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Sunday, June 21, 2015

Book Review: Re Jane by Patricia Park

From Goodreads:

For Jane Re, half-Korean, half-American orphan, Flushing, Queens, is the place she’s been trying to escape from her whole life. Sardonic yet vulnerable, Jane toils, unappreciated, in her strict uncle’s grocery store and politely observes the traditional principle of nunchi (a combination of good manners, hierarchy, and obligation). Desperate for a new life, she’s thrilled to become the au pair for the Mazer-Farleys, two Brooklyn English professors and their adopted Chinese daughter. Inducted into the world of organic food co-ops, and nineteenth–century novels, Jane is the recipient of Beth Mazer’s feminist lectures and Ed Farley’s very male attention. But when a family death interrupts Jane and Ed’s blossoming affair, she flies off to Seoul, leaving New York far behind.

Reconnecting with family, and struggling to learn the ways of modern-day Korea, Jane begins to wonder if Ed Farley is really the man for her. Jane returns to Queens, where she must find a balance between two cultures and accept who she really is.



Re Jane has been billed as a contemporary retelling of Jane Eyre, and that was what originally drew me to this title.  I usually gravitate towards all things Austen, but lately the 19th Century has fascinated me in general.  Jane Eyre is as classic as any Austen novel, although different in tone. It features dark themes and very much follows a bildungsroman motif as Jane grows from a helpless orphan to a strong survivor.  I was intrigued with the premise of Re Jane as author Patricia Park brings this beloved coming-of-age tale to modern New York City, with a half-Korean titular character.

There was much to enjoy in Re Jane.  While not following the Jane Eyre plot note for note, it captured many of the same themes.  Modern Jane also comes into her own through the narrative, as we see her tackling challenges as an orphan living with family, trying to make her way in the world.  Also a nanny, she becomes drawn to a married man, similarly named Edward in this iteration.  She likewise has the opportunity to be involved with another man who seems to be an excellent candidate for a mate, if only on paper.

The concept of setting Re Jane in modern-day New York, with Jane being half-Caucasian, half-Korean was an appealing one.  The story begins just before 9/11, and I was interested in seeing how Park would handle those events with her characters.  I also know very little about Korean culture, evidenced by the casting in my head: I envisioned actress Chloe Bennet as modern Jane.  She is indeed half Asian, but she’s half Chinese, not half Korean. I wondered how the modern Jane Eyre would appear through the Korean lens.

Patricia Park’s writing is excellent and she develops her characters well.  There is no mistaking the type of people who come in and out of Jane’s life.  Their temperaments and quirks were unmistakable, making me feel like they were people I’ve actually known. I could almost see and smell the sights and sounds of New York and the surrounding boroughs. Jane traverses the subways, nightclubs and residences that are characteristic of the New York experience. I was easily transported back to those streets and past experiences.

To my disappointment, however, I ultimately didn’t care for Re Jane when all was said and done. It seemed to be more of a treatise on Korean culture than a re-imagining of Jane Eyre. I certainly expected the Korean aspect of the story, but I suppose I would have enjoyed a bit less of it, with more wafts of Eyre filtered in.  As I was finishing the book, I realized that in truth, I didn’t actually like any of the characters.  I found them boring or even annoying.  This has nothing to do with the Korean aspect of the narrative.  I just didn’t care to spend any more time with these individuals as the story wrapped up.  This may be a backhanded compliment to Patricia Park’s writing—she so distinctly crafted her characters, I was very clear in understanding their perspectives and personalities.  These notions do not have to mirror my own in order for me to enjoy a novel’s characters.  I’ve appreciated many titles which included other cultures and/or characters who are dissimilar to myself.  There just seems to be a lack of chemistry between me and Re Jane.

I’m not recommending that readers should shy away from this title.  The only individuals I would warn are the very conservative, as there are a few adult moments in the story, and at times the language can be a little blue, although it’s not horribly pervasive.  Re Jane definitely has its audience, so I do encourage others who might find this premise to be intriguing to consider it. Patricia Park is a former Fulbright Scholar and has many other credits to her name. This is not surprising, given how well this is written. Unfortunately it just wasn’t a great match for me.



