Writing Contests for 2013

It's summer time, so take out your pen, paper or laptop and start writing. Here are few writing contests that will be accepting entries this year. You have the entire summer to go ahead and get 'er done. So start writing now, you may just earn the title award winning writer. If you need a boost in your creativity, check out my Wordless Wednesday posts for writing prompts. Happy writing and good luck!

MudfishPoetry Prize
Judged by Charles
Postmark submission deadline: July 15, 2013

Every poem read with care and considered for publication in Mudfish. Deadline extended and prize increased. See for details. New postmark submission deadline: July 15, 2013. $1,200 and publication for the winning poem. Two honorable mentions will also be published. Enclose $15 for three poems and $3 for each additional poem. Include a cover letter with a name, address and titles of poems. Also include an SASE for reply. Include contact info on cover letter page only. Send to: Mudfish Poetry Prize, 184 Franklin Street, New York, NY 10013.


The First Annual Bone Bouquet Experimental Prose Award
Final Judge: Barbara Henning

Online submission deadline: June 30, 2013
Bone Bouquet is now open to submissions for our first annual contest for experimental prose by women-identified writers, which includes transgender and genderqueer writers who identify as female. The winning writer is awarded with $50 and publication in issue 5.1 of Bone Bouquet. Previous issues have featured work by Rachel Levitsky, Carmen Giménez Smith, Becca Klaver, Khadijah Queen and more. Submit your work(s) of experimental prose, up to 5,000 words per entry. Multiple submissions are allowed along with multiple entry fees. Contest deadline: June 30, 2013. Online submissions via Submittable only. Contest fee: $5.00 per entry or $14.00 per entry with a 1-year subscription.


First Annual Otis Nebula Poetry Prize
Online submission deadline: June 15, 2013

Announcing the first annual Otis Nebula Poetry Prize for a book-length volume of poetry. Donald Revell will select the winning entry, along with one runner up. Winner receives book and ebook publication and $250; runner up ebook publication and $50. Manuscripts should be between 40 and 100 pages and accompany a $15 reading fee. Manuscripts may consist of individual poems that have been published, however the manuscript as a whole must be unpublished. Translations not accepted. Winners will be announced on the website on October 1, 2013. Visit Nebula guidelines.



Anna Davidson Rosenberg Poetry Prize 2013
Postmark deadline: November 15, 2013

Anna Davidson Rosenberg Poetry Prize 2013 on the Jewish experience. Please submit 1-2 one-page poems, single space, submit in quadruplicate hard copy, cover page with contact information and list of poems. No email submissions. Deadline: November 15, 2013. NO FEE. For more information, visit Poetic Magazine. 



Salamander 2013 Fiction Prize:
Judged by Edith Pearlman

Online/Postmark submission deadline: June 15, 2013
Salamander magazine will award a cash prize of $1,500 plus publication for the best fiction story. All entries will be considered for publication. Send no more than one story per entry. Each story must not exceed 30 double-spaced pages in 12 point font. Multiple entries are acceptable, provided that a separate $15 reading fee is included with each entry. Contest reading fee includes a one-year subscription. Full guidelines: Salamander Magazine.
Judge: Edith Pearlman. Submit Entries Online or by Mail to: 2013 Fiction Prize, Salamander/Suffolk University English Dept., 41 Temple Street, Boston, MA 02114.



Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival Poetry Contest
Online/Postmark submission deadline: August 15, 2013
A single entry is 2-4 unpublished poems of any theme with combined length of up to 400 lines. Prize: $1,000, public reading, VIP Festival pass ($500 value) at 28th annual Festival (March 19-23, 2014), and publication. Judge: Robert Pinsky. Deadline: August 15. $20 entry fee. Poetry Contest, 938 Lafayette Street, Suite 514, New Orleans, LA 70113. Guidelines and online submission: Tennessee Williams Literary Festival.



Gulf Coast's Barthelme Prize for Short Prose Now Accepting Entries
Online/Postmark submission deadline: August 31, 2013
Gulf Coastis now accepting entries for the 2013 Barthelme Prize for Short Prose, judged by Robert Coover. The contest is open to pieces of prose poetry, flash fiction, and micro-essays of 500 words or fewer. Established in 2008, the contest awards its winner $1,000 and publication in the journal. Two honorable mentions will also appear in issue 26.2, due out in April 2014, and all entries will be considered for paid publication. All entrants will receive a one-year subscription to Gulf Coast with their contest fee. Entries accepted both online and via postal mail. Visit Gulf Coast Barthelme for more information.



