Musical Pencil

So often I find myself writing depressing things and from time to time - I feel the need to write something completely and utterly silly - just for the fun of it. Well, " Lois on the Down Low " is one of those silly writes that found a home at Clockwise Cat . Thanks to the wonderful job Alison Ross does posting tons of stories at once, many author's works have found a comfy home at Clockwise Cat . Hope you enjoy the whimsy of a comic strip character after a dose of Dr. Phil. http://clockwisecat.blogspot.com/2009/03/loins-on-down-low-by-paula-ray.html

Yay! Pequin has recently posted my story - Truth at a Bonsai Booth - which was inpsired by an elderly couple who ran a bonsai booth at an Apple Festival held in the Appalachian Mountains - I loved walking around the festival - smelling the apples and enjoying the fall leaves. I've been eagerly awaiting the release of this story - it was one of the first stories I ever had accepted. Pequin is an awesome publication - I hope you enjoy. There are many wonderful works published by fine authors on this site, many familiar names in the crowd - worth a read! I'm testing my links here - hope it works: http://pequin.org/archives/2009/paularay/truthatbonsaibooth.php Also, I just noticed - I only have 8 pending submissions - only 8! Great heavens, I need to start sending more things off right away!

The new issue of Bread Crumb Scabs is now live. I have a poem in it called Poetry Will Always Fall Short. It is my understanding the collection of poems in this issue deal with love -romantic or otherwise and are presented through unpleasant even brutal images in contrast with the beauty of the emotion conveyed. This is an unusual approach and I had a poem in my files that seemed to fit the bill. I hope you enjoy Bread Crumb Scabs - I adore the cover photo and I notice familiar poet names in the mix - poets whose work I admire.

Forgive the Birds is now live - on Bolts of Silk . The poems on this site are inspiring, at least - I believe they are. For this reason, I am overjoyed to have a poem included. Please check it out and read the wonderful works of others poets while there - you won't be disappointed. Thanks for all you do, Juliet!

I was pleased to discover two romantic poems I submitted a few months ago are now live at Moon Drenched Fables . Romantic poems are hard to market, or difficult for me to do so. Having said that, some of my favorite poems in the world (not talking about my own) are in fact - romantic poems. It is as if poetry can guide my emotions unlike straight-forward prose and what better emotion - than love...ahh, yes - this is worth feeling. Without out it - we're numb. Hats off to Moon Drenched Fables for keeping the beauty of romance alive - I hope you enjoy the zine - there are many wonderful writers represented. P.S. - Neptune on the Horizon and Fairy Bride are the two poems recently posted in Moon Drenched Fables - links to the left.

I have a new story up at Salome . I heard about this magazine through a fellow writer on zoetrope. I read several of the stories on there and enjoyed them. I'm tickled they took this flash. I'm not a mother, but this is how I imagine it can be. Hope you enjoy it and many of the stories by other authors on the site. Motherhood Is One Test You Can't Retake http://www.salomemagazine.com/chamber.php?id=288

Condemned Concert is live at Dew on the Kudzu . I can't seem to figure out how to link the story specifically, but there is a general Kudzu picture link to the left, if you are interested in reading the story. There are always good recipes and history nuggets in this zine - it's fun to thumb through - hope you enjoy. Thanks again, Idg!

Two music inspired poems are up at Children, Churches, and Daddies . I've posted the link to the left under published poems. Check the site out - lots of good stuff posted. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I've been busy with my students at a band event - they did well - concert over - I'm exhausted.

I'm pleased to announce - Idg, the editor of Dew on the Kudzu has accepted a flash I wrote recently. I'm excited to have something up at Dew again - it was one of the very first sites I had a story published...and it is a southern thing - and, well - I'm southern - so it feels like "home". Check out the site -I have a picture link for it on the left. I feel as if I'm cutting things short, but I've got to run - a busy busy day today and for the next few days - a band event for my students has me hopping. Bye for now - Paula