Amish Christmas Boxed SetBy Becca Fisher
About the Book
Four different Amish Christmas stories, plus one bonus novella by Best Selling Amish author, Becca Fisher:
The Christmas Surprise
Joshua Zook and Sadie Miller have been dancing around their feelings for months. But just as Joshua works up the nerve to admit how much he cares for Sadie, he realizes that he may be too late to win Sadie’s heart.
The Christmas Miracle
William Bieler just wants a simple Amish Christmas. But with a newborn child at home, nothing is simple. When William’s wife falls ill however, it will take a miracle to save Christmas at the Bieler house.
The Christmas Performance
Emma Bieler is chosen to do a solo at the school holiday pageant. But a case of crippling stage fright strikes her just before she’s about to go onstage. What happens next will change Emma’s life forever.
The Christmas Gift
When Amish widow Hannah King remarries, her daughters do not take well to their new step father. But as the holidays approach, it’s make or break time to bring peace back into Hannah’s house. Bonus novella: Clara Bieler’s Amish Christmas
Becca Fisher
I’m Becca Fisher and I write sweet Amish romances featuring simple people with complex love lives. I’m devout in my faith, relish time with my family, and seek to bring joy to as many lives as possible. I would love to have you as a reader. God bless. If you would like to be the first to know about my new books, join my mailing list here http://eepurl.com/s3WITEveryone that signs up for my mailing list will receive a Free copy of my “Complete Amish Romance Boxed Set.”
Follow Becca Fisher
Enter to Win one of two prizes: A $50 Amazon Gift Card or a Nook 7″ tablet!
Enter below to enter a $50 Amazon gift card, sponsored by author Becca Fisher! a Rafflecopter giveaway This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
Looking for a great Christmas gift for a family member or friend? I am excited to feature an awesome Christmas novel on my blog today! It’s the first in a series called Hell’s Tales, and it’s just been released as an audiobook, so you have your choice of formats! Hell’s Christmas has some great reviews on Amazon, too:
Book Description:
Monika Hell seemed to have it all. She was gorgeous, owned a nice condo, an expensive car, an endless wardrobe, and had a great job as a store manager in the mall. But, she was mean, miserable, and worst of all, hated Christmas.
Kidnapped from the mall parking lot on Christmas Eve, her life is turned upside down. Now, on Christmas morning, she finds herself in a freezing alley with nothing but the tattered clothes on her back. With no identification, no money, and no one willing to help, Monika is forced to start all over. Could losing everything she’d worked for all her life lead her to find what’s been missing all along?
Click here to order Hell’s Christmas: the audiobook.
Click here to download Hell’s Christmas: the eBook. (It’s just $3.99, and you can use Amazon’s gift function to make it a present for the Kindle owner on your list!)
Click here to order Hell’s Christmas in paperback.
Meet the Author:
Cynthia is a writer of Christian fiction/fantasy. She attends Liberty University where she is earning her BS in Psychology and Christian Counseling.
Cynthia is an administrator with the CIA… haha, that’s Christian Indie Authors. She is happily married and living in Georgia with her husband and three children.
Cynthia has many stories to tell. She loves to write about faith with a twist of fantasy to entertain hearts and minds of all ages.
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaPWillow
Blog: http://www.cynthiapwillow.com/under-the-willow-tree.html
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynthiaPWillow
Click here to view other books by Cynthia P. Willow, including children’s novels and young adult fantasy.
On Tour with Prism Book Tours
Shifting Fate Book Blast!!
Win a $50 Amazon Gift Card prize pack below.
Shifting Fate
YA/NA Paranormal Romance
Summary
According to prophecy, Brianna Drake was born to save the world. The trouble is, she doesn’t have the slightest idea how. Her visions should have given her the answer, but they’re beginning to shift, making the danger too unpredictable, even for a prophet.
If she can just help her sister restore their hidden powers, she might be able to stop what’s coming. But an old enemy returns, and he’s got plans for Brianna and her visions.
What neither of them knows is that fate has given a stranger one chance to find her. He was trained to protect the chosen—but if he fails, the future will crumble.
Shifting Fate is the second book in the Descendants Series (following Bound by Prophecy) and focuses on Brianna and Logan.
