Published 4x

My stories "Mistaken Identity: Will this Ruin Valentine's Day?" and "A Blind Date: Can This be Real Love?" appear in the February True Confessions; "Mardi Gras Mistakes: Regret in the Bayou" appears in the February True Story; and "Writing Dialog," mentioned earlier today, appears in the January WritersTalk.

Forty-one

I finished writing my forty-first short story of the year this evening. It's a 3,800-word confession I started writing on January 15, 2007. I'll submit it tomorrow. Right now, I plan to celebrate the coming of the New Year.

"Writing Dialog"

A few years back I wrote "Writing Dialog," a lesson in writing dialog written as a short romance. I don't think many people saw it, but "Writing Dialog" has been reprinted in the January issue of WritersTalk, the newsletter of the South Bay Writers Club. You can read it on page 6:

http://southbaywriters.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/SmallJan2016WT.pdf

Forty

I completed and submitted my fortieth short story of the year a few minutes ago. I started writing this story February 24, 2010 and, because it doesn't fit neatly into any specific genre, I'm referring to it as an alternative history mystery.

41

I received my 41st acceptance of the year this afternoon.

Apparently, another writer failed to return a contract in time and the editor needed something at the last minute to fill the hole. Luckily, I had a story that was the right length waiting in the slush pile.

Of course, I signed and returned the contract immediately.

Thirty-nine

I finished and submitted my thirty-ninth short story of the year this morning. This one's a 3,100-word confession I started writing September 19, 2009.

40

I received my 40th acceptance of the year this morning, this time for an erotic mystery.

Thirty-eight

I finished and submitted my thirty-eighth short story of the year this morning. This one's a 2,000-word confession I started writing December 11, 2012.

38, 39

I received my 38th and 39th acceptances this evening. Both stories are confessions.

Thirty-seven

I finished and submitted my thirty-seventh story of the year. This one's a 4,500-word confession I began writing on May 24 of this year.

Thirty-six

I finished and submitted my thirty-sixth short story of the year this morning. This one's another confession, started November 25, 2010.

Thirty-five

I completed and submitted my thirty-fifth short story of the year this evening. This one's a 3,100-word confession I started writing August 4, 2013.

Thirty-four

I finished and submitted my thirty-fourth story of the year this afternoon. This one's a 4,400-word confession I started October 27, 2011.

Will it go 'round in circles? Uh-huh!

Many years ago, when I was in my early 20s, one of my first expensive purchases was a component stereo system from JCPenny that included a receiver, turntable and cassette tape player. During subsequent decades, the receiver failed and was replaced, two different CD players were added, and I blew out of one the original speakers. (I later blew out one of the replacement speakers and now have a mismatched set. Alas, the remaining original speaker now needs to be replaced.)

For the past ten years or so, the system had been stored in a bedroom closet, in part because the turntable belt had broken and I had a small self-contained CD player I could use to listen to music. My LPs, 45s, and cassette tapes were also hidden away because without the stereo I had no way to play them.

A few years back I attempted to purchase a new belt for the turntable, and either purchased the wrong one or installed it incorrectly because the turntable still didn't work. I shoved the stereo system back into the closet.

My recent move resurrected the system and there is a place in my new office where it fits perfectly. So, I once again went in search of a new belt for the turntable. This attempt was a success, and I've since been listening to LPs I had forgotten I owned. (For example: That's Freddie Bell and the Bellboys playing in the picture. Remember them? Neither do I.)

There's an entirely different vibe in my office when LPs are on the turntable than when CDs are playing. I'm wondering what it'll be like after I've worked my way through all the albums and 45s and start playing my cassette tapes.

36, 37

I received my 36th and 37th acceptances this morning, these for a pair of Valentine's Day romances.

35

I received my 35th acceptance of the year this morning, this time for a romance I wrote in 2012.

Published 2x

"Taking Down the Lights" appears in the January issue of True Story, and "Missed Kiss at Midnight" appears in the January True Confessions.

Workshop covered in newsletter

WritersTalk, the newsletter of the South Bay Writers Club, includes "Building Saleable Short Fiction," Chess Desalls' front-page article about my recent seminar "Write Short Fiction for Fun & Profit." If you flip to the end of the article on page 6, you'll find a photograph of me standing with Andrew MacRae, Darkhouse Books editor/publisher. See for yourself at http://southbaywriters.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Small.Dec2015WT.pdf.

Published

My story "Saga of the Sailmaker's Widow" appears in the just-released anthology A Slice of Sin (A Two Dame Production) and available from Amazon.

Interviewed

Dr. Jac Fitzenz interviews me today: http://drjacbooks.com/wp/interview-with-michael-bracken/.