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Short Story Contest

January 29, 2019 by Bethlehem Writers Group in category Contests, Writing Contest tagged as 2019 Short Story Award, Animal Tales, Bethlehem Writers Group, Bethlehem Writers Roundtable Short Story Award, BWG

The 2019 Short Story Award opened on January 1, 2019

The theme is Animal Stories,
broadly interpreted.
Stories of 2,000 words or fewer
about

WILD ANIMALS, PETS, or IMAGINARY BEASTS

are welcome
(so long as an animal is an important
character or element of the story)
The winner will receive $200
and may be offered publication in BWG’s upcoming anthology,

Fur, Feathers & Scales
Sweet, Funny, and Strange Animal Tales.

The 2019 Guest Judge: Best-Selling Author John Grogan

John Grogan is an American journalist and author. As the former, he has written for the South Florida Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, serving as metropolitan columnist. In 1999, he moved to Pennsylvania to take the role of managing editor of Organic Gardening magazine at Rodale Publishing. He joined The Philadelphia Inquirer as a columnist in 2002.

When, in 2003, his dog, Marley, died at age thirteen, Grogan wrote a column in the Inquirer honoring him, and received overwhelming reader response. Grogan realized that he had more to say about the “World’s Worst Dog,” and “owed it to Marley to tell the rest of the story.” Released in 2005, his book Marley & Me was an international bestseller, selling millions of copies worldwide and spending twenty-three weeks in the top spot of the New York Times bestseller list. The book was adapted into a popular film starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston. Grogan wrote several spin-off children’s books, including Bad Dog, Marley, A Very Marley Christmas, and Marley Goes to School.

In addition, in 2008 Grogan published a coming-of-age memoir, The Longest Trip Home, revolving around the theme of “powerful love of family.”He is an adjunct professor in the Department of Journalism and Communication at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

For more information or to enter the contest go to The 2019 Short Story Award.

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The BBB Contest

January 28, 2019 by A Slice of Orange in category Contests, Published Contest tagged as OCC/RWA, romance, The BBB Contest

Showcasing the shining excellence of published authors in novella and novel-length romance fiction and mainstream fiction with a central romance.

Deadline: April 15, 2019

Categories for the contest are:

All novel length entries must be at or above 50,000 words

Contemporary Romance (Novel Length)
Mainstream Fiction with a central romance (Novel Length)
Historical & Regency (Novel Length)
Romantic Suspense & Mystery with romantic elements (Novel Length)
Paranormal/Time Travel/Fantasy/Futuristic Romance (Novel Length)
Young Adult (Novel Length)
Inspirational (Novel Length)
Erotic Romance (Novel Length)
Novella (All Works of Romance Fiction at or above 20,000 and less than 50,000 words regardless of subgenre)
LGBT: Authors are to place their entries in the appropriate category listed above.

For more information or to enter the contest go to Book Buyers Best.

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The Perfect Death by Neetu

January 26, 2019 by Neetu Malik in category Poet's Day by Neetu Malik tagged as Neetu, Poet's Day

They have been sitting on the porch 
 in reclining chairs, an old couple, 
 watching the world go by 
  
 each evening the sun's shadows pass 
 over their faces revealing 
 nothing more than a few lines 
 of contentment 
  
 they never touch, their hands 
 always resting neatly on their laps, 
 or sometimes, they hold a glass of wine. 
  
Passersby note with some surprise 
 how unmoved they are by changes 
 like when they widened roads 
and built that new high-rise 
 right in front of their little row house, 
 dug out cherry trees and tall maples 
 that grew on both sides 
  
 but no one wants to ruffle sunshine 
 with questions—
 they just wave and smile. 
  
 Today they sit as usual, 
 the last of the sun's rays flicker 
 grudgingly, a little hesitant, it seems 
  
 the woman extends her hand,
 touches his
  
 their eyes meet—
 her hand still on his, a quiver 
 passes her lips, 
  
 she closes her eyes 
 as he covers her hand 
 with his.

© Neetu Malik

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Win The Charlotte

January 25, 2019 by A Slice of Orange in category Contests, Writing Contest tagged as 2019 Orange Rose Contest, Contests, The Charlotte

The Orange Rose Contest is entering its 36th year! This storied contest has in its roster many finalists who are now published.

Why has the ORC enjoyed this level of success? It’s in large part due to the exceptional judges, both first round published author and final editor/agent judges, and their comprehensive score sheets.

Charlotte Lobb | The Orange Rose Contest | A Slice of Orange — Charolott Lobb

The top prize, the coveted Charlotte Award, is given in honor of long-time OCC member Charlotte Lobb, who passed away in 2013. Charlotte was a tireless volunteer and supporter of this chapter and its members, as well as a multi-published author of over 60 books. She was known for her generosity of spirit and great sense of humor. It is fitting that we present this top award to an unpublished writer in honor of Charlotte’s mentorship and encouragement of fledgling writers. One more thing, Charlotte herself was an Orange Rose finalist back in the day.

The contest opens January 15, 2019 and closes April 30, 2019.

RWA-OCC/EVA/LARA/SD members $25

All other RWA members $35

For more information or to enter the contest: http://occrwa.org/contests/orange-rose-contest/contest-registration/

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Spotlight on KAT MARTIN

January 24, 2019 by A Slice of Orange in category Apples & Oranges by Marianne H. Donley, Spotlight tagged as Kat Martin, New book release, romantic suspense, The Conspiracy

Photo by Juan Carlo, Ventura Country Star

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Her last novel, BEYOND CONTROL, hit both big lists … NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LIST as well as the USA TODAY BEST-SELLING BOOKS LIST. Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.

