Hi Coffee Clubbers – here’s the link to the new works – fiction and poetry – for you to vote on. Enjoy! I’m sure the writers will appreciate your interest, and your vote! https://fictionalcafe.com/fictional-cafe-contest-voting-round-3/
There’s a new pair of contestants every 48 hours. Click here to read and vote. Your participation makes our contest more fun for everyone, so please jump on in! And here’s what to expect over the next few days. Literary Round 1 (Mindy Windholz vs. Dee Home) Genre Round 1 (Bill McStowe vs. Joanna Ghazali) Poetry Round 1 (Judy Wood vs. Annie Tventenstra) Literary Round 2 (Mike Mavilia vs. Jack Rochester) Genre Round 2 (Beth Roper vs. Peggy McAloon) Literary Round 3 (Natalie Rodruigues vs. William Cook) Poetry Round 2 (Dee Home vs. Suman Chatterjee) Literary Round 4 (Natalie Rodruigues vs. William Cook — another one) Genre Round 4 (Joanna Ghazali vs. Chelsea Keenon) Poetry Round 3 (Alison Whittenbeck vs. Michael Larrain) Literary Round 5 (Jane Ward vs. Jake Simons) Poetry Round 4 (Judith Manzor vs….
Whoa, what happened to those lazy, crazy days of summer? Or “Indian Summer,” that Fall event that it’s politically incorrect to be called? They just flew by, and here we are, us New Englanders, bracing for a cold, snowy winter. But at least we still have a glimmer of hope for a colorful leaf-turning October and, of course, Halloween. So with those thoughts in mind, we plan to bring you some season-changing creativity month. We baristas are trying to select works we’ve received that link in on an October-y theme without resorting to outright horror, ghosts, spooks and trick-or-treating. We’ll get you something new each week in fiction, poetry, art, podcasts, and – NEW!- video. If you want to pumpkin-up your java before you sit down with our offerings, by all means do so! But……
A Summer at Amazon Books by Rachael Allen You walk into a bookstore. Something is different, you think. You pay for a cold brew from Peet’s Coffee & Tea, located in the rear of the store, then walk around, assessing. Perhaps it’s the orientation of the books: they all face out, squared shoulders, as if presenting their best selves to a potential new owner. Perhaps it’s the black review cards tacked below each book, giving you booklover22’s opinion on why All the Light We Cannot See was so moving. Perhaps it’s the devices zone in the middle of the store. A couple pokes at a tablet, while a little boy dances to Ed Sheeran, whose music is now spouting from the voice-activated speaker, per his request. Perhaps, too, it’s your awareness of the store name…
Editor’s Note: What could be better suited to the Fictional Café than some coffee poesies? Author Jake Cosmos Aller delivers four steaming, rich cups of his today. Pour yourself a cup and enjoy them! Ode to Coffee Mistress of sacred love Sacred Lady of desire You start my day Setting my heart on fire With your dark delicious brew And throughout the day Whenever the mean old blues come by You chase them away With your bittersweet ambrosia brew Every time I inhale your wicked brew I am filled with power, light, and love And everything is all right Jack It is all good If only for a few fleeting minutes I love you oh coffee goddess In all your magical forms In the dark coffee of the dawning day In the sizzling coffee in…
Great news from Jason Brick, our Anthology Barista, who’s been working hand over fist to get this incredible Fictional Cafe Anthology Contest going for your favorite authors and artists. It begins tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 26! Here’s a brief intro, with more details tomorrow. Greetings! At long last, the Fictional Café writing contest is launching! Here’s how it works. For the next month and a half, each weekday will feature a contest between two submissions: fiction, poetry, and art. When it a contestant’s day to compete, they will receive a link in an email. Contestants click that link and are taken to a website with their story and another contestant’s story. FC Coffee Club members, FC visitors and just about anybody else you can think of gets to vote for which work they like the best….
Editor’s Note: We met up with Tom Corson-Knowles, founder of TCK Publishing, at the Willamette Writers Conference in Portland, Oregon, and got to talking about new fiction he’s been publishing. Tom recommended we share Heidi Eljarbo’s novel with our readers. After reading, we agreed. It’s a fascinating, well written look into the 17th century’s profound fear of women who were deemed witches. While American readers may only be familiar with the witch-hunting Salem, Massachusetts, is known for, this tale is set in Norway – demonstrating that Salem was hardly an isolated event. If you enjoy this prologue, you’ll want to head over to Amazon to get your own copy by clicking here. Catching a Witch Prologue Toomber’s Cottage, Rossby, Norway Summer 1658 I was not there the day the gravedigger injured his foot, but the…
From Writing to Teaching: How Did THAT Happen? By J. Michael Squatrito, Jr. As a young writer I had a great idea for a storyline and, after years of turmoil and struggle, I eventually wrote the first book in my Overlords fantasy series. As of today, I have three self-published novels and I’m working on the fourth and final(?) installment. My literary journey has taken me to places I never dreamed that I would go – from individual book signings and mass author events, to local library and school visits, regional conferences and Comic Cons, and more than enough radio and TV appearances. I’m even the Vice-President of the Association of Rhode Island Authors! However, all of this started with an idea for a book and blossomed into a business. Why am I telling you…
Last month, Ruby Fink and I presented a 90–minute workshop on podcasting at the Willamette Writers Conference to keenly interested authors. Ruby heads Faux Fiction Audio, a podcast production company, and is my partner in podcasting my fiction. She’s also developing podcasts for other authors and publishers because podcasting, or audiobooks, is becoming a Pretty Big Deal in Media Land. Which is why I love finding podcasts for you to listen to each month. In my endless search for ever more interesting audio I came across “The Ferryman,” our offering this month. It’s one of the more bizarre listening experiences in the genre and I wish I could tell you more about it, but whoever created it – and I suspect the name “Nic Antoine” is a nom de plume [a nom de mic??] – remains…
Editor’s Note: Playful, witty and expressive in color, David Meyers’s work appears to draw from a strong interest in history and humor. His bold and gestural brushwork often depicts subjects from history with a strong fascination and focus on the American Wild West. Meyers’s work take a unique and bold approach to composition and structure with an unencumbered palette. His academic skill and disciplined technique work simultaneously with a playfully adolescent perspective of his subjects. -Steve Sangapore, contributor David Meyers is an artist based in Iowa City, Iowa. Though born and bred in Boston, Massachusetts, his adventures have lead him a seven year sojourn in Philadelphia, Pa where he received his B.F.A. in Painting/Drawing and minor in Art History from…