Friday

COMEDY STAND UP

Saturday

Build Your Confidence in 2 min. Affirmations Video




Have you read The Secret?

Anyway, if you're a writer and you need a push to get over writer's block, using subliminal affirmations like those in this video may help.

Good luck!

Shalla DeGuzman
www.shalladeguzman.com

Tuesday

Classics: SHORT STORIES The Princess by Anton Chekov


Coming Soon!






The Princess
by Anton Chekov

Translated from Russian by Constance Garnett
Narrated by Shalla DeGuzman


Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860-1904)  was a Russian physician and writer of short stories and plays.
As Chekhov wrote to a friend, "Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my mistress. When I get fed up with one, I spend the night with the other. Though it is irregular, it is less boring this way, and besides, neither of them loses anything through my infidelity."

*read more

Wednesday

When You're In-Love With A Beautiful Woman (Dr. Hook inspired).wmv

Like Harlequin Romances?

There's nothing like the happiness and comfort that a Harlequin book brings.

Come home with us and celebrate small-town romance in our Harlequin Homecoming sale. And when you buy 2 or more featured books, you'll get a 3rd title FREE!




Happy Autumn!









Find Shalla on Facebook


Here's a video I made, it's a beautiful song (and okay, I put my pic in--I wanted it next to Lana Turner's :)



2010 SHALLA Magazines

All SHALLA Magazine for 2010

Now on sale!

Get 10% OFF
on any of our titles by using the coupon code
WEP6SWY5
in our e-stores...
(links to our e-stores are under each magazine cover. you get no discounts when you buy from amazon but you do get free shipping there.)



SHALLA Magazine: Mannequin Walking (Volume #5)



SHALLA Magazine: Shakespearean Follies (Volume #4)


SHALLA Magazine: Winter Blooms (Volume #2)



SHALLA Magazine: Pop Art (Volume #3)
https://www.createspace.com/3410702

SHALLA Magazine: Blank Canvas (Volume #1)

Or qualify for FREE SHIPPING at Amazon.com

That's right, purchase them at amazon and get free shipping (on purchases of $25 or more)

BUY NOW

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=shalla+magazine&x=10&y=24


***To authors who'd like to be published in SHALLA Magazine***


Our beloved SHALLA Magazine is now closed to submissions but it looks like we'll be open to submissions next year 2011.

(So, if you've sent us a submission and you have not heard from us, either look for your name on each of our covers to see if you are published in SHALLA Magazine and look in the inside of each book--on amazon you can search through the table of contents--if you still don't find your name anywhere then we regret but we were unable to include your work. There were times where we thought we could include the work but it just did not work out during formatting ie. it was too long/too short.) We apologize for any inconvenience.

In other news: Follow SHALLA Magazine on Twitter https://twitter.com/SHALLAMagazine

As we are now closed to submissions, no one would be manning our emails but for very important messages, you can reach Shalla DeGuzman at shalla_de_guzman@yahoo.com (please allow ample of time for me to answer since I will only check my emails every few weeks/months or so and title your emails "hi Shalla" otherwise it will be deleted)

Have more questions? Please check our Submissions Page
http://www.shallamagazine.com/submissions.php

Best!
Shalla DeGuzman
http://www.shalladeguzman.com/

SHALLA Magazine: Mannequin Walking is now here!

ON SALE NOW
$17.99 only

 +
Qualifies for FREE Shipping at Amazon  



It's our biggest, thickest edition yet--it's 8x10 with over 200 pages!

Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Suspense and stories of things in between that can make even a mannequin get up walking, no, no, running!
That's what this SHALLA Magazine issue is all about!



Plus, we are also honoring the grand daddy of these genres: Edgar Allan Poe.



Of course Poe has written horror. You've probably already read "The Raven" and "The Fall of the House of Usher" but did you know that Poe also wrote stories of adventure on the high seas and an awesome balloon ride?
Did you know that Sherlock Holmes and other fictional detectives were based on the characters that Poe had first created?





