Three great bits of biz:

1. StoryQuarterly is now accepting on line submissions year round, and they pay well. From $150 - $750. There is no fee to submit.

2. The StoryQuarterly Fiction Contest is open to all writers. They welcome pieces in the following categories: short stories, short short stories, and novel excerpts. Entries must be previously unpublished, whether in print or online, and no longer than 8,000 words.

First Prize is $2,500, Second Prize is $1,500, and Third Prize is $750. The prize winners will be announced in SQ online and will be eligible for inclusion in the 2008 StoryQuarterly Annual. Additionally, ten finalists will receive $100 each.

There is a $20 fee for each entry. And free with your entry, you'll receive six months complimentary access to Narrative Backstage.

3. There's a brand new issue of StoryQuarterly on line now for your reading pleasure, free of charge. All you have to do is sign in.

I'm taken, in particular, with Skip Horack's story, "Bluebonnet Swamp," which is only 70 miles from my front porch.