Markets, contests, things of note

Let's run this post from short to long -- fiction that is.

The blog Good to Begin Well, Better to End Well is having a Thor-sandwich. Actually it's more of a Thor/sandwich contest and giveaway type thing but saying "Thor-sandwich" just sounds so much more fun. THOR trading card prizes (I hear he's flexing in a pretty hunky manner); lasts through Tuesday, May 8. From the site:

YOUR CHALLENGE, if you choose to accept this throwing down of the gauntlet, is to engage in one of two activities to the glory of Thor in all his states of undress:

1) Find or make a fabulous sandwich, take a picture of said fabulous sandwich (and I am talking Dagwood levels of awesome, the taller the better), and leave me a link to this photography in the comments. (Then feel free to eat said sandwich. In fact, photos with a bite already taken out of the sandwich can sometimes be artistically interesting! Bonus points if you happen to include some kind of Thor anything in the picture! But not bonus entries, because I do not mess around with that nonsense.)

2) Write a short story (1000 words or less) which involves a sandwich, or sandwiching. Your character could be out to lunch, and the sandwich might be spilled in their laps, causing an uproar or a meeting of the eyes! Or maybe your characters are making sandwiches and fighting over who gets the last piece of lemon-pepper chicken! (Guys, Lemon-Pepper Chicken is AMAZING.) I do not care, really, what the situation is, as long as a sandwich is present in a crucial way. Maybe Thor is experiencing the excellence that is Jimmy Johns for the first time. Whatever! 

Urban Green Man anthology. Mainly fantasy fiction. Up to 5,000 words. Open through November 30. Paying Market. See their website and history/mythology of the Green Man for details and suggestions. Stories should:

Involve the mythology of the Green Man in any form (which includes the Green Woman).

Underwords announces Futuredaze, an anthology of YA sci-fi. Submissions open May 1 until filled. Up to 6,000 words. Paying market. From their website:

Fiction and poetry that sparks the imagination, twists the heart, and makes us yearn for the possibilities of a world yet to come. At a time when every other YA book features vampires, werewolves or other fantastical creatures (which we love!), Futuredaze will be an anthology for the next generation of science fiction readers. We’re looking for hard science fiction, soft science fiction, and everything in between. Think Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov, George Orwell or Ray Bradbury with a YA focus.

World Weaver Press open submission period started May 1. Fantasy and science fiction. Open through the summer. Seeking queries for novellas, novels, short fiction collections, and some nonfiction. Royalty paying market. Seeking:

Quality fantasy and science fiction that engages our minds and ensnares our story-loving souls.