Halloween, Publishers Weekly, David L. Harrison, Library, Art Show, Turkey Vultures:

October Fun

Happy is the Halloween
that is scary and mean.
Dark moon and starlight
witches ride in teams.
Beware of hidden faces,
ghosts, goblins and spooks
in light shaded places.
Halloween is gobbledygook.
Remember it is all for fun
silly with pumpkins
and not for everyone.

By Mary Nida Smith (c) (c) Mary Nida Smith

Four days ago, I signed up at http://www.publishersweekly.com/ for their daily email newsletter. Every writer should sign up to keep updated. Oct 29, newsletter had a article, "What do Teens Want?" by Carol Fitzgerald. Josie Leavitt has a regular informative blog, " Shelftalker: A Children's Bookseller's Blog." You can sign up for genre newsletters.

Vote for your favorite "Dirt" poem at http://davidlharrison.wordpress.com/. My poem is tucked among the dirt poems. I was informed that I had David blog address incorrect. I always forget to place the small L after davidl It is difficult to see.

Last week end just for fun I entered 3 photographs in the Bull Shoals Art Show. My photos have been published in several magazines and I did win a photo contest while living at Siloam Springs, AR. My last photo was published in the Ozarks Mountaineer Magazine Nov/Dec issue.

It was exciting this morning to look up above the tree tops in The Woodland Garden to watch the Turkey vultures fly over. They roost in near-by trees. I also enjoy watching them slowly fly in late afternoon.

Every Halloween The Woodland Garden comes alive with spooks. The spooks will stay hidden this year because of the rain. Can you believe it, the spooks are afraid of melting.

I LOVE MY LIBRARY!

Saturday Writers: Short story contest sponsored by
Saturday Writers, a chapter of the Missouri Writers Guild.
The extended deadline is Nov 15.
Please pass to your writing friends.
Thanks,
Donna Volkenannt
Saturday Writers Website Editor
www.saturdaywriters.org
http://donnasbookpub.blogspot.com/
http://donnamariev.wordpress.com/

Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell, a local freelance writer and author, will offer a 6-week facilitated writers group at The Belle Writer’s Studio, located on her property near Pine Mountain in rural Marion County. The group will begin meeting the week of November 9, either on Tuesday or Thursday, the exact date and time to be determined, based on participant interest and availability. The group will meet once a week to critique each other’s work and Kerri will provide written feedback on writing samples submitted by members. This will be a mixed genre group and all writers are welcome. Cost is $40 for 6 weeks.

Kerri is a former adjunct professor at Johnson County Community College in the Kansas City area, where she wrote curriculum for writing classes, and taught and facilitated writing groups for 6 years. Kerri’s work has appeared in such publications as Mother Earth News, Entrepreneur Magazine, Arkansas Life, Aol.com, Forbes.com, and MSN.com., and she’s written the book, “No Immediate Threat: The story of an American Veteran.”

For more information, contact her through her website, www.writeforyou.biz or call her at 870-436-3860.

Garden Visit: I entered The Woodland Garden on October 19th
on a rare day where the sunshine sparkled through the colorful
autumn leaves. The tree trunks are turning dark as they prepare
for their winter rest. My thoughts on The Woodland Garden:

Mary, Mary quiet contrary how does your garden grow?
My garden grows in weeds you see, they come up
where they entangle me.

I pulled and pulled with all my strength,
the tall, Blue-eyed grass growing thick on the bank
of my wild woodland garden.

I spent three hours a pulling and enjoying
the fresh outdoor air. The birds flew in singing me songs
of welcome, welcome back.

The squirrels hopped by. The chipmunks peek out.
They all thanked me for entering the world
I created for all creatures; including me.
.

Ozarks Writers & Illustrators Club http://www.owaic.org/ Great bunch of writers and my friend Veda Boyd Jones is their November speaker. If weather permits - GO.

Hello Friends,

It is my great pleasure to announce Veda Boyd Jones has agreed to present a program on writing historical fiction for our November 7th program. Veda is the author of forty-two books, five of them historical fiction, and a popular speaker.You can visit Veda's website at http://www.vedaboydjones.com/

Please join us from 9:00 to 11:00 at The Library Station at 2535 N. Kansas Exprwy, Springfield, Missouri, in the Children's Storyroom.

A critique session will follow.

See you soon,
Naomi Shaw

Autumn Leaf

photo by Mary Nida Smith(c)

Bright as the sunshine today,

lay an autumn leaf

on cold-weather moss.

Spreading moss collects

a colorful bouquet

of changing colors,

beyond the garden gate.

-(c) by Mary Nida Smith

Independent Bookstores: Hardy & Berryville, Arkansas. Hardy's Book Store, Coffee Shop & Eatery (Words&Afterwoods) is located at 201 North Spring Street. The owner is Greg Bess, he writes (Words about Books) for the new North Central magazine "AVENUES." He also own a B&B where I think it would be a wonderful week-end adventure for a couple of writers to stay while giving a workshop, or just to stay for a get-away to write without interruptions. I wish his place was in Lakeview. It is so neat!

Berryville's (Sow's Ear) bookstore features old & new books at 202 Public Square. The owner is Daniel Krotz. I have been there once and they were very busy. Also, they are very involved in making Berryville, a special place to visit and enjoy.

Readers out there, do you know of other independent bookstores? Shares with us for they are very important to all of us writers.

