Congratulations to Monica, Kelly, Jan, Drew, and Nancy on getting published, plus Beta Reader wanted

Hi, Brian.

Hope you're having a good weekend. Seeing my piece published in the Globe and Mail made mine!!

Blessings,

Monica

Read Monica’s personal essay, “I want to restore fun, hope and a sense of dignity to long-term care” in the Globe and Mail here or read it on Quick Brown Fox with way better images here.

For information of submitting a first person essay to the Globe and Mail (and to 21 other places), see here.

Hi, Brian:

My short memoir piece, “The Road for Conquering,” has recently won an Honourable Mention at the 2019 Grit Lit contest and will be published with the Nowhere magazine Anthology Issue. I'm excited and grateful.

Thanks so much for your newsletters, they are a wonderful, uplifting source of information!

Kelly Watt

www.kellywatt.ca

Author of Camino Meditations (Hamilton Stone Press  – available from Amazon here)

And Mad Dog (Doubleday Canada  – available from Indigo here)

For information on submitting to Nowhere, see here.

Yay, Jan!

Hi, Brian.

Here’s another one of those “while in your class, I began this story” successes.

I've received word that "Hot Mesa Mess" won 3rd place in the South Simcoe Arts Council short story contest.

Thanks so much Brian,

Jan Collis

Congratulations, Jan! And congratulations to all the other winners, too – see here.

Hi Brian

Just wanted to let you know I have an article being published in Animal Wellness Magazine in July so very chuffed

Donna Woodstock

For information about submitting to Animal Wellness, see here.

Hi Brian,

I hope all is well with you and the recent writing retreat weekend was very successful! As a former student, I wanted to pass on some good news. My book is being published by Oceanview Publishing!

It’s been a long, twisty, uphill-all-the-way road. But to summarize: I was able to step away from my day job; I wrote three more books; and the last one went through an R&R from one agent, professional editing, a rejection by that agent, picked up by another agent, and sold this spring to Oceanview. 

Along the way I’ve been attending writing conferences, working with my writers’ group (the same one as Kelley Armstrong), and setting up the social media framework for promotion.

Yay, Drew!

The book is called Broken Genius and will be coming out in print and ebook on June 2, 2020! 

It’s about a former tech CEO turned FBI agent investigating a murder with ties to a radioactive quantum computer he was working on when he left the valley. Now he’s in a race with a Chinese hacker, Russian criminals, and a desperate corporate executive to keep its power out of the wrong hands.

After years of slogging and waiting, things are moving very quickly. Oceanview is doing quite a bit to support the book with a detailed marketing plan, which naturally includes many activities for me. I’ve joined the International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. I’ll be at ThrillerFest in New York in July, and appearing at Bouchercon in Dallas this October.

Thanks for those early workshops that really got me energized and set on the path that led me here!

Cheers,

Drew Murray

Twitter/Instagram/FB: @drewmurraybooks

drewmurraybooks.com

Beta reader wanted

Brian,

I enjoy your newsletter. It's always full of tips and contacts and other good ideas. I'd like to let you know my nonfiction, "Frosty Flakes," was published today in storySouth, a piece about my dad who celebrated his 100th birthday (in heaven) yesterday. I have a published memoir, The Last Cadillac (Walrus 2106), and my first mystery, Saving Tuna Street, is coming out June 2020 from Light Messages.

But another reason I write to you – I am in desperate need of a beta reader for my work in progress about a woman who teaches at a boys' prison where the young felons plan an escape (based on my true adventures as an English teacher at the Omega Juvenile Prison in Florida). Thought I'd give you a shout, that you might put me on your list for those writers seeking betas.

Much thanks for your work and support of the writing community. Hope to hear from you soon.

All the best,

Nancy Nau Sullivan

Author, THE LAST CADILLAC {available from Amazon here}

www.nancynausullivan.com

If you’re interested in being a beta reader for Nancy, contact her here.

For information about submitting to storySouth, see here.

See Brian's schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Cambridge, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Congratulations to the winners of the South Simcoe Art Council Literary Competition

Congratulations to everyone who entered the South Simcoe Arts Council Literary Contest. It was my pleasure to act as the judge for the Adult Short Story categories and read all the fine entries. A special congratulation to the three winners: Sharon Frayne, Jill Malleck, and Jan Collis – well done! ~Brian

Here’s the official announcement from the Arts Council:

The South Simcoe Arts Council is pleased to announce the winners of our Fourth Annual Creative Works Writing Contest!

