No Joke

I’m posting this tonight rather than tomorrow morning because I don’t want anyone to think anything in here is a joke. I also don’t want anyone to avoid reading my post because they’re worried it might be a joke. I also don’t want to post it and then become suspicious of all the comments because I’m concerned they might be jokes.

If you think I’m being way too paranoid about April Fool’s Day, that’s because you didn’t grow up in my family. We celebrated every holiday. We dressed up on Halloween, watched fireworks on the 4th of July, pinched people who weren’t wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, and lied, joked, and pranked on April 1st. I walk backwards looking over my shoulder on April Fool’s Day and treat every story, message, and plea for help with suspicion. It’s the way I was raised.

[Click here to read about the time my cats pranked me on April 1st.]

I don’t devote much time to April Fools anymore– call it maturity, call it wisdom, call it laziness– but last year when April 1st fell on Easter, and I was visiting my parents for the weekend, I put googly eyes on everything in my mom’s kitchen. That was fun.

But I digress…

The reason I’m writing is to share three pieces of news with you which are not jokes. I promise.

First, earlier this year, my story “Phoenix” was selected as a runner-up in the WOW! Women on Writing Fall 2018 Flash Fiction Contest, and Sue Bradford Edwards was kind enough to interview me about my writing process for WOW’s blog, The Muffin. You can read my answers to her questions and see a cool picture of a cicada here.

Also, I’m excited to announce that my story “The Girl in the Attic,” which was originally published in Growing Pains by Sinister Saints Press, will be reprinted next month in Allegory. So, if you haven’t had the chance to read this creepy tale, soon you’ll be able to enjoy it for free.

Finally, I’m happy to share that my good friend Susan Rooke, author of The Space Between and its sequel, The Realm Below, nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award. The VBA is a way for bloggers to acknowledge fellow writers and recognize them for their content. I’m honored to be chosen by Susan, because her blog is awesome. It’s equal parts writing, humor, and delicious food and drinks. Her stories about her family and her life in the country always make me smile, and her recipe for sweet batter bread is now one of my favorite things to bring to potlucks. It’s always a big hit. So, thank you, Susan!

The rules of the Versatile Blogger Award are…

1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link to their blog. (Done)
2. Tell your nominator and readers 7 things about you. (See below)
3. Choose up to 15 bloggers whom you admire for their content (writing and/or images) and creativity. Nominate them in turn. (Comin’ up next)
4. Inform your nominees. (Will do)

Since some of my favorite bloggers have already been nominated, I’ll just add four: Ashley B. Davis, The Bohemian Freethinker, Annie Neugebauer, and Love, Teach.

Ashley Davis is my writing buddy, critique partner, and a very persuasive recommender of good books. She’s also a mom of twins and a blogger. We’ve only met once in person (what? how is that possible?) but we meet almost every Sunday morning online to write and talk about writing and talk about books and drink coffee together through the interwebs. Ashley’s blog is awesome because she thinks deeply about things. Whether she’s writing about a book she loves or an event she went to or about the writing process itself, her post is going to be honest and genuine and deep. She really puts herself on the page, and I love that about her. Go listen to her read her poem “Time Consuming” and try not to get chills.

Penny R. Pierce, author of The Bohemian Freethinker, is a good friend I’ve never met. We found each other through our blogs and bonded over our love of pets and teaching and poetry. Penny is a musician and a teacher and a thinker, and she has such a big heart. Our virtual friendship has moved beyond the screen into snail mail. We send each other postcards and letters every few months. Anyone who still communicates by snail mail is alright in my book. Go read her post “When Time Stands Still” to understand her unique outlook on the world.

I owe so much to Annie Neugebauer. I met Annie at a Poetry Society of Texas Summer Conference when I was first starting out as a blogger, and I learned so much about creating an online presence from her great example. Annie’s blog is professional, organized, and informative, while also being beautiful and whimsical and inviting. Annie writes for other sites as well, such as LitReactor and Writer Unboxed, but the hauntingly poignant posts at her home page are still the ones I like best. Check out her latest post and be sure to congratulate her on being a Bram Stoker Award Nominee!

Ah, Love, Teach. I love Love, Teach. She gives me teacher tingles (which is a phrase that makes my students giggle and blush out of embarrassment for me). She makes me laugh and cry and drop my jaw in awe that she can read my mind so specifically. And I am SOOOOOOOOOO excited about her recent announcement that she is writing a book! (Note: If you are a teacher, Love, Teach’s book is what I’m giving you for your birthday in 2020. There. Shopping done.) I can’t possibly pick a favorite post from her blog, but here’s one about teacher memes that cracks me up.

Ok, I’m almost done with this post. When I started writing, my dog was awake, and I was rambling about April Fool’s Day and how I didn’t want to post this tomorrow. But if I don’t finish soon, it will BE tomorrow. So here, in no particular order and without thinking too hard, are 7 things you might not know about me.

1. I have hazel eyes.
2. I make yummy cookies.
3. I love the song “Roam” by the B-52s, but I don’t know any of the words. That doesn’t stop me from singing it.
4. I can recite “The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert Service from memory.
5. I have watched this video of a mama raccoon trying to teach her baby raccoon to climb a tree 14 times this weekend. Make that 15.
6. I am childfree by choice. I don’t want to be a mom.
7. I love it, love it, love it when my dog wags his tail in his sleep.

Ok, that’s it. Good night, and good luck tomorrow.