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Hello all, I just wanted to thank the mystery buyers of my little book. As I have only really mentioned it here I will assume that you are out there somewhere. Thanks for the support and encouragement. It means a lot. / The Story Teller And again a special thanks to Angela Churchill for the wonderful cover art!

Wozers! I was just informed that my song lyric, “I Can’t Get Past Hello,” won the Dallas Songwriters Association’s “Lyric Only” contest in April 2008. The judges just returned their verdict! Now it goes on to the national competition, where it will be one of twelve to be voted on later this year. In the meantime, the association is distributing it to people in the music industry to see if there is interest in developing music and recording it. Wish me luck! Thanks!!

I’m excited – and a little nervous too – to announce that my first book, “Songs of the Heart’s Longing” is in print and ready at Blurb publishing! I honestly never expected to write one at all but with the encouragement of so many wonderful friends here at RB, I have done it after all! I’m just a little proud of it too and I’d love to share it with you. Like other artistic efforts, books are not inexpensive, however, and I know it’s a bit of an extravagance to purchase one. That doesn’t mean I won’t be THRILLED if you do!! Shipping costs from publishers ARE rather pricey, I’m afraid, so for friends in the US only who would like a copy for $23, I’ll pick up the shipping costs if you order it directly from me. If you bubble mail me your interest, I’ll send you my address and we can make arrangements for you to get your copy. For my very dear friends in other parts of the globe, if you would like one, you can purchase it from the Blurb bookstore – Songs of the Heart’s Longing Whether you do or don’t, my heart is just filled with the deepest gratitude for all of you who have become real friends and who have helped me to believe in myself, to believe that I have something to say worth reading, Thank you for being the most wonderful, talented, amazing and loving group of people I’ve ever met! Much love, / Lianne

I have an ebook out today, the coffee and toast inspired When the Cup Is Empty Rather proud of this one as I wrote it over Easter for a crime story challenge which had to include a beverage, distraction, the crime of course, some reference to easter … and something else I can’t quite remember. It also fitted neatly into the Morningside series and hints at the next one. There’s always a next one! cover: kseriphyn designs / Available through Mystic Moon Press and Fictionwise (shortly).

Not new to me, because I actually wrote it a few years ago, but it is new to being published: Reggie The Evil Milkshake: Volume 1. It is published, as of today, with Lulu.com, in full colour glory. Shortly, I shall attempt to get it camera ready for grayscale glory, as well, for the full colour glory happens to be very expensive, I must say! As to why I am submitting this to the groups I am: even though this journal is not, in and of itself vibrant and colourful, it is about a new book that certainly is; it is also philosophical in nature, but in a much more fun way than Plato generally got up to; it’s a novel novel, a short one though;; and, yes indeedy, it says a lot about my personality and has a self portrait of me right on the back of it. Please take a look: Reggie The Evil Milkshake : (provided I did the link at all right, this time!)

Hey there all, well I am finally doing it. I am getting my first book published and I am very excited. I am almost done typing it up, then I am sending it in to be published. I hope all goes well.

Expressions is my self-published anthology of some of the short stories I have written; including published and unpublished works. It is a mixed genre showbag of some of my early stories and includes everything from sci-fi to contemporary pieces.

