Category Archives: Contests

Yes, it’s time for a flash fiction contest!

Hi everyone!  Glad to see you stopped by.  If you’re new to the site, please feel free to wander around and make yourself at home.  Pull up a chair, grab a cup of jo and chat for a bit.

I am really excited about the contest I’m hosting.  For one, it’s going to be a blast to participate.  Second, I wanted to do something fun to help promote Julie Reece’s debut novel, CRUX.

You’re going to see a lot of promo on my blog about this novel because I absolutely believe in this diamond.  If you want to learn more about this YA urban fantasy, click here.  I had the pleasure of reading this as a beta and let me tell you, it rocks!  It truly has movie potential.  The publisher is J. Taylor Publishing and has a release date of July 9, so mark it on your calendar and put this one on your Must-Read list.

Okay, so what does that have to do with the flash fiction contest?  Everything, since author, Julie, came up with the writing prompt AND she will be the judge of the contest.  What’s the prompt and the prize? Pop over to my contest page to find out.

Non-fiction Contest – Midlife Collage

I love contests, especially ones that are reader-driven.

Several months ago I found this great site, Midlife Collage, that accepts short vignettes of true stories from individuals over 40.  Each week, 5 of these vignettes appear and readers are encouraged to stop by, read all of them and then vote.  The one with the most number of votes and the highest rating wins the prize.  I like to call it a ‘readers choice award’ though the website doesn’t have a name for the award.

I was lucky enough to find out last week that one of my submissions:  From Traps to Talons:  A Mouse’s Ironic Twist of Fate, was accepted for the contest.  It is currently on the website and is up for review and voting.  The voting is open through Sunday, March 11, 2012.

Thank you for participating and enjoy all the vignettes.  I have read them all and liked them.

I encourage all of you to visit the site and cast your vote for the best story.  Don’t forget to click on the little yellow stars to vote!  You will have to sign up with an e-mail and password to vote, but it’s harmless and no one bugs you or sends you unsolicited junk.  Also, if you are a writer over 40, you may want to think about submitting some non-fiction works to the site for a future contest.  There is no fee to enter the contests and it’s all in good fun.

Enjoy your day and happy reading!!

Chain Story Blogger Contest Winner Announced!

Copyright (c) <a href='http://www.123rf.com'>123RF Stock Photos</a>As promised, today I announce the winner of the Chain Story Blogger Contest and Award!  I would like to thank all of you for participating and I really loved all the responses and seeing the story develop over the last week.

My 17-year old son, Kevin, read over all the entries several times and debated them, trying to decide which one he liked the best.  In the end, he had to pick only one, and that winner is…

 

Julie Catherine

Congratulations, Julie!  *throws confetti in the air*

I asked my teen which post of Julie’s was the deciding point and why.  He said the following was the one that he really liked the most:

“Green scales glimmered in the sunlight, flashing down the length of his sleek back and long, flickering tail. Darren’s emerald eyes rimmed with gold shone as he raised them towards the heavens and roared, belching crimson fire and tendrils of curled gold flame.”

Copyright (c) <a href='http://www.123rf.com'>123RF Stock Photos</a>

He loved the description of the dragon and the atmosphere she created in this scene.  Kevin went on to say that he enjoyed all of Julie’s entries the best for her choice of words and how she was able to get across the meaning intended in as few words as possible.  She evoked a sense of mystery in her writing and kept him wanting to turn the page.  He also thought she made the characters pop off the screen.

There you have it, straight from the mouth of a seventeen-year old avid reader.  I liked this exercise, even for me, because I got to hear an unbiased view from a teenager about what he looks for when he reads:  few words, tight scenes, mystery, description and characterization.

Julie Catherine, as the winner you get the Chain Story Blogger Award

and a free critique from moi of the first 10 pages of your manuscript.  Please send your ten pages, double-spaced to me at kford2007@gmail.com.  Please allow 2 weeks from the date I receive the pages to send back my comments (I do not foresee it taking this long but, just in case…) J.  Also, please stress in your e-mail exactly what sort of feedback are you looking for in addition to the line-by-line edit and critique.

Last Day for Chance to Win Kindle Book of your Choice!

Today is the last day to enter my Kindle book giveaway!  What are you waiting for?  Come on over and play a round of trivia.  Even if you haven’t read the books, Google and  Goodreads have the answers.

Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or Win a Book of Your Choice from The Book Depository

 what a great giveaway, especially right before Christmas!  Pop over to I am a Reader, Not a Writer, scroll down and sign up for your chance to win!

Contest to celebrate 10,000 hits on my blog!

In celebration of hitting 10,000 views of my blog, I’ve decided to host a trivia contest about what else…books!  Some of the questions are easy, some relatively hard, but all should be fun to try and answer.  The winner will receive his or her choice of the Kindle version of one of the following novels:

 

 

 

 

The winner will be chosen at random and must answer all questions correctly.

So, how do you enter?  The rules are simple:

  1. Subscribe to my blog
  2. post a comment on my blog
  3. blog about the contest on your own blog
  4. and Tweet or comment on Facebook about the contest.

Where do you leave your answers? E-mail your answers to me at kford2007@gmail.com.  The winner will be announced on my blog on Friday, December 16.  Contest winner will have 48 hours to contact me with their choice of the three Kindle prizes.  Good luck and have fun with the contest and thanks for playing along! Let the trivia questions begin!  

