• Challenge,  Kickstarter Campaign

    WMG HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 2022 IS DOING GREAT!!

    Just Went Past the Third Stretch Goal… Funded in less than an hour and hit the first stretch goal in less than 12 hours and since has hit two more stretch goals, which means that everyone backing the campaign at $25 and up not only gets the entire 39 story Holiday Spectacular calendar (with original stories by over thirty professional writers), plus three other stories and two writing workshops. And this one we have 10 days left. Fantastic!. So with luck, we’ll finally get the fun holiday calendar of stories to a place we have been hoping it would get to for the last three years. Again, the Holiday Spectacular…

  • Challenge,  Kickstarter Campaign

    GIFTS…. We Got Gifts…

    Holiday Spectacular 2022 Kickstarter… It will be starting in a few hours and I will come back here and post about it. But wow, I know it is early to be thinking about holiday shopping, but this campaign has a ton of great gifts for writers and readers and anyone who loves holiday stories. The plan is to launch it at noon on Tuesday, West Coast Time. Right now you can get on the Kickstarter notification page for it at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/403649867/wmg-holiday-spectacular-2022 The new art and branding this fourth year is really special. And wow do we have things everyone could give as gifts. Since I have been buried in it…

  • Challenge,  Kickstarter Campaign

    Holiday Spectacular 2022 Coming!!

    Yup, That Time of the Year… On Tuesday at noon West Coast Time, the Holiday Spectacular 2022 Kickstarter will fire up. Lots of great rewards and other cool stuff, and every backer will get the Holiday Spectacular 2022. For those who didn’t get in on the last three years, the Holiday Spectacular is a brainchild of Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s. For every day from American Thanksgiving (November 24th this year) through January 1st (39 days), those who get the Holiday Spectacular 2022 will get an original holiday story from over thirty top fiction writers delivered to them to read in any device the reader might want. That’s right, 39 original holiday…

  • Fun Stuff,  Kickstarter Campaign,  workshops

    Ends At 7PM West Coast Time Thursday!!!

    Only Hours Left… And we hit the 5th stretch goal, so more free books and another free Pop-Up writers’ workshop for all backers of any reward. As I write this there are just 20 hours left on the WMG Holiday Spectacular 2021. But that is enough time for you to back a reward and get everything, including the nifty 38 original stories calendar. And remember the two special classes in this one. And discounts for other workshops at the bottom. Plus the really cool part of getting an original holiday story every day from November 25th to January 1st.  That is 38 original stories. Yes, original stories!! If you are…

  • Challenge,  Kickstarter Campaign

    Hit Third Stretch Goal!!

    Almost Halfway to the Next One. Wow!! More free books and another free Pop-Up writers’ workshop. There are five days left on the WMG Holiday Spectacular 2021. And the higher we go, the more free stuff every backer gets. Plus the really cool part of getting an original holiday story every day from November 25th to January 1st. 38 original stories. And yes, if you are going to give the calendar as a gift, it needs to be given early so the person who gets it will love it over the entire holiday season. But if you do give it late, we catch the person up by sending out what…

  • Challenge,  Kickstarter Campaign

    WMG HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 2021 KICKSTARTER

    Headed for Third Stretch Reward!!! This is the third year we have done this original fiction advent calendar and we think this one might be the best. WMG HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 2021 KICKSTARTER 38 original holiday stories of one type or another delivered to your device from November 25th through January 1st. Not even the authors know when their stories will appear in reader’s hands. Here is how the calendar looks… Every day a brand new original story. Also in this Kickstarter for the writers there are two great special workshops that Kris and I put together and Kris will read stories from for next year’s calendar. And, of course a…

  • Challenge,  Kickstarter Campaign

    WMG Holiday Spectacular 2021 Kickstarter

    Launching at Noon Tuesday!!! This is the third year we have done this original fiction advent calendar and we think this one might be the best. WMG HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR 2021 KICKSTARTER 38 original holiday stories of one type or another delivered to your device from November 25th through January 1st. Not even the authors know when their stories will appear in reader’s hands. There are two great special workshops that Kris and I put together and Kris will read stories from for next year. And, of course a bunch of books and Pop-Up classes for stretch goals. EVERYONE will get the full calendar with any reward. And we have included…

  • Challenge,  Fun Stuff,  publishing

    New Poker Boy Story…

    Published Today… Monday… In the WMG 2020 Holiday Spectacular. That’s right my story “Hidden Box Inn and Casino” is the Monday, December 14th story in the Spectacular. It’s a Poker Boy story and the newest. And it’s a holiday story, but not what you would think of as a normal holiday story. After all, it is Poker Boy. Here is what Kris said in the introduction to my story. (She writes an introduction to every story.) Hidden Box Inn and Casino by Dean Wesley Smith Genre/Mood: Light and fun fantasy After one of our bleakest stories, here’s one of our most fun stories. Dean Wesley Smith is a co-mastermind of…

  • Challenge,  workshops

    How To Write a Holiday Crime Story Workshop…

    All Letters to Those Signed Up Are Out… Thanks to all of you for the support of the WMG 2020 Holiday Spectacular. Really appreciated. In the letter are the instructions on how you can sign into either the December 1st workshop or the January 5th workshop. Your choice. If you can’t find the letter I sent you, look in the address you used for Kickstarter first. Then look in your spam filter. Then once you have exhausted all possible locations where my letter might be, then write me and I will make sure you are on the list from Josh first, and second, if you are I will send you…

  • Challenge,  Kickstarter Campaign,  On Writing,  publishing

    2020 Holiday Spectacular

    Is Now Live!! The 2020 Holiday Spectacular Kickstarter campaign is now live. Just as we did this year, for those who get the 2020 calendar in this campaign, you will get an original holiday story delivered to your inbox every day from American Thanksgiving (November 26th) through January 1st, 2021. (Yes, sort of an Advent Calendar using original short stories.) What a fantastic way to ride out of this crazy year. Over 25 professional writers have written original stories for this and the entire project is edited by Kristine Kathryn Rusch, award-winning editor. Kris also does an introduction letter every day for each story, so it is also like getting…