There is a teaser posted here and the first chapter posted here, but beware, it’s full of spoilers from the first book.
Purchase from Amazon. Will soon be released to to iTunes, Barnes & Noble, and most other eBook vendors.
Excerpt
I stayed there for a long while, staring at the dark marble countertop, the tiles inlaid with gold, until all of the voices quieted. When I finally came out, Brendan was waiting for me in the bedroom.
“I’m sorry about this,” he said, indicating the windowless walls around us. “As soon as the security updates are finished, we’ll be moving you to Council.” I could see the idea bothered him more than it should, and the rest of his explanation seemed to be more to convince himself than me. “It’s the best place for you. To keep you safe.”
I nodded.
“I had them bring up some lunch. It’s in the sitting room.”
My stomach turned. “Thanks. I’m not really hungry.”
He didn’t shift; he hadn’t taken his eyes off me at all. “If you’d like to sleep for a—”
“No,” I interrupted. “No, I’m not tired.” I was exhausted—my muscles ached, and my hands still shook—but I didn’t want to be alone.
He held out a hand. “Sit with me then?”
I walked past him toward the sitting room, and his hand fell to the small of my back. I could have sat in the reading chair, but I didn’t. Instead, I took the center of a small sofa where Brendan could settle beside me. His arm came around me.
I shouldn’t have. I knew that. But Brendan cared about me, and it felt good to have someone there.
I stared at the wall across from us, a beautiful Wyeth painting centered over a narrow table. It was probably an original. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to appreciate it. They had been attacking Council ever since Morgan was taken. We had thought it was in retaliation. We had thought they meant to rescue Morgan. But we were wrong … because they were after me.
I closed my eyes, trying to force a vision to come. It didn’t work that way, but I wanted so badly to finally have this over with, to save my sister and myself. To save everyone. I just needed a clue. One small indicator of how, of what I was searching for in Emily, of what to do.
“Brianna,” he started, and I was on my feet, nowhere to go but the table across from us.
I could almost feel his presence behind me. I picked up a vase, examining the etched glass, and internally cringed. Nice, Brianna, run over to look at glass.
“Brianna,” he said again, and the hurt in his tone was clear. I had to say something. Do something.
I turned to face him. “I’m sorry.” He was too close. I sat the vase back on the table, stepped one leg behind me. Two would have been too much. Two would have injured him more. I looked into his eyes, so dark they were nearly black, and said, “I like you, Brendan. I do.” Before I could finish, before I could add, “but …” his phone rang.
He answered it. In the middle of our conversation.
After a brief exchange, he slid the cell phone back into his pocket. His gaze found me. “I’m sorry, Brianna, but I have to take care of something.” He glanced at his watch. “I hate to leave you alone, but Aern will be here shortly. There are two men at the door, and the alarms are always on.” He reached up to touch my shoulder. “We will talk soon.”
And then he smiled, clearly only taking the “I like you” from our conversation, before walking out the door.
I stared at it for several minutes, open as it was, before finally falling onto the couch and throwing an arm over my eyes.
I had bigger problems, I knew, so I started populating a list in my head for when Aern arrived. I would do everything I could to resolve our issue. I had a lot of work to do before I could figure out where to start.
~Melissa Wright. Shifting Fate (from Chapter 2, Kindle Locations 204-245).
YA/NA Paranormal Romance
April 15th 2013
Summary
Twenty-two-year-old Aern is done watching his brother destroy the only thing that matters. He never wanted to take Morgan’s place among council, never wanted to rule their hidden world. But when the key to the prophecy is found, a young girl named Brianna whom Morgan will destroy, Aern knows he has to take action.
What he really wants, is for things to go back to normal. But now he’s kidnapped a girl, and his brother’s men are after him. His only hope is to join with the Division, but they have plans of their own, and it’s the last thing Aern is willing to do.
Emily just wants her sister back. She doesn’t care about the prophecy, or realize what’s at stake. But when she goes after Aern, the truth of the matter uncoils, and Brianna isn’t the only one who’s in danger.
Suddenly, they’re at the center of a secret war, and unless they can work together, they’ll both have a sacrifice too big to make.
You can read an excerpt of Bound by Prophecy here.
Purchase ebook for FREE on Nook and Kindle. Can also purchase from the Book Depository, and in audio at Amazon, iTunes, and Audible.com.