In the Adult Short Story Category:

Sharon Frayne

Winner of First Place, and the Phyllis Smallman Award for Great Story Telling: Moonlight with Tom Thomson, by Sharon Frayne

2nd Place: Spring Chore, by Jill Malleck

3rd Place: Hot Mesa Mess, by Jan Collis

Adult Poetry:

1st Place: Tales of an Organic Gardner, by Angie Rose-Carnegie

2nd Place: Ever and Only, by Fiona Vipond

3rd Place: Here I come Long Term Care, by Douglas A. Earl

Youth 14-17

1st Place: Divided View, by Brooke Bowers (Poetry)

2nd Place: My Eyes, by Jakob Davidson (Poetry)

The Winner of Zita’s Share Your Story Award: Worthy, by Amelia Vestby

Children 8-10 (Junior)

1st Place: Icy and Her New School, by Yui Hsieh

2nd Place: A Day in My Life, the Day Before my 9th
Birthday, by Andersen Dinnick-Schulze

3rd Place: The Mystery on the Olympic Day, by Priscilla Han

Children 11-13 (Intermediate)

1st Place: Two Words, by Morgan Mumma

2nd Place: Sunken in Secrets, by Emma Landry

3rd Place: Telekinetic Teleportation, by Keira Bertleff

Congratulations to all of our winners, and all of our participants!

 See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including Saturday writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Alliston, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Jackson’s Point, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, New Tecumseth, Oakville, Ottawa, St. Catharines, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Congratulations to everyone who made it to the second round or was a finalist in the CANSCAIP contest and to Richard and Paula for getting stories published; plus beta readers and a critique partner wanted

Note: If you’ve had a story (or a book!) published or you’ve placed in a writing contest or have any other news, send me an email so I can share your success and we can all encourage each other. And be sure to let know if you have something for "Writer to Writer" (you're looking for a writers' group or beta readers, for examples). Email me at: brianhenry@sympatico.ca

Hi, Brian:

Captain Monty by Jennifer Mook-Sang, now published by
Kids Can Press, was a finalist in the 2014 CANSCAIP contest

I was thrilled to learn that I made it to the second stage of the CANSCAIP contest!

See you in class on Friday.

Karyn

Congratualations, Karyn! And congratulations to everyone who submitted a story, congratulations to those who made it to the second stage of the contest, and congratulations to Karon Young, whose entry was a finalist!

Note: The CANSCAIP writing contests is for authors of kid lit – picture books through young adults. One of the nice features of the contest is that you receive feedback on your entry. In addition, the two winners and eight finalists all have their work submitted to three Canadian children's publishers. Entries for 2019 open in March.

More about the CANSCAIP contest here.

Hi, Brian.

I had another short piece published today in the Literary Yard's e-journal. You can find the story here. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment to have flash fiction published.

I'm looking forward to seeing you at upcoming workshops.

Kind Regards,

Richard Tattoni

Hi again, Brian.

I am writing slowly. The Polar Expressions contest accepted a story of mine for their anthology. And I am almost ready to submit another story to the CBC Short Story Contest.

Thank you for all your guidance!

Paula MacDonald

Writer to Writer

Call for your stories, comments, interaction

A bit of the Inca Trail

I'm looking for (1) a fellow writer who has (2) walked the Inca Trail and (3) would be willing to read the first 30,000 words of my novel, THE FIASCO, to (4) tell me if I've got the hike right.

If you are interested then please contact me at shaunaclinning@gmail.com

It goes without saying that I will return the huge favour!

Thanks,

Shauna Clinning

Hello, Brian:

Really enjoyed workshop. Wish I was closer so I could attend a weekly intensive writing class.

I’m looking for a critique partner. I am writing a novel. The story is pretty intense. The main characters are twins. The story is about their lives; one will suffer and live a lonely life yet survive as a beautifully evolved heroine; the other will be blessed in every way yet fail to survive or self-actualize. Christ is also a character in the story, though it is not a “Christian” book at this point. Thank you

Shelley Sukhdeo

If you’d like to be a critique partner with me, email me at: shelleysukhdeo@gmail.com

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Cambridge, Georgetown, Georgina, Guelph, Hamilton, Jackson’s Point, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Congratulations to Monica, Frank, and Geri on getting published, and to Michelle on making it into a writing contest semi-finals

Hi, Brian.

Just wanted to let you know that I submitted a successful piece to Feminine Collective!

I will know more soon about the publishing date and will be sure to forward the finished piece to you.  It was one that I completed in one of your classes; “Night at the Improv.”

So nice to have something to add to my resumé!

See you soon for more intensive writing,

Monica Catto

You can read Monica’s story on Feminine Collective here, but much better to read it on Quick Brown Fox here. For information on submitting to Feminine Collective see here.

For information on creative writing classes starting soon, see here.

