WELCOME TO THE WAID BOOKS BLOG
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!!!
ARE YOU A BAD GIRL? DO YOU HAVE STORIES TO TELL? POETRY TO SHARE?
WE WANT YOU!
Bad Girl Tales:
(A collection of short stories and poetry)
Seeking submissions from women featuring your steamy tales. Serious, comedic, sexual, reformed and general tales of bad girl behavior, nights gone wrong and others that were oh so right.
Our goal is to feature 5 to 7 women writers to submit at least 3 to max 4 short stories and/or poems. There is no word limit at this time but we reserve the right to exclude pieces once we reach our word maximum.
Please send full works (max 4) by email in MS Word format to: editor@waidbooks.com. Please include your email address and phone number. Submissions will be accepted until October 31, 2013. No submissions will be accepted after the deadline. You will be notified by email if you work has been accepted.
Thank you for your interest and we look forward to seeing your entries!
>>>>>WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS <<<<<
JULY AUTHOR FEATURE: YORK, PENNSYLVANIA
POET LAUREATE:
CARLA CHRISTOPHER
Carla, can you give us a little background information about yourself?
I'm the daughter of a jazz musician and an art gallery owning poet. I am also the daughter of a business professor and a law professor! Just depends on which part of the day you found them in! I have pretty much thought, breathed and slept in art since I was born and that's just how I see the world. My mom and I have lived all over, from hooker hotels in Detroit to missionary compounds in North Carolina, and I learned early on to find beauty everywhere. It all comes out in my work. A bad accident ended my dreams of dancing in my early teens so I spent high school in community theatre then sang my way across Europe for a while before going to school. I think that's what lets me have so much fun on the stage as a poet now. I move like a dancer, express myself like an actress...but the words are from my heart. My purest self. Poetry is now my home.
What projects are you currently working on?
I just released a new book, 'Addicted to Relapse', about all the nutsy decisions we make as women in life and relationships. I have been blessed to tour pretty heavily with the book and I am loving the generous responses of the audiences. It means a lot to me when someone says a poem of mine really reached them. I also run a local press in York County, PA that caters to first time authors from marginalized communities who might not get the time, attention and support from larger houses. I have young, gay and lesbian, mentally ill and female authors just to name a few communities...and working with them to edit their work moves and inspires me. I also host and produce a television show for White Rose Community TV in York/Hanover, Pennsylvania. It's a cultural showcase featuring studio performances and interviews with local members of the arts community. I've profiled over 75 artists just in the last 6 months! The talent in South Central PA is incredible!!! Along with that, I am still the Poet Laureate for York City and do plenty of school visits, poems for civic events like the recent 150th anniversary of the Civil War occupation of York and judge local competitions. I also host two monthly venues, a poetry/music night at King's Courtyard Artist Collective on 3rd Fridays and a spoken word night at Club Quebec on 3rd Saturdays. Sleep is totally optional in my world!
What do you find to be the most challenging aspect of your journey as an independent artist?
Sustainability and time management. It's hard to keep everything straight skipping around between coordinating TV show guests and filming days, time to edit and meet with authors, my own performances, remembering to keep up the Twitter and Facebook accounts... I do actually need sleep sometimes, and time with family and friends and self. It's important to practice good self care, eat well and rest peacefully, pray and meditate and have experiences that restore my energy and keep me inspired. That way I have something to write about when the writing time comes! Then there is that pesky matter of paying the bills. There isn't the same respect for a poet's time and work as there are for say, a band of musicians. Most venues don't pay or pay little, books sell a handful at a time and advertising money takes a lot of work to get. Like most artists, I would rather spend my time creating, but I spend just as much if not more time making sure I can afford to create. It's just about finding and maintaining a balance.
Tell us something about you as an artist that people would be surprised to know.
