Special recognition to the first minimalist to tell a story:
Katt 9:35pm
The octopus is glad to be mentioned:
Becky Mushko 10:11pm
The Harumph Award for intimating that Suzie Townsend is ever on the edge of hysteria, or could be even slightly intimidated by a copy machine, on fire or not:
Shelley Watters 1:11pm
Really fun wordplay:
Jeanne 3:54pm
C. R. Evers 9:15pm
K 10:18pm
Disqualified for word count but amazing nonetheless:
Cole Howard 12:58pm
Nicely done!
Matt 12:25am
Annie 4:25am
Michael G-G 11:58am
The Sentence Sleuth 4:24pm
April 7:39pm
Simon Hay Soul Healer 9:29pm
Jake 9:51pm
Terri Coop 10:56pm
Here are four outstanding finalists:
UnderDifferentStars 10:12pm
Jimmy leaned against the door frame, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. June glared at him, her viola bow held out like a sword.
"If you're here to beg for forgiveness..." she snarled.
Jimmy laughed softly. Despondently.
"Nothing of the sort, my dear." He took his hat off. "I came to say goodbye. I'm leaving. This is it."
Jenny lowered the bow slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean the debt's paid. But I've gotta disappear."
"Wait," she started.
He cut her off with a nod toward the stage.
"You're up next. Break a leg."
"Jimmy, I-"
"It's too late, love. Goodbye."
Ptolemy-rekhyt 12:18am
With the security system deactivated you feel no fear while you jimmy the lock on the door and creep into the mansion. You make your way to the East wing: the gallery.
A British Cavalry Officer’s Presentation Sword cir. 1850, a Monet in a frame, and an antique viola that belonged to William Primrose later, you sneak out through the hallway when you hear footsteps and the hammer fall on some kind of revolver.
You turn and see your father, smoking a Cuban cigar with the barrel pointing at you. He ashes on his own Persian rug and says, “Again.”
Angela 10:12am
Viola—one smoking hot babe—bounced on Jimmy’s sword until she broke the bed frame.
Two years later she broke his heart. Three thousand for child support, and he was just plain broke.
Four days, it had been since that fat-assed, red-faced boss canned him. Five hours and Jimmy was on a tear, perched on a barstool at Lucky’s.
Six bullets loaded in the chamber, the gunmetal was cold against his temple. By seven, they pronounced him dead.
Eight people showed up to the funeral. Nine including the priest. What a ten-pack of condoms could’ve done for poor Jimmy…
Jenny in Seattle 11:57pm
I couldn't sleep.
The sleepover at Viola’s wasn’t going as planned.
We’d tried smoking some stolen Marlboro’s, huddled inside her mom’s Airstream trailer after using a paper clip to jimmy the lock.
And her cute brother had showed us his awesomely weird sword collection, touching my arm while showing me how to hold one.
Viola wasn’t my friend.
It was supposed to be a frame, a setup. I’d take humiliating pictures of her, post them on Facebook, ruin her life.
“Just go.” A whisper in the dark.
Viola.
“What?”
“I knew the plan all along.”
And the winner of the contest is the one and only Angela 10:12am. Angela, if you'll send me your mailing address we'll send you a copy of TUNE IN TOKYO! (email me at janet@fineprintlit.com)
Congrats to all those singled out, and thanks to all who entered!
13 comments:
Janet,
These contests are fun. I'm only an amateur acronymist, but count me in as an HDCE (Hopelessly Devoted Contest Entrant).
Congrats, Angela! Good work. Particularly liked the numerology.
And now for a broadside: How in hell did TiT have to go the self-published route? There is something rotten in the state of... well, if not Denmark, then somewhere where the beancounters lurk. I'm firing up my credit card to order a copy. (Hmmm, how to get Anderson to sign me one? May have to dress as a ninja.)
Only slightly off-topic, but my wife was raving recently about a book she read called Siesta Lane by Amy Minato. Scrolling down this here blog, I was gobsmacked to see Siesta Lane is repped by the Shark, and that there is a link to my wife's blog review. (Head spins with the serendipity of it all). Perhaps this is the Second Coming? Seriously, folks, you MUST read Siesta Lane. When my wife raves, she means business.
So now my wife and I are both FOTFO (Fans of the Finny One).
That's enough adulation for one day.
Michael
Angela! Hell yeah . . . extraordinarily well done!
Congrats to all the finalists, great tales!!!
What a contest! Keep em coming.
::Taking my "nicely done" outside and dancing around it cackling like a maniac::
Terri
I've gotta say, NO idea here how you've managed to judge these contests. Yesterday's would have been very difficult!
Angela's was spectacular -- that whole numerological twist killed me.
Michael, it broke my cold dark heart when I couldn't sell TUNE IN TOKYO. I love it with a passion.
I hope a lot of people buy it from Amazon.
Congratulations, Angela, and kudos to everyone who entered! I found the numerical pattern interesting as well.
This was my first submission to the Shark's writing contest, and I am just tickled to receive a mention for fun wordplay! Expect to see me lurking in these waters more often.
::joining Terri in the maniacal dancing and cackling::
Congratulations, Angela, clever. Thanks Janet. Talk soon.
Janet, thank you for the contest and for the mention. I'm thrilled you liked it :) Congrats to Angela and all who entered.
Angela's entry has to be the best I've ever seen in these contests! It's brilliant!
Great job Angela. I love the use of sword in that story :-)
It's always fun to see how different the stories are and how each writer incorporates those words. I have to say that it would never have occurred to me to use sword in that manner :-)
Adam
You and I have the same taste. Angela deserves to be the smack down winner for sure. I hope she enjoys having another TiT.
Curses! I have been sick through this whole competition! I didn't get to play! Well Angela would have kicked my tookus anyway. Congrats.
Congratulations, Angela. That was a very creative and well crafted entry and you deserved to win. I loved it!
Thanks for all the nice comments.
There were some great entries on this one.
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