Submission Alert: Mirror World Publishing is Accepting Submissions for Against All Odds Anthology...

Submissions for Against All Odds, the third volume of Mirror World Publishing's

 Far, Far Away series is now open! 

Contest opened May 1st, 2024 and Mirror World Publishing will be accepting 

submissions until the end of May. 

This post has everything you need to know about what Mirror World Publishing is looking for

and how to submit your work!

What Mirror World Publishing is looking for: 

Short stories and novellas ranging between 5000 to 25,000 words that are science fiction, fantasy, adventure, time travel, romance, or some combination of the above that focus on a theme of love against the odds. This includes love in dangerous places and times, love between diverse or marginalized populations, love in unlikely or unusual circumstances.

Mirror World Publishing is looking for original, unpublished works and as always they prefer stories with engaging openings, character-driven stories, and quality world-building.

There is a fee of $25 CAD to enter, but all money raised will go toward prizes for the winning entries as well as production of the book, Against All Odds: Far, Far Away Vol. 3,  to be released next summer.

Winning entries will receive: 

A contract for publication in Against All Odds + a minimum prize of $75 CAD + 1 Author Copy of the finished paperback, and option to order more copies at wholesale cost

As always, submissions and inquiries are to be sent to submissions[at]mirrorworldpublishing.com. Or by filling out this entry form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScAyVtxZIlrfOwO_Wf5iiMMfwTHM-GrcViij_3N7nHzJSk9lw/viewform?usp=sf_link

If you’re not a writer, or don’t plan to enter but still want to support the creation of Against All Odds, please consider donating through this link: https://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/product/against-all-odds-anthology-contest-entry/112

Or purchasing an ebook or paperback copy of Far, Far Away (vol. 1) or From Here to There (vol.2) in our store and we’ll put aside all profit form these titles in the month of May to go toward the contest and production of Against All Odds (Vol. 3)!

Connect with Mirror World Publishing:

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/mirrorworldpublishing

TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/mirrorworldpub

BLOG: http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.wordpress.com

PUBLISHER WEBSITE: http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-d6tf8fpn4_mjraKjM-hUQ

STORE: https://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/product/against-all-odds-anthology-contest-entry/112

Links for Volumes 1 & 2:

FAR, FAR AWAY, Vol. 1

Paperback: https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/far-far-away-anthology-paperback

Ebook: https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/far-far-away-anthology-ebook

FROM HERE TO THERE, Vol. 2

Paperback: https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/from-here-to-there-anthology-paperback

Ebook: https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/products/from-here-to-there-anthology-ebook

Author in the Kitchen: Sweet Treat from the Deep South and a Sultry Southern Read by YA Paranormal Author Leigh Goff...

Here is a dessert I confiscated and made my own. This New Orleans treat is perfect on a special night for two as well as holiday gatherings and everything in between.

Here are a few tips to make preparing this dessert easier:

Soak the raisins in bourbon before you start this recipe. You can even soak them a day or two ahead.

The bread you use should be a little dry. If the bread you are using is fresh, after you cube it, spread it out on a sheet pan and put it in a 200° F oven for 10 minutes.

Go easy on the bourbon sauce. It is strong! But so delicious.

Bread Pudding
1 cup raisins
¼ cup bourbon whiskey
1 loaf French bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 qt. milk
3 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. allspice
¼ – ½ tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. butter, melted

Combine raisins and bourbon in a small bowl. Cover and soak for 1 to 2 hours or until the raisins have absorbed most of the bourbon.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Pour milk into a large bowl. Add bread and press into milk with your hands or a large spoon until all the milk is absorbed.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, allspice, and cinnamon. Pour over bread mixture. Add bourbon-soaked raisins, with or without the remaining soaking liquid. Stir gently to combine.

Pour melted butter onto bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour in bread mixture then egg mixture.

Bake 35 – 45 minutes, until liquid has set. The pudding is done when the edges are just brown and pulling away from the pan edge.

Bourbon Sauce
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
½ cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey, amount according to taste

Make the bourbon sauce while the bread pudding is cooking.

Melt butter in a saucepan on low heat. Whisk in sugar and egg. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove pan from heat.

Do not allow mixture to simmer! Or the sauce will curdle. By the way, if your sauce curdles, just take it off the heat and blend it smooth in a blender.

Whisk in bourbon. Whisk again before serving. The sauce should be soft, creamy, and smooth.

Serve with whiskey sauce on the side. This dessert is best eaten the day it is made.

