Hello, Dear Friends and Encouragers:
Welcome to my first Newsletter for JeniseCook.com!
Eventually, I will learn my MailChimp* program, and you’ll read “fancy-schmancy” newsletters with color, graphics, photo images, and all sorts of goodies. I’ve been quiet but I’ve been busy, so I figured the start of a new month is a good time to bring you current on my creative activities.
*Note: In August, I switched to MailerLite.
Update: MailerLite was acquired and I stopped using the service. For now, you may follow me on Substack… jenisecook.substack.com.
June May Be Significant
Why? By the end of June, I may hear back from Chicken Soup for the Soul (CSS) regarding the angels story I submitted. If I hear no news, then I’ve been told to wait until August 31st. The editors never send out rejection notices to authors. If I don’t hear back from CSS by the end of August, then they won’t publish my story in that particular book. I will then submit the same story for their Christmas 2021 book, as my angels story took place on Christmas Eve many years ago. That submission date is January 30, 2020. (I can’t even wrap my head around the years 2020 and 2021. How time flies.)
Note: If you, or your friends, like to write true-life stories, take a look at this page on the CSS website for their list of future books and how to submit stories:
https://www.chickensoup.com/story-submissions/possible-book-topics
If you want to know how to write a story for CSS, I wrote a blog post about it as a reference/guide:
https://jenisecook.com/my-first-chicken-soup-for-the-soul-submission/
What Have I Been Up To?
Lots of creative mischief has come my way, and I’ve been having a blast! Here’s a quick rundown:
Medium.com
*Note: As of 31 August 2020, I have left Medium. I’m keeping what I wrote below to archive my journey at that time.
Encouraged by fellow authors, I joined the publishing site Medium, and you can read my blog post about it. I’m posting both fiction and nonfiction. I have also discovered some terrific writers who I now follow. In a month-and-a-half, I have earned $24.19 (Mark says, “Don’t forget that 19 cents, now.”), which is pretty terrific for a new member. My first goal is to write, publish, and earn back the $60 annual membership fee I’m paying. If you read my stories and “clap” for them, you’ll help me earn some pennies. You can read three (3) Medium stories for free each month as a nonmember. If you join ($5 per month), you’ll have unlimited access to hundreds of well-written stories. I’m not an affiliate for Medium so I don’t earn anything additional by mentioning this. I do invite you to read my stories and to “clap” if you would like to do so.
You can now easily keep track of my published works on one page on my website. Yay! I’ve been trying to write one short story a week, but I’ve been hijacked by the Japanese haiku, a form of poetry that I adore. I’ve written several haikus and a few tankas that are published on Medium. But, it is time to get back to my short story commitment. Stay tuned via my Publications page and my blog.
One of my writer/author colleagues, Dyane Forde in Quebec, Canada, is launching a new online literary journal for Christian voices. Lost Pen Magazine (LPM) will be available to readers on June 3, 2019. Please share this information with anyone who you think might be interested in this free, online journal. Mark and I helped Dyane behind the scenes as Associate Editors, and it is a gorgeous, beautiful-looking publication. Dyane and her team have worked very hard on this inaugural issue.
10-Line Descending Verse and my Photo Published!
When you read Issue #1 of Lost Pen Magazine, you will find my free-verse poem, Lifesaver (pages 14-15). Dyane also included my photo image of the bronze statue of the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ that I captured in 2012. This amazing bronze is at the beautiful St. Joseph of the Mountains Shrine in Yarnell, Arizona. Yes. That Yarnell, where our community’s brave 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots tragically lost their lives on June 30, 2013. If your travels ever bring you our way, please visit the shrine and its Stations of the Cross. We love that place and hope to support it while the volunteers work to rebuild the areas of the shrine that burned down during the fire.
A Chapter of My Novel Published!
My three-book novel series, The Rescuer, is still languishing on my hard drive. However, I “shopped” one of the chapters to a beautiful online journal, and Mojave He[art] Review (RIP) published it! I also republished it on Medium and the feedback I have received from people has encouraged me to get back to my novel. One fellow author suggested I shop my chapter to film school students, and I’ve started that process. I’ve also subscribed as a Beta Tester for a new screenwriting software program so I can learn how to write a screenplay. How fun!
Update: The screenwriting software people never contacted me, and sadly Mojave He[art] Review closed down. However, my novel’s chapter now lives at Spillwords Press!
Share the Creative Journey
Feel free to forward this Newsletter to people you think might be interested in reading my news and following my creative journey. Anyone can subscribe to my email newsletter by filling in the form on the right side of the website (www.JeniseCook.com). I value subscribers’ privacy and don’t share that information.
Feel free to write a Comment to this post or contact me via email. Until my next newsletter, Godspeed, and thank you for your encouragement on this creative journey!
Photo credits:
Antique typewriter | Antique film camera
Newsletter image | Head shot: Jenise Cook
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