09-01-09 Ok people! [What is Junket? …. umm …. a dessert, flavoured curdled milk, or curds & whey [there was a chick who gave it up for a scary spider dude once] Mum usually always makes it for Christmas she makes strawberry flavour with nutmeg on top I like the junket just NOT the nutmeg! Now days I think it’s made with jelly crystals dissolved into boiled milk & cooled in the fridge overnight! – I think that’s how Mum made it.] [What has Junket to do with this? Well I don’t really like trifle (the dessert with sponge & fruit & jelly {jello for you yanks} & custard) the name just doesn’t do it justice or is it because my sisters attempt put me off looking at it for life? ANYhoo this journal is a bit of a hotch-potch so I thought mix it in & hope for the best! – had this great recipe for a cake once you just throw all the ingredients in a bowl stir once then shove it in the oven and hey presto layers of all sorts of yummy things! – must get that one again!] ☼ So It’s a new month and a new year and the EEG is going strong! / In two months we have clocked up: / 60 Magnificent Members / 7 Gallery pages of Awesome Art, / 7 Anthem pages of Wonderful Writing / a select Wardrobe collection of Terrific Tees! / And a Jumble of Journal entries! / CHECK IT ALL OUT!!! / For such a specific group that is just S T U N N I N G !!! ☼ I have finally gotten the features up a whole smorgasbord of art and writing / and our featured Members are the newest ones of the group to date! / WELCOME!!! ☼ I have started a new Forum string … er line … umm whatever …. Oh yeah – thread ☺ and it’s to ask you / “What influences you to do what it is that you do?” so please drop in Here and let us know you never know you may have more in common with other members than you thought! / The other thread “How do you fit bubbling into your life?” [here—] is still going so if you feel like dropping a line or two in there too – go for it! ☼ A quick heads up too that next month – “February’s Foray” will be all about the challenge for changing the avatar at the end of the month! This challenge is a draw to bring in new artists. So the stipulation is that the EEG artist look outside the EEG for their inspiring art & draw that non EEG artist in. The last challenge was very slack about this, after all the EEG was small [only 20members & 3 weeks old if I remember rightly] but we are bigger & older now – the idea of Ekphrasis & treatise and inspired art creations have been out in the bubble for a bit. This is YOUR chance to spread the EEG word! / There’s a thunk! Check out the collaboration groups and the inspiration groups and pick someone from one of them! / Don’t forget I am NOT pushy about artists sitting in the group and not posting work / - it is as much a stable of artists as it is a gallery of art, or an anthem of writing, or a wardrobe of T-shirts! [& a jumble of Journals!] / - I know how hard it is to create Exceptional Ekphrasis and I would rather you took your time and be proud of your art than gave in crappy work just cos! Now for those who haven’t done an EEG challenge before the rules are simple enough: / Check out the stated ones on the front of the forum item page EEG Avatar Challenges / OK that seems simple enough doesn’t it? if not bmail me and I’ll try to make that clearerish (?) ☼ So much for this Junket leaving it to February’s Foray to be all about the challenge! <( ….. lol it’s ok I am a scout and our motto is Be Prepared …. Hmmm 9 days late with the feature change? Ok I’m a practicing scout ….. I am still practicing! lol Ummmm was there anything else? Oh yeah……. ☼ Serious stuff now! / There has been some art thieving going on and there are several journal entries going around about it. / I don’t usually have journals in the EEG unless they are pertaining to ekphrasis in particular but I have let one come in and I urge you to read it as it will give you the heads up to check your own art and make sure you avoid the thief(ves) indicated. RoxyLust’s Journal Thank you Roxy for this warning! / Mind you we writers have this issue ALL the time – but then it is next to impossible to sell our writing so who would bother stealing something they cannot sell? ☼ Also a heads up to – check out Mary’s Journal on how to avoid link mishaps due to smart punctuation in your word processing. Thanks Mary a great piece of advice that some may not get otherwise! Bravo! ☼ OK that’s where we are up to this month [I think!] Resolutions are just so easy to break but I hope whatever life re-evaluations & revamping you choose to make happen goes well for you! Have a ☼ B R I L L I A N T 2 0 0 9 !!! ☼ Chookas! X♥X

I had my second solo, first at the Historic Scarab Club in the heart of the art district in Downtown Detroit and one of my pieces called “Mr. Migraine” made it into the 95th annual Gold Medal Exhibition which was the month after. I phoned to ask when I should pick up the piece just after the exhibition closed and the Gallery Director informed me that Mr. Migraine had been selected with others from the Gold Medal Exhibition to go on tour with the Detroit Athletic Club, know as the DAC. For more information about the club visit there website. Truly an honor to have some/one of my pieces in such historic places. The DAC had a near 300 year history and the Scarab Club last year celebrated it’s 100th. It truly is an honor to be recognized as an artist by such institutions. I would NOT have been if it were not for my dedicated friends here on RB providing constant feedback and Bill Murcko a well known and wonderful portrait artist who introduced me to the Scarab Club a few years ago. His advise and intriguing conversation continue to inspire and nurture my artistic abilities. Thank you Bill!

Late one night I stepped out of the cabin of my yacht and fell through space. Overhead the moonless sky was rippling with stars, dense in the galaxies and scattered in others. I felt an overwhelming sense of weightlessness, of falling in to forever. Behind the great river of light, the Milky Way stretched across the sea. I cast a line through the Pleiades and a fish leapt through Orion. The reflection erased perception making the sky the sea and the sea the sky. I was swimming in stars. The boat sailed on.

http://joe.diatko.com