Hi Brian!
I just found out that i made the semi finals again for the Ontario Writers Conference Story Starters contest! I'm on the list twice! For my entry in October, and my entry in February!
I’m excited about it!
Michelle Dinnick

Hi, Brian.

How are you?

Our Plan to Save the World, a short story
collection by CommuterLit editor
Nancy Kay Clark, and Phyliss Humby,
Michael Joll, and Frank T Sikora

It's been a few years since I took your Next Step in Creative Writing course, but I never forgot the invaluable experience. It was during your workshop that I also learned about CommuterLit.

Recently, I submitted my short story "Emma's Dilemma" to them. Nancy Kay Clark loved it, and she posted it on the site.

Sincerely,

Frank Beghin                       

Read “Emma’s Dilemma” here.

Brian,

I wanted to say thank you for the shout out you gave me on Quick Brown Fox. It's very encouraging and makes me want to work harder.  I also got news yesterday that my third short piece will be in CommuterLit this week, “Jane” is the title.

See you in class,

Geri

Read “Jane” here. For links to all three of Geri’s pieces on CommuterLit, see here.

For information on submitting to CommuterLit, see here

For information on creative writing classes starting soon, see here.

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Congratulations to Geri, Connie, Lisa, and Michelle; plus Ghost Writer and Writer in Residence wanted

Good morning, Brian.

I sent one of my “babies” out to CommuterLit for the first time earlier this month. And it was accepted.

I’m thrilled!

Thanks for all your coaching these last few years.

Geri Lalach

Since sending me this email, Geri’s had a second story published on CommuterLit, as well – yay, Geri! Read “Hallelujah” here and “The Opening” here. See Geri’s author page on CommuterLit here.

For information about submitting to CommuterLit, see here.

Hi Brian:

I'm so excited! My third fifty-word story was published today. Thanks so much for letting us know about the 50-Word Stories website. 

You can read my new story, Assassin Retirement Plan” here.

Take care!

Connie Taylor

See all three stories Connie's published on 50-Word Stories here. For information about submitting to 50-Word Stories, see here.

Good morning, Brian.

I was just writing to say thank you for your help with the short story last night and also to let you know that my short story “A Perfect Place in Time” has been chosen as a short list finalist for the Elora Writers Festival.

I am very excited! This is the first contest I've ever entered and I was quite surprised to get the notification. I just had to do a little happy dance ;-)

It's thanks to your help and guidance over the years (and all of the courses you provide) that I even felt confident enough to send a manuscript in.

Thanks so much.

Lisa Washbrook

Yay, Lisa. We’re all keeping our fingers crossed.

The Elora Writers Festival Writing Contest rolls around every year, with the deadline usually early in March. See details of a previous year’s contest here.

Michelle with Chicken Soup for the Soul's
The Spirit of Canada
which included one of here pieces

Hi Brian!

I wanted to let you know that my short story, "Today is the Day" has been published on Feminine Collective. 

You can read it here.

I wrote this on the lunch break at one of your workshops for a Fiction War contest that I had signed up for that was the same weekend! I'm thrilled that it has found a home with Feminine Collective!

Thank you so much for your continued support and enthusiasm,

Michelle Dinnick

For information on submitting to Feminine Collective, see here.

Writer to Writer

Seeking Ghost Writer

… to complete a personal life story. It begins in the in the Prairies and moves to the depression era in Niagara.  It highlights the learn-by-doing Business Education provided by a rapid succession of four small firms, and a career with two divisions of the world largest automotive corporation It shares 7 Red Flare life situations that most of us are likely to encounter and the invaluable advice that helped change direction and avoid catastrophe. Finally, 3 significant failures that contributed to future success. One of which shaped a commitment to helping others through Training and Mentoring.

For consideration: send a brief resume and the first and last pages of three chapters of any book you have written to Irwin Schinkel at i_j.schinkel@sympatico.ca

Call for Writer in Residence 2018 – 2019

The Toronto Heliconian Club seeks to appoint a writer-in-residence for the 2018 – 2019 season. Eligible candidates are female authors of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama, as well as professional editors and journalists.

The successful candidate will have complimentary membership in the Club for the year. The non-paying position provides an opportunity for a writer to connect with members of the Literature Section on a regular basis and to interact occasionally with members in the Music, Drama, Dance, Art and Humanities sections.