So, to this original, imaginative, ingenious, remarkable author named Edgar Allan Poe,

we dedicate this SHALLA Magazine: Mannequin Walking issue.



May we also shine with brilliance!



Best!



Shalla DeGuzman, Editor











Join Shalla and experience the brilliance of so many creative minds...



SHALLA Magazine: Mannequin Walking Issue features Poetry & Fiction by:





Michael Ainesworth

Gary Beck

Mike Berger, PhD

Algernon Blackwood

Eric S. Brown

Gary Budgen

Chris Crittenden

Nabina Das

Paul Eckert

Patricia J. Esposito

John Gorman

Damien Walters Grintalis

Leigh Hunt

John Keats

Sean Monaghan

Nikesh Murali

Amit Parmessur

Miriam Moreno Perez

Edward A. Rodosek

Rebecca Givens Rolland

Craig Watson

Dave Weaver

Changming Yuan



and more...



Bonus!



SHALLA CHATS with Hallie Ephron

"Writing Your Mystery Novel"

by Shalla DeGuzman

page 78



SHALLA CHATS with author of Thrillers Brett Battles

"Elements of a Page Turner"

by Shalla DeGuzman

page 192



Read SHALLA CHATS for FREE at http://www.shalladeguzman.com/

Thursday

SHALLA Magazine: Shakespearean Follies pocket-edition is now on sale!


Congrats to our authors!

Congrats SHALLA Magazine!

On sale now

SHALLA Magazine: Shakespearean Follies pocket-edition (Volume 4)

~ Shalla DeGuzman (Editor)
 

Wednesday

Did you know SHALLA Magazine is now at amazon.de

Happy Spring 2010!



One Big Puppy Love and Kisses,

Orange Julius
(Shalla's Puppy)

Did you know SHALLA Magazine is now at amazon.de?
(that's the German version of www.amazon.com)



Blank Canvas Pocket-Edition von Shalla Deguzman von Createspace (Taschenbuch - 7. Januar 2010)

Neu kaufen: EUR 11,99 EUR 10,99

***

Do you write science fiction, fantasy and related genres?

You may like to join SFWA, a professional organization for authors. Its esteemed past and present members include Isaac Asimov, Anne McCaffrey, Ray Bradbury, and Andre Norton.

***
Where can you publish your work? What are magazines looking for? How do you reach them? Find answers in the Poets and Writers database.
For more: http://www.pw.org/toolsforwriters

***
Did you self-publish your book?
Here's a contest for you from Writer's Digest

Self-Published Competition18th Annual Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards


Co-sponsored by Book Marketing Works, LLC



CALL FOR ENTRIES

MORE THAN $17,000 IN PRIZES!


ENTRY DEADLINE: May 3, 2010
Win $3,000 in cash! Gain international exposure for your book! Catch the attention of prospective editors and publishers!

For more: http://writersdigest.com/selfpublished


Writer's Digest is searching for the best self-published books of the past few years. Whether you're a professional writer, part-time freelancer, or a self-starting student, here's your chance to enter the only competition exclusively for self-published books!

Hi writers, Shalla here, these are just links I found online.
Read more about them, maybe they're just what you're looking for)

Tuesday

News! SHALLA Magazine: Winter Blooms pocket-edition is only $11.69 at www.amazon.com

Hello everyone!




Guten Tag! Wie geht's?

I'm reading "Das Feuerzeug" (the lighter) by Hans Christian Andersen... did you know you can listen to German short stories for free? And lots of other books for free as well.



You can find them at http://librivox.org/

Lots of free books, the text plus the audio reading of them...



I've also been listening to radio stations from around the world. I figured, if I'm learning languages, I should listen to them being spoken regularly.

That’s Free too at http://www.radiotime.com/

You can even find Filipino radio stations... nothing in Cancun, Mexico though... but I got Paris and Frankfurt.

The French have a lot of nice French songs and lots of radio stations with singing, the German ones though, mostly talk and news... when songs are played they're usually in English. I will find a good German radio station with German folk music, German lyrics and fun German talk, I know it.

