Literary Lunes Magazine: December 2011 Issue

by Literary Lunes Publications

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers? Find a group of authors who are starting out as well, they’ll keep you in the game. I have a small group that I’ve known since being published a couple years ago and they are my best supporters outside of family. They are also invaluable with feedback on writing. Also, don’t get discouraged with rejections and bad reviews! You’ll develop a thick skin, just stick with it, plus chances are you’ll learn how to strengthen your writing.

  Christmas Lites

  An Anthology

  The Creative Reviews group on GoodReads is filled to the brim with writers, reviewers, editors, proofreaders and crazy people. We decided to pull all our abilities to do something for others. Born: Christmas Lites. It’s a Short Story Anthology with the overall theme of Christmas. It will be available in Ebook and Print this November.

  26 authors submitted a short story to be included in the anthology and ALL the proceeds will be donated to the NCADV - National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. It’s a wonderful charity that we are honored to support. We are also donating FREE Ecopies to the deployed troops overseas via Operation Ebook Drop.

  Blurb:

   Once upon a time, a rough and tumble seven year old caught Santa sliding down the chimney…

  Then a ninja elf came and broke Santa out, no net is strong enough to keep out this ninja elf! Off past the faithful family pet they ran and jumped in the sleigh. They raced to another house but refused to stop when ghosts were there to greet them. Santa doesn’t tangle with ghosts. He doesn’t tangle with vampires, either.

  At the next stop, he met a runaway gingerbread man who yelled, “You can’t catch me, I’m the gingerbread man!” Santa didn’t bother to catch him; he had things to do.

  On his way to his next delivery, he passed a werewolf jumping out of a plane and dodged a zombie hungry for his brain.

  He finally touched down in a nice, normal town full of tidings and great joy…

  Or did he?

  Dive into a world of variety—a world of spirit with this Creative Reviews anthology. What better way to celebrate the holiday season than with some short stories that entertain and encompass the true meaning of Christmas? All proceeds of this book will be donated to the NCADV (national coalition against domestic violence). Debut authors and published authors have come together in this one-of-a-kind compilation – please help support a great cause and plunge deep into our imaginations.

  Titles and Authors:

  Shane Stilson: Higher Ground

  E.C. Stilson: How I Found My Soul Mate and Turkey Avenger

  Vered Ehsani: Christmas Ghost

  C.S. Splitter: Whimper

  Phil Cantrill: Christmas Story

  Brett Talley: Last Year’s Eggnog

  Catherine Forbes: The Gateway Incident

  Mark Koning: Sweet Child

  Tricia Kristufek: Accidentally Gift Wrapped

  Paige Kellerman: Christmas Disco

  L.A. Wright: Star of Christmas

  S. Patrick Pothier: The Road to Comfort

  Cassie McCown: Mirror

  Angel Armstead: All I want for Christmas

  Ottilie Weber: ‘Tis the Holiday Spirit

  Amy Eye: The Hunt

  JA Clement: A Sprig of Holly

  Richard Phelan: Memories of the Splendid Splinter

  Mark Mackey: An Amy Harkstone Chrismtas

  Lizzie Ford: Santa’s Ninja Elf

  Nicholette Alexandr: Broken Glass

  Mark Faulkner: Face

  Cambria Hebert: The Perfect Ornament, Blank

  Angela Yukiro-Smith: Only That Day Dawns

  Mysti Parker: The Carpenter’s Wife

  Credits:

  Amy Eye: Formatting, Editing

  Vered Ehsani: Editing

  Proofreaders:

  Tricia Kristufek, Cassie McCown, Alan Zendell

  Cover Design and Print Formatting: Dafeenah Jameel, www.indiedesignz.com

  Christmas Tree Glyph: Regina Wamba, www.maeidesign.com

  NCADV coordinator: Jenn Pringle

  National coalition against domestic violence.

  Site: www.ncadv.org

  Info of what they do:

  NCADV believes violence against women and children results from the use of force or threat to achieve and maintain control over others in intimate relationships, and from societal abuse of power and domination in the forms of sexism, racism, homophobia, classism, anti-Semitism, able-bodyism, ageism and other oppressions. NCADV recognizes that the abuses of power in society foster battering by perpetuating conditions, which condone violence against women and children. Therefore, it is the mission of NCADV to work for major societal changes necessary to eliminate both personal and societal violence against all women and children.

  NCADV's work includes coalition building at the local, state, regional and national levels; support for the provision of community-based, non-violent alternatives - such as safe home and shelter programs - for battered women and their children; public education and technical assistance; policy development and innovative legislation; focus on the leadership of NCADV's caucuses developed to represent the concerns of organizationally underrepresented groups; and efforts to eradicate social conditions which contribute to violence against women and children.

  “Thankful”

  By Terra Kelly

  So many years ago you gave birth to me

  Struggled and fought to bring me into the light

  Over the years you have raised and taken care of me

  Sacrificed and loved me

  I am thankful that I have you

  I am thankful that you taught me how to stand on my own two feet

  That you gave me the strength to live and fight like you

  You have given me so much over the years

  I don't give nearly as much back

  But I am thankful for you

  Thankful for all the sacrifices you have made

  Thankful that you love me

  Thankful that you are my mother.

  “Deliberate Disaster”

  By Jamie Danzer

  Deliberate disaster

  How she knew you were trouble

  That she would only get hurt

  Delicate disease

  Your love slowly poisons

  Eating away at her heart

  Deadly December

  She embodies a numbness of emotions

  The lack of feeling not from cold

  Dreadful death

  Toxic and painful

  For to you she's been dead

  “Moments With Words”

  Denny Marshall

  The words spoken

  With so much love

  I turned silent

  Inside, vibrations taking over

  Felt it going up my spine

  Shook when it hit the top

  Oh, those words

  Like a thousand pictures

  “Summer Stack”

  Thomas Michael McDade

  The public housing

  smokestack

  by the playground

  waits for winter

  and offers its ladder

  like a monkey bar

  extension.

  Climb the chain

  link fence, stand

  on top and you’re

  on your way!

  Kids on swings,

  seesaws and slides,

  the checker players,

  beanbag tossers,

  and shuffleboarders

  manage to

  resist temptation.

  A horseshoe

  feels to some like one

  of the stack rungs

  or a radiator rib

  and ringers clang

  like frigid January

  nights when stack bricks

  are hot and dreams

  crest in the snapping

  of its lightning rods

  like cop car antennas.