Issue 7, April 2002


In This Issue...
A Cry For Help
Five P Abuse
Letter from the UK
Healthy Writing Habits
Hive Happenings
Buzz on Books
Upcoming Contests




A Cry For Help

"Hi, everyone. I've just had shocking news. My friend Veronica, who is 20 weeks pregnant with a little girl, has been told that her baby's heart isn't working properly - and it's not fixable...in Australia…

…Please, does anyone have any ideas to help us raise the funds? Prayers also would be wonderful. Sorry if this sounds terrible - it is. I'm shaking and crying and can't think... but $150,000 is a lot of money."

Being a lurking member of another Yahoo! Group called Cata-Romance, I had only peeped my head out once or twice in many months. But when I read the above urgent plea for help from Lisa Chaplin, on March 20th, something grabbed my heart. As the mother of a pregnant daughter and a former victim of stroke during pregnancy that threatened an abortion to a later pregnancy, I felt their desperation. I knew that if this happened to one of my daughters, I would hope that someone would be willing to help us.

The only doctor who has the proper equipment for the baby’s surgery offered to donate his services. There were several ideas for raising money, including publishing a collection of anthologies, to which I responded. I thought the story of my surviving a stroke during pregnancy and the miracle that followed might be inspiring toward raising the money for the surgery for Veronica’s baby. But after a couple of members checked into the time-span and costs of printing and/or self-publishing, the anthology idea wasn’t as feasible as was hoped. Other ideas included trying to get free flight arrangements for their trip to the U.S. and room and board accommodations in Orlando, Florida, where the surgeon and equipment are located.

Then, I remembered that I had organized a small online charity auction for my employer’s March of Dimes campaign last year, and thought it might be a pretty quick and easy way to raise a little money. I e-mailed Lisa at the Cata-Romance group and offered my suggestion. It was well received, so I went to work creating small web pages on my personal web site. I called it the HELP SAVE THE BABY ONLINE AUCTION. I expected a few members of the group to contribute and bid, so I made two pages with room for ten items—thinking that would be plenty. Then I e-mailed the group and told them it was ready.

Boy, was I wrong!

Our very own Queen Bee of Romance, THE Kate Walker, was the first to make a contribution of six autographed novels. Within a few hours, I was already receiving other donations of autographed novels and various services from romance writers in three countries, the U.S., the U.K., and Australia, and an a donation and offer to help from a fourth, France.

A few hours later, e-mails containing bids began to pour in. I couldn’t update the pages fast enough to keep up, nor could my old computer. We, my computer and I, struggled through crashes and Windows updates, but when I received a bid of $1,000 American dollars for Suzanne Brockmann’s LADIES’ MAN, it was somehow a little easier to keep going.

After 1½ weeks, I was totally exhausted and had missed a lot of work. I finally sent out my own plea for help. Suddenly, I had more help than I knew what to do with. Alice Rose of Sterling Presence, Deanna Lilly of Bizness Concepts and Writing Corner, along with our own sweet Gonna-beez member, Jodi Copeland, became my new heroines. Together, they collected all of the information and automated the auction within a day. Donors and bidders were suddenly able to enter their own donations and bids, making my job as the auction coordinator a whole lot simpler.

Today, April 20, 2002, Ally (Alice Rose) is still calculating the grand total, but I expect that we well exceeded $5,000 in U.S. funds. That may not seem like a lot to us, but to the Sneesby family, it is like $10,000 in Australian funds. I received an e-mail from Lisa a week ago telling me that there is enough money for the family to travel to the U.S. Other organizations to raise money have sprung up in Australia to help the family, as well.

Nora Bock, another Cata-Romance member, worked very hard with Hubbard House, an organization in Orlando that is committed to helping families whose children are very ill, to get living arrangements for the entire family for nine months at a cost of $25 per day, including meals.

The auction is closed now, but I wish to take this opportunity to thank you all. There are so many wonderful individuals who made donations of autographed novels, personal sets of books, services, jewelry, and various other items to this wonderful cause. We are still sorting through tons of e-mails and winning bidder notices, so please be patient. At my last count, there were 110 items listed under the category of Books, yet many of those included several books. All tolled the four categories listed 145 items.

Again, thank you all so very much for helping this family to save their unborn baby girl’s life. Without each of you, none of this would have been possible.

Your friend,
Janie Fox, Coordinator
HELP SAVE THE BABY ONLINE AUCTION
http://www.janiefox.com/auction

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Five P Abuse: The Five Ways You Mangle Your Writer’s Voice

About a year ago I was doing a lot of critiques. Most were for beginning writers like myself and it didn’t take me long to notice we all shared one thing in common—the rotten habit of abusing the five P’s.

