It’s time to announce the last month’s winners. It’s taken me 3 days of non-stop reading and rearranging the order of the winning stories to come up with the final short-list.

I hope you enjoyed reading the April flash stories as much as I did!

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There is nothing worse than hitting a low point in your life, still smarting from the bruises you’ve been dealt, and then hearing, “Everything happens for a reason” or that old adage about doors closing but windows opening. It’s almost like getting one more kick in the teeth before going down for the count. Sometimes, though, it comes full circle and that window serves as not only the escape, but the saving grace too.

In 2008, back when the whole mortgage crisis and recession was gaining momentum, I found myself without a job. As a loan officer for a mortgage company, I should have seen it coming. Needless to say, it was quite the brutal reality when it hit – and it hit hard. Still, I wasn’t too worried; I had mad computer skills and had worked for the two largest employers in my state. I have this covered, I thought. Fast forward four weeks and a new reality hit and it was one that didn’t include a job, but did, however, include a fear I wasn’t prepared for. Not only were the bills coming due, but I’d sent out 55 resumes with absolutely no reply from any of them. I kept thinking something would give, but day after day, the phone was quiet and the only email I was getting were the breaking news emails about a bank folding or the unemployment levels reaching new highs.

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Genre: Historical. 

Target Publication Date: July 1, 2013. 

I stood between two trees in the semi-dark of the night, the lifeless branches above me casting barely any shadow beneath the swollen moon.

From this hidden place, I watched my son Reed deliver the first blow.

A moonbeam sparkled on his silver armband as he pushed his opponent with the dull end of his sword. The man gave out a muffled yell and fell into the shadows under the wall of his house.

My son’s companions, three young warriors wearing only breechcloths, and four pleasure girls dressed in long tunics to mimic nobility, laughed and resumed their music of flutes and rattles.

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The challenge:

Write, edit and publish a complete novel in 90 days.

In my case, the start date is April 1, 2013. The target publishing date on Amazon Kindle is July 1, 2013.

The Fun:

There are 3 ways to join the adventure.

(1) Direct the story! Share what you like or hate about it, what do you think the characters should do next. Let’s make it fun

I’ll be happy to credit you inside the published book, promote your links on this site, and I’ll simply be grateful to you.

And I’ll of course send you the cool, final, edited and signed version after it’s done.

(2) Join this challenge with YOUR novel! It’s easier together. Even if we publish our book in 100 days, or 200 days, it sure beats not publishing it at all.

(3) Help me complete it in 90 days with your advice and ideas. We’ll learn something together.

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I sit here without words.

This month, we’ve got almost 40 flash stories, and this is after the initial pre-selection I do when folks submit their drafts.

Forty stories . . . I can’t say if I’m having the time of my life re-reading them in all their brilliance, or a near-death experience having to actually select the winner.

I think I’ll start inviting other writers to come and select the winners each month!

Today I’ll cover three topics: the winners, a question to you folks, and the April prompt.

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The common wisdom says that reviews are a lifeblood of the online business.

I agree.

However, I struggle getting reviews. My sales have been good; they’ve been great during the promotion periods. And yet, very few take the time to leave a review.

This is understandable. I, for one, have pretty much stopped doing it because I’m uncomfortable reviewing the work of my colleagues. I confine myself to reviewing only those authors who are either safely dead like William Golding, or who are way above my league like Stephen King.

With this in mind, I’ve decided to run an experiment.

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