The Toronto Heliconian Club is the oldest association of its kind in Canada. Founded in 1909 to give women in the arts and letters an opportunity to meet socially and intellectually, the Club holds to its original purpose while responding to the changes of contemporary life. Founded by professional women in music, writing, painting, and drama who later were joined by those in dance, sculpture, architecture, and other professions related to the humanities, the members range in age and experience from women who have earned great distinction to those in the early stages of their careers. The Club operates out of the historic Heliconian Hall in Yorkville. For more information about the Club visit  www.heliconianclub.org

The writer-in-residence is expected to attend several events over the year, and to present her work to an audience at one or more readings and/or workshops. In addition, the position lends itself to creative programming within the Literature section. The position lasts from September 2018 to June 2019.

An application package should include a letter of intent, a résumé, a list of published works and a writing sample. Short excerpts of longer works should not exceed 2000 words. In the letter of intent, the applicant should explain why she is interested in the position, of what benefit the post would be to her and how she, in turn, could benefit the Heliconian Club.

The deadline for applying is midnight Friday, May 11th, 2018 EST. Applications should be emailed to the Heliconian Club office: info@heliconianclub.org

See Brian’s complete current schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Collingwood, Cambridge, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Kingston, Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.

Congratulations to Connie, Jennifer, Zlata, Bieke, and Mary on getting published; plus: roomie wanted for Algonquin retreat

Hi, Brian.

It's Connie from your writing classes a few years back in Mississauga and Burlington. Just a quick FYI: one of my short stories "On Vehicles and Men” also known as “If it has Tires or Testicles, it's going to cause you problems" was picked up by Feminine Collective. I found them on one of your posts.

Thank you so much for all of your advice during classes and at workshops. If it wasn't for you and your supportive/encouraging style of teaching, my writing would never have developed in the way it has.

Cheers,

Connie Cook

You can read “Vehicles and Men” on Feminine Collective here or, much better, on Quick Brown Fox here.

Hi, Brian.

I had some good news – a nice start to the New Year.  The story “Skinny Jeans” that I wrote in your Writing Personal Stories class was published on Feminine Collective.

Note to other writers to be patient. Hearing nothing for weeks doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t like it. I submitted the story on November 21st and heard nothing until Jan 8^th.  Then they published it the same day.

Next, it’s going to be published on CommuterLit!

See you soon for Intensive Creative Writing course.

Jennifer M, Smith

You can read Skinny Jeans on Feminine Collective here; on CommuterLit here; but you really should read it on Quick Brown Fox, with the images I found, here.

For information on submitting to Feminine Collective see here, for submitting to CommuterLit see here, and for information about upcoming weekly writing courses, see here.

Dear Brian,

Your lessons were invaluable and I plan to sign up for short story writing in the future.

Thank you and I hope it's okay I put your name in the Acknowledgements section for my book Teacher Talk: A Story Collection.

Zlata Proudlock

Check out Zlata’s book here.

Hi, Brian.

I place a poem in ArtAscent’s new publication, Paradise. My poem, “Quinten’s Song” can be found on page 32-34, amidst all kinds of wonderful art. It is my third publication with them. The other poems appeared in Patterns (The Best Woman) and Orange (Lepanto 2016). ArtAscent is a publication out of Hamilton, Ontario, and a wonderful option for people to send their work to. 

I hope this finds you well. I know you keep busy, so that is good.

All the best,

Bieke
https://bieke.stengos.cammaert.eu

Read Bieke's poem “Quinten’s Song” here.

For information on submitting to ArtAscent, see here.

Hi Brian.
My story “The Yarnabomber” is now out, in the Winter 2018 issue of The Ocotillo Review here.  

This is the story I read from at Barra Fion in December (finishing partway through with a “dot dot dot”!). The editor of The Ocotillo Review told me, "I LOVE The Yarnabomber. It holds a place of honor as the final piece in the new journal.  In these divisive times I wanted to leave our readership with a positive ‘warm fuzzy’ and your story handles that beautifully.” I’m so pleased he liked it – and you like it – and I hope others will too.

Thanks for all you do, to promote writers and their work!

Mary

www.marysteer.com

For information about submitting to The Ocotillo Review see here.

Our next reading day the Barra Fion restaurant is coming up Sunday, March 25. See here.

Writer to Writer

Image by Bob & Jean

Female looking to room with another female for the June in Algonquin Writers Retreat (Details of retreat here)

Email me at:  amydianasheppard@gmail.com

Amy

See Brian Henry’s schedule here, including writing workshops, weekly writing classes, and weekend retreats in Algonquin Park, Bolton, Barrie, Brampton, Burlington, Caledon, Georgetown, Guelph, Hamilton, Ingersoll, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Midland, Mississauga, Oakville, Ottawa, Peterborough, St. Catharines, Saint John, NB, Sudbury, Thessalon, Toronto, Windsor, Woodstock, Halton, Kitchener-Waterloo, Muskoka, Peel, Simcoe, York Region, the GTA, Ontario and beyond.