I’ll tell you what the five P’s are in a moment, but first I want to expose the damage we do when we abuse them. Flat characters. Boring descriptions. Wordiness. Tranquillized action scenes. Laborious reading. Eye snags. Rejection letters.

Are you scared yet? I know I am. Almost as scared as the first time I saw mentioned in a writing loop that I should eliminate as many he’s, she’s, and they’s as possible from my wip. Huh? Excuse me, but that sounds like work.

It is. But from the moment someone made me aware of those three deadly little words I started to find my own voice. I still have to ride myself about this constantly and don’t always succeed, yet I’ve often wished someone would have warned me sooner, saving me years of truly putrid wips.

Since then, those three deadly words have gathered a few nasty friends and turned into what I call the Five P’s. So here they are in the hope it clicks for someone else the way it did for me.

The Five P’s are: Pronouns, Possessives, Prepositional Phrases, Paragraph Structure, and Passive Voice.

Let’s start with those deadly he’s, she’s, and they’s. Have you ever read a published novel and noticed every sentence starts with he, she, or they? Me neither. So why do we do it? Because they’re pronouns, and they’re just begging for abuse. Other pronouns are it, we, and for sanity’s sake I’m going to include an article, ‘the’. Variety is the spice of sentence structure. Of course you’ll have to start some sentences with a pronoun but keep this P in mind.

You also might have heard the phrase ‘slutty pronouns’. Pronouns are promiscuous little buggers. If you have two or more males in a scene, make sure if you use a he, the reader can easily discern which ‘he’ you mean. I can almost guarantee you’ve witnessed this problem in a published novel, but when an editor requests your ms, the interest in ‘whodunit’ better not be caused by slutty pronouns.

Next come prepositional phrases. Examples? Into the x, off the x, in the x, by the x, through the x, like x, to x, up the x, in your x… Ok, let’s stop before that starts meaning something. These phrases are great. They’re in our language because they’re necessary. But they’re also the leading cause of wordiness. Pay attention to these phrases because if you abuse them, you’ll be almost as wordy as I am. And no one wants that. Trust me.

Then we have possessives. Her, his, our, their—if you’ve ever written a love scene, you know what I’m talking about. He’s got his hands there, she’s got her lips on his… neck. They’re everywhere. They’re necessary but they’re also redundant and lifeless. Get creative to eliminate as many as you can.

Ugh. Paragraph Structure. This is the biggest gripe I’ve got with my mechanics these days. On a regular basis I edit paragraph by paragraph to make sure of two things: the thoughts are organized in a coherent pattern, and they don’t repeat what was said before, within, or after them. Read your paragraphs. Read them again. Make sure they say what you mean and then move on.

Another quirk I have is to end a paragraph with a sentence that should be the leading sentence of the next. You’d think this would be the most basic, fundamental, and therefore easiest mechanical element to control but seeing is believing. I’m not alone in this abuse. Many lead sentences go to bed at night, starving for their own paragraph but they’re stuck where they don’t belong through no fault of their own. For just 25 cents a month you can clothe, feed, and provide health care for these under-privileged sentences. Send your donations to the editor of your choice. Their swear jar’s almost empty.

Still more on paragraphs. Unlike certain elements in romance, bigger isn’t better. Nothing more off-putting than a big block of text. Sure, you poured your heart and soul into that paragraph but unless it’s nookie we’ll skip it. Sorry.

And it’s come to this. You’ve all heard the phrase and cringed. Passive Voice. In the most elemental sense, it means using wimpy verbs. She quickly grabbed the tazer and used it on Shell. Blah. How about: She snatched up the tazer and zapped Shell. Hmmm… that’s got a nice ring to it, don’t you think? A red flag for wimpy verbs are nearby words ending in –ly. They’re called adverbs. ADDverbs. Your verb was wimpy so you had to ADD something. Again, not all adverbs are evil but they must be sequestered lest they breed.

However, passive voice is more than verbs. Abuse of all the aforementioned P’s makes your voice passive. Look at it this way: Beefier verbs mean fewer pronouns and prepositional phrases. Varyied sentence structure is like tae bo for paragraphs. Except you can move your arms afterwards and no one has to call 911 when you smash your TV with a mule kick.

