Yes, I agree too... self publish unless you find a publisher who will not change your writing! That is what makes your stories so entertaining as well as educational!

Thanks Brenda.

Sometime back in the 90s when I first began to think about retiring from teaching, I spent a couple of weeks taking a Creative Writing class. It had been some years since I'd done anything but educational writing and I wanted to see if I had any creative words left. The professor was younger than I was and seemed quite knowledgeable, energetic, inspiring and I was thinking it would be a good class for me.

She never gave assignments, instead she called them challenges. One of the first was to describe in two sentences the day that had just passed. The second sentence was to include a statement of fact. So I started writing and this is one I'll never forget:

"It was a real good day for June bugs; so clear and sunny they could see for miles and never once got themselves entangled in the string traps I'd set for them. On sunny days most bugs are smarter than we are."

That was the beginning and the end of my rise to stardom in that class, but I had fun with it anyway. Poor woman was from Connecticut and had no real knowledge of June bugs.

It did give me a bit of insight into the world of editing and publishing, though. And it gave me the courage to write about using old dishwater to get rid of pests

Sharon, don't let the publishing companies stifle your creativity. Self publishing is the only way to go with your stories!

Thanks Mary.
Publishing companies are not all that eager to hand out publishing contracts to unknown authors these days either, especially those who are old and set in their ways. So I'm leaning toward self publishing too. Less stress for me, I think.

Less stress and a much better read!

I love the june bug assignment you wrote!

I think Sarge has a homemade bug repeller/killer recipe, as well, which he posted in several places in Cubits; not sure if it made it over here or not, but might be worth finding.
Idea for Sharon - ever heard of a kick-starter campaign? I just learned about it last week and it might be just the thing for your book (Google will get you there quickly). I have read many collections of short stories that combine imaginative story telling, facts, culture, and all manner of other combinations, so I have no idea why a publisher would say they cannot be combined. If you want some publisher names from the books, I can get them for you. One I just read was called 'The Ultimate Gardener', which was a bit of a misnomer in my opinion, as it was more story then gardening information, but still fun reading.
Let us know what you decide.

Thanks, Lance!

@Sharon I loved the recipes, and yes, our grandmothers had things right. I do not like living in this throw away society. And as for words such as "I reckon," "back 40" and such are words we grew up with and I see no need to change them, even if "back 40" means different things to each of us, we still get the meaning! Keep on with your wonderful stories.

Thanks Jean! I really don't think I could change the way I write or the way I talk even if I tried!

@Sharon: After DH and I were married, we moved to Illinois. My job at the University where DH was a student was at the Speech Clinic, and of course, being from NC, I showed up with my Southern accent. A sage piece of advice I received from the head of the Speech Department was not to try to change my accent. It was who I was. My DH soon got used to me saying "you reckon" and a few other Southernisms!

I don't think I could talk if I couldn't say 'I reckon'.

Couldn't write either!!

How's the book coming along?

The book's just fine, coming right along, in spite of summer's distractions. My original goal was November this year. I'm close to that.