Contest | Cathy C. Hall Writes

Look what I found in my mailbox today!

I won Dana Fredsti’s book, Murder for Hire: The Peruvian Pigeon, when I went on a blog Trick or Treat with the Fatal Foodies. Now, don’t say you don’t know what I’m talking about. I told you all about the bloggy giveaway and how you could win great prizes, including interesting books like Dana’s hardboiled cozy.

I’m not exactly sure how a cozy can be hardboiled, but I read that description for her book, which just makes me want to read it even more. So, it’s on my bedside table (Well, not right this minute. Right now, it’s on my desk so I can be inspired while writing about said book). But it will be on my bedside table, joining my stack of to-read books. Then, it will be back on my desk when I write about it later and fill you in on what, exactly, a hardboiled cozy is.

Till then, I guess it’s just one big mystery.

As it’s the first of the month, I had to check a few sites I visit to find interesting things. That’s what Finding Something Friday is all about, right? So, without further ado, I give to you…a poetry market! (C’mon, you had to see that coming.)

I don’t know if I have the mad skills to write a scathingly brilliant poem, using these words: pillow, break, tantrum, silver, roof, vacant, atlas. But, I do know a Junior Hall who professes to be a poet. So, I think it’s high time that boy proved he learned something on his way to an English degree. He can send in 1 to 5 poems to usethesewords@gmail.com by January 1 and maybe see his name in print (right next to your name!) in the next issue of Use These Words. (Check out the last issue here).

And for you fiction writers, check out the Oceanview Short Story Contest here. And yes, I know it’s a delightful, oceanview scene at the website, but they want un-delightful, twisted stories. And they want them by November 17th.

Oh, and if you have a dog or cat essay, or funny college story essay, or, um, any number of other essays, check out Chicken Soup for the Soul for their latest needs. Click on “Submit a Story” and find out more.

Finally, the beneficent Mr. Hall found the t-word slapped on my arm. And he didn’t find my antics nearly half as funny as I did.