They all work hand in hand. Stop abusing one, you avoid abusing others.
Bottom line, once you’re aware of the problem, you catch yourself at it and this can save hours of editing. Sound good? But wait. There’s more. When you get creative to stop the abuse you leave yourself only one option: writing in a voice that’s uniquely yours.

-Wax
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Letter from the UK

Hi again

I'm having to write this a little early because I shall be away on London on the deadline for the Buzz. But I don't think that means I'll miss anything important - and the rest of the news can be in the next letter.

When I first started this I thought that I'd not have very much to say, because, as many of you know, I've spent most of this month hiding away and writing about my latest hero, a Sicilian, who has been proving temperamental and difficult ( a bit like my own DH really!) But just this last week he's finally decided to co-operate a little bit and at last the book is making real progress. Which is a very good thing seeing as I have a brand-new editor and want to make sure I get on well with her from the start. Saying 'I'm sorry but my hero won't co-operate' would not be a good way to do that.

The big event (for me) this month was a special trip to the theatre with DH, my son and son's girlfriend. This was to see a production of Richard III starring one of my favourite actors, Kenneth Branagh. The production was wonderful, the acting brilliant - but the best bit of all was that as we were heading back to the car park we met up with Kenneth Branagh himself who was walking to his car in the same car park! We were able to chat with him a little bit and he was truly charming. He signed the programmes for myself and Claire and thanked us all for coming. It was a great end to a great evening.

Oh, and for anyone who missed it in the Teahouse, my big news of the month was - well it was two things really. I discovered that I shall have new books out in - deep breath - June, July, August AND September this year. I don't quite know how it's happened that way - I never enquire too deeply into the workings of Marketing's brains - but I'm really pleased. As we'd say over here, I'm dead chuffed about it! So now there will be WIFE FOR A DAY in June (that's in reader Service but Heather (thank you Heather!) says you can buy it at eHarlequin, HERS FOR A NIGHT in July, SOCIETY WEDDINGS in August, and THE HIRED HUSBAND in September. This last book I'm specially glad to see out, because lots and lots of people have asked about it. The trouble is that they've asked because of the cover! It has a great cover picture - and the model for the hero is John de Salvo, so some readers have wanted to buy it because of that! If you want more details, check out my web site.

The second piece of news I had was that I booked a place at the RWA conference in Denver in July. And now I have my flight booked as well, so I'm definitely going. I'm thrilled to think I will actually make it in person and get to meet all the Gonna-Beez who are there and our wonderful hosties Rae, Dee, Heather and Karen. Not to mention Big Boss Jayne., and of course a host of other authors I already know or have 'met' on the boards. I'm not sure how I'll cope with so many people all together in one place but Holly has promised to take me under her wing like a mother hen and lead me into Hollyworld -so I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm visiting another author, Anne McAllister, who is a very special friend. She and her husband stayed with us last year so this year we're going to visit them. Yes - I'm bringing DH as well. But sadly Prince Sid will have to stay at home. Anne would like to have him visit - she fell in love with him last year - but they have four big dogs and Sidney is not a fan of dogs.

What else can I tell you? I can be very English and talk about the weather - for once it's worth talking about. It's been mild - even warm! And my garden is looking wonderful with daffodils, tulips, primroses and pansies everywhere and the magnolia tree blossoming beautifully. I love this time of year. I think it's my favourite season. Of course, this being England, everyone is now saying we haven't had enough rain. (Have they forgotten last month!) That's England for you - two days' rain and there are floods - two days without rain and they're talking drought!

Perhaps I should explain why I'm going to London. I'm off to slip into my other persona and become a 'Lady Novelist' and do the sort of things Lady Novelists are thought to do. The sort of things we only really do about once a year - like this time when I a, going to the RNA (Romantic Novelists' Association) Award lunch. This is held once a year when the RNA present the prize to the Romantic Novel of the Year. Note that this is a Romantic Novel - not a Romance. They define them differently. Romances are what Harlequin M&B produce. Romantic Novels are - well, basically a novel in which the emotional relationship is at the centre of the book. This has resulted in some rather unusual 'romantic novels'. Until this year, unlike the RWA and the RITAs, there hasn't been a prize for a Harlequin-type romance prize - a series or as the RNA defines it a 'category' romance. But that is changing and next year I hope to be present when the first Category Romance prize is awarded.

