Beth Camp Historical Fiction

Monday, February 27, 2012

The Country Register . . .

When I send a story out for publication, I'm never quite sure what readers it will reach. My story, "The Namesake Quilt," was accepted in January by The Country Register. The kind editor told me the story might be picked up by other regional publications of this newsletter for quilters and crafters.

Wow! So far I've received copies of my story in The Country Register in Washington and Southeastern Oregon, Oregon proper, the Carolinas, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wisconsin. The newsletter can be found in quilt shops and at Jo-Ann Fabrics (Feb/March 2012 issue). Click here to read "The Namesake Quilt" and to see the quilt block that inspired this story.




Sunday, February 05, 2012

On Libraries and . . .

So there we were, at our favorite Asia Fusion restaurant. I was just ready to dig into a delicious dish of  yakisoba noodles when the cell rang. My hard-at-work librarian let me know that they had found one of the books I had ordered on interlibrary loan. In the entire country, one library had the book I wanted. They were willing to lend it to me IF I read it at my local library.

Did I say, "Yes!" The Library of Congress and I have a new relationship!

This week a story came back and a potential agent for Standing Stones said no. The agent's rejection was a one liner ("Not for us") and very timely (within a week). But comments came with the story, and one editor said she'd like to see more. So, a little revision and out that story will go again.

And with Years of Stone, one of my characters now has a friendship with a bushranger in mid-19th Century Tasmania. I'd love to tie in aboriginal art found in a few caves, maybe a devastating brush fire, or earthquake (Tasmania has fairly frequent tremors), or how about bush tucker. Convicts who escaped into the bush often starved. The plot thickens, as they say. Now it's time to get back to work. The aboriginal community of Tasmania was in the news this week, arguing for greater recognition. More research needed as tempers flare in a long-standing animosity.

Interesting links on the early presence of Tasmanian aborigines (archaeology overview w/maps) and (shorter summary here with images). And on bush tucker.