The Conspiracy | Kat Martin | A Slice of Orange

January sees the release of Kat’s newest romantic suspense THE CONSPIRACY. Read the excerpt below:

Excerpt: The Conspiracy

Kat Martin

The sounds of the rainforest surrounded him, the hum of insects, the shrill cry of a monkey, and the rustle of leaves as a wild animal moved through the undergrowth not far away.

In the blackness of night, Michael Winston leaned back against the thick trunk of an eighty foot Kapok rising up from the damp, mossy floor of the rainforest. His wrists burned from the plastic ties biding his hands behind his back. The white Bermuda shorts his captors had allowed him to put on when they had boarded BUZZ Word and found him sleeping naked next to Pia in the master cabin were gone. Replaced by khaki fatigues more suitable for their trek into the jungle.

Huddled on the ground beside him, hands also bound, Pia rested her head on his shoulder, her long mahogany hair teasing his cheek. She was petite, no more than five foot-three, with big brown eyes and smooth olive skin. Even with her makeup gone, her baggy fatigues damp from the afternoon rain and sticking to her lush curves, she was beautiful.

Every time he looked at her, guilt and fury washed over him. Fury that he was helpless to protect her from what might be in store for them. Guilt that if he hadn’t convinced her to go sailing with him she would be safe back in Aruba.

He could only pray that their captors would continue to obey whatever orders had apparently come down from their leader, which seemed to be not to hurt them.

At least no more than they had already happened during the fight to subdue them that night on the boat. His jaw and cheek were bruised and his ribs acted from the blows he had taken. He would have kept fighting if one of the men hadn’t pulled a gun and pressed it against Pia’s head.

That had been days ago. What day was it now? He tried to count backward, remembered making incredible love to Pia for the first time after a night of gambling at the Trade Winds Casino. Both of them had won a little money, enough to have them smiling when they returned to the boat and ended up in bed.

He remembered Pia falling asleep in his arms. Remembered the deep, satisfied sleep he’d drifted into himself, a rarity with the heavy work schedule he’d been under.

Sometime later that night, two men, big, burly and tough, had boarded the yacht and taken control, forcing him to sail out of the marina into the open sea. For the next two days, Michael had been certain the men’s intention was to pirate the yacht, kill them and dump their bodies in the ocean.

If it hadn’t been for Pia, he would have made an attempt to overpower his captors, but the men were heavily armed and well-trained, and he wasn’t willing to risk Pia’s life unless there was absolutely no other choice.

Eventually, the boat had sailed into a quiet cove on a deserted stretch of beach several hundred miles from Curacao. If his mental calculations were correct, they’d arrived somewhere in Colombia.

They’d been imprisoned two more days before soldiers had arrived to take charge of them. By then, Michael had been certain the motive was ransom, a demand for millions from his mega-rich father in return for his son’s release. But he was no longer sure.

Not since the soldiers had forced him and Pia to begin this grueling trek into the rainforest that covered the steep sides of the mountains. They had hiked all day in ill-fitting boots provided by their captors that rubbed blisters on their feet.

At dusk the soldiers had stopped the march and begun making camp. Exhausted, Michael had slumped against the tree and Pia had eased down beside him. He had no idea how long they’d sat there while the men ate and drank between raucous bursts of laughter.

They’d been brought water and a little food, which they’d been released just long enough to eat, given a bathroom break, then been tied up again and left beneath the tree.

Equally as wet, numb and cold as he was, Pia shifted and raised her head to look at him. “How many more days, do you think, till we reach wherever they’re taking us?”

They hadn’t arrived at their final destination–he was sure of that. “I heard some of them talking. My Spanish sucks, but I was able to make out some of what they said. If I got it right, they’re planning to reach the main camp by tomorrow night.”

Which meant another long day of hiking through the harsh, wet, mountainous tropical landscape. Pia spoke far better Spanish than he did, but she’d been careful not to let them know. She was extremely smart, which was one of the reasons he’d been attracted to her in the first place. Not to mention her beautiful face and fantastic figure.

“Do you think they’ve sent word to your father?”

He had told her his ransom theory mostly to keep her spirits up, told her his father was worth millions of dollars and that he would surely pay for the safe return of his only son and the girl who was with him.

Though Michael had never been able to live up to his father’s expectations and they rarely spoke these days, it didn’t change the fact they were blood. His father would pay the ransom demand and Pia would be part of the bargain—Michael wasn’t leaving without her.

“They’ve probably sent word by now,” he said. “They’ll want to be paid in cash. It might take my father a while to get the money together and get it down here.”

And his sister would be looking for them, he was sure of that. He hadn’t called her in days, as she had made him promise to do. Harper would know something was wrong and she would be doing her best to find him.

To CELEBRATE the release of THE CONSPIRACY, enter Kat’s new contest for a chance to win a KINDLE FIRE 7″ Display, Wi-Fi, 8 GB and a Kindle copy of INTO THE FURY, INTO THE WHIRLWIND and INTO THE FIRESTORM. Contest runs from Jan 1, 2019 through Feb 28, 2019.

SPECIAL CONTEST: https://www.katmartin.com/the-conspiracy-giveaway/

KAT’S WEBSITE: https://www.katmartin.com/