About Patricia Park

Patricia Park is the author of the debut novel Re Jane, a Korean-American retelling of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre set in NYC and Seoul (Viking/PDB, Penguin Random House May 5, 2015). She was born and raised in Queens and graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. She received her BA in English literature from Swarthmore College and her MFA in fiction from Boston University. She has taught writing at Boston University, Ewha Womans University Graduate School of Interpretation and Translation, and CUNY Queens College. She was a Fulbright scholar to South Korea, an Emerging Writers fellow with The Center for Fiction, and a Fellow with the American Association of University Women. Her essays have been published in the New York Times, the Guardian, Daily Beast, Slice Magazine, and others. She has been interviewed on MSNBC "Book Report," NPR "Here and Now," WNYC "Brian Lehrer," CBS Radio, and others.








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Saturday, June 20, 2015

Book Excerpt and Giveaway: Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer

“So each had a private little sun for her soul to bask in…” Thomas Hardy

If you desire a little heat, a summer flirtation, or an escape to bask in your own private sun…this whimsical collection of original short stories is inspired by all things summer. From some of Meryton Press’s most popular and award-winning authors, the anthology debuts other promising and emerging talent.
  • In KaraLynne Mackrory’s Shades of Pemberley, Mr. Darcy, with some fantastic assistance, discovers Elizabeth Bennet in a most unlikely place.
  • Karen M. Cox’s Northanger Revisited modernizes Northanger Abbey at a fictionalized Georgia seaside.
  • Linda Beutler takes us to Paris as a young gentleman is schooled in the ways of amour in The Incomplete Education of Fitzwilliam Darcy.
  • In Spyglasses and Sunburns, J. Marie Croft takes the Miss Bennets to the seaside where they chance upon handsome acquaintances.
  • In Abigail Bok’s Summer at Sanditon, a little sea bathing seems just the thing to cure what ails Anne de Bourgh.
  • In Natalie Richards’ Midsummer Madness, an honest confession and a promise between mysterious strangers at a masque ball mends a misunderstanding.
  • Sophia Rose re-imagines a modern-day Persuasion in Second Chance at Sunset Beach.
  • In Morgan K Wyatt’s Dream Spinner, a near-death car accident and an unlikely trucker, brings fresh perspective to a young co-ed’s life and love.

Contemporary and Regency alike, each romance was dreamt as a perfect summer refreshment to bring a smile to your own sun-kissed face.

Stories by: KaraLynne Mackrory * Karen M. Cox * Linda Beutler * J. Marie Croft * Abigail Bok * Natalie Richards * Sophia Rose * Morgan K Wyatt


Post Update
Note to conservative readers: I have not read this title myself, and therefore do not officially endorse all of the short stories within.  One of our readers has alerted me to the fact that some of the chapters are quite steamy, so if that's not your preference, I would recommend caution.



Welcome to the next top in the Meryton Press Sun-Kissed Blog Tour! Today we have an excerpt from author Karen M. Cox from her short story contribution, Northanger Revisited. Following that we have a giveaway, too!  This looks like a fun collection of short stories, perfect for summer reading by the shore or pool.  Here are the other stops in the tour-- check them out for more excerpts, giveaways and more!

6/15: Guest Post at Austenprose
6/16: Guest Post & Giveaway at My Jane Austen Book Club 
6/17: Review at Diary of an Eccentric
6/18: Excerpt & Giveaway at So Little Time… 
6/19: Guest Post & Giveaway at The Little Munchkin Reader
6/20: Excerpt & Giveaway at The Calico Critic 
6/21: Review at Margie's Must Reads
6/21: Guest Post at My Love for Jane Austen
6/22: Guest Post & Giveaway at Best Sellers & Best Stellars
6/23: Excerpt & Giveaway at Songs and Stories
6/24: Review at Wings of Paper
6/25: Excerpt at Writer Wonderland
6/26: Guest Post & Giveaway at My Kids Led Me Back to Pride & Prejudice
6/27: Review at Babblings of a Bookworm
6/28: Author Feature & Giveaway at The Delighted Reader



The tradition is going to continue! Meryton Press will be releasing a holiday-romance-themed anthology late this fall. The short story contest for that volume is now open for submissions. Click here for further details!

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck to all who enter!



Excerpt: Northanger Revisited

Catherine Morland, a 21 year-old college student with a penchant for romance novels, is spending the summer with her Aunt Paulette and Uncle Alan on Northanger Island, just off the Georgia coast. For a college girl, Catherine has led a sheltered life. This summer, however, will teach her a thing or two—about friends, about love, and most of all, about herself.

