Spooky Story Tuesdays: For thousands of years before electricity, people passed the time in the evenings by reading and telling stories by candle- or firelight. In honor of that tradition, I will be doing a somewhat updated version of this for a half hour every Tuesday at 7 p.m. | 6 p.m. CST via Facebook Live on my personal page (I will also share and make the posts public, but feel free to send me a friend request), for as long as this self-quarantine/social distancing period lasts. I will read or tell a mix of classic ghost stories from my bookshelf, share some of my own works and the works of my friends, and update you all on what I'm currently reading.
Do you need someone to talk to?: Right now, many folks in the writing community and beyond are sharing amazing resources for creative ways to pass the time, as well as offering services to help them and their small businesses stay afloat during these unprecedented times. Most of my spring events have been cancelled, and I’m currently working remotely, with paychecks on the way through at least mid-April. Because I’m in a uniquely safe position, I want to make myself available and useful to the community in some way. Many years ago, I was a counselor at a call center, answering calls for all major national crisis hotlines. I would be happy to dust off my old supportive listening skills and chat with anyone out there who is feeling lonely or a little stir-crazy, or just needs to talk. Please feel free to reach out to me via comment or social media, or email me at ameliamcotter@gmail.com any time, and we can arrange a phone or video chat.
Everyone be safe and well!
~Amelia
Author, Poet & Storyteller
Friday, March 20, 2020
Sunday, March 1, 2020
2020 Publishing Lineup: Upcoming Books and Publications!
Hello friends! This is shaping up to be a big year in publishing for me, and I have some exciting updates on my upcoming books and publications:
This House: The True Story of a Girl and a Ghost: Temporarily out of print, a tenth anniversary edition of my first book is on the way this spring from Haunted Road Media!
Breakfast with Bigfoot: Also temporarily out of print, breakfast will be served again shortly with a third edition of my children's book coming this spring, also from Haunted Road Media.
apparitions: After two long years of preparation, and more than a year of searching, shopping around, and submitting various versions of the manuscript to contests, publishers, and small presses, apparitions has been longlisted by Rhythm & Bones Press for their Bonechaps poetry chapbook series! I am awaiting further news of the shortlist and final selections. Because this has been such a journey and I am really, really ready to share this book with the world, if it isn't selected by this or another press by spring, I have decided to publish it under my own imprint this summer.
Old Baraboo Inn: I am eager to return to crafting and sharing good ghost stories, and have been collaborating with my friends at the Old Baraboo Inn in Baraboo, Wisconsin to release a book about the Inn's haunted history, also from Haunted Road Media. I am looking forward to getting the project started, and hope to have a tentative release date soon!
In recent publishing news, my haiku "apparitions," (the title haiku for the apparitions book) was awarded Honorable Mention in the Soka Matsubara International Haiku Competition. My work was also featured in the February issue of Stentorian Bitch, including the nonfiction piece, "Burn the Witch," and poetry piece, "Stellar Nebula."
Forthcoming, one of my haiku was chosen from more than 1,400 entries to be displayed at the Chicago Botanic Garden for their Words in Bloom: A Year of Haiku initiative! Throughout 2020, 32 signs featuring a different haiku will be posted throughout the Garden. Mine will be displayed in the Native Plant Garden sometime during early summer/fall. I also received Third Place in the Mars Category, by Adult Non-Resident, in Highland Park Poetry’s 2020 Poetry Challenge. I will be able to share more details on both of these later this year when they are ready for display and publication!
 |
| apparitions longlisted by Rhythm & Bones Press for their Bonechaps series. |
Breakfast with Bigfoot: Also temporarily out of print, breakfast will be served again shortly with a third edition of my children's book coming this spring, also from Haunted Road Media.
apparitions: After two long years of preparation, and more than a year of searching, shopping around, and submitting various versions of the manuscript to contests, publishers, and small presses, apparitions has been longlisted by Rhythm & Bones Press for their Bonechaps poetry chapbook series! I am awaiting further news of the shortlist and final selections. Because this has been such a journey and I am really, really ready to share this book with the world, if it isn't selected by this or another press by spring, I have decided to publish it under my own imprint this summer.
Old Baraboo Inn: I am eager to return to crafting and sharing good ghost stories, and have been collaborating with my friends at the Old Baraboo Inn in Baraboo, Wisconsin to release a book about the Inn's haunted history, also from Haunted Road Media. I am looking forward to getting the project started, and hope to have a tentative release date soon!
In recent publishing news, my haiku "apparitions," (the title haiku for the apparitions book) was awarded Honorable Mention in the Soka Matsubara International Haiku Competition. My work was also featured in the February issue of Stentorian Bitch, including the nonfiction piece, "Burn the Witch," and poetry piece, "Stellar Nebula."
Forthcoming, one of my haiku was chosen from more than 1,400 entries to be displayed at the Chicago Botanic Garden for their Words in Bloom: A Year of Haiku initiative! Throughout 2020, 32 signs featuring a different haiku will be posted throughout the Garden. Mine will be displayed in the Native Plant Garden sometime during early summer/fall. I also received Third Place in the Mars Category, by Adult Non-Resident, in Highland Park Poetry’s 2020 Poetry Challenge. I will be able to share more details on both of these later this year when they are ready for display and publication!
Stay tuned, friends! Please check back here and elsewhere on social media, or email me any time, for updates. Thank you so much and Happy Hauntings!
~Amelia
Monday, February 3, 2020
Haiku #11: dead of winter
A haiku for that midwinter feeling (and if you've ever lived through a Midwest winter, you will truly feel this haiku):
dead of winter
wishing it was warm enough
to snow
"dead of winter," copyright 2020 Amelia Cotter (first published in A Moment’s Longing: Haiku Society of America Members' Anthology 2019, 2019)
dead of winter
wishing it was warm enough
to snow
"dead of winter," copyright 2020 Amelia Cotter (first published in A Moment’s Longing: Haiku Society of America Members' Anthology 2019, 2019)
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