Essay published

My essay, The Wonder Of A Visit From Santa, was published in the November/December issue of Northern Stars Magazine, Beverly Kleikamp Publisher/Editor. northernstarsmagazine.com  

Honorable Mention for poems.

Chimes, won Hon. Mention,

Paperweight

Colorful are wings

encased in glass

where a butterfly

no longer flies

and Monarch Butterfly, were published in the Nov./Dec. issue of Star Poets magazine, Beverly Kleikamp, Publisher/Editor.  

Check out: northernstarsmagazine.com

Collection of Ribbons a poem by Patricia Crandall

 

COLLECTION OF RIBBONS

 

Christmas illusions

linger

long after gifts lay exposed

beneath a glittering pine.

Ribbons

are collected

in a gold and silver box,

shimmery satin remnants

of a Merry Christmas holiday.

 

 

The Argon Factor by Heather Harlow (book tour) Science Fiction

The Argon Factor by Heather Harlow
Book 1

Susan Caldwell is one of GTS’s Security Development and Design Managers.  She’s new to Boston and this company and was hoping to get a new start, leaving her old life and distrust of men behind.  But now, her life is in danger and she has to depend upon a man to keep her safe.

Christoph Baldric is CEO of GTS and the Argon Earth-based Commander.  His alien race has been living in secret on Earth for centuries, assisting the Earth humans in their maturity and technological advancements in hopes to one day integrate and reveal themselves to the humans.

1. Give us a brief synopsis of your latest work.

I recently published my first book, a sci-fi romance action-adventure.  It tells about the aliens from the planet Argon who've come to our planet looking for a new home.  They're helping the humans on Earth survive themselves.  In the book, there's been a code breach at the high-tech company Susan has just started working for.  People on her team are being killed and she finds herself having to rely on Christoph, the CEO to protect her.  Little does she know he's the Argon alien commander on Earth.    

My next book will be a continuation of the story and will tell more about the Grogans, the Argon nemesis from the former universe, Baldacon.

2. What got you into writing?

I've always wanted to write books since I started reading them at the age of 10 while on vacation with my family.

3.  What genres do you like to read?

I like to read romance, action adventure, and historical.

4.  What is your process for developing characters? Do you watch and base characters off of what you see? Or are your characters complete figments of your imagination?  

I believe my characters are complete figments of my imagination.

5.  How much time and effort do you put into marketing?

I put a lot of time into marketing. Lately, I've been putting 20-30 hours a week into marketing. However, I really need to write more.

6.  Do you have any works in mind that you’ve not yet written? If so, what are they?

The Argonians series, which are stories about the Argon aliens.  One specifically is The Commander and the Pirate Princess, which is about the first integration between Argonians and humans.

7.  If there is one thing that stands out about your writing or your stories, what is it?

It is a bit risqué at times and hopefully brutally honest.

8.  What inspired you to write your most recent story?

My friend signed us up for a class about how to write a bestseller in a weekend. 

9.  Where can potential readers find your work?

My book, The Argon Factor, is for sale on Amazon and Kindle eBooks.

10. Where can readers connect with you socially online?

WEBSITE  

TWITTER

FACEBOOK 

Pinterest boards, and I'm on GoodReads; all under my name.

BIO:

Heather Harlow has wanted to be an author since adolescence. The Argon Factor is her first book in a series about aliens from the planet Argon.

She’s always been a fan of superheroes:  Batman and Robin, Spiderman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Six Million Dollar Man, and the Bionic Woman.

She likes sci-fi movies and series, like Star Trek and Battle Star Galactica. More recently, she’s been enjoying the Avenger movies. In addition to her sci-fi interests, she’s a romantic. Therefore, it was natural for her to write about science fiction and combine it with a human interest story that has sex and romance in it.

