley

We’re here today with an amazing woman of many talents: Author, Editor, Wife, Mother, Friend and the woman who is the creator of this wonderful blog site—A Slice of Orange. She’s a featured author in the newest anthology from the Bethlehem Writers Groups’ awarding-winning “Sweet, Funny, and Strange” series of anthologies, FUR, FEATHERS AND SCALES!

Jann: You have two adorable tales in Fur, Feathers, and Scales, which made its debut yesterday. The first, When I Was Your Age and the second, Why Children Have Their Father’s Last Name. How did you come up with the ideas for your stories?

Marianne: From life! When I Was Your Age was based on my grandmother (my dad’s mother). She had so many stories about growing that got worse every time she told them. Why Children Have Their Father’s Last Name is totally about my husband and my sister, and they were not the good little bunnies.

Jann: I love the book cover. It’s perfect. Who did it?

Marianne: Well, now I’m blushing. Thank you. I did the front cover, and my partner-in-crime, Carol L. Wright did the back cover for the print version.

Jann: All the stories are remarkable. What was the experience like being one of the Editors for the book and one of the Authors?

Marianne: Well, we have rules.

Rule number one—you don’t edit your own stories.

Rule number two—all the stories (with the exception of the contest winners) must be workshopped by Bethlehem Writers Group at one of our semi-monthly critique meetings.

Rule number three—editing is not writing. Just because I wouldn’t write a story the way you would write that story does not mean you are wrong. Different is not wrong. We have to let the author’s voice shine through. I hope we have done that.

Rule number four—writing is not editing. If the editor makes a suggestion to me, I need to have a really good reason not to follow that suggestion.

Jann: This book has everything from unicorns to wolves to bunnies. However, the one with ants hit home with me, as I have been battling those beasts for years in my home. Tell us about how this anthology came about and the authors who are contributors from the Bethlehem Writers Group.

Marianne: Ah! The ants–Six Feet Under by Dianna Sinovic. I must say I related to that story as well. Every summer in California—ants.

When we’re brainstorming the “theme” for our next anthology our members all throw out ideas, and we debate the merits of each idea. It’s a pretty lively discussion because we have all stripes of authors–children’s, fantasy, humor, inspiration, literary, memoir, mystery, paranormal, romance, science fiction, women’s fiction, and young adult.

We look for themes that are appealing to most of the members. We also run The Short Story Award in conjunction with the theme of our anthologies. So, we look for ideas that we think will attract the interest of other authors. We always interpret the theme—broadly—so there is a lot of creative leeway for the authors to come up with a sweet, funny, or strange story.

The first anthology was a natural—A Christmas Sampler—because we’re based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, The Christmas City. Animal stories, I believe, was suggested by Jeff Baird. He writes very heart-felt stories about the dogs in his life.

A bird on a tree branch Our next anthology, scheduled for 2022, is An Element of Mystery, Sweet, Funny and Strange Tales of Intrigue. The Short Story Award opens for entries on January 1^st.

Authors interested in submitting to The Short Story Award might like to read some of the finalist for Fur, Feathers, and Scales to see what we like. The second place, third place and honorable mention stories will be published in the 2021 Winter Issue of The Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, our online magazine—also available January 1^st. You, Jann, will recognize one of the honorable mentions—Louella Nelson! (I may have shouted when her name was announced.)

Any member of BWG can submit a story (or two or three) to our anthologies, providing it has been workshopped by the whole group. Any member can elect not to submit a story. Since we’re working on our seventh anthology, I think we have a system that works.

Jann: I know you write short stories, romances and murder mysteries. Is any one of these genres your favorite? What are you currently working on?

Marianne: I go back and forth. My mysteries always have a romance sub-plot and my romances usually have a dead body somewhere. Probably from all those Mary Stewart and Elizabeth Peters novels I read over and over. Currently, short stories seem to be the easiest for me to finish. Right now, I’m working on a cozy-ish novel with a romance and plotting a short mystery.

