Scribes Valley Notes

Scribes Valley Publishing is accepting submissions for our 16th annual short story writing contest. All finalists are published in an annual contest anthology, both print and electronic versions. Monetary prizes for top 3 finalists are based on contest participation – the more entries we receive, the bigger the prize amounts. In addition, all finalists receive a copy of the finished anthology. Thrill us…amaze us…entertain us…TELL US A STORY! Deadline:   November 30, 2018 Winners announced around January 30, 2019 Word limit: 5,000 Entry Fee:   $7.00 US You can enter by snail mail or online submission. Complete submission guidelines and rules on our website: http://www.scribesvalley.com .

Technology is taking over. “It’s everywhere! It’s everywhere!” screams the black-and-white movie hero as he runs through the darkened town, trying to alert the sleeping residents that their end is near. As someone who watches scary movies from the 50s and 60s, and can remember the time before cell phones and high-definition TV (and even COLOR TV), I wonder when technology is going to bite us all in the butt. When is our ever-increasing knowledge going to turn on us? Now, I’m not one of the doomsday forecasters who sit around waiting for the apocalypse. I don’t subscribe to the “end of the world is just around the corner” philosophy. I’m generally happy with the way things are going in the world that affects me. But…. Okay, let’s just say this comes from what happened to me today. I was taking my son to school this morning. Just like every morning. We pulled onto a busy section of road going to the school, when I noticed the silver car next to us had a key hanging from the...

The thrill of competition! The thrill of seeing your name in print! The thrill of your work being read by someone! The thrill of recognition by your peers and others! All this and more can be yours. All you have to do is enter: The Scribes Valley Publishing Company's TENTH ANNUAL SHORT STORY WRITING CONTEST !

Cover of new antholgy I love old pictures of people (as opposed to pictures of old people). There’s something about looking at someone from a by-gone era. Maybe it’s the look in their eyes, maybe it’s their smile—or lack of a smile, maybe it’s the way they are posed…. I don’t know. It’s hard to put into words. Whenever I look at an old picture of people I realize it shows so much more than just people. It is a microcosm of the time the picture was taken, a museum display of their era, a depiction of their when . My modern eyes stare into their ancient eyes and something seems to pass between us, not only from the picture to me, but from their time to mine. It’s amazing to think that, at the time the picture was taken, they had the modern eyes, they were up-to-date. In this age of digital pictures, I wonder what our legacy will be. A hundred years from now, will people stare at our pictures on computer screens and wonder how we lived? I think they will. I guess it’s ju...

Scribes Valley Publishing is pleased to announce the winners of their 2011 Short Story Writing Contest . They are listed below in no particular order: Mary Smith – The Rainbow Tree J.E. Moore – Number One Munching Lane Ronna L. Edelstein – The Visit Michelle Wotowiec – The Breathing Kind Simone Hanson – Lionel Portwood Vanessa Orlando – The Ghost of Earl Warren Joseph L. Rose – Marbles Dan Sullivan – The Blazer With Two Right Sleeves Kathleen Ratcliffe – For Chris, I’m Sorry This is Late Donald Macnow – Fire-Fight on the Road to Tal-Afar

Due to requests, we've decided to extend the deadline of our 9th Annual Short Story Writing Contest . You now have until August 31, 2011 to get your entry in for contest consideration! We publish the top 10-15 stories from the contest in an annual anthology (try saying that five time fast) and the top 2-3 stories receive a monetary reward on top of that! Most of our contest winners are new, unknown authors seeking a little publicity and exposure. So, grab that story that you've worked on, and worked on, and worked on and submit it for the contest. We give every story every consideration. We'd love to see what you've been working on!

Hurry! Hurry! There is less than a month to enter the 9 th Annual Scribes Valley Publishing Short Story Writing Contest ! Come on, enter that story you’ve been polishing for the last year and a half! Enter the story you wrote ten years ago and forgot all about! Enter the story that is even now swimming around in your brain looking for a way to get out! Scribes Valley publishes an annual writing contest anthology of the top 10 or 15 stories from the contest, so you’ve got a real good chance of being one of the finalists! Enter! Enter! Enter!

Dear Elise’s Dad: Sorry I didn’t get your name at the crowded hibachi restaurant Sunday. You seemed awfully busy talking to your wife and I didn’t want to bother you. It was certainly easy to discover Elise’s name, though, the way you kept calling her back to your table almost every time she wandered off. Your daughter’s got that ignoring good-old-dad routine down to a science, doesn’t she? I love the way you indulge her by not following up on your “threats” to put her in her seat if she doesn’t listen. It’s good for her to test her boundaries and think for herself. It builds character. And what a little angel she is! Cute as could be in her white dress with the pink ribbon around the waist and pink shoes to match. The white patterned tights completed her outfit beautifully. My compliments, also, on the yellow barrettes just above each ear in her long, blond hair. They looked almost like little halos. The pictures I took with my cell phone don’t do her justice. How do you photogra...