538: Murder, Suicide and A Mother's Love by Cheryle Boyle

538: Murder, Suicide and A Mother’s Love is a faction about family dysfunction and the prevailing love that sustains a mother. Lilly, happily marries and is full of life as she births five beautiful children. Life takes a drastic turn and she finds herself in a place that she never had dreamt of being. The grip of life keeps a tight rein on Lilly as she suffers great loss, but her strength in God and the love for her children push her forward.  There are days that she lives by simply putting one foot in front of the other. The drama that unfolds, at times, is unbelievable. From the eldest child to the youngest, the anxieties are obvious. Lilly finds herself at times unable to interact and is often heard reciting cliché’s, words she lived by, ”When it rains, it pours, A Bird in the Hand is Worth Two in the Bush, It’ll All Come Out in the Wash.”  Lilly is strong, resilient and loyal, and her inner strength causes her to persevere. 

BOOKTRAILER

Amazon   (buy the book)

    Give us a brief synopsis of your latest work.

My latest work is a faction of a dysfunctional family where the mother, Lilly, is the main character, and all that befalls her.  She falls in love and has a wonderful marriage, five beautiful children, and then tragedy strikes.  The family is never the same.  Lilly tries her hardest and her loyalty, resiliency and perseverance keep her moving forward.  The love she has for God and her children propels her to withstand all the turmoil.  She births more children and the chaos continues.  Lilly stumbles upon her youngest child’s diaries and this affords her a unique opportunity. 

   What got you into writing?

I have always loved writing.  In the beginning, I wrote to express my feelings and to entertain my children.  Over the years this grew into the writing being a necessary creative outlet.

   What genres do you like to read?

I enjoy reading fiction, crime stories, psychological mysteries.  I love the intrigue and the surprise when the ending is not exactly what you expected.  Lisa Gardner is one of my favorites.

    What is your process for developing characters?  Do you people watch and base characters off of what you see?  Or are your characters complete figments of your imagination?

It varies.  I have been presented with enough characters in my lifetime to fill many a book. So I would say it is a combination of real life characters and using my imagination to put them up to all types of scenarios with creative embellishments.

    How much time and effort do you put into marketing?

I put a lot of time and effort into marketing because that is the main means of getting my writings out there.  I would say that half of my time is spent marketing; the other half writing. I am trying to change that, because I enjoy the writing much more.

    Do you have any works in mind that you’ve not yet written?  If so, what are they?

I have a lot of stories I am mulling around up there.  I would like to develop the character, Sadie, from my upcoming book and see where else she goes on her journey. I would love to also explore the world of children’s literature.  I need to write at least a few children’s book for my 12 grandchildren.

    If there is one thing that stands out about your writing or your stories, what is it?

I think my style.  I think that it is a bit different and I have the ability to really make people feel from my writings.  There always tends to be a sense of sadness in most of my writings.

    What inspired you to write your most recent story?

The fact that so many children experience dysfunctional families. I wanted to draw attention to the dysfunction and the effects that it has.  You ask any adult, at some time in their childhood they experienced dysfunction; some worse than others.

    Where can potential readers find your work?

    My work will be available on Amazon.com October 14, 2015 with my first release, 538: Murder, Suicide and A Mother’s Love.  Other works of short stories, poetry and blogs are available on my website:  http://www.cheryleboyle.com 

    Where can readers connect with you socially online? 

    Please visit: 

    WEBSITE

    TWITTER   

    FACEBOOK   

    Please visit my website and sign up for my upcoming newsletter.  Leave comments, I’d love to hear from you and what types of writings you would enjoy seeing.  

Bio:

Cheryle Boyle is a wife, mother and grandmother.  She enjoys experiencing life and making memories with her family. Cheryle lives in Georgia and enjoys sewing, cooking, embroidery, reading and shopping with her granddaughters.  She loves writing and shares some family interactions in her book, thus creating this faction (Facts + Fiction = Faction).

Star Poets published 4 poems for Patricia Crandall

Star Poets, an affiliate to North Star Publishing, Hermansville, MI, has published four of my poems in the Sept-Oct 2015 issue: 

Diagram, 
Aunt and Uncle, 
Maturity, and
Ethereal Light.

AUTUMN RITUAL, a poem by Patricia Crandall

 

 AUTUMN RITUAL

 

Plum foliage

swells upon changing trees.

Leaves

tumble to the ground

in a play of wind,

crisping and curling

where they fall.

Beauty and color reign

in a time so fleeting,

breathtaking, and sobering

for the stark ritual

that is to come.

