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Monday, April 30, 2012

The New Quarterly & The Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award


Dear Brian,
My name is Dana Francoeur. I am currently a volunteering assistant for the New Quarterly magazine in Waterloo, Ontario. I am emailing to inform you about our upcoming fiction contest (see below), hoping that you'll list it on Quick Brown Fox.
Sincerely,
Dana Francoeur

The Peter Hinchcliffe Fiction Award 
Deadline May 28
Sponsored by St. Jerome's University dept. of English, this annual contest is for short fiction by writers who have not yet published a novel or story collection. $1,000 top prize, all entries will be considered for paid publication ($250) in The New Quarterly, one of Canada's liveliest literary magazines. Open to Canadian citizens or residents only. No word limit. 
All entries will be judged blind. $40 entry fee includes a 1-year Canadian subscription to The New Quarterly: Canadian Writers & Writing.
Details at tnq.ca/contests

About The New Quarterly
"TNQ has been publishing the best of new Canadian writing for 31 years. We offer a lively mix of fiction, poetry, author interviews, and talk about writing. Each issue will introduce you to a new generation of Canadian writers, share our delight in the sound and sense of a story well-told, and take you inside great writing. TNQ writers have been nominated for Giller prizes, Governor General’s Awards, Griffin Poetry Prizes, Writer’s Trust Notable Author awards, Journey prizes, Commonwealth prizes, National Magazine Awards, and more."

For regular submissions, The New Quarterly pays $250 for a short story and $40 per poem or "postscript" story. Full submission guidelines here

For information about all the annual writing contests in Canada, order the Canadian Writers' Contest Calendar, just $23.50 including all taxes and shipping. For details, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca 

See Brian Henry's schedule
 here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Excerpt from “Love and Terror” by Joanne Yordanou



Chapter 14

No one could miss it. Her cherry red bike stood out like a beauty pageant winner from the run-of-the-mill Schwinn, Raleigh and Specialized brands beside it on the rack. He sat against the wall and waited for her, his insides beginning to feel more like a frenzied gaggle of geese than butterflies. Then he saw her. She had a small red bow in her hair today and plaid long shorts with kitten heels on her tiny feet. It was as though she walked back-lit, standing aglow from the dull surroundings of the college. She didn’t see him until she was right beside her bike. When she looked over, he couldn’t move, frozen.

“Hey, you! Watcha sitting over there for?” she asked, in her Irish lilt.

He jerked to remember he was still sitting on the cold concrete. Looking either side of him, he grabbed his backpack and walked towards her. With each step, his legs got heavier as though wading through water. She was beautiful. He noticed how her tee shirt stretched over her breasts; the band’s printed logo distorted across them and he felt himself stir. He swiftly swung his bag in front of him, hugging it to his hips and quickly cleared his thoughts.

“Hi, Sarah. Hey, you wanna go see Lord of the Rings this week?”

“I’d rather see Harry Potter. Are you asking me on a date, Bassam?” she smiled and popped her gum.

“I, I...well, ya! Do you want to?” So far so good, he thought, rummaging around for more confidence.

She bent over her bike, pushing her chest out closer to him. He used all his strength not to fall backwards. “Why don’t we see both?” she suggested. “We can do Frodo on Friday and Hogwarts on Saturday? You got a car?”

“No. I-I mean yes, ah, let’s do that and no, I don’t drive. We can meet there!”

“Then it’s not really a date, then. Is it?” she quipped, teasingly. The wind caught her, shoulder-length light brown hair and tossed it across her sticky lip-gloss, he imagined tasted like Dr Pepper.

Had he blown it already? Think!

“I’ll bus over to your place and we’ll go from there.”

“Good recovery, Bays.” She grabbed him by the collar and kissed him on the cheek, her lips slightly sticking to his skin. “I’d love too!” She bent down to unlock her bike. “I’ll call you with my address.”

He quickly pulled out a pen and paper from his backpack. “I’ll call you.” He said quickly, imagining his mother answering the phone. “What’s your number?” As he wrote down the last two digits, she peddled off.