The Mexican radio stations have some fun Spanish talk, something like Regis and Kelly or KISS FM Rick Dees talk in Spanish.

SHALLA Magazine: Winter Blooms pocket-edition is only $11.69 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25 at www.amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Blooms-pocket-SHALLA-Magazine/dp/1449902057/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270568583&sr=8-3


By the way, come join me at Facebook. I'm posting a lot more often there, especially about my latest personal projects. I figured, you gotta be happy in this life. Follow your bliss... so I'm learning German, French and Spanish at the moment. Vacationing is a lot more fun when I can visit with the locals, take classes, learn the culture, etc..

Anyway, my facebook's at http://www.facebook.com/shalladeguzman

Wednesday

Thanks for Ordering our SHALLA Magazine: Winter Blooms pocket-edition

Have you joined SHALLA in Facebook?

http://www.facebook.com/shalladeguzman


Here's part of my (Shalla's) latest post...

As for me, Shalla, what have I been doing?
I'm practicing my German, Spanish and French... I tried to do one after the other but that was too boring, so I'm doing all--nothing complicated.
I wake up, I do my vocal warm-up (from voice lessons), that's actually been improving my singing voice, makes it so much easier to sing and hold higher notes.
Then, I play my Pimsleur French while I'm feeding my cats.

I play my Pimsleur Spanish/German while I'm doing Gilad (that's the exercise guy on Fit TV)
So, there you go, I also try to watch movies I like to watch/rewatch in either Spanish or German or French (mostly Spanish and German)

http://www.facebook.com/shalladeguzman

Join SHALLA in Twitter too
http://twitter.com/SHALLAMagazine


Who are the very talented authors & poets featured in this SHALLA Magazine: Winter Blooms pocket-edition?

Murray Alfredson

Dan Campbell

Nabina Das

Richard Fein

Isabelle Ghaneh

Carole Hall

Deepak Kapur

James Keane

Anthony Kendrick

Angel Lombard

Jack Phillips Lowe

Jenni Meredith

Suchoon Mo

Christopher Mulrooney

Nikhil Parekh

Shawn Proctor

Nanette Rayman Rivera

Linda Leedy Schneider

Ray Succre

Christopher Woods

Steve Wheeler

& more...




PART ONE





Read some Sample Queries



Writing the Winning Query Letter



SHALLA CHATS with Dorchester author, Tess Mallory




SHALLA Magazine: Winter Blooms pocket-edition is out now!

SHALLA Magazine: Winter Blooms pocket-edition



Enter a literary realm both filled with the wisdom of nature and the angst of man. In A COW By Deepak Kapur, the story of a cow forces a man to face the madness in his life. While in Anthony Kendrick's poem Departure, you feel the emptiness in leaving a memorable place.



Famous authors such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Dickinson,

Henry David Thoreau and Shakespeare personify nature so well, you'll

think it can drop by for lunch and a cup of tea. That's why we're

including their work in this issue.



But as always, we like to mix it up so you'll also find genre work

like Christopher J. Dwyer's Scars and Salvation: One and

something so rated G, it's got a baby and a mommy going on a high

seas adventure in their bowl of soup!



Why? We just love words!



May you rediscover the beauty of words and of nature with our SHALLA Magazine: Winter Blooms pocket-edition.



Best!



Shalla DeGuzman, Editor








Who are the very talented authors & poets featured in this SHALLA Magazine?



Murray Alfredson

Dan Campbell

Nabina Das

Richard Fein

Isabelle Ghaneh

Carole Hall

Deepak Kapur

James Keane

Anthony Kendrick

Angel Lombard

Jack Phillips Lowe

Jenni Meredith

Suchoon Mo

Christopher Mulrooney

Nikhil Parekh

Shawn Proctor

Nanette Rayman Rivera

Linda Leedy Schneider

Ray Succre

Christopher Woods

Steve Wheeler





& more...


***

Looking for a publisher? A literary agent?




Listen to my interviews with literary agents and a publisher!

And they're all looking for clients like you...



