Success tastes like pomegranate!

Pomegranates taste sweet and so does success.

After…well…I don’t know how many competitions I finally placed in the TOP 3 (okay…so I equalled 3rd place, sharing the honour with fellow RWA writer Lilian Begelhole).

We are two of sixteen short stories chosen for publication as part of the Romance Writers of Australia’s annual short story contest – Little Gems, in which you must produce a story (less than 3,000 words) that includes the gem of the year. The gem for 2011 was GARNET.

First and second place was taken out by Lynne Kokshoorn and Cara Gabriel (respectively) and our stories (along with 12 more) will be printed between the most striking cover. There will be 16 stories.

This will be my second consecutive year in Little Gems.  My other two entries this year both tipped the 90% mark in the rankings, and with a massive 82 entires this year I couldnt be happier. I’ve never received full marks before. I got two full marks (two different stories) and some wonderful comments. I hope you don’t mind if I share a few now…

SWEPT AWAY (dedicated to flood victims everywhere)

I loved this story J The characters were fascinating and I loved the unique way the garnet was incorporated in the story.

 

This story is sweet and suspenseful and utterly charming.

SEW SPECIAL

This entry covers the full gambit of emotions – it is romantic, funny and sad. The format of the story adds interest in the way that the sequence of the 40 years is covered and the reader gleans a whole lot of history of the heroine and her life over her 80 years.

LOST IN LINGERIE

This story is fantastic! I love it.

The characters, story, pace are all beautifully rounded, making this a complete, excellent story.

I’m getting to love my shorts!  Excerpts can be found here on my blog.

Phew! Now I need to break into the ‘big gems’ in the publishing industry with my aussie women’s fiction.