“Bye, Lover!” She yelled back at him, laughing. He waved and realized a few students were watching them. The heat climbed up his neck and settled on his cheeks and then he saw Atiq, jogging towards him. The frown creased his red face. He was peeved with Atiq’s sudden appearance, dulling his golden mood.

“Hey, Bassam! I need your help!”

“What is it? And where have you been?” He stuffed the paper into his jacket before Atiq saw it.

“Just listen! I need your Chemist’s brain.” He looked around him and lowered his voice. “If you were to cause a little explosion, say for a movie stunt, you’d use fertilizer and oil, right? So, what kind of oil works best and how much.” He waited. “Bassam!”

“Atiq! You disappear for two weeks and the first thing you want to know is how to build a bomb!?”

“Shhhhhh! Are you crazy? Keep it down!” He pulled Bassam away from the crowd. “Just tell me, all right?”

“No! It’s not all right! You’re crazy! What the hell are you doing?”

“I told ya. It’s for a movie we’re doing in class. I want to create a small explosion.”

“Well, first of all it’s illegal. You must need a special permit or something, even for a movie. You think that’s so bright for an Afghani to do right now? Atiq, are you nuts? Where have you been anyway?”

“Nowhere! I am bogged down with homework is all. What’s with you? Why the FBI? You don’t seem to be missing me; looks like you’ve got yourself a girlfriend. Do your folks know your dating an outsider?”

“She’s just a friend and no they don’t know. And it’s going to stay that way until I decide to tell them. You’re changing the subject.”

“Well, she’s gorgeous. I don’t blame you one bit. So help me out, Bassam. You see those guys over there with the camera?”

Bassam looked in the direction Atiq was nodding towards. He did see a group of guys with a camcorder.

“Those are my classmates. See, there’s Dan," Atiq said. "We’re rehearsing the first scene right now. But we need a little poof! Not so big, and I don't have the foggiest. Please.”

“What makes you think I know? We don’t actually study bomb-making in class!”

“Well, look it up in one of your books!”

“For that matter, Atiq, why don’t you look it up yourself on the Web?”

“What, and have the Mounties breathing down my brown back. No thanks, man! Come on, I told them you were the expert.”

He began walking away. ““Look Atiq, I don’t know. You could probably research it at the library. I gotta go.”

Annoyed, he continued walking and didn’t look back. He felt Atiq’s eyes locked on his jacket but didn’t have the heart to show Atiq his face and see the disappointment he felt towards his friend. He thought about the cop and how he had been berated about his “buddy.” His anger had grown at their assumption that they were involved in terrorist activities because of their skin. But now, the world was upside down. Could Atiq be involved in something? 

He sighed deeply and felt his back pocket for Agent Kent’s business card. It was still there. Of course it was. It insisted itself upon him and nagged at him, like his mother did to pick up his clothes. He knew he should but didn’t want to. He pulled the card out when he had made it onto the bus. The edges were worn from his constant fingering, the simple letters bold and strong.

Hopping off at his transfer spot, he headed for the nearest phone booth.

***

Joanne Yordanou (rhymes with Book 'em Danno!) lives in Port Credit with hubby and 2 daughters. She has worked on a number of knitting books and magazines and published her own knitting book in 2008 with Random House division, Crown Publishing's Potter Craft. She enjoys writing newsletters, blogs (2 of them but mostly photos), journals and has been working on her novel, Love and Terror. She discovered Brian's classes through Quick Brown Fox and has enjoyed his guidance and suggestions, along with the camaraderie of the group. In March, she gave a reading of this excerpt from Love and Terror at CJs Café in Bronte.

For information about Brian Henry's upcoming weekly classes, see here.

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including creative writing courses and workshops in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Friday, April 27, 2012

Rachel Ekstrom at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency seeks YA, women’s fiction, mysteries, thrillers and romance


Claudia Gabel, Maryann Yin, and Rachel Ekstrom

Irene Goodman Literary Agency
27 W. 24 Street
Suite 700B
New York, NY 10010

The Irene Goodman Agency has been in business for over 30 years and represents commercial fiction, literary fiction, and non-fiction. 