Anyway, the lunch is very posh - it's held at the Savoy Hotel in London and many authors, publishers, agents and RNA members (published or unpublished) attend. The next day is another lunch (so much for the pre-Denver diet!) This second one will be when I meet up with other writers for Harlequin Mills & Boon in the UK. Sometimes we have business discussions at the meetings and at other times we simply socialise. But either way, it's an excuse just to talk - and you have never seen anyone talk until you've seen a room full of novelists let out of their offices and away from the keyboard for a day! This time we will have some Senior editors and editors with us. And I shall meet my new editor for the first time. She will also be at the RNA lunch as will other HM&B authors and editors - I'll let you know who was there in my next letter.

I shall be travelling down to London with a very special friend - Michelle Reid - who also writes for Presents. If past trips have been anything to go by, then we will start talking as soon as I arrive at her house and continue all the way there . . We are spending a couple of nights together in a hotel - more talk. Last time we got together, I think we only stopped talking to sleep and then not for very long!

I'll give you a full report of my time in London in the next letter. Which reminds me - that letter will be in May - and as my birthday is in May I'd like to have a special celebration with the Gonnabeez. I'm offering a special GBs only signed book draw for that month. All you have to do is to email me with your name and email address and kate@kate-walker.com and I'll put all the names in a draw and Sid can choose a name for me to send the book to.
See you all next month - when the posh jaunts will be over and I'll be back at work

Happy writing

Kate
http://www.kate-walker.com


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More Healthy Writing Habits

Things we don't usually think of...

A recent visit to my dentist taught me something new about computer habits. He mentioned seeing a rise in cavities in people who spend a lot of time at the computer. Initially, my thought was, that's pretty strange. His reasoning, however, made me aware that a lot of us are putting our dental health in jeopardy because of our writing habits.

I was told that when most people sit at the computer, they have snacks and drinks. Which is fine, except most people also tend to "nurse" those snacks and drinks. They take a bite or drink, wait five or ten minutes, then take another. The problem is this doesn't give the natural acids in the mouth to neutralize the plaque and acids that cause cavities. Foods and beverages high in sugar (soda is the biggest culprit, even Diet soda) are the worst culprit. It isn't so much the quantity consumed, as the fact that people are not giving their mouths a chance to neutralize the bad stuff before putting more in their mouths.

The solution, according to my dentist, is to take a break from the computer, eat and drink, brush your teeth, then go back to work. Other options, which are not as good, would be to drink the whole soda (or whatever) or eat the whole whatever you're eating at once, then wait at least an hour before eating or drinking again, as it takes at least 30 minutes to neutralize the acids.

One final note: water does not contain anything that is harmful to your teeth. Which means, if you need something to be sipping on while at the computer, water is the perfect choice. Not only is it good for your teeth, but our bodies need lots of water anyway.

-Dreamen
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Hive Happenings

The clock is ticking... are you going to RWA Nationals in Denver this year? We're still working on putting together a gathering for all Gonna-beez, so be on the lookout for more information as time draws closer. If you are planning on going, please let us know so we know how many people to plan for.

Also, remember the Gonna-beez Logo Design Contest. If you've got any artistic talent, try your hand at designing the logo for our T-Shirts. The winner will get a free Gonna-beez T-Shirt and a gift basket. Once the winning design has been chosen, templates for making your own iron-on T-Shirt will be made available. We can wear our shirts at Nationals and be able to identify each other. The deadline is May 1st. Send your entries to Rae at marrae@nb.net.
-Dreamen

With RWA and RNA and a large number of our clan scurrying to meet the Molly deadline, I've decided to postpone the deadline for the Gonnabeez contest until August. Check the site at www.geocities.com/gonnabeez for more information, and of course, refer to the Buzz for all the latest!
-Mel

May 5 is Sharlene's birthday

Would you like your birthday to be mentioned here? Visit the group database if you would like to add your information to either the submissions tracking table or the member information. Dreamen set these up for us, but no one will be added unless they choose to make their information public.

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Buzz on Books

BEGINNINGS, MIDDLES & ENDS:
How to get your stories off to a roaring start, keep them tight and crisp throughout, and end them with a
wallop
by Nancy Kress.


The title speaks for itself. This book is really wonderful and has helped me alot
whenever I seemed to be "stuck". It also has a list, in the back, of other helpful books, their costs and the address of Writers Digest Books with a toll free phone number in which you can make purchases.