Today, the world lost the strongest, most loving woman I have ever known: my mother-in-law, Shirley Trantham. The epitome of the Southern Lady. After a short but ferocious battle with a disease that knows no mercy, she has moved on to her just reward. I will never forget her spirit and determination. She taught me so many things: how to truly look at life and see what most do not see, to appreciate what I have now because it can all be taken away in the flash of a moment, to see myself as someone with worth and value who has much to contribute, to love so deeply it hurts, to laugh with complete abandon. In her life, and the lives of her husband and youngest daughter, who were waiting on the other side to welcome her, I found the true meaning of unconditional love as they accepted me, a knight in not-so-shining armor sweeping in to carry off the eldest daughter, as if I had always been a member of the family. I was accepted not for who I could be or who they wanted me to be, but s...

Our newest short story contest anthology will be released on March 10, 2011. VISITING ELSEWHERE is the fifth anthology in our “Elsewhere” series. It is clear to see why the authors and stories in Visiting Elsewhere are contest winners. Each story is a gem and well worth the read. We’re always fascinated when we read contest entries, never knowing where the stories will take us. The hardest part is deciding on and choosing the winners! To see a list of the Visiting Elsewhere authors, and find out more about this new anthology, click HERE .

I am not a pervert. I am not a child molester. I am not a kidnapper. I am not a psycho with a penchant for young people. Now that I have your attention…and have told you things that I am not…let me mention something that I am: flabbergasted. Flabbergasted that in this day and time, parents do not watch their children in public places. In two separate and recent incidences happening on the same day, I observed five sets of parents with callous disregard for their children’s whereabouts or safety. And, again based on my own observations, it seems to be a growing trend. I list below the two most recent incidences, but way too many others have occurred lately. SCENARIO NO. 1: THE PLACE : a local and very busy department store. THE PARENTS : two sets, involved in seemingly lighthearted conversation just inside the front doors of the store. THE KIDS : about six of them, all appearing to be under five years of age, laughing and running around, pulling items off nearby shelves, impedin...

I would like to dedicate this entry to my sister-in-law, Becky, who passed away very suddenly last week on June 8, 2010. We will miss you, Becky. Thanks for making our lives so much brighter. I think birds have badges that they strive for, much like those the Boy Scouts strive for. Okay, wait a minute; I’m not completely off the deep end yet. I really do think they have badges, and here’s why. Just about every time I’m out driving, a bird will suddenly fly across the front of my car. It comes out of nowhere, just a tiny body flashing in front of my speeding car, and then it’s gone. And, of course, with my out-of-control imagination, it’s because that bird was trying to earn its Car-Diving Badge. I always sincerely shout, “Way to get that badge!” as I picture the bird sitting on a tree branch, scared to death after having just dived in front of my car, and receiving the applause and congratulations of its fellow birds. Then a small ceremony in which it receives the Car-Diving Badge (a r...

Two days ago I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. I wasn’t really surprised because I could tell something weird was going on with my body the last year or so. I’ve been frequently tired, my heart seems to skip a few beats now and then, I get dizzy every so often, and I’ve reached, as my doctor so eloquently put it, “the magical age of fifty.” And so now I see the immediately need for more exercise. I should get this old body back in shape. Drop the flab and get back the toned and tight body of my earlier years. Become once again that lean, mean fat burning machine I was when I got married some 24 years ago. Re-create the Greek god Adonis physique that…. Aw, shucks, I need to drop about twenty pounds and hope my gut decides to recede just a bit so I can see my toes again. That’s all I ask. I saw a young man today on the drive in to work who seems to share my need and quest for health. He was dressed in what I’m sure is expensive bike riding clothes, riding what I’m sure is an expe...

I had a question recently that set my old brain to churning. A simple enough question: “Is the rule of underlining words to denote italics no longer fashionable?” Hmm, very interesting. In my opinion—and I daresay the opinions of most editors—the underlining of italicized words was only necessary back in the typewriter days when there was no way to italicize words. Now that we all use word processors, we can use actual italics and it looks great. As long as (ah, here comes the exception), the font being used allows a clear difference between the regular and italicized words. For example, if you’re using something like Courier font, there’s not a lot of difference between them. But, fonts like Times New Roman have a good, clear difference. So, yes, I would say use actual italics and forget the underlining rule. By the way, the underlining rule for book, movie, etc titles is still in effect, but many editors (and again I'm guessing) prefer the italicized versions. To me, anything und...