The agency’s authors have had hundreds of appearances on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Walden, and Bookscan bestsellers list.

Rachel Ekstrom is the newest agent on staff (and so the one most in need of authors). Rachel’s decade of experience working in the publicity departments at St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Penguin’s Dutton and Gotham imprints has given her and insider’s view of the publishing industry. With a knack for book promotion, she’s honed her skills building the careers both of debut authors and of #1 New York Times bestsellers.

Rachel is passionate about a variety of genres, including young adult (contemporary and paranormal), women’s fiction, mysteries, thrillers, romance and the occasional quirky work of non-fiction. She’s looking for books that will make her heart beat faster than it does when she’s biking through Manhattan traffic.

Include the first ten pages of your manuscript, a synopsis (3–5 paragraphs), and a bio in the body your email.

Full submission guidelines here.

Brian Henry will lead "How to Get Published" workshops on Saturday, May 12, in Newmarket with Meghan Macdonald of Transatlantic Literary Agency (see here), Saturday, June 9, in Brampton with Monica Pacheco of The Anne McDermid literary agency (see here), and Saturday, June 16, in Hamilton with Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency (see here).
And Brian will lead a "Writing for Children and for Young Adults" workshop in Oakville on June 2 (see here).

See Brian's full schedule here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Canadian Authors' Association, Niagara's, annual poetry contest & The Antigonish Review's annual fiction and poetry contests


The Niagara Branch of the Canadian Authors Association is holding its 27th Annual
Poetry Anthology contest for residents of Ontario.

Deadline for entries is May 31, 2012.
First Prize-$200 Second Prize-$100 Third Prize-$50
Entry fee $15 for up to three poems and $4 for each additional poem,
By entering the contest, you agree to give the CAA-Niagara Branch first rights to publish
your poem in The Saving Bannister.

The Antigonish Review 
The Antigonish Review is a quarterly literary journal published by St. Francis Xavier University. The Review features poetry, fiction, book reviews, and critical articles from all parts of Canada, the US and overseas. It publishes both emerging and established writers and each year sponsors a poetry contest and a prose contest: The Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest The Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize, with $2,400 in Prizes!


Update, May 25, 2011: The Antigonish Review has extended their deadlines to July 31 for fiction, and August 30 for poetry.

Here are the details:

Deadlines:
Fiction entries must be postmarked by May 31
Poetry must be postmarked by June 30
Guidelines:
Previously published works, works accepted for publication or simultaneous submissions are ineligible. No electronic submissions, please. Fiction entries must be typed, double-spaced, one side of page only - poetry must be single-spaced. Please include a separate cover sheet containing your identifying information as well as the titles of all entries.
Your name must appear ONLY on the cover page.
Sheldon Currie Fiction Prize:
Stories on any subject. Total entry not to exceed 20 pages.
First prize:
$600 & publication;
Second prize:
$400 & publication;
Third prize:
$200 & publication;
Great Blue Heron Poetry Contest:
Poems on any subject. Total entry not to exceed 4 pages. Maximum 150 lines. Entries might be one longer poem, or several shorter poems.
First prize:
$600 & publication;
Second prize:
$400 & publication;
Third prize:
$200 & publication;
Entry Fee: Canada $25.00; the United States $30.00 (US funds); All others $40.00 (US funds) for either contest.

Bonus: You may enter both contests for an additional $10.00. You may enter as often as you like; only your first entry in each category will be eligible for a subscription which will begin with the fall issue, 2011.
Make cheques or money orders payable to The Antigonish Review.
Mail submissions to:
The Antigonish Review Contest,
Box 5000,
St. Francis Xavier University,
Antigonish,
Nova Scotia, Canada,
B2G 2W5.

The Antigonish Review also accepts submissions year round and pays for pieces it publishes. Fiction should be less than 3,000 words. For poetry, submissions of 3 – 4 poems are preferred. Book reviews should be of Canadian poetry, fiction or non-fiction published in the past year. Reviews run roughly between 1,000 and 2,500 words. A reviewer might choose to review a single book or review two – four books that invite connections.

