Summer's over... *sigh*. But, many amazing things happened over the past few months. I didn't even get the chance to post about it all. So, here comes a much needed update. :)
Between family holidays at the lake, the kids swimming lessons, navigating this new Covid world, and finishing my debut children's chapter book The Big Ol' Bike, my summer was insane. Every spare moment (and many late nights) was spent sketching illustrations or editing. Thank goodness for my supportive and understanding family - I can't thank them enough.
So now, I'm finally able to announce that my chapter book will be out in the world very soon. It's geared for ages 7-10, but is also a great family read. I'm extremely excited. In a past post I shared about my 1st place Writers Weekly 24-hour Short Story Contest win, for which I received a free publication package from Book Locker (www.booklocker.com). Well that prize did not go to waste. This is it!
You can read my winning short story A Giant Tale here: https://24hourshortstorycontest.com/archive/spring2020/clarke-1st-place
Now that the manuscript and illustrations are finished, I'm only waiting on final formatting and cover design. I'm finally on the home stretch. Next up will be the book's release and launch. Aaaahh! How exciting. Stay tuned for more updates as the weeks pass.
More excitement is yet to come!
Oh, and since I have you here, I might as well share some fun news. I'm participating in portion 2 of the Writers Games (www.writersworkout.net), which started weeks ago. This is my third time competing in this competition, and I guess third times the charm. Writing prompted stories each weekend for five weeks straight is such a great stretching exercise for a writer. One must rely entirely on his/her own abilities and writing instincts, without any help from beta readers or editors. My story Clicking, won 2nd place in Event 3, and my story A Friend in Need... placed 3rd in Event 5. That means both stories will be published in the next 72 Hours of Insanity anthology. Woo hoo! *fist pump*
BUT the BEST news is - I WON THE ENTIRE COMPETITION!! That's right! I placed first overall for the entire thing, out of hundreds of competitors. And believe me, the competition is fierce. I know a handful of the writers I was up against - they're in my writing group - and they're amazingly skilled. It was a wonderful bit of news to brighten my day (or week, or month!). :)
So, now that I've talked you ear off (making up for lost time I suppose) I'll leave you with a couple sample illustrations from The Big Ol' Bike. Enjoy!
Happy writing & take care for now. :)
Rachael Clarke
Read more of my published short fiction here:
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