Links to our podcasts are here:  http://shalla.podomatic.com/  (Click where it says PLAY, the PLAY button is above and to the left of my picture for each one )



SHALLA CHATS with the VP and Editorial Director at Sourcebooks, Todd Stocke (Sourcebooks, Inc http://www.sourcebooks.com/ )



SHALLA CHATS with literary agent Kelly Sonnack (The Andrea Brown Literary Agency http://www.andreabrownlit.com/ )



SHALLA CHATS with literary agent Jennifer Unter (The Unter Agency http://www.theunteragency.com/ )




Monday

Learning how to write a query letter? Here's a sample Query Letter from Charlotte Dillon

now how to write a Query Letter?


Yes, if you're writing a novel and you'd like a literary agent, an editor or a publisher to read it, you need to write a query letter?


What's a query letter? It's a one page, single spaced letter saying who you are as an author and what you're book is about (in a way that entices the lit agent, editor or publisher to ask you to send it in to them).

 
This Sample Query Letter is especially brought to us by author Charlotte Dillon.

Charlotte Dillon


Home address
Phone number
Email address
Website address


Date
Editor's name
Editor's title
Publisher's name
Publisher's address

Dear Editor's Name,
A COWBOY'S WILL is a completed 57,000 word contemporary romance set in Louisiana. This story is targeted for the Harlequin American line.
Grady Reid was a good man, and somewhat of a matchmaker. He was also the closest thing to family Cody Lawrence had. When Grady died, he left half of his cattle ranch to Cody. Grady left the other half to his only grandchild, Blair Taylor from New York. They would each get their half, but only if they spent a month together on the ranch. Problem was, a month could seem like a lifetime when two people were so different, and disliked each other as much as Blair and Cody did.
I have been writing for over a decade. Romance is my first love, though I've spent a lot of years doing freelance writing to pay the bills. Over the years I've completed a few other romance novels, some historical. I've been a member of Romance Writers of America, Southern Louisiana Romance Writers, a number of on-line writer's groups, and of a wonderful critique group where I was fortunate to work with a published author while I was still green and had tons to learn.

If you are interested, I will gladly send you either the first three chapters of this story, or the complete manuscript. I have enclosed a synopsis and a SASE for your reply. If you prefer, you can send an e-mail. Thanks very much for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,



Charlotte Dillon


Who is Charlotte Dillon?


Charlotte Dillon is an author. For more on her and her work, please visit her website http://www.charlottedillon.com







Links to our podcasts are here:  http://shalla.podomatic.com/  (Click where it says PLAY, the PLAY button is above and to the left of my picture for each one )


SHALLA CHATS with literary agent Kelly Sonnack (The Andrea Brown Literary Agency http://www.andreabrownlit.com/ )

SHALLA CHATS with literary agent Jennifer Unter (The Unter Agency http://www.theunteragency.com/ )

SHALLA CHATS with the VP and Editorial Director at Sourcebooks, Todd Stocke (Sourcebooks, Inc http://www.sourcebooks.com/ )









NEWS

Shalla Chats With Literary Agent Jennifer Unter


by Shalla DeGuzman

is now onsale at amazon too. You can get it for 99 cents there, but it's posted free at podomatic for now, for as long as we have space for it, but at amazon, it's there forever.

http://www.amazon.com/Shalla-Chats-Literary-Agent-Jennifer/dp/B0037DQZWE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1265552419&sr=8-2

From the Album Shalla Chats With Literary Agent Jennifer Unter

Tuesday

SHALLA: Tarzan of the Apes, finding critique groups

Where to find Tarzan of the Apes
by Edgar Rice Burroughs for FREE


Project Gutenberg, of course!

You can even listen to an audio recording of it at Librivox


Of course, you can always buy it


Tarzan of the Apes (Signet Classics)










How to find a good critique group:


Now, a good critique group can really help even if each writer writes a different genre. In my case anyway, I get a different perspective in looking at my work.
What's a bad critique group?