Today, though, she’s only after a piña colada from the beachside snack bar…



“Two piña coladas please.” Catherine pushed her sunglasses on top of her head and smiled at the cabana boy behind the bar.

“You got ID, miss?”

“I do.” She pulled the driver’s license out of her wristlet and handed it to him. As he handed it back, she became aware of someone at her elbow, leaning over to take a look at the card in her hand.

“Well, you sure are twenty-one, aren’t you? Could’ve fooled me.” His slow, lilting, Southern speech was accompanied by a lazy grin. “Just barely though.”

“Barely gets it,” Catherine retorted, zipping her wristlet closed and lifting her chin in defiance. She turned to face him, and her features softened into a smile. He was young, probably no more than five years her senior, and the first thing she noticed was the pleasant good humor in his expression. He was nice looking, but not pretty. His hair was a curly mop of brown curls high-lighted to a burnished gold by the sun, and his eyes were a warm whiskey brown. The lemon-yellow polo he wore contrasted with his tanned skin.

He laughed and sat back on his bar stool while he took a pull from his beer bottle. Suddenly, as if deciding on something, he held out his hand to her. “Henry.”

“Catherine.”

“Pleasure, darlin’.” He held her hand a second longer than was strictly polite.

“Likewise.”
 
“So, you here on vacation, Miss Catherine?”

“Yes, and I’m having the time of my life.”

He grinned, showing off a matching set of dimples. “Did you talk your boyfriend into drinking one of those girly piña coladas?”

“My boyfriend? Oh”—she shook her head, smiling—“I don’t have a boyfriend. This is for my aunt.”

“And who might your aunt be? I know most everyone around here.”

“Paulette Allen. My aunt and uncle rented a home here on the island for the whole summer. My uncle is Alan Allen.”

“Really?” He looked amused.

“Do you know them?”

“I don’t believe I do.”

“Oh.”

“But being a local, I would be considered an insensitive boor if I let you go without the traditional tourist welcome.”

“There’s a traditional welcome here? You mean, like a handshake?”

“Certainly. It goes like this.” He put on an affected version of his delightful Georgia drawl and took her hand in his. “Well, hello there, little missy. Welcome to Northanger Island.”

She laughed. “Thank you, kind sir.”

“Is this y’all’s first visit?”

“Why no, sir, but I haven’t been here since I was a child. I hardly remember.”

“It can’t have been that long since you were a child.”

“I’m twenty-one last February.”
 
“That can’t be! I declare it impossible.”

“Why the surprise?”

His voice deepened into its normal timbre, his eyes dancing with mischief. “I have to seem surprised to keep the conversation going. Now, let us proceed.

“Well then, since you’re all grown up, on this visit, you should make sure to visit the Pump Room café, and the Upper Dance Hall for night life, and the shops on Crescent Avenue for various souvenirs and trinkets. Now I can go about the rest of my day knowing I’ve welcomed you properly.”

She giggled.

“Oh, I see what you’re thinking. You’ll be posting on Instagram about that weird guy you met down by the beach.”

Catherine put on a teasing voice of her own and batted her lashes in wide-eyed innocence. “How do you know I even have Instagram?”

“Of course you have one; all you co-eds have Instagram. You’ll post a selfie, wearing your designer swim attire with its matching cover up.” His eyes took in her outfit but came back to rest on her face. “The caption will read, ‘Looking good, but had to suffer a goofy stranger trying to chat me up while I bought a piña colada.’ Don’t forget to post a picture of the piña colada.”

The bartender rolled his eyes.

“I’ll do no such thing,” Catherine declared.

“You know what you should post, don’t you?”

“What?”

“‘Met this great guy down at the beach snack bar. Had a fascinating conversation. He’s probably a genius. Want to get to know him better.’ That is what you should say.”


So, should our Catherine find out more about this handsome charmer?  Inquiring minds want to know…




GIVEAWAY:  Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer
International - Ends 6/27/15 at 12am EST


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Author Bio

Karen M Cox writes novels accented with romance and history. She is the author of two Austen-inspired novels. 1932, a Pride & Prejudice alternate path, won a Bronze medal in Romance at the 2011 Independent Publisher Book Awards. Her second novel, Find Wonder in All Things, is a modern retelling of Persuasion. It won a Gold medal in Romance at the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards, and was a Finalist in the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Her third novel, At the Edge of the Sea, tells the story of two unlikely young lovers: a minister’s son and a small town’s sadder but wiser girl. At the Edge of the Sea won two categories—Romance and Chick Lit—in the 2014 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. 