The Second Annual Thomas Morton Memorial Prize in Literary Excellence
Online submission deadline: September 30, 2013

The Puritan is proud to announce the return of the Thomas Morton Memorial Prize in Literary Excellence! Two winners in the fields of poetry and fiction will receive a generous prize package, including cash ($900/fiction and $600/poetry) and a collection of books (approx. $600 for each winner) from Canada’s most celebrated publishers (including Coach House Books, House of Anansi, ECW Press, and many more). The winning entries will also appear in The Puritan Issue XXIII: Fall 2013 and be honoured at a launch party. See our website, for submission details! Deadline: Sept. 30, 2013. Brave the frontier today!



2nd Annual Romancing the Craft of Poetry & Fiction Contest
Online submission deadline: June 30, 2013
There is no entry fee or theme. Poems may be any length or style. Fiction stories should have no more than 3000 words. Three winners will receive cash prizes and publication in Volume VIII of the Torrid Literature Journal. Visit our website for submission guidelines and previous winners: Torrid Literature.



Great Lakes Commonwealth of Letters Inaugural Short Story Contest
Online submission deadline: June 30, 2013
Great Lakes Commonwealth of Letters (GLCL) is thrilled to announce our inaugural Short Story Contest with final judge Caitlin Horrocks. The winning story, in addition to being celebrated at a special reading hosted by GLCL in October, will be published in Passages North in January of 2014. The entry fee per submission is $10.00. In addition to granting entry into the writing contest, your fee also helps GLCL host more author events, writing workshops, and book launches. Submit your story at Great Lakes Sumbittable. For more information, please visit Great Lakes Commonwealth.



Flash Fiction Online Contest
Online submission deadline: May 31, 2013
CALYX Press is accepting short-short fiction (or poetry!) submissions for the 2013 Online Competition from strong women writers. This year’s theme is "A new creation story." Make it the title of your work, a jumping-off point, or a general suggestion that gets you moving in a totally new direction. We accept fiction, poetry, or reeeeeaaalllly short, one-act plays. All we want is innovative, beautiful, edgy, brilliant writing… in 250 words or less. The top five submissions will be published on our website, Calyx.

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday post to the Linky list below!
Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Me and my girlfriends at the Poetry Spring Fling event. It was open mic and everyone appeared to be enjoying themselves. I know I did!

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday post to the Linky list below! Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Happy Wordless Wednesday! 

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday to the linky list below!

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Beautiful picture, great illusion.

Happy Wordless Wednesday! 

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday post to the Linky list below. 

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

My son participated in the Special Olympics basketball tournament this past weekend. He went out of town overnight with his fellow classmates to participate. He was so excited when he returned because they won and he scored 6 points. Woohoo! I was thrilled for him but sad because I didn't get a chance to see him actually play. He participates every year and this photo above is from the year before when he competed in the track and field event that he came in first in. The photo above however, is of the adult women 100m dash. Watch them go!

If you aren't a supporter of Special Olympics, I highly encourage that you look into it. It truly makes a difference in the lives of such truly wonderful people.

For more information on how you can get involved with Special Olympics, click Special Olympics Involvement.

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

This is a sexy and intriguing photo.

Happy Wordless Wednesday! 

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday post to the linky list below!

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Me (Lena Sledge) at the Art N Soul Box of Chocolates Poetry Event held Valentine's Day weekend.

Lena Sledge and Poet/Author Katina Walton
photos courtesy of Richie Carter Photography

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday post to the linky list below!

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Don't Forget to Add Your Wordless Wednesday link to the Linky List Below!!!

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?"

~William A. Ward

If a fellow isn't thankful for what he's got, he isn't likely to be thankful for what he's going to get.

~Frank A. Clark

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it, is like wrapping a present and not giving it. 

~William Arthur Ward

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do, interfere with what I can do. 

~Edward Everett Hale

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Don't forget to add the link to your photo to the linky list below!

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

I attended a poetry event last weekend by Marc Lacy and Friends featuring Def Jam poet, Black Ice. Here are some of the photos from the event. You may notice some familiar faces in the photos, such as my Southern Literary Sisters, Joneia P. Brown and Kimeko Farrar. They attended the Sheer Good Fortune event with me that honored Toni Morrison back in October in Virgina. You may also recognized my guest blogger for non-fiction books, Katina Walton. 