Update: Anna Webman, agent at Curtis Brown Ltd is interested in children's picture books. She did not feel we would make a good match. I received an answer in about a week. So, maybe, Anna Webman is the agent for someone reading my blog. Good luck.

Pirate books: Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry latest adventure book for young adults was released; Peter and The Sword of Mercy. http://ridleypearson.com/

Blogs I Follow: Please enter my profile to click on the blogs I follow. Each one is filled with helpful information. Join in: read and comment. Enjoy and put what you learn into action. Boy, I need to get to work. My book Submarine Stories of World War II written for ages ten and up is sold out. I am happy and sad. It is exciting to have copies placed in museum gift shops. It has been an exciting adventure.

Illustrating & Writing Children's Books Group is forming in this area. If you are interested, please email Mary Nida Smith at marynida@lakeviewnet.com or call 870-431-5369.

Romance novelist Bobbie Smith is coming to our area. Bobbie's
books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list.
She has published over 40 books and many short stories. I have
to pick a date, time and place that we both can agree on.
My friend Donna Volkenannt put in a good word for me.
Donna's blog is one of my followings.

I have enjoyed writing poetry and posting them on David
Harrison's blog.
I heard from Rich Davis again today with an update on his
new PICK & DRAW website http://pickanddraw.com
Check it out.

I sent a follow-up letter to Ladybug magazine that I
submitted to over a year ago. They requested I resubmit.
I did and today I received my standard rejection. I am again,
querying agents for my children's picture books.

I received my check today from Good Old Days magazine
for a family story of a special horse. The story will be published
in Jan/Feb issue. My photo of an outhouse with a Christmas
wreath on the door will be published in the Nov/ Dec issue of
The Ozarks Mountaineer magazine. Look for it in
The Golden Country pages of poetry.

I have had a lot of interesting things happening with my book.
Check it out on my submarine stories blog. Hopefully, I can have
the news placed there before anyone checks it out.

I purchase a new sign for my Garden Studio where I plant ideas,
watch them grow and start the work of weeding and feeding.

"Time Is Measured
By Stars and Seasons,
But, Life Is Measured
In Dreams and Love."

Rich Davis, illustrator for children's picture books developed
and design a package of cards "Pick and Draw." Fun for kids
of all ages. To learn more, go to my list of blogs I am following
and click on his blog and where it states "HOME," this is
his website.

Hold Fast Your Dream by Louise Briscoll. This encouraging poem can be read at http://davidlharrison.wordpress.com Poetry is very important. I believe most writers at a young age began their careers writing their daily emotions down in this form.

Nature Writing: I love nature. I try to surround myself with it in our yard and in my Woodland Garden. I take a lot of photos and do research. Two helpful and interesting places to explore http://handbookofnaturestudy.blogspot.com/ with Barb-Harmony Art Mom and http://www.wildmanstevebrill,com/

Living in a Little House: Check out my friend Kerri Fivecoat-Campbell's website http://www.livinglargeinourlittlehouse.com

Agents, Editors & Publishers: I search and search. I spend hours looking for an opening to submit. I feel like a farm kid who is searching for her first lost tooth that was dropped in a pile of hay. N0 tooth fairy today. Or a fisherman trying to catch a trophy fish. I have several manuscripts revised and critiqued by published children's authors. The manuscripts are ready to fly, but will they find a safe home? Writers write and keep the faith.

Festival, Books and Limerick: Missouri Literary Festival Oct 2-4 A great place to meet authors and buy books. http://missouriliteraryfestival.org/Check out David Harrison's blog davidharrison.wordpress.com he is promoting several books that will be a great help to writers and teachers. His blog nudged me into creating a limerick. Right or wrong I wrote one.

I once met a squirrel named Ted.
He never slept in a bed.
His eyes were always droopy.
He looked a wee bit sloppy.
His biggest worry was he was underfed.

Speeding down the road of creativity. The sun came out today
to remind me there will be bright days where I create and there
will always be cloudy days to dream.

My fireplace cricket decided to show-up. I wonder if my noisy unwelcome guest in the garage is black or a big fat green one that fishermen love to take fishing with them.

Autumn Love is Hurting my Ears

(C) by Mary Nida Smith

An unknown male cricket is having fun teasing my nerves with his

high pitch sounds. It is hiding in our garage near my studio door.

It is quiet by day and when the light is on at night. But, when the

garage is dark he starts creating his awful ear-piercing sound. Singing,

no, I wouldn't adventure to say that, for the sound is created while

rubbing his legs together. I hope he rubs them raw.

Yes, I know about the lovable Cricket Chester in the children's book,

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden and The Very Quiet

Cricket by Eric Carle, where between one of the pages a cricket sound

appears. I thought it was adorable. But, this cricket I haven't seen. If

I was able to catch him, I would place him outside where I hear the

soft tones of his lover singing.

Oh, the chirping songs of lovers. I made a deal with the garage

spiders.The first one to quiet this cricket's love song or chase it

out into the open I will allow it to live safely in my garage for life.

I do believe they had a short lifespan.

Yes, I know about the old wives-tale that a cricket on the fireplace

hearth brings good luck. I thought it was a cute saying, so I have

a black metal one. No good luck here. The chimney sweep man

reported we need to have a liner put in.

I know all creatures come with the territory when living in the

natural state and having a large woodland garden. I wouldn't

want it any other way for I enjoy taking photos of insects.

I took a photo of my cricket on my fireplace hearth to show you,

but it wouldn't upload. Too big, I guess.

For some beautiful musical sounds click on http://hardfaultmusic.blogspot.com/