Jealousy is never good. And worse, if someone likes your story so much that they start writing a story just like it. Stay away from those.
Luckily, I found a nice critique group with members writing from different genres. Everyone's respectful of everyone else's work and the critiques were honest.

We took turns reading our work, and then each one in the group took their turn saying what they thought of what was just read.



Make sure not to take anything personally, I've learned that from writing so much. Sending subs to magazines helped me with that one. You send in your submission and then it can get rejected. That's just how it is. You get rejected enough times (while receiving acceptance here and there) you learn, it's just part of the whole game.



Now that I'm an editor, I see it from one more perspective as well. Sometimes, it's a good piece of work, really, but considering the magazine's specific number of pages it just can't be fitted in the issue, therefore it must be rejected. Oh well. Although, I've made an executive decision on this one, SHALLA Magazine publishes them online with the probability of being published in print in the future.



But I digress. Where did I find my critique group? At the public library. So check your public library and see if there is a writers group. In my case, the library funds and operates it. And they even have tutors, who'd read my work and help me edit it, all for free. Tutors are volunteers, writers from the community. I'll take that.


How to find a local Critique Group






Avatar Movie Review



It's a good movie. James Cameron is so talented. Titanic is still my favorite though--but that could be because I saw Avatar past my bedtime and with the 3-D glasses, and the 3-D animation… well, okay, I may have dozed a little in the beginning of it. But I woke up the second half and was sitting up straight and could not take my eyes off of the movie, as if I got a shot of cappuccino and it was only 11am outside.



I like the message in Avatar. Respect nature. Respect others that may not look or think like you. Great lessons for children to learn and for many adults to remember.






And I built an a-store, that's an Amazon Associates Store
--oh, why not?

Thursday

SHALLA: Writers Conferences

Okay, so I went to a writers conference and here's the breakdown...



If you're looking for a literary agent or a publisher,
attend a writers convention!


I met so many literary agents, and of course I had a copy of my synopsis and my manuscripts... I have written a children's picture book, which received a lot of interest and requests for submission.



They're looking for children's books that are silly, funny, no rhymes necessary…



If you're interested in getting your children's book published, check out this group you can join: Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCWI)


I also interviewed literary agents and even a publisher! And they're all looking for clients. And these are podcasts, yes, you can actually hear me asking the questions and them answering…



Links to our podcasts are here:  http://shalla.podomatic.com/  (Click where it says PLAY, the PLAY button is above and to the left of my picture for each one )


SHALLA CHATS with literary agent Kelly Sonnack (The Andrea Brown Literary Agency http://www.andreabrownlit.com/ )

SHALLA CHATS with literary agent Jennifer Unter (The Unter Agency http://www.theunteragency.com/ )

SHALLA CHATS with the VP and Editorial Director at Sourcebooks, Todd Stocke (Sourcebooks, Inc http://www.sourcebooks.com/ )









NEWS

Shalla Chats With Literary Agent Jennifer Unter


by Shalla DeGuzman

is now onsale at amazon too. You can get it for 99 cents there, but it's posted free at podomatic for now, for as long as we have space for it, but at amazon, it's there forever.

http://www.amazon.com/Shalla-Chats-Literary-Agent-Jennifer/dp/B0037DQZWE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1265552419&sr=8-2

From the Album Shalla Chats With Literary Agent Jennifer Unter






Foundry Literary Media's literary agent Stephen Barbara has an online class, it's $125 but if she covers the type of genre you're writing it may be helpful to you.

And congrats to Laura Rennert from the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.


Buying, Training, and Caring for Your Dinosaur (Library Binding)


~by  Laura Joy Rennert
 
is now selling at amazon.com

Here's a helpful Guide to Literary Agents

Visit Amazon's Shalla DeGuzman Page

Here's a Writers Conference coming this summer!
 
 
***********************************************************
 
Look what SHALLA found... OWL WHO LAUGHS BLOG LIKES US... :)



Dear OWL WHO LAUGHS,


Thank you for the compliments!
Cleo and everyone at SHALLA Magazine thank you for your kindness...

