October's Write-Away Contest

Oh this is going to be fun! I wanted to do something a little different . . . something a little "out there." It's October, right? That means fall and Halloween, right? So the theme for the month will be "Things That Scare Me." This could be anything from the mold in your bathroom to the worries you may have as a parent, but share with us what scares and frightens you, what keeps you up at night.

If you'd like to participate, here are the rules:

1. Write a post or find one in your archives about things that scare you and email your post's permalink to me at: scribbit at gmail.com any time through Wednesday October 17th. If you fail to meet the October 17th deadline I will still happily publish the link to your post and include it in the list of entries but it will not be judged. I reserve the right to reject submissions if they fail to meet the topic or if they contain objectionable content.

2. Publish a link to the contest page here at Scribbit in either your entry post or in a separate post.

3. Check back here on Friday October 19th when I will post a complete list of the entries along with the Write-Away Winner and any honorable mentions our judge sees fit to award.

Our guest judge this month is Shalee from Shalee's Diner who, far from being a terrifying person is an absolute sweetie, and will judge the entries based on the quality of writing, the applicability to the topic and the overall ability to engage (or scare) the reader.

The prize you're writing for is a collection of brand new mystery, crime and thriller novels. Last week I attend Bouchercon 2007, the world's biggest mystery writers convention where writers, editors and fans gathered to talk about the genre and learn from the masters. Diana Gabaldon, Robert S. Levinson, James Sallis, Otto Penzler, the big names were all there and they gave out a lot of cool stuff. I have fourteen new mystery stories as this month's prize (let's hope you like to be thrilled!) including:

* Missing Witness by Gordon Campbell (hardcover). Set in 1973 Arizona "Combining the riveting suspense f Presumed Innocent with the raw ambition and power of All the King's Men."

* Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (hardcover). An "Icelandic novel of secret symbols, medieval witchcraft and modern murder."

* No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay (softcover). "Fourteen-year-old Cynthia Bigge woke one morning to find herself alone, her entire family had vanished. No note, no trace of them. Now, twenty-five years later, she may learn the truth. Sometimes it's better not to know . . ."

* The Saddlemaker's Wife by Earlene Fowler (paperback), author of the Benni Harper mystery series, as her first cross-over novel of family drama.

* The Cage by Kenzo Kitakata (softcover). Described as "A towering masterpiece of the hardboiled genre, a searing portrayal of the violence of the Japanese underworld and a tender meditation on the ties of love and friendship that can save men from madness--or plunge them deeper into it."

* Soho Crime Sampler Fall-Winter 2007-2008 (paperback). Described by the Wall Street Journal as a source for "Some of the best exotic crime fiction" this is a compilation of six short stories set in exotic locales.

* Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine November 2007 editions. The latest editions of the best mystery magazines in the world with 18 excellent short stories, puzzles and reviews.

* Copper River by William Kent Krueger (paperback). A Cork O'Connor mystery by a two-time Anthony Award winner.

* The Lightning Rule by Brett Ellen Block (hardcover). Set in 1967 New Jersey, Detective Martin Emmett is out to catch a serial killer stalking black teens.

* Volk's Game by Brent Ghelfi (hardcover). Alexey Volkoi is being described as a Russian Jason Bourne in this debut novel of Russian intrigue.

* Dead Man's Hand: Crime Fiction at the Poker Table edited by Otto Penzler (softcover). Fifteen short stories by the likes of Joyce Carol Oates, Laura Lippman and Alexander McCall Smith where poker is the weapon of choice.

* The Full Cupboard of Life by Alexander McCall Smith (paperback). The fifth book in the popular "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" series set in Botswana.

* The Wrong Kind of Blood by Declan Hughes (paperback). An Irish novel of suspense which Michael Connelly describes as "[an] artiful thrill ride of deception."

* The Berlin Conspiracy by Tom Gabbay (paperback). Described as "A Cold War thriller of real brilliance. John le Carre with a witty ironic edge that will start you thinking about the real truth behind the Kennedy assassination."

One hundred seventy dollars worth of suspense--plus shipping--that ought to keep you busy for a week or two. So get busy and send in your best posts and show me what gives you nightmares (I know for my husband it would be mushrooms).

But besides this the winner and all runners-up or honorable mentions (I leave that up to the judge to award them) will also get to take home this attractive Write-Away Winner button which he or she may display in their sidebar if they wish.
Good luck, I look forward to reading your entries.

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Congratulations to Lee from Concord, Ohio for winning this week's giveaway from Handmade Pretties.

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