Melissa Wright is the author of the Frey Saga and the new Descendants series. Melissa spends her time working on novels, but when not writing she can be found on Goodreads and Pinterest.
Giveaways
1 – $50 Amazon Gift Card and an ebook of Shifting Fate (US & INT)
2 – Paperback copies of Bound by Prophecy and Shifting Fate (US ONLY)
3 – ebook of Shifting Fate (US & INT)
Ends December 15th. Enter via the Rafflecopter below.
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It’s hard to believe National Novel Writing Month is over. November went by fast; it was busy and full and at times stressful, but what a ride! I wrote every day, averaging over 3,000 words per day, ending with just over 100,000 words altogether. Although I finished the rough draft of my novel, it needs a LOT of editing, so it will be awhile before it sees the light of day. I do intend to publish it eventually, though, assuming I can get it to the point where I’m happy with it. Don’t ask me why, but for some reason I chose to write about a topic I know very little about, so I’m going to have to get input and feedback from experts in the field as I revise!
For those who are curious about my novel, here’s a brief description that may eventually become the back-cover blurb:
For fourteen-year-old Bensin, life as a slave in the Krillonian Empire is bearable only because he can practice and compete in the martial art he loves. He has promised to protect his younger sister Ellie, but after he is sold to a coach whose training begins to really build his skills, everything changes. With victory in the empire’s most important tournament almost within reach, will he give up everything he has been working toward to come to her aid when danger threatens? And can he successfully deceive his new owner – the first free person to treat him kindly – and break the law to free his sister?
This is a sample cover (not the final version I’ll use when I publish it) that someone I met on the NaNo site was nice enough to design for me. You can take a look at more of her art work here. The weapon Bensin is holding in the picture is what I call a cavvarach (pronounce it so it rhymes with “have a rack”), which he uses in the martial art I made up called cavvara shil. The hook on the top edge is actually supposed to be pointing the other way. To win a duel, you must snag your opponent’s cavvarach with the hook and pull it out of their hand. It also counts if you knock or kick it away (yes, kicking one’s opponent is allowed too). Another way to win is by knocking your opponent down and holding their shoulders to the mat for five seconds. It’s been a fun challenge designing this sport and incorporating it in my story!
So what’s next? Well, I’m trying to follow other writers’ advice and not look at my document for at least a week or two (though it’s been a lot harder than you might think!). After I let it rest a bit, I’ll read back through it and do all my usual editing and polishing, as well as a little more research into martial arts and fitness in general to make sure all the details are realistic. I’m guessing that will take a couple of months, maybe longer. At that point, I’ll need beta readers (people to read through it and give feedback and suggestions before it’s published), so if you’re interested, let me know!
About the Book
You’re Strong Enough takes readers on a quest to discover who they are, why they are here, where they came from, and what their ultimate goal is. Christian writer, Kassi Pontious, shares personal experiences aimed at teaching young people that each of us is strong enough for our own trials and challenges. In “You’re Strong Enough,” you will discover who your real enemy is and how to defeat this dragon. As you participate in individual quests at the end of each chapter, you will learn how to cut the strings of dysfunction that may be trying to control your life. Ultimately, you will discover where your true strength lies and how to conquer the obstacles in life’s path. You’re Strong Enough is a book about hope and empowerment. It brings truths to light that will empower your soul and inspire you, and those around you.
Kassi L. Pontious Kassi Pontious is the author of the Christian teenage and young adult books, You’re Enough Series. Kassi wrote the You’re Enough Series, beginning with You’re Strong Enough to help struggling teenagers and young adults who come from dysfunctional families and who feel lost and confused. Her goal is to help her readers to find a way to cope, to forgive, to believe, and to trust again. Kassi is a graduate of the LDS Christian church missionary program and a leader of Christian youth groups. Kassi has studied religion extensively, including four years at seminary and three years at Orem Institute of Religion. She served an eighteen-month mission in North Carolina, leading a group of fifty sister missionaries. Kassi understands what it is like to be from a divorced and dysfunctional family. Her parents divorced when she was four and she lived with six different families during her childhood. She works with kids that come from divorced and dysfunctional families, teaching them how to cope, and maximize their potential despite their challenging home lives. Kassi is married and has four beautiful children. She runs a successful real estate brokerage firm in Alpine Utah. She loves hiking, playing sports, geo caching, and swimming.