Scribes Valley Publishing is proud to present the 15 finalists of our 2009 Short Story Writing Contest : Brian James -- THE MIGHTY BLUE Frederic H. Decker -- A WRETCHED AND NOBLE DAY Terry Dickinson -- THE DAY TRADER Ronna L. Edelstein -- SNOW WOMAN Denise C. Hengeli -- DUCK YOU Kathryn Jordan -- BREAKING POINT Andrew Lu -- THE OTHER SIDE Tonya Mitchell -- PEEKABOO DREAMS Jean Tschohl Quinn -- GOING HOME ON LINEA-B Kathleen Ratcliffe -- THE TRAIN John Robbins -- HANDS OF TIME Dan Sullivan -- MY ‘IRISH’ FATHER George Thomas -- THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER Diana Thurbon -- A LITTLE DOG SHALL LEAD THEM Michelle Wotowiec -- MOON ROCKS These finalists will appear in our new anthology: Welcome to Elsewhere (tentative title) in January, 2010.

I was asked recently by a young man whose wife is expecting their first child, what he needs to know as a parent. I immediately replied, “The beeper number of a good shrink.” We laughed and went our separate ways but on the way home I starting thinking about what it takes to be a good parent. I decided to make a list and send it to my friend. After an hour, I decided that wasn’t such a good idea. Too many trees would have to give up their lives for me to compile such a list. So I decided to narrow it down to just a few, all-encompassing items that would help him in his quest for knowledge. Okay, let’s see, to be a good parent you must. . . . . .be able to exist on very little sleep and still go to work and present a halfway decent image to your coworkers. . . .be willing to unwrap a diaper containing something so nasty it would gag a buzzard, and still use your baby talk voice to tell your little one how proud you are of the pretty poo-poo. . . .take a full load of puke in the che...

Our newest contest anthology, THE ROAD TO ELSEWHERE , has now been released. Eighteen stories are ready to take you away to that elusive place called ELSEWHERE. All you have to do is open the cover to be transported to where there are no schedules, no timetables, no agendas, no calendars, no clocks, and time does not matter. Click here to check out this great book! The winning authors who will be traveling with you are: Tricia Spencer LeeAnn Dickson Pauline A. Salvucci Terry Dickinson Dan Sullivan Hannah Greer Atossa Shafaie Bernard Hofler Devin Murphy Melissa Tantaquidgeon Zobel Mimi Sharpe Vickie Clasby Jean Tschohl Quinn Chandra Prater Kandice Powell Bill Westhead Kaye Sebastian Ronna L. Edelstein

Scribes Valley Publishing is pleased to announce the top 3 stories in our recent short story contest : FIRST PLACE Tricia Spencer – Empty Shoes SECOND PLACE Kandice Powell – Two, One THIRD PLACE Ronna L. Edelstein – Ma Bates Please join us in congratulating these authors on their success. You can read about them and the other fine finalists in the contest HERE .

Scribes Valley Publishing is proud to present the 18 finalists of our 2008 Short Story Writing Contest : TRICIA SPENCER – Empty Shoes JEAN TSCHOHL QUINN – And Why is That Again? HANNAH GREER - Maria’s Gift DAN SULLIVAN - Forty ATOSSA SHAFAIE – Woman to Woman BERNARD HOFLER – Regret PAULINE A. SALVUCCI – After the Dream: A Modern Fable DEVIN MURPHY – Newts MELISSA TANTAQUIDGEON ZOBEL – The Decorator MIMI SHARPE – Between a Rock and a Hard Place VICKIE CLASBY – June and Steve LEEANN DICKSON – Senior Discount CHANDRA PRATER – Honeysuckle Dreams KANDICE POWELL – Two, One RONNA L. EDELSTEIN – Ma Bates TERRY DICKINSON – The Funeral Dinner KAYE SEBASTIAN – Truth and Consequences BILL WESTHEAD – The Restorer These finalists will appear in our new anthology: The Road to Elsewhere in January, 2009.

The judging of our 2008 short story writing contest has now been completed. We enjoyed reading every one of the contest entries and we were able to come up with the finalists. It was not a quick and simple process, however. Each story was read and discussed at great length. While all the stories were great, those which had that little extra “something” were, through a painstaking process, moved to the top of the list, which we will share with the world as soon as we have contacted the finalists and verified that their stories are still eligible for publication in our newest anthology, “ THE ROAD TO ELSEWHERE .” We would like to again take this opportunity to thank all the great authors who submitted their hard work for this contest. The dedication of writers to their craft is truly amazing and awe-inspiring. Our 2009 short story writing contest is open and accepting submissions.