Friday, September 08, 2006

First Chapter Contest Honorable Mention

I recently received news that the first chapter for my novel Morning Son received honorable mention in The Writing Show's First Chapter contest. The first three chapters of the novel is currently sitting in the "slush pile" of a Canadian publisher, and I'm hoping that they're interested in wanting to read the rest. (And, of course, hopeful that they'll want to publish it)

You can read the Prologue and First Chapter linkable off The Writing Show Contest post here. And if you do read it, let me know how eager you'd be to read the rest of the novel. The one line description of the novel reads: A grieving man uncovers deeply buried family secrets on his quest to lay his father’s ashes and memory to rest. The main character happens to be the manager of a large chain bookstore in Ottawa. And it's not at all based on some of my own experiences. LOL.

Actually, unlike most of my writing, this is a contemporary fiction novel, with a bit of a mystery storyline to it, but with virtually no horror or science fiction content. I actually wrote the first draft of the novel a couple of years before my father died and since some of the novel was inspired by events in my own father's life, he actually read some of the novel (like the horrific motorcycle accident that almost claimed his life when he was a young man) before he passed away. I'll always cherish the time we spent discussing the novel on the front porch of a cabin on Manitoulin Island one rainy afternoon.

Congratulations to winner's Gregory Huffstutter, Scott Middlemist, Stacie Penney and other honorable mention folks Kent Blackwood, John Ling, Charleen Touchette and S. Barry Paisner. And thanks to the judges and Paula B for a very fun and exciting contest. You can read the wonderful samples from all these folks at the very same link.

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