Follow Kassi L. Pontious
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This book blast is hosted by CrossReads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness! 2 Corinthians 3:9 (NLT) What would it look like for you to be bold, transparent, free, and truly the person God created you to be? What would it look like for you to BE YOU? In this four week mini Bible Study journey with author Heather Bixler as she shares some of her personal struggles with you in an effort to be transparent with you, the reader. God wants us to shine and radiate His glory, but truly this can only be done through our brokenness. God is looking for transparent women to help guide others to a true and intimate relationship with Jesus through the sharing of their own brokenness, and compassion for one another. If we are truly going to shine for HIS glory in the new ministry of HIS righteousness then we must learn the art of being who God created us to be. We often think this is found through performance and behavior changes, but when we have given our life over to Jesus then everything God created us to be is found in the Holy Spirit that is already living within us. Come and unwrap the beauty that is already within through the four week mini Bible Study, Be You!
Download on Kindle today for Only $0.99!
Free Kindle Book to Celebrate the Launch:
Download your copy of our brand new Mini Bible Study Bundle for FREE! This Mini Bible Study Bundle includes the following Becoming Press Mini Bible Studies in One:
- God the Father – Four Week Mini Bible Study
- Faith – Four Week Mini Bible Study
- Rejected- Four Week Mini Bible Study
- My Treasures – Four Week Mini Bible Study
- BONUS: Breaking Pride – Tearing Down Walls, Walking in His Grace.
Download the Becoming Press Mini Bible Study Bundle- Vol. 1 for free today and tomorrow (11/29 & 11/30)!
Free Online Bible Study using the “Be You – Four Week Mini Bible Study!
Sign up today for a free four week online Bible Study with author Heather Bixler. Starting in January 2014 you will have the chance to participate in an online Bible Study of “Be You – Four Week Mini Bible Study.” Be sure and sign up today, space is limited and registration is required!
Sign up for the FREE online Bible Study here!
Giveaway!
Still time to enter our giveaway. Just submit your entries using the rafflecopter widget below: a Rafflecopter giveaway This is a Becoming Press LLC book launch. Sign up here to become a book launch blogger!
Today on my blog I’m featuring the book Angel on My Mind by Shirley Wiggerman.
Book Description:
A love story of a different sort. Jonathan is alone trying to find himself in the world that surrounds him. He makes a vital decision for change in hopes of a much brighter future but after one night of fun, he is confronted with three situations that turn his precarious life into one full of direction. Unexpectantly he meets a woman named Angela at a skating rink and falls in love with her within the hour they spend skating. She leaves unannounced. Jonathan is left with only her phone number and her journal. Now because of his love for her, he must find her in hopes to convince her to marry him. This seems simple enough except that the circumstances of the night, after he left the skating rink, has him with his one and only connection to ever see Angela again. A skateboarding teen named Kyle, the one person that can help him find her but he doesn’t make it easy by playing games with Jonathan. On top of everything else he discovers a stranger inside his parents old house and is determined to know who he is, and what he’s doing there. Jonathan wants Angela to be his wife, the annoying kid to grow up, and the strange man out of his parents house. He wants his life to be easy again.
Excerpt from Chapter 4…
She skated backwards with her arms stretched out in front her, holding his hands to pull him along. He continued to be clumsy, nearly pulling her down with him a few times when turning the corners. If ever he wanted to impress, this was the time, and so far he wasn’t doing well. It wasn’t long, just as she said, that he was looking like he had been on wheels for years. Not for years, but he had gained his balance…
Click here to view or order the book on Amazon.
Jonathan was ready to step off the floor. He was still nervous just being with Angela. He has always been that way around women he met for the first time but this time was worse. Trying to step off the floor, he cut the corner short, just barely hitting the wall, but it was enough to make him lose his balance and making him stumble…
A Five-Star Review for Angel on My Mind:
What an awesome start! I would be interested in reading another book by the author! It was a great love story, a story your able to connect with and want more…….nice work!
From the Author
I have been a writer since I was a child, as my English teachers would always suggest. I love writing and love to see others touched by what they have read just as how I was touched with the stories I have read.