-Georgia Wilson


Too Much Temptation
by Lori Foster

Grace Jenkins has always dreamt about Noah Harper. Little did she know that he also thought about her. When Noah's engagement ends badly but Noah won't defend himself as to the reasons why, Grace goes to his side in order to defend him from those who don't understand him. She finds Noah and his brother Ben in the throes of a no holds barred drinking event. When Grace tells them that she knows that Noah had to have a good reason for calling off the engagement, Noah views her in a slightly new light. No it wasn't the fact that she looked like a drowned rat and that Noah was feeling his oats. It was the fact that Grace was defending him in a way no person, other than his brother ever had. Not even his grandmother, Agatha Harper defended him in his decision. In fact, Agatha is one of his tormentors.

Grace takes care of Noah while he's drunk and in return stays the night. Though nothing happens, it's one of the most illuminating moments Grace has ever experienced. In the morning, they end up striking a deal. They agree to an affair, not realizing they might both be wanting more. Grace certainly does but refuses to let that deter her.

Agatha however has other plans. She wants Noah back with Kara, the ex-fiancee. Though Noah has no intention of ever going back with Kara, Agatha can't leave well enough alone. Because of Grace being late do to overwhelming circumstances, including the fact of her and Noah making arrangements, Agatha fires Grace. Agatha thinks that Noah has dallied with Grace and that's why the wedding has been called off. It's not but Grace and Noah leave. Agatha then has to make plans to make sure everything happens the way she wants.

Now free from working with Agatha, Grace has the freedom to explore who she is. Noah helps her in learning her sexual side as well as learning to accept herself. To Grace, she is overweight. To Noah, Grace is lush and rounded. He loves the fact he can be himself with her and not hide who he is or how much he wants her. Though plots and plans threaten to take them apart, namely Agatha's planning, they continue to grow closer and closer.

I won't spoil the ending for anyone. Lori Foster has done it again. She's taken a set of circumstances that anyone could find themselves in and made it something to learn from. It taught me that sensuality is inherent in the person, not the looks. It also reminded me of how families can hurt us the most even while trying to do the best things for us as well. This book is truly a winner. Yet another book from Lori that takes you on the romance rollercoaster ride and at the end makes you realize that love, romance, and a good romp or two makes for a happy time with a great happily after ending you expect.

-Cyn


 

Writerspace News
"Websites for Writers <> Communities for Readers"
(Now reaching over 36,000 subscribers)

** NEW APRIL RELEASES EDITION **
April 1, 2002

In this week's issue:
BESTSELLER LISTS
THIS WEEK AT WRITERSPACE
AUTHOR SIGHTINGS & SIGNINGS
APRIL NEW RELEASES

-------------------------------------------------------------
WRITERSPACE AUTHORS TOP THE LISTS
-------------------------------------------------------------
NEW YORK TIMES Paperback Fiction
#1 REUNION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb *
#23 KNIGHT TRIUMPHANT by Shannon Drake
#25 THE ORPHAN Stella Cameron
#27 THE BORDER HOSTAGE Virginia Henley **
#28 HEAVEN AND EARTH Nora Roberts *
#29 IT HAD TO BE YOU Susan Elizabeth Phillips
#33 DEADLY PLEASURE Brenda Joyce

PUBLISHER WEEKLY Mass Market Paper
#4 REUNION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb *

USAToday Bestselling Books
#6 REUNION IN DEATH by J. D. Robb *
#58 THE BORDER HOSTAGE Virginia Henley **
#72 KNIGHT TRIUMPHANT Shannon Drake
#91 THE ORPHAN Stella Cameron
#96 OUT OF CONTROL Suzanne Brockmann #
#99 HEAVEN AND EARTH Nora Roberts *
#125 DEADLY PLEASURE Brenda Joyce

Waldenbooks Single Title Paperback Romance
#1 THE VILLA Nora Roberts *
#3 REUNION IN DEATH J.D. Robb *
#5 SLIGHTLY SHADY Amanda Quick
#7 FANTASY Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly, Elda
Minger
*

Waldenbooks Series Romance
#4 SECRET-AGENT SHEIK Linda Winstead Jones ##
#7 JUST ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE Justine Davis
#9 MOMENT OF TRUTH Maggie Price ##
#10 CASSIDY HARTE AND THE COMEBACK KID Raeanne Thayne ##

B. Dalton Top Mass Market Releases
REUNION IN DEATH J.D. Robb *

(B. Dalton lists courtesy of B.Dalton, Golden Triangle Mall,
Denton, Texas)

* Berkley Jove Author
# Ballantine Ivy Author
** TARA author
## Intimate Moments Author


Look Who's in the Bookstore in April – from Heather at eHqn

March's Top Twenty at eHarlequin

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Upcoming Contests

Orange Rose Contest for Published Authors
Orange County Chapter
Received by May 1, 2002
http://www.occrwa.com/pub_rules.html