Jann: With everything going on in your life, how do you keep it all together?

Marianne: That made me laugh. So . . .

1) Don’t look in my closets.

2) Dennis does the grocery shopping and birthday shopping and Christmas shopping. He wraps the presents, too. (Okay sort of—gift bags are his favorite and he hates bows. But since I don’t have to do it, I’m good with this.)

3) I only need about 6 hours of sleep every night. No matter what time I go to bed, I walk up 6 hours later. I do work on thinks when everyone else is sleeping.

4) I have a lot of friends who help out. Look how seamless A Slice of Orange ran when my son had a medical emergency this Spring.

5) I have a lot of family who are also willing to help. All I have to do is ask.

Jann: This was so much fun. Thank you, Marianne, for spending time with us talking about Fur, Feathers, and Scales, which is available now, and you.

Fur, Feathers and Scales and Other Book with Stories by Marianne H. Donley

AN ELEMENT OF MYSTERTY: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES OF INTRIGUE

FUR, FEATHERS AND SCALES: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales

ONCE UPON A TIME: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for All Ages

LET IT SNOW

ONCE AROUND THE SUN: Sweet, Funny, and Stranges Tales for All Seasons

UNTETHERED: SWEET, FUNNY, AND STRANGE TALES OF THE PARANORMAL

A READABLE FEAST: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales for Every Taste

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December Featured Author: Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC

December 1, 2020 by marianne h donley in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Contests, Featured Author of the Month tagged as #TheBWG, Bethlehem Writers Group, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award, Fur Feathers and Scales, new release, Short Story Award, The 2021 Short Story Award

About Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC

The Bethlehem Writers Group, LLC (BWG), is a community of mutually supportive fiction and nonfiction authors based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The members are as different from each other as their stories. BWG also publishes quality fiction through their online literary journal, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, and their award-winning A Sweet, Funny, and Strange Anthology series.

Each anthology has an overall theme—broadly interpreted—but includes a variety of genres. All but the first anthology include stories from the winner(s) of The Bethlehem Writers Short Story Award.

Their first anthology, A Christmas Sampler: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Holiday Tales (2009), won two Next Generation Indie Book Awards: Best Anthology and Best Short Fiction.

Released December 1, 2020, the latest title in A Sweet, Funny and Strange Anthology series is Fur, Feathers, and Scales: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales.

About Fur, Feathers and Scales

The award-winning “Sweet, Funny, and Strange” series of anthologies from the Bethlehem Writers Group, continues with this collection of twenty-five tales about real, legendary, or imaginary animals. From snakes to ducks to unicorns, there are tales here to match any mood, provide a chuckle, or warm a heart.

Among our tales, Peter Barbour recounts a legend in “Why Bats Live in Caves,” Jerome W. McFadden asks the question of what animal to choose to be in “Recycled,” A. E. Decker shares an appreciation of cephalopods in “Tipping Point,” Ralph Hieb imagines an unconventional pet in “Buttons,” and Diane Sismour, in “Critter,” reveals that mules are not the only equines that can have a stubborn streak.

In addition, we are happy to present the winning stories from the 20 I 9 and 2020 Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Awards. Angela Albertson, our 20I9 winner, shares her heartfelt “Oranges and Roses,” and our 2020 winner, Brett Wolff, gives us a good laugh in “Hubbard Has a Fancy Bra.”

This eclectic assemblage of stories includes terrific tales from beloved BWG authors including Courtney Annicchiarico, Jeff Baird, Jodi Bogert, Marianne H. Donley, DT Krippene, Emily P. W. Murphy, Christopher D. Ochs, Dianna Sinovic, Kidd Wadsworth, Paul Weidknecht, Carol L. Wright, and Will Wright.

So cuddle up with your favorite pet-real or imaginary. No matter. You’ll find just the right story to share.

Next up for BWG

BWG is working on their Seventh anthology, An Element of Mystery: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Intrigue.

