Contributor Spotlight

So, one of the editors of the anthology I appeared in (click here if you still need a copy!) has been putting together interview-like articles called Contributor Spotlights for some of the writers and artists featured in the book.  Today is my turn.  So click the link below if you'd like to learn a little more about the story I wrote and about me as a writer.

https://anchalastudios.weebly.com/contributorspotlight/norm-titterington

A big thanks to Ms. Anne Anthony (co-editor of "Flash Fiction for Flash Memory") for making me sound somewhat interesting.  :)

As for the picture...well, perhaps I should've opted for one in my goalie mask and pads.


  

Review

The editors shared a review of the anthology on the group's Facebook page yesterday.  I haven't paid a ton of attention to the reviews, but at the time that I received the Facebook notification, I was on my break at work, so I clicked on it.  (NOTE: You'll have to click on the pic below to read it - making it bigger didn't play nicely with the blog format, apparently.)

Yay!  Someone other than my wife and I enjoyed my story!   :)

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So, the anthology was named an "Amazon Best Seller" for reaching the top 100 books in its category (I believe topping out in the low 60s at some point). Given the sheer number of books in the Amazon system, it's a pretty major accomplishment for a small press like Anchala.  I'm honored to have been a tiny part of their success. 

 

 

Still a little surreal seeing my name on the page of a real book, though.

 

 

 



Read Across America - Launch Day is here!!

The day is finally here, my friends!  Launch Day for "The Collection: Flash Fiction for Flash Memory" has arrived. 

March 2nd has also been designated as Read Across America day, with the entire month of March being dedicated to the love and pursuit of reading.  A time to share the joy of reading with the ones you care about.  What better way to celebrate than by picking up a brand new collection of short stories written by a large number of talented people? 

(Oh yeah, I wrote one of them too.)   Get the book here:  http://bit.ly/collection0302

So why this book?  Well, let's be frank about something.  Memory loss is a real issue as we age.  And with the busy lives we all lead, it's not even always about aging - I have days where at 5:00 PM I'm lucky to remember what I did at noon if I didn't write it down.  This book is targeted for people who have a love of reading, but struggle to remember the plot of longer pieces.  It is a collection of positive stories that take a few short minutes to read, thus allowing even those who are having difficulty with memory to enjoy a complete tale.

The truth is we all have flash memory. As we move through our busy lives, finding the time to read longer narratives can be a challenge. These shorter fiction pieces between 500 and 750 words offer a flash of story to enjoy and the opportunity to connect and share with friends and family members of all ages. Most of all they are here to be enjoyed!

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Here’s what some of the people who have already read the book have to say:

"It's said that good things come in small packages…here's proof. These small stories linger large…for reading, discussing, remembering."
—Ruth Moose, Award-winning novelist and short story writer

"For most of human history, stories were shared aloud —in this collection, we are invited to regain that intimate space where speaker and listener shape a story into life. These flash fictions are like a Polaroid image, swiftly appearing before our eyes, a moment caught and made more precious by sharing."
—Valerie Nieman, author of Hotel Worthy and LifeVerse Instructor
"When my memory starts to fail me, I want to be reminded—as Flash Fiction for Flash Memory does so well—of how it feels to be touched by a good story. To break through the cobwebs in my mind and travel to places near and far, if just for a moment. Where paragraphs teach lessons and unite families. Where sentences evoke magic. And where hope and love are the four-letter words that matter the most."
—Landis Wade, author of The Christmas Redemption.

"Peer through the window into a world of emotions. From the aching loss on a one-lane bridge to the tangled memories that fill an empty box, each story in this collection leads you step by step through heartache and hope, until you realize that you’re not looking through a window at all, but into a mirror."
—Monica Sanchez, PhD, Co-editor, Storytelling: Interdisciplinary and Intercultural Perspectives.

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To learn more about this project, visit http://anchalastudios.weebly.com/

To get the book, click here: http://bit.ly/collection0302

I hope you will all enjoy The Collection as much as I enjoyed being a part of it!

March 2, 2018 - a red-letter date in the history of science...

OK, so maybe not science.  (Kudos to those who get the quote.)  But a fantastic Friday on tap nonetheless!

March 2, 2018.  The date of the release of "The Collection: Flash Fiction for Flash Memory", featuring my story "One Night Only".  Along with a number of other outstanding pieces, of course.  (Check back here tomorrow for a link to purchase on Amazon!!!!)  I'm proud and excited to be a part of this project, and I hope many of you will decide to invest in a terrific collection of stories.

March 2, 2018.  Tickets go on sale for Metallica's long-awaited return to Buffalo, NY. (which will be my son's first Metallica show!)  We missed out on getting to see them last summer in Toronto, but nothing will stop us this time around.

March 2, 2018.  A late winter snowstorm will blanket Western new York and make travel very difficult, and cause frustration and backaches throughout the entire region.

OK, well I suppose two out of three ain't bad.    :)

It's here!

My "contributor copy" of the anthology has arrived.  It's still a little surreal, seeing my name in print.  I've read some of the stories, and I am humbled to be surrounded by the collection of talent.  There are playwrights, artists, and a large number of published and award-winning authors in this collection.

And little ol' me.  I sometimes wonder if they made a mistake.  :)

It will be available for purchase March 2 via Amazon.  I'll be promoting the link when it becomes active.  If you have any interest in fiction, please consider supporting the project - it's truly an amazing idea.

See?  In print.  Weird, right?

Publishing updates....

So, as previously noted, the release date for the flash fiction anthology in which I will be published is March 2nd.  Here are a few more details regarding the book:

- It will retail through Amazon at a price of $14.95
- The book contains over 40 short pieces (including my piece, "One Night Only"), along with some artwork and photography
- Front cover:

 

- Back cover:

I am honored and humbled to be a part of this project.  I hope everybody will check it out when it hits Amazon - it's a worthwhile endeavor.

In another update...I'm finally a paid writer as well!  A short story I've written is being included in a specialized niche anthology.  I have been paid a whopping $15.00!!!!  But hey, I'll take it.  Maybe it's the start of a trend.

Or maybe it's just a little extra beer money. 

Anthology update

So, the anthology which will feature a short story of mine now has a firm launch date, which nicely coincides with "National Read Across America Day" on March 2nd.  For those who need a little background on the story, see this post:

https://a-writer-in-progress.blogspot.com/2017/12/note-to-self.html

The editors recently put up a "Meet the Writers" page (link below), and those of us contributing to the anthology were asked to ensure that our information was displayed correctly.  I did so, and then browsed through some of the other writers involved.  I was immediately humbled.  There are real writers being featured in this collection.  People who get paid to create stories!  Authors of books, writers whose stories have been featured in a number of literary journals, and creators whose work has won prestigious awards.

And me.  The hobbyist who scrawls a few sentences when he isn't overwhelmed with work, coaching, volunteering or family.  I'm both flattered and terrified to be included with such a talented group.

Anchala Studios - Meet the Writers

The anthology is titled "The Collection: Flash Fiction for Flash Memory". The inspiration behind the creation of the anthology is beautiful and heart-tugging - after you've checked out the "Meet the Writers" page, click HOME at the top of the screen and read the story behind the stories.  The moment I finished that page, I knew I wanted very much to be a part of such an amazing project.

And now I am.  It's all a little surreal and unexpected.  To this point in my life, the only time my name was in print was in advertisements during my previous career in sales.  Yet in less than two months, my name will appear in an actual, published book. 

Damn.