I am a romantic truly. I was traveling down a highway when the idea of this book came to mind. I fell in love with the story and wanted to bring it to life. My hope is that the reader enjoys the story as much as I did. Not your typical romance novel but one of good character. Although the book is slow in introducing the best part of the plot. I wanted to introduce Jonathan’s character first, to help the reader understand just how much he needs the love in his life he so desires to have with Angela. May the reader fall in love with the story as much as I did.
Winner of 2007 American Poet of the Year Award for my poem, “The Fire”.
Paris, France
1792
Colette DeMer and her brother Pascoe are two sides of the same coin, dependent upon one another in the tumultuous world of the new Republic. Together they labor with other leaders of the sans-culottes to ensure freedom for all the downtrodden men and women of France.
But then the popular uprisings turn bloody and the rhetoric proves false. Suddenly, Colette finds herself at odds with Pascoe and struggling to unite her fractured family against the lure of violence. Charged with protecting an innocent young woman and desperately afraid of losing one of her beloved brothers, Colette doesn’t know where to turn or whom to trust as the bloodshed creeps ever closer to home.
Until that distant day when peace returns to France, can she find the strength to defend her loved ones . . . even from one another?
Coming April 25, 2014
____________
EXCERPT FROM THE STORY:
Until That Distant Day
Opening of Chapter 1
I was born believing that the world was unfair and that I was the person to make it right.
One of my earliest memories is of Papa setting me atop a nail keg in the forge; I could not have been older than two at the time.
“Colette, give Papa a kiss,” he said, tapping his cheek.
“Why?”
“Come and sit on my knee.”
“Why?”
My response to every order was the same, asked with genuine curiosity. I did not understand why his watching friends chuckled. Why should I press my lips to Papa’s sweaty, prickly cheek? Why should I hop down from the keg, where he had just placed me, and run to sit on his knee, a most uncomfortable perch? I felt justified in requesting a reason for each abrupt order, yet he never bothered to give me one.
Mama, when thus questioned, provided an answer in the form of a sharp swat. This I could respect as definitive authority, although the reasoning behind it remained dubious.
My little brother Pascoe was born believing that the world was his to command. As soon as he acquired his first vocabulary word, “No,” he and I joined ranks in defiance of established authority.
Many impediments cluttered the path of destiny in those early years: parents, thirteen other siblings, physical ailments, and educational difficulties. And as we grew into adulthood, more serious matters intervened, even parting us for a time. But I will speak more of that later. For now, let me assure you that, no matter the obstacles thrown in our way, our sibling bond seemed indissoluble; the love between us remained unaffected by any outside relationship.
Pascoe and I were young adults when revolutionaries in Paris threw aside the tyranny of centuries and established a new government based on the Rights of Man. From the seclusion of our little village in Normandy we rejoiced over each battle fought and won; and when our local physician, Doctor Hilliard, who had first mentored then employed Pascoe for several years, was elected as deputy to the National Assembly from our district, a whole new world opened at our feet.
My story truly begins on a certain day in the spring of 1792, in the little domain I had made for myself in the kitchen at the back of Doctor Hilliard’s Paris house. Perhaps it wasn’t truly my domain, for it did not belong to me. I was merely the doctor’s housekeeper and could lay no real claim. Nevertheless, the kitchen was more mine than anything had ever been, and I loved that small, dark room; especially during the hours when sunlight slanted through the bubbled-glass kitchen windows, making bright, swirling shapes on the whitewashed walls, or each evening when I arranged my latest culinary creation on a platter and left it in the warming oven for the doctor to discover whenever he arrived home. That kitchen was my home. Not the home I had grown up in, but the home I had always craved.
On that particular day, however, it did not feel the safe haven I had always believed it to be. Loud voices drifted down from the upper floor where the doctor and Pascoe were in conference, disturbing my calm. When I closed the connecting door to the dining room, the angry voices drifted in through the open kitchen windows. I couldn’t close the windows; I might smother of heat. Yet I needed to block out the sound, to make it stop.
So I slipped a filet of sole into a greased skillet and let it brown until golden on both sides. The hiss and sizzle did not quite cover the shouting, but it helped. Then I slid the fish onto a waiting plate lined with sautéed vegetables fresh from my kitchen garden; and I topped all with an herbed wine-and-butter sauce. A grind of fresh pepper finished off my creation.