  1. In the novel, The Hunger Games, what district is Katniss from?
  2. Also from The Hunger Games, how many tributes die the first day of the games?
  3. In Vampire Academy, who does Christian team up with to fight Strigoi with fire?
  4. In Rick Riordan’s series, The Kane Chronicles, what is Carter’s sister’s name?
  5. Who wrote the books centered around the world of Midkemia?
  6. What is Henry’s profession in The Time Traveler’s Wife?
  7. What was Stephen King’s first published novel?
  8. In Jurassic Park, what does Dr. Grant always carry in his pocket?
  9. In Great Expectations, what is Pip’s real first name?
  10. In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, what street does Mrs. Figg live on?

Can you guess my character’s age?

Brenda Drake has this awesome blogfest contest going on over at her blog. The topic: Can we guess your character’s age?

Being the contest nerd I am (and a huge fan of Brenda Drake’s site), I’ve decided to participate. I’m posting the first 250 words of my novel,  and I am excited to see if I’ve managed to get my MC’s voice right.

I’m going to pop over to everyone’s site to participate. I think this is a fun contest and a great way to interact with other writers. It also lets you know if you’re on the right track with your character’s voice.

So, with that said, here are my 250 words. *rubs hands and smiles really big*

***

David Heiland leaned over his desk and blew the eraser crumbs from the cat-like eyes staring back at him in his drawing.  Just like in his nightmares, the dragon clung to the castle’s battlement, a lifeless body clutched in one talon. Small horns jutted from the top of the creature’s head and two leather-like whiskers protruded from both sides of its snout. From its neck hung a pendant on a braided chain – a reptilian eye embedded in a swirling web.  Crouched in the shadow of a turret were a man and a woman, their arms raised like shields above their heads, terror etched into their eyes and mouths.

Charlotte closed the bedroom door and tossed her coat on the bean bag chair, burying the gaming controllers.  She peered over David’s shoulder.  “Wow, that’s amazing and creepy.  I can’t get over how real it looks.” She kicked off her sneakers and climbed into the center of his carved, four-poster bed. “Who are the people?”

“My parents,” David said, examining his work.  “You know, it’s funny.  Up until a few years ago, all I ever dreamed of was them being alive.”  He brushed his thumb over the woman in the drawing.  ”I used to pretend the front door would open and they’d walk through it, and all would be right with the world.  Now all I dream about is this,” he said, smacking the picture, “and some woman’s voice whispering to me, ‘Your time is nigh.  Be brave’.”  With a flick of his wrist, the drawing pad sailed across the room and landed on the foot of the bed.  “It’s driving me nuts.  I can’t take it anymore.”  He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair.

“It’s just a dream, David,” Charlotte said.  “It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Oh, yeah?” David said.  ”Then why can’t I get it out of my head?”

“I don’t know,”  Charlotte said, twisting a loose thread in the bedspread.

***

Don’t forget to hop around the other participant’s sites and leave your comments!

New Blogfest Contest by the fantastic Brenda Drake!

I have got to say, I love these contests Brenda Drake has on her blog.  What a great way to meet other authors and test the waters with snippets of what you’ve written.  This new contest is a great one:  Can we guess your character’s age?

I love the idea of this contest because, while we may know how old our characters are, we may not have conveyed it well to the reader.  I know that was a problem a publisher had with my novel – inconsistencies in ‘voice’.  Sometimes my MC sounded younger, sometimes older than he was.  After this was pointed out to me, I saw it crystal clear.  But not all of us are lucky enough to get a manuscript redlined for us with all the things that need to be improved.  That’s why I love this new contest Brenda has.

If you are a writer, you should give this a whirl to see if your character’s voice matches his/her age.  What a great lesson to learn before you send your MS out to an agent and/or publisher.

Thanks, Brenda, and I can’t wait for the contest to begin!  It’s going to be tons of fun to read other excerpts and guess the ages of the characters.

I did it! I actually did it!

I won the readers’ choice award at Midlife Collage!  I’ve never won anything in my life for my writing.  I’m all tingles and smiles!  I can’t believe it!  I really can’t believe it.  *Squeal*  *jumping up and down*

Wow.  I would like to take a minute to thank everyone who voted for my non-fiction short story, Baby.  She was truly a special dog and she is still missed by our family.  I would also like to give a very warm ‘thank you’ to Donna Balon, Editor at Midlife Collage, for hosting these weekly contests and opening the door to many writers and authors.

In celebration of my first ever contest win, I would like to share some virtual goodies.  I hope you enjoy them.  I know I would if I really had them!!!!  :-)

If you are interested in reading my winning story about Baby, please head on over to my short stories tab.

Whoo hoo!!!!

 and  and 

Writer’s Digest Announces 11th Annual Short Story Competition

Short Short Story Competition

The Writer’s Digest 11th Annual Short Short Story Competition
We’re looking for fiction that’s bold, brilliant…but brief. Send us your best in 1,500 words or fewer.

But don’t be too long about it—the deadline is Thursday, December 1, 2010.

PRIZES
First Place: $3,000 and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference in New York City
Second Place: $1,500
Third Place: $500
Fourth Through Tenth Place: $100
Eleventh Through Twenty-Fifth Place: $50 gift certificate for Writer’s Digest Books

* The names and story titles of the First-through Tenth-Place winners will be printed in the May/June 2011 Writer’s Digest, and winners will receive the 2011 Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market and Agents, Editors, and You: The Insider’s Guide to Getting Your Book Published. Plus, all First through 25th place winners will receive a free copy of the 11th Annual Writer’s Digest Short Short Story Competition Collection.

http://writersdigest.com/short?mid=27345&rid=20178485