Karen was born in Everett, Washington, a circumstance that resulted from arriving in the world as a United States Air Force officer’s daughter. By the age of twelve, she had lived all over the country, including stays in North Dakota, Tennessee, and New York State. Her family then returned to their home state of Kentucky, and she still lives there in a quiet little town with her husband and children. She works as a pediatric speech-language pathologist, and spends her spare time reading, writing, being a wife and mom - and now, a grandmother!




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Thursday, June 18, 2015

Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway: Pride and Proposals by Victoria Kincaid

What if Mr. Darcy’s proposal was too late?

Darcy has been bewitched by Elizabeth Bennet since he met her in Hertfordshire.  He can no longer fight this overwhelming attraction and must admit he is hopelessly in love.

During Elizabeth’s visit to Kent she has been forced to endure the company of the difficult and disapproving Mr. Darcy, but she has enjoyed making the acquaintance of his affable cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam. 

Finally resolved, Darcy arrives at Hunsford Parsonage prepared to propose—only to discover that Elizabeth has just accepted a proposal from the Colonel, Darcy’s dearest friend in the world. 

As he watches the couple prepare for a lifetime together, Darcy vows never to speak of what is in his heart.  Elizabeth has reason to dislike Darcy, but finds that he haunts her thoughts and stirs her emotions in strange ways.  

Can Darcy and Elizabeth find their happily ever after?

By the author of The Secrets of Darcy and Elizabeth, an Amazon Regency Romance Bestseller.




Today I welcome author Victoria Kincaid, author of Pride and Proposals: A Pride and Prejudice Variation.  She offers her thoughts on how she came to Jane Austen Fan Fiction as someone with a Ph.D. in English Literature.  That is followed by an excerpt of her book, plus an international giveaway!  Enjoy all that Victoria has brought us today, and good luck to those who enter the contest!

*          *          *


So Laura asked me the question, “You have a Ph.D. in English literature, did you focus a lot on Austen?”  The answer, ironically enough, is: no, not really at all.  In my Ph.D. program, my specialty was drama, especially 20th century drama and gender issues.  My dissertation was about cross-dressing in 20th century plays and films (M. Butterfly, La Cage Aux Folles, The Crying Game, Victor/Victoria, Tootsie, etc.).  On the face of it, this wouldn’t seem like great preparation for writing Jane Austen fan fiction; after all, she didn’t write plays and there’s no cross-dressing in her novels.  However, it was excellent preparation for thinking about the way that gender roles have an impact on depictions of characters.

One of the things I found fascinating about cross-dressing is that how it brings gender roles to the foreground.  When a man dresses as a woman, it really makes the audience think, “Is that how a woman would behave?” or “Why are certain behaviors ‘female’ and others ‘male’?”  In some ways, Austen’s novels do the same thing.  I’m not saying that Austen had a feminist agenda where she set out to “educate” readers about women’s rights.  But she tells her stories from the female perspective (a radical choice for the era) and uses that unique perspective to illustrate differences in male and female behavior.

One important characteristic for some of Austen’s heroines is believing in their own convictions and refusing to be swayed by other people’s opinions.  This is the lesson Anne Elliot must learn and is Fanny Price’s most redeeming feature.  Elizabeth Bennet might, arguably, take her belief in her own convictions too far, but her independence of thought allows her to refuse two suitors who expect her to accept them because of her limited economic options.

The result of Austen’s decision to depict independent-minded women is that it emphasizes the time period’s gender issues (just like cross-dressing – see, there is a connection!).  Anne, Fanny, and Elizabeth may be holding out for “true love,” but they are also standing up to a system which gives women limited choices.  They are placed in difficult economic positions which could be solved (or at least appear to be solved) by marriage, and yet they refuse to make the practical choice.  The story of Charlotte Lucas was probably very typical of the time period, but it wasn’t the novel that Austen was interested in writing.  By refusing to make the obvious choice—the one everyone expects them to make—these heroines, and Austen herself, emphasize how limited women’s choices were.  Obviously none of these characters would be in this particular position if they were men.

