Emerald Tales - Masks or Appearances Can be Deceiving

Woot!

Emerald Tales Volume One Number Two - Masks or Appearances Can Be Deceiving is done!

And online!

And on time!

Story Contributions:

Ashley by Lisa Rusczyk is about a very interesting blind date.

In Tricked you Good by Guy Belleranti, a thief masquerades as a clown on Halloween and gets a rather nasty surprise.

Promoting a Good Image by Ragna Brent is about two coworkers up for promotion. Which one will get it?

In The Honor System by Paula J. Stiles, a pregnant woman gets a little help from a stranger.

In The Black Swan by Darla J. Bowen, a masquerade ball is the perfect cover for an operative.

In A Steady Life by Jason Flum, two adult grandchildren learn more about the grandfather who raised them.

Barbecue by James Hartley, vegan aliens attend a neighborhood barbecue.

Operation: Totally Ducked Up by Lori T. Strongin, two very unlikely babysitters of a sweet little toddler. What could possibly happen?

Poetry Contributions:

A Versatile Visage by Lindsey Duncan

A Deck of Cards Tells All by Hal Sirowitz

This Mask I Wear by N. L. LeBlanc

Heart and Soul by Teresa Tunaley

Here's the link to the webpage: http://www.scribblersandinkspillers.com/emeraldtales.html

Coming later today or tomorrow: Copper Wire, an online selection of free sample stories and poetry associated with Emerald Tales.

Time's Up!

If you're planning on submitting a poem or short story for the "Masks or Appearances can be deceiving" issue of Emerald Tales (coming out on Ocotber 1st), then today is the last day for you to send in your submission. And no, it's not too late. The last issue had contributions that came in very early and one or two that came on the last day, so get a move on.

Now. I am open to suggestions for the theme for the February issue of Emerald Tales. All I can think of is Valentine's Day, Cupid, love ... meh, they've all been done before. So, put your thinking caps on and post your suggestions for a theme right here. Unless, of course, you WANT a trite-done-to-death theme for the February issue.

I'm also working on some free web content for the site. "A Special Friend" by Heather Gregson will be posted tomorrow or Wednesday. It was written for the Follow the Butterflies theme and will be added to the Emerald Tales page as a sample story for that issue. I'm sure you'll enjoy reading it.

The Annals of Hypnosia is also coming along. I have almost everything that I need to get started with that on September 15th.

Crystal Codices is also taking shape. I have four stories lined up for the roll out of that line. They're all very compelling to read. More on that, later.

Oh and I am thinking of starting a line of stories only available on the site which can be read for free. But, I'm still letting that idea percolate before I put a call out for submissions.

Interpreting the Theme

I received a query from a poet the other day asking me if two of her poems fit what I was looking for for the October issue's theme, "Masks or Appearances can be Deceiving." The answer is a double-edged sword. What I am looking for is a wide variety of interpretations of the theme. Yet, when I choose the stories for an issue one of the things that I look for is how well I think the interpretation fits the theme.

That would suggest that I have something in mind for an issue, but really I don't. When I evaluated the stories for "Follow the Butterflies" I asked two questions: 1. Are there butterflies? and 2. Is there following? In some cases there were literal butterflies, in some cases there were metaphorical butterflies in the stomach. Either interpretation worked for me. As for following, there are different definitions of following and if one of them fit the action of the story, then it worked for me.

So, "masks or appearances can be deceiving", they can be real masks or figurative masks. It can be the appearance of a person, place, or thing that is deceptive. However the writer or poet intreprets that theme works for me. I am looking for a wide variety of interpretations. But, if I don't see how the story or poem fits the theme, then I will evaluate it lower than others that I do see fit the theme.

The different interpretations of a theme and the difference in the stories that people come up with fascinates me. I'm not looking for a specific interpretation of the theme, but a variety of interpretations.