Autumn's Child by Patricia Crandall

Her cheeks are Macintosh apples. She has corn silk hair, eyes green as leaves. A bright orange dress with a backdrop of blue sky, and lemon sun. Purple lips draw up in a pumpkin smile.

 

No Guts - No Gory by Nicole St. Onge

No Guts, No Gory, by Nicole St. Onge, my granddaughter, has been accepted for publication by FICTION on the WEB for October 30th, 2015. 

The Pink Victorian Lady accepted at FICTION on the WEB

I received this acceptance coming out on October 11:

Congratulations! "The Pink Victorian Lady" has been accepted for publication at FICTION on the WEB, and will appear on 11 October.

You can support Fiction on the Web at www.patreon.com/charliefish

Thanks,

Charlie

Yours Anonymous by Peter Orr (book review)

Yours, Anonymous should be read by every parent, teacher, student and potential bully, nerd and geek. Perhaps then, there would be less complex situations like Ashley White’s. Peter David Orr has documented an 11^th grade student’s interviews, which shine the light on how the authorities committed a tragic error by allowing those responsible for a fellow student’s death to go unpunished. Yours, Anonymous is a spell-binding read involving bullying, drugs, and self-serving teens. - by Patricia Crandall (reviewer)

OLD FRIEND a poem

OLD FRIEND

 

Thirty years

have passed old friend

since childhood romps

through green pastures

and cow dung

were worthy pastimes.

When trespassing

over wooden fences

and climbing

octopus apple trees

were ultimate achievements.

Do you remember

chasing headless chickens

in the barnyard?

 

Life With a Maine Coon Cat acceptance

We would like to publish Life With a Maine Coon Cat  in the September 2015 issue of both our digital and new print version of A Long Story Short magazine and ezine. 

Thank you for your submission,

 

Anisa A. Claire

Editor, A Long Story Short

A Long Story Short Submission Guidelines, Terms and Conditions

Endless Are Summer Days - from her book, I Passed This Way

I Passed This Way

ENDLESS ARE SUMMER DAYS

 

Summer

is not as exhilarating

as Spring, nor

virtually inspiring as

Winter,

and apple-tart as

Autumn.

June, July and August

are crowned by a cerise sun.

Its face rises early

and retires late.

 

Ghosts in the Library top 10 winners!

eBook Me Up short story contest: 

Dear Patricia

 

I'm reaching out to you to inform you that your submission to our eBook Me Up Short Story Contest has made the top 10 finalists.  While your work was not selected for the top 3 awards, we are thrilled with your submission 'Ghosts in the Library'.  This piece will be included in our compilation eBook and we will send you an eCopy per the publication deadline set for mid-August.

 

We will make the announcement of the winners for the compilation eBook on August 1st per our web site.

 

Congratulations!

 

Kind regards,

Cassie

Frogs, Gnomes, Hikers and Bottle Miners by Patricia Crandall

Received a great review from a reader on my story "Frogs, Gnomes, Hikers and Bottle Miners" on FICTION on the WEB 

Here's the review by Brooke Fieldhouse


Gingerbread houses, cathedral-like ceilings, bulbous polyps, baguette-snitching seasoned woodsmen, rain-vulnerable gnomes, ruby-colored antique bottles, upholstered gliders, and maroon and grey outbacks; this story has a delightful air of magic realism about it. The parallel narratives fascinate, and intertwine just at the right moment. For me the heroes were the enchanted landscape which is there if only we can see it, the value of a liberating education, and those who so lovingly administer it!


Read the story and give me your comments. I would appreciate them. You can find this and my other short stories in my book, Pat's Collectibles. 

David Orr Read "I Passed This Way" (he comments)

I just finished reading "I Passed this Way" by my friend, Patricia Crandall. This book of poetry reminded me that so much of life is taking the time to notice. Yes, notice. There's so much in nature, people and circumstances that is noble, good, beautiful and worth taking the time to ponder. To me, that's the essence of poetry and she certainly captured it.