Payment:
For fiction and articles, pays $100 plus two copies of the issue in which your piece appears. 
For book reviews and translations, pays $50 plus two copies of the issue in which your piece appears. 
For poetry, pays $30 plus two copies of the issue in which your piece appears. 

Full submission guidelines here

See Brian Henry's schedule here, including creative writing courses and workshops in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

"The Secret Life of Money, A Kid's Guide to Cash" by Kira Vermond



The Secret Life of Money, A Kid's Guide to Cash
Written by: Kira Vermond
Illustrated by: Clayton Hanmer



“This is a great book! I like how it has some humour. And now I want a stock for my birthday.” – William, age 10
"I liked it too. It taught me how quickly money can add up or decrease." - Leah, age 14.


If discussing money is a difficult task for adults, it’s doubly so where kids are involved. Not only is the subject loaded with cryptic jargon (mortgages? Bull markets? Huh?), but it often fails to click with how a kid sees his or her world. Many preteens and young teens do not yet have a job, and even if they do, their responsibilities with their earnings are miles away from grown-up money issues.


In short, not only is money a little overwhelming and mysterious, it’s also seen as something kids can't do anything about. The Secret Life of Money is written to address this last point in particular. This book uses odd anecdotes, engaging comics, and a wealth of surprising everyday connections to help young readers see and understand cash from an entirely different angle.


From the history of different currencies to why we buy what we buy, from how credit cards work to saving and investing, readers will gain not only an appreciation for the myriad ways that money changes, influences, and betters their lives, they will arrive to an understanding of the control they have over it.


Kira Vermond is an award-winning writer with over 1,000 articles to her name. She is a frequent contributor to The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Today's Parent, and PROFIT, and the author of Earn, Spend, Save: The Savvy Guide to a Richer, Smarter, Debt-free Life (see here.) She lives in Guelph, Ontario. She’s working on a novel for young readers in Brian Henry’s “Intensive” courses in Burlington.


Clayton Hanmer writes and illustrates "CTON's Corner," a popular monthly feature in OWL Magazine. The winner of many industry awards, his work appears in such diverse publications as National Geographic Kids, The Walrus, and the New York Times. He lives in Toronto.


The Secret Life of Money, A Kid's Guide to Cash is available from Owl Kids here.
For information about submitting to Owl Kids, see here.
For information about Brian Henry’s upcoming creative writing courses, see here.


See Brian's full schedule here, including creative writing courses and workshops in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Love Letters


Hi, Brian.
It's been a while since I've been in touch with you. Perhaps you'll recall a few years ago you edited my detective novel, A Private Man. Since that time I've followed your suggestions for improving the plot and finished the novel last year. After numerous strike-outs with a number of publishers (and agents) I finally connected with Maureen Whyte at Seraphim Editions now in Woodstock, Ontario.
The book will be published this fall.
I'm now working on the second volume in the series using the same detective. Since I always found your seminars helpful, I thought it would be a good idea to brush up with you before getting too far along with my latest project.
Therefore I'm signing up for yourHow to Write a Bestseller workshop in Kingston on April 28. My cheque's in the mail (to coin a phrase).
Cheers,
Chris Laing

Nancy Kay Clark,
publisher, CommuterLit.com
Hi, Brian.
I was at one of your workshops last November. Thanks so much for the inspiration to write (and actually finish something)! And thanks for the tip on CommuterLit – I was published on April 16!
Erica Richmond
You can read Erica’s story here.
For information on submitting to CommuterLit, see here.