Well, you already know that I used to dance, act and sing which many people don't know about me. They are used to me only as Carla Christopher, York Poet Laureate or Carla Christopher of PoemSugar Press. I guess who most people DON'T know me as, and would be surprised to find out, is my non-performing self. My close friends and family actually call me by my middle name (Juliana, or Julie) and with them I am a very silly, nerdy, introspective and quiet girl who is usually in the background playing with the kids or the animals or off reading a book. I love, love, love getting to work with the beautiful and talented artists in the area and it means the world to me to be able to move people emotionally, or to promote a love and awareness of poetry in the city. I love being sassy or sensual or brassy and bold when I perform. That's only one side of me though.
You have had quite a few accomplishments as the 4th person to hold the Poet Laureate of York, PA title. What accomplishment are you most proud of during your tenure?
The development of the overall scene in York. The fact that musicians and artists are now including poets automatically in conversations about the art scene. The increased audiences at our local poetry readings. The fact that those audiences include tons of young people, tons of non-poets, tons of people of color, tons of artists from other genres. That is awesome to me to see. I always knew poetry was cool...I just love that a few more people agree with me now!
Are there any famous writers that inspire your work? Did you model your early writings after anyone?
Maya Angelou was a huge inspiration to me. I saw her in person in high school and her smooth, playfully sarcastic manner impressed me as much as the classical flow and inspiration of her work. I saw her recently and she spoke about poetry and the importance of knowing the classics, she even recited Invictus and classical Greek poetry. I appreciated that, her seriousness about her craft. Langston Hughes is an inspiration to me. Just a beautiful, bold, Black, gay man who found the beauty in even the harshest aspects of the human experience. I adore Audre Lorde for similar reasons. I am also a true romantic and sensualist at heart so I adore the poetry of Rumi, Pablo Neruda, Walt Whitman and Khalil Gibran. That is where I go to when my soul needs restoration.
Where do you find yourself feeling most creative? (Is there a specific place, time of day, what sparks it for you?)
When I first wake up, before the day's obligations start to call me or between midnight and 3am, when the quietest part of the night has settled in and I know I can't be loud so housework is out and it's too late to make phone calls. Nature has always soothed me, so I spend a lot of time reading in parks. Music also really helps me write. Several of my best poems have come from sitting in the back of a smoky bar listening to a music open mic or a favorite band play with a glass of wine off to the side.
What will you do (as a creative outlet) after the Laureate position ends?
Buy a giant bottle of Sangria and take my notebook to a beach somewhere for a month! After that though, it'll be back to my venues and PoemSugar Press and episodes of Culture & Main and writing a new book I hope. I really want to do a CD and teach more classes. Grow the publishing company so I can help even more writers realize their dreams. Poetry is my love and my life. I'll never stop as long as God keeps waking me up.
Waid Books would like to thank Carla for her candid and informative interview. Please check out the following links to "keep up with Carla"...
PoemSugar Press: www.poemsugar.wix.com/poemsugar
Culture & Main: http://www.wrct.tv/index.php/profiles/channel-18/culture-and-main
Carla Christopher, Poet Laureate: www.yorkcity.org/poet-laureate
>>>>> WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS<<<<<
RECIPE TIME WITH WAID BOOKS!!!
CHILI ANCHO MARINATED CHICKEN
Recipe courtesy of Hispanic Kitchen ( http://www.hispanickitchen.com/profiles/blogs/chile-ancho-marinated-chicken)
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 large, boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
4 ancho chile peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup olive oil
Salt
Directions:
1. In a microwave-safe bowl (glass), add the chile ancho and cover with water. Microwave for 6 minutes, turning peppers over after 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and cover.
2. While the peppers are cooling, butterfly the chicken breast and transfer to a glass baking dish, then set aside.
3. Drain the chile ancho and transfer to the blender, add the garlic, cumin seeds, paprika, lime juice, olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. Blend on high until smooth, then taste for salt. Add the marinade to the chicken breasts and toss so that all of the chicken is covered completely. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil paper and lay the chicken pieces down, do not overcrowd. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes.
5. Serve as-is with rice, beans and a salad, or slice chicken for tacos.
Note: If you would like them a little spicier, add some chipotles in adobo, or fresh serrano peppers when you blend the marinade.
