End of year wrap-up, Part deux

I know I already posted my publications for 2016, but then three more came out in the past week, SO . . .

"Last Call at the Hypothetical Tavern" in Liminality #10

and

"Fimbulheart" in Helios Quarterly, Volume 1 Issue 2

and

"Across a Storm-Dark Sky" in The Pedestal #79.

Ta-daaaa!

2016 Publications

“Between Dog and Wolf” (poem) in Star*Line 39.1, Winter 2016

“Fox Children” (poem) in Dreams & Nightmares #104, September 2016

“God’s Bones” (short story) in Not One of Us #56

“Apocalypse Reunion” (poem) in Eye to the Telescope 

“Death and Taxes” (poem) in Topology 

“Love, and the Merciless Sea” (poem) in Mythic Delirium 2.3  

“ Saint Nothing” (poem) in Through the Gate 

“Automaton” (poem) in Liquid Imagination 

“The Book of Forgetting” (poem) in Uncanny 

“ Fallen to Witches” (poem) in Mithila Review 

Guest Blog: A Nontraditional Foodie Christmas

Please welcome Diamante Lavendar, my guest blogger for the Giftmas Blog Tour!

Food during the holidays. Hmmm. What do I write about?

Well, the holidays have been sort of a rough time for me for a while. And this year, they got rougher. I lost two children before Thanksgiving: one in 1990 and one this year. Food? Well, I can't help to think about the meal we ate after each funeral.

Food has a way of lending some comfort to pain. In 1990 my food choices were different. Now, I think the most comforting thing I've eaten since my daughter passed was a hash brown casserole. Comfort food. You know, the warm kind the settles in your belly and whispers to your blood, “You can calm down. Everything's okay for the moment.” I realize this may seem macabre, but honestly, the holidays aren't all glitter and glamour for some of us. So….if you're one of the many who is hurting this holiday season, try this casserole on for size:

1 pkg. Hash browns

1 green pepper

½ c. mushrooms

1 onion

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

6 eggs, scrambled ( I leave these out because I'm a vegetarian)

3 T. olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Chop the green pepper, onion and mushrooms. Fry with the hashbrowns in 3 T. olive oil. (You may add more if you need to, to prevent veggies from sticking to your pan). In a separate pan, scramble your eggs. When the veggies are cooked and browned, put the eggs on top and cover with the shredded cheddar cheese. Allow the cheese to melt completely. Salt and pepper to taste.

This recipe is easy and quick. It's perfect comfort food that is still healthy. And it helps to ease the pain of the holidays for those of us who are suffering. I know it's not traditional Christmas fare, but when it comes to tough situations, that really doesn't matter. What matters is it tastes good and takes little to no time to make.

In remembrance of those who are needful this season, please consider contributing to the food bank below. Giving to others always makes the world a better place. Merry Christmas. Please make it a good one.

To help out the Edmonton Food Bank, follow this link.

Diamante Lavendar has been in love with reading since she was a child. She spent many hours listening to her mother read to her when she was young. As she grew older, she enjoyed reading novels of all genres: horror, fantasy and some romance to name a few.

She began writing in college and published some poetry in anthologies over the years. After her kids were older, she wrote as a form of self expression and decided she wanted to share her stories with others.

Most of her writing is very personal and stems from her own experiences and those of her family and friends. She writes to encourage hope and possibility to those who read her stories.

Diamante believes that everyone should try to leave their own positive mark in the world, to make it a better place for all. Writing is the way that she is attempting to leave her mark—one story at a time.

You can find Diamante's blog here.

Her book Breaking the Silence can be found at Amazon. Her chapbook Poetry and Ponderings will be published soon. There's more information here.

Blog tour--I'm away today!

Over at Beth Cato's blog, I've told about one of my favorite memories of Christmases past. You can read all about it here.

Attention everyone!

Join us for the 2016 Giftmas Blog Tour! We're raising money for the Edmonton Food Bank, and there's a chance for you to win a prize, too.