Kimeko Farrar, Lena Sledge, Black Ice, Katina Walton and Joneia P. Brown.

Black Ice and Lena Sledge

Sylvia Smith (make-up artist to many celebrities) and Lena Sledge

All photos courtesy of Richie Carter Photography

Happy Wordless Wednesday! 

Don't forget to add your blog to the linky list below. 

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Congratulations to President Barack Obama on his re-election! 

Did you exercise your right to vote today?

Don't forget to add your Wordless Wednesday photo to the Linky List below

A blog with book reviews, author interviews, book related info, events, conferences, tips and advice for readers and writers.

Happily Ever After Giveaway Hop

Thank you for stopping by for the Happily Ever After Giveaway Hop. This hop runs from October 9 -14, 2012. The theme of this giveaway is happily ever after. It was really hard trying to come up with a book that I love that had a happily ever after that I thought was believable. The most memorable for me would be The Story of Beautiful Girl by Rachel Simon. I truly enjoyed that book and it wrapped up nicely at the end, not over the top and not underwhelming. If you haven't read it, you should check it out.






What's up for grabs:
(1) Amazon gift card or up to $20 in purchases from the Book Depository. The holidays are nearing and I like to give readers a choice to choose what they like for themselves or for others as a gift. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents and international participants.


What are the rules: 
Just fill out the rafflecopter form. My blog has been nominated for (5) blog awards. Thanks to your votes last week, I made it to the finals (woohoo!), so I really need your votes now. The finalist voting began today. This is the last leg and I really need your votes. I'm truly grateful for all your support. So I'd appreciate it if you'd vote for me now in all five categories. Once you do you can add that entry as completed on the rafflecopter, it only takes a second to vote, but its optional. I want you to vote for me because you want to.

There are nearly 150 blogs participating in this hop. So make sure and stop by the other blogs to enter and increase your chances of winning some awesome prizes. For a complete list of the other blogs participating, click HERE. A special thank you to Murphy's Library and I'm A Reader, Not a Writer, for hosting this hop.

Good luck and Happily Ever After hopping! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wordless Wednesday w/ Linky

I know this is Wordless Wednesday, but I was reading this New York Times article and had to share.  I think this photo and this invention is amazing and I was truly touched at the advancements made in technology to help others.

This is a photo of a woman in Africa using the LifeStraw. A water purifier that makes dirty water clean.  According to the New York Times article, LifeStraw, produced by the Swiss company Vestergaard Frandsen, was designed for the poorest of the poor. The personal version works like a chunky drinking straw and can filter about 1,000 liters, enough to keep a person hydrated for a year. The family version — which looks something like an IV drip that ends in a water cannon — can purify 18,000 liters, serving a typical family for about three years.

Until now these filters have mainly been given away through aid groups aftersuch disasters like the Haitian earthquake and in chronically poor countries like Mozambique and Myanmar. Nearly a million of the family-size LifeStraw have been donated in Kenya alone this year. In exchange, the company will receive carbon credits for reduced emissions from wood-burning fires often used to boil water.

Now this photo can still be used as a writing prompt. When I first saw it I was inspired to write and began writing a short story. I instantly thought this has got to be life changing for her and her family. What did this do for her community or village? Just so many questions. 

What are your thoughts?

Don't forget to share your Wordless Wednesday photo by linking up below.

Wordless Wednesday

Don't forget to add your name to the linky list below so others can visit your blog and see your photo for Wordless Wednesday.

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

Wordless Wednesday with Linky

WWW....Wednesdays

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…


• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


What am I currently reading?
I am currently still reading "Little Bee" by Chris Cleave

What did I recently finish reading?
I recently finished reading "Counting Raindrops Through a Stained Glass Window" by Cherlyn Michaels


What do I think I'll read next?
I honestly don't know. However, this week has been very hectic and reading has been slow to say the least. Hopefully, I'll have some free time soon.

Happy Reading!




What are your WWW's this week?




WWW is a weekly meme provided by Should Be Reading

6 Favorite Book Covers

This week while perusing the aisles at Barnes and Nobles I came across some fantastic book covers that I wanted to share. Give me your feedback and let me know what you think.

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"Pride and Prejudice and Zombies": The Classic Regency Romance by Jane Austen, Seth Grahame-Smith

This is an interesting cover. It's a parody to the old classic. I love it when people think outside the box.