But my hands were still trembling, and I felt as if something inside me might fall to pieces.
Pascoe often shouted. Shouting was part of his fiery nature, a normal event. He shouted when he gave speeches at section meetings. He shouted about overcooked meals or inferior wines. He shouted when his lace jabot refused to fall into perfect folds.
But never before had I heard Doctor Hilliard raise his voice in anger.
Doctor Hilliard was never angry. Doctor Hilliard never displayed emotion. At most, he might indicate approval by the glance of a benevolent eye or disapprobation by the merest lift of a brow. Yet there could be no mistaking the two furious voices overhead. I well knew Pascoe’s sharp tenor with its sarcastic edge; but now I also heard the doctor’s resonant voice crackling with fury.
I managed to slide the hot plate into the warmer alongside a crusty loaf of bread and closed the door, using a doubled towel to protect my shaking hands.
Behind me the connecting door was flung open, and Pascoe burst in as I spun to face him. “Gather your things; we are leaving,” he growled. His eyes blazed in his pale face, and the jut of his jaw allowed for no questions. He clapped his tall hat on his head as he passed through the room.
I donned my bonnet and sabots and picked up my parasol. “What has happened?” I asked just above a whisper.
“I’ll tell you once we are away from this house.” His lips snapped tight. His chest heaved with emotion, and he grasped a portfolio so tightly that his fingers looked white.
I could not recall the last time I had seen my brother in such a rage.
____________
Jill Stengl is the author of numerous romance novels including Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award- and Carol Award-winning Faithful Traitor, and the bestselling novella, Fresh Highland Heir. She lives with her husband in the beautiful Northwoods of Wisconsin, where she enjoys her three cats, teaching a high school English Lit. class, playing keyboard for her church family, and sipping coffee on the deck as she brainstorms for her next novel.
GIVEAWAY:
Jill is offering an enormous bundle prize of ten print novels and novellas, including her award-winning Faithful Traitor, several novella collections, and her three-book Longtree series. These will all be autographed! (US and Canada only, please.)
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FREE Nov. 25 – 28th!
Faith, Love, and Fried Chicken (Serial Novel)
By Laura J. Marshall
About the Book
Excitement. That’s what Jaycee has been saving for since high school. With plans to leave rural Twain, Georgia, the “to where” and the “to what” have been the only questions stopping her. Will her intentions change when Dash Matheson pulls her wandering heart in his direction? Feel the summer heat of the Fourth of July in this southern series as Jaycee finds love. (Volume I, Summer of a four part short story series under the Faith, Love, and Fried Chicken title.)
Faith, Love, and Fried Chicken:Volume II, Fall (Serial Novel) 99-Cents! Volume II, It’s autumn in Twain, Georgia. Jaycee has herself a new job and with it, a new problem. Is it something bug spray can fix? Dash is struggling with more than just the reality of the pain from his injury. Could Jaycee be hiding something from him? The pumpkins are ripe on the vine and the pecans are ready to be shelled. Come spend Thanksgiving week in this southern series as Jaycee finds love. A four part serial novel under the Faith, Love, and Fried Chicken title. Volume III, Winter coming December 2013. Volume IV, Spring coming March 2014.
About Laura J. Marshall
Laura J. Marshall is a full-time mother of five boys and part-time writer and blogger. She operates a popular blog called The Old Stone Wall which hosts and promotes Christian Authors and encourages interaction between readers and authors. Laura writes Christian Romantic fiction and the best-selling Battle Cry Devotional Series. You can find out more about Laura and her other books online at
LauraJMarshall.com
Follow Laura J. Marshall
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Enter below to enter a $50 amazon gift card, sponsored by author Laura J. Marshall! a Rafflecopter giveawayThis book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!
Today I (Annie) am excited to welcome guest blogger Nate Worrell, who’s here to discuss the exciting topic of writing contests!
A sea of challenge awaits you, dear writer. It will put to test your talent and your fortitude. I have ventured into this world. I have seen nightmarish beasts and ethereal beauty. I invite you to take the risk to enter a writing contest and see what sort of magic you might encounter. Before you embark on your journey, I want to share some basic tenants to prepare you for the trek ahead.