>>>WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS WAIDBOOKS<<<
Please recommend Waid Books to a friend that loves to read. We have several titles coming very soon and we need an army of avid readers to make this company an even bigger success.
You can find us on the web at the following locations:
Website: waidbooks.com
Twitter: @waidbooks
Facebook: facebook.com/waidbooks
Google+: Waid Books
We are here to feature and encourage new and existing authors as well as offering fresh and inspiring new reads for those who love the written word. Any way you look at it, you are welcome to come and experience Waid Books for yourself.
See you in August!
The Staff of Waid Books
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 large, boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
4 ancho chile peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup olive oil
Salt
- See more at: http://www.hispanickitchen.com/profiles/blogs/chile-ancho-marinated-chicken#sthash.brSeG29i.dpuf
Ingredients:
4 large, boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
4 ancho chile peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup olive oil
Salt
- See more at: http://www.hispanickitchen.com/profiles/blogs/chile-ancho-marinated-chicken#sthash.brSeG29i.dpuf
Chile Ancho Marinated Chicken
Ingredients:
4 large, boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
4 ancho chile peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup olive oil
Salt
Directions:
1. In a microwave-safe bowl (glass), add the chile ancho and cover with water. Microwave for 6 minutes, turning peppers over after 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and cover.
2. While the peppers are cooling, butterfly the chicken breast and transfer to a glass baking dish, then set aside.
3. Drain the chile ancho and transfer to the blender, add the garlic, cumin seeds, paprika, lime juice, olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. Blend on high until smooth, then taste for salt. Add the marinade to the chicken breasts and toss so that all of the chicken is covered completely. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil paper and lay the chicken pieces down, do not overcrowd. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes.
5. Serve as-is with rice, beans and a salad, or slice chicken for tacos.
Note: If you would like them a little spicier, add some chipotles in adobo, or fresh serrano peppers when you blend the marinade.
Chile Ancho Marinated Chicken
Ingredients:
4 large, boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
4 ancho chile peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup olive oil
Salt
Directions:
1. In a microwave-safe bowl (glass), add the chile ancho and cover with water. Microwave for 6 minutes, turning peppers over after 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and cover.
2. While the peppers are cooling, butterfly the chicken breast and transfer to a glass baking dish, then set aside.
3. Drain the chile ancho and transfer to the blender, add the garlic, cumin seeds, paprika, lime juice, olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. Blend on high until smooth, then taste for salt. Add the marinade to the chicken breasts and toss so that all of the chicken is covered completely. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil paper and lay the chicken pieces down, do not overcrowd. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes.
5. Serve as-is with rice, beans and a salad, or slice chicken for tacos.
Note: If you would like them a little spicier, add some chipotles in adobo, or fresh serrano peppers when you blend the marinade.
Chile Ancho Marinated Chicken
Ingredients:
4 large, boneless chicken breasts (butterflied)
4 ancho chile peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons freshly ground cumin seeds
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Juice of 2 limes
1 cup olive oil
Salt
Directions:
1. In a microwave-safe bowl (glass), add the chile ancho and cover with water. Microwave for 6 minutes, turning peppers over after 3 minutes. Remove from microwave and cover.
2. While the peppers are cooling, butterfly the chicken breast and transfer to a glass baking dish, then set aside.
3. Drain the chile ancho and transfer to the blender, add the garlic, cumin seeds, paprika, lime juice, olive oil and 2 teaspoons of salt. Blend on high until smooth, then taste for salt. Add the marinade to the chicken breasts and toss so that all of the chicken is covered completely. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
4. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a baking sheet with foil paper and lay the chicken pieces down, do not overcrowd. Bake for 25 to 27 minutes.
5. Serve as-is with rice, beans and a salad, or slice chicken for tacos.
Note: If you would like them a little spicier, add some chipotles in adobo, or fresh serrano peppers when you blend the marinade.