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"Island Beneath the Sea" by Isabel Allende

This cover looks exotic. The woman is looking over her shoulder at perhaps approaching danger. Don't know for sure, but it's intriguing enough to make me take a double look at the cover.

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"Perfect Peace" by Daniel Black

 This beautiful little girl has the face of a doll. It looks like an old picture that maybe my grandmother would've taken. Perfect Peace grabs my attention based on the title alone and when I look at the cover I am reminded of the times when I experienced perfect peace and it was usually when I was a young child.

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"The Body Finder" by Kimberly Derting

 The color in this book cover is breathtaking. My first thought when I glanced at it was life. As if the blue flower was breathing life and at any moment it would take a breath or pulsate.

  

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"The Wild Things" by Dave Eggers

 A new take on the old cover. I think it's genius. This would make a great gift for a middle aged reader.

  

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"What Mother Never Told Me" by Donna Hill

 I don't think the title matches the cover art, however, I do like the cover. It reminds me of Harlem or the stoop of the Cosby Show. The familiarity is what drew me to the book and the title is what made me want to buy it.

 

Friday's Free Books for Kindle

Here's some free books for Kindle. I hope you enjoy. As always, drop us a comment if you do read any of the books on the list. Happy Reading.

Disclaimer: The books listed below were/are available on Kindle for free on the date I posted them. However, please check and make sure the offer is still available before downloading any material listed.

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"Love A La Carte" by Jeffrey Stepakoff

Product Details: A Romantic Short Story

In LOVE A LA CARTE, Dylan cooks a romantic dinner for Grace—stuck all evening at work.  By the end of the delicious evening, Grace realizes that she’s beginning to fall for the handsome and caring Dylan…

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"Elisha's Bones" by Don Hoesel

Product Details:  Religious Fiction

Every year, professor of antiquities Jack Hawthorne looks forward to the winter break as a time to hide away from his responsibilities. Even if just for a week or two. But this year, his plans are derailed when he's offered almost a blank check from a man chasing a rumor.

Billionaire Gordon Reese thinks he knows where the bones of the prophet Elisha are--bones that in the Old Testament brought the dead back to life. A born skeptic, Jack doesn't think much of the assignment but he could use the money, so he takes the first step on a chase for the legendary bones that will take him to the very ends of the earth. But he's not alone. Joined with a fiery colleague, Esperanza Habilla, they soon discover clues to a shadowy organization whose long-held secrets have been protected . . . at all costs. As their lives are threatened again and again, the real race is to uncover the truth before those chasing them hunt them down.

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"13 Little Blue Envelopes" by Maureen Johnson

Product Details: Contemporary Fiction

Inside little blue envelope 1 are $1,000 and instructions to buy a plane ticket.In envelope 2 are directions to a specific London flat. The note in envelope 3 tells Ginny: Find a starving artist.

Because of envelope 4, Ginny and a playwright/thief/ bloke–about–town called Keith go to Scotland together, with somewhat disastrous–though utterly romantic–results. But will she ever see him again?

Everything about Ginny will change this summer, and it's all because of the 13 little blue envelopes.

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"A Fool Again"  by Eloisa James

Product Detail: A novella

A Fool Again is the story of Genevieve, who once made a dash to Gretna Greene to marry, but was caught by her father. Now, a few years later, she attends the funeral of her elderly husband (not the man she ran away to marry) and who does she see but The One Who Got Away! Can they make their love work this time around or will Genevieve be A Fool Again?

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"The Amersham Rubies" by Rhys Bowen

Product Details: Mystery/Thriller

Before Molly Murphy crossed the Atlantic or even had an inkling that she might someday become a much sought after private investigator in New York City, young Molly lived in Ireland in a small cottage with her father, brothers and little else.

While keeping herself and her home together, Molly receives a request from Lady Hartley—the lady of the country estate where Molly lives, and the family that employs Molly’s father and brothers. The Hartleys are hosting a ball at their manor house, and there will be so many fine gentlemen and ladies in attendance that Lady Hartley needs Molly to help some of her guests prepare for the ball.

Beautiful debutantes, dresses of the finest fabrics, and sparkling chandeliers are all on display, as are heirloom jewels like the Amersham rubies—a stunning and priceless ruby necklace that has been in the Amersham family for generations. When the rubies go inexplicably missing from Lady Amersham’s neck in the middle of the party, the high-spirited Molly must rely on her wits to solve her first case in Rhys Bowen’s charming prequel to her beloved Anthony and Agatha Award–winning historical mystery series.