David Orr  

  

I Passed This Way is a second printing of a book of published poetry descriptive of the four seasons. It takes you through a winter wonderland, a spring rebirth, summer fantasies and the vivid colors of autumn. The dedication is a poem to Babcock Lake, a special place in the Grafton Mountains to live and visit.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1614682763

It All Adds Up! by Patricia Crandall in Long Story Short

Patricia Crandall's short story, It All Adds Up! will be published in the July issue of Long Story Short.  Get your copy.

"Frogs, Gnomes, Hikers and Bottle Miners by Patricia Crandall

Please mark your calendars:

"Frogs, Gnomes, Hikers and Bottle Miners" has been accepted for publication at FICTION on the WEB, and will appear on 10 July.

Call For Submissions for Mystery/Thriller

I'm part of a small team called Inkitt, and we've built a free platform to help authors reach their full potential and build a reader base.

Today we've launched our Mystery / Thriller writing contest, called "Fated Paradox".
See the details on the contest page: http://inkitt.com/fatedparadox

As a published author, I'm sure you have aspiring writers in your network who might be interested in such an opportunity.

If you share our passion for helping mystery writers succeed, perhaps you could help us spread the word about the contest. If you would be generous enough to publish a call for submissions on your blog, you can use the visuals and text directly from this summary.

And since excerpts and old stories are eligible too, many established authors use our contests to promote their novels. This might be a reason for you to enter the contest yourself.

Our most active users include literary professors, and published authors too. We are proud of the high number of professional reviews and mature stories on the platform.

Let me know what you think.

All the best,

Mihaly Borbely
Head of Marketing | Inkitt.com
Sanderstrasse 28 • 12047 Berlin • Germany

Honorable Mentions 2014 Creative Writer's Notebook Short Story Contest

To all who entered the 2014 Creative Writer’s Notebook Short Story Contest, here are the winners and honorable mentions. Thank you for entering and congratulations to all whose entries are named on this list. I will need you to send me the digital Word file of your short story as soon as possible along with your bio (updated if I already have one on file because of other contests).

 

If your story or other entries did not make the list this time, please keep trying. The 2015 Short Story Contest begins shortly and you have until Jan 31, 2016 to get your entries in. I will send out the guidelines later this month.

 

Again, thank you all for entering. The Judges’ comments and scores will be forthcoming.

 

Mary Lois

 

Mary Lois Sanders

Publisher/Managing Editor

Creative Writer’s Notebook

Court Jester Publications

http://courtjesterpublications.net

http://MaryLoisSandersauthor.net

http://myotherzone.com

 

2014 CWN Short Story Contest Winners and Honorable Mentions

 

FIRST	The Bunker	DOYLE, Mike
SECOND	Grimm	PETRO, Jack
THIRD	The Melody Caper	WATKINS, Allen
HM	Left Out in the Cold	MAURER, David L.
HM	Last Chance	NEWHOUSE, Mark H.
HM	Suspicions	BARBOSA, Linda
HM	The Cook	WATKINS, Allen
HM	Ghosts In The Library	CRANDALL, Patricia
HM	There Are No Dahlias in Detroit	CHIZAK, Lawrence J.
HM	Catching the Critter Under the Bay Window	ROBINSON, Cathleen
HM	Maestro	MARTIN, Larry
HM	A Pinch of Spice	CRANDALL, Patricia
HM1	Yanks	WARNER, William J.
HM	What Happened on Serpentine Hill	ROBINSON, Cathleen
HM	Last in the Stick	WARNER, William J.
HM	Why Eat Alone	PAHZ, Jim
HM	The Virgin Heart	RUSSELL, Vanessa
HM	Bad Decisions	SMITH, Ray Allen
HM	The First Time	STARK, Jim
HM	Coming Home - 1968	RIDGE, Francis X., Jr.
HM	Duende Moments	PADIAN, James
HM	Dark Purpose	SNIVELY, David
HM	Alpaca Games	SNIVELY, David
HM	Itchy Wishy Twitchy	MALINGER, Christopher
HM	The Lovesong of Akina	JOHNSON, Millard
HM	A Matter of Time	FISLER, Barbara C.
HM	Jack and the Diamond Smugglers	GRAHAM, David B.
HM	Free to Be Me	CAPORALE, Claudia