Today, of course, women don’t face nearly so many barriers and so it’s easier for authors to write realistic, independent female characters.  But I still find myself drawn to Austen, not just because she’s brilliant at depicting character (of all kinds), but also because she manages to make her female characters so strong and interesting despite—or because of—the limitations they experienced. 



Pride and Proposals Excerpt
Chapter 3, Part II


Miss Bingley tittered uncertainly. “They seem well-matched,” she said. Miss Bingley apparently labored under a delusion that Elizabeth’s betrothal would bring her closer to achieving Darcy’s regard.

“Yes.” Darcy employed a familiar strategy; if he said little to Miss Bingley, she would sometimes quit his company due to a dearth of conversation.

“Such happenings in town since last I saw you!” Miss Bingley continued, apparently not requiring a conversational partner. “I hope we shall be seated near each other at dinner.”

Darcy was spared the necessity of a reply by another knock at the door. Everyone in the entrance hall turned to view the new arrival. The butler opened the door to admit ... Mrs. Bennet.

Darcy’s eyebrows rose as Caroline Bingley’s mouth fell open. Jane Bennet hurried forward to take her mother’s hand. “Mama, I thought you were too unwell to join us after the long carriage ride.”

“I feel a vast deal better after taking a little wine back at my brother’s house. And I just had to see everyone again! Oh! Colonel Fitzwilliam! It is so good to see you. Let me give you a kiss!” Richard smiled and allowed himself to be kissed by his future mother. “And Jane and Lizzy, oh, you girls look just lovely tonight!”

Bingley, Jane, and the Gardiners gave her their patient attention as Mrs. Bennet exclaimed rapturously about the entrance hall’s marble floor and the wainscoting on the walls.

A few moments later, Elizabeth approached Darcy and Caroline Bingley. His treacherous heart gave a leap of excitement, but Elizabeth’s regard was fixed on Caroline. “Miss Bingley,” she said with a smile, “my mother’s unexpected arrival necessitates that Richard must make some adjustments to the seating arrangements, and we thought to put her next to you. Since so few people in London are known to my mother, I thought she would find a familiar face at dinner to be of comfort. My uncle will sit on your other side. I believe you have met him.”

Miss Bingley’s mouth opened as she sought an acceptable means to decline this “honor.” She gaped for several moments. “Yes, of course,” she said finally. Her expression suggested she would prefer to contract a disfiguring skin disease.

“You are the soul of generosity.” Elizabeth smiled sweetly at Miss Bingley, who glared back but did not reply.

Darcy masked his inappropriate laughter with a cough. Elizabeth’s eyes briefly met his, and she smiled conspiratorially. He allowed himself a brief smile in return. Perhaps her good opinion of him was not irretrievably lost. But it hardly mattered. His hopes lay scattered in shards at his feet. Nevertheless, besotted as he was, Darcy still cared what she thought of him.

Richard’s butler ushered the guests into an elegant drawing room where they could enjoy refreshments before dinner. Seating herself on a loveseat, Elizabeth smiled an invitation for Richard to join her, where, in Darcy’s opinion, they sat far too close for propriety’s sake. However, there was no denying they both appeared very happy.

Perhaps Elizabeth truly was in love with his cousin.

Ah, yes, here was a new idea with which he could torture himself. Excellent.

Although they had not known each other long when they had become engaged, Richard had later confessed to Darcy how he had formed a strong attachment to Elizabeth from almost the first moment of their acquaintance. Did Elizabeth return some measure of his affection? The thought drove the knife a little deeper into Darcy’s heart. Somehow their betrothal was easier to tolerate if he imagined that she primarily sought a secure future, while the thought that she cared for Richard …

Elizabeth’s heart should have been mine!
She has commanded mine for months.

None of this signifies, he reminded himself. It was done. Richard and Elizabeth would marry. Darcy would see them for holidays and occasional visits—and somehow learn to bear it. What she felt for his cousin and when—these questions were of no consequence.

She could not be Darcy’s, and that was the end of it.

Darcy’s thoughts were too agitated to participate in ordinary conversation. Turning away from the room at large, he stared through the nearby window to the street outside, wishing he could simply open the window sash and dive out. Somehow the situation had managed to go from uncomfortable to intolerable in a mere quarter of an hour.