Please allow me to share a sneak peek of my Southern Gothic book while you enjoy your pudding.

Koush Hollow:
Where bayou magic abounds and all that glitters…is deadly.

After her father’s untimely death, Jenna Ashby moves to Koush Hollow, a bayou town outside of New Orleans, dreading life with her wealthy mother.

As the sixteen-year-old eco-warrior is introduced to the Diamonds & Pearls, her mother’s exclusive social club, she comes to the troubling realization that secrets are a way of life in Koush Hollow.

 How do the Diamonds & Pearls look so young, where does their money come from, and why is life along the bayou disappearing?

As Jenna is drawn into their seductive world, her curiosity and concerns beg her to uncover the truth. However, in this town where mysticism abounds and secrets are deadly, the truth is not what Jenna could have ever imagined.

Available in Audiobook, E-book, and Paperback

Leigh Goff writes young adult fiction. She is a graduate from the University of Maryland and a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI).

Born and raised on the East Coast, she now lives in Maryland where she enjoys the area's great history and culture.

Her third young adult novel, Koush Hollow, a Southern gothic set in New Orleans, will release on September 1, 2020 from The Parliament House.

Learn more about Leigh Goff on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Goodreads.

Author in the Garden by Cozy Mystery Writer and Garden Guru Emma Lane...

Years ago, when we bought an old house, we promptly began the task of remuddling. Yes, not remolding, but muddling. We were careful to check out similar homes in the area, so we didn’t change it too much. But I had deck on my mind and no house like ours was showing anything similar to a deck. We had a lot of things to do before frivolous building could begin, but I was impatient. In my mind it was already there. 

So, I picked out my first privacy plant. It was an ordinary lavender lilac, a puny thing I dug up from my better half’s childhood home. Only in my imagination was it a visible noise barrier from the busy highway out front. 

Oh, I petted it and gave it water during that first hot summer. By the next year I had mostly forgotten about it. Too many other plants to tend and this one was surviving without me. Long story short, by the time the deck was finally number one on the task list, my lilac was blooming and looked like this. 

I’m pleased I had the foresight to plan ahead. In the summer, we enjoy total privacy while lounging in gentle summer breezes directly off the kitchen. Originally, we thought to put a roof over it, but once we sat staring up through the foliage of an ancient maple, we allowed nature to coax us to leave it be.  

Lilacs bloom in the early spring. I leave it to either your own experiences or your imagination how heavenly the fragrance is from these old-fashioned shrubs. Hardy and trouble free, they delight year after year. I highly recommend you plant one.

Here is a glimpse into my latest Cozy Mystery. It is the 4th in the Detective Kevin Fowler series.

When is it not fun to be a blond? 

What happens when a blond beauty hits town like a tornado stirring up memories and causing turmoil? Detective Kevin Fowler and his wife, the former Beverly Hampton, owner of the local newspaper, are settling into blissful married life. Although Beverly is sanguine over the demand on Kevin’s time by the good people of Hubbard, she is more than dubious when his duties include the escort of a drop-dead gorgeous female from his past.

There is some concern over the persistent vandalism of residential mailboxes, but an infamous arsonist has decided peaceful but dull Hubbard would make a great place from which to operate. He brazenly locates down the block from the detective and his wife.

What bait and tackle shop in the village has a dual purpose? Kevin ponders why two goons have invaded town shooting at and attempting to kidnap and murder three women. A state patrolman, aptly nick named Rooster, teases Fowler at the riotous scene of a traffic accident where the press, not the police, wins the day.

Another mystery and adventure with a satisfying ending that unfolds in peaceful Hubbard, New York, small-town Americana, where Detective Kevin Fowler keeps an ever-vigilant watch.

Amazon Buy Link

Emma Lane is a gifted author who writes cozy mysteries as Janis Lane, Regency as Emma, and spice as Sunny Lane. 

She lives in Western New York where winter is snowy, spring arrives with rave reviews, summer days are long and velvet, and fall leaves are riotous in color. At long last she enjoys the perfect bow window for her desk where she is treated to a year-round panoramic view of nature. Her computer opens up a fourth fascinating window to the world. Her patient husband is always available to help with a plot twist and encourage Emma to never quit. Her day job is working with flowers at Herbtique and Plant Nursery, the nursery she and her son own. 

Look for information about writing and plants on Emma's new website. Leave a comment or a gardening question and put a smile on Emma's face.

Stay connected to Emma on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out the things that make Emma smile on Pinterest.