Christmas Contest Winners

For first place, we have a tie between Andy Love and Wendy Swore's children, shown below in alphabetical order by first or last name, take your pick. Prizes will be sent in the upcoming week.

Andy Love

Bio from his Goodreads profile:

I started to write after reading so many bad anthologies, which I presume were from the 60's or 70's. I just picked up pencil and paper and started writing, probably thinking that I would not complete the work. It was unknown to me, if I was writing a novel or short story. The thought never crossed my mind.

So, I didn't intend to become a writer, it just burrowed under my skin. I even started to research my work. The words turned out to be my first short story, Minion. After the umpteenth draft, I read it and thought, it's a lot better than some published work I've read.

I bought books on how to write and get published. It turns out that I seemed to tick all the boxes for the way NOT to start writing. Ooppps!

How good was my story though? I'd have to see if I could get published in an anthology, (better than the 60's or 70's I read) without having to pay. I thought, if I send it to America, then I can't hear them laughinng from Scotland. They "bought" my story and it was published. So proud, eh?

Since then, I've read quality books, like: Stephen King, John Saul, Koontz, Clive Barker... I've still to get around to reading an Anne Rice book. A lot of what I read now is reference material. I especially enjoy researching history, always have.

Song: Parody of Deck the Halls by Andy Love
Deck the halls with bits of body,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Paint the floors with blood from Holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Don we now our can of petrol,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la.
Throw the ancient fuel on Carol,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

See the blazing fool before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike her head don‘t make a fuss.
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Follow me looking for treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
When I kill it’s such a pleasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.

Fast away the old car passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the cops, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.


Sing we Phychos, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
We love dead in any weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.


Wendy Swore

Bio from her Goodreads profile:

Born the daughter of a crop-duster and a teacher in Sacramento, CA, Wendy lived in several states before her family settled in Pocatello, ID. While attending ISU, she met her farm-boy-computer-guru sweetheart, who wrote to her during the 4 months she lived in Europe, and asked for her hand upon her return.

Wendy's summers are spent working (AKA slaving away) on the family truck farm along with their five young children. After the sweet-corn harvest, thousands of people come to learn about agriculture in her educational corn maze and farm tours.

Writing is Wendy's guilty pleasure for winter. Two of her short stories are available as free downloads in the Menage-a-20 novel published December 2009 with the combined efforts of 20 Goodreads authors. It makes for fun reading because they lull you into a false sense of security and then hit you with a twist at the end!

About her projects currently in the works, Wendy says; "My first YA novel follows Jenna, a farm girl, as she struggles against a lurking menace on the Sho-Ban Indian reservation. I'm working on query letters for that one this winter. My next deals with arson and a girl’s race against devastation."

"An avid reader myself, I hope you enjoy my stories."

Song: Parody of Joy to the World by Wendy's Children
Joy to the world,
Barney is dead
We barbecued his head!
Don't worry about the body,
we flushed it down the poddy,
And round and round it goes...
shoved it in with just our toes..
and Ro-Ound and round and round it goes!

P.S. Runner-ups will be posted later this week.