(Here's the wonderful blog post
http://owlwholaughs.blogspot.com/2009/12/acceptance-in-shalla-magazine.html )






We at SHALLA Magazine always do our best to make it a win-win situation for everyone.
Now, we're putting together more magazine issues, is yours out already? I'll personally make sure your work is featured the best it can be… well, we always do... now, who can OWL WHO LAUGHS be…


Oh, and I'll make sure to tell Patricia Maxwell (aka Jennifer Blake), how you called her the "greatest and most legendary romance novelist of all."




Your SHALLA Magazine Editor, Publisher, Cheerleader



Shalla DeGuzman

*

And for those who'd like to read my interview with the legendary Jennifer Blake...


SHALLA CHATS romance novelist Jennifer Blake

"Writing Best-selling Romance”

by Shalla DeGuzman








Monday

I can't believe it--SHALLA Magazine is now at amazon!



The picture looks great, terrific actually, colors are fine, true to the book.


I like CS, needed a little tweaking here and there--their customer service has improved since I started working with them almost 2 months ago. It's amazing, people who answer the phones seem to know what they're doing now.


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=shalla+magazine&sprefix=shalla+mag

That's how amazon lists our beloved SHALLA Magazines

What am I doing to promote SHALLA Magazine?

I'm starting a SHALLA Radio, where I'm interviewing literary agents, editors, publishers, writers, artists, etc. (It's not even promotion per se, I just like to talk, and it's nice when someone's actually listening, in this case anyone from anywhere in the world!)



I'm already talking to a couple of literary agents interested in doing the interview. It's good for them (they're looking for clients), it's good for me (gets the word about SHALLA Magazine and me, Shalla DeGuzman, out there. Plus I get to meet all these interesting, exciting people in the publishing world.)


Anyone interested in doing an interview (to be podcasted, maybe put in a CD, YouTube, etc), just email me at shalla_de_guzman@yahoo.com with a short bio of you, what book(s) you've already published, what you like to talk about, your phone number where I can call you--if you have Skype, the better, land line good too so you don't use your minutes on your cell phone--make the title of your email, "hi Shalla-radio show" otherwise, it might get deleted... it probably will be deleted without the right emails.





Although, I figured out what to do with spammers. I spam them right back, with the news--buy SHALLA Magazine!


http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_10?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=shalla+magazine&sprefix=shalla+mag




I know they'll love reading SHALLA Magazine anyway. Everyone will. What makes me say that is--remember the 20 not-so-good-copies of SHALLA Magazine I had ordered out of panic? (my blog right before this one)





Well, last night, after I gave my mother a copy of the magazine, asking her that if she found any mistakes in it such as misspellings (oh, God, I hope not!) to please tell me--I stepped out of the room for about 20 minutes and when I returned, I actually found 4 of my aunts sifting through copies of my magazine, really interested like.





Now, if family can be that interested in my magazine, finding it that exiciting--I rule the world! Master of the Universe! Ha-ha-ha, SHALLA! Master of the Universe! SHALLA Magazine, infiltrating the senses, SHALLA Magazine, better than watching TV, even better than Tivo (wow!)

I even got my cousin Ken to become my fan--okay, some people may call it harassment (or not), but this is how it went:

Hey Ken, are you my fan?
No.
Are you my fan?
No.
Oh, you know you are, are you my fan?
No.
Anyway, eventually he said yes. Now, some may say he didn't really mean it, but we know the truth--KEN IS MY FA-AN! KEN IS MY FA-AN! And since Ken is part of the world, I'd say the world is my fan! The world is my fa-an! ...okay, I'm gonna have breakfast now...


 

Thanks for Visiting!

Come back soon and check out my Best Sellers :)

Questions? Compliments? (I like getting kind emails :)

Please title emails with "Hi Shalla" otherwise they might get deleted.

shalla_de_guzman@yahoo.com

A ShallaDeGuzman Writers Group | Let's Shalla Blog | SHALLA Magazine | SHALLA on Twitter
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