The darkened window reflected Elizabeth and Richard, in close proximity to each other on the loveseat, laughing and talking with the Gardiners. Darcy hurriedly switched his gaze to Bingley and Jane Bennet, who were having a low-voiced discussion near the doorway. Miss Bennet wore her customary sweet smile, while Bingley grinned widely. They seemed so happy it made his teeth hurt. Damnation! He wanted to gaze upon someone who was as miserable as he was. Where was Lady Catherine when he needed her?

Although, Darcy considered, Caroline Bingley’s face at dinner might suffice.

Darcy had anticipated Bingley’s attachment to Jane Bennet would be slight and short-lived. Bingley’s misery had demonstrated how badly Darcy had misjudged. Now he was forced to realize he may have been wrong about Miss Bennet’s affections as well.

And he had been wildly mistaken about Elizabeth’s opinions of him.

Good God, had he ever really known the people surrounding him? Perhaps Lady Catherine de Bourgh was in reality a sweet gentle soul and Mr. Collins a genius!



GIVEAWAY: Pride and Proposals by Victoria Kincaid

Ends 7/3/2015 at 12am EST
Two winners:  US Domestic - Paperback
International - eBook

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About Victoria Kincaid 

Victoria has a Ph.D. in English literature and has taught composition to unwilling college students. Today she teaches business writing to willing office professionals and tries to give voice to the demanding cast of characters in her head.

She lives in Virginia with an overly affectionate cat, two children who are learning how much fun Austen’s characters can be, and a husband who fortunately is not jealous of Mr. Darcy. A lifelong Austen fan, Victoria has read more Jane Austen variations and sequels than she can count – and confesses to an extreme partiality for the Colin Firth miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice.



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Monday, June 8, 2015

Meryton Press Announcement: Short Story Anthology Contest



Many of you may have noticed that Meryton Press recently released a collection of short stories, Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer.In fact, The Calico Critic will feature an excerpt from this book and a giveaway on June 20th! Before this title was released, Meryton held a contest for new and upcoming writers to have their work included in the collection.  It has been a great success, so they are moving forward with a new edition for the holiday season.  If you'd like to submit a short story, perhaps you'll be chosen for this new work!  Below are details-- best wishes to all who enter!












Meryton Press is conducting a contest to find the best short stories.

The theme of the contest, “Holiday Romance,” represents the season from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day. The interpretation of the theme is left to the writer’s imagination; the story may have the season as an incidental backdrop or may highlight the warmth and goodwill of the holidays. It may be a romance set entirely before a fire on a cold winter’s night, the plight of a young couple hosting their first family Thanksgiving, or the mystery of an anonymous holiday philanthropist with a reporter hot on his tale. So many holidays, so many stories: Thanksgiving, Christmas, the Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve…

Any genre is acceptable as long as there is ROMANCE. Austenesque is a plus but is not required. In other words, so long as there is a commonly accepted or acceptable interpretation of the theme embedded in the plot, it works for us. However, this contest is not for children’s stories. Our target audience is readers over 18 years old.

The contest will be open for submissions from 9:00 a.m., June 15, 2015 (US Pacific Time) until 11:59 p.m., July 15, 2015 (US Pacific Time)

The contest will be judged by a panel of independent judges, and the results will be announced around Labor Day 2015.

A long list of entries will be selected for final judging by a panel of expert editors and reviewers. All entries on the long list will receive a letter with constructive criticism on how the story could have been improved. Four winners will be selected from the long list and will be awarded prizes.

First Prize:
  • US$150
  • Professional editing of entry
  • Blog tour inclusion
  • Priority submission of a longer work
  • Four copies of published anthology


3 Runners up:
  • US$100
  • Professional editing of entry
  • Blog tour inclusion
  • Publication in the anthology
  • Two copies of published anthology

In addition, all four winning entries will be published in an anthology planned for late autumn 2015. The anthology will include not only the four winners but stories from Meryton Press’s popular and award-winning authors. The Summer Lovin’ Short Story Contest volume resulting from the contest held earlier this year has now been published as Sun-Kissed: Effusions of Summer.

Here are links to the complete rules and guidelines:

Holiday contest rules are at http://merytonpress.com/anthology/

PDF file of rules at http://merytonpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/2015-MP-Holiday-Short-Stories.pdf