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From the Far Side of the Desk, Issue 28
Ah, Spring, after a long, snowy, icy, bone-chilling winter (yes—even in Kentucky the temperatures fell below zero this past January), I am delighted to welcome in the promise of more sunshine, warmer weather, and new growth. Always so wonderful to see this seasonal renewal.
I am also delighted to be able to share a plethora of wonderful new writing, from both old and new friends. It is especially nice to be able to share the 2024 Visions Short-Story Contest winning story, “What You Don’t Know” by Karen George. The Visions Short-Story Contest is sponsored by the Bluegrass Writers Coalition (BWC), a 501 (c ) (3) literary organization dedicated to promoting literature in all forms across Kentucky, and beyond.
The Visions contest is an annual contest, open to all, with the caveat that either the story or the author must have a “Kentucky connection” of some sort. As one of the BWC co-founders (along with Micheal Embry), I am a big fan of BWC and encourage you to check out their website (https://bluegrasswriterscoalition.com). In today’s virtual world you certainly don’t have be a current Kentucky resident to be a BWC member or participate in the many events they promote/launch each year, including an annual Conference of Writers, one of the fastest growing writer’s conferences in the county.
Poetry and fiction both play key roles in Issue 28, as do book reviews. P.F. Powers (who also has a powerful poem in this issue) reviews long-time contributor Ben Terry’s Near Where The Blood Pools, an intriguing novel-in-verse from Livingston Press, one of the country’s finest literary presses, while Damian Beach, an outstanding writer himself, reviews a duo of novels by Joe Taylor, another writer who has contributed to Trajectory over the years.
Now, Joe Taylor is, to be sure, far more than “another Trajectory” contributor.” He is also the Editor-in-Chief and driving force behind the University of West Alabama’s Livingston Press, as noted above. While we all have our opinions, I truly believe that few could argue that Livingston Press publishes some of the finest, most unique fiction going today, with a wide-ranging line of fiction that should appeal to many readers.
Now, in the interests of transparency, I do need to note here that several years ago LP published my novel/novella Snapshot. I had originally entered Snapshot, very loosely based on a true story shared with me by the late Elmer Whitaker, founder of Whitaker Bank, a notable Kentucky financial institution, in the LP Tartt Fiction Contest. Although I did not win, someone at LP liked Snapshot enough to come back several months later with an offer to publish. If asked to recommend an LP book, without hesitation I would recommend Robert Walker by Corey Mesler. Of course, you will want to check out the lineup at Livingston Press for yourself. Why not do it today?
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In Issue 27, we were pleased to include a novel except from Virginia Smith’s A Deadly Brew. If you enjoyed Virginia’s style, storyline, etc. (as I do), you will be excited to note that she has a brand-new novel out, Wed And Gone, the latest in her Irish Tea Room mysteries series (AnniesFiction.com).
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One of my goals for 2025 is to do a better, faster, more comprehensive job of spreading the word when Trajectory contributors have a new book out, so be sure and keep me posted. I also plan to purchase at least one new book a month from a Trajectory author. After all, if we don’t support each other…
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Writing, of course, is a product of the imagination, yet an imagination fueled, to one degree or another by reality. Now, Old Chris has always come down strongly on the side of realistic fiction, so it is only natural that realism plays a role in the publication of Trajectory. For those of you who are ongoing subscribers, you may have noticed that we shifted publication to Amazon with Issue 27. One advantage this affords both readers and subscribers is that ordering extra copies is easier now—just log in to your Amazon account and place your order. Plus, if you are an Amazon Prime Member the shipping will be free, which as we know will result in a notable savings.
Speaking of subscribers, Team Trajectory will be most appreciative if you would becoming an ongoing subscriber, or extend your current subscription if you are already a subscriber. Publication and printing costs have both risen steadily, even dramatically, since we launched this journal all the way back in 2011. Now, just between us, I never intended to make my fortune off Trajectory; it’s far more a labor-of-love, a way of paying it forward. Still, coming notably closer to breaking even would not be a bad thing. All subscriptions, donations, contributions, gifts appreciated.
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Two Requests:
First, going forward, if your submission is accepted, please, please, please be sure and follow-up with an email containing a word doc. version of both your submission and your brief (about 75 words) bio. It absolutely befuddles me how/why individuals who have had a poem, story, etc. accepted won’t send in an ecopy of their bio—even writers whom we have published multiple times before. Just keep this in mind: hardcopy original submissions w/bio; then, if accepted, an eversion of both the sub and the bio.
Second, my financial institution has gotten very picky on how checks are made out. Whether you’re subscribing, donating, or buying an additional copy or two, Checks Must Be Made Out To: Helvey Enterprises. Made out any other way—say to Trajectory—the check has to be voided and returned. So, let’s save everyone, including you, extra work and simply make all checks out to Helvey Enterprises.
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One question that occasionally drifts across my mind is “Am I providing our readers/subscribers with the type/sort/style of poems, stories, cnf, etc. they like to read. If you have any suggestions, please shoot them to me at adobechris@hotmail.com
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I’ll close with a couple of comments about my new novel, Revolution (Wings ePress) that is now available on Amazon in both paperback and ebook formats. First, as you know if you have ever read any of my work, I have a strong tendency to write realistic fiction. Therefore, since Revolution is exactly about what the title implies (a revolution—set in an imaginary Latin American country), you should be ready for violence, blood, death, pain, and suffering, in addition to individual glory and heroics. I pull no punches in Revolution—it is an adult book for adult readers. If you choose to read it, I hope it is as one of the PR blurbs said “A book you will never forget.”
In any case, at over 500 pages and more than 150,000 words, you’ll surely get your money’s worth.
Now, on to Issue 28!! Enjoy😊
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