Winter

The holidays are here and so is our Winter Issue which has a lot of interesting fare for readers. Once again, thanks to Gin and her staff we also feature great illustrations which really make the issue look great.

Thanks also to the judges for their efforts in wading through entries and comng up with a trio of winners. You all (all ten of you) know who you are... Thanks for a great job.

Many thanks to Tim Matson -- in addition to his other editorial and columnist duties, he's taken on the role of Blurb Guy. The neat little blurbs preceeding stories are his work. And I'm happy to have it.

Incidentally -- no dogs were hurt in the making of the illustration for the contest or the writing of the stories. And absolutely no groundhogs were harmed in any way for the upcoming contest (deadline still open). A friend of mine has a Groundhog Day Party each year -- has done this for who knows how many years -- and the one thing he serves every time is ground hog (more commonly known as ground pork). So, no groundhogs meet their maker due to his parties but a lot of pigs have given their lives over the years.

You'll read a real range of things this time around, from a story that takes place in a faraway place and time to pieces which are firmly planted in the here and now.

SOME CHANGES

With this issue we bid farewell to Kathy Carroll. Kathy was a really mainstay for Mysterical-E but her situation required her to take on a full time job and that, coupled with family obligations, has made it too difficult for her to put in as much time and effort as she would like in order to do the job. Her kind words and steady, careful editing work will be missed. I will also miss our frequent e-mail contact and all the news we shared. I'm hoping that things will ease up enough for Kathy to get back to some of the things she loves.

Barry Ergang is also taking his leave for the time being. Raising his new pup, Duncan, requires lots of attention as do his duties at FMAM. Barry's unstinting editing work and his eye for detail are some of the things that make him a great editor. His love for the language also made his contributions more than valuable. We'll be waiting for his return. Duncan will surely learn quickly and may even be able to help out with the editing -- who knows, Duncan may even learn enough to pen a tale or two for publication.

The Winter Issue is the debut of a new columnist Chris Verstraete and her column Author Snapshot -- Chris is a great writer, an accomplished journalist, and an enthusiastic columnist. She'll be bringing us a look at some new faces as well as some details about people we thought we knew.

In Our Thoughts...

Editor Julie Obermiller, who steps up to Senior Editor as of this issue, is going through some tough times right now. She is undergoing some treatments which will bebefit her in the long run but for now, require her to drive long distances twice each day and then to take part in exhausting treatments. But her attitude has never changed -- no matter how tired, she never fails in her efforts to support our troops and veterans. She cooks meals, organizes events, and does a thousand other things -- she is energy on wheels. Keep her in your thoughts and prayers.

HOLIDAYS

Whatever holiday you celebrate this month and next -- have a happy one.

Enjoy the issue.

And don't forget...

RAZAR Magazine

http://www.razarmagazine.com
go to the Forum section and you'll find us

Mysterical-E has a forum all its own at Razar's site. Take a look -- sign up, and chat with the staff, writers, artists, and other subscribers as they sign onto this new venture. There are other publications taking part and you may find even more reading material to add to your already growing stack of things to read.