There are as Many Contests as There are Mythical Monsters
Just as Medusa is different from Cyclops, each writing contest has is its own quirks. Knowing what type of contest you want to enter is a crucial first step.
There are four ways to identify a contest:
1.
By Format (Fiction/Nonfiction/Poetry/Essay)
then Genre (Sci-Fi/Romance/Children’s/Etc.). Many contests span the spectrum and can potentially offer several ways to participate. (For Example:
The Bridport Prize) Sticking with your comfort zone isn’t a bad strategy. However,
sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone can strengthen your writing. (
See my interview with Michael Grabell)
2. By Contest Sponsor. Each type of sponsor provides a different feel.
ALERT: Dark creatures and vandals are looming. Be sure to research the validity of any contest sponsor.
· Pay attention to how long they have been around
· Do they post past winners?
· Do they explain what they do with your writing once you submit it?
Retreat quickly if you note anything suspicious.
3.
“Open” vs. “Themed”. Open contests will take writing on any subject and with any style. Most contests allow you to write anything you want (
Gemini Fictions contest). Many will have a few restrictions like no erotica or children’s fiction.
ALWAYS READ CONTESTS GUIDELINES. Themed contest provide some sort of prompt and participants all have to relate their writing to that prompt. (Fanstory [
http://www.fanstory.com/], On The Premises [
http://www.onthepremises.com/]). While both contest types require high quality writing and great stories, the themed contests add the extra criteria of how well you can incorporate the prompt.
4. By eligible participants. Contests can discriminate as much as they want. At the most open end of the spectrum, you have international contests, open to anybody. As an example of a more restrictive example, you might find a contest that is only open to women living in a small town in Maine, above a certain age. The more restrictive end of the spectrum is the hidden gem of the writing contest world. The writing contests that get the most attention will be the ones that get the most participants. By virtue of math, the more people you have in a competition the odds that you win go down. However, if you can find a niche competition, you might only be competing against a few dozen or so, and it can be a relatively easy way to get some resume boosters.
Your Writing Contest Oracles:
With all the assortment of writing contest, where do you begin to look? Thankfully, there are several great sites out there, and I detail each one in my blog.
· Finally,
Funds for Writers features helpful advice and warm editorials by C. Hope Clark.
· Add to this list your local library, and you will have a wealth of resources to guide you.
Expect to be Torched by Dragons and Wowed by Wizards
There are hazards in the writing competition world. Your work might be torn to shreds. It might not win, or worse, not even make the short list. You might get critiques that make you want to reconsider writing altogether. Do not fear. Do not lose heart. Use these opportunities as a metallurgist uses his furnace to forge a mighty weapon. Allow the heat to sharpen your edges. After all, these hairy beasties do not lurk only in writing contests; they prowl throughout the entire writing land.
Then scrutinize the victors. What ingredients did they put in their potion that made them so effective? Sometimes fate interferes (for example- if both the writer and judge enjoy chocolate covered bacon, and that’s the subject of the writer’s poem). More often, it is a risk that the writer took, or a voice, or a twist in the narrative that separates winners from the pack. Writing warriors are everywhere, and you can either let them push you aside, or push you forward.
Paying the Ferryman
If you are like me, you treasure your gold coins. Paying a fee seems like a good way to waste $25. I want to comfort you, and put your payment in some context.
· First, if you ever see a contest that offers feedback on your writing, that
can make a fee worth it. Most editors start at $25 an hour.
· Second, paying a fee is something you feel, so it adds that much more incentive to write better.
· Third, if you wanted to attend a class at a university to learn to write, you would have to pay a lot more.
· Finally, prize money has to come from somewhere. Consider it good karma to make your contribution to the writing contest world.
Final Words
If you want to know more about contests, judging, meet some winners, or anything else contest related, please contact me [
[email protected]]. I wish you all the best in your quest.
May you reign supreme.Nate Worrell is the creator of The Competitive Writer, a blog about writing contests. He’s been published in The Binnacle, Marco Polo Literary Journal and From the Depths. If he were a character from the Lord of the Rings, he would be an Ent.
Image Credit: By Boxiness (Painting using tablet PC.) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
