The very first blog post on this website was dedicated to the results of the Writer’s Digest 89th Annual Writing Competition—in our first year, we beat over 4,000 entries to place second in the genre category. And in the years since, we’ve won prizes in this contest another three times, including an additional runner-up accolade. … Continue reading Writer’s Digest – Annual Writing Competition First Place WINNER!

We posted previously about being finalists in the Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards—the writing contest that promotes manuscripts in all genres of commercial fiction--and at their annual conference the winners were announced. We are so honored that our story Perfect Fifth is the winner of the Mainstream/Literary category! We're so thankful to the organizers of … Continue reading Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards 2023 – WINNERS!

In a last-minute turn of events, we were fortunately able to attend the Killer Nashville Awards Banquet! We had never been to KN, or to a writing conference at all before, but we're so glad we made the trip. Killer Nashville is a writing conference focusing on the genres of mystery, thriller, suspense, and everything … Continue reading Killer Nashville 2023 – WINNERS!

As of today, the anthology collection is officially available! E-book and print versions can be ordered from Amazon or Shotgun Honey Books. To read more, follow the links above.

The Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards are an annual contest sponsored by the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, an organization that “offers encouragement and opportunity to writers in all genres.” The RMFW supports and educates writers of all kinds of commercial fiction through this contest—now in its thirteenth year—in addition to offering critique groups, writing-related events … Continue reading Colorado Gold Rush Literary Awards

Shotgun Honey is known as the premiere home for crime, noir, and hardboiled flash fiction. In addition, they publish an anthology series, now in its fifth edition. In Shotgun Honey Presents: Thicker Than Water, twenty authors tell stories of female protagonists "who navigate the precarious boundaries of the darker spaces of humanity." Jessica's story "Woodpeckers" is … Continue reading Shotgun Honey

Today, my writing is featured on the website Points in Case (PIC), a daily literary humor publication that has been publishing work online since 2000. They publish articles, lists, and jokes as well as offering resources and connection for writers everywhere. We Are a Fancy Restaurant, and We Are About to Dim the Lights is … Continue reading Points in Case

This marks the third year in a row that one of our short stories has won an award at the Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition. Now in its 91st season, the contest offers prizes in a variety of categories, from poetry and plays to short fiction of all kinds, and our story Redemption Blues was … Continue reading Winter Round-Up – Claymores, WD, and ScreenCraft

What is the First Pages Prize? The First Pages Prize is a worldwide competition for the best opening of a novel. Now in its fifth year, the competition aims to “discover, recognize and encourage emerging voices,” which they accomplish through their annual prize and author showcase. Every year, writers are honored with a place on … Continue reading The First Pages Prize

At the end of April, we announced that we had earned a spot in the longlist of the CWA’s Debut Dagger Competition, one of the most prestigious and competitive awards open to un-agented writers. As the evening of the gala awards ceremony approaches, author J.E. Barnard, herself a previous Debut Dagger finalist, has produced an … Continue reading Interview with J.E. Barnard