Orange Rose Contest for UnPublished Authors
Orange County Chapter
Received by May 1, 2002
http://www.occrwa.com/contest.html

First Impressions
Tampa Area Romance Authors
Postmarked by May 1, 2002
http://tara.writerspace.com/first_impressions.htm

SouthWest Writers Contest 2002
Deadline: May 1, 2002
http://www.southwestwriters.com/contests.html

Share the Dream
Scriptscene RWA
Receipt deadline: May 4, 2002
First 15 pages of your completed romance screenplay.
http://www.geocities.com/rewrit2002/contestrules.html

2002 Molly Unpublished Contest
Heart of Denver
Deadline: May 11, 2002
www.hodrw.com

2002 Aspen Gold Published Contest
Heart of Denver
Deadline: May 11, 2002
www.hodrw.com

The Windy City Choice Award for Published Writers
Windy City RWA
Receipt Deadline: May 15, 2002
http://scribesworld.com/windycityrwa/wcchoice.html

2002 Jasmine Contest
Sponsor: Lowcountry RWA
Postmark Deadline: May 15, 2002
http://www.lowcountryrwa.com/

2002 Original Golden Opportunity Contest
Toronto Romance Writers
Postmark Deadline: May 15, 2002
http://torontoromancewriters.freeservers.com/goform2002.html

71st Annual Writer's Digest Writing Competition
Deadline May 15, 2002
There is a Late Entry deadline of May 31st if you pay $2. extra. There are
ten different categories to enter.
http://www.writersdigest.com/contests/2002writingcomp.asp

2002 Maggie Awards for Unpublished Romance Novelists
Georgia Romance Writers
Received Deadline: June 1, 2002
http://www.georgiaromancewriters.org/2002unpubrules.html

2002 Madcap Award
Heart and Scroll Chapter
Received by: June 1, 2002
http://www.digidak.com/scroll/madcap.htm

Golden Gateway Contest
The Heart Online Chapter
Received Deadline: June 1, 2002
http://www.theromanceclub.com/fth/contest/default.htm

Send the first 50 pages and a synopsis to Leisure by
June 1st 2002 to: New Historical Voice Contest,
Dorchester Publishing Co., 276 Fifth Avenue,
Suite 1008, New York, NY 10001
Check Romantic Times Magazine for further details.

Central Ohio Fiction Writers'
9th Annual Ignite the Flame contest
Entries must be postmarked by June 1, 2002
http://www.cofw.org/Contest/contest.html

2002 Backwaters Prize
Sponsored by Backwaters Press
Postmark Deadline June 4, 2002
http://www.thebackwaterspress.homestead.com/bwprize.html

2002 Lone Star Writing Competition
Northwest Houston
Postmarked: June 12, 2002
http://nwhrwa.freeservers.com/contest02.html

Anne Alexander Award 2002
Northern Lights RWA
Deadline: June 30, 2002
http://www.nsrwa.com/contestanne.htm




Call for Submissions

Forget Me Knots From the Front Porch is an anthology filled with vivid life
experiences and memories regarding things that took place in and around the
front porch of our homes, the home of a grandparent, and/or other relative,
neighbor or friend. While the majority of writers will address stories that
left the author feeling good about themselves or someone else, we recognize
that not all stories are recollections with a happy-ever-after ending. It
wouldn't be true life without tears every once in a while, and in our
experience readers identify with a wide variety of emotions. Therefore, we
are interested in all stories that make the author and reader feel alive --
whether through tears or smiles.

www.geocities.com/forgetmeknotsanthology

Helen Kay Polaski
Editor/Autor
Forget Me Knots From the Front Porch



3 Wishes and the Mother In Law

There once was a man who traveled to a strange foreign country, and while he was there he found a strange old lamp of some sort. When he got home he polished off the lamp, and out came a genie. Then the genie said "I'll give you three wishes, but on one condition, your mother in law gets twice as much as you wish."

So the man decided for his first wish that he wanted 1 billion dollars, so his mother in law (who lived across the street) got 2 billion dollars. For the man's second wish he decided that he wanted to have a 200 room mansion, so his mother in law got a 400 room mansion. For the man's last wish, he took a long time to think it out, and then he said to the genie, "I wish you choked me half to death."

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The Buzz is looking for any of the following types of articles:


Thank you all for your help! Email submissions to gonnabeez@lycos.com by May 17th for next month's issue.

Thanks to everyone who contributed!
--Shell

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