In connection with this anthology, they are hosting The Bethlehem Writers 2021 Short Story Award.

The 2021 Short Story Award will open on January 1, 2021. The theme will be An Element of Mystery (broadly interpreted).

BWG is seeking never-published short stories of 2,000 words or fewer. First Place will receive $250 and publication in their upcoming anthology: An Element of Mystery: Sweet, Funny, and Strange Tales of Intrigue or in Bethlehem Writers Roundtable.

The final judge of the 2021 Short Story Award is New York Times best-selling author Charlaine Harris.

BWG Workshops and Critique Groups

Besides anthologies, yearly writing contests, and The Bethlehem Writers Roundtable, the group hosts twice monthly writing workshops/critique groups for local members and a monthly digital workshop/critique group for long distance members. You can see the schedule of BWG meetings and events, including author signings here.

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Dear Extra Squeeze Team, I Have a Pandemic Story . . . Too Soon?

November 30, 2020 by The Extra Squeeze in category The Extra Squeeze by The Extra Squeeze Team tagged as covid plot, pandemic story, ripped from the headlines, story

Dear Extra Squeeze Team, I think I have a best-selling pandemic story on my hands! Is it ever too late or too soon to write about something like that?

Robin Blakely

PR/Business Development coach for writers and artists; CEO, Creative Center of America; member, Forbes Coaches Council.

If you have a best-selling story about any period of time, write it. The very best stories have a timeless essence that touches hearts and ignites imaginations, no matter when or where the stories are set. It is never too soon or too late to write a story that jars the soul. But, by the same token, don’t imagine that the pandemic theme is the thing that will cause readers to pick up the book.

A million pandemic-themed stories are being created right now; many not very good. The market always faces trends that cause certain subjects, themes, or genres to spike in popularity at certain times. If that is the wave you want to ride, get there early. But that wave may not be the one for you—you may not be done fast enough to be part of that perceived market interest.

If in doubt, go good. Good work weathers mass upticks in interest. Focus on the good work.

H.O. Charles

Cover designer and author of the fantasy series, The Fireblade Array

No! Think of all the war novels that are still being written, and all those written during the wars. Different, developing situations give rise to different and interesting outlooks.

Jenny Jensen

Developmental editor who has worked for twenty plus years with new and established authors of both fiction and non-fiction, traditional and indie.

Yea! I’ve been waiting for this. I think now is the perfect time to offer a good fictional Corvid plot. I see no reason why such a story would be “too soon” or “too late”. If the tale is well written, soundly plotted, has a great cast of characters and a riveting dramatic arc it will always be timely as a good book.

The pandemic is top of everyone’s mind right now. (How often has a single event held that much sway at once with the entire human species?) There is so much crazy mis-information blitzing around that a large number of us just ignore it all, take precautions and wait to hear about a vaccine. I’d welcome a good pandemic story. Fiction has always been the media where we can talk about anything. Go for it.

Rebecca Forster

USA Today Bestselling author of 35 books, including the Witness series and the new Finn O’Brien series.

I was recently interviewed and asked if I was going to address the pandemic. My answer was, ‘Yes if it works organically into my story’.

Will I make the pandemic the focus of a book? The answer is no. I very seldom write a ripped-from-the-headlines book because headlines change faster than you can blink these days.

I do write ripped-from-the-inside-pages books because that’s where I find small stories, about real people and personal tragedy and triumph. For me, it’s always about the characters.

Every writer is different, though. If this book is eating at you, write it, own it, and market it. It might be just be the blockbuster you feel it is.

Good luck.

Ever wonder what industry professionals think about the issues that can really impact our careers? Each month The Extra Squeeze features a fresh topic related to books and publishing.

Amazon mover and shaker Rebecca Forster and her handpicked team of book professionals offer frank responses from the POV of each of their specialties — Writing, Editing, PR/Biz Development, and Cover Design.

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