Hi, Brian.
I have a success to report: an honourable mention in the Brucedale Press's Acrostic Story Contest!
I enter this contest every year; it's great fun. This year I didn't get the usual reminder email that the deadline was approaching, and forgot all about the contest until the Friday before. This meant that in order to get a submission there in time (no email entries accepted), I had to think of a topic, write the story (while doing my day job at the same time), and take it to the post office by noon. But there you are... sometimes a little time pressure can be a good thing (not to mention access to Wikipedia!).
Cheers,
Susan E. Smith
Kitchener
You can find out about all the annual writing contests in Canada in the Canadian Writers’ Contest Calendar. Just $23.50 by mail or $20 if you buy it in person at one of my writing courses or workshops. To order a Contest Calendar, email me at brianhenry@sympatico.ca 
More about the Contest Calendar here. 

Meghan Macdonald of
Transatlantic Literary agency
will be the guest speaker May 12 at
"How to Get Published" in Newmarket
Hi, Brian.
I’m happy to say that my short story “The Must Have” was chosen as a finalist for the Canadian Federation of University Women Aurora/Newmarket writing contest! They held a reception last night and I think I dropped your name at least a half a dozen times saying that your workshops are wonderful and your blog is one of the best ones out there for Canadian writers.
Speaking of which, could I reserve a spot for the May 12thHow to Get Published” workshop in Newmarket? I attended one of your workshops a while ago and really enjoyed it.
Thanks,
Wendy Nelson
See details of the CFUW Aurora/Newmarket contest here.

See my full schedule here, including creative writing courses and workshops in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Welcome to Creative Writing, Burlington, Ont, Tuesday afternoons, Oct 2 – Nov 27


Nine weeks of exploring your creative side 
Tuesday afternoons, 12:45 – 2:45 p.m.
October 2 – November 27, 2012
Appleby United Church, 4407 Spruce Ave, Burlington, Ontario (Map here.)

This course will open the door to all kinds of creative writing. We’ll visit short story writing and personal writing, children’s writing, memoir writing, and just for fun writing. You’ll get a shot of inspiration every week and an assignment to keep you going till the next class. Best of all, this class will provide a zero-pressure, totally safe environment, where your words will grow and flower.

Instructor 
Brian Henry has been a book editor and creative writing teacher for more than 25 years. He teaches at Ryerson University and has led writing workshops everywhere from Boston to Buffalo and from Sarnia to Charlottetown. But his proudest boast is that he's helped many of his students get published.

Fee: $115.04 plus 13% hst = $130
Advance registration only 
– by mail or Interac. Number of attendees strictly limited.  These classes tend to fill up, to avoid disappointment, register early. 

To reserve your spot now, email 
brianhenry@sympatico.ca 

See Brian's full schedule here, including creative writing courses and workshops in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Canadian Writers’ Journal short fiction contest – deadline April 30

Canadian Writers’ Journal short fiction contest
Any genre. Maximum length 2,500 words. 
Entrants must be Canadian citizens, or landed immigrants.
Cash awards: first place $150, second $100, third $50.
First, second and third place and honorable mentions will be published the new annual Canadian Writers’ Journal and as a chapbook in the Choice Works series.
Deadline: entries must be postmarked by April 30
Entries received too late for one deadline will be held over for the next deadline date.
Entry fee: $10 per entry. No limit for number of entries.

Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, and prepared in standard form except that no identification of the author is to appear on the manuscript itself.
Name, address and a short biography (200 words) of the author are to be submitted on a separate sheet to accompany the entry.
Winners to be announced and prize winning stories are published in the Canadian Writer's Journal. Entry gives permission to include all the contest winners in Choice Works which is published and available separately. Winners receive a complimentary copy.

Mail entries to:
Short Fiction Contest
Canadian Writer's Journal
Box 1178
New Liskeard, ON P0J 1P0
Complete rules here

For information about all the annual writing contests in Canada, order the Canadian Writers' Contest Calendar, just $23.50 including all taxes and shipping. For details, email brianhenry@sympatico.ca 

See Brian Henry's schedule
 here, including writing workshops and creative writing courses in Kingston, Peterborough, Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Georgetown, Oakville, Burlington, St. Catharines, Hamilton, Dundas, Kitchener, Guelph, London, Woodstock, Orangeville, Newmarket, Barrie, Gravenhurst, Sudbury, Muskoka, Peel, Halton, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.